Airborne

by Kimberly P. Chase

  The ride through Disney World was surreal. Everything looked normal, as if this part of the world had been left free of time. Rides still stood tall. Replicas of Mickey and Minnie Mouse still remained.

  Except as they cruised through the park, no one was out enjoying rides and a day full of family fun like they’d probably used to. No laughter. Just the abandoned home of Disney that people had forgotten once sims took over the world.

  Mickey Mouse and his slew of friends now lived anywhere because of sim tech.

  She did see a few pieces of tech randomly dropped throughout the amusement park. Aurora had a feeling her dad might eventually get blamed for this. Titon Technologies had produced a far superior product. If you wanted to ride a rollercoaster, all you had to do was download one to your vid screen. No more waiting in line. Instant gratification.

  Aurora waited for the cadets to turn around and yell at her for ruining such an awesome place, but no one paid any attention to the world outside. Apparently living with a screen over one’s eyes made one forget to look out a window every once in awhile.

  If Ms Lovell were here, Aurora bet she’d be looking out the window. It was probably one of the reasons she didn’t allow techcandy at the Academy. People needed to see what was happening to the world around them.

  ‘So this is Disney World?’ Aurora pointed out the window, wanting to talk to someone about it.

  Kaylana seemed to stir from her own thoughts. She pressed her hands against the glass and peered out. ‘Huh,’ was Kaylana’s only response.

  ‘Huh? That’s it?’ Aurora gestured out the window, inadvertently gaining the attention of those sitting around her. Something she was still getting used to handling comfortably. She continued on when once she would’ve blushed and not spoken at all. ‘This is where little kids used to come. Mickey Mouse was born here.’

  ‘What?’ Rick, who was sitting in the seat in front of her with Brianna, turned around to face them. ‘Mickey lives anywhere. I remember I used to download the whole clubhouse crew to play with me when I was little.’

  ‘Yeah, but this place is where it all started,’ Aurora informed Rick. ‘See that abandoned castle over there?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘That’s the Magical Kingdom.’

  ‘How do you know all of this?’ Brianna asked, joining the conversation.

  ‘I read a lot.’ Aurora shrugged, noticing she’d captured Zane’s attention.

  ‘Zane, you know any of this?’ Rick asked.

  ‘No.’ His face remained devoid of emotion when he answered, but now Aurora knew there were thoughts behind the mask. Rick didn’t notice as he continued to ask Zane about his favorite Disney playmates as a child.

  ‘I didn’t have one,’ Zane said through gritted teeth.

  Aurora wondered if he even knew what they were talking about. Would an unknown know about Mickey?

  She interrupted Rick before he managed to make Zane feel any worse than he probably already did. She expanded the screen on her techiwatch and asked it to pull up the Disney characters.

  A second later, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy danced above her arm, singing a song.

  ‘Oh. I love Daisy!’ Brianna squealed.

  ‘Who was your favorite?’ Zane glanced up from the show to Aurora.

  ‘Minnie,’ she answered without thought.

  Rick jumped into their conversation again. ‘Minnie! Of course she was your favorite. You know what? You kind of sound like her.’

  Aurora glared at Rick, as he burst out laughing. ‘You both have that high pitched voice thing going on.’

  ‘I do not,’ Aurora said, attempting to lower the pitch of her voice. It just made her sound funny.

  ‘I’m going to record what you sound like over the radio and then you’ll see. I think we’ve found your call sign.’ Rick smirked. ‘Minnie.’

  ‘Nooooo,’ Aurora drawled out, horrified. She wanted to be remembered for something important, not her voice. ‘I want something cool like …’ Aurora tried to think of a badass name. ‘Like, like … Red Reaper.’

  All was quiet for a few seconds until Kaylana barked out a laugh. Rick, Akemi, Brianna, and even Zane joined Kaylana’s chuckling.

  ‘Okay, so maybe not Red Reaper,’ Aurora admitted. ‘But something cooler than Minnie!’

  ‘The more you protest it, the more likely it will stick,’ Kaylana whispered.

  Stars. She was right. But Aurora still shot one last pleading look at Rick. ‘Let’s not be hasty.’ Aurora’s smile brightened at an evil thought. ‘Just remember I could start calling you some horrible call sign too! Like maybe Taco … because you can’t seem to get enough of them in the cafeteria.’

  ‘Hey, I don’t make the rules.’ Rick shrugged, not seeming to care.

  ‘Minnie’s not so bad,’ Zane whispered, leaning across the aisle. ‘Minnie’s little and cute. Just like you.’ Shivers raced across Aurora’s neck as he spoke in her ear.

  Well, when Zane explained it that way, Minnie didn’t sound so bad.

  Zane shifted back in his seat when the hoverbus came to a stop. As the doors automatically opened, Coach Harris, who was sitting at the front of the bus, stood up and gave a brief rundown of what they were going to do.

  Outside thin steel and titanium beams soared over her head. A track twenty feet in the air lay between the beams, a shuttle car perched on top. Aurora scanned the lighted track the vehicle would follow. Five hundred feet of level track turned straight up for another two thousand feet or so. Aurora tilted her head back, trying to see the top to no avail.

  A little ways up a thick cloud cover concealed the rides highest point.

  Coach Harris was still speaking at the front of the bus. Crap. Hopefully she hadn’t missed anything important.

  ‘Once we board the shuttle car, we’ll separate into groups of two. Inside your compartment, you’ll find a package strapped inside. In it, you’ll find water, a ball, a gyroscope, and most importantly a sick bag.’ Coach Harris placed his hands on his hips, meeting everyone’s eyes. ‘Now, if you feel like you’re going to puke. Do. It. In. The. Bag. If you don’t, you’ll be the one washing it all out when we’re done.’ He clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention. ‘Now, can I trust you to separate yourselves into groups of two or do I need to do it for you?’

  Everyone nodded, mumbling they could handle the group assignments.

  Kaylana glanced at Aurora, raising her eyebrows. ‘Do I even need to ask you to be my partner?’

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ Aurora responded, warmth spreading throughout her chest. What would she do without Kay?

  Disembarking from the bus, they moved closer to the shuttle car. Aurora kept an eye on Kaylana. Her face was pale again, but not once did Kaylana try and grab her hand for support. Kay’s back was ramrod straight, one hand locked onto the other arm as they rode the elevator to the ride’s platform.

  Akemi watched Kaylana with concerned eyes.

  When they stepped out onto the platform, a lighted path led them to a sleek white looking shuttle. It looked similar to the fuselage of an airplane with a long sleek body that ended with three rear facing engines. Gull wing doors stood open at the mid-point of the vehicle.

  Coach Harris went in first, giving directions along the way. ‘Each group must choose an empty compartment. I’ll remain in the corridor in case anyone needs me.’ His muscles strained against his t-shirt as he held onto the handles lining the hallway. ‘Though there won’t be much I can do to help. Once we’re moving, there’s no stopping it until it’s all over.’

  Transparent thermoplastic circular compartments lined both sides of the shuttle. Each compartment butted against the next, only separated by a thin clear wall that allowed everyone to see one another.

  ‘We’re in groups of two, so that we don’t hurt each other in zero gravity,’ Coach Harris continued.

  Aurora stepped into the first available open compartment with Kaylana. The room was completely empty except fo
r a bag snapped to the far left wall that she knew was their experiment package.

  Settling on the somewhat padded floor, Aurora noticed she’d be able to see everyone in their clear cells.

  Kaylana walked the entire room until finally settling beside her. Facing Coach Harris in the hallway, she noticed Akemi and Zane were to their left and Rick and Brianna to their right. Once all the cadets were in a compartment, Coach Harris ensured all their doors were closed and then strapped himself into a seat.

  Grabbing a hand held radio, Coach Harris continued talking over the speakers. ‘As the car accelerates, you’ll be pushed back and against the floor. Once we’re in the air and as the vehicle decelerates to simulate a zero g environment, your body will rise in the air. Once this happens, we’ll all be weightless for about a minute. Play with the water, gyroscope, and ball. Do flips. Have fun. We’ll do the ride a few times to not only get used to the feeling, but to also ensure your bodies can handle it.’ Coach Harris went to put the radio down, but then seemed to remember something. ‘And for heaven’s sake, if you’re going to puke, do it in the sick bag!’ With that Coach Harris put the radio down.

  A second later the vehicle raced forward, pushing Aurora’s elbows back on the floor. Not wanting to fight it, she laid down on the floor just as the vehicle climbed upward.

  It felt like someone was sitting on top of her.

  A moment later, Kaylana was lying flat out beside her. ‘Holy crap!’

  Aurora tried to speak words of encouragement, but she couldn’t force enough air into her lungs. Was this how a shuttle take off would feel? No wonder the Academy was so worried about their physical health. This was insane.

  Aurora’s heart rate skyrocketed and just when she thought she couldn’t take the pressure anymore, it stopped.

  Her stomach plummeted and all weight left her body.

  Aurora floated face up in the air. It was eerie, feeling nothing behind her. She lifted her arms out, the movement easy without gravity. But it sent her in the opposite direction she was going for. As she tried to rotate and situate herself, Aurora bumped into Kaylana who was moving her arms and legs around wildly. They grabbed onto one another, spinning in a wild circle.

  Aurora smiled at Kaylana. Her blonde hair was sticking straight up from her ponytail holder. A few seconds later, Kaylana returned her smile.

  ‘Aren’t we supposed to be doing something?’

  Aurora shrugged. ‘This is kinda fun. Let’s keep spinning.’ She pushed against the closest wall with what she thought was a small push, but it sent them spinning forcefully. Okay, so small adjustments, Aurora thought as she held onto Kay’s arms for dear life.

  ‘Whoa,’ Kaylana yelled. ‘I don’t want to get sick.’

  Before Aurora could stop their spin, the air changed and gravity forcefully returned. Aurora slammed face first into the floor in a tangle of arms and legs with Kaylana.

  An enormous pressure settled over her once again, this time pushing her face into the floor. Aurora groaned. It felt like a hovercar sat on top of her. Kaylana’s arm was thrown across the back of her head, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Next time she would be sure to land on her back. The floor smelled like feet.

  Without warning, she was in the air once again. More prepared this time, Aurora and Kaylana carefully untangled themselves. Making sure to only use small amounts of pressure to move.

  Aurora flipped in a circle, just to see what it felt like. End over end she went just from that one slight push. If gravity returned she’d probably break her neck. Aurora stopped herself against the clear wall. Rick and Brianna had their packet open and were playing with the water droplets floating in their chamber.

  ‘Get ready for gravity again!’ Coach Harris thankfully called out.

  Aurora quickly positioned herself just as her back slammed against the floor.

  ‘This is about three g’s,’ Coach Harris grunted, his words garbled under the strain.

  After another minute of hell, Aurora and Kaylana were floating once again. Aurora flung her hands and legs out, like she’d done when skydiving. Kaylana spun as she opened their bag.

  As Kaylana pulled out a water bottle, Aurora took the opportunity to see what Akemi and Zane were up to. Akemi and Zane were braced against opposite walls of their compartment, tossing a ball.

  Zane turned toward her and missed the ball Akemi had just thrown.

  He pressed one hand against the clear barrier standing between them. Flailing her arms and legs, Aurora slowly moved forward, putting her hand against his. Aurora would have sworn she felt their heat, but that would have been impossible.

  Zane’s gray eyes stared into hers. Instead of his usual cold stare, they were open—churning. Heat blossomed in Aurora’s belly. She loved it when he was like this.

  A distant yell broke up their brief moment.

  Coach Harris sped down the hallway, using his arms against the hallway wall to push forward. Opening the door to Rick and Brianna’s room, Coach Harris moved inside. Aurora pushed away from Zane and Akemi’s wall to the opposite side of her compartment.

  Brianna floated in the middle of their room, but there was something about her body even in weightlessness that seemed wrong. Rick’s face was gaunt as he stared at Brianna. Aurora moved closer wanting to know what was going on.

  Coach Harris finally in the room, pulled Brianna into his arms and pressed a hand against her neck checking for a pulse.

  Then gravity returned.

  As Aurora was pinned to the floor, she faced their compartment. Brianna lay across Coach Harris’s chest. Brianna’s sightless eyes stared back at Aurora, making her blood run cold.

  Chapter 12

  Zane

  It was like time had been suspended.

  Everyone floated silently in their compartments. Coach Harris stared at Brianna’s unconscious body, momentarily in shock. A few silent seconds later, he nodded to himself. His face set into a grim line.

  Coach Harris used the zero gravity to pull Brianna down the hall and quickly strapped her down in his seat.

  Rick had left his compartment; his eyes filled with unshed tears not seeming to know what to do.

  Zane wondered why everyone seemed shocked by the turn of events. This was why the Academy had brought them here … it was a matter of statistics. Not everyone’s heart or organs could handle such repetitive strain.

  Aurora yanked opened the door to her compartment, and pulled Rick into theirs. She threw her arms around his neck, embracing him. Rick held onto her as if his life depended on it. Her concern for Rick made Zane feel like maybe he was missing something inside his soul.

  Coach Harris’s grim voice sounded over the radio. ‘Gravity will return in a second. When the shuttle doors open, I’d like for you to remain in your compartments until …’ He took a deep breath, like he needed to brace himself for his next words. ‘Until … Brianna can be helped.’

  Gravity and reality returned, the weight of the Coach’s words sinking into them.

  From the Coach’s expression, Brianna might be dying. And from the way her body lay limply in the chair, Zane knew even if she survived she wouldn’t be coming back to the Academy.

  As soon as the shuttle doors opened, paramedics rushed in. Coach Harris must have informed someone.

  Orange bands of light flashed on their chests, warning people to stay away. No one moved as Brianna’s unconscious form was lifted onto a hovering stretcher and then rushed out the door.

  If Zane had to guess, something had been damaged inside Brianna’s body by the intense changes in gravity.

  The Academy hadn’t been kidding when they’d said they’d test their physical limits and now everyone else knew what Zane had already understood. They would eliminate anyone who couldn’t survive the rigors of space travel.

  He didn’t fault the Academy for this. He understood that it was better for cadets to be tested on the ground, where they could be helped, than face these issues in space.

  All o
f the intense training Zane had been through and all of the future training that still lay ahead of him was reaffirmed in his mind.

  Luckily for Zane, he’d always been good at surviving.

  ***

  Later that evening, Zane lay in his room alone, enjoying the chance to reboot after the day’s events. Brianna had been medevac’d to the Academy. While the remaining class eight cadets rode the hoverbus back in shocked silence, Brianna had been fighting for her life in surgery.

  Fortunately, Dr Stevenson was good at his job. He’d stopped the internal bleeding caused by the ruptured vein induced by the intense changes in gravity. From what he’d overheard, Brianna’s belongings had been packed.

  As soon as they’d gotten back, Aurora’s dad had whisked her in to Ms Lovell’s office for a talk. When the yelling began, everyone dispersed. Zane waited for Aurora, but when she’d stormed out of the room she’d run by, not even noticing him in the hallway.

  Akemi and Kaylana had chosen to spend their time a little differently … Instead of reflecting on what their training would require of them and others, of the possibility that any one of them could very well die in training, or eventually in space, they’d chosen to run off together.

  They hadn’t been the only ones. Cadets were probably screwing in every abandoned corner of the building.

  As much as Zane would have loved to do the same with Aurora, he knew their first time wouldn’t take place under these kinds of circumstances. Not after a fight with her father, who had probably been questioning what she was willing to risk to become an astronaut.

  Pushing the feeling away that he was doing something wrong by not running to Aurora’s room to … to … hug her (is that what he was supposed to do?) he yanked out the stolen Titon Technologies laptop from underneath his bed. Once training had started, he hadn’t had much time to crack open the computer’s encrypted files.

  Using pillows to prop himself up on the bed, Zane got comfortable. He didn’t know how long this would take.

  A password bar immediately popped up on the screen, prohibiting him from accessing the files he wanted.

  His fingers flew across the keyboard as he used a basic seven-digit algorithm to determine the password.