Lightship Chronicles Chapter 8 : Art Of Parza

subjects, from social etiquette, to athletic skills, and most subjects of technical knowledge."

  "So Mykee, what do you think? Huh? What do you want? To be a dopey kid with a bad attitude, or would you like to learn, and start building lightships?"

  Mykee is squirming a bit. "Sorry Old Tom. It wasn't right, what I said."

  "Come here little man." Old Tom gestures for Mykee to approach, as he seats on his chair. Mykee walks up to him. Old Tom grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him on his knee.

  "You're not a little boy anymore. You're still a kid, but you're growing into a young adult, a very smart young adult. But all those smarts are useless if you don't have self-discipline. Look at the adults around you. Everyday we have to deal with problems and stress, and if we didn't have self-discipline, we would all go crazy. That's the hard part of becoming an adult. It's self-discipline. That's why I don't want you using bad language. It starts with something as simple as that, but life gets more complicated, and you need to learn now to keep those emotions in check. Obviously you want to ride in a lightship. I'm an old man and so do I. But this isn't the time and moment. Andee had an opportunity. Because of his skills and discipline he was able to rescue that pilot. So now he got a reward for it. That's how life works. You figured out that white panel, and now it's yours. That was your reward. Now you've got this. This is your opportunity, and now you need to discipline yourself, and apply those smarts of yours wisely. OK?" Mykee nods drowning in humility.

  "Sorry Andee. And sorry Old Tom." As he turns to give Old Tom a hug.

  "OK, as long as you learned your lesson." Old Tom responds.

  "I did. I did."

  "I don't know. I'm not sure he's learned his lesson yet." Andee interjects. "What do you think Lykon? Has Mykee learned his lesson?" Lykon looks at Mykee who's still got a sad down turned pout.

  "You have not introduced me to Mykee yet, but I like him. He seems sad so I will find a way to cheer him up. If he is interested in lightships, I will create a 3D schematic of a basic design and start teaching him how it works." And suddenly a holographic schematic of a random lightship appears in the air between Lykon and Mykee.

  "Whoa." Mykee's eyes go round.

  Andee sinkers. "Yup, I think you and Mykee will get along just fine." Then looking to Mykee. "You want to meet your new friend?"

  Mykee looks at Andee meek and a tad embarrassed. "Ah, yeah, but I'm not really sure what to say."

  "Introduce yourself. You need to talk to him for a while and he'll get to know you. It takes a few weeks for him to get to know you really well."

  "Really? How come he is a boy now? He was a girl before."

  "There's like a thousand different things he can be. You can choose."

  "Really? How?" Mykee quickly is quickly getting excited again.

  "I'll show you." Andee pulls the vidrom out of his right satchel.

  "Wow, you got a vidrom too? Is it from Ricio?"

  "Of course it is."

  "Wait, let me check it." Old Tom interjects. He takes out his little device which looks like a mini-vidrom, similar to Ricio's device when he left Andee alone with the Omega Obelisk. After a minute or so, Old Tom seems satisfied.

  Andee starts showing Mykee how the orb works. The vidrom functions just like the white panel so Mykee has no problem navigating it. After about an hour of instruction, and trying many different variations of the animebot, from light-fairies, to furry animal creatures, to huge monsters and robots, for now, Mykee settles on a modified version of Lykon the Jasurai. Instead of being a real human, he is now a humanoid robot, dressed in old Earth samurai attire, but with a robotic animal head rather than human. Kind of looks a bit like a robot rabbit. Finally satisfied, Mykee turns to Tom.

  "Hey Old Tom! Can I show Lykon around." Old Tom looks a bit indecisive.

  "OK, but you have to promise me something."

  "Of course, anything."

  "Don't ever let it out of your sight. And don't let anyone else know you have it. You can't have that thing in public. You're going to have to keep it hidden. Got it?"

  "Yeah, of course." Mykee responds his excitement growing.

  "Oh, and you'll let me scan it every day. I still don't trust anything Bitani."

  "Sure, OK, no problem. Come on Lykon. Let me show you all the junk. Ever played, hide-and-seek?"

  "Of course, all the time." And both run off like two kids at play. Andee watches his little brother run off quite satisfied. Old Tom on the other hand looks worried. Andee studies him for a moment than pulls up a stool at Tom's worktable.

  "You're full of surprises." Andee glares a tad accusatory at Tom.

  "Me? You're the one breaking all the rules, to the point that it's no longer a situation of will we be banished, but when?"

  "You worry too much Old Tom."

  "Because I'm old enough to have seen how much there is to worry about." Old Tom drives his point home with a hard look. Andee concedes a tad before he speaks.

  "But Ricio is a good guy."

  "He could be the greatest guy ever, but he's a Bret."

  "What's your point?"

  "They think you're a Starfighter. The Starfighters made a mess for the Bitani."

  "Ricio said he never heard of them."

  "That means nothing."

  "I'm telling you he is not lying. Why would he show me so much if he was like the rest of the Bitani?"

  "I don't know, but I guarantee his father knows who the Starfighters were. And if he thinks we're what's left of them. Than it's over for us."

  "How can you be so sure of that?"

  "Because the very Bitani that called for the purge, and hunted down the Starfighters was Brandberd Bret, Ricio's father. Their family rules the city." Andee looks away not knowing what to say. "Their family has ruled over Carpatia for a long time. Ricio is the next air in line after Brandberd. He's still a young kid, and probably like you, a fanatic about lightships and the races. You have that in common, but nothing else. His destiny is to rule over us, and our destiny is to be ruled. I'm not trying to crush your friendship, but one day he will be your sworn enemy."

  "I'm sorry Tom, but I just can't think that way."

  "Of course you can't. And even Ricio may not think that way now. But things change when you're responsible for others. You, your future family. Him, the whole of Carpatia."

  Andee takes a painful deep breath, and shakes his head.

  "I'm not trying to tell you not to be friends with a Bitani. Hell, if this friendship is real, no one on this world would be happier than me. But I don't think it's going to stay that way forever."

  "Wait? So now you want us to be friend?"

  Tom responds with a single hardy laugh. "I would love nothing more. Ricio will eventually be Governor. I can't imagine a Bitani Governor with a Carpati best friend. But if that were to happen, shhh..." And Old Tom loses his words.

  "The situations between us would change."

  "Of course."

  "You know Ricio did say something really strange. Well, lots of things, but this one I understood... kind of."

  "What's that?'

  "He said that they didn't need us to grow their food. They could do it all with machines, and he doesn't know why we're kept ignorant and as farmers." Old Tom's face turns hard under a heavy frown. "You never heard this before?" Old Tom shakes his head in the negative. "What do you think it means?" Andee asks but Old Tom looks at him with an indecisive frown. "I mean, why are they giving us electricity? Taking care of us, if they don't need us to grow their food? But then they deny us other things. It makes no sense."

  Old Tom is gently nudging his head in agreement, but doesn't say a world. He looks in deep in thought. Andee waits but no response comes.

  "So what do you think?"

  "I don't know what to think son. I didn't know they could grow their own food. I'm as confused as you are." Old Tom responds clearly disturbed by this tidbit of information.

  The atmosphere is cool and misty. It's late in
the morning but there is no sun. It's hidden behind a thick haze. Nayaa is at Andee's front door, shaking the handle as if she is trying to rip it off its hinges, but with no success. She starts knocking quite aggressively, and as she does, it opens. Andee calmly steps out.

  "Hey, why is your door locked?" Andee looks at her without answering as he closes the door behind himself. "I couldn't get in." She continues.

  "Now you know." Andee answers nonchalant as he steps away. She gives him a dirty look then follows.

  "I'm so excited. I haven't seen him in so long." Nayaa instantly changes subject and beams with joy bouncing next to Andee.

  "I know me too. I can't wait to get there." As they head out and up the stairpath. They cross the wide dirt road above, and continue up the stairpath. Nayaa lifts up her water flask and offers it to Andee.

  "I'm not thirsty."

  "It's not water. Try it."

  Andee looks at her with a suspicious glint. "Did you pee in it?"

  Nayaa frowns. "Dumb dork." She shakes her head at him disgusted. "No."

  Andee concedes, grabs the flask and takes a sip. "Berry-fizz?" He reacts with strained looking eyes, surprised by the sudden surge of fizzy sweetness in his mouth when he was expecting bland water, or something worse.

  "Yup. It was crazy. It came this morning. These guys showed up with two huge metal containers full of the stuff. They even have a nozzle so that it sprays out all bubbly like in the shops."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah, your buddy Ricio came through. I was just joking, but the guys who dropped it off said that when they're empty, all I have to do is let them know at their shop over in The Triangle, and they'll deliver new ones."

  "Are you serous?"

  "Yeah. And they said they'll do this forever."

  "That's crazy. I never heard of such a thing."

  "Ricio is a really cool guy. Why is he with that Silly-asstra chick? I don't like her. Something's off about her."

  "Her name is Silestra."

  "Yeah, whatever. I'm way more interesting than her. And you know, I'll say it. I think I'm just as pretty as she is. If I had her dresses, I bet I would look as good as she does."

  "You, in a dress?" Andee scoffs with a smirk.

  "What? I'm a girl. I can wear dresses."

  Andee shrugs and doesn't say a word as they turn left from the stairpath onto a small dirt road and head East. Nayaa studies him for a moment.

  "You suck."

  "OK, you can wear a dress. It's no big deal." Andee responds defensive.

  "No, it's not that. You're a jerk."

  "Oh-oh. Are you getting into one of your moody-moods again?"

  "Hey. I'm not the one who tried to swallow her whole. I saw you two kissing. It was disgusting. If I hadn't walked by you probably would have had sex with her right there."

  "You know, you have a bad habit of making things up in your head, and then the next day believing they're real."

  "Dude, another second and you guys would have been going at it. No wonder your mom thinks..." but she cuts herself off. Andee turns to her perplexed.

  "My mom thinks what?"

  "She probably noticed how horny you are, and got crazy ideas."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Nothing." She responds than snaps her head away feigning disinterest.

  "That's what I thought."

  They walk in silence for a while, but not even a minute goes by and Nayaa looks like she's itching from the inside out.

  "You're mom thinks we're having sex." She finally blurts out unable to hold it in.

  Andee looks at her with a frown, holding her eyes in his glare struggling to see thought her intentions. "No she doesn't. You're trying to screw with me again. I told you. It's not going to work any more."

  "That's what she said."

  "No she didn't. You probably said it."

  "Why me?"

  Andee just lifts his brows at her with an accusatory glare. She smirks and looks away.

  "I would never have sex with you."

  "Good."

  "Really? You're a jerk." And she whacks him in the shoulder.

  "What? Wait. So you want to have sex with me?" Andee looks at her shocked. Nayaa just stares at him almost unsure for a moment.

  "No." She finally responds with a meek voice.

  "Yeah you do. That would explain a few things."

  "No, no way dude. You're crazy. You're gay. I'm not having sex with you. Eww gross."

  "Good." Andee snaps. Nayaa scrunches her face annoyed. They walk in silence for the next minute, but Nayaa looks like she's itching again.

  "Explain what things?" Nayaa finally speaks up.

  "Why you're so jealous of Silestra."

  "I am not jealous."

  "Please."

  "Of that silly-ass Bitani chick? No way." Nayaa looks away agitated. There is another moment of silence.

  "I know what the problem is." Andee starts the conversation this time.

  "No you don't. I'm not jealous." Nayaa snaps at him. He just shrugs his shoulders and continues walking in silence. Nayaa is looking at him with anticipation. He ignores her. It's obvious she wants him to say more, but nothing. He's walking, calmly looking ahead. She struggles to ignore him. For a while. That itch.

  "What?" She finally snaps at him in frustration.

  "You're horny." Andee responds mater of fact. Nayaa frowns and looks at him with a hard glare. "Am I right?"

  "No, you're wrong."

  "Please. You're sixteen, you're horny, but you're still a virgin."

  "You don't know that."

  "Really? Are you saying you're not a virgin?"

  "Maybe."

  "Who? Dirin? So you and Dirin actually had sex the other night?"

  "Eweghaldlhsghhh." Nayaa makes her ugly gargling body shaking disgust move.

  "Look. I'm no expert, but before I had my first relationship, all I could think about was sex. Because I wasn't getting any. I was a virgin and I though it was like the biggest thing in the universe, and I had to have it. And I was frustrated and horny all the time."

  "I'm not frustrated."

  "Please, you're the definition of frustrated. And you probably don't even masturbate."

  "That's none of your business!" And she whacks him in the shoulder again.

  "Well, do you?"

  "What? Punk off. You can't ask me that."

  "Ok. But if you're not you should."

  "Dude we're not talking about that. What me and my gina do is none of your business. I don't ask you if you spank your willy. Ewww..." Shaking her head. "And don't tell me-don't tell me-damn it! Now you made me think of it. Eweghaldlhsghhh!" And she shakes her body again jogging in place. "Get out of my head Andee's willy!" She yells drawing some glares from a few people walking on the road.

  "Ok. Fine." Andee responds dismissively and continues on silently.

  They walk without speaking for a while.

  "Yeah, I'm horny." She blurts out of the blue. "It sucks. Masturbation doesn't help... that much. I just... why can't we just, get it out of the way, just..."

  "We? So you do want to have sex with me!" Andee looks at her both shocked and accusatory.

  "NO! No-that's not what I meant!" And she punches him hard in the shoulder again.

  "Aww! Stop it."

  "No. I just... Ahhh..." But she loses herself in frustration.

  "You need a boyfriend."

  She looks at him with a frown. "That's what your mom said."

  "My mom's pretty smart."

  "Maybe, I do. Hey, did you know that when a guy offers you berry-fizz he is actually flirting?"

  "Sure, I guess."

  "I had no idea. Do you know how many guys offered me berry-fizz? I can't believe all those guys were flirting with me, and I never realized. I've never even had one boyfriend, but I could have been rich with boyfriends. I'm so dumb."

  "And now you've got a life time supply. I guess you'll be alone forever." Andee respond
s with a smirk. She looks at him with a disapproving look, but finishes it with a giggle.

  "You know, Dirin asked me out to some berry-fizz."

  "Eww. That's what you get for kissing him."

  "No, he asked me way before that."

  "Oh, so that's why you kissed him? You like him."

  "No. I mean, I wasn't sure at first. When I realized he was flirting with me, I kind of liked it. And for some reason I was impressed with him."

  "So you do like him."

  "I thought I did. But the whole way to the prave all he did was brag about his dopey farm. I don't care about his farm, and alcamas, and all the credits his family's got. He was kind of annoying. And he's a horrible dancer."

  "Good, he's a jerk. He probably only asked you out because you ringed his bells."

  "Huh?" Nayaa looks at Andee mystified.

  "Dirin thinks he's the best at everything. You put him in his place and now he wants to, I guess conquer you. If he can get you, then he wins. He'll have his way with you, than dump you, just to prove that he's better than you."

  "That's not happening."

  "Good. You should talk to Gono. I don't know why you always ignore him."

  "Gono? Why? He's a weird little ghimur."

  Andee looks at her with a frown. "That's obnoxious. He's a cool guy. Why don't you like him?"

  "He's OK, but the other night he was creeping me out. Saying weird stuff, then looking at me all weird, then looking at the ground-all weird, just being... weird. He wasn't like that when we were kids. I remember I couldn't keep up with him at ghimpour back then. But I guess he got hurt and then I never saw him again. Now he's just weird."

  "That's cuz he gets nervous around you."

  "Why?"

  "You haven't noticed?"

  "Noticed what?"

  "Come on really?"

  "Yeah really? What am I supposed to have noticed?"

  "He's in love with you."

  "What? Gono?"

  "Yeah! He's got a huge crush on you. He thinks you're the greatest thing that's ever walked on this world."

  "Whoa, really? I don't believe it. Why doesn't he say something? How am I supposed to know?"

  "You're supposed to notice." She responds only with a hard frown. "Now he thinks you hate him."

  "Why would I hate him?"

  "Because you ignore him."

  "Oh. Well, I guess that's true. But I still think he's supposed to say something, do something, no?"

  "So you like him then?"

  "I don't know. I don't like that he hangs out with that Dirin."

  "But you like Dirin. You kissed him."

  "I did that to piss you off. But it pissed me off more. Eweghaldlhsghhh!" She does her disgust dance then spits on the ground.

  Andee laughs causally. "Ha, good. That'll teach you."

  She rolls her eyes. "So why are they even friends?"

  "They're neighbors. He's kind of stuck with him. Like I'm stuck with you." Winking at her.

  "Yup. That's true. Lucky you though. Can you imagine having that guy on your back?"

  "I don't know, he's pretty skinny, and a pushover. He might be a bit easier to deal with than you."

  "You think so?" Nayaa steps back and jumps on Andee's back. "You're never getting rid of me. I'm going to be on your back forever."

  "I know. I'm doomed. I've come to terms with that reality."

  "You're moving too slow. Speed up you worthless two legged alcama." And she starts to pretend whack him with an imaginary alcama whip.

  Andee suddenly snatches his shoulders forward favoring his right, flipping Nayaa off his back. She somersaults landing on her feet, but in a squat with one leg out like a martial artist ready to pounce.

  "I can get rid of you. Get you off my back, if I have to." Andee smiles at her teasingly. She stands up nonchalant, unconcerned with the way Andee tossed her.

  "You never will."

  Andee