Thursday 22 September 2016

Descent to Habito

Alexi smoothly slid out from the orbiting ring-station which encircled the Habito planet. Below the planet span in reverse, as the momentum from the station's centripetal forces remained with him. Around him the clean, crisp, darkness of space surrounded him, as it ever did at home amongst the Coald.
A moment to enjoy the horizon as the planet stretched away. Perhaps at the edges he could just see the polar cities, maybe the other equatorial centers too. Tiny things though. Afrikha stretched below, its flowing forests punctured by the tree-miners and strip farmers. Streaks and meandering paths wound about between lakes and mountains. The land of the Aviasaur riders and their flocks. Then more mountains, more lakes, vast ocean, desert. He knew it well, and loved it still. So beautiful, so perfect.
It had to be left behind though. Lyon was the destination, and that was were he was due.

The hoverboard's minor shield generators grasped those of the station. His momentum was silently changed, bringing him into stable orbit over the outskirts of the city. To his left the great spire grow from its roots buried in the city below, its trunk stretching upwards to branch out at his side. He remembered the city plaza at its base. That was where he would land.
Leaning forward, the board banked with him. He crouched, and Derrick hunkered down, just behind his shoulder. The forcefield flexed, becoming aerodynamic and slightly porous. Deep breath. The tug of gravity. Slipping through the stations's defenses and out into the void.
So slow. It was so slow at first. There was still time to admire the view. The planet humanity had terraformed here. The replica of ancient Terra, as it had been before civilisation destroyed it. Green and blue, intricate and detailed, so amazing even in the vastness of space. An entire, stable, biosphere on a planet. Amazing.

The atmosphere suddenly buffeted the board. Alexi wobbled, span to equalise and release a little momentum, before turning back. He felt a slight gust of air being allowed in by the force fields, letting him feel the gaseous cushion of this world.
It was mild, pleasant, interesting, initially. Then he felt the mild moisture and the wind began to howl past him. Finally he reached heighest clouds. Atmosphere roared past him. He swished and swooped, looped, dove, and surfed the currents. These were the moments he did this for. No, he wasn't very good, but who cared? It was glorious fun. A meteor falling planet-side, born on wings of technology and joy.
Below the clouds extended out. He swooped down towards them, banked, and surfed along the marshmallowy surface. A landscape of cotton and fog stretched before him, only the cream tower of Lyon breaking the blue horizon beyond. Somehow he wished there was rain below, perhaps even a thunder storm. They were always a joy to surf, despite the danger.

"We're not in a rush then?", the Profess's voice sounded from behind Alexi. With a shock he turned the board to find her similarly equipped, along with the rest of the retinue. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Always nice to enjoy the view when its such a glorious day.", he mused.
"Hmmm, I never took you for the poetic type.", she replied.
He smiled. "Perhaps you can surprise me then. First to the plaza gets a free lunch"
And with that he was gone.

Below the clouds he hurtled down. Derrick watched the vectors of aircraft and transporters for him, sometime warning, sometimes simply taking over the controls for a heartbeat. Alexi didn't mind, they'd trained together long enough doing this.
"You'll have to try harder than that!", came a message through Derrick's speakers. Across the sky the Profess was smartly sticking to the edge of the space tower's forcefield, where the atmosphere was thin. Cheating, she was definitely cheating. Where's the fun in surfing down the tower anyway?
Alexi nudged Derrick with an elbow, disrupting the little droids cameras for a moment. A transporter swerved as the pair drew too close, giving Alexi a moment to grasp a large, round fruit from the hopper. He hurled it downwards, through the traffic lanes, before darting after. It wasn't much of an advantage, but it broke up the air before him giving a few more seconds.
He followed the fruit directly towards the plaza as the Profess was forced to lift away from the tower as it branched apart and into the city. Below two roots curled around a city square surface with sandstone. The locals coloured the stone with bright chalk and paint between rain showers. The centre was marked with a golden sun surrounded by stars on a navy blue canvas. That was the target.

The Profess powered towards the site, keeping well above the crowds of people, but low enough to watch them. Ahead, by the solar murial a man with small mustache and goatee stood with his entourage, all dressing in cream synchskins and suits. That was the welcome party. The Gentleman, ruler of Lyon had come to "welcome" them.
She slowed to take it all in. The Gentleman strode forward as she approached, arms wide open, ready to greet her.
As he did so Alexi plummeted from the sky. His fruit hit first, smashing into the centre of the sun, splattering The Gentleman and all around him in soft, moist, red pulp. A hover board screamed in afterwards, disgorging the young man who turned to the Profess.
"Ha! Beat you!", was all he managed, before his legs gave way as exhaustion took over.
The Gentleman, the most powerful single human being on this world stared at the sight before him. A mess of wasted fruit. An exhausted Coald boy. And a preacher from another planet floating, exasperated, in the air.
He tilted his head back and laughed heartily. His team soon followed suite, as did all in the Plaza.

"Welcome planetless", boomed the smiling, broad, white face, "to my city."

No comments:

Post a Comment