ELEVEN
We're adrift in an ocean of the mind. Our lives consist primarily of navigating through shoals and storms, enjoying the experiences of a thousand ports, putting landing parties ashore on strange islands, taking
visitors aboard, and dropping anchor occasionally to bask in the sunlight. The destination is of no consequence.
- Love You to Death
A funny thing happened on the way to the Haunted Forest. Getting there involved a flight across the Crystal Sea. We leased a skimmer from Reliable Transport and headed out. It was one of those brilliant, pleasant summer days, with the sting of salt in the air and a sense of approaching fall. Armies of white clouds drifted through the morning sky. A few fishermen were out. I watched one who'd netted something and was about to shoot it with a long-barreled scrambler. We sat back, enjoying the ride. The AI kept us steady at about a thousand meters. Alex was in the midst of wishing he'd left me behind because somebody should be running the business. It was a mistake just to close up for three months and invite our clients to go elsewhere. I was half-listening, wondering what Ben was up to, thinking what an idiot's chase we were involved in, when the AI lit up. "Chase," she asked, "do you have a minute?" It's never good news when an AI in a taxi or a leased vehicle starts a conversation with you in the middle of a flight. It's usually to inform you that the main axle has fallen off, that rough weather lies ahead, or that you're over the storied volcano, Mt. Boombashi, at a bad time. "Yes, Lyra, what is it?"
"I seem to have lost control of the vehicle."
"That can't be right," I told Alex. We were still moving steadily ahead. I adjusted my seat, sliding it closer to the instrument panel, and released the yoke. "Okay, Lyra," I said, "can you turn over control to me?"
"Negative, Chase. I am disconnected. I do not understand it."
"What's going on?" asked Alex. "Don't know. Something's flying-Whoop!" We started to accelerate, then to drop. And I don't mean descend . The antigravs shut off, and the only thing keeping us aloft was the stubby wings, which provided some lift but not nearly enough. We were sliding down that pleasant summer sky. I pulled the yoke back, but nothing happened. "You still have control," I told Lyra. "Turn loose."
"I do not have control."
The ocean was coming up fast. If I'd had time, I'd have ripped the AI out by the roots and tossed her over the side, but it probably wouldn't have helped anyhow. There was nothing at that point except to hang on to the stick. Then, without warning, the engines went to neutral, the antigravs cut back in, and we leveled off. We rolled in over the surface. It was smooth as glass. We were maybe ten meters off the water. I could see waves, not much more than ripples. They drifted past. The yoke moved around as if it weren't connected to anything. "I'm declaring an emergency," Lyra said. "Send the call."
"I will if I can."
We started to climb. "Thank God," said Alex. "You've got it now?" "No," I growled. And to demonstrate the point I banged the yoke with an open hand.
"Unable to transmit, Chase."
"Can you turn the radio over to me?"
"Negative. I get no reaction from it."
I tried to switch it on. Nothing happened. We were still going up. Accelerating again. "Chase." Alex was hanging on to his chair. "Do something."
I was pressing pads and hitting switches. When none of that worked, I went looking under the panel for something that might allow me to gain control of the aircraft, some sort of emergency board or cutoff switch. I wasn't familiar with that type vehicle, had in fact never seen the make before. At three thousand meters, we leveled off. But we were moving like a bandit. And while I played around in the cabin, the thing began to shake. Violently. "It's coming apart," Alex said. He was speaking through clenched teeth. "What's happening?" "Going through the sound barrier." I couldn't get any kind of response out of the damned thing. "I didn't think these things could go that fast." I was waiting for the wings to come off. "Apparently some makes can." Then we were through it. The rattling and banging stopped, and we were flying free again. "Good, Chase," he said. "Now can you slow it down? And get us to land?" As if some unseen force had answered, the drive shut off. We began to lose acceleration. The antigravs kept us aloft as we bounced and clattered back through the sound barrier. I was still strangling the yoke, trying to pull the nose of the skimmer up by sheer physical force. "I am still off-line," said Lyra. Me, too, kid.
I didn't bother with the skimmer's radio. I had taken two links on that trip. One was a necklace, the other a bracelet. I was wearing the bracelet that day. I called on the distress frequency. A woman responded: "Shore Watch. Go ahead." "Shore Watch, we are going down. Need immediate assistance."
"Please keep calm and describe your emergency."
"We've lost control of our aircraft." We were losing altitude again. This time, though, it wasn't a free fall. Still, we were going down at a good clip.
"Your location, please?"
"Lyra, where are we?" Lyra provided a set of coordinates, and the Shore Watch said they'd be right there. "Better make it quick," I said. We continued to brake. Suddenly, my weight came back. "Alex," I said, "the antigravs are off again." "Have you resolved your problem?" asked the voice from the Shore Watch. "Negative," I said. And, to Alex: "Hang on."
No need to worry about that.
We plowed into the top of a wave, bounced, and came down hard. The impact threw me against the harness. I heard Alex saying, "Come on, Chase," as if it were my fault. Then the cabin was filling with water, and he was trying to get me out of my seat. He'd come to my rescue like this once before, so I thought it was a good sign. But everything was getting dark and starting to spin. "-with me, Chase," he was saying. "Stay with me. I can't do this alone."
But he did. When I saw daylight again, we were in the water, hanging on to something, riding down the side of a wave. It was one of the chairs. "You okay?" he asked. I looked around. Ocean in all directions. No sign of the skimmer. I needed a minute before I could speak. "I've been better," I said at last. "Nothing broken?" Everything seemed okay. "I don't think so." "All right. I think if there were, you'd know it." "I guess. Where's the skimmer?" "Down like a rock." He watched me get hold of the chair. "Don't put too much weight on it." "Okay." He let me go. I kicked a little bit to stay up. "They should be here soon," he said. "I hope. How long's it been?" "Just a few minutes."
"Have you called the Shore Watch?" "Since we came down? No." "Why not?" "I was too busy trying to keep your head out of the water." "Okay. Let's try it again." I got the same operator. "They're on the way," she said. "Should be about fifteen minutes." "Good. Thanks."