L'Gem

by Sharon L Reddy

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Dandy won his race, barely. China barely won her last event too. I-intend kids were winning events their future coaches weren't in. The coaching sessions hadn't been observed by sportscasters, but the results were. Dandy and China were "excellent choices in a superb sports program coaching staff." That day sportscasters began to push a bit for four-A level rating for BNU.

  Hammison had found the links. It wasn't just the money. Universities were worried a pro league would pull their best players and team support. The networks hadn't been helping the situation, just watching and waiting.

  Hammison had told a group of editors they were going to lose both the possible pro league and subscriber interest in university sports if they didn't "start talking the right way." That day, sportscasters began to mention players with great "ten to twelve-year pro career potential" and several postseason college draft methods in use on other worlds. They also mentioned the rumor the people working to set up a pro league were planning to start their season when interest in U competition was at its peak, so it would "carry over." Dale Leitmeuller got a comm call, then found Kail fast.

  "Who? How?"

  "The Channel Forty-eight news editor-in-chief at a party last night. Dale, how old are players?"

  "Oh, shit."

  "We're so out of touch with other worlds 'pro career' didn't penetrate that eighteen to twenty-three mindset."

  "We've been so quiet about it, trying to avoid speculation, until there was a firm outline, speculation about destroyed it."

  "You were right and they're idiots. I wish I thought we were ready for broader interplanetary contact."

  "We're still nineteen days from the closest world, and I wasn't impressed by them."

  "Transpatial comm is instant to anywhere in human space, but we aren't using it much yet. They call us. We don't call them."

  "We're still mad at them for ignoring us, and they're still trying to buy our patents, not our products."

  "Nineteen days."

  "Is a lot of shipping cost. I think we're a little mad the only thing they seem to want is license to produce the new tech, too."

  "That seems to be 'the way it's done.' They're surprised, but we haven't built any spaceships yet, or asked to buy any, either."

  "We still have the reputation of iconoclasts, and may be earning it. I really like the fellow coming this way."

  "He's the first friend I made here. Hi, Dorn!"

  "Hi, Kail, Dale. It's a beautiful day, the people here are really looking forward to a good snowfall."

  "Dandy said whoever made the snow schedule did a perfect job. The grooming equipment got a night's rest every time a night was about to not be enough."

  "Best Winter Carnival weather in decades, plenty of snow and all in the wee hours. Prettiest too. Teal and gold go real nice with white. We've got a show plan for tomorrow, but we're not sure about it."

  "What's the plan?"

  "We've got a teal and gold flag for every town in the region, and a BNU banner that will take two skiers who can move together. The flags are light, but not small. We're not sure it can be done safely. We've got kids sure it can be, but we want more careful opinion. We'll plant them around the closing ceremony stage if the experts say no."

  "Have you got a sample"

  "I've got white practice in my car in the lodge employee lot, but no poles. We don't know what's best."

  "Comm connect Dandy. Dorn and bunch may have come up with a great finish for our showing here, but they need an expert safety check and engineering aid before they ask for skiers. Banner and flags. Pole design. The lodge employee parking lot in ten? Comm out. They'll be there."

  Dandy said the banner would just take practice, but the flags were going to require work before he was sure. Skiers began to gather before the pole designers were done. When they were, six ran for the cabin and Knight's car. It disappeared as they went around a curve, then went off the road two-thirds of the way around it. The deep snow on the mine adit road wasn't a problem for it and the shield did a very nice job of grooming without making a snow plume. Knight admitted it hadn't occurred to him as an application when Deely mentioned it.

  She and Evva were the only women with them, and Blade was not. He was 'doing math assignments' for Danny, as they worked out the timing for the show. Officially, Deely and Evva had helpers in the U physics lab to make the poles. The two women laughed when Nev told them 'everybody knew' the mine adits were blocked, as Knight keyed the code to open the access doors. The two women were "awed" by the setup in the huge cavern.

  In a few moments, they were creating flagpoles that would support the flags, but collapse if someone fell on them. The skiers were already working on speed. If they went too fast, the poles would bend.

  Case and Stats had begun work on back harnesses. The skiers would wear, not carry, the flags. 'Hands-free' had been the safety factor that Dandy had most wanted. He and China would carry the banner. It would be the first time they wore their coach ski suits. Everyone else would wear fan suits.

  Unlike the opening ceremonies, which were in all four towns at once, the closing ceremony moved through the towns, with just enough time between for the Channel Forty-eight mobile unit to get from one to the next. Big monitors assured others would see 'the whole thing.' GGN sports was assembling the review of the Carnival that would be shown between.

  Frostlea always hosted the finale. Their town council had proposed their ski festival be expanded to a twelve-day winter carnival in all four towns. The other towns had outvoted them on the proposal to alternate hosting the finale, seventy-four years before. Ideas to make the Diamond Anniversary Winter Carnival spectacular were already being presented.

  The one about to end was being commemorated as "The Teal and Gold." Medallions would be ready for sale the next day. The proceeds from sales would go to the ski team travel expense budget. All of that year's participants would receive a special issue medallion, and all four ski lodges would present BNU with team member and coach lift passes "in perpetuity," and thanks for making it the biggest Winter Carnival they'd had.

  Towns were told their flags would be "flying" in the finale and people cheered and got ready. Frostlea was warned transports would be coming from every town in the region.

  The town got ready to prepare a huge field as parking, as soon as it stopped snowing. Two additional transport loading areas were designated. The other three ski towns were going to send transports too, though not as many as some others.

  Teal Valley was closing public transport routes for the day and sending the entire fleet, and thousands would drive. Large passenger capacity vehicles were common and nearly every vehicle was stuffed with all it could carry, often more passengers than it should carry. And charter flyers landed and flyer lots filled, as people from all over the world, many wearing BNU colors, arrived.

  The skiers had their 'bells' and had made two practice timing runs, when the "pole team" returned. A slight change had been made in the program and everyone thought it was fantastic. Five I-intend skiers were proving they could do it, when Dandy and China, with banner, and the first group of skiers with harnesses and flags caught the lift to the intermediate slope. They wanted to limit practice with flags on the big hill to once, if possible.

  Bance and Jace were in the viewroom. It was going to be the best place to get it all. GGN and other networks would be carrying their coverage. Bance knew every town and every skier who would be carrying a flag. He also knew who from the towns were wearing I-intend patches for what. He told the GGN editor, who had accompanied them to see the cam view, his "phenomenal memory" was often of being "smeared" by someone on another team.

  Jace noted he'd been smeared less often than many teams had wished, because he ran fast. Bance said anyone who didn't run fast with someone the size of Wes, Monster, Moncriff chasing them did not have good survival instincts. When Jace noted Bance was the only on
e who'd outrun him, the editor got very interested.

  "That's something that's going to surprise a lot of teams that play BNU, the speed of the really big men. We've talked about football, because it's the big university sport, and skiing because that's what's happening here, but the organized sports we all participate in from the time we toddle are soccer, hoops, volleyball, baseball, swimming and hockey. We play every other sport you can name, and most games have enthusiasts. Archery is very popular and so is team dancing of several types. Most of us learn to play bridge and chess when we're kids, and secondary wrestling has the type of attendance they expect at hoops games down south. In some towns, you won't find any store open on the night of a hoops game against an archrival. We play rugby and wickets. I was on five teams in secondary, and that was about average. The kid may be on debate, bridge and chess as three, but the other two will be physical, maybe golf and archery, but physical."

  "They said, 'sport-loving population,' but that sounds like it's everyone."

  "It is. Qualified. Some people don't enjoy playing physical games, but they'll go for walks, join a dance group, or something, or their family, friends and physician will worry. Supporting your community teams is part of supporting the community, and a big part of the social life of most. BNU is the dream team of every town. All their best will finally get to play together, not against each other."

  "Silky says they're going up."

  "They only went down once."

  "With flags. They don't have to be precise, just well-timed. The order is random except the last five. They're the five best. The four in back will try to stay together, so the flags always stay in the same alignment, with the fifth skier aligned center front. They did it on the intermediate, so now the big one."

  "The 'grand finale' is usually planned a bit more in advance, like half-a-year."

  "Never let a good idea go to waste if you can do it. This one was presented for a safety check first. The flagpoles were built in a physics lab."

  "That I heard. I also heard they're speed governors."

  "They'll feel them bending if they go too fast. This run will tell them if they can go slow enough down the big hill. They'll go back to intermediate if they can't by the second try. They only have time for two before the wind speed increases."

  "We could put people along the slope."

  "Silky, were sending Dave down to you to see what Jace is. He's nervous about one cam. Tomorrow, I'll be watching a monitor and talking while they come down, Dave. Go watch how Silky and Jace will make sure I see everything, so I can. Silky, try Cholloni's Fifth Concerto. If this times properly, it's about the right tempo and length. Yes, on his way. Just used to all that equipment they need because they don't have Jace."

  "Oh, I feel nice. Thank you both. Even if Hammison would have sent several crews if everybody wasn't watching for us to rush from place to place."

  "Our job, Jace, be in their hometown when they have something special happening."

  "Keeps us busy, and out from under Hammison's feet while they're assembling everything else in the casts. Damn, it's nice not to be avoiding getting IS uniforms in the image this year. This view is a wish come true, too."

  "If we start counting wishes granted the last two-thirds year, we'll still be doing it when they start down the slope tomorrow."

  "True. Sorry, Silky, but he looks so good in his ski suit. I thought you'd quit complaining when I widened the view. Yes, she's cute plump in the right place. Almost to the top. The slope looks overused. They'll be able to go a little slower tomorrow, Bance."

  The skiers did it the first time. Jace and Bance took the lift down and Silky met them in the cabin. He told them Dave had been "appropriately astounded." They got ready for dinner and went up to the lodge. They'd go back to work afterward. There would be a great deal of celebration that night, and they had four towns of it to cover. Other reporters would be aiding, but they were the ones whose presence told people their hometown news was considered important. That evening GGN decided they were. Vanson was waiting at the lodge.

  "Gens, we apologized to your dinner companions and promised not to keep you long. My editor decided you're a piece of this story that should be told. After dinner, you're going back to work."

  "Our job is be there when something is happening in the communities in our broadcast area. Teal Valley gets the most coverage because it's the biggest. We're the newscrew who assure our subscribers know we don't equate size with importance."

  "We've watched you three rush from town to town during this wide-spread event. Channel Forty-eight has several teams covering it, but many things are scheduled to assure you have time to get to them. Tomorrow's closing ceremonies have start times with 'if Bance, Jace and Silky are ready' appended. People have told us you don't know everyone's name, yet. A quarter-million are sure you'll eventually learn them all."

  "They help us remember who they are. They give us connections. 'My nephew played hoops with Jace, my mother went to school with Silky's, I sold your dad that piece of new equipment, my great-grandparents built the house across the street from you.' We sometimes need a name again, but we remember the connection."

  "You all come from 'old' families in this area, which I'm sure aids people's view of you as their 'star' newscrew, but the talent and the way you've trained it for your work is, quote our sports editor, 'astounding.' You three could start at the top with any major network, but people here are sure you won't leave Channel Forty-eight."

  "They're right."

  "This is home, and every community in it is part of our hometown. If we didn't feel that way, we wouldn't be right for the job."

  "Eventually, we'll need two crews doing it. When we train another crew to help with it, everyone will know it's because Channel Forty-eight, and we, think we're not assuring all the communities are getting the coverage they should."

  "Their news isn't only important to them. It's important to everyone in the region."

  "Our job is keeping that feeling of greater community strong. We think it's the most fun job there is. You can't put a price on smiles, waves and 'Is your dad sleeping in the shed next to that new tractor?' They know who we are, neighbors."

  "We've observed the unity of the people of this region. Bance turned it 'greater community.' You think that feeling is part of the amazing support of Bressler Northwest University here?"

  "More than part, it's the core of it. We didn't create it. We're the Channel Forty-eight acknowledgement of its existence and value. BNU 'belongs' in Teal Valley because the location is more accessible from all over the region than any other would be, but the support of the people of Teal Valley wouldn't be less if it was in Mount Fortress, the town in the region most distant by road."

  "We spoke to a young woman from Mount Fortress who plans to commute to classes at BNU. She found our surprise she'd drive that far humorous."

  "It's not far to people here. Students up there will compare class schedules and carpool because it's more fun, or maybe flyer pool because it consumes less study time. One of the questions BNU will be asking, after students have built their term class schedules, is how many plan to commute by flyer all or part of the time. If more flyer parking and shuttles from it are needed, they'll be added, probably the day they decide they may be needed."

  "By supporters before Kail has a chance to officially announce it."

  "Everyone uses the chancellor's call name."

  "If someone from here doesn't, he knows they're addressing the position. It's usually notification they see a need for fast official action of some type. Prestige just isn't done here. Everyone knows who you are and what you've accomplished, and most of us look around for our great-grandparents if someone uses our surnames."

  "Respect is given to all. Admiration need not be stated. Everyone knows who's earned it."

  "You've earned ours, Silky, with your news coverage, your understanding and your attitu
de, and so has Northwest Region Channel Forty-eight."

  "Thank you, for us, our station, and all the people who make our job so much fun."

  After the interview, Vanson warned them they'd have "fast kids with cams trying to keep up" with them that evening. Bance, Silky and Jace liked the two young women. They understood Silky's complaint they were supposed to cover the news, not be it, very well.

  When the three finally got to dinner, Larry grinned and passed Bance a datpad. He burst into laughter. Their coverage that evening wasn't going to be as 'let's see what's happening there' as usual. I-intend teams were assembling and coaches would 'find' them. Organizations from many towns would have bunches in various places to express their support and tell what they were doing or planning, to show it.

  That night, the neighborhood bunch didn't stay together. The couples got in cars and chose directions. They expected to run into others, but they wanted to reduce the always-together image.

  Day, Essa and Ronnie chose one place they knew Bance, Jace and Silky would visit, to spend the evening.

  Elise went home to spend the evening with Plimmer and Bop. Mike and Loren had to work that evening, but not Tenday. She'd made reservations for "every meal of the day and tea breaks!" as soon as they told her. Mike and Loren wouldn't have regular schedules for at least another half-year. She didn't plan to spend any of a rare full day they had together in a kitchen.

  Blade and Jilli went to Snowdale to the Snow Ball. It was a "special occasion" dance, dress was "formal after-ski wear." Blade was given a plas collar and waistband and Jilli was given a plas snowball "corsage" at the door.

  They stayed about an hour, then went to the campus construction team tent. China was there, spending the last evening of Winter Carnival with the friends she'd made. Case and Roma were also there, but about to leave. Blade and Julie's formal attire was admired and several decided to accompany Case and Roma to the ball.

  Nev and Keeva were hitting the clubs. They'd decided on a which-has-the-best-band evening with Hi-just-stopped-by side trips . They were the first to be somewhere Bance, Jace and Silky arrived.

  Nev was in an arm-wrestling match with a young man with a track team I-intend patch when they walked in. The head track coach was judging. The band was playing "music to arm-wrestle by" and everyone in the fairly small club was watching the match and cheering on the contestants. Keeva was on the table leading cheers on one side and an assistant coach was on one leading them on the other. They were leading together and everyone was cheering for both.

  Nev slowly pushed his opponent's arm down, everyone cheered and the coach called for "the shot man." A huge young man set a glass of water beside Nev. He 'measured' his forearm with his hands and asked Keeva if she'd like to dance. The band played "music to run away by." Nev yelled it was his favorite song and the crowd laughed and cheered. When Bance and Jace led the two GGN 'kids' out, Nev, his opponent, the coach, the shot man, the two cheerleaders and the band bowed to applause.

  Knight and Deely were 'caught' helping a group of elders make nightlights of optic fibers at an elders' club. The president explained she'd drafted them to help, as they got out of the car in White Peak. The club would be selling the nightlights to raise funds for educational toys for the BNU childcare center. She showed off the soft teal base that played a lullaby, when a big gold button was pushed, and then demonstrated the fibers being used weren't stiff and their support was flexible. Deely said it was a great design and all they'd needed was a little assist figuring out a way to seal the pieces together so a toddler couldn't pull it apart.

  Knight held a finished one for Bance to tug on, then pushed the button to make it work. Bance watched it turn, grinned, lifted it off Knight's hand and gave the club president a twenty crystal coin. He said he expected his "eyes to uncross from Silky's yell to get one, by the next stop."

  Jace and one of the girls got the other getting three. She looked into Jace's cam and crossed her eyes. Jace burst into laughter. Knight handed the president a one hundred crystal coin.

  "Yes, Kail, Larry, Tarn, Mike and Loren, I got you one. The fifth goes in our little-visitor room. Everyone else, please call the White Peak Elders' Club, not me, to reserve yours."

  "I'm setting up the comp to take orders, so he can take me dancing."

  "Thank you, Deely."

  "Your club is going to help assure the BNU childcare center has lots of good toys, Mary."

  "From smallest to tallest, BNU will be a fun place of learning for all."

  "I like that."

  "Brenly told me not to say, 'Brenly said,' when I used it, Bance. Brenly, do you have a tummy ache?"

  Jilli was standing on Blade's shoulders hanging his plas collar as a hoop for 'balled' napkins, in a bar in Alpinair, when Bance, Jace and the girls walked in. They didn't see Blade until the tall crowd split. Blade said he was the only "stool" the right height. The others were all too short or would have put her head through the roof.

  He caught her when she jumped down, then tossed a 'ball' with each hand. Both dropped through the hoop. Coach Grettins yelled, "Draft him!" Jilli said she frequently did, but he reminded her he had a masters degree every time she started talking about shots from the foul line.

  The coach told him to add her to his reminder list. Blade pulled out a pocket datpad and the tall people with hoops I-intend patches began calling out their names. A young woman about his height repeated his trick and told him she didn't have a masters degree. He asked if she had the periscope in her pocket.

  Dandy and Danny were in a bar setting up an infonet site for a Lionshead Falls civic group selling a half-dozen different teal and gold hockey puck-shaped items, from tea cup warmer stands to large planter stands. They were raising funds for the hockey team away game budget. A large number with hockey I-intend patches were listening to the coach tell several members of the civic group about four-A level schools' hockey facilities.

  Case and Roma were helping a Talon Peak elementary teacher design a "BNU fish bathtub toy." His second level class had written a fight song for the swim team and wanted the fish to sing it. They'd agreed giving the fish hands to do the motions was "sort of silly," but they wanted the tail to move, so it went through the water, and the fish to do a flip turn when it bumped a wall. They wanted to raise team travel funds too. A large group of swimteam I-intends were learning the song, with hand motions, along with everyone else in the bar.

  Stats and Evva were dancing. A dance group from Skyloft had created a dance called the épée and were teaching it to everyone in a bar in Frostlea, including several fencing team I-intends and the coach. The football team I-intends were in a bar on the other end of the block cheering the fight song the Ambertown civic chorus had written.

  The soccer team I-intends were in the campus construction team tent in White Lake. All there were having a great time chasing teal cat-toy soccer balls that suddenly began to roll and changed directions, as they did. The Dawn Ridge secondary science teacher, whose class had designed them, was on a table with a cam recording the fun for his students. Blade and Jilli walked in right after Bance, Jace and the girls. Blade missed one, yelled they were perfect and he wanted eight. Bance asked why.

  "Knight and Nev, Case and Stats, Dawn and Drand, Day and Essa and Elise, Mike and Loren will all just have to take one apart to see how they did it and I want one each for Plimmer and Bop."

  "That's seven."

  "I was hoping you'd lose count."

  "He wants one to chase, too."

  "Knight, Nev and I will have a lot of fun trying to catch one of those. How do you stop them?!"

  "Clap your hands loud to stop or start!"

  "I'm going to be watching when they take it apart."

  "If you all do it together, you'll have five to play with."

  "Yes, Jilli, but they wouldn't all feel silly for just not being able to resist."

  "I'll take three. I really don't think Danny,
Ronnie or I can resist either."

  "Glad I didn't tell you guys the class filed a patent app and you get a design diagram with them, before you ordered."

  "Ow! It definitely deserves a patent."

  "I'm so smug my class did it that it's embarrassing, Bance. The sale proceeds go to the soccer travel budget. The patent proceeds go to getting the kids to some away games."

  "Got it!"

  Blade was cheered. He wasn't the first to catch one, but no one else had gotten it in two tries. Nev and Keeva ran into the tent a few minutes later. Case and Roma weren't far behind. Knight and Deely were next. In fifteen minutes, they were all there. Silky had called them. The kids in the Dawn Ridge Secondary advanced science class were the first to get an education institution license to make and use power sticks. GGN got a full crew there fast.

  The advanced science class in the little town in the northwest corner of the region had what their teacher believed an advanced secondary science lab should have, the equipment needed to make anything that could be mass-produced. They'd begun assembling equipment capable of making power sticks the day the patent had been found. No one in the town doubted the teacher's opinion they'd be mass-produced. They all had something they'd like to put one in.

  The CEO of the Vairdslea Corporation that had the commercial production license for power stores arrived shortly after the GGN crew. Tom, the science teacher, had a soccer ball kitty toy in a gift box for her.

  "Do you have orders for the power stores?"

  "Seven hundred sixty-two for large capacity towers from towns and businesses in this area. So far, there hasn't been a great deal of interest in the size that's in this, but we're sure that will change. We'll be producing five standard sizes, plus large capacity towers to system specifications. Manufacturers and individuals will have the option of purchasing charged or non-charged units. Initially, we believe most will choose non-charged. It allows the tap unit to be built into the device, and gives them the option of allowing the consumer to charge the power store. At some point in the not-distant future, we expect many manufacturers to install power generation systems which will reduce the cost of charging the units vastly, and make sealed devices, such as this toy, far more common. We have installed such a system, but we're using most of its capacity in production. Our facility isn't large enough to expand that capacity greatly, so there's a point at which the cost of charging begins to increase."

  "Do you plan to expand in the future?"

  "No, we plan to do a great deal of subsidiary licensing and concentrate on large-capacity towers. We believe that's the best export market for us."

  "Export?"

  "There are two hundred nineteen worlds out there. Eventually, they'll realize there are some things they're going to have to buy from us or do without. One of those will be large capacity towers for systems such as BNU has, and those many towns, farms and businesses are installing, in this area."

  "They aren't installing them in other areas yet?"

  "Broadcast power still seems extremely low-cost after what we had been paying. However, we're going to need to increase production capacity in one way or another, as our population increases. We're going to pay for that in one of three ways, higher power cost, higher taxes or on-site generation systems. On-site generation makes the most financial sense for large power consumers. It would pay for itself, eventually, for even small consumers, but a matrix takes very little space and is worry free. If large consumers reduce their demand on the system, the convenience of broadcast power will remain a bargain for the small consumer."

  Roma and Case did a fast workup of a forty percent-over-current-needs system for GGN headquarters, including a liberal estimate for artistic design talent and construction on a datpad and handed it to the CEO. She smiled and said their poke-holes-in-the-bottom-and-top of the building design worked well and would pay for itself much faster and gave the GGN reporter the datpad. He asked permission to show the bottom line on cam. Even the high-art-estimate system for the GGN power monster would pay for itself in less than six years.

  Bance, Silky, Jace and their company found more I-intend teams, clubs and groups, until snow began to fall at one forty-one, over six hours after they'd begun the evening coverage. By eight nineteen when the snowfall ended in Frostlea, the slopes had over twenty cens of fresh cover and the trampled areas were pristine and glistening.