MM: taking Cal on the Baba Yaga

[aimedforthemoon]

Outside, it is raining. Hard. Not impossible to walk through, but the kind of weather where you'd get drenched within a couple of minutes unless you had the right clothes. They are obviously in a city, and a major one at that; although Cormond is built on the salt-flats, overpopulation has meant that people build up, and given one side of the street has no buildings, there is a wide view of the rest of the city. It looks not unlike an Earth city, at least from a distance.

The buildings themselves are built in a style that is both functional and stark at the same time as being organic, and there is a science-fiction feel thanks to the airspeeders and the aliens (some rather obviously alien) mixed in with the humans.

"The port is just at the other end of the street," Esfir explains as they stand under the eaves.

Comments

[isaysimplewords]

Cal blinks.

"What?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"Handle it well."

Esfir...doesn't do the Mama Bear thing very often. But she can. Oh, she can.

[isaysimplewords]

"I will."

Cal is slightly insulted now. What does she think he's going to do, exactly?

[aimedforthemoon]

"Thank you."

A beep comes from the instruments and she glances back.

"Aaaaand, we're coming out of hyperspace."

[isaysimplewords]

This serves as an instant distraction. Cal's expression lightens as he turns his attention back to the viewscreen.

[aimedforthemoon]

Coming out of hyperspace is similir to going in - everything stretches and warps, and then with a snap. In front of them, is another planet. A busy one, from the ships coming in and out along with them, but still one with lots of green and blue.

"This is Corellia."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal is enthralled again, fascinated by the view. He's seen pictures, and even grainy footage, of planets in his own solar system from satellite's-eye-view, but it's not really any kind of preparation for this look at a completely new planet.

[aimedforthemoon]

She flies them around the planet, heading for the Gold Beaches. They are visible even from space, and that is like nothing on Earth. Then she's flying down into the atmosphere, down to the clouds, down through them, down under them. The planet itself is largely rural (with most of the manufacturing done in space), so they are gliding over rolling hills and farmland and forests. Then there is a river, and twin-city on the banks of it.

Home - or something akin to, at any rate, and there is a faint smile as Esfir flies them over to a space-port next to what could only be a school. A flying school, yes, but schools just...have an air about them. Skillfully, she lowers them into one of the open spaces in the port, and turns her ship off.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal's eyes are wide the whole time, trying to see every single detail all at once. It doesn't work, but he doesn't stop trying until the ship's engine falls silent. Then he sinks back into his chair with a long sigh.

"Cool," is all he says.

[aimedforthemoon]

"Tyrena. A little place I call home."

[isaysimplewords]

"Wow. It's really nice," Cal says, with total sincerity, in spite of the fact that they are still firmly ensconced in the spaceship.

What he's seen so far is nice.

[aimedforthemoon]

"It is." Pause and then she adds, "It...reminds me of Stalingrad. A bit. I found out I'm used to living next to a river." Then she shakes her head, and unbuckles herself.

"I'll show you my place."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal lets that first part pass.

"Cool," he says, unbuckling. He stands and stretches, a little awkwardly, but his muscles need it. He was more tense than he realizes for much of the ride, just from sheer concentration.

[aimedforthemoon]

She watches him, and her smile turns knowingly crooked. Of course, there is a moment of stretching herself.

"It gets like that."