71 ∞ Wind and Water

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Day 00010 Mission Nilex

Ayla stepped onto the Garden level and looked around the antechamber.

«Lina will be here shortly, Ayla.»

"Thank you, Canaisis." She looked down at herself and rearranged her robe and sash.

A faint sound emanating from the transit tube made her pause and cock her head. It sounded like a long, drawn-out scream as it grew louder. Curious, Ayla stared at the opening.

"What is that, Canaisis?"

«Lina. Don't blame me—it was her insistence. Three seconds to arrival.»

The scream ran out of air, and Ayla felt Lina's approaching fear and excitement. Her journey to the Garden level ended with a sudden, stiff-bodied halt, her eyes and fists clenched tight.

Worried, Ayla stepped closer. "Lina?"

Trembling, Lina cracked one eye.

"Are you okay?"

The eye focused on Ayla standing before her. Then both eyes snapped wide open as Lina took in a huge gulp of air, the wave of relief and exhilaration almost overwhelming Ayla. Lina managed a shaky half-smile as she floated forward and stepped onto the floor. Ayla grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Whew! What a trip!" Lina patted herself down as if to check that she was still all in one piece, her hair a windblown mess, and her Laaj barely hanging on around her neck. "Thanks!"

"What happened?" asked Ayla, her voice high-pitched with concern.

"I told Canaisis to get me here as fast as possible." Lina straightened up, stable on her feet, so Ayla released her.

"I don't understand."

"The ship tried to warn me, and I told it I didn't care. I never expected I'd go that fast." Lina drew a deep breath, exhaled, and looked at Ayla. "Damn, that was fun." She inhaled a second time and let it out more slowly. "But I'm never doing that again."

Sighing, Ayla shook her head and stepped through the blast door to the long hallway, not saying a word. Lina followed, and by the time they reached the huge Garden door, Lina had rearranged her robe appropriately. But for a few unruly wisps of hair sprouting from under her Laaj, no one would have been able to guess the trip she'd just survived.

They stood and waited as the door opened before them. The fresh smells of plants and damp soil greeted them as they squinted their eyes at the bright light spilling onto them. Ayla pulled Lina inside by the hand and followed the trail through the trees and vegetation. In some areas, it was dense and filled with ground overgrowth, in others it was dim from the canopy of trees overhead, the undergrowth scarce. Eventually they emerged onto the grassy area, and there stood the picnic table and Oak tree.

Ayla paused at the sight of it, and Lina watched her closely.

"Are you sure about this?"

Ayla drew a deep breath to gather herself. "Yes, I'm sure. I have to deal with this sometime." She felt a gust of wind blowing in the back of her mind, then... nothing.

"I'm here to listen whenever you're ready, Ayla."

Ayla felt Lina's touch of reassurance on her arm, but it did nothing to chase away the emptiness that filled her being. She turned to Lina, and Lina paled at the blank expression on her face.

"Ayla," Lina's voice was stern, "if I think for even a second you're going to have a relapse, then I'm dragging you out of here by your feet. I'm not going to listen to Ahmid lecture me about how stupid I was in letting you come here!"

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