The Half-Giant's Guide to Seeing the Future

The Day I Learned to Fly

"She's dangerous," I said. "And I'm not sure even I can trust her."

Jilly shook her head. I wasn't sure that she could understand this world. I didn't even understand half the things going on around me.

Moreno approached the weapon's case and pulled a small, thin metal backpack loose. Dylan's eyes widened, but he was quiet as Moreno strapped on the pack.

Jilly broke the silence. "What is that?"

"A wing pack," Moreno took a step backward." This one isn't as disguised like the one I was wearing in that elevator, Terri. We generally prefer them small and lightweight."

"Is that your new pack?" Dylan asked. "Since you trashed your last one hanging in an elevator? Heard Vita had a hard time explaining away the metal wings hanging in the elevator."

"If you're not going to be helpful, Dylan, I suggest you keep your mouth shut," Moreno said before pulling the string on the strap, releasing ten-foot wings.

I hadn't gotten a good look at Moreno's last pair before the elevator shaft crushed them. The wings were made of lightweight metal feathers that wove delicately. There looked to be some kind of small engine, but from looking at it, I'd never be able to figure out how they worked.

"How are these even real?" Jilly asked.

Moreno laughed. "I'm not the mechanic guy. That's Monty's job. He's a genius. Lightyears beyond humans and giants alike. I kind of miss the guy puttering in his workshop down the hall. He invented the wings in the late sixties, and this is his tenth model. Every halfant learns to fly since it cuts down commute time and helps with the element of surprise."

"How do they work?" I was breathless, looking at the sheer artistry that went into the wings.

"There are two kinds of take-off," Moreno said. "Jet and runway. The first requires finesse and wastes power. The second uses a platform to achieve altitude. We'll start with jet since it's harder."

"Why haven't you sold this technology to humans to make billions?" Jilly asked.

Moreno looked like he wanted to answer, but Dylan held up his hand to silence him. There was a strange look of sadness in his eyes.

"That's what my dad, Chris, did," Dylan said. "He worked for Monty for two summers when he was sixteen. Then, he took what he learned from Monty and used it for monetary gain. Yeah, he's smart and has a team of geniuses, but he started by stealing and modifying Monty's ideas."

"So Oakmore Tech..." Jilly looked disappointed.

I should have realized it earlier. Uncle Chris was a nasty piece of work. He didn't even care about his own children. He'd made his fortune by stealing from this world.

"My father was supposed to inherit the position as caretaker," Dylan said. "But he didn't want it. He threw it all away to make money. Uncle Chuck tried to step into the role. Then the Nikones screwed him over, and he had to run. Now it's all up to me since Grandpa died. My father won't even look me in the eye now that he knows that I'm going to be the caretaker."

"Sometimes fathers are disappointing," Moreno said. "But we must rise above."

He crossed his arms over his chest, which brought the three buttons on each strap under his fingertips. He pressed the button under his right index finger, and the wings slowly beat. Moreno hit the button beside it and slowly started to ascend and hover about six inches off the ground.

"Do I get to try?" Jilly asked.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Dylan said. "The giant world is already colder than you're used to year-round. I never fly without serious thermal gear, and that's only when I have to go to court for yearly reports with the Nikones."