Chapter 19 Cyber Soul

Chapter 19

Cyber Soul

  Trudging through the vines and knee high underbrush on the way to ship, was no problem for me. But, Penny and Tim were getting tangled and quite frustrated. The hot damp air only heightened their misery.

  After watching Penny stumble and nearly fall, I decided to intervene. Scooping her up in my left arm and Tim in my right I leapt over the vine -strangled underbrush and landed us mere inches from the giant silver cigar’s exit panel. Penny laughed but Tim grunted.

  “Sorry Tim, but I put us here and I mean to get us out.”

 Tim rolled his eyes and wiped sweat from his thick stubbly neck, “No its all right, just gotta get used to all this.” He said as he stepped toward the panel. It vanished releasing an invisible wave of cool dry air. “Come on it feels even better inside.” Tim said, taking the lead, clearly eager to get back inside the ship’s delightfully peasant interior.

  Even though I had designed it inside and out, I could not help but be impressed by how cavernous yet cozy everything was. Soft blue indirect light gently emanated from its subtle corner less ever curving interior reminded me of conch shell, with its’ spiraling passageways that blossomed out in all directions from the crescent shaped entrance chamber.

    A dozen looping inclines branched out from the foyer. Six multileveled walkways fanned up and out on my left another half dozen fanned out on my right, lovingly cupping a three -story mall at the center of the ship, granting easy access to wide variety of shops, eateries and offices, which also had the same conch shell layout.

   It was quite clear to me I had unconsciously incorporated my memories of old Earth into my design plan, which as it turned out looked pretty functional and quite appealing.  

 Following Tim Penny and I walked straight in to a funnel shaped hallway at the center of the mall. Colorful brightly lit shops and restaurants flank us. I noticed Penny’s eyes widened with delight as we walked past them.

   “When we settle our business we can  look around if you like,” I said smiling down at her. “In fact why don’t you take off and have a little fun, it’ll be all right won’t it Tim?”

  Tim stopped turned and looked at Penny, “Sure, that’d be a good idea, you know you remind me of my daughter she’s about your age. I bet you both have a lot in common.”

  Penny laughed, “Probably not, I used to be a mermaid.”

  “Au uh, huh, oh okay,” Tim’s face went red. “I’m, uh, good with that. Were, were you Tinka’s friend, Celesta. I used to take Bonny my daughter to the mind movies all the time, she really loved Tinka and Celesta.”

  “Her real name is Kress, yes, we were best friends. And I miss her so.”

   “Of course you do Penny,” I say as a little bit of my heart breaks off, “and I’m going to get the two of you back together real soon I promise.”

 Her face lit up. “I’d love that, thank you. Can I go now?” She asked making me feel like a real Dad.

 “Sure baby, have some fun, but don’t get lost,” I add, knowing full well my Nano bot extensions give me full visual access to every  part of the ship and most of the planet, the Terran’s crystal chamber redoubt and Kia and Alex being the most notable exceptions.

  Tim and I watch Penny trot off to the nearest dress shop and trade smiles.

 “So she’s your daughter? But you were no mermaid er, man were you?”

  “No, it’s a long story. Come on Tim let’s start a new one, a better one okay?” I answer as he leads me to an incline that I already know will take us to the ship central administrative offices.