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]

“There’s a raft,” Feldspar explains, taking his other arm to keep them both from stumbling down to the dock. “River looks smooth, it should ride real nice.”

[videointhenoise]

"Oh sure, sounds smooth," Kent grumbles with no real annoyance. Lapis helps him into the middle.

[getfeldsparred]

The raft wobbles as they all step onto it, but it doesn’t sink and quickly resettles on the water. Lapis pulls a flashlight out from their pocket and switches it on, shining the light on one of the green, glass orbs which lights up from the inside and propels them forward.

Feldspar grins and holds onto Kent’s arm. “These aliens used light for a lot of their mechanics.”

[videointhenoise]

"Oh I know," Kent says softly, though he doesn't see it as the cruel joke he might have once. Instead, it's just a strange sort of justice. A reminder that the universe does not revolve around him. He grips onto Feldspar tightly, crossing his legs to help himself out.

"That's how the doors open."

[getfeldsparred]

“We’ll have to fix that,” Feldspar says. Kent would constantly be locked out everywhere he went!

“Slate and Hornfels are already working on it,” Lapis reassures them with a grin. “Door handles are a classic for a reason.”

[videointhenoise]

"Everyone loves a good door handle," Kent laughs. "I'm not worried about it. Everything will work out." He trusts them all to keep the world accessible for him.

[getfeldsparred]

They laugh and holds Kent a little more tightly as the speed of the raft picks up. They pass a few of the others working on building a home, Feldspar giving them a gentle wave as they float on by.

[videointhenoise]

Kent holds fast to them, but turns his head when he hears people calling out to them with a wave. "What a weird sight we are. What does this raft even look like?"

He places a free hand to the ground and traces the perimeter.

[getfeldsparred]

“Can you feel the carvings, dad?” Lapis asks, sitting down beside him. “They carved everything with these big, geometric patterns. All their buildings and furniture, even their clothes, all these really ornate patterns.”

Feldspar looks over at Lapis with a curious stare. Lapis seems fairly in awe of these aliens.

[videointhenoise]

"Mm, I can," he says, running his fingers along the indents. "I wonder what they mean." Because they do mean something.

"What's their writing system like? You and Hal cracked it yet?" he teases.

[getfeldsparred]

Lapis brightens - a flashback to their younger, more carefree days. “Haven’t had the time yet, but we will.”

Feldspar frowns to themselves. “You and Hal…?” They feel like they’re missing something here.

[videointhenoise]

He reaches over to Feldspar. "Lapis and Hal cracked to Nomai writing system."

[getfeldsparred]

They what?! Feldspar grips onto the rail as the raft ducks around a downed tower, letting out an overjoyed cackle at the news.

“You’re just like your dad!”

[videointhenoise]

He laughs. "They did it all without me," he teases. "And so I didn't have to do a goddamn thing. But Hal and Lapis spent so many nights together..." He elbows them playfully.

[getfeldsparred]

They laugh conspiratorially with him. “I’d always suspected those two were going to date when they got older.”

Lapis looks like they want to throw themselves into the river. “Hal and I are just friends,” they grumble.

[videointhenoise]

Kent grins, sensing weakness. "They were so cute when they were little. Do you remember when we caught them in their fort under the table?"

[getfeldsparred]

“Or remember when we’d hear them giggling all night long because they’d climbed up to the roof to stargaze?”

Feldspar’s laugh becomes softer, more nostalgic. This is what it used to be like.

[videointhenoise]

Lapis sighs. "I'm going to take you both through the rapids," they deadpan.

Kent grins. "You wouldn't do that."

[getfeldsparred]

“All talk,” Feldspar agrees cheekily, though there is that twinkle of mischief behind Lapis’ eyes that says ‘if dad wasn’t here I’d do it’.

The raft sways as they float towards a series of tall canyons - an interesting choice to make on a spaceship, but Feldspar can’t judge. “Hey, there’s wiring up ahead. Still live, so we’ve gotta be careful navigating this part of the river,” Lapis warns.

[videointhenoise]

Kent snorts.

"Have we not turned power off to that area?" he wonders. "Seems like a risk."

[getfeldsparred]

Lapis freezes. “I don’t think we’ve figured out how to turn on and off the power yet,” they say quickly, turning away when they notice that Feldspar is staring at them.

“Some point then,” Feldspar says, redirecting the conversation for the hatchling. “When we get this far out.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent can hear some of the tension in their words and he reaches out for his hatchling's hand, squeezing it once.

"Didn't you say there were theaters here?" he prompts.

[getfeldsparred]

“In every village, yeah,” Lapis says quietly. “There’s all sorts of slide reels, but they burned a lot of them. It’s kind of a long story.”

[videointhenoise]

"You don't have to say it," he assures them. "It's just - strange how certain things transcend universes."

[getfeldsparred]

“I’ll tell you though, one day. When things are maybe a little more settled and it all doesn’t feel so…I dunno. Raw.”

Lapis squeezes Kent’s hand, and hangs on ever tighter as they float through the canyons and down into the wide space that was probably more like a lake before the dam burst. They pass the tall, locked structure and Feldspar stares.