Hello Old Girl
15 Aug 2024Aeryn Airstryder
Recommended Listeninig: The Infinite Universe'Aeryn' walked into the darkened hangar bay, the smell of neglect thick in the air, as he paced towards the front of the pad, the overhead lights gave a feeble and ill-fated attempt to flicker into light.
Breifly backlit by the few lights that tried to ignite before fading out again, a hulking shadow loomed.
The only noise was the sound of his heels hitting the pad as Aeryn continued his pacing, no-one had been allowed in this hangar since he had sealed it, not even himself...not since 'Rose'...
He stopped, facing towards the carrier's bow, still building the courage to turn around, so many memories stood in the dark behind him, of the freinds lost along the way, what right did he have to disturb them.
With a great, shuddering breath, he turned, gazing up at the shillouette above him...only she could judge his actions...she who had travelled with him the longest, she who had fought for him and his crew to their greatest victories, and most devestating defeats.
It was as if he could sence her gaze upon him, as if somwhere in her heart of steel, her veins of wire, a living soul was reaching out.
As Aeryn looked up, the ship's mighty floodlights snapped on, bathing him in blinding white light;
He smiled, and raised his hand in salute: "Hello 'old girl', miss me?"
As if in responce to his question, the mighty vessel's boarding ramp lowered;
Aeryn started forward, up the ramp and into the gaping maw of the ship's hold.
It was like stepping back through time, to another world, everywhere he looked as he moved, he saw ghosts;
'Aeryn' was sure now, this was the right path, he no longer needed to think, his body seemed to be moving of its own accord, drawing him futher into the mighty vessel, lights and machinery bursting to life before him, lighting the way.
It seemed like only seconds, but before Aeryn knew, he was standing outside the final door to his destination.
Slowly, almost nervously, the double doors hissed apart and 'Aeryn' proceeded forth into the dark beyond; computers whirred and whined as they began their starup self-tests, screens flickered to life as line after never ending line of data and checklists blurred across them at dizzying speed.
Only a single ceiling light illuminated, above the Captain's chair, like a spotlight on a stage in a grand theater.
Hanging from the back of the chair, dusty from time, hung a blue and white coat...his coat...ankle length with a tall collar that hid much of his face from the side.
Hesitently, 'Aeryn' reached out, taking it, he peered down at the sigil on the shoulder, a snarling black wolf emblazoned on a blue shield, below it, a name;
the name of the ship, the name of his home, his greatest ally, his oldest freind.
With a mighty flourish that blew dust from the floor and controls swirling about him, 'Aeryn' donned the coat.
"Rose, August, Old man Yamamoto, Luca, everyone...we have one last fight, one final effort, I ask for your help, just one more time"
Aeryn hung his head, eyes clenched in a vain attempt to keep the tears at bay, he could feel his loved ones around him, as if they were reaching out across the great beyond to comfort him; the pain from the burns across his body and injuries from years of fighting, seeming to fade as they did so...then, a light, it was a pale blue, comforting and warm slowly began to shine from behind him.
'Aeryn' turned, the tears flowing full and thick now...his breath caught for a moment...then once more he hung his head, a smile this time.
"Let's finish this fight, for everyone we lost along the way...'Yamato'"
