This new series continues just a couple of years after the James Bong Series left off, and nearly 50 years before the SeAgora novel. It shows some of the challenges faced in building an anarchist seasteading "society" (SeAgora). Some characters from the James Bong series will crossover, making occasional appearances, but in peripheral roles.
If you haven't read The James Bong Series, I recommend starting there so that you'll know the context behind C.A. Salt. You can find it, and all of my other writings for free, at my archive.
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C.A. Salt
Main Characters
Zippo – Smuggler in his early 20s.
Ara – Zippo’s new smuggling partner, and lifelong friend, also in her early 20s..
Year: 2031 – 2 Years after beginning the C.A. Salt Project in The James Bong series.
Episode 1
Scene 1
A small, 3D-printed, hemp powered cargo seaplane is descending quickly and with a wobble over the Sonoran Desert. It is piloted by Zippo and Ara is by his side.
Ara: Don’t crash.
Zippo (cringing, clutching control lever): I’m not gonna crash.
Plane wobbles side-to-side.
Ara: You’ve done this before, right?
Zippo: You’re not helping.
Ara (pointing to a little patch of smooth, compacted sand in between a cluster of cacti): You’re landing there?! You’ve gotta be kidding.
Zippo: You’re still not helping.
Zippo clutches the controls with white knuckles and clenches his teeth as the seaplane makes a bumpy, unorthodox, and speedy touchdown. A dust cloud envelops them as they stare blankly ahead and take a deep breath. They turn and face each other.
Zippo: Aren’t ya glad ya came?
Ara: You should be glad I didn’t puke on you. (huffs) So now what?
Zippo scans horizon, then looks at customized, 3D printed phone and checks for messages.
Zippo: My contact isn’t here yet, so we wait.
Ara: What’s your contact’s name?
Zippo: People call him Ramblin’ Man.
Ara (giggling): Ramblin’ Man? Why is that? Did he magically come to life straight out of an old spaghetti western?
Zippo: Cuz he rambles. He’s a motormouth.
Ara (peering back at the cargo behind them): So this motormouth is gonna buy all this seafood from us?
Zippo: Nope.
Ara: Then what are we doing here?
Zippo: He’s gonna trade with us. We give him fresh seafood, caught this morning, and he gives us hemp materials for 3D printers and hemp fuels.
Ara: Ah, ok. These people you’re working with don’t like money?
Zippo: I’m paid in the crypto of my choice. Everything else is just a straight trade, worked out in advance.
Ara: Who pays you?
Zippo: I’ve never met them in person.
Ara squints and purses lips. Zippo shrugs.
Zippo: It’s been electronic communication only. They supply me with this super-sweet customized, encrypted phone, all the info for the trades and locations, the merchandise, vehicles, etc. Everything I need to do this is provided. All I have to do is get done what they want done.
Ara: And you don’t think this is a little strange?
Zippo: Sure, it’s strange. But on the other hand, I have to respect their privacy. I get paid, and I’m not doing anything wrong, so why not?
Ara: So that boat in the middle of the ocean where we picked up the cargo, there was nobody there?
Zippo: Nope. There never is. Just a few service bots. And it wasn’t the middle of the ocean. It was only a hundred miles offshore.
Ara: Why would anyone go through so much trouble to remain anonymous? So why did you invite me along this time? You usually go alone, right?
Their conversation is interrupted by a huge vehicle, barreling down over slight hills in the distance. It’s a giant, blue, customized vehicle, a hybrid that looks like a tank, eighteen-wheeler, and ATV got mashed together.
Ara (shocked face): What the…?
Zippo: That’s Ramblin’ Man.
The vehicle skids to a precarious stop just a few meters from the plane. They hop out of the plane, and Ramblin’ Man jumps out of the high driver’s seat.
Ramblin’ Man (excited): Hey there, Zippo! Hey girl I don’t know! We’ll exchange pleasantries later! Time is of the essence! We gotta make this swap! Well, don’t just stand there with your jaws dropped, let’s get movin’!
Ara (whispering): Is he always like this?
Ramblin’ Man continues to ramble in background.
Zippo: The incessant chattering, yeah, but he’s usually not in such a rush. (gestures to Ramblin’ Man and interrupts the ramble) Hey! What’s the rush?!
Ramblin’ Man: I just told you I blew through an extortion-funded rights violation checkpoint about ten miles back! Don’t you listen? You never listen, man! (groans, straightens cowboy hat)
Zippo’s and Ara’s eyebrows shoot up.
Ramblin’ Man: Man, it was one hell of a chase! I’ll have to tell ya all about it some other time. I think I lost ‘em after I went off road. They’re no match for Blue Bear! (gestures to monster cargo truck) Of course, there might be some drones out there, tracking, who knows? Anyway, go ahead and scan my stuff, and I’ll scan your stuff, and we’ll be on our way.
Zippo scans cargo in the truck with his phone, and Ramblin’ Man scans the cargo in the plane with his phone.
Zippo: Looks good. Now why the hell did you blow through a checkpoint?
Ramblin’ Man: Cuz I’ve had some, uh, issues with my fake IDs lately. Don’t know why. You might wanna take that into consideration on your trip! Anyway, always a pleasure doing business!(hops into plane)
Ara (shocked): Hey, wait a minute! What is he doing?
Zippo: He’s gonna fly away with the seafood.
Ara: What?!
Zippo: And we’re riding away with a bunch of refined hemp products. Now come on, get in.
Ara struggles to get into the high door of Blue Bear. Zippo laughs.
Zippo: Come on, chaparra! So much for high speed getaways...
Ara (laughing): Shutup!
They get in and Ara marvels at the control panel, which has multiple holo touchpads up, down, and side to side.
Ara: There are more controls in here than in the plane! Why so complicated?
Some of the holopads get brighter. Blue Bear thrusts forward, and they start rolling over the rough terrain at a frenetic pace.
Zippo: Most of these controls never get used. They’re just for contingency.
Ara: Contingency?
Zippo: In case of emergency.
Ara: Like what?
Zippo: Like that (points to sky at police drone).
Ara: What are you gonna do?
Zippo: Keep driving.
Ara: And?
Zippo: And wait to see what it does. I wonder why Ramblin’ Man had problems with his ID? I’m gonna stay off road as much as possible to avoid checkpoints, just in case. That should help.
Ara: Fake ID? You both have one?
Zippo: Yep, and you have one, too.
Ara: Should I thank you or hate you? How did you get the ID? And what kind of ID is it?
Zippo: One for me, and one for the vehicle, and a travel permit, business permit, etc. I get them all from the same source as everything else.
Ara: The same dude?
Zippo: Dude, lady, group, who knows?
Ara: You don’t even know their name?
Zippo: The ad I answered only said “C.A. Salt”. Could be a person, or a company, or a giant load of fertilizer. I don’t know.
Zippo gives annoyed look into rear view screen, steps on accelerator.
Zippo: Man, that thing is pretty fast.
Red and blue lights start flashing at them from the drone. A siren also blares at them and the drone barks orders in a robotic voice, telling them to stop the vehicle and exit with hands up.
Zippo (sighs hard): Ok, that’s it. Time for contingency. (presses a series of buttons on the holopad above him)
Ara: What are you doing?
Zippo: Sending a small, direct EMP.
Ara (rolls eyes): Ok, James Bond.
A few seconds later, the drone fizzles and drops from view.
Ara (mouth agape, staring at Zippo): So your EMP works, but not your fake ID.
Zippo: Apparently, but not sure about the ID yet.
Ara: So why did you invite me along again?
Zippo: They want me to bring someone else in, someone I can trust. They need another courier.
Ara: Is that what you call yourself?
Zippo: Well, that’s kinda what I’m doing here.
Ara: And why me?
Ara: I’ve known you since we were little, and you’re tough, and smart.
Ara: This is a little out of my league, I think. I mean, I’ve had a few scuffles here and there, but….
Zippo: And it’s always in defense. You don’t go looking for a fight, but you don’t take any shit. You defend yourself well. You’re tougher than you look.
Ara: Again, should I thank you or hate you for saying that?
Zippo: Anyway, we have a long way to go to finish this run. We’ll see how it goes.
Ara: Where’s our next stop?
Zippo: A few hundred miles northwest, in central Cali. (squints at horizon) Assuming we get past that.
Ara: Past what?
Zippo points straight ahead, where they’re about to cross a two-lane desert highway. There are a group of extortion-funded vehicles with red and blue lights on top, waiting for them.
Zippo: That.
End Episode 1
Thanks for your time and attention!
Just say "NO" to slavery!
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