Division-A

Episode Thirty Five. (July 31st, 2123. Division-A, South District.)

Makina, Hideyo, Asuka, and Kiku walked Yukino, Miki, and Sakagami up the stairs into the outside world. Rays of sunlight peaked out from the thick gray clouds that painted the dull sky that drizzled light showers onto the survivors. The shell of the skyscrapers that used to stand hummed with the wind as they rocked from side to side. The seven pulled each other up one of the many tall mounds of rubble. The elevation provided a small refreshing breeze amongst the carnage, flowing through their hair and drying their cuts.

Asuka knelt down and unzipped the duffle-bag she carried with her. She dug through it and pulled out three Omega jetpacks. They were quite large and square with straps that hooked onto their shoulders like a backpack. It was indented like the shoulder pads they wore, exposing the shutters on the inside that expelled the gas that allowed them to fly.

Kiku turned each person around one at a time, hooking the tool onto their backs. She wrapped the straps around their waists and over their shoulders like a harness, knowing that they'd have to compromise since the jetpacks usually attached magnetically to the uniforms.

Miki lifted his shoulders up and down and arched his back, grunting. "They're heavier than I thought they'd be..."

"The jetpacks are fueled by the temperature of your blood," Makina stated, wasting no time.

As the others glanced at her, star-struck by the technology they're being equipped with, Kiku pushed a button on the side of the machine. That action prompted a row of tiny needles to stick into the user's back and drain their blood. They winced in pain, but the sensation went away shortly after.

"The more you move, the more you sweat, the more adrenaline in your system, the hotter your blood will get," Makina explained, "and that's how you'll fly. The jetpacks convert the heat into steam and catapult you in whatever direction you wanna go."

"There's no controls...," Sakagami worried as she looked over her shoulder. "How are we supposed to control them?"

"The needles in your back are equipped with sensors. Whenever you tense your muscles, the jetpack will be activated," Makina continued, stiffening her body as an example for the others, even though she wasn't wearing anything but her normal attire.

Yukino balanced herself, hesitant to try out the machine. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tightened her body. Her jetpack immediately lit up and steam coughed up through the neon shudder. She giggled and spun around, trying to see the machine for itself like a dog chasing its tail. The others, amazed, did the same and powered on their jetpacks.

"To control the direction, shift your weight to one side of your body. That is the side your jetpack will fly you to. To go straight, just balance your weight to the center of your body. That's all there is to it," Makina finished.

Sakagami leaned to the left, balancing on her left foot. A few curious seconds went by before a burst exploded from her back and pushed her to the other side of the mound of rubble. She squealed, taken by shock by the sudden force of the machine.

"To get in the air, just jump."

Miki turned around slowly, gathering all the courage he had left in his body. Yukino and Sakagami watched him closely, captivated. He looked down at the soil a few meters beneath him and sighed before taking a leap of faith. Miki felt a stinging in his back as blood was extracted from him, and then he was flying. Destroyed buildings

and clouds of smoke flied past him as he screamed manically, unable to control the direction he was going. Before he knew it, he was turned back around and flying into the pile of rubble he once stood upon.

Sakagami winced as the dust from the concrete clouded around her. Miki groaned, climbing up to the peak where the rest of them watched. Yukino picked him up, careful not to active her own jetpack. She used her wrist to wipe the dust from his face.