electric blue neon lighting running throughout the uniform. He stood affixed to a magnetic platform at the elevator’s door. He smiled pleasantly and handed batons to Ryker.
She gripped them and turned to Austin. “Come on.”
They drifted into the crowd. The planet revealed itself below, the deep blue of the dark side of the planet slowly turning past. Vibrant bubbles surrounded the orb, morphing together to form larger formations. Hundreds of couples floated around the room, propelling through the zero-gravity dance floor with the batons expelling the multi-colored liquid. Ryker held his arm, using the baton with her free hand. They drifted into the open space above. Another couple giggled as they floated by, propelled by a luminescent green liquid. Purple and green bubbles materialized together near his face like Austin had somehow fallen into a massive birthday cake.
Ryker outstretched the baton and squeezed. A striking plum-colored liquid shot from the baton, forcing them into the open. They floated in space, together. She pulled him close as they spun through the room. In the midst of this impossible scene, Austin couldn’t tear himself from her. He stared into her eyes.
“Float with me,” she said.
“This is weird.”
“I know.” She cocked her head to the side, gesturing with her hands. “Come with me.”
They floated high above the flawless blue surface of Oma, looking like a cobalt marble miles below them. She held him in the comforting freedom of no gravity.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” she whispered, resting her head on his chest.
“Me, neither.”
“I’m scared.”
“Me, too.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “I’ve got you.”
She released a long, slow sigh. “I know you do.”
“I’ll give you everything,” he whispered, watching the scene tumble around them. “Always.”
“I know. You always have.”
He didn’t want it to end, losing track of how long they had been suspended within the Glistening Orb atop the space elevator.
“Should we go?” she finally whispered.
Austin stared at her, framing her face in his hands. He kissed her softly, felt her moist lips on his own. “Do you want me to stay with you?”
She nodded, taking in a deep breath. “You should probably go to your quarters,” she said in his ear before gazing at him, “but I want you home with me.”
He swallowed. “Okay.”
They drifted in space, watching as the light crept over the planet’s surface in the distance.
*****
The daylight warmed his face.
He closed his eyes tighter, leaning back in the arched black chair on Ryker’s porch adjacent to the calm water off Seaside. A line of identical apartments stretched as far as he could see, other tenants lounging on their porches in the early morning.
She strolled out from her apartment, wearing a translucent white shirt over her blue swimsuit and carrying a cup of coffee.
“Here you go,” she said softly, handing the cup to Austin. “Is this how you like it? Did I get it right?”
“This is great,” Austin said, sitting up and taking the hot mug. He blew across the top, sending steam into the air. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” She sat next to him, sipping on her cup of coffee. “This has been wonderful.”
Austin thought of the past two weeks full of days doing nothing but swimming in the warm waters and visiting restaurants at night. They had returned to the glass space elevator to visit the Glistening Orb six times—Austin couldn’t get enough of the zero gravity dance club in low orbit of Oma. His skin had browned during the two weeks. The wounds received during the firefight with the Phantoms and his fatigue as a result of the Battle of Atlantis had faded. But the memories remained, burned into his mind—especially in his dreams. He awoke several times during each night. The image of the burning forest and the sound of laser fire sizzling by his head was
She gripped them and turned to Austin. “Come on.”
They drifted into the crowd. The planet revealed itself below, the deep blue of the dark side of the planet slowly turning past. Vibrant bubbles surrounded the orb, morphing together to form larger formations. Hundreds of couples floated around the room, propelling through the zero-gravity dance floor with the batons expelling the multi-colored liquid. Ryker held his arm, using the baton with her free hand. They drifted into the open space above. Another couple giggled as they floated by, propelled by a luminescent green liquid. Purple and green bubbles materialized together near his face like Austin had somehow fallen into a massive birthday cake.
Ryker outstretched the baton and squeezed. A striking plum-colored liquid shot from the baton, forcing them into the open. They floated in space, together. She pulled him close as they spun through the room. In the midst of this impossible scene, Austin couldn’t tear himself from her. He stared into her eyes.
“Float with me,” she said.
“This is weird.”
“I know.” She cocked her head to the side, gesturing with her hands. “Come with me.”
They floated high above the flawless blue surface of Oma, looking like a cobalt marble miles below them. She held him in the comforting freedom of no gravity.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” she whispered, resting her head on his chest.
“Me, neither.”
“I’m scared.”
“Me, too.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “I’ve got you.”
She released a long, slow sigh. “I know you do.”
“I’ll give you everything,” he whispered, watching the scene tumble around them. “Always.”
“I know. You always have.”
He didn’t want it to end, losing track of how long they had been suspended within the Glistening Orb atop the space elevator.
“Should we go?” she finally whispered.
Austin stared at her, framing her face in his hands. He kissed her softly, felt her moist lips on his own. “Do you want me to stay with you?”
She nodded, taking in a deep breath. “You should probably go to your quarters,” she said in his ear before gazing at him, “but I want you home with me.”
He swallowed. “Okay.”
They drifted in space, watching as the light crept over the planet’s surface in the distance.
*****
The daylight warmed his face.
He closed his eyes tighter, leaning back in the arched black chair on Ryker’s porch adjacent to the calm water off Seaside. A line of identical apartments stretched as far as he could see, other tenants lounging on their porches in the early morning.
She strolled out from her apartment, wearing a translucent white shirt over her blue swimsuit and carrying a cup of coffee.
“Here you go,” she said softly, handing the cup to Austin. “Is this how you like it? Did I get it right?”
“This is great,” Austin said, sitting up and taking the hot mug. He blew across the top, sending steam into the air. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” She sat next to him, sipping on her cup of coffee. “This has been wonderful.”
Austin thought of the past two weeks full of days doing nothing but swimming in the warm waters and visiting restaurants at night. They had returned to the glass space elevator to visit the Glistening Orb six times—Austin couldn’t get enough of the zero gravity dance club in low orbit of Oma. His skin had browned during the two weeks. The wounds received during the firefight with the Phantoms and his fatigue as a result of the Battle of Atlantis had faded. But the memories remained, burned into his mind—especially in his dreams. He awoke several times during each night. The image of the burning forest and the sound of laser fire sizzling by his head was
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