Page 104 of Stars At Dusk

Kage’s lips twitched. ‘We forgive each other then?’

‘For now,’ Harlow said with a half smile.

‘Talk more later?’

‘Sure.’

They shared a long look laden with meaning and an eventual full smile.

‘Let’s roll,’ Kage said, feeling his spirits lift.

‘Let’s do this!’ Sondra shouted from the other end of the room, followed by an excited chorus from the rest of the staff.

Kage grinned, the team’s enthusiasm catching on to him.

Also tagging along with the Proto-XE team were three more engineers, a few more propulsion experts and engineers and a few more droids led by Mika.

Void was going to be packed,Kage thought.

They set off shortly, first, for a large lander parked on Skylab’s terminal.

The entire team strapped in after they’d secured the gear and equipment.

Kage sat with the lander’s pilot, unwilling to trust himself near Harlow. All he wanted to do was touch, feel, and rock her into a sensual bliss. Totally inappropriate for a test launch vibe.

They arrived at the orbital spaceport and transferred onto Void, where Kage took over the command deck and piloting.

Soon, they took off, arching over a barren and desolate landscape marked by a rocky, dusty topography with little vegetation or water.

The surface of Eden II was covered in fine silvery dust that softened the scarred and cratered crags of the lunar-scape deep valleys and towering mountains. It was a fascinating and awe-inspiring place to explore that had long captivated the imaginations of scientists and adventurers alike.

No matter how many times he flew over it, Kage always needed more of the stark beauty and breathtaking vastness of the terrain that offered a unique glimpse into the mysteries of the universe.

They landed on the designated plain, and quickly, the team suited up and stepped out of the spacecraft, carefully avoiding the jagged rocks and deep crevices that littered the ground. The air was thin and cold, and instantly Kage could feel the familiar harshness of space envelop them.

The team rolled out their specialised equipment, from a mobile telemetry ground station to antennas and control computers to communicate with Void’s onboard systems. Where Mirage was ready to capture the data from the test experience and log results from the critical components of the launch.

The rocket was a slim line model, long and thin, with the pressure fuel system stabilised with sleek, streamlined fins. They set it on a launch pad and connected all the necessary gear. Harlow and her team carefully checked and rechecked the systems, ensuring everything was in perfect working order. Before long, she declared they were ready.

Kage found a nearby cluster of rocks to watch the test process from. His helmet’s camera was recording, and he looked on with pride as his woman took charge.

‘Today, we’ll be testing the technical characteristics of the rocket,’ Harlow said, her voice reverberating in his HUD. The team was all patched into each other’s headsets.

‘We’re launching up to 2k of payload and looking to see how our hybrid fuel mix performs under the influence of g-force at the boost phase. We’re also capturing data on the avionics systems of the payload under micro-gravity conditions. Plus the onboard telemetry components of the payload under flight conditions.’

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. Mirage counted down from ten, and then the hybrid test rocket launched at the touch of a button on Harlow’s comm tab. It soared into the sky, its engine blazing with super fuelled power.

As the rocket ascended higher and higher, the gathered group watched nervously.

As did Kage. He knew that this was a crucial moment and that the success or failure of the rocket would have far-reaching consequences.

He kept a keen eye on Harlow. Her comm-tab free hand was clenching and unclenching with nervous tension.

He glanced back at the rocket as it powered through the atmosphere and into space.

‘It’s performing flawlessly. Reaching speeds and heights that we had never thought possible,’ Harlow marvelled in a whisper.

‘Good work,kara,’ Kage said, switching to a private channel. ‘So proud of you. It’s a marvel of engineering and technology and a testament to the incredible work you’ve put into it.’

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