Air Born | Generation Icarus #1

Victoria - Airborne

After a long night obsessively discussing possible tail designs, trawling the internet, and very little sleep, all three of us were shattered when the dawn chorus woke us the next morning.

But none of that dampened our enthusiasm for the experiment. Not if it meant we could, maybe, actually fly.

"Are we absolutely sure about this?" Tyler asked with his hunting knife poised.

Miguel and I nodded. "Do it," I said.

"Here goes, then," Tyler said as he carefully sliced into the first of the tents.

Many hours later, we had some random leftover bits of tent and three sets of kite-like tails constructed from lightweight tent poles and fabric, and stitched with several layers of feathers we'd painfully plucked from our own wings. Using some inessential straps from the backpacks and tent bags, the barely adequate needles from my first aid kit, line from Tyler's survival gear, and as much information as the internet could provide on aerofoils, we had each constructed two right-angled triangles that attached to the backs of our lower leg held by very tight straps.

The top point sat just below the knees, the right angle at each heel, and the hypotenuse reached out and down to the furthest corner — about a step away from the back of the ankle. We poked the ends of the metal struts into the tops of our shoes to anchor them. When we stood with our feet together, the two pieces met in the middle to form an arrowhead pointing straight up our spines. The hardest part was the stitching. We went over and over the seams to strengthen the weakest points as much as we could. Surprisingly the poles were the easiest bit — even the thick ones snapped after some energetic bending. Miguel smoothed the burred ends by grinding them against a rock.

"Talk me through the flapping technique again," I said to Tyler as we stared up at the chosen tree.

"You'll be fine," Tyler said "You got the hang of it much quicker than Miguel did."

"I'm happy to go first instead," his friend — our friend — offered.

"No way," I said, more bravely than I felt, and walked toward the base of the tree, my wings flexing. "If these contraptions don't work, I should be the one to crash and find out."

"I'm sure that won't happen but, just in case, there's a handy bush over there that would break your fall." I could hear the smirk on Tyler's face as I concentrated on climbing. "Try to aim for that."

"Thanks, I think."

"We should just go back to Angel's Meadow," Miguel said for about the third time.

"This tree will do," Ty said defiantly.

Miguel snorted. "This tree has been struck by lightning."

"And it's still standing! Therefore, practically indestructible."

"But it's dead."

"It feels solid enough," I called down. "And I can just see over the tops of the trees from here."

Standing at the base of the broken branch about five metres from the ground, I held onto the trunk with one hand and gazed out across the forest. As the tallest tree at the summit of the ridge, it was obvious why it had been hit by a lightning bolt. Half of its trunk had shattered and crushed all the vegetation below. But the absence of smaller twigs and leaves meant there was nothing between me and the open air. Beneath me, the thick branch pierced outward for less than a metre before breaking off like a sharp-edged diving board. Assuming I didn't impale myself on it, it would be a terrific launch site.

Above was a clear, calm sky. Perfect flying weather.

I opened my wings. The long hours of repetition while we worked overnight had ingrained the movements into my muscles, and they spread almost as confidently as my arms. I knew I wasn't very strong yet, especially compared to Tyler and Miguel but even in the twenty-four hours I'd known them, I was sure my wings had already grown. Still, all I had to do today was prove the tail concept would work.

"Ready?" Miguel asked.

Tyler grunted. "Just do it, Tori."

Swearing, I dived off the branch. I remembered to swipe forward through the air as I launched, but the feeling of the wind gathering under my wings caught me completely by surprise.

"Keep flapping!" Tyler yelled and I gasped as my chest muscles moved in symphony with my wings.

Miguel shouted below me. "Legs together!"

Oh, right.

I straightened my loosely trailing legs and brought my ankles and knees together with a snap. As the air swirled over and under my makeshift tail, my legs suddenly lifted of their own accord. Adrenaline surged into my arteries, filling my aching wings with light.

The trees ahead were rapidly rushing closer, but I kept scooping forward and sliding back with my wings, using the movements Tyler and Miguel had drilled into me. Streamlining my arms and legs, I wobbled only slightly as I kept moving forward.

I was airborne.