Awakening XI

I stand in the corridor; my girlfriend, past self, past life fallen behind me. I need to figure out the robed figures' plot; and do it swiftly, before they find me. I walk briskly along the corridor; it just looks like a corridor in any other office building! There, a coffee stain in the corner - there, a loose staple lying on the floor. I can almost believe that I am back in the life I led before I saw the great heart; back in a life devoid of temptress daimones and imprisoned giants.

After a minute's walk, the corridor comes to an end. It's completely empty; I have no idea what purpose it holds. There are two elevator doors at the end of the corridor. One is marked 'Service Elevator', has an 'Out of Order' sign, and, to add injury to insult, is locked. The other one is completely unremarkable - and, having a key, I take the elevator that the robed figures seem to want to keep off-limits. It chugs as it moves upwards; not very comfortable. Perhaps it really is out of order.

The elevator finishes its ascent, and opens onto an unbelievable expanse of green. Somehow, a greenhouse - a greenhouse that I saw no sign of from the outside - lies atop the building, filled with (from what I can see from the elevator's position at the top of a rise) exotic vegetation and sprawling paths. It must be at least a hundred feet - no, a hundred yards! - from the lowest dip in the ground to the top of the glass roof, at least three times that long - and there's no sign of any of it from the outside. Do they conceal it with magic, or something?

Looking across the greenhouse, I notice immediately as files of robed figures begin gliding out of a building on the far side. They must be coming to hunt down the fleeing prisoners! They're coming down all of the paths (to get to the elevator fastest) - I can't hide in any of them. I look about quickly. There's another building to my left - looks like a large cabin, very nice, with a raised patio on the other side from the elevator. I dash towards it.

There's someone inside - I notice just before I'm about to enter! I quickly duck to the left of the door, hardly daring to breathe. Barely two seconds later, the robed figure opens the cabin door and glides to the elevator, not even bothering to glance behind himself in his hurry. I can't expect to be so lucky twice.

More cautiously, I open the cabin door and look inside. It's clearly a resort of some sort. There are consoles, TVs, PCs, kites, telescopes and any number of other recreational items. Perhaps this whole vast greenhouse is just a retreat for the robed figures? There's no time to contemplate that, though - from the patio in the rear of the cabin, I can see that the robed figures have gotten nearly halfway to the elevator! For all I know, one of them might stop in here to retrieve their car keys or some-such. I've got to find a hiding place.

I look around desperately - I've got to get out of here. I can use the Device, but using it might draw other robed figures to me, and I don't know what using it too often, too quickly might do. Considering the risks... I'll do it only if I can't find any hiding place. Unfortunately, that's looking rather likely. There's no place to hide in this dang cabin! And hanging off the kite patio hardly seems likely.

I do a double take. The kites! They're pretty big - maybe they can carry me? I take one, two, three, tie them to my belt. I look before I leap. There are some particularly cushy-looking plants in front of the patio - if the kites don't hold, at least I won't be any worse off than if the robed figures caught me in the cabin. I hesitate. My pulse thuds in my ears. Do I have a fear of heights?

I think back. No, not really.

Then I jump.

I fall terrifyingly quickly - the plants loom up before me (what if I miss them? what if I hit the ground?) - then I feel a jerk as the kites pull me upwards, and I'm soaring, flying across the greenhouse. It's glorious! The robed figures shoot past - none of them look up! - and I'm past, out of danger, shooting towards the other side of the greenhouse as fast as I drop.

I hit the ground.