A new day, ship-time, brought the four who slept on the Manessa Kwi to the breakfast table in good spirits. Nothing was planned for that day, and Kibi had a day off from her classes. She and Sata giggled and schemed together at the table, and soon dashed off to explore parts of the star station they had not yet seen.
After doing dishes, Ilika had his nose in a knowledge pad and mumbled something about advanced training for captains.
Boro felt a little lost.
He busied himself for a few minutes by cleaning up his cabin, then started a load of laundry. When he could think of nothing else on the ship that needed his attention, he wandered out to the dock’s waiting room, and from there up a ramp to the nearest main corridor.
A shaft of golden light streamed in from a crystal window at the far end, lighting up the balcony above where several birds stretched their necks into the warm rays. Above them, near the ceiling, large green leaves dangled from a gnarly limb of the great station tree to catch the light.
Boro took a slow breath and smiled, relaxing in the good feeling of being a part of this wonderful place, even though he still didn’t completely understand it. He was the engineer of a little ship, and knew he still had much to learn, but had been doing it long enough to know it was within his ability. Someone needed the Manessa Kwi, and other ships, to do the things they did, and they provided food and all the other necessities of life to him, his shipmates, and
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the many others who worked on the star station.
The larger purpose of it all was still unknown to him, and he wasn’t sure it mattered. The kingdom where he was born and raised didn’t seem to have a larger purpose. People lived as best they could, accomplished a few things during their lives, or didn’t, and it mattered little one way or the other. Yet the question hovered in the back of Boro’s mind, not fully formed, but never completely fading away.
Always keep learning and growing. Many times, someone on the crew had asked what they needed to do to become citizens of Ilika’s civilization, and had received that answer. Boro rolled the idea around in his head as he stretched his arms toward the ceiling, enjoying the warm light of the Satamia sun. Then he remembered questions he had put to his new friend Glorm, a bear who could think, work, and swim circles around him, and one of Glorm’s answers stuck in his mind.
Boro spotted a knowledge processor on the wall across the corridor. At that moment a cargo pallet floated by, lightly loaded so that it’s operator, a large cat-like creature, sat on the pallet instead of walking behind. Boro smiled, waited for it to pass, then strode across.
He opened his mouth to speak his request to the device, but became embarrassed. Although it took some concentration, he managed to enter his question into the key pad.
Juggling lessons?
A list of classes flashed onto the screen. Some were clearly for other species. Most required previous training. Then Boro spotted the one he wanted. Beginning, any species, new students any time.
With the touch of a key, the knowledge processor displayed a map to the class location. Boro studied it for a minute, thanked the device out loud, and wandered along the corridor, looking for a ramp to the upper levels.
He didn’t see the small, fuzzy blue light that hovered near the knowledge processor.
The little patio Boro found at his destination contained a small, bubbling fountain. Beyond, a simple doorway was marked with a sign that said
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Juggling Lessons. Boro smiled.
Inside, an aged, gray-haired monkey greeted Boro while keeping three balls in constant motion with his hands and tail.
Boro’s eyes grew large. “Um . . . I don’t think I can do that!”
“Of course not,” the monkey replied. “If you could, you wouldn’t need lessons. Are you willing to learn?”
Boro remembered his captain’s words. “Y . . . yes.”
Boro’s new teacher immediately tossed him a ball, which Boro caught.
“Hot potato!” the monkey said. “Pretend that if you hold it for more than a second, it will burn you!”
Boro quickly tossed it up. “When do I get to try three?”
“When you’re good with two.”
“When do I get two?”
“When you’re . . .” The elderly monkey stopped and grinned.
“Let me guess,” Boro began as he continued to toss one ball up and catch it, “when I’m good with one.”
“You’re learning already!”
Boro grinned as he continued to toss and catch.
“Your first lesson is to walk about the star station while tossing, with complete awareness of everything, and complete attention to all your responsibilities.”
Boro continued tossing. “Doesn’t sound too hard.”
The monkey smiled, bowed, and disappeared into an inner room, leaving Boro alone with his one juggling ball.
“Complete awareness of everything, and complete attention to all my responsibilities,” Boro mumbled to himself as he tossed the ball up, first in the patio with its bubbling fountain, then as he slowly walked along pathways, ramps, and balconies.
He thought he was doing very well, until he stumbled into a bench on the side of a path. His leg throbbed painfully, but seeing that he wasn’t bleeding, he picked up the ball and resumed tossing. As he slowly limped along, he mumbled to himself, “Complete awareness of everything . . . complete
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awareness . . .”
The small blue light came silently behind.
To Boro’s surprise, no one laughed at him, or even asked what he was doing. The next hour of wandering about the star station saw three more minor accidents. The stair step, planter, and tree root seemed to suffer no damage. Boro judged that his feet and legs, although painful, would heal.
The faint blue light that witnessed each accident did not express an opinion.
As lunchtime approached, Boro started wondering if it was possible to eat and toss at the same time. There were certainly plenty of eating places where he could grab a cup or a plate with one hand. Since it was his first day of juggling, he decided to play it safe, and got a nutrition drink in a closed cup with a straw.
Even so, the new activity split his attention into three parts — walking, tossing, and drinking, and soon another bench sent cup and ball flying. Boro caught the cup, and after hopping on one foot for a minute while remembering some strong words from his native language, he retrieved the ball from where it had rolled.
A quarter hour later, with a liquid lunch in his belly and the pain in his legs dulled by time, Boro was leaving his cup at one of the dishwashing windows when a reptilian voice from within caught his attention. “Hey monkey mammal, we could use some help in here if you’re not busy.”
Boro looked into the dishwashing room and saw the reptile, a lanky mammal he didn’t recognize, and two birds, all working together to process huge stacks of dirty plates, bowls, and cups. “Um . . . I’m supposed to keep tossing this ball . . .”
The reptile made a slight growling sound. “Sorry. I thought you were a Nebador person.”
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The fuzzy light above and behind Boro said nothing.
Boro became red with shame, and suddenly remembered Sata talking about making bird-food baskets. He looked at the little ball he continued to toss into the air every few seconds, and also remembered his juggling teacher’s words. Complete attention to all your responsibilities.
After another second of thought, he pocketed the ball and pointed his feet toward the door to the dishwashing room.
Within half an hour, Boro had learned the routine, shared names with his fellow workers, and had an invitation to go tree climbing with the strange lanky mammal, also an engineer. Many plates, bowls, and cups left the room clean, but almost as many dirty ones replaced them. Boro was completely enjoying the work and the companionship when his mission bracelet chimed, startling him.
“Hi Boro, it’s Glorm! I’m at work in the docking control room, and there are no students here for the next hour. Want to come watch, listen, and learn?”
Boro’s face lit up, and he half-turned to take a step toward the door. Then he saw the sad look on the bird’s face on one side, trying to hand him scraped plates, and the disappointment in the lanky mammal’s eyes, waiting for the plates Boro was supposed to spray. He shuffled his feet for a moment, moaned under his breath, and finally set his jaw. “I wish I could, Glorm, but I’m in the middle of something, and people are counting on me.”
The blue light near the ceiling glowed a little brighter.
“No problem. We’ll find a time soon. Gotta go, ship coming in!”
Boro returned to his work, and the next time he glanced at his co-workers, he was greeted with smiling eyes and respectful nods.
Nearly an hour later, the dishwashers were finally catching up with the dirty dishes. Boro’s bracelet chimed again.
After reading the message, he touched the key for audio. “Ilika, could Sata cover my station? I’m doing some work I’d like to finish.”
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Ilika didn’t get a chance to reply. The reptile in charge of the dishwashing room had been looking over Boro’s shoulder. “No, Boro. Your primary work always has priority over helping out here and there. Go, go, go! And thank you!”
Boro verified to his captain that he was two minutes away, hung up his apron, and bowed to his new friends.
The engineer of the Manessa Kwi dashed along the balcony and down a ramp. Just as he emerged into a corridor, he was startled by an avian bursting through a cluster of leaves. It back-winged desperately, but was too close to the wall. Boro cringed as the beautiful bird smashed helplessly into the vertical surface, slid to the floor, and lay twitching and gasping.
Boro glanced at his bracelet for a fraction of a second, gathered the injured avian into his arms, and began striding toward the medical center.
On the way, Boro’s bracelet chimed twice more, but he made no attempt to answer.
The elusive glowing light hurried along behind.
Two hours later, the unlucky bird was still in surgery, but was expected to be okay. Mati was asleep, and Rini was beside her, reading. The Manessa Kwi was long gone, and Boro used a knowledge processor to learn that his ship and partial crew would be back in about three hours.
He wandered slowly through the station, wondering what to do in the meantime. The dishwashing room contained a completely different crew that wasn’t in need of help.
After strolling up a ramp, he happened to feel the juggling ball in his pocket. After tossing it up a few times, he realized he wasn’t in the mood. But he felt like talking to someone, so he continued on up to the little patio with its bubbling fountain.
As he waited on a couch just inside the door, he tossed the ball some more, just to stay in practice. Soon the gray-haired monkey appeared. “How was your first day of juggling?”
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“Well . . .” Boro admitted, “I didn’t get much practice. Other things kept coming up.”
The simian’s lips curled into a smile, and he appeared to be holding in laughter. “From what I heard, your entire day was filled with juggling practice!”
Boro looked into the monkey’s sparkling eyes, and after a long moment, chuckled aloud at himself.
The fuzzy ball near the ceiling faded from sight.
Deep Learning Notes
For many people, “food and all the other necessities of life” (in other words, a living wage) is enough to receive in exchange for their work. Some people need a “larger purpose.” What do you need to feel good about your work?
In your opinion, does the society in which you live have a larger purpose? At this point in your understanding of Nebador, do you think it has a larger purpose?
How is the requirement to “always keep learning and growing” different from the requirements for adult functioning in your society?
In general, humans on Earth learn and grow rapidly from birth to about 20, with raw intelligence peaking at about 15 (not to be confused with the accumulation of information and wisdom that continues much longer).
Because of this 0-20 learning phase, it has been discovered that an examination of the culture when a person is 10 years old tells a great deal about the person, as that is the exact mid-point of the primary “absorbing”
phase of human life.
Since no one reacted negatively to Kibi scrubbing the floor, nor Boro tossing a ball up and down, what does this tell us about how often people in Nebador get these little “assignments”?
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“Simian” is the collective name for monkeys and apes. It does not include humans, but that is mostly because we like to think of ourselves as separate from monkeys and apes, and not so much because we are different.
What did Boro learn about juggling during his first day of juggling practice?
At what point in the day did he “catch the ball” most perfectly, in your opinion?
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Chapter 22: On Her Own Two Feet
Mati began another day in the medical center of Satamia Star Station with her usual routine.
Rini noticed the Satamia sun getting low, and knew a day on the star station, about five of their own, was coming to an end.
Mati’s breakfast of strange foods, some of which she had never seen before, made her long for a bowl of simple porridge. Rini looked at her with smiling eyes when she tried to hide a slice of bitter fruit under the rim of her plate. She laughed out loud, remembering that she could never again hide anything from this freckled boy.
After finally eating — or choking down — everything on her tray, Mati spent an hour in the healing tank as a reptilian coaxed her through all the exercises designed to strengthen her muscles and joints. Rini sat in a chair beside the tank, wearing his usual contented half-smile, silently sharing her frustrations of trying to make muscles work that had not practiced in a very long time.
When they were nearly finished, the mantid surgeon K’stimla arrived, with the human healer Dakalio and two avians close behind. As Mati was lifted from the tank, the healers peered at displays and talked. After Mati was comfortable on an examining table, all the healers gathered around and used sensitive instruments to look deeply into Mati’s knees, ankles, and hips.
Rini noticed the smile K’stimla formed with the mandibles around her mouth.
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“Mati,” the surgeon began, “it’s time for you to walk out the door.”
For the next quarter hour, Mati was nearly in a state of panic. K’stimla talked about the low-gravity pathways throughout the station that would allow her to start at one-eighth what she was used to, and slowly work up to normal. The young pilot hid her feelings well — from everyone but Rini.
He knew she was back on the slave auction block, feeling the emotions she had experienced there many times, fearing and dreading what was about to happen, holding onto her only possession, her precious crutch, for dear life.
Rini wrapped himself mentally around the fear and dread in Mati’s mind, and said aloud, “We’ll bring your crutch along, in case you want it.”
After a moment, Mati wrinkled her face in thought and took several deep breaths. “Um . . . that would be pretty silly. You’ll be at my side, right?”
He
nodded.
Even though they would be living in the medical center for another week, Mati insisted they clean and tidy up the sleeping room before going out. She refused to do less than half the work, so it went very slowly. Lunchtime arrived before they got anywhere.
Rini had never seen Mati take so long eating a meal, but he smiled. She savored the fish, sipped the chalky nut milk, and carefully nibbled the bitter fruit.
After lunch, Mati insisted they send their dirty laundry to be done. Rini smiled. Mati was suddenly very particular about what was dirty and what wasn’t. She held onto furniture with one hand as she moved slowly around the room, sniffing and examining things.
Soon it was mid-afternoon.
Rini looked at Mati, and for perhaps the first time in his life, he wasn’t smiling. “Want to ask for an early dinner?”
She turned red. “I’m sorry. I want to laugh and cry. I want to curl up in a little ball and just let you hold me.”
“You can do all those things. Anything else?”
Mati went to the door of the little apartment and looked out. The bright yellow walkway started right at their door, curved through the inner waiting
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room, and continued through the doorway that led to the outer reception room and the main hall of Satamia Star Station. As she looked, a feline healer walked through the room on his way to another sleeping room, and when he came to the yellow path, floated right over with one slow step.
Rini appeared beside Mati. “That’s your path to freedom, and someday Nebador citizenship.”
Mati swallowed and listened to her racing heart.
As they stood looking through the open door, an avian came by with dinner menus for those patients who had choices. As Mati’s diet was completely pre-planned, she was puzzled when the bird stopped at their door.
“No dinner for you two tonight, since there’s a feast waiting outside, bok!”
Mati frowned as the avian healer moved on.
Rini stood patiently at her side.
A minute later, she carefully stretched her right foot over the yellow walkway. It felt light as a feather. She let it touch the yellow surface, and felt no discomfort. To her surprise, neither did it feel like the healing tank, where the zero gravity did not allow her any control at all.
Rini held her right hand and waited.
She leaned forward, and without breathing, let the weight of her body move over her right leg, something she hadn’t done since early childhood, and had no memory of doing.
Nothing happened. Her knee did not collapse under her, and no pain shot through her leg. She looked at Rini and grinned.
After that, a step onto her left leg was nothing.
The second step onto her right leg was taken very slowly and carefully, and the third with a little more courage.
Suddenly Mati looked at Rini with shock. He was holding her right hand, but had not taken any of her weight.
Since he knew exactly what she was thinking, he responded even before she spoke. “I’ll be there if you need me, but so far, you don’t need me.”
Mati’s mouth opened in surprise, and she looked back toward their room.
They were three steps from the door. Suddenly she giggled. “I just walked!”
Rini
smiled.
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As each step toward the door became a little less timid than the one before, Mati formed a thought. It doesn’t really count until I can do it at full gravity.
Rini pondered the notion for a moment. Does only the last leg of a flight plan count?
Mati chuckled with embarrassment as the door in front of them opened, allowing them to see the main reception room of the medical center. A few other creatures were sitting or perching, talking softly among themselves or reading. The bright yellow path continued across the room and through clear glass doors into the star station’s main hall.
“I haven’t been through those doors yet, Rini. Why is it so scary? I can pilot a starship. Why can’t I just walk out there?”
Rini
shrugged.
Mati took several more slow steps, and was half-way across the reception room when she focused on the activity outside. Strong ursines were moving furniture and planters around, musicians carried or wheeled their instruments, and monkeys swung from branches as they hung glittery streamers and shimmering lights.
A bird looked up from a knowledge pad. “Party time! Just my luck to break a wing. A big, kind monkey mammal brought me in. I think his name was Boron.”
Mati sparkled. “You mean Boro! He’s our engineer. Rini’s the watch, and I’m the pilot.”
“Oh! You’re the . . . never mind.” The avian quickly went back to reading, or at least pretending to.
“I think . . .” Rini began. “Never mind.”
A split second later, Mati read his thought. “You think? No! Look, it’s a mess out there — they’re still setting up.”
“You’re right. Couldn’t be.”
Mati knew he was lying.
As soon as the last door opened to Rini’s touch, a musician plunged furry fingers into his keyboard and brilliant chords sprang forth that stirred the heart of every creature in the room. It was also a pre-arranged signal.
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What seemed like the leisurely process of setting up for the star station’s evening party, suddenly changed. Within seconds, as Mati and Rini slowly made their way along the low-gravity walkway, many hands and claws quickly cleared the middle of the room.
The path ended in a yellow circle, and Mati smiled when she recognized K’stimla on one side of the circle. Then she spotted Ilika not far away.
People of all shapes and sizes lined the yellow path, and suddenly arms and claws stretched toward her with plates and trays of finger foods and small cups. Mati giggled with embarrassment.
Now I see why we don’t get any dinner! Rini said silently. If we eat one tiny piece of each thing, we’ll be stuffed!
Mati laughed aloud.
The music continued as the couple moved slowly along, sampling the foods and sipping the drinks. Everything was delicious, with none of the bitter fruits or chalky nuts Mati had bravely consumed since her surgery.
As they neared the yellow circle at the end of the path, Mati could see most of the healers who had cared for her, and near Ilika stood Kibi, Sata, and Boro. But for some reason, a large space at the very end remained empty, even though people were crowded several deep everywhere else.
Suddenly the air in that space began to shimmer, the shimmering began to whirl, and the whirling took shape. A beautiful lady in swirling blue gowns looked at Mati with ancient youthful eyes.
“Melorania!” Mati breathed with a grin.
The music stopped on a final pleasing chord and the room fell silent.
“Mati, dear Mati. You have followed a long and difficult path to finally arrive here in the main hall of Satamia Star Station, and you have arrived on your own two feet!”
Cheering and clapping filled the room. Mati glimpsed Sata wearing an understanding grin.
When the room fell silent again, the head of the Transport Service continued. “Citizens of Nebador, I present to you, Mati of Sonmatia Three, the pilot of the Manessa Kwi, who began her training by riding a barely-sapient, often-stubborn creature called a donkey, who could have bucked or kicked Mati to her death at any moment if they didn’t share a
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strong bond of love and loyalty.”
The cheering resumed, and the musicians added a flurry of notes and chords.
Reminded of Tera, Mati couldn’t hold back tears. Rini held her hand tightly in case her knees got wobbly.
Melorania spoke again. “And after she and her ship-mates handled everything I threw at them . . .”
Many voices laughed or moaned with understanding.
“. . . Mati went on to become the only pilot in the last twenty years to perform her first star station approach and docking without station control!”
Everyone cheered. Mati turned red and her knees started wobbling. Rini wrapped his arms around her.
Melorania became a swirling blur, enveloped Mati and Rini for a moment, then shot away into the upper balconies of the main hall.
Two ursines quickly carried a couch into the low-gravity circle, and Rini lowered his beloved onto the cushions. They sat close together and looked around with amazement. In every direction, and above on balconies and landings, creatures of all sorts continued their preparations for an evening of food, drink, music, and dancing, as the Satamia sun slipped out of sight for another day.
Mati craved to dance, but her muscles were far from ready. Even though she stayed in the one-eighth gravity yellow zone, moved her feet slowly and carefully, and Rini held her hands constantly, she was exhausted a few minutes into the party, and asleep on the couch before the first hour had passed. Everyone else was just getting warmed up.
Boro and Glorm carried the couch, sleeping pilot and all, back to the medical center. When she felt a soft blanket cover her, Mati awoke just long enough to make Rini promise he would return to the dance party so she could at least dream about it.
And dream she did. Sata grew feathers, and soon blended in with the blue and green birds, both in appearance and dance skill. Boro tossed a huge ball,
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easily a meter across, high into the air as he danced or nibbled snacks, sometimes bouncing it off the crystal ceiling of the main hall. Ilika and Kibi swung each other around until only a blur remained.
Every female in the star station approached Rini, who glowed with masculine charm. They begged him to dance with them, but he refused them all.
Deep Learning Notes
When we have been dependent on something (or someone) for a very long time, it almost becomes a part of us. Letting go of it, or even contemplating the possibility of no longer needing it, can be frightening. Kibi felt the same thing in Book One when she removed her slave’s rags for the last time.
If you were in Rini’s shoes, would you have had the patience to wait for Mati to work up the courage to walk out the door?
In what sense did Mati begin her pilot training by riding Tera in Books Two and Three?
How did Sata grow feathers? Where did Boro get a juggling ball a meter across? What can we tell, at the end of the chapter, about how Mati feels about Rini?
