4/25/2019

  9:30 PM

  Julius had eaten dinner in the hospital’s cafeteria. Most of the food was locally produced, so it was tasty for something in the hospital.

  To be fair, Colemond’s General Hospital was the outlier and outstanding in the entire country. Because of the extraordinary service, the two mages who taught Dr. Annia on healing spells and other skills were hired. They took care of the lady Lian brought in. They were able to get her in recovery within an hour.

  Julius was next. The nurses were able to stop the bleeding until they arrived. His case was more complicated. A strategic game at high difficulty. One patch-up only led to another issue. The entire operating room was a mess, and he was awake throughout the entire procedure.

  When it finally stopped bleeding and the body calmed down, the clock showed two hours had passed. Added another half an hour to be certain.

  The cafeteria was crowded. Tables were filled. Chefs and kitchen workers continued to cook to meet the 24/7 demand.

  Julius ordered a cup of black coffee and left the area, heading back to the wide hallways. Nurses and doctors paced through the foot traffic. Around two lanes for each way. He strolled through the skybridge, and it was nice that he didn’t get bombarded with questions or being approached out of the blue. Everyone here was either busy or sick to even care about trivial things.

  Waiting at the elevator, he was met by Lian. “Are you heading up?”

  Lian nodded. “Yeah. I heard she’s awake, so I’m meeting her. What about you?”

  “Same. I’m meeting her as well…I have my own questions. And you? I’ve noticed that you were interested in her compared to others we’ve rescued. What’s up with that?”

  Lian shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m going to find out.”

  Ding!

  “I think you might be having secrets that I shouldn’t know.”

  The two walked in after five people exited the elevator.

  “Maybe.”

  The elevator door closed, leaving the two alone.

  Maybe. She really has something secretive.

  Julius stood quietly as the elevator went up. He stared at the screen as the numbers changed.

  Ding!

  Fifteenth floor, the highest for patient care. Any floor above that was private.

  Julius and Lian knocked on the door.

  “Come in!”

  They opened the door, and the lady was sitting on an armchair with IVs and wires still connected.

  “Please, sit.”

  Julius sat the closest to her while Lian strolled around the room.

  “Hang on…You look familiar. Are you the daughter of a guy from Perth named Jarrah? Skylar is your name, right?”

  Lian raised an eyebrow, looking at Julius. “You know her? Wait, you haven’t even looked at her medical papers.”

  The lady blinked a few times. She scooted up until her back was straight. “Have we met?”

  “Yeah, technically, we did about five years ago. Your dad had to take you and your friends home because you were all too drunk. And I had to drop off your car.”

  “So, that was you. Funny how both times we crossed at awkward times…Damn, my trip is done.”

  “How are you feeling now?”

  “Better. The pain is slowly going away,” Skylar said as her hand pressed on her abdomen.”How long do I have to stay?”

  “I don’t know.” Julius then looked at Lian. “Do you know anything?”

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  Lian shook her head. “Hopefully, tomorrow. That’s my guess.”

  Skylar sighed. “So, that’s it. After getting discharged, I go back home.”

  “Is this your time off trip?”

  “Yeah, I’m supposed to head back home in two days, but now I’m stuck here. I need to get my visa extended.”

  Julius stood up. “I won’t take too much of your time. Lian wants to talk to you, so I just want to see how you’re doing. However, I have one thing to say. Since you’re in Colemond, you can stay here for as long as you want. And I sensed you had qi when we got you out of the rubble.”

  “What’s qi?”

  “Lian will give you more of the details and the options.”

  “Wait, where are you going?” Skylar asked.

  “Work. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Julius opened the door and left the room. He headed to the windows at the end of the hallway and teleported to the roof. The view of the city was a little hopeful. Mages were already on the clock to rebuild the surrounding districts outside of downtown.

  From above, he saw multiple clinics were set up every few blocks. Every roof was brightened by green light, showing 医学.

  So many bruises. Julius observed the scattered clusters of ruins. Craters, self-inflicted ridges, and destroyed properties lay everywhere. Drones had barged into the city, and it was responsible for at least 30% of the wreckage.

  A brief skirmish in the east left behind more damage to Interstate 45. But it went beyond that area and went into the city’s entry. CH1 was impacted, and if it wasn’t for the expansion to the west and passing Chandler, the traffic would’ve been stagnant.

  Drip!

  Julius suddenly felt wet. He moved his hand to his lower back. “Darn it. Not again.”

  Blue blood soaked his fingers. Frustrated, he flicked it off his hand.

  Kadum!

  A burst of qi heated his back. It was blow-dried until he felt a little sting. Then, he touched the same spot again, confirming it dried up. Julius realized the meds were becoming less effective a little too fast. It bothers him more when he has made a mess in one of the many operating rooms. The thought of him as a busted hose shivered and terrorized his mind. As much as he wanted to get rid of that memory, he couldn’t. Maybe the only time he regretted staying awake and not getting anesthesia to sleep through the operation.

  Julius massaged his head to get his mind straight. He breathed a few times and wiped the tears off.

  Back to business.

  He launched a supersonic, flying to Saint Moon Airbase.

  Two F-22 Raptors were on the runway. Its dual engines blasted supersonic plumes of exhaust. From up high in the sky, Julius felt the energy surging and reached this level of altitude. He steered away from the runway and landed at the SMAFB Collective Services (SMCS).

  “Commander. We’ve called you.”

  “You haven’t caught up? I was in the hospital.”

  “The entire team was busy. We don’t always keep up with the news. By the way, did you see the aircraft?”

  Whhhhhheee!

  Julius nodded. “It’s amazing. To find it can take off with qi is extraordinary…If my schedule is right, all the test exercises will go til sunset.”

  The SMCS chief had his clipboard. He flipped to the last page. “Yeah. We should be done by 6 PM. Are you going to participate in any of them?”

  “Let me see that,” Julius asked for the clipboard. “Hmm…It’s been a while since I rode any of these aircraft. Oh, yeah…The F-15 and the F-16.” He then looked at the mage. “Can I take this F-15 slot?”

  “Long!”

  One of the staff teleported. “Yes?”

  “Is an F-15 ready?”

  “Yes. Do we need it now?”

  Julius nodded. “I do. I’m gonna do a test flight. So, let’s do it.”

  10:23 PM

  The F-15 was rolled out of the hangar. Suited up, Julius headed out to the fighter jet, carrying his bag and helmet. He climbed to the cockpit. Observing the surroundings, he found the consoles and the panels had been changed. He strapped on his seatbelts while a few technicians checked all the cables and hoses.

  “The other pilots are testing for top speed and altitude. For you, we want to test everything, so if you can, that would be helpful for data reports.”

  Julius flicked two switches and pressed the APU START button. The interior lights turned on, and the engine whined. “I’ll see what I can do. Is the air control ready?”

  The SMCS chief nodded. “Yes, sir. They’re waiting for you to take off.” He then gave a thumbs-up to the direction of the control tower. And red light flashed from his thumb. The tower responded with a green light. “Alright, let’s go.”

  The canopy lowered. Julius gave the chief a thumbs-up, and the latter dashed away from the jet. He adjusted his helmet and flipped two switches. The two engines whined. The F-15 was ready for taxi.

  With the push of the throttle and controlling the stick, the fighter jet headed to the runway. “Tower, can I get a name check? We are taxing.”

  “Roger, you’re Aetos and are cleared for taxi. Runway one-two. Winds two-one-zero at fifteen.”

  “Engine’s looking good. Batteries hold at ninety-nine percent. Cabin pressure is stable. Everything is optimal. Oxygen levels are at eighty percent. Fuel is high, and its temperature is looking good…Tower, we are ready to go.”

  Julius then heard a familiar voice. “Aetos, you’re clear for takeoff, but before you do, turn on the data button on your right console.”

  “Copy, data recording is on…Are you ready for the flight?”

  “Yes, we are. Everyone is excited. The runway’s yours.”

  Julius smiled as he positioned the jet on the runway. He took a deep breath, a moment of preparation for what he was about to do. It has been at least a few long years. With a silent countdown, he pushed the throttle all down and grabbed the stick. Afterburners kicked in, and the F-15 took off.

  “Aetos, you’re cleared above five-zero-zero. Increase to Mach 1.”

  “Copy, Mach 1.”

  The F-15 sped away high into the sky.