Freedom: A Futuristic Fantasy Read online

  Freedom

  A Futuristic Fantasy

  By

  Jim Proctor

  Copyright 2018 Jim Proctor

  All rights reserved

  Dedicated to the memory of

  Rebecca Kate Pavia

  Talented author of high fantasy,

  gifted poet, and dear friend.

  April 1, 1976 – August 26, 2016

  Parental Advisory: This novel contains language and situations that are not suitable for children.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  For Rebecca

  Chapter 1

  “He’s so unfair,” Jazeen grumbled as she rushed into the living room. “Milla always used to go out in the evenings. He never stopped her.”

  “That was different, Jazeen,” her mother said without looking up from the sales report she was studying.

  “How was it different?” she asked.

  Her mother’s face grew suddenly stern. “You know very well how it was different! Yes, Milla used to go out in the evenings and your father never stopped her, but she… “

  “It’s been nine years,” Jazeen said, “and you still can’t even say it!”

  Her mother’s eyes narrowed when she looked her daughter in the eyes for the first time since arriving home from work. “I know what happened.”

  “It was an accident. Only a fool would get lost and—”

  “Milla was not a fool!” her mother snapped. She threw down her report and stood, her face crimson with rage. “This conversation is over, do you understand? Now, off to your room and finish your homework!”

  “But Mother, when was the last time I left the house, aside from going to school?”

  Her mother glared at her, a trembling hand pointing to the steps.

  “You don’t know, do you? You can’t remember the last time I was allowed out,” Jazeen said.

  The glare grew colder.

  Jazeen had gone too far. Her mother did not tolerate any belittlement of her precious Milla. Turning, she ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. It was a childish thing for an eighteen-year-old to do, but given the way her parents treated her…

  Falling onto her bed, she put on her holo-glasses.

  “Allegra, please resume my literature homework.”

  A synthesized voice said, “As you wish, Jazeen.”

  Her bedroom faded from view, replaced by a bird’s-eye view as it skimmed swiftly over a lake surrounded by trees. Allegra said, “All living things strive to be free, for without freedom, what value hath life? The poet Gordon Sims wrote…”

  Allegra’s voice faded from Jazeen’s conscious mind as the rippling water streaked past beneath her, sunlight glinting off its multifaceted surface. She could feel freedom. More than anything, she wished to be the bird, flying wherever she wanted to go. Pulling off the glasses, she said, “Allegra, pause.”

  Looking through her windows at the darkening sky, she heard a familiar tap-tap-tap. Climbing out of bed, she walked to the glass door leading onto her balcony. Her bird—that was what she called it—was perched on the railing, tapping on the metal as it often did. It turned to her, cocking its head to one side. As she opened the door and stepped onto her balcony, the bird spread its wings and flew away. Crossing to the edge, she climbed up and sat on the railing.

  Mother would die of heart failure if she saw me like this, she thought. With their house built on the cliff edge, she was amazed her parents had let her have a bedroom on this side.

  The breeze rushing up the cliff face curled and swirled around the house, playing with her long, wavy brown hair, sending it dancing and flying behind her. It made her think of the sea. In school, they had talked about the South Sea, and Jazeen imagined she was standing on the shore as the wind swept along the sand, tossing her hair and whispering in the reeds and grasses along the dunes. She’d never seen the shore, but her science teacher had shown her pictures and described everything in detail. She longed to visit the seaside, to feel the sand under her feet, to wade into the mighty water. When she was free.

  Looking up, she watched a single star emerge from the velvety blue. Soon, more would shine out as the sky darkened. Terrin, her boyfriend, had said the sky became an inky black, full of more stars than could be counted, and the galactic core shone like a bright band of light across the sky. He called it the greatest show in the galaxy. She sighed. With the constant glow of light from her neighborhood, she only ever saw the very brightest stars. She could easily count them.

  Lowering her gaze, she looked over the sea of trees filling the valley stretching into the east. Somewhere out there, Terrin was waiting for her. As always, she would disappoint him. How long would he wait before giving up on her and climbing to his platform in the top of a calibar tree to watch the stars come out alone? How long before he gave up on her altogether and stopped inviting her?

  Her thoughts returned to Milla. It was under those very trees that her older sister had died. I should feel sadness, or some sense of loss associated with her death. Truth is, the only emotion I feel is anger. I hate her for ruining my life. She blinked away the tears that were now blurring her vision.

  A faint whirring that had been on the edge of hearing was steadily growing, competing with the voice of the wind. As it grew ever louder, her ears began to zero in on a direction. Moments later, she saw two faint points of light, green and white, floating in the sky. They grew bigger as she watched, and the sound grew louder. She saw an airship emerging from the deepening gloom.

  She had read about airships, and she’d imagined the freedom one could have flying on such a vehicle. It had been several years since she had last seen one, and a yearning to fly filled her heart. The features of the airship became clearer as it came closer, and she could see a dim light shining from the cabin windows. She waved, hoping the passengers would see her against the lights of her bedroom behind her. The pitch of the whirring changed, and the ship turned. It seemed to be heading directly toward her now.

  She stared in awe, unable to take her eyes off the magnificent machine as it came ever closer, certain it would pass directly over her house. To her surprise, the sound changed again, and the great ship slowed until it was stationary directly above her. Something came fluttering down—a rope uncoiling as it tumbled out of the darkness until it hung in front of her, swaying in the wind. She stared at it in surprise.

  When she glanced over her shoulder to her prison of a bedroom, a mischievous grin spread across her face. Turning, she grabbed the rope tightly in both hands, hooked it around one leg, and clamped it between her feet. First pushing with her legs, then pulling with her arms, she moved slowly up. The whirring changed again, and the ship backed slowly away from her house.

  “Well done,” came a shout from above. She thought she could see a man’s face leaning over the ship’s railing. Focusing on the rope, she c
limbed, struggling to breathe as the powerful wash from the propeller rushed past her. Pushing, pulling, she climbed ever closer to the ship. Then, when she was sure she couldn’t manage another push, strong hands grabbed her arms and pulled her upward. After throwing a leg over the railing, she rolled onto the deck and lay upon her back, staring into the smiling face of a man. Even laying on the deck, she couldn’t help but notice he was rather short, perhaps a meter tall.

  “Welcome aboard, dear lady,” he said.

  Gazing past the balloon, Jazeen gasped. More stars than she could have imagined speckled the black sky. She marveled at the sight, forgetting her companion for the moment. The whirring rose in pitch and she felt the ship lurch beneath her, accelerating into the night.

  “I don’t normally pick up passengers that way, but when I saw you preparing to jump from your balcony, I decided you were someone who could use a friend.”

  She stared. “Jump?”

  “You were about to jump, weren’t you?” he asked.

  “No. Of course not.” she said.

  “Oh, dear. This is a bit embarrassing.”

  “I sit on the railing all the time. It frightens my mother terribly,” she said with a smile.

  “And that’s good, is it?” he asked without a trace of humor.

  Her smile faded. “Well… now that you ask, no, I suppose it isn’t.”

  He clapped his hands. “Well, then, no harm done, I suppose.” With that, as though everything had been settled, he turned and vanished through a doorway.

  Why had I grabbed the rope? she thought. Having caught her breath, she got to her feet and followed him inside. He stood upon a raised platform before a spoked wheel and a console full of levers and gauges. There was nobody else to be seen.

  “Who was running the ship while you were out on deck with me?” she asked.

  “I was,” he said. Seeing her puzzled expression, he pulled a small box from a pocket of his jacket and waved it. “Remote control. It’s how I run the ship when I’m out on deck. It’s convenient, but I spend most of my time in here where I can see all the gauges and indicators. It’s much safer that way.”

  “This is a very nice ship, Captain…”

  With a gasp, the man turned toward her, his face full of concern. “Oh, my dear lady, where are my manners? Our friendship has gotten off on the wrong foot, for I have failed to introduce myself. My name is Angus… Angus Beaph.”

  “Now that’s a rare name,” she said. Angus groaned, but she could see the corners of his mouth turn up a bit. “It’s nice to meet you, Captain Beaph. I’m Jazeen Florence.”

  “I’m quite pleased to meet you, Jazeen,” he said with a bow. “And my friends call me Angus.”

  “So, we’re friends now?” she said.

  “Of course. After all, I just saved your life,” he said with a wink and a broad grin.

  Jazeen smiled. “You know, I think you may have. Well, friend, where are you going?”

  Turning back to the wheel, he said, “We’re going beyond the shore of the South Sea to my home.”

  “You live in the sea?” she asked.

  “In a manner of speaking. I live on an island off the coast.”

  “I’ve never seen the sea,” she said, barely containing her excitement.

  “Well, then, when we pass the coast, I’ll take us down lower so you can see what it’s like.”

  Jazeen ran to the window. “Can I see it from here?”

  “Not yet,” he said with a laugh. “Maybe in an hour or so.”

  Turning to face Angus, she said, “I don’t mean to be rude, but can I go out on deck to look around?”

  “Of course. Enjoy the view. It’s getting dark, so I’d recommend looking up more than down. You won’t see much but shadows below us.”

  “I’ve never seen so many stars before. I caught a glimpse of them a moment ago out on deck. I was supposed to meet a friend tonight to watch the stars come out… Oh, Terrin would love this! Could we… I mean, if it isn’t too much trouble, could we pick him up?” she asked.

  Angus chuckled. “Do you try to manipulate your parents this way?”

  “If I could manipulate my parents, I’d be with Terrin right now,” she said.

  “Ah, I was mistaken,” he said. “Well, perhaps we can pick up your true love on our next trip.”

  “Oh, he isn’t… I mean… he’s my boyfriend, but I only ever see him at school.”

  Angus nodded. “We shall include your boyfriend in one of our adventures soon.”

  “We’re going on an adventure?” she asked.

  “Dear lady, that’s what life is—a never-ending series of adventures. Just waking up in the morning is an adventure!” he exclaimed.

  “Not for me, it isn’t,” Jazeen said softly.

  He looked into her eyes for a moment and then winked. “Then you aren’t doing it right. Anyway, weren’t you going out to look at the stars?”

  “I was,” she said. “But right now, I’d rather share your company. The stars will be there again tomorrow night.”

  He nodded. “Indeed, they will.”

  She ran her eyes over him. The wheel he clutched was nearly as large as he was tall. Though short, he was well proportioned and muscular for his size—barrel chested with strong arms. That didn’t surprise her, given the ease with which he had pulled her over the railing. He appeared to be about twenty-five. His thick blond hair was unkempt, and his beard was scraggly, but his eyes… well, she could get lost in his amazing light blue eyes.

  The platform he stood on was a wooden crate that had been flipped over and nailed to the deck. “Um… did you built this ship?”

  “No, I bought it many years ago. I’ve made some improvements, though.”

  “Can you teach me how to fly it?” she asked.

  Angus beamed. “It would be my pleasure, dear Jazeen.”

  “My friends call me Jaz.”

  “Well, Jaz, step over here and have your first flying lesson,” he said as he stepped down.

  It was a bit awkward standing behind the wheel, having to straddle the crate.

  “Well, now, if you’re going to be my pilot on a regular basis, I’m going to have to make that dais removable.”

  “You mean the vegetable crate?” she asked with a chuckle.

  “Ah,” he said. “Things are not always what they seem. It is a dais that cunningly disguised itself as a vegetable crate to find its way to me.”

  Jazeen laughed. “You have an interesting way of looking at things.”

  “Well, of course! There’s no sense in wasting your time with boring views of things.”

  “No, I suppose not,” she said.

  “Turn a bit to the right, Jaz,” he said. Stepping forward, he pointed to a dial on the console. “This shows our direction. Keep it close to 170. There’s a light wind from the east. If it picks up a bit, we’ll steer closer to 165. I’ll let you know.”

  “So I just turn the wheel?”

  “Easy! Just a bit. Small changes of the wheel for small changes in direction,” he said.

  Pointing to another dial, he said, “This is our altitude. Keep it around one hundred meters. That’s well above the tree tops, so we’ll be safe. This lever here controls the elevator position. Pull it back a little to climb, push forward to sink.”

  “Small changes for small corrections,” she said.

  “A fast learner, I see. You’ll be an old hand at this before long,” he said.

  Angus’ comment about her being his pilot on a regular basis surfaced in her mind, and she grew uneasy. Was she his prisoner now? He lived on an island in the sea. She’d be trapped there if he wouldn’t bring her back home.

  “When will I return to my home? I have to go to school tomorrow.”

  “Do you? Oh dear. Well, I’m afraid I can’t have you back in time for school, but I think I can manage to have you home for dinner tomorrow night. Besides, I’m sure you’ll learn a great deal more on our adventure than you would have learned a
t school.”

  She relaxed a little. Her parents would be terrified when they discovered she was gone, but knowing she would, in fact, return home was a relief. She would gladly accept whatever punishment they doled out in exchange for flying away in an airship for a day.

  “I’m sorry I can’t take you home tonight. I must get home to take care of my pets. They need me.” A moment later, he added, “I hope you won’t mind my pets.”

  “What sort of pets do you have?” she asked.

  “I have a dragon.”

  “A dragon?”

  “Yes, a dragon,” he said.

  “A real dragon? I mean… fire breathing, covered in scales, talons on its feet… a dragon?”

  “Yes, that’s the sort. He’s very friendly, though. I’m sure he’ll like you,” Angus assured her.

  I’ve climbed aboard an airship with a lunatic, she thought. “So, what other pets do you have?”

  “Just a cat,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

  “Well, I like cats. I’m okay with cats,” she said.

  “Watch your altitude,” he cautioned.

  Looking at the gauge, she pulled back the lever slightly. “This is fun. What are all these other gauges?”

  “I’ll teach you about those on future adventures. I think managing direction and altitude will keep you busy for now. I’ll watch the other gauges,” he said.

  “Future adventures… are you planning to make a habit of picking me up from my balcony at night?” she asked with a smile.

  “Only with your permission, dear Jaz,” he said with a look of genuine sincerity.

  “So, I’m not your prisoner, or anything, right?” she asked.

  Jazeen had never seen anyone wear such a shocked expression. “Prisoner? My dear Jaz, you have naught to fear from Angus Beaph, I assure you. Were it not for the urgent needs of my pets, I would promptly turn around and take you back home if you so desired.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Waiving a hand, he said, “No need to apologize. Our meeting was quite spontaneous, and not according to any plans either of us had made.” With a bright smile, he added, “That is the hallmark of a great adventure.”