Islands in the Sky

First

She gasps with excitement and shouts over the noise of the helicopter: "The islands in the sky are real!"

I peer through the window in the cockpit, and see huge objects in the sky. It looks like Earth from my childhood, not its current desert-like conditions.

"Everyone, focus on the mission. Let's land!" I yell to Dylan, my co-pilot.

Grinning, and giving me the ok-sign, we start our descent.

Jane, with her usual annoying perkiness, jumps out of the helicopter and runs to the nearest tree.

Once I have stopped the engine fully, I take off my helmet, open the door and jump out. It is a breath-taking sight. There are trees everywhere. As I look more closely, I see that the trees are arranged in a circular shape around a meadow. As we walk into the meadow, I see Jane running around, and looking amazed at the world around her. She has never seen anything like this.

Then, our whole world flips upside down. We hear loud shots close by. Humans in black fighting gear repel from the trees. We immediately raise our hands in the air to show we are unarmed.

The human in front, who seems to be the one in charge, lifts his right hand to signal his men and says to me. "I am Shade. I lead this group of men. And, may I ask...who are you, and why are you here on our islands?"

"I'm Ky," I say, "and these are my friends Jane and Dylan. We have been sent to investigate these islands in the sky."

He looks around at his men and says, "Could that have been Nathan?" At the sound of that name, I reflexively turn to glance at my friends. What does Nathan have to do with any of this?

Seeing my response to the name, Shade looks me straight in the eye and with a menacing calm asks, "Where is Nathan?"

"I don't know," is my response.

He grits his teeth, and says, "Nathan is a traitor to our group. He chose to leave the islands by his free will, but now he has divulged our secret. Based on our law here, he must be punished." Shade leans toward me in with an unwavering gaze, "Choose your next words carefully...Where is Nathan?"

I break his gaze for a moment to glance back at my friends, then meeting his gaze again, I repeat, "I don't know."

"Lock them in cell three."

-------------------

We've been shut in here for hours. I hear a scraping sound, and the door opens. A soldier walks through the doorway. He brings his finger up to his lips. "Shhh. Nathan sent me to help."

We three nod our heads in compliance, and stare at him curiously. He beckons for us to come toward the door. We stand and move toward him in unison, following silently as he breaks into a run. Racing through the halls, I can't help but feel this labyrinth would be impossible to navigate without a map or guide. The floor and ceiling are made of what looks like metal.

I almost crash into the soldier as he suddenly stops and motions for us lean flat against the wall. As I brush against the wall, it feels damp, but I don't have time to consider why. I can barely hear over the sound of my thumping heart. A split second passes as another soldier walks by.

"Phew," our soldier says as he wipes the sweat from his brow and continues to lead us forward.

A minute passes before we see a door labeled "To the Surface."

Right before he turns the handle, he says, "This will set off an alarm in 10 seconds." There is a helicopter waiting for you outside: climb the stairs, run to the helicopter, and get inside. On the way, my cohort will hand you an envelope. Take it. It's your next mission. Try not to screw up again."

We nod in agreement, and as he presses the handle and the door opens, we climb.

The chopper's blades swish furiously through the air, forming a cacophony with the sound of the helicopter's motor and our frantic footsteps on the ground. Halfway there, a cloaked figure springs out of the shadows stands in our path holding an envelope.

Without faltering in my stride, I take the envelope and continue to run toward the helicopter. In one smooth motion, I dive into the cabin as Dylan and Jane follow closely on my heels.

Safely inside the helicopter, I gaze at my companions and sigh, then turn my attention the envelope.