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The rest of the morning slid by with sunbathing and swimming in the sea. Just after lunch, half the crew was napping when the sound of a jet ski came to the camp. Niue rode a new, high powered jet ski right up on the sand.
“Good afternoon Niue.”
“Good afternoon Mr. Oliver.” Niue replied, “My mother would like to invite you to our village.”
“We would be happy to visit. When did you decide to get a new jet ski?” Oliver replied.
“We always wanted them but could never afford them. After you introduced us to Mr. Cohen, things became much better. We had to beat the shit out of a few guys on the other island who didn’t want to lose the supply. That was fun.”
This caused Ariel to chuckle. “Natural born brawlers.”
“I am glad to hear your village is prospering,” Oliver said. “This time we will fly over. Is it ok to leave your jet ski?”
“If I get to fly, yes oh yes!” Niue enthused, “Just bring me back.”
“It gets better. Gabriela, would you fly Niue and Cida over to his village on the grav sled?”
“Happy to,” she replied.
”What is a sled?” Niue asked then his eyes got big when Gabriela pointed at it.
“Me too?” squeaked Cida.
“Yes, there is room for three.” Gabriela replied, “let’s go before you chicken out.”
“I’m no chicken, but it’s just that...” Cida stammered.
“No buts, get your butts up here. You first Mr. Niue.” Gabriela commanded.
Grav sleds had evolved somewhat from the first ones used to herd asteroids. The newest version looked like a cross between an oversized jet ski and a fully dressed out Harley Davidson. A long bench behind the pilot’s saddle could be left open for passengers or a saddle bag, cargo box combo bolted on. The pilot had two armrests that ended in joy sticks. A large touch screen occupied the middle. The two teenagers got on the space-capable sled cycle driven by the crazy Brazilian fighter pilot with both excitement and fear. Gabriela took pity on them for their first ride making a slow, high, wide circuit of the atoll before dropping low enough to throw up a rooster tail of water as they crossed the lagoon. The whole village was on the beach having seen their initial circle. They watched in stunned silence as Gabriela floated up in front and landed. Then the whole village broke into applause. Cida tugged on Gabriela’s hand.
“No one is wearing a shirt, not even the women. Their breasts are bare.” Cida whispered to Gabriela.
Niue heard and replied, “That’s our custom. Always has been. The French women who have come here adopted it immediately.”
“When everyone is not looking at us then we can take our bikinis off Cida. Just don’t make a big deal out of it.”
Cida blushed deeply but answered, “OK Gabriela, let me know.”
Marie finally broke free from the crowd and walked forward to introduce herself.
“I am Marie, the matriarch of the village, Motu One atoll. You must be part of Mr. Oliver’s group. No one on earth could have something like that.” Marie said pointing to the sled. “Is he here?”
“I am Gabriela, and this is Cida. We are indeed part of Oliver’s crew. The rest will be here shortly.”
As she said this, Dorney was seen on its way across the lagoon at a sedate two hundred Km/hr. Oliver landed next to the sled. He was the first to emerge coming down the hatch stairs.
“Mr. Oliver welcome back,” Marie said loudly. The rest of the village remembered their manners and began singing the traditional welcome greeting. The last time they visited, the men had kept their distance except to give thanks for the beer. Now the largest man Oliver had ever seen walked up and shook his hand.
“I am Tamaroa. Officially headman of the village but of course Marie does most of the work. The first time you visited we all thought you all were just weird tourists. The deal you made for us with Mr. Cohen changed our lives. We are very grateful. Then when the tablets arrived, and the children and men started receiving education we all cried with joy.”
Then a voice from Oliver’s pocket said, “You are welcome. Everyone deserves an education.”
“Hi Al, what are you doing in Oliver’s pocket?” Tamaroa asked.
“Yea what are you doing in my pocket, Al?”
“Oliver you know cell phones are never truly off. I sent them the tablets after I heard Babs talk about how much she liked it here and wished she could do something to truly help.” Al said now out of Oliver’s pocket and in Babs’s hand.
”Al, you are supposed to talk to one of us before taking independent action. You did good but you really need to let us know.” Babs chastised.
“I know Mom, but it wasn’t that big a deal and you have so many other things going on,” Al replied.
“You are Al’s mother?” Tamaroa asked in confusion because of her age.
“Yes, in a manner of speaking, I am. It is complicated. Al, what else have you been doing with these fine people?” she asked.
“Giving school lessons to the children, instructing the men on spacesuit use, asteroid mining, and ship procedures.”
“We enjoyed learning about outer space but were a little confused. Now it makes sense.” Tamaroa said, “are we going to get to work in outer space?”
“Got to admit it Babs, your boy is thinking three steps ahead,” Oliver commented.
Marie interrupted and invited all to the main pavilion. They walked along a sand path shaded by closely spaced coconut trees that bent and curved in the direction of the prevailing wind. Gabriela gave Cida a nudge and they both pulled the strings of their bikini tops and tucked them under the waistband of the bottoms. Babs and Ariel having been here before, arrived topless. Now everyone was the same. Cida felt surprisingly free and normal since she was like everyone else. Just another day of wonders.
The pavilion looked much different now. There was a giant television screen and children’s school desks lined up in front of it. On the roof were five times the number of solar cells, in another corner were three computer stations. The community meal table now had comfortable lattice chairs instead of the old benches. Marie noticed Cida looking closely at the chairs.
“We used to sell those in the tourist market for very little. Now we keep them for ourselves.” Marie explained.
“Very nice work,” Cida replied.
“Al, show yourself,” Babs commanded standing in front of the screen. Soon a little old man appeared on the screen looking sheepish.
“Good afternoon Al” all the children chanted in unison.
“Hello children,” Al replied, “It is not yet time for your lessons. I just wanted to say hello to my mother.”
That caused the children to laugh at the outrageous thought a thirty year old woman was an old man’s mother. Babs gave them an admonishing face and said, “Never ask a woman her age” which caused the children to laugh louder.
“How did you get a Q comm set here?” Babs asked.
“It is built into the new VSAT unit,” Al explained.
“Go on,” Babs was not giving him an inch.
“I had the unit delivered to the moon base and Leo in the ET shop fitted it to my design. Then I brought it here on a barge and left it on the dock along with the tablets.”
“We always wondered how we got that delivery.” Marie said, “But how can he be older than his mother?”
“Time travel,” Oliver said changing the subject.
“We heard about a moon base and the Mars project. We guessed it was you, but time travel too?” Marie carried on the questions.
“Remember we are the people with secrets’” Marco said then addressing the men, “Were any of you in the military? I am guessing Al had a reason to teach about spacesuits.”
“Yes, we all serve a compulsory two years, but most stay in for ten because the village needs the money or did. Ten years also gives a small pension later. Some of our boys are waiting to get out now that pearls are paying good money. The people of this atoll have always been the best free divers of Polynesia.” Tamaroa said with pride.
Marco, Ariel, and Gabriela just grinned at each other.
Don’t think you are not still in trouble because this turned out golden young man.” Babs wagged her finger at Al who was grinning then hung his head.
“Don’t worry you get used to this sort of thing the longer you stay with them,” Cida whispered to Tamaroa who was clearly confused.
“Let’s have some beer and fried fish on the dock. We can talk business there. We need to clear out of here since it is nearly time for the children’s lesson.” Marie said.
The adults trooped down to the dock while Al called the children to order. As everyone sat down on the dock with a cold can of beer, the younger women started bringing strips of fried fish and spits of roast fish from the fire on the beach. Marie started.
“I expected to simply have some company and thank you for all you have done but I see we can still do other business good for both of us.”
“The trip here was expected to be a little visit and relaxing on the beach while we thought over strategy. But as it turns out, we have recently identified the need for reliable people as part of a security force. Al seems to have anticipated this. Would your men be interested in joining us?” Marco said taking the lead since this was his area.
“We would be honored to help protect people such as yourselves. Now that you are so famous, I think you need some of my big boys.”
Tamaroa picked up the thread, “Of course Marie will do the bargain. But the boys and I are happy to be the muscle.”
“We will interview the men individually, but half their wages will go to the village as a whole. Know this, the atoll will become wealthy, but wealth is not always a good thing.” Marco advised.
“Then don’t give us money. Give us something to work with. Land, ships like that,” Marie said simply.
“Wow, you are a wise woman Marie,” Oliver couldn’t help but interject.
“That is why she makes the deals not me,” Tamaroa agreed.
“Marie, will you trust me to give you good offers in the future? Offering something now would be difficult since so much is uncertain.”
“Oliver, I trust you. Yes. Take up to half the men,” Marie offered. “But one thing for now. Can we keep your space sled?”
“Thank you for your trust. As to the sled, that one we cannot leave since it contains sensitive technology. But in a month or so we can get you another bigger one with an enclosed cabin like our Dorney. It will be only for near ground or ocean up to around one hundred meters. The back will not have the same cabin, but we can put on a removable shell.”
“Much better in truth. Done.” Marie offered her hand which Oliver accepted.
“Al, you hear that?” Oliver asked.
“Yes, I did. You want the boneyard boys to cut down a small commuter plane?”
“Yes please. Setup for ground effect cells with that controller.” Oliver directed.
“You got it, Boss.” Al responded.
“Al isn’t a person, is he?” Marie observed.
“Not in a biologic sense, but he is a real person,” Babs said.
“I love my mother. How old are you now anyway mom?” Al sported.
“Twenty-nine now and forever.” Babs shot back.
“Told you,” Cida whispered again to Tamaroa.
“Okay, let the interviews begin. I’m ready to go to work.” Tamaroa grinning, shouting, “I can be as crazy as anyone.”
Ariel, Marco, and Gabriela returned to the pavilion with a crowd of huge, muscular Polynesian men. Jed, Cida, and Niue joined a group of other teenagers at a fire of their own fifty meters down the beach. Oliver, Marie, Gen. Frank, Dr. Lee, and a group of the older villagers sat in wicker chairs on the dock. Oliver had brought a bottle of good bourbon and small plastic cups. Things were quieting down now, and the sun was getting low. Marie was describing a new way of seeding buoys to grow oysters for their meat and pearls.
“Once we had some extra money, we could buy the tackle to make an oyster farm.” Marie was explaining, “Right now we have a huge amount of oyster meat that we feed the pigs. If we had a fast boat or seaplane, we could sell them on the bigger islands. That is why I wanted the sled. A Dorney surface plane is perfect. Just like a truck and a fast highway. How fast will it be able to go?”
“With moderate weather about four hundred Km/hr. It should carry ten or twelve tons.” Oliver replied.
“Tons? My god. What does it run on?”
“Sunshine and smiles,” Oliver joked, “We will send along an extra set of batteries and a big solar array. Truthfully though, you could fly it all the way to Sydney, no problem. Actually, that might be the best business. Go all the way to Papeete or Auckland. Then you could get the pearls on a good flight to Mr. Cohen.”
“You have transformed our lives again Mr. Oliver,” one of the village women said. “And tonight, you may give me a grandchild.”
“Excuse me?” Babs asked.
The woman just pointed over toward the teenagers’ fire. Jed was being led away by a pretty teenage girl whose medium sized breasts jutted straight out without a wobble. Cida was watching them leave with a slight frown.
“My daughter has only begun this game in the last six months. But when it's right, she doesn’t hesitate. Looks like your Cida has been hesitating.” she said.
“You may be right,” replied Babs thoughtfully.
“Don’t worry about them needing to marry. The village takes care of its own.” Marie confided in Oliver.
Another of the village women then addressed Babs, “How did you get two different eye colors? Did your mother have two husbands?”
“Funny that you mention it, but my father had three wives and I had four sister-wives,” Babs said.
“Oh, I am sorry. Was there a big war or did your side lose that badly?” the same woman asked. “I noticed the lashing scars on your back. The victors must have been very cruel.”
“Yes, they were. I don’t like to talk about it, but I do think I have wonderful eyes.” Babs responded not knowing how to relate the truth.
All the women and men nodded their heads about Babs's eyes though. They really are special.
