Description
Jack rummaged through the box looking for a pair of dry socks. He picked up a pink sock that didn’t appear to have a match and tossed it aside, much of the stuff in the boxes looked like people had been donating their unwanted junk. He picked up a worn blue shirt with red letters flaking off the front of the shirt – apparently the previous owner had known someone that had gone to a place called ‘The Grand Canyon’, and all they’d gotten was this stupid t-shirt. Jack tossed the blue shirt with the pink sock.
“Hey Jack, what’s this?”
Jack turned his head to see what Luca had found. The object was sticking up out of the box and had wires attached to it. “Careful, it looks like a weapon.”
Luca reached out and touched one of the wires. The object gave off a resonating metallic sound the boys immediately recognized. Luca snatched his hand back and both boys shouted at the same time.
“Sonic mine! Run!”
Jack turned and used the bunk behind him to launch himself across the next four bunks. Tan turned in time to see Luca turn into a barely visible blur as he fled down the row of bunks. Jack was already a blur and had appeared to have taken flight. Jack slowed in mid-air as he passed Tan just long enough to shout, ‘Get outside, the rain will deaden the blast.’
Tan sighed. Another of Jack’s surprises had materialized; apparently the Aeden’s could move almost faster than the eye could see when they needed to get away from something. Tan was getting used to Jack’s surprises and didn’t let himself get upset this time. He had heard the sound also, but whatever a sonic mine was, he was fairly certain it wasn’t what had caused the sound. Tan glanced at the door, the boys were already outside in the rain, and had left the door open. He ignored the door for now and walked back to get the object that had frightened the boys. He lifted the object from the box and smiled. “Well, hello old friend.”
Tan returned to his bunk and sat down. He laid the object across his lap and began plucking at the wires and turning the keys at the top of the neck to bring them into tune. He strummed a few cords and waited for the boys to decide they were wet enough and return. Jack was the first to poke his head through the doorway.
“What are you doing? That thing can melt your brain,” shouted Jack.
“It’s funny you say that,” replied Tan. “My mother used to say the same thing, but it never did.”
Luca peeked out from behind Jack. “Did he disarm it?”
“It’s a guitar,” said Tan. “Don’t you know what a guitar is?”
Jack and Luca hesitantly made their way towards Tan and the potentially lethal object. Luca lifted his Teddy Bear from where it was propped against his pillows and stared the bear in the eyes. Jack lifted the necklace he wore from under his shirt and clutched the green jewel in his hand. Both boys’ eyes went vacant for a moment, then Jack dropped the necklace back under his shirt and spoke: “The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing the strings against frets with the fingers of the opposite hand. The guitar is typically only found on lesser human worlds.”
Luca hugged his bear and added, “There are three main types of guitars: classical guitars with nylon strings, acoustic guitars with steel strings, and electric guitars with magnetic pickups. The guitar is exclusively used by lesser humans.”
Tan had seen Jack acquire information from his necklace before, but hadn’t known Luca’s bear was a similar device. Perhaps the devices were the Aeden’s version of looking something up on the internet; he’d have to ask about it later.
“Don’t you have music on Aeden?” asked Tan.
“We did, a long time ago,” said Jack.
Tan nodded. “Music can entertain, or pass the time, or even teach.” Tan saw Luca reflexively clutch his bear. So, the bear and Jack’s necklace were teaching devices. No wonder Aeden children were so smart, they literally carried around the Encyclopedia Galactic. Tan strummed a few cords. “From what you’ve told me, the Aeden are a war-like species.”
Jack nodded. “Yes, we’ve conquered fifty-galaxies.”
“I’m not certain that’s necessarily something to be proud of,” said Tan. “There’s a song about something like that.”
Tan began to sing while strumming the guitar: “Listen children, to a story, ‘bout a kingdom, on a mountain, and the valley folk below….”
Tan finished his song while both boys stared at him with narrowed eyes and lips pressed in anger. “If you’re trying to convince us that the guitar isn’t just for barbarian lesser races, you’re failing. You just made fun of my world.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” replied Tan. “I was expressing how angry I am that a harmless musical instrument terrified two boys I’m starting to care deeply about because you thought it was a ‘sonic mine’, whatever that is. Any world that is so war-like that its children automatically assume a sound they hear is a weapon, is a world that needs to re-think its outlook on life.”
“You don’t understand the Aeden,” said Jack.
“You’re right, Jack, I don’t, but I want to,” said Tan. “I want to protect you, but I can’t with all these surprises you keep dropping on me.”
Jack lifted his necklace out again and clutched it for a moment, then pulled it over his head and held it out to Tan. “Put this on, by morning you’ll understand us.”
“That’s forbidden,” said Luca.
“No it’s not,” said Jack. “Check your bear.”
Luca stared into the bear’s eyes before replying. "I don't understand."
“Set your bear to teach you about Ja-cuub of the Rook, he wrote the treaty,” said Jack.
Tan tilted his head to the side. “I’m not sure what just happened?”
“You said something that activates an ancient treaty,” explained Jack. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow after you wear the necklace tonight. I don't understand all of it either. All I know is that my A.I. told me to let you use the necklace. So, do you have any songs that won’t make me mad?”
Tan smiled and strummed. “I think we can lighten this mood up.”
Tan began singing and Luca’s eyes widened.
“Jump, jump, jump, like a kangaroo…”
Luca made up a dance on the spot and started hopping around like a kangaroo. Tan sang many more songs long into the night with the sound of the hurricane roaring outside. Jack came around after a few songs and even tried singing along. Luca finally wore out and fell asleep. Tan turned the lights out and set the guitar aside.
“Tan?”
“Yes, Jack.”
“Can I have the guitar? I want to learn to play it.”
“Of course, I’ll teach you.”
Jack quickly fell asleep while Tan sat on his bunk holding the necklace in his hand, he was unsure what would happen now. He checked again to ensure that both boys were actually asleep, then turned his full attention to the green stone.
"Greetings," said a female voice. "I am a Model 12 Deep Learning Teaching A.I. This model is not intended for an adult mind and some images may appear confusing in their presentation to you. Do you wish to continue?"
Tan took a deep breath. "Yes."
"Place the device around your neck and lay back. There will be a moment of disorientation while I synchronize with your neural patterns."
Comments (14)
Radar_rad-dude
I want one of those necklaces! Wow! Now you are delving deep into the mythology of your previous stories! I'm loving it!!!!!
JoeJarrah
Just wait till they hear Hendrix or EVH... they'll be convinced its a lethal device😉
STEVIEUKWONDER
Robin Trower or Pat Travers would make good tutors here! Lovely work!
jendellas
Well, they had some fun.
eekdog
for some reason I hear him strumming the song by Led Zeppelin called "over the hills and far away"
miwi
I love your B/W images,fantastic work;wonderful story too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
donnena
Totally cool!
bakapo
A good chapter; we learned some things and we were entertained by music...that's a good thing.
VDH
Very beautiful scene, original background !!!
RodS
"Check your bear...."
OK - you've just given me a new meme.... I am soooooooo using that..... 😉 I love it. And I want one of those necklaces...
What a GREAT chapter!
uncollared
Excellent work on creating the mood here.
TwiztidKidd
Love your artwork, my friend... your work is inspirational.
rhol_figament
I always enjoy the rush merging with a Model 12 DLT, the neural synatptic wave lenghts are off the chart... ;)
anahata.c
terrific work. I love how this chapter unfolds. First, love the casting-aside of the clothes (the lone pink sock, and the t-shirt with "Grand Canyon" on it---one of those passages where make the familiar unfamiliar, seen from another world's perspective). Then the great tension on the "sonic mine". I was expecting a blast too. But it's just a guitar...(Love the line about "my mother used to say the same thing" about the guitar melting one's brain...)
when luca says the guitar is for lower creatures, I had to object, lol. (I studied classical and flamenco guitar---flamenco is classical, but its own separate world...Luca better watch himself around me!
Love the teddy bear as an info device. (Conan O'brien had an ongoing character, called "Wiki Bear". I only saw it twice, on youtube, but it was on the show several times, and it gave info ala wikipedia. Dumb but funny bit, and I couldn't help but think of that when I read about your teddy bear. Btw, the teddy bear is also an endearing image, because it shows that Luca, for all his sophistication, is still a child.
Then the song about the war-like world of Jack, etc. This is very well done, and I love that Tan says (of learning about their worlds), you're right (I don't know about them), but I don't want to...really well done. Ja-cuub of the Rook sounds like a mix of a medieval trickster and a rap group. Love the name. And you end with the necklace being a receiver and giving commands, info, etc. This is a very rich chapter, done with real humor and insight and delight. Your image fits it perfectly.
Wolf, I've been in your gallery over an hour now, and I have to stop for now. (I'm supposed to be resting my arm, but I had to get to more of your work, it was calling me.) Here's the deal, as biden says: Because I'm always playing catch-up, you have to---note I said "have" to---stop all production for 2 or 3 months, until I catch up. Could be longer. Is that fair, or what? Do all that for one reeeeealllly slow reader. The other option is to give me a pill that will allow me to read much faster. Ok, lousy solutions, but I tried. I'll be back as soon as I can. Great work, and great to see you doing full tales again...
Wolfenshire
You mentioned Hayao Miyazaki. I first saw Spirited Away when I was in Germany. I think I was more influenced by the movie then I knew at the time, because I learned something from Hayao Miyazaki. His movie wasn't so much a perfect contiguously fitting plot line as it was a series of perfectly fitting short stories. And that is how I write now. Each chapter scene is a self-contained story, with all the chapter scenes fitting to appear as one story.
As for why Luca said guitars are for lesser species. I was attempting to show that at some point in the past, the Aeden's sacrificed art, philosophy, and music for the singular pursuit of science. Only now is the arts once again appearing on Aeden, as evidenced by the Teddy Bear that Luca clings to, without realizing he is clinging to both science, and art. It would have been more efficient for the Aeden's to make a child's learning device utilitarian only, such as a simple bracelet device. But instead, they fit the learning device into a beloved Teddy Bear. Luca hovers between two worlds. Aeden is on the cusp of change. If you've read my up-time books about Aeden, you'll know that Aeden began to hide it's technology inside creative art. For instance, in the book about the Crystal Universe, the Space Ship used by young Aestar is fashioned to the appearance of the Oriental Express Train traveling on tracks through outer space.
And a last note: I haven't revealed why the Aedens are so single focused on the pursuit of science. I keep planning to in each book, and don't. The reason is so fundamentally startling, I haven't found the right spot to do it. Perhaps I'll find the right time in this book.