Air Born | Generation Icarus #1

Kestrel - Let's Fly

The Flight worked hard all day to make four new tails. Our only breaks were to eat or work on our flapping technique, while waiting for the next website to load on my phone. We were desperate for every drop of information that might help us and eager to learn which feathers were primary (the big end ones), secondary (the medium-sized middle ones) and tertiary (the smallest ones). Covert feathers covered the base of our other feathers, making the whole wing more aerodynamic. We finally finished up not long before sunset, and then had to concentrate on making camp for the night.

"We have enough water for another day or two, and then we'll have to find a fresh source," Tui said, lining up all our containers and bottles.

"Yeah, and I wouldn't go near the current latrine for a while," Falcon said, grinning, hooking a thumb over his shoulder and pointing up the little canyon. "We're gonna need a better system."

Tui and I were suitably disgusted but Hawk and even Miguel seemed to find that hilarious. As usual, Marcus and Raven stayed silent but they were always watching the rest of us, and every now and then there would be a hint of a smile as jokes were cracked and food was shared.

The stars flickered on one by one, then ten by ten, and finally by the hundreds and thousands. The conversation became slower and quieter. It was as if we'd been camping together a dozen times before. Miguel even felt comfortable enough to kneel nearby for his regular evening prayer.

As we spread the sleeping bags in a circle around the small camping stove, Hawk took the spot on one side of me while I talked to Tui on the other. Miguel took his place just beyond Hawk, Falcon kept close to Tui's other side, and Marcus and Raven completed the circle opposite me.

"One night, I want to fly under the stars," Falcon announced from his sleeping bag.

There were sleepy murmurs of agreement as we stared up at the stunning night sky.

"It's going to take a lot of hard work," Hawk said, "but it will be totally worth it."

"We're not that far ahead of you, so it won't take long for the rest of you to catch up," I said, yawning.

"Speak for yourself," Hawk murmured.

I rolled over and gave him a look. "You better watch your tail, Hawk," I said, poking one finger over the edge of my sleeping bag at him. "This Icarus girl's got plenty more tricks she hasn't told you about, yet."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"That's because it is."

"You're on." Hawk winked at me.

I giggled, and wanted so badly to stay awake and flirt with Hawk some more. He was the only person on the planet who knew exactly what I'd done in my past and he hadn't judged me at all. The complete opposite of everyone else in my life to date. But I couldn't fight the exhaustion from multiple disrupted nights, extreme stress and growing two new limbs at a ridiculous rate.

Still smiling, I crashed into sleep.

I was the first to wake the next morning. Today is going to be a good day. Today, we finally fly. Properly.

As we ate our rationed but huge by normal standards breakfast, I pulled up a map of the area on my satphone. We needed a new campsite. Although we were all city kids, Hawk turned out to be a closet survivalist — his years of cadet training and a tough military dad meant he was a mine of useful information such as where we were most likely to find water in a desert.

"There isn't much gas left in the tanks," Falcon announced partway through the discussion. "When we move the cars it'll probably be for the last time."

"Then when we do finally leave — it'll be under our own power," said Hawk.

The rest of us took a moment to absorb that incredible thought, before Falcon broke the silence, waving his hands and wings in excitement.

"Imagine flying long-distance, like geese!"

"We'll have to try formations."

Tui coughed loudly. "Yeah, but how about we actually learn to fly first, before we start counting chickens or whatever?"

Despite everyone's desperation to climb straight up the mountain and launch ourselves into the air, we decided to first relocate the camp and allow the desert thermals time to warm up. Even with our sharp eyesight, the interstate was barely visible on the horizon, and we felt safe enough to travel in broad daylight.

The two vehicles bounced into the mouth of a deeper, narrower valley. A trickle of water flowed through it. But it was not to be so easy. The terrain was rugged and we soon had to abandon the pickup and sedan to continue on foot. After a fair bit of moaning and significant effort, during which I fervently hoped that Hawk knew what he was talking about, we finally reached a flat area near a shallow pool in a bend of the desert stream. The tall rock walls protected the site from exposure and kept the harsh sun off the water for long enough to avoid total evaporation. It was perfect.

"And right up there should be our take-off platform," Hawk puffed as he dumped his load in a pile on the ground.

"Now can we start flight training?" Falcon pleaded.

Hawk's eyes brightened. "Setting up camp can wait, can't it?"

I laughed as Tui and Miguel nodded eagerly.

"Let's fly!"