IntheClouds

Irememberthedaywhentheengineersandresearchers,toilingawayinthatlargemachine,
finallypulleddowntheedgeofthesky.
Itwasbeautiful.Theuppercloudlayergentlyslopingdowntomeetthehorizon,onlymarredby
themanmademetalandantlikeworkersscramblingtostabilizethesupportsstretchesand
oilupthebridgejoints.
Icanrecallthehecticvoicesandpoundingfeetoutsidemyofficedoorthatdrewmyattention
skyward,whereformonthsoutsidethewindowthatloomingsteelcontraptionsat,reachingfor
theskywithitsoutstretchedarms.
BeingtheCoAssistantDirectorofHumanManagementandCommunications,orHuMCom,I
wasassignedwiththatfirstteam.Hoursafterthebridgewasfinallycreated,myteamandI,
consistingofseveraldiplomats,cryptographers,andthemiscellaneousfew,traversedthewide
expanseofcloud.
Noonecantellyouwhatliterallywalkingonacloudfeelslike.Theengineersandscientistswho
haddesignedthemechanicalportionofthebridgehaddevelopedasystemsofprobesand
tubesthatfrozethesurfaceofthecloudusmortalhumanswouldbestandingon.
Asoursmallcrewtrekkedupthesteepinclineoftexturedice,apartywaswalkingdowntogreet
us.Oneoftheforeigndiplomatsnoticedthemfirst,shoutingingarbledFrench.Despitenot
understanding,thesentimentwasclearwhenweallcaughtsightofthebeingsapproaching.

Withthesunbehindthem,thesecreatureslookedalmostangelic,withahumanoidfigureand
translucent,languidforms.
Ourgroupsstoppedfeetapart.Theforwardmostfiguresteppedbeforeus,displayingitsrippling
shapeandthrowingrainbowsacrosstheground.
Withoutwords,weweregesturedtofollow,interminglingamongthebeingsofmistedwater.
Frostcrunchedbeneathmybootsaswefollowedthecreaturesaroundtheirworld,thetrailof
ourfootstepsslowlyfadingbehindus.
Wewereshownwonder.
Greatstructuresshapedofcloudandfog.Buildingsandtoolsofice.Hundredsofthewater
beings,congregatinginwelcome.Asweexplored,wewitnessednolackofmaterial,nowantor
needofsustenanceorcompany.
Weweremadetoberespectedguests,offeredplacestositandobserve,andstrangefoodsto
consume.Itappearedthateverythingwasconstructedofwaterinsomeformhowever,sowe
ateourownfood,pulledoutofthepackswehadbroughtwithus.
Andwemadeofferingsofourown.
Thecryptographersfirstgavespeech,attemptingspeechwiththequietbeingswhostoodwatch
overus.Thecreaturesrespondedinkind,awhistlingofvaryingvolumeandpitchweavinginto
complextonesintheairaroundourgroup.Itwasasweetmelody,andwehumanssmiledatthe
communication.
Iinstructedthetranslatorsandcodebreakerstotrycharades,pantomimeourinterests.

Whatfollowedwasanentertaininggameofguessing,teachingbasicwordsbackandforth.
Nextwasanattemptatquestions,posedbythediplomats.
Eachforeigncrewmemberattemptedtonegotiate,askafterpeaceandtreaties,howeverthe
gesturesreturnedsparkednorecognition,heldnohumanmeaning.Andthatwasfineinthe
end.
Asourtimeframeshortened,thefluidinourspeciallymadegeardepletingfromrepeateduse,
webegantoheadback.Backtowherewebelonged,backtoourworld.
Aprocessionofbeingsfollowedbehindus,shyingawayfromourfrozenfootstepsbutdancing
betweenusaswewalked.
Iturnedtolookbehindaswedescendedthefrozenslopetoourhomeofmetalandconcrete,
wavingatthefiguresthatstoodatthepeakofthebridge.Onegesturedabovetheirhead,
wavingback.
Debriefingwashorrible.
Eachpersonwhocameintocontactwiththecreatureswasdebriefedorinterrogated.Asked
aboutwhatwedid,whattheydid,howithappened,etc.
Ispenthoursbeingpesteredabouttheirlanguageandapparentculture,howthepeopleIwent
withrespondedtothecloudbeings,howwecommunicatedtogether.
Fallingontomybedattheendofthedaywasawelcomereprieve,myeyesimmediatelyclosing
asIslippedintotheworldofdreams.AndIdreamtofwonder.

Thefollowingweeksprovidedmoreopportunitiesforexplorationandencounter.Therewerea
totalofeightteamsthatwanderedthecloudswiththecreaturesthatlivedthere.Andweall
reportedthesame.
Itwasautopia.
Noevidenceofdisputeorcontemptwaseverfound.Thefiguresofmistappearedcompletely
contentwiththeirexistenceandeachother.Wecouldntfindanythingthatsuggesteda
hierarchyofsocietyoralowerclassofimpoverishedpeoples.Despitehavingwasappearedto
befood,noneofthebeingsappearedstarved.Anddespitelackingameansoftrackingspecific
entities,wecouldseenoreasontobelievethatanyofthebeingswerehomelessorwithouta
place.
Ourconstructorsbuiltthefirstbuildingonthebridgeamonthaftertheskywaspulleddown.
Eachteamhadseparaterooms,crammedwithbunkbedsandsmallclosets.Therewasone
communalkitchenandeatingarea,aswellasasittingareabyafireplace.
Thedecisionofeachexplorertomoveinwasunanimous.
Oneday,wereceivedwarningfromthescientistsbelowthatthecloudsweredarkening,
gunmetalgraycaressingtheairastheskyshiftedtostorm.Weignoredthewarning.
Entrancedaswewerewiththebeingsofthesky,wewishedtospendeveryavailablesecond
withthemoronthecloudonwhichtheydwelled.
Thedayofthestorm,somethingwasdifferent.Thebeingsappearedagitated,lesssereneand
wistful.Ichalkedituptothestorm,thinkingtheywereconcernedsomethingmighthappen.After
all,noonehadyettowitnesswhatoccurredonthecloudsastheyragedbelow.

Sowestayeduptop,sittinginfrontofoneoftheirlargebuildingsasthecreaturesglidedabout,
bendingirregularlyandtwitchingwildly.
InudgedthemannexttomeasInoticedtheyweregroupinginthecenteroftheclearingbyus,
pointingouthoweachbeingcircledslightlyintheirhuddle.
Theybegantalking,theirwhistlingwordsscreamingintotheairaroundus,whippingupintoa
frenzy.
Itmadesense.Thesebeingsoftheskylivedandbreathedit.Theywereapartofthestorm.
Andsoweremained,watchingandobservingthebeingsastheyperformedtheirritual,faces
betrayingaweatthewonderoftheirmovements.Whentheskycleared,rainbeingtakenaway
inthecloudsthathadfailedtodisperseit,weleft.
Ifilledoutthemandatoryreportfortheresearchersdownbelowandwenttosleep.
Thenewscameinthemorningaboutthefirstbodyfound.
ItwasaSouthAfricanambassador,partofadifferentteamthanmyown.Localpolicefound
himinthemiddleofastreet.Iwontdescribewhatconditionhewasin,otherthanhewas
oddlydry.Becausethepreviousdaysstormhadelicitednoprecipitation,thebodyshouldbe
innearperfectshapeexcludinginjuries.
Theinvestigatorssaiditwaslikehehadbeenmummified.Istoppedlisteningafterthat.
Hewasnttheonlypersontheyfound.Inthenexttwodays,thegovernmentofficials,whohad
takenovertheinvestigationwhentheidentitiesofthebodieshadbeendiscovered,foundan
additionalfourvictims.

Allthesame.
Theyevacuatedtheremainingexplorationteamsfromourbuildingwithinthehourofthefirst
bodybeingfound.Wewereallowedtogobackalmostaweeklater,whenthestormshad
passed.
Myteamwashesitant,meeklygesturing,whistlingwordslowlytothebeingsofwater.Ifthey
wereperplexedbyourchangedbehavior,theymadenocomments,takingsilentnoteifany.
Andourexplorationandobservationcontinued.Welearnedagreatdealaboutthosecreatures.
Wesentreportsofthethingswelearned,thewaystheyfunctionedintheirnearperfectsociety,
downbelowtotheeagerhandsoftheawaitingscientists.
Thenextstormcame.
Apprehensive,butuncaring,wereturnedtooursubjects,watchingagainastheydancedina
massofwrithingbodies,shakingandscreamingwiththewindbelow.
Icouldntwatch.
Mystomachflipped,curlingasIrememberedwhattheyfoundthelasttimeastormhappened.I
couldnt
stay
.
Ijerkedmyheadatoneofmyteammembers,indicatingmyintenttowalktothebackofthe
buildingwehadperchedinfrontofagain.Henoddedatmebeforehiseyesweredraggedback
tothepackofcreaturesandtheirhowling.

MyarmsshookasIshiveredinthecold,suddenlywishingtojustbehome.ThehomeIhadnt
seensinceIdstartedthisproject.IshookmyheadandhuggedmyselfasIcontinuedaround
thebuilding.
Amistedformcameintomyview,myeyestrailingupfromitsfeet,takingnoteofthefeatureless
headfacedinmydirection.
Iwhistledabit,strugglingtobeheardoverthewind.
Whyareyoualone?
Thebeingwalkedaroundme,usheringmetowardsthebackofthebuilding,inthedirectionId
beenpreviouslyheadingin.AsIwalked,thebeingbesidemereachedouttowardme.
Ijumpedawayquickly,shoutingasthecreaturefollowedme.
Stop!

Why?
Itfellonme,screamingasitslimbsfrozeoncontactwithmysuit,thewaterhissingasitfroze
quickly.
Idroppedtomyknees,tearsstreamingdownmyfaceasthecloudcreaturefell,feebly
squirmingontheground.IdontknowhowlongIremainedthereuntilitstopped,stillasa
statue.
Butitstartedtochange.
Sniffling,Imovedclosertoexaminetheimmobilebeing,watchingasitsform,mistandwater
heldtogetherbyunknownforces,slowlylostitsshape,meltingandmeldingintothecloudsand
airallaroundme.
Itwastoomuch.

Iturnedasthewaterstartedbeingabsorbedintothecloudsurfacebeneathus,scramblingto
myfeetandhalfsprinting,halffallingbacktotheothers.
Theywereconfused,butleftatmyincessanturging,trailingbehindmeasIstumbledawayfrom
whathappened.
Icontinuedtrekkingaway,pastmycompanionsthatstoppedattheirbelovedbuildingbythe
supposedutopia,downtheslipperyslopeofhalffrozencloud,backintothesafetyofmetaland
concreteatthebottom.
Irememberpeopletriedtostopme.Idontrememberfacesordetails,onlythathandsgrabbed
atme,graspingmyarmsandwrappingwarmtharoundme.
AsIsatinafluffyarmchair,surroundedbyconfusedindividuals,Ilookedoutthewindow.Itwas
raining.Thecloudshadreleasedtheirburdeninredtinteddrops.Iwouldreleasemine.
Thebridgereleaseditsholdontheskyafullsevenweeksafterithadbeenestablished.Many
wereconfounded.Theexplorers,deniedtheirobsessivefascinationwiththeskybeings,were
furious,demandingtoknowwhythegovernmentprohibitedinteractionwiththeskyrace,shut
downtheproject.
Noonecametomewithquestions.Theydidntrealizeitwasme.
IsawonthenewsshortlyafterIlefttheprojectabouthowpolicediscoveredagangof
teenagersinawarehousewhoweresuspectedofbelongingtosomesortofcultthat
worshippedancientEgypt.Mymindscreamed,Wrong!Theydontknow!Theycant!Icouldnt
bringmyselftotrulycare.

Now,yearslater,Isometimesfindmyselflookingatthesky.Gazingattheclouds,remembering
whathappenedthere,thewonderofitall.
Nosocietyisperfect.Theperfectutopiawrappedaroundamassofunexplainedmisery.No
matterhowsmall,somethingiswrongwitheveryone.Ifhavingautopiameantsubjecting
ourselvestowhatIsaw,whatwasquestionedoutofmeanddeciphered,thenIdidntwantit.
Nooneshould.Tolosethatmoralpartofourselves,thatdrivetoexist,survive,andthrive,
wouldmeantolosetheonepartofourselvesthatnooneperson,being,creature,orgodcan
takeaway.Thepartthatmakesus
human
.