You've Got Time ( a Destiny Story)

Nothing Like the Rest

Some had scars and some had scratches
It made me wonder about their pasts
But as I looked around, I began to notice
That we were nothing like the rest

Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men

-

July 28, 2868

It emerged suddenly from between the clouds. She didn't spare a single glance for the City. Azra's eyes were immediately drawn up to the sphere that overshadowed the mountain valley. It was huge. The shell was broken in places, showing dark gaps. The unmarred parts of the structure were dazzling and vaguely pearlescent. Azra's fingertips tingled. It seemed so familiar. Spark said something about a hangar. Azra nodded, still dumbfounded, and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

She managed to collect some sense of dignity by the time they'd neared the Wall. Another stomach-lurching transmat and she was standing on the ribbed metal floor of some enormous room. It was a chaotic space, filled with machines and people. More than that, it was whole, clean and shining. An entire wall was open to the elements, but purposefully, with smooth edges and painted warning stripes.

Azra, despite herself, stood there standing with her jaw dropped. Everything was so big. She rushed to the open wall to get a view of the outside. The ground faded into the misty distance below. The mountains stood white-peaked against the pale sky. Inside, everywhere was bustle as people and robots rushed back and forth. She just stood there for several minutes, taking it all in.

A voice broke through her reverie. "That's a pretty beat-up ship you flew in. Are you new?"

She turned to see a Human man standing there. He was shortish and older, with a thinning hairline and a thickening waist. It was hard to tell his age. Her only experience was with immortal Guardians and people long dead.

He offered a hand for shaking, beaming at her. She took it. She meant to ask his name, but when she opened her mouth, a different question came out. "How old are you?"

Mortification hit a second later, turning her face beet-red. The man just laughed. "Oh, that's great. The new ones are always full of surprises. My name's Aaron Temitope. I'm the lead mechanic on shift here. I'm only sixty-seven yet. Still got a good century left in my life, eh?" He winked. She couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"I'm Azra Jax. I think."

He finally let go of her hand to take a clipboard a robot was offering him. He scrutinized it, chewing on the cap of a pen he'd produced from somewhere. "And how old are you, Ms. Azra Jax?"

"Thirteen. Uh, days, not years. Or maybe fourteen at this point?" She stared at the robot, which stood there fidgeting. It didn't look much like an Exo (or at least those she'd seen). It had only a single glowing eye, and its abdomen was hollow. Should she ask its name? Would that be rude?

Aaron scribbled something on the paper and re-capped the pen. He handed the clipboard back off to the robot, "Thank you, Inti," and then he clapped a hand on its shoulder. It hurried off. Aaron turned back to the Guardian. "Let me be the first one to welcome you to the Tower. Beautiful, isn't it?"

She nodded. 'Beautiful' certainly fit the sweeping architectural lines and glittering windows. "The view is... wow."

Aaron nodded sagely. "Now, about your ship..." He made a 'gimme' motion with his hand and another robot hustled over with another clipboard. He licked a finger and flipped through a few pages. "Regulus-class, basic Golden Age relic. It's gonna need some repairs, which we're happy to do, but your warp drive is kaput. It's something we might be able to fix, but I'm doubtful. And we don't just have them lying around. You're probably going to be stuck on Earth until you can dig up a new one."