Kent/Feldspar

[videointhenoise]

"Just once more," they had said when Ellie's team petitioned for it. She was busy with Palmer, falling in love with science while he fell in love with God, and Kent was left to pick up the pieces. He wanted another damn go at it. The Machine had a pricetag in the billions; it was begging to be used again.

But they wouldn't let Ellie go. They wouldn't let just anyone go. They wanted someone who knew how it worked, who had been there from the beginning, but someone who isn't completely taken in by Ellie's words.

That leads them to a dozen people and they end up with Kent. He's blind, but that's not what decides it. They claim that he wouldn't hallucinate the way Ellie did. That he has a unique perspective.

And, he's already proven himself steady and loyal.

He experiences it all the way that Ellie does, but something goes wrong on the other end. Maybe another terrorist attack. Maybe not. All he knows is that he's in the sphere and then, suddenly, he's floating, unable to find his footing until a great crash and he slams into the bottom of the machine.

He groans, pulling his helmet on with a grunt and a wince.

"Fuck this," he mutters, finding the edge of the sphere with his hands. There was a door there somewhere. He just - has to find it.

Comments

[getfeldsparred]

It's another beautiful day in the solar system. The launch had been earlier that morning, successful despite Slate's decision to install retro-rockets at the last minute. Hornfels had been livid that they'd jeopardize Outer Wilds Venture's first trip to Brittle Hollow with a last minute change in equipment, but Gossan and Feldspar both had talked them down. If the retro-rockets actually worked Feldspar could make great time and save on fuel, though Hornfels still wore a sour look on their face as Slate made the final adjustments to the ship.

But things worked as well as could be expected, and Feldspar was up in the air in good time, past the Attlerock and Esker and on to Brittle Hollow. From what they could see on their telescopes the planet was occasionally pelted by the nearby moon, and there looked like there were caverns under the surface, but little else was known to them. It was exciting stuff, being the first to get to see the planet up close and personal, and Feldspar decided not to clip some of the rocky ledges in favor of an exciting landing so they could explore a little more freely.

They came across what looked like an old Nomai settlement, making note to scavenger a little in there later, and pressed on passed a ship of sorts. Still lit up too, as though the Nomai were still inside of it. Feldspar was intrigued, and as they bounced along the lighter gravity to get a closer look they heard a crash from somewhere behind them. Didn't sound like one of the blobs of fire from Hollow's Lantern, but even if it did Feldspar couldn't resist checking out the crater for themselves.

What they stumbled upon wasn't a piece of Hollow's Lantern at all, but a smoking, spherical ship-looking thing embedded in the planet's surface.

Feldspar blinks slowly from inside their helmet. It looks...new? Where had it come from? Another planet? Maybe it has something to do with the Nomai technology still floating around here and there - Feldspar's pretty sure they've seen a cannon orbiting Giant's Deep.

[videointhenoise]

Kent presses his hands against the doors and something in it clicks. He falls forward, onto his face, catching himself with his hands.

"Dammit," he mutters, pushing himself up. He's completely unsure about the atmosphere or the gravity or even where the fuck he landed, but he's alive and that's all that matters.

"Hello?" he calls out.

[getfeldsparred]

Uh

Uuuuh

There’s something alive in there. Feldspar watches the side of the vehicle suddenly open, and a being - similar to a Hearthian’s size and shape - hurl themselves outside of it.

The Nomai were all dead. That’s been common knowledge among generations of Timber Hearthians - the Nomai were all dead, and they were otherwise alone in their solar system. Feldspar looks at the EVA suit and the legs of the being, and finds…more Hearthian anatomy. At least, no strange looking legs.

Feldspar isn’t naturally fearful. To the point of idiocy sometimes, sure, but they’ve never understood why they should be scared of the unknown and not excited about it.

Then it speaks. It speaks, and Feldspar can understand. What the…

“Hey,” Feldspar calls back. “That was a pretty nasty crash. Are you okay?”

[videointhenoise]

The first thing that Kent feels is disappointment.

He knows that language. He didn't even manage to make it out of the country? What a disappointment. Maybe something had gone wrong. Maybe something had - no. He's not going to start to jump to those conclusions. It only will lead to borrowed anxiety.

"I'm alright," he tells him, standing up and automatically brushing himself off. He reaches for his cane that isn't there.

"I just - where did I land?"

[getfeldsparred]

And now they’re being asked a question, and Feldspar isn’t really sure how to answer. They’re supposed to be the first Hearthian to land on Brittle Hollow, but now there’s this other astronaut from some unknown village -

“Brittle Hollow,” they answer, frowning. They take a few careful steps forward, though pauses when they see the number of fingers on their hand. Four fingers, one thumb.

“Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting company out here. Where are you from?”

[videointhenoise]

"Brittle Hollow," he repeats, taking in a deep breath of filtered air. "What sort of a place is this?" He takes a hesitant step forward, trying not to trip. "This isn't where I was supposed to end up."

He feels trapped - excessively so. He can't see, obviously, but all of his other senses are completed dulled, as well. He can't touch anything outside of his suit, he can't breathe in smells.

[getfeldsparred]

The astronaut with five-fingers seems disoriented to the point their movement’s a little stunted. Feldspar hops their way over to them, careful to keep space between them but close enough to offer help.

“Brittle Hollow’s an uninhabited planet,” they explain. Clearly they’re not from here. Or this solar system, for that matter. “Are you…uh. Okay, weird question, but where are you from?”

[videointhenoise]

"Oh. Uh. Oklahoma?" he says cautiously, hearing the sound of hopping. "The gravity here feels - odd. Not like what I'm used to at all."

[getfeldsparred]

Oklahoma. That's not a thing.

"Gravity's about .8 less than it is on Timber Hearth," Feldspar tells them. "Which is probably less than whatever you're used to on...Oklahoma."

[videointhenoise]

Kent tilts his head in the helmet. "What is - Timber Hearth? Where's that?" He's getting an interesting feeling. A terrible feeling.

A feeling that something shitty has happened.

[getfeldsparred]

“It’s…in the solar system. In space. In the universe.”

The more they talk the more they feel their heart sink. This is not helping.

“Uh. It’s where I’m from. Where…you’re not from, now that I keep talking and…there’s no place called Oklahoma here, so why are you here? Where were you expecting to land?”

[videointhenoise]

"I don't know," he admits. "We didn't know what this Machine would do."

He takes another hesitant step forward. "You've never heard of Earth, have you?" he asks in a hush.

[getfeldsparred]

No, they've never heard of Earth. Earth sounds a lot like Hearth, but they suspect that's just a coincidence.

"No," Feldspar answers quietly. "You didn't know what your space craft would do? You couldn't pilot it?"

[getfeldsparred]

“Feldspar! FELDSPAAAAR!”

Feldspar sticks their head over the edge of the launch tower, smiling down to see the gruesome twosome themselves, Lapis and Hal.

“WHAT?”

“Papa wants you home for dinner tonight! He said not to forget!”

Feldspar chuckles and watches as Slate rolls their eyes and continues working on their ship.

“Tell him I won’t forget! I’m sick of hanging out with Slate anyway!”

Hal and Lapis both laugh conspiratorially and scamper away, Feldspar leaning back and promptly getting a smack to the head.

“Hey!”

[videointhenoise]

Lapis comes to relay the message to Kent, who shoos the hatchlings off with a slice of bread each. "Go and play. I'll feed you both later."

He hums to himself, listening to the two of them laughing just outside the windows.

[getfeldsparred]

Truthfully Feldspar’s been distracted with their work all day. The prep for their next trip’s been making them anxious, caught between being ready to leave but not quite wanting to go. If it wasn’t for Kent and Lapis’ support they probably would’ve found reasons to delay the launch for a little while longer.

They know themselves, once they’re up in the air they won’t want to come back down. It’s a problem they’ve constantly been struggling with, what with having a family that loves them and knows them and the constant need to explore.

At the first sign of the sunset they say goodbye to Slate and jump off the launch pad, letting a slowly ebbing stream from a geyser break their fall. They can hear some of the others oooh and aaah, but mostly the grumbling from Rutile and the long-suffering sighs from Gneiss.

[videointhenoise]

Hal and Lapis are staying at Gabbro's cabin that night to gossip and chill out and whatever it is that they do, but Kent wants to make sure they get a good meal in first.

"Come on in, kids," he calls out through the window and sets the plates down. Feldspar has exactly thirty seconds to walk in before Kent will read him the Riot Act.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar is hot on the tails of the two hatchlings, arriving just as they finish cleaning their faces and hands but…well. Wet. “Hey, starshine,” they sing, waltzing into their home and planting a kiss onto Kent’s cheek.

“Let me wash up and I’ll be right back.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent makes a face and tries to push them back. "You're getting the floors wet? Did you take the geyser down from the launch pad again?" he huffs and Lapis and Hal both start to giggle. They won't tattle, but they're also very bad liars.

[getfeldsparred]

“I didn’t want to be late!” they argue, dancing around Kent and sticking a finger into the pot to sample their supper. “Delicious, as always!”

They’re already down the hall changing, but to be fair to Kent they do move with some speed.

[videointhenoise]

Kent shoos them away. "Get out, go."

He starts to serve the plates, flicking Lapis' ear gently as he passes. "Be nice to him tonight," he tells both hatchlings.

[getfeldsparred]

“We’re always nice, Kent,” Hal argues.

“Who’s not being nice?” Feldspar calls out, joining them back in the dining area. “Whoever’s not being nice is getting thrown into the zero g cave.”

Hal laughs and digs into their plate. “Lapis would like that probably.”

[videointhenoise]

"Until you threw up all over," Kent remarks, settling in for dinner and finding his bowl. He brings it close, searching it with his fingers. "Mm, take some of this over to Gabbro for me, huh? They were wanting to try it."

[getfeldsparred]

“Okay,” Lapis says, swinging their legs a little as they eat. “But we can stay up late tonight, right? You promised.”

“As long as Gabbro’s up then you’re allowed,” Feldspar tells them, knowing that Gabbro keeps weird hours and both hatchlings will be fast asleep after the second marshmallow.

They sit down next to Kent and push his bowl closer to his hand.

[videointhenoise]

Kent takes the opportunity to take Feldspar's hand in his for a moment. A silent thank you.

"What they said," Kent agrees, knowing full well that they talk a big talk. "But you have to be up early for lessons tomorrow morning."

The hatchlings might not have school, but Kent is determined to still be a teacher.