All eyes turned to Amy who looked like she was a rabbit in the headlights and was not happy about it. A million thoughts were running through her head. She needed space, time. Time to think so she could explain.
“Amy?” Asked Stu, everyone could see her discomfort.
Amy decided to go for a truth. One that would protect her by exposing a part of her past she had kept almost completely hidden.
“Chase, you remember how we met?” Asked Amy.
“Yes,” said Chase sounding a little concerned again.
“Well, that’s where I met José, at least there was a José in the group. He was an archaeology student. I guess that is the same José?” said Amy trying to sound meek.
“Amy, you can’t just tell half a story. Come on, what is it?” demanded Barney.
“I too am a refugee but no one here knows, I mean knew until today. I arrived in England in ’35.”
“What!” exclaimed Barney going red and feeling like he’d just stuck size twelve feet in it. He, of all people, should know better.
“But your accent is so British?” said Stu.
“My parents were British. They were charity workers in Bangladesh. They were lost in the flooding and looting in ’20 when I was six. I stayed in country for almost another twelve years surviving in refugee camps before I managed to get back to the UK. Well, I say back. I was born in Wolverhampton I think? But my parents left when I was eighteen months old.
“The first year I was in England I managed to do some sports courses and got into uni. In ’36 I started a two-year course to become a fitness trainer and I joined a support group where I met José, the archaeology student. He was my first love and he broke my heart. We split up and I left that support group. I haven’t heard that name for four years. That’s the only José I can think of and that is why I was, well, shocked when his name came up.”
Chase went over to her friend and gave her a hug.
“Bloody hell!” said Stu. Looking around Barney’s flat and realising that he was the odd one out. The only one not from a refugee background. About to say something, he decided on silence instead.
“Wow, Amy. I had no idea,” said Barney. “Obviously I knew about Chase’s background but not yours. I thought you were a Brummie lass.”
“I am,” Amy said smiling. “Look, my background is different. Brum is where I was born and I’ve ended up coming home. Chase and you are in exile, in a way? That’s why I stopped going to support groups and kept my history private. I’d like to keep it that way.” And switching focus now she’d sated their curiosity she said, “We need to concentrate on finding Chris. What do we know?”
“Okay, Amy,” said Barney.
Over the next two hours the four friends ate breakfast while reviewing as many news feeds and weather apps as they could to try to see if they could find anything. Nothing. They agreed that at 11am it would be it would be okay to contact Professor Chavez in Bolivia, which would be 6am in La Paz. Chase had her Link and a number for her.
By 11am all they had found were refreshed pages of the same storm. It had been a big storm that has caused some local flooding and some property damage. No downed trees as they were used to with English storms. There was some good footage from storm chasers who’d used drones with long view digital chips allowing for some incredible sequences. One clip Barnacle found included some footage that had been taken from miles away. The operator had flown his drone along the edge of the storm. It was rolling mass of angry cloud containing tight dark balls of rain that looked like they could fall out of the sky at any moment and smash to the ground. The swirling cloud had iridescent colours pulsing through it. The energy was palpable and it looked like it was trying to tear itself apart. From on high at any moment the storm looked like it might break and throw its fury to the ground but it just kept rolling towards Puma Punku bright oranges and hot white sparks pulsating as it moved on. The operator had zoomed in for a close-up of the world heritage site, obviously looking for the money shot. What they had captured showed some close up footage of Puma Punku as the storm approached.
Suddenly the dust and wind whipped up all the tourist litter and general detritus from lower in the valley and carried it along with it towards the plateaux and Puma Punku. The operator pulled back out by about a mile and within twenty seconds the wind had really strengthened to the point where larger debris could be seen in the columns of angry air. It was then the lightning hit. It hit like Zeus throwing spears of lightning but the strange part was all the lightning seemed to be aiming at the same spot, like a darts player throwing for a bulls-eye. It was the apparent focus of the lightning that had caught the Internet's attention.
Nobody had ever captured footage like this before, Lightning appearing to direct itself on one point strike after strike. The clip finished with the storm blowing through Puma Punku and the operator zooming back into the point the lightning had focused on. It was the Puma Punku stone doorway where Chris had run to hide. There was no sign of him. The doorway just appeared to shimmer as if fading in and out of focus. The clip ended.
Barney watched the clip three times before showing it to the group. In the three hours it had been up it had already been watched 800,000 times but that number was climbing rapidly as the Internet caught on. Once the uniqueness of it was properly picked up it would go hyper-viral picking up social sites, news networks and traditional TV. Someone was in for a payday.
Barney was sure Chase had said that this was where Chris had been which means he must have been in or near the shot of Puma Punku just before the storm hit and he was convinced she had said he’d sheltered in the doorway which appeared to be hit so hard by the lightning. No one could have survived that barrage.
Barney was cold. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, a feeling of dread. “Uh, peeps…” he said quietly after watching it the third time. None of them really noticed and there was a part of Barney that did not want to be noticed. He wanted to find the rewind button so he wouldn’t have found the clip. He knew that was not possible and that one of the others would find it soon.
“Peeps!” he said louder. “I’ve found something you need to see.” Barney turned his screen so they could all see. The others gathered on the other side of the breakfast bar to Barney so they could all watch the storm unfold on the clip. Any other day they would all have enjoyed the drama and dramatic footage. Today Chase hung to Amy for dear life. Stu held her hand and Barney watched them from across the breakfast bar suppressing his own fear.
As the clip finished Barney asked, “Am I right, is that where Chris was?”
Chase had tears in her eyes, “Yes,” she managed. “I can show you. I recorded the call from when Chris told me where he was. Until you showed me that clip I’d forgotten I’d hit record. I’d been too focused on trying to call him back.” Chase was now trying not to sob.
“We need to see that!” said Stu. He was hoping beyond hope that Chase’s recording would shed light and hope on the situation.
“Chase can I sync your phone to the big screen on my wall? We’ll see more,” asked Barney trying to sound helpful, hopeful and sympathetic at the same time. Barney loved tech but was becoming very alarmed at the thought that his favourite tech may be about to show him his friend’s death. He was stuck in some sought of horrific free fall with no parachute, as were all his close friends around him.
“Uh, yes, if you think it will help?” replied Chase.
Over the next five minutes Barney synced up the phone and made fresh tea for everyone. Some traditions catch on and last for generations.
Stu was comforting Chase as Amy said she needed to get some air and went for a quick walk. When she got back a few minutes later Stu passed her a tea Barney had made.
“You okay?” he asked noticing her red eyes.
“No. I’m very worried you idiot,” retorted Amy.
“Hey! That’s not fair, Amy. Stu’s only showing concern. You look like you’ve been crying and we’re all upset. No need to take
it out on him,” said Barney standing up from the floor where he’d been fiddling with his scroll and stylus.
Everyone looked at Barney, he hardly ever spoke up. Amy looked ashamed and was shocked by her own words and muttered a contrite apology.
Stu began to feel very confused with all the emotion flying around suddenly. He’d been focused on looking through more footage.
Chase’s emotions overcame her as everything came to the surface and she started to sob. Tensions were high.
“I’m sorry!” squeaked Amy running to comfort Chase. “No excuses. It’s just so much to take in. It doesn’t seem real.”
“That’s okay,” said Stu. “Look, let’s see what Chase has on her phone and take it step by step. If anyone needs to take a break just say.”
Barney bent down and picked up his RC and clicked the play icon on the screen. Up popped Chris, almost life size, on Barney’s 165cm 3D-VR-Holo-Curve screen. The depth of the curve of the screen suddenly seemed to fill with a solid image so Chris in the centre could be seen in true 3D while the edges faded to 2D. At its centre, it looked like you could reach right into the image and touch whatever was in there. The image solidly filled the void of the curve so the actual screen was no more. Like looking through an open window. Right now Chris stood in this window with Puma Punku in the background. It was one a hell of a view!
The reality of the image shocked everyone but Barney. Momentarily they all forgot about the search for Chris as he seemed to be stood right in front of them talking excitedly about Tiwanaku and Puma Punku to Chase. Her disembodied voice was replying to him just as excitedly, asking questions faster than he could answer.
“Pause that now!” said Stu suddenly. It had only been playing about thirty seconds.
Barney tapped the RC pausing the image so Chris was standing like a statue in front of them. The depth and clarity of the 3D-VR-Hologram appeared so real at the focal point in the centre that as you moved around the image subtly different perspectives became apparent.
“What?” Asked Barney.
“What in all that is Blighty is that?”
“What?” Asked Barney, again looking hard at the image trying to see what Stu had seen.
“That screen, Barnacle! That screen. I’ve only heard rumours of real vision screens. Where in Holy Tech Heaven did you get that!? But also I need to get my head straight. Watching this right now, on that, is sending my head into a spin. I can’t download the concept of what I’m seeing.”
“Ah, I didn’t tell you about this then. Only had it a few weeks. It’s a prototype I’m testing. Good isn’t it!” Barney was smiling.
“Boys!” snapped Amy. “You can compare the size of your, well your screens, later. Stu, get your head straight and watch. Chase, are you okay?”
They all turned to Chase who was just staring at Chris. Her face was torn between bitter tears and the smile a long lost love shows when reunited with their soulmate.
“Chase?” Said Amy softly taking her hand. “You okay?”
“Uh, yes, sorry, were you saying something?”
Barney laughed out loud. Amy shot him the sort of look like a disgusted mother shoots her child when he’s picking his nose in the family portrait. Stu couldn’t help laugh at Amy which set Barney off even more. By now Chase was confused but had been sucked into the infectious laughter as if someone was pumping laughing gas into the room. Amy was still holding the scolding look but now did not know why or who to fire it at. She was the last to break down.
The laughter was the medicine they needed to break the pressure cooker they had all been in. It took another good five minutes for them to settle.
“Look, we all need some air,” said Chase eventually. “Let’s face facts we cannot do anything from here except look at images and contact people in La Paz… Crap what’s the time… 11.51. Damn it, we were going to call the Prof at eleven. I’ll do that now. That’s positive action. After that, we may know more and then we can watch this if needed.”
Characters
NameAge when metNote
Earth year when introduced – 2041
Chris Holmes 24yrs Adventure sports guide
Adrii of Pachamama 60cls45yrsDaughter of Ralph and Miyla
Earth year when introduced – 1971
Illary of Pachamama 37cls27yrsScientist and advisor on Pachamama
Cauca of Pachamama 32cls25yrsPrincipal advisor to the Uma (leader)of Pachamama
Ma’Kusi 30cls 24yrs Wife to Uma Da’Cince, and his equal
Uma Da’Cince 32cls 25yrs Leader of Pachamama
Cunac of Pachamama 57cls43yrsChief Listener (Priest) on Pachamama
Ella of Pachamama 42cls32yrsAssistant to Illary
Flow of Pachamama 40cls30yrsAssistant to Illary
Ted of Earth 25cls 19yrs Assistant to Illary
Jane of Earth 21yrs Hippy, quiet and good with plants and athletic
Adam of Earth 22yrs Hippy, middle class and well educated
Art of Earth 25yrs Hippy, van driver
Tracy of Earth 2yrs Hippy, sister of Dan, practical and independent
Dan of Earth 23yrs Hippy, brother of Tracy, surfer and confident
Betts of Earth 19yrs Hippy, shy and quiet, secretive & well educated
Colin of Earth 50+yrs Pig farmer
David of Earth 40+yrs Local police man
Garlldt of Pachamama 65+cls50+yrsUncle of Cauca (Guild of The Punku)
Thrum of Pachamama 25cls19yrsSon of Garlldt (Guild of The Punku)
Jez of Pachamama 42cls32yrsChief TuyTuy wrangler
Glau of HuñuyPacha 30cls24yrsUma of HuñuyPacha
John of Pachamama 90cls72yrsWilaq (Head Listener of all DiPacha) based onHuñuyPacha
Sarenen of Pachamama 19cls14yrsSon of Cunac
Eik of Stacha Pacha 22cls16yrsListener apprentice from Stacha Pacha
Earth year when introduced – 2009
Ralph of Pachamama 45cls 34yrsSon of Cauca and Jane
Miyla of Pachamama 47cls36yrsWife of Ralph
David of Stacha Pacha 30cls24yrsSon of Eik
Genet of Khalil 30cls24yrs Daughter of Chief Listener on Khalil
Eve of Pachamama 36cls27yrsDaughter of Sarenen, Chief Listener on Pachamama
Earth year when introduced – 2041
Stu 24yrs Friend of Chris, Climber, surfer etc.
Barney (Barnacle) 26yrsFriend of Chris, Climber, surfer etc.
and tech geek
Chase 23yrs Climbing friend and Ancient
Civilisations student
Amy 24yrs Climbing friend and fitness instructor
Nick 55yrs Landlord of local pub
Mum Holmes 54yrs Chris’s mum
Dad Holmes 57yrs Chris’s dad
Will Holmes 22yrs Chris’s youngest brother
Tim Holmes 20yrs Chris’s middle brother
Professor Chavez 45yrsArchaeology professor studying Puma Punku
Stu 23yrs Archaeology post grad assistant
José Perez 24yrs Archaeology post grad assistant
Sofia23yrsArchaeology post grad assistant
Martina25yrsVlogger recording the archaeology dig
Disconnected (Connected series Book 1) Page 27
