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]

"Oh don't worry," they say, a little flustered. "All we need to do is refill the tanks."

Kent sits up. "Really? That easy?"

"Of course, Kent."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar’s grin widens, and Hornfels starts to join them.

“But you can’t pilot that thing like you usually do, Feldspar! You have to be careful, you have a passenger.”

They laugh quietly. “I promise, I promise, I’ll be careful! Barring any technical difficulties that are out of my hands.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent reaches out and takes Hornfels' wrist lightly. "Don't worry about me. I've been on bumpier rides."

He smiles to himself. "I can't wait."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar sees the reassuring hand hold and their eyes widen slightly. They turn away quickly before Hornfels can see them staring.

What does it mean, that Hornfels and Kent are that close? What does the laughter mean, the blush, the handhold??

“Tomorrow morning, we’ll meet at the launchpad.”

[videointhenoise]

"Got it," Kent tells them. "Can you come and get me?" he asks Hornfels. "I don't think I've ever been to the launchpad."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar finds themselves tugging on their own ear. Kent asked Hornfels to lead him to the launchpad, not them. It smarts a bit actually.

“I’m going to make some adjustments to the ship, so I’ll see you both around,” they say, smiling quietly as they slip towards the door.

[videointhenoise]

"Bye, Felds," Kent calls out happily. "I'm sure tomorrow will be an adventure."

He smiles and goes back to his conversation with Hornfels.

[getfeldsparred]

They shouldn’t feel so boxed out by their own friends, but that’s exactly what they feel as they walk away from the hut. Hornfels and Kent seem so chummy - which they should, having spent all their time together, but Kent was their friend first and -

Ugh, so petty and dumb. Feldspar doesn’t even know why they care so much, it’s not like Kent turned them down for the launch tomorrow.

They inhale sharply and head towards Slate’s workshop, determined to put all this pent up energy towards the flight. Slate will want to tell them about the adjustments they made, and they’ll need to pack for the flight anyway.

[videointhenoise]

Hornfels seems to sense something's up, but they don't do anything about it except to make sure to get Kent to the launch pad safely. Without letting him fall down the bridge and into the water, of course.

"They really should have railings," Kent laughs, trying not to betray his nervousness.

Hornfels leaves him there with a wish of good luck and Kent continues to the lift so he can wait for Feldspar.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar's there with Slate, already dressed in their EVA suit and waiting for Kent to arrive with Hornfels. They're surprised that Kent shows up on the lift alone, but they hurry to meet him before he tries to take a step forward in the wrong direction.

"Hey, morning. Feeling alright? Ready for the launch?" They smile and have Kent hold their arm like they've been taught.

[videointhenoise]

He knows not to move off the lift, but he appreciates the care anyway. He reaches for Feldspar and wraps his hands around their arm, pulling himself close. "I am nervous as hell, but yeah, I'm ready." He's already in his suit, but they said they'd have his helmet waiting for him in the ship.

"How are you feeling?"

[getfeldsparred]

They inhale softly, feeling those nerves of his right in their gut. He's relying on him to keep him safe, to deliver him to Brittle Hollow and back in one piece. "You'll be alright, Kent. I'm a good pilot; I'll keep you safe."

They frown and then step away from Kent to step up to the ladder. "I can't wait to get back up there."

[videointhenoise]

Kent leans against them slightly, then lets go so they can get up the ladder. "I know," he tells them, then follows them up and into the ship, bringing his stick along with him.

"I did some time in the zero-g cave," he tells them. "So I hopefully won't float away this time."

[getfeldsparred]

“You went into the zero g cave?” Feldspar looks surprised, albeit pleased, and guides Kent up with their hand on his lower back and then on the back of his leg. “Well the belt will help with all that, and then Brittle Hollow’s got some gravity to at least keep us on the surface. I’ll try to get us as close to the crash site as possible though.”

[videointhenoise]

"You're the test pilot," he laughs as he climbs inside and finds the seat Slate had installed for him. "God knows if the belts will hold."

He's nervous still, but not overly so. He's waiting to pass judgement.

[getfeldsparred]

“I’m sure they’ll hold,” Feldspar calls up to them. They do one last quick inspection of the ship and then climb in after them, smiling to see Kent’s chair just behind their own. It’s a strange little upgrade, being able to carry someone with them, but they kind of like it.

“Belt looks good,” they say, pulling the ladder up and closing up the hatch. “Slate said they worked on distributing the weight, so we’ll fly just as easy as we would without the second person.”

Feldspar takes their seat in the pilot’s chair, sighing quietly as it all settles into place. This is where they belong, right here. This is the only thing that’s ever made sense to them. They flick a few buttons and bring up the preflight checklist, triple checking it with the kind of care they wouldn’t normally bother with if it was only them in the ship.

“Alright. Let’s start her up. Ground control, you listening?”

“We’ve got you, Feldspar. Kent, comfy?” comes Hornfels voice.

[videointhenoise]

"Okay to go," Kent says automatically, then laughs at himself. "I'm real cozy here, Fels."

He grips the straps of the belt and breathes.

He trusts Feldspar. With his life.

[getfeldsparred]

“Good, good. Take it easy up there, Feldspar. Don’t do anything reckless, please.”

Feldspar snorts softly. “Everything’s going to be fine, Hornfels. This is a standard flight - I won’t be trying any crazy stunts.”

“You’d better not,” Gossan shouts. “I’m going up after you and if you delay me again I’m going to beat you up!”

They laugh. “Gonna hafta catch me first, Gossan!”

Feldspar smirks to themselves and turns down the radio so they can focus on the launch. They flick on the engines and listen to them warm up, the ship rattling slightly as it tries to lift. “Alright, Kent, let’s get outta here.”

[videointhenoise]

"Take me for a ride," he smiles, planting his shoes into the bottom of the ship as the ship starts up.

"She sounds perfect."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar grins from ear-to-ear. “Been waiting to hear you say that, Kent. Let’s get off this rock!”

They grip the controls and the ship raises up from the platform, shaking slightly before settling once they leave the atmosphere. Feldspar can feel their clothes lift slightly from the lack of gravity, and they exhale and turn the ship around to look back at the village in the crater, now growing smaller and smaller.

“Next stop, Brittle Hollow.”

They have to manually punch in the coordinates, but the airspace is clear and soon they have their sights on Brittle Hollow and its glowing, volcanic moon.

[videointhenoise]

Kent had been too worried about his circumstances the last time they had taken this route, but he enjoys it this time. He feels his feet lift from the floor slightly and he laughs, pressing them down again.

He waits until he can hear the instruments settle, the steady breathing of Feldspar, and he unbuckles his seat belt.

"Don't tell Slate," he says, moving closer to Feldspar so he can put a hand on their shoulder. "What do you see?"

[getfeldsparred]

They hear the unclicking of the buckle and turns slightly, looking at Kent as his hair rises on end. "Brittle Hollow dead-ahead," they answer. "North and South poles are both snow-capped, and has these flat rocks, almost like plateaus, scattered across the surface. The volcanic moon is on the other side of the planet right now, but it occasionally spews these large ball of flames out towards the surface."

Feldspar pulls their gaze away from the screen and unbuckles their own belt. "Give me your hand, I'm going to give you a twirl."

[videointhenoise]

Kent immediately reaches for their hand. "Yeah, we definitely can't tell them we danced in here," he says, perfectly willing to do it.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar kicks off the seat and pulls Kent into the center of the ship. “What a pilot does in their own ship is nobody else’s business.”

Even if it’s an innocent little dance in zero gravity. They grab Kent’s other hand and gently kick the interior wall of ship, giving them both enough propulsion to spin about.

[videointhenoise]

Kent follows their lead, though there really isn't much to it. Not here, in zero-g.

This is much better than the cave. He feels his heart rising and falling, his skin flushed for reasons he doesn't want to get into.

He hums softly, then starts to sing a little Celine Dion, laughing all the while.