By now, this trip was of no shock to my mind or body. Having already travelled by teleport twice - and one of those times involved an awful lot of pain - the detachment of my consciousness from physicality as my body was reduced to loosely bonded particles in order to project my whole being across a higher plane to another point in space hardly fazed me. It seemed I was fairly adaptable, and fair enough, as I was able to pick up most new things quite easily.
Although the darkness was paralyzing, the emptiness suffocating (despite my lack of need to breathe) and the sickening feeling of falling through space terrifying, my thoughts were consumed by the thought of Halapatov. It was quite un-paladanian of me actually to be so fixated on what was all things considered a meaningless journey, but hey, I didn't really care. Sophie brought out my fun side.
As if we collided with something mid-transfer I felt a sudden jolt and then Sophie and I grew nearer to our destination, before appearing with a crash. I pulled myself instantly from the floor and looked around. It was... pretty unimpressive actually. We were in a back alley in an industrial area, where a lot of development work was being done. Important to lifestyle but not as dazzling as the kind of place I expected. I glanced inquisitively at Sophie, who, now on her feet, was frowning at the display on her watch.
"We're in the wrong place, aren't we?" I asked even though I clearly knew the answer, my lips turning up in an amused smirk. As an afterthought I remembered that I was on another planet and glanced up at the alien sky, letting out a joyful whoop. We were here. Sophie gave a distracted chuckle from where she still stood stagnant. "Oh, Sophie, don't fuss with specifics. We're on Halapatov and that's what matters." How was I so sure, you may ask? Because of the architecture and sky mainly. The characteristic red colour and look of the sky would have been enough to be certain but the Halapatovian buildings definitely helped my assertion.
"Why are we so off course?" Sophie muttered, bringing up a rough map of the area. She was right. We were nowhere near our intended destination, not even on the same continent.
I glanced around me, hopping from foot to foot to stave off my excitement as I tried to come up with an answer.
"Did you feel that strange sensation during the trip, like we hit something?" I asked, jaw set as my pondering came to fruition. "Might be the reason."
Sophie bit her lip, and shook her head. "You're right; there definitely was something. Never felt anything like it before. What could it be?"
"Perhaps another traveller? A signal? An experiment involving the astral plane?" My mind went into overdrive as I raced through possibilities, selecting the most likely as my replies.
She smiled softly, clearly amused by my rambling, and then waved her hand dismissively, minimizing the coordinate screen. She grabbed my hand. "No need to worry about it. Let's try again. Hopefully this time it'll work."
"Alright then." I supplied and then held on tight as she input our coordinates again. The telltale humming of the teleport watch began and after only a short wait we were beamed across space again.
This time there was no strange occurrence during our journey. I was on full alert the whole time, hoping to be able to discern the actuality of the collision if it did happen again. Of course that was pointless and just left me slightly disoriented.
Stumbling as I materialized for the second time that day, we landed in a secluded grove ringed by reddish trees that shone gold, with light brush around our feet. The sky was a stunning orange over the treeline, blending with the dark bluish hues of space beyond, and thus I knew it was dawn. A few silver clouds hung in the sky. Positive we were at the right place this time, I threw myself erratically down and lay in the grass. and beamed up at the sky excitedly.
"We did it!" I exclaimed and Sophie laughed, joining me on the ground in wild rolling.
The early morning was pierced with shrieks of laughter, as Sophie and I revelled in this utter victory, until the euphoria wore off and the desire to explore set in.
"Come on, Sophie!" I was buzzing with excited inquisition as I leant on her arm, pulling lightly. She snuck a glance at me from her scanner.
"Just making sure everything's in order." she drawled, taking her time. I knew she was enjoying trying to annoy me by prolonging my wait, so I decided to throw her off by calming down and waiting patiently, placing the most bored expression I could on my face and just standing still, peering casually around.
Eventually perturbed by my silence, Sophie looked up, eyebrows knitted in confusion. Sighing with realization, she tucked her scanner into her belt and came to stand beside me.
"Let's go then."
"Yay!" I practically squealed, and with barely a glimpse of each other's expression we sped out of the sheltered grove towards civilization.
The horizon glistened in the dawn light, a haze of smog settling over the turrets of the many city buildings visible in the distance. Ships streamed across the sky, and the air seemed to hum with pulses. On my planet there were restrictions, aimed for the best possible environmental impact of technology we could manage. On Halapatov there was less care to the effects as long as sustainable development was managed. It was a stunning scene, and that was just the background. In the foreground was a country village, a quaint, darling little place, which still seemed to manage the incredible breathtaking look of everything Halapatovian. I was sure the staar matter that fueled the Halapatovian's powers was behind that. The road we had emerged onto was smoothly hewn, and flourishing trees and flora hugged the edge of the path, threatening to spill over yet still staying within their boundaries. Before us a few hundred metres lay the village's main source of exportation; a crazed amalgam of crops held within the confines of a shining gate manned by watchtowers, with tiers of different crops reaching up, each closeted with a synthetic bubble to create the greenhouse effect. Nowhere near as neat and orderly as on Flauraan, but a part of me knew that didn't make it any less successful. Each to their own, really.
As the road curved to the right, a neon sign rose from the ground, displaying all the basic information on the town and giving an enticing description. Pictures of the community were shown and I smiled at the sight of the Halapatovians enjoying themselves popped up. Then my eyes fixed ahead, on the stone gate behind which rose the heights of the village's many buildings. I knew that much of Halapatov was cities and madness, and was glad that Sophie had chosen to come here instead. To start in a secluded, nature surrounded area made everything seem perfect before we traversed into the maze of city complexes.
After passing a simple checkpoint at the gateway, we entered into this village's morning business.
"Sophie, wow!" I breathed as we emerged from a short tunnel into the light once more. Even though, in all essentials, the village was the same as any back home, it was still, somehow, drastically different.
The roads were dotted with colourful gems, gleaming in the early sun. The houses were all drastically different, some large, some small and others of varying sizes. There was no defined pattern or structure. Sometimes businesses or public buildings were placed in between houses, or all clumped together. There were signs and bright colours everywhere. It was almost unbelievable how foreign this was to me. You never do know what you 're used to until you're away from it.
Back home there would be many people out early in the morning, hoping to gain the most they could out of the day by having a bright and fresh start. There would be people outside sitting, walking, setting things up for work, taking inventory, being organised for the day or greeting others. That was just the way it worked. That was part of the reason I was used to going outside as soon as I woke up, and heading up the hill. It was refreshing, and in my opinion being out with the peace of the world around sets you up for a good day.
However in this small town on Halapatov, most people were still indoors. Those who were up and out were people heading off to work, and the majority were in motor vehicles like speeders or waiting for transport at a ship station. It was loud, rushed, and messy; very much unlike the ordered, calm state I was used to.
As Sophie and I walked down a main road, taking in the varied buildings, hurried people, and other sights, we were silent. I was sure we were both just in awe. Sophie had once told me that despite all the weird and wonderful places she'd been in the universe, she was astounded by each one. This awestruck feeling never left her. I suppose that was a testament to how unique all planets and people are, and how their ideas can create a multitude of different wonders, in many assorted ways.
Eventually I broke the tranquillity, turning to face her with a bright smile on my face.
"Wow, Sophie." I said softly, my eyes drifting back to take in everything once more. I could still hardly believe that I was here, on another planet, really here! "This is just... amazing. We haven't even seen anything all that special yet, but this, this ability that you have to visit places that are so unique and unreachable is insanely spectacular."
She looked at me, eyes soft. I suppressed a confused frown, as I realized that softness was to veil sadness. Maybe she didn't agree with me; by now this whole endeavor could easily not be too exciting for her, or maybe she just thought I was being too generous in my description. Either way, a second later that softness disappeared and the wily grin of Sophie Lester returned.
"Come on!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me off down the street. My duffel bag swung behind me, weighing me down as we headed towards one of the transport stops. It was a bright platform which jutted above the street, had a data engraved timetable, a Halapatovian clock, a weather shelter and a few comfortable seats, where some people were already waiting. We settled among them, flashed grins at each other and then waited for the vehicle to come.
Soon it came, and we boarded. My eyes were fixed out of the window as we trundled through the quaint town, marvelling at all the sights and wonders along the way. Sophie and I, buzzing with nervous energy, chatted and pointed various sections out to each other. It was a beautiful, peaceful ride, and we couldn't wait to see all we'd planned to see. Right now we were on our way to one of the main 'tourist' destinations in this area; the ruby cliffs of Halapatov.
After a few of the vehicle's other stops of the morning, the windows darkened to preserve the view, and our transport puttered up to the administration area, where we all hopped off and then awed.
Before us loomed a wall of bright red stone, jutting clean from the ground we stood on and reaching up further than we could even see. It was truly wonderful. I smiled as some of the people with us pulled out devices to record their experience.
Then we were all ushered onto a glass platform fitted with electromagnetic thrusters. The thirteen of us who were there shuffled into the middle so that we all could fit,and then the mechanism that powered it started up and we started to soar upwards, a feeling quite unlike being in an elevator.
I gripped Sophie's arm and laughed in exhilaration as we zoomed upwards, our destination being the top of the cliff.
It was incredibly awe-inspiring, looking out at the world from that vantage point. I could see the grove of trees and the village where we'd first arrived not long before, and further out to the shining Silver Sea. I could see the many cities looming proudly along the horizon, twinkling in the light of the red sky with its huge star shining, and truly it was beautiful.
We'd barely been here that long, and already I was hooked.
After an incredibly long ascent we arrived at the top of the cliff, where a town which thrived off the tourism of this place had its borders. We leapt off the platform onto solid ground,as opposed to our more wary fellow travellers who waited for the platform to stop completely, then we smiled at the tour guides waiting for us, and eagerly received the information packs they gave us. Sophie and I linked arms, and then moved along the road into town.
Here we were able to have a wonderful experience; heading through the markets of Halapatov.
We entered into a broad street full of shops, bright decorations and people, and stared in wonder at the many products on sale.
"Buy authentic Rulean jewelery, for less than 3 tran!" One merchant was yelling, brandishing a bejeweled necklace. We jumped out of the way as a kid our age on a wheeled contraption zipped by with a bag full of goods. Still linked, we headed on to the food stalls, and as we moved I pointed out various trivia to Sophie.
"So most of the people here are Halapatovians, as you can no doubt tell." I began, gesturing in the general direction of most of the stall owners. A flying drone most likely bought at one of the stalls flashed its lights at us, and then, as if to prove my point, one of the people there extended their hand and used their power to draw the drone from the air and into their hand. Some passersby chattered about it around us. "Like him."
"Yeah." Sophie stated, nodding as she looked gleefully all around. "Pointed ears, ridiculously tall, crazy star powers. Clearly Halapatovian."
I laughed. "Right. There are a few of my people here, though not that many. They're not hard to discern either because they're the ones who look like us. But then.. avert your eyes to the end of the street. See that guy with the cart up there by the arch?"
Sophie craned her neck over the vibrant crowd to look. "Yeah? Grey skin, round head, big ears. Looks a lot like a Weraynian."
I laughed again, in spite of the serious topic. "That's the one. He's from Aandrigo. One of Halapatov's moons."
"That your people set up for refugees from Werayne, during the Great War."Sophie said knowingly.
"Yes, but it was called Pecayen then, and only since the war have the unaugmented and innocent Pecayen people been distinguished as Aandriggians from the Weraynians - the ones who stayed behind and augmented themselves to gain the upper hand in the system wide war."
"Ah." Sophie nodded in understanding, eyebrows creasing. Then she caught sight of one of the food stalls, which was selling baked goods. "Ooh! Let's go there." She yanked me excitedly by the arm over there, pulling out money as she went.
Soon we had extracted ourselves from the market, walked past a group doing a powers demonstration and traversed the entire length of the town. We left via the gate in a park, and found ourselves facing unspoiled pasture. To our right we could see busy traffic on roads and in the sky but before us was just grass and trees, simple as can be.
We crossed the countryside, singing happily as we went. Sophie and I didn't know any of the same songs so it turned out a garbled mess and we were in fits by the end of it, but what did it matter? We were there, among the soft grass sprouting from rich earth, following the curve of the river tinted gold by the sunlight as it wound it's way towards the city. There were a few Halapatovian children about, playing. Some were even experimenting with their powers, and we gave them all a friendly greeting and moved on. The cities were so near to each other that I found it amazing this land was still here. I knew there were wires and structures and pipes and everything somewhere underneath it, but to keep the top pasture preserved took effort. I was very impressed.
The one man made feature was a small hut with a complex looking machine beside it. I took one look at that contraption and knew I didn't want to be anywhere near it so we steered clear.
Soon it was lunchtime and Sophie and I spread out on the soft down, the shining city in our line of sight, and pulled our food from the markets from our backpacks. We feasted that day on Halapatovian made delicacies, and as we did I reveled once more in this wonderful day, and how lucky I was.
Sometime after lunch we finished our trek to the city where we'd be staying the night, and found our way to a quaint motel. Checking in, we dumped our bags in the small two-bed room and then ventured out into the sunlight once more to explore.
After a full day seeing all that could be seen, such as the stadium where two groups played an intense game utilising Halapatovian abilities in the sight of a roaring crowd, a tall tower among offices where we could climb to the steeple, and a roaring fire in the centre of a huge garden where we ate dinner, we retired back to our motel.
With us were a few Halapatovians who were staying there also, on some youth trip and we chatted gaily with them as we headed back. Then we decided that though we were tired we'd sit a while and look at the stars.
"Wait. so where did you say you're from again?" said a guy named Kerron from his place on the ground beside Sophie.
"The planet Earth. In the solar system." she replied, amused. "Actually about like, a lot of light years from here."
"And you came here by teleport?" the girl beside me asked curiously, eyes alight.
My gaze was on the stars as Sophie answered, "Well yeah. I travel that way all the time."
"That must be magical." the girl sighed wistfully. "I've never even been out of the country."
"Well, it is pretty great here." Sophie said encouragingly.
"Yeah, I suppose."
We sat in silence a bit longer, in the light of the purple lamps around us. Then one of the others stood up, and dusted himself off. "Should probably head to our rooms now. We have a big day tomorrow on our schedule."
"Oh, okay." They all reluctantly stood up and started to head off.
"Maybe we'll see you some other time." the girl who'd spoken before waved at us. "Bye."
"See ya." We chorused, and then they entered the building.
Sophie and I sat there, just thinking through the day. Honestly this was a pretty cool experience. I'd never been away from home in this way before, not really. I wondered what they were doing back home.
My eyes wandered over to the check-in point, a kind of communication booth, nearby; I did really need to call my parents and let them know I was okay - more than okay actually.
"Don't bother with that thing." Sophie followed my gaze, guessing what I was thinking, and dug into her pocket, before pulling out a communicator. She fiddled with it for a moment and then tossed me the device. "I left another back home for your mum's use, as one of my thank-you's. It definitely has the range to connect, even here on Halapatov."
I turned over the communicator in my hand, memories flooding my brain as my fingers brushed the metal Sophie had salvaged from her last communicator - the one which had been destroyed by an escaped Weraynian during his attempts to overthrow Flauraan. Because of this device, an evil plot had been uncovered, and a war stopped. I flicked the switch on the side, and waited as the gadget thrummed to life... and then promptly died because it was out of battery.
"Maybe don't drain the thing next time." I smirked, chucking it back at my now disgruntled friend. Frowning unhappily, she whacked the communicator against a pole as if that would make it work again. Needless to say, her efforts were fruitless. I laughed as I turned back to the check-in point and wandered over.
Sliding open the panel, I watched the screen turn on and then quickly typed as it asked for the area I wished to call. I subsequently typed in my father's name, and the machine zoned in on the portable computer in our living room. I imagined the tone ringing loud and clear through my house as the system automatically turned on, my mother looking instantly up from her book, or lunch, and then running for the machine, running still. A wave of homesickness flowed through me and I screwed my eyes shut, sighing. No matter how amazing it was here, I missed home.
The call connected, and suddenly my mother's anxious voice filled my ears.
"Abigail, is that you? Are you safe? What's going on? What's Halapatov like? Why are you calling so late?"
I chuckled. "Yeah it's me. I'm all good. It's amazing here - Sophie and I have done heaps."
Mum's breathing slowed and I could hear the smile in her voice. "Well then, you'll just have to tell me all about it."
So I spent the rest of my night before retiring to bed describing, with my tone full of wonder, to my mother (and my father once he'd joined) exactly how my day had been. It was really no secret; it had been wonderful.