We Leapt Into the Sky

Chapter 24

"This is your vehicle?" the being asked with obvious apprehension as they approached the rover. They were outside, a few hundred feet from the main cave entrance, in a nook within the wall of the plateau.

"Yeah. So, how should we do this? Do you want to fly alongside, or are you able to sit in a seat?" she asked.

"I cannot fly far," the being said and hesitantly settled into the front seat, wrapping arm-like protrusions around the metal bars.

Kendra put on her eye shields and scarf, and the rover rumbled as she set out across the sand. Beside her, the being vibrated with anxiety as it attempted to keep its flowing, shadowy form within the confines of the vehicle.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, I am satisfactory."

As they reached the edge of the cliffs, a tremor shook the ground, and Kendra's teeth knocked together from the sudden jolt. The being whipped around to face the cliffs behind them.

"Feels like the whole plateau is moving," Kendra said. "Has it been this unstable the whole time you've been here?"

"It has. I believe this place has been unstable for a long time, perhaps since the ship that held the ruins crashed here."

"I would believe that. It looks like the cliffs fell on top of the ship after it crashed. Most of the hull is hidden within a huge crevice, so we weren't able to see it from the sky when we surveyed the cliffs."

The being settled down in the seat as though sulking. "The machines have had a negative reaction to me, however, and it is possible that what happened while I was sleeping contributed to their frenzy, adding to the instability of the plateau."

"Well, we have evidence that the sands have shifted within the last few years," Kendra said. "Whatever was going on within the plateau may have led to sand draining into the porous rock below. That could have been why the first of ruins we explored out in the desert emerged."

They passed the golden stone temple, and she pointed to it. "Over there. That's what we came to this planet to study. More sand drained near the plateau after Antony and I had a mishap, falling into a pit lined with crystals."

The being let out a soft groan. "My apologies. It seems I've caused you even more trouble than I realized."

"I'm not blaming you. I'm only trying to reason through what happened here and why," she said, to which the being nodded.

They approached the research station, the familiar white building standing out against the sand. Kendra removed the remnants of the beacon she had found from the rover and carried it with her. Unlocking the door to the research station, she held it open for the being to float by. It moved through the lab, phasing through the benches and sometimes sending small objects rattling across the shelves.

"Tell me, were you planning any experiments on me?" it asked.

Kendra raised her eyebrows. "No, I'm not. I'm interested in your technology and your ship, and I'd like to work with you, if you're open to it."

"Still, this must be academically interesting for you."

"Of course. I mean, when I woke up in the ruins without my colleagues, I thought I was alone. Then I found the machines' AI, found out it helped bring me back to life, but I still don't trust it. You've been far more forthcoming with me already."

The office chair rattled as the being squeezed past it, trying to keep its shadowy tendrils from phasing through it. "When I landed in the plateau, I tried many times to communicate with the machines and with their AI. Little good came of it, as they seemed to find me, my energy noxious."