Mike leaned back and stretched languorously as the shuttle lifted off the rear deck of the Empress of the Skies. Gaining altitude and clearance from the larger vessel, it swooped ahead and then dipped down towards a small mountainous island, perched like a green jewel in the glittering sea beneath.
Penny sighed happily as she nestled against him in the shuttle cabin, admiring the view of the island beneath. They would be set down on a beach and left there for the day, along with their packed lunch and beach accessories. The other passengers on the shuttle would each have a section of the island entirely to themselves.
The Empress had arrived at the tropical archipelago at sunrise, and various shuttles had been busy ever since, ferrying those passengers who wanted some private time to various islands nearby. The liner itself would spend the day cruising around the archipelago and its reefs for those who elected to stay aboard.
Mike and Penny looked out eagerly at the pristine sand that awaited them. They both agreed, it would be very easy getting used to this lifestyle!
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