Reflection - Chapter 2
Chapter edited 10 September 2018 - good golly gosh I had no idea how short and threadbare this chapter was. Not acceptable, must fix.
Kyzil Plateau, Solana Galaxy, present day.
Ratchet hopped down from his hammock, landing noiselessly. Straightening up, he gazed over to his robotic companion, who was sat by a wall, charging during his night-time hibernation. The Lombax's movements had not disturbed him, much to Ratchet's relief. Right now, he didn't want to talk to anyone about why he was still up or how he was feeling. He simply wanted to be left alone with his thoughts right now.
A small breeze wafted through the broken workshop wall, ruffling Ratchet's fur.
He really needed to get that wall fixed. He quietly crept towards the front entrance of his workshop and perched himself on the ground outside, his legs dangling over a ledge. It was a clear night, and the many billions of stars were twinkling. Quartu glowed in the sky with its dark-green hue. It was beautiful. Ratchet had grown up with this view above his head every night and he never grew tired of it.
The Lombax felt a tight knot develop in his chest and he heaved a heavy sigh. He knew exactly who would love the view tonight. After all, she loved it the last time she saw it.
Kyzil Plateau, Solana Galaxy, two years ago.
As they approached the landing pad next to Ratchet's old home, he engaged the ship's landing mode and slowly made his descent, gradually inching closer to the ground. Once the lombax was satisfied with the distance between the ship and the relatively flat terrain below them, he cut the engine, which hissed, as if angry with his decision to stop the ship's motion. Ratchet had landed his ship with expert precision, much to Angela's approval.
"You're too good to be a self-taught pilot," she complimented, nervously brushing a lock of hair from her face. Giving compliments didn't come naturally to the geneticist and she felt the knot of nervousness develop within, tying itself tighter and tighter.
"This landing site is where I built my first ship. I'm not lying, I learned by myself," Ratchet laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head, leaning back into his pilot's seat. He wasn't used to receiving compliments either, despite the outwardly narcissistic behaviour of his teenage years.
"I'm not saying you're lying," Angela said with a small chuckle. "I'm saying that considering you didn't have any form of piloting tuition, you're too good."
"MegaCorp did give me some combat training, but the basics, that's all me."
"You stopped Chairman Drek with no flight experience. That's impressive."
"I wouldn't say no experience. I got better at the mission progressed."
"It's still impressive, no matter how hard you try to downplay it."
Ratchet shrugged bashfully before popping the cockpit open. They both clambered out of the MegaCorp-issued ship, and hopped onto the ground. Ratchet walked around from the right side of the ship, and looked up at Angela, halting to savour the moment, hoping it would burn into his brain. She looked incredible. Yep, he certainly was the luckiest man in two galaxies combined tonight.
Her hair was let down, and the small curls that formed whenever she did so tumbled down to her shoulders. She was wearing a sweeping black dress, which highlighted her slim figure. She also sported flat shoes tonight, which had done little to prevent her from stumbling all evening. She felt bad for a couple who had been innocently dining at the same restaurant they went to, except they had lost their table cloth, along with their food, in a single klutzy move from Miss Cross.
The couple got angry, the discussion got heated and it put a downer on the evening, with Angela struggling to cheer up. But at this moment, none of that mattered to Ratchet. Right now, he thought she looked beautiful. He loosened the bowtie of the dark suit he was wearing nervously, and felt his mouth dry up when she noticed he was staring at her. His eyes snapped away from her, and he dashed up to a weird-looking rock beside her feet.
"Hey, check this one out!" he declared, lifting the rock and pretending to inspect it. "I'm telling you, you can find some really cool rocks in this galaxy!" Angela shook her head and emitted a good-humoured laugh. What a dork. He may try and pretend he's a smooth-talker, but this recovery, Angela felt, was pretty lame.
Grinning an embarrassed grin, Ratchet awkwardly placed the rock back on the ground. He gently gestured for Angela to follow him and led her to the opening of his old workshop. He punched a button on a console by the opening, and the gloomy-looking workspace sparked to life. Judging from the way Ratchet held himself, this was the place where he shone the brightest: this was his niche. It was as if he was getting ready to tinker with anything. Angela felt the empty workspace calling out to her too. It was a lombax trait, as if they could picture what piece was supposed to go where before touching anything. But the determined expression etched on Ratchet's face suggested that he had lived and breathed this workspace for a very, very long time.
"Home," he said, finally presenting the workshop they had been examining for the last minute. "It's not much, but it's mine."
"It's incredible," she said, jaw agape, causing the male lombax to shoot an appreciative grin, before he wandered off. When Angela turned around, she saw he had settled on a small ledge a small way away from the workshop opening, his small legs dangling over the ledge, dust clinging to his suit.
"So," she started, walking over to the smaller Lombax, "why did you bring me here?" She sat down beside him.
"The hustle-and-bustle of Megapolis was getting to me," he confessed, looking at Angela. "I used to think Veldin was so boring because it was empty, and I couldn't wait to leave." He broke eye contact. "But now, after seeing so many things and blowing stuff up, I know nothing can beat home. I needed to come back."
"I hear that," she whispered. "MegaCorp offered me a place in Megapolis when I first started working there."
"For real?" Ratchet replied. "And you turned it down for Grelbin?"
"I lived in Grelbin at the time, and had done since I was a baby. I couldn't leave, especially for Megapolis," she said with disgust in her voice.
"I've lived here since I was a baby too," he said. "I guess that's what it takes to be a lombax, huh? Staying in some virtually uninhabited wasteland until you grow up and can make something of your life."
They both laughed a sad, hollow laugh, before drifting off. He had a point.
They both watched the night sky together. The night was clear, with not a cloud in the sky. The hundreds of stars glistened and contrasted against the dark sky. A dull-green planet caught Angela's interest as its glow dominated the night.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing at it.
"That's Quartu," Ratchet replied.
"It's beautiful," she said, voice full of awe. The journey between galaxies had taken hours, but now Angela felt that it was so worth it.
"Clank came from a factory there."
"No kidding?" Angela said. While her gaze was still locked onto the nearby planet, she brushed another lock of hair from her face, causing Ratchet's stomach to flip. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life before. "How did you two meet?" she continued. "I don't think you mentioned it earlier." She looked back at him, awaiting his answer.
Ratchet took a moment to regain his composure, but Angela's emerald eyes were driving him crazy.
I have to kiss her, he thought, before immediately scolding himself for the mere thought.
"Ratchet?" Angela asked, her head cocked. "Did you hear me?"
"Uh?" He replied stupidly. He hadn't. "How Clank and I met?" he murmured. She nodded, encouraging him to continue. He anxiously rubbed his head. "Well, Clank is a defect from a range of warbots that were being produced at the factory there. He escaped, and stole a ship, but he was chased to Veldin. He then got shot down and crash landed over there." Ratchet pointed in the direction of the crash site. "I salvaged him from the wreck. I needed a robotic ignition system, so he started my ship, but I had to help him find Captain Qwark in return. Clank was right about everything and I was a jackass who didn't listen to him. The rest is history."
"So I guess this place is quite special to you, given that so many important things have happened to you since you met him," she said, her emerald eyes locking onto his.
He nodded, his hand trailing onto hers. Upon realising what he had done, she sharply inhaled, and felt her face burning bright red.
He didn't just... she thought, overwhelmed by what was happening.
"It's even more special because you're here," he whispered, fixated on her gaze. He gently squeezed her hand, before shuffling closer to her, sending a little dust into the air. He slowly moved his head towards hers. Upon realising what was happening, Angela's heart leapt with sheer joy.
This is it!
She too moved towards Ratchet, and felt her lips brush his as she closed her eyes, noting his were ever-so-slightly chapped. She gently broke off from the kiss, before pressing her lips against his again, this time more firmly.
They both shyly broke away, eyes nervously darting away from each other's gaze. Neither of them spoke for a moment, each lombax sitting with their own thoughts and feelings, unsure of what to say or how to act.
Finally, Angela spoke up. "That was nice."
Ratchet looked up and gave a small smile. "It was." And it grew silent again. A bird squawked nearby, its song reverberating slightly in the night air.
"What kind of bird is that?" Angela enquired, curious to learn about the local wildlife.
Ratchet snorted, unable to restrain his mirth. "That's no bird, it's a skreeduck."
Angela shook her head, slightly embarrassed with herself. "Now that I think of it, it did have a harsh quality to it."
"I would have thought a geneticist would know her organisms a bit better," he taunted, giving Angela a slight nudge with his elbow. She playfully scowled at him, shaking her head disapprovingly.
The pair fell silent, listening to various chirps, squeaks, and cries, and the rustle of the little vegetation nearby. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling the duo's fur and kicking more dust into the air.
"I really like you Ratchet," Angela finally said, taking his hand and squeezing it slightly. He was taken aback, but his nervous expression quickly softened.
"I really like you too, Angela," he replied, before leaning forward and giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. Before he could lean back, she held his face in her hand, and kissed him again. It was a warm and lingering kiss, with Angela's curls tickling Ratchet's face. He took her face in his hands too, and held her close, kissing her more passionately.
Kyzil Plateau, Solana Galaxy, present day.
Ratchet felt a tear run down his face.
Angela. He missed her more than he even realised, and it hit him like a ship with a gravimetric warp drive installed. He lost her, and he was an idiot for it. He couldn't forgive himself for leaving her and he doubted she would forgive him as well.
He knew what he had to do. It was a crazy idea, it was a stupid idea, but it was the best he had right now.
He wiped the single tear away with a gloved fist before springing to his feet. He gazed over at his robotic companion, still charging. He figured Clank would finish charging when the Lombax returned; the robot wouldn't know he had even left. He sprinted over to his ship, hopped inside, and ignited the thrusters. He quickly took off from the launch pad, before flying upwards, picking up enough speed to break out of the orbit.
His destination; Tundor Wastes, Grelbin.
