was intoxicating.
“ You'll never
guess what I saw, ” he calling out as he ran off between
the tables of the cafeteria with his arms outstretched on either
side of him. As he turned he banked his arms, raising one arm and
lowering the other and swooping to the side.
“ What are you
doing, you crazy man? ”
“ I'm
flying. ”
By now, Charlie was out in
the open area, running from one side of the floor to another,
gracefully swinging his arms as he leaned into one corner and out
again.
“ I'm flying,
Sue. I'm flying. ”
“ What is
wrong with you? ” she asked, laughing, unable to
suppress the smile reaching form ear to ear. She walked out from
among the tables toward him as he swooped and soared with his arms
outstretched.
“ I'm flying
above the earth. I'm an eagle. I'm a dove. ”
She knew an explanation
would be forthcoming, for now it was enough to enjoy his contagious
enthusiasm.
He ran up to her panting
for breath and came to a stop, resting his hands on his
knees.
“ You may be a
bird, but you're not fit. ”
He laughed.
“ I saw
them, ” Charlie said.
“ What?
Birds? ”
“ No, not a
bird, a flying machine. ”
Susan was quiet.
“ Before
dawn, ” he said, still struggling to catch his
breath. “ I should have slept in, but, you know me. I was
up here and I saw it. ”
“ Saw
what? ”
“ Some kind of
plane, just like in the books. ”
“ That's
impossible, ” she replied.
“ I thought so
too, but I saw it. ”
“ Are you sure
about this? ” she asked.
“ I snuck back
down into IT earlier this evening and double checked. It's called a
drone. It's a fixed wing aircraft with a propeller, and I saw it
out there. ”
He was pointing high on the
wall screen, above the hillside.
“ It must have
just taken off from below that rise. It was low, gaining height.
Heading that way. ”
Charlie pointed with
reference to the silo not the screen. He was pointing in the
direction of the sheriff's office.
“ In the early
light, it looked magnificent. Within less than a minute, I lost
sight of it and it became nothing more than a speck in the sky, but
I saw it. You know what this means? ”
Susan was silent. She
wasn't sure she wanted to know what it meant.
“ It means
we're not alone. That this isn't the only silo. ”
“ That's
blasphemy, ” she replied under her
breath.
“ I know, but
it's true. There are others out there. They must be just over that
hill, hidden from sight. And they're technically more advanced than
us. They have flying machines! ”
Susan was stunned. She sat
on the edge of one of the tables.
“ Why? ” was the only word passed from her
lips. That one word encompassed so many questions. Why weren't they
told about the past? Why weren't they told about the others? Why
was someone launching aircraft? Whoever it was, they had to be
looking for something. Were they looking for an end to the madness?
Looking beyond the poisonous wasteland?
“ Don't you
see, ” Charlie said. “ This changes
everything. We're no longer alone! ”
Susan was shivering,
partially because her body had cooled and the sweat that had once
regulated her temperature now caused a chill to run through her,
and partially because of what she was hearing.
“ You can't
tell anyone, ” she said.
“ Me? Who the
hell would believe me? ” he replied.
“ I
would. ”
Chapter 06: Uplift
Lisa was true to her word.
The next day she lobbied for a cushy route between IT and the Mids.
There were lots of short hauls of only one or two levels at a time.
The pay wasn't good, but a few chits were better than nothing and
they'd already turned almost a week's profit on their run Down
Deep. Susan was thankful for the easy pace. She didn't want to
admit it to Lisa, but she was still sore from the day
before.
“ How was your
date? ”
“ Oh, ” Susan replied, unsure quite how to
respond. As far as dates went, the evening wasn't romantic, and yet
the glow in her face must have spoke of
“ You'll never
guess what I saw, ” he calling out as he ran off between
the tables of the cafeteria with his arms outstretched on either
side of him. As he turned he banked his arms, raising one arm and
lowering the other and swooping to the side.
“ What are you
doing, you crazy man? ”
“ I'm
flying. ”
By now, Charlie was out in
the open area, running from one side of the floor to another,
gracefully swinging his arms as he leaned into one corner and out
again.
“ I'm flying,
Sue. I'm flying. ”
“ What is
wrong with you? ” she asked, laughing, unable to
suppress the smile reaching form ear to ear. She walked out from
among the tables toward him as he swooped and soared with his arms
outstretched.
“ I'm flying
above the earth. I'm an eagle. I'm a dove. ”
She knew an explanation
would be forthcoming, for now it was enough to enjoy his contagious
enthusiasm.
He ran up to her panting
for breath and came to a stop, resting his hands on his
knees.
“ You may be a
bird, but you're not fit. ”
He laughed.
“ I saw
them, ” Charlie said.
“ What?
Birds? ”
“ No, not a
bird, a flying machine. ”
Susan was quiet.
“ Before
dawn, ” he said, still struggling to catch his
breath. “ I should have slept in, but, you know me. I was
up here and I saw it. ”
“ Saw
what? ”
“ Some kind of
plane, just like in the books. ”
“ That's
impossible, ” she replied.
“ I thought so
too, but I saw it. ”
“ Are you sure
about this? ” she asked.
“ I snuck back
down into IT earlier this evening and double checked. It's called a
drone. It's a fixed wing aircraft with a propeller, and I saw it
out there. ”
He was pointing high on the
wall screen, above the hillside.
“ It must have
just taken off from below that rise. It was low, gaining height.
Heading that way. ”
Charlie pointed with
reference to the silo not the screen. He was pointing in the
direction of the sheriff's office.
“ In the early
light, it looked magnificent. Within less than a minute, I lost
sight of it and it became nothing more than a speck in the sky, but
I saw it. You know what this means? ”
Susan was silent. She
wasn't sure she wanted to know what it meant.
“ It means
we're not alone. That this isn't the only silo. ”
“ That's
blasphemy, ” she replied under her
breath.
“ I know, but
it's true. There are others out there. They must be just over that
hill, hidden from sight. And they're technically more advanced than
us. They have flying machines! ”
Susan was stunned. She sat
on the edge of one of the tables.
“ Why? ” was the only word passed from her
lips. That one word encompassed so many questions. Why weren't they
told about the past? Why weren't they told about the others? Why
was someone launching aircraft? Whoever it was, they had to be
looking for something. Were they looking for an end to the madness?
Looking beyond the poisonous wasteland?
“ Don't you
see, ” Charlie said. “ This changes
everything. We're no longer alone! ”
Susan was shivering,
partially because her body had cooled and the sweat that had once
regulated her temperature now caused a chill to run through her,
and partially because of what she was hearing.
“ You can't
tell anyone, ” she said.
“ Me? Who the
hell would believe me? ” he replied.
“ I
would. ”
Chapter 06: Uplift
Lisa was true to her word.
The next day she lobbied for a cushy route between IT and the Mids.
There were lots of short hauls of only one or two levels at a time.
The pay wasn't good, but a few chits were better than nothing and
they'd already turned almost a week's profit on their run Down
Deep. Susan was thankful for the easy pace. She didn't want to
admit it to Lisa, but she was still sore from the day
before.
“ How was your
date? ”
“ Oh, ” Susan replied, unsure quite how to
respond. As far as dates went, the evening wasn't romantic, and yet
the glow in her face must have spoke of
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