021: Magic Box part 1

Captain Paterson

Eddie shouts from the house, "Cap, need you downstairs!"

The stench of cordite, chemical smoke and spilled bowels still fill the clearing.  I leave off helping Moon-Pie set tarps on the BMP's floor and seats and head off to the house.

Randy, who's supposed to be looking out for any marauders who've run off, is staring down at one of corpses and shifting it's head with his boot.  "Cutler!  Eyes on the wood line.  You can play with him later."  With a grunted acknowledgement he moves to the house corner and starts looking.

Down in the basement Leo and Ed are standing by a metal box the size of a footlocker.  "Problem?"

"Yeah, Cap.  It's a bit too heavy." Eddie is our 98 pound weakling.  He tries, hard, but there's some things he can't handle.

"What's in it?  Gold?"

The boys exchange looks.  They're nervous.  Leo replies, "Don't know.  It screwed down."

That gets a cocked brow from me.  I take a closer look.  It isn't a footlocker.  The entire box is metal with welds showing everywhere except the top.  The top is a flat plate screwed down and a cap from a gas can.  The cap's screwed into place just like it is on a jerry can..    On the side away from me there's a slit with glass, a simple gauge showing quarter full of some clear liquid, a toggle switch with a red metal flip cover to keep it from being accidentally struck, and a panel full of electrical sockets.  Looks like I could plug in my washer, drier, TV, lamps and have a few left over.  What the?

Eddie scuffs his boot, "Yeah, be careful when you try to move it." 

I give him the hairy eyeball.  He clears his throat, "Easier to do than explain Cap.  It's real heavy, but it moves weird."

Leo chimes in.  "Da. We lift, you see."

Leo and I squat down on either end of the box and get a good grip on the handles spot welded to it.  "On 3.  1... 2... 3."  The damn thing will not move almost as if is crazy-glued to the floor.  I'm about to stop when Leo shakes his head at me.  I keep straining.  Slowly, as if pulling free of a mud pit, we straighten with the box.  Finally, we're standing upright and it's between us.  Doesn't feel like it ways more than 50 pounds.

Leo flashes a week grin.  "As bad going side to side.  Worried about stairs."

"Right, well we got it up.  We'll just be careful on the steps.  Ed, make sure no one is going up or down while we're on them."

"Right Cap."

"Let's go."