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]

Silence. For a long moment, just silence. Then -

"Alright. That will give you a good boost."

[getfeldsparred]

They’re not trying to goad Kent with this ridiculous idea, but they’re excited. And confident. Really confident.

“A great boost!” they grin. “I’m going to get home in no time!”

[videointhenoise]

"Yeah," says Kent, who isn't going to dampen their enthusiasm. "You just make sure you run your calculations past Slate before you do it."

[getfeldsparred]

“I will, I will,” they reassure him. “They’re the one who gave me the idea in the first place. I’m not going to attempt it until I sleep a bit first. I’m going to find a place to camp for the night on Ember Twin.”

[videointhenoise]

"Camp?" he laughs. "Don't get sucked up into the sand. Or - is it going the other direction now?"

[getfeldsparred]

“Other direction, but at the North Pole there’s a dry lakebed with a few raised mesas I’ve been eying.”

[videointhenoise]

"Oh? Thinking of setting up a new home there? You and the cacti living happily ever after?" he teases.

[getfeldsparred]

“Oh, yeah. You know me. I like ‘em prickly.”

[videointhenoise]

He chuckles. "Hey, bring a couple of those needles back with you."

[getfeldsparred]

“Ominous, but you know I will,” they smile fondly.

They fall silent just a moment, thinking of Kent and how they’d give just about anything to be with them now.

“I miss you.”

They don’t care if Slate or Hornfels will never let them live it down.

[videointhenoise]

Kent's smile is in the whisper of his words. "I miss you, too. But you'll be home soon enough. And you'll help with the babies. The little ones."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar’s smile is big and bright, but for whatever reason their vision begins to cloud. They blink a few times and watch as water droplets hang in the air in front of them.

“Can’t wait.” For all of it. “Take care of yourself, huh?”

[videointhenoise]

"I will. You take care of yourself, too. Don't get sucked into the sun."

He smiles and disconnects.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar manages to get one sound in before Kent disconnects the line. “I-”

They hear the familiar noise of static and sigh. “Love you.”

Well, if that slingshot maneuver works they’ll be seeing him sooner than later. They turn off the radio and touch down on Ember Twin to make camp for the evening.

[videointhenoise]

The manuever is all Kent can think about. Until, of course, the hatching ceremony. Hornfels shakes Kent awake in the middle of the night.

"It's time," they tell him and Kent leaps out of bed to join them ner the great tree.

He can hear the crackling of the eggs and the sounds of gentle songs. The Heartheans tell stories about their own hatchlinghood. The latest clutch of hatchlings stand huddled together, whispering and gossiping, taking playful bets on what each little one will look like.

And Kent waits. The first peeks out with a quiet mewling of confusion, but they're soon swept up. He can hear the name "Hal" being whispered. The next comes with a burst of limbs and pants breaths, but they're wrapped up, too.

Only the little one remains.

[getfeldsparred]

The littlest one takes the longest to hatch, but the village stays throughout it all, passing little Hal and the other they named Moraine between them to get in their hellos and mandatory cuddles.

At one point Riebeck finds Kent and takes his hand, their three little fingers wrapping around his. “They’re going to help them along now,” they whisper to him softly. “I’ve heard they had to do it with me. They’ll take off some of the shell if it’s taking too long.”

[videointhenoise]

"They have to help babies sometimes, too," Kent says. "Did you know I was born too small? Way too early. I was just the size of a palm." He turns his other hand around and shows them.

He had thought of telling this to Gneiss, to Feldspar, but he didn't want to admit that this was personal. That he was attached to the little one for a reason.

"They had to put me in a machine to help me breathe. It's why I can't see. There was too much oxygen for my eyes to develop right."

[getfeldsparred]

Riebeck’s eyes grow wide. “So small. They put you in a machine? Maybe…maybe one day you could tell us more about the machines. Maybe. Because it saved you, and maybe it could save…”

Riebeck trails off, distracted by the sight of Tektite pulling a large piece of the shell off of the struggling hatchling. The others fall quiet too, so the only noises are the soft cries and sniffs of the newly-hatched. Tektite pulls another piece off and a little fist emerges, the villagers letting out a collective exhale.

“They’re hatched, they’re hatched!” Riebeck says excitedly, hopping up and down. “They’re hatched!”

Before anyone else can scoop up the little hatchling Gneiss is there wrapping them up in blankets and walking them over to where Kent is standing. “Kent? Did you still want to name them?”

[videointhenoise]

Kent nods and slides his hands along Gneiss' arm, gently touching the little hatchling. "Yeah, but - not what I thought before." He steps closer. "Their name's Lapis."

He takes a breath. "Can I?" he wonders, wanting to holding the little creature himself.

[getfeldsparred]

“Lapis is a beautiful name,” Gneiss murmurs, very gently placing the little hatchling in Kent’s arms. “Unique.”

“But very Hearthian,” Tektite smiles, wiping their hands on a cloth which they put back into their pocket, “just like you.”

The little hatchling still have their eyes closed, but their hands reach for the blanket and then for the front of Kent’s shirt, clinging tightly.

“Hold them close,” Gneiss whispers. “They’ll be cold. You have to keep them warm.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent does as he's asked, pulling the little one close to his chest. "I can take them tonight," he tells them confidently. "I can feed them myself."

He holds the little creature against him, letting them feel his heartbeat.

[getfeldsparred]

Gneiss and Rutile exchange a glance, but they’re spoken about this before. Rutile nods softly to Gneiss who smiles and rubs Kent’s shoulder.

“We’ll keep our windows open in case you need us. For now, give me that little Moraine.”

Gneiss slips away to try to wrestle Moraine from Hornfels grip, Rutile coming by to whisper a few encouraging words to Kent, followed by Tektite and Spinel in turn.

[videointhenoise]

Riebeck takes it upon themselves to walk with Kent back to the cabin. Kent wishes them well and disappears inside.

And there he stays. He doesn't come to the radio, and he doesn't come out. He sleeps with little Lapis right next to him and he sings soft songs to them, encouraging and gentle. He feeds them like clockwork, gives them kisses when they squirm.

He holds them against his chest one afternoon and decides that it's time to take them outside to see the sunshine. He fashions a sling out of shirts and sets them in it, against his chest.

[getfeldsparred]

The slingshot maneuver works perfectly. Feldspar’s still chasing that high as they bring the ship down onto the launchpad, even as Slate comes up looking downright red in the face at the sight of the sun-blackened exterior.

“Ship held up great, don’t you think?” Feldspar calls out, hopping down from the hatch. “Interior is practically pristine. The stick came off of the steering but I shoved it back on.”

Slate is still grumbling something in response, looking like they’re seeing only the weeks of repair work ahead instead of their friend. Feldspar pays them no mind; they’re looking for Kent.

“He should have met me here. Where is he?”

Slate, mask already down and blowtorch at the ready, jerks their thumb towards the village proper. “Hatchlings were born the other night. He’s probably back in his cabin.”

The hatchlings were born? The hatchlings were born! Feldspar doesn’t bother to ask another question and takes off in the direction of the village, awkwardly unclamping their helmet as they run.

[videointhenoise]

Kent is exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, but he hasn't asked for anything in days. They have come to help and he's accepted, but he won't let anyone else take little Lapis from him.

He's claimed them in a way that only a human can, bonding with them in a deep, parental way rather than the community way. He knows it's not done like this, but he can't help it.

The thought of letting the little creature he's nurtured go is unfathomable.

He doesn't anticipate Feldspar back for another day, so he isn't expecting him as he walks down the path, whistling and singing to the delight of the wide-eyed tiny creature in the sling.