Truth and Beauty 3-4

First Post|Previous Post|Next Post

At the launch pad the tractor backed them into the catapult, guided by a yellow-shirted handling officer. Two green-shirted launch jockeys fitted the bridle and surcingle and verified the launch weight with the wherryman. The wherryman wiggled his control surfaces as the jockeys looked on, and once they were satisfied that everything was in working order they gave the thumbs up to the catapult officer.

“Seat belt,” said the wherryman, “all items away”. Jack stuffed his phone in his pocket and pulled each of the harness’s five belt tails to tighten them further. A dull whine escaped the catapult as it tipped the wherry back, back, back, a full 60 degrees back, so Jack lay in his seat.

Outside, the catapult officer gave everything a final look-over, then saluted the wherryman, who blinked his landing lights in response. Jack turned up the volume on his headsets.

“Bravo-oscar, six-five-three. Proceed next in queue for departure.”

“Bravo-oscar-six-five-three next in queue ten-four,” said the wherryman, loud in Jack’s ear.

Two moments’ silence. The wherry’s bell rang three double strikes for six bells: eleven o’clock. “Bravo-oscar, six-five-three” said the radio, “You are clear for take-off, path alpha-zero-five-two.”

“Bravo-oscar-six-five-three, alpha-zero-five-two, ten-four,” replied the wherryman. A rumble and hiss as the catapult charged. The catapult captain gave the signal, and the wherryman dimmed the windows, then moved his throttles to start.

Orange light filled the cabin, faint and flickering at first, then brighter and stronger as the wherryman pushed his throttles toward their stops. Tongues, then full sheets of flame raced past the windows. The wherry rattled and shook as the engines spooled up; Jack braced himself for launch.

The catapult flung them skyward, pressing Jack into his seat; the flames, the spaceport, the planet fell away.

Jack swallowed to pop his ears. The windows turned clear again, and soon the wherryman began to throttle back. The ride smoothed enough for Jack to make out the curvature of the planet in the patterns of light below. When the wherry banked into a turn he made out the arcing flame of the next launch.

First Post|Previous Post|Next Post