openmisc | Kent/Feldspar

Kent/Feldspar

"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.

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They nod and bump their head gently against his. “Stay with them all for a bit, okay? I’ll meet you back in the room when we’re done.”

They tip their head back slightly and kiss his cheek.

Kent squeezes their hand and nods, turning his attention back to the conversation happening around him.

He doesn't know what Lapis is going to show them, but he knows it's important. For Lapis, yes, but for their relationship together.

They excuse themselves from the campfire, not looking back to see if anyone’s eyes are following them as they head back up the path. Spinel handed them a separate bowl for Lapis without a word, and they hold it carefully as they wind back up to the room.

“Lapis? Are you up yet?”

Lapis is sitting on the bed, fidding with their fingers, fully dressed. They look up when Feldspar calls and nods.

"Yeah. I'm here."

Feldspar offers Lapis an apologetic smile as they cross the room and sit down beside them. “Here, eat some breakfast.”

"How's dad?" he wonders, taking the bowl from them and eating slowly, like it's something he has to do rather than something he enjoys. Today, everything tastes like ash.

“He’s alright,” they answer, leaning forward onto their knees. “Sitting with the others at the fire now, talking about bonfires and cake.”

Almost carefree, even if none of them are feeling carefree anymore.

“You sleep okay?”

"Good. Then we should go while everyone's distracted."

They don't want to be seen or watched. They don't want to be known.

"That okay?"

Feldspar couldn’t agree more. “Yeah, of course,” they nod. “We can leave your breakfast for later. Is there…is there anything I should bring?”

"No," they say, standing up. "Just - an open mind?"

That's all they can think of.

Feldspar turns and stares them down, deadpan expression on their face. “I fell in love with an alien. I think I’m pretty open-minded, Pebble.”

They sigh quietly. “I promise, Lapis. I promise. I’m…uh, I’m here for you, okay?”

"I know. That's why I wanted you to come along." He opens the door for them both and puts his finger to his lips, stealing off along the river, away from the sounds of talking.

Feldspar furrows their brow and nods, slinking off silently after Lapis down towards the river. They seem to know all the back paths, all the little hidden pockets and walkways possibly treaded by the former inhabitants and then lost to time. It’s the explorer in them, finding what others couldn’t.

They tread closer to the big, black antlered tomb with the large chains, and Feldspar feels a knot form in their throat. They’ve never seen anything so evil-looking in their life.

Lapis' feet feel like lead. They feel like they've taken this path a thousand times, but that they won't ever get to take it again. They're marching to their own death and then....nothing.

Once they reach their destination, he reaches out for Feldspar. "That's a prison. The person inside, the prisoner, has been here for thousands of years."

The structure is even more imposing up close. They scowl to themselves as they take Lapis’ hand, looking for the entrance to the thing.

“What did they do to deserve a prison like that?”

"Nothing," they say with a sigh. "They went against...their people. They decided to disable the block around the eye of the universe."

Feldspar’s jaw hangs open as Lapis explains, but not all the pieces are fitting quite yet. “And for that they…what is this exactly?”

Because if it was just a prison that’d be the end of it. “What happened to everyone here, Lapis? Did they all just…die out?”

Lapis shakes their head. "No," they manage to choke out a little. "No, it's - well, imagine that they could have another life inside of a computer....no. Imagine that you have this dream, only everyone was there, and everyone could share it."

They tilt their head. “Alright…” they say quietly, “I’m imagining. Is that what you’re saying happened to these people?”

Feldspar pauses and looks around the ship, though what for they’re not entirely sure. Some sign of a dream? That’s just stupid.

"Yeah, Mapa," they say softly, using the word that Kent had made up for them years ago. A parent word that has no meaning to anyone except Feldspar.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. They went into this dream together and the prisoner there....has been there for a long time."

They feel like the wind’s been knocked out of their lungs - their little name for them, the thought that this entire species went to ‘sleep’ and are somehow still here? Both, maybe, or it’s that their little hatchling is confiding in them with something so important.

“So you found this spaceship, this entire civilization, learned their secrets, found their prisoner…and then what, Lapis? What are you telling me?”

They look to Feldspar and then back to the prison.

"I think I love them," they say in a whisper.

Feldspar feels the floor fall out from underneath them. They were prepared for a lot of things - they assumed anyway - but for this to be about love?

“Oh, Pebble…”

They tug on Lapis’ arm to draw them closer. But what can they say? What are they supposed to do here? Their hatchling is in love, but it seems like an impossible situation, even for a dreamer like themselves.

“Can I meet them?” Assuming there’s a way to step inside the dream and this spooky-looking prison. Assuming they’re still alive and dreaming in there too.

Lapis folds themselves into Feldspar, closing their eyes tightly as they soak in their touch. They've been holding this in so long, so far, so long, and I isn't something they can do on their own anymore. The question isn't unexpected, and they nod. "Yeah. I've spent the past few days gathering what we need. We...have to walk to the canyon."

The canyon…that’s upstream, isn’t it? Feldspar frowns softly and follows the winding river up towards the high canyons, wondering quietly about the path but trusting Lapis. If they say this is how it is, then this is how it is. No one knows this place better than their hatchling.

“I’m good to make that trek. Let’s head out, before the others get up.”

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