Fragment of Destiny

The cool night air nipped at Tess LaBou as she crept out her bedroom window. Without a sound, she pulled the window shut and faded into the deep shadows that clung to the stone wall beside her. The nearly inaudible hum of a skimmer passing caused Tess to go rigid. Slowly she allowed herself to breathe again. The enforcer night watch was running a minute late today. The lazy sods. Yet, it was the patrols disregard for proper protocol that had allowed her to evade detection. Had they been running night vision; this excursion would have been over despite all her planning.

Father was pulling an overnight at the lab, and Nana Amelia wouldn’t be back to check on her until morning. It was just the enforcers who could mess with her plan now. Even so, as long as they didn’t speed up their rout, everything would be fine.

Her eyes flicked to a black ridge at the edge of the residential sector, the rim. In her mind, she could already see the path to reach it. With a powerful lunge, she sprinted toward the stone spacer wall that divided upper caste houses. Despite the generous spacing of nearly four feet between the adjacent house Tess managed to parkour her way to the top with ease.

Moving swiftly, Tess kept time with the patrol, as she dropped into the shadows between the ergo topped roofs every three minutes all the way to the rim.

Lying prone against the roof of the final house she watched the enforcer skimmer fade into the darkness. The gravel below made an audible crunch as she landed, already sprinting to cross the double wide road ahead. Beyond it lay a vertical incline of old masonry. Groping in the dark, Tess found the familiar handholds among the stones. As soon as she began her ascent muscle memory took over and her limbs moved in a familiar rhythm up the vertical face. Upon reaching the lip Tess swung herself up and rolled onto the rim. Laying on her back with eyes closed she waited. She had made good time, it took nearly a full minute before the soft hum of the skimmer faded into the night below.

Standing, Tess dusted jagged bits of rock from her clothes before venturing into the waist-high weeds and brambles that covered this section of the rim. It was slow going in the dark with each step measured and cautious.

Not for the first time she wished she lived near Demetrius, at the opposite side of the sector where scores of decaying buildings left to much concrete and debris for the weeds to reclaim everything.

Tess took a deep draft of the cool night air and smiled. It was good to smell flowers again. Proof that not even second winter could drive them away for good. It was also a sign that she was nearing her destination. With patrols and weeds behind her, Tess allowed herself a moment to revel in anticipation of tonight’s event. This was the last time she would be a spectator to the trial of ascension. Next year it would be her turn.

Soon the silhouette of the fort became visible a pure black structure against a sea of stars. She found Demetrius nestled beside the old concrete building half hidden by a tangle of shrubs. The pungent scent of his mother’s spiced bread had given him away. Tess sat beside him with her palm extended, her mouth was already watering in anticipation. Mrs. Cross’s bread was legendary, even if only among friends.

Instead of handing her a slice Demetrius dumped out a small bag of crumbs. Tess consumed them with exaggerated enjoyment smacking her lips with obnoxious flair. They both laughed and soon Demetrious handed over a proper slice. Unlike the crumbs, Tess nibbled at the crust as she savored the strong flavor.

From their spot by the fort, all of Central was now visible. An orderly maze of dimly lit streets each eventually finding their way to the capitol building at the city center. It was a mammoth structure amid a field of squat buildings. It alone crested the rim of the massive crater from which Central had been constructed.

“How much longer?” Tess asked, her eyes following a trail of lights out to the sector eight airfield.

“They should be forming up soon, only five more minutes until the scheduled liftoff,” Demetrius said.

As if on cue, row after row of floodlights snapped on revealing the Imperium Air Armada. Tess grinned and began to rock in place her eyes glued to the beautiful helicopters as their quad blade rotors began to spin. Even this far away the sound was magnificent.

Like phantoms of the night, the fleet of dusk blades rose from the crater. The roar of the rotors was deafening as they raced overhead. A host of jet-black sharks swimming through a sea of stars. Tess nudged Demetrius and motioned to the roof, it was time for a better view.

Soon the noise had faded to a dull thrum as the black shapes disappeared from sight. Without warning the horizon exploded in a brilliant flash of gold. The trial of ascension had begun.

Blinking spots from her eyes Tess couldn’t help but smile at the enormous purple cyclone that grew until it dominated the sky. Beside her, Demetrius shuddered and handed her a pair of binoculars. Soon the first few students plunged into the storm. Little black specks like water from a drippy faucet.

“I don’t know how I am going to make myself do it,” Demetrius said, as the last of the students disappeared from sight.

“What, jump?”

“Yeah. I mean… it’s just…”

“You will be fine Demetrius,” Tess said giving him a smile. “By the end of next year, you’ll be a pro at jumping from a dusk-blade.” Demetrius nodded though Tess could tell he was still worrying.

“Do you think it will be like primary school? The Jr. Academy I mean.” Demetrius asked.

Tess frowned. She had heard the Jr. Academy was more akin to an enforcer training camp than a school.

“Probably not. I don’t think it got the name survival school for nothing.” Demetrius winced visibly at her reply.

Tess felt bad for him. Schooling was never his strong suit. It was not that he was dumb. He just always took a little longer to process things than other people.

Even though Demetrius was her only real friend Tess was determined to avoid letting him weigh her down. When it came time for the trial, nothing mattered but ascension, not even him. She felt her stomach turn at the thought. No, there would be time for resolutions later. For now, she would do everything she could for him.

“We should be getting back don’t you think?” Tess said breaking free from the depressing train of thought. Demetrius nodded even as he struggled visibly to take his eyes off the storm.

Tess traveled with Demetrius to the edge of the rim before parting ways. She shook her head as she watched him disappear down a set of narrow cement stairs. She would have liked to take the stairs too. Yet the risk of being spotted crossing the sector was far greater than descending the wall. Just because her expedition was coming to an end did not mean the night-watch had stopped making their rounds. Better to be safe than end up with a detention record.