[ WP ] All mankind lives on floating continents that slowly orbit the planet . Continents might come in contact with each other once in hundreds or thousands of years . Contact is about to be made between two very different continents with very different societies .

I stood on the jagged cliff edge and watched the slowly approaching landmass with interest. My friend Saul joined me, his red cloak flapping in the breeze. I pulled my own cloak tighter around my body, the blue material trapping my body heat so that I did n't feel as cold. At my feet, my terrier Sam was sitting patiently, looking out at the stars above. 
 
'How long do you think it'll be?' I said. 
 
 Saul gazed out at the dark continent beyond the cliff.'I do n't know, Sarah,' he sighed.'They're saying it could be here within a day, possibly sooner. It all depends on the way the gravity fields interact. This sort of thing has n't happened in centuries, you know. There's no precedent.' 
 
 I shivered, but not because of the cold. The continent that was heading towards us was a mystery. It used to be a large chunk of Brazil, according to the history archives, but that was all we knew about it. None of our technology was sufficiently powerful to scan its surface in any great detail, so we generally had to rely on sight alone. 
 
 I looked down at the ocean-covered planet far below. We were floating right at the edge of the atmosphere, around twenty kilometres above sea level. Nobody really knew how we managed to breath, or even how it was warm enough for us to survive up here. Some convoluted combination of powerful gravitational fields and sunlight being magnified by gases, our scientists said. 
 
 And in all those hundreds of years we had been up here, we had never come into contact with any of the other continents. Britain had come close, once, when it went spinning past our `` bow'' with Ireland in tow. We had gotten some good close-up scans of the surface of France when it flew past a few years ago as well, but that was as close as we had ever been to the mysterious societies that inhabited our neighbouring landmasses. 
 
 I was feeling rather excited, despite myself. This was the biggest thing that had ever happened in my life, and probably would be the biggest thing I or any of my generation would see in our lifetimes. When our experts first calculated the trajectory of the other continent and concluded that it would be coming towards us, I was one of the first volunteers for the exploration expedition. 
 
 We had been training for almost a year and a half now. Along with the other twenty volunteers, I was now proficient in fieldcraft, exploration, survival, and I could put a hole through the bullseye of a target at sixty metres with my rifle. It was strapped tightly across my back right now, a comforting hard piece of death against my shoulder blades. 
 
'We should head back,' said Saul, shouldering his own rifle. He was one of the other volunteers for the expedition.'We both need to get some sleep. Got a big day tomorrow.' 
 
 I nodded and turned to follow him. I stole one more glance at the distant continent before turning my back on it. 
 
 Soon, we would be exploring a whole new world. 
 
 *** 
 
 I was woken from my slumber by a violent shaking all around me. I sat up in my bunk, almost knocking myself out on the bunk above. I swung my legs out of bed and stood up, already fully clothed in my survival suit. I picked up my helmet, rifle and backpack from where they hung on the wall. I began to run down the corridor, but stumbled as the ground shook again. 
 
'What the-?' Saul suddenly bumped into me. 
 
'What's happening?' I said. 
 
'I think we've just bumped into the other continent,' he replied.'Let's go! Quick!' 
 
 I dashed out of the building after him. Our transport, a large truck on the edge of the compound, was already half-full. I climbed aboard, as did Saul. Two minutes later, we were on our way towards the edge of our world. Our leader, Harry Santiago, sat on the tailgate, as he briefed us. 
 
'Right, we're currently rubbing right up against this thing,' he shouted over the noise of the truck's engine.'It came in a lot faster than we were expecting. We're going to jump from the northwestern coast right down onto the surface. The experts are saying we've got about two days before the continents move apart again, so I want us in and out in less than twenty-four hours. Understood?' 
 
 We all nodded. He looked out of the back of the truck.'Okay, helmets on, guys.' 
 
 I fitted my helmet down over my buzz-cut military-style brown hair. The seals around the neck connected with my suit, creating a safe pressurised environment for me to breath in. My visor's HUD fired up, showing me radio channels, weaponry stats, everything I would need to know when we down there. 
 
 The truck slowed to a stop, and we hustled out. I looked around. We were on the very edge of our world, a grassy plateau that ended in jagged rock. We spread out in a long line as we stepped up to the edge. I looked down past my booted feet. The view that was usually taken up with Earth and stars was now obscured by a cloudy green landscape. 
 
 I gasped quietly. It was beautiful. 
 
'Right, on the count of three,' said Harry. He was standing to my right in the line. Saul was on my left. 
 
 I clicked the controls on the back of my left glove. The thrusters on my backpack hummed into life, instantly making it feel lighter. I crouched, ready to jump. 
 
'Three.' 
 
 I tensed myself. 
 
'Two.' 
 
 I held my breath. 
 
'One.' 
 
 We seemed to jump in slow motion. I saw the sunlight glint on the edge of my visor, the stars suddenly become clear and cold in the void, tiny droplets of moisture gathering on my suit. I felt my toes part company with the reassuring solidness of the ground I had been born and raised on. 
 
 Then we were falling. I twisted my body into a graceful headlong dive, keeping my arms tucked in close at my sides. It was exhilarating, watching the rock of the cliff face flash past scant metres away. I angled my helmeted head downwards to see the continent below rushing up to meet me. 
 
 About halfway down, we turned up our thrusters. They slowed our descent quickly as the landscape below expanded to fill a whole hemisphere of our world. I could make out huge jungles, twisting rivers, and small spirals of cloud curling slowly above it. It was the most glorious thing I had ever seen. 
 
 In a matter of minutes, we closed the distance to a few thousand metres. I flipped upright at the same time as the others, directing the thrusters fully downwards. Harry aimed us towards a clearer part of the ground, where the trees gave way to thick undergrowth instead. 
 
 I let my thrusters cut momentarily as we began our final approach, so that I was the first to land on the new continent. Now I knew what the first explorers must have felt like when they landed on the shores of America. It was a whole unexplored new world. 
 
 The undergrowth was spongy and thick, like several carpets stacked on one another. I stamped around a little in delight as the rest of the team landed, their thrusters cooling down and folding back into their backpacks. Harry was already scanning the surroundings before he landed, turning his helmet sensors this way and that to see everything. 
 
'Atmosphere seems breathable,' he said.'Okay, guys, we need to-' 
 
 He stopped suddenly and looked down. A four-foot long arrow was protruding from his chest, covered in gore and blood. For a moment, we all froze, unable to believe what we were seeing. 
 
 Then Harry fell forward onto his face and the air was suddenly filled with arrows. 
 
 I dived forwards onto my front as everyone either scattered into cover or raised their weapons, firing laser pulses and plasma fire into the trees. Two more were pierced by the flying wooden projectiles before I had even clicked the safety off on my own rifle. 
 
'No.' 
 
 I looked around. Saul had his hand on my arm.'Do n't shoot,' he said.'Do n't give them a reason to kill you. Just get up and run when I give the signal.' 
 
 He was always a bit of a humanitarian, was Saul. It was one of the reasons he had become our expedition's medic. I breathed in slowly. Okay. I could do this. 
 
 I bumped helmets with him as a way of saying farewell. Then I jumped up and ran. Oh, how I ran. The months of training had honed my body, and I cleared several metres before the first arrows even began to fly in my direction. 
 
 Then I was in the trees, pushing my way past branches and leaping over roots. The sounds of battle behind me faded, until I was completely alone. I looked over my shoulder to check. 
 
 Big mistake. I tripped over a root and fell flat on my face, my rifle flying from my grasp. 
 
 When I looked up again, there was a pair of large yellow eyes looking at me.
