The Ark

39.

The access road through the outdoor crops was well worn. Pebbles and leaves flew up behind us as the hov-board zipped silently through the trees—rows of neatly arranged bamboo crops passing by in a flicker.

Like most citizens of the Ark, I'd never seen the plantations in person before. They had always been a restricted zone, cut-off from the rest of the Ark by a giant security wall. Access should have been restricted to employees only, which is why I was surprised that we had managed to come ashore without meeting any kind of security precautions—it was like AgriCo had never anticipated anyone coming in from the sea.

Zaphron swerved left, abruptly turning us down a row of bamboo. I tightened my arms around his waist, cursing into his back as I struggled to stay on the board. My anger flared when I felt a spasm of laughter ripple through him.

I swear if he did that on purpose—

We came to a sudden halt. The board dropping to the leaf littered ground. I bumped my nose on Zaphron's shoulder, letting go of him the second I realised we were on the ground.

"What now?" I asked, glancing around. Dark trees walled us in, their leaves cutting dappled silhouettes against the grey of the lightening sky.

"Vehicle change," Zaphron said casually. He scooped the board up under one arm and disappeared into a nearby thicket.

I followed, picking my way through spikey new bamboo shoots until I found him stopped beside a beat-up looking hov-car.

"Did this crash land here?" I asked, watching as Zaphron swept a mess of fallen leaves and broken shoots from the bonnet.

"I was in a hurry," Zaphron said, stopping to give me a pointed look. "Besides, it's a plantation vehicle, they're used to a bit of rough driving."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You stashed this here? Did you steal it from AgriCo?"

"I borrowed it," he replied, prying open the driver's side door and motioning for me to get in. "You'll have to climb across, the passenger side is inaccessible."

I glanced over to where a particularly large bamboo culm was wedged up against the other door. "Uh-huh. Nice parking."

He rolled his eyes, grinning despite himself. "Just get in."

I obliged, wrinkling my nose at the damp smell of the car's interior. "I can see why you didn't want to keep it."

Zaphron chuckled as he climbed in beside me, leaning over to stow his board behind my seat. His laughter stopped when he noticed me pressed against the passenger door in an attempt to put some distance between us.

"Sorry," he said, letting go of the board and straightening quickly to give me some space.

I glanced out the windscreen, suddenly intent on staring at the crushed foliage all around the car—anything to keep myself from looking at him. "It's fine."