Press Play (Currently being edited)

Chapter 13 - Sky

Sky was still in so much of a daze from the film that she didn’t realise that she was no longer stood in front of the Opal Screen with Zinnie by her side, but sat on the Uber-Tube. She blinked a few times, her eyes still a little red and puffy from finding out about world war three, before she noticed that both Zinnie and Oliver were looking at her with expressions of concern on their faces.

“Sky... Are you okay?” Zinnie asked, and Sky couldn’t help but feel that she must really be sending of some negative vibes for Zinnie to show some act of kindness towards her. It wasn’t that the two girls hated each other anymore, it was just a friendship that was beginning to grow through unconventional means.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Sky reassured her friend, but even she could hear the crack in her voice as she spoke and the memories resurfaced of the horror she had just witnessed.

“Were you paying attention earlier?” Oliver asked, although he already knew the answer to that question himself. Sky shook her head slightly, strands of hair coming loose from behind her ear and tumbling forwards to cover part of her face.

“I know he’s boring, but he’s not that boring that you have to ignore him!” Zinnie exclaimed, nudging Sky slightly, a worried look behind her eyes still. Sky smiled slightly at her friends, before she tucked the escaped hair back behind her ear again.

“So, where are we going?” Sky asked after a moments silence, which caused both Oliver and Zinnie to burst out laughing. At first, Sky didn’t like them laughing at her, but she soon started giggling along even though she didn’t really know why.

“I’m taking you two to the outlands, to meet some of my good friends.” Oliver told Sky, who nodded.

“What are the outlands? I mean, why are they out there?” Zinnie asked as Sky shifted her gaze to look out of the window. Everything moved past so fast it was like a blur, and Sky was surprised that the Uber-tube managed to remain so still and silent while travelling at speeds probably in excess of 200mph, if not a lot more.

“The outlands are the areas of the city where the workers live. They are a lot more isolated than the rest of the city, with only a few Uber-Tube journeys made every day. Not many people from the city visit the outlands because they’ve never been properly rebuilt from after the war, and a lot of young people use them as places to meet up.” Oliver informed Zinnie, and Sky who was listening in.

“Like what we’re doing.”

“Exactly.” Oliver said, before the loud voice was projected down the carriages.

“WE ARE STOPPING AT THE OUTLANDS NOW. THIS IS THE LAST STOP ON THE TRACK SO CAN EVERYONE MAKE THEIR WAY OFF THE UBER-TUBE AND MIND THE PLATFORM. THANK YOU.” Oliver stood up quickly, and Sky and Zinnie soon followed suit as the train slowly came to a halt. They grabbed the Gliders that they had taken with them - although Sky had no recollection of this - and hopped on them as soon as they stepped on to the platform.

“Follow me.” Oliver said, before making his way out of the station and into what looked like a city of ruins. He abruptly stopped, which made Zinnie crash into the back of him and Sky jump off her Glider on to the floor and that all halted.

“Oh yeah, you need to wear your gas masks now.” Oliver told them, looking a little sheepish about causing the crash, before the trio set off again.

The buildings had crumbled down and ivy grew up the fallen walls, snaking its way through cracks and holes in the brick. The whole place was covered in green plants and Sky supposed that that was why the air was a bit cleaner out here than it was in the city, despite the fact that she still had to wear the gas mask. In the distance were a few small houses, but they looked very basic; almost like a shanty town.