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]

Feldspar’s eyes widen as Kent’s lips find their neck and they shiver. “You can watch over the hatchlings.”

They pause. “Are there new hatchlings?”

They assume so, it had been long enough that a cycle would have come and gone.

[videointhenoise]

"There are," he confirms. "You'll like them. They're feisty.

He lets out a breath and steps away, the water turning a little cold the longer it's on.

[getfeldsparred]

They stay under the spray for a while longer, the cold water feeling as nice as the hot water, though lonely now that Kent’s stepped away. When they finish they turn off the shower and reach for one of the towels, handing one to Kent and keeping one for themselves.

“Tell me about them?”

[videointhenoise]

Kent blinks the water out of his face, wrapping the towel around himself and drying his hair. He gives them a rundown of the hatchlings, of Mica and the rest. He tells them about how rambunctious they are, how adventurous and lovely...

Kent adores them.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar honestly and truly can’t wait to see them, though it’s a bittersweet feeling. They missed their own hatchling’s childhood and adolescence.

“I like this Arkrose. I hope you’ve told them all kinds of stories about me.”

[videointhenoise]

"Everyone knows your stories," he says softly. "They tell them at the bonfires sometimes."

He searches for his clothes again, throwing them back over his damp skin.

[getfeldsparred]

They’d be joking, but Kent’s sincerity quiets them down. Disappearing for years probably didn’t do anything to help their reputation as the legendary pilot of Timber Hearth.

Feldspar picks up their own clothes and shrugs them on, the shirt and trousers hanging off their lean frame.

[videointhenoise]

Kent reaches for their hand again. "Come on. You must be exhausted."

Kent is.

[getfeldsparred]

Fledspar takes his hand, their grip tight despite their limited strength. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Bed is sounding really comfortable, and Kent will be there beside them as they sleep. It’ll keep the nightmares at bay, that much they’re sure of.

[videointhenoise]

Kent hesitates, only for a moment. "Do you remember how to get back?" He isn't sure how winding these tunnels are, and he doesn't want to get lost.

[getfeldsparred]

They laugh quietly and begin to pull Kent towards the dimly lit corridor. “Yeah, I’ve got a good sense of direction. C’mon.”

[videointhenoise]

"You always have," he laughs and holds them tightly as they walk. "I wonder what else is down here."

[getfeldsparred]

They pause and grin mischievously. “We could explore a little before we head back…”

As exhausted as they are, the lure of the unknown is still too strong to resist.

[videointhenoise]

Kent laughs. "You are still the same! Alright. Let's explore."

He grips them a little tighter, then stands up straighter to walk the even floors without actually tripping.

[getfeldsparred]

Still the same. Their grin grows wider and they pull Kent further down the hall, towards the end of the hallway and into the open room.

They creep in and their mouth hangs open at what they see. “These are some giant stairs. Come on, there looks like there’s an observation deck of some kind.”

[videointhenoise]

"Are you going to be able to get up and down the stairs?" he laughs. "Because I'm not carrying you over my shoulder if you get tired."

He places his hands on the first stair, gauging the height.

[getfeldsparred]

“I can climb up stairs, you asshole,” Feldspar chuckles, already starting for the wooden stairs and geometric and finely-carved railings. Still tugging Kent along, they head up to an overlook and pause to look back out.

“Yeesh,” they mutter. “It looks like some kind of observatory. Big windows, some kind of projection probably used for navigation. I wonder where the controls are for this ship…”

And they wonder if this is it.

[videointhenoise]

He leans against the wall, rubbing his face. "What's the sky look like?" he wonders softly.

[getfeldsparred]

Blackness, all blackness. Feldspar squints and steps forward, trying to peer through all that void to find a single twinkling star.

“Blank,” they say softly. “Just…nothingness.”

[videointhenoise]

"That's not right. Maybe the stealth field that Lapis mentioned is interfering with it," Kent says with a frown. "Chert mentioned they had seen some strange things but - "

He refuses to believe it. It doesn't make sense.

[getfeldsparred]

“Maybe,” they mutter, “maybe I’m just not close enough to see anything. Come on.”

They tug Kent’s hand a little more insistently to bring them closer towards the window. The nothingness continues on, more and more void, until Feldspar’s able to touch the glass panel.

They sigh. “I see stars.”

Just not as many as there used to be, they’re fairly certain of that.

[videointhenoise]

"Good," he says and he breathes out. That's...less odd. That's not as alarming. That means that they aren't actually alone. Because those are just stars that can be seen.

The universe can't actually collapse. It makes no sense.

And if it does, then they will travel anyway. Just outside of their universe.

[getfeldsparred]

As they stare out into the vastness of space they watch as a star expands and bursts into sparkling lights. It fades away into nothingness before their eyes, and their mouth falls open in horror.

“Yeah,” they say, stepping closer to him. They lean against him for a moment, then turn to look over at the rest of the room. “I want to see that table over there.”

[videointhenoise]

He can hear the worry in their tone. Some things just never leave his memory.

But he can at least try and cheer them a little. "Which table? This one?" He holds his hand out in a random direction. "Or perhaps this one? What about this one?"

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspars snorts and smacks his hand down. “I can’t believe I missed you.”

They bring him to the table so they can peer down over it. The technology from these dead aliens is sleek and impressive - definitely different from the stuff from the Nomai. “Huh. Definitely the ship’s navigation, but it’s on some kind of autopilot.”