Editing Wind Shear



Dec 27

She's been quiet on the flight back from Vandenberg, her blue eyes turned out to the white-covered landscape outside the shuttle. Sure, she can't see it. But Nika's thoughts are not exactly on what she should be seeing out there anyway. With her elbow propped on the console and her knuckles covering her mouth, she looks pensive. When she finally speaks, it's quiet but sincere. "I appreciate you taking the time away from the ship to drive, Beglan." She doesn't turn to look at him -- what's the point. "Thank you."

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"Not a problem Captain. I'm much obliged to your family putting me up for this long. Besides, its good to get out and about on occasion." 

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Nika laughs slightly. "Going a little stir crazy, are you?" she asks, now turning to look in his direction. "Are we ever going to be able to actually close the doors on our new baby? I have a feeling passengers would appreciate it."

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"I reckin we will, soon as we can round up a fancy dancy computer. I figure sooner or later we'll bump into something. And if that doesn't work, Ms. Rina and I can  make some sort of workaround." Nika senses that he is  a little agitated, she can sense it in his voice, and in the movements of the shuttle.

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The feel of the shuttle's movements is more what alerts her than his voice. She initially thought he was merely distracted. Her hand reaches out absently to touch the control panel in front of her, and she gives him a moment more while she sorts out what she's sensing from him. "Are we running a little rough or would you like to talk to me about what's on your mind?"

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The shuttle settles a little, and he laughs. "No nothign serious Captain. It's just. Well, I wish you all would stop calling me 'Beglan'. No one has called me that since I was a pup, and then it was only the nuns at me school. It wasn't comforting then, and it isn't comforting now. I don't mean any disrespect, but could ya call me 'Beggar' like me mates do?" 

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Actually, that surprises her and it shows in her features. "Beggar .... you've been on board the ship for how long now and this is the first I've heard that you don't want to use your name?" Nika sounds... somewhat flummoxed, and then grins. "This is going to sound ridiculous, but if you want the truth, I thought I'd misheard you introduce yourself -- that you'd said Beglan and I heard Beggar."  She reaches up and rubs her forehead, laughing softly. "I will call you whatever you like. And I apologize. For making you uncomfortable."

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"It's not yer fault, I've had my issues with names for a bit. I haven't really been called 'Beglan' until I got hired on by YouGo. They like to think it is more friendly. But truth be told, it sounds foreign to me. It's been so long. I wasn't even gonna be…" He sort of drifts off. "So tell me Captain, can you explain this gentle mutiny to me? Since when does the Steward start calling himself captain?"

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She's quiet for a long few moments, looking back toward the window. "Since I asked him to step up and tag-team with me?" she says. Her brows pull together. "I'm concerned about my ability to handle the ship in this state," Nika admits to him. "I'm training him to take over. He wants to take on a ship of his own someday -- I'm maybe not the best captain around or anything, but I'll sure try and teach him what little I know." She pauses. "Since you're only just signing on, you wouldn't know that we used to run without a captain at all. In this case, Joshua's basically going to be in command while you're off the boat mostly, I think. It'll evolve. If it doesn't work, well... then it doesn't work."

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"Probably for the best then. Can't have a Captain with your problem, and there is the blindness too, that can't help." He speaks calmly and without emotion.

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Nika actually smiles at that. "You think I'm wallowing," she asserts, pursing her lips. "How many captains have you served under, Beggar?"

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"Not as many as you'd think. But I used to work with other… leaders, and they led in different ways, but they all failed the same." 

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That's an interesting assertion. "All right.... I'll bite. In what way?" Nika asks.

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"They lost the confidence. Both in themselves, and from those that they led. Usually the first led to the second." He banks the shuttle a little. Nika strains a bit to detect if that is a normal maneuver or if he is taking a longer route. "It's not necessarily fatal, but it doesn't come back with new equipment. That I know."

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Nika puts her hands on the armrests. She knows the route pretty well, though not perfectly. Why did he bank there? Her jaw clenches. Her hand instinctively seeks the shuttle's yoke, a movement she aborts as soon as her fingertips touch the controls. "Where are we heading?" she asks, her tone calm and curious.

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"You in a hurry to get home Captain?" He steers the ship a bit starboard. "I was going to take the scenic route. Not much good to you though I bet. Sorry about that."

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"Not at all," Nika replies. "I just wondered if you had a destination in mind." She smiles a little. "If you're interested..... there's a real nice canyon about 25 kliks from the path we'd normally take from the ranch. In the winter the vista's pretty stunning about this time of the afternoon. Looks... kind of like diamonds sparkling off the cliff faces where the ice forms." Her tone is wistful. "We used to ride up there and go camping when I was a kid. My dad would point out the stars."

Clearing her throat, Nika admits, "He's the reason I wanted to fly. I can't... well, I can't give you the personal tour, but I wouldn't mind the ride." She can remember it.

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"I'll see if I can find it.  I love the stars too. I was studying Astronomy at the University before the war. There is so much to wonder up there. " He banks a little harder than he should but then corrects but slows dramatically. "Is it past the fork in the river, or before it? I don't see it." 

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Her mental map of the area around the ranch is still intact, and Nika leans forward in her seat as if she actually can see it. Tilting her head, she assesses the path from Vandenberg and says, "From the city, it's past the fork. You'll take the curve in the river, don't go too low. 'Bout 250 feet, and when you round the curve it's a wonderland." She smiles. "The ice encases the branches of the trees up there and they look like crystal, and there's a small waterfall that usually freezes by now."

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He slows the shuttle considerably, and begins to bank downward towards site. He spins around slowly. "I think I am getting the handle of this. This shuttle flies nice, very forgiving." He lingers there for a bit. "Ah it is beautiful. Every planet, every place unique and beautiful in their own ways, but I am always stunned to have it leap out at me, without my needing to look for it. Shall I set her down, or are you all done?"

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The feel of the Lagniappe hovering is as familiar as breathing. Nika rests her elbows on her knees, leaning forward in that seat for a long time."She does fly beautifully, doesn't she? She's a responsive bird." Her imagination can conjure up the image he's seeing, and for a time she lets her mind's eye wander over it. "Upriver another couple of kliks, there's a clearing where we used to ice skate if you want to set her down for a while," she offers softly. "The landing shouldn't be tricky for her -- not a big space, but big enough."

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"Flyin's not really my bag. I just learned enough to make do. But I'll give it a try. " He flies a cautious route up the river, but Nika can detect the white knuckled maneuvers of someone lacking confidence in his abilities. After a bit he heads into the area. Nika just then remembers the strong winds that whip through the canyon. And before she can warn him, the Shuttle is buffeted laterally. He overcompensates and the shuttle takes a dive. "Whoahh, hold on!" He cries and then there is a sound pulse, and the shuttle negotiates a high-g maneuver that bends her insides before settling into a steady hover.  

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As the shuttle takes the lateral slap, Nika grabs for the nearest, console to brace. "Shi," the blonde swears. She'd forgotten! And she could feel his hands faltering as he struggled. "Don't fight her! Ride with the current, bank port into it, and pull it up!" she coaches from her seat. It's nowhere near as clean as it could be, but hey.... he pulls them out of the dive! And once they're hovering, Nika drops her head back against the headrest, swearing under her breath at the surge of adrenaline. "Well," she gasps softly. "That was fun!"

Apology is clear on her face even as she says, "Damn, Beggar, I'm sorry. I didn't account for the wind direction today. Some days it's far better than others. That was totally my fault. Good job."

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"Uh Captain, I didn't do it. The auto-pilot kicked in. It seems the shuttle was not so happy with my piloting skills, and lifted us out of danger. I am looking at a sign on my monitor asking if I want control or to assign a destination. I didn't know they built atmospheric autopilots in shuttles like this."

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Her heart's still beating so darn fast it feels like it's going to flutter out of her chest. Nika pushes out of her chair to come stand behind his, her hands holding the headrest. For a moment she simply stands with him and then she grins a little bit. "How shaky are you?" she asks the man, her tone amused. Her head cants just slightly and she asks softly, "You'd honestly follow me blind?"

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"I'm alright, but perhaps we'll save the daredevil flying for another time." He laughs. He taps a few buttons and pulls the shuttle in a long parabolic taking the shuttle into the direction of the ranch. "I might need to get me some new skivvies.' He laughs again a bit nervously. "Good to know that nothing can scare the fear right out of you." He voices takes a more serious tone as he finishes the sentence.

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Her hand reaches forward and she nudges the back of his head. Nika's blue eyes are on the window, but there's a thoughtful look on her face. "Flying's been my whole life, Beggar. This is my home. And I just ran us both into wind shear that if the shuttle //hadn't// had autpilot would have splattered us all over the plains. I can't help worrying." She pauses and then admits, "But I'd have done it sighted, too. Wind shear's not exactly predictable." Any more than life -- especially in the Black -- is. "I can do this job. I'm just working out how to do it a little differently than before. Hang tight, okay? There might be a few bumps as I get my feet under me again."

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Beggar seems to relax his grip on the stick and speeds up slightly signaling a bit more confidence. As he brings the shuttle in with a gentle circle before activating the Equinox's shuttle bay, he lowers it in making a decent landing. As the shuttle's systems begin to to shut down he speaks. "Nika." He pauses as though waiting for a reprimand. "My training isn't flying. But I was training to do some counseling, if you want someone that is new to all this. Someone in, but not too far in to be objective. I am here." She can hear him unstrapping and getting up.  

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There is no reprimand. Those sightless blue eyes turn to him, blank as they've been for exactly two months now, and Nika says softly, "I'll keep that in mind. We're all too close." She pauses and says, "//I'm// too close. They're spending time worrying about me, I'm worrying about them. We're not a crew so much anymore. We're a family. As dysfunctional as it occasionally is." Her smile is rueful. "I didn't know how to keep enough distance between me and them to actually be a captain. And now there's a very fine line to walk. So.... when you have suggestions or advice? I'm all ears. I think I need all the help I can get, Beggar."

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"I know what it's like to have your life plans turned upside down. Maybe I can be a hand. Luckily this ship is big enough to give us some space, even when we are in space."


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