The wind screamed past them as Gosan dove through the sky, its massive wings cutting through the air with the force of a hurricane. Jannali Bandler gripped the creature's neck, her headscarf whipping behind her as she leaned forward, her golden hoop earrings swinging wildly. Her off-the-shoulder crop top and skort offered little protection from the biting wind, but she was too focused on the ground below to care.
Ember sat the rear, her neon-pink space buns defying gravity as she leaned over the side of the massive Hatzegopteryx. Her mismatched eyes sparkled with manic glee, and her tattered black-and-crimson Lolita dress flapped around her like a ragged flag. She giggled, a high-pitched sound that cut through the roar of the wind.
"Look at the little people!" Ember shrieked, pointing at the tiny figures scrambling below. "They look like ants! Ants with guns! Can I blow them up? Please? Just a little bit?"
Bianca Yvonne Clark sat behind Jannali, her waist-length black hair escaping from its messy bun in wild strands. Her grease-stained overalls were worn open over a floral blouse, and her large magnifying goggles were down, protecting her eyes as the wind cut past. She clutched a device in her hands, its screen glowing with direction indicators. Her colorful nail polish a beacon as she pointed toward the distant dome.
"It's like, just over there!" Bianca called out. "Like right there! We are like totally close!"
Jannali nodded, her brow furrowing as she assessed the terrain. Her hand tightened on Gosan's neck, and she leaned forward. "Alright, mate. Take us in."
Gosan screeched, a sound like grinding metal and breaking stone, and began to dive. The ground rushed toward them with terrifying speed, the dome growing larger with each passing second.
Charlie Leonard Wooley hung off the back of the creature, his vintage pith helmet somehow still perched on his head. His khaki shirt and shorts were plastered to his body by the wind, and his leather satchel flopped wildly against his hip. His round wire-framed glasses had slipped down his nose, and his face was a mask of pure terror.
"We could have walked!" Charlie shrieked, his voice rising to a near-soprano. "There is a perfectly reasonable path on the ground! We could have taken the ground! I am a scholar, not a flying reptile's saddle ornament!"
No one acknowledged him.
As Gosan leveled out and began to circle the dome, Bianca leaned forward, her eyes scanning the structure below. The biodome was massive, a great glass and metal construction that rose from the earth like a frozen wave. Its surface was cracked and weathered, and the silhouettes of rich foliage was visible through its surface.
"You see anything that looks like a door?" Bianca called out in frustration. "Like, anything at all? A hatch? A window? A really big hole?"
Charlie, barely hanging on, pointed with one trembling hand. "Look there!"
Jannali and Bianca followed the direction he was pointing, their eyes scanning the curve of the dome. The surface was smooth, interrupted only by the occasional crack or crevice.
"Nah," Jannali called back, shaking her head. "Nothing there."
Charlie attempted to clear his throat, but the wind caught the sound and carried it away. He tried again, his voice strained. "Look closer! There is an obscured Adit in that crevice! The entrance is hidden, but it is there!"
Bianca and Jannali squinted, leaning over the side of Gosan's neck. Bianca's eyes widened as she spotted the narrow opening, almost invisible against the shadow of the dome.
"There!" Bianca pointed, her voice sharp with triumph. "Like right there! I see it!"
Jannali's lips curved into a grim smile. "Bloody hell. How did you even see that?"
Charlie's face lit up with scholarly pride. "The geometry of the structure suggested—"
His explanation was cut off by his own scream as Jannali told Gosan to dive. The creature plummeted toward the earth, its wings folding against its body as it dropped like a stone. Ember clapped and squealed with delight, her laughter trailing behind them like a banner.
The ground rushed up to meet them. At the last possible moment, Gosan's wings snapped open, catching the air with a crack that sent a shockwave rippling across the plains. They touched down with surprising gentleness, the creature's massive claws sinking into the soft earth.
Charlie slid off Gosan's back, his legs wobbling beneath him. He staggered to the side, his hand pressed against his chest, and took several deep, ragged breaths.
"I am alive," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "I am alive. I survived. I am—"
"Get a move on, mate," Jannali called out, already striding toward the Adit. Gosan had reverted to its spear form, and she held it at the ready. "We haven't got all day."
Bianca fell into step behind her, her hand firmly clasped around Ember's. The younger woman's mismatched eyes darted around the terrain, her head twitching with every sound.
"I am not going to do anything," Ember said in petulant defiance. "You can let go of my hand."
Bianca's grip didn't loosen. "Like cool, but like this makes me feel, like way better, so like humor me."
Charlie finally caught up, his legs steadier but his breath still ragged. He cleared his throat, in that pedantic, slightly nasal quality. "I would like to point out some interesting details—"
"Yeah, like cool," Bianca cut him off without looking back. Her attention was fixed on Jannali, who was peering through the narrow opening of the Adit. "Like what do you like think?"
Jannali studied the darkness beyond. The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for a single person to pass through. The walls were rough-hewn stone, and the faint scent of dust and old metal drifted from the depths.
"Looks alright," Jannali said, her voice low. "Might as well go for it."
Bianca nodded and followed as they stepped through the entrance. The darkness swallowed them, thick and suffocating. The only light came from the faint glow of Bianca's device and the occasional flash of static from Gosan's transformed form.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls. The tunnel twisted and turned, its path uncertain.
Bianca glanced over her shoulder and realized Charlie was not behind them. She stopped, her voice cutting through the darkness. "Charlie! Like where are you?"
A muffled voice drifted from the entrance. "Coming!"
A moment later, Charlie appeared, his pith helmet slightly askew. He had clearly been examining something on the wall outside. He caught up with them, his expression one of scholarly frustration.
"There is something we may need to take into consideration," he began, with a note of urgency.
"Yeah, yeah, keep up!" Bianca called out, waving a dismissive hand. "Like we don't have time for that!"
Charlie's brow furrowed, his frustration mounting. He muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. "Marya wouldn't be so dismissive. She would listen. She always listened."
No one acknowledged him.
As they maneuvered through the dimly lit tunnel, the faint sound of voices drifted toward them. Jannali's hand shot up, signaling them to stop. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing.
Bianca nodded, her expression shifting to one of focused attention. Ember blinked, her head tilting to the side like a curious bird.
Charlie cocked his head, straining to understand what the voices were saying. The words were muffled, but they carried a rhythm of scientific intensity.
Jannali and Bianca moved to a door at the end of the tunnel, peering through a narrow crack. The room beyond was a vast, chaotic laboratory, its walls lined with ancient machinery and towering shelves of books. The centerpiece was the Celestial Transmutation Engine, its copper-toned metal gleaming with a dull rust, its interlocking gears frozen in a moment of suspended anticipation. Turquoise static crackled along its surface, casting dancing shadows across the room.
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