Neon Sands by Adam J Smith

Author:Adam J Smith [Smith, Adam J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-29T22:00:00+00:00

***

Walker fiddled with his earpiece until he found channel three and called for Caia, agitated and muttering under his breath.

Annora strolled beneath the nearest solar sail, fingers outstretched. Fingertips touched fingertips in the upside-down world, the sail itself cool to the touch and glossy. Barrick joined her in the mirror, looking up at himself looking down. “So that’s why we have no mirrors on the crawler,” he said, running fingers through his beard.

Annora laughed. “Cal, you should come down. What more you gonna do up there?”

“Already on my way.”

“Do you think this’ll work?”

Barrick tested the strength of the arms. “I should think so. The solar charge would be better if we actually had sunlight, but if the crawler can get power from it, so should this. Never seen anything like it before though.”

“I wonder if it can also act as a condenser.”

“Maybe. Maybe you can rig something up and collect water. Could’ve made a good shelter too back in the days of sun and rain and whatever else. Why don’t you help me with the others? Get them all charging.” He headed over to the awning and Annora followed. Ardelia stood up from hers and joined them. As Walker made his way over to the hardtop’s edge, trying to raise Caia, the three of them lifted and moved the dragonflies out into the open. One by one they activated the sails until sixteen silver-and-gold wings were gently and softly undulating in the low breeze. Just as the last one unfurled, Calix joined them, walking gingerly but trying not to show any discomfort.

“Welcome to the party,” said Annora.

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“One-handed?”

Calix smiled, but his gaze was on the sails as he entered the faint shadow of the nearest one. “With some difficulty,” he muttered, referring to the ladder they used to get in and out of the crawler.

“If it comes to it, we can lift you in the bucket to the top of the crawler to get back in.”

“Funny,” he said as he reached for one of the sails. “Finally... something worth finding.”

Annora joined him in the upside-down world and he raised his left arm to put it round her, but she caught the wince in his eyes and grabbed it, pushing it down. She shifted to his other side and pulled his arm around her, and together they looked up.

“This is so weird,” he said.

“We’re such a state.”

They stared into their counterparts’ eyes; Annora realised they’d never seen each other like this, not since childhood standing in front of the mirrors of the shower room, and never embracing. This reflection of themselves was more than a mirror. She wished she could freeze it, hold it in her hands like a photograph. It was them, and yet not; Calix’s eyes were the eyes of Calix the boy, reshaped uncannily within this grown-up face. She dared not leave them, but if she did, to stare into her own eyes, she knew she’d see a girl staring back at her, wondering where she was.

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