NaNoWriMo: Day 26
So here's the beginning of Homeland, the five-part finale to this series of stories. This picks up pretty much directly from where Search left off. I'm hoping to wrap a lot of stuff up in the next few chapters. Then comes the unenviable editing process. XD
Homeland Part One: Reunion
nbsp; A thousand emotions raced through Aaron’s mind like the swirling clouds of the Warp Winds across the Aristotle’s windows. Was this really happening, or just another false hope and half-dreamt fantasy? Was his long-gone wife really waiting for him on the surface of Old Earth?
nbsp; The transmission Skywatch had forwarded him only hours earlier rang through his head on repeat. Whatever equipment she had been using was unable to transmit video through the Warp Winds, but hearing Iranda’s voice again… “Aaron, please bring me home,” she had said, before transmitting a set of coordinates where they could find her.
nbsp; The news was spreading like an electrical storm through Airlandis - Iranda had returned. Aaron, his children, and their dearest friends had sprung into action immediately. Orak prepped the Aristotle for a quick launch while the dragonators (all of Aaron’s children plus Zarkan, Amod, and Nora) took off immediately - knowing it would take longer for them to reach the surface through the Wind Pits instead of being able to push through the Warp Winds. Miriam was accompanying them as a medical officer in case of any injuries that needed attending.
nbsp; The ship punched through the lower layer of the clouds and into a lashing rainstorm. Violent electrical discharges surged all around them, and the rain made it nearly impossible to see.
nbsp; “I’m switching to night-fight mode,” Orak said, engaging the ship’s sensors. The old engineer looked at Aaron and clasped his shoulder from the next seat over. “We’ll find her, Aaron. The voice matched her audio imprint - it was Iranda; I know it was.”
nbsp; Aaron sighed, unsure of what to believe. “I can only hope we’re not chasing a ghost.”
*****
nbsp; Rain lashed the windows of the hovercraft as Iranda sat inside cradling's Cifex's body in her hands, hoping Orak and Aaron would arrive in time to save his life. In the time since their battle at the Poseidos station, the android's condition had continued to deteriorate, his self-repair nanites slowly losing ground against the massive damage he had sustained protecting her during the explosion.
nbsp; "Be strong, my friend," Iranda said. "Help is one the way soon."
nbsp; Cifex simply looked at her, saying nothing. It went unspoken between them that if help was not forthcoming, it would be his end. Well, Iranda would be damned if she let that happen. Gently laying Cifex on the back seat of the hovercraft, she crawled back into the cockpit area and sent out another homing pulse, hoping to draw the attention of anyone looking. She only hoped it would be friend and not foe.
nbsp; The hovercraft had also been damaged in the explosion, and Iranda felt lucky that most of the equipment and the food replicator she had brought back from the Explorer had survived intact. It was only because of Cifex's mechanical knowledge guiding her repairs that they had gotten this close to Airlandis's flyover territory. But the trusty little hovercraft had finally given up, and Iranda knew she had to contact Skywatch. She had used old codes, but finally made it through. Speaking to Skywatch again...it was wonderful to hear those calm voices.
nbsp; The minutes seemed to crawl like hours as Iranda stared into the rain-soaked darkness, seeing the faint red glow of lava pits steaming in the distance. After the endless desert they had traveled through, she almost welcomed returning to the swampy country that surrounded Dread Wing's territory
nbsp; A sound reverberated in the distance. Something stirred in her memory before Iranda realized she was hearing her first dragon roar in almost eighteen years. Checking to see that Cifex was stable, she stepped out of the hovercraft to greet them. Despite the rain, Iranda could make out seven dragons. Seven! Alongside them soared a large flying craft that reminded Iranda so much of her old beloved Aristotle.
nbsp; As they neared her location, Iranda waved frantically and shot up a flare illuminating the rocky outcropping the hovercraft had come to rest on. Her heart sang as the dragons roared in greeting while circling her location. The aircraft started its descent a small distance from the outcropping, likely not trusting the weight to a possible unstable area.
nbsp; That, however, did not stop four of the dragons from landing immediately. The dragonators launched off their mounts and flew toward her, tearing off their helmets, and Iranda could not stop herself from running, crying, laughing. Her children - Z'neth, Summit, Apex, and little Peak barreled into her, crying themselves. She kissed each of them, too happy suddenly to feel sad for all the missed years. Peak clasped her in his strong arms, seemingly afraid she would disappear again if let out of his sight for a moment.
nbsp; "M-my children," she stuttered, her hands tracing their faces. "I'm so sorry." She dissolved into tears again, deep sobs wracking her body. Her children simply held her, nobody else trusting themselves to say any words now.
nbsp; When her tears had dried, Iranda looked up to see Aaron floating toward her. Floating? “Oh Aaron,” she said, a hand covering her mouth. Iranda moved from the embrace of her children toward her husband. Or the man she found herself hoping beyond hope was still her husband.
nbsp; Aaron’s ice blue eyes stared back at her. “I never gave up looking for you, Iranda…” he said, his voice cracking. “Are you really here?”
nbsp; Iranda’s heart broke seeing how time had changed her husband - his body damaged, his face lined with cares and worry, his beard grey. But those blue eyes were the same, and they shone with love for her. He held his free hand to her, and she clasped it. “I’m here, and I’m never leaving again. I need to ask for your forgiveness, Aaron. For leaving you and our family. I’m sorry.”
nbsp; Suddenly, Iranda was pulled into Aaron’s embrace. They stayed like that for what seemed forever, and when he finally spoke, his voice was rough with emotion. “What’s important is that you’re home now, with us again.”
nbsp; Things became a whirlwind for Iranda as she saw Orak, Miriam, Zarkan, and Amod greeting her. More tears were shed, and Iranda felt the happiest she had been in years and years.
nbsp; “Oh, Orak - I have a companion I need you to look at!” Iranda said, remembering Cifex. “He was damaged in our last battle.”
nbsp; “Battle?” Aaron asked. “This conversation certainly isn’t over.”
nbsp; Iranda smiled. “No, we have much to discuss. But Cifex needs our help now.”
nbsp; The color drained from her daughter Apex’s face. “Cifex…is alive? But I saw him die at Warnado.”
nbsp; “Cifex was the one who saved me, Apex. He brought me back from the Explorer,” Iranda explained.
nbsp; Iranda guided Orak and the rest of the group back to the small hovercraft. Orak definitely wanted it loaded up into the cargo hold of the Aristotle, and set Zarkan and Amod the task of towing it back. While they went to fetch their dragons, though, he peeked in to look at Cifex. The android had gone completely unconscious at this point. Orak pulled out a small hand-scanner and ran it over Cifex, his face definitely unhappy at the readings. “The self-repair nanites are having a hard time keeping up with the cascading system failures. What happened to you two? Did you get blown up or something?” the engineer growled.
nbsp; “You, ah, might say that’s what happened,” Iranda confessed. “But can you save him, Orak? Please do everything you can!”
nbsp; The engineer rubbed his head. “First thing is to get him into a stasis chamber. Z’neth, Summit, take Cifex back to the ship immediately,” Orak ordered. “I need precision tools to fix something like this!”
nbsp; Aaron gave Iranda a stern look as their children carted away the unconscious android. “This is definitely not the last discussion we’re having about you almost getting blown up.”
*****
nbsp; Iranda hugged each of her children (including Zarkan, and now the hunky boyfriend Amod) before she, Miriam, and Aaron boarded the Aristotle Mark II. She smiled as she took in the golden plasteel interior, suddenly feeling so wistful for Airlandis she could hardly stand it.
nbsp; Orak was down in the mobile laboratory working on stabilizing Cifex, and Iranda felt she could breathe again for the first time in a week. She was a decent engineer, but nowhere nearly good enough to repair her dear friend. Aaron led her to one of the plush cockpit seats, and she sat down gracefully, while Miriam used to food replicator to whip up a few hot beverages and pulled a few blankets out of the storage compartment to heat them all up after standing out in the cold rain for so long.
nbsp; Iranda took a delicate sip, savoring the coffee. Oh, the Explorer had made a passable substitute, but having the real thing again was a treat. Iranda’s eyes started blurring again, and she wondered when she would stop crying at every little thing.
nbsp; “Miriam, is the hovercraft loaded?” Aaron asked, setting his cup down on a console.
nbsp; The young scientist nodded. “Zarkan says they’ve secured it. We’re clear for takeoff.”
nbsp; Aaron nodded. “Right, then. I’m taking us up.”
nbsp; The Aristotle gave barely a shiver as it lifted off the ground of Old Earth and began its ascent toward the Warp Winds.
nbsp; “We’re heading for a Wind Pit, right?” Iranda asked, placing a hand on her husband’s arm.
nbsp; He simply smiled at her. “Orak’s been a busy man while you’ve been away, Iranda,” he chuckled, before taking them straight into the Winds.
nbsp; What seemed only moments later, the ship broke through the Warp Winds into the breathtakingly blue sky. Airlandis was coming to meet them, like a huge amber shining in the newly-risen sunlight. Aaron took the ship on a few turns around the city, and Iranda drank in the sight, recommitting every golden spire to memory.
nbsp; Aaron gently sat the Aristotle down on the dragon dock, where Iranda saw a huge crowd had turned out. “I see word must have gotten out that we found you. Damn chatty Skywatch,” Aaron grumbled.
nbsp; “It’s not every day someone returns from the dead, you know,” Iranda said quietly, suppressing a shiver.
nbsp; Aaron and Miriam gave her a strange look, but said nothing. “Well, it looks like Head Councilman Joshua himself has come out to greet us,” Miriam said, noting the tall, raven-haired figure at the front of the throng.
nbsp; “Man never could pass up a holo opportunity,” Aaron said with a scoff.
nbsp; Iranda looked agape. “Wait…little bratty Josh is now head of the council?” She let out a low whistle. There’s something she never imagined happening. What else would be so different after eighteen years?
nbsp; Iranda saw the dragons dock beside them, and her children flying toward the ship. Orak emerged from the laboratory, the side of his mouth tugged up into a grin. “Well, I’ve stabilized Cifex,” he said. “Once I get him back to my shop, I should be able to make him better than new. Still his tech is worlds apart from what we use now. I can’t wait to dig into the hovercraft too.”
nbsp; “Oh Orak, thank you!” Iranda said, throwing her arms around her old friend
nbsp; “I’m glad to see you so happy about a bot, kid,” he replied.
nbsp; Iranda shook her head. “Oh, Cifex is so much more than an android. The heart of a true man and a hero beats inside.”
nbsp; Aaron nodded. “I look forward to your stories, but for now we must face Airlandis.”
nbsp; Iranda’s savored her first deep breath of the sweet, cold air aboveclouds as the ship’s hatch opened and the landing walkway descended. Her children and their companions were instantly hovering at her side, a floating honor guard.
nbsp; Joshua strode toward her, his eyes merry. Clasping her hand, he asked, “Welcome home, Iranda,” he said while the holocams recorded every minute. Iranda had no doubt the footage would be playing all over the city by day’s end.
nbsp; “Thank you, Joshua,” she replied. “It’s good to be home. But I have a very important announcement to make to Airlandis.”
nbsp; Joshua executed a small bow. “Yes, of course.” He motioned the cameras toward Iranda, who stepped forward as her family stood behind her.
nbsp; Iranda took a deep breath before starting her speech. “Family, friends, citizen of Airlandis, I thank you for the warm welcome home.” Cheers spontaneously erupted from the gathered crowd. “I wish we had time for celebrations, but I bring grave news from Old Earth. Some days ago, my companion and I engaged a number of Dread Wing’s forces in battle over technology that could allow Warnado to fly again. Fryte acquired rocket boosters that will someday lift the warship into the clouds. We must prepare ourselves for war.”
*****
nbsp; Machines whirred and clicked, flashing lights and making small chirps as Apex sat in Orak's shop. Her chair was positioned next to the worktable that Cifex's body was laid out on, and she had been there for hours. Apex was dumbfounded, really, that two of the most important people in her life had been returned at the same time. It was almost more than she could mentally process.
nbsp; She had committed Cifex's lifeless body, burnt by Blackheart's flame, to the Warp Winds. Apex had scattered flower petals and shed tears for him, her chest tight and missing his nobility and humanity so much she could barely breathe. It had taken weeks, but she had worked through her grief and gotten back to work. Her brothers rarely spoke of the incident, unsure of what to do if she started crying again.
The way her mother had described it, however, Cifex had not died. His soul or brain or neural network or whatever it was had been transmitted to a duplicate body with of their time together memories intact. And from there he had started wandering Old Earth, destroying pre-Cataclysm technology and looking for any signs of humanity left on the planet. Apex’s fingers brushed Cifex’s peaceful face, wondering what those lonely months had been like for him.
But why couldn’t he have at least let me know he was alive? she pondered. If he didn’t care for her anymore, why would Cifex have gone through all the trouble of returning Iranda to Airlandis? Whatever the answer, Apex simply wanted him to wake up. Losing Cifex again would be more than she could bear. Burying her head in her arms, Apex laid her head on the edge of the table, losing herself in the white noise of the machines.
“Apex,” a voice called to her through dreams. “Wake up, Apex.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she brushed the sleep from them before noticing that Cifex was awake.
“How are you feeling?” she whispered, her throat hoarse and dry. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
Cifex simply looked at her, sorrow in his eyes. “All of my systems seem to be functioning within normal parameters.” He winced at the reference to his robotic nature. “I remember Iranda radioing for help, even though I told her I would be fine...” he trailed off. “Am I in Airlandis?”
Apex took the android’s hand, marveling again at how warm and alive it felt. “Yes. You’re home now, with me.”
“Don’t say things like that Apex. Can’t you see I’m wrong for you? That I can never make you happy?” Cifex said bitterly, turning away from her on the table.
Apex huffed before getting out of the chair and marching around the table. “I’m a big girl, Cifex. I think I can decide who I want on my own. Or don’t you remember me telling Peak off the last time you were here? Why can’t you accept that my feelings for you are real?” she said, frustration coloring her voice.
Cifex sat up and look at her, pain written across his face. “Because despite this outward shell, I’m not a real man, Apex. Because no matter how much I might love you, I’m still an android. A machine built for war.”
Apex shook her head vehemently before cupping Cifex’s face in her hands and staring straight into his eyes. “That’s not true, Cifex. I said it at your eulogy, and I’ll say it again for - you are a being more human than most. You feel, you cry, you love. That is what makes you human, and that is what gives life to my love for you.” Apex could feel the tears pricking the corners of her eyes, and saw them mirrored on Cifex’s face. “If you truly do not love me, then say it now and I will never bring this up again. We will go our separate ways, and I will still consider you a friend until the end of my life.”
Cifex hung his head in shame. “Apex, I do still love you. I have loved you since these eyes opened for the first time. My heart broke knowing that we would be apart, though I felt at the time it would be better for you. I felt I couldn’t face you without somehow proving my worth to you and humanity.”
Apex half laughed, half sobbed, throwing her arms around Cifex and burying her face in his shoulder. “Cifex, you proved your worth the first time we met! What more could you possibly want to show me?”
“I wanted to find the last traces of humanity on Old Earth. To reunite your people of Airlandis with any humans left on the surface,” he said quietly, holding Apex in his arms.
Apex sighed. “I think that’s more than one man can accomplish alone, Cifex. Besides, you were the one who returned our mother to us, and that means more to me than any possible Oasis ever could.”
She kissed him then, an action that was full of deep longing and pent-up feelings. When they finally broke apart, she whispered, “Stay with me, Cifex. Here in Airlandis. Build a life with me.”
“I still think you’re crazy for wanting someone like me, Apex, but nothing would make me happier than being with you.” He kissed her, then, and Apex wished for it to never stop.
Homeland Part One: Reunion
nbsp; A thousand emotions raced through Aaron’s mind like the swirling clouds of the Warp Winds across the Aristotle’s windows. Was this really happening, or just another false hope and half-dreamt fantasy? Was his long-gone wife really waiting for him on the surface of Old Earth?
nbsp; The transmission Skywatch had forwarded him only hours earlier rang through his head on repeat. Whatever equipment she had been using was unable to transmit video through the Warp Winds, but hearing Iranda’s voice again… “Aaron, please bring me home,” she had said, before transmitting a set of coordinates where they could find her.
nbsp; The news was spreading like an electrical storm through Airlandis - Iranda had returned. Aaron, his children, and their dearest friends had sprung into action immediately. Orak prepped the Aristotle for a quick launch while the dragonators (all of Aaron’s children plus Zarkan, Amod, and Nora) took off immediately - knowing it would take longer for them to reach the surface through the Wind Pits instead of being able to push through the Warp Winds. Miriam was accompanying them as a medical officer in case of any injuries that needed attending.
nbsp; The ship punched through the lower layer of the clouds and into a lashing rainstorm. Violent electrical discharges surged all around them, and the rain made it nearly impossible to see.
nbsp; “I’m switching to night-fight mode,” Orak said, engaging the ship’s sensors. The old engineer looked at Aaron and clasped his shoulder from the next seat over. “We’ll find her, Aaron. The voice matched her audio imprint - it was Iranda; I know it was.”
nbsp; Aaron sighed, unsure of what to believe. “I can only hope we’re not chasing a ghost.”
*****
nbsp; Rain lashed the windows of the hovercraft as Iranda sat inside cradling's Cifex's body in her hands, hoping Orak and Aaron would arrive in time to save his life. In the time since their battle at the Poseidos station, the android's condition had continued to deteriorate, his self-repair nanites slowly losing ground against the massive damage he had sustained protecting her during the explosion.
nbsp; "Be strong, my friend," Iranda said. "Help is one the way soon."
nbsp; Cifex simply looked at her, saying nothing. It went unspoken between them that if help was not forthcoming, it would be his end. Well, Iranda would be damned if she let that happen. Gently laying Cifex on the back seat of the hovercraft, she crawled back into the cockpit area and sent out another homing pulse, hoping to draw the attention of anyone looking. She only hoped it would be friend and not foe.
nbsp; The hovercraft had also been damaged in the explosion, and Iranda felt lucky that most of the equipment and the food replicator she had brought back from the Explorer had survived intact. It was only because of Cifex's mechanical knowledge guiding her repairs that they had gotten this close to Airlandis's flyover territory. But the trusty little hovercraft had finally given up, and Iranda knew she had to contact Skywatch. She had used old codes, but finally made it through. Speaking to Skywatch again...it was wonderful to hear those calm voices.
nbsp; The minutes seemed to crawl like hours as Iranda stared into the rain-soaked darkness, seeing the faint red glow of lava pits steaming in the distance. After the endless desert they had traveled through, she almost welcomed returning to the swampy country that surrounded Dread Wing's territory
nbsp; A sound reverberated in the distance. Something stirred in her memory before Iranda realized she was hearing her first dragon roar in almost eighteen years. Checking to see that Cifex was stable, she stepped out of the hovercraft to greet them. Despite the rain, Iranda could make out seven dragons. Seven! Alongside them soared a large flying craft that reminded Iranda so much of her old beloved Aristotle.
nbsp; As they neared her location, Iranda waved frantically and shot up a flare illuminating the rocky outcropping the hovercraft had come to rest on. Her heart sang as the dragons roared in greeting while circling her location. The aircraft started its descent a small distance from the outcropping, likely not trusting the weight to a possible unstable area.
nbsp; That, however, did not stop four of the dragons from landing immediately. The dragonators launched off their mounts and flew toward her, tearing off their helmets, and Iranda could not stop herself from running, crying, laughing. Her children - Z'neth, Summit, Apex, and little Peak barreled into her, crying themselves. She kissed each of them, too happy suddenly to feel sad for all the missed years. Peak clasped her in his strong arms, seemingly afraid she would disappear again if let out of his sight for a moment.
nbsp; "M-my children," she stuttered, her hands tracing their faces. "I'm so sorry." She dissolved into tears again, deep sobs wracking her body. Her children simply held her, nobody else trusting themselves to say any words now.
nbsp; When her tears had dried, Iranda looked up to see Aaron floating toward her. Floating? “Oh Aaron,” she said, a hand covering her mouth. Iranda moved from the embrace of her children toward her husband. Or the man she found herself hoping beyond hope was still her husband.
nbsp; Aaron’s ice blue eyes stared back at her. “I never gave up looking for you, Iranda…” he said, his voice cracking. “Are you really here?”
nbsp; Iranda’s heart broke seeing how time had changed her husband - his body damaged, his face lined with cares and worry, his beard grey. But those blue eyes were the same, and they shone with love for her. He held his free hand to her, and she clasped it. “I’m here, and I’m never leaving again. I need to ask for your forgiveness, Aaron. For leaving you and our family. I’m sorry.”
nbsp; Suddenly, Iranda was pulled into Aaron’s embrace. They stayed like that for what seemed forever, and when he finally spoke, his voice was rough with emotion. “What’s important is that you’re home now, with us again.”
nbsp; Things became a whirlwind for Iranda as she saw Orak, Miriam, Zarkan, and Amod greeting her. More tears were shed, and Iranda felt the happiest she had been in years and years.
nbsp; “Oh, Orak - I have a companion I need you to look at!” Iranda said, remembering Cifex. “He was damaged in our last battle.”
nbsp; “Battle?” Aaron asked. “This conversation certainly isn’t over.”
nbsp; Iranda smiled. “No, we have much to discuss. But Cifex needs our help now.”
nbsp; The color drained from her daughter Apex’s face. “Cifex…is alive? But I saw him die at Warnado.”
nbsp; “Cifex was the one who saved me, Apex. He brought me back from the Explorer,” Iranda explained.
nbsp; Iranda guided Orak and the rest of the group back to the small hovercraft. Orak definitely wanted it loaded up into the cargo hold of the Aristotle, and set Zarkan and Amod the task of towing it back. While they went to fetch their dragons, though, he peeked in to look at Cifex. The android had gone completely unconscious at this point. Orak pulled out a small hand-scanner and ran it over Cifex, his face definitely unhappy at the readings. “The self-repair nanites are having a hard time keeping up with the cascading system failures. What happened to you two? Did you get blown up or something?” the engineer growled.
nbsp; “You, ah, might say that’s what happened,” Iranda confessed. “But can you save him, Orak? Please do everything you can!”
nbsp; The engineer rubbed his head. “First thing is to get him into a stasis chamber. Z’neth, Summit, take Cifex back to the ship immediately,” Orak ordered. “I need precision tools to fix something like this!”
nbsp; Aaron gave Iranda a stern look as their children carted away the unconscious android. “This is definitely not the last discussion we’re having about you almost getting blown up.”
*****
nbsp; Iranda hugged each of her children (including Zarkan, and now the hunky boyfriend Amod) before she, Miriam, and Aaron boarded the Aristotle Mark II. She smiled as she took in the golden plasteel interior, suddenly feeling so wistful for Airlandis she could hardly stand it.
nbsp; Orak was down in the mobile laboratory working on stabilizing Cifex, and Iranda felt she could breathe again for the first time in a week. She was a decent engineer, but nowhere nearly good enough to repair her dear friend. Aaron led her to one of the plush cockpit seats, and she sat down gracefully, while Miriam used to food replicator to whip up a few hot beverages and pulled a few blankets out of the storage compartment to heat them all up after standing out in the cold rain for so long.
nbsp; Iranda took a delicate sip, savoring the coffee. Oh, the Explorer had made a passable substitute, but having the real thing again was a treat. Iranda’s eyes started blurring again, and she wondered when she would stop crying at every little thing.
nbsp; “Miriam, is the hovercraft loaded?” Aaron asked, setting his cup down on a console.
nbsp; The young scientist nodded. “Zarkan says they’ve secured it. We’re clear for takeoff.”
nbsp; Aaron nodded. “Right, then. I’m taking us up.”
nbsp; The Aristotle gave barely a shiver as it lifted off the ground of Old Earth and began its ascent toward the Warp Winds.
nbsp; “We’re heading for a Wind Pit, right?” Iranda asked, placing a hand on her husband’s arm.
nbsp; He simply smiled at her. “Orak’s been a busy man while you’ve been away, Iranda,” he chuckled, before taking them straight into the Winds.
nbsp; What seemed only moments later, the ship broke through the Warp Winds into the breathtakingly blue sky. Airlandis was coming to meet them, like a huge amber shining in the newly-risen sunlight. Aaron took the ship on a few turns around the city, and Iranda drank in the sight, recommitting every golden spire to memory.
nbsp; Aaron gently sat the Aristotle down on the dragon dock, where Iranda saw a huge crowd had turned out. “I see word must have gotten out that we found you. Damn chatty Skywatch,” Aaron grumbled.
nbsp; “It’s not every day someone returns from the dead, you know,” Iranda said quietly, suppressing a shiver.
nbsp; Aaron and Miriam gave her a strange look, but said nothing. “Well, it looks like Head Councilman Joshua himself has come out to greet us,” Miriam said, noting the tall, raven-haired figure at the front of the throng.
nbsp; “Man never could pass up a holo opportunity,” Aaron said with a scoff.
nbsp; Iranda looked agape. “Wait…little bratty Josh is now head of the council?” She let out a low whistle. There’s something she never imagined happening. What else would be so different after eighteen years?
nbsp; Iranda saw the dragons dock beside them, and her children flying toward the ship. Orak emerged from the laboratory, the side of his mouth tugged up into a grin. “Well, I’ve stabilized Cifex,” he said. “Once I get him back to my shop, I should be able to make him better than new. Still his tech is worlds apart from what we use now. I can’t wait to dig into the hovercraft too.”
nbsp; “Oh Orak, thank you!” Iranda said, throwing her arms around her old friend
nbsp; “I’m glad to see you so happy about a bot, kid,” he replied.
nbsp; Iranda shook her head. “Oh, Cifex is so much more than an android. The heart of a true man and a hero beats inside.”
nbsp; Aaron nodded. “I look forward to your stories, but for now we must face Airlandis.”
nbsp; Iranda’s savored her first deep breath of the sweet, cold air aboveclouds as the ship’s hatch opened and the landing walkway descended. Her children and their companions were instantly hovering at her side, a floating honor guard.
nbsp; Joshua strode toward her, his eyes merry. Clasping her hand, he asked, “Welcome home, Iranda,” he said while the holocams recorded every minute. Iranda had no doubt the footage would be playing all over the city by day’s end.
nbsp; “Thank you, Joshua,” she replied. “It’s good to be home. But I have a very important announcement to make to Airlandis.”
nbsp; Joshua executed a small bow. “Yes, of course.” He motioned the cameras toward Iranda, who stepped forward as her family stood behind her.
nbsp; Iranda took a deep breath before starting her speech. “Family, friends, citizen of Airlandis, I thank you for the warm welcome home.” Cheers spontaneously erupted from the gathered crowd. “I wish we had time for celebrations, but I bring grave news from Old Earth. Some days ago, my companion and I engaged a number of Dread Wing’s forces in battle over technology that could allow Warnado to fly again. Fryte acquired rocket boosters that will someday lift the warship into the clouds. We must prepare ourselves for war.”
*****
nbsp; Machines whirred and clicked, flashing lights and making small chirps as Apex sat in Orak's shop. Her chair was positioned next to the worktable that Cifex's body was laid out on, and she had been there for hours. Apex was dumbfounded, really, that two of the most important people in her life had been returned at the same time. It was almost more than she could mentally process.
nbsp; She had committed Cifex's lifeless body, burnt by Blackheart's flame, to the Warp Winds. Apex had scattered flower petals and shed tears for him, her chest tight and missing his nobility and humanity so much she could barely breathe. It had taken weeks, but she had worked through her grief and gotten back to work. Her brothers rarely spoke of the incident, unsure of what to do if she started crying again.
The way her mother had described it, however, Cifex had not died. His soul or brain or neural network or whatever it was had been transmitted to a duplicate body with of their time together memories intact. And from there he had started wandering Old Earth, destroying pre-Cataclysm technology and looking for any signs of humanity left on the planet. Apex’s fingers brushed Cifex’s peaceful face, wondering what those lonely months had been like for him.
But why couldn’t he have at least let me know he was alive? she pondered. If he didn’t care for her anymore, why would Cifex have gone through all the trouble of returning Iranda to Airlandis? Whatever the answer, Apex simply wanted him to wake up. Losing Cifex again would be more than she could bear. Burying her head in her arms, Apex laid her head on the edge of the table, losing herself in the white noise of the machines.
“Apex,” a voice called to her through dreams. “Wake up, Apex.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she brushed the sleep from them before noticing that Cifex was awake.
“How are you feeling?” she whispered, her throat hoarse and dry. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
Cifex simply looked at her, sorrow in his eyes. “All of my systems seem to be functioning within normal parameters.” He winced at the reference to his robotic nature. “I remember Iranda radioing for help, even though I told her I would be fine...” he trailed off. “Am I in Airlandis?”
Apex took the android’s hand, marveling again at how warm and alive it felt. “Yes. You’re home now, with me.”
“Don’t say things like that Apex. Can’t you see I’m wrong for you? That I can never make you happy?” Cifex said bitterly, turning away from her on the table.
Apex huffed before getting out of the chair and marching around the table. “I’m a big girl, Cifex. I think I can decide who I want on my own. Or don’t you remember me telling Peak off the last time you were here? Why can’t you accept that my feelings for you are real?” she said, frustration coloring her voice.
Cifex sat up and look at her, pain written across his face. “Because despite this outward shell, I’m not a real man, Apex. Because no matter how much I might love you, I’m still an android. A machine built for war.”
Apex shook her head vehemently before cupping Cifex’s face in her hands and staring straight into his eyes. “That’s not true, Cifex. I said it at your eulogy, and I’ll say it again for - you are a being more human than most. You feel, you cry, you love. That is what makes you human, and that is what gives life to my love for you.” Apex could feel the tears pricking the corners of her eyes, and saw them mirrored on Cifex’s face. “If you truly do not love me, then say it now and I will never bring this up again. We will go our separate ways, and I will still consider you a friend until the end of my life.”
Cifex hung his head in shame. “Apex, I do still love you. I have loved you since these eyes opened for the first time. My heart broke knowing that we would be apart, though I felt at the time it would be better for you. I felt I couldn’t face you without somehow proving my worth to you and humanity.”
Apex half laughed, half sobbed, throwing her arms around Cifex and burying her face in his shoulder. “Cifex, you proved your worth the first time we met! What more could you possibly want to show me?”
“I wanted to find the last traces of humanity on Old Earth. To reunite your people of Airlandis with any humans left on the surface,” he said quietly, holding Apex in his arms.
Apex sighed. “I think that’s more than one man can accomplish alone, Cifex. Besides, you were the one who returned our mother to us, and that means more to me than any possible Oasis ever could.”
She kissed him then, an action that was full of deep longing and pent-up feelings. When they finally broke apart, she whispered, “Stay with me, Cifex. Here in Airlandis. Build a life with me.”
“I still think you’re crazy for wanting someone like me, Apex, but nothing would make me happier than being with you.” He kissed her, then, and Apex wished for it to never stop.