Log Date:
	10/28/98

Log Cast:
	Tance Vokrim, Gyles Lee

Log Intro:
	Gyles Lee has escorted Tance Vokrim into the Ranges, under medical
orders to let Tance soak up desperately needed resonance. Although Quinn
Malloret hadn't specified he should do so, Gyles has made this a working
trip -- getting Tance to recover his cutter out of storage, and coaxing
the man into helping him cut both rose and black claims. But Gyles has also
had to cope with Tance's less than coherent behavior, as the older man
seems still possessed by whatever happened to him; Gyles doesn't know what
that 'whatever' would be, and he hasn't tried to ask. He _has_ taken the
logical precaution of distancing himself as much as possible from the
other man during the night, lest they wake up to crystal morning song,
but on their second night on the black claim, Gyles has slept in the sled.
And this time he gets an idea of what black crystal song does to his
charge....

----------
Gyles's sled
        The floor of this sled now shines, well scrubbed and sanitized, and a 
  speckled pattern is seen on the tiles. The controls and panels and dials are 
  now wiped clean, and it is easy to see out the front viewscreen. The 
  sleeping area has been swept, the sleeping pad aired out and replaced after 
  a good cleaning. The air zings with the smell of disinfectant and deep clean.
This is a 2 person capacity sled.  There is room in this sled for 8 cartons, 2 
  have been checked out.  One of the special new engines has been installed, 
  allowing for greater speeds.  The console is on.   The speaker is off.  The 
  auto-scanner is on.  A small metal plate is fastened to the upper left 
  corner, you can just make out "Uptight Heptite" scratched into the surface.
The weather is fine. A good day for flying.
  ( Type 'sled help' to see available commands. )
Contents:
Gyles
Gyles's Crystal Cutter
Carton 1 - Gyles
Carton 2 - Gyles
Note from Sami
Carisak
Dirt

Even inside the sled, Tance can hear it, the bone-deep thrumming of the black 
  crystal responding to the rising sun -- somewhere out there outside the 
  vehicle. He can hear it even before he fully awakens, as fragments of dream 
  and memory fire off within his sleeping mind, fueled by that distant dark 
  rumble. There's a tantalizing glimpse of a slender green hand... a sparkle 
  in blue eyes. His own voice muttering, "Old, ugly, and crazy," and another's 
  voice... _hers_, insisting, "Tance, you're none of those!" And glimpses of 
  _her_, coaxing him back into life, back into sanity, the two of them never 
  happier than when they'd be hiking across the wilderness. And more glimpses, 
  then, sending a chill through his bones. _Her_, vanishing, falling out of 
  his grasp, her voice screaming out his name....
"Jade," he groans, not knowing whether it's aloud or within the grip of the 
  dream. As the crystal thrums in the back of his consciousness, he reaches 
  for her, only to find her form as insubstantial as mist. _Don't go, Jade! 
  Don't go! Don't let me forget! JADE!_
And within the bunk upon which he's huddled, Tance Vokrim tosses and turns, 
  caught in the dual grip of nightmare and black crystal morning song.

A thump, and then a hand, reaching out to grasp Tance's shoulder and give it a 
  firm but gentle shake. "Time to wake up!" Gyles announces. "There's work to 
  be done." He stands there a moment, making sure Tance does wake up, and 
  crawl out of whatever nightmare he's having, then turns into the galley to 
  fix a breakfast meal. Gyles rarely eats breakfast when he's alone, but 
  clearly Tance needs time to gather himself, and he certainly isn't going to 
  risk Tance around crystal at this moment. So, he putters in the galley, 
  delaying tactic more than anything else.

With a hoarse, harsh cry, Vokrim finds himself slammed out of the dream and 
  into consciousness -- or so the transition seems to him. He flails wildly in 
  the bunk, panicked gaze shooting in all directions. But by the time he tries 
  to flail at the younger Singer, Gyles has already moved out of his reach. 
  The older man is left with pounding heart and sweat-sheened brow to 
  determine that he is, indeed, awake... and in a sled that still seems 
  unfamiliar to him for all that elusive memory reports that he was here 
  yesterday. His face flushing with overpowering shame, Vokrim sits up in the 
  bunk.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the cabin, and a hot mug of 
  black coffee appears in Tance's hands as if by magic. Gyles returns to the 
  gally area without comment and begins pulling out containers of range 
  rations. The contents go into bowls once the heat cycles are complete, and 
  soon the coffee is joined by hot cereal liberally doused with sweetner and 
  milk. Gyles carries his own meal to the front of the cabin and swings the 
  pilots chair around to face the interior, where he settles down to eat.

Presented food without a word, Tance finds himself unable to look the Singer 
  who's volunteered to shepherd him in the eye. Meekly, he accepts both food 
  and coffee, muttering a plaintive thank-you, before gratefully and 
  desperately focusing on the solid, uncomplicated task of putting sustenance 
  into his food-deprived frame. But it's not the only deprivation he suffers, 
  and even as he eats, the older Singer keeps glancing restlessly outside. He 
  gulps down the proferred meal in silence, before summoning up the courage to 
  rise. Standing, he peers towards the front of the sled, trying to catch the 
  younger man's eye.

His own serving of cereal consumed, Gyles has been relaxing with the mug of 
  coffee, stoicly ignoring the pings of crystal song, as he always has. He 
  looks up at Tance, over the rim of his mug. "Do you want to work this claim 
  with me?" he offers hopefully.

"That's.... that's... black out there," Tance mumbles uneasily. "I-I-I 
  remember...."

"That's right," Gyles agrees. "And I'll split the crystal with you, too," he 
  suggests, hoping to talk the clearly-hesitant singer into cutting from it. 
  "You still need the exposure, anyway."

Brown eyes go wide and even darker, as what's visible of Tance Vokrim's face 
  pales in evident shock. The empty coffee mug he's holding clatters out of 
  his hands, and he blurts, "Wh... but... shepherding doesn't... you want 
  to....?" He swallows hard, and then bursts out with an uncharacteristically 
  vehement, "_Why_?"

Gyles finishes off his coffee before rising to snag Tance's forgotten cup, 
  miraculously unbroken, from the floor of the airsled. He straightens up in 
  front of Tance and smiles, "You figure out it." With that, he steps around 
  the speechless singer to toss the mugs and bowls into the recycler. Without 
  further word, he unloads some cartons and heads off toward the vein.
Gyles scrounges around the inside of the sled and takes down one of the empty 
  cartons.
Gyles's Crystal Cutter has left.
Gyles picks up the cutter carefully.

Evidently, this boggling concept is rather much for the older Singer's 
  scattered ability to think. He gapes at Gyles, and continues to do so even 
  as the younger man briskly goes about his business. _He wants to share his 
  black?! But... but...._ Fright surges through Vokrim, and a misery he 
  doesn't want to let himself think about too much if he can help it... but 
  something else he can't easily identify keeps him watching the younger 
  Singer, and prevents him from discarding the idea entirely.

Carton 3 - Gyles has left.
Gyles picks up the carton, holding it carelessly.
Gyles has left.

You scrounge around the inside of the sled and take down one of the empty 
  cartons.
Carton 4 - Tance is unloaded from the airsled.
You pick up the carton. It feels so light that you are sure it is empty. 

[Tance steps, then, out of the sled's cramped interior... tentatively
 makes his way down the eastern slope of the hillside, dislodging small
 rocks as he goes... trudges through a streamlet's gurgling waters and
 squirms awkwardly through a crevice... heads down into the eastern
 end of a gully... and at last, he catches up with Gyles at the vein...]
 
Crystal Vein
All about you can see freshly painted a large black hexagon on a black 
  vertical stem.  The vein subtly sings to you in a scale of D flat.  You 
  catch a sparkling glimmer of pure black.  The crystal rings with a sweetness 
  and purity of tone.    You get a sense that this is a medium-sized vein.
Contents:
Gyles

Outside the vein, Tance clambers into the entrance of a crystal vein site.
Eventually, a shadow and a hesitant footstep signals that Tance has followed 
  his shepherd to the vein of black crystal. But even as he comes within range 
  of the younger Singer's senses, Tance hesitates, standing some distance 
  away, his form half-hidden by the empty carton he's brought with him.

Gyles has already begun shifting dirt and mud away from the face, exposing a 
  portion of the crystal for easier and safer cutting. He glances up once and 
  sees Tance standing nearby and smiles to himself, pleased the man got up the 
  nerve to follow. He continues to dig, and a mound of dirt, rock, and mud 
  grows to one side as more and more of the face appears in the streaks of 
  light that manage to sneak through the gully walls into the vein.

He might have summoned the nerve to follow the younger Singer, but Tance is 
  still visibly uneasy, edging towards the dark rock face as if he fears it 
  will explode the moment he draws too near. A silent shadow, he eventually 
  makes it to Gyles' side. With shaking hands and suspiciously liquid eyes, he 
  begins trying to imitate the younger Singer's work, though his own digging 
  efforts consist of nothing more than pawing barehandedly at dirt and loose 
  bits of stone.

Both men work steadily for an hour or so, exposing the entire face and 
  revealing a clean sheet of colorless crystal, now fully warmed by the air 
  and what little sun might strike it directly in this sheltered crevice. 
  Gyles kicks one of the empty cartons away from the face and sits on it, 
  wiping sweat and from his face and neck. "Well, what do you think?" he asks, 
  the first thing he's said since Tance joined him at the face.

Vokrim has, unsurprisingly, managed to get himself filthy; the man seems to 
  attract dirt and dust without thinking much about it. Throughout the 
  exertion of clearing the crystal, the older man has kept silent, 
  occasionally fumbling as he tries to carry off too much debris at once. His 
  face, if glanced at, can be seen to be streaked with tears amidst the dirt 
  that's accumulated there, and he visibly starts at the question, staggering 
  back and instinctively starting to hunker down against the nearest rock 
  wall. "Wh-wh-what?"

Gyles patiently repeats his deliberately open-ended question, with a vague 
  sweeping gesture whose aim could be interpreted as a toward the crystal, or 
  toward Tance. "What do you think?"

There's cognizance in Tance's dark eyes, for all that his features are still 
  dominated by shyness and confusion; perhaps the man isn't as hopelessly lost 
  as Guild rumor might have it. Avoiding looking at the crystal, he mutters 
  gruffly, "Y-you got enough opened up to cut...."

Gyles studies the exposed face thoughtfully, clearly in no particularly hurry. 
  "Yes, we do," he agrees, rising from his makeshift chair. "Shall we fill 
  some cartons?"

Tance glances sidelong at the other Singer, his brow furrowed at the 'we' -- 
  apparently, he hasn't quite let himself believe that the offer of splitting 
  the crystal profits is a true one. But he bobs his rumpled head, slowly 
  slinging his cutter off his shoulder and reaching to turn it on, all the 
  while avoiding looking at the black shining rock face.
You turn on the cutter, bracing your body against the power that surges 
  through the handle.

Gyles retrieves his own cutter from its dry spot near the entrance and 
  approaches the face, keeping a discreet distance from Tance and his 
  operating cutter. He studies the face one last moment, then makes his first 
  cut into the face.
Gyles packs away the first crystal, a tiny pyramid, his favoriate size and 
  shape for the rare black color.

The older Singer seems anxious to follow the younger one's lead, here; he 
  peers over with those nervous brown eyes of his to see what Gyles is doing, 
  before he makes his own first tentative cuts into the rock, coughing before 
  he can haul a clear note up from his lungs.

In, then, to the cutting of the crystal. For Tance, time seems to stop 
  entirely as he does it, the thrumming of the black setting off explosions of 
  memory behind his eyes. Every so often he has to force himself to realize 
  that the ethereal green figure who ought to be here, who _should_ be here 
  singing the black, is not real... and the thought makes his face twist in 
  pain even as he forces himself through the motions of sing, cut, pack. Watch 
  the kid, see what he does, do what he does, don't think about anything else, 
  that way lies pain and madness. Try to let the crystal brace you up even 
  with the dream-Jade lurking behind your eyes....

Gyles quietly watches Tance cut, for a little while, looking for signs of 
  instability and not seeing anything unusual in him. 'Why does Quinn send me 
  these near-basket cases?' he wonders to himself. The mysteries of medical 
  are of little concern to him at the moment, overshadowed by the more 
  immediate concern this crystal represents, and the small fortune it may 
  produce. He joins Tance at the face and begins to cut more pyramids himself, 
  working in a smooth rhythm in sync with Tance's own.

The shaking of the older Singer's hands and the suspicious wetness of his eyes 
  might be cause for worry -- but every so often, Tance fumblingly swipes a 
  sleeve across his face, seeming distantly aware that he must be able to 
  _see_ the crystal to cut it. As the cutting progresses, though, his hands 
  grow shakier, and after a scale is hewn forth from the rock, he stumbles 
  back from the slices in the vein, lowering his cutter, his thin frame 
  shivering all over.

Another crystal or two is cut and packed before Gyles realizes Tance has 
  stopped cutting. He switches off his cutter and backs away from the vein, to 
  stop and peer up at Tance. "Getting tired, huh?" Gyles looks around a 
  moment, then nudges Tance toward it. "Take a break and relax a bit," he 
  suggests, settling down upon another carton himself. "You look wiped out."

"I... I'm... I'm okay... I'm...." The words tumble faintly and disjointedly 
  out of the older Singer, and with a bizarre little choking noise, he scrubs 
  a filthy sleeve across his equally filthy face. He has turned his face away 
  from the black crystal and the other Singer alike, even as he blurts, 
  "F-f-finish... soon... _please_...."

Gyles looks at you for a moment.
Gyles carefully turns his crystal cutter off and relaxes his stance.
"We've filled all the cartons we brought," Gyles replies, after a quick 
  inspection of the boxes littering the area. "I think it's past time for 
  another meal." Gyles rises, slinging his cutter around on his back, and 
  grabs one of the packed cartons. "I could use a cold one," he smiles, as if 
  he is completely unaware of Tance's emotional difficulties.

Filled all the cartons... already? Vokrim blinks several times, and then 
  tentatively nudges at the box nearer to him. It seems weighted... heavy... 
  full. "Okay," he mumbles exhaustedly, reeling a little as he lurches over to 
  try to pick up the box and follow the younger man's example.

Carton 3 - Gyles has left.
Gyles picks up the carton, holding it securely to his chest.
Gyles has left.
Outside the vein, Gyles has arrived.
Outside the vein, Gyles makes his way out of the immediate vein area.
Outside the vein, Gyles clambers up and out into the gully.
Outside the vein, Gyles has left.

[Back, then, the way Tance had come -- once more following Gyles, but this
 time to the refuge of the sled rather than the troubling crystal face...]

Gyles's sled
< Desc deleted >
The weather is fine. A good day for flying.
  ( Type 'sled help' to see available commands. )
Contents:
Carton 3 - Gyles
Gyles
Carton 1 - Gyles
Carton 2 - Gyles
Note from Sami
Carisak
Dirt

Carton 4 - Tance is loaded in to the sled.
You set the carton down with care.

Gyles slides his carton into the cargo hold and fastens it securely. He steps 
  back into the cabin and suggests, "Why don't you fix something for us to eat 
  while I haul up the rest of those cartons we filled?" Without waiting for 
  any reply from Tance, he scoots out the door and disappears down the trail. 
  That outta distract the fellow, at least temporarily. Make him figure out 
  how my galley's outfitted! Heh.

Panic. _Cook?_ The kid wants him to _cook_? As Gyles cheerfully scampers off, 
  Tance gapes after him in cold shock, his crystal-shot mind wrestling with 
  the latest in the series of bizarre behaviors from the younger Singer. But 
  it would seem that the other man is serious... and at last, trying to get a 
  hold of himself, the older Singer edges uneasily towards the sled's little 
  galley. How tough can it be, running a catering unit? Still, not the 
  slightest bit sure of himself -- it requires thought to make even the simple 
  decision of what to dial up, here, and Tance is instinctively shying away 
  from thought lest he think of _her_ -- he stares at the caterer with almost 
  as much trepidation as he'd had facing the black crystal.

A squeak and a thud, followed by the sound of an exterior cargo hatch being 
  slammed, hints that Gyles has probably just loaded another carton into the 
  behicle, but he doesn't reappear in the cabin. If Tance had glanced out the 
  main hatch, he might have spotted Gyles trotting back down the path into the 
  gully.

Tance doesn't glance that way. He's too busy studying the dial of the sled's 
  catering unit, and finally, automatically, he reaches to dial up the 
  cheapest thing he can think of: subsistence food. It's years of habit that 
  prompts him, and it takes more conscious, uncomfortable thought before he 
  diverts himself at the last moment to a very simple soup.

The exterior hatch slams again, and shortly thereafter Gyles appears through 
  the main hatch. "Well, that's the morning's cut stored safely away." He 
  wanders into the galley and peers around Tance to see what he's come up with 
  for a meal.

Soup, apparently. Tance startledly whirls, and drops a spoon as the younger 
  Singer clambers his way back into the sled. Clumsily, Vokrim hunkers over to 
  recover the dropped utensil, and then embarrassedly jabs a thumb at the 
  soup-containers he's gotten out, not speaking.

Gyles nods approvingly. "I think some sandwiches would go well with that, and 
  a few cold beers, too," he grins, snagging one of the bowls and a spoon. He 
  leaves Tance to deal with that idea, and settles into the cockpit, sipping 
  carefully at the steaming soup.

"Um.... okay," comes the barely audible mumble. The older Singer fiddles with 
  the catering unit for a few more minutes, seeming surprised when it 
  obediently produces sandwiches and beer at his behest. Vokrim picks up the 
  first of these and carries them forward through the craft, stopping within 
  reach of the younger man and holding out sandwich and beer both, one in each 
  hand, for him. He still seems incapable of looking Gyles in the eye.

Gyles temporarily rests the soup on a nearby surface and accepts the beer and 
  sandwich. "Thanks!" he grins, popping the beer open and immediately taking a 
  long draught. He sticks the bottle between his knees and retrieves the soup. 
  "Good thinking, this. Quick and easy."

That coaxes a fleeting, crooked smile out of Tance, though the smile vanishes 
  as swiftly as it came; perhaps the man doesn't think himself worthy of 
  praise. He mumbles only, "Welcome," before shuffling back towards the back 
  of the sled to fetch the food he'd dialed up for himself.

The younger singer makes steady work of his meal, alternating sips of soup 
  with bites of sandwich and swallows of beer. He glances up from time to time 
  to see what Tance is up to, and looks somewhat satisfied with the condition 
  of things, including the older singer's apparent recovery from whatever was 
  ailing him down in the gully.

Well, in so much as the man seems to recover from... whatever ails him. Tance 
  eats in silence, his gaze averted to his food, and every so often he makes 
  token attempts at eating neatly, as if conscious of his bedraggled state and 
  trying not to add to it any more than he can help.

"Well, that was good," Gyles comments, having finished his soup and sandwitch 
  and now working on killing the beer. He leans forward in his chair, resting 
  his elbows on his knees, and studies Tance carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess," mumbles the older Singer, gulping down a bit of his own beer, 
  all the while studying the floor.

"Hey, I've dragged other singers out here who were just as bad off, if not 
  worse, than you were two days ago." Gyles drains his beer and begins idly 
  fiddling with the empty bottle. "Don't worry about it."

"D... do you... wanna cut the rest or what?" Tance blurts, uncomfortably 
  avoiding the topic of his condition, though his discomfort is palpable in 
  his voice.

"I'll leave that up to you," Gyles responds quietly. "Do you want to cut some 
  more of it? Pyramids are high on the market this week, and they're easy to 
  cut. But I've noticed you don't seem, well, happy to be down in that gully, 
  either. This does look like high quality black crystal, though, and you're 
  getting half the sale, don't forget."

Gyles blatently appeals to the man's greed, for clearly he needs a few more 
  hours of crystal exposure, but will leave it up to the old singer to decide 
  for himself.

"Wh-what..." Vokrim swallows, then goes on gruffly, "Whaddya wanna do a damn 
  fool thing like that for, pup? Gimme half your black?" He risks a glance up. 
  There's longing in his grizzled visage, but there's also obvious pain. If 
  greed is a factor in the fractured mind of this Singer, it's clearly not the 
  only one.

Gyles leans back in his chair, looking a bit amused. "Well, you've cut most of 
  the crystal so far, I've only cut maybe three crystals. I'd say you've 
  earned half of this one," he gestures toward the gully, "And if either the 
  crystal itself, or the money it brings, is sufficient to keep you singing 
  until you're healthy again, that keeps Quinn off my ass when we return to 
  Joslin." Gyles points this reasoning out quite matter-of-factly. "As far as 
  I'm concerned, I'm getting half a black vein cut for free."

Tance listens to all of this, periodically glancing up from behind his 
  disheveled and sweat-darkened bangs, gulping down more of the beer as he 
  listens. Something is still clearly unnerving him, but he begins hesitantly, 
  "I-I just... wanna get back soon, kid..." His words trail off, and he seems 
  torn for a moment between shoving a hand through his hair and polishing off 
  the beer; finally, he does both, one action for each hand. And he warbles 
  barely audibly, "I'm okay, I-I-I'm... okay..."

Gyles listens to Tance with some skeptism. "You don't sound all that okay," he 
  observes. "And if you're thinking of leaving Ballybran to go looking for 
  Jade," he conjectures, "Medical will say you haven't recovered well enough 
  to leave for any useful length of time." He considers. "If singing black 
  bothers you, we could go back to the beach with the rose, or even to a deep 
  green vein I know of."

"N... _no_," Tance blurts, shaking his shaggy head with sudden vehemence. 
  "N-no green. No green..."

Gyles nods slowly. "Okay, no green," Gyles agrees. "Well, I'll leave it up to 
  you. You're well enough to go back to Joslin and fly out on your own, if you 
  want. And if you want to brave Medical to try to get a travel clearance, 
  that's you're problem." He eyes the older singer, just a bit worried about 
  the guy.

"Wanna go back," Tance mumbles then, keeping his gaze up more than seems 
  normal for him. And there's no stammer in his voice.

"Okay," Gyles replies slowly. "I want to fill the last few cartons and fly 
  back with a full load, though. Can you handle another hour or so?" He tosses 
  the remains of his lunch into the recycler. "You don't need to cut any 
  further, unless you want to."

"I'm... I'll be okay. I'm okay, I'm okay...." Tance mutters this lowly, and 
  perhaps overswiftly; which Singer he's trying to reassure, however, is 
  anyone's guess.

Gyles pauses in the door, one hand against the frame, the other grasping his 
  cutter and another empty carton. "Well, come sing if you wish, or wait here. 
  I want to get another octave or two," he grins. "To make sure we have 
  something to split as soon as we get back."
Gyles scrounges around the inside of the sled and takes down one of the empty 
  cartons.
Carton 5 - Gyles has left.
Gyles picks up the carton, holding it carelessly.

Tance rises stiffly, bobbing his head, and shuffling after the other Singer to 
  fetch his cuttr and a carton.
You scrounge around the inside of the sled and take down one of the empty 
  cartons.
Carton 6 - Tance is unloaded from the airsled.
You pick up the carton. It feels so light that you are sure it is empty. 

Gyles has left.

[Once more, back to the claim, but this time, Tance slips as he trudges
 along in Gyles' tracks...]

The water deepens around your feet as you clamber down into the end of the 
  gully.
East End of the Gully
Nestled in the crags between a mountain to the northeast and one to the 
  southwest, this winding gully descends into half-shaded gloom. Chance - or 
  misfortune, depending on your point of view - has situated this little 
  ravine exactly so that every passing wind whistles right up its length. As 
  Scoria descends past the western horizon and evening falls, the shadows grow 
  thicker between the gully's walls.
Here, the gully you've been following comes to an abrupt, narrow, and soggy 
  end, as the waters of the streamlet burble calf-deep around your legs before 
  vanishing down into a crack too narrow for a human body to traverse. The 
  footing is questionable here, as every other step causes the gravelly sand 
  just under the water to suck at your feet. Probably, no one besides a 
  Crystal Singer would come here... but then, to a Singer's practiced senses, 
  there's something promising about these craggy walls.
All about you can see freshly painted a large black hexagon on a black 
  vertical stem. 
West and out into the gully is the only visible exit.
Contents:
Crystal Vein
Obvious exits:
Back Out  

As you clamber down along the steep, wet drop, your foot slips out from under 
  you. You land with a *thump* and a splash and feel an ache in your rump.

The symbiont tickles the hair on the back of your neck, but it's not a weather 
  warning, it's an excited, pleasant sensation. Crystal must be near.

Tance(#3209POQce)
This man stands at about 5'10" in height, though the way he seems prone to 
  slouching over often disguises how tall he actually is. His height is 
  further confused by the state of his undernourished frame; from the look of 
  him, he probably hasn't eaten decently in several days. Despite a deep 
  coppery tan to his weathered skin, there's an unhealthy pallor beneath it, 
  suggesting recent illness or injury, and the brown eyes within that face 
  meet the galaxy with a wild, disoriented, and frequently anguished gaze.
Tance's hair has grown out into a shaggy unkempt mop, that at one time might 
  have been a dark shade of brown. Now it's shot through with grey, and 
  lightened into paler yellowish streaks as well from exposure to sunlight. 
  He's had a beard and mustache grow in, equally unkempt, showing that he 
  hasn't been near a razor in weeks. He's wearing a simple standard-issue 
  jumpsuit, the kind the Guild Infirmary hands out to Singers who come in with 
  their own clothing destroyed beyond re-use, and a battered pair of 
  workboots. 
   He walks and sits rather gingerly; the movement suggests a bruised bottom.

A short, sharp yelp accompanies the wet sound of Tance tripping and falling as 
  he stumbles down into the gully, losing his grip on the carton he's 
  carrying. It takes him a few moments to get back to his feet and limp 
  towards the rock face in slow pursuit of the younger Singer.

Crystal Vein
All about you can see freshly painted a large black hexagon on a black 
  vertical stem.  The vein subtly sings to you in a scale of D flat.  You 
  catch a sparkling glimmer of pure black.  The crystal rings with a sweetness 
  and purity of tone.    You get a sense that this is a medium small vein.
Contents:
Carton 5 - Gyles
Gyles

Outside the vein, Tance clambers into the entrance of a crystal vein site.
You toss the carton carelessly down.

Gyles looks at you for a moment.
Gyles glances up when Tance enters, unaware of the man's mis-adventure just 
  now, the sounds he made drowned out by the crystal song as Gyles cuts. "I've 
  struck a flaw," he grumbles. "Fardles." He drops the cutter to run one hand 
  along the cut face, trying to feel which way the flaw runs through the face.

Gyles sets his crystal cutter to A flat.
Gyles sings a strong, clear A flat.
Gyles holds the note strongly and while the crystal sings in return, uses his 
  cutter to extract a pyramid from the vein.
A tiny, pure black, pyramid crystal has left.
Gyles picks up the crystal with careful hands.
Gyles carefully stores a crystal into a carton, making sure it's packed 
  securely.
Gyles sets his crystal cutter to D flat.
Gyles sings a strong, clear D flat.
Gyles holds the note strongly and while the crystal sings in return, uses his 
  cutter to extract a pyramid from the vein.

Vokrim limps into view, nodding stiffly, and then pulls in a shaky breath 
  before getting to work.

[And with that, indeed, the two men commence cutting the rest of
 the black. It's an arduous task for Tance, as he tries to keep up with
 Gyles, and it gives him a start when the young man temporarily
 leaves him alone in the vein.... eventually, though, they fill up
 two more cartons before their cutters' power cells shut down into
 recharge mode. Exhaustedly, they trudge back to the sled...]

Gyles's sled
< Desc deleted >
The weather is fine. A good day for flying.
  ( Type 'sled help' to see available commands. )
Contents:
Carton 5 - Gyles
Carton 4 - Tance
Carton 3 - Gyles
Carton 1 - Gyles
Carton 2 - Gyles
Note from Sami
Carisak
Dirt

Carton 6 - Tance is loaded in to the sled.
You set the carton down with care.

Gyles has arrived.
Gyles tosses the carton carelessly down.
Gyles restows the empty carton in the cargo area.
Carton 7 - Gyles has left.
Gyles's Crystal Cutter has arrived.
Gyles sets the cutter down.

Tance, having awkwardly stowed the sixth carton, frowns bemusedly at his 
  cutter. "Recharge," he mumbles.

Gyles begins stowing equipment back in the bins, and tying off the cargo 
  straps to keep the crystal from bouncing around. He pauses to check his 
  pockets for any forgotten crystals, then asks Tance to check his own 
  pockets, too.

The older Singer nods slowly, fumbling at the jumpsuits of his pockets. All he 
  finds is the broken datapad he'd stowed there before, at which he stares 
  longly and uneasily, his attention clearly diverting.

Everything finally secured, Gyles moves forward and slides into the pilot's 
  position. "I enjoy night flights," he comments, working his way through the 
  standard preflight checks, switching systems on one by one. The crystal 
  drive begins to warm up, a slowly rising tone felt in the bones.

The whine of the engine finally jolts Tance into better awareness. He starts, 
  then limps towards the other seat, and gingerly settles down into it.

Gyles presses a button and the scan map display darkens.
GPS Receiver has arrived.
Gyles dropped GPS Receiver.
Gyles shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the left.
Gyles nudges the control bar, speeding the sled up.
Gyles adjusts the control bar.  The nose of the craft falls and then levels 
  out.
Gyles activates the stabilizer.

"Fast," mutters Tance lowly, as the sled roars its way into full life. 
  He fidgets with the seat harness, but hangs onto the datapad, apparently 
  forgetting he's holding it.

"You bet!" Gyles grins. "One of the first things I ever did with this airsled 
  was expand the cargo capacity, and upgrade the engine."
Gyles shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the left.
Gyles shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the left.
Gyles shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the right.

A ghost of a lopsided smile flicks into being for a moment on the grizzled 
  Singer's countenance, before it vanishes again.

Gyles shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the left.
Gyles slows the sled down with the control bar.
Gyles speeds along, well below cloud level, the ranges zipping by several 
  hundred meters below. "What's that datapad for?" he asks curiously. "I don't 
  bring mind into the ranges, they tend to get scrambled."
Gyles shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the left.
Gyles slows the sled down with the control bar.
Gyles shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the right.
Gyles slows the sled down with the control bar.
Gyles slows the sled down with the control bar.

"I... I-I-I need 'em," Tance mumbles, even as he stares out the viewport, 
  watching the land rise up to meet the descending craft.

Gyles runs the vehicle in a circular pattern around Joslin Facility, a gradual 
  reduction of altitude.
Gyles adjusts the control bar.  The nose of the craft rises and then levels 
  out.
Gyles brings the sled to a gentle landing.

Not until the sled lands does a tension he hadn't known he possessed slide out 
  of Tance's shoulders; he glances around in all directions, relief flickering 
  across his dark and haggard eyes. Over-swift, he undoes the harness on the 
  seat he'd occupied, only to wince as he gets to his feet.

Gyles directs his airsled through the massive hangar doors and brings it to an 
  expert halt at the edge of the parking area, near sorting. After shutting 
  down the sled systems, and the cabin falls silent, he turns to study Tance 
  sitting in the passenger seat. "Why are you limping?"

"Fell," mutters the older Singer, as he stuffs the datapad into a pocket. 
  "You... uh... we gotta unload?" Awkwardly, he gestures at the cartons in the 
  back.

"Yes," Gyles replies, "That would be a good idea." He slides out of his chair 
  and heads back into the cargo hold to loosen the straps securing the 
  cartons. "I never seem to find cargo handlers when I need 'em," he mutters.

Carton 2 - Gyles has left.
Gyles picks up the carton, holding it securely to his chest.

Tance bobs his head, then limps towards the cartons, reaching for one.
Carton 1 - Gyles is unloaded from the airsled.
You pick up the carton. Feeling the weight of the carton, you hold onto it 
  securely, protecting the precious cargo. 

Gyles has left.

You step out from the cramped interior of the sled "Uptight Heptite."
Hangar Floor
The immense cavern that serves the guild faces the eastern sky. The blue sky 
  merges with the harsh browns of the long plain of the Joslin Plataeu far to 
  the east. The smoothly tiled floor is scarred by myriad gashes and scratches 
  caused by wind-tossed sleds. The northern and southern walls contain 
  over-large double doors while the western wall is set with observation 
  windows. Looking around (+view), you notice several signs posted. The hangar 
  is bathed in red light so as not to disturb the night vision of the pilots 
  or personnel. Outside the hangar, Shilmore rises honey-colored and 
  Shanganagh follows closely as they trek across the starry sky. 
Contents:
  Tance, over by the wall.
  Gyles's sled 
  Thomas's sled 
  Sabreena's sled 
  Neva's sled 
  Telandra's sled 
  Denassa's sled 
  Diamond's sled 
  Zarena's sled 
  Corlis's sled 
  Sled Tech Desk 
  Repair Bay 1 
  Radar 
  Corbin 
  Hangar Terminal 
  A large map, for instructional purposes 
  Sled rack
Obvious Commands ("." for list):
  .wait  .sleds  .desk  .radar  .map  .hangar door  .sit
Obvious Exits:
  Workshop  Processing  WWSF Transport  Met Transport  Equipment Room  
  Simulators  Catwalk  Sorting  Ready Room

You are standing next to the sled rack.

The automatic door swings open before you as you enter the crystal processing 
  room.
Processing
This small room contains a collection of cartons that are to be processed by 
  Heptite Crystal Tuners. Groups of cartons are scattered about the floor, 
  deposited haphazardly by weary singers and frazzled sorters. One exit leads 
  northwest into the bedlam of the hangar, the other west into the relative 
  quiet of the cargo storage room. There is a sign on the wall that says, 
  "+LHELP available." 
Contents:
Carton 2 - Gyles
Gyles
Repacking Table
Sign - Singers and Recruits please read! (Updated Tue Apr 14 1998)
Obvious exits:
Shed Conveyer  Cargo Conveyer  Cargo Storage  Hangar  

Gyles sets his carton down but waits for Tance to bring his over, first.

It takes several minutes before Tance limps into Processing, looking around in 
  distinct uneasiness that doesn't lift until he spies the younger Singer.
"I, uh, I got it," mutters Tance when he's in earshot. Meaning, perhaps, the 
  carton he's carrying.
You set the carton down with care.

Gyles opens Carton 1 - Gyles and looks inside.
Gyles carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. He arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.
Carton 1 - Gyles has left.
Gyles opens Carton 2 - Gyles and looks inside.
Gyles carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. He arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.
Carton 2 - Gyles has left.
Gyles nods thoughtfully at the batch of rose. "That's all we cut of the rose, 
  isn't it?" he asks Tance.

That doesn't get an immediate answer; eventually, though, Tance mumbles 
  abashedly, "Don't... remember."

Gyles chuckles tonelessly, ever wary of unwanted notes around raw crystal. 
  "Well, let's go get the rest of the cargo and make sure."
Gyles heads through the automatic door into the chaos of the Hangar.
Gyles has left.

[And with that, the pair of Singers works on bringing the rest of the
 crystal into Processing; then...]

You set the carton down with care.

Gyles carefully repacks 10 crystal(s) into a storage carton to be repacked at 
  another time.
Gyles places a carton on the Cargo Conveyer.
Storage Carton - Gyles  Label:  MRose Octagons disappears down the Cargo 
  Conveyer.
Storage Carton - Gyles  Label:  MRose Octagons has left.
Gyles opens Carton 3 - Gyles and looks inside.
Gyles carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. He arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.
Carton 3 - Gyles has left.

Tance's movements are still awkward; with the fourth carton still clutched in 
  his grimy hands, he limps back into view, sets down his burden, and limps 
  off again.

[And shortly...]

You set the carton down with care.

Gyles enters the room from the hangar, the automatic door swinging shut behind 
  him.
Gyles has arrived.
Gyles sets the carton down with care.
Carton assigned to Gyles.
Gyles opens Carton 5 - Gyles and looks inside.
Gyles carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. He arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.
Carton 5 - Gyles has left.
Carton assigned to Gyles.

Gyles opens Carton 6 - Tance and looks inside.
Gyles carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. He arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.
Carton 6 - Tance has left.
Gyles opens Carton 4 - Tance and looks inside.
Gyles carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. He arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.
Carton 4 - Tance has left.
Gyles carefully repacks 20 crystal(s) into a storage carton to be repacked at 
  another time.
Gyles places a carton on the Cargo Conveyer.
Storage Carton - Gyles  Label:  PB Pyrs disappears down the Cargo Conveyer.
Storage Carton - Gyles  Label:  PB Pyrs has left.

Gyles sighs, an odd look on his face as he watches the cartons disappear down 
  the conveyer into cargo, ready for sorting. "Well, we'll see how that batch 
  turns out." He turns to face Tance. "How about coming down to the lounge for 
  a meal, before you present yourself to Medical?"

"Um... I... " Tance looks uneasily down at himself, and mumbles, "Look kinda 
  ratty...."

Gyles chuckles, louder now that crystal isn't nearby. "Well, you could go 
  clean up first. I may just go take a radiant soak myself, first."

Studying his boots, Tance mutters, "I... I'm supposed to go to Medical?"

Gyles nods, "Yes, so they can clear your records."

"I... better go find 'em," the older Singer concludes.

"Yes," Gyles agrees. "Good singing, Tance. If you need anything, let me know."

The older man blinks bemusedly at the younger. "Try to remember," he mumbles. 
  Then he pauses, and adds gruffly, "Thanks....", before he limps slowly off.

[End log.]