I step out of the hover after Dad, and we’re the only ones there. “Where is everyone?” “I had the landing pad cleared,” He answers. “And for others to be diverted to other pads. I figured you’d prefer not being crowded for your first time here.” I look up, searching for the other hovers. “Okay, but where are the rest of our family?” I see some, as dots in the distance, but none of them are getting closer. “Don’t look at me,” Tuck says. Dad’s looking at him. “You know how they get. They’re probably just taking the time to fully enjoy the trip.” “Might be for the best,” Virgil says. “I might put Gravity over capacity if we all show up at once.” “And there goes the surprise,” Lenny says in exasperation. I look from one to the other. I get that it’s a business, just buy how Virgil said the name, but if I’m supposed to know more… I look at Dad, while Virgil gives Lenny a self-satisfied smirk. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dad says, instead of elucidating the situation. So I take matters into my own hands. “What is it?” Tuck grins and takes my arms in his. “You’ll see.” His tone is teasing, and he leads me ahead. Dad’s immediately next to us, none too pleased. The landing pad is on the edge of what looks like a residential neighborhood and commercial one. The buildings are tall, but not science fiction tall. Maybe a dozen floors, and they look to be made of bricks and glass instead of high-tech materials. The buildings grow much taller quickly and the elevator towers behind them. The…road…is wide. Can it be called a road when there are no vehicles on it? Or even people? “Where is everyone?” I wonder out loud. “I instigated a curfew so you wouldn’t be gawked at,” Virgil says. “You can do that?” He grins. “You’d be surprised what I can make happen when I ask nicely.” He gives Tuck a raspberry. We’re still walking ten minutes later. Looking over my shoulder, I can see people in the street now. “I guess parking’s still a problem,” I say, chuckling, and get curious looks. “Feels like we park far from where we’re going. I guess all the spots near Gravity are already filled.” The others exchange looks. “There are no landing pads closer to the entertainment district,” Virgil says. “They’re all located within residential area.” “And you closed the road all the way there?” Virgil shrugs. “It’s not like it’s keeping people from what they need to do.” He motions between buildings. “Of from watching us.” Just like behind us, there are people going about their businesses on the other side of the buildings. Which includes watching us. As well as in parks, where—oh my God, they weren’t kidding about people having sex in public—people have gathered as some sort of imaginary line to point and wave in our direction. Tuck returns the waves with gusto and looks at me, his hand almost to his crotch, before shrugging with a grin and raising it. The other’s waving is more restrained and I timidly wave back. “Doesn’t closing off roads cause hell on traffic?” Virgil looks at me, and I motion around the empty road. “This is Vegas. It’s got to be pretty busy all the time. Cars? You know, people going from home to work?” He looks at Dad. “He’s from before anti gravity tech.” He points up. “There are no cars, Kristoff. And the travel lane are high to keep the city clear. On top of that, because this is the historic part of the city, the landing pads are well outside, as Virgil explained earlier. Outside this district, they are more common, but cities are built for walking now.” I look around again. “This is historic Las Vegas?” I ask in disbelief. “Where are the casinos that look like other stuff? The Eiffel tower? The pyramid? That giant sphere?” even if we aren’t on the strip, one thing all the pictures I’ve seen show is that the casinos are visible from pretty much everywhere in the city. They all give me confused looks. Dad chuckles. “Maybe our histories don’t line up. Looking around your—” “Okay,” I interrupt him. “So, it’s different.” I so don’t want to think about that. “What about…” come on, think of something to ask that isn’t going to bring up the waking world. “How about questions wait for later?” Tuck says, inadvertently coming to my rescue. “Because.” He motions to the building before us. “We are here!” The building in question is…underwhelming It’s certainly tall. So much it’s a point in the sky before I can figure out where the roof might be. But that’s about all it’s got going for itself. The walls are solid looking, a gray material that looks somewhere between concrete and steel, and large windows that are either tinted so I can see inside to the light there is lower than outside. There isn’t even a giant sign screaming for the world to see what the name of the business is. With a name like Gravity, the sign should be… I look up. Okay, maybe it’s just too high for me to see. I look around. Although there aren’t any signs anywhere. Even in downtown Erie, the shops have signs over their doors. We enter a large lobby in red and gold and now I get a sense of Vegas, but where are— “Welcome to Gravity, sirs.” A kangaroo steps before us. “It’s an honor to have you visit our establishment. How can I be of service?” I stare at what he is… patches of his clothing turn transparent in turn, exposing skin, I mean fur. Even his cock, a nice one, and balls, oh they look really heavy, are visible for a few seconds before being covered up again. “We are going to the roof.” Tuck grabs my arm and pulls me along. Dad glares in our direction before his attention is taken by the kangaroo. Two others are with us by the time we enter the elevator. “You’re Kameron, right?” I ask, more trying to remember where I heard his name than to get confirmation. “And I’m Terry,” the other says. “Tucker’s much less exuberant brother. “Terry used to run the corporation,” Tuck says. “It killed his fun.” “That again?” “Shouldn’t we wait for Dad?” I ask, so they won’t start arguing. “He’ll be up as soon as he’s done taking care of business.” Tuck smiles at me as the door closes. “Do you trust me?” I stare at him. “I guess? It’s not like I’ve seen you do much in the…hour, hours and a half since we met?” Kameron chuckles. “You have no idea how quickly Tick can get someone in trouble.” He snorts. “Don’t listen to him. Here’s the thing. Your dad is going to speed through dealing with Johann down there, so we aren’t going to have long before he shows up and ruins our fun. Can I trust you to do what I tell you?” “Is it going to get me killed?” I ask before remembering that can’t happen. Although it would wake me up, which is just as bad. No, that’s actually worse. “Nope. Ain’t even going to hurt you.” “Okay.” Tuck grins and pats my should. “Good man.” The door opens before I realize I didn’t feel any motion and wind rushes into the cabin. Tuck holds me in place and when I’ve regained my footing, we exit. The wind keeps buffeting us, but now that I expect it, I follow Tuck to the edge of the roof with ease. Looking down over the edge, the first thing that catches my attention is the ring of metal and light maybe a dozen feet below and five feet away from the building. It’s fifteen feet in diameter, but before I can question how I know that, Tuck asks. “You want to fly, right?” “Yes.” The giggles bubble up. I can’t make out details of the ground; we’re so high. “Then this is the place.” He pulls me away. “Don’t you want me to jump?” “Oh, yeah.” He grins. “But you want a running start for it. There’s just one thing you need to keep in mind.” “Tucker Orr!” Dad yells angrily. “Make sure you get into the ring.” He lets go of my arm and I’m off. “Kristoff!” Dad yells as I throw myself over the edge. I fall into the ring, almost dead center. It flashes red—is that a good color?—and I’m through. My giggling turned into outright laughter as I fall through another ring, which flashes red. Two in a row had to mean I’m okay, right? Through a third and red again. Tuck said I’d be flying, but I’m just falling. A fourth red flash. I make out details below, dots of people approaching the entrance. This can’t be right. I’m not flying, I’m falling to my death. Oh, you are in so much trouble, Tucker Orr. As soon as I wake up, I’m finding a way of dreaming again and I am going to— Wait, that one was green, right? I turn to look up and yep, that’s a green ring. Okay, so after red ones, green has to mean things are good. So, now what? The wind hammers at my face. Goggles would be nice. And because this is a dream, I see better all of a sudden. The wind’s still there, but as I blink tears away, it’s like my eyes are protected. And I can make out individual forms through the next ring, although that one’s more of an oval. It’s not fair! The light went green. Why am I not— Instead of falling through the oval, it sends me perpendicular. The change is so abrupt it takes a second for my breathing to catch up and realize it wasn’t an oval; it was a circular ring at an angle. Wait. I look under me at the passing roofs. I can’t make out details at this speed, but there is no doubt. I am flying! Each ring flashes green. Some sent me up, some down, and some guide me between buildings. Then, about four rings ahead, instead of one, there are two rings on each side of a building. So I get to choose where I go. Looking beyond them, the next one on the left is angled up. Up is definitely where I want to go. So…how do I pick the left. A ring flashes green. There’s nothing there telling me what to do. And no matter how hard I think, I’m not moving from the center of the rings. If I do nothing, will the one I go through be random? Will I hit the place they connect? How do flying characters do it? Iron Man has jets, so that’s out. Spider-man swings, so he’s out too. There has to be— Really, it takes me this long to think of THE flying character? So, how does Superman do it? And I’ll want to hurry, because only one ring left. He tucks an arm against his body, the other one’s extended ahead and… I twist left as I go through the ring and I drift in that direction. It’s a lot slower than I want. What happens if I don’t make it? Do I go splat against the building? I’m getting closer. They can’t allow that, right? Looks like I’m going to make it. I’m through with more space than I expected and grin like a maniac as the next ring rushes toward me. Then, I’m heading up through a series of rings and picking up speed. When I’m horizontal again, I’m high enough I see the city stretching below me. It is magnificent. Building, large and small, dot the landscape, tall and short. Some taller than the height I’m at. I’m just at the limit where I can tell people are people, instead of dots, as they walk in the city, the streets, the parks. Above me are hovers. Nowhere near as many as I feel there should be for a city like this, but enough I can tell the lanes they travel in. Here and there, one drops toward a pad with other hovers on it, or a roof where someone is waiting. “I am flying!” The wind steals my words, but not my joy. A series of ring sent me in a quick corkscrew down, then I drop, picking up speed faster than freefall. I laugh at the approaching ground. “You don’t scare me!” A head is another selection, left or right. Right goes up, while left goes… I can’t find where the next ring is for that one. I also have no idea how high they are. Fifty stories? Forty? Less? There has to be one, but if I can’t see it, how am I… You know what? I bank left. Let’s have fun. I only have time to register gold instead of green and I’m launched at the ground. The scream is wrenched out by a flash of gold and I’m around a corner, window passing by so fast it’s like a mirror with my blurry reflection. I’m so close to the ground I might be able to touch the top of people’s heads. I’m yanked left with another flash of gold. Something flies by me. I’m yanked right and up. “Slow!” the form that flies across my path yells. Orange is all that registers and I’m through a ring, going up. “Poke!” he yells, passing me. Goes through the ring and it sent left, while I’m launched up. The next one put me horizontal again. “Having fun?” Tucker yells, slowing to match my speed. “Yes!” I laugh. “Don’t laugh and fly.” He points ahead, and I scream at the large box in my way. Then I’m jerked up, and the hover continues toward the rooftop. “Asshole!” I yell to no one in particular. I’m above everything when I level again. Tuck’s nowhere to be seen. I roll on my back, letting the rings throw me wherever they will, each flashing green. The sky’s blue with wisps of clouds. The air smells clean in a way I don’t think I could have imagined. I’m surprised at the flock of birds above me. But they’re just birds. Right, no bird-people here. “I am going to be pissed if you shit on me,” I scream at them, the laughter explodes out of me. I right myself and send myself left and right as I approach the next ring; it’s going down. Through I go. Down I go, picking up speed toward a rooftop. I grin, ready for the last moment turn that will send me along it. That falters as I make out the circle painted on the roof. I go through another ring and can’t see more of them. There is nothing between me and the…target on the roof. Where’s the next ring? How do I slow myself down? Is that blood? I scream, closing my eyes when the target takes most of my field of vision. I still scream as the fact I didn’t hit anything registers. I crack an eye open. I’m two feet about the target. From this close, I see the red is painted on. Someone is laughing. I glare at Tucker’s offered hand. For good measure, I bat it away. Instead, I spin in the opposite direction. Nothing I do stops it and Tucker laughs harder. I try to push myself for the edge of the circle, or down to the roof, but all I make happen is that I’m turning in wild directions now. “How do I make this stop?” I demand. “You’re in a zero-G field,” Tuck says, barely controlling his laughter. “The only way out is by taking my hand. And you don’t want to be here when the next person arrives.” I glare at the hand again, then up to see if anyone is coming. “Asshole.” He laughs harder and catches my shoulder. He rights me and pulls me out. I drop to the roof once I’m outside the target and shove him away. “Asshole!” Giggles erupt. “You should have warned me.” They aren’t stopping. “And miss that look on your face? Absolutely not.” He laughs again. I look around for another ring. “I want to do that again!” He looks up, his laughter dying. “Best wait until after your dad’s here.” There’s a homf, behind me. “He isn’t going to be as happy about this as you.” “Tucker Orr,” Dad growls. “What the fuck were you thinking?” He stalks in our direction. “Are you out of your fucking mind? How could you tell him to jump like that?” “Ease off, kiddo. He wanted to fly.” “I don’t fucking care what he wanted! You had no business putting my son in—” “No.” I put myself between them, “Step away, Kristoff. Tucker Orr needs a reminder of who your father—” “No.” I put my hand on his chest. “Kristoff.” The growl makes the warning clear, but I stand my ground. “I. Said. No.” He looks at me now. “Kristoff.” He’s controlling his anger. “This isn’t—” “No means no, Dad. You told me that.” His gaze hardens. “This isn’t the same.” “I’ve got to go with Kristoff on this one.” Tuck says, and I hear the smile in his voice. I find I’m smiling too. “Do you have any idea the kind of danger he put you in doing that?” “Come on, Lucas,” Tuck says. “That thing’s perfectly safe. It’s rated for Independents, and you know they can’t take their interfaces on rides like it.” Dad glares at him. “This isn’t perfectly safe, and you know it.” “Okay. Fine.” Tuck sighs. “Kristoff could have gotten hurt. If he was my dad’s age and if he didn’t take care of how his ticker, there’s a chance the adrenaline would give him a heart attack. But come on, he’s younger than you and unless the doctor screwed up, and my dad was in charge, remember that before making accusations, his health is perfect. The only thing this ride is going to give him is an adrenaline high.” There’s a happy scream. “I’d forgotten how fun this was.” Kameron falls silent, stepping off the target, and looks us over. “Maybe I should have taken the last turn. Do you want me to throw myself over the side so you two can continue whatever this is?” “We can jump off here too?” I step toward the ledge, but two hands grab me with a “No!” from Dad and Tuck. “I swear.” Dad glares at Tuck again. “You snuck into the fertility clinic and added threw your cum in the batch. He’s as reckless as you are.” “I’m not reckless.” “Oh, yes your are,” Kameron says with a chuckle. “Who’s what?” Virgil asks, stepping off the target. “Who else are we waiting for?” Tuck asks. “Terry and Lewis,” Virgil says. “The others decided to have fun and meet up with us for lunch.” He looks us over. “Are your still trying to argue you don’t have a death wish?” Tucker narrows his eyes. “Why was I ever nice to you? I took you skydiving when your dad wouldn’t let you, and you side with them?” “I was twelve,” Virgil replies flatly. “And you had the time of your life.” “That’s enough!” They look at me and I glare at them. “Stop being angry at Tuck. I wanted to do it. He asked me. I said yes. End of story.” Tuck looks at Dad. “Yeah, definitely your kid.” Dad tries to look severe, but the end of his lips quirk and I see pride in his eyes. I straighten and suddenly nothing but the way he looks at me matters. My smile hurts its so wide. Then his arms are around me, and I breathe in his scent. “How far are we from where we started?” I ask once we separate. Dad points to a building in the distance that towers over all the others, except for the elevator. Okay, we are pretty far. Terry lands with a ‘whop!’ and steps off. Unlike me, his feet lower to the target without help. “How many ways are there to get here?” I look up, searching for the rings, but they are too high to make out against the sky. “Lots,” Tuck says. “There’s usually a three-minute time limit before they are redirected to an end point automatically, but I had them override that for us. I also had your path tweaked to make it as long as possible. Once you can control the rings, you’ll be able to fly all day if you want.” “How do I learn to control them?” “How about we focus on today?” Dad says as Tucker opens his mouth. “If you want another ride, I’ll arrange it, but we’ll stick to a timed one for now.” I look at the sky, smiling. Flying all day. “I’m good.” I’d gotten to fly for realm and there could be other chances. “I’m not doing that again,” Lewis says, stumbling off the target. Virgil takes his arm. “We’re all here. We can head down.” “Where are eating?” I ask. “Skyline,” Terry says with a grin that rivals Tuck’s. “What’s that?” “Oh, you are going to love it,” Tucker answers. Dad’s sigh is resigned as he leads me to the lift and when we exit, we are in a smaller lobby in green, orange and blue. It is empty. “You had this place emptied too?” I ask Virgil, who shrugs. “You know I’ll have to meet people at some point. You can’t keep me isolated from all of them.” “It won’t be for lack of trying,” Dad says. “Where are the games?” I ask. “This is a casino, right?” I add at the confused expression. “I get it’s probably not card games and slots anymore, but did you guys do away with gambling?” “Wasn’t throwing yourself off a roof gamble enough?” Dad asks. I shrug. “I’m not saying I want to gamble. I’m just surprised they aren’t everywhere. This is Las Vegas.” “This is a theater,” Lewis says. “They also rent the space out for parties.” “Wait, people crowd places to see concerts and shows?” I ask, surprised. “How else are we going to see those?” Virgil replies. “We imagine the future all happening online. VR? Virtual Reality? Is that a thing?” Tucker laughs. “Yes, it is a thing,” Dad tells me. “But as fun as that is,” Terry says, “it’s a lot more fun to be with other people if you’re watching a show.” He and Virgil exchange a look. Then we step outside, and the heat hits me. There’s hardly a breeze to cool the sun. On the other side, people stand in the shade of store awnings or are resting in the park a block away. People were nothing or barely anything as they walk, so stand and look at us, or in the case of those two women, grind against each other. Okay. Dad warned me, but that is still not— “Mister Orr!” With the woman’s call, we are surrounded. “Is that him!” “Are the rumors true.” A man yells, trying to push people aside to get closer. “Is that your son!” They look at me. Point. I push against my Dad, trying to vanish. “Is it true that he is from anoth—” I cover my ears. No. No. No. I don’t want to hear about that. “Enough!” My father’s voice booms and they all fall silent. “How dare you?” “Mister Orr,” a man says. “We have a right to—” “Silence!” “Mister Orr,” the man insists. “If you say once more word. I’m going to have your publisher’s interview contract canceled. Am I making myself clear? In the silence, I look at my dad. Even if he’s only a few inches taller than I am, it’s like looking at a giant. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the rest of my family take position between us and these people. “You know how this works,” he says. “You can record us at a distance as much as you want. But you do not, ever, ambush us like this.” He looks them over. “Now, I strongly advise you to leave. If we have something to say, your companies will be contacted to schedule interviews. Until then, if I see anyone of you, I will consider that a breach of consent.” I think there’s grumbling as they leave, but I’m not paying attention. I’m looking at him. At my Dad. At the man who kept me safe; kept them from ruining my day. I hug him tight. His arms are around me. “Are you okay?” He pulls me against him. I nod. I can’t speak. All I can do is think about how unfair it is that I have to be in a dream to have a real Dad. Why could I have been raised by someone like him, instead of— “I’m sorry you had to experience that. They never did anything this blatantly disrespectful of who we are. I promise they aren’t going to show up again, but if you want to head home, I’ll understand.” I tighten my arms at the idea he means for me to wake up, then realize he means his home, which here is mine too, right? But I shake my head. I’m not letting anything ending this day early. “It is okay if you want to go home, Kristoff.” I look at him, at his brilliant amber eyes. “I’m okay, Dad.” He wipes my cheek dry. “I’m going to be okay. They aren’t ruining our day, I promise.” He kisses the top of my head, and I feel it all the way to the root of my cock. I love having him as my father, but at the same time, I wish he wasn’t. I wish he could make me feel this safe while pushing me against the wall and shoving his co— Probably best I don’t go there and make myself miserable. He is my dad. I’m going to enjoy all the time I have with him for what he gives me, not what I wish I’d have.