A mote in an infinite ocean
May. 8th, 2015 01:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
garde723Today was the test that made or broke garde pilot cadets. No one ever knew if they would make it or not. It wasn't a test based on aptitude or skill, it wasn't a test you could study for. It was a test that you either passed or failed, and it all depended on some internal quality you didn't know you had until you faced the test.
Today, Shinatose Izana's class was to take the space survival aptitude evaluation.
Izana knew all the protocols. Knew the pace with which to ration the water and food. Knew how often to photosynthesize. Knew how the evaluation would be given. It was simple. The cadet was towed out in an older garde, forward of Sidonia's trajectory, and then the cadet was to eject out into open space. A week later, they would be picked up.
More often than not, cadets simply continued the program or dropped out. Psychological evaluations weeded out those who would suffer mental breakdowns floating in space with nothing around them for a week, but enough made it past even that screening that the cadets always worried if they would be one that came back screaming that the void was going to devour them.
The force of the garde's take off pushed Izana back into the seat of their garde and the present. Once clear of Sidonia, they initiated a clasp formation, the grapplers of the two, large, human-like gardes joining, and then they ignited their thrusters. Thirty minutes later, they reversed their thrust to slow their forward momentum.
"Garde pilot cadet 291, you are cleared for emergency ejection."
"Hah," Izana confirmed and triggered the ejection. The canopy burst open and they were launched into space, their skin suit maintaining pressure and oxygen levels until the backpack triggered and the emergency lifebubble burst forth and formed around Izana. The rotation of the bubble spun wildly for a few rotations (in one of which she saw the garde wave a farewell at them through the viewport before engaging thrusters again to return to Sidonia), before stabilizing procedures began. Slowly, the micro-thrusters reduced the bubbles spin and the rotation became more controlled, allowing Izana a good, less dizzying look at open space.
They had expected to fear it, but instead they respected it. It was amazing and beautiful, and, yes, dangerous, but it simply was. It didn't hate them, it didn't want them dead. It didn't even think of them.
Another rotation brought Sidonia into view, much reduced due to Izana's distance from it, and Izana gasped. It seemed so fragile from out here and so far away. It made Izana want to protect it all the more.
A week later, a garde unit returned to collect Izana. As the lifebubble rotated, the view port came into view and Izana waved hello before fogging the clear duroplastic and drawing a happy cat face, waving its own paw in welcome.
Today, Shinatose Izana's class was to take the space survival aptitude evaluation.
Izana knew all the protocols. Knew the pace with which to ration the water and food. Knew how often to photosynthesize. Knew how the evaluation would be given. It was simple. The cadet was towed out in an older garde, forward of Sidonia's trajectory, and then the cadet was to eject out into open space. A week later, they would be picked up.
More often than not, cadets simply continued the program or dropped out. Psychological evaluations weeded out those who would suffer mental breakdowns floating in space with nothing around them for a week, but enough made it past even that screening that the cadets always worried if they would be one that came back screaming that the void was going to devour them.
The force of the garde's take off pushed Izana back into the seat of their garde and the present. Once clear of Sidonia, they initiated a clasp formation, the grapplers of the two, large, human-like gardes joining, and then they ignited their thrusters. Thirty minutes later, they reversed their thrust to slow their forward momentum.
"Garde pilot cadet 291, you are cleared for emergency ejection."
"Hah," Izana confirmed and triggered the ejection. The canopy burst open and they were launched into space, their skin suit maintaining pressure and oxygen levels until the backpack triggered and the emergency lifebubble burst forth and formed around Izana. The rotation of the bubble spun wildly for a few rotations (in one of which she saw the garde wave a farewell at them through the viewport before engaging thrusters again to return to Sidonia), before stabilizing procedures began. Slowly, the micro-thrusters reduced the bubbles spin and the rotation became more controlled, allowing Izana a good, less dizzying look at open space.
They had expected to fear it, but instead they respected it. It was amazing and beautiful, and, yes, dangerous, but it simply was. It didn't hate them, it didn't want them dead. It didn't even think of them.
Another rotation brought Sidonia into view, much reduced due to Izana's distance from it, and Izana gasped. It seemed so fragile from out here and so far away. It made Izana want to protect it all the more.
A week later, a garde unit returned to collect Izana. As the lifebubble rotated, the view port came into view and Izana waved hello before fogging the clear duroplastic and drawing a happy cat face, waving its own paw in welcome.