by Leon Castle
‘Long story,’ says Tom, as casually as he could.
Macca shrugs. ‘What do you want? A flock of doves to fly over?’
‘No, just dinner will do,’ says Tom, grinning. ‘I was wondering if you could order a meal for us from the steak grill. Perhaps come over and ask Melissa what she wants, you know what I mean?’
Macca shakes his head but picks up a notepad and pen. ‘I should just set up my own restaurant here,’ he says.
‘You know, Macca, that’s not such a bad idea.’
Melissa is gazing over the lake when he returns. ‘All arranged,’ he says, sitting down.
‘It’s so beautiful here.’
‘Why haven’t you come before? You must get some time off.’
‘Oh, I have a lot of study,’ she says. ‘That’s what takes up most of my time.’
‘Study?’ Tom leans forward, his elbows on the table.
Melissa smiles. ‘I’m studying to be a doctor.’
He stares at her. ‘Are you going to be one of the ship’s doctors, then?’
She nods. ‘I’m in my final year.’
The light dims but neither of them notice until around the lake colored lights began a magnificent show. Fans of color are thrown across the water and through the trees. Melissa is entranced as rainbow sprays spout water 100 meters up in the air from the fountain. ‘Oh, now that is magical.’
Macca appears at the table. ‘Nice hey? Now what will the lovely lady have?’
Sofia stares through the glass doors into her cooling unit without really seeing the contents. She recalls the evening after leaving Tom, walking along the lines of shops, staring into windows, hiding her tears from other shoppers. She had seen them on the travellator, Tom and the waitress, and she had known then why Tom wanted to get away.
‘Stupid,’ she tells herself. ‘How could I have been so stupid and humiliate myself that way?’ Her face feels hot with the memory and tears threaten to flow again.
Sofia sits on the lounge and closes her eyes. Soon she is dozing quietly.
The music-box melody alert for email wakes her. She touches the icon on the monitor and the message springs to life. ‘Notification that Sofia Heartly has been transferred from PV 013 to PV 005.’ Sofia shrugs. It doesn’t really matter to her. She wasn’t so impressed with the crew from PV 013. She guesses that Kenny wants to be closer to Rebecca and that is fine with her.
Chapter 40
Ven looks up and smiles as Denise arrives at the PV dock. ‘Did you have a good sleep in?’
‘Not with my mediation session on this morning. Far too early for me, but that was the last one, thank goodness.’
She walks toward the flight deck. ‘Hey Ven, I can smell something burning. What are you doing to my baby?’
‘Keep your frill on,’ he replies. ‘Deklin’s just repairing the cable.’
‘I wouldn’t be so cheeky, if I were you,’ she says. ‘You and Mondok are going to have a difficult time finding another book like the one you ruined. There aren’t many copies left.’
‘I’m sorry about what happened, Denise. It really was my fault. Mondok only wanted to talk to you.’
‘Well, why sneak up?’
‘He didn’t want to scare you. He didn’t know I was going to do that. Heck, I didn’t know myself until we were there. It seemed like…’
Deklin’s cursing cuts him short. Ven runs to the flight deck, followed by Denise. ‘What happened, Dek?’ he asks.
He grimaces, shaking his hand. ‘I dropped a blob of solder on my hand.’
‘You’d better go to first aid.’ Ven says. ‘Calrok is manning it today.’
‘Oh gawd, she’ll probably throw beer on it,’ he moans, as he leaves, gripping his hand.
‘Beer?’ Denise asks from behind Ven.
Ven turns around. ‘Didn’t you hear?’
She shakes her head.
‘Wait till we go to the Fly Trap, you’ll hear all about it then. For now we have to pump the wire spoor solution through before we do anything else,’ says Ven, walking away, leaving Denise to follow him to the tank. He adds the wire spoor gradually in to the membrane lined wire conduit, glancing at Denise. ‘You’re looking a little green. Are you OK?’
Denise steps well back from the tank. ‘That is rotten.’
He smiles. ‘It will smell better when it matures and attaches to the base. Do you want to see what we have to do tomorrow?’
She nods though she doesn’t appear too eager. Ven leads the way to the flight deck, climbs under the console and removes the access panel. ‘Have a look under here.’
Denise kneels and looks up into the area where the access panel had been. ‘Oh yuck, it looks like a giant liver.’
‘That’s the transpod,’ he says. ‘It communicates with Nolack-1.’
‘What’s that gauzy thing?’
Ven smiles. ‘That’s what the transpod grafts itself on to, it’s the link that connects the transpod to the computer mainframe.’
‘So, the transpod and the sensors are the communicators then?’ she asks, backing out.
‘Yes, but so is the gauze, and listen to this, it’s able to jump strands to shortcut to the target receptor, whether it’s the transpod or the mainframe computer.’
‘What’s so great about that?’
‘What’s so great?’ He stares at her. ‘Denise this is the only bio-supercomputer technology of its kind. You won’t find it anywhere on Thera!’
‘OK, that’s impressive, but I think I need to know more before I get really excited.’
Ven feels deflated by her lack of enthusiasm. ‘Maybe, I’ll explain more tomorrow when we replace the transpod and the sensors.’ He looks at his watch. ‘I think we could knock off now and rest a bit. What do you think?
‘It will take all night for the wire spoor solution to pump through from the tank so there’s nothing more we can do for now.’
‘Great idea,’ Denise says, ‘I’ll see you at the Fly Trap later on.’
They ride up together in the elevator. Denise gets off at the accommodation deck while Ven keeps going to the entertainment deck. When he steps out he isn’t sure where he wants to go. He feels restless, and without a definite point to latch onto he heads for Murple Bubbles. Once there he has doubts about going in and walks away. He decides to go to the lake and steps into the elevator just as a young female did. ‘Lake,’ he says, and in response to his voice command the glass elevator speeds downward.
‘So, you’re going there, too?’ he asks.
She is looking absently through the glass wall and reluctantly turns around. ‘Pardon?’
As they reach the lake level, it becomes obvious she is going there too, and he feels foolish for asking. He shakes his head, ‘Never mind.’
Ven watches the young female as she put her tokens on the counter. ‘Rock climbing, please Macca.’
Macca frowns. ‘You’re not properly dressed for rock climbing, Sofia.’
Ven agrees. With tight shorts, a tank top and flimsy sneakers, he can’t see the venture being successful. ‘He’s right,’ says Ven. ‘I know how dangerous those rocks are. I’ve climbed them.’
The artificial rock outcrops on the edge of the forest seem as if they have naturally sprung from the ground. Jutting at different angles and heights, they cater for climbers of all skill levels. The cliff faces were designed with only extreme adventurers in mind.
‘I can take care of myself,’ she says, walking away.
Ven shakes his head at her stubbornness. ‘What if I go with you?’ he calls after her.
She turns around. ‘Why?’
‘I was thinking of doing a bit of rock climbing, too.’
Sofia walks back towards Ven. ‘I wasn’t really going to climb the rocks. I just wanted somewhere peaceful to think.’
Ven shrugs. ‘I don’t want to invade your space. I’ll go elsewhere and leave you in peace.’ He begins walking toward the lake edge where a group of canoeists are setting out on the lake.
<
br /> She follows him. ‘You don’t have to go elsewhere. I’ve changed my mind about the rocks and the peace.’
Ven turns and stares at her, puzzled. ‘What made you change your mind so fast?’
Sofia looks over the lake. ‘This was where I first met someone. We raced water-bikes here.’ She turns to Ven. ‘The lake was the wrong place to come to today, especially alone. I know that now.’
Tears wells in her eyes, before she quickly turns her head. ‘You can have the rocks all to yourself.’
Ven feels he has blundered into someone else’s story but he didn’t feel it right to leave her alone. He touches her shoulder. ’Why don’t we go somewhere together? Your choice.’
She sniffs and wipes at her eyes, still turned away from him. ‘It’s OK. you don’t have to do that. I’ll be alright.’
‘I’m at a loose end this afternoon, too.’
Sofia turns around and he smiles at her. ‘Really, I am,’ he says.
She straightens her back. ‘Ok thanks,’ she sniffs. ‘Let’s get away from here and go to the flaming’ pub.’
Ven stares at her, his eyebrows raised. ‘Wow! That’s quite a leap.’
‘Now I think about it, I need distraction, plenty of it,’ she says, with a deep breath.
‘Do you still want my company?’
She looks surprised. ‘I said I did, didn’t I?’ I have to get changed first.’
Ven sits on the plush cream colored lounge while Sofia disappears into her bedroom to get changed. He looks around the room. Warm apricot walls are offset by cream furniture and groups of potted palms and ferns. A photo of a middle aged couple is on the wall. ‘Are they your parents?’ he asks her as she comes into the room, now wearing tight blue jeans and an equally close-fitting pale blue t shirt. He tears his eyes away.
‘Yes,’ she replies, gazing at the pair. ‘They were going to come on this trip but my brother is still in university and they wanted to be there for him.’
When they arrived, the Fly Trap was ringing with laughter, there the clinking of glasses and voices were raised to be heard over the music. Some teenagers of barely drinking age loosely swayed to the beat. Ven sees Denise sitting at a booth with Mondok. He waves and they gesture for him to go over. He turn to Sofia. ‘Come and meet my friends.’ She smiles and follows him between the gyrating bodies.
Ven stands at their table with Sofia beside him. ‘Hey you two, finally I’m seeing you have some fun.’
Mondok smiles. ‘Are you going to introduce us to the lady?’ he asks.
‘I’m Sofia,’ she jumps in, ‘Sofia Heartly.’
Mondok rubs his neck frill. ‘I know you. You’re the geologist replacing Kenny on PV 005. I sent you the notification.’
Sofia smiles warmly. ‘Then you must be Mondok.’
‘The one and only, I believe.’
‘I wasn’t told of this,’ Denise says, frowning.
‘Kenny requested it and I have only just approved it,’ Mondok tells her quietly, ‘but don’t worry, Sofia is a highly competent geologist, too.’
‘I’m really happy to be working with you,’ Sofia says to Denise.
Denise smiles. ‘I’m sorry Sofia, I didn’t mean to be rude. I am very good friends with Kenny’s parents and I told them I’d watch out for him.’
‘You and your maternal streak, Denise,’ says Mondok. ‘Kenny’s a grown Mazuban. Let him be.’
Ven puts a hand on Denise’s shoulder. ‘Don’t take any notice of him, mum. You can be maternal with me any time you like.’
‘Oh, thank you, son,’ she teases in return. ‘Shall I bring a spare nappy to work with me for you tomorrow?’
‘Ooh, one with teddy bears on it?’ Ven rubs his hands with glee.
Sofia looks from one to the other and suddenly bursts into laughter. ‘You lot are just too much. I’m going to enjoy working with you.’
Watching Sofia chat with Denise and Mondok, Ven marvels at the coincidence of Sofia being a geologist. He remembers telling her of the dangers of rock climbing. She could have told him her occupation and openly embarrassed him in front of Macca but she kept it to herself. He watches Sofia laughing at something Mondok has said and notices how she pushes her ash blonde frill back from her face as she chats with the pair. Ven smiles. It had certainly turned out to be an interesting day.
A burst of loud laughter broke out from across the bar. Ven turns to see what the commotion is and sees the captain and Tom with a group of friends. He turns back to Sofia. ‘My friend, Tom,’ he says. ‘I haven’t been able to catch up with him yet. Come on over.’
He looks at Sofia’s face, which had suddenly become cold and distant. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘You go, I’ll stay here,’ she says.
‘But he’d love to meet you.’
Denise reaches over and gives Ven a light thump. ‘The girl is saying she doesn’t want to go, Ven. Listen.’
He shrugs. ‘OK, I won’t be long.’
‘You’d better not be,’ warns Mondok. ‘You’re buying the next round.’
Ven meanders around tables, dodging cue sticks and people to reach the group. He gives Tom a light shove, Tom turns defensively then seeing Ven, he laughs. ‘Oh, it’s you. Hey Dad, Ven is here.’
Val excuses himself from the conversation he was having. ‘Good to see you, Ven. I’ve noticed you a number of times around the place and haven’t got around to talking. Isn’t that always the way?’
‘Yes, it usually is,’ Ven agrees, smiling.
It had not always been that way. Ven and Tom had been on the same razor ball team as teenagers. They had become good mates despite their different personalities. Tom, serious and competitive, was often exasperated by Ven’s pranks and carefree manner, but he would not allow anyone to say a word against him. Ven remembers Tom promising him they would meet up again after university where their different areas of study had divided them. Ven didn’t believe him.
Although they were both A grade students, he always felt Tom was a step higher than him and that Tom would feel differently about their friendship after finishing university. When they met years later on the Sobek project, Tom smugly reminded him of his promise. They renewed their friendship but were now finding it difficult to find the time to meet.
Now, Ven feels divided between wanting to catch up with his friend and with concern for the change in Sofia’s attitude.
‘Let me introduce you to everyone,’ says Tom, tapping another man on the shoulder.
‘I can’t stay, Tom. I’m with friends and it’s my shout.’
‘Bring them over,’ he says.
‘No, look I can’t, but perhaps we’ll catch up another time.’
‘You know that doesn’t often happen, mate,’ says Tom.
Ven looks back at the booth. He can see Mondok and Denise but not Sofia.
‘I’d better go,’ he says ‘Great to see you again and we’re finally on the same ship, surely we’ll bump into each other.’
Tom shrugs. ‘You’re probably right. Take it easy, mate.’ He is drawn into another conversation and turns away from Ven.
When Ven gets back to the booth, Mondok and Denise are there, looking apologetic. ‘We tried to convince her to stay,’ says Denise, ‘but she said she had forgotten something.’
Chapter 41
‘Captain, we are closing in on the asteroid belt, range 20,000 kilometers.’
‘Estimated time of arrival?’
‘Six hours, Captain.’
‘Good.’ Val thinks for a moment. ‘We’ll park her 5000 kilometers from the edge of the belt and send out the crews from there. Lock that in, Nolack-1, and open the main comm.’
‘Locked in, and ships communications now open, sir.’
When Val finishes the announcement, he remembers Mondok will need to be filled in on the briefing.
‘Nolack-1, please page Mondok to the flight deck.’
‘Yes, Captain.’
Val, running his hand through his peppered frill, ha
s the feeling he was being watched. He turns around and sees Gene on the observation deck.
‘I wondered when you’d notice I was here,’ she laughs, walking toward him.
His face creases into a wide smile. ‘Gene. I was hoping we would catch up soon.’
‘Well, you knew where I was,’ she says.
‘For a change, yes, but I have been so busy. I thought you would be at the Fly Trap, last night.’
She shudders. ‘Just the word trap is enough to give me the jitters.’
He laughs ‘I hear you own Murple Bubbles. Finally settling down, are you?’
She flashes him an expression of mock horror. ‘Never. When we get back to Thera, I will be traveling through the Himadals while they still have snow on the peaks.’
Val was silent for a moment, wondering if he should tell her.
‘What?’ she asks.
‘Gene, you do realize we’ll be out here for at least two years, didn’t you?
Gene turns pale as she realizes the implications of what he has just told her. ‘So, I really am trapped, then?’
‘Well, no. This is a massive ship, plus we don’t know what’s out here yet.’
‘No Himadal mountains, that’s for sure.’
‘Hey, there could be something better and you would be the first to discover it. No travel brochures here.’
She smiles. ‘You would make a great tourist guide, Val.’
‘So, have I convinced you to stay?’ he asks, smiling back.
‘We’ll see,’ she says. They both turn to see Mondok stepping out from the escalator.
She touches Val’s arm. ‘Look, I see you’re busy, so I’ll catch up later.’
‘OK, Val agrees. ‘I’ll check out Murple Bubbles very soon.’
She smiles and nods at Mondok as she walks away, her long, black neck frill swinging around her shoulders.
Val is checking something on the screen with Mondok standing nearby when Tom sneaks in. ‘Here for duty, Captain,’ Tom says cheerfully.
Val grins at him. ‘Well, sounds like someone had plenty of sleep.’
‘Just enough,’ says Tom.
‘Good, because I want you to give a briefing to the prospecting crew very shortly.’
‘I heard the announcement, but I thought you were doing it.’