Cello's Wail

I awoke, my eyes heavy and stinging slightly with the little light that shone through the window. There was a constant beeping - it was the alarm clock on the wall. I kicked the covers off but stayed lying in bed as I stretched. I yawned and suddenly gagged - some of my long hair had gotten stuck in my throat. I coughed and gagged a little more as I pulled the hair out - it was still attached to my scalp. I got off the bed as I held my long black hair back and went to turn off the alarm. I went to the lavatory and pressed a button on the counter beside the sink. A small hole opened; I turned my back to it, leaned back allowing my hair to fall inside, and winced for a moment. When I pulled my hair back out, it was in a long thick braid. I was still yawning and shuffling about the room when the intercom came on.
"Mr. Albme, are you awake yet, sir?" a woman said.
I took my time as I shuffled towards the intercom.
"Mr. Albme, are you there?" the woman persisted.
I reached the intercom and pressed the talk button.
"Yeah, yeah. Mr. Albme's my dad. Just call me Arjun."
"Your father is leaving the resort today. He asked me to deliver your ticket," the woman explained.
"I don't want to leave today," I complained.
"You may settle that with your father later. Take the ticket and have it changed for another trip if you like," the woman suggested.
I opened the door; the woman, dressed in blue uniform, had a slightly annoyed and surprised look on her face.
"Even the 10-year-old child of a rich mogul must have some decency," she said as she looked away and handed the ticket to me.
Tired and confused I looked at myself and realized I was still only wearing my underwear.
I swiped the ticket from the woman's hand and shut the door on her. I tossed the ticket aside and grabbed my portable computer from the reading table. I opened it and selected a tab from the digital menu. It opened an executable, which I had set to download transaction records from my dad's company via satellite. The database was originally in a closed-circuit network, but I had installed a splitter with a satellite transmitter on one of the many occasions that my dad had allowed me into the database vault.
My dad was always distressed, and I never believed it was caused solely by his work. I theorized that I might find the answer, or at least a clue, in the transaction records. The problem was there were transactions happening constantly; I would have to scan through them quickly because more were always on the way.
After staring blankly into the screen as the transaction records cascaded by I suddenly realized the satellite feed was slowing down. I looked into the properties menu of the executable and a status message suggested that solar radiation might have been frying the satellite's circuitry. I set the computer aside and reached for my polarized goggles. I slipped them on as I fully opened the window blinds and peered out into space. A red light began to flash on the wall above the window; I'd already been to this space resort many times and knew the red light began to flash if your side of the ship was facing the sun. It was a warning to ensure none of the guests went blind - to ensure the resort wouldn't get sued.
After getting frustrated with the newly hindered download speed I decided to wander the halls and atriums of the resort. Although I was trying to maintain a low profile, my inherited social status made certain that almost everyone in the resort knew who I was. The most noteworthy gazes were the starstruck and bitter ones. With that in mind, there was really no way to tell the psychos from the fans.
A few hours later, when the sun was merely a glowing arch hugging the side of the planet, I decided to board a flight home.
After a few minutes in line, I finally reached the metal detector gate. I put my bags on the conveyer belt where they were fed through the X-ray scanner. After passing the gate a security official stopped me before I could get my bags.
"You have an awful lot of gadgetry in there," he said distrustingly.
"I like to keep myself entertained," I quickly remarked.
The man operating the scanner console shook his head at the security official.
"He's Craig Albme's son," the man said with a worried look and nervous tone.
The security official's expression suddenly became very bitter.
"Ah, the heir of Siren Enterprises. Regardless, how do I know you don't have weapons hidden in the metal casings of those machines?"
"You may manually inspect them yourself if you'd like," I told him.
"Eh - The scanner can see through many layers of material. I found nothing that looks like a weapon, sir," the man explained to the security official.
With my bags hanging from my shoulders and now a few meters passed the detector gate, I looked back and saw the security official staring me down as he murmured something into his hand-radio.
After boarding the ship I found myself settled in a window seat. The seat to my right was empty so I put my carry-on, which obviously contained my computer, in it. I stared out the window and let my mind wander a million miles into space.
"Excuse me," the voice of a girl said as it quickly pulled me out of my pensive trance.
I looked at her, she was older than me - maybe 13 or 14.
"Do you mind if I move your bag? This is my seat," she said.
She was taller than me, lightly tanned with sandy colored hair and blue eyes.
"Not at all," I said as I moved my bag and set it on the floor between my legs.
The girl stuck her right hand out to me and said, "Hi. I'm June."
"Arjun Albme," I said with a smile as we shook hands.
"Yeah, I thought I recognized you. First time on a space resort?"
"Nope. I've been here many times," I said.
"I don't particularly like flying in space. But I put my faith in the pilots," June ranted.
"I'm not really scared of dying, even though I don't trust the pilots," I replied.
The ship began to tremble as it ported. I put my bag in my lap and held it down with one hand while holding tightly onto the armrest with the other.
"So you're expecting to die?" June asked.
The tone of her voice was suddenly different - seemingly optimistic.
"Everybody dies. But I never contemplate the proximity of my death. It's just not worth dwelling on," I explained.
June nodded once, put a set of earphones on, and rested her head in the seat.
An hour into the flight the entire fuselage was dark except for a few reading lights scattered over passengers who weren't asleep. I wanted to use my computer, but the screen would illuminate a large portion around me and I didn't want to wake anybody up.
Between breaths I could hear static coming from June's earphones; there was nothing playing. Somewhere in the back I could hear someone moving. In a strange instinctive spur I heard something whirring quickly through the air towards me and I ducked. There was a dart cleanly stuck onto the back of the seat in front of me. June was suddenly awake and trying to disable my arms. I was shocked but quickly understood that June and whoever had just fired the dart were conspiring against me. I found the strength to push June off of me and quickly slid under the seats. I tugged my bag along as I crawled, and by now most of the passengers were awake and startled. The lights came on and flight attendants came in to take control of the situation, but the man with the dart gun began to fire at them. June was moving down the aisle with a knife in her hand. Passengers screamed and scrambled away as June tried to get to me. I found a hatch in the floor, pried it open, and slid myself and my bag inside. Once inside, I closed the hatch hoping neither June nor the gunman had seen where I went.
It was utterly dark, so I reached for my flashlight in my bag. I clicked the flashlight on and shined it onto a bunch of wires and piping. Moving the light slightly upward I found a metal box and opened it. It was a fuse box and control panel of some sort; I was in a maintenance hatch. I shined the light all over the room; there were wires and piping everywhere. I shined the light on the floor and found another hatch. Up in the fuselage I could hear the chaos that had ensued. I opened the hatch and jumped inside. I landed on my butt and was winded for a moment. I shined the light and saw many crates and luggage; opposite from all of that was a huge wall with giant hydraulics at either end. I was in the cargo bay.
I looked up as I saw that the hatch from the fuselage had been opened. I turned my flashlight off as the silhouette of someone's head appeared.
"He might be down here!" June's voice said.
She was still looking into the hatch but couldn't see; maybe there wasn't enough light from the fuselage to light up the maintenance hatch.
"Get in there!" the gunman ordered of June.
I looked around quickly trying to find a way to close the cargo bay hatch, but it was too high. I could hear June making her way down, and then I heard her shriek as she fell through the cargo bay hatch. I pushed a stacked crate over hoping it would smash June, and there was a sudden crunch sound. I turned my flashlight on and saw June lying on the floor; the crate had smashed her head and blood was leaking from beneath it.
I shone the light along the wall looking for a way to get back into the maintenance hatch, and then I found a switch on the wall. It was labeled LADDER, so I pressed it. From the edge of the hatch a ladder descended. I climbed back into the maintenance hatch and began to sort through my bag. I pulled out an A. L. F. (Automatic Link Finder) and attached it to the fuses. This device would allow me to control whatever the fuses controlled. I looked at the control box; the button and switches were labeled PRIMARY HYDRAULIC LINE, AUX-HYDRAULIC LINE, C-BAY MAIN LIGHTS, C-BAY SECONDARY LIGHTS, C-BAY GATE EMERGENCY INTERRUPTER ON/OFF, and C-BAY CONTROL PANEL. I switched the cargo bay emergency interrupter on and climbed back down into the cargo bay. I laid my computer on a crate and turned it on. I guided myself to the cargo bay control panel and pressed the OPEN button; a red light blinked on the control panel next to a label that read UNABLE TO OPEN; the A. L. F. was working. I went back to my computer and executed the A. L. F. software. As it loaded I looked along the walls again and found a series of unused straps, which were for securing cargo. I took my computer with me and strapped myself onto the wall. All I had to do no was wait for the gunman to find out where I was and then I'd suck him into space.
The lights in the cargo bay came on and someone climbed down the ladder. It was the security official who had stopped me at the detector gate. He had a gun in his hand and I realized he was the gunman. Without giving it a second thought, I initiated the cargo bay gate hydraulics; there was a sharp loud whistling sound as the gate slowly opened. But in a split second, the cargo began to fly towards the gate and forced it open violently. The whole ship shook fiercely as the sudden pressure change destabilized its trajectory. I could feel my body being torn apart as the cargo harnesses fought the vacuum. Suddenly, everything was quiet and outer space was all around me. I couldn't feel my body, except for my right arm. I couldn't breathe, and just ahead of me was a drifting escape pod. I extended my arm hoping to reach the pod, when a severed leg floated by. I recognized the boot and pant color. They both matched was I was wearing, but I didn't think anything else of it as I went unconscious.
Something beeped softly and steadily like a cardiograph. I could see the bright red haze of light as it glowed through my eyelids. I could feel a warm blanket over me and electrodes stuck to parts of my body where my vital signs could be best detected. I could hear someone come into the room, but I didn't want to open my eyes.
"Arjun," it was my dad, "C'mon, you're all right."
I kept my eyes closed as I shifted to sit up right in the bed.
"Think you could turn off those lights?" I told him.
"No. The doctors need as much light as possible to examine you if need be," my dad explained.
"You just said I'm all right. What even happened?" I asked.
"The ship you were on was hijacked and some kind of explosion was set off. You narrowly survived, but Dr. Kiquen fixed you up," my dad explained.
But I could hear the unconfident tone in his voice; he must've been lying if even partially.
"Where's my computer?" I asked.
"Lost in space or destroyed in the explosion," he answered.
I began to strip the electrodes off as I opened my eyes. The cardiograph flatlined and Dr. Kiquen was quick to burst into the room.
"Everything's fine, doctor," my dad said to him.
Dr. Kiquen made a serious face as he looked at my dad.
"You wanted him to stay for observation," Dr. Kiquen said.
"That will no longer be necessary," my dad said.
I was discharged and spent the rest of the day wandering around the Siren Enterprises' corporate headquarters. After a few hours my dad found me in one of the halls.
"Son, you're only 10 years old. The way you speak -" he spoke but I interrupted him.
"I can cope with my own eloquence. Someone of your demeanor should recognize my potential," I said.
"I found the satellite-relaying splitter you installed in the database vault," my dad said changing the subject.
"Well if you would just tell me what's going on all the time I wouldn't have to sneak around you like that," I said in defense.
"You don't need to concern yourself with my affairs, son," my dad said.
"But they're not your affairs alone. I almost died because of you," I sneered.
"You don't have proof of that -" he began to say.
"Who's my mother? You've never told me about her," I said abruptly.
My dad gasped, straightened himself out, and walked away. Now I had more evidence that something was going on.
I was bored in room at home. I opened my closet door and pointlessly browsed through my clothes. I had a lot vests; some black, some brown, some cloth, some leather. My pants were all slacks or cargo pants varying in colors from black to brown to khaki. I also had a few shorts of the same variety. Boots and dress shoes. I began to open boxes and take things out.
I glanced back at my computer - I had several portable computers. The transaction records once again cascading over the screen. I had reinstalled the splitter with the satellite relay, but instead of installing it directly into the database vault, I tapped it into the main cable that lead into my dad's office at the Siren Enterprises HQ. I noticed something different on the records as they cascaded. One of the fields consistently read GAEA. The last few hundred entries involved GAEA - whatever it was. I connected my portable computer to my desktop computer and related all the GAEA entries to that one. This allowed me to carefully move through the records and take my time as I examined them. Most of the entries indicated a massive construction project and territorial bargaining and purchasing of Cuthands Slodger's land.
Slodger was a rich entrepreneur famous for his weapons technology and his contributions to the agricultural economy. The strongest section of the Gaea River ran through his land, which enabled him to grow and farm superior amounts of quality crops. It was clear to me now that my dad wanted to build something at or near the Gaea River.
I went online to see if perhaps my dad had his construction project registered. I found nothing. Slodger's estate was privately owned and anything happening within it didn't have to be registered.
I took one of my dad's flying skiffs and headed toward Siren Enterprises HQ. It was dark; the city lights glistened slightly as traffic scurried in every direction. I stopped the skiff at a recreational park and looked up into the night sky. It was a challenge to discern signs of space colonization from stars; they all shined just the same.
I flew for a few minutes more until I reached a large building built archaically of brick and antiquated glass. But the soft yellow light that escaped its windows was humbling and welcoming. I parked and dismounted the skiff to closely examine this strange building. I touched the main door - a massive heavy slab of wood with pictorials ornately etched into it. For the brief moment that the wind fell completely silent I could hear music coming from within. I pressed my ear against the door and the music became clear. It was a piano being strummed to resonate classical music. I suddenly realized there was a marquee on the lawn. Marion Institute for Young Ladies; Ballet Recital Tonight. I found the entire display to be strange - the old building, the welcoming light, the beautiful door, and the piano music. I gently pushed the door expecting it to creak loudly, instead it gave way to my push and quietly glided open. I peered inside; the carpeting was a rich red and candles lined the wooden walls, but most of all the piano music filled the whole interior. I followed the music until I came to a turn in the hall. There was a huge auditorium filled with hundreds of floor bound wooden seats and at the end was a large stage with curtains draping from the upper corners. At one end of the stage sat the piano and a man playing it. I was entranced as I walked down the aisle, but then I noticed the auditorium was nearly empty with only a handful of people occupying its seats. I followed the scatter of the audience all the way back to the stage. That was when I saw something which I immediately believed there wasn't anything else in the world that could rival its specific appeals. For, in the center of the stage, dressed in black tight was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She moved gracefully in unison with the piano's music. Her tied back brown hair bobbed only slightly each time her head moved. I took a seat and stayed for the remainder of the recital.
I haven't the slightest idea how long I was there; it may well have been hours, but I was startled when the audience began to get up and leave. My heart felt tender and I was very relaxed as I walked out. The street was almost empty as the former audience disappeared into the city.
I began to walk towards the skiff when I noticed a red scarf on the floor. It was beautiful with detailed embroidery and braided ends. I picked it up and sampled a softness the likes of which I imagined could only be rivaled by the skin of the ballerina I had just seen. I wrapped the scarf around my neck and then I realized the skiff was gone. It had been stolen, but I wasn't concerned; the lovely sights, sounds, and softness that the night had yielded were still fresh.
I sat on the ground where the skiff had been. Just then, a sedan flew by and parked in front of the old building. The horn sounded and the sedan waited for a moment. Then a girl in a long black coat came running out of the building. Her hair bobbed and she moved gracefully. It was the ballerina. Instead of getting in the sedan, she said something to the driver. I touched the scarf around my neck; maybe it was hers. I got up and walked towards her. I unwrapped the scarf and held it out to her.
"Is this yours?" I asked.
I could really see her now. She was young - my age. Her face was very serious as though she never joked and didn't understand the positive qualities of irony. But nevertheless, she looked very intelligent and beautiful. Most people might have interpreted her eyes as displaying anger, but I interpreted it as an inquisitive look.
She gently took the scarf from my hand and in the sweetest voice said, "Thank you."
I looked at the driver; it was a woman who looked old enough to be the ballerina's mother. The woman smiled at me and I smiled back. Keeping the smile on I turned to the ballerina again, but she didn't smile. I backed away as she opened the door and got in the sedan. As they flew away I realized I hadn't introduced myself, nor had I gotten the ballerina's name. I was a bit sad and frustrated, but there was nothing I could do - at least not tonight.
"I noticed you came home by taxi last night," my dad said looming over my bed as he stirred me from sleep.
I groaned briefly and dug my head deeper into the pillow.
"One of my skiffs is missing, Arjun!" my dad said with a raised voice.
"It was stolen," I murmured.
"What?" my dad asked.
"I said it was stolen," I repeated.
"How and when?" he asked.
"I went to a show in the city. Someone must have hotwired it," I explained.
"You want into the city for a show?" my dad instigated.
I sighed, turned over in the blankets to face my dad and opened my eyes ever so slightly.
"No. I went into the city to spy on you, but a beautiful old building distracted me," I explained.
"What building?" he asked.
"The Marion school for girls auditorium," I said.
My dad looked confused and doubtful, yet, his black goatee and reflective spectacles might have had you think otherwise.
"What was the show?" he asked.
"A dance recital. Ballet," I said.
My dad's telecom went off and he answered it. I don't know who he was talking to nor what he was talking about, but apparently something bad was afoot.
He pulled the telecom away from his ear for a moment.
"Could you please not go anywhere today?" he plead.
"Surely, a sensible assassin has the schematics of even this house. I don't see what the difference would make if I stayed or left," I said sarcastically.
"I'll know where your body is if he kills you here," he responded with his own sarcasm and went back to his telecom.
I waited under the covers for my dad to leave, and when he did, I plopped out of bed. I got to my feet and went over to my portable computer. I opened it, the transactions were still cascading, and the majority still involved GAEA. I turned on my desktop computer and inspected the GAEA transactions more carefully. I was able to conclude that whatever was being built was not only going to be superiorly sturdy and weather resistant, but also very technologically advanced.
I went downstairs to get breakfast. I passed my dad as he cursed at the news report on the large viewing screen in the living room. The report said something about new turbine technology being under patent by Aqua Laire.
Aqua Laire was a massive industrial city corporation situated for from land in the sea south of Casticus. Aqua Laire had become powerful a few hundred years ago around the time the myth of the Plague of Ultima was set. Some people said Aqua Laire was the cause of that plague, while most people maintain that the whole story is a myth.
"What did they steal from you now?" I asked him.
He turned off the viewing screen and came into the kitchen.
"We're getting a shipment of freighters that need to be programmed," he said.
"And?" I asked.
"Would you like to come by and do that?" he invited.
"Please. All I would have to do is simultaneously hook them up to my computer and the whole deal would be done in a matter of minutes," I bragged.
"That's exactly my point, Arjun. The technology you develop in your leisure is very sophisticated. I want the other chairmen to see your potential. You could help me bump Slodger and Aqua Laire off the scale," he ranted.
"I will not voluntarily get caught up in your vendettas," I affirmed.
"Don't you have school today?" he asked.
"I have nothing to learn there but social integrity. I always intend to attend," I answered.
"Well, you don't want to be late," he said.
I sat quietly as two bodyguards flew me to school. We came to traffic lights and halted.
"Don't you guys get bored of this?" I asked them.
"No, sir. The real frustration is when something actually happens," the co-piloting bodyguard replied.
"Well put," I said.
We reached the school - Raunhoss Academy for the Elite Youth. Mostly the children of the wealthy attended this school, but there were some students of lower class who had gotten in on sheer academic talent. Although the majority of the students were boys, there were a few handfuls of girls.
At the start of the last for years at Raunhoss, most of the students were 14 or 15 years old. At this point we had to choose a specified area of study on which to branch off to. I was 14 now and chose the Space Academy branch.
The first day of registration had begun early in the morning. I was still sleepy as I waited in line holding a folder filled with registration documents.
There was a big guy in line right behind me; he was taller than me, and fat. He adjusted his glasses and extended a greeting hand to me.
"Tallagan Ulraine," he said in a strong confident voice.
"Arjun Albme," I said as we shook hands.
"Oh! Wasn't your father a professor here?" he asked.
"No, that's the Raunhoss University," I corrected him.
Both the Raunhoss Academy for the Elite Youth and the Raunhoss University were named after Edley Raunhoss, a colleague of my dad's who had died before I was born.
“Expecting to accomplish anything in particular in the Space Academy?” Tallagan asked.
“Of course. I just want to move space colonization so far away that it doesn’t mimic the stars when viewed from here,” I responded sarcastically.
The first day of class had arrived more quickly than I was able to adjust my sleep cycle. The classes throughout the day focused on technical characteristics of electricity and other components of the most basic space vessels. But the last class of the day, Mechanical Integration, was the one I favored. Here we had the opportunity to dismantle and reverse-engineer various types of machinery found aboard space vessels.
“This is the high alloy polyring fuel collar used in the first generation Moonhoppers built by Aqua Laire,” Tallagan explained pointing to a diagram in our reference book.
I scanned the page for a moment, but I couldn’t see where he had read that.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“My dad was in the military. He flew those,” he said, “And after he left the military he became a freighter pilot and shipped them.”
“Yes, despite the strength of that fuel collar as a piece alone, Aqua Laire had trouble figuring out how to attach it securely for the kinds of long-term intensity they were intended for,” Professor Palgrovanough interjected as she looked over our shoulders.
Tallagan and I were both startled and looked back at her. She was very attractive for her age.
“They refuse to officially disclose the fact that many test pilots died due to that problem,” she continued.
“Yeah, that’s what my dad told me,” Tallagan said.
“Really? Did he say anything else?” Professor Palgrovanough asked.
“Nah. He died when a Moonhopper destabilized in a shipment and exploded,” Tallagan explained.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Professor Palgrovanough said.
A few months later there was a mass panic among the major technology developers because one of them, Endergraff BioTechnics, had gotten in severe trouble with an illegal experiment that had ended in suicide. Dr. Zelnich Endergraff was not only the C. E. O. but also the head scientist. His latest pursuit was his Absolute Cyberanthropomorphisis project in which a person’s complete neurological system – memories, personality, thought process, preferences, fears, and all – was duplicated into a computer processor and put into a robotic vessel with every human articulation. There weren’t any families of comatose patients or any paraplegics who were willing to submit to the project. In a desperate attempt, Dr. Endergraff had rigged a violent accident for an unsuspecting person to fall victim to. The project was a success until the victim started rejecting his new robotic body and eventually had himself physically destroyed. The situation had stirred a spreading distrust in the technological community and a lot of companies were in danger of being shut down.
Siren Enterprises was not off the radar.
“Shit! Look at this!” Tallagan shouted as he looked out the window in class one day.
I got up from my seat and went to the window. Down below, thousands of protestors had gathered all over the Raunhoss Academy. Apparently they wanted the institutions that promoted technological development to be shut down.
“Class is temporarily cancelled, but please do not leave the building,” Professor Palgrovanough said, “There is the possibility the protestors might get violent.”
Tallagan and I were looking out the window when the protestors broke through the police barricades and came raiding into the campus buildings. A police officer with a gun in his hand came rushing into the classroom.
“Everybody stay low! I’ve been assigned to hold down this classroom!” he quickly explained.
We could hear the chaos making its way up the building and closer to us. The gunfire and shouting was ear-shattering. Moments later a fleet of artillery ships swarmed the campus and immediately began to obliterate the protestors. Every registered student had an identification card, which the artillery ships’ onboard computers detected; this made certain that the students weren’t shot.
The floor began to collapse, and everybody fell through. I slammed onto a pile of debris, but before I could move, more debris fell onto me. I was pinned down and there was a sheering pain on the left side of my torso, but I couldn’t see anything because there was a haze of dust everywhere. I could hear someone calling my name, but their voice quickly grew more and more faint with each repetition. And then I couldn’t hear anything, and everything went black.
I remembered the attempt on my life four years earlier. I actually began to remember it; but just as it came back to me it was taken away as I went unconscious.
It felt like the blink of an eye; I woke up. It was night. All around me, scattered for acres, were the ruins of the Raunhoss Academy. There were a few fires scattered around along with the mangled bodies of protestors and students and police officers.
I had somehow been freed from the debris pile that had crushed me. I tried to move, but the deep stinging pain on my left side was almost unbearable. There was a large indentation on my side with a layer of scabbed blood on it. I was confused; apparently my body was already healing. I could hear a group of people running; they were getting very close.
“He’s right here,” Tallagan said coming into view.
My dad and Dr. Kiquen had come looking for me, and Tallagan had shown them where I was.
“How did this happen?” I asked in a whisper.
I could see now that there were police vessels hovering everywhere scanning for protestors and anyone who needed medical attention. My dad was leaning against a piece of standing wall and rubbing his forehead. Tallagan sat on the ground a few feet across from me. Dr. Kiquen removed his polarized glasses from his dark skinned face and massaged the bridge of his nose.
“Daegles Garvine – he’s the man Endergraff is in trouble for,” Dr. Kiquen said.
“Garvine was a man of positive influence in the Senkar District. That’s where the protestors came from,” he continued as he sat down beside me.
“Unbeknownst to the best of us, Senkar had a secret army – their own artillery ships and all. One hell of a battle broke out right here on campus,” he explained.
“We need to get him to safety, Angfold,” my dad urged of Dr. Kiquen.
“Hold on, Craig. How do you feel, Arjun?” Dr. Kiquen said.
“As though a building fell on me,” I said reluctant to speak.
Dr. Kiquen and Tallagan laughed. It made me feel better emotionally and I smiled.
“Do you need a ride home, Tallagan?” I asked.
“That would be kool. But, uh…” he hesitated, “I live in Senkar.”
My dad suddenly snapped at Tallagan rashly.
“Did you know this was going to happen!?” my dad shouted.
“Nope. I had no idea,” Tallagan replied smirking as though he was ready for my dad to throw a punch at him just so he could retaliate.
“Don’t mistake his confidence for dishonesty,” I said to my dad, “I trust Tallagan.”
During the reconstruction of the Raunhoss Academy campus, the majority of the courses were moved to the Raunhoss University. It was rather awkward at first because most of the students at the university were so much older than my peers and I. But as time passed I noticed there were a handful of university students who were my age.
“A lot of head scientists working for Aqua Laire actually studied here,” Tallagan said.
“Hmm… It makes you wonder –“ I began to say but something suddenly caught my attention from the corner of my eye.
I turned back quickly to glance at a girl walking by a few meters away. Her hair was dark brown and tied back in a bun; it bobbed slightly with each step she took. She turned back suddenly to glance at me with serious eyes behind wire-framed glasses. I froze and the girl faced forward onto her path and continued to walk away.
“Who was that?” Tallagan asked with a smirk.
“I think that was the ballerina,” I replied instinctively.
“What?” Tallagan asked.
“I guess I haven’t told you. I met a ballerina just over four years ago. We were never properly introduced,” I explained, “I think that was her.”
The following day was almost a nightmare. Tallagan had stayed home because he was ill, lecture had ended early and I didn’t have anyone to talk to; but most of all, the girl who I believed was the ballerina had been transferred into my class. The classroom was loud with chatter and I caught the girl glancing at me every few minutes. A seat closer to the door was empty and I was growing anxious, so I moved to that seat. I sat there somewhat nervously waiting for class to be over. I glanced back at Professor Palgrovanough – she had a quirky smile as though she knew something I was oblivious to. She motioned her eyes at something beside me, so I took the hint and slowly turned to look. It was the girl. She had moved to the empty seat beside me. She was looking down at the desk and palming a piece of folded paper. She flicked her eyes at me a few times but seemed to be afraid to face me. She suddenly extended her right arm handing me the piece of paper. I felt awkward but took the paper and unfolded it. The girl sighed and covered her eyes with one hand. She was blushing. I looked at the paper – it was a letter.
Hi. You seem open-minded. I know I sound stupid.
-Tonie
I folded and pocketed the letter.
“You didn’t come off as stupid at all. You were straightforward and honest,” I said to her, “I like that.”
Tonie still didn’t look up, but her eyes did.
I was flattered by the attention, but at the same time I didn’t want Tonie to feel dishonored.
“What’s your whole name?” I asked happily.
Tonie slowly moved her head up and looked me in the eyes.
“Tonie Tertius,” she said with the sweetest voice.
I breathed in deeply. The air was somehow suddenly delicious.
“Do you have a middle-name?” I asked.
“Thalassa,” she responded softly.
I was overwhelmed with happiness and extended a greeting hand.
“Arjun Albme,” I asserted as we shook hands.
Tonie told me that her school had also been destroyed in a raid by protestors. I learned a lot of things about Tonie. From what she would tell me, there was a lot of pain in her life. She entrusted her deepest most well kept secrets with me. I didn’t understand why she trusted me so much.
Time passed very quickly and the end of the second year in the Space Academy was nearing. Tonie’s father had been offered a high-paying position that would have him transferred to another city. This inevitably meant Tonie was going to move.
It was her last day as a resident of the city and she contacted me through telecom.
“Tonie,” I answered.
“Hi Arjun,” she said with a voice full of sadness.
“How much time is left?” I asked her feeling a welt of sorrow forming in my throat.
“I don’t know,” she replied sniffling, “Come over here and hug me, stupid.”
I stayed quiet; I didn’t know what to do or say. I was too afraid to see her only to say goodbye. I had grown attached to her.
Tonie sighed and said, “I have to go now. Bye.”
She hung up and I stood there, lonely and confused with my emotions. It was dusk when I stirred myself from denial and took one of my dad’s skiffs to try and catch up with Tonie before it was too late. But I was too late. Night had fallen by the time I reached her house. Tonie’s older brother and his wife answered the door. They told me Tonie and her parents were gone, but the house had been left to them.
Tallagan and I were bored one day cruising around the city in a hovercraft. Neither of us had a license, but we had both had many years of piloting experience regardless. I suddenly came up with something to talk about.
"Have you ever heard about girandirs?" I asked.
"Weren't they some kind of animal that lived during the Era of Honor?" Tallagan responded.
"Yes. They were giant ground dwelling worms," I said, "They preyed on large animals, including people. You wouldn't believe it, but they lived underground mostly around forests. Most 'experts' maintain that the vast entanglements of root systems couldn't possibly allow for the girandirs to move efficiently. After they disappeared about 350 years ago, sailors began reporting sightings of giant worms in the oceans and lakes. The skeptics claim the sailors are simply misidentifying aquavians. You can assume there is a heated debate."
Tallagan didn't say anything; he seemed completely uninterested.
Somebody sped by recklessly and caused me to swerve. They turned back around quickly and came speeding straight at us. They triggered their counter thrusters but still crashed against the hovercraft hard enough to jolt us violently. Tallagan was groaning, but I had only been shaken. The threatening vehicle stopped next to us and the pilot came out. It was Slodger. He came stamping towards us, closed a fist, punched a hole through the window, and grabbed me by the collar.
"I knew that love tap wouldn't even hurt you. And I'm not here to hurt you. I'm not even here to threaten you. I just want you to know your daddy is in trouble. And if you ever want to learn about your dear old mom, you'll do something about it," he said in a quick menacing voice and left.
"What the fuck was that?" Tallagan suddenly asked.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
"Yes. What the fuck was that!" he insisted.
I grabbed my telecom and tried to contact Dr. Kiquen, but there was no answer. I tried to start the hovercraft, but it was too extensively damaged. I shoved my hand into my pocket and quickly pulled out a handful of money.
"Take this. Get home by taxi," I said to Tallagan as I handed him the money.
"Where are you going?" Tallagan asked.
"I'm going to follow that guy," I said.
"How?" Tallagan asked.
"Running," I said and threw the money at Tallagan.
I got out of the hovercraft and began to run in the direction Slodger had headed. I didn't understand what was beginning to happen. My vision suddenly became extremely acute. I hever had needed glasses in the past, but I was suddenly seeing things with an incredible amount of detail. I was able to see an almost unnoticeable trail of heat distortion left by a flying craft. I ran following that trail. It almost felt as though some external force was guiding and moving me. I began to notice my clothes and hair were swaying and flapping violently as though fierce winds were beating against me. I looked around and saw that the trees were calm; there was no fierce wind. That meant I had to have been running very fast. And I was, for, I was suddenly only about a meter away from Slodger's craft. It began to speed up; Slodger must have known I was right behind. Within a few minutes the scenic cityscape was behind us and Slodger was heading towards the outskirts. Something came out of Slodger's craft and traveled in every direction. It wasn't something I could see. It seemed like a radio wave. I could feel my ears become stimulated briefly with a sensation I had never had. I could hear what the radio wave was carrying. Slodger had used a telecom to contact someone named Bengal.
The name Bengal was still resonating in my head when four gunshots came flying in a cracking echo. I darted out of their path and slammed into a tree. I was surprised but unhurt. Slodger had swerved and crashed into another tree. I ran towards him, but someone pounced onto me pinning me to the ground. He was a big guy; completely bald with two fierce eyes, but his right eye was slightly larger than his left. He had a gun pointed at my head.
"Ay, it be a tad larger, but it's me aiming eye," he said in a heavy accent, "'As why it's larger."
"Bengal?" I asked.
"In the flesh. 'En soon yours'll be smeared about the ground 'ere," he said.
He tightened his hold on me and looked back to see Slodger approaching.
"Ye only said to protect ya. 'As why I 'aven't shot 'im," he said to Slodger.