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The Nomai never got to learn just how powerful the Ash Twin Project would come to be. Their idea to trigger a supernova may not have worked, but the device itself? Well, that was rather more successful.
Too successful, some might say. In their calculations for how to make a device that could transfer memories back in time, they weren’t sure how much power the statues would need, so they designed the statues to use all of it, with further adjustments to be made as became necessary. The stronger the better, right? They could deal with any problems as they arose; better to have more time to iron out any issues with the memory transfer rather than less.
…Except for the part where the supernova produced more power than the Ash Twin Project would actually need.
10,000 times more power, to be exact.
Topaz slowly lowered themself into the pilot’s seat in their ship, gazing down at the controls in wonder. They had seen what the cockpits of other ships looked like, if course, but this was different.
This was their ship. And it was beautiful. Slate had really outdone themselves this time, lingering concerns about the retro rockets aside.
They settled into the seat a little more firmly (There was even a thin cushion! How about that!), ran their hands reverently over the throttle, then pulled it tight.
Without a single bump or hitch, the ship rose smoothly into the air, gliding upwards through the atmosphere and out into the depths of space.
Or, well…close to the depths of space. They hadn’t even reached the Attlerock yet.
Topaz watched in awe, as the planets of the solar system came clearly into view, no longer obscured by Timber Hearth’s atmosphere. There was the Attlerock, where they could just barely see smoke rising from Esker’s campfire. There was Brittle Hollow, dark and mysterious, and Giants Deep, large and bloated and intimidating. Out on the far edge was the creeping husk of a dead world that made up the outskirts of the Dark Bramble, and near the sun-
The sun-…
Where was the-?
They had just enough time to register the increasing heat against their skin, hear a collection of panicked shouts over the radio, and regret forgetting the first thing they learned about piloting a starship:
Pay attention to your surroundings when leaving the surface of any planet, or else you might accidentally find yourself flying into the—
Topaz gasped awake, shuddering all over as the phantom sensation of being flash-burned out of existence rushed through their body. The blankets on top of them were suddenly too much, too hot, they needed air-
Scrambling frantically from their bed inside the astronaut’s training quarters, they stumbled outside, instinctively heading for the fire only to flinch away from it as soon as they felt the heat of the flames. They settled on being close enough that the fire could offer some comfort, while being far enough that they could only just feel its warmth.
What on Hearth was that? Some kind of bad dream? A nightmare, right before their first launch day, borne of nerves getting the better of them?
But they were…they were supposed to be sleeping out under the stars tonight. It was tradition, one set up by Feldspar from the very beginning, to sleep out under the stars on the night before your launch so that they would know your face and be ready to welcome you the day you came to join them.
And also possibly because Feldspar had been so excited for their first launch that they didn’t want to have to wait for normal everyday things like changing clothes or eating breakfast or walking any further than they absolutely had to to get to the launch pad. (The way Slate tells it, Feldspar would have slept on the launch pad if they hadn’t come along and sat on them)
In any case, they were certain they wouldn’t have forgotten the traditions of their own launch day. Why had they woken up in the training quarters? The whole point of launch day was that they were graduating out of the training quarters and into the rank of the full astronauts.
Had…had they dreamed up their entire launch day…day?
Their confused musings were interrupted by someone stumbling out of the travelers quarters, looking nearly as harried and disoriented as they did.
Well. As close to harried as Gabbro ever got. Which was to say, barely perceptible. As they stepped up to the fire, they walked strangely, as if they weren’t quite used to the weight of their body. Once they reached the edge of the ring of light around the fire, they slumped to the ground and looked up at the sky, squinting as if it had somehow personally offended them. Then, seeming to come to terms with whatever they thought was strange about the situation, they settled down more comfortably, placing their hands behind their head and relaxing. They didn’t seem to mind that their clothes were getting covered in dirt, or that there were rocks underneath where they were sitting.
Still, there was a puzzled furrow to their brow. They were at peace with their situation, but there was still something about them that felt a bit…off.
It was enough to prompt Topaz into speaking. “Hey, Gabbro.”
Gabbro’s head tilted just enough to bring them into their line of sight. “Hey, Hatchling. Weren’t you supposed to be launching today?”
Topaz blinked. “Uh, I think so? I’m not really sure what’s going on, to be honest. I thought I was sleeping outside like I was supposed to, but I just woke up in the trainee cabin. Like, what’s with that?” They paused. “Had a pretty strange dream, too.”
Gabbro hummed. “Was it about a weird statue that started glowing and sucking in your memories only for you to be killed by the sun a few minutes later and then fly through a creepy looking mask and wake up?”
Topaz blinked. “Yeah, it was exactly like that. How’d you know?”
”Eh, you know. I had the same dream. Pretty weird coincidence, huh? Except, you know. Last I checked, I was on Giants Deep. Must have been some sleep to make me dream up a whole three months on Giants Deep that didn’t happen.”
Topaz froze. “But Gabbro, last I checked, you were on Giants Deep. That’s where the statue came from. I don’t think you dreamt that part.”
”Huh.” Gabbro squinted at them lazily. “You sure about that?”
”As sure as I can be. My launch day, maybe I could have dreamed that up. But a whole three months of you being gone?” They shook their head. “Our experiences are too similar. Something’s going on.”
”Hmm. Gabbro studied them for a long moment, a sharpness to their gaze that reminded Topaz why Gabbro had become an astronaut in the first place. Then it was gone again, passing beneath the clouds of Gabbro’s usual personality. They lay back against the ground, murmuring, “Well, let me know when you figure it out. My sleep got interrupted by the sun, so I’m gonna finish that first before doing anything else.”
Topaz opened their mouth to object, then closed it again. It probably wasn’t any use trying to get anything more out of Gabbro, not when they were in one of their moods. It was a wonder they got enough out of them to confirm their shared experience; pushing for more right now would be like pushing against a wall. A very squishy wall that wouldn’t offer much resistance, but wouldn’t do anything to help move itself out of the way either, wrapping around you until you found yourself caught up in its mushy squishiness and forgetting what you were trying to do in the first place, and—
It was possible that this metaphor was getting away from them. In any case, they would need to go find someone else if they wanted answers.
Maybe Hal or Hornfels would be a good start.
”What do you mean I have five months until I graduate?!”
Gabbro blinked an eye open for a moment at the commotion, shrugged to themself, and closed it again. Five months, huh?
Gives me plenty of time to catch up on my napping schedule. I’ve missed too many days with all this statue studying I’ve been doing.