“Ever flown before?” Floyd asked.
“Afraid of flying. Never even jumped while on horseback.”
“And needles.” Moira added.
“Yes, thank you, Mo.” Valerie growled.
“Flying and needles.” Floyd repeated. “Well, if it helps at all, just close your eyes, hold tight, and pretend you’re getting your blood drawn.”
“Why would that possibly be helpful?” Valerie’s ears popped along with Floyd’s rapid ascent. Moira hung on tighter to her, and it seemed to help hold the nausea back.
This horse was all over the place. She knew she shouldn’t, but she squeezed her legs as tight as she could just to keep balance. She wanted to close her eyes, but even with her hair whipping her eyeballs, she was too afraid. He zigged when she thought he’d zag, and there was no way for her to predict what he would do next.
And then they fell.
They plunged back toward the earth at a pace so staggering, Valerie thought her heart was going to burst out her throat. She was too afraid to scream, for any of it. She felt Moira shuddering behind her. When they hit the ground, it was hard to know if it was the impact of the landing, or if they were just too scared, but Moira and Valerie just fell off him on either side.
It was hard enough for Valerie with the wind knocked out of her. Moira must have felt it more. She waited for her breath to return.
“Did we just…” Moira writhed on the ground but stayed quiet.
“I think so.” Valerie crawled over to her friend.
“What’s with you two? We’ve got work to do!” Floyd tilted his head, staring at them.
“A minute to catch our breath?” Valerie turned back to Moira, and helped her sit up. “It didn’t help that you were zipping around like a maniac. Did you learn flying from a book, too?”
“I didn’t realize… but time is precious. If we don’t do this, none of us will survive. I’ll never even be born.”
“I get that it’s urgent, but do you think you might have mentioned you were a PEGASUS before you took our lives in your hands and flew without caring if we could stay on your back?”
“What did you call me?” His bottom lip moved nervously.
“Pegasus. A winged horse.”
“Actually, I’m a cyborg. Mainly computer augmented. The wings were engineered through genetic grafting, and a lot of trial and error. So is the longevity. Technically, my species is Cyber Equine, or Cyberquine…”
“Time is precious.” She interrupted. She helped Moira to stand.
The plan was simple. Moira’s call led them to the window she opened. She’d had no trouble.
Floyd reached the window and asked for the keyboard. Moira handed it and she and Valerie watched the screen as he worked.
“Worldwide Aquarium Conspiracy?” Moira read.
“That’s WAC.” Valerie winked. Moira smirked and rolled her eyes.
“Apparently there was an advisory about meteor strikes, and they landed in the pacific.” Floyd seemed to frown. “And astonishingly, none of them hit any land. It was all in the water.”
“I know you’re new here, but we consider that a good thing.” Valerie patted his shoulder. He twisted his head to look at her.
“You don’t understand. There were thousands of them. Statistically, they should have hit something, at least an uninhabited island.”
“Shouldn’t the moon have pulled most of them away with it’s gravity?”
“Take a look.” Floyd hit the keyboard with his… fingers???? How did they not notice that? Valerie noticed Moira smiling at her. SHE had noticed.
They looked at the screen, but all they could see was the space between the stars.
“This is a satellite image.” He waited for them to catch up.
“I like stars as much as the next woman, but what are you trying to tell us?” Valerie leaned against the frame of the window, trying to see what he was showing them.
“That’s where your moon should be.” His stomach made a loud noise.
“Are you saying the moon is gone?” Moira choked on the last word.
“Technically, it’s been relocated. To your, well, to where your oceans were supposed to be. Can’t tell exactly what it looks like out there, because the ocean is in the way now.”
“The asteroids weren’t detracted by the moon because the meteors were MADE of the moon?” Valerie’s jaw fell. Moira started to tap on his chest.
They could hear voices coming closer.
“Gimme the keyboard!” She snatched it back and crawled after them through the window. When they were clear of the window’s light, she leaned against the wall. “What?”
“You could’ve walked back out, instead of the cat burglar route.” Valerie covered her smile with her hand. The smile was gone when she saw the look on Moira’s face.
She had seen that look before. In the mirror. It meant she’d said something hurtful, and Moira had despaired of her friend ever understanding the pain she was in. Valerie’s heart started to squeeze tighter in her chest. Floyd dipped his head between them and whispered.
“We have to go to Atlantis.”
Valerie and Moira both started snorting with laughter. Floyd backed up a step.
“What?”
“Are you sure it’s not in the sky?” Valerie managed to calm her giggles enough to ask.
“No, it’s in Georgia. I have the coordinates.” He looked at them in turns, and stamped his foot. “What is so funny?”
“I’m assuming you also want to fly to…Atlanta?” Moira stressed the name of the city.
“Are you planning on taking us with you?” Valerie rested a hand on Moira’s shoulder. “Or at least taking us home first?”
“I need you with me. I’m undercover as-“ Floyd paused at the sound of both women trying to stifle their laughter. “An average horse in this era. I can’t talk to the guy.”
“Then why are you talking to us?” Valerie was only half serious when she put her hands on her hips. “Why didn’t you just fly away when you were about to be bought by a kill buyer?” Valerie fumed.
“I would have, but then you took me home and I had to stay in character!” Floyd had an answer for everything.
“What guy?” Moira asked, in that tone of voice that patiently led Valerie back to the matter at hand.
“There’s someone who works at the Atlan…ta Aquarium. He’s actually got all the information on the conspiracy that we need.”
“Conspiracy?” Valerie blinked. She was tempted to laugh, but looking up at the sky, she had to admit it wasn’t the most ridiculous thing that had happened to her today.
“I need humans to talk to him. And he’s expecting us.” Floyd got creative with his wings to help them onto his back. “Well, expecting Moira.”
“WHAT???” Moira screeched as Floyd, once again flew straight up.
“I don’t have an email address.” He turned his head to carry the sound back to them. “I’m undercover, remember?”
