Plutonian

Chapter 23

I have never worn a breather suit before, having never needed one. The moment I press on the small patch that activates my suit I can feel something gliding over my skin. I look at my covered hands and legs, waving my fingers in the air. 

Nothing looks different but it feels weird. The odd sensation slides up my neck and then onto the only exposed part of my body which is my face. The moment it goes over my nose I find myself unable to breathe but the panic I feel is fleeting because it only lasts a few seconds. 

I run my hands over my face as Lucian leads us further and further into what seems like an endless space of grey-blue nothingness. My skin still feels uncovered and yet I am somehow protected from the uninhabitable atmosphere. 

I marvel at the intelligence behind the suit I am in until we come face to face with a large cluster of light colored rocks that form a high wall in front of us. I expect us to stop somewhere here seeing as there is no where else to go but Lucian speeds ahead towards the rocks.

My eyes widen in fear and I instinctively dig my fingers into his sides where I am holding him.

"Lucian," I begin but I stop short when I see a hidden crack in between two slabs of rock. Lucian heads right through it and avoids an oncoming jagged edge with such ease that I realize he must have gone through this narrow space quite a few times. 

Up close I can see that the rocks are not just dull grey blue like they seemed from a distance. I notice small splashes of peach and purple intermixed with each other and I can't help but stare in awe. 

We go further and further inside and once we reach a much wider area Lucian finally stops. I get off Lucian's rider and stare at my surroundings wordlessly. 

It seems the crack has lead us to a small open space with a ledge at it's end. I walk over it and the view beyond takes my breath away. It feels like we are at the edge of the planet and all I can see before me is the star filled sky and a sea of nothingness below. 

This sky is similar to the one in Lucian's room but somehow it is much more beautiful. Numerous golden specks litter a dark background that has been splashed with numerous colors of black, orange and purple. 

I cannot believe that I am staring right into outer space. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lucian murmurs from beside me and I turn to see him staring at the vast expanse of space beyond us. 

I can only nod my head in response as I try to take everything in like a sponge. I wish I could capture this image and replace it with the one of Michael. 

My fingers tingle with hope as I imagine myself flying through this image towards where I truly belong. I look at the all the shiny dots, wondering which one is Earth. 

"How did you find this place?" I ask Lucian. 

"I drove past the Eastern atmosphere when I got my first glider," Lucian says as he sits by the ledge overlooking the dark chasm beyond us. ""Didn't find much there. I started exploring the Western atmosphere soon after. That's when I found this place. It's been my spot ever since." 

"I didn't know we were allowed to leave the protective atmosphere," I wondered out loud. 

"Well you're not. But all military personnel are allowed to with proper clearance."

I don't remember us going through any checkpoints before leaving the protective atmosphere. I frown as I walk over to him cautiously. I am afraid to slip and fall over the ledge into the darkness below.   

Lucian catches my frown and immediately reads my mind. 

"The Trinity don't need clearance." 

"Oh," I reply. Of course they don't.