Hoffman The Heiress

1. Auflage 2021
ISBN: 978-3-7487-9280-2
Verlag: BookRix
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 165 Seiten

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wake up in an entirely new world?   Heiress is not the name that her mother gave her, but it's as good a name as she could ever think up for herself.  Her mother told her to stay hidden, to blend in with the crowd, and never to ineract with people from their place of origin. Even though she has never been to her mother's homeland, she knows it well.  She just doesn't understand why they had to leave...   Could it have something to do with the mysterious 'innovator' that her mother warned her about?  Is that why her mother left her in this strange place with only a computerized teacher to guide her?  Who are all these uniquely gifted agents who are looking for her?  And when will her mother come back for her to answer all of her questions?   Until they are reunited, Heiress will have to do her best to build a life among people of a different culture.  Join her in this first of a literary series of novelettes in which she works to figure out her place in a world she barely understands.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hoffman, Eric

Leseproben

Chapter Two
  Seventy-three degrees felt very nice, as it turned out. Sunlight streaming through the trees of the forest and bathing her skin with warmth was one of the many things she discovered that the pedagogicus could not convey to her. The sound that the wind made as it moved through these trees was also a pleasant sensation, and it was the first time that she was consciously aware of her ability to detect sonic vibrations. Her hands touched the cartilaginous extensions on each side of her cranium as she strained to “hear” other vibrations. She was prepared for visual and chemical stimuli, but hearing was especially and surprisingly fascinating. She followed the local map that the pedagogicus had recorded in her nervous synapse patterns. If she were to walk in the direction of the planet’s rotation, she knew that she would come upon a path, which would in turn lead her to a paved road. This road would lead her more or less toward the planet’s r’khij pole and she would follow it for several zh’taadi before she would arrive at a Human settlement, a location named “Shenandoah”. She almost lost her way through the forest because of all the fascinating sights and sounds. The birdsong in particular created an emotional response that nearly overwhelmed her senses. As she walked along counting all the different songs she could distinguish another sound infiltrated the symphony. It was a mechanical sound comprised of several devices moving rapidly, which she inferred based on what the pedagogicus told her was called a “Doppler effect” on this world. She even had a fairly good guess as to what they were. They were called “automobiles”, and she found herself running toward the sound to see them for the first time. They were a bit more frightening than she had expected. As she walked along the paved road, an automobile or larger vehicle would pass her every twenty-two seconds, on average. They came up behind her at what seemed a dangerous speed, the wall of air they displaced shoving her body forward in a manner she found most inconsiderate. They were quite loud as well, drowning out the sound of the birds. Eventually, she learned how to anticipate their approach and to brace herself against the force of the parabolic displacement wave, but she wondered how the Humans operating the vehicles compensated for missing the wondrous birdsong in all their haste. Eventually, one of the vehicles slowed and the operator, the first Kozian that she had ever encountered, spoke with a loud voice out of an open window. “Hey, there,” he said, “y’all need a lift somewhere?” “What is a lift?” she said. “You know,” he said, “a ride. You want a little help getting where you’re going?” She thought a moment. She was, of course, fluent in the local Human language, but this Human seemed to be using idioms that the pedagogicus hadn’t disclosed to her. “I am sorry,” she said, “but I do not understand what you are asking me.” “Honey, I’m just asking if you would like me to take you somewhere. I’m just trying to be helpful.” “Oh! You are offering me assistance,” she said raising the volume of her voice so that it could be heard over the sound of the passing vehicles. “I am very grateful, but there are so many things I need to encounter before I arrive at the settlement along this road. I must decline your invitation.” “Suit yourself,” said the operator, “but a young lady like yourself shouldn’t be walking all alone. You take care.” He accelerated his vehicle and continued down the paved road. Why, she wondered, should she not be alone? Was he not alone, sitting in his vehicle? She continued her journey, her thoughts occasionally interrupted by a growling noise that came not from any Human machine, but from her own body. She sensed that it originated in her upper abdomen. It was vaguely uncomfortable, and she sensed that she needed to do something about it. Of course, she thought. This was a Kozian body. Kozians were not autotrophic like the Cilili or the Gwanza. They were heterotrophic, and that meant that she would need to secure sustenance that her new body could metabolize. She knew that none of the plant life around her could be readily utilized by her Human body; she would have to go to a place where they provide appropriate…what was the word? Food. Luckily, another vehicle slowed as it approached her. She would ask the operator where she might…eat food. “Hey, good looking!” said the male, younger than the first had been. “You looking for a little excitement?” What a curious question, she thought. Excitement was a Human response to external stimuli. Humans didn’t need to look for it; it just happened. “I am not,” she said, “but I am looking for food. Do you know where I might find food that is nutritious?” “Yeah,” said the operator, “I got some food for you. Why don’t you hop on in and we’ll take care of everything.” “I am very grateful,” she said, “but as I explained to the first vehicle operator, I am enjoying the journey. Perhaps I will hop on your vehicle another time. For now, could you tell me where the food might be?” “Aw, come on, baby. I ain’t gonna bite.” Why would he not disclose the location of food to her? Something inside her well-ordered arrangement of neural synapses suggested that this Kozian was not to be trusted. “It is curious that you believe me to be a baby,” she said. “I know for certain that I am an adult Human, not an infant. You may not be interested in biting, but I do wish to bite food. Do you or do you not know where I can find it?” His mood changed suddenly. “Yeah, okay. I get the message. Geez, you sound like my old girlfriend.” “Perhaps a companion closer to your own age would bring you less stress.” His forehead wrinkled slightly as he looked at her and he shook his head from side to side. “Yeah, whatever. If food’s all you want, then go up this road a couple miles and you’ll find a place called Danny and Dina’s on the right side.” “I can find food there?” “Yeah. It’s a diner. There’s food there.” He drove away, the wheels of his vehicle accelerating too quickly for the loose terrain alongside the paved road. She marveled at the difference between the two male Humans she had just encountered. The first operator was clearly older and more even tempered. Was attitude a function of age? She decided that she would explore the matter further by observing the males she met. For now, though, the uncomfortable rumblings in her abdomen compelled her to prioritize her physical needs over her more intellectual ones. Danny and Dina’s Diner had an aroma that she wasn’t sure how to categorize. On the one hand, there were very intriguing smells that certainly came from the preparation of food. It emanated from a rectangular hole in the wall behind a long table, at which several humans sat eating and reading newspapers. These certainly were very wise and informed Humans who kept apprised of current events. On the other hand, there was a more noxious odor that seemed embedded in the materials that covered the variously shaped seats. It was an ashen smell, indicative of something that had burned down to a tar-encrusted residue. Since it didn’t seem to bother the Humans in the room she elected to pretend that it didn’t bother her either. In truth, however, she found herself wondering how to extract oxygen from the air without breathing too deeply. “Welcome to Danny and Dina’s,” said a smiling woman wearing a dark green covering over her upper body. If the plastic placard she wore under her left clavicle was accurate, her name was Amanda. “Ya’ll want a table or a booth today, hon?” “Actually,” she said, “I was hoping to purchase some food.” Amanda looked at her a moment before her mouth opened wide with a sound that was quite startling. “Oh, honey, that’s funny!” she said. “I’ll get you some food all right, but where do y’all want to sit while you’re eating it?” She smiled, mimicking Amanda’s mirthful response without understanding why it had occurred. “I think I would like to sit in the sun,” she said. “Not a problem. I’ll just put you by the window,” said Amanda, grabbing a shiny, plastic-covered folder. “Oh, I’m sorry, hon,” she said looking toward the floor, “y’all can’t eat here if you don’t have any shoes.” She glanced at her feet, dirty from the path she walked. “People cannot eat without shoes?” she said incredulously. “Not here, anyway,” said Amanda. “We’ve got a sign in the window. Go get your shoes on and we’ll be happy to serve you.” She could not, for the life of her, figure out the connection between wearing something on your feet and eating, but it wasn’t something she was going to pursue because she didn’t want to appear like an outsider. “Please,” she asked, “Where might a Human like me purchase shoes?” “You’re in luck, honey. There’s a...