Ocular to the Dying Sun

Forgive Me; part 2

Before they could finish, Uran had already left the room, knowing by the distance of where he saw the monitor of the navigator’s map that the steering of the ship has succeeded and all they need is to automatically wait and see their docking timing. Jaaron and Pemmi are left to their devices, knowing full well Uran’s intent by leaving them. Jaaron can be seen from behind Uran’s back hurriedly going to the steering platform to double-check with Pemmi so that their course won’t be disturbed as Uran went out to check on the rest of the ship.

He knew that his current crew is not up to par with the numbers that needs to manage the entire ship when danger arise, and it shows in this current situation. Included in this number are the civilians that live with them, that are families of the crew involved. Their safety has always been a priority despite the circumstance of Sunflora, but there can never be a guarantee. One way or another, a family member riding in Sunflora will be subjected to danger despite precautions.

There were a few seconds before he turned to leave the hall from the captain’s room when Jaaron’s voice called out. “Sir!!!!”

Uran had no time to listen to him, but he heard their minuscule fading voice say, “There’s a lapse of electrical current in quart—”

The rest of their word’s vanished even though Uran acknowledged what they said and found his footsteps hurrying to the living quarters. He’s always handled any sense of emergency by fast-walking to the destination. Reaching where he needed to be with his legs speeding in almost a jog is something he never did until his son was born.

Heavy steps, almost sliding through the floor, stopped as he reached the hall of the living quarters and saw some of the doors open with a few of the people within treating some of their members or holding on to the doors and rails. The ship continued to shudder now and then from hitting the top of trees as they continued to speed until they reached the coordinates. One of the mechanics’ partners spoke to him and tell the possible casualty but none of them acquired any kind of injury or any damage in their rooms. Except for some of them being shaken from the sudden rockiness.

Nodding with a sense of relief, the next part he looked through is the mess hall where most of the other residents, that didn’t get to reach their rooms and see if they are safe. Most of the crew are still away from the halls and he sensed that the communication wire has been cut off because of what Jaaron said about the electrical flow cutting off from this area.

Despite his nerves rising from the direction he was heading, he could only delay the fear that sent his toes and fingers feeling cold from the dread he did not want to think. But, knowing the Sunflora crew, he had to check everyone first the best he could, cause without the people of this ship it would not move into the skies.

Before he could enter the mess hall a hand yanked him to stop, making him look at the person behind him. A heavily sweating Lotois who was carrying a kid that hid its face under his neck looked at him with tense eyes, there was redness surrounding the tips of his nose and eyes. Lotois only expressed this kind of face in certain points of distress or extreme joy.

The last he saw his eyes bawling was when his wife bore him his first twins, as his wife was one of pair. She’s alone now in this world after her sister’s death, but she’s happily staying at home right now with the boy partner of their twins. Right now, if Uran remembered, the girl was with them.

Uran saw the child and Lotois’ nervous wreck and knew any good news will not grace his ears. His whole body broke in sweat as he felt the cold chill run down his spine. There are a few things in Uran’s life that he hated to experience, without any way to describe but he handled them so poorly that he’s barely confident that if it happened again would spell so much on his mentality. A weight that would bring him closer to the ground than his dream of flying in the skies.

Dread was not the only word to describe what he felt right now, only it encapsulates what is true to this world at present. There, on his feet, splayed like a leisurely cat looking at him with eager eyes, mocking his fear. That no matter what one does to deny the inevitable, what scenario you imagine will happen no matter. Such is the life of a prophecy fulfilled without any intention of being.

“Leave the children back to the mess hall. Their parents would want to check them for all of you,” he said as he schooled his expression while sweat broke out of his scalp and down the side of his face. He thanked them in a whisper, nodding stiffly as he returned his gaze to Lotois, noticing the caretakers sweating and shivering.

Lotois pursed his lips and then started to transfer the child he carried to a passing person, they received the boy gingerly as they hurried inside the mess hall. “Take a deep breath, Rife,” he told Uran as he pulled him beside him.

Lotois listened as Uran looked to the side and saw if the other children and their caretakers were assigned that day about how they are. Several of the children have either sunk into a deep coma or crying in silence with eyes wide, shocked. The adults on the other hand are as white as sheet, each one helping a child, but all of them looked at Lotois and Uran.

Lotois, with his eyes still wide, said in the lowest voice he could to Uran. “Rife,” he held Uran’s arm in a tight grip. “a chunk of your living quarter’s wall is torn out, the is size enough to fit bodies. The—tch, a few of the caretakers managed to secure most of the children but there seems to be some who are missing. According to the children… I…”

Uran’s eyes widened, and one of the adults on the side asked something between Uran and Lotois but Uran curtly ordered them that they were nearing a section where they would be safe. Pointing to one of the crews, who was also following Lotois and knew of the situation, assisted most of them so that they could organize everyone while the captain and his first mate looked into the captain’s quarter’s damage.

As they walked, at a speed Lotois could only keep up by jogging beside Uran, Lotois made sure to speak to him in as calm a manner. The same way he could muster even if he, himself, is feeling the loss of strength from the dread he had to push down, only to provide the veil of strength for himself.

There was no time to consider all the factors in Uran’s mind when he saw the children arrive from his quarters that he was sure would never have been touched with how it’s situated, but as far as circumstances go, it’s his fault for lacking the foresight that area of the ship would have been impossible to damage. This time, it’s only a monster with enough bodily mass to force the exterior to dent and give way to puncture a section of the hull, what more if it was an enemy weapon, such as an energy cannon.

Either way, it was not an excuse to take things for granted or think of only the minor things, he has to build his resolve and thought. Even now as he spent time reorganizing his suppressed panic, he did realize his son along with Lotois’ daughter were not present amongst the children. This was the devastation he did not want to hold a seat under and feel, he will never accept the reality that their children are far from safe.

Uran partially looked behind him, while speed walking, and asked, “did you leave any of the crew to check my quarters and the rest of the area in case Ame and Keya are just hiding?”

The question made Lotois stop for a moment in his tracks before he could continue again, they were already halfway to Uran’s room. Three of the crew members are in the area, two of which are busy hurriedly patching up the almost human size hole, their feet stepping on all the mess of the furniture. Some of Uran’s books and paper from his desk were scattered everywhere, and one of the sofas had been tumbled over and looked like it was only partially damaged by the scruff of its corners and nothing else. Pillow cotton from the sofa and throw blankets pieces that were torn by accident scattered all over the floor.

The extension of Uran’s room, which was the private quarters barely touched or shaken, as he checked if Ame or Keya entered within without anyone noticing. Outside, Lotois and the third crew member who was able to hand, helped him look around for the missing children. The more they spent looking under things, double and triple checking, the deeper their hearts ever sank.

There was a significant speed decrease from the way the floor felt under Uran as if he was slowly being delivered into a cradle that gravity so carefully tries to settle them over the right spot. Indications of their arrival at the safe spot meant that there will be more time to organize what they can do as of now, against the tirade of ever-growing Dire-eater numbers within the forests and skies they just passed through.

A voice through the ship’s internal communication via the pipe notches through the walls echoed out the words, “we’ve landed on the eastern crevice between the northeastern mountain range just near the edge of the forest, captain. Your orders?”

Brushing the floor of dust with his shoes in the living room area reminded him of how much work the Sunflora still needed with its development. It’s not a perfectly strong ship nor is it the best, but the engine was the legacy the “old coon” left them. The vision this person left to them shaped what future Uran saw for the family Sunflora has built but he loved his son. The son he wished to be healthy and safe, loved by him, in the absence of his dead wife.

Uran momentarily looked around his quarters as he felt his eyes heat and swell with unshed tears from being internally stressed. The crew member fixing his wall had finished properly patching up the wall with a temporary board-up that would prevent any external disturbance for now. Coming back from the failed inspection, Lotois was breathing heavily, saying “Rife, they’re not here.”

Nodding as his mind was completely caught up with the current problem they must face, he approached the notch and called to the captain’s main room. “Jaar,” he called to the engineer.

He continued saying, “redirect me to the main hall.”

Hearing Jaaron’s affirmation, he heard a certain crackle of static before the familiar plink sound indicating the opening of all pipe channels. Uran proceeded to say, “due to unforeseen events, we will be camping Sunflora here near the mountain crevice. We’ve managed to mask our presence but for a long, we cannot tell. For now, all those with injuries, minor or otherwise, can please proceed to the mess hall. Doc kindly checks on them.

“If nothing’s wrong, please stay within your cabins. Sunflora crew, you know what to do at this rest, double check everything from the equipment and…” he considered his stance, and rubbed the bridge of his nose before continuing. “I’m peeved to keep this to any of the crew and member’s along with Sunflora, and we consider ourselves a family strong by our bonds of the vision our predecessors, who helped us, established

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