Remote

Contemporary fiction by Dan Marvin

The dot in the sky was getting larger.  An unmistakable whine of drone rotors made me realize that I had to take cover quickly.  There wouldn’t be time to hide signs of my campfire or rudimentary shelter, I had to hope that they would get lost in the trees as I dove under the branches of a berry bush.  Thankfully the drone didn’t show any indications that it had seen me or my campsite but clearly they were getting close.  Whoever had been flying the drone couldn’t have been more than a mile away.  It was time for me to either get further away or face the music.  As I had all week, I chose further away.

The ledge that had been my home gave me a good line of sight across the valley but also meant that I had to climb a harrowing path to get back on level ground.  Gathering my meager possessions into a bundle, I flung them over my shoulder and set out with the help of a walking stick.  I slipped several times on the stones that littered the wildlife trail I was following but eventually made it away from the overlook and back into the soft pine needles of the forest.  I knew from earlier explorations that the land to my left led to a river.  I turned right, away from the water but hopefully away from prying eyes as well.

I estimated that an hour had elapsed when I broke into a clearing.  The sun was fully overhead now but would be starting to set in a few hours at this time of the year.  This would have to do for my next campsite. It had the advantage of being surrounded by tall trees, unless the drone pilot flew directly overhead I was unlikely to be detected.  There was plenty of dry kindling for a fire but I was more concerned with water.  A handful of berries served as a quick lunch as I surveyed my surroundings and took stock of my situation.

Luck was on my side as I found a marshy area on the far side of the clearing.  Using a smoke blackened pot as a shovel, I excavated a hole large enough for water to start to seep in.  There was a patch of grass that looked as though deer had been bedding in it not too long ago which seemed like a perfect place to sleep.  I set about making a fire and starting to boil my water, then started to open my pack.

My laptop beeped at me as I set up the solar charging cell and it connected to the satellite internet overhead.  I logged in to the corporate VPN tentatively, even with the scrambling software I worried that they may be able to trace the signal.  As I feared, my email inbox was filled with increasing strident demands that I return to the office immediately.  I set about doing a few work items that demanded my immediate attention and then turned it off again.  I sipped some of the cooling water from the pot and looked around my clearing.  Someday soon I would have to find khakis and a polo shirt and return to work.  Someday soon, but not today.

The End