Sky Swimmer

Cylestia, Part 14

The Dreamliner pilot is not his usual calm self, his forehead is awash in sweat and his brows are so inclined with concern that they fairly touch the bridge of his nose. "Come on ... pull UP ... UP... !"

The new poster child plane of the Boeing fleet was trying to put down at Los Angeles Airport when a 747 came bouncing across the tarmac like a tumbleweed, cutting the Dreamliner's landing path in half. The Dreamliner pilot did the only thing he could do, he pulled back on the sticks and added throttle ... and prayed.

Both aircraft smash into each other in a tremendous explosion that rocks the surrounding airport.

The collision goes largely unnoticed. The Airport is under attack.

Battle Boulders erupt from the ground. Others are already in place, their cannons hot and smoking from usage as they pull planes and buildings apart.

Buildings explode into glittering fragments and then collapse in on themselves. Their metal girders twist in the rubble and debris with a life of their own. The girders roll, skid and reform and start to reconstruct something all around the center of the Airport, a huge fortress wall starts to erect itself out of the rubble of the destroyed city. The wall already stands higher than the famed Great Wall of China.

The Financial Global Building, the flagship of U.L. Hamada's corporate empire, is now covered in debris and plane parts as it's entire structure moves across the airport landing strips and repositions itself in the center of the Airport to become the centerpiece of this new Soiler Fortress.

—-

Torres waits by the limo on the harbor wharf. A massive Coast Guard patrol ship looms in front of them. Fuegar, Livia and the firefighters greet a dozen of the Coast Guard sailors as if they are long lost brothers.

—-

The limo is packed, abuzz with excited voices. Firemen, Coast Guards, Fuegar, Livia and Agent Torres are all trying to get a word in edgewise.

Agent Torres gets their attention. "SHUT UP! It's the President."

All eyes turn to the onboard monitor. The President Of The United States stands next to General Fieldman.

The man on the monitor speaks, his voice a practiced balance of authority and friendliness, something all presidents had to practice and perfect after President Trump's tenure, "Agent Torres?"

"Mr. President," acknowledges Agent Torres, his throat and mouth suddenly gone dry. This was the first time he ever spoke with the leader of the free world, with the ultimate boss of the FBI.

"General Fieldman tells me you happen to be the local expert on these strange, ah, attacks on our Homeland," says the President.

"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I've been following the action. I'd like to introduce you to a real expert, the son of the Captain of the Palace Guard of Cylestia ... he goes by the name of Fuegar."

"Fuegar, a pleasure to meet you. Where is Cylestia? I'm not familiar with that Province ... territory?"

"Greetings Mr. President," says Fuegar, his own voice steady and hard, "Cylestia is the air-kingdom of the Aireons. It is a floating realm hidden under cloud cover, currently hovering at 1200 meters above the Amazonian basin in Brazil."

The ensuing silence is hard on Agent Torres. He can imagine what the President is thinking, but would much rather not. This is the hour that all presidents abhor and yet know in their heart of hearts will either cement their place in history as a hero of the state or as a loser. More silence.

The President stares unmoving on the monitor. His left eye twitches. Suddenly he storms away and off camera he yells, and everyone in the limo can hear him. "Get Torres and his clowns locked up for messin' with me during a national crisis. Did you hear that? Cylestia is hovering over the Amazonian jungle for cyrin' out loud, someone book me a ticket there, I need a two week vacation!"

Fuegar thinks history has chosen ... this guy is a 'Loser'.

Livia is desperate, she leans forward toward the monitor and beseeches the men now seen sitting around a conference table, "Wait, we need your help!"

General Fieldman's face occupies the monitor. "Nice work Torres, you and your son of the Guards come and meet me at Ground Zero ASAP, I'll calm the president down. But no more flying city stories!"

The general signs off.

"I don't think he's going to believe any of us," says Livia, anger starts to bubble up beneath her feelings of desperation.

Fuegar says, "We are too few to battle the Soilers without the president's armies."

"Look, he's a good man," says Fuegar, "but he is not as open minded as many of us would like him to be. You know, ever since my honeymoon in Hawaii ... well, it's a long story. But the truth is, I think I have been planning for this day for the last 12 years. I have something to show you."

Livia looks him in the eye and barks, "What? What do you want to show us?"