Page 38

By the time we arrived, the morning sun was high, and the school visit had brought home just how much we were leaving behind. I turned into the parking lot, ready to begin the next part of our journey. The boys straightened in their seats, their earlier excitement returning as they recognized the building.

"Here we go," I said, parking the car.

"Flying saucer!" Matt cheered.

I laughed. "Yes, buddy. Flying saucer."

We were met by Pellan and Rhovan, who helped us unload the car and bring the luggage inside. They led us toward the door beside the sequencing machine, revealing a narrow stairway rising to what had to be the roof.

Matt's mouth fell open. "There's a secret staircase?"

"Looks like it," I said, just as surprised as he was.

"Does it go to a spaceship?" Evan asked.

Pellan smiled. "It goes to the shuttle landing area. You'll see in a moment."

The boys looked at each other, their earlier sadness already being overtaken by curiosity. We started up the stairs, Pellan and Rhovan carrying the luggage in several trips. There was no point rushing them; we had time, and the more practical matter of getting everything aboard safely mattered more than arriving a few minutes earlier.

By the time we reached the top, I could hear a faint hum through the walls. The landing area was larger than I'd expected, with a reinforced roof and a wide space marked out for the shuttle. I looked up just as the first glimpse of the craft appeared beyond the opening.

The Mylos shuttle looked exactly like the flying saucers we'd seen far overhead in Panama City or in pictures or on TV, but seeing one in person up close was something else entirely. Its smooth, curved hull caught the light, and it was somehow even more impressive and alien.

"Wow," Evan breathed.

Matt didn't say anything at all. He simply stared, his mouth open, his hands wrapped around the handles of his Hot Wheels case.

The shuttle settled onto the landing area with a gentle hum. A hatch opened, and a Mylos pilot stepped out to greet us.

"Good morning. I'm Jimmy, your pilot." He smiled at the boys, then turned to me. "You must be Darren Brooks. I've been asked to get you and your family to the Bride Fleet safely."

"That's us," I said, shaking his hand. "Thank you."

"Happy to help. Let's get your luggage stowed, and then I'll get everyone settled in."

Jimmy helped Pellan and Rhovan load the suitcases into the shuttle's storage compartment, making sure the yellow cases were secured properly. He then took the boys’ train cases, letting them keep their Hot Wheels with them. Then Jimmy showed us to our seats and helped the boys buckle in. He produced a special latching strap and an adaptor designed to connect Laura's car seat securely to the shuttle's harness system, and took a moment to check that the fittings were properly attached before letting me settle her into it. He also brought out a doggy seatbelt made specifically for the shuttle seats, secured it to the appropriate fittings, and helped me get Skye safely in her place. Only once he was satisfied that everyone was secure did I take my own seat and fasten my harness.

Jimmy glanced back at us from the cockpit. "All right, everyone. What would you like to watch on the way up?"

"The flight!" Matt said at once.

"The actual flight," Evan clarified, as if there might be a choice between seeing the journey and watching something on a screen.

Jimmy laughed. "I thought that might be the answer."

He adjusted the controls, and sections of the hull appeared to become transparent, turning into clear viewing panels that gave us a view of the landing area outside. The boys leaned forward in their seats, eyes fixed on the window.

"Can we see the ground when we go up?" Evan asked.

"Absolutely," Jimmy assured him. "You'll be able to watch the whole flight path."

A faint vibration ran through the deck beneath our feet. It was subtle enough that I might have missed it if I hadn't been paying attention. Then came the tiniest thump as the shuttle disengaged from the landing surface.

The boys' eyes grew wider, and Matt grabbed my hand, and then we were off. We watched the testing center roof fall away beneath us, the town shrinking as the shuttle rose smoothly into the sky. For a few seconds, the boys were silent, too awestruck even to argue with each other. Then Matt let out a delighted laugh, and Evan swivelled his head from one side to the other, trying to drink in the entire panoramic view all at once. I leaned back to enjoy the ride, one hand resting on Laura's leg and the other holding Matt's. Skye was quiet in her secured place, just drinking everything in, tail thumping softly, while the boys finally got to see the start of the future they'd been promised.

14

DARREN