Team

The next day, I met with my four companions for a tour. We had to ask permission, the ships were the same ones I brought a month ago. It would just be a practice run on that new model. I felt quite uncomfortable that this new group of people, only Guillermo wanted me in the group. The rest of them looked down on me, as if I was a nuisance.

I tried to hide my discomfort for the bad treatment and walked along with them. Until we got to the track.

There was another group of people who were already starting their practices and ignored our presence.

Guillermo didn't care and climbed into a ship himself and turned it on. He expected us to do the same, so each of us climbed into a different ship and ascended into the sky to begin our practice.

We climbed to over 1000 feet and the ships began to feel the gravity of the earth. There I heard the voice of one of my companions.

"We are going to fly in this direction. Activate the thrusters. We're going to fly this area first and then the stratosphere."

Surprisingly, the routing information also came to me. It was clear that none of them was a beginner, and they were in charge of some professionals.

Despite the rough treatment and initial tension, I could tell that this group of people really knew what they were doing. Although I was still uncomfortable with the treatment, I decided to focus on the task at hand and take the opportunity to learn from them.

I followed the directions and activated my ship's thrusters. We began to fly in the designated direction, scouting the intended area and then heading towards the indicated point. The thrill and adrenaline of flying in a spaceship helped me forget, at least momentarily, the ill-treatment I had experienced.

From one moment to the next we arrived at a rather difficult spot, the air currents were shaking the ships going against them.

"We're going into the stratosphere on our way back to the academy, there's a storm coming, and we're not going to miss the day. It's hard to get a permit to operate a machine, it's easier to get a permit for a simulation."

"Understood "Commented Wil, he was the older of the two boys who looked like brothers, I only knew his name from a conversation, since he didn't introduce himself, the other was Victor.

I did not like that idea, the ships were showing their weakness, and it was evident that they would not withstand many weather changes. I just hoped that nothing would happen.

We went up to the stratosphere and the ship was showing a lot of resistance to this place, it was a little slower. Nobody said anything about what was going on. Everyone stayed quiet as if it was normal.

As we moved deeper into the stratosphere, I could appreciate the breathtaking views that unfolded before us. The layers of the lower atmosphere were getting fainter and fainter, revealing the vastness of space and the stars shining overhead.

Although I was still uncomfortable with the attitude of the rest of the group and the concerns about the ships' endurance, I couldn't deny that there was something exciting about flying through that special layer of atmosphere. I tried to focus on that feeling of awe and let go of the tensions present.

As we ascended into the stratosphere, I noticed that the ships began to show some resistance and became a little slower. It was evident that they were not designed to operate in this type of environment. Although everyone else seemed calm and didn't mention anything about it, I felt concerned about the situation.

In my mind, it was not normal for ships to present difficulties at this level of altitude. I thought about voicing my concerns, but I remembered the hostile attitude of the rest of the group toward me and decided to remain silent. I didn't want to give them one more reason to belittle me or consider me a nuisance.

As we continued to fly in the stratosphere, I could see a storm approaching in the distance. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon and the wind was intensifying. I knew flying in those conditions would be dangerous, especially considering the limitations of the ships.

"We must return to the academy. We can't risk it in this atmosphere," I suggested with concern, hoping my words would be heeded.

However, the rest of the group seemed to ignore my warning. No one responded, and we continued to move forward as if everything was under control. I felt frustrated and concerned for everyone's safety, but I dared not challenge the collective decision.

As we approached the academy, the ship began to take damage, the glass was straining. And one of the ships descended violently to earth. Seeing that, I also descended and tried to see what was going on with my partner.

The pilot was Henry, he was more hateful to me. I tried to talk to him on the radio.

"Henry, wake up, you will fall into the sea, wake up!"

Unknowingly we pierced the clouds and apparently here was already the storm and lightning was striking here, it was getting more and more intense and the strong winds were whipping our ships. The difficulties increased, and I feared that something could go wrong at any moment.

Henry finally responded.

"I was just running out of air, the windshield was damaged and being in the stratosphere I was suffering a gravity shift. I'm fine now, don't worry."

I felt calmer listening to him, but apparently Guillermo was upset with what happened. He let us know right away.

"Hey! Don't waste your time there, we have to get there before the storm hits the academy."

Henry steadied his ship, and we tried to get back to the academy. I was relieved that he had not suffered any serious damage, I was also worried about the aftermath of what happened. 

We hurried to resume our flight back to the academy as the storm grew closer and closer. Lightning lit up the dark sky and strong winds shook our ships. It was a race against time and nature to reach safety.

As we got closer to the academy, the situation became even more dangerous. Visibility was reduced due to heavy rain, and turbulent winds threatened to destabilize our ships. I remained calm and concentrated on following Guillermo, who was leading the way back.

[...]

Finally, we arrived at the academy just in time, just as the storm was reaching its peak. I landed my ship cautiously and watched as the rest of the group also descended safely.

Exhausted, but relieved, we exited our ships and gathered at the academy, drenched from the rain and still full of adrenaline. Although the situation could have been dangerous, it was also a learning experience for all of us.

Guillermo approached me with a look of disgust on his face. "I didn't expect Henry to have problems in mid-flight. I hope this doesn't happen again," he said in a reproachful tone.

I was annoyed by his attitude, as he seemed to blame Henry for something that was out of his control. However, instead of responding confrontationally, I decided to keep my composure and express my perspective.

"The stratosphere is a challenging environment, and our ships are not designed to withstand the extreme conditions we encounter. Perhaps we need to review flight protocols and consider safety before continuing in similar situations in the future," I calmly suggested.

Guillermo frowned, but seemed to ponder my words. Although our relationship remained strained, I felt I had succeeded in making him understand the importance of prioritizing safety over haste.

"We'd done flights like this before, but the ships were different, plus the storm hurt our plans."

As we moved away from the ships and headed toward the academy, I felt proud that I had spoken up for safety and remained calm during the challenging situation. I knew I still had a lot to learn and would face more obstacles along the way, but I was determined to continue to grow as a pilot and overcome any difficulties that came my way, even if it meant facing adversity within the group.

[...] 

I headed to the infirmary, I had some annoyance in my hand, I had made a bad move when I descended a few feet in the air when Henry happened. 

However, in a corridor I saw strange movements, it gave me some fear, there was no one else in the corridors and I felt a little worried, the sounds were not of footsteps, maybe they were of a non-human creature, it could be normal, but I remembered what Lucia saw some time ago, and I was worried about seeing an Ungeizefer. I turned back down the hallway, I didn't want to see one of those creatures head on, it was dangerous. They might kill me to try to silence me, and it was better to avoid an uncomfortable situation.

I had to turn around and get wet, but I didn't care much, everything was valid as long as I stayed alive, but my mind started to worry me. The ungeizefer had a dominant impulse and a singular taste for humans, that's why there were so many mixtures in this world, and they were persecuted and eliminated. Mentally, I worried that one of them wanted to do something to Lucia and that was why the academy administrators themselves were looking at me with hatred.

I closed my eyes in disgust at the thought. I could not start investigating, it could be dangerous now. Taking the picture of the creature might be the best idea, since the academy was alone. Although I hesitated to do it, I was a little afraid, those creatures were physically superior to me.

I walked in the rain with some fear and resignation.