Biking in the wilderness
Author: Miyoshi Akachi
Original post:
Entry for YC119 New Eden Capsuleer's Writing Contest in the A Day in the Life category.
"The sight is beautiful, don't you think?"
"Mmmm!" Miyoshi snorted, letting the backpack fall to the ground "I still have to understand why I had agreed coming with you!"
"Ohhh stop complaining!" the other girl, blue green hairs spiky coming from below the helmet, laughed "You're enjoying it as much as I do!"
Miyoshi snorted again, her eyes taking in the sight. It was beautiful: the mountains, shining under the sun. The snow remained only on the highest peaks while below the green was growing strong. Still!
"For me..." Syn giggled, resting her chin on her lover's shoulder, hugging her from behind. "Mmmmpf!" Miyoshi shook her head but a smile crept on her lips. She would do everything for her. Otherwise she wouldn't have agreed on that trip in the wilds, with Syn and no one else.
She had made sure there were eyes on them, at least remotely. For the rest, they were on their own. Bikes and backpacks. Thankfully the modern technology made everything simpler, smaller and lighter. Miyoshi really couldn't think how what they were doing could be done ages ago.
Synani had that idea of going out in the wild for a few days when the main season on the snow had ended. At first Miyo had been sceptical but her lover knew how to convince her in the long term. And she had won.
And as she had expected, Syn had everything planned. Their path, their stops, even their gear. She had wanted to say no, just to show Syn she wasn't that predictable but in the end, she just couldn't destroy the thing she had worked so much to bring to life.
So here they were, cycling on to the mountains, panting and sweating under the sun that warmed their skins while the breeze chilled them. Dirt running below their tires, grass and leaves watching their passage.
She took a long sip from her canteen as her eyes swiped the horizon; she had to admit the sights were beautiful. She worried she should be up in space, they might need her, but as Mr. Wryn had reassured her, if they really needed her, a ship would come picking her up since her implants kept broadcasting her position.
While in space it was her mind and her body was just floating in her pod, here it was her body working, pumping, sweating. It was freedom, different, opposite, to the one she felt when flying in space, but nonetheless freedom, as a human and not as an immortal. She felt aching in the nights but at the same time she felt good. Her mind purged and free in a momentary absence of worries and thoughts. But maybe, it was just Syn’s presence making everything lighter.
The sun was close to midday by now, its light was reflecting on the snow-capped peaks, making the green look even greener. That was the third day of their little trip and their path brought them higher over the forests.
She smiled, the breeze ruffling her hairs while she took a few pics of the beautiful sights.
"Come on Miyo." Syn called after checking her wrist chrono, they had a rough schedule to follow. "Mmm! One more moment!" Even if Miyoshi kept complaining, the schedule Syn had created gave them plenty of time to rest and bike with relax. They weren't in a rush.
The time to eat something, one of that little energetic bars and back on track they were, pedalling, wheels screeching on the rocky ground.
Hands tight on the handlebars, legs pumping as they made their way forward. The bikes were the latest technologies; even if these days everyone preferred hover technology, a niche still liked the old wheel system in which the most modern materials made their way in. Their bikes were reliable and sturdy while weighing little compared to their sizes.
She lived in the sky, she saw the beauty of their cluster from inside it, the dark lit by countless stars. Nonetheless, Miyoshi couldn't but stare at the sky above her. With just a little blade of moon, the stars could shine undisturbed. It had amazed her in a time it felt ages ago, it still did.
They had reached their rest point for the day and they had put up their little camp. The tent, a little fireplace, in front of a calm and crystalline water lake. They were surrounded my trees, their leafy branches moving in the colder breeze while many little insects and animals made their ways around.
She leaned against Syn "I hate admitting it... but it's beautiful." she smiled, eyes lost in the beauty of the deep dark blue sky dotted in shining spots. The same sky reflecting in the lake below. Up above there, Indigo and the other stations floated in close orbit with the planet.
Was everything okay, up there? Her trail of thoughts got interrupted by Syn's tight hug "I told you!" she giggled, pecking a little kiss on the other’s lips. A kiss that got answered a bit more longer.
"Hey, I still can opt out anytime!" Miyo retorted with a grin "Would you?" asked Syn with that sad look that always made Miyo feel sad too "Would you really leave me out there alone?" her eyes had that puppy-like light in them that made Miyo’s heart simply melt.
"You would be more than capable to go back by yourself." the capsuleer dismissed her words with a smile, Syn was indeed capable of doing so: even without implants and clones, she was a trained athlete in her best shape. Still, seeing the silence of her companion, a silence feeling of hurt, she pulled her close in another hug "You know I wouldn't." she said softly inhaling the scent she had grown so used to "I know!" Syn smirked wide. "Brat!" exclaimed Miyo pushing her away.
The calm of the night was rippled by their soft laughter as they playfully wrestled, a thing they often did, a way to release some tension, to just be playful.
"Time to sleep, right?" in the end Miyo asked. "Yeah, we still have quite the road ahead." Outwardly Miyo groaned, gaining an elbow in her ribs “Hey!” she pouted, trying to look hurt “I’m not as fit as you! I’m good at having a motor pushing me around!”
Syn laughed “You’re just a lazy capsuleer! Exercise is good even if you are an 'immortal' !” she smirked giving a playful shove. “My favourite lazy girl…” she purred softly, kissing her goodnight. Miyo’s arms hold Syn close as she kissed goodnight back, always a better night with her around.
Another night in the wild for them, with just the comforting warm of the other and a thin layer of plastic shielding them from the outside.
Tomorrow, another day.