Chapter 4. Somewhere on Skyway 135E, SuperTrac 27B.
Egon shot forward faster into the stream when he released the button. In theory, travel by streaming was instantaneous. It all had something to do with the second law of conservation of quantum energy in that uncertainty in energy times the uncertainty in time is greater than zero. In short, energy can be taken from "somewhere" for a short time, as long as it quickly returned. The result of this law was a revolutionary electrical propulsion concept.
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We'll fly so high,
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O' parabolic streams,
Egon Bisher sighed. The song in his head was worse than any Provoker repeating its endless mundane factoids in the name of lifelong education. At least a Provoker could be turned off.
Egon was being pipped.
"Where you at?"
"Almost there, Op."
"Well, the party is getting started. And Zinaida will be here, too."
"Don't tell her I'll be there. I want to surprise her."
"Your secret is more secure than the Mines of Zurgon."
"Weren't they just robbed last week? . . . Egon, out."
Zinaida! Egon had hoped to see her sometime soon. Tonight was going to be better than expected. There was something about looking into Zinaida's deep auburn eyes that he could not explain. It was months since they had the astronavigation field trip together across the planets of the solar system. There were so many things Egon wanted to ask her. There were so many things he wanted to say to her . . .
Egon experienced the sensation of slowing down. He had just traveled 8368 kilometers in under ten minutes. He was hovering in a slow descent over the city of light and tall buildings. He gently dropped down on the deck of Opie's building next to a group of Tango dancers. He spotted Opie next to a another group of dancers.
"Welcome to Buenos Aires." said Opie and he held up hand, palm out.
"Friends of yours?" asked Egon as his hand palmed Opie's.
"I just met them. How was the stream?"
"An odd thing happened. A Catcher approached me and said he was a friend of a friend. Then he said, 'Skybri. Enseer.'"
Opie laughed. "That happened to me a week ago. They say that they members of the Nazarene Brotherhood, a harmless group from—"
"It's Zinaida . . ."
Opie turned to where Egon was staring. Zinaida was not alone.
"Hey, Zinny," said Opie.
"No, don't attract any attention," said Egon. "Please."
It was too late. Zinaida approached hand and hand with a boy about Egon's age.
"Hi, Op. Hi, Eg. This is Jak Le Roux. He's heading out with StarFleet tomorrow."
"Egon Bisher," said Egon and held up his palm. "It's a shame that the two of you will part."
"We're not," said Zinaida. "I'll be going with him."
Egon Bisher felt as if he had been ripped through by a quasar beam.
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