Orbital by bill zhao copyright 2017 Bill Zhao Table of Contents act one (earth)

Icarus. It seemed… unique. The messaged detailed about events he had
buried in his past. And ‘alone’? That was a joke. Derek Simmons was
always alone. But still. An invitation like this was quite out of the
ordinary and for some random bizarre reason, he decided to obey it.
He didn’t like change, but this could be a good one.
His life was very routine.
5
Contact
5:55 PM
Gordus Bridge
The very invitation set off alarms in his head but he just had an
indescribable feeling and an urge to follow through. The sky was dark.
The pink fading away rapidly, losing its former intensity. Gordus
Bridge. Derek knew this bridge very well. It was a small one. Right in
the middle of the local park which he jogged through on many
occasions. Named after Terry Gordus; A man with a dream to build the
perfect society (like everyone else), only that dream died with him all
with a swift but brutal beating by an anonymous gang. This bridge
symbolised what little he was able to change but also his only legacy –
being well known for sacrificing his health for the city’s good (not that
it did much but it was a start). Derek could barely see the city’s lights
from here. With them being crowded by trees and all.
Before he realised it, it was six o’clock. So where was this mystery person?
Derek started to look around when he saw a tall man dressed in a brown
trench coat and black, formal trousers walk up to him. Derek spo ed a 20
th
century long barrelled revolver holstered near his pocket. The man lowered

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his sunglasses and looked Derek in the eye. He u ered a single phrase “We
know who you are, you are more than this.” The sunglasses shi ed back
towards their righ ul posi on and the man gestured for Derek to follow
him. The next thing he said really alarmed Derek. “Remember the Icarus?
I… we have been watching you… we never le your side”. Derek had never
heard anybody men on the horrid incident which made him who he was
today ever since. “Let’s take a walk…”