11. Chapter 11

The plush white interior of the sky limo was so luxurious that Jayna almost forgot her concerns about flying to Manutai with Obsidian Hayes. Almost.

She had ridden in sky limos before but never one so clean and fresh. This limo was small and intimate and completely unlike the dark rented party limos that occasionally showed up for a girls' night out.

The ducted rotors were nearly silent, and the pilot was an actual human rather than a holographic projection. This had been especially handy when loading Jayna's tail and merbreather along with the rest of her gear.

The limo slowed as it approached the Los Angeles launchport, and Jayna immediately caught sight of the hulking metal launch spiral. A smile broke across her face. This is really happening!

For as long as she could remember, she had been enthralled by Aurora 293, the short-lived British adventure show from her childhood that featured a pair of bickering detectives solving mysteries while rocketing around the world.

She had always been thrilled at the thought of being shot beyond the edge of space and landing anywhere in the world less than five hours later. Their flight to Manutai would take just over three hours, which was better than the fifteen hours she would have endured on the shuttle with Toren.

Jayna felt a pang of regret at the thought of him. While their relationship had barely moved beyond the friend zone, it had been comfortable and safe.

This trip with Sid would be anything but safe. She needed to be extra careful.

The limo descended towards a row of buildings and eased to a stop near one of the hangars. A white awning crawled slowly across the tarmac to cover the roof of the limo. As her chauffeur hurried to open her door, a blast of hot, muggy Southern California air filled the vehicle. She immediately began to perspire.

Jayna thanked her pilot as she stepped from the limo, and within seconds her hair was plastered to her sweaty face. She walked into the hangar, and the sight of Sid's red hypersonic rocket plane caused a little thrill to run up her spine. It looks exactly likeAurora 293!

Sid was doing his pre-flight inspection of the plane. She watched him slowly examine the short, thin wing with his hands, and an image of him running his hand over her shoulder and down her arm came unbidden into her mind. Where the shell did that come from? She swallowed hard and quickly looked away.

Jayna tried to regain her composure while looking around the hangar. She located Emmaline on the other side, talking on her phone. Apparently, Sid's assistant had colored her hair a pinkish purple, and Jayna had to look twice to make sure it was really her. The unusual tint was a good look for her. She remembered the speculation that Emmaline's relationship with Sid went beyond professional and had to fight back an irrational wave of jealousy.

Don't swim near the rocks, Aaramere. You're likely to get smashed yet again.

Emmaline noticed Jayna and waved. She quickly finished her call and hurried across the hangar. "I'm so glad you can join us," she said, wrapping Jayna in an unexpected hug.

Jayna instinctively returned Emmaline's embrace and noticed that her outfit was cool to the touch, despite it being heavy and long-sleeved. The hangar was barely cooler than it had been outside.

In contrast, Jayna's sundress stuck to her sweaty back where Emmaline's hand touched it.

Emmaline raised an eyebrow. "Your dress isn't climate regulating?"

"Um, no." Jayna gave a weak smile. "One hundred percent cotton."

"We'll make getting you a u-suit our first priority after we land," Emmaline said.

Jayna knew about the climate-controlled base layer, but even the most basic set cost more than she made in a year. There was no way she could afford something like that.

"I don't think we want to subject our guest to a shopping trip with you, Em."

Jayna hadn't heard Sid approach and jumped at the sound of his voice. Her heart pounded as she turned to acknowledge him.

Sid held out his hand and smiled warmly. "I'm glad you could come with us."

"I really appreciate the ride." Jayna took his hand, and a tingle ran up her arm. Thank goodness he hadn't tried to hug her too. She was grateful for the heat, as it would explain the intense burning in her cheeks.

"Is this your first trip to Manutai?" Emmaline asked.

"It is. I've heard a lot about it from Kalani, though. He's my Merathlon coach and one of the managers at the Kingdom of Tangaroa. He's giving me a tour of the park, and he's offered to let you come along, if you'd like."

"Wasn't that park started by former Realms of Neptune employees?" Emmaline asked.

Jayna nodded.

Sid's brow furrowed. "Are you sure he wants to give us a tour? We're the competition now."

"He said to ask. Besides, the parks are halfway around the world from each other, so they're not really in direct competition."

Sid shrugged. "In that case, tell him we'd love to come along."

The limo driver and a launchport attendant moved Jayna's belongings to the tiny red airplane, and as they struggled to load the packages, especially the semi-rigid case holding her tail and merbreather, Jayna registered how tiny the inside of the plane was.

"If it's okay with you two," Emmaline said as she moved to the entry hatch, "I'm going to commandeer the back seat and take a nap."

"That means you'll be up front with me," Sid told Jayna. "You okay with that?"

Jayna's face broke into a huge smile as excitement coursed through her body. "Very okay." Only after she had said the words did she realize how they might sound. But if Sid read anything more into them than her excitement at flying shotgun, he fortunately didn't show it.

Jayna followed Sid through the tiny hatch and strapped into the seat next to him, trying to avoid touching anything, including Sid.

Especially Sid.

The interior was bright, with white light seeming to emanate from the walls themselves. It took Jayna a minute to realize the plane didn't have any windows. Disappointment welled up inside at the thought of finally taking a parabolic flight and not being able to see outside.

But before she could comment on the lack of windows, Sid tapped a control and the walls of the plane disappeared. Jayna gasped. Their seats appeared to be floating a half-meter above the hangar floor.

"Whoops!" Sid tapped on the plane's control panel, and the walls of the plane reappeared, only now there was a large window at the front and several small windows along each side.

"How…?" Jayna said, confused.

"Sorry about that," he said, looking properly apologetic. "The plane's hull is peppered with microlenses, and the interior walls are composed of display panels." He tapped the controls, and the walls went invisible again.

Looking closely, Jayna could see the imperfections in the view projected on the inner walls, but it was accurate enough that she felt they were floating in a glass bubble.

"Do the big windows," Emmaline said. "It's a nice compromise."

Sid glanced at Jayna for confirmation, and she nodded. The walls returned with windows twice the original size that gave an amazing view of the hangar while the virtual floor and roof remained, providing a sense of security.

"Yeah, I like that," she said.

"Good." Then in a Scottish accent he said, "We aim to please."

Jayna let out a quiet gasp. Had Sid just quoted Aurora 293?

No, of course not. It was a ridiculous, childish show that hadn't aged well. Jayna loved it, but few people even knew it existed.

Maybe he had somehow learned of her fascination with the show and was mocking her for it.

She watched him closely as his hands danced across the controls. The panel of Sid's plane was much more advanced than that of Aurora 293, yet the old excitement she had felt at watching the show returned.

Seeing him in action as he prepared for takeoff also stirred up the attraction she had been fighting ever since she'd first seen him outside the changing pool.

Stop it! He's already involved with Emmaline.While Jayna didn't know this for certain, it would sure make this trip a lot less awkward if he was.

As the plane rolled out of the hangar, Jayna risked a glance at the back seat, where Emmaline was already sleeping peacefully. She hadn't seemed the least bit concerned about Jayna flying up front with Sid.

Which means she's either completely secure in their relationship, Jayna thought, or they aren't together.

No. Sid and Emmaline were a couple. They had to be.

The small plane rolled into the spiral and stopped with a click that sent Jayna's heart racing.

"Have you been on a parabolic flight before?" Sid asked.

"No, but…" She didn't want to admit to being a fan of Aurora 293. "I've done some research. We'll spin in the spiral until we reach launch speed. Then the ramjet and rocket will carry us to our target altitude."

Sid raised an eyebrow, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "That's pretty much it. You have done your research."

There was a loud but pleasant tone followed by sudden acceleration that pushed Jayna sideways in her seat. They spun around in darkness, propelled by the electromagnetic centrifuge.

Another tone sounded, and the sky in front of them became a brilliant blue as they were shot from the centrifuge. A moment later, the ramjet kicked in and pressed her flat against the seat.

Jayna couldn't fight the grin on her face. "How many G's?"

"Three. We could go as high as five, but I'm worried about what might happen to your tail."

My tail! In all the excitement Jayna had completely forgotten about her tail, which was very unlike her. She was glad Sid had remembered to keep it safe, but the fact that he had that kind of effect on her just proved he was a dangerous distraction.

The pressure on their backs eased, and Sid tapped at the panel. "This is the critical bit. We're almost at the ramjet's service ceiling." After several long moments of silence, Jayna felt panic building in her chest. Why isn't the rocket firing?

Sid caressed the console. "C'mon, Lassie. I know ye can do it!" It was an impressive imitation of Commander Laird's exaggerated Scottish accent, and Jayna grinned. He was definitely quoting Aurora 293.

She was still processing this new information when the rocket ignited, and she was once again pressed hard into her seat. The sky around them grew dark, and Jayna could see the curve of the horizon. The intensity of the experience drove everything else from her mind.

After several minutes, the rocket stopped. The rumble that had filled the plane vanished and was replaced by an intense silence.

Jayna cast a glance at Sid. Maybe it was the sudden weightlessness, but the sight of his handsome, determined face lit by the softly glowing control panel made her heart skip.

Don't let him get to you,she thought. No more rich, charming strangers. You don't need someone like that in your life.

But what if Sid was different? He had already proven he was unlike the other toppers she knew. Could a man who quoted Aurora 293 really be all that bad?

She'd have to let down her guard if she wanted to find out.

"Sid?" she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yes?"

"Can you make the walls clear?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he tapped the console. The walls disappeared, leaving them to float silently above the Earth.

Reflexively, Jayna gasped.

"Too much?" Sid moved his hands towards the controls.

"No," she said and quickly reached out to catch his wrist. A jolt of excitement ran through her at the touch, and she forced her attention to the incredible view outside. "Just…Wow."

"I know. It never gets old." A moment later, Sid nodded towards her hand on his wrist and said, "I'm going to need that back soon."

She quickly let go and immediately missed the feeling of his skin touching hers. "Sorry." She folded her hands in her lap. Then, in the light Irish accent of Aurora 293's Dr. Tierney, she said the only thing that seemed appropriate for the moment: "You'd best do whatever it is that you do."

Sid's eyes widened in surprise. He clearly recognized the phrase.

Jayna's heart skipped a beat at the brief but undeniable connection. She raised her eyebrows and smiled, trying to act unaffected, but she quickly turned her gaze away so she could catch her breath. He hadn't been mocking her. Could he really be a fan of the show? She found the possibility almost as attractive as his deep brown eyes.

They floated in silence for several minutes, and although Jayna stared intently at the glowing Earth below them, her thoughts kept returning to Sid. He was a topper who was also now her employer, and despite her better judgment, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She needed to reinforce the wall she had built between them, and fast.

But he was turning out to be very different from the arrogant jerk she had expected. Did she really want to keep out someone who was so intriguing and easy to talk to? What if, instead of reinforcing the wall, she tore it down? It could be amazing, just like the view when he turned the walls invisible.

The nose of the plane tilted, and the vast ocean stretched out in front of them. The blissful weightlessness was replaced by the acute sensation of falling.

As they fell faster and faster, she realized that was what would happen if she didn't keep the wall between herself and Sid. Sooner or later, reality would take over and drag her back down.

"Sid?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you turn the walls back on? Small windows, please."

His expression was both confused and hurt, as if he realized the symbolism of this request. He tapped the controls, and the walls of the cabin went dark.

Jayna immediately missed the amazing view. She didn't want the walls up. She didn't want to keep Sid at arm's length. She wanted to acknowledge and explore the incredible attraction she felt for him.

Unfortunately, letting her guard down would be far too risky. Keeping the walls up would be hard, but it was the right thing to do.