The Leviathan

Chapter Eleven

Sage sucked in a deep breath, his heart pounding in his ears. He could literally feel the ground underneath him spinning as he took a knee, regulating his breathing as he gained his bearings. The room was dark. He waited for his vision to adjust to the dimness. Faint snoring could be heard from above him, as he looked up at the contraption. Two beds, stacked upon each other. If he had to guess, he'd just fallen out of the bottom one. Across the room, a dark figure sat up in bed, rubbing their eyes as they peered at Sage.

"Sage? You alright?" The figure crept closer, the familiar face floating into view. "Hello! Earth to Sage? Had a nightmare?"

"Gia...?" Sage asked. He could faintly make out her features in the darkness. She nodded slowly, helping him to his feet. She had a knowing smile across her face.

"Hello, other Sage. Or is your name still Sage?"

"It is. I do apologize for taking the body of your friend." He rubbed his head, the pounding still very much apparent.

"Well, technically you are still Sage, just not our Sage. You wanna take a walk? I can't sleep anyway."

"I'd like that." 

---

Gia led him out into the corridor, as Sage momentarily lost his ability to breathe. They were at least a hundred metres, no maybe even a hundred and fifty into the air. He looked over the railings that seemed like they were too low, seeing rows and rows of doors identical to the one he'd just stepped out of. Across, he could see small specks of people walking, all dressed similarly.

"Where are we...?"

"We're aboard the Orion, currently cruising at...forty thousand feet, if I had to guess."

"I'm sorry - did you just say forty thousand feet?"

Gia chuckled as she led Sage along the corridor to a large room, the words 'viewing gallery' flashing overhead. Sage looked down, taking a step back as Gia placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are those...clouds?"

"You bet they are. And the stars up there? From up here, you can make out every single one of them."

Sage looked up, his mouth half ajar. He'd never seen anything remotely close to it. Gia watched him with mild amusement, as if he was a kid at the theme park.

"How is this possible? For such a big...building to be flying?"

"Technically it isn't a building. Picture it as more of a...flying ship, if that helps."

It didn't make it anymore believable, Sage thought. But the view was breathtaking, and he couldn't argue with it. He turned to see Gia sitting on a nearby couch, as he joined her.

"My Sage told me about your world. Horses, swords, and trees? I haven't seen a naturally occurring plant in years. I'd love to see that world one day."

"What happened here? The Leviathans?" Sage asked, as Gia nodded solemnly.

"The war took a massive toll on our natural resources. Had we not discovered the Hyperdrive technology, humanity would've been wiped out years ago."

"Hyperdrive." Sage repeated to himself. "Is that what's powering this ship?"

"Correct. Five hyperdrives, all possessing the same amount of power as approximately a thousand nuclear reactors." Gia saw Sage's face screw up slightly, as she laughed. "Sorry. You just need to know there's enough power on this ship to keep it in the air for at least a century, if not more."