Oakaigus #1: Red Bloom Read Online Free PDF Page B

knows
what the writer was thinking? But I’m just an expressman, what do I know?
Anyway, we’re ‘bout to be jumping off soon.”
     
    “Are we the only ones going?” Jogen
said.
     
    “TUH,” the man in blue said, “you’re the
first fare I’ve had to this place in two weeks! See, me and Bobo usually do a
lot of jumps to Felorra since it’s a big vacation spot. Kengongbo is the only
place that never has a set schedule since jumps there are really low in
demand, but we still at least have to have a terminal for them since their
government’s apart of our continent. We never really hear too much from them,
though. They’re strange.”
     
    “I see,” Mr. Singu said, “well, is it
okay to board now?”
     
    “Sure! I’m just waiting on you two
anyway, so whenever you’re ready!”
     
    “We’re ready.”
     
    “Bobo,” the man yelled, “sit!”
     
    Bobo bent over, aligning the balcony of
the carrier on his back with the edge of the platform, letting Jogen and Mr.
Singu step on.
     
    Inside the carrier, five rows of seats
were embedded into the hard floor, with a window on each side of each row.
     
    “It’s bigger than it looks from the
outside,” Jogen said.
     
    Jogen dropped his bags on the floor and
plopped into the soft, firm seat cushion that tickled his neck. “Ahhh,” he
said, “this feels amazing.”
     
    Mr. Singu put his bags down and sat next
to Jogen. “Oh wow,” he said, “this does feel good!”
     
    The man in blue stepped into the
carrier, peaking his head inside. “Alright,” he said, “we’re jumping off in two
minutes. Don’t forget your safety belts!”
     
    Jogen and Mr. Singu nodded and fastened
their belts.
     
    Mr. Singu puffed air through his cheeks
and then looked over to Jogen. “Ready?” he said.
     
    Jogen felt the beating in his chest grow
hotter. “…Not really,” he said with his fist clenched in his lap, “but I gotta’
do this.”
     
    Mr. Singu smirked. “I’m with ya.’”
     
    The man in blue walked around the outer
balcony and entered a smaller compartment box at the front of the carrier. In
the box was a window behind the man that connected to the carrier’s main
seating room. The man knocked on the window, causing Jogen and Mr. Singu to
look up at him. The man raised his index finger and mouthed the words “ one
more minute ” through the glass.
     
    The man poked his head out of the
compartment and yelled “ready, Bobo?!”
    Bobo stretched his long legs and slapped
his foot on the ground, stirring up a small tremor that rocked the walls of the
station. Two workers that were still on the platform stumbled in place as they
felt the tremor vibrate up their bones.
     
    In a matter of moments, the shaking
faded into the walls.
     
    The man stuck his head out through the
other side of the compartment window and turned his attention to the two
workers as they were just catching their balance.
     
    “Hey,” the man yelled to the workers,
“reel it up!”
     
    The workers snapped their arms up to
salute the man. They jogged to the corner of the platform and pulled down on a
heavy knob with six pegs. Their veins poked through their skin as their muscles
strained to pull down the knob.
     
    The gears connected to the knob started
churning and clanking, causing the terminal’s runway gate to rise up from the
chasm floor.
     
    The man settled back into the wide,
leather seat of his compartment box and strapped himself in as he stared down
the long, stone runway paved in front of them.
     
    The man dug his fingers deep into his
knee. “I never get tired of this,” he said with a grin.
     
    Back in the seating area, Jogen and Mr.
Singu double-checked their safety belts and took deep breaths in.
     
    Jogen clenched his eyes shut and nibbled
on his top lip.
     
    “You got this,” Mr. Singu said.
     
    Once the terminal’s takeoff gate rose to
the roof with a booming clang, Bobo straightened his posture.
     
    Bobo took his first step forward