"Really? You'll be gone for a week?" Zax commented idly, eyes still fixed on the screen on the other side of the room. "That's cool, I guess."
"Yeah." Jayne added, glancing over her shoulder, momentarily distracted from the poster-board she was putting together for a school project. "Should be fun. I've heard Halapatov's great."
I nodded awkwardly from my spot on the couch in Sierra's lounge room. Having been accepted as part of their group again, I'd been invited with the others over to her house to watch this week's major news broadcast on one of the three channels that the satellite connection between all the planets supported. While they watched it, they also were voicing their opinions and advice to Jayne, whose science project was on zoology, on convergent evolution of the planets in our system. It was pretty cool actually; once completed and presented her project would be scanned and uploaded to the data-share, where thousands of people could access it. No wonder she was so intent on it. Currently she had a pen out and was writing in the squares she'd designed about the different types of creatures she'd studied. I looked over her shoulder, not knowing whether to comment or not. Realizing that I only had extensive facts on the animals that would be completely useless in the context of the assignment, I kept quiet, and deferred my attention to the curved screen which was part of the opposite wall.
"This week has seen those in Mullthytude preparing for celebration," the reporter was telling us in the broadcast as images of the beautiful, nature-strewn streets of Mullthytude, an island of the planet Halapatov, and its people were displayed. "As the hype for the upcoming Moving Carnival begins to settle in. As many viewers will know, the Moving Carnival celebrates an ancient day of the Tudians, when the changing tides necessitated migration to higher ground. Yes, the carnival will see mass excitement for such an old tradition, hardly dampened by the recent transpiring of a Weraynian Scare on Flauraan. Many visitors will be-"
"I still find it hard to process that you were a part of that, Abigail." Sierra spoke up from her spot in the corner seat. I glanced at her to take in her solemn expression and cloudy green eyes. "I mean, it was crazy for my family. Dad was worrying about taking the twins out of town in case it ended badly, and mam tried to calm him down while I just had no idea what to think. It was barely comprehensible! And you were right in the middle of it... What was it like?"
Suddenly all eyes in the room were on me, and I felt my palms sweating. I'd received a lot of attention including questions from my peers and neighbours over the past week since the event, so I was no stranger to the spotlight, but I still felt disoriented in this circumstance. These were my friends; I didn't know what to say. So I decided to go with the easiest answer I could think of - the honest one.
"It was hard." I admitted honestly yet simply. "There was a lot of pressure and time was running out. You've probably heard that I passed out afterwards; it was that intense. But at least I knew what was going on. It must have been even harder for you guys waiting without knowing."
Jason nodded in reply, expression thoughtful. "I'd never seen my brother so scared in my life, and he's one of the smartest people I know - apart from you of course." He flashed me a sheepish smile then continued. "We were in the crowd that went down to the field, and when the spaceship started shaking.... it was utter madness. Immediately after you ran in there the leaders evacuated a heap of us but it was probably worse just being at home, anticipating an unknown outcome."
I looked over the new kid, impressed by him. I knew the least about him out of my friends, but he seemed more serious than Zax and had more tact than Runer so I decided I liked him. He was a good addition to the group.
"Yeah well," said Runer from where he was stretched out on the couch, occasionally bumping Jayne with his feet. He did again now, and she pushed his foot away in annoyance, rolling her eyes before returning to her work. He opted to instead reach for one of the biscuits on the table before him and munch on it. "Zax and I were in the middle of a case study from the datashare, when that broadcast went out, and basically shocked everyone to pieces. I dunno what would've happened if the Weraynian had won."
Jayne rolled her eyes again. "Are you sure you're Paladanian, doofus? It should be obvious that the human fleet would have arrived, the Weraynians would've breached the force field and then started an all-out war on the system."
Runer leaned over, placing his head next to hers. "We don't know that, do we, miss I'm-so-smart? Oh and by the way, you spelled 'batrachophagous' wrong." he quickly ducked his head back as Jayne checked her writing and then swiped at him in annoyance.
I looked away and noticed the others making pointed eye contact, everyone referring to the obvious fondness Jayne and Runer had for each other. It had been obvious to me for years now, but lately the two had become more blatant in their teasing of each other, even if they didn't realize it was flirting.
Ah, my friends are weird, I thought and then tried to focus on the screen again. I deftly swiped a cookie from the container on the table and bit into it happily. They were amazing. This was amazing. To have the chance to just sit around with a group of friends, and chill and chat and eat, was something I'd hoped for for years. I mean, sure, I'd been happy spending time with Leila, but I'd known these guys were missing from my life, and now they were back, and, for once, I could feel normal. This would be the last time I saw them for weeks, as Sophie and I were leaving later that day.
Speaking of that, I quickly worked out the time and realized I needed to go help Sophie pack, or we'd never leave. I stood up, brushed myself off, and headed for the door. Jayne and Runer were still bickering but Sierra noticed me departing.
"Oh Abigail, are you going home now?"
The others looked up. "Yeah." I replied, rubbing my arm. "I have to pack, you know, since I'm heading to Halapatov today."
"Have a good time there with Sophie." Zax muttered, waving his arm distractedly, eyes riveted on the screen once more.
"Thanks I will." I murmured in response, and then waved goodbye.
"Bye Abigail." Jason said, smiling a little sadly. "I guess we'll see you when you get back."
"Say hi to Leila for us!" Sierra called as I exited the house.
I have to say, the social encounter had ruffled me a little bit. I knew it was just for a couple of weeks, but I would miss my friends while I was gone, even if I was with Sophie and going to see Leila, and yet they didn't seem to be worried about my impending absence themselves.
It hardly took me a minute to come up with the logical answer to this; they had become used to not having me around, so another week wouldn't affect them that much. Oh well. There was the future to look forward to.
I swung my arms and whistled a happy tune as I walked, something I rarely did as it was pointless.
Excessive happiness was running through me, filling me with the sensation of an entirely positive emotion ruling my body. I was going to Halapatov. I would never get over that. Halapatov. The place of dreams and wonders, of magic and brightness, of diversity and flexibility, it may not hold to the strict logic and mindset of Paladanian culture, preferring to be promote more chaos and creativity, and giving endless opportunities to all, but it was legendary for how amazing it was to experience. And I was going there!
I mulled over some quick details in my head as I reached the path to the outskirts of town, where I lived; Halapatov had three continents of equal size, divided by a few small seas, as most of the water on the planet is underground or sustained in-land through lakes and rivers. The unique chemical makeup of the air makes it breathable but also a rich orange colour as it captures the rays of the nearby sun. The plants had leaves of a reddish tinted green, which glowed by day and soaked in the sunlight as fuel. Solar energy was a big thing over there, and allowed for magnificent advances in technology. The cities were allegedly dazzling, with huge glass and metal structures, much of the layout designed by paladanians for most efficiency. The scattered towns were connected by smooth roads and all sorts of modes of public transport including hover craft and speeders. Some places were more civilized than others but I think the extreme cultural diversity actually made it more exciting. I'd never been anywhere like it, but soon (today!) I would be there. Ah, Halapatov. Even my intensely straight-forward mind couldn't resist a legendary destination like that.
I called out a greeting as one of my neighbours passed by on their way to town, and they answered, passing with a grin. Finally I was faced with the entrance to my house, and I swiftly entered.
The first thing I noticed were my belongings strewn throughout the hallway, clearly in some vain attempt by Sophie to sort them.
I continued on into the lounge room to find Sophie kneeling in the centre of the floor, with two empty bags beside her, engrossed in her teleport watch. She was grinning as she perused its saved files, and I wondered what she was looking at. I wasn't wasting any of my processing power on trivial matters though; I had the whole house to clean up as both mum and dad were at work.
Sophie started laughing outrageously, still completely ignorant of my presence. I cleared my throat.
Flinching in surprise, she looked up to find me with arms crossed, eyebrows raised, standing amongst the stuff she had all around. "Oh, hi Abi!" One thing that it's always important to note about Sophie; she regains composure with ridiculous ease. She flashed me the screen of her watch, which would not allow any normal person to have any idea of what she'd been looking at, but I instantly recognised it as a mission log. "I started to pack, but got distracted by my old entries. This one about the Lodni? So funny; I was a real idiot that trip." I came and sat beside her, peering at an imposed image of the many-limbed, rough-skinned alien beings that she had just mentioned. I'd read a few of her logs before; in fact I could pride myself on having read the only private entry in the database, one Sophie had written on the day her mum died.
"Very interesting." I noted, as it was, and tried to keep the amusement out of my tone at my next statement. "And how did you get onto looking at old missions that have no weigh-in on anything to do with packing?"
She looked sheepish for a moment, and flashed a grin. "Well, that's a hard one. Is 'packing is really boring' an acceptable answer?"
"I would say 'yes', but you haven't even started." I gestured to the piles of clothes and various items around us.
"I so have!" Sophie replied emphatically, sitting up straight and closing her teleport watch defiantly. She waved her hand at our scattered possessions. "This was me starting."
I rolled my eyes. Hopeless, my best friend was.
"Uh huh. Well I'm here now, so we can actually get started." I smirked smugly, mind already buzzing as packing lists and arrangements organized in my head. "And also, we're going away for weeks. I think you should keep that in mind, especially since you've provided two backpacks here that will barely last us two days, and yet you still have managed to retrieve enough clothing to keep us dressed freshly for a month."
"Yeah, well," she shrugged idly. "I'm used to just carrying all that I have, so this is kind of foreign to me."
Sudden pangs of sympathy penetrated my senses at that comment. I turned away as I headed to find more bags for us to pack with, but I was thinking like crazy about Sophie. Sometimes I forgot about the estranged lifestyle she was used to; she hardly slept in a bed, owned nothing but her clothes and the things in her bag, and was never in the same place for more than two days. This brief stopover at Flauraan had been the only exception, because when she lost her mum all those years ago she lost everything. She had no place to call home but the universe at large, and therefore packing was never an issue for her. She was like a nomad, yet somehow more tragic.
Sophie truly was a complex person.
From our linen cupboard, I extracted two duffel bags which mum and dad usually used for work trips and took them out into the main room where Sophie had begun to sort things into piles.
"Nice job." I assessed with a smile, and Sophie gave me a high-five.
I lay the duffels down next to the backpacks and contemplated the workload we had ahead of us. Pfft, we'd handle this fine! Thus we two went into productive mode, and began a complex process for a simple goal; to be packed and ready for a vacation to the coolest planet in the system.
We sifted through the piles of clothes and pulled out any of the ones that we wanted to wear. I shook them, pressed them so they were wearable and then folded them into the larger bags. One spare pair made its way into each day bag. Sophie placed shoes for each of us in the duffels. We probably wouldn't need them as she basically wears her boots constantly and as a Paladanian I don't need shoes but we were trying to be prepared.
Other items were easier but fiddlier to designate. Hygiene products such as hairbrushes (which Sophie had never used) and other needed things were tucked into the bags, along with a notebook filled with emergency details and guidelines my mum had written fastidiously out, and the pouches of money dad had measured for us. Sophie tried to insist on having her blanket in her backpack as per usual but as always I overruled her. She should've learned by now not to argue with a paladanian. Instead I folded it and my blanket each into our respective bags. Added into the backpacks were dry provisions, Sophie's digi-file, assorted gadgets which we 'needed', my star charts and one of my many books. With a few extra bits and bobs sorted out, and a quick clean-up of the house, we were then completely finished, and we stood over our few bags proudly, and then whooped and hugged. It was starting to sink in.
We were going to Halapatov!
* * * * * * *
It was windy outside, but that didn't bother me. I watched the trees, at least what was left of them, swaying in the breeze, and casually lifted my eyes to the cloudy sky as Sophie and mum took their time ironing out details a short distance away. It was going to rain later. I smirked at the thought. I wouldn't be here to witness it; instead I would be on the planet I'd been itching to go to all my life. I wondered if it would be raining on Halapatov when we arrived.
"Alright, Abigail." Dad moved over and adjusted the strap of my backpack in a protective manner. "Ready to go?"
"Of course!" I replied, the corners of my lips turning up as excitement coursed through me once again. "Halapatov will be amazing!"
"Well, just be good while you're there. Stay safe." Dad warned me, as any caring parent would. Sophie and I were going for over a week; obviously he wanted to make sure we knew to do the right thing. He tapped the side of his head comically. "Don't forget to use that brilliant mind of yours."
I let out a soft giggle. "I won't."
Dad chuckled affectionately and kissed my forehead, before drawing me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him snugly, and held on to my wonderful father, who'd even taken time off work just to see us off.
"I'll miss you, both of you." I said into his side, and somehow he heard me.
"And we'll miss you." He pulled back and I surveyed his features. His expression told that he was happy for me, and truthfully so, but in his eyes I could see a flicker of sadness mixed with concern. I'd be gone for a long time in a faraway place, I knew. Naturally my parents would be worried about me, not knowing exactly where I was or what I was doing, not seeing me every day and being able to spend time with their only daughter, their fourteen year old only daughter. Though I felt sure that they would manage just fine while Sophie and I were away, I still felt a little bad for leaving. Niles had already packed up and left with barely a phone call to mum and dad, and now I was starting to drift away. I vowed to myself right there that no matter what, I'd do my best to keep in touch with my family when I moved away from home.
Finally Sophie and mum strolled over, laughing at a comment that I assumed Sophie had made. Mum found Sophie's sense of humour adorable and always laughed whenever she made a joke.
As mum drew level with him, dad placed an arm around her shoulders. Sophie stood beside me and quickly threw me her trademark grin before flipping open her teleport watch and engrossing herself in inputting data and commands for our trip.
Mum briefly extracted herself from dad's arm to wrap me in a loving hug. I tried hard to hold back tears as emotions flooded my brain. Halapatov wasn't that far away, right? I'd be able to see Flauraan sometimes from over there. Mum and dad would be right here the whole time. I had no reason to feel upset at this brief parting. I used these thoughts to comfort myself.
With an emotional smile, mum clasped my hands in hers and looked into my eyes. "Look at you, all set to go to Halapatov honey! It won't be the same while you're gone but your dad and I have been so proud of you recently, you deserve this. I hope you have a great time."
"I promise I will." I knew that no matter what trouble Sophie and I might get ourselves into I would try my hardest to make the best out of the situation. Although I usually avoided promises because of the many discrepancies involved, I decided to give my mother this one for peace of mind; both mine and hers.
"I do want you to respect a few rules of mine though while you're over there." she continued emphatically and I nodded. "You have to call every day to check in with us, make sure you know all the details needed before you do anything unfamiliar, and don't let Sophie convince you to do anything stupid."
Mum had said the last part fondly, and Sophie looked up from the coordinates screen with a laugh. "Aww, come on! Can't we please join a riot?"
This caused mum to smile in amusement and shake her head. "You girls be good."
We glanced at each other. "We will!" Sophie and I chorused.
Mum nodded her approval and then moved back to dad, trying to forestall tears. He replaced his arm behind her neck and rubbed her back soothingly. My father had always been the calmer of the two.
I inclined my head to peek at Sophie's teleport watch as she returned to her programming. Most of the data needed for the trip was already set up within its complex database, but Sophie just needed to input a few commands to start the teleport program running.
For a trip of this distance, as opposed to quickly jumping in and out of the force field while trying to stop the Weraynian, Sophie's tiny watch had to spend about half a minute generating enough power to shift the person's consciousness to another plane and dissemble their body for transmission across space. It was a delicate process and very intriguing for me to watch as Sophie, who was usually so bumbling and heavy handed, lightly caressed each switch and button with expertise, to integrate the coordinates with the program. Finally she clicked the terminal control and closed the compartment on her watch. A low buzzing filled the air. I started to jitter with anticipation.
"You got everything?" Sophie asked me, biting down on her lip gleefully. Despite the fact that I knew she made trips like this all the time, she was almost as excited as I was.
I nodded hurriedly. Halapatov was so close. I could sense it. I could taste it. My eyes flicked to Sophie's wrist, where the teleport watch was still humming, still preparing.
"What about you? Do you have your digi-file and everything?" I spoke in an effort to distract myself and because a part of my brain knew inventory was an important part of any journey.
Sophie scoffed. "'Course. How could I leave without it?"
I smirked, and then turned and caught my parent's gazes. They were watching us fondly, though shadows of lament touched their eyes as they waited for us to be gone. I couldn't help myself. I beamed childishly at them from pure elation, and mum wiped her eyes as she chuckled at me.
My mind registered the warning beep of the teleport seemingly absently, and quick as a flash Sophie grabbed up my hand and squeezed it tight. With our other hands we grasped our satchels of belongings, but we managed to bring them up in a half-wave as the teleport watch began to work.
Electricity buzzed around us. A thrill coursed through me. Voice energized, I spoke along with Sophie, "Goodb-"
We were cut off by projection into no-space.