Chapter One – First Impressions

It was still amazing for me to look about and see the results of our efforts to build the teaching hospital at Robinton Cove. So many long hours, so much hard work… and, yes, so much heartache as a result of the Exiles crisis. Thankfully, that near catastrophe had been averted; the exile lifted. My greatest hope now was that some peace would finally come to the citizens of Pern. And a place of healing was a good starting point.

"It's beautiful, Fandarel," I sighed as some of the construction workers were lifting the final sections of the hospital's outer surfaces into place. "You should be proud of what you've accomplished here."

"Pshaw," the burly Mastersmith snorted, waving my praise aside. "I am proud of my journeymen… and journeywomen… who have created such an elegant… and efficient structure to serve your needs."

"I, and everyone else on Pern," I said to him, giving his shoulder a thump as I spoke, "are in your debt, Mastersmith. Your design is elegant, robust, and eminently efficient."

"I cannot take the credit," Fandarel quietly spoke, waving my words aside. His massive hand sweeping wide, he told me, "This marvelous creation was Aramina's brainchild."

Aramina, Jayge's wife, mother to the Dolphineer, Readis. She had never shown any sort of interest in designing or building anything. But the desire within her slowly began to smolder as she and others explored the remains of the colonists' Landing site. That same desire flared to nova brightness when she accidentally discovered the engineering tutorials that AIVAS contained. Within a Turn, she had quickly outpaced her compeers, earning Journeywoman status in the Smith craft.

When she heard about the plans for the teaching hospital, especially that it was being built on the lands that had belonged to Master Robinton, Aramina had greedily sunk her teeth into the project, spending ceaseless hours at the AIVAS terminals, going through every engineering design and fact she could find before coming up with the incredible edifice that would become Pern's first medical facility manned by dragon-riding healers.

"With you standing behind her," I chuckled, giving Fandarel's shoulder another gentle clout, "encouraging and supporting her at every turn. Well done, Mastersmith, well done!"

When the final pieces of the hospital's outer skin were finally bolted into place, a great cheer went up from the throats of everyone involved in its construction. A few even set off fireworks to celebrate the completion.

"Now, my friend," Fandarel spoke as he took me by the elbow, "it is time to find out if it meets your needs and expectations, Masterhealer!"

It was all I could've dreamt… and more. Sweep ing, elegant, breathtaking!

"Dear Master Robinton," I wept, tears coursing down my cheeks, "if only you could see what everyone who loved you has created!"

The interior of the teaching hospital was as beautiful as the outside. Everywhere you turned, you could feel love and caring reaching out to you. And strength. It radiated from every wall, floor, and ceiling… rising up to shield those who would come here to rest, recuperate, and be healed.

"It reminds me of Impression," I remarked, tears in my eyes as I spun about, gazing in wonder at this marvelous creation. "The feeling I had the moment Tarnaa and I were joined, body and mind!"

Fandarel gasped, the burly smith's face reddening as he whispered, "Like when Rascal and I found each other!"

As if hearing his name, a blue fire lizard swept down the corridor, twittering with delight, landing ever so daintily on his companion's massive shoulder. Trilling a sigh of contentment as he wound his tail around Fandarel's neck, Rascal lovingly head caressed the burly smith, deepening his friend's already apparent blush.

Who could've imagined the Mastersmith of Pern finding… let alone Impressing… a fire lizard… and all purely by accident! Fandarel had gone to one of the beaches on Ista Island, seeking some of the pure white sands it was renowned for to use in the glass panes he was forging for the teaching hospital. So intent was he in his search that day that he never even noticed the remains of a fire lizard clutch barely a boot length from where he had stopped to examine the fine white crystals of beach sand.

A solitary egg, partially obscured by sand, was all that remained of the clutch; the area nearby littered with the shattered remains of the other eggs. Perhaps the queen had felt this one wouldn't hatch, as sometimes happened, and had abandoned the nest.

But, that day, Rascal had had other ideas. Perhaps sensing a kindred spirit nearby, the little blue practically exploded out of his shell, showering Fandarel with the fragments, startling the Mastersmith. Wailing desperately as he slowly approached the stunned Smith, the moment their eyes met, Impression happened. Haltingly, almost reverently, Fandarel had knelt in the sands, scooping the tiny dragon into his massive hands, tears pouring down his face. Then, remembering the pouch of meatrolls he had brought, Fandarel began feeding little Rascal, cementing their bond.

"Aramina!" the Mastersmith bellowed, startling little Rascal, but only for a moment.

"What is it?" she asked, her face lined with worry as she and her design team came running up the hall. "Is something wrong?"

Fandarel didn't say a word… simply wrapped his massive arms around Aramina and hugged her ever so gently.

"My dear journeywoman, what a wonder you have created," he whispered, pulling back to look at Aramina's face, her expression one of total confusion. One arm still around her waist, with his free hand, he gestured about, adding, "Masterhealer Dana is right. This place has all the magic… the feel… the beauty that is Impression!"

The rest of Aramina's team all gasped, eyes flying wide.

"Shards, Ari, he's right!" Neema whispered, trembling hands lightly touching her quivering lips.

"I've been to a Hatching or two," Casser quietly spoke, glancing about, his own expression one of awe. "I've seen and felt the wonders of Impression each time." His eyes fixed squarely on Jayge's spouse, he added, "Master Fandarel is right. This place does feel like Impression!"

The poor journeywoman looked ready to faint as I slowly stepped up to her. Then, taking her trembling hands in mine, I simply said, "Thank you, Journeywoman Aramina. Master Robinton would be well and truly proud. Well done!"

Hearing my words, cheers of support erupted around us, the resulting applause deafening in such close quarters. All Aramina could do was look about in shock, totally overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for her design, waving limply in response to all the accolades.

Abruptly, she straightened, her expression intense and earnest as she took my hand, saying, "I want to be certain the med bays are what you required, Masterhealer."

With that, she turned and headed down the hall to the first of what would've been called emergency rooms back on old Earth.

At the doorway, Aramina paused, gesturing for me to precede her. I moved to the center of the room, turning slowly about as I took in the room's accoutrements. Goldie chose that moment to flit into the room, gently landing on my shoulder before she, too, gazed slowly about.

"Power connections, oxygen, water…" Aramina ticked off as she joined me. "The hydroelectric power notwithstanding, we've added solar power and wind turbines. Oh! And thanks to the efforts of Master Readis and his own research, we'll soon be adding several wave generators to flesh out the hospital's power grid. Nothing but clean, renewable energy!"

"We had looked at other sorts of power generation," Neema remarked from the doorway, "… nuclear, coal, natural gas… We learned about them while digging through AIVAS' records."

"While each could certainly have supplied the hospital's power needs," Fandarel commented, nodding approvingly at his journey men and women, "Aramina's design team chose not to use them because of the potential harm each could do not only to the planet but also to those who would be recuperating here."

"An eminently practical and sensible choice," I said, nodding agreement with the burly Mastersmith. "I approve!"

"But what will we do about the special instruments and equipment you requested?" Aramina wondered, clearly concerned. "AIVAS was very clear on that point. Pern doesn't have the capabilities to manufacture them."

"Yet," Fandarel chuckled, giving his protégé a gentle thump on the shoulder. "Masterhealer Dana already has a solution."

"You do?!" Aramina exclaimed, spinning towards me. Then, in a blinding flash of insight, she gasped, her eyes flying wide. "The colony ships!"

Grinning broadly, I nodded. "With the help of the hospital's dragons and riders, we can retrieve what we need from the Yokohama, the Buenos Aires, and the Bahrain, and put them to good use here at the hospital."

"And, my friend," I added, giving Fandarel a slap on the back, "we'll retrieve enough spares so that your people will be able to study the real thing… to better their own understanding of what we are asking them to manufacture!"

Oh, the look on Fandarel's face! He was grinning from ear to ear, with the look of a child in a candy shop who'd just been told to pick out whatever he wanted!

"That would be greatly appreciated," he sighed, rubbing his hands together in great anticipation of such a treasure.

That was it, then. It was time for me and my team of dragon-riding healers to finally get to work!