Caught Between Two Blue Aliens - Celia Kyle Page 0,56
in the deck reduced instantly to a dim glow and Jenna let out a little yelp of fear as the grid walls that surrounded them dematerialized, replaced with nighttime alien cityscape.
One moment they were in a boring room and the next they were outside. And it was all so freaking real. The smell, the breeze, the weather, the sounds.
Oh my god.
But it was definitely an alien planet because three discrete moons hung like white lanterns in the blue-purple sky, studded with stars and a smear of what looked like some smaller rendition of the Milky Way in the far distance.
Sleek skyscrapers loomed on either side of the neon-lit street. A hover-car buzzed past, moving so quickly it was nearly invisible. It reminded her of a vid she once saw of a hummingbird’s wings, beating ceaselessly and rapidly so that they nearly disappeared from view. Another vehicle with a similarly sleek design rocketed past them as the Tuk bike idled on the street side. Jenna couldn’t stop gawking, her eyes unable to comprehend the fact that they were suddenly no longer on the Avash, but somehow transported to a city she didn’t recognize.
The bike rumbled, ready to dart forward. She looked down, catching a glimpse of Sevith’s boot braced on the pavement, holding it back.
This was amazing. She’d heard that the Drokten had something they called “holo decks” on their battleships, and inside it was said they could simulate other planets and alien locations that no human had ever seen, as if you were really there. And wow, it was true.
“Wait, so, none of this is real? It’s all just… a trick of the eye?” Jenna confirmed.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and lowered his head. Warm breath brushed against her ear. “No, none of this is real,” he rumbled. “I’ve programmed the holodeck to create this Level 1 setting for our ride. You are safe here. We have other holo decks that allow for a higher level of realism, but this is only a partial simulation. The bike is real and is anchored in place with buffers on the sides to keep you safe. No matter what you see and hear, how real this all seems, always remember that I will never allow harm to come to you, no matter where we may venture. We can turn this simulation off at any time and return to the neutral setting we started at. Now, do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she said truthfully. “I trust you.”
He braced both his veiny, blue, muscled arms on either side of her, holding tightly to the handlebar. “Good,” Sevith straightened. “Now, let’s go for a ride. Ready?”
“Ready.”
Sevith hit the kickstand, the Tuk bike revved aggressively, and they were off, zooming down the neon-washed streets.
A scream flew out of her mouth. She dug her nails into his thick thighs, holding on for dear life. They were moving so fast, faster than she’d ever thought possible. Even though she knew it was all a simulation, it was impossible to not worry they’d crash.
But within seconds she could see how good her commander was at this. He expertly darted in and out of traffic. She learned to lean with the turns. It wasn’t until they ripped past the same hover-car they’d flown by earlier that it dawned on her exactly how quickly this bike traveled.
Sevith drove the Tuk cycle out of the cityscape and into a desert-like environment. Golden gusts kicked up in massive clouds behind them as they rocketed along, leaning steeply to the left and right as the bike picked up speed through the winding desert dunes. Real wind whipped through Jenna’s hair and she couldn’t keep the wide, bright smile off her face as they caught up to a small cluster of other Tuk cycles—each carrying similarly sized single drivers who wore head-to-toe protective armor that completely obscured their features.
A flare of worry crossed Jenna’s mind and she shouted to be heard over the roar of the collective cycle engines. “Are we supposed to be wearing all that protection, too?”
“We are completely safe, no matter how it may appear,” Sevith assured her in a booming voice. “Hold on tight, Jenna Perry. We’re going to win this race.”
He revved the engine and the bike popped up onto its rear wheel for a moment, making Jenna scream and laugh at the same time, before it hit the dusty road hard and sped off at a blisteringly high speed.
Jenna wriggled back against Sevith’s bare chest, totally awed by the