Chapter XI

And finally there was a light. I walked towards the main opening in the ship, trying not to stumble while carrying her. The gravity had made her heavier, of course. She did not weigh as much as I expected but it was still a considerable little burden. Not that it was bothersome but it was obviously… ah, never mind that. Whatever, I did not mind carrying Lexa all that much. I looked over Ignis’s shoulder and saw the room approaching quickly. I shrugged for a second in a slight discomfort. I remembered. ‘Almost forgot for a second that I had it there.’ I could feel the extra pressure of the tool inside my boot and the sting against my leg at every step, which made me feel reassured. I turned my head and saw the soldier pointing her hand at me while the one behind carried my belongings. ‘Oh well,’ I shook my head in slight frustration, feeling powerless once again, as I finally reached the ramp.

“One by one, slowly,” said one of the four guards behind me. Sebastian and Ignis went first with a space of about thirty seconds between them. The lights gleamed violently which blinded me so I turned away, trying to shield myself from the shine until I was told to go. “What are you waiting for?” a guard yelled at me after a while. “Hurry and move!” she ordered me again, this time with finality as she pushed me forward over the ramp. I must have missed the signal to go, I guess. Thanks to the parallel indents that went from side to side through the entire ramp, I was able to prevent falling on my face. I regained my balance and frowned behind me. As I turned back forward, I suddenly discovered the many gazes over me. I froze under the many sights. There was a red carpet placed that stretched directly from the ramp and, in both sides of it, there were several individuals gazing at everyone that came out. Many, many unfamiliar faces. I would say that there was a space of three or four feet from side to side of the carpet.

I paced forward on the rug, looking at them. I saw much curiosity and disgust between them. Some eyes were filled with shrilling fear and some with distinctive aversion. Well, clearly there was not a unanimous agreement in us being here. I sighed and continued up until I met a dark purple wall where the carpet folded against the surface. That was when I raised my eyes and looked around. The place looked like a huge futuristic repair shop: there were ships everywhere in metal platforms much higher on the room, metallic service bridges that connected here and there, windshield enveloped passages that connected the rooms on the exterior walls in the higher places, people watching from such bridges and passages, and many busy claws and other sorts of strange devices hasting around. It was truly an enormous place. This was definitely a docking station of the sorts. This was absolutely amazing. I could not give credit to my eyes. Shockingly flabbergasting. Utterly unbelievable. Fantastically imposing. ‘Nonsense!’ I shook my head. But it was all still there when I opened my eyes.

I found myself facing the wall at the end of the carpet again and, being cornered by the curious crowd in either side, I realized that my path was supposed to continue up the flights of metallic stairs on my right. It was a simple metal staircase that went to and fro every so many steps as to ascend much higher using less space. I stared up and frowned. I could see Ignis way ahead of me. I started climbing slowly and, as I did, I gazed out at the place still not being able to lend some credit to what was in front of my eyes. As I ascended higher, I became gradually more and more careful with the friend in my arms: if I fell from here, which emerged as a likely possibility seeing that I was wearing these stupid handcuffs, it would be quite the nasty fall.

The higher I went, the more dangerous it looked and the more spectacular the view became. The ships, technicians and from what I judged could be pilots, came into sight. They were all turned my way in their high-ground bridges. “So glad I am not afraid of heights,” I said as I kept my pace, still not daring to look down through the small hollows between the metal steps. Suddenly something flashed into my mind. “… I am sure there is got to be an elevator for this. This is definitely a service staircase. What is this, a first test?” That is how I discovered that truth by mistake. I abruptly understood. The harsh introduction and entrance into this new world was only ornamented by a red carpet; however, it was enveloped by thorns – the many eyes on us – and followed by a steep hill – the long staircase –. The tests had already started and this one was not physical: it was psychological. ‘Smart,’ I weighed to myself as I turned for the next flight of stairs. For a moment, I became lost in the painted lines on the gigantic platform down below which spread out to mark, as I supposed, the landing spaces, transition lines and take-off lanes.

As I prepared to resume with my climbing, I held my friend with more care and looked down into her face. “I am sorry,” I whispered, “there is nothing I could do and… I honestly did not mean to get you involved in all of this mess.” I proceeded to look up and I took my first step forward; yet, I jerked back against the wall on my right impulsively, responding to the sharp piercing on my heel. ‘Ah, that,’ I remembered as I opened my eyes, yet again. The truth is that I had to prepare myself if I was going into unfamiliar grounds and I could definitely not have my hands empty. Back in the cell on that cargo ship, with a stray lid of a wooden crate that was in my cell, I arranged a knife, breaking it correctly, burning the edges with my lighter and sharpening it swiftly against the upper edge of a metal pole. Hell, I even made use of the laser bars to give it a final polish. So, you see, I was more than prepared for anything unforeseen that might come up. Or as unforeseen as it could get at this point… Perhaps I was only getting at ready for any rather sore situation. I laid my companion on a step and I lit up a cigarette. ‘Ah, the sweet aroma,’ I started with satisfaction but, looking down through the geometrical hollows between the stairs, I saw the last four officers coming up, ‘of disappointment,’ I said, finishing my sentence and picking up my friend over my left shoulder, making the act of carrying her more comfortable and definitely safer than if I carried her over my right, closer to the outer edge.

After some more climbing, I arrived to the top without being in dire need to catch my breath. I must say that, thanks to my long abstinence from cigarettes, my physical condition had improved. ‘And here I am, smoking,’ I chuckled, walking into the incredibly technological room. ‘Ah well, at any rate I will not have any more cigarettes after I am done with these ones… unless…,’ I recalled back from the episode in the car when I had lit my first cigarette, ‘Perhaps smoking is, indeed, something they have in their planet as well?’ That both depressed me, for I knew I might pursue it, and cheered me up, for I had a method to cope with things that I was quite familiar with. The curse I abhorred yet craved for.