Lightship Chronicles Chapter 1 : First Horizon

Beyond the Crags, in the distant west, and only visible from high up on table mountain, lies the Great Salt Sea. Thirty kilometers of the circuit races right above the water. On calm days it is one of the fastest parts of the race, but when the winds pick up, or better yet, in the cold season during storms, waves can reach ten to fifteen meters, and lightships occasionally get churned and mangled in the rough waters. But best of all is when top notch pilots surf the waves in their floating lightships, sometimes vanishing into water barrels only to suddenly escape out on the other side moving at 600km per hour.

  "I don't remember it being this far." Mykee mumbles releasing a deep breath after looking down from the precarious ledge on the western side of table mountain where they are climbing. Mykee and his brother are nearly at the base of the sheer wall and still heading higher on a narrow ledge of a path barely wide enough for a single man.

  "You say that every time." Andee responds looking back over his shoulder.

  "No I don't".

  "How about during the last races? Didn't you need to stop three times before we got there?"

  Mykee scoffs, "Why did you pick a spot that's so far?" Then trips over a boulder. "See, and it's dangerous. What if I fall off the side of this cliff?"

  "Come on little brother. When I was your age I ran up these cliffs."

  "Sure you did."

  "My nick name wasn't Leaping Ghimur for nothing."

  "Leaping Ghimurs are cute, I don't think you were ever that cute."

  "Yup, they are. Remember when I caught that baby Ghimur?"

  "Yeah, now that was cute. His little hands, he even had hands on his feet. And that furry orange and black ringed tail. And those eyes--those huge round eyes." Mykee goes silent for a moment. "You know, now that I think about it, Ghimurs really do look like people, why is that?"

  "Dun' no. When you watch them eat, they sit on their little butts, with their long tail wrapped around their feet, and hold the berry-fruit in their hands like we do. It's kind of eerie."

  "Darn it!" Mykee yells out. Andee stops and looks back down the steep mountain trail. Mykee is getting up from his knees.

  "You OK little brother?"

  "Why can't we just stay down below and watch the race on the giant Videodrome like civilized people?" Mykee snarls his words flustered as he brushes the dust of his pants.

  "Next time you can do that if you want. I like to see the races from up here. With my trusty binoculars, I can see almost the whole circuit. What's better than that?"

  "Sitting in the stands, on the edge of the West Market, under the shade of a large umbrella, drinking some ice cold berry-fizz."

  "When did you become such a glutton for luxury?" Andee starts back up the trail. Mykee begrudgingly follows. "Plus, the sun is already half set, what do you need an umbrella for?"

  "Half... and the sun is huge, if you didn't notice. And this half is just as hot as the other half."

  Andee smiles and shakes his head. Mykee continues. "I could really use an umbrella man. Damn, I want some ice cold berry-fizz now. This crazy hike is making me thirsty."

  "You're a funny little guy."

  "Why did we only bring water?"

  "Because water is free. Do we have credits for berry-fizz?"

  Kicking a rock in front of his feet as he steps Mykee looks down with a sad pout on his face.

  "Look, we're almost there." Andee points to a large stone outcrop with a couple of dozen people already on it. "And look, I think that's Gono, maybe he brought his little brother with him."

  "I hope not".

  "Why? I thought he was your friend?"

  "Yeah, when we were kids."

  "You guys don't play together any more?"

  "I'm 13, I don't play big brother." Mykee responds with sardonic seriousness.

  "Fine, so you don't hang out with him any more?"

  "He thinks I'm a dork. He plays sports. I like... It doesn't matter."

  "Alright, well... we'll be focused on the races anyway."

  Andee and Mykee reach the outcrop and join the crowd of guys and girls, most of whom are in their late teens or early twenties. Some brought alcohol with them so there is a real party atmosphere for watching the races from this very high and precarious spot.

  "Mykee remember the number one rule. Don't drink anything you didn't bring yourself. Got it?"

  "Yup, I know"

  "And stay away from the edge, no matter what. Remember last year?"

  "Yeah, some drunk idiot accidentally knocked a kid over the edge."

  "This is a fun spot, but it can get out of hand sometimes."

  "Don't worry, I got my private lounge. I'll be there if you need me."

  "Alright. I'm a hang with Gono. Yell if you need me."

  With that, Mykee heads up the sheer wall to a large crevice. There he settles in a well worn spot. It's clear he's been there before. He settles into it like its a lounge carved out of the side of the rock about three meters above everyone else. The back of his 'stone lounge' shields him from view. Down on the stone outcrop Andee makes his way to Gono who is hanging out with his friends.

  "I told you he'd be here". Gono announces joyfully.

  "I'm surprised. I thought you dropped out of school cuz you didn't want to hang with us any more." Dirin responds while flicking his long hair out of his eyes with a flip of his head.

  "No us, just you."

  "Or maybe you just couldn't handle it". Dirin responds with a smirk.

  "Handle what? Being a mindless drone. Learning the same nonsense year after year and being expected to kiss ass. You're a natural ass kisser, not me. I want a real education?"

  "My education is real. Maybe you're not smart enough." Dirin responds, aggressively taking a step forward.

  "All right dudes. If you all still can't get along I'll have to break up this party. Come on Andee, I need to talk to you." Gono cuts the tension and pulls him away.

  "What's up?"

  "Remember how we used to talk about getting jobs in up in Bitania, get rich, live in the city, and all that?"

  "Yea, we talked about it a bit."

  "Well..."

  "Well what?"

  "It's going to happen."

  "Yeah, OK" Andee responds dismissively.

  "Come-on."

  "What? It's all bull."

  "No it's not."

  "Of course it is."

  "Dude seriously? You can't even let me have this?" Gono tenses up frustrated.

  "What's the point? They tell you they'll hire but they wont. I've never seen them hire anyone under forty. They're just stringing you along."

  "No they're not. Remember jovial Jim?"

  "No."

  "Anyway, you met him, I'm sure. He used to work on my dad's farm. Weird guy. Used to sing and smile all day... bit slow in the head, all jovial for no reason. He used to prune the trees and make weird sculptures out of them, remember?"

  "OK yeah, I think I met him once or twice."

  "Well?"

  "Well what?"

  Gono lifts up his brows as if expecting Andee to already know.

  "Your little suspense is not working, unless you're trying to piss me off. What are you getting at?"

  "He got hired up in the city, and he's twenty-eight."

  "What? No way?"

  "Yeah, way."

  "That weirdo?"

  "Um-hmm."

  "OK see, that confirms it."

  "Uh-please." Gono react flustered.

  "I'm telling you. They're not serious. Why would they hire that weirdo and not guys like us?"

  "Who says they're not? Besides you."

  "Everyone! If this thing with Jovial is true, than he's the only one. Have you ever heard of anyone else?"

  "My dad says that many people got jobs up there, and even got to move there permanently after they turned forty. He said half the people he knew as a kid, now live up there, and he hasn't seen them in years."

  "I never heard of such a thing."

  "Well, they
don't do it as much now... but they used to."

  "Nonsense."

  "Then where did all those people my dad knew go?"

  "Who knows? They were probably banished. The Bitani don't give us anything without taking more away."

  Gono shakes his head. "I don't know where you're getting these crazy ideas, but I got mine straight from the Jovial's mouth. Sure the guy is weird, but he's not dumb, maybe a little crazy, but he worked for my father for years, and I'm telling you, now he works in the city. Even my father was happy to let him go for such good fortune, and he was a great worker. We still haven't found a good replacement. Listen, last time I talked to him he promised he would try to convince his employer to hire me too. Up in the city."

  "Doing what?"

  "Some kind of gardening, landscaping they call it?"

  "What's that?"

  "Not sure. Something to do with growing plants."

  "In the city?" Andee reacts with a suspicious glare.

  "I don't know, whatever, but we both know the Bitani don't do farming. We grow all their food, but apparently they like plants. And you know Carpati workers aren't supposed to talk about the city, but Jim, well..."

  "He's jovial."

  "Exactly! He sees things in his own simple way so he had no problem telling me all about it."

  "OK, now you got my curiosity."

  "Good."

  "So what's the city like? What did tell you?"

  "He's never been off the main property, but basically he says that the guy's house is huge, and surrounded by green plants. They're everywhere. Plants, flowers, all kinds of strange and beautiful shrubs that don't grow down here. And trees, lots and lots of trees, some of them huge."

  "You saying the Bitani grow fruit?"

  "No man, they grow trees."

  "That makes no sense."

  "I know, I thought the same thing at first, but according to Jim they grow them because they are beautiful and that's why they like them, not for the fruit. They've got everything they need so they grow them just to look at them. Well, they don't grow them,