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Okay, don’t get him wrong – Alan knew that natural disasters were horrific events which could tear people apart, ruin lives, wreak havoc and generally cause utter torment. It was sort of in the name, wasn’t it? Natural disasters. But if everyone was safe and necessary precautions had been taken to ensure the safety of nearby towns and infrastructure, then… Well, such events could also be pretty dang cool. Storm chaser YouTube channels had such high subscription numbers for a reason. People flocked to witness shows of nature because they were awe-inspiring sights.
The Earth was powerful. People tended to forget that until it was staring them in the face. And right now, watching the volcanic eruption occurring only a few miles away, Alan was vividly reminded of how utterly helpless humans were against such forces of nature. But mainly his thoughts bounced between variations of cool and badass, which was probably more of a reflection on his adrenaline crash and nineteen-hour day than on his creative abilities.
“Holy shit,” Gordon whispered, sort of reverently, eyes as wide as saucers so that the glowing rocks reflected in his pupils like tiny firestorms. He had his chin propped in his hands, sprawled on his stomach to lean on his elbows, feet kicked in the air like a little kid which struck a funny contrast against his IR blues. He let out a faint laugh. “This is so frickin’ cool.”
“Cool,” Kayo repeated slowly with a healthy dose of judgement and leant over to swat his head to counteract the fondness of her own smile. “Can’t you come up with even a single better adjective between the pair of you?”
Gordon shot her an offended look. “What’s wrong with the word cool?”
“It’s tame. Ordinary. It doesn’t fully capture the vibe.” Kayo attempted to hide her grin behind her hair – loose and tangled, freed from its tail now that they were officially off-duty. There were several streaks of dust over her face which she was trying to wipe away with a damp cloth she’d stolen from Two’s med-bay. As Virgil finally joined them and took a seat beside her, he picked several clumps of ash out of her hair. She tipped sideways to lean her head on his shoulder with a pitiful groan. “I hate ash.”
“Man, you don’t say,” Gordon drawled, trying (and failing) to stifle his fifth sneeze in just as many minutes. He dragged a hand down his face and immediately regretted it as his suit was smothered in ash and all he succeeded in doing was triggering yet more sneezes. He dropped his chin against green paintwork with a huff. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Kayo protested, while Virgil openly sniggered.
“You were thinking it.”
“I don’t like you,” Gordon informed her.
She patted his head. “You’re my least favourite.”
“Lies and slander.” Gordon resolutely fixed his gaze on the volcano. “I’m not speaking to you anymore.”
“Okay. You do that. See if I care.” Kayo combed her fingers through her hair and grimaced as more bits of ash scattered over her knees. “This is ridiculous.” She twirled a hairband in front of Virgil’s face, twisting to widen her eyes at him. “Please? I just want it out of my face.”
“Kay,” Virgil complained without any real annoyance. He took the band with a heavy sigh and motioned for her to turn back around. Kayo beamed at him and obediently shuffled closer so that he could coax her hair into some semblance of order.
Gordon sneezed again. “Goddamn.” He swiped a hand through the fine layer of ash covering Two’s roof and let it filter between his splayed fingers. “Huh. Maybe I’m allergic.”
“To rock?” Virgil exclaimed, pausing in his braiding efforts to stare at Gordon.
Gordon frowned. “Is that what ash is formed of?”
“What did you think-” Virgil took a steadying breath. “You know what? Never mind. I really don’t want to know the answer.”
Alan lifted his attention away from the volcano just long enough to revel in the light-hearted atmosphere. They had nowhere to be any time soon and it wasn’t often that they got to witness a sight like this. Most rescues involving volcanoes involved searching for victims after the eruption had already begun, or aiding evacuations whilst heavy ash and falling volcanic bombs made every step risky. It was rare for all the work to be done by the time the display started, but today had gone according to plan for once and so now they got to witness their success in action.
They were sat on Two’s roof at a reasonably safe distance from both the crowds and, of course, the volcano itself. The ash fall was already over, while the true show had just begun. It was a Strombolian eruption, boasting large explosions of lava into the air to run in fiery rivers down the slopes. The skies were growing dark with night, but scraps of sunset had yet to fade and the glow from both the sinking sun and the lava transformed the clouds into red ribbons, tiny flames set free to dance across the horizon.
Alan couldn’t look away. He longed for his sketchbook because he might not have been a whizz at portraiture like Virgil, but he was pretty good at landscapes, and this was one sight that practically begged to be captured in vibrant paints. As it was, he simply committed it to memory, trying not to miss any details, such as the rivulet of sticky amber pooling around the crater rim, or the froth of lava spraying from the secondary cone, or the glow cast over the slopes.
“This is incredible,” Virgil mused, gaze soft and thoughtful in a manner that suggested he was also plotting a future painting. “Humbling, almost.”
Kayo prodded Gordon’s knee. “See? That’s what I’m talking about. Now those are some appropriate adjectives.” She wrinkled her nose in mock disgust. “Much better than cool.”
Alan repressed a laugh, dropping his chin to his crossed arms so that he was laid flat against the roof. He could still feel the faint warmth from Two’s last flight, despite the fact they’d been powered down for almost half-an-hour. He ran a hand over the rivets with an undeniable sense of fondness. Three was his baby, but he’d always have a soft spot for Two.
“Uh oh,” Gordon sing-songed, “Alan’s got that dumb look on his face again.”
Kayo tilted her head in question, earning an annoyed huff from Virgil as he was jogged. “What unnecessarily existential thought are you having this time, Al?”
“Hey.” Alan tossed her a wounded look. “I don’t have unnecessarily existential thoughts.”
“Uh, yeah,” Kayo shot back, “You kinda do. Normal people look at the night sky and go, huh, that’s pretty. You look at the stars and immediately start spiralling about your place in the universe and then call John to question the meaning of human existence.”
“I do not,” Alan protested, like a liar.
Kayo smirked. “You’re a weird little nerd, but that’s okay because we wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“Hell yeah,” Gordon chimed in, clumsily patting Alan’s shoulder without looking away from the latest explosion of lava. “You’re our weird little nerd.”
“Oh my god,” Virgil sighed, tugging slightly on Kayo’s hair in warning as she made to lean forward. “You’re all idiots.”
“Insult me again and I’ll stab you in your sleep,” Kayo threatened.
Virgil just looked at her. “Sure. Of course you will.”
“Fear me, Vee.”
“I’ll take my chances, thanks.”
Alan flung up his hands. “I’m not weird.”
Gordon sniggered. “You’re not denying the nerd part though.”
Alan faceplanted onto the roof. “Why are you like this?”
“You love us.” Gordon attempted to tousle Alan’s hair only to be smacked away. “Oh, dang. Watch out – it’s vicious.”
Kayo practically cackled.
Virgil exchanged a long-suffering look with Alan. Kayo and Gordon were absolute hellions apart, let alone when they teamed up. Alan rolled onto his back and pillowed his head on his folded arms, observing the dying sunlight as it was slowly replaced by the glow of lava, bleeding into the sky to paint the stars gold. He repressed a yawn. His adrenaline rush had officially faded to be replaced by the usual bone-deep exhaustion of post-rescue. He closed his eyes against the fiery sky and drifted, lulled into a sense of security by quiet laughter and light conversation and the warm weight against his shoulder where Gordon was using him as a backrest.
“We should probably head back soon,” Virgil remarked an unknown span of time later. He staggered upright on legs which had fallen asleep after so long spent sitting on the roof. He reached down to flick Gordon on his forehead. “Hey, Gordon. Look alive.”
“I’m not alive,” Gordon sighed dramatically, cracking open one eye to peer up at him. “I’m a ghost sent to haunt you.”
“Oh, you certainly haunt us,” Kayo muttered, grinning at his offended spluttering. She tugged her hair over her shoulder, pleasantly surprised by Virgil’s skilled braiding. “Not too shabby, Vee.” She bonked her head against his shoulder like an affectionate housecat. “But John’s better.”
Virgil flung up his hands. “Get out. I’m not flying you home.”
“She’s not wrong,” Gordon commented, still flat on his back like an uncoordinated starfish. “It’s cos Johnny’s got more experience. Penny made him braid her hair a lot back in college.”
“The phrase Johnny’s got more experience is not one I ever expected to hear, but okay.” Virgil offered him a hand. “C’mon, on your feet. We’ve got a long flight home.”
Alan frowned. “We’ve got a five-minute flight home.”
“Practically an infinity,” Kayo deadpanned, hauling him upright by both hands. She patted him on the back fondly. “Did you have a nice nap, Allie? Dream of lots of aliens?”
“Okay, a) I did not fall asleep and b) even if I had, I would not have dreamt of aliens.”
“Alan,” Virgil said, clearly trying not to laugh and failing miserably, “Do I need to remind you that you talk in your sleep?”
Gordon careered past, slipping and sliding over the hull in his socks, boots abandoned in his locker an hour earlier because he was a dumbass like that. “Homeward bound! Let’s go!”