Oslo clapped his hands and stood up. “Yes, of course. You must meet them. They arrived just before you and have already settled in. One is a pyrokinetic, and the other a projectionist. Come, follow me.” Oslo glided across the room and toward the balcony that overlooked the bay. The glass doors opened as he approached.
Breeze got up to follow, and again found himself racing to catch up. Everyone here seemed to move so fast while he felt like he was moving in slow motion. He stepped onto the balcony and down a set of stairs while Oslo was already halfway across the courtyard.
“Come, Breeze. You must meet your classmates.” Oslo waved his hand and pointed forward.
Breeze raced down the steps and caught up to Oslo as he gasped for breath. The humid air was thick and difficult to breathe.
The courtyard narrowed to a lane with a row of hangars on either side. Some had sliding doors that were closed while others were open where he could see a variety of aerocraft spread out in various stages of repair. Like the aerocraft he had seen at the landing facility, they were all unfamiliar to him.
One hanger in particular was humming with activity. He expected to see mechanics inside performing repairs much like he was used to back home. What he saw instead shocked him as robots were the ones making the repairs. Some were shaped like spiders that skittered over the hulls of the ships, stopping only to perform a weld. But the majority were humanoid robots that carried tools and pushed carts filled with equipment to workstations manned by other robots. Most of them seemed to be of the same manufacture but with slightly different variations. Some had a disk attached to their chests, and he watched as one particular robot stood before a section of the ship it was repairing and the disk on its chest glowed, then after several minutes, it grabbed a tool from a cart and began working. It reminded him of the diagnostic scanners mechanics back home used to scan broken down aerocraft. What really caught his attention was the bulkiness of the robots and how awkward they seemed using the tools they had, as if they were not designed to perform the tasks they were assigned.
One of the robots noticed his presence and signaled to the others. Soon, they all stopped to stare at Breeze. The noisy shop was reduced to near silence, save for the sound of a sole cutting torch and the dropping of a wrench to the stone floor.
Breeze jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“They are called RF, short-hand for Robot Fighters. They were at one time the most feared mechanized soldiers ever fielded. I reprogrammed those I’ve managed to save from the scrap yard to perform more pedestrian duties, such as repairing aerocraft. Come; let the mechanics get back to work. As you can see, there is much to be done.” Oslo turned and continued walking toward a line of mangroves along the outskirts of the hangars.
Breeze turned to follow when he looked back over his shoulder and caught one of the robots watching him walk away. It stood next to a sleek black ship that it was repairing along with its workmates.
Oslo clapped his hands and they immediately resumed their work.
He jogged to catch up with Oslo. Ahead was a row of mangroves that fronted a canal where they turned onto a path made up of limestone and shells that ran alongside it. Breeze could smell the pungent saltwater that dominated the air.
He stopped along the edge of the canal and looked down. Just like the one outside the dormitory, the water was crystal clear and teeming with colorful fish flitting about. Some even came to the surface upon seeing him.
“Excort, and his wife, Mila, do love to come here to feed them. That is why they swim up to you. Like pets, they expect some sort of a treat. Come now, let’s meet your fellow classmates.” Oslo swiveled on his heel and continued on.
They wound their way along the path until they exited the mangrove forest and into a clearing, where they were greeted by the sight of a cove with crystal clear, blue water surrounded by a thick forest of palm trees with a channel that led to the ocean. In the center of the cove was an island made up of rock and coral, with white herons and seagulls swooping in and out of the waters hunting for fish, taking their catch to the island to feed.
They stepped onto the soft, sandy white beach and into the brilliant sunshine. Oslo pointed down the shoreline to a cluster of palm trees. Lying under the canopy of its fronds were a young couple in deep conversation who did not notice them as they approached. As they drew closer, the couple looked up and half-heartedly waved to them.
“Students, come and meet our newest recruit.” Oslo’s voice boomed. “Sally Trumbull and Raymond Verhesen, I would like you to meet Breeze Corinth. He comes to us from the Desert Country. Breeze, say hello to your classmates.”
Breeze nodded and held out a hand to Raymond. “Hi. Nice to meet you. My name is Breeze.”
Raymond shook his hand with a powerful grip. “Yes, Oslo just announced it. We heard it the first time.” He snapped his attention to Oslo. “Everyone calls me Ray, as I told you before.”
Ray was handsome and athletic in build with piercing eyes. He had the presence that displayed he was used to being in command. He did not stand directly in front of Sally, but did so in a way that showed he was protective of her. He smiled at Breeze with a mixture of amusement and condescension.
“So, from the desert? I would expect you to be wearing the enviro suits most of you are known for, you know, the solar helmets, goggles, hard leather jackets and stuff.”
Breeze bristled at the comment. “We don’t live out in the desert like nomads hiding from sand storms. We do have towns and cities, you know.”
Ray smirked. “Of course you do. Wasn’t trying to imply anything. You just hear so many stories about what life is like out there. When we heard you were coming to Perihelion we thought you would fit the image.”
Breeze stared at Ray and sighed, then turned to look at Sally, something he resisted doing while he was talking to Ray.
She was gorgeous, with long brown hair and emerald green eyes and her neck and wrists were adorned with necklaces and shiny bracelets. She also carried with her an air of superiority that was as thick as a cloud.
Breeze knew if there were two people who fit a stereotype perfectly, it would be them. He had always heard people in Conception talk about folk from the North Eastern Territories and their high-handed manner along with their arrogance and intellect. They would arrive on aerocraft with styles and designs that were unique and different than the ones that were built in the towns and cities of the Desert Country. They would walk around Conception with amused looks on their faces as they took in the local sights of the city. Father would say that Nor’easterners often claimed they were the first to bring together all of the territories of the Northern Americas and establish a central government, and only they knew how to tame the Bad Lands that lay between them.
Breeze realized he was staring at Sally, as she looked on with mild contempt. He held out a hand. She didn’t offer hers.
“Yes, hello. Your name is Breeze. Got it the first time. What kind of name is that? Must be a desert thing. I’ve always heard stories about you people. Why does it have to be so hot out here?” Sally fanned herself and looked away.
“Well then, now that introductions have been made, I shall retire to my office. Much to do, as always.” Oslo turned and stepped out of the shade and onto the hot sands. Before Breeze could even voice a protest, the old man was halfway to the mangrove forest. He watched Oslo disappear into the forest and immediately felt lost and lonely. He didn’t want to be left alone with these two.
“Well then, Breeze, hope you brought your beach attire. We’re going for a swim.” Ray took off his shirt and kicked off his shoes, then turned to Sally, who gave him an icy stare. He held out a hand and she relented. She took off her sundress that revealed a one piece bathing suit. She reluctantly took his hand, and as they walked to the cove, she looked over her shoulder. “Well, are you coming?” she said to Breeze.
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br /> Breeze was about to say something, then thought better of it. He stripped down to his boxer shorts and stepped onto the broiling sand when he immediately began hopping from one foot to another. “Hot, hot, hot!”
Ray and Sally were already in the water when they turned to look at him.
“Hey, Breeze,” Ray called out, “Oslo said you can fly, why not just float up over the sand and into the water?”
“Not…quite…that…easy…for…me…ahhh!” Breeze exclaimed as he dashed into the water and cooled his feet. Breathing heavily, he bent over and rested his hands on his knees. “You see, for me to fly requires a lot of deep concentration. I really need to close my eyes to focus—”
“Fine.” Sally raised a hand and turned away.
Ray smirked as he led her into deeper water. Soon, they were swimming across the cove and toward the rock island.
Breeze followed hesitantly. He wasn’t much of a swimmer. Lakes and rivers were not that abundant where he was from. He waded into deeper water and felt the sand below shift under his feet. He winced every time he stepped on something sharp. He was up to his neck when a small wave washed over him. He had never been in salt water before and was stunned at how it burned his eyes and blinded him. Rubbing them only made it worse.
“Hey, desert boy, try these.” Ray hurled something toward him. It landed with a splash as Breeze reached out for it. It was a mask with a snorkel attached to it. He stared at the mask when he heard Sally call out to him. “Just put them on!”
He fumbled with the straps and placed the mask over his eyes, then put the snorkel in his mouth and breathed into it. He pushed off the bottom and doggy paddled into deeper water. The second he put his head down and looked through the clear blue water to the bottom, he froze in place.
Below him was a universe of life. Schools of fish of various shapes and colors flitted above the sandy bottom lined with ridges of coral and surrounded by sea fans waving gently with the current.
Ray and Sally were sitting on a rock with their feet dangling in the water. Ray watched Breeze with bemusement as Sally put her hair up. “So, what do you think of the new guy?”
Sally shrugged. “Whatever.” Then added, “He’s kind of cute. But—”
“Oh, he is? So what am I then?”
“Handsome, absolutely. Please, do you think I would even consider a guy like him? Catch some reality.”
Ray laughed. “Well, glad to hear it. I was worried there for a second that you were suddenly into desert rats.”
Sally shook her head and looked away, then slowly turned back to watch Breeze flopping around in the water. She hadn’t really known any other guy than Ray. She never really met any other type of guy than Ray. She, like him, came from a family of high achievers filled with condescension and arrogance that was an integral part of the culture and environment she was raised in. She had never known anyone outside of her family’s tight knit social circle.
She looked at Ray and realized the last thing she needed was to make him jealous and angry. He was the only link she had to home and it helped to make the island a little less lonely for her.
She did miss her home but her parents especially as she would often pull out her necklace that contained a locket. Opening it revealed a picture of her mother and father. Her father was a good man, and she wanted to believe she was especially close to her mother.
A wave of emotion swept over her. She closed her eyes and tried to grip the slippery rock she was sitting on. It felt like she was about to be flung off the rock island if she dared to let go. No sooner than it arrived, the feeling subsided and she opened her eyes. She stared across the cove and focused on a cluster of palms along the shoreline when a figure emerged from the forest.
It was a woman with long flowing hair, wearing a white dress. She stopped just shy of the water’s edge. Though she was quite a distance from Sally, she felt their eyes lock. Then the woman abruptly turned away and returned to the palm forest, fading from view.
Sally looked for Ray to tell him what she saw, and then hesitated. She already knew what he would say. He would dismiss her and tell her she was just seeing things. He always did.
She realized she had forgotten about Breeze. She scanned the bay, but he was nowhere to be found.
“Ray, where’s Breeze?”
“I don’t know. He probably swam to the other side. Why?” Ray was sprawled out on a rock with his eyes closed.
“Oh, just curious. Whatever.” She hoped her tone deflected suspicion from him as she continued searching.
Breeze had swum further out and toward the channel where the water plunged to an incredible depth. He was in rapture over the incredibly deep blue of the water and the fish and other creatures he saw became larger and more exotic the further out he went. He continued to drift until he could no longer see the bottom and noted how the water bent the sunlight into long shafts of white that descended to the depths. Breeze dipped below the surface and followed them. The moment he did the sounds of the ocean surrounded him. What began as a whisper grew into a myriad of voices. He felt he could hear every sea creature chattering away as they went about their business.
The sunlight from above faded the deeper he went and the blue of the ocean became ever more profound. He did notice how the temperature dropped as the warmth he experienced at the surface was slipping away.
He touched down on the sandy bottom and looked up at the surface. He could barely see the sun streaming through as its rays strained to penetrate the depths. He turned and watched as a group of bigger fish approached him out of curiosity. They stopped and stared at him while their gills billowed in and out, then they slowly swam around him for but a moment before disappearing into the depths.
He felt the sand suddenly moving under his feet and realized he was being dragged when he came to a stop at a coral ridge that sloped up to an incredible height. The number of fish that hovered over and around the coral was staggering, and their numbers seemed to increase with each passing second.
They swam down and swarmed about him in a maelstrom for several seconds before breaking away. That’s when he saw her.
He could barely see her face until her hair parted to reveal a pair of eyes above a button sized nose. She slowly emerged from the coral and was hesitant to come any closer. She smiled, and then turned away in embarrassment. She looked back to raise a hand to her chest and spoke in a voice that sounded like a distant whisper. “Just breathe.”
He nodded and took in a deep breath as air filled his lungs. He continued, feeling more invigorated with each breath. The girl smiled encouragingly and motioned for him to continue. He raised a hand and beckoned her to come closer. She smiled sweetly and took a hesitant step forward, then froze as panic spread across her face.
“Breathe,” she whispered and made a sweeping motion from her belly to her mouth.
Breeze nodded and mimicked her, sweeping his hands up to his face when he stopped and stared at them. Then he touched his face.
The girl shook her head vigorously while motioning to him to continue breathing. He wanted to obey her, but he couldn’t stop touching his face. Then it dawned upon him that he was no longer wearing his mask and snorkel. He became even more disturbed at the fact he was communicating with a girl underwater. He didn’t know how he could breathe, let alone hear her voice. He opened his mouth to speak and took in a lungful of saltwater.
The girl rushed to him, and then threw her hands up as he was immediately enveloped in a cloud of bubbles that rocketed him to the surface.
He broke through and took in a lungful of air as he choked and hacked. He flailed around until he regained his senses and was able to tread water. He reached up to touch his face and felt the mask. He tore it off to examine it, stunned as to how it could have reappeared. He looked up and saw the sun had dropped to the horizon and the light was fading
fast.
He realized he was drifting out into the ocean and began swimming back with an awkward doggy paddle, all the while wondering how he could have dived so deep with such little swimming experience. As he approached the rock island in the middle of the cove, he saw Sally and Ray frantically running up and down its edge. Ray then dove into the water and resurfaced several seconds later, then dove back down again while Sally anxiously peered over the edge and shouted his name.
Breeze began to wave and yell.
She saw him and waved back, then yelled at Ray and pointed as soon as he surfaced. He turned to look at Breeze and shook his head in disgust.
When Breeze arrived at the shoreline, Sally and Ray were there to meet him and bombarded him with questions before he could even get out of the water.
“Where were you? Have you been swimming this whole time? Do you have any idea how late it is? We’ve been looking for you!” Sally was in a rage, as she went from relief upon seeing him to outright anger.
Breeze crawled out of the water and stood up. “You wouldn’t believe it! I dove and saw a girl down there!” He told them of his encounter.
Sally’s anger subsided as she listened intently, but Ray held up a hand and cut him off.
“You’re insane. No one can dive that deep and hold their breath for that long. And now you’re saying a girl was talking to you while underwater? Right, and while you’re at it, you can also tell us an even bigger lie about how you’ve got some girl waiting for you at home. Listen, desert boy, you put a real fright into Sally, and I don’t appreciate it. She had me running around like a moron looking for you.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her away. “Come on, it’s getting late and we need to head back.”
Sally protested. “Ray, I saw someone earlier on the shoreline. I—”
“Probably just personnel who work here. Let’s go,” he said and together they waded into the water and began swimming. Sally stopped to look at Breeze with eyes that seemed to convey she could relate to him about what he experienced, but it was for a fleeting moment as she turned away to continue swimming.
Breeze Corinth (Book 1): Sky Shatter Page 11
