Innocence Withstand

Chapter One

Chapter One

Single stars surrounded the outside of the stratosphere as the lights' twilight embroidered the neon colors of apricot, maroon, and flashes of fuchsia that bounced off one another. Reddish flames and golden sparks flayed around the planet as it tilted to one side. The bright colors of gases and mass perfume on the northern part of the planet were darker in hue colors, yet electric indigo thundered in the lower part of the world. Multiple giant rings form on the world of Light encompassing it. The Planet Light glowed brightly in the northern hemisphere and a darker in the southern hemisphere. The equator magnified supreme electric activity with hues of violet and specs of fuchsia. Massive spaceships docked at the outer stratosphere. Multiple large spaceports were grouped in rows as the mists of air proclaimed the area.

Multiple beings with caramel and chocolate complexions flew in sync with no wings. Gravity-defying buildings appeared like clear snowy cubes as hundreds of different people flew around as other spaceships soared down and began to dock at selective parts. Lightning spiraled around them as they wore their one-piece bodysuits. Colors matching the planet below appeared on their clothes as they flew. Thunderous clouds circulated them. A young teen girl with a caramel complexion sailed with her hands beside her. She was average size and leaned as she kept wavelength in motion. She turned her dark brick colored eyes to the others around her, for all of them were of different ages. Her hair was in an afro as she flew in a violet bodysuit. The clouds rumbled underneath. Through the shadows, she saw the towered cubed buildings appear with electric waves moving over them. As she looked up, more people soared in lines. She observed the different atmospheres with spaceships. The cubed buildings were reaching into the mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and exosphere. She initiated to descend, seeing a large ship with the words, Lie Light 1, from faraway. She glided down more than saw the lower atmosphere, but halted by the beep, and then a red digital rope gradually enveloped around her.

She began to struggle against it as it beeped louder. She shouted as she was floating in the air without movement. As she turned her attention to the side, she saw two men with oval helmets with dark markings with LP and pointed lasers at her. The teen stiffened for the Lie Police were there. They had a mocha complexion and taller than her. The men moved closer, wearing similar bodysuit but badges with the logo of the Lie Police. They moved nearer to her and peered down at their watch with her face digital showing. Both of the eyes burned crimson with grey glowing.

The man on the right shook his head, “Tisi, you know it’s forbidden to go down to the lower levels when it's uncivilized down there.”

The man on the left rolled his eyes and pressed buttons on his watch, glaring at her. “Do we have to go through this every month? There is no life below. What makes down there interesting when we have everything up here?”

Tisi struggled some more than looked upward at the men, “we need to know what is down there. Don’t you ever want to know?”

Both men move quicker to her then grab the digital rope flying upward. Tisi glimpsed down below and felt her heart in her chest pound harder as she gazed, vowing to return. The men flew faster upward to through the atmosphere around the other people flying in sync. Gases and clouds congested the skies as the array of colors sparkled against the booming sounds.

****

Minutes later, both of the Lie Police took a quick look at Tisi as they levitated in front of the cubed building with the word, Mez 1. The digital rope faded around Tisi as both men were beside her. Slowly, a door opened, and a woman with a similar complexion to Tisi drifted toward them, and the men pushed Tisi toward the woman. Her long dark hair flew around her. Her auburn-reddish eyes glared at Tisi. She was a foot taller than Tisi and scowled at her. She wore a black bodysuit rimmed with orange lights.

“Thank you, Akkin, and Gucwa,” as she acknowledged both men's right to left, “I’m sorry you had to collect my daughter again.”

Akkin, on the right side, then turned to Gucwa then grimaced at Tisi, “we are only our best, but Tisi needs to stop this. She is lucky that we picked her up and not the Lie Police.”

Akkin crossed his arms, hissing toward Tisi,” Arlio, we’ve picked her up for the fifth time; if the Head Chief Aoinee founds out her, it will be severe punishment for her.”

Aoinee hovered to her daughter, then kneeled in front of her above the floor, then caressed her daughter’s face, “Tisi won’t do it again, and thank you.”

Akkin and Gucwa nodded then cast off. Arlio looked deeply into her daughter’s eyes to try to recognize her. She couldn’t grasp why her daughter wanted to go down below. She glowered afterward gradually got up to fly to the door. Tisi looked at her mother miserably, then coasted after her. The door shut after them. Her mother turned around and crossed her arms.

“Tisi, you can’t keep going down to the lower levels. The world down there doesn’t exist. The Great Change happened five thousand years ago. None but our faction survived. We now live in the higher altitudes of planet Light.” Arlio growled delicately at Tisi.

“Mom, I’m sorry, but I believe that life exists down there. No one goes down there. We don’t know what happened after the Great Change. I don’t understand why we can’t,” Tisi’s voice gradually raised higher.

“We live in the mesosphere, near the Sovereign Aoinee. You can’t keep jeopardizing my position as a trade ambassador, Tisi. Our faction is all we have left of our people. We evolved five thousand years ago. There is no need to look at the past; we need to live in the future.” Arlio scowled then floated away.

Tisi levitated there, uncertain of herself. Her curiosity outdid her as she questioned why her people never peeked down past the clouds. Her world was in the shadows and even outside of the mesosphere. Tisi turned and glanced at the watch as it was a reminder that all citizens of Lie had to wear it. She smirked, realizing that it was an ID tracker and communicator. Tisi hovered to the opposite of where her mother traveled, heading down the hallway.

****

A golden and navy giant star shined over planet Light as the colors contrasted to the shine over it. The massive golden-navy star was at the center of the galaxy that ruled all the other twelve planets in sequence as they rotate around it. Bulky in size, it was over one-thousand times larger than all the worlds. The golden and navy rays illuminated over the fifth planet, Light. The gases sprawled back and forth to harden and liquefy on the surface. The light hit a window as the dark cobalt shined in glamour against the walls. A small bed attached to the wall near the side as a young teen laid there with her eyes closed. As the blue hit the walls, she groaned over to her eyes and then wiped her eyes from the disturbing light. She steadily got up and then turned to see the galaxy’s sun star shine lustrously. As the light hit her eyes, fuchsia and silver flashed over the brick-colored eyes as disappeared then returned to normal. Tisi ascended to the wall with the mirror. She touched her face then peered closer at her hair in its current state.

The door opened with her mother looking back at her daughter. “Tisi, I have to go to the Commerce Trade building. I will be there all day, yet I will see you in the evening. Your father, Ciel, will be here in the afternoon. Don’t forget to go to your classes.”

Tisi nodded, then observed her mother as the door closed. It was the same routine over and over as she watched herself back in the mirror. Her eyes flashed fuchsia and silver once more as she touched the mirror, igniting the same electricity out of them. She scowled, then surveyed down to tap her watch to a color mode. She progressively changed the method from yesterday’s color of russet color to grey. As Tisi glanced at herself again, she touched the mirror, typed on clear tabs, and grinned as the mode teeth. She smiled big and opened her mouth as a blue laser hit her teeth, making them whiter. Tisi pressed the buttons to clear the mode then sashayed to the door. She peeked back at her room with only a bed and mirror. She heaved a sigh then floating down the hallway.

****

Clouds of gases cruised around her as other teens with different shades of chocolate flew around her to the building down below, Instruction Zero. Children and teenagers of various ages navigated down to the building as the dock doors opened. Tisi surveyed downhill at the dock doors, then glanced back at the Mez 1. She didn’t believe her mother to staying out of trouble. Like she caused any. Although Tisi glowered watching the cubed building, she felt fear from her mother as she had mentioned the sovereign. Tisi didn’t pick up the signal before, and next turned her head as her world divided into different levels. Tisi glimpsed down at her watch then began to fly straightforward but stopped hearing a whistle in the air. She turned her head to inspect to see another female teen with short dark bouncy wavy midnight hair. Her eyes were ebony, and her azure bodysuit had an imprint of the planet Light on the covering. She was lean and slender as Tisi with a caramel complexion.

“Tisi, you can’t go off again,” the female teen insisted.

Tisi rolled her eyes, then looked back at the lower levels but couldn’t go down past the mesosphere. “Leko, something is down there. It’s almost as if calling for me to go down there.”

Leko giggled then shook her head at Tisi, “your head is always in the clouds. You constantly dream of Light was broken when it’s not. We live in the air.”

Leko twirled in the air and simpered as she peeked at her friend then grabbed her hand. “Listen, Tisi, as long as I have known you, you’ve always been adventurous, but that’s when we're kids. We are fifteen now. In three years, our rite of passage comes where we enter society. We have to live with our parents and what they do.”

Tisi moaned at Leko, “it doesn’t mean I will give up on what I want to see. Why is something so forbidden that no one is to go down below? We live in the air, but we have never been to the land below.”

Leko pointed down below as she slipped closer to Tisi. “The Great Change began five thousand years ago, Tisi. We live by the code to become one with air. We stay in the Light of our planet. We are strong and proud to be Lie.”

Tisi peered down beneath for in air their space between them all. Her eyes curved back to Leko, for her mother told her not to. She heaved a sigh then fluttered upward to Instruction Zero dock door. Leko followed after her.

****

The golden and navy star illuminated over Light and bubbled over the gases that mixed all around. The clouds stretched skyward, although separately staggering at the same time. The rings matched the stars with hue energy as it radiated over the planet. A smaller world rounded the orbit of Light. Silvery lights and fumes dotted in the distance as the cubed building floated in the area. Arlio zoomed to the dock door to see other citizens of Lie fly through. She turned to see different adults of ages cross through matching shades of chocolate. As she glided inward, many lined up for a screening. She floated to a spot and saw the others around her. Arlio knew this would be a long process throughout the day.

One by one, each member scanned through a circular ring that illuminated. Each member held up their watch on their hand, and it blazed. A few minutes later, Arlio lifted her hand for the watch to be scanned, and it illuminated. As she coasted through, many of the members huddled together, worried for something was different this morning. Whispers murmured that General Cale would be coming soon. She took off, passed them down the long corridors of pale tones and alternating lights on the sides of the walls. Arlio grimaced for it the general would come, it would mean something devasting has occurred.

****

Halls were ashen and filtered throughout the rooms and levels of the building. Many students rushed around to get their classes. Tisi hurried beside Leko, who studied at others around her. Tisi peered at others around her as they continued their daily routine. She turned back to look at Leko, who appeared content. Tisi stopped for a second alerting Leko to stop.

Leko peeked at her apprehensively, “are you all right? You haven’t been the same since the summer winds two months ago.”

Tisi looked around, then grabbed Leko’s hand, opening the door to another room. She rapidly went in with Leko and then shut the door. Tisi observed firmly at Leko.

“If I tell you something, will you not tell anyone?” Tisi inquired with apprehension.

Leko searched Tisi’s eyes to see fear-stricken with a dwelling secret ready to burst, “yes, and I won’t tell anyone.”

Tisi turned her attention to the floor as they hovered above it. She tapped her heart three times, and an image digitally came forth in the appearance of a medium-large leather book. Inscribed symbols and letters appeared as Leko looked. She could see an archaic term of the letter L on it. Leko tilted her head inquisitively.

“What is that?” Leko questioned Tisi.

Tisi reached for the digital book and pulled it out of the cyber portal. She held it and looked at her, curiously, “it’s a hardcover book.”

Leko’s eyes grew grander as she opened her mouth big and about to yell, yet Tisi covered her mouth, dropping the book.

“Don’t say anything,” Tisi humbly remarked.

“Tisi, that’s from the old days written word; why would you have it?” Leko grunted.

Tisi stated but cut off from Leko, “I found it during the two summer winds ago—"

“You knew about that but didn’t tell me!” Leko nearly screamed at Tisi for keeping a secret for two years from her.

Tisi frowned then gulped. “I’m sorry, Leko. I just didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry I kept this from you. I just didn’t know who really to trust because this is a big secret. I just managed to get the book uncoded for that long to be able to understand it.”

“Okay. I understand. Thank you for telling me, but don’t keep secrets like that again. We’ve been friends since we were seven.” Leko said proudly. “But you’re not completely off the hook!”

Tisi shook her head, looked at her best friend, and groaned because it was a typical Leko answer. She couldn’t tell Leko everything, but she would share what she could. Tisi nodded then began again.

“So, back to what I was saying before. I was headed to the troposphere to go shopping for my mother, but I saw a rocket come my way, and I stopped it. Inside was this book,” Tisi waved her hand over the book, and it navigated up to her.

“Why do you still have it?” Leko insisted. “Wait, you said that you’ve decided? Have you read it yet?”

“No one was around me, Leko. They said nothing is down there! But this proves there is something down there. Something came from down below. Leko, there’s life down there.” Tisi said uneasily. “I haven’t read it when it took me all that time just to decode it.”

Leko blinked her eyes then studied the book, “Is that why you’ve been sneaking out?”

Tisi nodded, then tapped her heart three times, and the book digitally went back inside. “I’ve tried to find a way below without getting caught, yet I can’t seem to get down there.”

Leko glowered then pointed to Tisi’s watch, “Tisi, you have to leave your watch behind, but it’s your passport to the levels. How can you get down there without it?”

Tisi turned around then scowled, doing an air kick then stopped, “I don’t know, but I need your help, Leko.”

Leko contemplated then grinned, “well, the only way you couldn’t get tracked is if you were on the airship in the troposphere.”

“What?” Tisi asked, confused.

“My brother, Borge, he works for a merchandise cruiser to Planet Ark in next star system over. Borge works on another ship export trade to Planet Wada. He works seasonally for Refined Minerals Extraction and Transport Assist on the troposphere to mine for moonara. The next time he comes, I’ll see if he can help.” Leko smirked.

“Thanks, Leko. I appreciate that” Tisi grinned widely. “With the watch, I can still get tracked.”

Leko shook her head then giggled. “Tisi, remember the last winter wind when you got me that tracker dismantler. That experimental one that you stole from the research lab your mom worked at.”

Tisi laughed, then hugged Leko, “you’re the best.”

Leko hugged her back then removed herself from her, “a troublemaker knows another one.”

“So, I have a plan to go down there now,” Tisi beamed as she looked at Leko.

“Yes, so now you can go down there, but it will; you’ve got three hours before the chip turns off,” Leko warned.

“I’ve got it, Leko,” Tisi detailed.

Leko zoomed to the door and opened it, “we better get to class, or Instruction Zero’s headmaster will give us extra again.”

Tisi nodded then exited after Leko.

****

Arlio soared down to the halls into the grand room. She had seen multiple faces of mocha, caramel, dark chocolate, and coffee colors all around her. The center was a tall man with short dark hair slicked back, devoid of floating in the air. He hovered above the ground with a dark presence. He frowned as he turned to the others around him. The man was older with wrinkles and a snowy stripe in his hair. Arlio moved nearer to hear what was going to be said. His eyes were dark as the crimson stars in the eastern sector. He wore a dusky-colored bodysuit with the letter L on his left shoulder.

“Greetings all of Lie, it has come to my attention that the imports to the Lie Faction have dwindled severely. It is of high importance that we maintain our way of life, Lie. Look at this serious matter for our lively hood is going to be overtaken.” Cale mentioned.

Arlio watched the others around her as they glanced back at one another, “we have to find out who is diminishing this. Our resources are important, that means even if we have to go below.”

Whispers began to scatter as General Cale’s voice revibrated throughout the room. “I know the tall tale myths are false, but if they are true, and the information is classified. No one in this room is to reveal the existence of the lower world, or else punishments will be severe.”

“Does that mean that the Gravity Faction survived?” one member asked.

Cale narrowed his eyes at the person and answered slowly, “yes.”

A collective gasp paused in the room. Arlio moved her nails to her mouth, slowly biting on them. She began distraught for Tisi, for she had frequently gone below to explore, but now the existence meant she would be in danger.

“The existence of the Gravity Faction has been classified and forbidden to the public. There are direct reasons as to why we don’t engage down below. The historic cubes for that era are classified. Never engage and never observe. Follow the rules. I will send a team to discover this report.” Cale said sinisterly, then turned to see all the members then glided off.

Arlio turned to see General Cale down the passageway as the doors shut. She peered at everyone around her and blinked, for her world of fearing the below had now become real.