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]

“Way beyond our scope too. It’ll come around in about an hour, if we stay out that long. Right now it’s Giant’s Deep in front of us.”

[videointhenoise]

"You said storms. Is it a gas giant?" he wonders, leaning back on his elbows.

[getfeldsparred]

“That’s what we assume,” they say, leaning back on their hands. “Do you have a planet like that in your solar system?”

[videointhenoise]

"A few, yeah. There's Jupiter, eleven times bigger than our planet and a storm that's been going for centuries. Saturn, with rings, Uranus, that spins on its side, and Neptune, where the winds would blow you apart," he laughs.

[getfeldsparred]

“Amazing.”

Heh. Uranus.

“Nothing habitable, I would assume? You’re exploring through satellites and probes?”

[videointhenoise]

"Oh nothing habitable. Too much atmosphere, no real solid ground. The closest we have is Mars, a rocky planet nearby," he explains.

[getfeldsparred]

“Mars,” they repeat quietly. “Has your people gone yet?”

[videointhenoise]

"Not yet. We've only made it as far as the moon. But they're working on rovers - robots that can explore and take samples for us. That's a few years in the future, though," he explains.

[getfeldsparred]

“Moon’s a respectable goal. I’m sure Hornfels will want to hear all about those robots of yours. They’re trying to make a prototype for a scout, but they’ve gotten a little stuck on it.”

[videointhenoise]

"I've been - working on some radio signals with them," he admits. "Perhaps we can hear your planets," he explains. "But I'll talk to them about the scouts."

He pushes himself up. "I'm getting tired, though. You want to walk me back?"

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar smiles a little to hear that, but it’s a little sad too. The more useful he makes himself, the more ingrained in their village, the more far away his home will be.

They jump to their feet and extend their hand out to Kent. “Sure. Hand’s in front of you, if you want it. That stick’s working out well for you though.”

[videointhenoise]

"I have a cane at home. This works - well, not as well, but I've been using one since I could walk, so I can make it work."

He takes their hand and then slides it up to their arm instead.

"When's your next launch?"

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar shrugs gently, careful not to throw Kent off their balance. “Not sure. I was going to start planning another launch to Brittle Hollow, but my ship’s in a bad state. It might have to wait a while, or hope Gossan lets me borrow theirs.”

[videointhenoise]

"Then you're stuck here a while," he points out with a shake of his head. "And i told you, I'm not going with you in that barrel until you have seat belts," he adds with a laugh.

[getfeldsparred]

“Grounded for the foreseeable future,” they agree, grinning. “I know, I know. I think after this last crash we’ll finally get them installed. You know what Slate’s excuse was for not putting them in? That they’d throw off the weight!”

They snort softly, clearly amused by the whole thing instead of horrified.

[videointhenoise]

"That is a terrible excuse," he laughs, walking along the path with them, keeping close without tripping over himself. "Think I could talk to them about it?"

[getfeldsparred]

“You can try. You might be able to reason with them with your alien knowledge of science. They’d respect the opinion of someone of science more than a pilot’s anyway.”

[videointhenoise]

"A handsome pilot, even?" he says without really thinking of it. It's flirting but not. They're not even the same species, but he can't help but feel...close to them.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar laughs a little, face and ears going purple. “A handsome pilot, even! Slate and I tried dating, but I don’t think they were charmed enough by me. We’re better as friends. But if you could charm them…who knows!”

[videointhenoise]

He blushes as well, clearing his throat.

"I don't want to charm them. I don't know what I think of them," he admits aloud. "Hornfels, though. I like them."

[getfeldsparred]

“Yeah,” Feldspar nods, “yeah, I like Hornfels a lot too. I was hoping you’d get along. You’re a lot alike, and you can never have too many folks who think like Hornfels.”

[videointhenoise]

"I like them," he agrees. "And they're smart as a whip. It's just really nice to feel useful."

He can feel the path turning as they approach his little cabin. "Thanks for walking with me. And - keep playing. It's nice to hear music."

[getfeldsparred]

“Next time I’ll come play for you so you don’t have to make the trek.” They step away from Kent, letting him walk the rest himself.

“Actually…there’ll be a campfire in a few days. You should come. We’ll all be playing. Hearthian tradition.”

[videointhenoise]

"I will be there," he promises. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

And then he gives them a wave, finding the door and walking inside.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar waves back out of habit, watching as Kent walks up the steps of the porch and into the cabin as if he’d been there forever. They smile a little more fondly - their alien is fitting in well, despite their own homesickness and grief.

They root for the harmonica in their pocket and sit on the lowest step on their porch, playing him one final song goodnight.