We spent the next hour exploring the rest of our area, filling our sample pots as we went. The heat of the sun piercing through the fabric of the biohazard suit was exquisite. I longed for the feel of it on my own skin. It was hard to imagine how this world used to be and although I had never experienced it, I felt like I missed it somehow.
“I think we should go up to the penthouse roof during the day," I said as we started to walk back to the cable car landing zone.
“Are you mad?" Taylor asked.
“We could make sure the guy who owns it is out," I insisted. "I want to know what the sun really feels like on my skin."
“Hot. It feels hot. I'm not going to get sent to the Lawless Trials so that you can find out what hot feels like. We'll go to the sauna next time we hit the gym."
“Great." I let the subject drop, knowing he'd come around eventually.
There was another dead tree in front of the last house in our search zone and I fell still as I stopped to look at it. This one had two pieces of rope dangling from a large branch that held a seat a few feet from the ground. It swayed in the wind as we looked at it and my heart ticked faster as I watched the movement.
While we conducted our search inside the house, we found photographs of a small child being pushed on the seat by his mother. Taylor looked at the picture for a few moments before grabbing my hand and pulling me back out to look at it again with a grin on his face which could only spell trouble.
“It moves!" Taylor announced excitedly as he pushed the seat and it flew into the air and back towards him again. "Get on."
“No way." I backed away from it as I shook my head. "Those ropes must be a hundred years old."
“Okay, I'll go and you push me." He moved around and tentatively put his weight onto it as I watched him anxiously. The ropes groaned and creaked for a few moments but they seemed to hold so Taylor carefully lifted his feet off of the ground. More creaking ensued but the ropes still held.
“I'm ready. Push," he commanded.
I walked behind him, placed my hands on his back and shoved. Not much happened.
“Stop pushing like a girl," he teased.
This time I took a few steps back and ran into it, putting my weight behind the shove. He flew forward and swung his legs out to propel him further. Taylor was whooping and laughing as he swung up towards the sky, held still for a fraction of a second, then hurtled back towards me.
I watched him swinging straight at my face and a scream of fright escaped me as I stumbled back too late. The seat and Taylor hit me hard in the chest and pain exploded through my body from the impact. I was knocked off of my feet and flew backwards through the air before crashing down onto the dusty soil. I smacked my head on something hard which thunked on the outside of my helmet and made the whole thing vibrate. My breath whooshed out and I coughed, clutching at my chest as I wheezed on the ground.
Taylor leapt off of the swinging seat and raced around to help me, dropping down at my side, his grey eyes swimming with concern.
“Are you okay?" he asked as I sat up, taking a deep breath and waiting for my head to stop spinning.
“Yeah, I think the helmet took the hit for me. It's not broken is it?" I reached up and ran my hands along the back of it but I couldn't feel anything wrong with it.
Taylor twisted my head to get a look and shrugged. "I think it's okay,"
“You think? Don't think. Is it okay or not?" My heart started to race as I considered what might happen to me if the air lock on my suit had been damaged.
“Yeah, it's fine. There's a bit of a crack on the ventilator but you can still breathe can't you?"
“If I couldn't breathe then we wouldn't be having this conversation," I growled, my fear making me lash out at him,
“That was amazing." A huge grin split Taylor's face in half and suddenly he was the little boy I had known forever.
“Which bit? The part where you flew or the part where I fell on my ass?" I grumbled through a half smile.
“My bit." He tried, without much effect, to rearrange his features to look more concerned but he was practically bursting with excitement. "You should try it." He offered me a hand and pulled me to my feet.
“Are you sure my suit is alright?" I ran a hand over the ventilator nervously while Taylor rolled his eyes.
"I told you, it's fine. So?" He gestured towards the swinging chair while I hesitated.
I considered the seat and Taylor started making chicken noises under his breath, chasing away any last feelings of doubt I had. I strode over and sat down, gingerly putting my weight onto the old plank of wood.
“Ready?" Taylor was behind me with his hands on my back before I even felt confident enough to lift my feet off of the ground..