Kyle West - Evolution

The plan was to land as close to the center of town as we could, which was as far possible from the guard towers and walls. Preferably, we wanted to land on top of a building. The streets would be too risky. One person seeing us was all it took for this operation to be compromised.

We just had to hope everyone was asleep — and that none of the guards looked up. It was a lot of ifs, but everything we had done so far was based on ifs. Maybe luck would carry us through one more time.

Despite the danger, I wasn’t having second thoughts.

The three of us and Ashton stood next to the blast door. In his hands, he held three sets of what looked like goggles.

“These are night vision goggles,” he said. “You won’t be able to see without them.”

I took a pair from him. They were very light, containing only a strap that held the goggles themselves. I strapped it to my head, finding the power button on the side. I flicked it on, and everything around me illuminated bright green.

“Cool…”

“Bring them back,” Ashton said. “These can’t be replaced.”

Ashton moved toward the control panel that opened the blast door.

“Stand clear,” Ashton said. “The air’s going to rush out.”

We moved aside. I gripped a corner for extra support. Ashton pressed the exit button. When the door slid open, a gush of air rushed from the ship. My ears popped from the pressure change. The open door revealed the black night outside. The wind gusted, swirling cloud made milky with moonlight. Conditions were perfect. We could not be seen from below. The moon hung crisp and clear in the sky, among thousands of stars, including the purplish band of the Milky Way. The air was cold and thin. In moments, we would be out there, on the wind. My heart raced.

“Remember the procedure,” Ashton said. “Samuel first. Then Makara, then Alex. Follow Samuel’s lead exactly, and remember to keep track of the time. Do everything to keep from getting noticed. If you are found, get out of there as quickly as possible. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. You have thirty minutes.”

This was crazy. Some would even say suicidal. Logically, it wasn’t justified. But we were here, and Anna needed us.

“On my mark,” Samuel said.

He stood a moment, taking a deep breath.

“One, two…”

He didn’t wait for three. He jumped.

Makara stepped up to the opening.

“One, two…”

She, too, jumped, disappearing into the night.

I didn’t even count. After a final glance at Ashton, I stepped out the door.

I fell through the dark clouds, moisture cold and sticky on my skin, wind whipping my face. I did my best to control the tremors brought on by both cold and nerves. I had done this three times today: there was no reason why it should be so frightening And yet, it was . Maybe because this time, it was night. But more likely it was because this was not a practice run. This was the real thing, and Anna’s life hinged on whether or not we succeeded.

The clouds flew above me. I could discern Makara and Samuel’s shapes against the landscape, lit feebly by what moonlight that managed to filter through the clouds. The lights of the town were few and pale in the night. I had fifteen seconds left until I deployed my chute.

Those fifteen seconds seemed to take forever as the lights below grew in intensity, glowing green through my goggles. Then, Samuel’s chute flared, his main canopy billowing upward. Makara’s came next. They angled themselves toward the settlement, veering right.

I pulled my pilot chute free. It shot away, and felt the strain of the harness as I slowed from my freefall. I felt myself lift from the drastic drop in speed. When everything settled, I grabbed the toggles, guiding myself after Samuel and Makara. I marveled at the fact that two days ago, we had nearly all died outside the gates of this town. Now, we were coming back, tempting fate again.

The walls were still distant, perhaps one thousand feet ahead. I was still far above them. I saw that I was swinging in too fast. I would overshoot both Samuel and Makara, who were far lower than me. To compensate, I pulled on both toggles, slowing my speed. Samuel passed over the walls first, guiding himself toward the center of town. He was a mere shadow — I could only see him because of my night vision. It would be hard for anyone in the city to see him unless they were really looking. Makara followed, her path nearly identical to Samuel’s.

Then, I passed over the walls, about two hundred feet beneath me. I spied two guards, talking near one of the guard towers. They had no mind to glance up. I circled downward, toward the empty street Samuel had landed on. It wasn’t a building, like we had planned, but it would have to do. Makara angled herself after Samuel, landing just a few feet away from him on the dirt street. Quickly, they grabbed their chutes, pulling them into a dark alley. Samuel and Makara were visible for all of three seconds.

Now, it was my turn. I grimaced, doing my best to land where they had. But, a sudden gust of wind lifted me above the street. Gritting my teeth, I tried to turn, but to no avail. The wind caught hold of my canopy, taking me above the flat roof of the four story building. If I didn’t do something, I would overshoot the building and draw dangerously close to the wall on the opposite end of the settlement.

It was now, or never.

I pulled the release, and the main canopy shot above me. Automatically, the reserve deployed. By now, however, I had already landed on top of the building, tucking and rolling even as the reserve went limp from lack of air.

Panting, I cut the cords of the reserve with my knife, untangling myself from the lines. I gazed ahead, where the main canopy now settled onto the corner of the roof, precariously close to falling off. I’d take care of that in a second. First, I threw off my pack and stripped out of my jumpsuit, tossing them aside. I went to the roof’s corner and picked up the main canopy, dragging it to the building’s center, where there was a barrel. I stuffed the canopy inside the barrel, and then stuffed my reserve and jumpsuit in as well. I didn’t want the wind catching them and blowing them away. Then, I crouched on the ground, holding my Beretta in my right hand. I crawled toward the edge of building in Samuel and Makara’s direction. I took a peek over the edge.

The street was dark. Without my goggles, I probably wouldn’t be able to see a thing. Only a few windows were lit in the early morning. Gazing upward, clouds blanketed the whole sky, blocking out the stars. Somewhere high above, unknown to the town below, Gilgamesh hovered. I could see or hear nothing of it.

So far, so good. The town was fast asleep. We had not been spotted by any of the guards, and we had all landed relatively close to one another. It was just one of many things that needed to go right tonight.

Across the dirt road, Makara and Samuel kneeled between two buildings. I could see their faces staring at me from below, in the darkness. I had to find a way down and join them.

I kept low and searched the perimeter of the building for a way down. I was in luck; a metal ladder descended from the building’s side, right into the alleyway below. All I had to do was go down it and dash across the street to where Makara and Samuel were. Then, we could begin our search for Anna.

Before I stepped down, I surveyed my surroundings. The buildings were all old, mostly from Pre-Ragnarok times. Most of the paint had long peeled off, and the buildings’ sides were cracked, their original whitewash stained with dust and soot. The wall had probably been built following Ragnarok for additional security. In the distance, I could see one of the gatehouses. From its twin guard towers, flags flapped in the darkness. On the wooden ramparts stood two figures of guards, facing outward.