34 Meet The One Who Stands Above (1/2)

Year 2033, February

13:00 P.M.

Atlantic Ocean

. . .

I found myself constantly looking out of the jet's window. The clouds were so close and some even brushed over the jet itself. Yet it just pa.s.sed through like that.

Perhaps it was normal, and I just never knew that. It was also the first time I was in an aircraft. Agatha and Caesar were minding their own businesses as I looked out at the sky.

Agatha was reading a magazine at the front seat, while Caesar was playing a game on his phone.

”No...NOOOO!” Caesar stood up and stomped the orange mat furiously. ”This game's broken! How can I lose to a level one Computer?!” He continued his ramble and caught Agatha's attention.

She had a scowl on her face. ”Oh, please, Caesar. Pipe down, will you?”

Caesar whispered some words to himself about the game and sat back on his seat.

I turned my eyes to the blue far below. ”The sea!” It was sparkling and glittering under the sun as the jet flew. There was nothing but blue.

”It's amazing...” I felt an imaginary crack inside me as if an absent emotion finally bubbled up in my heart. My face flattened from the gla.s.s window, focusing on any unique detail that I could notice at the blue sea.

”Young miss Ava.”

I shrieked from the voice. It was Caesar.

”Um, yes?” I replied.

”You never got a chance to get into a plane, right? How do you feel?”

”It's amazing. It's like I'm riding a bus, that can fly,” I replied.

”Hmm, that's one way to put it,” said Caesar. ''I've been meaning to ask you this, miss Ava.” He pulled out his smartphone, displaying a chess video game. ”Want to play?”

”Oh, okay.” I had played chess a lot a few years back with my friends. I wondered what they were doing, or if they were safe.

Caesar whirled his black robe and sat beside me. ”I'm on the white side!”

”I'll take black then.”

Quite some time pa.s.sed as we both played one round of the chess video game. A thought came to mind.

”Caesar, how long will it take to go to Chad?” I asked absently. Caesar moved his white knight to capture my p.a.w.n at b5.

”About ten hours, considering this jet moves at the same speed... Your turn, Miss Ava.”

I pressed my finger two times at the screen and the phone buzzed.

”Hmm, you checked my king. But that's not a problem!” Caesar moved his white king at the s.p.a.ce to the left.

My finger tapped the screen and the phone buzzed again.

CHECKMATE! BLACK WINS!

”W-What?! Miss Ava!” Caesar grumbled from his loss and hunched below his seat. ”I've been beaten. By young miss AVA!” He scrambled at my seat and his Aegis mask touched my nose. ”You have to teach me!”

”Um, okay,” I replied simply.

And so, for the rest of our time in the jet, Caesar forced me to battle him in chess, which ended up with him losing all of it. Sometimes, I even questioned his moves.

. . .

The next day, we arrived at Chad around two in the afternoon. The capital city of Chad, N'Djamena, was beautiful.

I had never seen so much sand before in my life when the jet flew above the Sahara desert. It later landed at an open area near the capital city. I put away my scarf and winter jacket as it was too hot. I did not expect that kind of temperature difference from where Canada was. I supposed another country placed in the middle of the world map had always been like that.

”Welcome to Neo Africa.” A tall dark-skinned man with a white headscarf neatly wrapped around his forehead greeted us as we walked out of the jet.

Caesar persistently wore his black robe and boots. Agatha had replaced her jacket with a sun-protective pale blue thin jacket. I wished I had one.

”Anuman! Nice to see you again. Uhh, how's the MASTER?” said Caesar.

'Master?' I thought.

”He's fine. I'm glad you asked. He's awaiting your presence in his palace. I'll be your escort,” said Anuman.

He smiled and proceeded to take the lead, and we all soon follow him. All of us used an unusually long, silver car that Caesar called a limousine to go to the meeting place. I looked at my surrounding as we drove along the road.

The city was pretty much like my town in Mansel Island from a glance. I noticed a huge, white building right away. It was simple, with its boxy arrangement that connected to other smaller buildings in a 'U' shape.