The Phoenix Creation, page 12
‘What did you take from the museum, Alya?’
‘I didn’t take nothing!’ snapped Alya, realising that by accident she’d embodied Red’s East-Side dialect, using his intonation and savvy attitude to project it.
Her parents immediately reprimanded her and apologised for her behaviour. She could see that Tal was absolutely dying from embarrassment off to the side where he stood mimicking the officers’ stance as if he were still on duty.
The Patrol Commander’s eyes hinted at amusement at her outburst, but then resumed a more authoritative look. ‘I asked you, what you took from the museum, Alya?’
Sol tapped his daughter’s knee as if to remind her of her position in this debacle. She had in fact broken into a secure floor. Now was the time to answer.
Alya shook her head as she tried to process the possible outcomes. Who had the commander spoken to? Was it just Tal, or had he already interviewed Hanuel? She wasn’t stupid, she’d already made sure that she and Hanuel had matched their stories and Sol had too—just in case.
‘Sorry sir,’ said Alya eventually. ‘The truth is, I needed the bathroom, and myself and my best friend had an access card from his sister. We went to the top floor and the pass let us in. We went down the corridor and found what we thought was a bathroom and let ourselves in. There were papers and things, and old desks, pretty old, from the twenty-first-century I think.’ Alya looked up and into the commander’s eyes aware he was listening and watching her intently. He appeared to monitor her expression as she explained about the computers, and she could see he was happy with her narrative so far. She was doing well.
‘Then a man came and started shouting at us, and unfortunately, I panicked and flew off, and my best friend followed me. I didn’t know what we’d done wrong you see.’
Alya was happy with her performance and she could sense that her father was too. His tutelage of his daughter and Hanuel had paid off.
The commander looked from Sol to Alya and back again as if he were a bloodhound sniffing out deceit.
‘So, you didn’t take anything?’
‘Nothing,’ said Alya. ‘What would I take?’
‘Papers?’ said the commander.
‘We didn’t take any papers. I have enough papers at school, thank you.’
‘What did you see in that room?’ continued the commander.
Sol had already told her that interrogation was a back-and-forth thing, and just when you thought you could relax, they’d throw more questions at you.
‘Just old computers. Obsolete,’ said Alya innocently. ‘It didn’t smell very nice in that room, we just wanted to get out quickly, but like I said, someone started shouting at us.’
‘Right,’ said the commander, as if he’d heard enough. He nodded to the officers, dismissing them, and they strode for the door. ‘Just a word of warning,’ said the commander quietly. ‘You flew dangerously that night Ms. Clarendon, very dangerously. I want you to stay out of mischief from now on, or, it will be the penitentiary for you, regardless of your age.’
‘Yes sir,’ said Alya, her eyes widened slightly, and she hoped it hadn’t been too obvious.
‘Thank you,’ said Sol leaping to his feet. ‘She won’t be a bother, sir. I promise.’
‘Duly noted,’ said the commander. He saluted Tal as he went by. ‘Nice to see you, cadet, Clarendon.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Tal, managing something between a grimace and a smile as the commander went by.
Sol thanked the commander again and then closed the door quietly, turning to find some very startled faces.
8
Boot Camp
‘Stop whining, Alya!’ snapped Tal, as he rode the monorail with his sister to South Beach, in South District, for day one of their boot-camp.
‘I wasn’t whining,’ she snapped back. ‘I was simply saying that it would make more sense to test peoples’ abilities before they start, so that we don’t lose a day working out where everyone should be. It’s so unfair that you get to go into one of the top groups straight away and the rest of us have to spend a day auditioning for it.’
‘What makes you think you’ll get into the top group?’ jeered Tal.
Alya glared at him and then turned her back on her brother. He could be so mean sometimes.
Thankfully they were the next stop, so her sulk was short-lived. They went down the steps from the monorail, although not together. Alya hung back so that her brother could walk on his own. She didn’t intend to see him at all for the next ten days if she could help it. Where was Hanuel anyway? He was supposed to meet her at the monorail at eight-thirty a.m. Had she not been clear?
Alya turned to the left and walked down the sweeping sand-coloured pavements of South District, admiring the twenty-second-century architecture and the intermittent pretty boulevards as she went. There were enormous superstores intermingled with expensive boutique shops, not that Alya cared for clothes or possessions much, but she did appreciate the sedentary pace of South Beach, and it certainly had a holiday feel about it.
She reached the promenade that swept for several miles along the beachfront with palm trees providing necessary shade, and ice-cream sellers, and deck chair hire, spaced at intervals. The holidays and the good weather had brought hordes of families to the beach and Alya couldn’t help but smile at the kids wearing rubber rings around their middles, their parents laden with paraphernalia such as windbreaks, beach tents, picnics, and beach balls for the smaller kids. There was a section of beach cordoned off and supervised for kids eight-years-plus, to practice their flying.
Some teenagers jumped off the wooden pier into the water below and others flew overhead, showing off to their friends as they tumbled and swooped about in the calm, pearlescent, blue sky.
Alya had packed lightly, only bringing a small towel and drinks in her backpack. She wore her sports bikini under her shorts and vest, and her hair had been extra carefully pinned back. She had a new pair of sports shades, and her digital watch was pride of place upon her wrist, to measure her sprint times.
She descended the final set of steps onto the beach and shortened her stride to accommodate the sand that hampered her smooth progress. The flags for the boot-camp blew in the wind near the shoreline and a huge tent welcomed the new arrivals. When she was signed in with her ID bracelet around her wrist, she went to find her group. Thankfully she’d scanned the list of names, and Tal was indeed in a different group, but then she’d expected that with him being a Patrol cadet.
‘Hanuel!’ cried Alya, as she approached her group.
‘I thought you said it started at seven-thirty a.m., Alya,’ said Hanuel, and they both laughed.
‘Nine-thirty a.m., Hanuel. You must have written it down wrong. Are you ok?’
‘Yeah fine,’ said Hanuel. ‘But we have to stay out of trouble today, Aly, ok?’
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ said Alya genuinely. Although she didn’t feel threatened by Commander Mora’s visit, she certainly felt a bit uncomfortable. She was on his radar now and she didn’t like the potential scrutiny that it put her under.
‘Good,’ nodded Hanuel. ‘Now look over there and tell me who you see.’
Alya glanced over Hanuel’s shoulder and there at the centre of group E was a pretty blonde wearing an impossibly small white bikini, her hair flowing in the breeze, the requests for her phone number stacking up even before the proper introductions had started.
‘Paris,’ grumbled Alya, and then she looked at Hanuel and crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.
Hanuel laughed. ‘How long do you think she’ll last?’
‘Until she gets my brother’s phone number,’ grimaced Alya.
‘Why don’t you give it to her?’ chuckled Hanuel.
‘No way. I’d rather watch Tal suffer; before the day is out, I guarantee he’ll be the most shattered person here.’
‘How’s that?’
‘Well, when Paris wants her man, she’ll fly to the ends of the Earth to get him. You watch. Even Tal can’t out-fly that girl!’
‘I swear to the Gods, Hanuel,’ cried Alya excitedly. ‘I saw our names on the sheet.’
‘No way. It doesn’t make any sense, Aly. They wouldn’t put us in with all those proper athletes, and half of Patrol, they just wouldn’t do it. Besides, you have to be at least eighteen to be in group A. We’d be in the group above Tal for goodness’ sake, and I damn well know I’m not faster than him.’
‘You’d be surprised,’ smirked Alya. ‘My brother isn’t that fast. Anyway, we’ll soon find out. Here we are.’
Alya and Hanuel alighted the monorail at South Beach, together this time, for day two of boot-camp.
Alya whooped as she led the way for them down the steps onto the sandy beach. Despite being put through their paces yesterday the pair of them were energised and exuberant, eager to start training really hard.
They met with Finian, their enthusiastic coach from yesterday who led them in the direction of a different coach for group A.
‘Ivo,’ called Finian as they neared. ‘Two new recruits for you.’ He pushed Alya with the flat of his clipboard and then waved goodbye.
‘Welcome,’ said Ivo, as he checked down his list for Alya and Hanuel’s names before crossing them off.
Hanuel looked around at group A, noticing that they were all at least head and shoulders above him and Alya. The haircuts were a dead giveaway as the vast majority were Patrol cadets, with a handful of gym bunnies and another handful of middle-aged fitness-guru types. In amongst the throng of mainly welcoming faces was Raiden. Sticking out like a sore thumb he scowled unreservedly at Hanuel who for the first time realised he’d walked straight into the lion’s den. How had he not noticed Raiden yesterday? He felt sure he’d looked for him specifically with the intention of staying the hell out of his way.
Alya hadn’t noticed Hanuel and Raiden staring at each other, but she had noticed that Hanuel stood very close to her while Ivo ran through the order of the day. When he was done, Ivo called upon his deputy, Gideon, to help hustle the recruits into order and to begin the warm-up exercises.
Alya turned to Hanuel, delighted with Ivo’s news that they were going to be practising lap times on the C1 Orbit Race.
‘Wow,’ she said. ‘Talk about in at the deep end. This is more like it isn’t it, Han? Han?’
‘What, er, yes. Yes, it is.’
‘Han?’ said Alya, following Hanuel’s trajectory and locking in on Raiden who scowled back at her.
‘Ah, what the f …’ whined Alya. ‘Where did he come from?’ Alya dropped to the floor and proceeded to do push-ups as instructed, trying not to let Raiden’s presence unsettle her. She wasn’t particularly worried about him, more irritated than anything and still very, very annoyed, at the way he’d treated Hanuel. Before the week was out Alya vowed she would have a nice little prank for Raiden. See how he liked it.
‘No games, Alya,’ said Hanuel, as if reading her mind. ‘Let’s not forget whose son he is.’
‘What, Commander Mora’s you mean; he’s already ancient history, Han, don’t worry, we’re off the hook.’
‘Seriously, Alya,’ hissed Hanuel, the sweat from the exertion of the push-ups creeping across his brow. ‘No messing, ok? Anyway, I’m not sure it is ancient history. Have you noticed we’re surrounded by Patrol right now? Not to mention, but I’m sure there were two of them here now that tailed us home last night.’
‘What?’ said Alya. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean,’ said Hanuel quietly. ‘I think we’re being watched.’
‘Oh, Hanuel. Don’t be silly.’
‘Shut up, Alya! I’m not joking. There were two in the carriage behind us this morning too. Don’t forget what we saw at the museum, and about the Death Wish, and all that.’
Alya went quiet. Hanuel had a point. They had progressed to group A rather easily it would seem. And Alya’s parents were still trying to get to the bottom of the two doctors that visited the other day. After a few words with Hanuel’s parents, neither one was able to identify through enquiries at other hospitals about the identities of the two doctors. Doctor Jama her childhood doctor had, so far, been uncontactable at his holiday home, so maybe things would become clearer when her mother spoke to him next week upon his return.
‘Just don’t engage with him, Hanuel,’ she said quietly, as they stood back up.
Gideon began to pair them up for Orbit training, with Alya teamed with Seros, a very tall man who looked longingly at Anesh, the pretty brunette that Hanuel had just been paired with.
Alya waved her hand in front of her new partner’s face to gain his attention, laughing when he finally stole his eyes away from the girl.
‘Sorry,’ he mumbled, and Alya apologised for his misfortune at being placed with her, but explained that Hanuel wasn’t a threat to his chances, partly because he was sixteen, and partly because she wasn’t his type.
‘Oh,’ said Seros, knowingly, ‘not his type.’ He seemed more content and then set about fully engaging with Alya discussing strategy so that they had a chance of winning the mini, Orbit Race, planned for the last day of boot-camp.
Alya was delighted to discover that Seros was ex-Patrol and at twenty-five was still super fit, and so she fancied their chances as the winners.
‘As long as we beat everyone in group B then I don’t mind at all where we come in.’
‘Why group B?’ enquired Seros.
‘My brother’s in that group.’
‘Ah, I see. Well, Alya, I want us to do the best we can. Why not beat a few of the group A competitors too, eh?’
‘Deal,’ said Alya sweetly. She smiled at Hanuel and then slid a finger across her throat, mock-threatening his chances against her.
Hanuel chuckled. He’d forgotten about Raiden for the time being and he shook his wings and flexed his chest in response as if to say, ‘bring it on.’
‘Well done everyone,’ said Ivo, as he welcomed the last pair to pod, thirty, one-hundred-miles south of Continent One. He checked everyone in as they landed on the platform that led to the substantial pod, attached to a pylon, that rose seventy feet above the water, big enough to house thirty fishermen for several days until a storm passed.
The pod was clinical by nature with a tiled floor and basic furniture such as several wooden tables and chairs. Bunk beds were packed tightly together down one side, and a rudimentary kitchen on the opposite side. There was a watchtower with glass windows facing south with equipment similar to the bridge of a ship, looking towards the Boaters of yesteryear, back when Continent One had to defend itself from pillaging seafarers.
The pod was barely used these days except on occasion if there was a terrible storm due, and the fishermen had to moor their boats nearby and fly to the relative safety of the robust structure to wait it out.
It was used by the film crews during the Olympics that followed every second of the Orbit Race zooming in on the consternation and sweat etched on the athletes’ faces as they each strived for their district’s glory and a gold medal for the most coveted Olympic event.
Ivo encouraged the team to rest and Gideon began issuing water.
‘Now imagine that you’re in the Olympics,’ said Ivo chirpily, as if the two-hundred-miles they’d just covered were a walk in the park. ‘The distance you have just covered would be quadrupled in just one day. Then imagine doing that for ten days straight and you will have some idea about why the Orbit is the toughest race in the history of planet, Earth.’
Alya felt exhilarated, she wasn’t tired at all, well, maybe just a little bit, but she knew she’d be able to complete the mini Orbit Race by the end of the week taking in platforms thirty to thirty-five before heading back to South-East Beach; hopefully, to pick up hers and Seros’s gold medals.
Even if she didn’t get placed, she and Hanuel would be the youngest participants of the boot-camp Orbit Race to date, and that was bound to improve her Olympic scholarship chances.
She glanced over at Hanuel who looked as thrilled as she did. He was a little more out of breath than she, in fact, Alya glanced at the other members of group A, and decided they were all distinctly more out of breath than she was. Maybe it was the sea air that agreed with her lungs? Indeed, the doctors, when she was young, got her to smoke a salt pipe regularly to improve her lung function. Perhaps her body was just more used to it, not forgetting too that she was lighter and one of only a few with V20 wings that were also lighter and stronger than her counterparts’ wings.
Hanuel plonked himself on the floor next to her and they fist-bumped and grinned at each other. They listened earnestly as Ivo gave them tips to train for long-distance flight. It was thrilling to think that they had just flown this far out to sea. Most people on Continent One wouldn’t dream of doing so, or if they did it was at their own risk. Generally speaking, you had to have a licence to fly this far so you would have to be part of a sports club or it would have to be your job, as in, Olympic camera crew.
The storms that plagued planet Earth were so volatile and unpredictable that few would risk venturing out here alone and to what end? There was nothing out here except for fish anyway. It had been over fifty years since the last Boaters had been rescued from the ocean and there were unlikely to be any more after all this time.
‘So,’ said Ivo, ‘are you ready for the flight back?’
The boot-campers looked at each other surprised and then at Ivo when he tipped his head back and laughed.
‘Only joking, we need at least an hour’s rest before we head back, so pull up a chair, or sit on the floor, lie down, get hydrated, and then we’ll head back. Don’t forget that the pairs with the best lap times today will receive VIP tickets to the basketball final in December, so give it all you’ve got you guys on the way home.’
Alya grinned at Hanuel as he pulled her to her feet and they made their way to the dining tables.
‘Shame you and Anesh won’t be going. Isn’t basketball your favourite Han?’ teased Alya.
