Earth Heart - Part 3

Earth Heart

The sky was bright blue but not scorching. I zoomed along, riding the air currents the other cybertrackers created. My feedskin was a brilliant flash of white in the sky. Higher and higher I rose till I could almost touch the edge of the dome surrounding our city. This morning the dome was a bright blue streaked with pink with no clouds as usual. I swept back my hair in a ponytail where it dangled to my hips and detached the face mask from my belt. Adjusting the mask’s eyepieces over my face, I slowed down just a little bit before I burst out from the protective dome. The glass piece over my eyes was the clear type used for cybertrack racing. Its vision was the widest I could find and the lights, when it was wired to my feedskin and activated, were blue like my feedskin’s. Once I was properly kitted, I sped forward, pushing through the dome’s substance. As always there was a tingling sucking sensation, like pushing a finger through soft rubber, then I was through and soaring into the unchartered lands beyond the city dome. Beneath me and as far as I could see was covered in rocky mountains and plains shrouded in mist or fog. An eerie sight to most city dwellers but at least it was real and natural. I couldn’t smell anything because I had shut off the mask’s air holes, a precautionary measure. Who knew what vapours I would be breathing in if I didn’t do that? It was foolhardy to take the risk of contaminating my blood just for a few seconds of natural air. I hovered in midair for a moment, just outside the city dome. I could still see the tiny blur images of people in the city from where I was. Now all I had to do was wait for Leo. I scanned the horizon for any sign of his trademark mane of gold blonde hair. Nothing. A few cybertrackkers stared at me as they zoomed on to their destination, probably the next city 800 tracks away. I stood still, enjoying the coolness of the outside. There was so much beauty even in this deserted piece of land. I could only hope that we wouldn’t destroy this too. A hand suddenly covered my eyes from behind as an arm wrapped around my waist, the sudden movement scrambling my feedskin vision and almost tipping me off my board. I got ready to scream when I recognized the tattoo on the palm covering my eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief and spun round to greet the grinning blonde headed boy. “Hello, Leo.” I greeted him dryly, my face grim and ready to launch into nagging mode. His eyes danced with a mischievous light at my expression. I shook my head as he tugged on my hand and pulled me foward. I couldn’t help but smile back. He sure was an idiot, but heck, his smile was infectious. 

~Rei Shiori