Travis and I touched down on the gray outskirts of Chandonis. We figured that here was as good a place to start as any.
"I remember seeing a directory kiosk over by the trade station last time we were here," I told him. "I bet we can look her up from there."
"Better than nothing," Travis replied. "Let's take a look."
At night, the city felt strange. Though the lights of the storefronts and clubs were bright, the strange haze over everything gave the whole environment a washed-out look… like the whole place was lucidly dreaming.
"Hey." Travis nudged me. "Don't look now, but a man's been following us."
"How long?"
"Since we came down this street, probably."
"What's his deal?"
"Beats me, but he seems hostile. Fight or flight?"
"Flight's too risky," I replied, looking around. Since we were closer to downtown now, the area was populated with far more people. And goodness knew how they'd react if some teens suddenly sprouted wings and started flying. They'd panic for sure, maybe even try to kill us. Well, maybe I was exaggerating; but you know what they say, better safe than sorry.
"We'll lure him into an alley, then fight," I decided.
We swung a right into a somewhat narrow space between two skyscrapers. It smelled weird, and it felt colder than usual.
"To the back," Travis whispered.
Behind the buildings was a very deep, very dark alley. With our night vision, we'd definitely have the advantage if the man decided to pursue us.
As we rounded the corner, though, we heard footsteps deeper in.
"What the – an ambush?!" I poised for combat.
"I see... the demons have arrived," a voice whispered; and a flash of light suddenly blinded us. Then the presence was gone.
"Hmph. You scared off my informant," the man said. We spun to face him – how had he gotten to us so stealthily?
Before we could properly react, he had us pinned against the wall with impossibly large hands. What the heck, I thought, How'd his arms get so long?! Travis and I had been standing over two meters apart! Who was this man?
"Red demon eyes," the man mused. "So Melinda was right."
"Demon eyes? What's with you people? We're not demons," I protested, struggling against his grip. "This is night vision!"
"Who's… Melinda?" Travis grunted.
"Just some lady. You wouldn't know her," the man replied. "But she did foresee your arrival, so you have to be somewhat important."
"Don't test us," I blurted. "We're aeronauts, you hear? We'll smash you to bits!"
"Kit, shut up," Travis hissed. "What if he's with our enemies?"
"Hmm… hard to believe," the man replied. "I was there when the SSA stormed A-Tech over a decade and a half ago. The bioengineering and mageware schematics were all destroyed when the program was shut down. The auctions were cancelled, too. You mean to say they kept you alive this whole time, hidden under everyone's radar?"
"Maybe if you release us, we can dispel your doubts," I suggested.
"Hmmm…" He seemed to be giving this some serious thought. "Fine. Seeing is believing."
The second he released us, we both zoomed out and flanked him from opposite sides.
But just as quickly, his arms lashed around like whips-
Whiff! I barely dodged his counterattack, but Travis wasn't as fortunate. He would have been knocked out if his helmet weren't securely over his head ninety-nine percent of the time. (I still don't know where he got it, and he won't tell me.)
We both skidded back, wings fully outstretched.
"I see," the man muttered. His bizarre expanding arms were normal-length again. "Somehow, this doesn't surprise me. Of course they wouldn't just give up on it; they invested too much time and money as it was. I suppose, then, since you're alone, that this means you escaped?"
"What do you know about us, anyway? Are you after Atticus too?" Travis demanded. "What exactly are you?"
"Heh. I see now," the man chuckled. "Very well. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Shall we form an alliance?"
"Not until you give us a straight answer," I insisted.
"Huh. Real demanding sort, aren't you. My name is Jim Hanks. I'm an earthmover."
"Is that some kind of occupation?" Travis asked.
"Well, not anymore, but… you could say it's what I was born to do. I think you kids should be able to relate."
"So… you're an earthmover… in the same way that we're aeronauts," I concluded. "You were 'manufactured' as well. What do you think, Travis?"
"If he backstabs us, we'll give him a world of hurt," Travis nodded.
"Okay, it's settled. I'm Shurikit Lars, and this is Travis Borohon."
"Hmm? Borohon, you say?"
"Yeah. What, you know that name or something?"
"It can't be… It's too good to be true," Jim muttered.
"Hey! Don't ignore us," Travis cut in.
"It's decided," Jim declared. "We're going to the Seaburgs."
"The what?"
"Just follow me. The sooner we get there, the better."
"Why there, all of a sudden?" Travis asked.
"You'll see. Hopefully this isn't just a coincidence," Jim replied, "but my hunches are usually right. And I would know for sure if my informant were here." He gave us a pointed look as we walked into the street.
"Whatever," I scoffed. "Who was that person anyway? We thought you'd set us into a trap."
"A mage from A-Tech." Jim shrugged. "We'll have to talk later."
"Mage? As in magic? No way," I replied. "We've lived with A-Tech all of our lives and haven't met a single one."
"Do you know what mages look like?" Jim cracked a grin.
"Umm…" I twirled a ponytail. "Don't they have, like, capes and pointy hats and junk?"
"I read somewhere that they can't do spells without a stick," Travis recalled. "So they've always got one in their hand."
"You know, I'm actually impressed," Jim nodded.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't worry about it," Jim said. "The Seaburgs are down south. Let's get moving."
After about two hours of walking, Travis said, "Um, hey. How far south are we talking? Not that I'm suspicious or anything."
"Well, I'm suspicious! We could get there a lot faster if we flew," I cut in. "And before you talk, carrying you will in fact be a cinch. I bet we've carried heavier!"
"It's not that. Just stay with me until we clear the no-man's land," Jim replied.
"What's so bad about this airspace anyway?" Travis inquired. "Or are you just screwing with us?"
"The path we're taking has us avoiding all of the autoturrets stationed in the area," Jim explained. "If they see anything that even vaguely resembles a target, they'll unload on it in an instant. See how there are no birds in the sky, no people or vehicles moving about?"
"So, how powerful are these autoturrets?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"I doubt even you could survive against half a dozen long-range gigalasers coming at you from all directions," Jim warned, "and to be frank, I don't need you to go and test that theory, either. Just stay with me."
"Gigalasers." Travis nodded. "I've always wanted to dodge one of those."
"Right? Come on, let us attract just one," I implored. "Just to see what it's like to be on the receiving end. It'll be a good learning experience for everyone involved!"
"I'm not about to become collateral just to satisfy your manic wishes," Jim retorted.
"Mmm… fine. We'll come back later, I guess," I relented. "Travis, make a note."
"Are you sure you aren't demons? Just wondering," Jim muttered.