FA Chapter 22 New Beginnings
Bosingwa's heart sped up in anticipation. He was finally going to see for himself a hangar physically! He had played many games that had had a sci-fi element to them, allowing him to explore multiple hangars, some so breathtaking that he still couldn't erase them from his mind even now.
But there was something different with this one. No matter how mundane or grounded it was going to be, he was sure that the wow factor wasn't going to dissapoint. After all, this was real. All the others, no matter how beautiful they had been, hadn't.
"Why are your eyes shining? I can even feel your heart rate speeding up. Could it be that you have never been to a hangar?" Bosingwa would have been offended by the question if it wasn't for the genuine curiosity he picked up within.
"...poverty and always having work on the mind prevented me from actually enjoying some things. I was working with the intention to retire early, so any small escapades would have impeded my goal to become a Forger."
"I feel you man. I have always wanted a lab of my own. Working as an assistant...which by the way, is just a glorified labourer. My boss treated me like shit. I even had the feeling that I might have turned into one of his experimental subjects if it wasn't for the constant watchful eyes of his superiors. Then one day, I just decided to walk, stumbling upon the chance to actually become a Forger. My dear Ice, trips to places like the park, the hangar, the shopping malls and sightseeing are for those who have it all."
"Haven't you also gained it all by becoming Forgers? Now you can do anything you want."
Yes, that had become true. Bosingwa subconsciously nodded at that even as his mind started to play with the endless possibilities of finally being free to do what he wanted or spend as much as he could. There was no poor Forger in the world unless they chose so.
Light entered his eyes, causing him to blink in order to adjust to the new intensity. For a moment, a gasp almost escaped his lips only to be stifled as he beheld the behemoth that was the hangar. It rivalled the training room nestled within the depths of the building in size, except for the one gigantic side, where the wall didn't exist, allowing a glimpse into the blue of the sky.
People, as many as thousands, were moving within the room, from the floor, to the railings, to the vessels berthed within the hanger, like ants with a mission. Of course there were those that weren't working, instead caught up in conversation.
His eyes shifted as he beheld a vessel, shaped like a top of water laid down horizontally, taking off from the hangar while spewing out blue particles from its rear, giving off an ethereal beauty that spellbound his eyes.
Even as the elevator came to rest, his eyes still followed the lingering trails of blue photons lighting up the inside of the building.
If he wasn't mistaken, the ship that had just taken off was the type that had been outfitted with the photon engine, a result of a genius a century before.
-----
"Finally! I thought I was going to have to break out of this building!" Exclaimed Flame the moment they met up with the other group.
But Bosingwa didn't follow the rest of the conversation as he took in all that was, of the hangar. The gleaming metal, the engineers, the bots shuttling luggage to and from the ships.
There were also different designs to the ships, with most of them custom-made luxuries, probably owned by the scions of the Borasaek group.
"Let's go."
That command dragged his gaze back towards the group, where he finally took in Bora's ship. It was akin to a black bud resting horizontally upon the hangar floor. It was sleek in design, no doubt made for speed, not combat. Or probably this was all an illusion as how could she not even have the most basic protection, or weapons?
His feet eagerly dragged him onto the floating platform, joining the others. It floated up and dropped them off into the ship, after which it seamless blended with the floor of the hull, having transformed into one of the beautiful purple tiles that adorned the walls and floor of the ship.
Once they were settled into their seats, it took off.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
"Where are we going?" The old woman, Mrs. Namatovu asked. She appeared relaxed and carefree, as if having absolutely no worries. Bosingwa wondered whether that demeanor had come with experience. She took everything with stride, without the slightest marvel that the rest of them had. Even Bora's luxurious ship had only earned a passing smidgen of attention before her eyes had decided to gaze outwards.
"Today at midnight, the contract ends. I was taking you for a little bit of fun. Don't worry, no one will attack, so I want you to genuinely enjoy yourselves."
Bora's answer reminded him of that. He had forgotten it because of all the pestering from Larssen and Ice.
The contract was ending today... And yet, he hadn't yet managed to figure out whether he was going to take on missions or simply focus on waiting for his spiritual energy to reach crystal. But that would be too passive. He needed some excitement. Like combat.
He couldn't deny the fact that he was nervous and fearful of taking on such missions, since this was going to be his first time, but he had to do them as he wanted a future where he could tussle with the best of the best. Putting his life on the line was needed.
"What do you suppose we could do? We are all grownups so the concept of fun is somewhat muted on us." Mrs. Namatovu turned her attention back to Bora with that question.
"...I didn't think this through well enough. Luna! Save me!"
Bora playfully turned towards her bodyguard, upon which a sigh of exasperation escaped the other woman's lips.
"That's why you should have asked for their opinions before bringing them out!"
Bora shrunk into the seat after the other woman's outburst.
-----
The ship made a stopover within the northern part of Kampala city, where the walls demarcating its limits were visible.
The walls had been proposed because of the expansion of urban areas to the point that they covered the entire world, leaving behind just a few untouched wilds. The reason cited was the fact that it would have been very hard to separate what was one district from the other, leading to walls being built as segments.
"I picked this because I didn't want you two to follow me. So why are you here?!"
Bosingwa spoke after the ship left with the others. Everyone had been given a choice of where to be dropped off such that they could spend the rest of the day just as they wanted, courtesy of Luna. And Bosingwa hadn't even hesitated to answer the calling within his heart, having chosen to go a little sightseeing... Not in the traditional sense, instead opting to see his idols.
Upon stepping out of the building that had acted as the landing point, a cacophony of sound battered his eardrums from the large crowd of people, finally allowing the fact that the population had ballooned to sink in.
People from all walks of life, from different ethnicities and also in a myriad of fashionable genetic alterations, entered their eyes.
"Well, I didn't expect this level of activity. Witnessing it with one's own eyes really gives it a certain weight and impact." Larssen whistled before uttering those words, a glimpse into the fact that even he was a bit overwhelmed.
Bosingwa noticed that fact. Though, what made him somehow surprised was the fact that Ice was now quiet, with her expression impassive, miles different from before.
Along the street that they were walking on, Bosingwa noticed that the crowd of humans were in a celebrative laid black mood, far different from the usual somber and serious atmosphere. He knew that the reason for this was the fact that the day had been designated as a holiday, here in Kampala city.
Upon his browsing through the neural link, he found that only some sporadic states had accepted the holiday, while many went along with their daily routine.
Closer to their destination, the ballooning of the crowd became more evident.
The destination was a plaza ensconced within a trio of buildings with the only open side connected to a road. The buildings near it were only just two floors high, to allow for ample sunlight and a view of the sky.
Such plazas were a rarity nowadays, as most of the land had been taken up by either downscapers, or their opposite counterparts. There were plazas located on some Skyscrapers, but they weren't attractive to most humans, who valued historical habits.
Bosingwa wasn't someone with a favourite, not minding any of the two locations to lounge in.
"Tsk! Tsk! Look at this crowd. How are we going to navigate this?" Larssen's gaze was directed towards him, filled with amusement and schadenfreude.
Ice on the other hand was still quiet, gazing at the crowd with a grave expression, as if some monster might take this chance to jump out of someone's shadow.
That raised his brows. Was she expecting some sort of attack, or was she just jumpy? Bosingwa wondered even as a trace of caution snaked its way into his heart. If she had some enemies that might strike at her here, then some caution was warranted.
He was going to ask her about it, but ultimately chose to stay quiet.
Before he could muster another bout of courage though, a burst of vapour was released at the front of the crowd, where a lone man, a mountain of a man, was seated. Even when seated, his head was still above the height of many in the crowd.
His dreadlocks flapped from the pressure of the vapor his pores were releasing as he smiled at someone below, a lucky person who evoked envy within Bosingwa. How he wished he had been the one standing at the fore of the crowd, right before Adebayor.
The man was the reason for Bosingwa's choice to come here. The Forger was one of those few who tolerated being admired by the masses, mostly arranging these fan meetings.
"You are one weird man, Bosingwa. Even with your advanced age, you're acting like a teenager. What's the use of fanboying over these people when you can reach their levels in the future by agreeing to team up with me?" Larssen asked. Bosingwa would have chasitied the man if not for the curiosity within those words.
"I just like being myself. If I have to hide even this interest of mine, then what would I turn out in the future? Even if I become a crystal stage being, I doubt this interest of mine would wane, instead it might even grow stronger."