Return to Earth

Chapter 6

Kierst was watching the others in the simulation of the Medjay, which was the ship assigned to the first group. The controls might have been the same as a barge, but the speed and weather conditions were things he wasn't used to. Working along the edge of the dome meant there was no wind to contend with, anymore than he had to deal with the storms, which were battling them within the simulator.

He was grateful none of the movement was making him sick, but that didn't mean Kierst was enjoying the ride. Being battered around from within made it difficult to concentrate on anything happening around him, but the others didn't have the same problem. This wasn't there first storm.

The other members of group one were more professional than he ever expected from them. Dune and Win didn't snipe at each other, but knew they wanted to. There was a tension between them he couldn't explain that came from some dark place they shared. Kierst expected them to blow up at each other with every battering, but nothing escaped their mouths that was anything other than professional.

Jada was silent most of the time, but did respond when she needed to. Her voice remained soft, which wasn't an issue with being heard through the headsets they all wore. Kierst suspected he would be unable to hear anything if we were sitting right next to her without help from the technology, but wasn't about to remove his helmet to find out.

The insides reminded him of the hazards of working and living on a barge with every battering of his head against a hard surface without the benefit of space. It wasn't a design for people like them in mind; at least not the bridge they were confined to. He felt cramped as he stood in the aisle between Dune and Win as they took term maneuvering the ship.

Kierst had tried to sit in the seat behind Dune, but hated being pressed against the side to see what his roommate was doing. Without a third seat between pilot and copilot, standing was his best option. His feet felt steady beneath him as he adjusted himself along with the battering. Being on the water may never have been like the sensation he was feeling, but it was the closest he had ever come to experiencing the volatile movement.

His eyes scanned up to the screen to see rain hammering against it and almost forgot he was in a simulation. The visuals were real enough to trick his mind into thinking they were really flying on Earth, not in the distant moon base. A smile cracked his lips as his hand pressed up to steady himself from a wind that had grown harsh against the side.

Dune's voice sounded calm as he spoke over the speakers. "End simulation." The craft steadied until no movement could be felt before turning to Kierst. "Take Win's seat."

Kierst shook his head. "I'm not ready to fly this thing."

Win pressed past him as her voice sounded almost encouraging. "You never will unless you do it, Kierst. Watching isn't the same as flying. Try not to get us killed right away."

He sat in the comfortable seat and felt less cramped in the front. The panel and instruments laid out before him as he waited for the next simulation to begin. Everything was as it had been on the barge without the benefit of a view, since all he could see was the dull light outside waiting on instructions.

Kierst's eyes moved to the monitor that would serve as his guide, just as it had countless times on the barge to watch the reefs and edge, but never really trusted anything he couldn't see himself. This wasn't going to show anything as benign as what he was used to, but all that nature could throw at him on Earth. He had to be prepared for everything from desert canyons to jungle canopies, since he had to prepare for everything their section had to offer.