by Jason Melzer
I was confused at how stupid the question was as his eyes seemed concerned. “Because I need them to walk, my back isn’t straight so I need help walking.” Lotu called Tolan’s attention away from my weakness. “I will open the door to home. I think we can spend an hour learning how to down load things onto the armguards. Afterwards we can have dinner. What would you girls like to do?”
Preti and I both answered together, ‘download music’ as we looked to mom. She nodded her head addressing us. “If we can get an internet connection than we can do it.” Sollea looked at my uncertain face with a reply. “We have been studying human music through your internet for years. Do you think you could show us some of your dances as well?” Looking at my armguards I wondered out loud, “Can they play music so we can dance?”
Tolan piped up excitedly. “They can. But you need to show me how to make those bangles too.” Smiling to Tolan a light shined on me from the side revealing Lotu making the shape of a circle with his hands. Armguards lighting up, a blue ring formed inside his hands before he opened them and the ring grew very large. Through it showed green fields and buildings on the other side of the door. Lotu motioned to the door announcing, “The portal is open.”
The adventure was beginning and I was excited as I followed everyone but my mom through the door. Stepping from the dusty flagstones of the courtyard in India to the wet grasses of Shoal I looked back past my mother to my homeland. The Officer now smiled and waving called to us. “Good luck everyone. Make India proud of your visit.” Turning back to my family I saw forests, cities, mountains and farms in this strange new land.
Chapter 2
Walk and run
My first few days of life on Shoal were wonderful. Preti and I became friends with Tolan while seeing some of the beautiful cities and parks around Shoal. Today was different as an older looking Pontu sat in the living room of the home we were staying in. His name was Porah as he finished admiring Preti’s bangle and held it up for all of us to see. “The skill for this metal is quite good.”
Reaching and giving Preti her jewelry back Porah turned back to all of us showing his standing greying ears. “The forge is a part of our people as well. Shoal itself was formed by a being wielding the Pontu’s most prized possession. We call it the ‘Forge Terminal’ and the person who works the forge becomes one of the forge Kin holding the power to build and destroy worlds.” Sitting around the greying elder we all wanted to hear more.
Preti asked the question as I felt my bangle. “How does someone become a forge kin?” The elder turned to me smiling. “The forge will choose apprentices that make and use a quantum key. If you are called you will receive a guide to direct you in the living of the forge kin. The forge always chooses the most worthy apprentice to be its master.” Reaching into a pocket in his shirt he withdrew two gloves and put them on before retrieving a steel case.
Porah took the lid off of the case and a white and rainbow colored glowing material shown from inside the case. “This is the secret of my people’s mastery of the forge. This is called quantum alloy. It is made from the strings that form particles. It crystalizes into quantum computer circuits inside the crystal structures of metals and can form shields to protect and portals for travel.” Stepping forward he held the box so we could look inside. When it was my turn I was reminded of colorful opal rings my cousins would sell.
Watching its rich colors the alloy just seemed to shine and radiate beauty. “Most Pontu technology uses Quantum Alloy and is not reproducible to other species.” Porah closed the container returning it and the gloves to his pocket. “When using a key among my people you gain access to nanomedicine, education and trade. All of our keys use this alloy in there construction.” Reaching into another pocket Porah pulled out a metal talisman with writing on it that glowed different colors.
“This key allows me to move myself among the portal stations between our worlds. It also keeps me healthy and educated by operating my nanomedicine programs and schooling access. The other Pontu have keys like this that take care of their health and allow them to travel and do other things.” Reaching it out Porah let us look at the beautiful key as he walked between us showing it.
“Our people have been looking for new ways to develop keys so we can study more diverse ways of building quantum computers. Would your family be willing to build keys and use them for us? We would like to see how they develop while attached to you.” Looking to dad he nodded at the idea but hesitated. “What good would the keys be? Don’t they just work with Pontu?” Porah lifted his key and placed the talisman neckless around his neck.
“They will work but we would like to see how they would be different. If your family does this it will even let you heal your daughter so she will be walking without crutches before the end of the day.” Looking back to dad he was already looking down at me making up his mind. “We’ll do it. My dad will do it too. But he will only use his forge.”
Porah bowed in respect before shaking our hands. “I will make preparations for the transfer of your fathers forge if he is ready.” Dad touched my shoulder leading me to look up to him. “I’ll go talk to grandpa and get his forge. Do you want to be healed tonight Simran?” Nodding my head I was silent as dad turned back to Porah. “I will go with you. He didn’t want to come before but if we will heal Simran tonight he will come and help.” Lotu walked into the room with a box as he turned to dad.
“Will you be missing the spacewalk today Darvesh?” Dad replied as I looked at what Lotu was carrying. “I must go and retrieve my father and his forge. Can you see that my family has fun and is safe?” Our generous host gave a brief nod as Tolan smiled next to him with his tail wagging. “I would be honored to take your family but I and my wife need to get Simran’s operation ready. Tolan is very responsible and would make a great guide.”
Father smiled agreeing. “I have been very impressed with Tolan so I believe you. Everyone have fun.” Porah reached for dad’s hand and moved along the couch to shake all of our hands before dad left with him. Watching the doorway open to grandpa’s home it closed behind them as I turned to see Lotu joining Sollea with a few words. “It is time to prepare the medical pool my love. Tolan, please be back for lunch in an hour.”
As our hosts walked out of the room Tolan motioned to what looked like backpacks and helmets on a table along the wall. Getting up and swinging over to the table I took a helmet and back pack before putting them on. Tolan hit a button on both of my armguards and backpack before a faint orange glow covered me. Looking up Preti and mom both were covered in the glow as Tolan started giving instructions.
“The glow is your personal space shield suit. The backpack will bring you air from Shoal to breath and use in the arm guard rocket nozzles. Please follow me into the decompression portal.” Tolan turned on his orange glowing shields before motioning for us to stand behind him. Lifting his hands and making a circle the blue ring appeared and grew bigger as he spread his arms wide.
Watching the black tunnel and blue tunnel walls extend past Tolan there was enough room for all of us. Preti helped me follow mom into the tunnel before I looked back to see the room disappear behind the closing blue ring. All of my gravity was gone as the exit opened racing down the blue walls of the tunnel and leaving me floating in space. Looking over to the international space station I saw Tolan rocket past me using his armguards to fly forward. Hearing Tolan over the radio in my helmet it seemed like a dream as he turned with his arms and used the rockets to slow himself to a stop.
He gave instructions on how to fly with the armguards and I flew past astronauts and among dozens of other people and Pontu. The freedom of not having to walk was exciting. The time passed and I was starting to feel tired and hungry. Looking back to Shoal the small sun perched on the steel ‘sail’ as the Pontu called it was beautiful and not very bright. Looking back behind the sail the gears turned while holding the engine satellite in position as they rotated.
The sun was weird looking as I point
ed to it with a question for my new friend. “Tolan. Why does your sun make spots and streaks of orange like that?” It looked like a light bulb but was mostly yellow with orange spots appearing on its bottom before they moved up to its top before disappearing. Joined by my family and guide in looking at the artificial star Tolan was enlightening.
“The sun is simple. It is made of shields that only let a certain amount of light through them. Inside the shields are two sets of portals. The bottom one opens to a hot and dense layer of your sun’s fission material and the other at the top opens to a thinner layer of fission material.” Amazed at the light bulb plugged into the sun I was a little worried that my classmates would expect me to explain how this sun worked when we got back.
Looking over to my guide Tolan had already opened the door as he waved me over. “You are a good flyer and quick learner Simran. But we should get some rest and see if your grandfather is waiting.” Flying over to a portal entrance I joined everyone in the compression tunnel and my sister took my arm. The door to space closed and a door into the living room opened before the tunnel we were in retreated leaving me to stand.
Gravity pulled me down and I stumbled for a moment as I found my footing while reaching my crutches. Tolan helped us turn off the suits and I started moving on my crutches in time for Sollea to stick her head into the living room. “Lunch is ready. Please wash your hands before coming to the table.” Swinging past a robot dusting the clean looking room my mind was drawn to grandpa sitting at the dining table.
He looked nice as he smiled with Lotu and dad talking about something. Waving over to them I continued over to the sink and washed my hands before drying them and finding my place at the table. Sollea passed down a plate of pyramid shaped rolls. “The food has been blessed so you may eat if you are hungry.” Starving I missed most of the talk at the table as I filled up my belly. After the purple rice and fourth roll I was full and tuned into the adult’s conversation.
Porah sitting at the table was excited. “The quantum alloy starts with a crystal embedded in gold and is then introduced into the steel. After the steel is folded a few times you will perform a quench with un-crystalized quantum alloy and that will embed the technology in the steels atoms and crystal structure of the metal.” Grandpa was looking over Porah’s talisman closely. “But how do you shape it once you have quenched it? Doesn’t it become too hard to forge?”
Porah nodded and continued. “The quantum seed crystal builds up the structure of the computer in the quench. As the computer builds itself it shapes the steel into its finished product. When making a key you must wear a helmet that connects your mind to the seed crystal computer and think of the final shape and it will shape it for you.” I smiled with grandpa as his face lit up like a child getting a present.
“And these keys will let us fix Simran’s back when we are done?” Lotu spoke up. “Yes. I will guide you on healing Simran. I have worked in nanomedicine most of my life.” Grandpa looked over to me for a moment. “Incredible. I am so jealous that your people can do this and build worlds.” Porah nodded. “The Forge Kin become great leaders among our people.” Tolan’s voice spoke up as he asked his own question. “Why are the rules so strict for the Forge Kin?”
Crafting his words Porah continued. “Every forge master like ore that goes into the forge is filled with impurities. They are filled with fear, anger and worst of all doubt. They must learn to temper their mind so when they are struck with change impurities are cast out with courage, patience and serenity. The Kin must forge their character because they do so much good. Without them there would be no trade nations.”
I felt jealous that Tolan could be a forge master one day as a robot servant came into the room. “The quantum alloy has been delivered to the forge and anvil.” Porah got up motioning for the rest of us to follow him. “If we can get your keys made before dinner than Simran can be walking before bed.” Excitedly I followed everyone outside to the forge where we all put on ear protection and grandpa was first to work on gold plate.
Porah placed a crystal of quantum alloy inside and grandpa skillfully folded the metal sheet sealing the alloy inside the plate. Taking two preformed steel plates from his collection grandpa sandwiched the gold and placed the pieces in the forge. Helping out where I could I stood ready with tools as grandpa folded the steel at least twenty times before he put on a helmet.
Wearing Porah’s gloves grandpa placed the orange hot steel in a pool of liquid quantum alloy for the quench. The metal made no sound as it waited inside the liquid rainbow material for a few minutes. Putting on his helmet grandpa pulled his key out with the gloves before placing the steel in a bucket of water. Steel carved away as it sizzled and dad took up the hammer and had his turn. Grandpa took off the helmet and gloves before retrieving his key shaped like a chisel.
When dad finished his key was shaped like a construction ‘I’ beam and mom’s was shaped like a heart. Preti made one in the shape of a chakram and mine took the shape of a world ship. Many hours passed from the time we started and Porah had the robot servant put away the unused alloy materials. Giving us cordage to tie onto the keys I was soon wearing my key proudly as the gold and glowing alloy formed watery ripple patterns across the surface.
Porah bid us a warm hearted goodbye as he promised to come back after I was healed to see how our keys were working. As we spent an hour together talking, looking at each other’s keys Lotu returned. “I am very impressed with how well your keys turned out. The hospital mainframe registered them before I could check on them.” Everyone freshened up and as the others ate I could only drink a green liquid meant to help in my recovery tonight.
My meal was not very filling as Lotu excitedly continued. “We have reserved the medical bay at the hospital for the operation. Once we are there I will give all of you nano-booster shots and we can have Simran cured in a matter of minutes.” Unsure of what the healing pool had in store for me I wondered if the shot would be better than the operation. Dinner was over and it was time for me to embrace whatever happened. Dad carried me on his back and I left my crutches behind as Lotu opened the portal doorway for us all.
The other side looked like the inside of a fancy pool house. Attached to the pool house were three rooms and an open door with light pouring in from outside. Following Lotu to the wall covered with screens projecting charts and graphs he picked up a syringe with what looked like metal inside. It hurt to get the shot but once it was done a cooling sensation came over me. Sollea placed a helmet over my head and clamped it on with the help of a doctor Randis.
I felt less nervous as I looked out of the clear visor as dad picked me up and walked me into the pool. I lay floating in the pool breathing through a tube in my helmet looking up under the surface of the water. I could hear everyone outside with a radio as Lotu started giving shots to the rest of my family. Dad squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry Simran. We will get you fresh clothes and a treat when this is over.” Dad walked away for his shot and I waited suspended in the water.
Lotu started turning things on as the helmet lit up with lights over the pool. The moment was still as I waited below the water with Lotu talking to the others. “If anyone has a reaction to the nanomedicine please tell me. I will be assigning your medical programs to your individual keys and you will start to feel the technology working inside you. If you have any troubles Sollea will help you during the operation.”
Listening to my family talking excitedly about the cooling feelings reaching through their bodies the operation was just starting. The cooling feeling started in my arms as I was excited about what was going to happen. The quiet moment arrived with pain as I felt my body start to heat up quickly in the pool. Fiery needles began to fill my back by the dozen as the sounds of popping rang in my head with my back flexing.
My back was moving in a way it had not done ever and it hurt as if I was being pelted with stones. I felt the bones moving and realigning as the fiery needles now spread to the rest of my body. Soun
ds were muffled by the pain I felt but I heard two loud pops. Sollea called out to Lotu. “Their keys have exploded! I will stabilize Jasleen and you must stabilize Darvesh. Randis you take over the procedure!”
Grandpa’s screams came just before the pain was so great that I stopped hearing all but the beating of my heart. It was racing as my thoughts were drawn to the forge at grandpa’s house and how it was very hot. I felt like I was burning in my head and neck before the fire spread to the tips of my fingers. I stopped feeling my legs. I was burning alive in the water. I wasn’t on fire. I was made of fire and losing everything that made me who I was.
I had to get out now! I need to return home! I need out now! HELP ME!!! Echoes of thoughts left as white stars appeared in the darkness of my mind before growing into a white world. From this place I felt the pull of something else. Pulled out of the light into a peaceful meadow I sat up next to the sounding waters of a babbling stream. Looking to the trees in the distance a large sphere rose above them but was partly hidden by them. Its voice pierced my mind as its words shook me.
“Simran, I am Terminus. I have heard your voice and see in you virtue. I place in you a flame for creation and call you as an apprentice. I have also called your sister Preti and Grandfather Rajesh. Follow the path I will write in your heart and return to me this flame so I may judge you worthy.” Thrown from the meadow back into the whiteness of my mind the fire started to cool as feeling started to come back.