Mana Pool Snippets - Keystone

Part 6

“Oh you have got to be kidding me,” he yelled, dropping the mass of glass into the scrap bucket and getting up, shutting the furnace down. “One time, just one time to get things right. I swear if it’s Mathews again that boy better have a cup in pla… Oh.”

On the wall screen, the security camera showed Scott and Katie standing before the hatch, with Keeji on the ground and Arana on Katie’s left shoulder. The repulsion shield can keep everybody out, but it can be selective. Only Jaruka, the terrans and their totems are allowed to enter, also Scott’s godfather and certain annoying government officials.

“Jaruka, you awake?” Scott yelled through the mic. “ We came to talk about the other night.”

Jaruka closed his eyes, and pondered. He did not want to talk to anybody that day, out of spite. But it’s his friends and he has to answer. He opened the hatch and peered outside. People’s voices outside the shield, familiar ones mostly, grew from his presence.

“He’s outside, our prophet has come forth,” one religious nut chanted.”

At least the newspeople left, Jaruka thought.

“Hey there,” Katie said. “You look a little frazzled. And smelly.”

“Water tanks are low. Haven’t left to get some more,” Jaruka said in clear English, pulling a few oily skindreads away. “What do you want? I’m busy right now.”

“Liar,” Scott said Keeji said.

Jaruka grumbled. “Hey, it’s not easy combing through your spellbook with a near broken translator.”

“Anyway,” Katie said to prevent the impending fight. “We came because the Livingstons want to thank you.”

“Oh. Them. Wait. Thank me? After what they did to me?” He popped his head out and looked at the crowd, spotting the Livingstons a foot from the shield, staying close together. The other campers—hippies, lowlifes, religious folk, evolution haters, and college students—cheered at his presence. They been there from the start and it seemed that the surrounding area got more campers. The government can keep them away, but the Titan spires have them scared of even touching Jaruka’s green skin.

Andrea waved at him, but Jaruka didn’t return the favor on accounting the other people surrounding the shield. They might think differently. So much for having no dropship weapons to scar them off.

“I barely did anything to be thanked,” Jaruka said. “And… Oh, I get it. They transformed.”

“Andrea really wants to talk to you, not as much for Morgan and Beth,” Scott said.

“Oh come on, I told them what I had to say.”

“Told them what?

Jaruka paused. “Eh… nevermind. Grab a piece of hair from her.” What he talked about with the parents, Jaruka’s family, was best not to be shared to them, especially the ones he’s close to.

Katie went back and forth with a hair sample from Andrea and Jaruka added it to the shield generator’s computer, where it was added in the “Allow” database. Katie said it was okay and Andrea walked through. The campers became furious.

“She has the right to come here you greedy bastards!” Jaruka yelled at them. No doubt he will see this in the upcoming tabloids and websites humans loved to foam over.

“Hello, Jaruka,” Andrea said walking up.

“Yeah, yeah. Hello. What do you want?”

“I just came over to talk and thank you,” she said. “And see where you live. Looks awesome.”