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Ghen and Asha were grinning widely at Jack as his love for his daughters came through quite clearly.
They moved back to talking about some of the jobs he’d had and the conversation went on for some time until Jack yawned widely behind his hand.
Asha glanced at her husband who wrapped up the broadcast and thanked Jack for his time before shutting down the radio program.
Jack was surprised to realize everyone from the dinner hour was still in the restaurant. He smiled and nodded to them as they began to file out.
“I’m going to speak to Minister Julli about your idea. Do you think skis could be adapted to Shreen feet?” Ghen asked.
Jack glanced over to look at the feet of some of the departing guests and pictured how wide the skis would have to be to fit those big… he grinned widely.
“You have a strange smile on your face, Jack.” Asha said, smiling curiously.
“Not skis! Snowboards! Oh my god! The Shreen would be natural snowboarders!” he exclaimed.
He pulled his com out and flipped through the vids he’d captured to show Queen Elissa. He scanned ahead in the one to get to the snowboarding scene. Then he turned the screen to the mayor and his wife. “This is snowboarding. Much wider surface but similar principle. You ride these down the slope but you still need a means to get back to the top of the slope once you get to the bottom.”
They watched in fascination as the boarders swooshed back and forth, cutting through the powder snow.
“This looks like something the Shreen would like to do! Very much! Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Are there more movies like these?” Ghen asked.
“Yes, on the Earth network. Can you connect to that?” he asked.
“Minister Julli will be able to. Snowboarding. I think we may have something here!” Ghen said excitedly.
Jack looked at his com and pulled up the receipt for his ski equipment. “Do you have a com?” he asked the mayor. The male took his com from a pocket in his kilt. “I have a company you can contact to purchase a few boards from as a test case. Really nice people and they had some really beautiful boards in the shop when I was there.” Jack transferred the details of the shop to the mayor’s com and the Shreen’s eyebrows went up.
“I didn’t know you could do that with a com!” Ghen exclaimed and his wife rolled her eyes.
Jack grinned and dropped the vid onto the mayor’s com as well. “You can send Julli this vid and the store’s details to let her know you want her to look into it for you.”
“How do I do that?” Ghen asked looking closer.
“Really Ghen! You need to get lessons on how to use your com!” Asha said in exasperation as she took the com from Jack’s hand and created the message with the attachments. Then she pointed to the send button and Ghen sent it off with a grin. The mayor rubbed his face against his wife’s and she gasped at his boldness in front of their guest.
“I’m beat so I’m going back to my room. Will I see you for breakfast tomorrow or afterwards?” Jack asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind the company we’d love to join you!” Ghen said as Asha nodded with a smile.
“8AM?” Jack suggested.
“Perfect!” Ghen said and they touched foreheads before they headed out.
Jack walked over to Gee and Bal and they looked lethargic from the heat. “Come on you two, time for bed.”
The agents got to their hooves and wobbled. Both sank back to their seats as Jack frowned at them.
“You overheated didn’t you.” Jack scowled and the agents had the good grace to look ashamed.
“Put your coats on. I’ll carry you,” Jack said and they looked up at him in surprise. They began to protest and stood but they weren’t steady on their hooves. He helped them put their coats on then surprised them by bending down to wrap an arm around each just below their butts and lifting them against his chest.
“Hold on around my shoulders,” Jack grunted and began to head back to the room. He got them in the elevator, up to their floor and down the hall to their room before setting them back on their hooves once more. He opened the door and helped them stagger inside. He took them immediately to the bed. As they undressed he got them both a large glass of water. He made them drink all of the water then he tucked them into the bed.
Then he took care of himself, getting ready for bed. He crawled under the blankets and felt them rest against his shoulders as he let himself drift off.
Jack sat at his reserved table waiting for Ghen and Asha. He’d left Gee and Bal back in the room resting. They’d woken with bad headaches and he’d made them drink more water. While they protested he assured them he would only visit the farms then come directly back to check on them. Pouting, they agreed he could be without their protection for the morning. He’d smiled and given them both a kiss on the forehead. Jack thought it was a testament to how poorly Bal felt that she’d held still for the kiss. He tucked them back in bed and left them his Skrahak overcoat as an extra blanket so he’d be sure they’d be warm enough. He was wearing the thermal guard wicking bodysuit and the Nordic racing outerwear so he was plenty warm.
Sure, he looked like a rainbow threw up on him but he was warm.
“Good morning!” Ghen called out as he and Asha walked up to the table.
Jack got up and touched his forehead to theirs and gestured for them to sit. A new waitress was immediately at their side and they ordered their breakfast. Jack was able to order a small steak with his meal.
“Where are your companions?” Asha asked curiously.
“They aren’t feeling too well this morning so I told them to sleep in,” Jack said.
Ghen didn’t turn on the broadcast system and they just spoke about the morning’s tour. Then he made an odd sound.
“I just remembered! I got a reply from Julli this morning. She was very excited about the idea of bringing snowboarding to the ridge villages and will be starting a program with Boon Falls as a test case. She sent a request to our broker on Altaria to order some boards from the shop you gave us the name for. I hope you don’t mind she quoted your name on the order,” Ghen said with an excited expression.
Jack was really happy for Ghen but he was also concerned about how fast this was coming together. “That’s great! Are you going to set up some designated areas for the snowboarding? The boards move really fast so there’s always a risk for injury or worse.”
“Yes, I’ve been researching how to build a snowboarding park from the material Julli got from the Earth Net. Fascinating! You were right, this sport was designed for Chrystan and the Shreen!” Ghen gushed.
Jack grinned at him as the food arrived. They didn’t talk much as they ate the meal but they were very comfortable in each other’s company.
As they were wrapping up Asha grinned at Jack. “Your clothing is most colorful this morning.”
“Yes, it’s a Nordic skiing racing suit. Normally I wouldn’t dress so flamboyantly but it was the only suit in the store that stretched enough to fit my neck and shoulders. It’s very warm!”
“We aren’t going to lose you in the snow or a crowd of Shreen for that matter,” Ghen teased.
They were done so they thanked the waitress and made their way back to the village. Jack attracted a lot of attention as a walking billboard for brands the inhabitants of Chrystan had never heard of.
They entered a wide corridor which led deep into the mountain. They boarded a small wheeled cart and Ghen drove them further into the tunnels. He took them down a few ramps and Jack felt a gradual increase in temperature and humidity. The scent of growing things filled his nostrils and he breathed deep with a smile. Ghen pulled off a ramp onto the next floor down and Jack gasped in awe. The excavated chamber seemed endless with row after row of vertical hanging gardens. The colors were spectacular.
“You may not lose me in the snow but I could definitely blend in down here!” Jack laughed and they joined in.
They parked the cart and walked among the rows talking to the workers who were maintaining the crops. Jack had to touch foreheads with quite a few of them and learned they were listening to the broadcast the night before. Most were amazed by how different he was from how he looked in their imaginations. They sampled a few fresh vegetables and made their way back to the cart.
They spent most of the morning repeating this and Jack was stunned by the variety of crops they had down here fed by the hot springs and grow lights powered by the village’s steam driven generators. Jack discovered they shipped the produce to Elleltris and other cities with unmanned trains using gravity repulsion tech. None of the Shreen would ride in the flying vehicles but they had no problem with their products travelling in style and fast. The shipments only took an hour to reach market instead of taking all day like his trip had.
Once the tour was over they drove back up to the entrance of the village. Jack’s head was spinning and his hosts were grinning from ear to ear, pleased with his reaction.
“Did you have any plans for the afternoon?” Ghen asked.
“I was hoping to do some skiing in the surrounding countryside,” he said.
The mayor winced. “That might not be such a good idea until we’ve caught the bull Skrahak. I assure you I’ve had reports that they are very close to tracking it down. Maybe I can offer an alternative. Why don’t you come up on the surface to see the original Boon Falls?”
“That sounds good! I need to check in on my two patients in the room.” He lifted the small basket of fresh vegetables he’d collected for them. “They’ll need some lunch too. Why don’t I give you a call after lunch and if they are up to it I’ll bring them along?”
“That would be great! See you then!” Ghen said and they did the forehead ritual once more before Jack trotted back down the corridor to the hotel. He nodded to Mara and took the elevator up to his floor. Grinning to himself he thought about mentioning elevator music to Mara to see if that would catch on like snowboarding promised to.
Entering the room he made his way over to the bedroom and saw the sheets move. Gee and Bal uncovered their heads and stared at his outfit.
“Tell me you didn’t go out in public dressed like that!” Gee griped.
“Ah, good to hear you’re back to your old self,” Jack smiled.
“I smell food,” Bal added.
“The gardens! Oh my god, they are magnificent and endless! I brought you lunch straight from the vine.” Jack gushed.
When Gee looked at him with a raised eyebrow he sighed. “Yes I washed the food and the basket is brand new.”