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diff --git a/posts/2025-10-19-first-voyage-of-the-aerie.php b/posts/2025-10-19-first-voyage-of-the-aerie.php new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f112912 --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/2025-10-19-first-voyage-of-the-aerie.php @@ -0,0 +1,773 @@ +<h1>On Weightless Wings: First Voyage of the <em>Aerie</em></h1> + +<p class="description"> +Last year, I decided to halt my fiction writing dark ages by contributing this story to <a href="https://nat1publishing.com/wwoo/qa/">Write, Wrong or Otherwise</a>, a two-week short-story challenge. It's hosted by Nat 1 Publishing every year and gives writers a chance to peer review, receive professional edits from the team, and get their stories published in an anthology. Participants also get cool goodies like posters, stickers, and a copy of the anthology at the end. It was an awesome experience, but I was still a coward about publishing this on my site for others to read. After some feedback from friends and family, and with Nat 1's permission, I'm re-publishing this story right here. +</p> + +<p>Kee perched high on one of the many hangar windows, studying the +magnificent craft below. She gripped the cedar sill with two scaly feet, +each ending in sharp, clawed toes, stretching her downy, silver neck out +to get a better look. Kee was what the flightless off-worlders called +<em>Wingfolk</em>. It was more polite than <em>bird,</em> anyway. +Despite the most basic similarities, it was a reduction to be associated +with the tiny animals inhabiting off-worlder skies. Her iridescent green +feathers shimmered as they shifted, her wings fluttering to maintain +balance. She was excited—more than excited—she was <em>eager</em>. +Almost two years of studying and hard work had built up to this moment, +now she finally got to flex her skills as part of this momentous +project.</p> +<p>Below, the great vessel hung mesmerizingly still; it floated in place +without swaying or beating wings. The rounded, tapered nose widened and +stretched out to the other side of the open hangar, where it met four +tail fins. Its ribbed midsection and sparkling metallic surface made it +look like some great silvery fish. Its slippery smoothness was +punctuated by three cars mounted slightly below and away from the hull: +one central and two peripheral. Each car was truncated by a screw +pointed with twisted wooden blades. Slung low along its belly was an +enclosed, stamped aluminum gondola dotted with round portholes along the +sides, which widened in diameter until they met a large, wrap-around +windshield. Therein, the bridge of the gondola glowed with warm +incandescent light.</p> +<p>The <em>Aerie</em> was an airship, or as some off-worlder designers +called it, a <em>dirigible</em>. It was the product of a joint venture +with the off-worlders. Conceived by the Cooperative of Scientific +Communities, its mission was to explore and document the whimsical +matter and physics in Kee’s homeworld skies and extend the range of +shorter wings-on-your-back flights. It was the most technologically +advanced piece of machinery she had ever seen. Despite only being +considered a fledgling mechanist, she knew the ins and outs of the +engines, pumps, dynamos, and the maze of structural girders holding the +ship together (at least in the shop). Her long, thin beak pointed to and +fro as her dark eyes scanned every gleaming surface of the mechanical +marvel, completely assembled for the first time.</p> +<p>With a whoosh and the click of slender pink toes, a tall and lanky +figure alighted on the sill beside Kee. It was Eudo, and he had a talent +for being annoyingly just on time for everything. Eudo folded his stark +white wings back, gestured his curved orange bill down at the ship, and +beamed his beady eyes at Kee. “Really something, ain’t it?”</p> +<p>“You’re late,” Kee reprimanded and cocked her head sarcastically at +Eudo.</p> +<p>He coiled his long neck. “No later than you at this rate. ’Sides, we +ain’t leaving until you wipe the drool off your beak.”</p> +<p>Eudo was a rigger. He would be working high up in the ship’s hull, +maintaining the canvas covering and the wire supports throughout the +ship. The two fledglings spent countless hours tinkering together over +the past year, Kee with engines and Eudo with construction materials. On +more than one occasion they managed to sneak into the shop where they +had been taught to get in a few hours of practice without the rest of +the group or work on a few pet projects. It wasn’t hard for Kee to +imagine they’d both be going on the <em>Aerie</em>’s first voyage +together. There wasn’t anyone else she trusted to do things right. And +Eudo was always good for a laugh.</p> +<p>Kee hoisted her pack up, tucked in her short arms, and spread her +violet, bladelike wings across her back.</p> +<p>She turned to Eudo. “I gotta prep, no idea where the last egghead +left the carburetors. Probably need to redo everything.”</p> +<p>“Alight, <em>Surly Kee the Talon</em>, but promise you won’t stick +your beak where it doesn’t belong this trip? I’d like to avoid a run-in +with the chief.”</p> +<p>Ignoring Eudo, she lept off the sill and fluttered down to the +gangplank aft of the gondola where the flock of crew assembled. Further +behind the gondola, large bay doors opened to the belly of the ship. +Eudo wafted his long, flowing wings and caught up to her. The +<em>Talons</em>—the ranking officers of the Wingfolk expeditions—were +there calling roll and dishing out orders. They were responsible for +navigation and control of the ship, as well as carrying out the mission. +Kee and a few others were <em>Wings</em>; the mechanists, riggers, +stewards, and other assorted task doers. Kee wouldn’t have it any other +way. Flying was something they all did, Kee admitted; getting around in +the air was a crucial job, sure, but it wasn’t a new or interesting one. +Kee was going to be working on the ship itself.</p> +<p>She approached the Talon taking roll. “Kee Sylph, fledgling +mechanist,” she chirped.</p> +<p>The Talon looked down at Kee and clacked his blue bill, “Kee Sylph, +starboard engine, first shift. Make ready for takeoff.” Still holding +his list, he gestured with a ruddy wing at Kee and then up to the +gangplank.</p> +<p>A few paces behind him stood the captain, arms crossed and wings +furled. He regarded every new crew member intensely with bright yellow +eyes from behind a hooked, raptorial beak. Kee recognized Captain Rhirr; +he was present during the selection of every crew member just a few +weeks prior. His old, mud-colored feathers faded to a grayish white +along his nape and wing tips.</p> +<p>As she click-clacked her way up into the gondola, Kee caught the +captain stretching his left wing gingerly, his right hanging limply and +at a poor angle. Any crew member paying attention knew, without a doubt, +Captain Rhirr was crippled. A long past injury never healed properly, +rendering him incapable of flying. Kee knew this, but she didn’t know +what trauma brought the captain to this low state. She also knew better +than to speak of it while aboard. The captain was here because he knew +the sky better than the rest; he knew where they were going and how to +get there.</p> +<p>Kee glimpsed the bridge at the head of the gondola before fluttering +up a hatch into the ship's hull. A few Talons were inspecting the rudder +and elevator wheels, laying out charts, and testing various equipment. +In the hull along the keel was an immensely long catwalk stretching all +the way to the stern of the ship, above the vast expanse swallowed by +enormous lifting gas bags tied in place with wire. A haughty crew member +with orange feathers and a green tail bumped into Kee as he half-hopped +and half-flew along the corridor. Other crew members scurried here and +there, loading supplies and equipment or doing final inspections.</p> +<p>Eudo popped up through the bay doors and grabbed onto the nearest +ladder. He puffed out his chest and called, “‘Eudo Irriss, gas cells, +first shift,’” in her direction and saluted with his right wing. “I’ll +find you first rotation if you’re not married to the engine yet.”</p> +<p>Kee watched Eudo disappear into the bowels of the ship in a narrow +shaft between two gas cells. She shuffled down the length of the catwalk +and out across the starboard ring from which hung the engine car. Before +the end of the path, a tawny wing flipped out and blocked her way. The +obstruction’s face was dark with a black, almost conical beak. His +cheeks wrapped into a brown nape, each side punctuated by a white spot +directly behind the eye. Kee bowed slightly for the surprise +introduction as he regarded her with a cocked head.</p> +<p>“Kee Sylph, fledgling mech—”</p> +<p>“You’re my mechanist? For the starboard engine?” he interrupted with +beady eyes.</p> +<p>“You’re the chief? Er, I mean, yes sir, that’s my assignment.”</p> +<p>“Chief Halihk, although I don’t know why I need to tell you. I was +expecting someone else,” he mumbled, reviewing his paperwork.</p> +<p><em>You’re not the only one expecting someone else</em>, Kee thought. +She didn’t recognize Halihk at all. Worse yet, this jerk wasn’t anything +like Llyr, the chief she trained under. Chiefs were finicky about how +you did things on a good day. At worst, they were a huge pain in your +tailfeathers about every little thing.</p> +<p>“Fine, prepare for takeoff. Throttle down, or you’ll blow something +up before we’re in the air. Don’t break anything.”</p> +<p>Kee stayed silent and bowed again as Halihk lowered his wing and gave +access to the engine car. He looked down his beak at her as she +passed.</p> +<p>A ladder ran down from the hull's interior to the car itself. Kee +hovered briefly in the air and dropped down into the car with a clank. +She was going to grumble something obscene under her breath at Halihk +but forgot it an instant later.</p> +<p>She instead marveled at the cathedral of brass and iron cramping the +rest of the car. The cold engine block squatted on stringers in the +center of the compartment. Six monolithic cylinders stood in formation, +topped with a spider-like valvetrain. Pipes for coolant, compressed air, +and fuel wound their way around like blood vessels from their dormant +heart. The mechanist dropped her pack and set to work. She went over +every inch of the engine, checking fluids, adjusting valve lash, and +inspecting moving parts for wear. What any other engineer would consider +overkill for a hunk of metal, Kee carried out dutifully. She did it not +because Halihk told her to but because she loved doing it.</p> +<hr/> +<p>As preparations for the voyage were completed, Captain Rhirr gave the +order to lift the ship from the hangar.</p> +<p>The wide cedar roof parted and retracted, exposing the great argent +fish to the bright sunlight. A few dozen standby crew grabbed hold of +hempen lines along the ship’s length and took to the air. They beat +their wings and tugged at the rope until the neutral airship began to +rise out of the hangar’s roof. Kee gazed out of the engine compartment +porthole as the shady hangar walls were replaced by Yonder—that +beautiful blue shade of sky where all of the Wingfolk soared freely and +breathed fully.</p> +<p>Being in the wide open air was the default state of being. Landing +was just a distraction; a respite or a meal or a place to work before +leaping back into the endless breeze. It was obvious even for an +off-worlder to see why. The world of the Wingfolk was uninhabitable on +the surface—the entire planet covered in sharp, rocky crags that sliced +and choked out the life of anything stubborn enough to try and grow +there. Colossal, pitted stone columns drove up out of the surface and +rose all the way to the cloud layer. On top of each pillar was a Shelf; +a mostly flat surface that collected precipitation and fostered +vegetation and fauna. Some Shelves were vast bowls supporting lakes the +size of seas. Others boasted the nests of enormous settlements of +Wingfolk and looked like huge cities constructed of stone and woven tree +limbs.</p> +<p>Here, on this small, remote Shelf, far from the concentrated flock of +civilization or the bountiful pastures and hunting grounds, Kee looked +down on the hangar from her engine car.</p> +<p><em>Ti-ti-ti-ting,</em> the engine order telegraph rang. On the wall +of the car was a cable-driven bell with a dial indicating the bridge’s +intent. The rounded face displayed basic fractional speeds, direction, +and status conditions for the mechanists to follow.</p> +<p>“Idling, brake off,” Kee confirmed and moved the response lever on +the telegraph to match the bridge order. She quickly began to open fuel +lines and air valves. Finally, she yanked the starting valve.</p> +<p><em>Vvvfff-Boom</em>, the engine erupted with sound and motion, +valves ticked and pistons thrummed as the carburetor throats emitted a +vacuous sucking sound. It was loud, and it smelled like fuel and oil. +Kee was giddy. Her chest puffed up, and her feathers ruffled with glee. +She stamped in place momentarily, ecstatic with the moving mass of +torque-generating metal she cared for so much. She peered out the car +porthole and cocked her head this way and that as she heard two more +engines start-up behind her.</p> +<p>The telegraph rang again, <em>Ti-ti-ti-ting</em>.</p> +<p>“Ahead half,” Kee declared aloud to herself.</p> +<p>She pulled the massive clutch lever, and the long wooden blades of +the propeller swung in time with the idling engine. She slowly stepped +up the throttle and increased the revolutions. The thrum of the pistons +escalated into a cacophonous drone, and the propeller blades all but +disappeared as they carved through the air like thin, slicing wings. +Without any sensation at all, the ship pushed through the +atmosphere.</p> +<p>Kee marveled at the soft motion produced by the orchestra of +shuffling metal. It was magic, this new way of progressing through the +already familiar sky. It was not like being grounded at all. This +revolutionary mechanism could mean staying aloft indefinitely, an +enticing prospect for any Wingfolk.</p> +<p>After a short test flight, the telegraph rang and indicated cruising +speed. Kee made the necessary adjustments and tinkered with the +carburetors, keeping them synchronized and adjusting the mixture to keep +everything running smoothly. The ship was pitching ever so slightly into +the clouds now, and Kee leaned through the porthole to watch as the +hangar they left behind shrank comfortingly into a small dot. Before +long, the great Yonder stretched out in every direction; that endless +cool blue expanse inviting Kee to let the breeze run through the +feathers on her arm, coaxing her to leap out to catch warm thermals +under her wings and savor the currents. The ship ruddered onto a new +course.</p> +<p>The fledgling mechanist wasn’t distracted long before a pair of +pinkish talons worked down the ladder into the engine car. When the +whole figure alighted on the car floor, Kee looked into Halihk’s dark +eyes. Kee bowed again and opened her beak to speak. Halihk seemed to +anticipate this and cut her off. “Shift is over; you’re on rest and then +standby canvas with Irriss,” he squawked over the droning pistons and +ticking valves.</p> +<p>Kee’s feathers bristled. There was no way her shift was over yet. The +crew worked equal rotations: one third of their time was spent on watch, +the second resting, and the third on standby watch with less arduous +tasks. Kee felt the ship had only just lined up with its intended +course. This jerk was relieving her early.</p> +<p>She thought of meeting up with Eudo. She didn’t want their first +conversation to be about mouthing off to the chief, so she regained her +composure.</p> +<p>“I set the mixture just a few dives back but we haven’t gained much +altitude since then.” Halihk began to shuffle between Kee and the intake +manifold. “Oh, and before we set out, one of the number five exhaust +values was almost a hundredth too—<em>oof!</em>”</p> +<p>Halihk forced himself between Kee and the engine, pushing her up +against the hull of the car with his wings. He interrupted, “Not to +worry, I’ll take it from here,” and set to work checking fluids and +mixtures and resetting the throttles.</p> +<p>“I wasn’t worried; I was just giving a report.” Kee mustered her +strength by focusing her eyes on the rocker arms. “Respectfully, chief, +I’m not fatigued yet. I could stay and give you a hand here.”</p> +<p>“You want to help? How about you flutter around the empennage and +lubricate every pulley you find?” As he said this, he mocked two tiny +wings with his fingers and waited for Kee to react. It was a dare, an +opportunity for Kee to make her life aboard much worse. Halihk searched +Kee’s face for a retort or any hint of defiance.</p> +<p>Kee stared directly into his beady dark eyes and gave a short, rushed +bow. She spun around and climbed up the ladder to the hull, the wind +rushing through her down as she passed briefly out of the safety of the +car and into the ship.</p> +<p>“That one is <em>wet shit,</em>” she thought as she stamped her way +to the stern close to the tailfins.</p> +<hr/> +<p>Kee’s rest shift was as far from restful as one could stray. She +diligently traced the rudder and elevator control cables through the +ship’s tail, inspecting and lubing every tensioner, pulley, and gear +that allowed the Talons in the gondola to steer and control the ship’s +pitch. She started the work with clenched fists, but after a while, the +exertion smoothed out her frustration. Satisfied with her work and +comfortably distanced from the chief, she searched for Eudo.</p> +<p>She bumped into him amidships on the axial catwalk. The passageway +ran centrally from nose to tail in the center of the gas cells, +equidistant from the keel catwalk and the highest point on the ship.</p> +<p>“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Rest’s almost over, thought +you fell out of the engine car or something!” Eudo blurted, spreading +his arms and wings in irritation. He cut his chafing short when he got a +good look at Kee. “You look awful.”</p> +<p>Kee’s feathers were sooty and greasy. They looked matted and +unpreened, abnormally so. It wasn’t uncommon for Eudo to see Kee get +lost in her work and forget some basic hygiene, but this was far more +extreme.</p> +<p>Kee took a deep breath. “I guess I didn’t get along so good with the +chief,” she started, and before Eudo could finish craning his neck for +an <em>I-told-you-so</em>, she finished, “It wasn’t my fault! That wet +shit has it out for me, has since we set out! He cut my shift short and +sent me to lube the chains!”</p> +<p>Eudo stayed silent. This was one of those times Kee needed a friend +instead of a buddy. After a few silent moments, he cawed, “Come with me; +I got something to show you.”</p> +<p>“We’ve got canvas inspection,” she reminded.</p> +<p>“Then that’s what we’ll say we’re doing, c’mere.”</p> +<p>He strutted down the axial corridor closer to the center of the ship. +Kee lagged behind with drooping tailfeathers. More work didn’t sound +like the best medicine at the moment. After clacking along the corridor +for a spell they arrived at the central shaft; a tall ladder rose from +the cargo bay doors below to the observation platform at the ship’s +peak. Eudo grabbed hold of two bundled lines and started to climb up the +ladder. Kee begrudgingly gripped the rungs and followed.</p> +<p>At the top of the shaft, Eudo turned and opened a hatch. Fresh, cool +wind rushed past the opening. He tied off the two lines to rungs on the +ladder and then fastened the other end of one line to his ankle. He +tossed the free end of the other line to Kee and climbed up and out of +the hatch. When he passed through, Kee could see it was night already. +She tied the line around her ankle and finished climbing onto the +observation platform.</p> +<p>Wind rushed past Kee’s face and slipped through every feather on her +body. All around her, the Yonder was a deep shade of cloudless indigo; +the black envelope of darkness sliced only with bright, radiant +moonlight, which made her emerald feathers gleam. The rush of noise +drowned out the faint humming of the engines which normally proliferated +the ship.</p> +<p>“You gonna join me or what?” Eudo squawked down from above and behind +her. He was flying, or at least soaring. The ship was sluggishly +cruising directly into a headwind. That meant it was moving slowly, but +the wind across the hull's surface was stronger. Without flapping his +wings he was able to catch and shape the wash around him to stay aloft. +He rolled left to right almost lazily, savoring the current while the +safety line kept him attached to the vessel.</p> +<p>Kee almost forgot about the rest of her day. She faced forward and +spread her violet wings across her back. Steadying herself, she pitched +her flight feathers and lifted off. The sensation was delightful. She +buzzed her wings occasionally to maintain balance but felt the draft +doing most of the work for her. She allowed herself to hover a little +farther away from the platform. The cool night air channeling around her +body was rejuvenating.</p> +<p>“Not a bad way to spend your shift, huh?” Eudo finally said, dipping +his wing to fly alongside Kee.</p> +<p>“I gotta hand it to you, this is better than I thought,” she +returned. rotating her head and pointing her slender beak at Eudo. “You +riggers do have it pretty good up here.”</p> +<p>“When you’re doing inspection or repair, it’s not as fun. You and +another pair of wings tryna sew a big patch in? That can get kinda +annoying. Not as annoying as what you had to do, though.” Eudo always +knew how to turn the conversation back a few turns.</p> +<p>“You jerk, you’ve got me in therapy right now.” She squinted at Eudo, +who just smirked at the corners of his orange bill. Kee continued, +“Well, I don’t think the chief thinks I’m up for it. He acted all +surprised when I showed up like I wasn’t on his list or he didn’t +approve of me. You’d think the damn chief would know who’s working for +him.”</p> +<p>“There were a couple of last-minute changes on the riggers too,” Eudo +offered. “And some of them think Llyr got switched out for your buddy as +chief. Wonder if Captain had anything to do with it.”</p> +<p>“I don’t know. But he’s gonna make being on this balloon miserable +for me; I just know it. I just want to be a part of this project. And I +know I have something to offer. Think about what life would be like out +here all the time,” and she did a small roll, washing away her feelings +with more sensation.</p> +<p>“It’s still a shakedown flight for everybody, even the Talons. When +we land you can always let them know what’s up. But for now, stay out of +trouble. In the meantime, you can lend a hand with inspection whenever +you need to cool off,” and he winked a beady eye at Kee.</p> +<hr/> +<p>After another hour of soaring, Kee was invigorated and determined +again. She started to get antsy about the actual inspection they needed +to do, so the two alighted on the platform and clambered down the +hatchway. For the rest of the shift, they split off in the ship’s +interior, tracing the accessible portions of the outer cover and looking +for ripped or loose sections.</p> +<p>At the finish of standby, Kee was back in the starboard engine car, +relieving a puffy crew member with great horned eyebrows and wide, +yellow eyes who barely fit in the engine compartment. He was polite and +gave her no trouble as he climbed back into the ship. Kee set to work +with adjustments and cleaning the obviously ignored air screens. She +enjoyed a trouble-free shift servicing her great iron cathedral, still +thrumming away, twisting the propeller.</p> +<p>The next several rotations were not completely without incident, but +Kee did her utmost to avoid talking back to the chief. Sporadically, he +would come and relieve her early, making snide remarks about her ability +or stamina or some other reason why she couldn’t do the job she was +confident with. To cool off, she would explore other parts of the ship. +Kee often used the extra rest to actually sleep or eat in the galley and +meet the other crew. When she got particularly frustrated, she spent an +hour on the observation platform with Eudo, recharging in the wash of +the <em>Aerie</em>.</p> +<p>For three days and nights, the voyage passed much the same, and Kee +felt it was a rhythm she could sustain, even if it was not ideal. After +the third night, the <em>Aerie</em> was officially halfway complete with +the trial voyage and homeward bound. The next morning Kee hummed along +the catwalk down to the starboard engine car. When she dropped into the +droning, ticking space, she was face to face with the chief again. He +was busy fussing with the carburetor altitude settings.</p> +<p>“Don’t need you this shift,” he chirped over the noise. “Go find +Cleekiirk and inspect the dynamos.”</p> +<p>Kee’s beak hung open in shock and disbelief. This insufferable +egg-smasher was going to push her away for her entire shift.</p> +<p>She chose her words carefully, “Chief Halihk, respectfully, it would +be my preference to remain on starboard engine duty this shift. Perhaps +if my skills are lacking, I can observe and train under you, giving our +entire crew a greater advantage in the shared experience.” And she gave +as much a bow as she could in the cramped compartment.</p> +<p>Halihk bored into Kee with his beady eyes. His chest buffed out, and +his wings untucked, giving him a much larger appearance. “Respectfully? +Respectfully! Why don’t you <em>respectfully</em> listen to orders? Why +don’t you <em>respectfully</em> buzz off when I tell you to? How about +<em>respectfully</em> letting me run this ship exactly as I please and +intend to without sticking your beak into everything? It’s against my +wishes for this crew and vessel that you be here <em>respecting</em> me. +You’re lucky some Talon somewhere thinks you’re cut out for this, or we +would have left you back on that Shelf where you belong! Now, why don’t +you <em>respectfully</em> climb out of my engine car and make a nest +somewhere where I won’t see you.”</p> +<p>Kee fumed, and she clenched her fists. Her head swirled, and she felt +as though the entire compartment lurched, digging the claws on her scaly +feet into the slippery aluminum deck of the compartment for support. She +stretched out her neck and puffed her down, the grease and soot parting +to reveal stripes of cleaner, iridescent layers of feathers beneath. At +full posture, she was still about a foot shorter than the chief, but she +would do her utmost to make a nest out of his tail feathers.</p> +<p>The car’s center of gravity reversed before either of the Wingfolk +could catch themselves. Halihk, on the tips of his toes, fell backward +against the car's frame, bumping his head. Kee realized too late that +the compartment swaying wasn’t her rage and toppled beak forward onto +the floor.</p> +<p><em>Ti-ti-ti-ti-ting</em>, the engine telegraph rang.</p> +<p>Kee whipped around, ignoring the aching pain growing at the front of +her skull.</p> +<p>“Stop engine, brake on,” she repeated to no one, certainly not the +chief, still trying to make sense of what had happened. She responded on +the telegraph and stalled the engine before grabbing the brake lever and +yanking it, quickly stopping the propeller's rotation.</p> +<p>“What did you do? What happened?” Halihk slowly came to his +senses.</p> +<p>“I followed orders. Something must have happened forward.” Before Kee +could complete the thought, the telegraph rang again. It read +<em>report</em>. “Bridge wants a report.”</p> +<p>Halihk sobered quickly, and his subdued anger started to rise again. +“You love reports so much, go give the lame wings at the helm a damn +report and get out of my sight. <em>Respectfully</em>.”</p> +<p>Kee was halfway up the ladder before Halihk finished. She sensed +something had gone wrong, probably dangerously so. Definitely more +dangerous than the chief anyway.</p> +<p>She hopped along the catwalk and arrived at the ladder to the +gondola. She dropped down and clanked on the floor. The Talons shuffled +to and fro, some calling out readings from indicators along the control +panels. A white Talon with a heart-shaped face and dark eyes bumped into +Kee carrying rulers and compasses while others unrolled new charts on +the navigation desks. Everyone was hopping and flitting and causing a +stir except the captain. Arms crossed, he stood with his back to the +helm, listening carefully to Eudo and two other mechanists, probably on +watch in the other engine cars. Through the windshield Kee saw the cool, +blue Yonder, punctuated by scattered clouds and—Kee’s heart skipped a +beat—a wall of floating green masses stretching out on all sides.</p> +<p>The Wingfolk called it a Vork migration. Vork were bunched up, +inanimate blobs suspended in the air. The world of the Wingfolk was full +of these curious, jelly-like collections of elements held aloft by some +unknown principle. Predicting their drift was challenging, and only top +researchers could speculate on their origin. Many variants were +harmless: orbs of atmospheric water sticking together and floating +wherever the wind carried them. Others were deadly amalgams of chemicals +wafting along and burning pockmarks in stone as they collided with +Shelves. Both variants were huge risks for flying Wingfolk. Kee was +stunned. She had never seen a migration this expansive before.</p> +<p>Eudo finished giving his report, and the captain noticed Kee staring +across the gondola.</p> +<p>“Where is Chief Halihk?” he asked in a high, gravelly voice, piercing +Kee with sharp, yellow eyes.</p> +<p>Kee bowed. “The chief sent me forward in his stead, Captain. +Starboard engine is fit for duty.”</p> +<p>The captain almost imperceptibly raised one brow. The crew continued +to survey charts and instruments, occasionally getting distracted +looking forward at the Vork wall. All the while, the captain continued +standing calmly. After a pause, he spoke up again, stretching his left +wing as he did. “Your attention, please.”</p> +<p>The commotion in the car halted abruptly and all eyes fixed on the +captain.</p> +<p>“As you are well aware, our current course has us met with a Vork +migration. From the looks of it, it’s a pretty nasty one, drifting in +our direction as we speak. Four minutes ago, we narrowly dodged a +caustic Vork mass concealed by cloud cover, thanks to the quick reaction +of our helmsman. Eudo informed me that the strain from our extreme hard +rudder has severed control cables, which will take a nontrivial amount +of time to repair. With no steerage, we’re in a bit of a situation. I +asked the mechanists to come forward to help find a solution.” The +captain surveyed each of the engineers in turn. “I suspect the only way +for us to navigate to that solution is by using the port and starboard +engines for steerage. What do you all think?”</p> +<p>The mechanists from the other engine cars nodded, and the larger one +spoke, “Yes, with full reversal on the starboard engine and full ahead +on the port, we should be able to rotate 180 degrees while hovering. +Then, we could fly in the opposite direction while rudder repairs are +made. When we turn to face the wall again, we can navigate through +it.”</p> +<p>The Wingfolk from the other engine car chimed in, “Why can’t we turn +90 degrees and navigate around the migration?”</p> +<p>The Talon with the heart-shaped face answered in his customary shrill +voice, “We estimate the wall is too wide. It’s not very dense but has +extraordinary breadth, like the Vork are in square formation. Changing +our course so drastically will add many miles to the journey and +diminish our remaining supplies.”</p> +<p>“We can patch up the rudder controls in three days at quickest,” Eudo +reiterated. “Maybe we can find a safe Shelf on the map to do that on and +resupply at the same time.”</p> +<p>The captain listened carefully without consenting or refuting any of +the options presented. When the other mechanists were finished, he +fixated his eyes on Kee again. “Engineer Sylph, what do you think?”</p> +<p>Kee was visualizing the alternatives. In her mind, she followed the +journey carefully, painting a mental picture of all of the shifts and +work she would need to do back the way they came, whether they’d have to +land and take off from a Shelf, and what it would be like following the +line of the caustic wall for an unknown amount of time. After careful +consideration, she gave her answer.</p> +<p>“Fuel and oil.”</p> +<p>“Fuel and oil,” Rhirr repeated. “Could you elaborate?”</p> +<p>“We flew into a headwind for much of the voyage, consuming more fuel +and oil. We left with a surplus for four extra days of flying, but I bet +we’d only have enough for two extra days now. Even if we find a Shelf to +restock on, we won’t be able to refuel. If the migration is as wide as +we think, we’ll definitely fall short of reaching the hangar. In either +scenario, we’ll end up adrift.”</p> +<p>“I see.”</p> +<p>“But we could steer through it. Use the engines to steer through the +migration.”</p> +<p>All eyes were on Kee now. A few of the crew rustled their feathers +thinking about the risky maneuver she suggested. One miscalculation and +corrosive Vork would eat away at the ship, gluing itself to the sides +and consuming the canvas. If it ate through the fragile gas cells, the +ship would be lost.</p> +<p>The back of Captain Rhirr’s beak, where his cheeks met, lifted ever +so slightly. He was smiling. “Exactly what I was thinking. The wall +isn’t too dense for us to pass through. We were already planning on +steering through it, my concern was whether we’d have enough control of +the engines through the telegraphs.”</p> +<p>Kee felt determined again. A little sick with fear, sure, but too +enthusiastic to act on that fear. If anyone understood the risks here, +it was the one crew member who couldn’t get away from this if things +flew south. The captain’s courage was energizing, inspiring Kee. She +wanted to make the plan work, just like for countless days and nights +she sought to make machines work. More than anything she wanted to be a +part of some grand solution with her crew.</p> +<p>She continued working on the problem as the Captain spoke. That’s +when she said, “You wouldn’t have enough control with the telegraphs. +But you can see the gondola from just beneath the engine cars. If you +open the gangplank hatch, you could signal someone flying beneath the +ship to relay more exact throttle settings to the port and starboard +cars.” Kee didn’t think twice before adding, “I volunteer to fly +orders.”</p> +<p>Eudo’s beak hung open. All around the bridge the crew cocked their +heads and blinked. Many of them leaned or stepped away from their post +for a better look at the small Wingfolk with the fluttery wings and +iridescent green feathers who just volunteered to put herself in harm’s +way for her crew.</p> +<p>The captain didn’t look surprised for even a second. “You accept the +risk, I presume, just as we all did embarking on this voyage.”</p> +<p>“I do.”</p> +<p>“Then let’s get to work. Sylph, go aft and inform the starboard +engine watch. Then get into position.” He turned to the other crew and +continued, “You three return to your stations. I need everyone on the +bridge to be on watch. Yaia, you’re on the elevator, and Qriil, you’re +signaling my course corrections to Sylph.”</p> +<p>The gondola was a flurry again as the Talons returned to their +stations, and the mechanist Wings hustled up the ladder into the ship. +Kee removed the safety chains from the aft gangplank hatch and started +cranking it open. Sunlight poured into the gondola as the bridge became +exposed to the Yonder. Kee took a deep breath, spread her violet wings, +and leaped into the air. She didn’t notice Rhirr give a small salute as +he watched her go.</p> +<p>Kee beat her wings and buzzed along the ribbed, silvery belly of the +<em>Aerie</em>. She dropped low enough to see the three engine cars +slung along the tapering rings near the stern. She altered course and +hustled up the starboard car. She grabbed hold of the porthole edge.</p> +<p>Halihk was leaning up against the side, arms crossed. He jumped when +Kee pushed her head inside. “I’ll be mobbed, Sylph this is the +last—”</p> +<p>Kee cut him off, “There’s a Vork migration ahead. We’re going to +navigate through it. There was evasive rudder damage so we need to use +the engines. I’ll relay orders from the bridge.”</p> +<p>Caught off guard, Halihk lost his original reprimand. Instead he +said, “No way are we going to be able to steer this ship through a Vork +wall. It cannot be done. I refuse.”</p> +<p>The telegraph rang. <em>Idling, brake off</em>. There wasn’t time for +this.</p> +<p>“The captain gave us our orders, now let’s get a move on!”</p> +<p>“If that grounded old egghead wants to go out in a blaze of glory +then let him, I’ll see myself out and find some Shelf to watch you all +kill yourselves for him from there.”</p> +<p>Kee let every bottled-up emotion from the voyage go all at once. +“Listen here, you wet shit! You’re gonna do what I say here and now, or +this ship is going down. And you might not give two shits about what +happens to it or to the Captain, I can’t change that, but before you +smash a few eggs and fly this nest, remember one thing—you’re gonna wind +up on that remote Shelf. And when you think you’re safe and this pile of +twisted metal is lying in a heap on the surface, I’m gonna come find +that Shelf. We’re gonna be best buds while you tire your wings out as I +chase you around and pluck every last one of your shitty feathers, +reminding you what a useless sack of plumage you are ’til we’re both +dead. Ya got that? Now start that damn engine!”</p> +<p>Halihk’s beak hung wide enough for Kee to see down his gullet. He +gathered his composure and chirped to clear his throat. Without another +word, he switched the arm on the telegraph to <em>idling</em> and loosed +the brake. He quickly set the throttle and yanked the starter, the +cathedral of pistons booming to life again as they sucked in air and +pumped out torque.</p> +<p>Kee pulled her head out of the porthole and dove back from the car to +swoop under the belly of the ship. She positioned herself in front of +and below the central engine car, spotting Qriil’s brilliant +heart-shaped face staring back at her from the gondola. She gave him an +okay signal with her fingers, and he responded with the same.</p> +<p>From the central car, Kee heard the faint ring of the telegraph sound +out. The engine RPMs increased, and the propellers started to drone in +unison as the ship advanced. Kee kept pace with the ship, which must +have been powered to only half speed ahead.</p> +<p>The Vork migration before her was getting closer, and she could make +out the rough size and shape of the lifeless blobs better. They were +asymmetrical and rippled with small waves across their surface as if +they were algae-coated ponds wrapped into spheres. More uniform in their +size and distribution, most were about twenty feet across at the widest, +although some must have been double that. Kee remembered the +<em>Aerie</em> was approximately sixty feet in diameter at its widest +point. The wind carried a slight acrid smell.</p> +<p>Ahead of her, Qriil held out two red flags. With one flag, he +indicated direction, with the other, he circled and stopped at a point +in the circle to give an approximate degree of rudder change.</p> +<p>“Left, ten degrees,” Kee echoed to herself. She rolled and ducked +over to the port engine car, and caught hold of the cables fixing it to +the hull. She called into the porthole, “Idle down to 550 RPM!”</p> +<p>The bulky mechanist nodded and flattened his horned eyebrows as he +brought down the throttle.</p> +<p>Kee flew across the underbelly of the ship to the starboard car. She +caught the porthole rim and yelled, “Full ahead, 1700 RPM!”</p> +<p>“Full ahead,” Halihk echoed, and the great motor surged to cruising +speed.</p> +<p>Kee returned to her position ahead of the central engine car. She +felt the ship rotating away and she corrected her course to keep up. Her +wings were buzzing quickly enough to be invisible to anyone watching. +The Vork blob the bridge must have been dodging passed by a good three +hundred feet away from the starboard of the ship. Kee made a mental note +that she likely turned too sharply and left too wide a berth.</p> +<p>Qriil must have thought the same thing because he signaled a course +correction<em>: Right, 20 degrees rudder</em>.</p> +<p>She rolled back to the starboard engine. “Idle down to 800 RPM.” +Halihk echoed the order, and the droning dropped as Kee kicked off the +engine car and hummed across the gap to the other car to shout, “Rev it +up to 1300!” The exhaust from the tail of the car coughed black smoke +before the engine powered up. Kee shoved her head in the porthole. “Lean +it out a little; she’s rich!”</p> +<p>At this point, the ship was surrounded by the Vork on all sides and +the air was heavy with the acidic smell, making Kee’s eyes water. She +beat her wings to return to the ship’s centerline and stay ahead of the +aft engine car. From her vantage point, she could see more of the swarm +ahead. They weren’t out of this yet.</p> +<p>Qriil held both flags in parallel to signal <em>steady as she +goes</em>, and Kee hummed over to Halihk to pass the message, “Get it up +to 1300!” No sooner had she returned to her spotting position the bridge +ordered another <em>right, twenty degree rudder</em>. The orders kept +coming as Rhirr navigated through the field of deadly masses.</p> +<p>Left fifteen degrees. Right twenty degrees. Steady as she goes. Right +thirty degrees. Left twenty-five degrees.</p> +<p>Clearly the bridge couldn’t steer as well with the engines as the +rudders, so their movements were more sudden, and there was lots of +correction. Kee felt the slight strain of fatigue growing in her wings +now. She could stay aloft for hours or even days if she could find +thermals. But keeping up with the ship’s engines like this was +exhausting. Still, after a few more turns, she got into a rhythm. Her +translation was getting more accurate, and the bridge didn’t call out +course corrections as frequently, focusing only on steering side to side +to avoid incoming Vork.</p> +<p>The ship began to climb slightly. Kee registered they must be +pitching the elevators to gain some altitude. She hoped that meant they +saw an opening and were pursuing it. Qriil continued to signal and Kee +translated, learning how her engines responded to her commands and +adjusting her orders to be more precise.</p> +<p>Right fifteen degrees, port throttle up to 1500 RPM. Steady as she +goes, starboard throttle up to match. Right twenty degrees, port half +power. Left fifty degrees, starboard full speed ahead. Steady as she +goes, both engines half ahead. Left twenty-five degrees, port idle, +starboard full power.</p> +<p>Kee cut back and forth through the wind, desperately trying not to +cough at the pungent, bitter smell—shouting over the prop wash and +exhaust made her throat rough and scratchy. She thought then and there +that she’d give every last one of her secondaries to taste fresh Yonder. +The Vork passed closer to the sides of the ship. She had no idea what it +was like up on top of the hull, but along the rudder fin behind her, +there were some close calls as the gelatinous acid floated within twenty +feet of the disabled tail. It was as if the deadly orbs weren’t just +drifting on the wind but attracted to the ship itself.</p> +<p>The muscles in her wings were starting to burn, and Kee could feel +her speed dropping as she continued climbing to keep with the ship’s +rising attitude. The bridge pushed the nose up through the migration, +forking left and right to dodge the Vork. One passed beneath Kee, and on +its slick surface she could see the reflection of a great silvery fish +punctuated by a small emerald dot flitting to and fro. She pushed +harder.</p> +<p>Left ten degrees, right five degrees.</p> +<p>Kee panted as she flew orders into the engine portholes now, just +pushing out enough words to convey the message. Her heart was pounding +out of her chest, and she almost slipped reaching out for the port car’s +support strut.</p> +<p>Right fifteen degrees, left twenty degrees.</p> +<p>The surrounding Yonder brightened. The Vork began to dissipate.</p> +<p>Right thirty degrees, left twenty degrees. Steady as she goes.</p> +<p>Just as Kee called her last order for the starboard car, she heard +the telegraph inside ring, and the engines in all three cars surged. The +wind was raking through the feathers on Kee’s face. It tasted fresher. +The ship rose rapidly; the bridge must have applied a hard elevator. +Ahead, Kee saw ballast water being discharged from the bow, providing +the ship with emergency lift. She dodged the brunt of the spray as the +wind caught it and threw it back at her.</p> +<p>Her face, arms, and chest got drenched regardless. Kee cleared her +eyes to see a fifty-foot diameter Vork dead ahead and she was flying +straight toward it at breakneck speed. She couldn’t grab hold of the +ship; it was climbing too quickly.</p> +<p>She tucked her wings and dove, plummeting almost vertically across +the surface of the Vork. The tips of her toes stung, and she screwed her +eyes shut to stop the burning. She swore the tips of her primaries +tingled, but the sensation subsided.</p> +<p>Eyes open again, she saw the Vork overhead and spread her wings, +clenching her muscles and holding fast to the onslaught of air she +caught. She pulled hard, and with every fiber of her body, she managed +to level herself. Her plummet turned into upward momentum. She felt the +blood rush out of her skull, and her vision tunneled as she rocketed +back up into clear, blue Yonder. She extended an arm to the glinting +argent whale floating a few hundred yards out of reach before the +darkness swallowed it.</p> +<hr/> +<p>Sharp, clenching pain in her arms thrust Kee to her senses. Her +vision was blurry but bright, and she felt like she was swaying side to +side in some void. As things cleared, she realized she was still in the +air, but her wings hung limply on her back. Something tight tugged on +her upper arms again, and she cocked her head up to see a pair of white, +downy legs ending in thick, sharp talons gripping her tightly. Qriil’s +broad wings undulated as he carried her through a Vork-less sky.</p> +<p>Qriil turned his heart-shaped face down to Kee. “That was some dive, +I didn’t think you could fly like that.”</p> +<p>“Well, obviously I can’t, wet shi—er, I mean… sorry.” It was all the +still-woozy Kee could muster.</p> +<p>Qriil laughed in his shrill, shrieky voice. “Hey, I think it’s +well-deserved. We’re the ones who dropped the ballast after all. In our +defense, if we hadn’t we definitely would have hit that last Vork.” He +made for the wide-open cargo bay doors. When they passed through the +opening, he managed to set Kee down somewhat gently on the aluminum +deck.</p> +<p>As the bay doors shut, the noise of the wind ceased, and the low +background humming of the engines droned on. Kee got her footing, giving +half a flutter to ensure her wings still worked. They were sore but +intact.</p> +<p>Before she could get the rest of her bearings, she was surrounded by +crew; Wings and Talons alike gathered around, cheering her on and +slapping her on the back with their wingtips. The entire cargo bay was +an uproar of shrieking, squawking, and chirping. Eudo parted the crowd +and punched her in the arm.</p> +<p>“You know you didn’t need to make more work for us out there,” he +admonished, although his cheeks were grinning. Kee stared dumbfounded +until he finished, “A piece of Vork didn’t completely miss the upper +fin; now we need to patch it!”</p> +<p>Kee smiled involuntarily and punched him back. “Jerk.” Eudo put up +his hands in mock defensiveness.</p> +<p>The chief steward arrived with hot rations, which he offered Kee as +another crew member covered her back and violet wings with a dry towel. +Captain Rhirr clacked his way across the bay and approached Kee. The +boisterous crew quickly settled down and formed some semblance of +order.</p> +<p>He wasn’t distracted in the slightest by the rowdiness; eyes fixated +on Kee, he said, “Engineer Sylph, I can say without a doubt that from +today onward I am in your debt. You ensured not only the success of our +maiden voyage but also the safe return of your fellow crew members. At +great personal peril, you served this ship at the peak of its need, and +I commend you. You, more than any of us, understood the risks we took +venturing out on this new machine. We thank you for your quick thinking +and courage in service.” The captain bowed low, and the crew mimicked +his praise.</p> +<p>He spoke again, this time to the crew at large: “I think we all agree +Engineer Sylph has earned a break after that magnificent flying, but +we’re not home yet. I must ask you all, once you’ve finished your +congratulations, to cover her watches as we begin repairs. We don’t want +to be without our steerage any longer than we have to, I’m sure. We’ll +celebrate properly when we’re home.”</p> +<p>Halihk, upstaged behind most of the group before now, stepped forward +to interject, “With respect, Captain, Engineer Sylph is needed promptly +on starboard engine watch once her rest shift is over.” He eyed Kee with +his beady, dark eyes and gave a shallow nod.</p> +<p>Captain Rhirr glanced at Halihk and turned back to Kee, cocking one +brow.</p> +<p>The small fledgling mechanist with the iridescent green feathers and +long thin beak, still soaking wet and stained with grease, smiled and +quietly nodded before answering—</p> +<p>“Yes, sir, I am needed on starboard engine watch.”</p> + +<?php $nolicense=true; ?> |