Chapter 20: Arrival, Part 3

"Mica, you just put your finger on the biggest asset and hugest problem on Wentworth. The real business on this planet is producing and selling energy. Wentworth was one of the first "Known Planets" to adopt "mass to energy direct"; and the first to make it tremendously profitable. It got so crazy the conversion boom, that people were turning all manner of things from metals, dirt, water, household machines, into energy through the massive converters. The energy was used in manufacturing, mining, interplanetary drives, storage, residential use, sales to other planets. They discovered a way to beam pure energy off the surface for sale to Darkbarges. The conversion of stuff grew quickly, holes were dug deeper and the extracted material fed to the power converters. Wildcat outfits sprang up to satisfy this endless source of income. Mining technology was borrowed from everywhere-including Marble. The produced energy was used to produce more energy by melting huge underground caves, the liquefied minerals being fed to the mass-to-energy plants. That's where the Cavern came from."

"Amazing. Completely. I's going to take me a while to digest all this. Let's look at the topside now, if you don't mind."

"Let me show you my topside right nw." Olive has a way with words. And deeds.She had on a garment that wrapped around and around, a filmy thing. It must have coiled around her eight times. But she was quick and there she was-wonderful white flesh and pink nipples. We studied her for awhile, then me, then both of us together. Fortunately the Air Control asked no questions but just kept us afloat.

When we had found and sorted our clothing, and looked about ourselves, we were above the super city. We swooped over it and admired soaring structures. Here were more office edifices and residences; miles of them. I wanted to see how far it actually went, so we swung to the right (north) and sailed along over businesses and more factories, and enormous thing that looked like a giant vomiting person on his hands and knees.

I was about to ask about it when we reached an abrupt line, like a boundary on our screen. Air Control informed us that if we kept on this course we would have to assume manual controls. Olive looked at me and I nodded. She popped open the controls on her right armrest and a simple navigation screen lit up in front of us.

Now, down below it looked cool and greener. There were no houses, streets, apartment buildings, businesses. There were trees, valleys, greenness, cliffs, clouds, cliffs, rivers, and creeks.

"Boy! This is beautiful-I wonder why it's so untouched. It looks as though it goes on forever."

"It really does. I don't know how many hundreds of miles of forest and lake there is. Of course, it's been surveyed- at least superficially. But no one is really interested in being in "the Outlands". They only care about making money, and being together to display wealth.

"But there are other creatures out here. I don't know much about the animals, but there is a humanlike species that the Garners refer to as Drills. I've never seen them, they don't come into the city at all; in fact, I don't know anyone who's actually seen one in person."

"Boy! I'd love to come out here some time, set the skimcraft down and just explore on foot. Bring lunch. I always carry my unzip just to be on the safe side. We could swim."

"I like to swim with you."

We returned to Garner. We were hungry. I told Olive I'd take her any where in the world. She set us down next to a park. We locked the skimmer and walked together. Walking in Garner is kind of safe. There are plenty of criminals, rich and poor. Some just steal for the pleasure of having something of value that belonged to another. There no police-except for hire of course. But many people go about armed, making robbery a serious matter. So we walked together for about half an hour, Olive likes to and I do too. The air was cool but not cold. People hurried by and glanced at us-obviously we were not Garners, but they appeared friendly enough.

We went to Top King. They recognized Olivine and sat us with a quizzical, somewhat patronizing smile at me. It was a quiet, dark, cozy place. We ate great food; a mix of many cultures. She's always interested in different kinds of "people", and what they eat. I became a little tiply from two tall brubats. Olive asked me why I was so free with my money and I explained how we had sold the drones-which she already knew-but the wonderful thing was the price we were offered for that part of a disk shot at us by the drone which almost killed us all. Then, of course, the tremendous haul from the Slight Ship. We, Ronnie, Vuud, and I, set up very, very well.

I supposed aloud that they had a fair choice of entertainment on Wentworth.

"Oh, Mica it's unbelievable. Sometimes you can't tell where entertainment leaves off and the reality returns. Of course, they love to gamble. People do it wherever they go-in theaters, restaurants, on trickles, at work, while having their teeth worked on, even in bathrooms. Then there is the theater, and so many play acting fantasies that re-create work, fighting, school, travel, construction; just about anything real has its simulation that you can pay to enjoy. Some are so realistic that you can injure yourself playing them. There are even games of psychological disorders; you can choose to be immersed in depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, narcissism, kleptomania. Supposedly they'll---"

"Hey, there's Rimer! Hey, Rimer!" Olive shouted.

The young man, dressed in clothes belonging to a Damsen had just exited some club or evening venue. His eyes were wide and his whole being looked as though he were standing on a mountain in a high wind. He held his arms oddly out from his sides and he looked ready to vault into the emptiness. He had a set grin on his lips, a reckless look indeed. As we passed him, his eyes didn't move but his head turned our way, then snapped back.

Rimer, are you---OK?" But if he had heard Olive, he gave no sign.

We continued on with several backward glances-finally he seemed to move and we lost sight of him. I hope he's all right," she muttered.

"Who is he?"

"Remember, I think I mentioned Rogere? Rogere is extremely wealthy and normal. But Rimer is his younger brother. Rogere loves him very much even though Rimer is eight years younger. But Rimer is a bit unusual; I think overindulged and definitely unpredictable.