Blackspace: A Pilot's Burden-Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Blackspace: A Pilots's Burden
I started to feel the heat of air friction on my skin as I descended through the atmosphere. I shook and rattled as I dove through the sky, and I had to fight to stay level. I started dropping faster and faster the warm glow of reentry surrounding me. The flames started to warm my skin, a refreshing change from the vacuum behind me.
I leaned forward, dropping my nose and narrowing my profile, and started slicing through the air. The friction soon abated and I started plummeting face first towards the ocean below. With only the tiniest adjustments I kept my nose dive stable. The wind whipped across my face and flowed gracefully around me as I hurtled through the clear blue sky. The water raced up to meet me growing larger with each breath.
At the last possible second I spread out and pulled up.
I let out a full bodied cheer as I kicked on my drives, the energy thruming through me and lunged forwards across the water. I stayed just a few feet above the waves, sending up a wide tall spray through the beautifully clear sea behind me. The sun warmed my back and face while the water droplets spraying up from below clung to my underside cooling me down.
On the horizon in front of me I spotted several structures sticking out above the water. I adjusted my flaps and thrusters, and banked towards them, sending a large wave cascading in my wake.
From this distance I could just make out the skyline of Blueport. The sprawling and haphazard collection of floating structures could almost be called a city. Wooden walkways connected and skirted the edges of ships, prefab structures, disabled boats, repurposed mining equipment, half a space station and a rare few purposefully designed buildings. According to most of the major powers the place and its population either didn't exist or were dangerous criminals. The second one was mostly true. Although the danger was more from drunken shenanigans than actual malevolence. All in all the place was a smugglers haven and the closest thing we had to a permanent home.
"Blueport Air Traffic Control to Distant Star," crackled a voice in my head, "You are coming in too fast. Slow your approach."
"Distant Star to Blueport ATC, i'm having a little trouble controlling my thrusters right now," I lied though a smile, "I'm pretty sure I can handle it though. What's my landing pad?"
"Negative Distant Star!" the comms tower retorted, "at your current velocity you risk a collision! Lower your speed!"
I sucked air through my teeth, "sorry can't do that. Like I said. Engine trouble."
"Distant Star you are in violation of Blueport law, I am ordering-"
"Sorry," I interrupted, "I can't quite hear you. Lines a little fuzzy."
"Tora I swear to god. Please lower your speed." sighed a new voice, indignation and contempt dripping from the words.
"Dayrl!," I chirped happily, "I was wondering when they'd put you on."
"Tora I need you to slow down."
"So, how's the family? Everyone doing ok?" I antagonized him as I continued rocketing towards the landing platforms. If I fiddled with my settings a little I could hear panicked voices in the background.
"Tora I've got traffic in the area, what you're doing is incredibly dangerous," he monotoned.
"I know you don't have any air traffic right now Dayrl," I replied casually scanning the airspace above the city, "just like you know there is absolutely nothing wrong with my engines."
"And what will you do on the day where I do actually have traffic?" He asked philosophically. I could practically hear his chair creaking as he leaned back in it.
"I'll incinerate that bridge when I get to it."
"I'm sure you will," he sighed, "pad 42, and again..."
"I swear this will never happen again and I am very sorry," I lied for the twenty third time.
"There you go. Have a nice day Tora."
"You too," I replied, "good luck with the rookies."
I cut the connection before he could get in another word. I figured out where pad 42 was and banked wide hoping to come in over the water. Once I got close enough to the pad I flared up to near vertical and fired my maneuvering jets at full power.
I stopped almost directly above the pad, the jet wash tossing debris up into the air and ruffling the clothes of a few people walking past. I dexterously maneuvered my landing thrusters and aligned my entry bay with the wooden walkway. I gently lowered myself down before shutting off my engines a few feet above the pad. I dropped like a stone catching myself on my landing gear and letting the pad sink a little too deep into the water. Gentle waves flooded over the pad and washed over my landing gear.
I sat there for a moment and just let the water roll over me, listening to the ocean and the birds and the people around me. Feeling the wind and the spray on my skin. Watching the horizon and the clear blue sky.
"You good to come out?," asked a muffled voice I heard with my ears rather than my sensors.
"Just give me a few more seconds," I sighed and started powering down the drives and flight systems. The vibrations moving through me slowly wound down to stillness, my winglets folded into position and the vents closed on my atmospheric engines. After a few minutes of work I was satisfied.
"Alright, pull me Jack," There was a disconcerting jostle somewhere in my spine and suddenly I was floating in darkness.