Oslo pounded the door frame with his fist. “Damn it woman! Why do you always make my head spin in circles? Why do you not ever tell me what I really should be doing?”
“Because, my dear man, you already have that power. You do not need me. You need to start trusting yourself and not be afraid to make mistakes, for there is much to be learned from them.”
Oslo clenched his jaw. He stared at Kera for a moment, then turned his back to her and walked out.
“What about Nina?” Kera called out to him.
He didn’t answer.
TWELVE
BREEZE WAS AWASH IN a cloud full of static as his eyes opened and he stared blankly ahead at the instrument display. Needles were spinning wildly as vid-screens shimmered with white noise. He rubbed his eyes and sat up straight in his seat. He toggled the helm, but it gave no response.
He flipped and pushed switches and buttons, but nothing responded to his commands. He tried to concentrate but he felt so disconnected from everything. It felt as if he had been asleep for a hundred years.
He looked out the canopy and saw brilliant white clouds flow past like a river, then looked back at his instruments and was relieved to see them coming back to life. The altimeter stopped gyrating and vid-screens flickered and began displaying relevant data.
He leaned a little closer to the nav-screen and was surprised at how far he had traveled. The coordinates showed the ship was crossing over the Great Rocky mountain range.
Just a bit further to the west, and I’ll be crossing into Desert Country. Almost home.
Home. He began to wonder what that meant. After all that he saw and the people he met, he began to wonder if he could ever really return home. At Perihelion he was free to fly at a whim, with no one to tell him otherwise. Back home, he would be restricted again to flying at night.
Funny, such a wide open space the desert is, and yet I have to fly under the cover of darkness. At Perihelion, I could fly day and night. In the middle of the lifeless desert, I can’t do anything. In the middle of the ocean, I was free to do whatever.
The ocean is also a desert, but with its life underneath, he heard a whisper came from the back of his mind.
He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. So tired, just want to go home.
The ship rocked violently as warning alarms whooped. Breeze gripped his seat harness as the ship spun like a whirlwind. Through the canopy, he could see the contrasting view of blue sky followed by white clouds until it all became a blur.
The ship was rocked by another impact. The canopy glass cracked as a massive fissure snaked across it. Breeze looked around to find the source of the attacks, but the intense gravitational pull from the flat spin made it difficult for him to move.
A black streak rushed across the path of the ship creating a wall of turbulence that the ship slammed into.
The canopy shattered and rained shards of glass upon him while the roar of the slipstream overwhelmed his senses. He tried to breathe, but couldn’t, as the air rushed by him too fast to even catch a breath. He heard alarms shrilling in the background as his seat rocketed out of the cockpit with a mighty blast.
Suspended in the air for a moment, high above the clouds and strapped to his seat, he watched his sleek black ship pinwheel across the sky and disappear into the clouds before he dropped like a brick to earth below, when a violent jerking motion arrested his descent. He looked up as a parachute deployed, unfurling itself completely before settling with a loud snap as the canvas stretched itself taut. The lines securing it to the seat creaked from the strain.
As he floated down, he couldn’t understand why the seat didn’t separate from him. This isn’t right. What kind of ejection seat is this? Unless it’s malfunctioning.
He was startled by a black streak that whipped past at a blistering speed, and the turbulence it created swung him and the ejection seat like a bell, while below mountain peaks revealed themselves as he broke through the clouds
He shivered violently as shock combined with the freezing air began to take its toll. He knew he was either going to crash into the snow packed mountains or get hit by the fast moving black streak. He needed to break free from his seat and parachute if he was going to survive.
He fumbled with the harness as he desperately tried to find a way to cut loose from the cumbersome chair.
He never imagined a scenario like this: a flier at the mercy of a parachute to save him.
As he scrambled to find the release lever, he caught a sweeping motion from the corner of his eye. He turned to see several black streaks hurtling his way.
He was mesmerized by their precision formation as he groped for the release lever when he yelled in fear as a figure in black suddenly appeared before him. It matched his rate of descent while pointing at the top of his ejection seat, before turning and racing toward the oncoming black streaks.
Breeze was stunned by what just transpired, but snapped out of it and reached up and felt a pair of loops. He pulled down on them and the seat broke away. He shouted with a mixture of fear and joy as the parachute was better able to slow his descent now that it was free of the bulky and heavy seat.
Below, the snowcapped mountains rose up to greet him and he was seconds away from crashing into them. He remembered seeing free fallers in Conception use the lines attached to their parachutes to steer through the air and decided to try it himself. He jerked on one line which sent him veering hard to the right. He yanked on the opposite line and he careened to the left.
He steered the parachute as he tried to avoid a mountain looming below. He hoped he could just skim over the entire mountain range and land in a wooded area, until he looked at the horizon and saw how the mountains stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions.
He was too afraid to break free of the parachute and try to fly on his own. He spotted a valley below and aimed for it.
He then remembered the black streaks and looked up. Two were rapidly approaching him.
Sally and Ray looked out the windows of their transport. The ship maintained a steady speed as it skimmed the surface while racing up and down mountains and valleys.
Sally was becoming nauseous from the way the ship was flying and complained to Ray about it. He told her the flying pattern was to avoid detection.
“Detection from whom? What’s going on?” she asked him.
“Nothing. Just a safety precaution, I suppose,” he replied with a half-hearted shrug and looked away.
Ray then began to think about her question. Why was the ship trying to avoid detection?
When he was finally able to get in contact with his father, he assured his son that everything was fine back home, but it was important that he return immediately. His father admitted that sending him to Perihelion was an error in judgment on his part and whatever concerns that might have existed regarding his safety at Greenbrier were overblown.
Ray told his father about the fog, and how difficult it was to communicate with anybody on the outside, let alone travel. His father then informed him that he knew how to drop the island’s defense field. Through a series of communiqués, he received the codes needed to negate the fog for a brief period so he could leave with a transport. He also emphasized to Ray the importance of convincing Sally she was to come along also. And if she resisted, bring her by force if needed.
Ray chuckled. She sure didn’t need any convincing.
“But raise the fog after your departure so that the others cannot leave. It is for the best,” his father added, “that you not inform Oslo of your plans. I can only say the reason for being so clandestine is that I fear Oslo may not be that man we thought he was. Nevertheless, follow my instructions to the letter and come home now.”
Ray didn’t need to ask any more questions. His father was a military man and he trusted him. He knew that Breeze would be
trapped behind the fog, but he didn’t really care about his teammate’s fate. He had Sally, and that was all that mattered to him.
He watched over her as she slept throughout most of the journey. Now and then he would dare himself to hold her hand or brush the hair from her face. Father had said she would be his and they would start a family.
“But I think she doesn’t like me,” he once said to his father in a moment of despair.
Father grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him gently. “Persevere, son, and endure. She will come around. She will eventually submit to you and be your bride. This I assure you.”
Ray smiled as he fell asleep. He thought of how he would do his father proud the day he would marry Sally. She would bear him sons. It was going to be a good life.
He awoke abruptly when the destination reminder chimed throughout the ship, letting them now they had crossed into the North Eastern territories. He turned to look at Sally. She was still asleep.
He got up and headed into the pilothouse. He stepped inside and saw the ship was flying flawlessly on auto pilot. He scanned the various vid-screens, but couldn’t see anything of concern. It was flying steady and on course.
He was about to return to the passenger compartment when a flash of light on the horizon caught his eye. He peered out the cockpit windscreen, where just above and beyond the mountain range that rimmed the valley where his home lay, he saw a distinctive orange glow.
He scanned the vid-screens again. Not seeing anything of concern, he shrugged his shoulders and was about to leave when the screens flashed then flickered out, followed by a hissing sound that filled the cockpit.
He grabbed a pair of headphones and plugged into the comm system. All channels were filled with static. He tried every frequency he knew, but to no avail. He couldn’t reach his father. He couldn’t reach anyone.
No matter, we’re almost home. Have to check on Sally.
He descended from the pilot house and back to the passenger compartment where Sally was awake.
“Why is it taking so long? Are we almost there yet?” she said as she put up her hair.
“We’ve just crossed into the North Eastern Territories and we’re almost to Olympica. We’re in safe country now and the ship will accelerate, you’ll see. No more flying close to the ground and going up and down mountains.” He didn’t want to alarm her by mentioning the fiery glow in the distance.
“Do you think I can contact my parents? It would be nice to let them we’re coming back,” she said in such a sweet and innocent way that it broke his heart.
“Well, Sally, I’m not so sure about that,” it pained him to say to her.
“What’s wrong now?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Other than the comm unit is down.”
“Again? Are you sure? How come nothing seems to work around here?”
Ray didn’t answer. He leaned closer to the window and his face turned into a sheet of white.
Sally saw his expression and turned to look. She screamed.
They were approaching the outskirts of their city of Olympica where their eyes were greeted by a devastated landscape racked by explosions and filled with burning buildings.
“Ray, what’s happening? Tell me?”
“Sally, listen, it’s going to be okay—”
The ship’s lights flickered as the engines warbled and whined, when the vessel began to buck wildly as it ascended and descended erratically before finally leveling out.
Ray fled to the pilot house with Sally close behind him. They dashed up the steps and toward the cockpit where they found vid-screens flickering erratically, dials and gauges spinning wildly. Outside the cockpit windows, a scrolling landscape of fire and destruction was spread out before them in a panoramic vision.
Oslo hopped out of his hover and strode toward the marina with his satchel slung across his chest. He stepped onto the floating bridge that led to the docks when he heard the whine of a hover from behind. He turned and saw Excort tumble out of his rusty hover and dash toward him. In all of his years at Perihelion, he never saw the dwarf run so fast.
“Oslo, wait!” Excort shouted as he dashed across the bridge and met him halfway. “What is the meaning of this? You have Mila and I up in arms over opening up the island, then you bring students for training and experience a few little mishaps, and you turn tail and leave?”
Oslo waved him off and continued across the bridge. He could see his sailing ship at the far end of the dock with its mast towering into the early morning skies.
“The weather is looking more toward my favor. I need to set off and take advantage of the winds,” Oslo said as he walked away.
Excort bounded after the tall man. He grabbed his arm and flung him around. “No! This is not meant to be.”
Oslo leaned over him and snorted. “Do you honestly think there would be a different outcome? Funny, were you not the one who was rock solid against my vision in the first place, ja? You were right, Excort, right all along. Bringing them here was foolish. I’m leaving. It’s over. Tell your wife thank you, along with my humblest apologies for the disturbance. The two of you can return to your peace and quiet, for I will not disturb either of you with my delusions of grandeur any more. The world has changed. For the worst, but so be it. Perhaps it is for the best.”
Excort growled. “I know I wasn’t exactly supportive of you, this I agree. But you have opened up my eyes, Ole, for I also remember a better world. Don’t forget, I am much older than you.”
Oslo laughed. “Ah, the seniority card! Nice play, old boy. I’m still leaving.”
Excort stepped in front of him. “Oslo, I sense they are in danger. You should have never let them leave.”
Oslo froze. “Yes, I had to ice the veins to my heart to keep me from going after them. But they should return to their families and prepare for whatever destruction may come their way.”
“You are willing to let them die?”
Oslo shook his head. “Willing? No. But I must accept the consequences of my actions. Had I let things be, I would not have stirred and awakened the Elephim. I can only hope that they destroy just a handful of cities as punishment. I know they are weak, but they are still strong enough to continue their dominion over this world. Let them have it. I wish to go home and sleep.”
Oslo turned and continued to his boat.
“You are a coward, Ole Auken. Go and slink back to your winter home with your frozen heart!”
Oslo kept walking. “Your words are true, but carry no import for me, my friend. I made a mistake and will have to pay the price.”
“We all do!” Excort roared at him.
Oslo stopped dead in his tracks, and then turned to the dwarf. “Yes, and I’m sorry, but this will blow over, you’ll see. I have reason to believe they will survive whatever the fates may throw their way.” He pulled his sleeve back to reveal a control pad on his wrist. “I will temporarily deactivate a portion of the fog so I may slip through. From then on, I swear to you I will not come back. For anything. Goodbye.”
He turned and stepped onto his boat.
“And Nina?”
Oslo griped the helm and grimaced. “I was never really there for her, and she is more attached to you and Mila. I have caused enough pain. Let her stay here in peace.” He leaned over and unraveled rope from the cleats that lashed the vessel to the dock, then activated the vessel’s electric motor as Excort stood and watched as his friend motored out of the bay until he faded into the horizon.
Breeze gritted his teeth as the black streaks raced towards him. He fumbled with the harness until he found the release lanyard and gripped it tightly. Off to his side he saw yet another black streak coming toward him. He steeled his nerves.
Just as they were about to strike him, he yanked on the lanyard and broke free from the chute. The bla
ck streaks impacted the billowing canvas and entangled themselves in the thick and heavy lines attached to the chute. They fought wildly to free themselves as they careened across the sky.
Breeze willed himself to fly, but couldn’t. The rush of air stung his eyes as he flailed away with his arms and legs as he plummeted to the valley floor when he felt something grab his legs and was stunned to see the same black clad figure from before. Its face swirled with points of light that reminded Breeze of stars as it chopped its hand into the air, and then pointed forward. Breeze cried out as the black clad figure then flung him and he was sent hurtling across the sky. He felt a surge of energy rush through his body as his shield raised itself and enveloped him. He wasn’t sure what the creature did to him, but he was flying.
He steadied his nerves and focused on his steering, as he had descended below the deck level of the mountain peaks and had to swerve to avoid them. He dropped into a canyon and navigated its twisting course through the mountains, all the while trying to remember what Oslo had taught him about flight control. He maintained his breathing as he willed himself to ascend.
He steadily achieved altitude when he was rocked by a wave of turbulence as twin black streaks shot past him. He wobbled violently as he struggled to retain control when he began to roll, slowly at first, then faster and faster until he became disoriented as the horizon spun before him. Up ahead, he could make out the outlines of mountain with a peak that disappeared into the clouds. He was on a collision course for it and he couldn’t break free of his trajectory.
Ray slipped into the pilot’s seat and tried to take control of the helm. Sally stood behind him and gripped the headrest as she stared out the window in disbelief, when the ship began to shudder and the engines warbled and whined.
“I don’t know what’s happening! All the screens are going static. We have to land. Now!” Ray declared.
Sally nodded and sat in the jump seat behind him. She buckled in as Ray reached for his harness.
Breeze Corinth (Book 1): Sky Shatter Page 26
