A little patience, Amyann and Aorn will soon be at the Earth Core. The adventures of travel are nevertheless inevitable: the interior volume of the Earth is considerably wider than its surface. And then we do not cross the planet as we take a train.
Hence the use of the perforating bus. It works like a tunnel boring machine, but does not dig the rock. It dematerializes before it, then rock and soil resume their initial consistency after the bus passage. Now the Dwarf-bus belongs to the past. Aorn and his friend have just been caught off the bus by the big hands of a Brilliant. Here they are in an underwater cave, prisoners of the GOD’s giants, in other words the Great Ocean District. This inland sea resembles those of the surface except that the water is soft. Fish swim there with giant turtles and other marine reptiles. Now, let young Aorn continue his story. xs.
The Big Brights are very tall and very thin. They never laugh. Their leader has locked us in a glass cage where it is rather warm. I’m naked in this kind of bubble, and I guess Amyy is too, because where I am I can not see his cage. I only see the parade of Brillants passing in front of it. They look at me, and then they go further, no doubt to look at my poor Amyann, whom I miss every moment.
We have been here for two or three days, pretty much. Difficult to realize the time that passes when you are locked in a hot jar in a soft light that never goes out. From time to time, quite often, it seems to me, I get vegetables and fruits that I have never seen. No other food. It is served in soft transparent pockets. When put in the mouth, the pocket empties immediately and you must swallow everything. It is very good but burly.
These people are not like us. They have tiny piercing eyes protected by two pairs of eyelids. The one below is transparent, I guess it protects the eyes under water. These Bright giants do like transparency. I don’t. I would rather have something on my back. I would prefer that my cage is opaque. And I would prefer that these Bright idiots stop looking at me all the time. Their parade of voyeurs never comes to an end.
There is kind of a bed in the bubble. Sometimes sleep gets me, I take a nap. Not very long, although I do not know anything about it. When I wake up, other bright faces dart on me their little black eyes. There is also a hole on the floor to do his needs. Well, I suppose. I used it for that and no one protested. Yet many of them were watching me. First it cut my effects well.
Sleep is fleeing me these days. I slept too much after the fire bite. Eating is the only distraction. I constantly get those funny pockets full of vegetables that look like seaweed. I’m not hungry, but I eat anyway. It’s too good. I did not taste anything else. But I’m getting bigger. It’s because I do not move. Ah! If I could at least see my dear Amyann! I must miss him too!
Earlier I saw another child go by. Dressed, this guy. Or this girl? The silhouette I saw was wearing a dress. It passed like a shadow, behind the incessant parade of spectators. Fucking Brighties! They give me nausea. Or is it their food? I have to stop eating all the time.
I think back to the furtive figure. Is it a child like us? Or a young giant? Ifever it comes back, I’ll wave to it.
I slept. When I woke up, I realized that I had fallen asleep without realizing it, my cheek glued to the window of my bubble. The Brighties are no longer there. The light is not the same anymore. The orientation of my bubble has changed.
By rocking my body from right to left and back and forth, I can move my bubble. Seeing how I slept, the weight of my body had to rotate a few inches. Now I see a piece of Amyann’s bubble.
Go! No more giants, let’s take advantage, it’s unexpected. I’m fidgeting to advance to Amyann. Hey?! What’s happening? The bubble has returned to its place! I don’t see Amyann anymore. Ah, here’s someone who does not look bright …
This guy is a human being, no doubt. He puts his hand on my bubble that opens under pressure.
“Get out,” he says.
– Huh? What’s the matter ?
– Are you alone in there? Get out of here, little guy. Let’s go quick.
I’m going out as fast as I can. The cave still full of Brighties is empty now, completely empty. Even Amyann’s bubble is gone. The man smiles at me with his big green eyes. He hands me a kind of sleeveless tunic that I put on with pleasure.
– There was a girl with you. Where is she ?
– I do not know. I saw her go past behind the Big Bright Ones. Are you talking about her?
The guy takes me in his arms and drops me gently in the Dwarf-bus waiting for us wisely.
“Let’s get out of here,” he says.
– And Amyann? You can’t leave my best friend at the filthy giants! Let me down! We must find him!
“I do not know what you’re talking about, Green Eyes tells me. But I know we have to get out of there fast. Their party at the con is not going to last forever. It is interesting to put a distance between the Brillants and us.”
And here we are, spinning in the blue ocean of possible worlds. The Dwarf-bus swims like a yellow fish. Green Eyes, folded in half under the roof of the little bus, operates the pedals and the levers to go faster. He is getting angry. I look outdoor at the fishes thinking about my Amyann who is away.
– Fucked bus of fucking dwarves, fumes Green Eyes. No way to get faster!
– We’re already going very fast, I think.
– Not enough ! If these bastards catch us, they will eat us all raw.
– WHAT? But then Amyann is in danger !! I want to go back right now!
“We’re not going anywhere,” says Green Eyes, while still accelerating.
He sees clearly how anxious I am for my friend. Gently, he pats my head.
– Do not worry about her. These men eaters only eat guys. Never girls.