The Summoning Stars

Chapter 5 - Ghost in the Machine

The four simple words blinked back at Cal from the screen. 

"You are not alone." 

The words might be simple, but Cal had the feeling the message wasn't simple at all. He stood immobile, staring at the message for some time. Eventually, and exhaling a shaky breath, he moved to his desk and sat. The 'test' gadget Dr. Takei had given him caught his attention, and he tapped the button on the side. The same faint whirr as last time he'd blocked the Mind prickled the edges of his hearing and he began to type.

- Who is this? -

- You may call me Ghost -

- Why did you send me this message? -

- You needed to know there are others who are not necessarily happy with simply being spoon-fed life through a synaptic feed. There is more to life than just the City, or the Mind -

- What do you want with me? -

- We need nothing from you, but we are watchers. We have been watching you for a while now, and we are aware that you are different, that you thirst for knowledge. Can you feel the stars calling to you, Cal? -

Cal froze, his hands immobile over the keys of the keyboard, its light projected letters and numbers waiting on the surface of his desk for his reply. Grief washed over him as he realized how closely Ghost's words echoed Helena's last words in the pod. I can feel the stars, Cal. I can feel them calling to me. I wish you were here with me.

- Who are you? Who is 'we'? How do I know I can trust you? -

- I am Ghost. We are the Community. And you don't know, but... -

Cal paused again, his heart racing. As he prepared to type an additional message, another line appeared on the screen. Reading the words, Cal's breath caught in his throat.

- ...sometimes you just have to jump -

The whine of Takei's device began to decrease, and Cal typed frantically.

- How do I find you? -

- Instructions will appear on your screen once you stop talking to me. You will have approximately ten seconds to memorize them before they disappear. Tell no-one of this. Come alone. I will find you at the meeting place -

As Cal watched, a set of instructions appeared on the screen, and he instinctively reacted, concentrating on memorising the sequence. He blinked, his eyes dry from the intense concentration, and the surface of the intelligent wall went blank as the device Takei had given him faded into silence. 

Shakily, he rose and got himself a glass of water. Closing his eyes, he mentally reviewed the instructions. So many coincidences; no, too many coincidences. He packed some food and a drink. He took a deep breath and looked at the picture of him and Helena at the Falls.

"Sometimes you have to jump..." he said and called his travel pod.

~~~

The Falls were spectacular, as always. Cal stopped at a vantage point to rest for a few seconds and appreciate the view. Spray from the massive waterfall drifted around the forest below, and a gust of wind pushed some of the gentle mist onto his face, the cooling spray helping to dispel the heat from his skin.

He looked up the trail. The instructions had taken him a circuitous but quiet route away from the main trails. It was an area he had visited before though, and he was nearly at his destination, the Folly. A tower set in a gentle meadow, the Folly was off the main network of trails and tended to be visited only by those who really loved getting away from the crowds clamouring to see the Falls. It had been a favourite picnic spot of his and Helena's in the past, and he felt a pang of sorrow as he shouldered his pack and continued stomping up the gravelled trail.