Leaving The Nest
Posted on Mon Nov 2nd, 2020 @ 11:04pm by Lieutenant Commander Chire & Lieutenant Dylan Blake
1,758 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Short Treks
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: 2340-1-13 18:00
Chire had arranged for the holodeck to be wide open but she'd put in some interesting scenery in the distance. Nothing Dylan could possibly hit, not that she expected him to do much his first time. She had also, as a precaution, softened the floor of the holodeck so it was like walking on pillows. He was to meet her here to try out the contraption she'd come up with and she had to admit that she was just a tad nervous for him to see it.
She didn't have to wait very long before the guinea pig arrived. Blake wobbled slightly on the softened ground as he made his way over to her. "I like how you've taken some precautions," he bounced up on his toes for a moment. "Very squashy."
"Yes well, I've broken my wing once. I did not want you to have to experience the same thing." She stepped closer to him. "So this is just a test. Don't expect to be able to take off and do all kinds of crazy stunts." In her hands she held a pair of very large wings, not unsimilar to her own but they were a different color, a soft brown, like his hair. "And your arms may get tired much quicker than you expect."
"I think despite our excitement we're both quite realistic about today," Dylan explained before setting eyes on Chire's design. "Wow," he expressed. "I didn't expect anything so stylish and organic looking, you based them on your own?" he asked gently stroking the soft feathers.
"Yes. I thought it would be more fulfilling to know you were flying under your own power. So I looked up the height and weight on your service record, determined they were fairly accurate based on when you jumped on my back, and matched the color to what I thought you might have been born with if you were Creoli. Do you still want to attempt it?" Chire stood before him ready to strap the wings to him. She was several inches shorter than him and had to look up in that proximity.
"That's very thorougher of you," Dylan was slightly surprised by the effort she'd already put into the project. "Sorry again for jumping on you the other night I was lost on how to bring you down, I didn't want to hurt you or anyone else around us." He returned his gaze to the wings: "Of course I want to give this a go, though, how do they work?"
"I know, don't worry about it." Chire assured him. "Well they work under your own body power, which might be a bit tiring until you get used to it but it will make you stronger to use them. I have come up with a system to strap them to your back and arms. Shall I put them on and we can test it, make sure that nothing is too tight or uncomfortable?"
"This could be a short experiment," Dylan grimaced and lifted his arms for Chire to begin attaching the wings. "My upper body strength is a bit lacking, I'd rather run a marathon than pump iron or fumble with monkey bars." He glanced around the holodeck again: "Am I supposed to create my own lift or are you planning to push me off a ledge and hope for the best?"
Chire's body shook with what could only be giggles. "You've discovered my master plan, I will be pushing you off a cliff shortly. You create your own lift. And I can always change the design but I honestly think you should practice at this. I know you are capable of it eventually. It will be good for you," she winked. "Now. Loosen up your arms a bit. Stretch out those muscles and when you feel ready I want you to hold out your arms with the wings pointing directly down and pull your arms down so that the wings lift you off the ground a few inches."
"You're joking right? About the pushing business?" Dylan asked sharply. "I know most chicks learn that way, but I'm considerably heavier than a baby bird."
"Course I am," Chire said looking at him quite seriously. "I would never hurt you. There hasn't been violence on my planet for almost two hundred years and never between the sexes. It's forbidden to harm one's mate even. Once in a great while I'm told a couple of males would get into a tussle but even that was rare. I wasn't planning on anything higher than a boulder."
Blake nodded feeling somewhat reassured by her explanation and begun to stretch his arms. "If there's very little violence on your homeward it must have been very strange to leave it and come to Earth. There's rarely peace between the sexes, even those married for years. My parents are certainly leaving proof of that," he smirked at the memories.
"Hmm, it was different but I have not been around mated pairs that much, except on ships. Do you feel comfortable to try now?" Chire stepped back and opened her own wings just in case he somehow managed to get off the ground and couldn't figure out how to get down again. After all she didn't really expect him to do much and getting down without free falling was the next lesson.
"Alright," he nodded having stretched and flexed his new winged arms. The framework was surprisingly light and agile especially considering Chire had produced it short notice and purely for a whim. He scaled the boulder she'd created carefully which had risen him a short distance above the deck. "So what now?" he asked. "Just walk off and flap?"
"You are so amusing," Chire smiled at him. "I want you just to flap your wings and see what happens, see if you can get any lift without straining your arms first before you try walking off the boulder." She watched him for a moment. "Before you do that . . . " Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. "I want to ask you . . . I know I am your superior officer but I was wondering about something. I have seen other humans go. Could we have a drink in the lounge? Would you want to I mean?"
With his arms already extended and ready to give this experiment a go Blake stopped prematurely and twisted his head toward her. Was she asking him on a date he pondered. Maybe by accepting her feather, soothing her bizarre reaction to alcohol and wishing to learn to fly had given her the wrong impression. It wasn't the fact he didn't like her... he blinked away the thought before it could fully form and recalled she was still waiting for his answer. "I have no worries with that," he responded. "Although we'd better take care with what we sample, wouldn't want you ending up in sickbay again," he grinned.
"I will replicate the drink myself." Chire promised him. She gave no indication about whether she was happy that he'd accepted. "Okay, go ahead then."
"Right," he nodded returning to the task at hand. With a steadying breathe he lifted his arms high and forced them downward quickly several times. Instantly his movement created a rush of air around them causing his uniform and Chire's feathers to flutter softly but little else. Dylan adjusted his method keeping his arms rigid reducing the flex his his elbows and wrists, it was more strenuous but wielded promise as he felt a strange weightlessness come over him he hadn't felt outside zero G training.
He paused to catch his breathe: "Clearly I need to loose a few pounds," he panted.
She didn't laugh, she thought that would be rude. "I can also adjust the wings to make them longer or wider as well but I wanted to see what you could do. For your first time that was not bad. Your arms just aren't used to it." She extended her wings and let them beat, pushing her up until she was floating in front of him. "It takes effort, I've just done it a lot longer."
Dylan nodded. "I think I've round the right technique, I felt weightless but not enough to actually move myself," he explained. "Stand back, let me try again," he licked his lips with a hint of determination. He stretched his arms out and tried again remembering to keep his arms ridged as he flapped with regained enthusiasm. He hated to loose and admit failure hence the second more frantic attempt. His arms quickly began to ache in protest but he continued to push on and ignore the discomfort. The now familiar sensation could be felt again, he willed his arms to work harder despite their tiredness and his feet momentarily came away from surface of the boulder where he stood.
Jubilation crossed his features momentarily before something unexpected happened. It gave him a new understanding for the natural skill of birds and the upmost bravery of pilots as his left wing suddenly lost its shape and altered his trajectory instantly. Inexperienced, floundering like wounded fish Blake fought to save his balance before toppled over the edge of the boulder.
The fall was short and softened by the amendments Chire had made as a precaution. Dylan bounced once, then twice before coming to a rest laying on his back panting heavily. "I think that's enough for one day," he puffed.
"Of course." Chire said reaching her hand down to him to offer a boost up. "Are you all right?"
Accepting her hand Dylan heaved himself upright and dusted himself down. "Just some dented pride," he smirked. "Nothing new."
She waited until he was on his feet to move around him and undo the straps, letting the wings fall to the ground. Then she picked them up. "Should I store these for you or do you want to take them with you to your quarters?"
Blake shook his head: "You have far more space than I do, you should hang on to them."
"Alright. Well . . . . I guess that's that then. Shall we meet for a drink now or would you prefer we do that another day?"
"Now's fine," he replied wondering where Chire was going with this. "The evening is still young."
Chire nodded. "Let me drop these off in my quarters and I'll meet you at the lounge," she paused making sure that was okay with him before she hurried off.
"Alright," Blake nodded noticing her hesitate. "See you there."
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