Air Born | Generation Icarus #1

Miguel - Fallen Angel

"Miguel! The volume, my boy, louder! Rapido!"

"Yes, Abuelita," I said, without taking my eyes from the TV screen.

A young reporter pressed on her earpiece and shouted over the apparent riot behind her. "It's total mayhem here outside the hospital, as several hundred people have gathered in the hope of finding out more information about the mystery parachute boy at the centre of the incident. Some viewers may find the following eyewitness video disturbing."

The news program began playing a shaky smartphone video of blue sky. A parachute, clearly tangled and useless, trailed behind a tumbling figure. The image blurred for a few moments before re-focusing to a closer shot.

My grandmother crossed herself, whispering in Spanish. Angel.

It did look like a dark-winged angel had gathered the boy up, but he continued to fall. Abuelita mumbled something else, but I wasn't listening. I was hypnotized.

The sudden appearance of trees gave the boy's descent a frame of reference. My heart thumped as he dropped out of sight.

The reporter's face flashed back on the screen.

"Earlier today I spoke to Reverend Carter, who believes that what you have just seen is a miracle. An intervention from the Hand of God that confirms the existence of angels. Others here believe the boy must be the product of genetic engineering. Or, 'deliberate evolution'. So it's not surprising that there's considerable tension between the two groups."

Suddenly, the camera swung to show a couple storming out of the hospital. The woman was crying. The crowd rushed toward them.

The reporter forced her way to the front and shoved her microphone into the man's face. "Sir, are you related to the boy from the skydiving incident? Can you tell us his name?"

The tall, African-American man made an imposing figure in his military uniform. His arm tightened around the pale woman beside him.

"Tyler is our son—"

His wife interrupted. "He's only seventeen. And the hospital won't let us see him!"

"Can you suggest why they might be doing this?"

The man paused and I could see he was trying his best to keep his composure but there was no mistaking his fury. "I don't know who they think they are, but there will be serious consequences to this. Our lawyers will make damn sure of that."

"Were the wings attached to the harness, or his clothes? Or to his body?"

The man's composure vanished. "Damn it, let us through!" He tried once more to steer his wife through the crowd.

But the reporter wasn't done yet. "Some people here believe that your son somehow grew wings. Do you have any comment on that?"

For the first time I saw vulnerability on the man's face. "I have nothing further to say. Now will you please let us through." His voice seemed dangerously close to breaking. His wife had tears streaming down her face.

Abuelita murmured in sympathy.

The couple tried to make their escape once more but the crowd had grown increasingly raucous and were blocking the path.

"Good Lord, someone has smashed a window and is climbing out onto the ledge!" the shocked reporter cried.

The camera zoomed in to the top floor of the hospital building.