Azimuth: The Elden Throne

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[... 3]

[... 2]

[... 1]

[Prepare for Take-Off]

/FUOM!/

The propulsion engines turned on, burning like the mouth of a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.

Across the length of the Cannon, metal rings ignited as the power of a thousand thunderbolts passed through them.

The entire Orbital Canon came to life, and albeit slow at first, the Craft began accelerating.

/Zooom…/

Hundreds of extremely powerful magnets pulled it in, transferring immense amounts of energy to its chassis with each passing moment.

Faster and faster, the Craft continued to move.

/BLAST!/

Midway through the track, the Craft's engines lit on as they finished warming up, increasing its speed even further.

/Boom…/

As it followed the circular track of the cannon, its speed became such that the sound barrier shattered, but it was nowhere done yet.

/KAPEM!/

The Craft reached the end of the track where a circular metal gate stood.

The moment it passed through it, the Craft received another massive boost to its momentum, zooming into the distance as it pierced through the clouds like a missile.

With immense speed, it went into the horizon…

Glimmering like a star in the sky.

…

/Shuaaa…/

The inside of the craft was just as luxurious as its outside.

It was full of expensive furniture, a mix of futuristic design and a more 'early 21-century' design, making it look like a grand hotel.

Usually, there would be around a dozen or two special seats inside for each passenger, to at least try and reduce the total losses of such a service to the airport.

Depending on the month, the Orbital Cannon could even be profitable, albeit by a little bit.

But even then, there was no possibility that the Cannon would ever repay its total cost.

Due to the craft's rapid acceleration, from all of the technology meant to mitigate the impact on each passenger, the energy consumption to launch it into the air, and the special fuel used by its engines...

Its cost was astronomical.

But today, there were only two seats, and only one of them was being occupied.

As the other passenger was currently in a shower.

/Clank…/

"Phew… I needed that." Dale said out loud as he left the shower with a new set of "simple" clothes

'From here on out I can enjoy this to the fullest…'

"I'll likely miss the view once we get up there... No matter, I can take a look on the way back."

'I also have the inkling this won't be my last time coming to space, if this can be considered that.' He thought as he looked out though the window

With a wide smile on his face, Dale played with some of the many objects in the craft, pressing all kinds of buttons, eating all kinds of expensive snacks, and giggling as he caused a mess in what was likely a room as expensive as his house.

And once he was done, he went to sleep on a bed nearby. .

Thanks to his tiredness and the quality of the mattress, his conscience slipped away quite effortlessly.

Although, it wouldn't remain for long…

"... Yes… He's sleeping right now…" Mei said as she talked on the phone

Throughout Dale's exploration of the craft, Mei stood in her seat typing and conversing with someone.

By the time the person on the other side of the call wished to talk with Dale, he was given the troublesome news that the boy was already long gone into another world…

"... Albeit we're a little late, we should still be able to maintain the schedule… Understood."

"We'll be there."

[Call ended]

"... Phew."

'How tiring.' She thought as she rested her head on her seat

She turned her head to look at the room where Dale was sleeping, and she couldn't help but sigh out loud.

'How can he sleep so fast after all the trouble he caused?'

'But maybe… It's better this way.'

Unfortunately, she couldn't quite give herself that privilege, but that didn't mean she had to work all the time.

/Pour…/

She went to the side and had a delicious cup of expensive coffee poured to her and before long, she was sitting next to a table full of delicacies.

The Orbital Craft usually had an attendant or two to help the passengers but due to the identity of the client this time, they went without one.

This wouldn't be allowed in normal times since the attendees weren't just there to serve, but… It's not like one was desperately needed, as the AI systems were everything they needed.

With their help, the journey South went without any hiccups.

…

/Later that day…/

/Shake shake…/

"ZZzzz…"

"Mr Houston, Mr Houston, wake up."

"ZZz…?"

"Who?"

"Mr Houston, we've arrived, it's me, Mei." She said with a light smile as she lightly shook his shoulder

"Yawn… Great." Dale replied as he scrubbed his eyes

'I forgot who she was for a moment.'

"Any problems?" Dale asked as he got up from his bed

"None, we're about to disembark, I'm honestly surprised you didn't wake up during the turbulence."

"Haha, me too, I did have a dream about an earthquake though…" He replied with a smile as he scratched his chin

/Chuckle/

"Either way, where are we exactly?"

"At the Heart of the Amazon Rainforest, at a hidden private airport a few Kilometers away from Manaus, the Capital of Amazonas, one of the Northern States of Brazil."

"The Amazon Rainforest? How interesting."

"So our destination…"

/Shake/

"Hard to say, I don't know exactly where we're going, we'll be meeting a driver once we leave the airport, from there, I'm not quite sure." She replied as she shook her head in denial

"But I do know some things..."

"This entire airport is dedicated to where we're going, it's the protocol here."

"The precise location of our destination is hidden for the sake of security."

"Have you ever visited this place?" He asked with a smirk

"... Many years ago, yes."

That was everything Dale needed to hear. It confirmed a few things he had been keeping quiet about for a while.

Mei wasn't so simple.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of before we disembark?"

"We'll find that out once we're outside, but the rules are overall centered around secrecy."

"That is the reason why you were given that." She said as she pointed at Dale's 'watch'

"Ordinary communication devices are prohibited past this point, so I must remind you to leave anything other than what you were given behind."

"We'll be back of course, as everything that enters this place must eventually return."

"Quite through… Well, I didn't bring anything, so we should be fine."

"I'll need new clothes though, can't go outside looking like this." He said as he looked at his chest

His previous clothes were now completely busted.

After his shower, Dale changed into a pair of casual clothes he found lying around, but he couldn't leave looking like that.

"That's not a problem, I've prepared a set for you. There's still some time before we're allowed to leave, so we have time." She said as she pointed at a table nearby

"Thank you, I'll get myself presentable then."

/Bow…/

She bowed silently before leaving the room, leaving Dale alone.

"..."

'So this is where the secrets lie?'

'At the heart of the Amazon Rainforest?'

'Hum... It is somewhat fitting.'

Dale didn't quite know much about this place, only that a few decades ago there was a massive campaign to recover the forest.

It was so massive that most of the countries of South America participated in the campaign, and it is taught even at American Schools as a passing history subject.

The Great Reforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.

It was so successful and well executed that the forest reverted to its size before the 1970s estimations, and far beyond that by now.

How they did so, however, Dale already forgot.

He never really paid much attention during such classes back in middle school…

He did know that this campaign eventually cascaded into the recovery of many indigenous locations across the world.

So in a sense, the world is better than people thought it would be in the past, even with all of this modernization.

"Time to get ready."

'If the secrets I seek lay here… Then it's bound that I'll meet others who know or safe keep such truths.'

'The blond man I met before might've been one such person, after all, the destination of the Orbital craft was this private airport, and if it's the only official means to reach the place I'm looking for…'

Dale looked outside through a small window on the side.

'Then all of these planes are likely from people in similar conditions and goals as mine.'

'Albeit not under the same circumstances…'

With a sharp expression, Dale put on his clothes before adjusting his hair and brushing his teeth.

Once he was done, he left his room, and soon enough, the doors of the craft opened.

To a whole new world.

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Notes

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