Chapter Three: Moon, Sun and Stars — Part 10
George and Heath work as a team on the left side rear sail, while Paige has her shoulder set to guide the right side rear sail, each of them working in coordination with Blake to keep the ship’s belly perpendicular to perceived gravity, while Daria and Jude work the front guide sails, focused more on keeping the nose up and level. They aren’t slowing down quite as expected, and George, after convening with Jude, suspects that the energy will displace along a force axis perpendicular to their route of travel, leaving the ship without forward momentum, or even a sense of motion, just as it did when dropping down on the last arch. Suddenly, with no sense of pressure, they would be at a stand still.
Blake is chilled with sweat, hoping that Jude is right, because a sixty mile an hour impact is pretty much going to kill all of them, or leave them to die from their injuries. He watches the instruments closely, and when he sees the gravity shift, he whistles to the crew to pull in the sails, which causes the ship to begin to drift. It’s out of his control now, sitting blind in a bubble of plasma, dropping into the natural center of the arch. The release causes a violent vibration in the air, but the ship is calm. Wind blasts outward, the plasma fading like fog in the sun, tendrils and sparks lingering about the ship. The arch is grounded cleanly in the middle of a forest, grown old and tall. The forest in question is tropical in nature, with trees high overhead, the ship cast in an evening shadow.
The area around the arch looks like a blast zone, trees broken outward around the center, as if a massive explosion has leveled them. Since the ship is sitting, with a slight tilt to the left, in the center of the null gravity pocket, Blake pulls his monocular and has a look around the ship. Despite the blast of wind pushing the branches of the still standing and distant trees, there is little evidence that the mass of fallen trees is recent, and he is certain that his ship has not felled more. Like most arch related damage, there is evidence of incredible force, followed by a massive burn, which seems to have been put out quickly. Given that it is already threatening rain, Blake can imagine why the fire didn’t spread cleanly into the surrounding canopy, given the nature of the Storm.
“It’s such a weird feeling, to be floating when one can see the ground.” Daria says, moving carefully across the deck, kept in check by her restraining strap.
In the distance, there is a scream of thunder, and when Blake turns toward it, he sees that the hint of rain he thought was coming is actually the edge of an angry storm, pushed in from the sea. The clouds are massive thunderheads, all seeming to come center in on the arch, as if being pulled into it from all sides. Blake tries to gage the speed and direction of the front, but from what he can see, they are at the center of it all, and something will have to give. It doesn’t take long for him to decide on a course of action. He looks at Joe, hands flashing, and Joe smiles.
“Tether the ship to ground at all four anchor points!” Joe yells.
Joe is first to the storage bin, releasing the screw anchors from their straps, moving quickly to the edge and pushing himself toward the ground, a three-foot long screw anchor in hand. Soon Daria is with him, and the two of them are using a metal pole and careful force to twist the anchor into the soil. Heath throws the rope to them, and Daria catches it. Joe secures it with a flurry of hands, his actions resulting in a knot pattern that starts on the shaft, and incorporates the eye of the screw anchor. By the time the two of them are back on the ship, the other three anchors are tight in place. Soon the crew is in a huddle, awaiting further orders.
“Now let’s get the sails tied down, and get ourselves below deck.” Joe says.
The wind builds to a scream even as the crew meets at the hatch, and Joe motions for them all to go down into the hold. He seals the hatch tight behind them, blocking out the sound of the wind and rain.
“We’re going to have to ride out the storm.” Joe says. “George, the ship’s sound, and with the hatches sealed, air tight. I don’t want to use the rebreathers unless we have to.”
“Ship isn’t that sound, we’ve got the deck vents if we need to open them.” George guffs. He had been opposed to the vents during construction, and now is certain of their value.
Paige and Daria go to their quarters, and confirm that Jynx and ChoCho are sleeping. The two are drifting in sleep, and Daria quickly straps them to a retaining bar. The crew has just settled into their quarters when the sun fades and the world goes black. This happens not because it has set, but because the clouds have pushed into the arch from all sides, blocking out any hint of light. Soon the inside of the ship is absolutely dark, and ChoCho feels Daria and Kevin cuddle in close, clinging to their friends. The rain and wind slam into the ship from the all sides, the ship itself being in the center of a storm pushing its way through the arch. The ship doesn’t rock or move too much, being anchored firmly into volcanic substrata some two feet below the topsoil. Lightning screams around them, tickling the ship in its passing, harmless for all its fury.
Lovers and friends huddle together, numb and lost in memory. The foursome lay awake with the storm, shivering in fear. Blake and Joe hold Heath between them, listening to her sobs, nerves raw and minds racing. In the darkness, Jude here’s George’s stopwatch click and start ticking: Gryphon’s heartbeat, a comfortable and consistent patter on Jude’s palm, slowly matches rhythm. As if confident in his owner’s ability to protect him, Gryphon sleeps soundly, while those around him fret mindlessly in the darkness.
