openmisc | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If they can get to the hatchling before the big section of rapids they could probably swim them both to one of the wooden structures still standing after the dam burst. That’s the extent of their plan though, and it leaves them entirely as they plummet and hit the surface of the water hard.

The breath’s knocked out of their lungs, but that isn’t their biggest problem. The jetpack is still strapped to them, buoyant and yanking them backwards as they try to kick against the current. Untangling themselves takes precious seconds away, but when they’re finally free they can move in zigzags from one rock to the next, anticipating the little hatchling’s movement and they’re thrown about by the river.

Finally the hatchling is in slight. It’s the little meek one, the one who was too afraid to follow the others to see them when they first arrived, and all four eyes are wide and panicked as they come up gasping for air. Feldspar waves and splashes, trying to get their attention before they push themselves forward and grab the hatchling by the arm.

“Hey! Hey! Kick your feet! Kick your feet and hold onto me!”

They’ve got to find a safe place to take the hatchling now, who is still very much gasping for air and thrashing in the water.

“Easy, easy,” they tell them, a little less scream-y this time. “Easy, just focus on keeping your head above the water. I’ve got you, we’re okay.”

Galena's panicked and frantic, but they grab onto Feldspar anyway, kicking their little feet as much as they can. They shudder in the water, gasping for air, their little ears drooping from exhaustion.

"I can't," they sob, too busy crying to do anything else.

They believe the hatchling, they’re probably exhausted. They make the executive decision to pull the hatchling close and yank them onto their back. “Hook your hands around my neck and hold on!”

They just need to make it to somewhere safe. They raise their head above the water and then start swimming as hard as they can towards a partially submerged building with a nice, dry roof. After that someone can send a raft - they just need to not die before then.

The hatchling grabs tightly but not enough to choke, sputtering and coughing as they get the water from their lungs.

They kick their feet a little, hoping to help get them to the roof as well. The entire community is already one step ahead, gathering around a dock while Lapis gathers a raft.

Feldspar tries to keep both their heads above the water as they keep pushing forward, their arms and legs screaming from the stress and exertion they’ve avoided for nearly seven years. The adrenaline keeps them going, heart beating in their ears as they finally touch their fingertips to one of the posts of the building. They struggle against the current another moment or two, but finally get both their arms wrapped around the post and haul them both forward.

The hatchling goes onto the roof first and then Feldspar crawls up after them, both panting and coughing.

“Little one, are you okay?” They reach for the hatchling and pat their back softly, the hatchling starting to cry. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Cough out all that water, Pebble.”

They're too busy crying to respond, but they do reach back over and wrap their arms around Feldspar again, though this is most definitely an embrace rather than a lifeline.

Lapis is there with a raft a few moments later, reaching out to hold against the roof. "Mapa!" they demand, shuddering. "What - come on. Let's get them on so we can take them back."

And then Lapis is going to yell.

Feldspar holds the little hatchling in their arms, running their back gently as their own hatchling comes to the rescue with the raft.

Oh, they’re furious. Feldspar grins cheekily as they get to their feet and carefully climb over the roof and on to the raft, the hatchling clinging tightly when it dips into the water before righting itself. “It’s okay, I’m not going to let you go,” they whisper to them. “Not until you’re safe and sound.”

"They've got you," Lapis assures the little one and wraps a blanket around their shoulders. "We're going to take a big tour of the whole place and get you right back to Gneiss. Make sure you don't touch the water, okay?"

But Lapis turns the lamp on and sends them forward.

It’s clear by the look on their face that this hatchling isn’t going near the water for quite some time. Feldspar hugs them close and sits down on the raft for the rest of the ride, Lapis expertly guiding them through the obstacles and rapids.

Lapis happily guides them along the river and then back to the gathering of community members who quickly tie a rope around the raft and attach it to the doc. Lapis gets up and holds out a hand to Feldspar to help them both back onto steady ground.

They take Lapis’ hand and clamber up to the dock where Gneiss and Spinel are waiting to take the little one from them. The other hatchlings are pale with fright, clinging to each other and the adults that had rushed out to see the commotion.

Kent/Feldspar

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