Wishing you smooth waters, the strength of the waves, and the wisdom of the Faarians for this next phase of your life!”
Spader beamed as his friends and family toasted him. His parents were throwing him a going-away party; tomorrow he’d start his assignment on Grallion.
Spader held up his glass of sparkling graka juice. “Wisdom and strength are all very well and good,” he jokingly complained. “But how about wishing me the fun of a skimmer race and the adventures of an aqua explorer!”
Benn slung an arm around his son’s shoulders and grinned. “That’s my boy! Always looking for excitement! Me, I just want to be sure he doesn’t lose the job and have to live off his mum and me for the rest of his life!”
“You mean I won’t be getting an allowance anymore?” Spader asked in mock horror. “Can I at least send home my dirty clothing?”
“You somehow managed to do it at the academy,” his mother teased.
“Sure, he managed,” someone in the back of the group shouted, “by never doing it! Phew, the smell!”
Everyone laughed, Spader the hardest of all.
“There’s someone here I want you to meet,” Benn said. He brought Spader to the refreshment table where a tall slim man stood cutting a piece of larto fruit pie. “Press, I’d like you to meet my son, Vo Spader.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Press said.
“Good, I hope,” Spader said.
“Definitely. I can’t wait to get into the water with you,” Press said. “I hear you’re some skimmer scuttler.”
“I make good time,” Spader admitted with a grin.
“Before you go, we should have ourselves a race,” Press said.
“You’re on!” Spader said. “Maybe we can even get my dad into the mix.”
“I’d rather watch and referee,” Benn said. “With you two, someone has to be sure you’re playing by the rules.”
“Do you work with my father?” Spader asked.
“No,” Benn said.
“Not exactly,” Press said at the same time.
Spader’s forehead wrinkled. “Which is it?” he asked, confused.
“Both,” Press answered quickly. “I’ve been traveling all over Cloral, visiting the different habitats. Your father was kind enough to get me temporary work with him.”
“Press isn’t around very often, so I thought I’d invite him to join us for your party,” Benn added.
Spader studied Press. He seemed like a decent sort, and his father obviously thought highly of him. So he wondered why his father had never mentioned him before.
“Press and I met right after you left to start your training at the academy,” Benn said, as if he’d read Spader’s mind. “I’m sure you’ll be running into each other now and again.”
“So, you’re off to a new habitat tomorrow?” Press said.
“Sure am,” Spader said. “I’d be happy being an aquaneer just about anywhere, but Grallion was my first choice. It’s a spiff assignment.”
“You’re lucky it wasn’t taken away from you after your behavior that last day at the academy,” Benn said.
Spader frowned at the reminder that he’d disappointed his dad. He noticed Press’s glance flick quickly from him to his father. “Ahhh, school days,” Press said. “Gotta admit, I got up to my own fair share of hijinx back in the day.” He winked at Spader. “I bet there are stories about your dad’s time back at the academy.”
Spader grinned. “Yeah, old man,” he teased his father. “I bet Mum has some stories to tell.”
Now Benn threw his head back and laughed. “Don’t get her started! I’ll never be able to scold you again!” He threw an arm across Spader’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. Spader’s mood instantly brightened.
“Let’s take this party to the water,” Spader called. “Who’s up for a few spins around Point Clarion?”
A cheer went up. Everyone grabbed their globes and their gear and headed for the door.
“Should the old-timers join the next generation?” Press asked.
“Hobey!” Benn said with a grin. “Why should the young ones have all the fun?”
“What are we waiting for?” Spader said. “Let’s go!”
“Welcome to Grallion!” Wu Yenza, Grallion’s chief aquaneer, strode to the center of a catwalk above the loading dock where Spader and the other new recruits stood awaiting work assignments.
It was finally happening. His first day of “real life”—on his own, with an important job where he got to spend all his time on the water.
“We work hard, we work safe, and our work is for the good of Grallion. We keep things coming and going, and we take great pride in it. I expect each and every one of you to live up to the high standards and feel proud to call yourselves aquaneers.”
Spader beamed; he was already proud to be there.
“We work in teams; there’s very little we can do successfully alone. You’re going to rotate through shifts and tasks in your first months here.”
Wu Yenza began calling out names and teams. Spader hadn’t realized there were so many crews and departments. Then he heard something he hadn’t expected: Per Watsu’s name.
Spader frowned. A dark cloud called Per Watsu just blotted out the bright and sunny days up ahead.
“Okay, let’s start this day!” Wu Yenza declared. “Smooth waters, everyone.”
Spader passed Per as he headed toward his work crew.
“I hope I get my transfer soon,” Per grumbled as he walked by Spader. “I wanted to go to Prongo, but there was a waiting list.”
“Hey, mate, if there’s anything I can do to help hurry that transfer along, just let me know,” Spader said. “I’m as eager to see you on another habitat as you are to be there.”
“I was just lucky Wu Yenza wasn’t there to see the mess I’d made,” Kor Tradco said, laughing. “I’d have been transferred for sure!”
Spader laughed and helped himself to another plateful of grilled Kooloo fish. Tradco, another new aquaneer, lived in the flat next door to Spader’s and had invited the other aquaneers on the row over for grilled fish. Spader was happy to see that Per hadn’t come.
“Wu Yenza is tough,” Bry Loran, one of the older aquaneers, said. “But she’s fair.”
“She really knows her stuff,” Ara Renton, another senior aquaneer agreed. She took a swig of her graka. “When we were hit by that rogue wave, I thought we were done for. But Yenza got us through.”
“We had storm training at the academy,” Spader said. “They can be real tum-tiggers.”
“The unpredictability,” Ara said. “That’s the hardest part.”
“Like with raiders,” Loran said. “They appear out of nowhere.”
“Don’t I know it,” Spader said, settling beside Loran on the ground. “Raiders hit right in front of the academy the day before graduation.”
“I heard there’s been raider activity over near Crasker,” Ara said.
Loren nodded. “Makes sense. It’s foggy around Crasker—great way to sneak up on a vessel.”
“They try something with me again, and they’ll wish they were in the city of Faar,” Spader said. “I’d make ’em vanish just as completely.”
“Well, the Kooloo fish vanished,” Tradco said. “Should I put another one on?”
“You have to ask?” Loran said. He held up his empty plate.
Spader lay back to watch the light changing as night approached. He sighed with contentment. Good mates, a job to be proud of, and exciting challenges ahead—and a chance to prove he really had the stuff to make a great aquaneer. This was one spiff life.
As long as Per Watsu stayed out of his way.