Freedom: A Futuristic Fantasy Read online

  “There wouldn’t be much point in having it if it were empty,” he replied.

  She piled four logs onto the fire, closed the box, and headed for the stairs.

  “Your room is ready,” Angus said as she climbed the steps. Fluffy raced past her and stood beside Angus.

  “This will be your room for tonight. You can close the door or leave it open as you like. If you leave it open, you might wake up in the middle of the night with a cat next to you,” he said. “She doesn’t like being closed in, so if you let her into your room, don’t close the door. She’ll raise a fuss until you get up and open it again.”

  “Were does she usually sleep?” Jazeen asked.

  “Wherever she wants,” he replied. “Oh, I almost forgot. The wardrobe has some clean nightshirts in it, if you’d like, and you have your own lavatory through the door by your bed.”

  She watched as he continued down the hallway, entering the last room on the right. Fluffy watched him for a moment, then looked at Jazeen. Seeming to reach a decision, she trotted away and entered Angus’ room.

  As Jazeen turned toward her door, she heard a faint rattling sound like… like someone shaking pills out of a bottle, maybe. Stepping into her room, she closed the door. The lamp had been lit, filling the room with a pale yellow glow. The bed was made with fresh linens, and neatly turned down. After opening the wardrobe, she chose a simple white nightshirt that was large enough to be comfortable and tossed it onto the bed. She heard footsteps in the hall. A moment later, the glow under her door faded as the lamp in the hallway was turned down and extinguished. Footsteps faded away.

  After struggling with her laces, she kicked off her shoes and then shed her clothes. She slipped into the nightshirt. After laying her things across the back of a chair, she visited the lavatory. Coming back into the room, she turned down the lamp until it went out before slipping into bed and pulling up the covers.

  As she lay there, it suddenly struck her as odd that Angus had a nuclear thermopile generator, whatever that was, in his airship, and yet he had oil lamps instead of electric lighting in his home. Then she remembered the holographic projections—they certainly weren’t done with oil lamps, so he must have some source of electricity on the island. Oh yes, and the refrigerator, too. She’d have to ask him about that in the morning.

  Faintly, she heard Angus say, “Move over, girl. You’re taking up the whole bed.”

  She snickered. Slipping out of bed, she cautiously made her way across the dark room and opened the door. Returning to her bed, she climbed in and pulled up the covers.

  Thinking about her own bedroom, she wondered if her parents had discovered she was missing. They might not miss her until morning, but they would be frantic. This “adventure” was going to cost her dearly when she returned. Then she remembered that her mother was leaving early tomorrow morning on a business trip. Her father usually left for the university before she came down for breakfast. If they didn’t check on her before bed, she might get home before her father, and they would never know she had been gone. She might even have dinner on the table when her father came home from work.

  There was a dull thump, followed by soft feet padding down the hallway. Jazeen smiled when she heard Fluffy trot into her room. The footsteps came closer, and then her bed bounced and shook as Fluffy leaped up and made herself comfortable, pressing against Jazeen’s back. She rolled over and put an arm across Fluffy’s chest, snuggling with her cheek against a warm, furry ear. She fell asleep listening to Fluffy purr.

  Chapter 4

  Jazeen was awakened abruptly by Fluffy, who was licking her face. She pushed the big cat away with a laugh and sat up. “I’m awake,” she said. She smelled something wonderful. Fluffy jumped to the floor and trotted through the door.

  Several minutes later, dressed and scrubbed, Jazeen pranced down the steps and danced into the kitchen. “I had a wonderful night’s sleep,” she announced. She stopped in mid-twirl and stared at Angus. His face was clean shaven, his hair neatly pulled back into a short ponytail. He was, she thought, strikingly handsome.

  Angus smiled. “Glad to hear it. Now pull up a chair and have a wonderful morning’s breakfast. I’ve made your favorites.”

  “That’s very kind of you. It all smells delicious,” she said as she sat. She began piling food onto her plate, but suddenly froze. “How did you know these are my favorites?” she asked.

  “Lucky guess,” he said and winked.

  “Angus Beaph, you are a liar,” she declared.

  “Guilty,” he said with a chuckle. “Let’s just say I have a knack for sensing what people like and don’t like.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Are you going to stick with that story?”

  “It’s scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast, bacon, and sausage. If at least four of those aren’t your favorites, maybe I should have let you jump,” he said.

  “I wasn’t going to—” she began.

  Angus laughed.

  She shook her head and resumed filling her plate. The smell was too alluring to resist.

  “I’d like to get home as early as possible. I don’t think I’ll be in too much trouble if I have dinner ready when my father gets home from work.”

  “I think we can manage that,” Angus said. “After breakfast, we’ll check the ship to make sure she’s ready, and then we’ll be off. Today, you’ll learn how to start all the ship’s systems, how to stow the mooring lines, and how to inflate the balloons. It’s a tricky business getting the airship off the ground and flying her out through the tunnel.”

  “Think I can do it?” she asked.

  Angus smiled. “I know you can, because I’m going to teach you. Now, tuck into that breakfast. When you’re done, we’ll share the washing and drying, and then we’ll be on our way.”

  “What about Fluffy and Occisor? Don’t they need to be fed, or something?” she asked.

  “I already took care of them. We’re early risers around here. You’d still be asleep if I hadn’t sent Fluffy to wake you.”

  She looked at him. “You make it sound like you can talk to her. Can you?”

  “She’s a smart girl. Takes my meaning pretty well, after a fashion,” he said.

  “You—” she began.

  “Eat up, Jaz. We have a lot to do if you’re going to be home before your father catches you,” he said with a laugh.

  * * * *

  With the breakfast dishes washed and put away, Jazeen stepped into the living room. When she was out of sight, Angus pulled the brown bottle from his pocket and stared at it in his trembling hand. Quickly, he swallowed two pills and put the bottle into a cabinet next to the refrigerator before following Jazeen into the living room.

  A short time later, he and Jazeen stepped out through his front door and walked to the steps leading down to the hangar. The sky above was bright and clear. The treetops barely moved.

  “It looks like we’ll have calm air for our flight,” she said.

  Angus nodded. “You’re a natural pilot, Jaz. Most folks have to be told to pay attention to the wind.”

  They stepped through the holographic rock, descended the steps, and walked across the platform to the airship.

  “First, we need to go aboard and power up all the systems to make sure everything is in working order. Then we’ll cast off the lines and stow them. Come on,” he said as he led the way up the ramp.

  For the next hour, Angus walked her through the steps of launching the ship. When everything was ready, they went around the platform untying the mooring ropes. Once back on deck, they pulled the ropes up and stowed them.

  Angus clapped his hands. “That’s it. Now we fill the bags until she floats, and off we go.”

  Inside the wheelhouse, he instructed her as she inflated the bags. Faint creaks and groans went through the ship as the stresses in structural members changed with the increasing buoyancy of the balloon. The ship lifted slightly, bounced once gently against the platform, and then rose.

  �
��That’s it,” Angus said. “Now, I want you to push the port propeller control forward while pulling back on the starboard control.”

  She looked puzzled for a moment. Then her expression brightened. “We’re going to turn around in place,” she said.

  Angus smiled and tapped the side of his nose. Jazeen operated the controls, and the ship began to rotate.

  “Now,” he began.

  “I’ve got it,” she said. The bow was sweeping slowly toward the tunnel, and she gently pushed the starboard propeller control forward. The ship set off slowly through the tunnel. Jazeen watched the ceiling closely, adjusting the pressure in one of the helium bags—they were moving too slowly to count on the elevators.

  “You are a natural,” Angus said, patting her on the back.

  The ship slipped through the holographic trees. Clear of the tunnel, she pushed both propeller controls forward, causing the ship to accelerate.

  “Angus, is the helium pressure okay?” she asked.

  He looked at the control panel. “It’s okay while we’re down so close to sea level. As we climb, though, the air will become less dense. We’ll need a little more helium in the bags soon.”

  “How will I know?” she asked.

  He pointed to the elevator control. “If you are trying to hold your altitude and you have to pull back on the elevator, the ship isn’t buoyant enough. Likewise, if you’re pushing the ship down with the elevators, she’s too buoyant.”

  “Of course, that makes sense,” she said.

  “We’re clear of the island. Let’s climb to one hundred meters. And while you’re at it, turn to starboard. Wind’s from the east again, fairly mild, so steer to around ten degrees,” Angus instructed.

  “I get it,” she said. “Zero degrees is due north. The east wind will push us to the west, so we steer slightly east to compensate.”

  “How does she feel?” he asked.

  Jazeen looked at the altimeter and then at the elevator controls. “She’s struggling to climb. She needs more helium.”

  Angus smiled. “Smart lady.”

  “Angus, I was wondering… airships are pretty rare. We have maglev trains and supersonic planes. Why do you use an airship?” she asked.

  “Well, airships are not as common here in Scallia as they are in Terrania,” Angus said. “As for why I use one, could you imagine landing a supersonic plane on my little island?”

  Jazeen smiled. “No, I guess not.”

  “Now, over in Terrania, lots of folks use airships,” he said.

  “Why are they so popular there?” she asked.

  “Government meddling. The supersonic planes aren’t designed to fly slowly, and they aren’t allowed to fly fast over land. The sonic booms break windows and upset people. They let them fly into coastal airports, but not inland. Folks could use slower planes, but the Terranian government forbids them.”

  “I heard something about that in my government class last year. Something about pollution, risk of crashes, I forget the rest of the arguments,” she said.

  “Those are the excuses they give. The truth is the Terranian government owns and operates the maglev trains over there and they don’t want any competition,” he said.

  “If that’s the case, why don’t they forbid airships?” Jazeen asked.

  “They’re too slow. The maglev trains can go eight hundred kilometers per hour on the straight. A fast diesel airship can go one hundred sixty kilometers per hour. Of course fuel consumption is high at that speed. Over a long distance, they typically cruise at around one hundred,” Angus said.

  “How fast can this ship go?” she asked.

  Angus grinned. “She can go two hundred for days on end. Last night, I kept the speed down so you could spend some time on deck sightseeing.”

  “So, airships are rare in Scallia because we can use small planes. Across the Great Ocean in Terrania, the government doesn’t allow small planes to force people to use the government trains. So, if airships are so slow, why do people there use them?” she asked.

  “Oh, lots of reasons,” he said. “Not everyone is looking to go long distances in a hurry. Then there’s nostalgia—people like to feel a connection to the past. Convenience, now that’s a big one. You can take off and land an airship from your yard if you have enough space. Also, they’re a lot easier and cheaper to build and maintain than planes.”

  “Yours is the first airship I’ve seen in years. Now I know why,” Jazeen said.

  “There are a few airship ports along the eastern coast, mainly to service traffic coming across the Great Ocean. Then there’s one port on the South Sea coast at the big resort. As a result, most of the airship traffic in Scallia is up and down the coast, with one or two flights each week to the resort,” he said.

  “Are there any inland ports in Scallia for docking and fueling?” Jazeen asked.

  Angus shook his head.

  “Since your ship is no longer diesel powered, you can go anywhere,” she said.

  “Exactly,” he said.

  * * * *

  The flight was uneventful, and Jazeen flew the ship without assistance for nearly two hours. Then, because they would soon reach her home, Angus told her to go out on deck and get a line ready to drop over the railing.

  Jazeen pulled one of the mooring lines from its compartment and carried the coil to the railing, paying out a little and letting it lay on the deck. She could see her house on the cliff in the distance. Angus came out and stood beside her, his remote control in hand.

  “Should I open the gate?” she asked.

  “No. It’s much easier to start down the rope if you can climb over the railing and then grab the rope firmly with both hands before you start down.”

  The propellers whirred as he brought the ship to a stop.

  “It’s been a joy having you for company. I’ll be missing you until our next adventure,” he said.

  Jazeen knelt and put her arms around him. “Thank you for everything. It’s been far more than an adventure for me, Angus. It’s been a taste of freedom. I’ll see you again. Soon, I hope.”

  He patted her on the back, then she stood and climbed over the railing. With the rope firmly in both hands, she lowered herself over the side. Angus leaned over the rail and watched, adjusting the controls to make sure she landed safely on her balcony.

  When she was down, she waved to Angus and tossed the rope over her balcony railing.

  Angus waved and began pulling the line up. After stowing it, he backed the airship away from the cliff, turned, and accelerated into the east.

  Jazeen watched the ship for a while, and then her eyes lowered to the trees. Somewhere out there in the distance was Terrin’s platform. She couldn’t wait to tell him everything. Maybe next time he would join them.

  Looking at her watch, she decided she would make herself some lunch and then catch up on her studies. She would have dinner on the table when her father came home.

  * * * *

  Professor Renco Florence put his briefcase in his office and then walked to the dining room.

  “Something smells wonderful,” he said.

  Jazeen came in from the kitchen carrying a steaming platter and set it on the table.

  “Perfect timing, Father,” she said.

  He smiled as he sat. “Thank you for preparing dinner, Jazeen.” Switching on his tablet, he set it on the table.

  Jazeen forced a smile. It suddenly occurred to her there would be a message from her school that her father would see once his tablet booted. Quickly, she began serving. Her father glanced at his tablet, and then began eating. Jazeen sat and ate quietly, her mind racing to come up with an explanation for her missing school.

  After eating several bites, Renco picked up his tablet and scrolled through the list of messages. He stopped and opened one.

  “There’s a message here from your mother,” he said. “She arrived safely in Dalencia and has settled into her hotel room for the night. She has a meeting tomorrow morning, and anot
her in the afternoon. She’ll be on the maglev train the following morning, and home in time for dinner. She asks me to make sure you do your homework.”

  He closed the message and scrolled through the rest of the list. “Oh, here’s one from your school. Jazeen, this says you didn’t attend school today.” He put the tablet down and stared at her.

  “I wasn’t feeling well. I had a headache and my stomach was upset. I went back to bed,” she said.

  “I see. Well, you still have to do your homework,” he said. He picked up the tablet and began typing a reply. “I’ll inform them you were ill.”

  “I’ve already finished my homework, Father,” she said brightly.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, sir. I woke up around noon, had a light lunch, and then I uploaded all of my homework from yesterday and downloaded my assignments for today. I’ve already finished them.”

  “That’s very good. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Her father finished typing his message and then resumed eating. Jazeen ate, being careful to avoid her father’s eyes. She hated lying, and was sure he would know if she looked at him for too long.

  “I was wondering if I might go and visit my friend this evening,” she asked.

  “That is out of the question,” he said without hesitation.

  “But Father, all of my schoolwork is done. You could drive me to Terrin’s house. We’ll stay indoors the whole time, I promise.”

  Her father sighed and looked at his watch. “I’m sorry, Jazeen. I have exams to grade tonight. And you need to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. Perhaps another night, soon.”

  “Yes, Father,” she said. “I think I’ll go and start cleaning up now. I want to turn in early. I’m still not feeling entirely well.”

  “You’re not working up to taking off school again tomorrow, are you?” her father asked.

  “No, Father. I’ll be going to school, I promise.”

  “Make sure you do,” he said. “I’ll be gone before you wake up tomorrow, so you’ll have to get yourself fed and off to school.”

  “Yes, Father.”

  * * * *

  Jazeen crossed her room and stepped out onto her balcony. The dishes were clean and put away. The kitchen was spotless. Her father was in his office grading exams, and her schoolwork was done. She looked at the sky—ten, maybe fifteen stars were visible. She looked out over the trees. Maybe Terrin was on his platform looking this way, wishing she was with him just as she wished to be with him. It was more likely, she decided, that he had given up on her and wouldn’t bother inviting her again.