Zane nodded. “We figured it’d come in handy. You can use your hand to zoom it in and out, and to navigate anywhere you wish. Since you only recently brought back that new handheld map device with updated landmarks and such, we haven’t had a chance to update this one.”
“I’m working on getting a tracking feature to work in it, but I’m still getting the kinks figured out. Everything I’ve tried shuts the bike down,” Argus added. “I’ve installed one in Rylan’s favorite truck and it works well, but I can’t figure out what is causing the issue with the bike.”
I smiled. “You’ll figure it out.”
“It’s an interesting feature.” Raikidan pushed his way closer. “But wouldn’t that stick out a little too much and cause unwanted attention? That reader in general would attract attention, not to mention the addition to that floating map.”
Argus nodded. “Rylan voiced that same concern. Since this is new tech, and I don’t want to go through the current hassle of a patent just yet, I’ve worked on something that should keep this under wraps for longer. Eira, cut the engine, will you?”
“One-finger touch,” Zane whispered to me.
I did as instructed and the engine cut off. Argus walked off and disappeared around the corner. His quick footsteps sounded on the stairs as he made his way up. While he was gone, Raikidan moved closer and looked over my motorcycle. He appeared curious, and I didn’t blame him. Vehicles were still a new thing to him, especially motorcycles, since they never came into the shop for work.
“How do these things normally start?” he asked.
“Keys.” His brow rose in question and I sighed. “There’s normally a slot you insert the key in, which you then turn and that starts the engine, just like a car. I like this reader more, though. It makes it harder to steal, right, Zane?”
He nodded. “If you’re not registered into the computer, you can’t start it.”
“Who else is registered into it?”
“Just you and me. Rylan was, until testing ceased. Figured you didn’t want so many people being able to steal it on you.”
Due to the body style, only Ryoko would be able to effectively take it, but the boys would think to pull an immature joke. I smiled my thanks.
Ryoko stood over the front tire and leaned on my handlebars. “So, this is the secret project you guys were working on? Why didn’t you let me help?”
“Because you can’t keep a secret,” Rylan teased.
“I can too!”
Zane, Rylan, and I gave her a stern look and she huffed.
“So, Zane, anything else I should know about this?” I asked.
“Well, there’s a defensive mode that is activated with the palm of the hand. And that’s all I can think of. Other adjustments Argus planned either haven’t worked, or he hasn’t revealed them to us. I’ll have you try out the defensive mode later.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Everyone was quiet as we waited for Argus.
Finally, he came down the stairs and around the corner. He held a small, black, flat object in his hand. I held out my hand as he handed it over. I could tell by the weight that it was made of carbon fiber. “A helmet?”
Argus smiled. “Just put it on.”
Shrugging, I placed the object behind my head and pressed a flush button all helmets had on the underside. The object responded by expanding around the side and top of my head until it formed into the shape of a helmet. A dark visor slid down from the inside of the helmet, covering my eyes. The helmet was snug, but comfortable even with my hair still up in my hair clip.
As I sat on my bike, the visor came to life and reflected several types of readings, the way a communicator would. Then the visor glowed, and a beam of light scanned my eyes.
“Rider accepted.”
The motorcycle revved to life and purred as it idled. I grinned and then looked at Argus. “Impressive, even for you, smart-guy.”
He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks.”
I looked at the readings and struggled to figure out how the helmet worked. “I’m going to need an explanation of this piece of equipment.”
Argus nodded and went to explaining these new fancy and “bleeding-edge” features—Ryoko’s words. He’d installed a communication system, much like soldier helmets, but since he didn’t have the plans for one, he’d built it from scratch. He had created it using a new tech he designed, capable of detecting brain waves instead of verbal commands, allowing the user to merely think of the desired feature and the computer inside would do the rest.
He’d also added a map feature I found fascinating. Ryoko did, too, when she insisted on checking it out herself and then located the house in her “playtime.”
To hide it all, he’d modeled the visor after two-way mirrors.
Argus sat back on the seat as I took in all the newness. “So, what do you think?”
I ran my hands over the handlebars. “It’s all wonderful. Thank you.”
Zane patted me on the shoulder. “Why not give her a test run? There’s only so much we can test without your input.”
I nodded. “Yeah, but I want to see if we can do something. Argus, you said the truck can use the tracking feature for the map without issue, right?”
“Well, very few issues is more correct,” he said. “It’s still buggy.”
“What about this helmet?” I asked. “Does this have the tracking feature?”
“I’ve got it installed but not working yet. I’ve been a little more focused with getting the feature on the bike to work.”
“Could you rig it up so that someone can feed me tracking information?” I asked. “This feature sounds really handy, and I think it’ll be more useful for a helmet than the actual bike.”
He thought for a moment. “You know, I might be able to.”
“How long do you think it’ll take?”
“A few minutes, maybe.”
I used the helmet to turn the motorcycle off before compacting it and handing it over to him. “Get to it.”
He nodded and ran off, with Rylan close behind to give him a hand if needed. Not long after, they were back and Argus was grinning.
“Done.”
I was impressed. “Really?”
“Yeah, it was actually a lot easier than I was expecting. Good call.”
I smiled. “Thanks. If the feed works well on this test run, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out how to get it to work independently.”
Argus nodded and Ryoko jumped up and down. “I’m going with you guys.”
Rylan held up the keys. “I’ll drive.”
“Shotgun!” she shouted.
Everyone then looked at Raikidan, who looked at us in confusion. “What?”
“You’re coming with us, right?” Ryoko asked.
“I guess?”
I chuckled and patted the part of the seat behind me. “Jump on. You’re going to need to learn how to ride on one of these sooner or later, and I doubt you want Rylan teaching you.”
Ryoko giggled and Rylan rolled his eyes. Raikidan remained fairly expressionless, not understanding the tone and meaning of my joke, and climbed onto the motorcycle. Zane tossed him a helmet while Rylan and Ryoko ran to the truck. Putting mine back on, I started up the motorcycle again.
“You won’t be able to communicate with Rylan,” Argus said to me. “And you won’t be able to relay traffic conditions if you run into any problem areas, or get directions to him if you two get separated. You’re completely dependent on him.”
I nodded. “I’ll try to remember that.”
Argus nodded and then backed away, allowing me to pull out of my parking space quickly when Rylan’s truck roared to life. Raikidan, who had only been resting his hands lightly on my hips, grabbed a tighter hold and I chuckled quietly.
“Not funny,” he muttered.
“For you, maybe.”
The room became darker as we made our way from the lit center of the garage to the ramp entrance.
<
br /> As we came closer to the end of the ramp, I forced my helmet to make frantic calculations and commands. Within seconds, the roof pulled away and we flew out of the mouth of the earth and down the street.
“So where are we going?” he asked.
“I don’t have a destination in mind. I’ll just cruise around to get the feel of these new changes.”
“What about your friends?”
I could hear Rylan’s truck engine and exhaust roaring behind us. “They’ll follow us for a bit. Once Rylan wants to try out the tracking feature, he’ll activate it in my helmet and we’ll go from there.”
“Anything I need to do?”
“Just remember to keep your balance, and when we make turns, big or small, you’ll need to lean with me, all right?”
“Sure.”
I set a leisurely course through the city until my visor started to flash. I watched as the transparent map appeared. The map was a bit distracting while driving, and it took me a minute or two to actually get used to it. I’d have to let Argus know about that.
Two dots suddenly started to flash on the map and it didn’t take me long to note one was me and the other Rylan. They continued to flash as I drove, but began to change from a green color to a yellow as the road became a bit more congested and then red when we reached a traffic light. Neat feature.
When the light turned green, the traffic started moving again and a line appeared on my map. It started on my dot and traveled different streets.
“Looks like we’re going on a treasure hunt,” I said.
“Huh?”
I shook my head. “Never mind. Just lean with me when I take some turns soon.”
“Sure.”
I wove through the traffic and followed the route Rylan had laid out for me, and Raikidan managed to do as I asked. But I was also aware of how tight his grip was on me. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
He was lying. I just knew it. I had a feeling he was scared, though I couldn’t understand why. This couldn’t be much different than flying… right?
I noticed a curved road ramp and decided to deviate from Rylan’s route. “We’re going to take the freeway.”
Banking a quick and sudden right, the two of us zipped up a long, curved ramp. Raikidan leaned perfectly with me as we took the tight turn.
“Well, you once asked what a freeway was, and I promised to show you at some point, so here it is,” I said when we pulled out on the long stretch of road high above the city.
Raikidan shifted around as he looked. “Not what I was imagining, though I honestly had no idea what to expect.”
I was having a hard time hearing him over the wind, but I thought I heard him right. “I’m not surprised you expected it would be something more. Based on the name, many would. Man, this wind is bad! Argus really needs to work on these helmets more.”
“Huh?” Raikidan asked. “I had a hard time hearing you.”
I laughed. “Exactly!”
I looked to my left when Rylan pulled the truck up next to us. The lift in his truck raised him too high for me to see him, but I could see Ryoko and she waved. She then spoke to Rylan and then looked back at me. I watched her point at something near the center of the dash of the truck and then shrugged. I couldn’t see what she was pointing at, but I figured it was the map Argus had installed and she was questioning why I had changed the course.
I shrugged in response and then kicked the motorcycle into a higher gear and sped off. I found myself grinning as I wove around the other cars. The motorcycle was handling exceptionally well for my speed, and I had one more gear I could go up to.
“Why are we going so fast?” Raikidan asked.
“Why not? I’m supposed to test this baby out, after all. Don’t tell me you’re scared.”
He snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Now I know he’s lying. His voice had a slightly raised pitch to it. And his grip—it tightened just enough in his response for me to notice. “It’s not much different than flying.”
“It’s nothing like flying.”
“Remove your helmet, then. Might feel like it then.”
“I’m not asking for a death wish.”
“Now I know you’re afraid.”
Raikidan’s grip tightened in annoyance, and then slowly, one arm released. He held a tight grip on me with his other hand, using me as a brace as he reached back and forced his helmet into its compact shape.
I waited a moment for the wind to fly past him for him to feel the full effect before I spoke again. “See?”
Raikidan secured his free arm around my waist again. “Still not like flying.”
“Well, it’s the closest thing you’ll get unless you sprouted wings right now and took off.”
“You once asked me what flying was like. And your comment now has me thinking humans don’t have the means for flight. Is that true?”
“Yes. Long ago they did, but then, during the War of End, those means of flying disappeared, along with the knowledge of how.”
“How often have you wondered what it was like to fly?”
I didn’t reply right away. “Every now and then.”
Raikidan loosened his grip around me again, and before I knew it, he reached up and forced my helmet into its compact form. The wind hit me with ferocity, startling me. It whipped my bangs and teased my clipped hair. I blinked to keep my eyes from drying out. I expected Raikidan to grab hold of me again, but I was proven wrong when he reached for my hair clip.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I said.
He leaned closer to me and spoke into my ear. His hot breath made me shiver slightly. “And why not?”
“Because my hair is long enough where it’ll whip you in the face, and I can guarantee you it won’t feel great.”
He chuckled. “I’ll take my chances.”
Something in his words made my cheeks flush. Then my hair became free of its restraint and whipped around wildly. Raikidan slipped his arm securely back around my waist. I wanted to know what he did with my hair clip and both helmets, but that wasn’t my main concern at the moment. What was my concern was his calm demeanor as he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Do you mind?”
“What?”
“Remove your face from my person.”
“Why should I? It’s more comfortable than sitting up straight.
He finds me comfortable? My cheeks flushed again, which frustrated me. What was this dragon doing to me?
“I figured you’d be bonier,” Raikidan teased, “what with how little you eat.”
I kicked him. He grunted and tightened his grip, forcing his body closer to me. I grumbled unhappily.
We zipped past a large vehicle and I looked down at my speedometer. “Shit!”
“What?”
“That was a military vehicle and I’m going over the allowed speed limit.”
“So, what do we do?”
“Well, I’m supposed to slow down and pull off to the side for them to talk to me and possibly even fine me, but…”
“But you’re not going to, are you?”
“Well, I kinda forgot to grab my identification card, so if I pull over, I’ll be in more trouble than for a simple speeding violation.”
“Identification card?”
“It’s a device that’s used to identify the people of the city. Everyone has one. Citizens born inside the city are made one on the day they’re born, and those who migrate here are given one upon citizenship. Temporary cards are even given to visitors. The cards have specific types of information on them with data regarding our identity and allowances in the city. If you’re cleared for certain high-risk jobs, temporary city leave, or have even cleared the proper driving courses that allow you to drive a vehicle, it’ll be on the card. It also shows what you’re not allowed to do. We’re actually supposed to carry them on us at all times, but most soldiers are pretty relaxed about it, so those
who don’t do anything stupid tend to just leave them at home.”
“Do I get one of these cards?”
“We’re in the process of forging one for you now. It’s a harder process than you might think.”
“No, it sounds complicated to me.”
I looked on either side of me when two motorcycles pulled up next to me. The riders were clothed in military uniforms, and when I glanced in my mirror, I saw another one being let out of the back end of the military vehicle I had passed. He’d catch up quick, and then I’d be boxed in. It was no secret the military had better vehicles than civilians. They needed the power to keep us in line. But that didn’t mean we didn’t like to listen and do illegal upgrades.
The rider to my left motioned for me to slow down and I looked at the other rider and he did the same.
Raikidan chuckled in my ear. “Let’s see if this thing can out run them.”
“What, not afraid anymore?”
He snorted. “I told you, I was never scared.”
“Sure you weren’t.”
“Are you going to go faster, or are you going do what these guys are trying to tell you to do? Because they don’t seem to be very happy you’re ignoring them.”
I glanced at one of the soldiers and he told me to slow down again, but I just grinned and kicked my motorcycle into its highest gear and sped away. The soldiers sped up to keep pace with me, but my motorcycle’s enhancements were far better, and I was able to keep some good distance from them without pushing the motorcycle to the limit.
My heart started to race when each soldier’s motorcycle had an arm extend out of the side. Each arm wielded a gun, and it didn’t take a scientist to know they were loaded.
“Dammit.”
“What?”
“They’re going to shoot at us.”
“What? What kind of lunatic force is this?”
I laughed. “The one Zarda commands.”
I ducked instinctively when a gun went off. I looked through my mirror and noticed a gun pointing toward the sky. Warning shot. I needed to think fast on what to do or we’d be dead.
“There’s a defensive mode that is activated with the palm of the hand.”
That’s it! I threw my palm down on my scanner and waited impatiently as it read the command. The motorcycle started to make some strange clicking noises and I was taken by surprise when the bike began to morph. Raikidan and I both watched as a protective carbon fiber and glass shell formed over us and I nearly jumped when a bullet bounced off the glass portion.
Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1) Page 48