To Reach for the Sky ((Short Story))

**skyscream** · 12/14/2007 22:14:12

[p] [/p][p][i]"I'm" clang[/i][/p][p][i]"a working" clang [/i][/p][p][i]"on the" clang [/i][/p][p][i]"railroad." clang [/i][/p][p][i]"All" clang [/i][/p][p][i]"the live long" clang [/i][/p][p][i]"day." clang [/i][/p][p][i]"Hello Skyscream." A deep voice suddenly interupted. [/i][/p][p][i] Skyscream stopped hammering on the metal plate and turned around with a grin. Behind her was a commanding presence. Destiny seemed to ooze out of his soul. She dropped the tool on the sheet of metal with a final sounding clang and stood up. A wide grin suddenly crossed her lips and seemed to light up her face even in the shadow of the monstrous hovercraft she called home. Her first mate, Shadowofpain, came tromping down the gangplank and suddenly froze when he saw the scene before him. [/i][/p][p][i]"Morpheus!" Skyscream couldn't stop grinning as she walked quickly across the small distance to embrace him in quick but heartfelt hug. She stepped back and smiled at him. "I'll be damned. You came! Thank you." [/i][/p][p][i]"You call this a base?" Morpheus smiled as he decided to ignore that he was just hugged and that Shadowofpain was doing an impression of a statue. "It's ... I'm not sure what to say really." [/i][/p][p][i]"Wind in my hair. Open skies." Skyscream laughed as she looked around at thier small encampment on the surface. "We're nomads. What can I say?" [/i][/p][p][i]"Tents though?" Morpheus glanced around at the ramshackle set up. One thing he noticed was that everything could easily be packed up and aboard ship in a very short time. [/i][/p][p][i]"Wigwam." Skyscream chuckled. "The native american tribes in ancient history used them very effectively. These are designed after the ones the Cree tribes used. At least what the machine says they used. I figured since they lived in subarctic conditions it would be a good choice." [/i][/p][p][i]"How do you do that?" [/i][/p][p][i]"Do what?" Skyscream looked at large man beside her with her head tilted to one side as if perplexed. [/i][/p][p][i]"Turn everything into a history lesson." Morpheus almost smiled. Almost. [/i][/p][p][i]"Very funny. Come on, I'll show you my most recent insanity." Skyscream began walking around to the rear of the massive hovercraft with a chuckle. [/i][/p][p][i]"Is he going to be okay?" Morpheus nodded towards Shadowofpain who was staring at him from the entrance to the big ship. [/i][/p][p][i]"Yep. Probably just mad he didn't detect you coming. Or shocked to see one of his heroes." Skyscream grinned as they continued. She noticed that Morpheus kept staring at the Hovercraft suspiciously. "Don't worry. Format is on our side." [/i][/p][p][i]"Good." Morpheus suddenly stopped in his tracks as he walked around the aft of the ship. "Is this a joke?"[/i][/p][p][i] Skyscream began to laugh as she kept walking towards the delicate looking frame of what appeared to be the shell of some kind of winged craft. She ran a hand along the rough edges with a gleam in her eye as if she saw a glorious bird and not a collection of thin metal rods. [/i][/p][p][i] "This is what you wanted to show me?" Morpheus shook his head and smiled a little. He could see her plan. Her vision.[/i][/p][p][i] "Yeah. It's going to be so cool." The gleam had not left Skyscreams eyes. "And I want you to come with me."[/i][/p][p][i] "Sure." A simple word from Morpheus but one that sent Skyscreams heart soaring. "Count me in."[/i][/p][p] [/p][p] Months had passed. Despair seemed to lurk in every corner. No longer was she an outcast. Her Nomad ways of the past had changed in the last year. She had dug in her heels both in Zion and on the surface. The last order they had from ... him ... was to defend Zion. So they had returned and pledged themselves to keeping the last free city alive. But there was always a little time for fun.[/p][p] Skyscream scowled at the simple controls before her. No computers. No machines. Simple. A stick and two pedals for her feet. Pitch and yaw. Darkness clawed at her vision. It was always dark on the surface. The clouds made sure of that. The seat beside her was empty. It would remain that way. Morpheus was not coming. She knew that a long time ago. Most people assumed he was dead .. but she was an optimist at heart underneath a healthy dose of cynicism.[/p][p] Skyscream closed her eyes and spoke into the little mic attached to the headset she was wearing.[/p][p]"Yeah. I think I'm ready. Go ahead Format."[/p][p] In front of her the darkness was suddenly cut apart by the monstrous hovercraft outside her windscreen powering up it's pads and lifting from the ground. Off to the left Machine city could be seen poking over the horizon. The rope between the large hovercraft and her much smaller and delicate craft became tight as the big machine edged forward. Then scraping of earth on metal made her wince as the little craft she was in lurched forward with a sudden jolt. She looked out the side to her left and saw the long wing stretching out away from her. It flexed slightly as it dipped and touched the earth before the air began to take hold and lift it up. The pads of the hovercraft before her glowed brightly as the little craft she was in began to slowly lift into the air.[/p][p] Sound seemed to stop as she began to rise into the air. A small smile played across her lips as her hands held the stick steady between her legs and she was pushed back into her seat by the sudden acceleration of the Format C in front of her. She struggled to keep the craft level with an easy but firm touch. Faster and faster the ground below streaked by and the sound of the wind became deafening. Skyscream glanced to the right. The wing on that side was beginning to flap from the stresses of the wind trying to rip them off. Her welds held though as the entire craft began to shake and rattle. She reached out as her little hand crafted ship was tossed around on the end of it's tether like a hummingbird in a windstorm. She pawed at the only other control in the craft twice before she finally managed to hit the small lever.[/p][p] The rope from ship to ship dropped away from the front of the silvery glider as it suddenly pulled up gently and soared high into the air. Below the hovercraft Format C began to slow it's velocity as the little engineless plane soared up towards the clouds.[/p][p]One last transmission came through to the hovercraft before the little silver bird disappeared into the dark, lightning filled, clouds.[/p][p]"Whoo hoo baby! I'm gonna see the Stars!"[/p][p]
The darkness was ripped apart by lightning as it arced to the ship and then carried on it's quick course. Sparkles filled her vision in it's wake and she could smell the rubber lining in the cockpit as if it were burning slightly from the heat of the electrons ripping through the metal frame. Turbulance tossed the little plane around as Skyscream struggled to retain control. She had some refinements to make when she landed. Hopefully in one piece. She wasn't sure if she was level anymore. Or what her angle was in relation to the earth. It felt right but with no horizon she couldn't be sure. Then the idea dawned on her to bring an old style carpenters level next time. Water and an air bubble. Simple. The clouds seemed to go on forever. Darkness filled by more darkness. Then it was darkness filled by grey. Then suddenly she was free. She could see a horizon on top of the clouds. [/p][p]She could see the top of the clouds![/p][p] Her eyes were wide with amazement as she stared at the points of light above the darkness that marked the clouds. Her mind couldn't grasp how many there were. It was beyond counting. She almost forgot to level out the plane. She looked around with awe from her seat. To her left the stars were being replaced by a pale blueness. She slowly edged the little silver bird around carefully, doing everything she could to not lose velocity, until she was facing it. Time seemed to stand still but in reality it was minutes. Then it began.[/p][p]The sun began to rise.[/p][p]It was beautiful to behold.[/p][p]As the plane began to sink slowly back to the earth she could not take her eyes off what was before her. And as if someone put the idea fully formed into her head a vision formed of a possibility as she sank back into the darkness of the earth. She laughed as she watched the glorious sun disappear behind humanities and machines folly.[/p][p]
It was something that she would do. Somehow. Someway.[/p][p]Just like when she declared she would see the stars ...[/p][p]She would build a castle above the clouds.[/p][p]Her minds eye was filled with the vision of it as the dark clouds embraced her once more. She did not really see the lightning arcing to and from her little plane although her hand guided the craft steadily. Before long she broke through the bottom of the darkness to enter the world again. Her angle of attack was too great. Her velocity was far to much. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as she pulled back on the stick to level the plane out. The wings groaned loudly in protest as the little craft began to slowly level out. To late though. The last thing she remembered clearly was metal grinding into earth.[/p][p]Pain.[/p][p]Darkness.[/p][p]Then a dim light.[/p][p]Skyscream stared at the wreckage around her as she touched her ribs. Pain streaked back and forth across her vision. The landing had not gone well ... but it was a landing. She would have to practice that. And have Format level out a very long flat chunk of earth to land on.[/p][p]"Are you okay?" Her first mates voice suddenly erupted above her. Shadowofpains look of concern as he stared down at her made her smile. "Yo... Stop grinning like an idiot and answer me. Any bones broken?"[/p][p]"Yeah.. uh .. no.. nothing broken." She realized the mic was around her neck and adjusted the headset to sit properly. She had to bend the mic back into place even though in one corner of her mind she knew it didn't work anymore.. The world seemed to tilt at odd angles for some reason. "Yeah... I think I'm actually in one piece. Just a bit roughed up from the landing."[/p][p]"You are clearly one of the craziest people I've ever met." Shadowofpain laughed a little. "Calling that a landing ..."[/p][p]"Oh, dig up everything you can on the bouyancy of gasses in our atmosphere." Skyscream started to try to crawl out of the mangled plane. She was in surprisingly little pain and felt this was a landing she was going to walk away from in pretty much one piece. "And we'll need to salvage what we can from the wreckage of the Starbird. Before starting on the next model." [/p][p]"Is that everything?"[/p][p]"No." Skyscream looked up at the darkness above. "I need a carpenters level."[/p]

hlew88

ooooooooooooo nice ! SMILEY

**skyscream**

Thanks.

SMILEY

AF-Dissever

(( Yes I like this one SMILEY

but it brings up an important point: when did we decide that hoverpads were the only necessary propulsion system for our ships? Seems like a jet engine would be useful at times.. ))

**skyscream**

((The problem with a jet is the fuel. Have to find some crude. Then get it from the ground/seabeds/tarsands and refine it. Very involved process. If there is even any left. Current estimates only give us about another 70 to 100 years of using gas and what not as a main fuel source for the world. From the way I understand it hovercraft work in theory off of a form of 'battery' that needs to be recharged. Much simpler if you have a ready supply of power. At least in my opinion. And thanks!! Glad you liked it. I really enjoyed writing this one. SMILEY

And I need to drop in on this forum much more often. lol.))

**Synapse777**

That's one really reallyl good story there, Skyscream! Kudos! Man, I saw it before me there. Put one of your older videos on my myspace too. It's one of the best ones you've made, I think. Take care and good luck and happy holidays and new year SMILEY