OSA Reimeiki

The land was transforming them—transforming them all. Rosita could feel it. The air seemed to whisper and twine itself around her, telling her to unleash the true magnitude of her power and release her inner form. As she struggled with the presence, she was glad to note that the others remained mostly unaffected so far.

It seemed as if the red sun was too weak, too timid, to shine upon this savage land. As they walked, Catherine could not help admiring the flat dreary terrain, broken here and there by smouldering craters and skeletons of creatures long dead.

“See this?” she slowly turns her head in Wenhao’s direction, but her eyes never left the bleak landscape. “This is what my powerful nation will look like when I am dictator. Except there will be fires raging across the plains as well.” Deep in thought, Catherine fails to see the ash-grey face of Wenhao as he struggles not to aim his bile-induced projectile towards her face.

Seeing his expression, Nicole bursts into harsh laughter and drops to the ground, tears running down her face. In a valiant attempt to get air into her system, she roflhfo…straight into Wenhao’s chemical stew.

Diya, obviously disgusted with the maturity level of the group, threateningly slides her blades out of her arms. The knives seemed to be sharper now, more alert. Rosita, still struggling with the voice, exclaims, “I love cheese!” which in magical terms apparently means “Vomit be gone, Nicole stop laughing, Wenhao turn back to your normal Asian colour”. Because that’s exactly what happens.

Maria starts to cough. “Guys, why are we following Rachel on foot? Who knows how long it’s going to take before we reach her whatever-Quadrant 2 headquarters.”

Rosita, finally relieved she was under control, slaps her forehead. “Oh, stupid me. I apologize.” She makes a broad sweeping gesture with her staff, and a fleet of six hovercanoes materialize.

Emily, with the help of Nicole, barely manages to push Maria into a vehicle. Wheezing from the effort of toppling into the hovercanoe, Maria gives the two a thumbs-up, and they climb in after her. Catherine, still deep in thought, mechanically climbs into the same canoe that Diya’s in, causing a deep whir of resentment from the cyborg’s blades. Johnica climbs into one, of course. Rosita levitates herself into another hovercanoe, and the tired Kyna stops flapping and drops into the back seat. Aaron claims yet another vehicle, and Wenhao, admiring the beautiful keyboard on Aaron’s back, follows him in.

Anna, meanwhile, is motionless on the ground. A deliciously lonely feeling has crept over her, and she thinks, how nice it would be to leave this group behind and wander the wastelands alone…

Aaron turns to reprimand Wenhao for dirtying his precious keyboard with his soiled fingers. In his peripheral vision, he sees Anna standing there with her eyes closed, looking lost in herself.

“Yo! Anna, let’s go! We’re waiting,” he called, and Anna’s eyes fly open in shock.

“What’s happening to me?” she wonders. “I almost wanted to die for a moment there.” Aaron motions for her to join him and Wenhao, but Anna rebelliously climbs into the last hovercanoe. “What am I turning into? Where is my usual psychotic self?” she thinks. “If I don’t find that side of me again, all is lost.”

The poisoned air pursues Rachel and the fleet of hovercanoes. Rosita could sense the coming of war in that toxic wind, whether or not with Rachel and her band, she did not know. What she was aware of, however, was that all members in the fleet would be involved in their own way.

And it was coming soon.