WC: 1,032
The large door of the hangar bay was open.
It'd been one of countless projects, fixing up the simple machinery to get it functioning again, rusted and corroded by disuse and sea air. But of all the projects, it'd been the most straight-forward. Just replacement parts from a hardware store, oil, and ample amounts of swearing in English and Solarian.
So she knew it worked. She and the others had used it a few times to get the ship in and out of the hangar to test the wheels and engines at low levels. Her hands rested on her hips, squinting up at the tiny feather and furred creature curled up in a ball on the back of the Kyrval where the sunshine struck it through the open door. Even old and worn as it was, the silver of the metal gleamed in the light, and she could see the delicate feather-like streaks that was so famed with the ore and metals born of it.
"...must have left it open," she mumbled, watching as Vellus' ear twitched a few times at the sound. And it bothered her, because while she was fine with the Caelisyr roaming as he wished around the hangar, she didn't like the state of the hangar after the winds had had their way about the place. She usually closed it because of that.
Wasn't like she used security to keep people out.
An aspect of that thought made her pause, tilting her head somewhat as she eyed the ship. Even if people were here… would any of them even be able to utilize anything?
She thought of how much she'd been translating from Solarian into English, or was reliant on the Vanguard agents' ComTech to do the necessary translations. It'd required a bit of work with Realta to get the AI to install a full English vocabulary, so while it could certainly assist others…
Could they even access any of the controls on the console? Computers were computers, right? Sort of. She hadn't found it impossible to adapt to Earth's technology when she'd first arrived there. Sure, there was a learning curve--reading English was the largest--but learning their cell phones, computers, the Internet… it wasn't (ahem) alien to her in concept. So using the consoles here likely wouldn't be either for any Earthling, right?
But what about a ship?
Solaris walked further into the hangar, hitting the button for the door to lower back into place. The sound was loud enough to startle Vellus awake, hissing and yowling till he spotted her--and then he swiftly flew down to directly place his complaints with her. She laughed, helping him to her shoulders where he curled about and tucked his wings tight to his body, tail tapping in a ticked tempo against her chest as he rumbled with his muzzle pressed to her neck. Absently, she patted him and scritched behind his ears, aware her gloves made it less enjoyable than just her bare hands--nails and all. But her attention was on the ship for the moment, considering the differences she'd noticed between the control panels and systems of the Kyrval and Earth planes.
Sure, a part also came from the fact the purpose of the Kyrval was very different from the private, personal planes she was learning to pilot on Earth, and in her (biased) opinion, Solarian technology was organized in a much smoother, sleeker fashion than Earth's designs. But she'd been able to pick it up. Took some learning and memorizing, but she didn't think that was much different from the days she'd spent learning how to pilot aircraft on Solaris, either? She couldn't remember it, not really, such early days like that.
She'd been so little when she first started flying gliders, but so were nearly all Solarians. The air was as natural to them and ingrained in daily life as walking on the ground.
But piloting the Kyrval had required specialized training--however brief it had been.
Solaris' smile was dry as her unfocused eyes stared back through the years. There'd really only been one person she'd have been really afraid of slipping in and taking the ship from her. The intended, original pilot.
Probably was the only person who'd have been able to handle the extreme forces of it, back in its heyday. She'd had the benefit of her magic enforcing her, and her own experience by that point.
But its real partner… oh the Kyrval had never opened up to Kyrie or Solaris as it had for that pilot. She smiled to that. It was an achievement she wanted no other to hold, and one she hoped to memorialize someday.
The door was moving down, and sunlight still filtered through to catch against the translucent fabrics of her uniform and the shimmering plating of the Kyrval. Silver and gold and blue, dancing in the pale peach skies, fracturing across the ground. Glimmers and glimpses of days long past. But these were not the bittersweet pains or guilt-riddled burdens that haunted her. This was peace and fun and fondness. This was pride and admiration. Her chest didn't tighten like it would when she'd sink too far into her memories. She felt… glad.
Happy.
She'd never be able to return the Kyrval to what it once was. But she was working with those far more skilled than her to bring it back to life (of a sort). The Kyrval soaring once more… it honored the memories she held of that pilot, and all those who'd first poured their all into the Kyrval's creation.
A warmth settled through her limbs, and more glimmering twinkled golden in the sunlight. Solaris blinked a few times, drawing herself back to the present, and stared about herself. Golden dust trailed with her movements, soft shimmers and glimmers that faded into nothing after a beat. She swallowed, feeling that warmth radiating from it--not a true warmth, no temperature, but… a feeling. Like looking towards the incoming sunrise.
Dare she even call it hope.
Now wasn't that something miraculous.
Quote:
Enhancement Unlocked:
Glimmering Change The air around Solaris seems to trail with sparkling, glimmering dust--be it akin to Tinkerbell or galactic dust might depend on one's perspective. The gentle glimmering extends in a three-foot radius around Solaris, creating a space that while allies might feel as if some great, positive change is incoming, those hostile to her might be feeling a far more ominous event has been triggered in their near future.
