I, Immortal

Chapter Six

The fourth and fifth days of our seven-day preparation left me bitterly sore and incredibly excited. Paizlee had again knocked our training up a notch, telling us that the workouts were not simply to strengthen our bodies and minds, but to test our limits as well. By the end of the fourth day, even the almighty Flip and Flop were complaining of aching muscles.

On the fifth day, much to my excitement, President Lund stopped by the ninth floor to spectate. Adrenaline pumped through me, and I sped through a set of push-ups so fast, I heard him joke to Paizlee that she should push us harder if everyone else was as eager as that dark-haired, energetic kid over there.

Oh, please, no. I thought, the rush of adrenaline suddenly causing my body to shiver and shake. The last thing I wanted was for Paizlee to think I actually liked to exercise. Thankfully, she only laughed and called us to move on to mountain climbers.

When Paizlee called for the end of our training day, President Lund shook hands with each of us, congratulating us on a job well done and telling us how excited he was to sit down and talk with us on the upcoming orientation day. When my turn came to shake his hand, he looked me square in the eye. "Xander, right? Xander, my boy, it does me good to see strong, enthusiastic people like you in this program. I know you'll make Protonet very proud."

I beamed. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded and I walked away, staring at my hand like it was made of gold. My heart pounded, not just from the workout, but also from the thrill of having shaken the hand of the biggest name in present-day technology. I grinned, breathless. Then I saw her. Brynn stood by the window, somberly regarding the passing clouds. I looked over my shoulder at Cy, who stood waiting by the elevator. He held his hands out, palms up, and cocked his head to one side, as if to say What gives? I held up a finger. One minute.

"Hey." I walked up and stood beside her, fixing my gaze on a dragon-shaped cloud hovering above a skyscraper.

"Hi." Brynn murmured.

"Pretty cool shaking hands with the head guy of Protonet, isn't it?" I smiled, hoping to cheer her somewhat.

She nodded, but said nothing. I tried again.

"That cloud looks like a horse." I pointed out. The corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly.

"And that one looks like a snail." Her smile grew brighter.

"And that one looks like a fluffy white rabbit."

She stood a little straighter and pointed at a cloud near the rabbit cloud. "And that one looks like a bird."

A bird. Flight.

"Yeah, it does actually," I peered closer at the cloud she was pointing at. "Looks like a dove."

She sighed. Contentedly or sorrowfully, I couldn't tell.  Her eyes wandered over the birdlike cloud, as if dwelling on a distant thought from long ago. She tilted her head to one side and lifted her hand to the glass pane.

I glanced over my shoulder again. Cy had leaned against the wall near the elevator, his arms crossed over his chest, smiling at me. He gave me a small wave. Go on.

"You know why I signed up for flight?" Brynn's silky voice caught my focus once more. She continued without waiting for an answer. "I was five years old when my grandma first took me birdwatching. She bought me a bird book - a real hardcover book with pages and everything. Took me to the park. We sat there for hours and hours. I'd point at a bird. She'd tell me exactly what kind it was."

She paused a moment, her eyes twinkling like a winter ocean. A bittersweet smile spread across her face. "I always did enjoy those times with her."