Ice Phoenix

by Sulin Young

  “Finally!” she huffed. “I was about to place a call for you two!”

  “Sorry, we didn’t mean to be late,” said the elephant, his face full of genuine remorse. His ears flapped. The lady’s expression softened.

  “At least you are not the last ones,” she said. Her face scrunched up and she pointed at the deck below, from where they had just come. “He is!”

  Terrana and the elephant peered over the junk’s rail and saw a fair boy running across the platform. He was extremely agile, leaping lightly over luggage vans and people. He landed on one of the orange discs, and in no time he was standing next to them looking as relaxed as a turtle on a beach. He was a head taller than Terrana, with long silver hair tied back loosely. His long eyes were of the palest green, and he had pointy ears. When he smiled, Terrana’s heart went thump and she found herself blushing.

  “Hello, Mrs. Baldy!” he said. “I bet you were worried about me!”

  “It’s Balda!” snapped the lady. “A second later and I would have pulled the plank!”

  “What? And leave your favourite entertainment behind? Mrs. Balda, your life would be so boring without me.”

  Terrana could tell he was truly incorrigible.

  “Get!” barked Mrs. Balda. “All of you. Get to your cabins!”

  Not knowing where to go, Terrana just followed the little elephant as he led her down below deck. The fair boy had run off somewhere, probably to search for his friends.

  Going down the stairs for Terrana was like diving into the sea. A new and exciting world opened up to her. Never before had she seen so many races converge in one place, walking, crawling or flying about excitedly as they headed to their cabins. Many of them were older students who seemed at home on the junk, while the younger ones looked just as lost and open-mouthed as she was. A few of them gave her strange looks, but for the most part they ignored her.

  The junk was spacious and elegant, reminding her of houses from the Japanese Edo era on Earth. Her father had shown her a book of architecture once, and the ship was typical of the wooden structures with sliding paper doors.

  The elephant came to a sudden halt, causing Terrana to nearly trip over him. He seemed rather dismayed. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mikin Daxtia. I’m from Nipponia.”

  “Terrana Lee … Ondur.” Saying Baneyon’s last name was strange but, if she wanted to fit in with the rest of the students from UWIB, she had to use it. “Thank you, for bringing me here.”

  “It was no problem at all,” said Mikin, looking embarrassed. His little trunk wriggled and Terrana could have sworn he turned a shade of red. She smiled. He was adorable! She wanted to wrap her arms around him and squeeze him tightly but she didn’t think he’d appreciate that.

  “Is this your first year at Minda Yerra?”

  Terrana nodded.

  His face brightened. “Since we’re both first years, maybe we’re in the same cabin. Let’s check our tickets.” He pulled out a shiny white coin from his pocket and rubbed it. A tiny projection of the junk appeared and an automated voice spoke.

  “Deck E, cabin five. Seat J. Occupation eight out of ten.”

  Mikin’s face fell. “That’s the bottom deck. It’s always the last place to be served and the view isn’t great either. Which seat did you get?”

  As Terrana removed a blue coin from her pocket, Mikin’s eyes widened in amazement. “You have a blue coin? B-but how?”

  Before she could answer, an attendant swooped down on them. “Oi you! Nipponian! You need to be in your cabin now!”

  He was the strangest Pophusian Terrana had ever seen; thin and gawky, with the biggest, purple afro tied in two large knots over his head. It didn’t help that he was wearing a bright orange bodysuit either.

  “Just … just going,” stammered Mikin. He looked at Terrana. “I hope we can meet later.”

  “Likewise,” said Terrana. She felt a little sad as she watched him disappear down the stairs. He had been the first person to befriend her.

  “Miss, allow me to escort you to your cabin,” said the attendant politely. He even performed a cursory bow.

  “Oh, I’m not sure which cabin I’m supposed to be in. I didn’t rub my coin yet.”

  “Not to worry, Miss Ondur. Blue coins register with us as soon as you board. I shall lead you to your cabin.” He led her back to the stairs, and on their way up they encountered the fair boy she had seen earlier. He looked at her in surprise, noticing the blue coin in her hand. He whistled as they passed by, watching them as they headed to the top.

  Terrana found herself back on the top deck once more, staring at the main mast and sails.

  “Erm, shouldn’t I be down below in one of the cabins?”

  “No, Miss Ondur. Your cabin is on the forecastle deck up there.” He pointed towards the front of the junk and she found herself looking at an observatory-type area, constructed from opaque glass.

  “How, how many students are in there?”

  “Why, none, Miss Ondur. You have the deck all to yourself.”

  “All, all to myself?”

  “Naturally, Miss Ondur. This way, if you please.”

  They ascended the polished wooden steps to the forecastle and went into the observatory dome through a sliding door. From the moment she stepped in, Terrana found herself basking in the folds of luxury.

  There was a whirlpool in the middle of the room, large enough to fit ten people. Pods hung from the ceiling, customisable to any body shape or size, to function as seats. There was a bar to the right, complete with pods for patrons. She also noticed transparent circular discs tucked neatly into each pod. She pointed at them.

  “What are those?”

  “Sensory pads, Miss Ondur. Simply place them close to your receptive organs, in this case, your temples next to your eyes and ears is preferable, and you will have a virtual helmet.”

  “Virtual helmet? For what?”

  “To provide entertainment. You may wish to view movies, play games, listen to music or, you can explore what the others are doing by going into the simulated meeting rooms. The more vigorous passengers can stand on the gaming simulation pad.” He pointed to a grey area on the floor to the left of the whirlpool. “If you enjoy combat games that require extreme physical movement, that is where you act it out. Very realistic.”

  “Oh.” She wondered what he meant by extreme physical movement and planned to try out the gaming simulation pad later. Beyond the pool, she could see right out into the sky, and it was fascinating to watch the cars and ships whizzing by.

  “Will I be able to see outside throughout the trip?”

  “Yes, Miss Ondur. Or if you prefer, you can choose to open the blinds on the ceiling. Naturally, they’ll shut automatically should we encounter solar flares or pass through reflective zones.”

  “Oh.”

  “Any request you have, Kazu will help you.”

  “Who’s Kazu?”

  “I am the ship’s computer. Any request you may have, simply ask and I will assist.” Terrana jumped. The voice sounded as if it came from an older man.

  “Kazu speaks and translates two hundred and forty languages common to UWIB,” said the attendant. “I shall leave you now as we must prepare for takeoff. Enjoy your trip, Miss Ondur.” He bowed again and exited through the sliding door, leaving her alone.

  The first thing she did was to run over to the far end of the cabin to look out. Aside from the hover cars and smaller ships flying by, she could also make out little islands that drifted on their constant path around the city. Some were private residences, others were parks filled with playing children and adults. There was a sudden lurch and Terrana looked towards the docking bay to see the final chain on the junk being released. They were moving!

  A voice rang out. “This is the captain speaking. Welcome aboard Dartkala’s Arrow. As you all may have noticed, we are now departing Pophusia and will be exiting the planet’s atmosphere in ten minutes. During this ti
me, you are requested to remain seated in your cabins until a further announcement. Enjoy your journey. Thank you.”

  That was it. No seatbelt sign. No demonstration on emergency procedures. Terrana snuggled into one of the pods next to the window, and for the next ten minutes she did nothing but stare out as the junk sailed through the sky. After a while she could no longer see anything but clouds, and she began to wonder whether they had reached the outer edge of the atmosphere.

  Weeerrrring! There it was, the sound of the sails spreading out. Her heart thumping excitedly, she jumped out of her pod and ran towards the entrance door. She couldn’t miss this. The junk was making its transition into the In-Between. It was transforming. Her whole body trembled as she watched the sails spread slowly across the entire deck, like a dragon stretching its wings in the sun, forming an entire roof over the junk. Terrana looked on, fascinated, as the sails latched onto the sides of the junk, covering both the poop deck and the forecastle deck to create the outer hull.

  Then the second transformation began.

  A wave rippled across the sails, followed by a blue light, which covered the entire hull. Before her very eyes, the sails hardened into a completely different material. They had truly become the solid hull of the ship.

  The captain’s voice rang out once more. “Preparing to enter the In-Between. Please remain seated during this time.”

  Terrana rushed back to her pod by the window; she would have a front row view. She snuggled in quickly, impressed by the automated shields that locked her in, and stared out. The prow of the ship was rising. She could feel a build-up of pressure at the back of the ship and she clenched her fists, her heart still thumping wildly. And then they were off! It lasted only a few seconds as the clouds faded completely from her sight. Suddenly, everything outside her window turned black. They had entered the In-Between!

  She couldn’t believe it. She was actually in the In-Between. In Space. She was going to see the stars, moons, planets, and gates! She would pass asteroids, she would see meteors, and she would be the first Fijian to enter the In-Between, except — her initial euphoria took a dive — she would never be able to tell anyone back home about it. They could never learn of the United Worlds of the In-Between. For a while Terrana remained in her pod, gazing into Space.

  “Miss Ondur, there are two people at the door for you.”

  “Hmm … I’m sorry Kazu, did you say something?”

  “There are two people at the door for you.”

  “Oh.” That was a surprise. Who could possibly want to see her? “Can you show them to me, Kazu?”

  A projected hologram appeared in front of her, and to her surprise she recognised Mikin and the fair boy. The boy was looking at her, but Mikin’s head was turned away, as if he didn’t want her to see him.

  “Mikin?” she asked hesitantly, talking to the hologram.

  “Ah, so you do know him,” said the fair boy. He seemed quite serious, which was a far cry from when she had first seen him. “Then perhaps you should let us in. Your friend here got into a bit of trouble and needs another place to stay.”

  “What, why? What happened?”

  “Go on, show her.” He gave Mikin a little nudge and the elephant slowly raised his face. Terrana gasped, her hand covering her mouth. Mikin had a large bruise under his left eye, his trunk was scraped and bleeding, and his overalls were torn and dirty.

  “Oh my god! Who did that to you?”

  Mikin mumbled something under his breath so she couldn’t hear him.

  “Kazu, let them in.”

  She raced to the door, pulling Mikin aside the moment he was inside the cabin. Then she faced the fair boy.

  “Did you do this?” she asked in a threatening voice. He took a step back, surprised by her sudden display of aggression.

  “Why would you think that?”

  “It looks like you dragged him here.” Terrana was feeling really angry — how could anyone have attacked Mikin? She wanted to hit whoever had done it.

  “I did,” replied the boy, looking at her steadily. “I dragged him here.”

  Terrana would have pushed him out the door had Mikin not tugged her hand. She turned to look at him.

  “Don’t be mad at him,” he said in a low voice. “He helped me.”

  The fair boy leaned in suddenly so that his face was only centimetres from hers. She could feel his breath on her face when he spoke.

  “That’s right,” he said softly. “I saved your friend from getting slammed around like an ice puck. Isn’t that right, Mikin?”

  Terrana glanced at the little elephant. He was nodding miserably. “So … who did this to you then?”

  “The boys in my cabin,” he answered. “They wanted to put a collar around me and make me sit on their laps. I refused.” His ears flapped as he tried to hide his face behind them.

  Terrana reached out and touched him, her heart nearly breaking. “Don’t,” she said softly. “Don’t hide your face. Never hide your face. I’m gonna find those boys and I’m gonna hang them from the ceiling, okay?”

  “What, all five of them?” said the boy, an amused expression on his face.

  “Yeah, all five of them,” she retorted. “Something wrong with that?”

  “They are Grailons you know … twice your size, horns on their heads, shoulders like brick walls? That doesn’t bother you?”

  Terrana took a deep breath, thinking through her options. “Have they got brains?”

  He smiled. “No.”

  “Then no, it doesn’t bother me.”

  Mikin tugged at her hand again. “Lorn already took care of them. Anyway, I don’t want you to go and find them.”

  “Lorn?”

  “That would be me,” said the boy. He grinned and her heart went thump again. He really did have the most beautiful green eyes. “Anyway, you should spare your pretty eyes from them. Why don’t you invite us to stay here with you instead? You must be bored up here by yourself.”

  She suddenly found herself shrinking from two pairs of pleading eyes … eyes that threatened retribution if she kicked them out.

  “Kazu?” she called out hesitantly.

  “Yes, Miss Ondur. Do you require something?”

  “Can my two friends remain here with me?”

  “If Miss Ondur so wishes it, then yes.”

  “I wish it.”

  “I shall inform the kitchen of your two extra guests then.”

  “Aw riiight! Smack it there little fella!”

  Terrana turned to see Mikin and the boy giving each other a high five. Then, in a flash, they raced to the bar and began helping themselves to whatever food and drinks they could find.

  “Umm, I’m not sure if we can touch those,” she called out.

  “Don’t worry about us, Terrana,” shouted Mikin. “We got it covered!”

  Terrana returned to her pod by the window, unable to shake off the feeling that she had somehow been duped.

  10

  Dartkala’s breath

  Dinner turned out to be a scrumptious affair of soup, salads, and warm dinner rolls followed by a delicious nut stew and a selection of sweet, fresh dumplings. After eating as much as they could, they retired to their pods by the window, curled up their feet and sat in comfortable silence with their favourite beverages. In Terrana’s case, it was hot chocolate.

  Mikin had applied a gel pad to his eye, and the swelling had receded quickly. One of the attendants had treated his trunk, applying a green lotion to it, and Terrana had been astonished to see it healing right before her eyes. Her burns had taken weeks to heal and she still had a light scar on the side of her face, but, she determined, the extent of the injuries could not be compared. She had nearly died.

  The atmosphere between the three students was polite; none of them wishing to be rude by attaching the sensory pads and disappearing into a virtual world of fun and games. Eventually, it fell upon Lorn to break the ice.

  “So, Terrana, am I right to guess that one of your
parents is an official?”

  She looked up in surprise. Both he and Mikin were looking at her expectantly. “Huh? Why do you think that?”

  Lorn gestured around the room. “Blue coin? First class travel? Only the very rich or important are allowed a blue coin. Didn’t you know that?”

  No, she hadn’t known. Baneyon had only warned her not to lose the coin. Was he important then? She thought hard. He had a nice apartment, but he constantly moaned about his bills so no, he couldn’t be rich. She had never seen him leave for work, either, and if he did, it was to grab a drink from the nearby café and ogle at the pretty women walking by. She ruled out important.

  “You’re not very familiar with how things work here, huh?” said Lorn. “Which sector are you from?”

  Terrana hesitated. Should she tell them? Would they treat her any differently if they knew? Lorn’s eyes followed her like a hawk, as if he knew she was hiding something. Mikin, on the other hand, looked like … an elephant.

  “I’m from … Fiji.” She hadn’t been able to say it, that she was from Sector Thirteen. She didn’t want to be treated as an outcast. Lorn whistled and leaned forwards, regarding her with curiosity.

  “From Suva?”

  Terrana sat back in surprise, her eyes widening. How could he possibly have known? It was a simple question. No disbelief. No accusation of lying. No ridicule. The little knot inside her came loose. He had known all along, and yet he had treated her like a normal person.

  “I’m from an island in the Yasawas Group in Fiji.”

  “I’m lost,” said Mikin. “Where’s Fiji?”

  Lorn sighed. “It’s in Sector Thirteen, dodo.”

  “Sector Thirteen?” Mikin threw Terrana an incredulous look. “Really?”

  Terrana nodded.

  “Wow! That’s uber cool!” he cried, leaping from his pod. He sidled up to her and began rubbing her with his trunk. It was cool to touch and quite ticklish as he ran it up and down her arm, and she began to giggle.

  “Wow! That is amazing! I have a friend from Sector Thirteen!”

  “Okay, back off Nipponian before you smother her in trunk juice!”

  “My trunk does not juice,” Mikin replied in a hurt voice as he found himself being deposited back into his pod by Lorn.