The Tornado Sojourns (3) – Chapter 03 – Picnic

 

It was a bright summer morning as the Tornado’s APMTV, (All Purpose Multi Terrain Vehicle) turned off the main road onto a quiet lane lined with age-old trees that formed a canopy above them.

It was like driving through a tunnel, the foliage was so thick, and the leaves defused the sunlight and dappled the road surface with spots of golden light.

The APMTV was nicknamed the “Stroller” which was an ironic name because when Shiyne or Merri were behind the wheel it did anything but stroll, but on that morning the former was under strict instructions to drive sensibly, at least while Wisma Berita was aboard.

All of the crew were aboard, with the exception of Pulsat and Vanzyl, who were already engrossed in the repair to one of the Plasma Turbine Pyroclast Engines, the damage to which was what had facilitated their extended stay on Eikon Minor, as they going on to the Baringita plains, about an hour beyond the lake, to test drive their recently acquired Hover Dirt Craft, which was a two seater, tandem recreation vehicle.

Apart from being a mad driver Shiyne was a Vann Telepath and was stunningly beautiful despite being completely bald, with cerise coloured skin and purple eyes, but she didn’t need her telepathic gift to detect the strong feelings between Bagg and Wisma.

Nor did she need Wisma to verbalize her direction as she could read her very clearly, but Wisma didn’t know that.

“The turning is just ahead” Wisma said “there’s the sign”

Wisma was navigating as she knew the area very well as visiting the lake had been a large part of her childhood.

High above sunbeams burst through the canopy and illuminated the sign which read “Lake Tranquil”, so Shiyne turned left into a small, deserted pot-holed clearing, which obviously served as a vehicle park.

“We have arrived” Wisma said and smiled at Bagg who returned her smile with interest.

The moment the Stroller came to a halt Bagg climbed down and then took Wisma’s hand as he helped her down, and after Parse had handed him the picnic basket, he said goodbye and closed the door, then paused to look at his companion with pride, before taking her hand again and heading along the path that lead away from the clearing.

After five minutes they emerged from the wood and Bagg caught his first look at the lake, and he was instantly struck by its beauty.

He couldn’t believe he had never been there before in all the times the Tornado had been visiting Gipki.

It was not of course the first time that Wisma had viewed it, but it was however the first time she had seen it while holding the hand of a man she loved.

“The best picnic spots are on the other side” she said and he nodded and they walked towards the head of the Lake where it was fed by a stream.

Breathing fresh air, feeling the sun on his face and the breeze off the water were all the things he missed when he was aboard ship.

When they reached the stream there was a stone bridge that crossed it, Bagg paused briefly before crossing and turned to look across the lake and was again struck by the beauty of the natural scene, it was very pleasing to the eye, then he turned and looked at Wisma and thought that she too was pleasing to the eye and then still holding her hand they continued across the bridge.

 

It appeared that they had the lake to themselves so Bagg allowed Wisma to guide him and choose a suitable spot where he then laid out a plaid picnic blanket

“Milady may now be seated”

“Why thank you sir” she said and sat down gracefully

Bagg opened the basket and produced a bottle of wine, which he took down to the water’s edge, and after tying a piece of string to the neck he lowered it into the water and tied the string to a low branch, before joining Wisma on the blanket.

 

After about ninety minutes of amiable conversation, while taking in the lakeside scenery Bagg said

“I think that wine will be ready to drink”

“Oh good, I’m parched” she said and began unpacking the basket while Bagg got the wine.

 

They spent all day by the lake and couldn’t believe the time when Shiyne contacted Bagg on the comms to say they were already waiting for them in the clearing.

“My goodness” she said “Where did the time go?”

“I don’t know” he said “But losing all that time was very pleasant”

“Yes it was” she agreed and then they quickly packed everything away and walked back the way they came, holding hands again.

 

When they got back aboard the Stroller they found the crew in a boisterous mood, covered in dirt, dust and even a bit of blood and doubtless beneath the grime there was also to be some considerable bruising, and were all eager to regale them with tales of their exploits on the Hover Dirt Craft, which was apparently also dirty battered and bruised.

 

Bagg and Wisma thought their first date, which was how the crew described it, was a great success, so they made plans for a second and a third.

Whenever the Tornado was on Eikon Minor the two of them were virtually inseparable and both of them were amazed by that and the fact that she had found love again and he for the first time.

Over the months, that love deepened, possibly because of the periods of time they were apart, but they tried not to analyze it, but they did have discussions on the matter of how the relationship might develope.

In particular whether he should give up his nomadic existence to spend more time with her or should she give up the bar to travel with him, although for the time being they concluded they should just maintain the status quo.