Blackbear made his way outside of the ship. The noise from an a.t.v. made him jerk his head to the right. A line of about 15 of the machines with loaded wagons behind them were approaching him in a single file path. When they reached him he waved down the first rider.

“What’s going on here, and what do you have loaded on back there?” Blackbear asked pointing at the wagon.

The man grinned at him. “Filled to the brim with meat Chief. Down near the inlet south of here are a ton of Sea Lion and Walrus type monsters flooding over from the tip of Admiralty Island. One of the Chiefs sent a hundred hunters down there to thin the herd. I’m headed to him right now to send another couple hundred. There are a LOT of animals coming out of the water. Luckily they are slow enough on land to pick off. By the way, one of the men spotted smoke about ten miles in on the Island. I couldn’t see it myself, but he had some kind of super Eagle Eye vision.”

Blackbear thanked the man and waved him off on his way. He turned to the group. “Guys, go eat, take a 2 hour break, and come meet me at the treehouse. I’m going to go see about building a fort for the Octos and then we are going to be taking a trip over to Admiralty and see what going on. Pack your bags for action! Onida I’ll need you with me if you would please.”

Blackbear quickly made his way back to The Village and up to his office. “OK Onida, what do we need to do to build our enemies a fort and how much will it cost us?” He said with a snort of disgust. “Whatever it is if it saves just one of my warriors lives it will have been worth it.”

Onida waved her hand over the display activating it. “Well first of all we will need to claim some land out to their site. We can just snake a long path along the water and put a road on it then take a block big enough for their village. We have more than enough to afford this.”

Blackbear manipulated the mapping device and carved out a fifty foot wide section and traced it along the waterfront. “Kelli can you calculate how big of a fort we need to accommodate two thousand people and a village for them?”

“Chief I do not have this race listed and have no conception of what type of dwelling may be needed for their species. If you would allow me to send an android over to that location I can approximate the closest structures we have access to and implement that design.”

Blackbear perked up. “That is a wonderful idea Kelli. Please do that and report back when we get home tonight! Blackbear smiled at Onida. “Delegating… Something I need a lot more of!”

Blackbear started to walk off and suddenly stopped and snapped his fingers thinking of something. “Kelli contact Sergeant Bernard. Tell him to have his team at Juneau Harbor in one hour. Please get a hold of Harbor Master Willy and tell him we will need a Captin and crew for one of our Navy Patrol boats. Oh, might as well tell Smitty, Jax, and Jane to head down there also.”

Blackbear turned to Onida. “That Bernard guy is a professional soldier with a team of specialists here. He just arrived with the Chippewa people.”

“Kelli, Bernard told me his tribe just got here. How many people have made it to The Village so far?”

“We currently have 60,267 residents Chief. We are expecting another 50,000 through the next week. The Lumbee Tribe is next followed by Iroquois, Creek, Blackfeet, Apache, Sioux, Choctaw, and Navajo. We were expecting a rather huge crowd from the Cherokee nation, but I have received a communication today explaining that they will only be sending a few representatives. They told me that they have secured their reservation in Oklahoma and are going to build it up.”

Blackbear nodded to himself. “Good for them! I think we will need several cities to fall back on in case of a disaster. Ok, I want to grab so food and then let’s head down to the docks and see what we might need for a day trip.”

Bear and Onida made their way to the stables and glided off on their horses. There was a massive influx of people arriving at The Village and Blackbear noticed a crowd surrounding Tor’s totem. A couple of androids were there directing people with hand motions and occasionally pawning a few off to Tor.

Blackbear dismounted and walked over to his advisor. “Tor, what’s up? Haven’t seen much of you the last couple of days.”

Tor turned to him. “Bro, did you have need of me? Right now I am advising forty-five people on class selection and stat distribution. Every day around noon I greet and help out our people however I can! I barely have time to smoke during the day!”

Blackbear shook his head. “No, no. I’m doing Ok. I just hope that when we get everyone finally settled in here you will become available to me once again.”

Tor narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I can send a facsimile of myself with you in case you have real need of my talents.”

Blackbear held up his hand warding him off. “Nah, I’m good. Just keep in mind who you are working for.” He looked behind him and winked at Onida. “I guess Tor doesn’t love us anymore!”

Tor started to say something but Blackbear cut him off. “Have a good day, Tor we are going to explore new and exciting lands. Let’s go Onida.”

Bear and Onida made their way down to the Juneau Harbor and were surprised to see that everyone had beat them there and were talking to Willy next to a tough looking boat with large guns mounted near the bow and stern.

Blackbear walked up to them eyeing the boat up and down. “Chief Walrus this boat is significantly bigger that the thirty footers we talked about. I hope you’re not abusing my generosity. What is this? Seventy foot long?”

Willy chuckled. “Eighty-five feet actually Chief Bear and I hope that it’s bigger seeing how this is your personal assault boat.” Pointing at Onida he said, “Before you say anything else, your wife picked this out and purchased it herself and It’s a beauty!”

Bear glanced back at Onida who nodded and raised an eyebrow not saying a word.

Bear sighed. “She’s a beauty alright.”

Bernard spoke up. “Chief I’ve been on these boats many times. This is a U.S. Navy Mark VI patrol boat. It can cruise through shallows and has a retractable hinged door on the stern for launching Zodiaks. It can hold twenty people comfortably for rapid deployment.

Willy patted the rail like it was his pet dog. “Yup. We have two ten man inflatable Zodiaks on board and a fancy hover snowmobile thingy as well in case of accidents on land. We also have speed, armor, and firepower. This thing is so slick that I am going to Captin her out on her maiden voyage. Just to make sure she’s sea worthy ya know?”

Blackbear looked around at everyone. “I assume you all are decked out with whatever you need for a little trip?” No one spoke up and all nodded at him.”

Ok then lets get this show on the road!”

Bear climbed aboard and Bernard introduced his team. “We are recon Chief, so we will be forming an invisible bubble around you while we scout and watch your six. We prefer to stay hidden unless you have an emergency.”

Bear nodded at him. “Sounds good. Everyone do a coms check and we are good to go. Willy take us out!”

Willy thrusted the engines and the boat headed down the Gastineau Channel. It was about twelve miles to the closest part of Admiralty and Bear asked the Captin to take it slow so everyone could scan the shores on both sides for trouble.

Four miles down the channel on the right they came upon Ready Bullion Beach which now had a huge fort and a small town on it. It was bursting with activity. The Octos all stopped and stared as Bear and his crew slowed down to get a look at them. A large familiar looking Larian stepped to the edge of the water. He put both arms and tentacles across his chest and bowed. Hundreds of Larians behind him did the same…

The further down the channel they got the more monsters started to appear. Most seemed to be of the sea animal families. Walrus, Seal, Sea Lions, or some combination of them. A few dove off of the shore and seemed to chase them, but nothing was quick enough to catch them.

They took a left out of the channel and Bernard pointed to the south. “One of the men can see faint traces of smoke there.”

Bear nodded. “That’s the Oliver Inlet State Marine Park. Willy head on in there.”

They made there way into the park’s inlet and about a mile down to the right they could all see traces of smoke that you would see come from a house’s fireplace.

When they came out into more open water Willy turned towards the shore.

“We won’t even need the Zodiaks. I can pull us right up next to that beach.”

There was a clearing ahead and they could see some kind of low building about a mile in next to a small river. The boat came ashore and they all leaped out. Bear turned to Bernard. “Ok, we are headed for that structure. Do what you do and we will approach.”

Blackbear and his party headed out and soon came across a strange looking building. It was round and half of it looked to be a big greenhouse. It seemed to be sunken down into the ground and looked structurally sound. The was a ring of barren land in a circle all around the house that was about a perfect one hundred feet wide and cleared of all plant life. There was a wispy white smoke coming from a chimney in the front of it.

Blackbear stood about twenty feet from the barren circle and yelled, “Hello to the house! Anybody home?”

A window opened and a voice called out, “Who wants to know? The last people who trespassed here regretted it!”

Blackbear yelled back, “My name is Chief Blackbear. Some of my people were fighting off a horde of monsters and noticed smoke. We came to see if you needed help!”

A door opened and a scruffy looking man stepped out. “Blackbear? BOWEN Blackbear?”

Blackbear looked back at his crew and raised an eyebrow. “That’s right. My name is Bowen. Who might you be?”

The man started running out to them. “Bowen! Oh thank God! I thought I’d be stuck here forever!”

The man ran up to them. Blackbear thought he looked a little familiar, but couldn’t place his face. The man thrust out his hand and grabbed Blackbear’s and started shaking it. Then he threw himself into Blackbear and hugged him like he was a savior.

“Solemn Zogrov. Saul... Err you can call me Zog, everyone else does. Crazy Russian parents with their crazy names heh!”

He was a big guy, about six foot three with short brown hair and a smile that looked like it was permanently plastered on his face. He was wearing a tee shirt that had a Dickens Cider logo on it and blue jeans with a garden spade tucked into his back pocket. He was dirty like he was just working on a field.

Bear pushed him back and looked him up and down. “Sorry, I know your face, but can’t put together where I know you from.”

Zog nodded. “Ya man I’m sure. I know your wife Samantha a lot more than you. I run a little jewelry store up on Franklin street. Sam used to stop in every now and then. We have had drinks before at the Lucky Lady Pub. I think I even kicked your ass at darts a time or two!”

Blackbear nodded. “Oh right! Zog! I remember. How the hell did you get stuck out here man?”

Zog pointed back at the house. This was my getaway and grow house. I was here when all this crazy stuff started to happen. Got trapped in here. I ended up becoming this class called a Combat Botanist. Check this out! Umm don’t get defensive here. I’m going to call out my horde!”

Zog whistled and raised a hand. The entire circle surrounding the house erupted in a jungle of thousands of plants. Ivies. Thorn bushes. Even huge plants that looked like Venus Fly traps, except for being five feet tall. The circle was packed fifty feet deep. The must have been thousands of different plants.

Zog laughed at the looks of astonishment on their faces. “I know right? I came out here to grow some pot and I ended up with a plant army! We must have killed thousands of monsters the last few weeks. Nothing can even get close to the house. I level as I sleep. I’m level 50! The more that the plants kill the stronger they get.”

Zog looked back at Bear’s party. He spotted Jax. He walked over and vigorously shook his hand. “Mike right? I think you bought a necklace for a lady off of me a few years ago.”

He walked over to Onida. He whistled before he took her hand. “Hello my lady. You, I don’t know, I would’ve remembered! Wow! Beautiful! Howareya?, You can call me Zog!

He walked up to Smitty and without losing a beat said, “Hey Bigfoot, how’s it hanging! Love your work!”

He looked over at Jane who had a slight scowl on her face. “Hello mam. Zogs the name and plants the game!”

He turned back to Bear. “Wanna check out the digs?” He whistled again and lowered his hand and the plants sank back into the ground. He started back to his house.

Blackbear looked back to his party who were all smiling and shaking their heads. “Quite the character this Zog is. Might as well go check out his place.”

They followed Zog inside. The house was quite nice with a rustic cabin kind of vibe. Half of it was sequestered off with a long row of industrial plastic hanging from ceiling to floor. Zog motioned them back to the greenhouse.

It was orderly packed with hundreds of different varieties. Zog proudly pointed around. “That entire half is entirely unique to this world now. I have skills that let me graft distinct botany. The things I can do now! Wow! I can even make semi-sentient plant life! Better medicines, better marijuana, better food crops! The system has hooked me up!”

Blackbear questioned him. “You know about the system?”

Zog nodded. “Oh ya I do… Couple weeks ago a couple straggled in half dead. I recognized them. I have a thing for remembering customers faces. Anywho, I took them in and they told me all about what was happening in the world. Lent them my boat. That turned out to be a mistake. They never came back.”

Bear nodded. “I see. What are your plans Zog? We sure could use someone with your talents back in the city.”

Zog looked around sheepishly. “If I’m being straight with you, I kinda got my groove on here now. I’m not going to abandon this place entirely. If I can get a boat though I wouldn’t mind going back and forth. To be honest I really miss talking to people. I’m a talker if you haven’t noticed. I also really miss… umm… the ladies.”

Bear nodded. “A little boat for you huh? I think we might be able do something about that!”

Zog clapped his hands. “I already have a bag packed. Been waiting on this day for weeks now! Let’s do it! I really need to get some stuff from my safe!”

Bear winced. “Umm about your shop...”