Sky Swimmer

The Battle of Physics, Part 28

Floe, Olphina and hundreds of Fluidians comprise a circle encompassing almost a half square mile of ocean. Floe hovers above the ocean on thickened air, the Fluidians each stand on narrow columns of water that gurgle beneath them like personal water fountains.

Floe's eyes flutter, her hands start a circular motion and the ocean before her begins to shift, as if an unseen current suddenly rose to the surface. All the Fluidians close their eyes and murmur in their liquid language, their hands gently moving in unison, clockwise until the water before them starts to mimic their moves, a giant whirlpool begins to rotate, to swirl frothy white as whitecaps form on the surface.

Floe raises her face to the heavens and utters a single word, the Fluidians follow her lead.

And the seawater erupts straight up into the sky as a single, immense, rocketing geyser.

The column of water hits the Heat Matrix and great plumes of steam explode like enormous blooms of white roses, the geyser continues higher.

High above the California coastline the column of seawater thrusts into the stratosphere and further, way further out into space.

The geyser of seawater pushes up into space and suddenly with a gut wrenching boom it stops and the water freezes in the subzero environment, it freezes into a solid pillar of ice.

The column of seawater absorbs the heat from Hamada's Heat Matrix, the heat boils the rising water and travels up the column until it meets the frozen part of the column, and there, the two elements meet in a colossal battle. The net result is that the heat radiates up and outward, away from the Earth's atmosphere and out into space.

Their plan is working. Floe and the Fluidians have created an efficient radiator.

New columns of water from other regions of Earth burst into space and radiate the heat of the Matrix out into space, away from the planet. Hundreds of geysers pierce the Heat Matrix.

It is an impressive sight. Powerful forces of nature battling across the heavens, the sound of water turning to steam, turning to ice, cracking, melting and refreezing booms across the heavens.

The battle of physics rages on and on. Some of the Fluidians begin to tire, their feet slipping on their water jets.

"Though my brethren reproduce these columns all across the globe, it is useless... the Warming persists!" says Olphina.

Floe agrees, "We need to stop the source. Hamada."

---

Soiler warriors lay dissolved on the floor of the balcony where the Underlord continues to ignite his Heat Matrix.

Livia is very weak, she wind-shields herself from the relentless attacks of Transgressa. Blood drips from her nostrils. She struggles to hover on thick-air just beyond the large balcony.

Transgressa senses Livia's weakened state and presses her, "Join your companions, including the leader of the Aireon Guards, in death where I placed them."

Livia is crushed by this news. What little strength she has left visibly dissipates. Fuegar! Only now she realizes that it was her need to see Fuegar again that kept her will intact long enough to battle Transgressa and the countless warriors who streamed forth. Fuegar. All her connections to her Aireon way of life were through him. He had always been there for her, always comforted her in the foulest of times, his quiet manner of lending her courage and confidence and belief in the simple dream that their people would yet again come together and live side by side was as vital a part of her as breathing was. Fuegar. Gone.

Underlord Hamada sees his chance, "Enough."

Hamada turns his powers away from the Warming and aims at Livia. The full brunt of his attack hits Livia just as Transgressa's War Hammer smashes into her; both assaults are too much for Livia's depleted condition, she topples, the thickened air losing its buoyancy, Livia plummets toward the ground far below. She falls as if sinking in cold, black water, in body and mind she sinks from the eyeline of her enemies, she sinks from life itself.

Transgressa turns away from the falling foe, her attention is caught by a disturbance on the distant horizon. "My Lord," she says and nods toward the massive column of seawater rising far off over the ocean. The Underlord turns, sees the geyser of water piercing the Heat Matrix. Hamada staggers as he comprehends the implications, he steps backwards and leans against the balcony rail for support.

The Heat Matrix wavers.

---

A team of soldiers make their way up the exterior of the Soiler Fortress wall.

It is Agent Torres, dressed in stealth uniform, and a dozen of his Special Force agents slowly climbing up the Global Finances building.

Torres stops his ascent and looks up. As if on cue, Livia comes tumbling down from above, as if sinking in water, but falling faster and faster toward the concrete far below.

Roped in to his climbing tackle, Torres kicks off the side of the building and timing it perfectly, catches Livia in his arms and protects her with his body as he slams back into the building. Livia looks badly beaten.

He wastes no time and asks her point blank, "Was the mission a failure?"

Livia manages a smile, "We don't do failure."

Agent Torres removes a transmitter from his pocket and immediately pushes the button.

---

The small metallic, bladed Balls lodged in the walls all around the conference room and balcony that Livia had thrown toward Underlord Hamada suddenly activate and small digital numbers appear on them and begin to countdown... 10... 9... 8...

Meanwhile Hamada looks beyond the threat of the water columns and notices that his enemies have stopped bombarding the Fortress. In fact, all activity seems to have stopped. His anger is a palpable thing, Transgressa flinches when he looks at her, "Even the Walkers have gleaned their undoing and have halted all emissions, without which I can not hold the Warming. We must destroy the resistance now."

Hamada leaves the balcony and Transgressa follows him, they exit the conference room.

The countdown races to it's preordained ending... 3... 2... 1.

Agent Torres tries to shield Livia protectively against the side of the Fortress wall. The top of the wall explodes high above them... the entire structure of the Global Finances Inc building shakes violently. Hamada's conference room and balcony blow out in a deadly plume of glass, metal and debris that rain down on the Special Agents. The ensuing shockwave rocks the city.

And then.

Suddenly the city is quiet. No more explosions from the US forces. Nor from the Soiler Warriors. Even the cars have stopped.