“The past is the past. Let it go!”
Oslo stood up with his fists tightly clenched. His eyes were wide and his voice trembled when he spoke. “The past is the future. What has happened before will happen again. This time, I will be ready.”
Excort stood up. “You’ve finally said something that makes sense.” He turned and walked away. “Yes, I’m being facetious,” he called out as he left the office.
Oslo sat back down and did his best to compose himself. He was not used to displays of emotion. He picked up his reports and stared at them with dull eyes. He could feel himself fading as papers fell out of his hands when he leaned back in his chair.
He opened his eyes and was greeted by the morning light streaming through the windows. He had slept at his desk all through the night. He stood up abruptly and straightened his jacket, severely annoyed with himself. Routine was something he liked and stuck to it like a clock. Going to bed at a certain time and getting up at the crack of dawn was a ritual for him. But lately, sleep was something he was getting less of, and the strain was showing.
He stepped out onto the balcony. The sea breeze greeted him and helped to clear his head. He looked out across the bay and saw the waters were smooth with a light chop. He gazed toward the marina and saw that Excort had a trimaran repaired and ready for sea trial. Her hulls gleamed as she gently bobbed up and down in the water with a mast that towered into the sky. That’s when the idea struck him.
He went back to his desk and activated the intercom, forgetting to clear his throat first. After coughing several times, he excused himself, then announced: “Students, please assemble at the marina after breakfast. That is all.”
He settled back into his chair where he caught that gaze of his sailor man lamp that sat perched on his desk. “Well old boy, time to help them get their sea legs,” he said to it.
The three students loitered around the docks of the marina waiting for Oslo to arrive.
Ray wiped his brow. “I feel like I’m at summer camp back when I was a kid. Only here it’s so much hotter. It feels like the sun has dropped down and it’s hanging over our heads!” He looked at Breeze. “But then again, this heat is no big deal for you.”
“Yeah, in fact it is. I’m used to a dry heat, not this humidity,” Breeze replied and walked away. He wouldn’t let Ray’s taunts get to him. There was nothing he could ever do to earn Ray’s or Sally’s respect. They were going to look down on him regardless.
He approached the trimaran that was tied up to the dock. He had never seen anything like it before except in vids and pictures. As much as he loved aerocraft, boats were exotic to him. He would often skip class and hide in the city library in Conception to research everything about them, as he did with so many other subjects that piqued his interests.
The vessel before him had three hulls parallel to each other with six feet of space between them. The center hull was the widest and the outer hulls, called outriggers, were narrow. They provided the vessel with the stability it needed to keep it from heeling over and flipping. Connecting beams ran from the center hull to the outriggers. A trampoline was stretched over the center hull and the outriggers, allowing its crew to easily traverse from one side of the vessel to the other.
“Trimarans are great for speed and they can’t be beat. My father has one. He takes Sally and I sailing all the time, it’s a blast,” Ray said as he stood next to Breeze. “You’ve never been on one of these I bet.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Never have.” Breeze stepped away.
“It’s probably too much excitement for you. Your dad probably doesn’t really do anything exciting with you.”
“No, not really. He lets me use his air foil to soar up high into the clouds, and then drop down and buzz the mountaintops around our house. No big deal.”
“Whatever. You’re dealing with the ocean. Big difference. This is my domain,” Ray boasted.
“Ray, can’t you just back down, even for a minute?” Sally said.
Breeze retorted. “Don’t need you to stick up for me, Sally. I can handle this on my own.” No sooner did he say the words that he regretted them.
Sally stared at him, and then looked away.
“Sally, what I meant—” Breeze began to say, but she wasn’t listening and she went out of her way to ignore him.
“It looks just like your father’s boat, doesn’t it?” Sally said as she took Ray’s hand.
Ray nodded, prattling on about the speed and performance of the vessel. Sally turned to grab a quick look at Breeze, and then returned her attention to Ray.
Oslo arrived with Excort in tow. “Good morning students!” he boomed. “I’ve assembled you here today to—”
“It’s hot out here and it’s early in the morning. Can we go back to the dorms?” Sally interrupted as she waved her hand in front of her face in a vain attempt to cool herself.
“Ms. Trumbull, this is a school. Class is in session. Please do not blurt out statements and questions when you feel the need to. Be so kind as to raise a hand, and then wait to be called on. Show some discipline, ja?” Oslo said in a quiet and dignified tone.
Sally sighed, and then raised her hand.
“Ah, Ms. Trumbull. A question?”
“Yes, can we go back inside?”
“No. Now students, pay attention. This school is more than just class work and training sessions. We can actually have fun too.”
“Finally!” Sally exclaimed.
“Sally, what did we talk about earlier? About living up to the high standards you were taught at Greenbrier? Was that for nothing?”
“Sorry sir. Won’t happen again,” Sally said in a hushed tone.
“Don’t try to be something that you’re not. I know that your session with Kera was a bit unsettling for you. Never mind that. We will sit down later and discuss it further. For now, concentrate on the task at hand.”
Sally’s face reddened. “How did you know?”
“I’m the headmaster and administrator, I should know what’s going on. As I said, we’ll talk later. Now,” Oslo pointed to the vessel, “this is today’s assignment. An exercise in teamwork. An opportunity to mesh together as a team through sailing. A symphony of man and machine working together to tame the elements!”
Excort groaned as Oslo turned to glare at him.
The dwarf looked away and began massaging his back with his hands. “I think I pulled a muscle fixing a generator in one of the electrical buildings. I’m going to the infirmary for some pain relievers. Give me a shout if you need any help. Much later, of course.”
“Of course,” Oslo responded tersely as he watched Excort leave.
“Very good. Now hopefully without any further interruptions, let us focus on the trimaran.” Oslo pointed at the vessel. “Class, let’s step aboard and begin your orientation.”
They clambered up the portable stairs and onto the deck of the craft. Ray and Sally seemed right at home as they immediately pointed out the various components of the ship.
Breeze climbed aboard and felt a sense of queasiness. The wind was picking up and the boat began to rock up and down from the choppy waters. He grabbed a railing to steady himself.
Oslo smiled at Breeze. “You’ll get your sea legs, young man. One day at a time.”
“Yes, sir.” He gripped the railing a little tighter.
With Ray’s help, Oslo demonstrated the basic skills needed to operate the ship. “Breeze, you’re the one with virtually no experience in ship handling. Here are the basics; the front of the ship is called the bow—”
“Sir, don’t mean to be rude, but I know. The front is called the bow, and the back of the boat,” he turned to point “is called the stern. To the right is starboard, the left is port. Don’t forget, I came from a town that builds aerocraft. It’s the same concept.”
Oslo nodded. “Of course you know. What I’m trying to say is that you lack ship handling skills required for watercraft. It will be quite an experience for you. Anyhow, Ray is the designated captain. Obviously his years of experience with sailing makes him the reasonable choice. You two,” he pointed at Sally and Breeze, “are the crewmen. Follow his orders, but never forget; you’re a team. This will be a great experience for all of you. I just know it.”
Oslo closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, then slowly opened them and looked around. “Yes, a good sailing day indeed.” He clapped his hand together. “Take your posts!” he called out, and then stepped off the trimaran. He removed the lines from the cleats that held the vessel to the dock and pushed it away.
Breeze and Sally took their respective sides of the trimaran. Breeze was on the port side, Sally on starboard.
Ray had activated the auxiliary engine and was grinning from ear to ear as he stood at the helm, deftly steering the vessel out of the marina.
Breeze watched as Ray skillfully maneuvered past several sunken craft that littered the channel leading to the bay. He admired Ray’s confidence as it was something that he had always wanted to do. He looked over at Sally who was gazing at Ray with a smile.
“Feels like we’re back home!” Ray called out to her.
She nodded in agreement. Her smile seemed to grow brighter by the moment until she turned and caught Breeze’s eye. She frowned and looked away.
Breeze sighed and turned his attention to the horizon. The wind was picking up and the waves were growing in intensity. He could see a storm was brewing on the horizon and he began to wonder why he was even here. The feeling of being out of place grew every day.
The trimaran exited the channel and motored into the bay. Ray barked out commands as Breeze and Sally worked together to unfurl the sails. They pulled lines through shackles and winches that raised the jib, the lead sail located off the bow, which was quickly followed by the raising of the mainsail that trailed behind it and the largest sail on the vessel, up the mast. The sails were bright red with streamers attached to their trailing edge that let the captain know the direction the wind was blowing. The trimaran leaned to starboard as the wind caught the sails and Ray cut the engines. The wind gusted and the trimaran heeled hard to starboard as it sliced through the waves.
Sally and Breeze held onto the railings while they lay on the trampolines as the wind lifted the center hull and port outrigger high into the air.
Ray let out a whoop. “Feels like just home!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Breeze looked back at Ray and a feeling of dread come over him as the joy on his face seemed to mask something malevolent. The towering white clouds behind him were swollen with rain and turning darker by the second, framing Ray in a sinister portrait.
They made numerous runs across the bay with each pass growing in speed and intensity. Waves became taller as ferocious winds whipped across the trimaran.
Ray yelled out commands and was oblivious to the deteriorating weather while Sally and Breeze were quickly becoming exhausted as they tried their best to follow his instructions and work the lines. The heat of the sun and the salt spray were quickly taking their toll as they scrambled from one side of the trimaran to the other, and doing their best not to trip, when the sky exploded behind the vessel with a crack of thunder.
They all looked to see an ominous line of clouds rapidly approaching the trimaran as lightning arced through it like a thread that laced them together.
Breeze pointed toward the storm and called out to Ray. “Time to head back, we’re pretty exposed out here!”
If Ray heard, he didn’t seem to acknowledge or care. He gripped the helm tightly while staring straight ahead, his eyes narrowing as if he was searching for something.
“Ray!” Sally shouted above the roar of the wind. “Let’s head back to port. The weather is getting ugly.”
Ray waved them off angrily and pointed to a starboard winch. “Tighten up that sail, let’s pick up some more speed!”
The trimaran hit a wave that washed over the deck with violent force. Sally was sitting close to the railing and took the brunt of it. She screamed at Ray, but he didn’t seem to care, which immediately touched off a shouting match between them.
Breeze watched as they argued. He knew a bad storm when he saw one as dust storms and torrential rain were no strangers to the desert. He couldn’t imagine that it would be any different on the ocean.
He headed toward the cockpit where Ray steered the boat, and made the mistake of looking down through the mesh of the trampoline at the fast moving water that flowed past the center hull. He looked away and swallowed his fear, he had to concentrate and get to the cockpit.
As he drew closer to Ray, he knew by the look on his face there would be no reasoning with him. He had seen his father deal with enough pilots to recognize arrogance when it presented itself. They could not be told what to do and were unwilling to accept any meaningful advice, no matter how valuable it was. The need to go faster and higher was a drug that altered their perception of reality and they would not allow anyone to get in their way to acquire it. Breeze saw that in Ray, with the thousand mile stare on his face, and the white knuckled grip on the helm, oblivious to the danger he was bringing upon himself and others.
Breeze arrived at the cockpit just as the trimaran hit a wave that sent the bow pitching up wildly, then crashing back down with a vicious crack that raised a wall of spray that drenched everyone. The visibility was rapidly dropping as peals of thunder grew in intensity.
“Ray, we have to turn around now! This is getting really bad!” Breeze shouted.
Ray jabbed a finger at him. “Get back to your station! Now! You follow my orders.”
Another wave sent the bow of the trimaran high into the air as a sheet of water flooded the deck. Ray laughed maniacally as he leaned over to winch the mainsail in even tighter. He roared in triumph as the vessel heeled hard to starboard, causing the port outrigger to rise up dangerously into the air. At mid-ship along the starboard side, Sally was clutching the trampoline and shrieking in fear as water rushed past her dangling feet.
“Ray, turn back now!” Breeze shouted and lunged to grab the helm.
Ray punched Breeze in the face, sending him sprawling to the deck.
He shook off the sting to his jaw and looked up. Ray was looming over him.
“My ship. My command. My responsibility. Do as you’re told and get back to your station!” Ray said menacingly.
“So much for a team building exercise,” Breeze quipped as he grabbed a railing and pulled himself back up.
Ray gripped the helm. “Yeah, team building. And I’m the leader. Who else is it going to be?”
The trimaran hit a wave that sent the vessel pitching up to an extreme angle. Breeze could see a wide expanse of the storm filled sky as the mast was virtually parallel to the water. The bow came crashing down hard and plowed into a wave, forcing the stern of the vessel to lift up slightly. The bow quickly rose up after being submerged and the trimaran leveled itself out.
Breeze strained to find Sally amidst the chaos. He could barely make out a silhouette of her sprawled out on the trampoline. The storm had completely enveloped them as lightning grew in intensity accompanied by the booming thunder.
Breeze knew nothing was going to get done unless he took control. But he wasn’t sure of himself as he never steered a sailing craft before and didn’t want to get into another fight with Ray over the helm, and there was no radio on board the vessel to call for help. That’s when the inspiration hit him.
Jumping out of the cockpit and back onto the trampoline, he picked his way across the cluttered deck toward Sally. Salt spray flew everywhere while the trimaran raced at incredible speeds as the port outrigger rose up to a sharp angle, making it easier for Breeze to
slide down to get to her. Over the booming thunder he could hear Ray shouting commands. He ignored him and slid down the trampoline where he found Sally shivering and crying while hanging onto a rope that was meshed into a cleat on the deck with the fast moving water dangerously close to her feet.
“Sally, it’s okay, I’m going for help,” Breeze said as he crawled to her and pulled her close.
She shivered in his arms. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him. I’m scared, Breeze. He won’t listen.”
“I know, I already tried. He’s lost it.”
Lightning flashed followed by an explosion of thunder. Sally cried out as she buried her face into Breeze’s chest. He leaned over to shield her.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said and cradled her face in his hands, “I’m going to fly back to shore and get Oslo. I’m sure he has another boat to rescue you.”
“Don’t you leave me!” she wailed. “Take me with you!”
“I can’t. I’ve never flown with someone before. I don’t even know if I can take off in this weather.”
The bow of the trimaran crashed into another steep wave sending them both sprawling across the trampoline towards the bow. Breeze grabbed Sally’s hand as she almost plunged into the fast moving water.
Breeze hauled her close and held her tightly as whatever sore feelings he had for her seemed to melt away.
She threw her arms around him. “Just stay! Don’t leave me! Something will rescue us,” she said.
No sooner did the words leave her lips, the trimaran smashed into a wave that was too immense for the high speed vessel to cut through. The center hull and the starboard outrigger submerged beneath the water and forced it to flip forward.
They were all flung out of the vessel. Breeze couldn’t tell the difference between the sky and the ocean as they flew through the air amidst a tangle of rope and sail. He could hear the hull of the trimaran groaning and the mast cracking from the sudden force of impact.
He hit the water and quickly sank. As he descended into the blackness of the bay, he found himself in world that was eerily quiet and far removed from the flashes and booms of lightning and thunder above.
Breeze Corinth (Book 1): Sky Shatter Page 19
