The Finch: Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Georgia pressed the pedal on her nearest left. After a few moments, there was a loud buzzing sound. She then moved her foot to the far left pedal. She pressed on it. After a moment, the buzzing stopped, then, after a few more moments it started again. She then pressed the nearest left pedal again. The buzzing then stopped.
Georgia took her feet off of all the pedals, and picked up a clipboard that was on the table next to her. She read through it, and said to herself, "Alright, that's that last thing."
She glanced over the list. Over the last five days, she had completed all of the items. She had tested from both the pilot and copilot sides: reverse, landing and taking off, all the iterations of defensive weapons, defensive weapon use in flight, and now she had finished the new altitude warning sound tests. She had also installed and tested a speed setting button on each of the controls. In one of her test flights, she had flown to the Reinpe Flying Ship Registration Office. It was about seventy miles to the northwest. She had overlooked the Finch's registration before. The first thing on the list she had done though, was to make the modification to the Light Burst.
It had been eight days since the accident, counting the day it happened. After she landed the Finch, Georgia helped Hugo out of it and across the field to her house.
Georgia lived in large cabin that she had built with Hugo's help. She brought Hugo inside and took him to her bedroom. She helped him walk in and had him sit on the bed.
She asked him if he needed anything and he said no, that he would just lie down and rest.
Georgia sat in the room with him and waited to see if he needed anything or if he felt worse. During the time, Hugo just laid on the bed and seemed to count the woven knots in his hand.
After four hours, Hugo pushed himself up and sat up in the bed. Georgia asked, "Are you alright Hugo? Do you need anything?"
Hugo said, "I can feel my eyes running more, and they seem to burn more."
Georgia said, "I can take off the bandage and look at them." She thought to herself as she stood, that she probably should have checked how they looked in the light earlier, but she just hadn't thought about it."
Georgia said, "I'll close the shutters on the two windows and close the door almost all the way. Keep your eyes closed though."
Georgia walked over and opened the first window and reached outside and closed the shutters. Then she went to the second window, opened it, and closed its shutters. Lastly, she went to her bedroom door, and closed it with just a few inches open. The room seemed like outside at dusk.
She walked back to Hugo and said, "The room is sort of gray. Keep your eyes closed though as I take the bandage off."
She reached to one side, and pulled the end of the bandage out from a fold. She unwove it around and laid it to one side. She then peeled the gauze off his eyes. They seemed to be stuck there.
As Georgia looked at his eye lids, she thought they looked discolored. She said, "Sit here, and keep your eyes closed, alright." Hugo said okay, and Georgia went to the door and opened it more, then she came back and looked at Hugo's eye lids. They were red and seemed like they were swollen some. She went back and closed the door more.
When she got back to Hugo she said, "Can you open your eyes? I want to see what they look like."
Hugo opened his eyes. Tears started to run from the corners, but not like he was crying, just like they were watering. In the low light, Georgia could see that there was no white around his eyes. The area on both seemed to be dark in color. Hugo asked, "They sting and burn, can I close them?"
Georgia said, "Yes, just hold on a second." She ran out of the room and ran back in with two towels. She said, "Let me wipe your eyes with this wet one and then dry them with this other one."
She moved the wet towel over his eyes and then dried them with the dry one. His eyes seemed puffed and the dark color was still there.
She asked, "Can you see anything?"
Hugo answered, "It all looks blurry and they sting."
Georgia said, "It's alright, you close them."
Hugo closed his eyes.
Georgia said, "I have some gauze. I'll get it and then put the bandage back on. I am so sorry Hugo," she said as she held his hand.
Hugo said, "I will be fine," then he paused and said, "but if I am not, I will report you to the Reinpe Council. Flying ship pilot dereliction I believe. You know," and he smiled, "as a former high level official, I believe I will have some pull."
Georgia felt herself laugh and cry at the same time. She said with a laugh, "I believe the real problem was faulty engineering. I'll be sure and sue the designer. Now where can I find that person …?"
Hugo smiled. Georgia said, "I will get you some gauze and then be back." As she stood to leave, Hugo said, "Georgia, thank you for helping me."
Georgia smiled and said, "Don't worry about it." Then she paused and said, "Besides, it will probably help me at my Aerial Court trial."
For the next two days, Georgia stayed with Hugo. The only time she left was when Hugo had sent her to his house. He asked her to bring a box that he had in a cabinet that was in one corner of his house. On the cabinet were candles, pictures painted on wood, and some other things. He also asked her to bring him some clothes, and his home first aid book. He told her that she should read the section in the book about eyes injuries. He said, "You read the part. If things will be alright, you tell me they will be. If things will not be alright," and he paused, "you lie to me, and tell me they will be." Hugo had a whole wall of books in his house that was across the field from Georgia's. They were almost all nonfiction reference books. He had books about all sorts of things, from fish to flying ships.
Georgia brought the box, clothes and the book. Hugo took the box and clothes, and Georgia went to read in the book. From what she understood of it, it seemed that things could go either way. Either his eyes would get better … or they would be damaged. She told Hugo that everything would be fine.
For the next two days, Hugo left the room only to go outside with Georgia for an hour a day. He said he wanted to feel the sunshine.
By the third day, the outside of his eyes started to look better, and when Georgia checked the color of the whites of his eyes, they weren't white, but they seemed to be less dark. Hugo said, that when he opened his eyes, it didn't sting anymore but that they still felt watery and that everything was very blurry. He said he could somewhat see colors, but no shapes of anything.
Each of the days Georgia took care of Hugo, she sat with him except for one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, when he said he wanted to be alone. During those times, she exercised and practiced kickboxing. It helped her to relax.
While they were together, Hugo thought it would be good if they talked about the modifications the Finch needed. He said that the easiest thing was the sound alarm for the altitude settings. He told Georgia to take notes, and he told her step by step how she could install it and test it. Georgia was amazed that he seemed to have a picture in his mind of all that was underneath the control panel. He told her exactly where the wires were, what colors they were and where the sound device should be installed.
Hugo also made a list for her of all the items that they had not checked. He went through it methodically to make sure he covered all the parts.
He also reminded Georgia to register the ship. She hadn't thought about it before, but if they did not register the ship, even with their Confederation passes, they would not be legally allowed to fly to any other island on Plinand.
During the time, they discussed possibilities for the Light Burst. Georgia wanted to remove it, but Hugo thought that, even though there had been an accident, that it could be useful. He thought that if another ship was coming at them, that the burst of light would disorient them and distract them enough so that they could fire the cannon at it or fly away.
They tried to think of different ways to modify it. Even though Hugo wanted some system that would black out the windshield when the light went off, he thought that the easiest solution would be the best.
Although they went through many ideas, the one they settled on was to make it so that the light burst could not go off unless both the pilot and copilot buttons were pressed. Hugo said that they could set it up so that if one button was pressed that nothing would happen and that it would only work if both buttons were depressed together.
Georgia wasn't sure about the idea, but Hugo said that it would be simple to do, and it would mean that neither of them could get surprised. If one person called out "Light!" and pressed the button, nothing would happen until the other person pressed their button. They both knew not to press their button without their eyes closed. Hugo also had the idea, to have a sound go off when both buttons were pressed. This way, they would know the burst had gone off and that it was safe to open their eyes. The burst would not last when the buttons were pressed, but would only burst for a split second.
Another idea that Hugo had was to install a set speed button for both the pilot and the copilot. He said that it occurred to him, that there might be a time when there would only be one of them at the controls of the ship, like when he had gotten hurt, and there might be a situation when it would be helpful to have the Finch fly instead of stop. He designed a button with a system that would keep the Finch flying in the last way it was oriented, and at the last speed it was. He told the instructions to Georgia as she wrote them down.
Georgia spent five days working on the testing and modifications. Although they had tested the Finch while they built it, they had intended to give it a final test during their first mission. She felt that this would substitute for that.
While Georgia worked on the Finch, she stopped every couple of hours to check on Hugo. He mainly sat in her house either by a window or on a porch. Georgia had him keep his eyes bandaged, and she checked on them twice a day. She also brought him some more items from his house.
On the fifth day after the accident, Hugo was able to see shapes of things but all was very blurry. His eyes had stopped watering and the color had improved more. He said that he didn't need the bandage any more. That day and the next, he sat outside near the Finch while Georgia worked on it.
Georgia knew that once a week Hugo went to the small village of Hethere. It was about twenty miles away to the southwest. Normally, Hugo would go there in a recumbent all terrain tricycle that he had built. It usually took him two hours each way. Georgia told Hugo the day before, that she would take him there in the Finch.
Georgia had Hugo sit in the common area and she flew as steadily as she could. She flew relatively slowly, and in twenty minutes was there. Hugo told her where she should land.
When they landed, Hugo said that they should wait outside the Finch, until a man that Hugo knew named Elias came by. Hugo said that he would be with him until he was ready to leave in two hours. He said that Georgia could pick him up then.
The man came by, noticed Hugo, and Hugo went with him. Georgia decided to fly the Finch home, and in about five minutes she was there. Georgia spent the two hours sitting on her porch just looking out at the land.
The next day, Georgia finished the remaining testing on the Finch. The last thing she checked was the altitude warning sound. Everything seemed to be working well.
The next morning, Hugo woke up and said that he could see much better than before. He said he could see colors and shapes but that things were just blurry. When Georgia looked at his eyes, she thought that they looked normal, like they did before.
Georgia pressed the pedal on her nearest left. After a few moments, there was a loud buzzing sound. She then moved her foot to the far left pedal. She pressed on it. After a moment, the buzzing stopped, then, after a few more moments it started again. She then pressed the nearest left pedal again. The buzzing then stopped.
Georgia took her feet off of all the pedals, and picked up a clipboard that was on the table next to her. She read through it, and said to herself, "Alright, that's that last thing."
She glanced over the list. Over the last five days, she had completed all of the items. She had tested from both the pilot and copilot sides: reverse, landing and taking off, all the iterations of defensive weapons, defensive weapon use in flight, and now she had finished the new altitude warning sound tests. She had also installed and tested a speed setting button on each of the controls. In one of her test flights, she had flown to the Reinpe Flying Ship Registration Office. It was about seventy miles to the northwest. She had overlooked the Finch's registration before. The first thing on the list she had done though, was to make the modification to the Light Burst.
It had been eight days since the accident, counting the day it happened. After she landed the Finch, Georgia helped Hugo out of it and across the field to her house.
Georgia lived in large cabin that she had built with Hugo's help. She brought Hugo inside and took him to her bedroom. She helped him walk in and had him sit on the bed.
She asked him if he needed anything and he said no, that he would just lie down and rest.
Georgia sat in the room with him and waited to see if he needed anything or if he felt worse. During the time, Hugo just laid on the bed and seemed to count the woven knots in his hand.
After four hours, Hugo pushed himself up and sat up in the bed. Georgia asked, "Are you alright Hugo? Do you need anything?"
Hugo said, "I can feel my eyes running more, and they seem to burn more."
Georgia said, "I can take off the bandage and look at them." She thought to herself as she stood, that she probably should have checked how they looked in the light earlier, but she just hadn't thought about it."
Georgia said, "I'll close the shutters on the two windows and close the door almost all the way. Keep your eyes closed though."
Georgia walked over and opened the first window and reached outside and closed the shutters. Then she went to the second window, opened it, and closed its shutters. Lastly, she went to her bedroom door, and closed it with just a few inches open. The room seemed like outside at dusk.
She walked back to Hugo and said, "The room is sort of gray. Keep your eyes closed though as I take the bandage off."
She reached to one side, and pulled the end of the bandage out from a fold. She unwove it around and laid it to one side. She then peeled the gauze off his eyes. They seemed to be stuck there.
As Georgia looked at his eye lids, she thought they looked discolored. She said, "Sit here, and keep your eyes closed, alright." Hugo said okay, and Georgia went to the door and opened it more, then she came back and looked at Hugo's eye lids. They were red and seemed like they were swollen some. She went back and closed the door more.
When she got back to Hugo she said, "Can you open your eyes? I want to see what they look like."
Hugo opened his eyes. Tears started to run from the corners, but not like he was crying, just like they were watering. In the low light, Georgia could see that there was no white around his eyes. The area on both seemed to be dark in color. Hugo asked, "They sting and burn, can I close them?"
Georgia said, "Yes, just hold on a second." She ran out of the room and ran back in with two towels. She said, "Let me wipe your eyes with this wet one and then dry them with this other one."
She moved the wet towel over his eyes and then dried them with the dry one. His eyes seemed puffed and the dark color was still there.
She asked, "Can you see anything?"
Hugo answered, "It all looks blurry and they sting."
Georgia said, "It's alright, you close them."
Hugo closed his eyes.
Georgia said, "I have some gauze. I'll get it and then put the bandage back on. I am so sorry Hugo," she said as she held his hand.
Hugo said, "I will be fine," then he paused and said, "but if I am not, I will report you to the Reinpe Council. Flying ship pilot dereliction I believe. You know," and he smiled, "as a former high level official, I believe I will have some pull."
Georgia felt herself laugh and cry at the same time. She said with a laugh, "I believe the real problem was faulty engineering. I'll be sure and sue the designer. Now where can I find that person …?"
Hugo smiled. Georgia said, "I will get you some gauze and then be back." As she stood to leave, Hugo said, "Georgia, thank you for helping me."
Georgia smiled and said, "Don't worry about it." Then she paused and said, "Besides, it will probably help me at my Aerial Court trial."
For the next two days, Georgia stayed with Hugo. The only time she left was when Hugo had sent her to his house. He asked her to bring a box that he had in a cabinet that was in one corner of his house. On the cabinet were candles, pictures painted on wood, and some other things. He also asked her to bring him some clothes, and his home first aid book. He told her that she should read the section in the book about eyes injuries. He said, "You read the part. If things will be alright, you tell me they will be. If things will not be alright," and he paused, "you lie to me, and tell me they will be." Hugo had a whole wall of books in his house that was across the field from Georgia's. They were almost all nonfiction reference books. He had books about all sorts of things, from fish to flying ships.
Georgia brought the box, clothes and the book. Hugo took the box and clothes, and Georgia went to read in the book. From what she understood of it, it seemed that things could go either way. Either his eyes would get better … or they would be damaged. She told Hugo that everything would be fine.
For the next two days, Hugo left the room only to go outside with Georgia for an hour a day. He said he wanted to feel the sunshine.
By the third day, the outside of his eyes started to look better, and when Georgia checked the color of the whites of his eyes, they weren't white, but they seemed to be less dark. Hugo said, that when he opened his eyes, it didn't sting anymore but that they still felt watery and that everything was very blurry. He said he could somewhat see colors, but no shapes of anything.
Each of the days Georgia took care of Hugo, she sat with him except for one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, when he said he wanted to be alone. During those times, she exercised and practiced kickboxing. It helped her to relax.
While they were together, Hugo thought it would be good if they talked about the modifications the Finch needed. He said that the easiest thing was the sound alarm for the altitude settings. He told Georgia to take notes, and he told her step by step how she could install it and test it. Georgia was amazed that he seemed to have a picture in his mind of all that was underneath the control panel. He told her exactly where the wires were, what colors they were and where the sound device should be installed.
Hugo also made a list for her of all the items that they had not checked. He went through it methodically to make sure he covered all the parts.
He also reminded Georgia to register the ship. She hadn't thought about it before, but if they did not register the ship, even with their Confederation passes, they would not be legally allowed to fly to any other island on Plinand.
During the time, they discussed possibilities for the Light Burst. Georgia wanted to remove it, but Hugo thought that, even though there had been an accident, that it could be useful. He thought that if another ship was coming at them, that the burst of light would disorient them and distract them enough so that they could fire the cannon at it or fly away.
They tried to think of different ways to modify it. Even though Hugo wanted some system that would black out the windshield when the light went off, he thought that the easiest solution would be the best.
Although they went through many ideas, the one they settled on was to make it so that the light burst could not go off unless both the pilot and copilot buttons were pressed. Hugo said that they could set it up so that if one button was pressed that nothing would happen and that it would only work if both buttons were depressed together.
Georgia wasn't sure about the idea, but Hugo said that it would be simple to do, and it would mean that neither of them could get surprised. If one person called out "Light!" and pressed the button, nothing would happen until the other person pressed their button. They both knew not to press their button without their eyes closed. Hugo also had the idea, to have a sound go off when both buttons were pressed. This way, they would know the burst had gone off and that it was safe to open their eyes. The burst would not last when the buttons were pressed, but would only burst for a split second.
Another idea that Hugo had was to install a set speed button for both the pilot and the copilot. He said that it occurred to him, that there might be a time when there would only be one of them at the controls of the ship, like when he had gotten hurt, and there might be a situation when it would be helpful to have the Finch fly instead of stop. He designed a button with a system that would keep the Finch flying in the last way it was oriented, and at the last speed it was. He told the instructions to Georgia as she wrote them down.
Georgia spent five days working on the testing and modifications. Although they had tested the Finch while they built it, they had intended to give it a final test during their first mission. She felt that this would substitute for that.
While Georgia worked on the Finch, she stopped every couple of hours to check on Hugo. He mainly sat in her house either by a window or on a porch. Georgia had him keep his eyes bandaged, and she checked on them twice a day. She also brought him some more items from his house.
On the fifth day after the accident, Hugo was able to see shapes of things but all was very blurry. His eyes had stopped watering and the color had improved more. He said that he didn't need the bandage any more. That day and the next, he sat outside near the Finch while Georgia worked on it.
Georgia knew that once a week Hugo went to the small village of Hethere. It was about twenty miles away to the southwest. Normally, Hugo would go there in a recumbent all terrain tricycle that he had built. It usually took him two hours each way. Georgia told Hugo the day before, that she would take him there in the Finch.
Georgia had Hugo sit in the common area and she flew as steadily as she could. She flew relatively slowly, and in twenty minutes was there. Hugo told her where she should land.
When they landed, Hugo said that they should wait outside the Finch, until a man that Hugo knew named Elias came by. Hugo said that he would be with him until he was ready to leave in two hours. He said that Georgia could pick him up then.
The man came by, noticed Hugo, and Hugo went with him. Georgia decided to fly the Finch home, and in about five minutes she was there. Georgia spent the two hours sitting on her porch just looking out at the land.
The next day, Georgia finished the remaining testing on the Finch. The last thing she checked was the altitude warning sound. Everything seemed to be working well.
The next morning, Hugo woke up and said that he could see much better than before. He said he could see colors and shapes but that things were just blurry. When Georgia looked at his eyes, she thought that they looked normal, like they did before.
