One Soul

Chapter Sixteen: The Soul Tracker

Norene, now motivated by a fear for her best friend's safety, drew up plans. She might not have a soul ability, but her mind was remarkable nonetheless. Solomon watched as she hunched over pages, sketching ideas for a machine that could track Calypso using her soul - something they now knew she had, despite her prior beliefs. "I found an experimental study saying that since each soul is unique, they all have a unique signature. I can try and use that research to make a machine that can track down that signature and locate it."

Solomon looked over her plans, at a loss. "This...this is brilliant!" He felt like he could float. "You're a genius, Norey!"

Norey grinned, thoroughly flattered he admired her work. Very few people, other than teachers and her grandparents who didn't count, had ever complimented her on her intelligence. Before, others only teased her for being a know-it-all and accused her of cheating (which of course, she never did). "Thanks!"

That evening, they explained the full story to the Gingolds. The twins didn't fully understand, only knowing of Calypso, their friend, and relishing the idea of another "bird lady" even though Callie didn't have wings. However, Summer and Leonard grew grim-faced. "A siren, you say? We'll assist you however we can."

"Oh, no, you've done more than enough, really," Solomon assured them.

"We do need parts, though," Norene added, relooking over her plans.

Leonard moved over to look at the various blueprints Norene had laid out. He whistled appreciatively. "You're a smart one," he commented amiably while scanning the parts they would need. "There's an old work shed our back. You're welcome to use anything you find back there."

"Thank you, Mr. Gingold, that's very kind," Norene smiled.

~-~

The next few days were a blur of working, mostly in the shed. Norene hunched over the strange device on the table, barely talking except the occasional curse when something didn't go right. The plans were modified again and again, and the days and nights were filled with the constant sound of hammering, twisting, and locking in the pieces. Solomon tried to help, but other than handing Norene tools and healing the occasional brusied finger there wasn't much he could do.

Norene didn't sleep. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin grew ashy and pale the less time she spent outside, the less she ate. It was only two nights, but watching her bent over, her fingers trembling, her mouth muttering unintelligible words as she spoke, made it feel like years.

Then, three days from when she started, her invention was complete. She had used the soul energy gauges in her gauntlets and turned it from something to detect and store, then amplify soul energy into something that could detect and track it. It whirred with gears and clacked rather loudly, but once Norene input Calypso's soul signature (or what it theoretically would be, this was all hypothetical mechanics) it flew, hovering in the air and starting to fly, following the signature.

Norene quickly jumped up and turned it off. They'd probably need supplies, a boat before they could follow the machine into the sea. But her weary eyes were bright, her hands held the tracker with the same reverence one might reserve for a royal crown. When she turned to face Solomon, he grinned. "I knew you could do it, Norey," he cheered. "But please get some sleep. I'll take care of the supplies."

After a lot of protests, Norene agreed she needed to rest before finding Calypso. Solomon was better with people anyways and would have more luck trying to negotiate for a boat when they didn't have anything to pay for it with. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. June and Jules stopped Sol before he left the door. June held two necklaces in her hand; colorful clay beads strung onto a string and handed one to him. "Mama said you're leaving soon," she said sadly. "So Jules and I made this for you."

Jules nodded vigorously, his lower lip stuck out in a pout. "You have to visit sometime, okay? If you're ever in Etisíos you can stay with us again!"

Sol's heart tugged at the sight of the twins, and he smiled sadly trying not to tear up. "Come here," he said, wrapping both of them in a big hug. "We'll try to visit as soon as we're able. You two have been the best part of Etisíos, and I'll miss you both so much."

They finally parted, and Sol had begun to cry. "When Norey wakes up, give her a hug too, okay?"

~-~

He strolled through down, not looking for boats for sale but boats that looked unused. Ones someone might be willing to give away, because as Sol searched his pockets he couldn't find anything that resembled currency. Finally, after hours strolling by houses on the dock, he passed by a large and crumbling estate.

It was once a regal home but was clearly aged. The grass in the front yard was long and riddled with weeds. The mortar between the bricks crumbled, the windows were dirty and the porch was covered in a thick layer of dust with visible footprint marks. The roof tiles were faded and greying, the hedge surrounding the estate was overgrown and misshapen. A much-neglected rowboat sat in the yard, small with peeling yellow paint.

Sol knocked on the door. A short, crabby old man with a hunched back and thin tufts of white hair answered. "Whaddaya want?" He asked grouchily, eyeing him suspiciously. A bony, liver-spotted hand gripped a cane so tightly his knuckles turned white. He jabbed a finger in Sol's face. "If yer sellin', I don't want it-"

"P-please, sir, I just wanted to ask about-"

"Sir, eh? You whippersnapping brats all want the same thing-my money. Oh mister, if you could just sign here...sir it's a simple payment...! I won't have it!" The old man bellowed angrily.

Solomon simple raised his hands over the old man's head, glowing faintly. He has some sort of emotional trauma haunting him... Sol thought to himself. The only real way to heal this was to talk it out, help him cope, but until then he could increase dopamine, relax his tense muscles, help ease his burden. The poor old man looked to be all alone, and Solomon has a pretty good guess at what was haunting him. The old, gnarled oak tree bore carved initials, but underneath was a withering bouquet of flowers.

"What're you doing? Get your hands away from-! ...me...," the old man blinked, his shoulders lowering and his iron grip on the cane loosening. He cleared his throat. "I, uh, I'm sorry little lad. Did you want to speak with me, or...?"

"I was just wondering if I c-could, um, borrow your b-boat? My friend's in d-danger and-"

The old man held a finger up to silence him. "Of course. Just, um, take care of it. It's silly, I know, but that was Eliza's boat."

"Yes, I promise I will," Solomon said gently.

~-~

They were set to leave at any moment. Solomon has the boat taken to the Gingolds' house, where Norene was thanking Summer and Leonard profusely for the food and blankets they offered. She too wore the clay bead necklace around her neck, and June and Jules ecstatically ran up to Sol.

"Come back soon!" They cheered again and again as they loaded the boat and rolled it to the dock on a makeshift cart made of a large wooden plank and wheels. "Come back soon!"

~-~

Norene was in a much better mood, and once they hit the water, somewhat shakily, she activated the device. It whirred and clattered as Norene fastened it to the front of the boat so it could carry them directly to Calypso. All that was left to do is wait, and pray they weren't too late.

Norene worried every minute that the siren she had seen was real, that Calypso was really in danger...and what if it was too late? Solomon consoled her to the best of their abilities, but as they weathered storm and sea, and their rations dwindled, they began to lose hope. They were at sea for five days before the small, rocky island dotted with palm trees came into view.

"We did it!" Solomon exclaimed. "We found her! Norene, we did it!"

She started crying tears of joy, and the only thing preventing her from jumping up and dancing with glee was the fact they were still on a rickety rowboat. Norene threw herself into Solomon's arms, grinning jubilantly. "We won't let that damned siren hurt her!"