Airborne
By Karen Hart
Disclaimer: The Xenosaga series is the property of Monolith Software, Inc. and Namco Bandai. I write these fanfictions for love of the game(s) and make no profit off of them.
There was something about standing under a real sky.
Jr. loved the Kukai Foundation but it could never achieve all the subtle textures and scents of a planet. There was more to an atmosphere than just gases. He felt a breeze on his arm and wondered how far it'd travelled, and over what terrain.
He felt something else on his arm, as well, and turned to look at MOMO.
She'd really blossomed in the last couple of months.
He knew, better than most, that her life hadn't been an easy one. She was a Realian, with all the prejudices against artificial humans that went with her status. She'd been created by a prominent scientist to replace the daughter he'd lost. The woman MOMO had seen as her mother had resented her very existence.
And those were the simplest of her problems.
Jr. was willing to admit to himself that he'd been one of her more complicated ones.
When he'd been a child Jr.'d known the girl she'd been modeled after. Sakura Mizrahi had been his first love. Then she'd died. Looking back, he should have seen it coming.
Sakura had suffered from a rare central nervous system disorder that had reduced her to little more than a flesh and blood mannequin. Inside she'd been vibrant and alive, waiting for someone—anyone—who could hear what she had to say.
Jr. and his brothers had been those someones, making contact in a virtual space that only she and they could access.
At twelve, it'd been a significant boost to his ego. He'd been in a prime position to find out just how Sakura's mind had been failing her. For her part, Sakura seemed reluctant to seek treatment.
Instead she'd turned their visits in the illusory world to play. She'd wanted to climb trees, sip hot chocolate on the porch at sunset, dance out of rhythm to popular music, toss water balloons from the window of her bedroom—it was as though she'd been trying to squeeze an entire childhood into a few short weeks.
He really should have seen it coming, especially when she'd asked him to make her a promise.
At the time he hadn't understood why Sakura had asked him to look after her mother and sister. He'd assumed she'd be there to look after them, too. He'd been wrong.
It was an easy rabbit hole to get lost in. His whole world had fallen apart after she'd died, though there'd been problems even outside of losing her.
He forced himself away from that line of thought.
MOMO had been the sister she'd left behind. And it hadn't just been Sakura who'd died, but her father as well. MOMO had been born into a shattered family.
Jr. hadn't kept his promise.
Oh, he'd kept tabs on her, sending anonymous gifts and investing in the laboratory she was raised in. But he'd kept her at arm's length until she dropped unbidden into his life, fourteen years after Sakura's death. Or four months ago. (Was it closer to five?)
She still looked, but for a difference in coloring, exactly as Sakura had.
Well, Jr. had retained his own childish appearance. He shouldn't have been bothered by MOMO's.
But it made things weird.
"Jr.? Is something wrong?"
His head snapped up. Damn. He was embarrassed to have let his mind wander like that.
He smiled. "No, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking it's good you and Juli are getting along, finally."
MOMO's eyes lit up like small suns at that. "Mommy bought a new house a couple weeks ago. She says a space station isn't a good place to raise someone. We're moving in a few days."
It was very good to hear. It'd taken a long time for Juli to accept MOMO as more than a replacement. Happily, once she'd acquiesced to the idea, she'd taken on the role of mother with a notable degree of enthusiasm.
Jr. had a suspicion that Juli's resentment was largely artificial. Perhaps she'd been afraid caring about MOMO would mean she hadn't really loved Sakura.
Good thing someone had finally set her straight.
MOMO squeezed his arm. Damn. He'd done it again. He lowered his eyes and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm not being much fun today, am I?" he said.
He twisted half about to see his surroundings. They were on a grass-covered ridge, several meters from the edge. One end of a permanent dual-zipline had been erected nearby. The landing site was a ranch that had been converted into a resort and amusement park. The track was stretched above a rushing stream. It was early summer, and the grass and shrubs were thick and green.
People were lining up, not a little nervously, to ride the wires. The two of them watched as a woman was strapped into a harness and slowly lifted to the starting point. One of the attendants explained the safety regulations and how to slow herself down if she needed to. She nodded and said something back to him, he dove out of her way, and she pushed off with her feet.
The twin wires allowed riders to pull some fancy stunts if they were brave or stupid enough to give it a try. The woman seemed content enough to let gravity carry her down. She shrieked and whooped, gripping the safety holds all the way to the end.
MOMO clapped when the woman reached the landing zone, dropping a couple of meters onto a soft pad. "We should get in line soon."
Jr.'s pulse skidded for just a moment. Being here was MOMO's idea. He'd been stunned when she'd shown up at his quarters on the Foundation, in orbit around Second Miltia, waving a slim brochure for the amusement ranch. She'd opened it to the zipline segment and had pleaded for him to go with her.
He hadn't been able to say no.
Not that he didn't like carnivals or pseudo-danger. He was a risk taker to a fault. But this was MOMO. These days he was much more willing to carry out the spirit of his promise, not just the letter. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her bounce on her toes in anticipation.
Jr. was willing to admit that borderline reckless enthusiasm was better than the reserve she'd displayed when they'd met. All right then.
He nodded at the zipline equipment. "So you think it looks safe enough?"
She scrutinized it with vision better than any scanning device. Her eyes narrowed just slightly, considering. Then: "It's safe."
Well, if MOMO said it, it was good enough for him. They got in line.
Their turns came. Jr. looked back at MOMO. "Do you want to go first?"
"No, you go," she said.
He nodded again and let himself be strapped in. The attendants had to tighten the straps on the harness to the smallest setting. He and MOMO only just cleared the size requirement. They dug into his armpits and thighs, and squeezed his torso. It wasn't comfortable at all. Suddenly he felt himself being lifted.
His feet only just brushed the starting platform. The same employee who'd helped the woman from before grabbed Jr.'s harness and began shouting in his ear. "Keep both hands on the grips." Jr. did that. "The harness is on a double axis. If you push up on the grips—" he demonstrated "—the axis will change and you'll be able to spin your harness horizontally. It's a good way to get a good view. If you leave it like it is, you can flip vertically. Keep your feet together and your hands tucked in if you decide to try this. You can be seriously injured, or even die, if your body parts come in contact with the lines if you're moving at speed."
Jr. could understand that.
The attendant continued. "There are no orientations but the two I just mentioned. You can't set it diagonally. Don't try. If you do and you get yourself hurt, you can't sue us because we've told you not to."
"I could lie," Jr. pointed out.
"This is all being recorded." Well damn. "If you want to slow down, pull down sharply on both grips. If you get scared and want to stop, keep pulling until the rig halts completely. A drone will come to collect you. If you make it to the end, wait for the harness to stop swinging, then hit the red button and drop down." The red button was currently at an inconvenient angle. "Can you remember all that?" The attendant looked at him expectantly.
Jr. grinned. "Keep hold on the grips, push up if I want to spin around, leave it if I want to flip. If I wuss out I can pull down until it slows or stops, then wait for a rescue. When I get to the end, wait for the harness to stop moving, then use the red button to drop down. Oh, and not to be an idiot."
The attendant nodded, satisfied. "Looks like you're good to go." He let go of the harness and moved out of the way. Jr. reached down with his foot and shoved off.
"Shiiiii—" The profanity devolved into a long, delighted scream.
He was flying, at a slight incline. There was a high pitched whirring as the rig slid along the wires. His legs dangled over nothing at all. The ground was a lot farther down than it had seemed before.
It was amazing. He felt his pulse speed up, his heart somehow pounding in his chest and leaping into his throat. The air rushed along his body.
He was still a long way from the end. He decided to switch axes.
There was a brief and sickening lurch as the orientation shifted. Then Jr. found himself spinning around. To the right—northward—were a range of low mountains, still snow-capped. One hundred and eighty degrees behind him he could see MOMO as a dwindling pink and blue speck. Far to his left was the ocean, with the city of Mitrei a gleaming haze along the coast. Forward—
—Forward, the landing zone was suddenly a lot closer. Jr. remained facing forward and, like the woman earlier, let gravity do the work from here on out.
The end was abrupt, and a little disappointing. He let himself bounce a bit in the harness, and allowed the world to stop gently rocking around him. Then he strained his hand toward the red button and dropped down onto the cushioning below.
It took a moment for him to get his bearings.
Once more on solid ground, and free of the harness, he looked up at the distant ridge. He couldn't make out MOMO from where he stood. Was she listening to the safety spiel, or did she have to wait a few minutes after he'd landed before she could be strapped in?
He was dimly aware that the rig and harness were being taken down and placed carefully on a small transfer platform, to be rematerialized at the starting point.
There was a hush, then a sound of cheering. Then there was a suggestion of motion at the other end of the line.
Oh, shit.
Somehow Jr.'d failed to realize that he'd have to watch MOMO speeding down over empty air. Images of the equipment failing and MOMO dropping to the ground below filled his mind.
She'd said it was safe, he reminded himself as she came into view. MOMO was outfitted with some of the best sensors in the Galaxy, and that wasn't an exaggeration. But still.
His eyes were locked on her. She resolved into a laughing, slender form, slightly obscured by the safety harness.
MOMO had decided to keep the rig oriented forwards and was spinning end over end. She was dizzying to watch. Her feet were perfectly aligned, then Jr. thought he saw her slide her right foot back and up behind her left shin. She kept spinning.
Somewhere close an attendant drew in a sharp breath. It was a graceful move, but against the safety regulations. She was unlikely to harm herself, but Jr. guessed that MOMO would hear, at length, about it.
Soon MOMO reached the end, turning gently in place over the landing area. Her face was flushed and her hair was one giant pink tangle. She was probably in trouble.
It was good to see her so happy.