Page 33 - The Noise September 2016

“Look at this!” Trunk exclaimed. I had never seen the normally impassive Trunk, so agitated. Trunk was the foreman on our farm, and my staunch friend.
He had gathered my mother, father and a few of our helpers, around a Farseeer. Farseeers not only enabled us to see faraway objects up close and clearly, they were also able to retain those images and reproduce them.
He activated it, and a living image sprang up before us. It was the grassy plain by the jungle, on the other side of the great chasm. What appeared to be a human was foraging around the plain, probably looking for fruits, or roots, or something else to eat. He was smeared with dirt, stark naked, and had caked hair covering his head and face. But the hair wasn’t very long, so perhaps he wasn’t very old. His gender was obvious, however. We were androgynous beings in our youth, not achieving gender until our mid-to-late teens. He had to be older than 12. His movements were fast and furtive.
Suddenly, a giant, thundering lizard came crashing out of the jungle, reaching for him. It was like a reenactment of my own experience! The lizard was fast, but the boy was faster! With lightening-like movements, he ducked around the creature’s grasping claws and ran up its back with some sort of sharpened instrument. He stabbed into its back, and cut its spinal cord. The creature dropped to the ground like an oversized sack of farm produce. The boy cautiously examined the creature to make sure it was dead. Satisfied, he dropped to the ground, reached the knife into the tenderloin area, cut out a generous portion, and proceeded to relax and enjoy his repast.
We sat in stunned silence, as Trunk deactivated the Farseeer. Trunk put our thoughts into words.
“There’s a mature human being living and surviving in that wilderness across the Gorge.” He and my father looked at each other significantly.
“What can we do about it?” my father asked.
“Try to make contact with him. Find out who he is, and how he got there.”
Another significant look.
“But, father, who is he? You and Trunk seem to know.”
“No, Odaro, we don’t know,”Trunk said.
“Odaro, why don’t you take a ride out on your mount, while Trunk and I try to resolve this
puzzle,” my father suggested.
“But father, I’m curious too! I want to know everything you and Trunk know!” I cried. “And you will know everything that we know, as you do right now,” my father said.
“But we have to try to find out what to do about this situation,” Trunk added. “Find this
boy. Bring him back to civilization. Find out who he is, and where he came from.” “I’ll have someone prepare your mount for you.”
33 • {www.thenoise.us} SEPTEMBER 2016 | THE BEST OF ARIZONA | the Nöísẽ
This story happened long, long ago,
In a country far, far away, ...a country that no longer exists...
AWAKENINGS Based on a past life memory of Jessica Madigan
by
Art Scott
Part III: Jungle Mystery
IllusTrATIon By shArIn JonAs
Reluctantly, I allowed myself to be talked into taking a ride out.
I didn’t want to leave. My mind was reeling with what I’d learned today. A wild boy surviving in the jungle across the chasm! And the surveillance that caught his image! Of course, it wasn’t very hard to understand why Trunk had set that up. I was sure he suspected I’d gone over there, and wanted to watch and see if I’d go back (no, I wouldn’t, I told myself!).
“Arm yourself well, Odaro,” my father admonished. “There are flying lizards about.”
I pulled on an Exoderm coverall, and loose-fitting ForestGreen outer garments and boots, so that I would blend in with the greenery around me. And, of course, I wore my flying belt. I had a side arm strapped to my waist. One blast from it would obliterate anything in front of me, within range. I also carried a ray stick that, if activated, emitted a ray that had a
similar effect. I was proud of the fact I was very proficient in the use of both of them.
A couple of our laborers had fitted out my favorite mount, covering its body wings with a back covering. It was a young creature, fur soft and downy, with just the beginnings of the horn that would sprout from its nose. I took a moment to extend my thanks to our laborers. We had a lot of them on our farm, both men and women. They were a great bunch, loyal,
trustworthy, and creative in their suggestions and approach to their jobs.
“Some day, we ought to dedicate a day of rest for laborers everywhere,” I said.
One of the group, Caino, laughed, “I’ll support you for Supreme Ruler any time!”
He was being nice, I knew, but I didn’t like him anyhow. More about that later.
We all laughed, and I set off. I was sure Trunk was nearby, keeping an eye on me.
A river ran through our farm, and the neighboring ones. Water is essential for farming.
The banks were lined with beautiful shade trees, and it was a pleasant ride.
When I came to an open space, I was startled by a huge, black shadow passing overhead, then several. When I looked up, I saw the sky was black with flying lizards. I got my weapons ready. Then I noticed they all seemed to be heading in the same direction. My first impulse was to turn around and go the other way. But perhaps there was someone or something in distress up ahead. I was well armed. I forged ahead. As I neared the perimeter of the next farm, I came upon another young person, sitting on a picnic blanket, who seemed to be about my age, although smaller in proportion. I noticed that there were three men, inside
their energy field playing a game, but watching this person closely. “Hello! Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I love to sit by the river and feed the forest creatures.” A line of poetry surfaced, “Fair of form and face.”
I felt a warm flush suffuse my chest and neck, nearly exploding in my head! What was
happening with me? Why this strange attraction between us?
Next: Yin and Yang