3-241: Aboard the Aerostat VIII
The gear is loaded aboard the Aerostat.
Alan tells everyone to strap in.
He activates the Grav Plate and then brings the functioning engines up to power. With a drunk-like lurch the Aerostat lifts of, crabs low over the roof of the Lodge, missing it by less than a metre before Alan works the craft around and takes it across the fence line over the gate.
He travels straight for a kilometre before bringing the Aerostat onto a heading to take it toward the spaceport.
Alan says, “with only three engines I estimate it’s going to take half a shift to get there.”
It’s not that easy to estimate speed aloft at night, but the pace does feel decidedly leisurely. The trip is punctuated by the occasional lurch as the damaged airship sometimes gets away from Alan and veers across the sky.
Is there anything Oliver wants to do on the trip?
Oliver will go through the book in his backpack at a more detailed pace. If he has a pen or pencil he’ll make some notes on each page if he can decipher what’s going on.
He will also make a mental note to buy some burn cream.