FIRST IMPRESSIONS

August 15th, 12,006 (actual time frame: 3:48PM, Sunday; July 13th, 2008)___________________________________________________________________

As far as things went for me, my persnonal exploration Stratos City's many levels wasn't a total loss. If there could be something said of the space complex's designers--nothing was ever boring for people like me--visitors from the surface.

Or surface dwellers as we are called.

Calis told me once that we were one and the same people so many centuries ago--before wars and a general caste schism permantly separated us into two groups.

On in space, the other on the surface.

After that? Civilization took a dramatic U-turn for us--while things remained pretty much on the up and up for those residing in Stratos City.

I was never much a racist or a Class One xeno, but I couldn't just look at myself and those I passed by as different.

We were all humans from the same gene pool; cast away from our home world thousands of years ago by an event that I only know as the Fall of Man.

Since then, wars from both sides swallowed us all from the last 600 years--followed by years of an uneasy peace; which still exists today.

Neither the sky dancers nor the surface dwellers had sufficient cause to fight anymore--but that didn't mean that confrontations weren't uncommon where I live.

The Barren Wastelands still had its share of problems with the prairie bandits, leaving me to help defend the homestead out on the Golan Desert.

But up here in the space complex? There didn't appear to be such problems with the sky dancer population. No one I had crossed paths with looked anything like the rough and tumble troublemakers which made up Shark's Bay--my favorite haunt.

As I looked up into an enclosed skylight above my head I found myself marveling at how impressive this layout was--as this part of Level 1774 was the city's main hub complex.

So much technology had gone into the fine construction of the surounding areas, it was often hard to imagine that I was still in space--zipping around my world.

Borne up by simple gravity and an atmospheric envelope.

Leaning against the stone railing, I took in all the sights that a surface dweller could handle at once, before sea-swept vertigo took over after that; forcing me to look away--lest I become too overwhelmed by such heady experiences.

I felt so small and so alone up here. There was nobody here to protect or shelter me.

Not my mom, my youngest brother, Calis, Cara Hastings, or even my...father.

I knew that he had to be up here. Somewhere. Soon after I do what Calis wants--I recalled teling myself--I was going to conduct a search for his whereabouts myself.

But seeing how big this place was, I started wishing that I could just jump off this level and fly.

Free as a bird...

Zpping about on my own, try to experience everything in a whole new different light, before getting down to business of finding dad.

Yes...

There were days when I fantasized about saving him. How could I not. The man was my only true role model. Even Calis couldn't replace him--even though he sometimes dotes on me like the daughter he never had. (He never could explain to me fully why he never got married in his youth. Something about a tragic accident and there was little he could do but to ride that one out to its full conclusion. When I pressed upon him what that was, he said something about a girlfriend dying in Sherman's Pass--before it became part of the Desert Storm's race track. But he never told me her name--not that I blamed him. The old man was a very reclusive and private man. It took me forever just for him to like me and trust me not to get into his tools and spare auto-frame parts! lol)

My father was a special kind of person whom never left your side, never once questioned your curiosity, never did anything to jeopardize things for the sake of personal advancement.

I loved him and adored him so much when I was a little girl. Every time I looked into his eyes...it was like staring into my own personal security blanket. I felt so safe when my father was around. Like nothing in this world could ever cause me personal harm.

But I loved how he always looked at me and held me with such love and affection. I loved how his arms felt around my small body as he held me close. I liked how he smelled to me. I also enjoyed the subtle vibrations his voice made whenever I laid my head against his chest.

Oftentimes, I could see why my mother held my father which such love and devotion. From the times I saw them together, I made a small vow to myself to find a man just like my dad--for when I got older of course.

But as I looked out again at the fantastic panoramic view that the city gave me, I chuckled to myself--thinking back along the years growing up where pickings where slim for me--and most of my visits to Shark's Bay didn't yield a true-to-life boyfriend. (Not that I was looking, mind you.)

Calis told me that my life as an auto-frame pilot would be a lonely one--if I didn't find someone to be with soon. (Because as he put it: "I'm not getting any younger." I swear...! I was ready to kill him for that remark two years ago!)

The sights before me continued to inspire and awe me-leaving nowhere else for me to go.

For the moment.

But when I backed up...?

Someone collided right into me--pushing me forward a bit forcefully. I thought it was nothing more than an apt bump (which I didn't take to very well at first), but it was enough of a jolt to set me off.

I remember turning myself--ready to punch the offender's clock the hard way--for disturbing my peaceful tour of the city.

But what I didn't expect was to run into real dreamboat!

The sight of this older boy took my breath away--by the way he towered over me by at least 4 inches, with a nice amount of nicely touseled long black hair to frame his handsome looks, the freckles mottling his tanned skin--and the most lucid brown eyes I've seen up close and personal.

His face was strong and yet soft at the same time--with a sharp nose and well-defined cheeks, and a smile that just made me forget my anger in a second.

But no matter how I looked into his face (to commit what I saw to memory), I couldn't get past those eyes of his!

I was so weak in the knees and probably gaping at him like some shallow-minded tart.

Well, Calis...? I thought to myself at that point. Here's one guy that I wouldn't mind settling down with and bear his children in a heartbeat!

I know I was laughing inside when I thought about it back then--but Bayen was the kind of guy that most girls my age would kill each other over; just to be near him.

Fortunately--for me--my fortunes were about to change this day.

But getting back to my first encounter with Bayen, I distinctly recall the fog of lust lifting from my mind--giving me a moment to collect and reign myself in. (Could you not blame me for not wanting to jump him right then and there? lol)

Adjusting his tattered black trench coat, my dreamboat asked me if I was from around here. (As opposed to what my sign was? Seriously! I was thinking that!)

But despite my out-of-control hormones and my other teenage impulses, I managed to conduct myself appropriately in his presence. If Bayen ever knew then how I regarded him then--he probably would've been more wary of me back when I was a teen; as opposed to right now.)

I told him I was from the surface and this was my first time visiting Stratos City.

He smiled at me--trying to be as polite as possible (which scored big points with me--by the way!)--and told me to enjoy my stay; apologizing that he had errands to run and couldn't be a more gracious host.

I so wanted to talk to him--talk to Bayen--but as I recalled, I was too paralyzed by my own hormones and conflicting urges; to be of any help.

It was just before he left me for the time being, that I finally got up the necessary courage to ask him his name.

When he told me, I did the same. Heavens knew why I did that. But I guess--then--that I would be seeing him later on.

You know?

I just didn't know how prophetic my own personal intuition would be later that day.

Because my next stop was to be a shop which would forever change the life that I knew from that point forward.


Isis