View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
One lovely afternoon Miles gets a rather urgent call from Ivan.
+ Show First Post
pen_is_wow
Pen stands up, scrunches her wings close to herself, and mostly manages to hide them in Ivan's coat.
thisvorlunatic
And Miles leads her out to his car, whence it is a very short drive to Vorkosigan House. He declines to explain her to the doorman.
"My lightflyer's on the roof," he says. "For flying to the lake house in. We can get up there in the lift tube at the back of the house. Do they have lift tubes where you're from?"
"My lightflyer's on the roof," he says. "For flying to the lake house in. We can get up there in the lift tube at the back of the house. Do they have lift tubes where you're from?"
thisvorlunatic
"Have you ever been somewhere with very low gravity?" he wonders, leading her through the mazelike house toward the lift tube.
thisvorlunatic
"Well, the gravity on Barrayar is real, but lift tubes have a fake lack of gravity. So people who can't ordinarily fly can go up and down them very easily."
thisvorlunatic
"When I was your age I thought they were tremendous fun, but I don't know if you'll agree."
thisvorlunatic
"Maybe not," he agrees. "Well, now you get to find out."
Here is the lift tube! It is big enough to comfortably admit traffic in both directions, but not big enough to fit Pen's full wingspan. Miles steps inside, adjusts casually to the transition between gravity and its absence, and catches hold of the safety ladder to propel himself upward.
Here is the lift tube! It is big enough to comfortably admit traffic in both directions, but not big enough to fit Pen's full wingspan. Miles steps inside, adjusts casually to the transition between gravity and its absence, and catches hold of the safety ladder to propel himself upward.
pen_is_wow
Pen fearlessly steps in, hits the wall with a wing trying to course-correct but seems unharmed, and pops out at the top after him.
thisvorlunatic
And there is his lightflyer.
"Sorry the seats aren't built for wings."
"Sorry the seats aren't built for wings."
thisvorlunatic
"Yeah, let me think about this..."
He studies the interior of the lightflyer for a few seconds, then goes in and starts tinkering. A half-minute later, the back of one of the forward seats has been detached and secured in the rear seat, leaving Pen able to perch up front and let her wings trail behind her into the space that would be occupied by another passenger if there was one.
"How's that work?" he asks, wriggling into the still-intact pilot's seat.
He studies the interior of the lightflyer for a few seconds, then goes in and starts tinkering. A half-minute later, the back of one of the forward seats has been detached and secured in the rear seat, leaving Pen able to perch up front and let her wings trail behind her into the space that would be occupied by another passenger if there was one.
"How's that work?" he asks, wriggling into the still-intact pilot's seat.
thisvorlunatic
He fastens his safety harness, doesn't say boo about hers, closes up and takes off.
Flying in a lightflyer is less fun than flying by oneself, but it has a few things to recommend it. Like being able to go much higher and much faster.
Flying in a lightflyer is less fun than flying by oneself, but it has a few things to recommend it. Like being able to go much higher and much faster.
thisvorlunatic
Is too. They just can't feel it in here. It's visible whenever they traverse a wisp of cloud, though - water vapour streaming over the canopy.
pen_is_wow
Bah. Doesn't count. Pen is not impressed.
She starts singing to pass the time instead.
She starts singing to pass the time instead.
pen_is_wow
She is very talented, and knows quite a lot of songs by heart, the overwhelming majority of which are not in English. Or any recognizable language at all.
thisvorlunatic
Well, Miles is no galactic linguist. But. Huh.
There is a very pretty lake, and there is a very pretty house next to it. Miles lands by the very pretty house.
There is a very pretty lake, and there is a very pretty house next to it. Miles lands by the very pretty house.
thisvorlunatic
Miles goes inside and checks some records.
He verifies three different ways that no one matching Pen's description has arrived on Barrayar recently through licit channels.
He sends his mother a message.
"I have a... I can't begin to explain, but can you please come by Vorkosigan Surleau at your earliest convenience? Thank you."
Then he goes outside to watch the little girl fly. Hopefully she isn't halfway into the mountains by now or some damn thing.
He verifies three different ways that no one matching Pen's description has arrived on Barrayar recently through licit channels.
He sends his mother a message.
"I have a... I can't begin to explain, but can you please come by Vorkosigan Surleau at your earliest convenience? Thank you."
Then he goes outside to watch the little girl fly. Hopefully she isn't halfway into the mountains by now or some damn thing.
pen_is_wow
She seems to be staying over the lake. Soaring around in circles, doing little tricks.