“That’s what I was told,” Nova said.
“I don’t know if a human has ever Lived the Path,” he said.
“Then it’s my honor to be the first,” she said.
“Wait here,” he said, but not in a rude or demanding way. He seemed more concerned than anything else. He turned and walked to a group of Fielden who’d gathered at the distinct border of the circle.
To Live the Path was when a Fielden wanted to spend a little time as their ancestors did. Before modern technology, most Fielden were nomadic and skillfully dealt with their treacherous, unpredictable, and sandy planet.
When someone decided to Live the Path, they were going to camp out in the sand with minimal gear. Because it was so dangerous, they often did it near a circle so they could seek shelter in case of a storm or sand spider migration.
They wanted to live like their ancestors, not die like them.
It was believed that by doing this, a Feilden could gain wisdom and perspective. It was common for a Fielden to do a Live the Path when they were first declared adults or dealing with a tumultuous time in their lives.
She certainly fit that second expectation!
The Circle’s Center returned. “We ask that you don’t go too far from the circle,” he said. “Do you have a marker? We can lend you one if you don’t.”
She nodded, relieved that they agreed to let her camp near their circle. This was going to be the perfect place to hide. “I’ll stay in sight of your circle, and I have a marker. If I’m in trouble, I’ll set it off.”
He asked her a few more questions and made sure she had the minimum safety gear.
As they talked, she hinted that her family didn’t want her to do this, but that she knew it would give her clarity. They were all sympathetic and promised not to mention her to anyone or record her presence until she left.
After the Circle’s Center was done, a few other Fielden wanted to talk to her. Mostly they wanted to remind her to meditate correctly and say the right words each morning and night.
Finally, the Circle’s Center told everyone to let her start, and she was able to set off into the desert. Walking in the loose sand wasn’t easy, especially with her ankle bothering her and having to carry so many burdens.
By the time she felt like she was far enough from the circle, she collapsed into the sand, catching her breath. She was sweating,despite the cool midday air. By tonight, the temperature would be close to freezing, and she’d be using every layer she packed.
After she’d rested, she got to work setting up her home for the next ten days. Digging a round ditch in the sand was her most difficult task. Once she was done, she carried the shelter back into the center of it, then set the timer. After rushing out of the pit she’d dug, she turned to watch.
The timer blinked down until the pack suddenly exploded into motion. Thin metal triangles opened out and clicked into each other. First it formed a flat bottom, then sides that were about as tall as her, then finally the triangles finished by forming a slightly domed roof. The last triangle to fall into place was a hatch on the domed top near an outside edge.
She’d seen the education video of how the shelter formed, but it wasn’t anything like watching it in person.
“Neat!” she said with a little laugh. “I bet this version is way better than what they used in the past.”
With the shelter finished popping into place, she got back to work and pushed sand to fill the pit around the edges of the shelter. Soon the only visible part was the very top of the dome, and only when you were almost on top of it.
Grabbing her stuff, she dragged everything to the triangle door. Twisting it open, she dropped everything inside, then followed. The inside was well lit by the hundreds of tiny lights set into the edges of the triangles.
The seller had made sure she knew that the shelter had limited power capabilities. As long as she paid attention to the indicator near the door, she could make sure not to use more than the shelter could gather from the sun during the day.
The shelter was meant to be barely big enough for a single Fielden, which meant there was plenty of room for her. She could stand up straight, and there was plenty of floor space forher sleeping mat, a little kitchen, and a spot to create a chair with her pack.
After rolling out her sleeping mat, she stretched out. She propped her leg up on a pack and let out a little sigh of relief. She’d rest for a while, then finish setting up her temporary home. There was no rush. She had plenty of time and not much to entertain herself.
It was going to be a boring time waiting out Miran, so she might as well take a nap.
Chapter 12
Miran
“This is the human we’re looking for,” Lazil said, holding up a data pad with an image of Nova that had to be at least a year old. Her hair was shorter in the image, but it was a clear picture of her face and upper body in her wild-human costume.
It was too bad her face was set in a threatening snarl complete with long, fake, glistening fangs. It was the only picture they had from one of the Delight’s entertainment listings. Miran hated it.
