PROJECT: CAYRO

Cayro Bracton:

August 18, 2025

15:38 EST

The Autumn Med Bay

30 Miles off the Coast of VA.

The soft, steady beeping of medical monitors pulled me from a dream where I was soaring through clouds on my skyboard. As I reached up to wipe the sleep from my eyes, a tug on my arm stopped me. Turning my head, my stiff neck protesting with a dull ache, I noticed an I.V. taped to my right arm, the line leading to a half-empty bag hanging above me. I sighed and leaned my head back, the reality of my situation sinking in—I was in a hospital. Great, I thought. I must have scared the hell out of Grandpa.

The relentless beeping of a heart monitor to my right caught my attention. The machine’s leads were attached to my bare chest, barely covered by the thin hospital blanket. It felt invasive, a constant reminder that something had gone wrong.

I spotted a cup of water on a rolling table beside the bed. Gratefully, I reached for it, bringing it to my parched lips. The cool liquid was a welcome relief, washing away the dryness that had coated my mouth. Leaning back once more, I took a deep breath, trying to piece together how I ended up here. The last thing I remembered was a splitting headache and... my eyes turning green? My eyes don’t turn green. I must have imagined it. The pain must have been so intense that it caused me to hallucinate. That happens, right?

As I lay there, mulling over the possibility that I had hallucinated, distant voices began to filter through the haze. I didn’t recognize the woman’s voice—it was soft, probably a nurse. But then I heard my grandfather’s voice, rough and edged with barely restrained anger.

“Listen, I don’t care about your problems! Right now, all I want to know is if Cayro will be okay?” His growl was menacing, the kind of tone that meant he was beyond pissed. A shiver ran down my spine; whatever had happened to me, it must have been bad to get him this worked up.

“He will be just fine, Mr. Bracton. He just needs some sleep,” the woman’s voice replied, gentle and placating, like she was trying to calm a raging storm.

“Fine… I would like to talk to your Captain, please," he grumbled, his tone gradually leveling out, though the tension was still there.

“I’ll go get him; please wait here,” she replied, her footsteps quickly retreating into the distance.

I lay there for a moment, my mind reeling from what I had just overheard. Why did Grandpa want to talk to a captain? We’re in a hospital—or at least, that’s what I assumed. And there’s no way he would have taken me to Langley for treatment. My thoughts started to spiral, trying to piece together the fragments of memory and the bizarre situation I found myself in.

Then I heard my grandfather muttering to himself, his voice low and heavy with something that sounded like regret. “Jeez, son, how could you do this to your own child, your own flesh and blood? You shouldn’t have left Cayro like this. Why did it have to be you who had to save the world?”

I frowned, my mind grasping at the pieces of what he was saying. What the hell did he mean by what my father did to me? Dad’s been dead for twelve years. He hasn’t done anything to me since. How could he? The man died overseas during the Twilight Winter, dealing with that weapon of mass destruction. I never understood why they called him a hero for it—he was gone, just like that. The Medal of Honor they handed me when I was fifteen felt more like a curse than a badge of honor. It didn’t save him, and it sure as hell didn’t save me from the mess it left behind.

Before I could dwell any further on the confusion and rising anger gnawing at me, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. The door slid open with a hiss, pulling me back to the present.

“Yes, Mr. Bracton, you wanted to see me?” A male voice spoke, its familiarity tugging at the edges of my memory. I knew that voice, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Yes, I did. I want to know how long Cayro has before this so-called programming wears off.” My grandfather’s growl was unmistakable, challenging the man who had just entered. Programming? What the hell is he talking about?

“A year, maybe less,” the man replied, his tone mild but steady. “By then, we should have the C Drive and the programming necessary to complete the procedure.” The calmness of his explanation only heightened my confusion. What are they talking about? A C Drive? That’s like the main hard drive in a computer, right? What the hell does that have to do with me?

“The C Drive won’t just complete the programming for Cayro and Star—it’s also critical for reprogramming this ship,” the man continued.

“I don’t give a damn about your ship, Clark!” my grandfather snapped, his patience clearly worn thin.

Wait… ship… Clark? My heart skipped a beat. Could he mean Andrew Clark? My ears perked up, straining to catch every word. No way. It can’t be him.

“I’m well aware you don’t care about the Autumn, Mr. Bracton. But we need the ship reprogrammed before we can even think about reprogramming the implants in Cayro’s body. It’s all interlinked. Why do you think I’ve spent the last thirteen years on the run, protecting this ship?” the man countered, his voice tinged with frustration. Holy shit… it is him. What the hell is going on?

“Clark, this isn’t my problem! It’s yours. I just want Cayro to be healthy, to live a normal life,” my grandfather retorted, his voice taut with anger.

“Well, unfortunately, Mr. Bracton, it is your problem, and it will remain your problem unless you start listening. Cayro isn’t normal, and he never will be. If you want him to get better, we need to find that damn drive before it’s too late!” Clark’s voice rose, matching my grandfather’s intensity. I could hear Grandpa’s heavy breathing, the sound of him pacing back and forth.

“I think I know where it’s hidden,” Clark continued, his voice steady but laced with frustration. “But before we could go after it, we had to come here first to make sure Cayro was okay. His implants alerted us—that’s why we came. I’ve told you everything I can. Once Cayro wakes up, we can proceed with the next steps.”

My grandfather’s voice remained tense, but he was clearly trying to keep his anger in check. “I just want Cayro to be healthy, to live a normal life. You said this would be the last step, Clark. I’m holding you to that.”

I heard them both walk off down the hall, their voices fading into the distance. My head was spinning, buzzing with a thousand questions. There was no way I could go back to sleep after what I’d just overheard—too many things didn’t make sense. Programming? Implants? And why the hell was Andrew Clark involved?

I shifted in the bed, trying to make sense of it all, when I suddenly came face to face with a girl, inches away from me.

“Hello,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

In shock, I let out a yelp and instinctively scrambled backward, only to tumble out of the bed. The IV ripped from my arm with a sharp sting, and I ended up tangled in the cables, the pain and surprise leaving me breathless.

“Who in the hell are you?” I blurted out, my voice still shaky. “And where in the hell am I?” My backside throbbed from the fall, and as I glanced down, I was grateful to see I was at least still wearing my boxers. The whole situation was surreal, but the ache in my arm and the sting of the floor against my skin were all too real.

Before I could gather my thoughts, I heard two sets of footsteps rushing back into the room. My grandfather and—unbelievably—Captain Andrew Clark stood in the doorway. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks: I was on board the freaking Autumn. This couldn’t be real. It had to be a dream.

“Well, this was unexpected,” Clark remarked nonchalantly, looking down at me with an expression that bordered on amused.

I was still at a loss for words when the girl hurried to my side, her movements quick and nervous as she reached out to help me up. The moment her hand touched mine, something strange happened—a click, almost as if something in my head had locked into place. The sensation was unsettling.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” she murmured, her eyes downcast as if embarrassed by the whole situation. She quickly turned away, rummaging through a nearby cabinet before handing me a piece of gauze, her hand trembling slightly as she offered it.

I took the gauze from her, my mind still racing with confusion. I needed a moment—something to ground me in the reality of whatever this was. Turning my back to everyone, I carefully untangled myself from the cables and sat back on the bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around me. For some inexplicable reason, I felt incredibly self-conscious around this girl, even more so than in front of Clark and my grandfather.

The heart monitor emitted a steady whine as it lost track of my pulse, the sound adding to the surreal nature of the moment. I focused on the pain in my arm, the cold floor under my feet—anything to convince myself that this wasn’t just a bad dream.

I shot the heart monitor a vicious glare, wishing I could mentally shut it off. As if she could read my mind, the girl reached across in front of me and silenced the device with a few quick taps. I watched her as she backed away, moving behind the captain to give me space. She probably noticed my glare and sensed my temper was on the edge. My emotions were a mess, barely held in check, and the fact that she moved out of my view was probably for the best.

I took a deep breath, trying to get a grip on the swirl of confusion and irritation before finally looking up at the captain.

Andrew Clark of SAF stood before me, and I couldn’t help but feel a wave of disbelief wash over me. He wasn’t what I expected—not after seeing countless pictures of him in Sky Magazine, where he always looked larger than life, powerful and almost intimidating. But here, in person, he was just a man, a bit shorter than my grandfather and not nearly as broad.

He wore a black leather jacket over a matching t-shirt that was tucked into khaki cargo pants, which hung loosely on his hips, held up by a black leather belt with a silver buckle. His black combat boots looked well-worn, the kind of boots that had seen more action than they should have and were ready to be retired. For someone who owned a massive airship and made a living in skyboarding and international trade, I would have expected something a bit more... polished.

His black hair fell just past his collar, tied back in a low ponytail, and his jaw was shadowed with a day’s worth of stubble, giving him a rugged, almost careless appearance. But it was his eyes that caught my attention—soft brown irises that gave off a relaxed, almost nonchalant vibe, entirely at odds with the commanding figure I had imagined.

“I see you’ve met Star,” Clark said, his tone casual as he arched an eyebrow and craned his head back slightly to check on her. “She can be a little… odd at times.”

I watched as the girl, Star, looked down, her cheeks flushing pink at his remark. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest, clearly embarrassed. Seeing her reaction, I felt a surprising warmth in the tips of my own ears. When did I start noticing things like that?

It struck me suddenly—beautiful. The word popped into my head unbidden as I looked at her. Beautiful? When did I start seeing women as beautiful? This wasn’t like me. Even Kendra, with all her attention, never sparked this kind of reaction. Yet, this girl… Star… there was something about her, something that made it impossible to ignore how captivating she was.

Zak always claimed Aura was the prettiest girl in the world, and in his eyes, she probably was. But Star... she was different. Comparable to Aura, sure, but in a way that felt entirely new to me. She wasn’t just pretty; she was something more, something that stirred a part of me I didn’t even know was there.

Her shoulder-length hair was a medium brown, with a striking strip of lilac purple that fell over her right eye. It was an unusual color choice, but it suited her perfectly. As I finally mustered the courage to meet her gaze, I was immediately drawn in. Her eyes were a deep, vivid purple, and the moment our eyes locked, I was transfixed. I couldn’t stop staring, caught off guard by the intensity of her gaze. My heart skipped a beat—a sensation I had never felt with any other girl before. What was happening to me? I’d never been affected like this by anyone, let alone a girl.

She wasn’t wearing anything flashy, nothing that screamed for attention. She had on a loose emerald green t-shirt that complemented her hair and eyes, paired with black cargo pants and combat boots that looked far better maintained than the captain’s. Despite the loose clothing, I could tell she had an hourglass figure, toned and fit. She looked to be around my age, maybe a little shorter. I just stood there, taking her in, trying to process the sudden rush of feelings. Is this what Zak feels toward Aura? Just instant wow?

“So, Star, are you okay?” the captain asked, breaking the silence.

“I’m fine, but I think he might need some more rest though,” she replied, her voice soft and beautiful, sending my heart racing even faster.

“I think you may have scared him, Star,” the captain teased lightly.

She broke eye contact with me to look up at the captain. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” she apologized, her voice gentle and sincere before her gaze returned to mine. The sound of her voice sent chills down my arms, goosebumps prickling my skin. She moved to stand behind the captain, blushing again, her shyness only adding to the pull I felt toward her. It was… adorable.

Just then, my grandfather cleared his throat, pulling my attention away from her and back to him and the captain.

“Do you think you can fly him home?” the captain asked, nudging her gently from behind.

“Yes, sir,” she replied, her voice steady, though I noticed the faint blush still coloring her cheeks.

The captain turned to face my grandfather. “Well, since Cayro is awake, I suppose you can leave. Star and I will meet you on the flight deck in ten minutes if you’re ready to go. Come on, Star, we have to prepare the skycars.”

I watched them walk out the door, but just before she left, Star quickly turned her head and sneaked one more glance at me. My heart skipped again. Was the feeling mutual? Did she find me attractive too? My thoughts were racing, but I forced myself to turn my attention back to my grandfather. I had way too many questions to be distracted by a girl—no matter how captivating she was. But the grin on my grandfather’s face told me he’d already noticed more than I wanted him to.

“What…” I started, already dreading what he was about to say.

“Just like your father,” he said with a knowing smile, “falling for a pretty girl like that.”

I felt the heat rush to my face, and I knew I was blushing. Damn it. My grandfather chuckled softly, clearly amused by my reaction.

“I’m not falling for her,” I shot back, the denial escaping before I could think it through. His raised eyebrow told me he wasn’t buying it. And honestly, neither was I. She had my head spinning in ways I couldn’t explain, and it was painfully obvious—to both of us.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, still smiling but with a hint of seriousness creeping back into his voice.

“Are we on board the Autumn?” I finally managed to choke out, desperate to steer the conversation away from Star and my embarrassing reaction.

“Yes, I’m afraid so…” he replied, the smile fading as a grumble replaced it.

“So… why are we on board the Autumn, and what happened to me?” I asked, the questions that had been gnawing at me finally breaking through.

“I’ll explain on the way home, so hurry up,” he grumbled again, turning quickly and leaving me alone in the room.

I stood there in my boxers, completely bewildered and overwhelmed. Everything was happening too fast. All I could think was: I’m on board the freaking AUTUMN! And… wow, she’s beautiful.