Tide scooped up the books on the bench, and sat down in the newly cleared space, putting the books down on the floor in a neat stack. He watched Caelum as she prepped the ship for launch, her hands flitting over the controls with a practiced ease that suggested she knew what she was doing. Tide's new-found confidence was only slightly shaken when the ship started to emit some very strange noises, and began shaking and rattling. "Erm, is it supposed..." he began, before deciding that keeping quiet was probably a good idea right now.
The ship's controls seemed to be a strange combination of glowing touchscreens, and analogue dials and gauges that reminded him of the heavy lifters he'd piloted briefly back on Arkadia. He began to wonder if there was a chance he'd be able to fly this thing if the controls were similar enough, but then noticed that Caelum wasn't actually using any of the older controls, and the screens were displaying a strange and unreadable script. Probably not, then.
He relaxed slightly. The ship seemed to have quietened down now that the various systems had started up, and no longer felt like it was about to shake itself to pieces. Then it lurched. A metallic groaning sound echoed through the ship, and it creaked ominously as the craft began to push itself away from the surface. He gritted his teeth, and gripped the edges of the bench tightly with both hands as the ship accelerated. He could hear air rushing past outside - was that right? Should he be able to hear that? Maybe there was a breach in the hull or something... He closed his eyes, held his breath, and wondered how quick and painless the end would be if the ship did tear itself into a million pieces over Sycamore.
Then everything stopped. He opened his eyes, and stared to breathe again. Outside the ship, the mud and rain had gone, replaced by the deep silent serenity of space. Sycamore itself hung at the top of the viewscreen, vibrant and blue against a vivid black backdrop. He relaxed his grip on the bench, and watched Caelum calmly running her fingers across the touchscreens. What was that she'd asked him? Had he flown in one of these before? "No, not one of these. I've only ever flown in shuttles, and some heavy freighters. I've not had the pleasure of anything quite so... intense... as this before."
The ship's controls seemed to be a strange combination of glowing touchscreens, and analogue dials and gauges that reminded him of the heavy lifters he'd piloted briefly back on Arkadia. He began to wonder if there was a chance he'd be able to fly this thing if the controls were similar enough, but then noticed that Caelum wasn't actually using any of the older controls, and the screens were displaying a strange and unreadable script. Probably not, then.
He relaxed slightly. The ship seemed to have quietened down now that the various systems had started up, and no longer felt like it was about to shake itself to pieces. Then it lurched. A metallic groaning sound echoed through the ship, and it creaked ominously as the craft began to push itself away from the surface. He gritted his teeth, and gripped the edges of the bench tightly with both hands as the ship accelerated. He could hear air rushing past outside - was that right? Should he be able to hear that? Maybe there was a breach in the hull or something... He closed his eyes, held his breath, and wondered how quick and painless the end would be if the ship did tear itself into a million pieces over Sycamore.
Then everything stopped. He opened his eyes, and stared to breathe again. Outside the ship, the mud and rain had gone, replaced by the deep silent serenity of space. Sycamore itself hung at the top of the viewscreen, vibrant and blue against a vivid black backdrop. He relaxed his grip on the bench, and watched Caelum calmly running her fingers across the touchscreens. What was that she'd asked him? Had he flown in one of these before? "No, not one of these. I've only ever flown in shuttles, and some heavy freighters. I've not had the pleasure of anything quite so... intense... as this before."