CANAISIS ∞ Chronicle One ∞ 3: A Shard Of Code

103 ∞ A War of the Winds

Day 00011 Mission Nilex


Ayla followed Ahmid down the corridor, her thoughts in a turmoil. To her, Gareth had always seemed unshakable in facing challenges, but a while ago, she'd felt him turn into ice inside. If anything gave an indication of how serious the situation was, that moment was it. What was worse was, the moment it happened, a distant howling started in the back of her mind. The Wind was there, banging on its prison walls, seeking escape. Something she'd sensed within him had awakened it, and she could hear the grating of hard ash.

He's going to do something stupid.

"Ahmid, something's not right," she said as they pulled themselves along the corridor as fast as they dared.

"Yes, I know," Ahmid's voice replied in her helmet. "I'm guessing the situation is graver than he let on."

"What can we do?"

"What can we do? It serves no purpose to confront him, Ayla. We must follow his orders. Now, let's hurry." Ahmid pulled harder on a handhold to accelerate down the corridor.

He's going to collide if he isn't careful.

Ayla let him get five body lengths ahead of her before matching his pace. The open transit airlock came up on them fast, and Ahmid floated straight through it and into the transit tube. He used his left hand to catch the doorjamb, and his momentum swung him out of sight. Ayla had drifted too far to the center of the corridor to reach the airlock doorjamb.

Ahmid's head popped into view and, as she flew into the transit tube, his hand reached out and snagged her. She swung around him and, hanging onto his hand as a fulcrum, bent her legs so her feet would hit the curved wall. Ahmid used his leverage to direct her rebound downward along the tube's surface. She reached out and found the recessed handholds were large enough to easily accept her gloved hand, just as they'd been in the corridor. The sound of her breathing echoed in her helmet, but the howling in her mind was loud enough to match.

Ahmid passed her in sky-diver form, legs tight and arms swept back. "Come, we've got a long ways to go. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She gave herself a heave and started skimming along the wall of the tube. She adjusted her pace to match Ahmid's, but the wind within her was growing, finding cracks in its prison. Ignoring it, she found she had to arch her head back uncomfortably to be able to see out of the helmet's visor. She wished she had the suit Canaisis had given her. It fitted so much better and didn't hinder her movement.

Using the recessed handholds, they propelled themselves past level after level along a shaft that seemed to stretch into infinity. This was nothing like being transported in a softly lit tube past open doors. All the airlocks were closed now, and only red strips of illumination lit the way.

Shadows crept in on Ayla's eyesight, narrowing it to claustrophobic tunnel vision as the wind grew louder within her mind. It broke free of its prison, chilling her fingers, and the darkness of a dead world called her, the smell of burnt ash assaulting her nose. Her breaths came in rapid gulps as she tried to ignore the pain building in her head, determined to focus on Ahmid ahead of her, leading the way. How much longer she could hold on, she had no idea, but she refused to fail Ahmid.

After what felt like a never-ending journey, Ahmid's voice sounded remote inside her helmet. "I see flashing several levels ahead. Must be the Hangar level."

Ayla looked past him into the distance and jerked her face away with a cry—the flashing had struck her retinas like fire. Eyes clenched shut, and her hands flew to her face, to her head, but she could only clutch at her helmet as her elbow brushed against the wall and threw her off her momentum.