Chapter 18

Bracken stirred from his slumber.  The sun had begun to bake him in his sleeping gear.  A shaft of incandescence beat down on his face from the summer morning sun through an opening in the branches above him.  Thoughts of his parents drifted through his mind.  They felt unpleasant.  He pushed them away, reviewing instead the excitement of the night before.  Squirming, he moved away from the irritating sunlight.  The stones that had seemed of little discomfort when he had wearily fallen asleep now pressed annoyingly into his back.  He rolled over, seeking comfort, only to find his ribs nudged by another row of sharp pebbles.  In disgust, he sat up to the new day.  Beside him, Lisha's soft face remained peaceful, her long lashes gently closed against her high cheeks.  "You're a beautiful girl," he whispered to her under his breath.   She stirred slightly.  He felt so deeply about her.  They had so much to discover together.  In the distance, a morning-call warbled across the fields, as a slight breeze gently stirred the ripening heads of grain.  Bracken looked over at Silas.  His sleeping face looked content.  Bracken felt a deep bond with his friend.  It was good to be together on their adventure.

With a disturbed groan, Silas rolled over, and sat up.  "Good morning, Bracken," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with both hands.  "Last night seems like a dream."

Bracken stretched his long arms toward the leafy ceiling.  He knew it as more than a dream.  He knew he'd seen something strange out there.  Something of mystery.  Something that opened a door to a whole group of possibilities.  He wanted to turn it over in his own mind before discussing it with his friends.  "I’d like it to stay that way for now."

"That's fine with me," said Lisha, awake now and resting her chin on a cupped palm.  Her long hair glistened even though somewhat disheveled from her night's rest.  Her eyes blinked the night's quiescence away as she gave Bracken a cuddling embrace.  She enjoyed being with him away from Tizra.  Being on her own excited her.  She felt free.   Sometimes even free from Bracken.  Troubled a little by that thought, she smiled up at him.  "I’m glad you're here with me and not orbiting out there somewhere," she said pointing toward the turquoise sky.  Bracken nodded in agreement, kissing her gently on the forehead.

Silas climbed out of his blankets and stared off toward the Pillars.  There was no evidence of the encounter of the previous night.  He yawned and stretched.  Picking up his pack, he slipped it over his shoulder.  "I wonder how long it will take us to find a place to eat."

Bracken shook out his gear and rolled it up.  "probably a couple of hours at least."

"Look over there by the road," announced Lisha, pointing toward the west.  "I wonder who that could be.  A large trans-max was pulled Off the side of the road with its power cover propped open.  Two people labored under the cover, while several others sat around on the ground.

"It looks like they're having rig trouble," said Bracken as he helped Lisha roll up her gear.   "Maybe we can help them.  I've worked on a few trans-maxes before."   Packing their remaining things somewhat less tidily than the day before, they hefted their packs and started toward the highway.  Field birds and gold wings flew ahead of them as they walked through the tall green grass.

As they approached the stalled vehicle, three of the people sitting outside the rig rose and greeted them.   They looked familiar to Bracken.  Two of them had been playing stams.   They set them aside as the other one greeted the approaching group.  Musicians thought Bracken.  He felt he was right on track, that his impulses were leading him right.  "Morning, friends," one of them acknowledged, his light frame clothed in a colorful garment topped off by a multi-hued scarf around his forehead.   "My name's Chepa."  His white teeth seemed to chop at his words as they left his mouth.  "And these are some of the members of my music group, Nev Broc and Naavin Shor."  The two nodded hello, a slight air of aloofness in their self-assured faces.  "We're called 'Golden Flight.' Perhaps you've heard of us before."

"Why, yes," nodded Bracken.  "In fact, I heard you playing in Accad recently."

"In the Community?"

"Yes.  You were playing in a park across the street from a friend’s place.  His name's Ley Os. Have you met him yet?  He said he thought he'd look you up."

Chepa looked at his friends and smiled knowingly.  "He sure did.  Just about two weeks ago."

Bracken felt instantly at home.  They must know about the Gem, thought Bracken.  These are comrades.   "Good.  We're among friends then.  My name's Bracken and this is Lisha and Silas."  Bracken pointed to his friends and then looked back to his new acquaintance.

Chepa turned and nodded toward the trans-max.  "We're on our way to an engagement up north as well.   We seem to be having a little trouble with our Power drive.  We've got a couple of people working on it now though."

"Maybe I can help," offered Bracken, moving around toward the end of the rig.  "I've worked on a few like this in Tizra."

The trans-max was a unique form of transportation.  Its large but sleek metal body was lined with tinted convex windows.  Glancing through them, Bracken could see that the interior had been sectioned into living quarters and a traveling lounge.  The trans-max sat on a set of eight vinyl air cushions with gleaming hubs.  At the front, the pilot cab was spaciously decorated, the guidance controls brightly polished.  Several attractive girls were watching through the colored pane at the rear of the trans above the power drive.

Chepa introduced Bracken to the two men laboring over the energy generator.  They hesitantly acknowledged his presence but gladly moved aside when Chepa informed them of Bracken's familiarity with the mechanism.  After a brief glance and a moment of tinkering, Bracken announced that he had found the trouble.  "It looks like a break in your motion unit.  It shouldn't take long to repair, though.  Do you have any adhesive form-links?"

"I'll check inside," said Chepa, pacing toward the port at the front of the rig and vanishing inside.

Bracken brushed aside a bothersome lock of hair from his eyes as he grappled with a faulty device.  The tools he had to work with were a little antiquated but he was soon making progress.

Silas and Lisha sat down with the others on the roadside, listening as Naavin and Nev countered one another on their instruments.  Lisha was fascinated by the rhythm.  Her body swayed freely with the sounds.  The driving, but pleasant melodies encouraged Bracken as he worked.

After much noisy rummaging around, Chepa returned with a package of form-links.  "These are rather old.   I hope they’ll work."

Bracken took the worn looking package from Chepa.  "They look okay," he ventured, Setting them beside him and immersing his torso back into the power compartment.  He wondered what would bring a group like them so far south.

Where are you headed?"   Bracken's voice echoed in the oily chamber.

"We're on our way back to Demur," said Chepa, leaning over Bracken's shoulder, trying to understand the dynamics of the broken apparatus.  "We've been on a rest trip up on Mount Shidow.  A beautiful spot just to let yourself unwind.  We go there quite often when we can get away."

The interior of the craft's power compartment was growing warmer.  Bracken wiped a bead of perspiration from his forehead.  What would they really be doing down at Shidow, wondered Bracken.   Maybe they were on an errand for Ley.  "So you met Ley.  Guess he let you in on the Mingus Gem?"

"Yeah.  What an experience.  It's changed our whole approach to playing.  Our music's come alive."

"Interesting.  I'm a musician too.  Haven't had a chance to play yet under the effect."

"We should be able to take care of that once we get home."  Chepa looked at Bracken's pack laying on the ground.  "Looks like you're hiking.  We'll be glad to give you a ride."

"Great! You're going to Demur, huh."

"Yeah, beautiful place."

That wasn't exactly the answer Bracken had hoped for.  He wanted to go to Accad.  But he'd heard of Demur.  It was a nice, quiet, seaside town.  "Sounds fine.  Anywhere but here will be great."

Chepa squeezed closer to Bracken, peering over his shoulder into the chamber.  "You seem to know what you're doing in there."  Chepa was intrigued by this new acquaintance.   Bracken appeared Young to him, but somehow wise beyond his years.   "Appreciate the help."

"It's nothing.   Glad I could help."  Bracken pointed toward the package.  "Hand me the form-links, please.  I'm almost done."

Chepa looked relieved, "Glad you came along.  I was afraid going to make our performance at the Sea-Sphere.

"The Sea Sphere? Tonight?"  Bracken paused and looked at Chepa.  "I've heard a lot about the Sphere.  It sounds like an exciting place."  Bracken turned back to the engine, patching the links into place.  "I've always wanted to go there.   Do you play there often?"

"I guess you could say it's one of the places where we got our start."  Chepa stood back and rubbed a kink in his neck.  "It's become our home base.  All of us live there."   Watching Bracken, Chepa realized how odd it seemed that they should meet here in this uninhabited place.  "by the way, Ley Os plans to meet with us tonight.   He'll probably be glad to see you."

Bracken thought about the Gem peddler.  Things were working out better than he'd hoped.  Now, Lisha and Silas would have a chance to touch the Gem.  "I'll be glad to see him.  I want to share his little secret with my friends."

Chepa smiled.   "I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige."

Bracken finished and wiped the grease from his hands with an old rag Chepa offered him.  The two stood back and examined the work at a distance.  Their forms threw black shadows on the roadside.   "We'd better give those new links a try though.  None of us will be going anywhere if they don't stay in place."

"You're right," Chepa called for their driver to start the power unit.  The propulsion device came to life with a loud roar.  Bracken listened closely for a moment and then shouted to Chepa above the noise.  "Sounds like they're holding!"

"Good! Let's get back on the road.  We want to make Demur by evening."

Bracken explained the invitation for the ride to Demur.  Silas and Lisha looked relieved as they climbed aboard the trans-max.

The interior of the giant rig was decorated with an earthy plushness.  Comfortable seats welcomed the riders as the vehicle pulled back onto the roadway.  One of the girls offered everyone a pleasant and mildly intoxicating drink and something to munch on.  Bracken leaned back beside Lisha enjoying the luxury of their new surroundings.

Chepa reached for his stam. "So you play a little music yourself. Why don't you let us hear some?"  He handed Bracken the expensive and well cared for instrument.   Admiring the stam carefully, Bracken placed it in his lap and plucked the metal strings.  Warm tones vibrated through the air.  He felt a strange, warmth fill his body.  I'll play my best stuff, he told himself.  Thrilled by the quality of the sound, he began to play several of his better practiced compositions.  The pleasant melody soon had his listeners happily entranced.

"Not bad," noted Nev, taking his own instrument to join in. The rhythmic throb of harmony soon filled the lounge as the rest of Chepa's group began to play along.

"We'll have to have Bracken play a few numbers with us at the Sphere tonight," said Chepa Over the driving melodies.  "I think the people will love him."

"A great idea," added Nev, a gleeful smile forming on his lips. "Especially after he's had another touch of the Gem."

"Yes," agreed Chepa laughingly.  "Especially after he's used the Gem."

Bracken smiled too, happy in the joy of new friends. The trans-max lumbered down the road, a hive of melodic sound and pounding rhythm.