Chapter 11

Raiding an abandoned car on the side of the road wasn’t one of his proudest moments but he really needed a map.  Sam had headed south from Yellowstone for a day after sleeping in the mountains and wound up in Albuquerque.  Not where he wanted to be but at least he knew where he was.  The map at least let him know he had to head west.  The Grand Canyon wasn’t in New Mexico.

As it was getting towards late afternoon on the second day, Sam saw the canyon coming into view.  He was flying high, close to 4 miles up, so that people didn’t really see him from the ground.  He was also lower than commercial aircraft but higher than small aircraft so chances of getting buzzed were pretty low.  

Sam really wanted to get a few things for his travels.  The chances of him actually getting them were pretty slim because of his appearance but he really wanted them.  Namely a video camera, DSLR camera, and a solar charger for the batteries.  Not that he couldn't afford them assuming his accounts haven’t been locked.  There should be a camera store somewhere around the canyon.  Too many people need cameras and repairs to not have at least one.  He wasn’t going to find it as far up in the air as he was though.

There was a small tourist spot not too far away from the canyon with some shops so Sam set about a lazy circle while descending to see if he could spot what he wanted.  This time of year there weren’t too many people around the canyon since it was so cold but Sam didn’t mind the cold.  Just like he didn’t mind the heat.  Extreme temperatures to humans barely registered to his senses.  He decided he would have to test this and see if he could handle the weather at the highest point in the world.  For now, he was starting to get close enough to read signs.

Most of the shops were your standard tourist fare.  Knick knacks, trinkets, shirts, and other random junk.  The shoe store almost seemed out of place but Sam got a little closer and he could see the hiking boots through the window.  Off at the end of the strip, almost removed, was his goal though.  A small camera shop, not much more than a shack, sat along the road.

Sam swooped down close to the ground a mile out of town and flew up behind the buildings to draw as little attention as possible.  No sense landing in the middle of town and having all eyes on him.  He paused behind the buildings and listened to see if anyone had seen him approaching, mainly listening for screams or panicked shouting.  Nothing of the sort came to his ears so he strolled around the building and surveyed the street.  There were a few groups walking around towards the other end of the street but this end seemed clear enough.

Sam didn’t want to scare anyone coming out of a shop and he hadn’t heard anyone talking nearby so he figured the shop was likely empty so he quickly ducked inside instead of surveying and making sure no one was around before going in.  He liked to stick to his mantra “always better to run into one than a group”.  At least he was hoping to not run into more than one inside the shop.

Once inside, Sam took a moment to collect himself and make sure no one was coming looking before he got excited at the contents of the shop.  Lots of cameras and recorders were displayed around the small shop and Sam was a kid in a candy store suddenly.  These were all really nice!  He had no idea which ones he wanted to pick.  Then there was the issue of the charger.  He would need a solar powered one since he won’t be anywhere accessible to power for a long time.

“I don’t think I’ve seen someone this excited to see cameras in a long time.  Do you need some help?”

Sam couldn’t help himself.  He squeeked.  The man in the shop had taken him completely by surprise and was only a couple feet away.  Sam, now a rigid bundle of nerves, stared at the man but couldn’t form words.  He at least assessed that the shopkeeper was of American Indian descent, older gentleman maybe 50’s, and smelled of tobacco.  

“You do speak English, right?  I doubt you speak Yaqui.”

“S-sorry.  Just… not used to being startled.  Yeah I need help.”

“Not used to being startled? I can’t imagine why.  So what can I help you with?  No one gets that excited for no reason.”

“Sorry, I’m just usually more alert and aware.  But anyways!  Merchandise!  I need a few things.  A good camera, video camera, lots of batteries, lots of storage, and a solar charger that will work with the batteries.  Can we do that?”

“I’m sure we can do something. The fun part will be the solar charger.  I have one, but it’s only compatible with a few battery chargers.”

“Well I guess we can start with that then.  I won’t have access to any power for a very long time so I will need to use the solar charger.”

“That won’t be a problem.  It just limits what we can do.  Here is the charger.  It is basically a USB power source.  It will work with a few of the chargers that use the same power rate.  These cameras will charge with no problems at all using the solar panel—“

“Do you have any DSLR that will work with the panel?  I wanted a good camera.”

“Ah! Certainly.  Most people don’t want to spend three thousand on a camera.  So all of these will work fine. Their battery packs have USB chargers.  This one comes with a wide angle and a zoom lens if you would like a package deal.”

“I like package deals.  Do you have one that includes a video camera too?”

“Ah, no.  But those are pretty cheap on their own.  I’m sure you don’t want a cinematic quality one.  These will give you great quality video, fit in your hand, will charge with the panel, and are under 500$.”

“Oh good!  Then I’ll take the package camera, 4 sets of batteries for it, 10 memory cards, this video camera, also 4 batteries, 10 memory cards, and the solar charger.”

“That’s… a hefty price tag.  I’m not complaining though.  This all comes out to…. $4,783.89.  Cash or credit?”

“Definitely credit.  Well technically debit.  It’s difficult to withdraw from ATMs these days.  Can’t just walk up to a Chase in the middle of Vegas.”

“I can imagine. So why so many batteries and chips?  This will store months of files.”

“That’s the plan.  I want to document my travels.  A record of what I do and where I go.  Maybe circumvent the globe if I can.  See where I can go.  Take pictures and video of the places I travel to.”

“That’s… pretty ambitious.  You think you can do it?”

“I can certainly try!  Nothing stopping me at this point.  It’s just go.  I just can’t go to most urban areas.  Not that I want to.  I’d rather stick to the wilderness and hunt my way around.”

“I wish I could join your journey.  Spirits guide you on your travels friend!  May you not need their help.”

“Thank you kind friend.  And thank you for the cameras.  They will be put to good use.”

Sam stepped out, unfortunately in a good mood and forgot to check his surroundings, getting an earful of screaming woman from four feet away.  He clutched his ears at the piercing sound and glared at her, only to see a group of people coming up behind her.  Great, just what he had been wanting to avoid.  And since this shop was at the end of the strip, this was where they were headed so he wouldn’t have been able to avoid it anyways.  Only one thing he could do at this point: fly away.

He flew off and towards the canyon.  He didn’t want to go into the canyon, mainly because he wanted to have his equipment set up for that, but he still wanted to rest.  He ate that morning but flying all day had depleted his energy stores and he needed to replenish.  There hadn’t been much along the lines of game in the desert so Sam had the remains of a snake he had caught to munch on.  It wasn’t much, particularly with his appetite, but it was something.  When he had been up in the mountains around Yellowstone, he had been able to get a deer to eat, leaving the remains for scavengers.  Now he wished he had wrapped up the leftover meat in the hide or something to save for later.  It tasted much better than snake.

His lamenting aside, Sam went about finding a spot that might make a decent sleeping area.  He realized that since his changes have stopped he only slept for a few hours a day, which was beneficial when you didn’t know what was around you, but he still wanted to find some sort of cover.  A little ways off he found a small bush that had grown to shape almost a cave of sorts under it.  Perfect for snuggling up for a few hours.  Sure, it was no five star hotel bed, but he had always enjoyed camping and sleeping on the ground.  It helped him feel closer to nature.  Can’t get any closer than this!

After sleeping for a few hours, Sam figured it would be as good a time as any to go through his merchandise and sort it out to figure what he can do now and what he would have to wait to charge before it would work.  He was hoping with 4 sets of batteries for each at least one would have a charge and he could use them the next day while the others charged with the solar panel.

As he went through them he found that all of the batteries held about a 30% charge.  He figured if one was set to charge at sun up then it should be charged before the first at 30 ran out since he wasn’t going to do anything until it was plenty bright out for good video footage.  He was going to save low light footage for an evening run through the canyon when the batteries were charged.  If he stayed around that long at least.  This was a high tourist area. He really didn’t want to cause a scene or a panic.

After testing everything, he realized it was still several hours before daybreak.  This would normally be the point for him to get up and move on but he wanted to stay here at the canyon for the day.  So now he was left with his own thoughts and worries.  Oddly enough he wasn’t worried about the agents catching him.  Nor was he worried about the terrorist group trying to catch him.  Everyone else who had tried to run from them had been ground bound.  It’s hard to run when you couldn’t run fast and you were stuck to travel lanes.  Being able to fly as fast as a helicopter and run as fast as most cars on the highway made Sam a very formidable escape artist.  Plus his strength, which has only grown since his changes began.  

Sam packed the stuff back up in his bag and went for a walk.  If he was going to be left to his thoughts, he wanted to move around.  He started walking in the direction of the northwestern tip of the canyon as the thoughts started to wander.  What he wanted to do and where he wanted to go didn’t last long and he was left with where he’d been and what he’d gone through.  Life had been so simple until that car crash.  Then waking up in the hospital as a girl a week later.  A girl!  How was it possible to lose almost a foot in height and over 200 pounds of weight in a week?  The rest of the changes were less troublesome than the gender change though it was a bit startling when not paying attention.  Tends to be a shocking eye opener for himself and others that aren’t paying attention.  Actually… he pulled a wing around to look at it, preening some of the feathers and just inspecting it over all before letting it rest back to his side and pulling his tail around.  The tail was a bit harder due to how thick and stiff it was but he got it around and preened the feather fan a bit, brushing out some dirt that had collected while walking.  He had actually become rather familiar and comfortable with the tail and wings over the past few days.  Most of his body he was comfortable with, actually.  It was nice being athletic for once and being able to eat whatever he wanted, being able to fly, and able to run like a cheetah.  It was all impressive.

Sam got to the rim of the valley that the river sat in and started hopping down towards the water.  He could have glided but it was more fun to jump between the bushes and rocks.  It was a half mile all down hill at this point to the water so it took a while but Sam enjoyed himself.  It gave him something to focus on.  Things like this seemed to get easier every time he tried it.  He figured it was just quick learning.  He’d always been a fast learner.

Once he came up to the water he noticed a shallow pool a few feet from where he came to a stop.  Dropping to his knees next to it he peered into the clear waters.  At first he saw his human self until he smiled and the large fangs behind his lips showed through, breaking the visage.  He would never look normal and friendly if he couldn’t even smile anymore.  The angry visage that adorned his face now looked downright frightening!  Snarling big cat face with teeth bared.  No wonder everyone ran from him.  Well, most did.  The occasional kind soul did not run but most ran in fear.  And it was all because of this face!  If he at least looked human this wouldn’t be an issue!  It would be hideable!  Well aside from the gender change. God did that suck.  What was he even supposed to do with the new equipment? Hell, just trying to clean it was such a traumatizing experience he never wants to touch it again!  He couldn’t even imagine having something in there.  Certainly couldn’t fathom being with another guy.  Well technically “a guy” not another.  No way was he going to let some asshole use him for their pleasure.  He’s seen it happen too many times to his previous girlfriends.

He caught himself snarling in the pool again and calmed down.  There was nothing he could do about his body right now since he didn’t know the biology and couldn’t research into a sex change.  Who knows, maybe off world they have functioning sex changes.  That would make him happy.  Get his junk back.  Then again he didn’t have a clit so he didn’t know how the surgery would work either.  Fuck it, deal with it later.

Satisfied for now he walked out into the river and took a drink from the running water.  A surprising large fish was swimming past him and he decided he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity for different food and dove for it.  He had no idea what it was but it sure was strong but he was stronger.  With a triumphant shout he wrestled it out of the water and held it over his head.  He had blunted his hand claws so keeping a grip on this fish wasn’t the easiest to do but he got it up to the shore.

Sam tossed the fish up onto the shore and dug into his bag for a knife.  He only had his pocket knife but it would have to do.  He stabbed the fish through the head to kill it before setting about cleaning it, letting the entrails settle down into the river for the other fish.  As human, Sam wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of seafood.  Now, though, meat was meat.  He peeled off the skin and cut out a chunk to taste and fell in love.  It was very tasty and melted in his mouth in a way that he hadn’t thought fish would have.  Maybe fish was a good thing.

It didn’t last long.  Before long the 3 foot fish was reduced to a spine with a head and tail fin.  Sam however happily lounged on the beach.  He hadn’t eaten that good in a while.  Not since Taco Bell and KFC.  The deer had been tasty but he hadn’t eaten as much of it.  He should have though.  Flying takes a lot out of him and he needs the energy built up so he can fly long distances.  Lesson learned, and no more trying to make a meal from snakes.

Finally the sun was peeking over the horizon and lighting up the sky.  Soon Sam would be able to do a few flyovers of the Grand Canyon and take pictures and a video of the whole length.  Sam loved low light imagery.  It made shots so much more vibrant to catch the rays at the extreme angle.with the sun now up above the horizon it was time to video.

Sam turned on the video camera and got it set up.  Once it was ready and Sam was satisfied with how it was reading, he hit record and started his flight.  The camera was picking up the details fantastically as he soared into the beginning of the canyon.  He kept low, just a dozen feet over the water, and glided through.  He kept his wings fully spread and his speed down so he could enjoy the sights as well as get the best video he could.  As he rounded a corner he saw the glass bridge and saw a couple people out on it.  They got an eyeful as Sam glided past below them, recording the canyon.  He probably looked like a dragon or something with his 30 foot wingspan and the feather fan on his tail.  He definitely didn’t look like a bird.

The canyon itself was clear this early so Sam didn’t run into anyone else for his whole flight through.  He went a little ways past the official end of the canyon out onto the plateau before landing and shutting off the video camera.  He put it away in his pack and pulled out the still camera and set off in search of good shots of flora, fauna, and the canyon itself.  He was a decent photographer but would never call himself a professional.  He did like his new toys as he flew around the canyon slowly looking for good shots.  Technically his vision was better than what the camera could do so it was more about finding the angles and lighting that would make for something that anyone else would appreciate which was more difficult than you would think.

It took a few hours but Sam found some good shots.  A few of them were of people coming into the canyon for their hikes or donkey rides.  One came down while he was clinging to a cliff wall taking a picture of a coyote sitting under a bush. He heard a slide from behind him which got him to look back and see some person sliding down a steep section of the path to more manageable ground farther along.  They really were not dressed or outfitted for hiking the trail so Sam knew they were probably going to get injured eventually but it wasn’t his job to fix that.  He flipped around on the cliff wall and took a few pictures of the person looking around down into the canyon, completely oblivious to Sam’s presence. Not that Sam minded; he liked going unnoticed most of the time.  

The person actually started to do some odd things so Sam pulled out his video camera to zoom in and record what this person was doing.  Then things got very strange.  The person actually stripped completely naked.  Their back was to him so Sam couldn’t tell quite what gender they were but then they backed up and took a running leap off the ledge they were standing next to.  Sam caught it all on video as the person Superman leaped into the air and transformed mid jump into a large eagle.  They were almost twice the size of a normal eagle but still paled in comparison to the size of Sam and his wingspan.  Sam kept his camera out and trained on the eagle as he leapt off the rock wall and after it.  

It didn’t take much to catch up with the eagle since they weren’t expecting to be followed but now Sam was at a loss.  He was following it, but what did he do now? Did he approach, capture, or leave them alone.  He considered all three options but his curiosity got the better of him so he decided approaching was what he wanted to do.  He sped up until he was above and to the side of the eagle.  They both coasted for a bit but the eagle had their eyes closed so Sam had to wait to reveal himself.  After a bit they finally did open their eyes just to blink a bit at seeing Sam flying next to them.  Sam waved and the giant bird squawked, spazzed out in the air, then dove left to get away from Sam.

Sam, not deterred in the slightest, gave chase, “wait!  I just want to talk!  I’ve never seen someone turn into a bird before!  It was awesome!”

The bird squawked again and picked up the speed.  Sam could tell they were struggling but they were not going anywhere near his max speed.  Maybe 60 miles per hour.  The poor bird was struggling though.  Sam wondered if they were going to give themselves a heart attack just trying to get away from him.  He just wanted to talk.  

With a sigh he broke off his pursuit.  This obviously wasn’t going anywhere.  You would think someone who turned into a giant eagle wouldn’t be so afraid of something else not human.  Oh well.  He was already near the end of the canyon and back to where he had caught the fish anyways.  He idly wondered if the fish he caught had been a person like the eagle.  Then again why hadn’t they changed back to human when he tossed them to the shore?  Was there a timer on the ability?  He felt bad now and a little sick thinking he might have eaten a person seeing someone turn into a bird out here.  Not a whole lot he could do about that now though.  Maybe that was why the bird was so afraid of him.

Sam touched down on the shore of the river for a moment so he could put away his camera.  While he organized his bag to make sure nothing shifted while he was flying, he saw another unusually large creature nearby, then another, and another.  Before he knew it there was one for most of the primary creatures of the area circling him at a distance.  Coyote, eagle, hawk, an otter surprisingly, snake, no fish though.  They all stood and seemed to judge Sam.

Sam just crossed his arms and waited for something to happen.  Whether they tried to attack him, leave, or converse.  He was getting ready to leave himself though.  This was about as awkward as it could get.

“You killed Salmon.” The voice didn’t come from any specific creature.

“Correction. I caught and ate a large salmon.”

“You should not even be able to see us.”

Sam just shrugged, “probably shouldn’t be able to hear you either. But here we are.”

“What did you use to kill Salmon?”

Sam just raised an eyebrow.  That was a weird question, “a pocket knife?”  He pulled it out to show them without opening the knife.

“That should not have killed him.  It is inert metal.  We are immune.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.  This is what I used.”

“Either way. You are too dangerous.  We must rid these lands of you before you cause more destruction!”

As one they all pounced inwards towards Sam.  He snapped open the pocket knife, being his only weapon aside from his foot claws, and snarled, taking a fighting stance.  To his surprise though, they all immediately aborted their lunge and backed away. 

“Great spirit! She is a great spirit!  We are sorry, we meant no harm ma’am!”  With that they scattered.

Sam shouted after them the first thing that came to his thoughts, “did you just assume my gender?!”  He paused for a second and groaned, shaking his head, “I can’t believe I just said that.”

Well now he had something else to think about.  Great spirit?  What was that all about? This was news to him.  More weird shit to deal with was not what he wanted to deal with right now.  There was still plenty of daylight left in the day, though.  Maybe it would be best to leave and head somewhere else.