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- I see you're prepared...
I couldn't help but comment on the rope that went straight down where the depth of the reservoir increased dramatically. And this cable was clearly not intended by those who flooded the valley.
- ...and I wondered what kind of stuff was floating on the surface, as before there was no such thing....
- Panam helped me. I had to come here a couple of times in my spare time to prepare...
We're just approaching the cable.
- Now let's be careful, the rope will make it easier to get down, especially for a beginner.
- Roger that...
I grabbed the rope and we started diving to the bottom of the reservoir. During this dive we didn't speak, just watched the light of the headlamps that illuminated the space in front of us. It wasn't until we were at the bottom that Judy broke the silence.
- Here's my home town...welcome to Laguna Bend.....
I shuddered as I heard a car honking in the distance and children scattering with joyous cheers. It was difficult to distinguish any particular voice, as well as the essence of their clamour, but I recognised both boys' and girls' voices.
- Yes, in my childhood days this place was very lively... but personally I felt that this place was comparable to a prison.....
I felt sad and confined.
- At that time I didn't realise what a good place this town was and when they decided to flood it I was really happy about it....
This time I had mixed feelings of joy and anticipation....
'Bah, we're going to live in the City of Dreams, aren't we?'
The voice was definitely Judy's, but it sounded so childish.....
- Did you say something?
- Huh? I said I was excited.
- No, that's not what I meant...
I shook my head.
- ...You...
I was silent for a few seconds.
- ...Judy, can you please check the sync level, because I heard you talking to your grandmother ...
- What?
I could hear the utter surprise in Judy's voice, and then I could feel the fucked upness she was beginning to feel.
- Fuck... eighty per cent! That's... fuck, that beats all of our calculations!
- So... well, just focus on me....
I closed my eyes and concentrated on the memories I had from David. Choosing one of the happiest ones, how Gloria took him-me to the now closed roller coaster... I remembered the wind hitting my face and him-me squealing with delight, with Gloria laughing merrily beside me....
'Well, son, did you like it?'
'Yes Mum!'
'That's good, if you study hard, I'll think of something else at the end of the school year...'
- Um...am I hearing voices?
Judy was very unsure of what she was saying. Well, it was understandable, admitting to something like that was a pretty unorthodox move. The only saving grace was that I'd recently said something similar, albeit in a slightly different way.
- A childish boy and a grown woman?
- Yeah... it was you and... your mum?
- Yeah...
I nodded my head.
I concentrated on the memory of how....
- You went somewhere.
- The roller coaster, the one that's closed now.
- I see.
- Now, let's continue, I'll listen and focus on you, and you tell me about your town.
- Okay... but are you sure... we didn't count on something like this and....
- Judy, something like this can't be calculated, not with our knowledge. In order to calculate such reactions to synchronisation, you'd have to have a much deeper knowledge of both medicine-biology and chromium... But I don't think anything bad will happen. After all, in the same Basilisk the pilot adjustment is much more profound than what we can even theoretically have. We've studied this issue, and some of the data on co-tuning came from there.
- Well... okay...
There was uncertainty in Judy's voice and emotions, but she decided to continue.
- Yeah...
It took a couple of minutes for Judy to recover a little, and then she continued.
- Back then... like I said, I didn't appreciate this place and it was only after living in Knight City for a few years that I realised that Laguna Bend was many times better and more honest.
'You're under arrest for stealing a fire truck.'
'But I didn't steal it! I found it in a junkyard and fixed it up!'
'Oh, yeah... such a ragamuffin and fixed it up?'
'But it's true!'
Judy was filled with emotions of resentment, misunderstanding, anger, it was a cocktail! It was just creepy! Apparently that was the moment she realised Laguna Bend was so much better. But there was nothing she could do, because the city was flooded, and she was already sent to prison...
- Then there was Clouds, Helms, but that's another story. And we still have time to see the city, and we have time to....
Judy checked the gauge on her wrist.
- ...about two hours, but we'd better be back in an hour and a half....
- Whatever you say, you're in charge.
- All right, let's go.
We swam some distance and stopped next to the building where the sign fell off.
- It's Flo's Diner, the best eatery in town. Of course the burgers were too greasy, but that's what I think now, but before....
I could taste those burgers on my tongue. And I have to admit, they were greasy. Very greasy, but they were good enough. I'd eat those, though... you could try making something like that....
I looked thoughtfully at the sign.
- Yeah, that's an interesting flavour from your childhood.
- And yours...
I closed my eyes to concentrate, and remembered Gloria's potato cake. It was the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted in my past, and I thought so too.
- Strange... this dual feeling, yet both of them perceive the best flavour of childhood to be... potatoes?
- Not just any potato, but the potato cake Gloria used to make.
- Hmm. I could taste it on my tongue.
- I tasted your burgers, too.
- How'd they taste?
- Well, maybe your memories are a little too vivid because it was a long time ago and your mind has sharpened some things, but overall, not a bad taste. I think I'll treat you to a burger made by myself soon.
- And the fries?
I could taste the potatoes on my tongue, a little too salty for my taste, but fried well enough.
- I'll do...
I grinned.
- ...and fries and Idaho.
- And onion rings?
There was hope in Judy's voice and emotion.
- Those too.
- Okay.
I was literally bathed in anticipation and gratitude. And that was new to me. No, I've been verbally thanked, kissed on the cheeks and lips, but to be thanked like this... directly in emotion.....
It felt good, so I tried to respond in a similar way, concentrating on my feelings for her....
- Oh...
I felt shock and confusion from my girl. She was even somewhat lost in space, which was noticeable by her movements.
- You...
She was confused, but at the same moment she was very happy and responded to me with the same move and now I was lost in her emotions and the past flow of gratitude seemed a pittance compared to what I felt now.
- Wow...
- It's my own fault.
Judy's voice and emotions were embarrassed.
- I'm not really complaining. It's just... it's such an incredible feeling, not just to know that you love me and tell me that I love you, but to give you my emotions and feel yours....
- Yeah... it feels good...
Judy turned a little and swam on, I could feel her embarrassment and desire to finish, but at the same time she didn't want it to end.
- And this is my grandparents' house. It was my grandfather who taught me everything I know about technique. He was more of a practitioner than a theorist, so he taught me mostly by example. You need to fix a watch? He'd call me in and show me how to do it, and tell me what part was needed for what.
'Look, Judy, this part here is called a connecting rod and it's used to convert the rotary motion of the crankshaft into the forward motion of the piston.'
Erm...
- Yes?
Apparently sensing my confusion, Judy interrupted and decided to ask me what it was that was causing me such emotion.
- I'm just wondering why you're talking about clockwork, but remembering your grandfather teaching you how to fix a car?
- I don't know...
She shrugged her shoulders.
- And is it really that important?
- No...' I shook my head, 'it's more important what you experience, and you literally get an emotional high from such memories.
- Well, that's childhood, the best time.
- Shall we go inside?
- Let's do it!
Judy was nostalgic and excited, and then she started towards the front door, but I stopped her.
- Careful, the house is under water and we have to be careful, so I'll go first....
- Okay...
Judy nodded and I activated the optics first and looked round the house, but it was in good enough condition. At least as far as optics not designed for this sort of thing could see.
I slowly and carefully opened the door and swam into the building.
- Well, everything seems to be in one piece...
- I'm going in.
Judy swam into the house.
- О...
We swam through the hallway.
- ...this is the dining room, we used to gather here, me, Grandma and Grandad. We'd have dinner, mostly, and talk about the day. I used to get really pissed off when I was a kid, I thought I was this big, grown-up lady and sitting next to Grandma and Grandpa...
'Judy, come back to the table!'
'I've already eaten!'
'But your grandfather and I haven't finished eating yet, and there's a rule in this house... Dinner is family time and we only get up from the table all together.'
'Be-be-be!'
There was a flare of irritation from Judy, followed by embarrassment, only while the first emotion was sort of distant, indicating that it was a memory, the second... it was vivid....
- Did you feel it?
- Yeah, you weren't really a big fan of those sit-downs.
- No, I love my grandparents very much and I loved them then too, but....
- But you thought it was more important for a grown-up girl to be out there.
- Yeah, do you want to see my room?
- Go ahead.
I grinned, and we sailed up to the first floor, where Judy's room was...
- I'm confused.
- What?
It sounded a little strained, so I had to turn around slightly.
- Knowing you, I had imagined your room to be... more boyish....
- Yeah?
She looked around the room, the walls of which were painted pink, and the bed linen tucked on the bed... And the heart-shaped pillows... She looked embarrassed.
- Well... I thought it was cool at the time, making my room all girly....
She smelled embarrassed and...
I chuckled.
- You're lying!
Judy abruptly turned round on the spot and swam out of the house, with an air of embarrassment about her....