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A rare treat—a day off. With a bounce to his stride, he escorted her into the elevator, past the empty lobby and out onto the street, where he summoned a private shuttle.
She questioned him as the shuttle zoomed up into the skies, above the traffic and into the express lane leading out of the city. “No clues?”
“I would have thought the clothing is a clue.” He crossed his ankles and settled into the seat. “It will take about an hour to reach our destination.”
She pulled the coat out of the bag. It had a super thick lining and waterproof outer shell. It rained on Halos according to Jamen, even produced the odd thunderstorm, but it wasn’t ever cold. Except, she remember when they travelled from the way station to the planet’s surface, there had been mountains. Ice-capped peaks to the west of the city.
“Mountains,” she said. “You’re taking me up a mountain?”
He produced one of his charming smiles. It didn’t matter how cold she felt inside, his smiles always warmed her up. “Not all the way. There is an observation post where we can land. The view up there is spectacular. I know you miss Earth, being outside, so this is the best I can offer you. Most of this planet is covered in habitation.”
“Earth is running out of space, too, but we have designated areas that are protected. Not many, compared to the old days before… you know, you came.” She had to be careful not to upset the delicate balance. He disliked references to the war because they hadn’t won it in a conventional way—the Vendu had negotiated a peace treaty, rather than obliterate their enemy, and used the treaty to exploit a new relationship. The Vendu needed fertile women and Earth needed fertile land. The terraforming technology they’d shared with Earth had already slowly started to transform the deserts of Africa.
“Once, this planet was lush with vegetation.” He uncrossed his legs, stiffening slightly. “Other than the impassable mountains, what little land is left is kept fertile exclusively for crops.”
“We have many similar problems, then,” she remarked. “I hope we can save our planet before it’s too late.”
The view out of the window changed. The skyscrapers fell away, revealing not towns or fields, but rock and ice. The shuttle’s rockets propelled them higher. The clouds formed a ring around the peaks and the pinnacles pointed to the blue sky. She gasped at the way the mountains twisted into crooked shapes, forming helter-skelters with jagged lines coiling around their summits.
“Amazing,” she exclaimed.
“We’ll land soon. Put those layers on.”
He grew in size with his thick coat and hat, filling the small cabin with his bulk. The craft landed on an illuminated landing pad, skidding slightly. The post was little more than a square structure with a beacon on its roof, signaling its location with a flashing strobe light.
“What do they observe?” she asked, pulling on her boots.
“The weather,” he said. “Among other things.”
She wasn’t convinced the weather was the main reason because the man who greeted them as they exited the shuttle was dressed in military uniform. He saluted the senator.
Jamen grasped her gloved hand in his and although she couldn’t feel his touch, the gesture reassured her.
The frosty air filled her warm lungs and she coughed, noting the thinness of the air. Immediately, her nose dripped and her lips went dry. They walked briskly, avoiding the building, and took a cleared path on the ridge of the mountainside.
It wasn’t just cold, but windy too. A biting blast of air nearly swept her hat away and she clung onto it with her spare hand.
“Not far,” Jamen said. “It’s sheltered on the other side and you’ll be able to see the city. You would need to acclimatize to go higher.”
She needed Jamen’s sturdy body to keep her upright. She skidded more than walked, not daring to look down to her right where the path gave way to a precipice. She had only ever climbed a small mountain near her parents’ home. More like a hill and definitely not covered in snow. The wind turned her cheeks raw. She tucked her chin under the top of the coat and battled on.
Jamen hadn’t lied. The view was breathtaking. With the wind cut off by the rocks, the clouds parting before them, she could see for miles and miles. The mountains shrank away to reveal the plateaus below where the river meandered through the city. As for the skyscrapers, they’d transformed into colorful needles, glinting in the brilliant sunlight.
“You like?” Jamen said, having to shout to make himself heard through her hat.
“Yes!” she replied, panting heavily. “I’m so unfit though. I’m used to the flat streets, not mountaineering.”
He laughed. “This is hardly a steep climb, but you’re right, we need to find a way to get you fit. Something we can both enjoy without getting cold.” The twinkle in his eyes was more than the white snow reflecting back at her.
They stayed a little while, stomping their boots on the ground to keep their toes from going numb. Then, he signaled to her that it was time to leave. The walk back along the path wasn’t as harsh; the wind pushed them along from behind.
Jamen thanked the lone soldier who stood guard by the shuttle. When the door opened, a blast of warm air enveloped them as if they had stepped into an oven. She raced to strip off the extra layers. Jamen removed his coat, tossing it to one side.
“Warmed up?” he asked.
“Yes. Thank you for bringing me here. I loved the view. The fresh air, even the cold.” She couldn’t shape the right words in her head, not in Vendian, so she switched to English. “The landscape, the contrast between the dizzy whiteness and the shards of the glittering city, it’s beautiful.”
“We haven’t lost Halos yet,” he said, moving to sit next to her. “The air up here is the last place on the planet that is truly clean and untainted.”
