BALENN

Chapter 14: The Welcome Ceremony

Time to make an appearance out there, said Allen. They all stood up, grabbed their respective crystals and went outside, to a beautiful sunny morning. People were gathering near the fence line of the Crowley property and all down the beach. The noise was beginning to build, from honking horns, screaming kids and parents and barking dogs, etc. It was far different from the show on Balenn, where there was no crowd visible. The ships were all anchored in symmetrical positions, forming a three pointed star, visible only from the air above.

The aircraft carrier was closest to the beach and the center for most of the activities to follow. So that everyone would get a good view, the aircraft carrier flooded its port ballast tanks, to make the ship list towards the shore. This made the entire surface deck of the carrier, visible from shore. The angle was just enough so everyone could see, but not enough where everything that wasn't anchored down would fall over or roll away. The ship's deck was painted in bright green and yellow colors, with the words "Welcome Ehesti" printed in brown, down the center. The rigging was all decorated with silver and reflective ornaments. Sailors dressed in solid colors, were positioned in various places throughout the ship, to give the impression of a border around the stage area. Their motion drew attention to what was inside their border, just as flashing neon borders around a painted sign, draws your attention to what is written inside. The first number was a motorcycle act, with thirty colored bikes and all the riders in blue. They formed intricate designs with their machines. The leader of the cycle group, was a little concerned, because of the angle of the deck. If it was wet, they would surely slip off. It wasn't wet at all, so they performed their act flawlessly. Part of their act included all bikes, side by side, facing uphill. The bikes would slowly move forward to the top of the deck and let gravity pull them back. They did this in perfect unison, so that the effect was like rolling waves on the ocean.

When each cyclist reached the top, he would turn his head sideways, to expose the white part of his hood. The effect was like braking whitecaps, on a stormy sea. Dark clouds threatened the festivities. They were moving in very fast, from the west. Beenan could see the rain coming down, about two kilometers away. Here is a good chance to use your crystal. How do you mean, asked Kelly? If we concentrate on building a force field, five thousand meters high and fi ve thousand meters square, with the ships and all of us in the center of it, it will keep the clouds away. Great idea, said Cliff. They all held on to their crystals and concentrated. How long do we need to concentrate, asked Cliff? It is up in place now, Bo replied. We will need to concentrate to take it down, but not to hold it there.

Cliff and Kirby looked puzzled, because there was no visible sign of the force field. Kelly pointed to what looked like rising heat waves, out at sea. That is the force field, said Beem. A seagull fl ew right into it. It bounced him back, without ruffling a feather. He tried again and was tossed out again. He fl ew off in another direction. The wind and clouds approached rapidly. When they reached the barrier, it was as though there was a glass wall there. The clouds followed around the edge of the force fi eld and continued on around behind them. It's working, said Kirby. We can control the weather; fantastic. The spectators couldn't believe their eyes.

The wind, which was blowing off the ocean at about fifteen kilometers per hour, subsided to a dead calm. They were in a huge glass cube, only it wasn't glass, but a pliable force field, similar to the material used in the construction of their life support sphere on Balenn. The cube covered all the spectators and the ships, including the entire Crowley Estate. Where the cube touched the ocean, waves pounded at it from the outside, while inside, the water was as calm as glass. The clouds approached rapidly. Every-one scrambled to get their umbrella ready, as well as plastic lean-tos, but they didn't need them. The rain bounced off the cube and ran down the sides of the force fi eld. The sailors on the ship near the edge of the fi eld could see the rain pounding on the ocean, just a few feet ahead of them, on the outside of the cube, while they enjoyed calm seas and short sleeve weather, on the inside.