Jasper Dash woke up when shocks of static electricity zapped his hands.
He scrambled into a sitting position. He was lying on the surface of Zeblion III beneath the sculpture of wires.
He swiveled his head from side to side in its clumsy helmet. He saw no one around him. Just the endless range of steep, round mountains with their antennas.
He carefully rose to his feet.
ZAP! Another shock sent him staggering.
Hey! an electrical voice demanded, right by his ear. Glad to see you’re awake.
Jasper swung around. There was no one there.
“Only cowards bully people without showing their faces,” said Jasper. “Yellow-livered cowards.”
There was a flash of blue. Jasper jumped.
The flash hadn’t appeared outside. It was inside his helmet.
“Who are you?”
The electric voice said, It doesn’t matter. Turn around. Start walking toward that bridge.
Jasper said, “I shall not walk a single step until I am told where we are going.”
I’ve been trapped in those wires for centuries. We’re going to a city of my people. I’m riding you like a camel.
“I gather you are made of electricity?”
That’s right. And I’m sitting in the metal of your space suit. I can give you a shock at any time.
“Very well,” said Jasper. “I will walk you to your city. It is over this bridge?”
Over this bridge.
Jasper followed the spark’s orders. He asked, “Did your people build these antennas?”
“Who brought you?”
The Dirrillillim.
“Who are the Dirrillillim?”
The inhabitants of this world. They brought us here as prisoners, way back. Through some kind of teleporter machine. They’re gone now. I haven’t seen a Dirrillill for years.
“So why, mister, aren’t you already at the city with the rest of your people?”
I was just on vacation. You know, to get away from it all.
Jasper did not believe him. He walked across a huge brown plain. In the distance, he could see the glitter of more wires. He figured that it was the city of the spark people.
Jasper asked more about the Dirrillillim who had brought the spark person to this world. The spark man didn’t answer. Jasper stopped walking. He folded his arms.
ZAP!!!
“Jupiter’s moons! All right! I’m walking!” It seemed like forever as they crossed the plain.I
Finally Jasper said, “I think you weren’t on vacation at all.”
I was on vacation. I was relaxing. Enjoying nature.
“The only thing more cowardly than bullying is lying.”
The spark said, All right. I was in prison. When the rest of my people moved to their new city, they left me trapped back there, in the ruins of the First Wire City.
“I’m sure they had a very good reason,” said Jasper. “And I am not going to help you escape any prison.”
He stopped talking and turned around. “Here I stand,” said Jasper Dash. “I will not be a limousine for an electrical jailbird. I am no getaway car.”
Jasper almost fell down this time. It took him a minute to regain his footing. The spark didn’t say another word.
Jasper straightened himself up shakily. He heard a dangerous buzzing in his ears. He kept trudging toward the wire city of electricity.
I I hope you’re not wondering how Jasper and the intelligent spark understand each other. They are speaking Espace-eranto, the common language of all worlds. I don’t really know how to explain the electrical being’s knowledge of camels.