Page 66 of The Sovereign: Part One
The ride toward the Aegis Gate—the only way in or out of Hyperion Proper—was quiet, but it was a silence filled with anticipation.As we drove closer to the city’s towering walls, I traced my fingers along the window’s edge, their sheer scale nearly overwhelming me.
I had climbed at the Wellness Center before, scaled synthetic cliffs, relied on harnesses crafted from engineered fibers.But this was different.This was beyond the wall, beyond the orchestrated safety I had always known.
“You’re nervous.”Maxim’s voice was gentle and absent of judgment.
“A little.”
He reached over, his fingers brushing against mine.“Smith Rock isn’t far from the Strenn Corridor.I chose it because it offers the right balance of challenge for your skill level—demanding but achievable—and because it’s well within the patrolled zone.The Sentinels keep out of sight, but they’re heavily stationed there.”
I nodded, a thread of relief weaving through my unease.Their presence meant safety, but the thought of them lurking beyond the tree line was unsettling.The way Maxim had described the Sentinels made me imagine them to be very unlike Maxim—or even the Regs.They weren’t designed for companionship, for nuance, or to navigate society in a way that put Sovereign at ease.They were Dreadnoughts—unstoppable, unyielding, built for one purpose: war.
I told myself their protection was a comfort, but knowing the threats they subdued, the battles they won with tactical efficacy, a presence like that was nothing short of terrifying.
As we approached the gate, Maxim eased into one of three short lines of transports awaiting clearance.Within minutes, a Reg stepped forward.That class of Hiven was taller than most humans.Its synthetic frame glinted in the early morning sun as it scanned us with a coldness that sent a ripple of unease through me.Maxim didn’t flinch.He maintained a presence that suggested he had nothing to hide, though we both knew that wasn’t entirely true.
“State your purpose,” the Reg intoned, its voice crisp and controlled—polite only in the way a warning could be.
Maxim’s response was calm and precise.“Our purpose is recreation.Clearance ID XR-74J29K.”
The Reg’s optical interface flickered through several hues before settling.“You’ve been approved for a twelve-hour window.Failure to return before sunset will result in gate denial.”
Maxim nodded once.“Understood.”
“Proceed,” the Reg said, stepping back.
With a mechanical shift, the gate began to part.Though it wasn’t even a fraction of the wall’s height, it was still massive, a structure that could make even the most self-assured feel small.The Aegis Gate remained open during the day, but come nightfall, it would be sealed shut.No Sovereign who misjudged their time—or failed to account for the unexpected—lived to see it reopen.
The transition from Hyperion Proper to the outer terrain was abrupt.The moment we were through, it felt as if the world had been stripped of its polish.Roads became rougher, and the air carried a distinct heaviness—damp, like the humidity of Hyperion’s aeroponic bays, but laced with something sharper, a faint metallic tang that hinted at the remnants of a world long spoiled.
The landscape was raw and untamed.The horizon stretched wide, the earth mottled with patches of faded greens and barren browns, remnants of a once-thriving wilderness now scarred by time, neglect, and taken over by invasive species hardy enough to survive.Clusters of twisted trees clung to the soil, and the air was thick with the scent of decaying foliage.Suddenly, the city’s auto-misted scent grid made sense, ventline atomizers pushing controlled blends to drown the smell of rot.Off in the distance, a rusted structure jutted from the earth, its purpose forgotten, strangled by overgrown vines.There was beauty here, but it was one that whispered of loss, of a world struggling to heal from the wounds left by its past.
We drove as far as we could along the Strenn, the road narrowing until it became little more than a single-lane pathway.When the road ended and the vehicle could go no farther, Maxim pulled into and parked in a designated hold.
Once the transport powered down, he stepped out smoothly, making his way around to my side before opening my slipgate.As he retrieved our packs, I stretched, rolling my shoulders against the stiffness from nearly an hour on the Strenn Corridor—a longer drive than I was used to.There was excitement in the air, something unsaid but shared between us.I had spent my entire life inside the boundaries of Hyperion Proper, existing within a world dictated by rules and meticulous design.Now, I was standing on the edge of something feral.
Maxim adjusted the strap on his pack and then reached for my hand.“I’ve downloaded the map for the hike.”
I intertwined my fingers in his and smiled.“Of course you have, my incredibly sweet, ridiculously handsome, anal-retentive boyfriend.”
Maxim guffawed, but after his laughter died down, he narrowed his eyes.“I’m sure what you meant was accordant.Though, I do prefer the more elegant term of the old world:fiancé.”
I shot him a teasing, skeptical glance.
He winced, clutching his chest as if I’d wounded him, then nodded, his nose wrinkled, his eyes nearly slits.“Technically, and by every definition of the Vesture, I’m your fiancé… and you’re mine.”
“You haven’t even proposed,” I said, feigning reluctance.
He stopped in his tracks, squinting up at the sky with an exaggerated sigh.“Well, I suppose I’ll have to remedy that.”
The hike to Smith Rock would take less than twenty minutes, but every step felt significant.The uneven, rough ground beneath my boots—so different from the synthetic terrain I trained on—reminded me that I was far from the perfection of Hyperion Proper.As Maxim and I walked, our fingers brushed, and then, without either of us saying a word, our hands found one another, clasping with a quiet familiarity.His hand was warm, strong, and I held onto it, a comfort I hadn’t expected to feel so far from home.
We walked in silence for a while, until the rhythm of our steps naturally pulled me into conversation.“I’ve been thinking about scheduling a dinner with Bellam, Lourdes, her accordant, Leopold… and Roan.”
Maxim gave my hand a slight squeeze, sensing the underlying uncertainty in my tone.“Is Roan an issue?”
I sighed, glancing at him with a small smile.“We grew up together.I love him, but yes.And also no.He’s been pursuing Bellam, yet she’s less than three months from her Vesture.She wanted nothing to do with him at first, but as Roan does… he’s growing on her.And she hates it.”
“Bellam?”He sounded surprised, as if he couldn’t picture the strong-willed, logical woman I’d described to him succumbing to anyone’s charms.
