you may have, simply ask and I will assist." Terrana jumped. The voice sounded as if it came from an older man.
"Kazu speaks and translates two hundred and forty languages common to UWIB," said the attendant. "I shall leave you now as we must prepare for takeoff. Enjoy your trip, Miss Ondur." He bowed again and exited through the sliding door, leaving her alone.
The first thing she did was to run over to the far end of the cabin to look out. Aside from the hover cars and smaller ships flying by, she could also make out little islands that drifted on their constant path around the city. Some were private residences, others were parks filled with playing children and adults. There was a sudden lurch and Terrana looked towards the docking bay to see the final chain on the junk being released. They were moving!
A voice rang out. "This is the captain speaking. Welcome aboard Dartkala's Arrow . As you all may have noticed, we are now departing Pophusia and will be exiting the planet's atmosphere in ten minutes. During this time, you are requested to remain seated in your cabins until a further announcement. Enjoy your journey. Thank you."
That was it. No seatbelt sign. No demonstration on emergency procedures. Terrana snuggled into one of the pods next to the window, and for the next ten minutes she did nothing but stare out as the junk sailed through the sky. After a while she could no longer see anything but clouds, and she began to wonder whether they had reached the outer edge of the atmosphere.
Weeerrrring! There it was, the sound of the sails spreading out. Her heart thumping excitedly, she jumped out of her pod and ran towards the entrance door. She couldn't miss this. The junk was making its transition into the In-Between. It was transforming. Her whole body trembled as she watched the sails spread slowly across the entire deck, like a dragon stretching its wings in the sun, forming an entire roof over the junk. Terrana looked on, fascinated, as the sails latched onto the sides of the junk, covering both the poop deck and the forecastle deck to create the outer hull.
Then the second transformation began.
A wave rippled across the sails, followed by a blue light, which covered the entire hull. Before her very eyes, the sails hardened into a completely different material. They had truly become the solid hull of the ship.
The captain's voice rang out once more. "Preparing to enter the In-Between. Please remain seated during this time."
Terrana rushed back to her pod by the window; she would have a front row view. She snuggled in quickly, impressed by the automated shields that locked her in, and stared out. The prow of the ship was rising. She could feel a build-up of pressure at the back of the ship and she clenched her fists, her heart still thumping wildly. And then they were off! It lasted only a few seconds as the clouds faded completely from her sight . Suddenly, everything outside her window turned black. They had entered the In-Between!
She couldn't believe it. She was actually in the In-Between. In Space. She was going to see the stars, moons, planets, and gates! She would pass asteroids, she would see meteors, and she would be the first Fijian to enter the In-Between, except — her initial euphoria took a dive — she would never be able to tell anyone back home about it. They could never learn of the United Worlds of the In-Between. For a while Terrana remained in her pod, gazing into Space.
"Miss Ondur, there are two people at the door for you."
"Hmm ... I'm sorry Kazu, did you say something?"
"There are two people at the door for you."
"Oh." That was a surprise. Who could possibly want to see her? "Can you show them to me, Kazu?"
A projected hologram appeared in front of her, and to her surprise she recognised Mikin and the fair boy. The boy was looking at her, but Mikin's head was turned away, as if he didn't want her to see him.
"Mikin?" she asked hesitantly, talking to the hologram.
"Ah, so you
"Kazu speaks and translates two hundred and forty languages common to UWIB," said the attendant. "I shall leave you now as we must prepare for takeoff. Enjoy your trip, Miss Ondur." He bowed again and exited through the sliding door, leaving her alone.
The first thing she did was to run over to the far end of the cabin to look out. Aside from the hover cars and smaller ships flying by, she could also make out little islands that drifted on their constant path around the city. Some were private residences, others were parks filled with playing children and adults. There was a sudden lurch and Terrana looked towards the docking bay to see the final chain on the junk being released. They were moving!
A voice rang out. "This is the captain speaking. Welcome aboard Dartkala's Arrow . As you all may have noticed, we are now departing Pophusia and will be exiting the planet's atmosphere in ten minutes. During this time, you are requested to remain seated in your cabins until a further announcement. Enjoy your journey. Thank you."
That was it. No seatbelt sign. No demonstration on emergency procedures. Terrana snuggled into one of the pods next to the window, and for the next ten minutes she did nothing but stare out as the junk sailed through the sky. After a while she could no longer see anything but clouds, and she began to wonder whether they had reached the outer edge of the atmosphere.
Weeerrrring! There it was, the sound of the sails spreading out. Her heart thumping excitedly, she jumped out of her pod and ran towards the entrance door. She couldn't miss this. The junk was making its transition into the In-Between. It was transforming. Her whole body trembled as she watched the sails spread slowly across the entire deck, like a dragon stretching its wings in the sun, forming an entire roof over the junk. Terrana looked on, fascinated, as the sails latched onto the sides of the junk, covering both the poop deck and the forecastle deck to create the outer hull.
Then the second transformation began.
A wave rippled across the sails, followed by a blue light, which covered the entire hull. Before her very eyes, the sails hardened into a completely different material. They had truly become the solid hull of the ship.
The captain's voice rang out once more. "Preparing to enter the In-Between. Please remain seated during this time."
Terrana rushed back to her pod by the window; she would have a front row view. She snuggled in quickly, impressed by the automated shields that locked her in, and stared out. The prow of the ship was rising. She could feel a build-up of pressure at the back of the ship and she clenched her fists, her heart still thumping wildly. And then they were off! It lasted only a few seconds as the clouds faded completely from her sight . Suddenly, everything outside her window turned black. They had entered the In-Between!
She couldn't believe it. She was actually in the In-Between. In Space. She was going to see the stars, moons, planets, and gates! She would pass asteroids, she would see meteors, and she would be the first Fijian to enter the In-Between, except — her initial euphoria took a dive — she would never be able to tell anyone back home about it. They could never learn of the United Worlds of the In-Between. For a while Terrana remained in her pod, gazing into Space.
"Miss Ondur, there are two people at the door for you."
"Hmm ... I'm sorry Kazu, did you say something?"
"There are two people at the door for you."
"Oh." That was a surprise. Who could possibly want to see her? "Can you show them to me, Kazu?"
A projected hologram appeared in front of her, and to her surprise she recognised Mikin and the fair boy. The boy was looking at her, but Mikin's head was turned away, as if he didn't want her to see him.
"Mikin?" she asked hesitantly, talking to the hologram.
"Ah, so you
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