Wind Spindle Chapter 21

 Kallo turned as Tassy ran the laser serger around the seams, then the harnesses, creating a perfect fit.  As Tassy worked  she felt a drop of moisture on her cheek.  She looked up to see Kallo's tears flowing.

"Dad-Father always said you were smarter than anyone he'd ever met.  Smarter and more creative.   I was so wrapped up in myself I never got to know you.  And now you've done this for me.  So much work.  The design, the technology.  It's...astonishing, Tassy.

Tassy said, "I'd be nowhere without Mano."

"He was...happy to... support your work.  He believed in you."

"Have you flown since-"

"I've practiced, but not in the field.  Of course I will never be the flier I was." A shadow seemed to move over Kallo.

"Well, you'll be a completely different flier than anyone else now. But you’ll need to practice.  I haven’t perfected the lift controls yet. And you will have to get used to an entirely new physicality of flying.  You will only rely on environment for secondary power and navigation.  The grav/antigrav system works on pitch and yaw..”

  "Soit's all in flight attitude."

"Exactly.  I installed the lifters and drivers so they would be as intuitive as possible given your instinctive wind-driven flight kinetics.  I hope I did OK. I worked out the specs milimeter by milimeter in the wind tunnel, including the    crossovers.  So we;ll find out where the bugs are.  Like always." 

"Well, you;ve always been the best suit designer on both worlds,"

Tassy sighed.  "We'll see if I'm still good enough.  You can still use your limbs as before, like your arms more or less like wings, but now you have a real set of wings that will emerge from the shoulders on demand for more load bearing.  For emergencies, or even a rescue mission.  But your chutes are one hundred fifty percent upgrades as well.  And no outboard overrides.  Everything is under your control.  The suit will take you to much higher elevations much more safely. You can disappear from ground level and stop in a hover at pretty much any elevation, although the Gs will catch up with you, even when the suit goes rigid at higher elevations.  I can't do much about that.  You might have some nausea the first few times you play with it. I's a good thing you're the most gifted flier anybody ever saw."

"Used to be."

"Still are.  Gifts like that don't just evaporate like lagoons. It's all a part of your design.  You'll still outfly Dell, as always."

"I needed that.  Thank you, Tassy.  Your kindness is unearned, and so welcome."

"Oh, jump off,"  Tassy slapped Kallo on her flank, as she had when they were tiny team gymnasts,  competing on the felt mats.  "So we were never best friends.  You don't owe me anything.  I still think of you as my annoying little sister anyway."

"I am fortunate."

"No more Bowl talk.  I'm gotta re-teach you how to talk Kinlanian again, or people will think you're-"

"-Pretentious?"

"-Fancy.  See?" Tassy laughed.  Kallo joined her.  

They became serious.  They heaved a sigh, together.

"Let's go get him," said Tassy.