"Don't look down, Jimmy Jack! Whatever you do, don't look down!"
I'm screaming at myself because Yogi has once again convinced me to allow the crane to hoist me to the top of one of the slender rods rising from the concrete bowl to scrape at the clouds. This is not my first ride upon Yogi's system of cables and pulleys, not the first time I've strapped myself into a harness to top another rod with another small, black box brimming with Yogi's electronic gadgetry. But I remain as terrified as I was on my first trip to the top of these rods. Reminding myself that Yogi knows what he's doing does little to numb the fear that something is going to break, and that my brains are going to splatter all over the concrete bowl far below.
I tell myself that Yogi would never allow that crane to hoist me so high if there was the slightest concern something could go wrong. I tell myself that too many rods rising from Yogi's radio still wait to be topped with black boxes, that I'm valuable because I'm the man with the best skills for the job. But I can't resist thinking there's a problem with that reasoning each time the wind gusts and makes me clutch the rod in front of me so that my harness doesn't sway among the cables. I keep thinking of Kurt Larry's suspicions.
I'm not so sure I trust Yogi anymore.
"Stop thinking, Jimmy Jack! Just don't look down!"
A strong gust whistles from the mountain and pushes me away from the rod before my hand can clutch it. The cables easily support me as I sway, but my harness twists, and I can't help but peek at the concrete far below my feet. Vertigo spins my brain. I feel like throwing up. A second later, I want to do something far more embarrassing. So I just close my eyes and wait for the wind to calm, for Yogi to notice me swaying once more among the cables on the computer screen he stares at in the safety of his bubble while the rest of us sods do all the heavy lifting. I hope I won't be swaying for another hour.
"Just dream of Suzie Sarah and don't open your eyes! Just take a breath, Jimmy Jack!"
I wish one of the gang working on the dish below me would pause long enough in their work to look up and notice me swaying in my harness. It's a foolish hope. The work crews never look up. My ears pop. I feel strange. And then there's a high-pitched hum bouncing around inside my skull. The hairs stand up along my neck and forearms. I feel like I'm plugged into an electrical socket.
A second later, Yogi's voice materializes out of thin air.
"Everything's fine, friends," there's no mistaking the nasal sound of the smartman's voice. "You're hearing me from the powerful speakers you've all worked to instal for me. I wish to thank you all for your efforts. Your hard work has built a very special piece of equipment. You've joined together to build the greatest radio the world has ever known."
I wish I could see the look on Kurt Larry, Ray Ray and Joe Bob's face. Their jaws must be scraping across the ground. I'll remember to buy them all a beer with the winnings from our guessing pot. I forget where I am and open my eyes. I nearly taste the vomit rising in the back of my throat before I can close my eyes again.
Yogi's disembodied voice continues. "I have incredible news to share with all of you. Through this very radio, we have made first contact with an intelligence from beyond our planet. Though its construction is not yet complete, we've made contact through this radio. Thanks to your efforts, those among the stars know we are here, and we know we are no longer alone. All of you should feel proud to have witnessed such a moment. My friends and I wish to share the sound of the first voice found among the stars with you."
My heart is racing in my chest, and I'm not sure I understand why.
The air around me pops and clicks, as if someone is changing the channels on the giant radio. A second later, I hear a noise that's like nothing I've ever heard.