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

[videointhenoise]

"So does it mean that they anticipated the sun going supernova?" he wonders. "What sort of safety procedure was that?"

[getfeldsparred]

“The ship was built to automatically anticipate any kind of threat,” Lapis explains.

“A hundred thousand year old autopilot?” Feldspar glances back at Lapis as they drift towards the dock, reaching for the rope slung around a post.

“Built to last,” Lapis mutters.

[videointhenoise]

That's far too long. That's an unfathomably long time to anticipate.

What sort of place was this?

Once they stop, Kent stands up, balancing a bit as he reaches out for someone to take his hand.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar’s thinking is in-step with Kent’s - there’s something amiss with this ship. It looks like it’s meant for living, but judging by the state of the buildings before the dam burst, it looks abandoned.

They take Kent’s hand and guide them both back onto the dock. They feel tired now, their energy flagging after this time spent out in the artificial sun.

“Does that ever dim?” They point towards the large light serving as the sunlight.

Lapis actually quirks their lips in a smile. “Yeah. There’s a full night and day cycle.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent raises his chin, automatically trying to feel the warmth from it, though it doesn't go.

"Well, it should be telling us that it's lunch time."

[getfeldsparred]

“You’re going by your own hunger, dad, that’s not very scientific of you,” Lapis teases. It’s really good to hear that again; Feldspar hadn’t realized how much they’ve missed it.

Gneiss approaches from the rock they’d perched themselves on to wait on the raft’s return. They still have a flute in hand - it looks new, Feldspar can see the places where they’re still whittling away.

“I’ll bring you up something to eat,” they smile, eyes glancing from the hatchling to Kent and then finally to Feldspar. “Are you going to join us for the campfire tonight?”

Feldspar’s smile wanes. “Uh…Im pretty wiped out from the rafting. Maybe tomorrow?”

[videointhenoise]

Kent takes their hand in his and shakes his head. "Small moves," he mutters to both of them before turning to wrap Lapis in an embrace.

"Thanks, kid. Come and see us this afternoon."

[getfeldsparred]

Lapis squeezes Kent tightly, their face pushing into his shirt like they used to do when they were little. Feldspar sniffs softly and looks away, giving them their privacy. It doesn’t seem like they should intrude.

“Yeah, I will,” Lapis says when they finally pull back. “Rest up, huh?”

[videointhenoise]

He doesn't like this strange tension, but there isn't much he can do to make it go away. It's so much to ask to just have Feldspar with him. He can't make it all back to normal.

He reaches out for Felds. "Lead the way."

[getfeldsparred]

They nod and smile softly towards Lapis, who smiles back before they turn and head towards where some of the others are working. Feldspar pats Kent’s arm and starts them back up the winding ramp to the building.

“Lapis definitely doesn’t want us near that building with the chains.”

[videointhenoise]

"They've been keeping everyone away. I heard them redirecting Slate from it," Kent agrees softly. "When you're feeling better..."

[getfeldsparred]

“I’m going in,” they finished, determined and just a little stubborn. “With them, preferably, but without if they insist.”

They frown to themselves, remembering the look on Lapis’ face as they passed the tower by.

[videointhenoise]

"With them," Kent says firmly. "Don't..." He sighs. "This is something you need to do with them."

[getfeldsparred]

“With them,” Feldspar repeats, squeezing Kent’s arm to reassure him. “With them. Hopefully they’ll hold off on visiting until
I’m strong enough to go.”

[videointhenoise]

"There are too many people watching and they're too - close now," he explains. "Everyone is keeping an eye on everyone else. They're all in each other's pockets."

[getfeldsparred]

Makes sense. They’re not likely to try anything while everyone’s still so close and recovering from the heat death of their solar system.

Feldspar makes it to the top of the ramp and pauses to lean against the doorway, trying to be casual as they catch their breath. Everything is difficult now - how long is it going to be before they’re able to do even half of what they did before?

“I’ll have a little while anyway,” they mutter.

[videointhenoise]

Kent slides an arm around their waist. "Not as long as you think. Once you're able to be up around around to help, it will go easier. You'll be trying to get from one point to the other via diameter," he smiles.

[getfeldsparred]

“Jetpack, but with a kind of catapulting mechanism to break through the centrifugal force,” Feldspars says, clearly having given it zero thought at all.

They grin a little and lean their weight on Kent’s, leading the way but relying on Kent to keep them upright.

[videointhenoise]

Kent is happy to accept their weight, relinquishing it only when they are firmly in the room and the big comfortable bed is waiting.

[getfeldsparred]

They crawl into the bed and curl up on one side, more tired than they are hungry. Gneiss is quick to follow them inside, setting a basket down of vegetable stew and bread. Feldspar knows that smell - it’s a Tektite speciality, something they’d make when it was cold or storming and the village needed something homey to lift their spirits.

[videointhenoise]

"Hey," Kent mutters once they're alone again. "You gotta eat. I know it's hard "

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar doesn’t bother opening their eyes. “Once I sleep, okay? I promise I’ll eat after.”

They don’t want to admit it, but just that simple rafting trip was enough to knock the wind out of them.

[videointhenoise]

Kent holds them gently and pulls the blanket over them both. "Yeah. I know you will," he assures them. Don't worry."

[getfeldsparred]

They exhale softly, glad that Kent understands. They’ll keep their word, but they just need time.

They just need so much time.

The next few days go by in the same way; Feldspar spends a little less time resting and a little more time moving about each and every day. They walk around with Kent, even spend a little time with their Outer Wilds friends, but they still don’t join the campfire.

“Porphy’s opening up the sapwine tonight,” Gossan tells them both on one of their visits. Besides Gneiss and Lapis, Gossan and Hornfels are the ones who visit the most, with Hornfels close to Kent and Gossan nearer to Feldspar.

“I dunno,” Feldspar says, shrugging his shoulders. “Seems like too much for me.”

Hornfels and Gossan’s faces both fall.

[videointhenoise]

Kent reaches over and puts a hand on Hornfel's arm. "Maybe next time," he says cheerfully, but he is determined to get to the bottom of this. He has spent the past few days glued to Feldspar, telling them stories and hoping that they would be able to start going back out. But no luck.

Still, he persists.

"I'll stop by later," he promises them both.