“Ray, can you fly it?”
“I’ve spent enough time behind the helm of sailing ships and aerocraft of all kinds, Sally. My father taught me well.”
“Yes, but has he ever taught you how to fly one of these?”
“We’re about to find out,” he muttered.
He scanned the console for an override to shut off the auto pilot. On impulse, he reached under the helm and found a lever. He yanked it down hard and alarms immediately blared throughout the cockpit.
“Auto Pilot disengaged, manual flight mode in effect,” a woman’s voice called out over the intercom.
“Hah!” Ray shouted as he wrestled with the helm. He mashed the throttles down and the ship leapt forward.
They skimmed across the burning landscape when an explosion from below rocked the ship. Sally screamed as Ray rolled the ship with the shock wave, sending the craft dipping to port before leveling out.
“I need to put her down someplace safe!” Ray called out.
Sally said nothing as she stared out her window with a hand over her mouth. The skies were splashed with orange and red as fires and explosions erupted below.
Ray circled the outskirts of their burning city until he spotted a mountain ridge he recognized. He was familiar with these mountains, having hiked through them with his father on numerous hunting trips and knew of a valley on the other side of the ridge with cabins that could provide them with shelter. He brought the ship about and headed for it.
He skimmed over the mountain top, and then descended to land on the ridge just below it with the bow facing what was left of the city as the glow from the fires filled the cockpit.
He powered down the engines and activated the generator. The cabin’s lights flickered briefly, and then remained steady. Ray felt the cool air from the ventilation system pour onto his face. He took in a deep breath and realized just how musty the air was inside the old transport.
He turned to Sally. “Let’s go, I don’t want to stay in the ship. I feel like a sitting duck in this thing.”
Sally was catatonic and didn’t respond when Ray reached over and shook her.
“Come on, snap out of it Sally.”
“What’s happening?” she whispered.
He didn’t know what to say to her. He looked at the console but all of the vid-screens were peppered with static. He grabbed a headset and jacked into the comm unit. He tried all frequencies, but received nothing but a steady hiss.
“Can you reach anyone? Your father? My parents?” she said.
Ray dropped the headset onto the pilot seat. “No!” He grimaced as he took in a breath to steady himself. He didn’t want to add to her fears by appearing afraid. “Listen, it’s going to be okay. There’s a trail that goes to the base of the mountain. From there, we follow a path that leads to a cabin that my father and I have used for hunting trips. We’ll be okay there. We can figure out what’s going on come morning light.”
“I don’t want to leave the ship. In fact, I want to go back to Perihelion,” Sally said.
Ray shook his head. “No way that’s going to happen. We are back home, and we just need to figure out what’s going on.”
“Our city is on fire!” she stood up and screamed at him.
Ray leaned back. He had never seen her this angry, with her nostrils flaring and her eyes glowing an eerie white
He raised a hand. “Calm down, let’s just step outside and get our bearings. I don’t trust this ship. Whoever attacked it might be tracking us now, so let’s start making our way down the trail and get far away from it as we can. Please, Sally, follow me on this one.”
He held out a hand and she reluctantly took it, and together they stepped into the passenger compartment.
At the stern of the ship, he opened a panel and pushed the button to lower the cargo ramp. Hydraulics whined as the ramp lowered, and as they walked down it they were immediately hit by the pungent smell of burning wood.
They coughed and gasped for air and Ray went back up the ramp and to a utility closet next to the control panel. Inside were heavy jackets, boots, an ax and several respirators. He grabbed the respirators and ran back down the ramp where he found Sally on her knees and struggling to breathe. He helped her put the respirator on, and then donned his. After several minutes, she nodded to him when he asked if she was feeling better.
They walked to the bow of the ship and stood underneath it as they gazed in horror at their burning city below. Sally whimpered and leaned into Ray. He held her tight as an endless series of explosions erupted across the city and illuminated the early evening sky.
Sally began sobbing, then pulled off her respirator and collapsed.
Ray grabbed her and she was limp in his arms. He cradled her as he sat on the cold and rocky ground, watching the city burn with a sense of detachment.
Oslo deftly navigated the channel markers that led out of the bay and into the ocean, then cut off the engine and hoisted the sails when he stopped to look back at the diminishing outline of Perihelion. In the distance, he could make out the spires of some of the taller buildings.
He shook his head in disgust. He didn’t want it to end this way and kept telling himself that he was doing the right thing.
His thoughts then drifted to Nina. He gritted his teeth and suppressed any emotion he felt for his daughter from building up. Best not to think of her. It’s for her own safety.
He pulled back his sleeve and tapped in a series of commands into the wrist console and it warbled a confirmation when he was finished. He then unstrapped the console and dangled it at his side.
The console began to beep sharply as he hurled it away from the ship. He watched as it hit the water with splash and sink beneath the waves.
He waved a goodbye, then grabbed the helm and spun the wheel to port until the bow pointed east. Behind him, a greenish fog began to materialize, completely obstructing the view of the island. Oslo didn’t notice as he steeled his eyes forward and continued on his course.
Not far behind, a figure broke the surface of the ocean. It was a girl. She treaded water and watched as the ship sailed toward the horizon.
Breeze stopped his roll in time to throw his hands up to his face when he impacted the mountain.
He felt the pressure around him as his shield absorbed the brunt of the impact as he bored through solid rock until he came to a stop.
His shield dissipated and he lay sprawled out in the tunnel he created. It was pitch black inside without the slightest hint of light. He struggled to breathe in the dusty air as showers of rocks and pebbles rained down upon him whenever the mountain trembled. He groaned as he strained to turn around began to crawl his way out.
He winced because the floor and walls of the tunnel were hot to the touch. Everything around him smelled like it had been charred and the surface of the tunnel was glassy and smooth. He began to cough as putrid air filled his lungs, yet he kept crawling and was rewarded by the sight of a pinpoint of light in the distance.
Overjoyed, he crawled faster through the tunnel as the light expanded in diameter and intensity and soon cool air blew across his face and into his nostrils. He stopped for a moment to breathe and savor the freshness of it. He resumed crawling until he arrived at the entrance to the tunnel where the ceiling was higher, allowing him to stand up. He briefly looked down at his hands and saw how red and chafed they were before leaning out and to take a look.
Winds howled all around him as clouds drifted close by. He looked down and saw how the mountain had a sheer face. Descending by hand and foot would be next to impossible.
Only way out will be to fly, he thought to himself. He quickly withdrew back into the tunnel as a monstrous gust of wind almost sucked him out. He waited for the howling winds to subside before leaning out again.
He scanned the cloud-filled sk
ies, wondering if the black clad figures were hiding behind them. He couldn’t understand why one seemed to be helping him while the other two were chasing him down. He only knew of the distortion he felt whenever they were near, along with the powerful sound of static that overwhelmed him.
He looked down at the valley floor hoping to spot his ship. He wondered if it managed to land safely on its own, but he knew better. His father’s scrap yard was a testament to all the aerocraft that suffered mishaps in the air. The result was always twisted wreckage.
He didn’t want to stay in the tunnel and hope for a rescue, he knew had to leave and continue west on his own power.
He pressed his hands against the tunnel’s surface to brace himself from the harsh and swirling winds, then closed his eyes and did his best to concentrate. Have to get calm. I’m back home, behind the shed. The cool desert night has no distractions. I can fly. I can.
He sucked air deeply into his lungs and jumped out.
Ray held Sally in his arms as he watched the fires consume their city. Even amidst the chaos he never felt so content in his life. He couldn’t understand why.
He looked down at her and felt a surge in his heart. He wondered if all of the destruction they were surrounded by would bring her closer to him while widening the chasm between her and Breeze.
Breeze. Why was he thinking about him? He shook his head violently. Seeing Breeze holding her in his arms on the boulevard made him seethe with anger. He wasn’t able to rescue her from what she experienced in the basement of the Science and Engineering building or from the trimaran accident. His blood boiled when he remembered how repulsed she was by the sight of him and turned to Breeze for comfort. It was all too much to bear.
Sally stirred and looked up at him. “Is it over?”
He chose his words carefully. “It’s almost over. Come with me to the end of the trail where there’s a cabin for us to hide in. We can set out later when everything settles down and to try and find our way back home. It’s for the best.”
She smiled and nodded, then turned away from him and saw the red tinted skies. She sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose.
She scrambled to her feet and walked to the end of a cliff that overlooked the city to stare at the vast expanse of destruction.
She turned to him. “I need to know. I have to find them.”
Ray raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Find who? What are you talking about?”
“I want to see my parents. I have to know if they’re okay,” she said.
Ray nodded, remembering how gentle, but firm Breeze was with her. He needed to mimic his style.
“Sally, you’re right but now is not the best time.” He held out a hand. “Come with me?”
She took a step toward him, and then stopped. “I can’t Raymond, I’m sorry.” She stepped back. “Aren’t you the slightest bit concerned about your family?”
Ray stammered. “Look, I’m sure they’re fine only because my father’s pretty resourceful. Besides, he wouldn’t have summoned me home unless he had a good reason.”
“Coming back to this is a good reason?”
“Sally, I know as much as you about what’s going on.”
“I wonder about that.” She looked away.
“What are you trying to say?!” he shouted as he stepped up to her.
She touched his chest. “Nothing. Forget it. I’m tired and scared, so I’ll say anything. I’m just a girl, remember?” She smiled at him.
He grunted. “Yeah, okay. Can we just go now?”
“Yes, but let me do something first.” And without another word she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were glowing a solid white.
Ray groaned as he stared at her prone body. He knew what she was doing
Oslo let out the mainsail and unfurled the spinnaker. The winds were coming from behind him and increasing with intensity.
He set his nav-station for a southeastern course. He would follow the island chains until breaking out into the open Atlanteanic for the western shores of Northern Afrika. From there, he would follow the coastline past the ravaged lands of Europa and up to Scandinavia.
His mind began to wander as he thought about Kera and Excort’s words. Perhaps they were right in that he should go to Raza and make his peace with her and live out his life with someone who cared about him.
He grimaced as he swallowed hard. No, it’s been so long. She must have moved on. And how could I return without Nina?
Nina. Her name was more like a stab to his heart than a source of comfort. He looked up at the sky and lamented never being able to reach out to his daughter. He closed his eyes and let his memories drift back.
Nina was born on the island in the days when Bram was projecting out into space during their experiments. He remembered that time as the greatest in his life despite the chaos that roiled the world as he and Raza had fallen in love and were married. The ceremony was administered by the Captain and Bram was his best man. The men were suited in their finest uniforms, and Raza was dressed in a flowing white gown.
Nina was born soon after and like her parents, was also a paranormal who took to the water like a fish, stunning them with her ability to stay underwater for an incredible amount of time.
But the aftermath of the purge forced them all into retirement as the Elephim consolidated their power and were dismantling the military in order to create one of their own. Perihelion was to be shut down and all personnel dismissed as the clandestine attempts to discover the secrets of the Elephim in order to defeat them, was coming to an end. Oslo and Raza resisted, but it was pointless. By then, Bram was lost as he never returned to his body after what was supposed to be his last expedition to Helena, the alleged homeworld of the Elephim. He lived, but there was no registering of his soul or his essence. He lay in a comatose state with only machines to keep his body alive.
Arrangements were made for Excort and his wife, Mila, to stay behind and administer the decommissioning of Perihelion. Oslo pleaded with the Captain to let them all stay, but he had the look of defeated man.
Disperse, the Captain said, our time is up. Let us age gracefully and retreat with the sunset.
He shook his head as he remembered those words. The days of the Helios were over. The age of heroes, gone. Though he and Raza, as well as other dedicated personnel, disobeyed orders and stayed behind to try and save paranormal children from across the globe, and bring them to Perihelion for refuge, that plan also ended in defeat and Perihelion was abandoned once and for all, with only Mila and Excort staying behind on the island, now shrouded by a fog that Oslo erected to keep the island, along with all of the secrets that it possessed, out of the hands of the Elephim.
She is better off staying here, he thought to himself as his mind drifted back to the present. He couldn’t deal with the heartbreak of seeing her hurt, or worse, taken away from him. He began to wonder if that was the reason why he tried to revive Perihelion. Was he really trying to fight the unseen forces that had taken over the world, or did he have an ulterior motive? By gathering the students he had found, perhaps it was an attempt to give his daughter a childhood she had never known. There would be life again on the island filled with young people full of hope and promise and they would become playmates and companions for his daughter. And perhaps in the future, even a mate.
He smiled ruefully and shook his head. Breeze and the others had lives of their own before he came blustering into them. Let them return home as reviving any attempt to create a new generation of Helios was foolish at best. All that was accomplished was that he ran the risk of stirring the Elephim, the unforgiving observers from above. He could only hope that perhaps they had truly become dormant and no longer possessed the grip over the Earth as they once did.
I hope the three of them managed to slip back to their homelands unnoticed. Let peace
reign across the land.
The hairs on his arms and neck stood on end. He looked behind and was greeted by a green wave of energy that hurled itself out of the clouds and slammed into his sailboat.
He cried out as he was flung out of his vessel and sent careening through the air. He hit the ocean surface and sank like a stone.
Too stunned at first to register what had happened, he ingested a mouth full of salt water that snapped him to his senses. He gagged and choked as he thrashed his way to the surface.
He broke through and threw his head back, spitting out the salt water that clogged his lungs as he gasped for air. He treaded water and watched as his vessel burned to the waterline in the distance, the flames casting a hypnotic effect over him
His trance was broken by twin black streaks shooting across the sky combined with the sound of static.
Elephim, he thought as a plunging despair consumed him. He had truly stirred the hornet’s nest. There was no turning back.
He had never forgotten when he first encountered them. He was with Raza and Nina as they traveled from Appalachia to Perihelion. Nina had fallen ill and was close to death, and only the facilities on Perihelion could save her, but the Elephim ambushed the transport he was piloting and forced them to land. He vividly remembered their jet black bodies and expressionless faces as they tried to break into the ship and take his daughter. It was also the last time he saw Raza.
Oslo twisted in the water to track their progress. They circled above him like hawks waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Suddenly, one of them plunged toward what was left of the burning sailboat with its stern sinking into the water and the bow pointing straight up into the sky. The mast had snapped off, leaving only a crude stump behind.
The Elephim hovered above the ship briefly before hurling a bolt of energy at it, sending the remains of the vessel to the bottom. As the sailboat disappeared beneath the waves, both Elephim turned their attention away from it and flew towards him.
Oslo took a deep breath and slipped beneath the waves.
Breeze Corinth (Book 1): Sky Shatter Page 27