COMPETE: The Atlantis Grail (Book Two) - Preview

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (draft)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"First," Gennio says, "we start the shuttle. The main Pilot sings a Major keying sequence while holding down this four-color ignition key." And he points to a kind of raised bump in the bottom center of the console where four different-color lights race in a circle around each other. I recognize it from having memorized it the night before for my Pilot Training class.

"Go ahead, put your finger on it, Earth girl," Anu says. "If you don't, you won't be recognized by the shuttle as a Pilot for this flight. All Pilots must make contact and be keyed to the shuttle console."

I place my index finger on the ignition key and watch the two Aides do the same.

Anu, followed by Gennio, both sing a simple three-note sequence, and I follow their lead.

In that moment the hull walls of the shuttle come alive, and a low harmonic hum rises. Hair-line threads of golden light race around the etchings in the hull. . . . Somehow I can feel an echo of that fine vibration where my finger touches the panel.

I realize it is my literal connection to the ship.

Next, Gennio shows me how to call up the Navigation Grid. "Each of the Pilots has access to four virtual coordinate grids, depending on need. They are hologram projections that pop up above the console and you can do things like plot coordinates, for example to go from point A to point B."

He points with his finger to each of the four corners of the console. "These buttons call up grids. Red, top right corner button is Propulsion Grid. Green, bottom right, is Brake Grid. Blue, top left, is Adjustment Grid. Yellow, bottom left, is Navigation Grid."

"Okay," I say, while the shuttle is vibrating all around us.

"You can tap any of the four corners to switch between grids any given moment." And Gennio demonstrates by tapping the yellow corner.

Immediately a rectangle grid of yellow light shines brightly over his console, like a ghostly laptop display screen. I see fine lines marking grid squares stand up in the air, appearing out of nowhere.

Next Gennio switches to blue, and a blue grid pops up, then a green one, then a red one. "You can make it 3D if you tap it twice." And the moment he does, the red rectangle suddenly morphs and extends, taking up a strange three-dimensional space, as though a translucent box of light is hovering over the console.

"Wow!" I say. And then I tap the yellow corner key on my own console. Up pops my Navigation Grid, golden-yellow. I tap it again, and it elongates into 3D space.

"Enough playing," Anu says. "Time to get going."

Gennio bites his lip nervously, then tells me, "All right, this is how you set up the Navigation itinerary. First, you choose Destination." And he presses a spot on the console smart surface that's right next to the yellow corner grid button—basically swipes his finger off to the side.

Immediately a small secondary grid appears in the air over Gennio's console, right next the main yellow grid. I replicate his movement by sliding my own finger across in a swipe. A similar yellow square pops up before me. It is populated by rows of weird Atlantean symbols that blaze yellow, like an array of angry alien emoji drones.

"What's that?" I say, while my mind goes, "oh, crap."

"Okay." Gennio points to the very first one on top left. "See that circle character? That represents you, in other words, this ship. That's like the Home button, okay?"

"Okay. . . ."

"See the four-point star character right next to it? That's the Fleet Menu. In other words, you can use it to call up a list of all the ships in the Fleet."