The Flighters - Believe

By Byron James-Adams

The Flighters - Believe is the first completed novel in The Flighters trilogy. It is the second book. Other titles include; The Flighters - Genesis (prequel- due December 2024), and The Flighters - Requiem (sequel - due December 2025).

 

Outline: Welcome to Edi-Aleda: It<

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Byron Books
• Release date: Jun 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9780975668450

Byron James-Adams

Introducing Byron James-Adams (writing as James Byron Books). I am a retired Banker, having spent time as a Fraud Officer. I have held a Private investigator License, and am a lifetime musician, and inveterate dreamer. I reside between Adelaide, South Australia and a beach-side suburb of the Sunshine Coast. and are fortunate to have visited many places which are included in my stories. These are adventures investigating scams, frauds, and genuine misunderstandings set in modern-day Australia. There are seven other completed titles in this ten-book series. I am currently writing the eighth: Eight Dave's are Weak. I have also completed two other novels in the alternate genres of sci-fi/horror and thriller.

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The Flighters - Believe 

Copyright @ 2024 by James Byron Books

www.jamesbyronbooks.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This story is fictitious.

Some long-standing institutions, agencies, and public offices do exist.

The characters and situations involved are wholly imaginary, and resemblance to natural persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Again a big thanks to my beta readers.…

Cover Art: Canva and by author.

Internal Book Design: Ingram Sparks.

THE FLIGHTERS - BELIEVE

Welcome to Edi-Aleda

It is the year of The God, 2045

During the mid-2020s, a clandestine team of scientists worked specifically with eugenics: a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population.

This team was known as Project GEMSTONE, (Genome Engineering Modification Searching Toward an Overall Network of Eugenics). They were called The Seekers.

In their pursuit of creating ‘better humans’, they introduced different elements at the embryonic stage, however, most were unsuccessful, as the manufactured embryo would often not make it to full term.

A certain scientist known as Dr Seeker 7, chose to use the element Helium (He) as his muse. Together with his newly developed isotope, (He9), he found that a human could be created with the benefit of this element. He called them ‘The Flighters’.

Chapter 1 Carlyle

Thursday morning; 18th December: Today, I am to meet my new friend Zamiro; she is a Ground-Dweller, and I am a Flighter. I do know we should not get acquainted, as it is dangerous for a Flighter to develop close feelings for a Ground-Dweller. She is a Teacher at an Early Learning Centre, and I have watched her from the Adult Learning Centre where I have recently enrolled.

Although the two campuses are near each other, I believe she has not seen me watching her.

I am currently wandering through the streets and bergs of Edi-Aleda towards my intended rendezvous. What do I want her to need to know about me? I am of twenty-two summers and, as a Flighter, I may not live beyond forty summers as I may have a built-in life redundancy. I do not yet understand what that means.

There is so much else I want to tell her, too; I live alone, I am lonely, and I had decided to enrol at the ALC as I had missed much of my early learning. I want to know more and read and write correctly. I have made this my quest, my sense of purpose.

It was at the ALC where I first saw Zamiro.

My berg, Munta, where I had spent my early childhood, is across the sea from Edi-Aleda. I was raised on a farm where my family grew amnimates and crops.

I was supposed to be home-schooled, but my parents needed my focus to be on the farm. Then, my father was injured during a Carrion Frenzy, and then they were both killed by the AIC. This is why I despise The AIC and hate The Carrion.

I am making the three-hour trek by foot, from my berg to the site where I had elected to meet with Zamiro today. I am still reluctant to use the little solar-powered scooters called Zoops that we all have access to. My uncle, we called him Cowboy, used to maintain the Zoops at our property in Munta. He, along with his wife and their daughter, were killed by the AIC, and even though it was over seven years ago, I still avoid using them as they remind me of them. The supply of fossil fuels expiated long ago, and there have been further advances in the storage and use of solar energy, so all transport operates with solar. Some Ground-Dwellers have also told me that the year is now 2045, and some have lived beyond forty summers, while others have even lived a hundred summers. I find that impressive.

With this bit of gain of confidence and limited knowledge, I can finally feel a change within me as I am sensing a feeling of belonging, and I know this is making me a better Flighter, and a better person.

I have also learnt that as a Flighter, I do not need to be educated or live a life of any structure. I want for nothing. I have learned that it is my gifted way of life. I have everything provided for me by The GOD and am considered to be a chosen one.

I can also choose to save people from The Carrion.

I arrived at the designated place and waited for her. I know she will come as I believe in her, but hope she believes in me. Zamiro wants to teach me to read and write. I also mentioned my need to understand the time intervals, although I am unsure of what benefit. Whilst waiting in the remnants of a derelict residential building in the foothills hills high above the community of Edi-Aleda, I decided to walk closer to the edge of the flat and crumbling cement platform for a better view. I can see the sprawling metropolis stretching out below. I was unaware of how impressive it is, not having seen the view from here before.

I feel maudlin as I am not truly a part of it; I know that I need to be, want to be and should be. During the day, I am free to move around the bergs to work or to visit other groups of Ground-Dwellers that live beyond my berg and vow I must do more for them.

I can also see the cement water channels that snake through the bergs, and these are kept clean with controlled water flushes from higher upstream. There is a siren warning system initiated when The Flush is to commence. Sometimes, I spend hours cleaning the debris from within the water channels to keep busy as there

is not much else that I have to do. I still miss my farm. I still miss my family.

I am looking into a western setting sun, which is the direction that The Carrion invades from. As it is not yet dusk, it may be too cloudy for The Carrion tonight as they prefer to use the bold, bright, golden setting sun behind them as their ally to invoke a killing raid. This is called The Frenzy.

I once saved Zamiro from an attack from The Carrion, and I do not think she knows this. I managed to infiltrate the melee without being noticed, and as Zamiro is small and light in stature, I held her in my arms as we floated up and safely away. This was my first and only rescue of a Ground-Dweller, she is unaware of this and likely does not know how she survived.

No one ever survives The Frenzy.

Finally, Zamiro arrived and descended the rubble path leading towards me. I wonder if she is smiling as she meets me, but I believe she likes smiling. She is prettier when she smiles, and I have not known many other pretty things in my life for a long time. Zamiro is likely the only one, although I am unwilling to tell her about my feelings towards her. I hope to one day, maybe today. Maybe not. She called out to me. ‘I’ve found you – you are not so good at hiding after all.’

‘Mm, I did tell you where I was going to be,’ I replied, trying my best for a clever retort. She looked past me towards the setting sun. ‘You do have a great view from up here. Do you think The Carrion will be on tonight?’

I shrugged my shoulders, and she continued. ‘Do you know much about The Carrion, and have you ever seen them up close?’

I looked over to her, not quite knowing how to respond. ‘I know they generate their power to fly and attack from the solar energy within their golden metallic bodies. They cannot store the energy as they do not have any capacity to do so within their bodies. They use the energy when the sun is out. They cannot operate

when it is overcast, or when they are in shadow, or at night. This is their weakness.’ She nodded. ‘How do you know all that?’

‘I have watched for them from where I live and often tried to figure out what they are here for. I have been watching them for years.’

‘Have you ever seen a swarm of them attacking people? Did you know they call it The Frenzy?’

That was a question I didn’t want to answer, so I shook my head and tried to come up with something else. It was then I saw she had a green rectangular block in her hand. ‘What is that? Is it for me?’

She opened it, flicked through the leaves of the pages, then handed it to me: ‘This is a blank book with spaced lines, and it can be your journal.’ It was about as thick as my fingertip. ‘It’s for you to record your private thoughts.’ I was slightly suspicious about why she would do this but nodded anyway. My reading ability is limited due to my upbringing; however, I can recognise signs and know that being able to read and write is very different.

We sat there for a while in a comfortable silence, so eventually, I asked her something to hear her talking. ‘So, what can you tell me what you know about The GOD.’ She looked at me momentarily. ‘The GOD is the Government of Day and comprises randomly selected Ground-Dwellers. They become The GOD Panel and oversee the running of society, organising the distribution of food, transport, and demands of the community groups. You are to believe in The God

as The GOD believes in you.’

I liked hearing the sound of her voice even more than I thought, so I nodded to let her continue: ‘The GOD collects half the value of every transaction exchanged and distributes the collected funds back into the Berg. They provide the roads and other services including fresh water supply and sewerages.’

‘OK, but do you know anything about The Flighters?’ I enquired softly.

‘Well, did you know The GOD provides monthly stipends to The Flighters? If I were a Flighter, I wonder what I would do with myself and all the money.’

I nodded again, hopefully not giving away my secret.

She had stopped talking, so I said: ‘See, I know about The Carrion, and you know about The GOD. We do make a good pair, don’t we?’

She looked at me. ‘Mm, I think we should start on the journal now.’ Zamiro proceeded to tell me to record my thoughts and experiences in the book and told me it would be my best friend, but I think I want Zamiro to be my best friend first. So, upon hefting the book, I cynically wondered if all my writing in it would add to the weight. I kept that thought to myself but did not know what to write.

Zamiro was standing opposite me, but was now sitting on a stone boulder alongside the makeshift table I had assembled from an old, discarded door.

She is much closer now, tucked a loose curl behind her, revealing the large scar on the side of her face. I know that one of The Carrion managed to swipe at her cheek as we floated up and safely away.

The day I saved her life.

I thought about the journal again. It will be interesting to record my thoughts and experiences and read through them later, but Zamiro is now lightly laughing at me as I leaf through the empty pages of the book. I smiled at her and knew I would also need to spell and learn about grammar.

Zamiro removed the backpack slung over her shoulder, dropped it onto the table, opened it and removed a small cardboard box, then handed it to me: ‘Happy Birthday.’ It has been a long time since I celebrated a birthday, and missed the sentiment. I have spent so many years on my own after the tragedy of losing my family so many years ago.

She continued: ‘These are a box of these pencils.’

I looked at the pointed, dark, grey-coloured end of the pencil, held it towards my tongue and licked it. This is one of my memories from my childhood, and it still tastes powdery. I looked at her again and smiled. ‘OK then, let’s get started.’

After collecting my thoughts, I began to write my first entry, but even that was a struggle:

My Jurnal –dai 1. Thursday 18th Decembr

Helo. Ths is mee. I am Carlyle. I dunt no wot to rite.

I was pleased to show her what I had written, and she looked at it:

‘We have some work to do here, don’t we?’

I didn’t know if that was a compliment, in that I could do more than she expected, or that she did not understand what I had just written.

Zamiro looked at me. ‘Don’t worry about fixing anything now; you can return to it once you have learnt to spell and use grammar better. It will be like teaching the young ones at my ELC to write; you are just a little older.’ She commented endearingly, then took the pencil from me.

‘I will just underline the spelling and grammatical errors to show you.’

Starting with the heading, she underlined that, then paused, looked on at the remainder of the text, and underlined everything. ‘At least you spelt your name correctly.’

Chapter 2 Zamiro

Early afternoon; Thursday 18th December: I am the daughter of Ground-Dwellers and have just celebrated my 23rd birthday with them. I live with my family in a five-bedroom house in our berg called Yelnu. The GOD owns our house, and we are the tenants. I teach young children and work at an Early Learning Centre (ELC) near my home.

I arrived at my intended rendezvous, having ridden here on a Zoop, and am standing facing my new friend Carlyle. I presented him with a journal. I think he saved me from The Carrion, but I am unsure. I moved around the makeshift table and am now sitting beside him.

We are located within the remnants of a rubble building site and I think it was a home once too. I don’t believe it is his home, or he lives around here, and I feel that he is suspicious of me for some reason.

I have often seen Carlyle around my home in Yelnu, and have seen him around my ELC too, although he may think that I have not noticed him. He may also be enrolled at the ALC; however, I am unsure of this. I feel safer when I am around him, but don’t understand why. I also think that he may be a Flighter. If he is, he will be the first Flighter I have been this close to. Flighters are suspicious of Ground-Dwellers, and Ground-Dwellers and Flighters are not usually acquainted but think he saved me from The Carrion.

I found myself smiling into the warmth of the setting sun on my face, and closed my eyes to remember the first time I met my new friend Carlyle:

It was around six months ago, and I can still remember it clearly as the warm setting sun that was on my face that day, too. I had completed a late afternoon parent-teacher session at the ELC, and there was a golden setting sun. It was near dusk as I made my way across the assembly area from the school. I only had to cross a road and would be safely at my house. It was then I saw them.

Ground-Dwellers know to get indoors and keep out of sight at dusk in case there is an invasion from The Carrion, as this is the ideal time for them. They also say The Carrion can hide by blending into the golden setting sun when they attack, and they do.

This was to be my firsthand experience of The Carrion, and The Frenzy.

I never wanted one, no-one ever wants one and I was now looking into the setting sun and the belly of The Carrion swarm. Looking at my house across the road, then back to the school I realised I had a choice to make as The Carrion was coming closer with every moment. It was then noticed a small group of students opening the school doors and making their way across the forecourt towards me and realised they were oblivious to the incoming Carrion swarm.

They were waving at me, and I remember trying to warn them, to get them to turn around and go back into the school for safety, then I realised they were not waving at me, rather it was at their parents standing twenty metres before me.

Their parents had their backs to The Carrion, and by now they were all looking at each other, and not at the sky. So, as they met in the middle of the assembly area, I had another decision to make: How can I warn them? It was all too late, as I heard the noise from The Carrion above me, and it was then the children and parents turned to face the fracas from above. They looked up at The Carrion and it quickly began. The first strike and the first kill. The children shrieked and the adults screamed, but there was nowhere to go.

We have been told never to panic, never to be out in the open at dusk, and never to move amid an attack by The Carrion. We were told a lot of things, but none of them mattered now. The first Carrion had attached itself to the tallest man, then a second Carrion joined in, then a third and a fourth and a fifth. It was a killing field. It was The Frenzy.

They picked at his head, clawed at his eyes, his nose, his face and picked at his chest. Severed flesh dropped from his torso and blood spurted from his open wounds, and then he fell to his knees. ‘Papa’ I heard a child call, ‘Pap….’ The Carrion started their attack on all of them and tore strips of flesh from each kill. It was all a bloodied mess; a bloodied massacre and death was everywhere.

I saw then that The Carrion had finally noticed me.

I think I fainted and perhaps this had saved me, but when I woke from my stupor, I remembered seeing a man that I did not know sitting beside me. I did not believe I was injured by The Carrion but do not know how I escaped them.

I looked around, but did not know where I was, then realised I was on top of the school. I was on the roof and could see the remnants of The Frenzy below me.

There were no survivors. I remembered feeling nauseous and began to swoon once more. I felt a wetness on my face but wiped it away and my hand was covered in blood. Was it my blood?

I looked at my bloodied hand, then to the man, but he just smiled at me. I asked him how I got away, how I got up here, but he shrugged his shoulders, then he handed me a ragged cloth and beckoned towards a bowl of water in front of me. That man was Carlyle.

I remembered shaking from the adrenalin rush having just survived being involved in a slaughter by The Carrion. I had just seen my friends and some of my students killed in front of me, but all of that was before I fainted. I remembered closing my eyes to avoid the vision from below, and to retain my composure, but when I opened my eyes again, he was gone. How did I survive?

Now, re-opening my eyes, I am back with Carlyle at the house on the hill. The sun has almost set, and I am relieved as The Carrion did not come tonight. I looked at Carlyle, and he smiled back at me. Does he know what I was thinking about? I suspect he is a Flighter, which is perhaps why he is suspicious of me, but I do know my new friend Carlyle saved my life.

Chapter 3 Carlyle

Late afternoon; Thursday 18th December: It is almost dark now, and decided that we must move back to town. We are safe from The Carrion tonight, however, there are still elements of the society I must be wary of, as a Flighter.

Upon closing my journal I leaned towards Zamiro to take the box of pencils, and she suddenly pulled away. I am puzzled by this as I wonder what she thought I was going to do.

‘We have to move now Zamiro as it is getting darker. How did you get here?’

‘I used a Zoop… How about you?’

‘I walked.’

‘OK. I think the Zoop should just be big enough for both of us if you want a ride back. I don’t know where you live though…are you in my berg?’

‘Err…not really, but I will ride back with you and make my way home from there if that’s OK.’ I was still a little nervous about telling her too much about me, and as we made our way back up the path realised it was much darker now, much too late to walk home from here. Zamiro pulled the fob for the Zoop from her pocket, pressed her thumb on it and the little machine lit up with a chirp. I looked at the small, flat, rectangular saddle. It was going to be a close fit. Zamiro donned the helmet that slung from the handle, climbed onto the seat, and beckoned me to climb on.

We sat and wriggled to get more comfortable, and she shuffled forward just as I did. I looked down and around the Zoop, then raised my legs to feel for and to find if there were any pedals to rest my feet on during the ride, but at the same time, Zamiro had lifted her feet from the ground, having placed them on the front pedals to get a better position. We now had both of our feet off the ground simultaneously, and the little Zoop toppled over with us on board.

Fortunately, as it was not heavy, I easily rolled from beneath, however, Zamiro was on the ground trapped by the little toppled scooter. She started to laugh, as she rolled herself out from under the little unit.

‘We’ll have to work together to make it work.’

We tried again, and this time I kept my feet on the ground, so she turned the throttle we moved off slowly with a slight wobble. I had my arms held behind my back holding onto the rear of the saddle and this made the ride a little uncomfortable, but then Zamiro lent her head back to mine telling me it would be better if my arms were around her waist for the balance.

We wobbled a bit more, but once we gained momentum the ride was quite invigorating, albeit a little slow. I have not needed to use these machines for quite some time and am beginning to feel it’s my first time in a long time for everything when I am with Zamiro.

We arrived at her house without further incident, and she stopped the Zoop outside her front door, but as we both climbed off, we both let go of the Zoop at the same time again and it toppled over. This time I laughed.

Zamira looked at me. ‘Would you like to come in, or do you have somewhere else to be?’

‘Yes, and No.’ I replied.

‘Which is which?’

‘No, I wouldn’t like to come in, and yes, I don’t have anywhere else to be.’

Zamiro considered my reply, then continued: ‘My folks live with me, so we won’t be alone. I think my two brothers and my sister are home too.’

I considered my options and used the time to look around. I know this place well as I have watched it so many times before. I also knew both her brothers and sister were home as I had passed through here earlier this afternoon hoping to catch a glimpse of Zamiro.

I looked down at my feet and then rolled my head around thinking of what I should do next. My neck creaked a little with the motion and from the Zoop ride. ‘This is your ELC isn’t it?’ I stated whilst pointing my head to my left.

Zamiro nodded. ‘Yes, and this is where The Carrion came that day too’.

She had briefly told me before of her experience with The Carrion Frenzy, so I decided to move across the road and entered the ELC gates whilst there was not any traffic to avoid. ‘This is where it happened hey?’

She followed behind me as I made my way to the assembly area, so I stopped and crouched down gently rubbing my hands across the tarmac on the specific spot I had rescued her from. I knew that any trace of The Frenzy was well and truly gone by now, but still remembered it well.

I looked up to see that Zamiro was standing over me with her arms crossed tensely over her chest. She had started to lightly tremble.

‘Just how did you survive then?’

Zamiro took a deep breath. ‘I had fainted, which meant I was not moving. They are not interested in you if they think you are dead.’

‘I understand that, but you mentioned that you then found yourself on the roof of the ELC, up there.’ I raised myself and brushed my hands on my jeans, then nodded towards the roof of the school.

‘Funny about that, Carlyle.’ I felt that Zamiro was sterner with me now. ‘I think you know how I got up there. Just what is your game, Carlyle? I have seen you around, I have seen you watching me, I think that you…’ but she finished in mid-sentence, as her two brothers had made their way across from their house to join us in the paved assembly area.

‘Yo Zee …you all good?’ came the comment from the older one.

I think his name is Kilby, and believe he is of twenty-five summers.

‘Yup, she’s been out all this arvo and missed us that’s all,’ came the comment from the other brother. I think his name is Marty