Free Timecachers by Glenn R. Petrucci Page A

activities, enjoying the peaceful serenity of their surroundings.
    Adam grabbed his fishing rod and headed back in the direction they came. The stream continued on southward, but he had spotted a few pools along the way that looked ideal for trout. He was anxious to call Dr. Odan and discuss the test schedule changes with him; though for now that could wait. A freshly caught trout was the perfect camp dinner after a long hike, and right now his priority was to catch a few.
    Alice worked on her field notes, rewriting when needed and entering what she had so far into her notebook computer. Normally she scanned in her handwritten notes, but today’s testing hadn’t required much more than five pages, so it was quick enough just to type them in. She had already given some consideration to documenting the beacon testing, expecting that it would require a more free form style than she was used to. Typically, her documentation consisted of a description of the test and the results. Whenever there were failures, she included the steps necessary to repeat the problem.
    She was still a little unsure of how to document the beacon testing. It seemed to be more of an analysis of function, requiring detailed documentation of the entire procedure. She didn’t even consider it testing as there was no chance of failure if they didn’t know what the expected output was supposed to be. As a disciplined tester, the lack of a structured format troubled her, but it also intrigued her to be part of the early stages of development of a product for a change. She could understand why Adam was so eager for this project; she also hoped that it would lead to more projects for the team. She would like nothing better than to work full-time for Overhill Engineering. It was not her nature to accept change lightly, especially career changes, but her job at OSI had lost much of its appeal since she had become a contractor. The job no longer provided the satisfaction it once did. In some ways she envied Sal, who seemed to roll along easily accepting everything that came his way. Not that she would ever consider telling him she admired anything about him. Sal was a good friend and she had a high regard for him, but Alice knew him well enough to keep those feelings to herself.
    It wasn’t Sal’s nature to sit still for very long. After tossing his pack and sleeping bag into a heap, he volunteered to collect firewood for their campfire. He began piling kindling and logs next to the fire ring, breaking the longer branches into smaller lengths by stomping on them with his foot. When he was done, there would be enough wood not only for them but for the next several campers—if he didn’t injure himself breaking logs.
    While Sal gathered firewood, Tom performed a cursory examination of the equipment, making sure everything functioned as it should and was stowed away for the night. When he finished he planned to check out the area to the south of the campsite. He knew from looking over the satellite maps that there were one or two farms in the area, and that the stream eventually emptied into a small pond before reaching the road at the southern end of the trail. Tom felt secure spending the night at the campsite, but it was his habit to inspect the surrounding area of any wilderness campsite before darkness set in. His night’s sleep would be more restful if he familiarized himself with the surroundings while there was still plenty of light. He found the tiny, overgrown trail leading southward to the pond, and began walking.
    Tom was more at home in a mountain forest than any of the others. His family had deep roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, where he spent his childhood years until leaving to attend college at the University of Pennsylvania. His parents lived in a small town on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia, and he returned home often to visit them and the other members of his family who still lived in the area. Growing up