Phobius to Phobia segment 2

Zane Zyphan was in the front room of his home standing over a topography map of Arkonda when his elder brother interred into the room, he looked up then said; “Volt, how are you?”

“I’m good what are you looking up? Zyph!”

He frowned as he pointed down to a spot on the map, “did you know this area is in a drought and over here,’ He pointed to a deferent spot on the map, ‘the water is knee deep from heavy rains?”

“I’ve heard that, yes, is there a particular reason you’re studding this?”

“As a mater of fact, yes, I ask you - as a navy man - do you suppose there’s a way we can get the excess water from there to over here, thus relieving the flooding at one end and reversing the drought at the other?”

“Oh yeah, well just grab a couple of buckets, dip it up and jet it over to water the pine trees!”

Zyphan stood strait up with a look of irritation on his face as he then responded; “I just know you’d think up a perfectly - Ill - logical solution...!”

“As a navy man...! I have to ask, what dose that have to do with the weather patterns?”

“If you look at it in the right light, everything!”

“I’m a navy pilot, not a weather reporter, they simply teach us what not to fly in, what you need for that question is a scientist not a navy man and I didn’t come by to talk about the weather anyway!”

Zyphan walked over to a lounge chair, sat down and asked; “then what did you want to talk about?”

“Marduss and his family have returned home now!”

“Marduss...... so who are they and where is it they’ve returned from? Is they’re arrival a new’s flash of importance?”

“Do you remember the young man I hung out with in school, that wanted to be an agent over the reef when he grow up?”

“Vaguely, yes and I’ll bet that he’s not quite so young anymore either!”

“Well that’s him and he brought a wife and son with him to!”

“Really? From over the reef?”

“I thought that, out of all people, you would have been the first person to know that much!”

Zyphan laughed; “they only tell me what they think I should know - I have to rely on Helik to find out the story of everything and sometimes even that isn’t enough, so tell me more about them!”

“Well, Marduss told me that he just barley got out of there before the firing squad got to him, Janit is his wife’s name, Kyal is his son’s name - he was born about one and a haft years ago in the city of Naphrian and his wife is a nurse for her own people!”

“He just barely got out? Why? What happened?”

“It’s a long story are you sure you want to here it?”

“Oh - yeah!”

Voltar told him the entire story that Marduss had told him the entire story.

The story itself covered some of the dole, boring points of the I. G. A.’s agents thirty five year starch over the reef, then how Marduss meet Janit, then he told about their marriage, the news and some hints on the newer technologies like a ship with ears that is sailing the oceans, the development of an airplane they called a biplane, a television set that only has black and white pitchers, radios and refrigerators.

Then about the hassle he went through to verify the stories in which also revealed a ship called a subsurface vessel by those outside the reef.

Then about the wounded man who gave him the briefcase and the man hunt that happened right after words.

Then about the highly welcome timing of Phanyor’s arrival and their timely departure from the area.

Zyphan had sat back in her chair while volt told him the hole story, then said; “I’m somewhat jealous now!”

“Over what?”

“All the fun that Marduss gets while working! - say - do you think I could Chang professions.”

“I doubt it - besides Helik is there boss and Marduss got into a world of trouble when he got home!”

“Fore that much fun, I could tolerate Helik, and enjoy it as well!”

“The only thing that irritates you about her is her ability to stand next to you without you’re knowledge of it at just about anytime - day or night - Janit has been making some inquiries about seeing the Zane herself as well!”

“About what?”

“I’m not sure but she is a very strong and a highly spirited person - deep feeling one as well, she’s what they call a very dangerous and highly intelligent - open minded and verbal woman!”

“Really? What makes her that dangerous?”

“According to Marduss, it’s the fact that she uses her head - most of the governments outside the reef dislike people who have and use their own mind.”

“Why?”

“You’re guest is as good as ming?”

“You know I have meet just about ten people of just about every field of work around the entire continent but I haven’t meet one person that came from over the reef itself!”

“I believe it!”

“I really think I should at lest meet her, don’t you? Can you bring him and the family here?”

Voltar raised his hand, then interrupted him by saying; “not here Zyph - bad idea, it could cause her to feel leery of you, maybe even put her guard up!”

“You’re right, I’ll have to go visit them as a normal person, you think!”

“I think that you aren’t normal period, but yeah, that would be better, of course, going with me to Marduss’s house party to get his place fixed up, you’ll have to do a share of the work!”

“You think! How refreshing, sounds grate!”

Zyphan then reached over to a nearby table, pressed down a button that sat on a small pedestal in its center; “Sidian come into the front room please!”

When Sidian entered into the room he looked as if he had just seen a ghost as he approached them and said; “you called, Zyphan?”

Sidian is a mid-sized man with short curly black hair, blue eyes, stocky built and he had on a pair of glasses across his forehead.

As he inter into the room he was covering up his right arm, Zyph then asked; “Did I call at a bad time Sidian?”

“No sir, for once it was actually grate timing!”

“Ok!, I have just learned about two new citizens!’ Zyphan looked at Voltar, ‘Where dose this friend of your’s live at anyway? Volt?”

“The southern island,’ he answered with a smile on his face, ‘just outside of Mithallis city.”

Zyphan then said; “were he said - Anyway, I want to meat them face to face!”

“What’s there address? I’ll send for them right away!”

“No! Sidian, pack some things because you and I are going to go over there to visit them, if you don’t mind!”

“Old time friends sir?”

“Yes you could say that!”

Sidian tilted his head slightly before responding; “It’s something like that then?”

Voltar smiled then said; “My friend, his wife and son!”

“Right, by the way I just heard from Anton!”

“Really? How’s my parents doing and were are they now?”

“There doing well and their in the city of Mysor right now!”

Zyphan then asked; “what are they up to?”

“Well you’re mother is acting as a goodwill ambassador going from one hospital to another while taking in the sights of the city!”

“And dad?”

“Yes, well, he’s also taking in the city sights from a much higher altitude them you’re mother; I need to add!”

“So he’s flying over it then?”

“He was, now he’s just hanging around!”

“Hanging around what?”

“According to Anton he’s hanging around the Delphian radio stations receptor tower!”

“Oh, which one and why?”

“Zart radio, I don’t think he has a choice in the mater!”

“Sidian, what are you trying to tell use?”

Sidian took in a deep breath, walked over to the data grid controls - turned it on then said as he pointed at the monitor, “that!” The pitcher was of a elderly man hanging from a parachute off a radio stations receptor tower with large lettering across the top that read, “BRAKING NEWS, SPECIAL REPORT!” Zyphan’s eyes opened wide as Voltar asked; “Is he Ok?”

“Oh yeah, he even just asked Anton for a pair of binoculars - before I came in here anyway!”

Voltar laughed as Zyphan smiled broadly and said; “I’ll have to talk to him about that!” Zyphan then added; “that makes two of us! I mean he should have at lest invited us to come along with him don’t you think?”

Voltar then said; “my thoughts exactly, say how long do you think he was up there?”

Sidian was watching and listening to there display, then answered Voltar’s question; “Anton says it happened just over fifteen minuets ago from when I had first found out about it anyway!”

“And when was that?”

Sidian looked at his watch, “just over fifteen minutes pyre to my coming into here which puts it at about one haft hour ago!”

Zyphan then said; “I wonder if they will leave him up there for awhile?”

Voltar then laughed as he added; “I’m sure that they would if you asked them to but when it all is said and done you’re going to have to talk fast to both mom and dad after words!”

Sidian’s eyes opened wider as he said; “that’s cold, guys, don’t you feel even slightly sorry for him?”

Voltar then snickered as he answered; “what’s cold is grounding a teen to his room, Sidian, at a time when he is suppose to take a lady out on a date, - what is going on here or rather there is funny and the only remorse that I feel is the fact that it happened to him and not me!”

Zyphan then laughed as he said; “If that was you volt, I would have already been on the phone but as it is, the Palace P. R.’s are going to have a hart attack over this and there for I cant ask even if I wanted to as tempting as it really is!”

“And I am sure you, I would have enjoyed it!”

“Anyway, I’m positive that Anton will get him down some how, so now Sidian, I need you to first get me a copy of this news coverage from the Delphian crown, - then I need you to work you’re magic with Volt in order to free up a couple of weeks for me to slip away with you two!”

“Just as soon as Voltar gives me a time and a day to work with!”

Voltar then said; “I’ll have that to you by the end of the week, Sidian!”

“Grate anything else?”

“Yes, when we go I don’t want to be anything more than a average person is, there will be no titles attached to either one of us - is that clear?”

“Yes! Anything more?”

Zyphan responded; “No Sidian, that will do rather nicely!”

“Ok now that’s done can I go?”

“Yes but let me know how they get dad down from that tower - sense you’re going to be watching it anyway! Please!”

“Sure thing!”

Sidian then inclined his head and left as Voltar then said; “Well, I have to get back to base so I’ll see you latter and good luck on you’re search for the solution to the drought!”

“Thanks!”

At that Voltar then Fallowed Sidian out and Zyphan then went back to studding the map.