“Roger, son, what are you doing?” Their hopper bounced like balls in a lottery bowl. Wind gusts, nature’s invisible tentacles, slapped and licked the tiny two-hynerian craft. Rivets screamed. Bolts tightened in growling anguish to the left and loosened in groaning lust to the right. Dials pinwheeled a blur of trouble. “Son?”
“I’ve got it dad,” Rog yelled, his forehead dripping sweat on a cold day, his bloodless knuckles working stick into the storm. Just ten minutes earlier the sky was clear and the air calm. Rog had volunteered to pilot the hopper so dad could survey the ranch. Fences were never finished, his dad liked to say and Rog had the calluses on his hands as evidence to the truth of that statement. This morning was just suppose to be a routine fly-over and Rog took every opportunity he could get to fly. Perhaps one day, he dreamed, he would be flying something more than just a hopper over the lonely plains on the southern reaches.
“Into the storm son,” his dad barked back, trying hard not to alarm his son while still trying to be heard over the shearing wind that threatened to tear their fragile vessel apart.
“Got it.” Then the heavens opened and like a curtain descending on act one, visibility dropped to mere feet as both Hynerians instinctively reached for the wipers. Rog looked at his instruments. None were functioning, as dials whirled like children on the playground, free from their burden of hire and readings spun like slot machines in a dream. The rain didn’t fall as much as shot like bullets from above or so it sounded as beads of water peppered the thin glass bubble. “Oh shiott!” yelled Rog, as rain turned to hail. Hail, they both knew, was bad news, very bad news.
“Take her down Roger!”
“I’m trying but the--”
Lightning flashed bright as a portrait camera and for a second the tiny ship appeared frozen as a snapshot on a turbulent swirling sea of grey and black. The report cracked close, too close. Lights failed. Power to the rudder failed. Shoulder straps cut into the pair as the craft fell through the darkness in equal measure of guts rising into throats. As Rog would say later over golden snoot, it was a moment when you thought, just for a second, that this was it.
There was a second flash, not of cool bluish light but of warm oranges and reds, of violence unexpected and in the blink of an eye, the hopper exploded.
“What have you got Rog?” asked Kyra.
“What?”
“You called me here, what have you got that is so important I needed to see it now?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Take a look at this.”
Kyra looked at the monitor. “Full screen.” Rog complied. The bridge of the Tranquility, compared to Bravo, was magnificent. Before their eyes, as if in a theatre, the small image appeared on the forward bridge, floating before their eyes in 3-D. Kyra walked around, behind and through the hologram as it continued to morph and change with each data burst. The image was, as they called it, live.
“What the heck are those swirling red stars?”
“Don’t know, but I’m willing to guess they aren’t exactly good news.”
“Get John up here.”
“Won’t answer his comm.”
“Damn it Rog.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll get him.”
Kyra stood in the middle of the holographic image. The red stars continued to move. Reaching her hand out, she touched the larger one. It was the last thing she remembered before looking up and seeing John’s concerned blurry face.
12 comments:
A chapter such as this one is indicative of so many things that I love about this story. What happens is only one aspect of what is written, your sentences, individually, are thrilling and smile-inducing and it is when reading these that my mind forms words such as the g-word that I use not too frequently. Your metaphors have always been a large part of what is noteworthy about your writing, so often simple, meant in the best possible way, they create an instant image.
This chapter showcases your story-telling skills so well. The parts that are added in are what makes the difference between someone simply telling a tale of an event and someone who knows that everything within the frame and not just the focal point creates the whole story. Not sure that made much sense, but to put it simply, your chapters are full-bodied and perfectly balanced. In the midst of the stormy weather, we hear of Rog's dreams, we hear of something Rog's father has said many times. That last part, coupled with the interaction between them here, his father purposefully calm despite the danger they are in tells us something of the relationship between them. It tells us that they have a good relationship, that there is mutual respect, mutual caring and mutual trust.
I could read that part over and over and love it as much, just that snapshot to go with the lightning that captures them frozen in the sky of the relationship between the two of them.
The vessel exploding and Rog remembering it now makes me wonder what else happened that day, whether there are any more memories of Rog's father thereafter.
It is certainly never dull being a member of the Bravo crew. :-) Not sure if this has to do with those already chasing them or some new threat, but either way you've put us even more on edge as to what will happen next. Very nice description of how the hologram works, although there are constants that would tell even someone coming in for the first time that this is a science fiction story, this scene is where it becomes most apparent that what they see is foreign to us, what they know in large part is too and what they have been and are going through, though to some extent one can understand, they walk in their own shoes.
This was a truly wonderful chapter, fell completely for that first part. Admittedly I tend to do that whenever Rog enters the frame, whether the two are connected or not, I know not for sure. ;-) Just kidding, love it all.
Sweetest, your comments are a work of art unto themselves. What I love most is that you add to the story for me. You help me see things I miss, you show me sides of the story I didn't write, you make the whole experience deeper and more rewarding for me. In some ways, I feel as thought I write the chapter and you write the notes and your notes are always a great pleasure for me to drink in and savor.
The first part of this scene is taken from my own life. My father and I were fishing on a shallow lake. A storm came up quickly and we headed for dock with me at the helm. The water became quite rough. The difference, however, is my dad lost faith in me and took over control. I was, even a young boy, humiliated at his lack of confidence in me. I still feel tinges of pain in the memory and vowed if I were in that situation with my son, I would rather go down with him at the helm and me showing faith and confidence in him than to do what my father did. And so, in this chapter, Rog's father allows Rog, or Roger as he calls him, full autonomy in the situation. Only when all is lost does his father hit the eject button and the two of them are catapulted to safety.
As always, your engaged kindness never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Sweetest. :-)
Hi!
Think you are online...
You know what?
Just want to read the story so far.....Where can I read it.I do appreciate the images mostly and lose track of the narration.
Are you going to publish[E] it ?
Cheers
Uma
Uma, the whole story is on this blog. The first post starts on Nov 26th, 2005. No plans to publish. Thanks for asking. :-)
Another fascinating chapter, thank you Tree. You write is so well and keeps us going :)
Where does all that inspiration come from ?
all the best
janete
Janete, I have no idea. :-D One moment I'm just minding my own business and the next, a whole chapter pops into my head. Many times I see an image, and from the image flows the idea of what happens--much like this chapter. The image was created first. The idea for the second half of this chapter found its seed there.
Thanks for the kind words. I didn't realize you were reading the story. :-)
Once upon a time I wished I would grow up to be a (writer). And then I read someone else and I remember why I never followed thru with that (choice) of (a) vocation.
I haven't been here in a minute. I need to go back abt 4 weeks and catch up. I forget how peaceful your writings (make) me.
~d, your kind words are very much appreciated. I like the idea that my words bring peace. That makes me smile. :-)
OOOOH, Tree, you're getting me interested in science fiction with this !!!!!! That was facsinating - I felt like I was there, seeing it as they were experiencing it, the storm, the red stars and all...
Annie, you are very kind. Thank you. :-)
ello ello :)
Keshi.
Hello Keshi. :-)
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