Second Verse; The Two
Jun 11, 2019 14:21:51 GMT -6
Post by fen on Jun 11, 2019 14:21:51 GMT -6
Hand on metal, her fingers traced the silver edge that cut deep. Though it was nothing but metal, she could only see a clear blue sky. The line seemed to go on forever, even though she knew it had an end. It turned into darkness, all the way inside. She pressed her face up against the metal, feeling the cold against her skin, eye gazing into the abyss.
“She’s a beaut, ain’t she?”
The voice sent her reeling back, a blush creeping on both cheeks as she slid off the side of the machine. The floor would have been her end had it not been for the tightly wound cord connecting her to its frame. Her butt slide against the side instead, coming to a halt as her legs dangled off where it became too steep. She sat there, hands in her lap out of embarrassment.
“...yes.”
A chuckle followed from the man on the catwalk. She glanced over towards him. He was much older, a bit wrinkled, with springy brown hair that was graying. Though he wore thin-rimmed glasses and used a cane to get around, the way he spoke and carried himself seemed to dispel any potential preconceived notions of him being a crazy old hoot.
“I can’t blame ya… Found her in the Alps. I know I’m not supposed to tell you that, but…”
“But?”
The old man shrugged, his gaze lost in the odd design of the machine before him. Though Dr. Leonard Drake was credited with much of the research behind the piloting interface in the machines, it seemed he was as clueless as them when it came to everything else.
“I don’t really care, and anyways, I realized most of you would figure it out quickly.”
She tilted her head, scooting back up towards the center of the machine, until she was sitting on its chest. Hugging her knees, she looked down at him with a curious gaze.
“Well, what else can you tell me about her?”
“Her? Now where is this coming from?”
“Well… You guys named it the Ymir right? I thought that was some sort of… Giant goddess.”
“Giant god, as in masculine.” He frowned. “...doesn’t really make much sense sayin’ it like that, but you get my point yeah? Ymir was a male, though he was credited with the birth of the giant race in ancient Nordic mythology…”
“Still get a bit of a ‘she’ vibe from her.”
“Vibe?” He cocked a brow, a grin beginning to form. “Now what’s that supposed to mean?”
She chuckled somewhat awkwardly, scratching the back of her head as she realized she had captured the curiosity of one of the ESU’s head engineers. That could not bode well for someone of her stature, no matter the cause.
“Uh… Well… It’s just… A feeling, I guess? When I pilot I just… I get the feeling it’s a girl?”
Dr. Drake shook his head, a low chuckle escaping from him as he tapped his cane against the ground. “You franks are all the same… I’ll never get what's going on in those heads of yours.”
“It’s not like we’re a different species…”
The old man laughed, shaking his head as he did. Though this was their first conversation, neither of them thought the other to be too weird, or too different. Despite the differences in their positions and rank, they were both engaged on equal ground.
This was something she wasn’t used to.
“In any case, Private Conners, as long as your performance doesn’t make the brass lose their marbles, you can call it whatever you want.”
“She’s a beaut, ain’t she?”
The voice sent her reeling back, a blush creeping on both cheeks as she slid off the side of the machine. The floor would have been her end had it not been for the tightly wound cord connecting her to its frame. Her butt slide against the side instead, coming to a halt as her legs dangled off where it became too steep. She sat there, hands in her lap out of embarrassment.
“...yes.”
A chuckle followed from the man on the catwalk. She glanced over towards him. He was much older, a bit wrinkled, with springy brown hair that was graying. Though he wore thin-rimmed glasses and used a cane to get around, the way he spoke and carried himself seemed to dispel any potential preconceived notions of him being a crazy old hoot.
“I can’t blame ya… Found her in the Alps. I know I’m not supposed to tell you that, but…”
“But?”
The old man shrugged, his gaze lost in the odd design of the machine before him. Though Dr. Leonard Drake was credited with much of the research behind the piloting interface in the machines, it seemed he was as clueless as them when it came to everything else.
“I don’t really care, and anyways, I realized most of you would figure it out quickly.”
She tilted her head, scooting back up towards the center of the machine, until she was sitting on its chest. Hugging her knees, she looked down at him with a curious gaze.
“Well, what else can you tell me about her?”
“Her? Now where is this coming from?”
“Well… You guys named it the Ymir right? I thought that was some sort of… Giant goddess.”
“Giant god, as in masculine.” He frowned. “...doesn’t really make much sense sayin’ it like that, but you get my point yeah? Ymir was a male, though he was credited with the birth of the giant race in ancient Nordic mythology…”
“Still get a bit of a ‘she’ vibe from her.”
“Vibe?” He cocked a brow, a grin beginning to form. “Now what’s that supposed to mean?”
She chuckled somewhat awkwardly, scratching the back of her head as she realized she had captured the curiosity of one of the ESU’s head engineers. That could not bode well for someone of her stature, no matter the cause.
“Uh… Well… It’s just… A feeling, I guess? When I pilot I just… I get the feeling it’s a girl?”
Dr. Drake shook his head, a low chuckle escaping from him as he tapped his cane against the ground. “You franks are all the same… I’ll never get what's going on in those heads of yours.”
“It’s not like we’re a different species…”
The old man laughed, shaking his head as he did. Though this was their first conversation, neither of them thought the other to be too weird, or too different. Despite the differences in their positions and rank, they were both engaged on equal ground.
This was something she wasn’t used to.
“In any case, Private Conners, as long as your performance doesn’t make the brass lose their marbles, you can call it whatever you want.”