12 months ago I posted this to my Patreon, and sent it out on postcards to some lucky subscribers. Now this tiny story of what to do when something extraordinary happens is flying free where everyone can see it.
“If it’s none of my business you can tell me to shove off but…”
“Well it is none of your business,” said Rindos. “And pass me the spanner. No the one next to it. Thanks.”
Kildor sighed, looked at the grease on his hand. “You gave up a well-paying job.”
“Paying was the only thing well about it. Stand back.” He emerged from within the machine and waved down the scaffold. There was a muffled reply.
“You left your family, your home.”
Rindos cursed, closing a panel, locking down various mechanisms. He peered at a dial. “Your sister had already left me. The house was sold. I do not recall you coming to say goodbye.”
“I’m here now,” said Kildor, weakly. He had to repeat it as a machine started up. “I don’t even know what you’re doing out here at Cosmosopolis…”
Rindos hit the panel and it clanked shut. The machine chugged to life. “It’s simple. I’m testing and calibrating the anterior third stage auxiliary hydraulic pump. Then on to the next pump. When all the pumps and other systems are integrated, well. Then maybe this bird will fly.”
Kildor looked down to where men and machines clustered around the rocket engines, looking like miniatures from the height. He looked up, to where the craft at the top was concealed by two more layers of scaffolding, the whole stack enormous.
Rindos stepped back, wiping his hands on rag – one dirty enough that he was getting no benefit.
“It’s 100 km away. And there are answers there. Something. Don’t you feel it?”
“Well yes. But why you in particular?”
Kildor looked him in the eye. Then catching sight of something behind him he looked upwards. With impeccable timing, as it did every ninety minutes, the extraterrestrial space object passed by on it’s orbit.
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