In Sky City, to breathe is to fly.
I was going to take a tour through the official Montgolfier tour-ship, but my friend, who was also conveniently a local "big-shot", insisted on getting the "real feel", so...Well, here I am.
This is my first time with a personalized flighter, so my friend is helping me off the ground. We start at the 15th floor of a skyscraper, an impressive height for all newbies alike.
I look down, and instantly I understand how it feels when a baby takes its first breath. To be truthful, it's breathtaking.
He suddenly jumps off to launches his flighter. I jump off hastily, after him. As if he wanted to make me learn in stress, he immediately unloads both the handlebar and the foot rest, creating a box around him. Of course, I follow suit. We are free-falling now, and I feel my stomach twist and turn. He, on the other hand, just confidently carries on.
He looks at me and winks. I force a smile back. Just behind him, his hand is pointing at a greenish lever right beside him. I look around, and just as he motioned, a lever dangles. He then motions with big hand gestures: 3! 2! 1! Pltt.
The originally negligible wings suddenly spread wide on both of our backs, pulling us backwards. The handlebar, on the other hand, crashes on my chest and I struggle for breath, panting heavily. Seeing this, my friend laughs, almost falling off his flighter. I must have looked funny.
Then, I look forward...
I lost my breath again. But this time, it's not because of the handlebar. The sight, is just... beyond description. It's as if the law of gravity was forgotten. There are zeppelins everywhere, in longitude AND in latitude. The scene resembled those old thermometers where different colored liquids floated in variance underwater, Except these puffy little vehicles range from little balloons selling hot cross buns to Gigantic fish-like structures selling... whatever they sell. I think the best thing, though, are those little puffs of clouds that at times dot the sky, making it feel almost surreal.
Suddenly, I notice a humming noise at my back, and I stare back. My friend, laughs a little bit more and explains to me: "Those, are solar engines. It's what's keeping you up. Don't damage them~!"
No. Way. Those little silvery metal things CANNOT be the things holding me up. But then, Who knows? It has been a WHILE since the first solar engine was made. For all I know they'd made smaller.
We wait a little while to get me familiar, then like the wind... with the wind, he darts across the sky.
I follow closely. Feeling a little bit confused, I inquire where we are going...
"Fish Fry Fly!"
"Wait, what?"
"Just follow me. Come on!"
"why?"
I was going to take a tour through the official Montgolfier tour-ship, but my friend, who was also conveniently a local "big-shot", insisted on getting the "real feel", so...Well, here I am.
This is my first time with a personalized flighter, so my friend is helping me off the ground. We start at the 15th floor of a skyscraper, an impressive height for all newbies alike.
I look down, and instantly I understand how it feels when a baby takes its first breath. To be truthful, it's breathtaking.
He suddenly jumps off to launches his flighter. I jump off hastily, after him. As if he wanted to make me learn in stress, he immediately unloads both the handlebar and the foot rest, creating a box around him. Of course, I follow suit. We are free-falling now, and I feel my stomach twist and turn. He, on the other hand, just confidently carries on.
He looks at me and winks. I force a smile back. Just behind him, his hand is pointing at a greenish lever right beside him. I look around, and just as he motioned, a lever dangles. He then motions with big hand gestures: 3! 2! 1! Pltt.
The originally negligible wings suddenly spread wide on both of our backs, pulling us backwards. The handlebar, on the other hand, crashes on my chest and I struggle for breath, panting heavily. Seeing this, my friend laughs, almost falling off his flighter. I must have looked funny.
Then, I look forward...
I lost my breath again. But this time, it's not because of the handlebar. The sight, is just... beyond description. It's as if the law of gravity was forgotten. There are zeppelins everywhere, in longitude AND in latitude. The scene resembled those old thermometers where different colored liquids floated in variance underwater, Except these puffy little vehicles range from little balloons selling hot cross buns to Gigantic fish-like structures selling... whatever they sell. I think the best thing, though, are those little puffs of clouds that at times dot the sky, making it feel almost surreal.
Suddenly, I notice a humming noise at my back, and I stare back. My friend, laughs a little bit more and explains to me: "Those, are solar engines. It's what's keeping you up. Don't damage them~!"
No. Way. Those little silvery metal things CANNOT be the things holding me up. But then, Who knows? It has been a WHILE since the first solar engine was made. For all I know they'd made smaller.
We wait a little while to get me familiar, then like the wind... with the wind, he darts across the sky.
I follow closely. Feeling a little bit confused, I inquire where we are going...
"Fish Fry Fly!"
"Wait, what?"
"Just follow me. Come on!"
"why?"
"Oh, you'll thank me for this, Mr. Reporter. This will be the best scoop of your LIFE."
