GM-46

The Prototype

48.

Nathaniel was not reassured at all. Besides the fact that he abhorred confined spaces like the small cockpit, flying was not—by any means—his preferred mode of transportation. On the contrary, Kim was in his element, surrounded with many electronic buzzing clicks and the general humming of equipment.

"Do you hear this? She purrs like a tigress," commented Kim, who had just started the engines.

Nathaniel, seated in the narrow copilot's seat, the only one equipped with manual flight controls, nervously looking around for some sort of harness.

"Are you looking for something?"

"The harness," Nathaniel blurted out.

Kim waved his hand dismissively.

"There isn't one on this side. Haven't had time to get it installed yet."

Nathaniel turned to him.

"What are you implying?"

"Well... Bertha is just a prototype. I had planned to do the maiden flight solo, didn't rush to finalize the second seat."

"You mean that..."

"It's her first takeoff, yes. Exciting, isn't it? I'm thrilled!"

Nathaniel gestured to stand up.

"Let me get out right now!"

A sudden jolt shook the vehicle, and Nathaniel found himself crushed into the back of his chair.

"Too late," commented the Korean. "We're no longer touching the ground."

Nathaniel clutched the armrests until his knuckles turned white.

Above Bertha, the ceiling parted in two. It opened slowly, sliding apart. Kim launched Bertha vertically, and they emerged into the daylight.

"You're completely insane!" Nathaniel yelled without letting go of the seat's armrests into which his fingers were now digging.

"Trust me, Nat, it's a champion's build, nothing can happen to us as long as I'm at the helm."

Nathaniel shook his head.

"Oh, of course... letting a blind man pilot a flying paperweight seems like an excellent idea!"

"Do you want the helm?" Kim lifted his arms from the controls.

The shuttle made a sudden swerve. Nathaniel clenched his jaws so hard he could have broken a molar.

Kim continued: "That's what I thought. Don't worry, neural interface, all the detection devices send me the landscape in real time and I have control of my baby... at my fingertips." He indicated his left hand placed flat on a metallic plate where small electric arcs fizzled at regular intervals. "Relax, everything's going to be fine."

At that moment, the vehicle lurched to the side, its attitude marking a pronounced angle. Nathaniel almost crashed into Kim.

"Ah! I'll have to adjust the lateral stabilizers," stated Kim with Olympian calm while straightening the device on the horizon.

They took off, and Bertha sped over the mountain range before turning wide to avoid flying near the area where they had encountered the patrol earlier.

"A real treat," Kim appreciated.

Nathaniel's tense demeanor and contracted muscles spoke volumes about his own opinion of the current trip.

Kim let out an admiring whistle.