Tailspin, page 32
I was thankful she did. It went down like a treat alongside a couple of protein bars.
“Think we can bar the door some?”
“Yeah, that lock with the wind around here are really crap. They didn’t do a great job of fixing that after you were here.”
I winced and visually saw Chief Kuri lying on the ground ripped open.
“Were they that bad?” she asked.
The hot chocolate was great, but I wanted more alcohol. “You ever seen one?” I asked her.
Malaki shook her head. “Not alive. We’ve got a couple of monster replicas at the base, and we’ve run simulations with several. But not in real life.”
“I’ve never even seen a fake one,” I said. “My life was pretty much just running, and schooling, racing to try to earn the extra funds. When they came in here, they only wanted one thing: to kill us. I’d never seen anything with that intent before.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’d only ever shot small critters, shooting something so big, so close…”
Malaki handed me her little flask, and I poured some more into my chocolate. “I rarely drink.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I understand.”
“You ever seen someone bleeding out?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “I’ve seen a few injuries over my training years.”
“How do you get past that?”
“Honestly, I don’t think you can get past your first real bad experience. It’s like it was yesterday for me too.”
“Did you know them well?” I handed her flask back, and she drank straight from it.
“Yes,” she said. “It was my sister—an accident.”
“I’m sorry.” The wind outside grew louder.
“Accidents happen,” she said and wrung her hands together. “What matters is how we deal with them and the aftermath.”
Now there was silence that stretched between us. This one wasn’t so comfortable, and I didn’t want to push her. Not when it was, as I caught glimpses of her face, so difficult. Malaki stared into the distance, her eyes glazed and watery.
“We’re here for the whole night, it seems. We should settle in.”
“Yeah.” She was distant, and all I wanted to do was hug her. We were just getting to know each other properly.
“Mal,” I said and risked edging in closer. “I’m here.” I put my hand on hers and she looked up at me, her eyes full of—then it was gone. She straightened herself up and pushed me away.
“We should try for some sleep,” I said instead. “It’s been a really long day.”
Malaki nodded. “Sleeping bag for one.”
“Honestly, I don’t care,” I muttered, but I did. I hoped my thoughts wouldn’t betray me. Or her.
Malaki laid the sleeping bag out, ruffling her clothes up as a makeshift pillow, then climbed in. So did I, zipping us in as best I could. It was warmer and much more comfortable together. I settled facing the door, rifle at the ready. She curled into my back, arm around my waist.
“Night, Rus,” she whispered in my ear. “Tomorrow’s another day.”
“Yes, it is,” I replied and watched the door for a while, listened to her as her breathing settled, then she was soon asleep.
I closed my eyes and soon followed her; the rain pestering the bunkers along with the wind.
38
It was the cold that woke me, and I realized Malaki had slipped out of the bag. She sat in the chair going over the computer screens, and I stirred with a yawn. “Everything okay?” I asked.
“Hey.” She turned to me. “Floor cramped my hip. Had to move. You looked so peaceful. I did my best not to wake you.”
“Cold now.” I pouted.
“Aww.” She smiled. “That’s fucking cute, asshole.”
I laughed and pretended to tuck myself back inside.
“Your clothes are almost dry,” she said. “Had them by the fan all night. They’ll be cold to put on, but better than what mine was.”
I slid out her sleeping bag and just about managed to wriggle out the pants she lent me. “Good god, if anyone could see you now.” She laughed. “I should have videoed that and put it all over the net.”
“Unfair,” I whined.
I moved to sit on the corner of the desk. “How’s it looking out there this morning?”
“Still a little rough. We’ve been asked to fly straight to Ocean Oil Fields.”
Ocean Oil Fields already. No return to Ground School, no seeing Walter, or Declan. Fuck. What had I done to deserve this?
“Stop it.”
“What?” I eyed her cautiously.
“You passed all the tests they could ever set and more. You deserve to go, it’s just a bit sooner than you thought. The others will follow soon, a day maybe at most.”
“I can’t help but worry.”
Malaki moved in front of me. “Why?”
“They’ve given me all of this.” I waved down my face, my arm. “What if things go wrong? What if I fail them?”
Malaki rolled her eyes. “You didn’t hear a word I said just a moment ago. You passed all the tests they could ever set and more. You deserve to go.” Her lips turned into a big grin then. “Rus, you blow my mind, seriously. You can do this.”
“It’s hard to come from nothing, nowhere, to this,” I admitted.
“That, I can only imagine. But I will tell you this. I am fucking glad you did. I am so glad you’re here. You give me hope.”
“Okay,” I said and moved off the desk. “Doubt will get easier, right?”
“A little,” she said. “Sometimes I still doubt my own abilities.”
“Really?”
She winked. “Sometimes.”
I looked to the door. “Can that little helo out there manage to cross to OOF?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” she asked and stared at the door with me.
I frowned and looked over her numbers. We had used a good portion of our fuel yesterday. I checked out the location, our fuel and how far we’d have to travel against the minimum required landing allotment. “No,” I said. “It’s too tight. We’ll need to refuel on North Defense Island.”
“Good call. We’re leaving soon as we clean up a bit more.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied.
“Rus,” she said. “When we get to OOF, we’re dropping to a secure helipad. You might be taken away from me for a while. I’ll check orders when we’re closer—what I’m supposed to do with you—but I might not be there all the time. This is it.”
My chest tightened. “Testing?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “They want to run a few tests before you’re introduced to the others in your year.”
“Okay,” I replied, but her face told me something else. “Are you worried?”
“I don’t know your full capacity, or your tech. Not all of it. But you are different. I know that. Not worried—well, maybe a little. I just don’t want to lose you when I only just found you.”
“A few tests won’t beat me,” I said. “Promise. I’m going nowhere.”
She let out a breath. “We have a fair amount to do when we get to base. First thing is tests, then settling you in, then some shopping.”
“I’ve got no money now.”
“They fucked up,” she said. “I’ll refund you the cash and off them as expenses. They know we got into the lockers, and they’re not happy about how, or who did it. They’re looking into that, too. I hope he was good enough to cover his tracks.”
“Yeah, so do I. What would happen if they found him?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to guess it wouldn’t be very pretty.”
I wanted to comm the hacker I’d previously used and ask if he was okay, but I knew that was a bad idea. I wondered if I could get a message to him, an easy one. One no one could track. Yeah, not likely, and he’d prob ditch me and never be at my beck and call again if I did.
I left it up to fate, hoping he was good enough to evade tracking, as well as do the jobs he obviously craved.
We cleared the room and untethered the helo. This time, Malaki took the pilot position. “As much as I’d love to sit there and watch, this one’s on me. You aren’t used to drinking, and your system’s showing a little. I’d rather not have you reprimanded on day one.”
I climbed in, and she started up the engine. “Flight control, this is Dizzy101, we are green for takeoff.”
Within the next minute, we were in the air, and my stomach made a slight flip. “Glad I’m flying?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said with all honesty. “I should have not had that second drink.”
“I won’t begrudge it. We both needed it.”
“Maybe, but I could be a liability, and I don’t want that. Next time, we’ll both say no.”
“Hopefully, there is no next time.” She shivered. “The thought of skellies in there after what you went through—”
“We made it out,” I said. “We’re heading towards our future with our eyes open. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Forward.” She grinned and pushed the helo full ahead.
“No fair,” I said as she made my stomach spin again.
“I’m sure you’ll get your revenge one day.” She laughed. “Sick bags are under the chair if you’re really going to hurl.”
I swallowed it and settled back. Every decision I made now had serious consequences. Calling in a hacker, drinking. They each altered the course of my life in ways I didn’t think possible. I had to work smarter, not harder.
The skyline spread before me, and I noted differences in the terrain, matched them to my HUD’s 3D map. “It’s too beautiful up here.”
“It’s amazing,” Malaki agreed. “I never want to land. I want to stay up here forever.”
I understood that. I wanted to, as well. My stomach gurgled loudly. Well, maybe not today.
I closed my eyes for a moment. The gentle thrum of the blades, the engine. The world that sped past underneath us and the ocean that drew in closer was indeed beautiful. “You want to take over at any point, let me know.”
“Think I can land there?”
“If that’s what you want, yes.” She smiled. “It might only be a Bumble. But they’re some of the most reliable helos they have, and there’s a lot of them.”
“Nothing like reliable, right?”
“Exactly. This is a good thing.”
It was an hour into the flight, and she asked me to take over.
I landed at North Defense for refueling and took off again. No issues at all. This was all a test, too, I was sure. She winked at me on takeoff, which just confirmed it. Though it felt a little weirder on this side of the waters, I flew the course straight to OOF.
“I can stay with you for a bit,” she said a while later as Ocean Oil Fields came into view, closer and closer.
“Good,” I said, feeling the relief wash over me. I didn’t want to see her walk away from me just yet.
Ocean Oil Fields at this distance. Holy crap.
I was floored.
I wanted to take it all in, enjoy seeing all of it from up here.
“You’ll have plenty of time to look around there in the next few years,” Malaki said.
Years. She wasn’t kidding. “Yeah,” I said and sighed. “I never imagined how amazing it would be, even looking from Rise. This is just stunning. Everything about it is so well built, so well imagined.”
“It had to be. They needed all the space going. So, both above and below are places to explore.”
“I’m a little too excited,” I said, my hands shaking.
“I’ll take her in,” Malaki said. “Don’t worry. I got you.”
I felt bad, but the fact she hadn’t pushed me was good. I took in everything I could.
“Tower control, Dizzy101, on final approach with Bumble 44.”
“Dizzy101, tower control, you are clear for station five, platform seventeen. Take her in, nice and steady. There’s a tail wind of seven knots, just be careful.”
“Received and watching all winds.”
Closer and closer we got, and I noted four massive helo towers and eight smaller ones. Each main tower had several pads spread out at certain intervals, each lit with beautiful neon lights. Station five lit up on our screen, with platform seventeen lit up before us in red. Malaki moved in to line up with it better. There were helicopters landing and taking off all around us. This must be a massive amount of air traffic to watch.
“Station four and five are Artem’s main flight hubs,” Malaki said. “All normal travel comes in through these two helo pads. Dignitaries, soldiers in and out of leave, medical, everything else that’s not military.”
“Makes sense. They’re not near any of the main weaponry, then, in sections two to four.”
“Exactly,” she said. “As said, we’re split here, pretty much like Artem is, into four main sections.”
“Where’s all the accommodation?” I asked noting lots of buildings, but I couldn’t make out what they were.
“Under the water,” she said. “All training facilities and units are above. We see and hear and have much better access here. There’re several units for accommodation with your helo once assigned, but a lot of this city, yep, underwater.”
“I have to sleep underwater?”
“For now, yes. Is that a problem?”
It would be a very new experience. I knew that.
We were down and locked onto a helo pad at the side of the massive base in moments. Malaki grabbed her bag, and I thought of my small belongings back at Ground camp. “They’ll bring it all over, don’t worry. My stuff, too.”
“Where are we going?”
“First port of call, get you to your bunk room, then to a tech station where you’ll go through your next set of testing, and initialization, maps, et cetera, et cetera.”
“Then you’re gone?”
“For now, but you have my HUD ID. I will not be out of touch at all.”
“Just nervous,” I said, hopping out of the Bumble.
Malaki met me on the other side. “Come on, it’s not that scary. I’ll run you through everything, I promise. You can get tested, then we’ll meet back up for dinner? Sound good?”
“Not pretending you don’t know me then?”
“No,” she said and lowered her head. “You were right about that. So, dinner sounds good, yes or no?”
“It does,” I said. “Thank you.”
We walked through a slight sheen of water and wind towards the central tower. Malaki put her wrist to the door, and it clicked green.
Inside was a short corridor with several transparent lifts whizzing up and down. I looked at the floor. It was also transparent. “Holy shit,” I said as my mind freaked out, and I almost launched myself at the wall.
“That takes some getting used to as well, but it’s a necessity for knowing and feeling where you are, part of helo and sky training. You’ll know every single distance by sight in weeks.”
“I cannot understand why,” I stammered out.
“You will.”
At least the elevator floor itself was solid and black. We headed down, so far down, and fast. I put my hand on the wall. “Everything moves so quickly, too.”
“Yes,” she said. “There’s a lot of distance here, and you always want to get where you’re going as fast as possible. There’s never any time to dawdle.”
“Fair.” The elevator stopped, and she got out. I did the same with a little leg wobble. “Give me a second,” I said.
“Take all the time you need. The ocean and all of this is something very different from what you’re used to. If we rush this, you might associate it with sickness, and we don’t want that, either. Breathe.”
She moved to stand before me, putting a hand on either side of my shoulders. I knew she could feel my heart hammering through me. She specifically looked for a soft spot and tested me. “Breathe,” she repeated. “Steady as you go, you’ll feel better. We’ve lots of time to do this.”
“I just—”
“They’ll wait. You’re worth the wait, as much as they all want to meet you.”
“Who are they all?”
“The staff.” Her face pinked. “All the COs want to see who you are, weigh you up.”
“I’m not that special,” I replied.
“To them you are. They’ve never had someone rush this fast up the ladder. They, like me, want to understand the why.”
I shut down then, not really wanting to listen to anything else about this.
Malaki led me through several more lifts, some that went sideways, and others that took us under water. I just gaped at the wonders around me. The glass let us see everything, above, out, up and into the skies and below into the deep dark depths.
“Our world is huge,” Malaki said. “Full of wonders.”
“I want to see it all,” I said, my voice almost a whisper.
She moved in to stand closer to me and leaned on me. “I sometimes forget how it looks to most people. We see things no one else does as pilots, both sides: the sides we protect cities from and the wonders of our world that they really should see. All of that which they’ve lost, that we want to get back for them, for all of us.”
The elevator finally stopped, and we got out into a corridor that was under water. “How deep are we?” I asked.
“How high was the highest tower you ran?” she asked me.
I thought of Kuri, and what I’d told him. The Duan Leeatre and she went above and below ground. “Eight hundred and thirty above ground.”
“We’re not that deep below. The city does go that lower at points, where there are more Techean, but it’s all water. We’d need special gear for down there.”
“People live here and in the deep seas?”
“Yes, the pressure doesn’t bother them. Everything here for us is specially pressurized as we go lower. The Techean can deal with all changes, fast, they have tech like a swim bladder and of course the nites which help. I’m sure there’s a limit to how deep they can go like it would be for some fish, but the biggest underwater tower I know of goes down over four thousand meters and they’re manned.”
That was literally insane. “So, their organelles?”
