This is a chapter of the novel Earth’s Embrace by Space Cadet Michael. In this novel, the little and the lost becomes the fulfilled and the found - It is a novel of jungle adventure, artificial intelligence, and the answer to what happened to Percy Fawcett. See the full chapter list here.
Previously, Pari and Reeto met the great nephew of Percy Fawcett in a shop full of Banetmabo ‘favors.’
Earlier that year in Yoashicopitso, Capital City of The Society, the second largest empire on planet Kininasi. Just outside the mountain range, across the plain, and along the river from Tolek’s facility.
-Kashiri-
Kashiri stands impatiently in the line of sixteen and seventeen year old potential recruits. Lines are not her strong suit. Usually, she views them more as a guideline than a rule line and finds a way around them. However, this is no ordinary line. She has to give the appearance of the kind of distinction, reliability and ability to follow directions that The Society is looking for.
So she waits and tries to look like she belongs, hoping Kestenbetsa is too busy to be here personally. She wears her long hair quite distinctively, she is easy to recognize: the left side is deep red and the right side jet black, delineated by the parting line down the center of the top of her head. She is surprised no one has called her out yet. The staff at the door certainly recognize her.
Every year The Society admits new members. They need scientists, engineers, managers, technicians and soon they will need pilots. Kashiri is going to be a pilot. Kestenbetsa be damned.
The line slowly files forwards into the massive central chamber of the main hall. The ornate domed ceiling stretches far above a small grouping of desks placed in the very center. Even with all the arrogance and conceit of the people of this place, she can’t help but feel a deep respect for their space. Maybe the feeling is not for their space but for the echoes of the Banetmabo that still linger here. It was really the Banetmabo’s place, The Society are squatters.
Other hopefuls pull their chairs out and each sit down at one of the desks, the noise from the metal legs scraping the stone floor echoes loudly, distracting from the majesty of the place.
Kashiri finds an open seat and sits down. In front of her is a single piece of paper. It reads: “Welcome applicant. Please check that the following criteria apply to you. You must be able to answer each of the following questions affirmatively to be eligible for our apprenticeship program.” There were no criteria last year, Kestenbetsa had simply lied when he posted her score. There was no way she had gotten a zero. Kashiri had a sinking feeling that she knew what the criteria were going to say.
“I have never participated in the immoral, blasphemous, desecration of Banetmabo ruins for commerce.” Kashiri sighs sadly. It is meant to exclude her and her alone. The only other Yoashi person who has desecrated ruins for commerce is her Uncle Brian. The only other non-Yoashi person in Yoashi who has ever visited a Banetmabo ruin is Rimak, and he doesn’t count as he is an ineligible foreigner. Kesten may as well have posted signs of her face around with the words “Fawcetts need not apply.”
The other applicants have by now read this too and are turning in their seats to look at her and muttering to each other. Kashiri holds her head high, pushes back her seat and walks out with as much dignity as she can muster.
Kashiri lays on her back under a tangled chaos of wires. She holds a light in her mouth, a soldering iron in one hand, some solder and the wire she is going to solder in the other. Carefully, she holds the solder to the metal contact, places the soldering iron on the wire, pressing it to the contact and waits for it to heat up. “One, two, three, four,” She counts in her mind then places the solder onto the hot wire. It melts and pools, making the connection. Then quickly she removes the solder. It is a delicate art to solder upside down: Too little solder and it won’t make the connection, too much and the poisonous lead drips right down onto your face.
“When are you going to take me channel surfing?” Rimak says absentmindedly in the kind of dazed, tired voice one has after working on a challenging problem for five hours beyond the point when you were already exhausted from a day’s work on that same problem.
She gives the wire a gentle tug, it doesn’t move. Perfect.
“That’s it.” She says to Rimak. “Try again.”
Rimak flips a switch and this time the system seems to stay on. “Maybe it worked.” Rimak says. “Come see.”
Kashiri sets the hot soldering iron to the side and wiggles out from under the flight simulator that they have been building. It is indeed working. A large rectangle of the black wall is bright white with sets of small black dots building up in regular sequences across the white space until most of the space is filled. “Yes!” Kashiri shouts and holds up her hand to give Rimak a high five. He obliges.
This is so cool! Her father would have loved to have seen this. The simulator is a total home brew. Kashiri had seen a full simulator on the last expedition with her father. It had been far too big to carry home, so he had helped her carefully document it and disassemble it so they could bring home the most critical and complicated parts. That included a little mostly oblate spheroid with a flat side that would stick to any of these smooth black Banetmabo wall surfaces and had over a hundred exposed metal prongs. Each of them is now soldered to one of as many wires that connect to various switches, dials and buttons that Kashiri has built to mimic the inside of one of the shuttles she will one day fly.
“Now you just need a shuttle.” Rimak says.
“Yeah.” Kashiri says. “Well, this is my shuttle for now.”
“The Society has four.” Rimak says.
“Yes, they have four shuttles and exactly zero that can fly.” Kashiri says. “And poor taste in pilots.”
“Well that remains to be seen, how do you know you’ll be any good?” Rimak says, teasing.
“I’ll be right back.” Kashiri leaves Rimak by the Simulator. She looks back to see him reaching for one of the buttons. “Don’t touch anything!” He jerks his hand back and sits up straight, feigning innocence.
Kashiri hums to herself as she walks through the lab looking for something. She likes to hum when she is working. It keeps her mind clear. She finally finds what she is looking for buried deep in the third pile of books and paper that she sifts through. It is a well worn book titled “Generalized translation of Banetmabo characters.” Below the title in smaller letters reads “The Society Press.” She returns to Rimak and the simulator while flipping through the pages. “Here.” She holds it in front of Rimak. “We can use this.” The pages have a list of printed depictions of dot clusters with the translation next to each.
Kashiri looks up the first dot cluster showing on the screen. Each cluster is on a grid of 3x3 locations where dots could be. This dot cluster is the four grid spaces in the top left each containing a dot, making a small square. “Start” She reads aloud.
Rimak points at the dot cluster she is reading. “It’s more like ‘welcome’ than ‘start.’”
“How do you know that?” Kashiri asks.
“We have a great library in our capital. We have more sources than you maybe!?!” Rimak raises his eyebrows at Kashiri and smiles.
“Maybe you do.” Kashiri closes the book so fast the pages clap together. “Why don’t you just read it for me then, if you are so smart?” Kashiri recalls a long conversation she once had with Rimak where he balked at the idea that ‘smart’ is a useful description of people. Most people, he said, can learn to be ‘smart.’ She corrects herself: “I’m sorry, educated.”
Rimak smiles a warm smile at her thoughtfulness, then gets to business translating the text. It contains a welcome message and a list of options. Kashiri selects the option to start the simulation and the entire wall turns into a view of a shuttle cockpit with trees visible through the windows.
This is not her first time in a shuttle simulator. She has spent many hours on the one she had found with her father. She climbs in, grabs the controls, and takes off. Her soul is immediately put at peace as it soars up over the trees with the simulation.
“Wow!” Rimak says, clapping Kashiri on the back with one of his enormous hands. “You’ve done this before! Was that when you were with PJ?”
“Yes.” Kashiri keeps flying, not wanting to talk about her father, even though she is remembering him sitting with her as she was first learning how.
“Where was that?” Rimak asks. “You’ve never told me where you found this?”
“That’s right. I haven’t.” Kashiri keeps flying, focusing on a steep dive and wicked barrel roll to avoid the memory of her father’s last moments that are now trying to run rampage over her thoughts and feelings.
“Is it a secret?” Rimak asks. “If so I won’t bring it up again.”
“It’s not a secret, but I’m not going back. No one should ever go back. So I’m not talking about it.”
“OK. No problem. Look, I’m sorry that I brought it up. I know you miss him.”
Kashiri takes her hands off of the controls and turns to look at Rimak. She hears the shuttle crash into the ground. It’s not just that I miss him. It’s my fault he is not here. If I’d been more aware, if I’d been next to him I could have caught him and…” She trails off.
“OK. It’s OK. Whatever it was. I’m sure it’s not your fault. You can’t carry all that weight around on your shoulders. You just can’t. Trust me. I know.”
Kashiri’s mood changes in a moment. She decides she doesn't want to dwell in the past anymore. “We’ve been working too long. It’s time to celebrate!” Kashiri jumps up out of the simulator and excitedly points at Rimak. “channel surfing?”
Rimak’s eyes widen. “Yes!!! Wait, now?! Really??”
“Is there any better time?” Channel surfing is Kashiri’s way to destress. This is the perfect time.
“But it’s dark outside.”
“Sisa?” Kashiri teases.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t go.” Rimak stands up from his chair, puffing his chest out a little to prove to everyone in the world that might be watching that he is no Sisa.
“Close your eyes, I have a present for you.” Kashiri says as she disappears into the back of the lab and returns a few moments later.
“OK, open them. Since you wouldn’t shut up about channel surfing.” Kashiri holds between them a channel surfboard. It is larger than her own board, a flat board with rounded edges and pointy tip. Where the back foot goes, the shape curves up and out like a half of a clamshell with fins under the ridges. It is good quality, composite epoxy. Just as nice as her own. She’d done the layup herself. “To thank you for your help with the simulator. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Rimak laughs his deep booming laugh. “The Gods are generous today! Thank you. Really. Thank you. How did you have the time to make this?” He bounces it up and down gently, on one hand, testing its weight and balance.
“I found some. You ready?!” Kashiri says, picking up her board.
“I’m always ready!” Rimak bellows.
Kashiri carries her surfboard strapped to her back, its curved clamshell-like posterior reaching over her head like some kind of rain protection. But there is no rain tonight, it is a perfect night to be out. Clear skies and a full moon. Gentle warm air at the tail end of summer. The city is lit with copious amounts of the large moon’s white, cold light, and it is deserted. Just how she likes it.
This is Kashiri’s favorite way to experience Yoashicopitso. Under the gray moonlight, all the color is gone and the empty, quiet streets have a sacred calm. It is the same city, but it is different. Maybe she likes it because it exists on her terms. No rules, no judgment, no society. Just a place and her. And tonight, a friend too.
Behind her, Rimak follows along, his larger, even more ungainly board held easily under one arm. He is going to be a natural.
They walk through much of the city not talking, both enjoying the peaceful scene. They weave through the city, passing under arches that hold up some water channels, passing over bridges that cross other water channels. The farther from home they go, the more jump there is in her step. Soon they reach the part of the city that has expanded up a steep hill and she realizes she is walking very fast. She turns to check on Rimak and he is right behind her, not complaining, keeping pace easily with his long legs.
This part of the city is built on a steep alluvial fan, created by thousands of years of wash out from the mountains above. The fast moving channels serve triple use as a water supply, mechanical power via water wheels and one way goods transport. Most of the water wheels were removed long ago, leaving a fantastically complex and fast moving water distribution system that winds its way around the clutter of the city.
Kashiri had discovered surfing when her father had taken her through Ashna, a coastal town, as a young teenager. When she returned home there was nowhere to surf, until she had had a moment of inspiration standing on a bridge looking out over the city on a night like this.
They reach near the top. Yoashicopitso spreads out below them in the moonlight. From here they can see the top of the glowing orb that is the massive dome of The Society headquarters in the center of town. Below the orb is the huge mass of the rest of the building, surrounded by the central part of town, all made of the same jet black stone. During the day, this is the darkest part of the view. In this light however, it is strangely one of the brightest parts of the city as it reflects the moonlight more strongly.
Kashiri has brought them to a slower bit of channel with a good dip and bend before a shallow pool where she can teach Rimak the basics. She hops down into the channel. The air is warm and she is hot from the walk up the hill. The water is cool and refreshing around her ankles. She places her board down and sits on it, straddling one leg on either side.
“For your first time on a board, just get the feel of it, OK?” Kashiri says. “Sit on it like me.”
Rimak gets into the channel next to her and sits on his board, mimicking her stance with legs straddling either side.
“Alright, good. You will steer by leaning, like this.” Kashiri leans slightly left, then slightly right. Rimak mimics. “Good! You will want to keep your legs on the board. It is shallow. Now follow me!”
Kashiri hops up onto her feet on her board and the current takes her. Leaning back just enough into the clamshell part she can stay upright as the water propels her forward. She leans left and the ripples in the clamshell grip the water as she pivots left. She does the same to the right.
“Show off!” Rimak yells, floating along behind her.
Her adrenalin starts to pump as she leans forward slightly into a dip as the water speeds up. The channel turns swiftly right and she rides the corner. A pair of buildings jut out over ahead, she crouches down to fit in the arched tunnel. She remembers a dip hidden by the darkness inside. “Dip!” She calls out when she hits it as expected. Hopefully Rimak knows what that means.
Then the channel pops out back into the moon’s glow.
“Still here!” Rimak calls out.
A sharp left and she is on an aqueduct. The channel is just wide enough for two boards next to each other. The only railing is the edge of the channel high enough to keep in the water. The buildings drop away and they are over a road, then again between buildings and the water drops.
“Fork right! Hard left!” She calls out before leaning hard into a right turn around another blind corner and then a hard left as the channel split in two.
“Made it!” Rimak calls out from behind her.
They ride this way: left, down, right, right, slow flat, left, hard right, steep dip. On and on. Her body follows the water flow, leaning smoothly into each turn. Her legs, her waist, her arms, all know what to do to keep her upright, she just choses which way to lean and how much. It is always just enough to make the turn or keep standing.
Kashiri forgets the world she knows in her mind and focuses only on the world she can see. She settles into flow. For these moments all that matters is the path to follow and the water to balance against.
Without losing focus on the path of the water, she enjoys the ambient sense of the environment surrounding her focus. The moonlit gray shimmering water, the distant sleeping city when there is an expansive view.
It is deep, utterly complete, peace. It is as close to flying as she can get.
The flow finally comes to a stop in a large stagnant pool next to The Society’s headquarters in the center of town as the beginnings of morning twilight are starting to redden the sky. A network of abandoned docks run across and around the water forcing it slowly along a set of thin channels, a dock on each side of each channel. The docks sit at water level, and an old tattered net at the far end of the platforms used to stand ready to catch anything that tried to go farther downstream.
Kashiri lifts herself nimbly onto the nearest dock. She pulls herself and her board completely out of the water, then stands squeezing the water out of her long single braid. She lets the rest of her drip dry in the warm air as she waits for Rimak.
Rimak is soon out of the water standing next to doing the same, which for him means rapidly rubbing his head, flicking water out of his short cropped hair. “Thank you. That was incredible. I need to practice.”
“Yes you do need to!” Kashiri teases. “Then we can race!”
“How often do you come here?” Rimak says, looking around and up at the massive black walls of the headquarters.
“Every chance I get.” Kashiri says.
“How long do you think before I can stand on the board?”
“A couple tries. Here. Let’s practice.” Kashiri lays on the ground next to her board. Rimak does the same next to his.
Kashiri starts the lesson. “You first want to bring your hands up to here as you lift up your head and puff out your chest.” Her hands move up close to her sides as if about to do a tight push up. “Then you push up into a plank, smoothly, even.
If you push too hard you can lose your balance. Then…” She pushes herself up until her arms are completely outstretched below her and simultaneously slides her right foot up under her until she is holding her weight on her two feet, then she pivots back slightly and raises her arms out in front of her. “Then you want to stay low.” She demonstrates a light bounce in her squat position that mimics the motion on flowing water.
“You make it look easy.”
She does it a few more times so Rimak can have a good idea of the full motion.
Rimak mimics her. He is strong and flexible enough to make it work, but his form once he stands is a bit off. His legs are too far apart. “You want to have your feet just about under your shoulders.
Rimak adjusts.
“Good. Try again.”
Rimak goes back down to the floor and lifts up smooth, brings his foot forward under him and stands up.
“Stand straight. Don’t hunch forward.”
Rimak stands more upright.
“Keep your knees bent.”
Rimak squats lower.
“Arms out on either side.”
Rimak obliges.
“You turn with your whole body. Head first, shoulders, then hips. Left or back to center or right.”
Rimak tries this out.
“Good. Now hips forward.”
Rimak tries to move his hips slightly forward but can’t because his knees are pointed in opposite directions, one front and one back.
“Point your knees both forwards.” Rimak does so. “Then try again.” Kashiri says.
“Oh! Much easier.” Rimak says as he leans forward.
“This is how you go faster. Hips back to slow down.”
Rimak moves his hips back and smiles wide. “How am I doing?!” He practices the side to side movements again.
“Looks good. We’ll be racing in no time.” Kashiri says. “But it will be a loooong time until you win.”
“Ha! We’ll see about that.” Rimak hops back up to a neutral standing pose. And looks down at Kashiri.
“Sincerely thank you for taking me channel surfing. I really enjoyed this and will be practicing.” He picks up his board. “And thank you again for this. It is beautiful.”
Kashiri is quiet, unsure how to respond to this serious gratitude.
“I’ll be smoking you in no time.” Rimak teases as he turns to head away from the water and back to the city.
Kashiri grabs her board and follows along. “You wish!”
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Share your opinions / thoughts / comments / impressions:
Have you ever had a mentor like Rimak? How did they support you?
Would you like to go channel surfing?