Far Side of Earth's Moon

  Marie hadn't been certain what being on the moon would feel like, but it wasn't this.

  She felt lighter. It was different from being in the water; there was no resistance to her movements. She took an experimental step, and then a hop. It was halfway to floating.

  Sophie crouched down and shot up in a jump, laughing as she reached for the stars. She reached the height of the wall and went above it, sailing upwards until gravity finally remembered to stop her and pull her slowly back down.

  Razan was staring up, watching the stars. Marie focused on them, and realized she didn't recognize the constellations. Even in the Sahara and on the mountain the stars were familiar, a constant.

  Not recognizing the stars bothered her sailor’s soul. For the first time she felt like she was truly somewhere alien. Somewhere she shouldn't be. Marie almost wished she’d stayed behind with Peter.

  “Is this stone or silver?” Sophie asked.

  Marie and Razan turned to her.

  She broke a piece of the maze wall off and examined it. “I think it’s stone but it’s very reflective. Almost glowing.”

  “It broke like stone,” Marie said, rapping on the wall with her knuckles. “Not metal.”

  “Excellent,” the thief said, sliding the rock into her pocket.

  “What type of stone?” Razan asked, stabbing at it with his knife. “Pumice? Chalk?”

  “My brother told me the moon was made of cheese,” Sophie said cheerfully, looking around. “I'll have to take a rock to him to prove him wrong.”

  “Would that be allowed?” Razan asked.

  Marie patted him on the shoulder. “It’s good to have someone on the crew who cares about that sort of thing.”

  Sophie giggled as his face went completely neutral.

  “All right. Let’s find the end to this maze. Left or right?” Marie asked, pulling a paint pen out of her pocket to draw an X on the wall.

  “Left,” Razan said. “Keep your left hand on the wall at all times and we won't become lost.”

  “We’re staying together, aye?” she asked. She realized with some shame that she hadn't helped prepare at all.

  “Yes,” Sophie said. “When we pass an offshoot I'll check and see if it’s a dead end. If it is, I'll mark it off to save time if we come back. Speaking of which…” She bounded off to the end of the corridor to their right. In the light gravity she miscalculated her momentum, and slammed loudly into the wall.

  Marie and Razan winced.

  “I think I won't be running here,” Marie decided.

  “Likewise,” the samurai said.

  Sophie came limping back, smiling as though nothing had happened. “It’s an open corridor. Turns and continues.”

  “Thank you,” Marie said. “Off we go, then.”

  Razan turned another corner to see, shockingly, another corridor. Made out of grey stone. And stars above them.

  The monotony was beginning to grate on him.

  He sighed, counting three offshoots and a dead end.

  Sophie bounced ahead, checking the offshoots. She called out that the first was dead, the second open, and stopped at the third.

  “We found it!” she called, her voice only slightly muffled by the clear bubble around her head that kept air in.

  “Found what?” Marie called back as they made their way towards her.

  “The way down!” Sophie’s normal excited bouncing made her leave the ground. “To the next level!”

  Marie looked at Razan. “How many levels are there?”

  “Three, Captain,” he answered.

  “Wonderful.” She looked unhappy.

  Razan debated saying something to cheer her up, but decided he was horrible at that sort of thing and kept quiet.

  They reached Sophie and stopped, looking at the hole in the ground.

  Razan had been aware that there were multiple levels. He knew there weren't any stairs or ladders that went from one level to the next. He’d been told that taking some light source was recommended.

  But he hadn't been expecting a pitch-black void in the ground.

  The faintly glowing sliver path angled down into the blackness, giving the impression that the darkness was engulfing it. On three sides were smooth walls that reached down, quickly getting lost in the shadows.

  Razan took half a step back, absolutely positive the darkness was alive. Or at least that something lived in it.

  Sophie pulled a ball out of her backpack and shook it, causing it to light up. “Ready?” Without waiting for a reply, she stepped over the edge and was eaten.

  Razan knew, logically, that she had simply dropped down to the next level. But his mind insisted the darkness had moved around her, rising up to engulf Sophie. He knew she was safe, but he knew she was dead and he would never see her again.

  “Samurai.”

  Razan jolted, flailing back against a wall as his heart raced. He saw Marie watching him and cleared his throat, forcing himself to neutral attention.

  “Apologies,” he said as calmly as he could. “I…” He trailed off, his eyes going back to the living darkness.

  Marie knelt down at the edge of the black pool and looked down. “I've always found it fascinating how our eyes lie to us. They show us what we believe to be in front of us, not what's truly there. What do you see?"

  Razan drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "The way to the next level."

  “Hmm.” She stood back up and took a step back. “I see something breathing. Well, we’ve heard no death screams from Sophie, so in you go.”

  Razan bowed, slowly approaching the monster hole thing. He swore it rippled as he got closer. Pausing at the edge, he craned his neck to see if he could, well, see.

  Suddenly Marie hooked her ankle around his and yanked his foot off the ground. She put her palms on his back as he lost balance and pushed him into the darkness.

  Razan closed his eyes and screamed as he fell, curling into a ball to protect his head. The fall seemed to take hours as light vanished. He ran out of air in his lungs and stopped screaming, but didn't dare move. Finally his arm touched the floor, and he felt the rest of his body slowly follow.

  He knew, logically, that he simply hadn't been moving fast enough for the fall to hurt.

  His emotions insisted his arm was now broken and at any moment pain would explode through his body.

  Razan waited, still curled up with his eyes tightly closed.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Any moment now…

  Sophie watched Razan bounce slightly as he hit the floor, then settle gently down.

  His scream had startled her, but now she just wanted to laugh. It hadn't been a yelp of surprise, or a manly yell. No, it had been a long, drawn-out scream of pure terror.

  Marie floated down, landing expertly on her feet next to the samurai. She looked at him, at Sophie with a raised eyebrow, and back at Razan.

  “Should we bail him?” Sophie asked after a few seconds.

  Marie poked him with her boot. “Still alive?”

  Razan didn't move.

  “We could just leave him here,” Sophie suggested. “Come back and get him when we find the exit.”

  “No,” Marie said. “Bad form to leave a man behind. Hand me your light.”

  Sophie nodded, holding out her glowing ball. Marie took it, looked it over, then knelt down and pressed it against his cheek.

  “Miyamoto,” she said sharply, “stop acting in such a shameful manner. On your feet, boy.”

  Razan immediately sat up, opening his eyes. He looked around, almost seeming disoriented, then focused on Marie and the ball of light in her hand.

  He smoothly got to his feet and bowed. “Forgive me, Captain.”

  “As you were,” Marie said casually, tossing Sophie the light as she turned her back on him. “You died falling into a volcano, aye? Was it dark?”

  Sophie caught the light and hurried to follow Marie down the corridor.

  “No,” Razan said, moving to walk next to Sophie. “It glowed red.”

  “Ah, so it’s the fall you’re afraid of,” Marie decided. “Should have guessed from the mountain.”

  “It’s both,” he said, unashamed. “I dislike darkness and heights.”

  “I'm not afraid of anything,” Sophie said happily.

  “Only fools feel no fear,” Razan grumbled, snatching the light out of her hands. He focused on it like he needed it to survive.

  Marie stopped at an intersection, waiting for them. “I know what you’re afraid of, thief.”

  “But I'm not afraid,” Sophie insisted, pulling another ball out of her backpack and shaking it. It glowed as she took a step to the right, immediately seeing the branch was a dead end.

  “Your mother wouldn't agree,” Marie said softly.

  Sophie froze, flinching. Then turned to glare at her.

  The pirate grinned. “Well, go on, mark the corridor. We don't have all day.”

  Peter watched his team make their way through the maze.

  Nop had explained that this is what they showed to the universe. There was a hawk constantly following them, but also hawks that watched from the middles of corridors to show them coming around corners. In the top right corner of the picture there was a map with three dots to indicate where they were in the maze. Other dots showed entrances and exits to the levels.

  It was… boring, mostly. Peter dozed, woke up, dozed and woke up again.

  They progressed slowly, occasionally talking of random things. Sophie seemed to be having an incredible amount of fun with how fast she could move. Razan looked to be hating every moment he was stuck in the darkness. And Marie was keeping them both on track.

  Peter was glad he wasn't there. Not just because of mild claustrophobia, but because he wouldn't have been able to contribute anything.

  He watched them get closer to the entrance of the third level, and dozed off again.

  Razan had never learned how to purge all emotions. Some people were able to reach a completely blank state, and this had always been his goal. His teachers and mentors had encouraged him to find a peaceful neutral.

  He’d fooled them by finding the key to bored apathy. Outwardly it was close enough. But in moments when he couldn't manage boredom, apathy cracked to reveal unbridled and undirected rage.

  As they walked Razan muttered a prayer to the moon. Then composed a few poems about night and darkness. Then wondered how well the poems would translate to whatever language Innoka spoke. And then ran out of things to think about.

  He kept his focus on the warm ball of light in his hands, occasionally glancing up to make sure he hadn't lost track of Marie. The only thing worse than being stuck in this maze would be being stuck in this maze alone.

  He almost wished he’d stayed behind with the cowboy.

  “Found the second hole!” Sophie yelled, her voice echoing slightly between the stone walls.

  “Excellent,” Marie said, picking up her pace. “There are only three levels, aye?”

  “In theory,” Sophie replied. “But as it is a maze, no one’s seen the exact layout.”

  Razan felt himself slowing as the well of darkness came into view. Fear overtook boredom.

  The two women looked at him, and Sophie grinned.

  “Would you like to go first?” the thief taunted.

  Razan’s hands tightened around his light until the ball cracked. Glowing liquid leaked onto his fingers as his apathy snapped. He kept his face neutral. He wanted to strangle Sophie.

  “Go,” Marie ordered her.

  Sophie took half a step away from Razan, and he took half a step towards her. She hopped into the black pit, vanishing as he let out an annoyed growl.

  Marie turned to face Razan, a hand on a dagger. “You need to bail.”

  His eyes snapped to hers, and he took a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

  “No, samurai, you clearly are not,” she said, firmly and distinctly. “You’ve done very well, but your mask is splintering. For the first time I can see the devil underneath. Go home. Let it out. Mend the mask. I refuse to have someone under my command who I can't control.”

  Razan slowly smiled, then grinned. “I know what you’re afraid of now.”

  In an instant the tip of her dagger was pressed against his chest.

  “Bail,” she ordered.

  “If I refuse?”

  “I will cut your eyes out.”

  The calm, serious look on her face made the rage inside Razan flinch. She wasn't bluffing, and the blade cutting through his shirt wasn't for show.

  He took a step back, reaching for his bail device. “As you command, Captain.”

  She watched impassively as he pushed the button. A blue glow surrounded him, and soon he was in the transport room.

  A raven hopped up to him. “Are you injured?”

  “No,” Razan told it. “I'm fine.”

  “Your heart rate is abnormally fast. Are you nauseous, or do you have a headache?”

  “No.”

  “Very good. Is there anything you need?”

  Razan hesitated, looking at the glowing ball still in his hands.

  With a swift, furious movement he pulled it back and hurled it at the bird. It made a delicious crunch as it impacted, sending black feathers flying as it skidded across the floor. When it stopped, he saw the metal body of the raven split open, the glowing liquid covering it like blood.

  He stepped forwards to stomp on it, and suddenly felt something sting his neck. He slapped at it, his hand coming away with a strange dart.

  And then he collapsed, unconscious.

  Sophie cursed, seeing two dead ends.

  “We need to turn back again?” Marie guessed.

  “Yes,” Sophie grumbled. “This is beginning to get boring.

  Marie checked a watch. “We have under ten minutes left in the four hours.”

  “Well, at least it will be over soon,” the thief grumbled. “Unless you want to bail now?”

  “No,” Maire said, shaking her head. “We won't win, but there is pride in seeing how far we can get.”

  “Fine.”

  Sophie pushed herself along, still enjoying the odd floating feeling. She smiled, bouncing up to touch the ceiling before floating back down.

  “Can you backflip?” Marie asked, watching her.

  “I haven't in ages, but I believe I still can,” Sophie answered.

  Marie smiled. “See how many you can do in a row here.”

  “Why don't you try?”

  Marie stopped, an eyebrow raised. “I appreciate your confidence in my flexibility, but that would not end well for anyone my age.”

  “Nonsense! I'm sure you could manage it,” Sophie cheered. “We’re practically floating here, it’ll be fine!”

  The pirate watched her for a few seconds, then rolled her eyes. She took half a step back before running forward two steps. Pushing herself into a jump, Marie curled into a front flip. She landed on her hands, twisted, and pushed herself off the ground again to land upright on her feet, facing Sophie. She swept her hat off for an exaggerated bow as the thief clapped.

  “Never doing that again,” Marie decided, putting her hat back on. “Nearly put out my elbow…”

  Sophie caught the proud smirk on her face as she turned to continue walking.

  “Were you an acrobat?” Sophie asked, running to catch up to her.

  “No, jumping from the boom was something of a sport on my ship. If you can't land safely on the deck in calm seas, being thrown off in a storm will kill you. My record was five flips, although I did dislocate my shoulder with that one.”

  Sophie looked at her in awe. “Five flips… What’s a boom?”

  “The-” Marie paused, frowning at her. “It’s the timber that runs horizontal to the mast. Holds the sail down.”

  “Ah. Do you know more tricks? Will you teach me?” Sophie asked eagerly.

  “I thought Rani was teaching you all you needed to know.”

  “She’s teaching me practical things. Not fancy things like what you did.”

  Before Marie could respond, a blue flash came from their bail devices. Sophie lifted hers, wondering what had happened.

  “Five minutes,” Marie reported, checking her watch. She looked at Sophie. “Run. See how far you can get before we’re pulled out.”

  “Yes, Captain,” she said, saluting. Then she bounced into a sprint.

  There was an open corridor to her left, which she slid into, bouncing gently off the wall. Picking up speed again, she jumped at the end to land with her feet on the wall. She pushed herself off with her knees, truly flying down the corridor. Finally gravity pulled her to the ground, and she rolled easily to a stop against the next wall; an intersection. To the left was a dead end, but the right was open.

  Not bothering to mark anything, Sophie ran to the right. The next open corridor was to the left, then to the left again, then right. She jumped and rolled and flew, laughing at how free she felt.

  She was sweating and beginning to pant by the time the blue glow pulled her back to the transport room, but she still didn't want to go.

  A raven hopped over as she fell to her knees, suddenly feeling twice as heavy.

  “Do you require water?” it asked.

  Sophie looked around, smiling when she saw Marie. “Can I go back?”