ABANDON

Chapter 21 -- Changing Landscape; Changing People

    They drove in a line, one dune buggy after the other. Michael counted nineteen. In some buggies, cargo took up the seats forcing the people to hang off the sides and back.

The only cargo in the dune buggy Michael rode in was Jane. She slept between Michael and the younger man from before. He introduced himself as John.

"John?" Michael didn't hide his surprise. Hearing a common name from Earth was the last thing he expected.

John held out his hands, side by side and palm up. Michael didn't understand what the gesture meant, so to aid him, John pointed between them repeatedly, then he made his hands into a book again. The gesture was obviously supposed to explain something, but whether John was trying to pretend to give something to Michael, or a gesture of supplication, or even miming a book, Michael still couldn't tell. John shrugged his shoulders.

There was one subject they both understood. Michael was eyeing the weapon resting at John's feet and John pointed to Michael's UmBer75. The weapons were exchanged and Michael inspected John's with interest. He could tell it was selective but it didn't use any means of propulsion that he knew of. After a gestured discussion, the weapons were returned.

Now Michael's eyes strayed to the gun in the hands of the flat nosed man sitting in the front passenger seat. "Miksim." John said after following Michael's gaze. Miksim grunted and held his weapon tighter.

The female driver laughed at Miksim's childish protection of his weapon and then introduced herself as Maymio. She spoke more to Miksim, obviously a joke or teasing because it made John smile, but Miksim narrowed his eyes at her. Michael didn't know what she said, but he heard his name several times. She removed the weapon from her back, and with some help from John, it was given to Michael.

"How did you make it so thin?" Michael turned it over in his hands. "What is it made from?" His questions were answered by blank eyes and slightly embarrassed smiles.

The large rolling sand dunes gave way to rock that rose in dome shaped mounds. The rock was layered, each layer having a slightly different shade of gray than the last. The sky was also changing, darkening, and the air had a chill. Michael could tell night was coming.

The rock mounds became more concentrated until a ridge was formed. The buggy dropped down into a narrow valley which twisted and turned as it slowly descended, but the land on top stayed flat. The people hanging off the buggies leaned out to drag their gloves against the rock walls. One of them shook her hair out. Michael realized it was the woman who had given him the vinegar. She smiled at him, then shouted, her gloved hand in the air.

John got Michael's attention. He pointed to the wall, then leaned out himself to touch it. When he leaned back in, the look on his face told Michael he was challenging him to do the same thing. Michael leaned out of the buggy. He let his fingertips graze the surface of the rock. Several people shouted including John. Michael found them all smiling at him. Michael threw his hand up in the air and shouted. His call was reciprocated by everyone.

Michael noticed John looking at Jane. He pointed to Michael with his first finger, then he pointed to Jane with the first finger of his other hand. He brought the two fingers together.

Michael sat forward again. "Oh no." his face showed shock and disgust. "No, no,no. We're not together or married or anything. No."

John nodded.

Michael pointed to himself with his first finger, then pointed to Jane with the second finger of the same hand. "We're siblings. Brother and sister. Uh..." He looked around trying to find any children who were siblings. He couldn't find any. "Siblings, same hand, same family."