What Dreams May Come

Chapter 9: pump up the tunes

I knocked on Lisel's door and waited, uncertain if anyone would be here. I would have sent a click but it seemed silly to organize a thank you. Lisel didn't work; at least, I didn't think she did.

"Are there many people with disc players?" Levi asked.

"A few," I replied. "Not so many. Most people have their videos and other things on their holo-rib. We should get you one."

"Can we transfer my discs to a holo-rib?" he inquired.

I nodded. "We'd have to go to the Aeneid for it though. We haven't set up a tekcom for dedicated conversion on base, it's not needed very often."

Levi wrinkled his freckled nose. "Tekcom?"

"Surely you had tekcoms before," I complained. "The ship is full of them. How else would the ship run? People doing the calculations and navigation by hand?"

"Computers?" he hazarded. "Tekcom is...the future is weird."

I knocked again, feeling less hopeful. To my surprise, the door slid open with a creak and Lisel smiled at me, holding a little boy in her arms. Tennessee grinned bashfully at Levi and me.

"This must be your partner," Lisel said, letting us in. "Pleased to meet you, young man."

"Levi Hark," Levi said. "The pleasure is all mine, madam. And who is this?"

"This little troublemaker is Tennessee," she replied. "Let me put the rascal down for a nap, and we can have a chat."

"Non," the boy protested. "Nana, I don't want a nap."

Levi and I sat on the couch, waiting for the older woman. The berth was warm and filled with mementos and drawings; a very lived in space.

"When I was little, I'd draw," I remarked, pointing at one rudimentary drawing of a tree and pig. "My madre would tack them up on the wall and I would think that I had made the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. Papa would take them down if we ever had company; I wonder if she kept any of them."

"I'm sure she did," Levi answered. "I didn't draw, but I'd write poetry for my mother. I think there's a special magic to a child's efforts. It's just better when they're little and believe they can do anything."

"It's true," Lisel admitted, emerging from the bedroom. "Sorry about that, dears. Tennessee was out like a light once he finally lay down. What can I do for you?"

"First, we both wanted to thank you for all that you left in the berth," Levi said, surprising me. "It was very generous of you."

Lisel fanned her face. "Oh, you're going to make this old woman blush," she laughed. "And anyway, it was no trouble. I was moving here and thought you two could spend your credits on better things. Getting started is so expensive; I remember when the whole ship would pitch in for a new couple. It was easier then."

"You remember being on the Aeneid?" Levi asked eagerly. "Did you get to pass the Horsehead Nebula? I always wanted to see it."

"We did pass it when I was a little girl," Lisel remembered. "It wasn't much of note, at least with our naked eyes. My father snuck a pair of infrared lenses out, and...it was magnificent. What space did you see?"

"I was born thirteen years out from Earth, though by the time I was old enough to peer out into space, it was too far away to see," he explained. "I saw Jupiter through a telescope and I remember when we couldn't see the Sun anymore."

"You are Captain Hark's boy?" Lisel inquired.

Levi nodded.

"He told everyone your name was Tommy," she said. "Such a terrible thing to take advantage of your own son in cryo."

"You knew my father?"

Levi looked so hopeful, but his face fell when Lisel shook her head. I tried to imagine how I'd feel if everyone I knew was dead and gone for decades.

"I'm not that old," she laughed. "My parents knew your father. My madre said he was a very smart, very crotchety old man. He missed you a lot, especially after your madre passed."

Levi opened his mouth to say something, but then had to clear his throat. "Sorry," he said, his voice catching a little. "I had been imagining that the past was a place, somewhere up in the stars and my parents were...still heading here somehow."

"You've had quite a shock, waking up on the ground like you have," Lisel agreed. "I'm glad you're here. You seem like a nice boy. We could use some more nice boys around here and less of that rotated Lully."

Lisel gave me quite a look when she said this and I looked down at my feet, wishing I didn't feel so guilty.

"We were just at the printers' yesterday," Levi said, appearing to pay me no mind. "Lisel, do you know where we could procure a disc player? Dylan says they're too expensive to print, but I have a whole collection of discs from my father that I'd like to hear again."

"I have one," Lisel told him. "You're welcome to borrow it; especially if some of those are music discs. You'll want them transferred to your holo-rib once this earthstorm lets up, so you can hook it up to your berth."

She stood up and walked to the kitchen table where her disc player was sitting. She unplugged it and brought it back to the couch. Levi and I rose from our seats, taking the device.

"Merci," I said. "We'll take very good care of it."

"I have no doubt," Lisel smiled. "You just click here and the screen pops open to watch any video logs you have. What else do you two have planned for today? I'm sure it's not to keep an old woman company."

"Au contrare," Levi protested. "It has been delightful. And feel free to call on us; I have quite a selection of music my father left me."

Lisel smiled. "I will. Meanwhile, you two should go enjoy yourselves. Have an excellent day."

"And you likewise," Levi took Lisel's hand and then bent from the waist to kiss it.

"Good heavens, young man, you'll be the death of me."

Lisel fanned her face again, beaming all the while. She scooted us out into the hall and winked at me before the door closed. I felt my cheeks warm and I shook my head, hoping that Levi wouldn't notice.

"You blush easily," he said with a grin. "Not that I'm one to talk; my skin's so pale you can see me think about blushing. Where to next?"

___

It's weird that people don't have easy access to listen to music; we all have phones that do more now. CDs are predicted to last longer than hard drives and there's not enough research on the new solid state. I'd like to think that the quantum tekcom of the future has lasting power, but people will always want better and faster. Thanks for voting!