BalloonWorld: Synopsis

Freja has been fasting for days. The monthly weighing is another reminder her community, 60 people on a barge held aloft by towering hot air balloons, doesn’t fit with the rest of the world. Exiled to never touch the earth for crimes of their scientist ancestors, each carries a small chip to stop their hearts dead if they come close to the ground.

Below, Thomas watches the floating barge from the LightHouse. He’s apprenticed to the LightHouse Keeper learning how to manage signal relays and the gas lines that feed the balloons.

Above, Freja’s fight with a rival has ruptured a balloon, requiring repair materials. Unknown to grounders, BalloonWorlders fly small balloon komatiks pulled by birds. It’s winter, and without migrating flocks, they meet the Keeper on an elevated platform to request dogs to pull their air sleds.

Freja and Faraday begin the long journey to cache forest. Enroute, they run into grounders and must release the dogs to hide in the clouds. Grounders are searching for a missing child.

Mishaps compound. Faraday’s balloon valve jams, wasting gas. Without the dogs and low on gas, the two must fly tandem, pulling themselves along by treetops. Challenge brings them closer; Faraday respects Freja’s verve. Finally reaching cache forest, they discover a woman and child from another, unknown barge.

Lacking sufficient fuel for two, Freja returns with the supplies. The stranger-woman drugs Faraday, charging him to keep her child—First—safe on his BalloonWorld.

Through spring and summer Freja, Faraday and First are inseparable. BalloonWorld celebrates its summer festival. Teams fly north to the seaway to harvest mussels where, in the distance, huge wind turbines rust.

A grounder, Katarina, arrives at the LightHouse and cajoles Thomas to reveal facts about Freja and a stolen child.

Faraday and Freja take First with them in a balloon komatik to harvest apples near cache forest. While Faraday and Freja are alone, with First in the care of others, air-pirates attack cache forest and steal First back.

The grounders threaten to cut the gas lines if the bargers don’t surrender the child. Katarina boards the barge with Thomas.

Frantic, Freja flies off to search for First. BalloonWorld faces a decision whether to surrender or if this is their moment of exodus.