42. Plenty-Full

        It was late, Dell knew Nolan would most likely still be in the Engine chamber at this hour. Still undecided, he leafed through the files in hand, one last time as he made his way through the hallway toward the workshop. Everyone had noticed Nolan's dedication, his interest in the Vimana project had been reported several times now, yet he knew another side to the gifted student others weren’t privy to. Nolan was a double edged sword. The truth was, Atalon's Atomic Bomb Project was risky business and Nolan was reckless. Reckless and stupid. Smart, but stupid. He was another Orius alright, but worse. 

        He stopped outside the workshop door to study the student notices, the latest elective course schedule was loaded up with new projects filtering down from the Crystal Program, there was plenty of interest too, it wasn’t like Nolan was the only fish in the sea, he was just the only one who was a Panther. Dell scanned the names, compared grades and competition, pondering the options available to challenge the decision but it was difficult to ignore the facts. Perhaps Nolan being a Panther was the Official Line, but stupidity was a general problem these days, he was still the most promising prospect for the Atomic Bomb Project. With a heavy sigh, he turned toward the Engine Chamber and went inside.

         "Hello Nolan" he had to shield his eyes from the sparks.
         Surprised, Nolan, jogged his welding wand. "Damn!" He cussed as the perfect bead was ruined, laid down the wand and lifted his face shield to see who it was that had interrupted his work. "Dell!" Apologetic, he turned off the welding machine and snapped to salute. "Your Honor!" He quickly corrected himself. Dell's serious face and late night rendezvous reeked of trouble. "Is there something wrong?"

         "Nolan, I want to talk to you about something."

         Nolan put down the face shield, it sounded really serious. "Yes. Your Honor!"
         Dell made his way over to have a closer look at his work. "I have a new assignment available…" He noticed the jog in the bead but the rest of the weld looked pretty good. "I understand you would like to work on the vimanas?"

         "Vimanas?" Nolan couldn’t hide a smile, he liked where this was going, he’d been hoping for a break like this since he learned what a Vimana was. "Yes, Your Honor!"

         "Very well then" Dell replied. "I will be signing you up for the Atomic Program."

         "The Atomic Program?" Nolan had heard rumors of the Atomic Power, Atomic Power was one of Orius’s latest discoveries... It was a huge breakthrough... "They're going to use it for the vimanas?"
         "That's right." Dell could read his excitement, it only confirmed his reservations. He gestured to his work. "What are you building?"
         Nolan was proud of it. "It's a new type of engine… I thought we could use it for the trains, it runs on water, less smog."

         "One of Orius's failed schemes" he smiled, gesturing to the jog in his bead. "Your wand’s too hot."

         It was early afternoon and classes were in session when Eden finally arrived to take Zara to Lochia. She pondered her unfolding fate as they made their way down the hill toward the harbor. It was difficult for her to resist admiring the famed goddess, images of Eden often appeared in tabloids. Everyone knew who she was. Blessed with exotic features, Eden was immune from the sort of ill fate Zara seemed to attract. Tall and beautiful, her skin was a perfect olive tone and her long black almost-flaxen hair flowed gracefully behind her everywhere she went like a glistening, ebony silk shawl. 

         The girls walked down to the lower pier where a small passenger boat awaited them. 'Plenty-Full'... Zara studied the vessel's name, exquisitely painted in gold and blue. The boat looked new, Lochia seemed like a nice place already. A trip across the sea in a passenger boat was a rare adventure for an aribu, especially at this time of year, for Zara it was nerve racking. There was no safe place to train her eyes, save for the sky. The water rushing past the vessel was much scarier in a small boat, she couldn't look down into the depths below. And although the scenery was astonishing, the wild wooded coastal lands reminded her of the dangers held at bay, images in her mind of the white rabbit’s carcass re-appeared out of nowhere like a haunting ghost, she couldn't look there either.

         As the afternoon sun lowered over the water, the boat finally sailed into a rustic little harbor on the southern coast of Finias. Even though the boat looked well maintained, the aging and decrepit looking harbor offered little hope of a glamorous town.

         ‘LOCHIA’. Zara read the sign with some disappointment, it's peeling paint and algae accents were a stark contrast to the shiny fine lettering of Fina’s sign. Her gaze drifted towards the gated entrance as the boat neared the shore. There was nothing very welcoming about Lochia, even the gates were kept closed.

         Eden led the way up the hill to the Meden Institute. Lochia was more like Culloom than Fina, there were no caged birds or colored lights decorating the streets here, there was no music playing or night clubs on offer, no storefronts, restaurants or interesting shops to explore. Unlike the university campus in Fina, the buildings in Lochia were institutional, dark and plain. The city looked run down, the contrast was depressing. 

         Zara found it all very confusing. Wasn't this where the Ephra Institute was? How did such a dark and gloomy place like Lochia produce such a happy and bubbly Goddess like Dena?

         A glimmer of hope filled her heart as she spotted a familiar sight in the heart of the town. The Lochia Temple of Medel was like a Welcome Home sign, she didn’t need a signpost to tell her where to go for worship. She let out a sigh of relief. No matter where she was, the Temples were all the same, like a home away from home, a feeling of security that hugged her deep inside. She knew at that moment that she would be okay, that Medel was always protecting her no matter who she was with, no matter what crazy things happened to her, or what strange town she had to live in.