Flesh and Steel Challenge Entry
Title: Bittersweet
Universe: Movieverse
Natural Disaster: Blizzard
The snow was still falling - blowing? - he couldn't really tell the difference anymore. It was so thick he could barely see beyond his own front bumper. He couldn't go in yet though. She was out here in this mess, crazy as it was. He shivered; the flakes melting as soon as they touched his plating. Ignoring it he continued to climb, attention locked on the heat signature shown by his sensors.
The winds buffered her as she stood at the top, staring into the white. The view was considered breathtaking. That was when one could see it. Today said view was none existent and aside from the howling winds, everything was painfully silent.
He stopped beside her, motor running softly, a quick scan washing over her. Unwilling to disturb her further, he said nothing; just watching as she stared unseeing into the snow, letting her body be buffeted by the winds. The temperature had not dropped further, but the wind started to pick up again. He considered. The reports said the storm would be over within an hour, however it showed no signs of letting up, and an hour of exposure would be dangerous nigh fatal to her, despite her precautions.
“Lonely at the top isn't it?”
“Yes.”
She never looked away from the white; her voice barely voicing the single word.
“Let's go back. It's not even 10 degrees. You'll catch a cold out here and then I'll be hearing it from Ratchet.”
The wind howled around the two beings utterly alone in the falling cocoon.
“They're making hot chocolate.”
She pointedly ignored him.
“At least tell me why you're doing this.”
A bitter smile crossed her face. “Lonely at the top isn't it? In more ways then you'll ever know.”
She turned her attention back to the swiftly falling, blinding flakes.
“Try me.”
She paused for a moment before reciting,“Greatness is never appreciated in youth, called pride in midlife, dismissed in old age and reconsidered in death. Because we cannot tolerate greatness in our midst we do all that we can to destroy it.” A quick glance at the being beside her. “From the show Babylon 5.”
He calmly waited for her to explain.
“I'm not a great human being. To think I am would be conceited.” She let out a bark of laughter. “But perhaps that is the point they were trying to make.”
“This is about the incident.” His voice was quiet, no trace of emotion or bias.
“Maybe. No. Yes. Always.”
“If this bothers you so much why did you say anything?”
“Because loneliness is better then guilt.”
“Guilt? What would you have to be guilty for.”
“Everything.”
At his expectant look, she sighed. “There is a poem out there, I don't remember the exact words, but the narrator watches as group after group of people are lead away. He doesn't speak for any of the groups because he is not of their group. But in the end when they come for him there is no one left to speak for him. I won't live in that kind of world. If I ignore the nips and bites at others, because its not my business, not my concern... The stirrings of many against few, it makes me sick. The guilt would proceed to eat at me... and it would be my own fault.”
“Instead you stand in a blizzard, trying to freeze yourself to death.”
“Perhaps.” She tilted her head chin to the sky eyes closed. “You know what I like about blizzards? They're honest. A blizzard doesn't care. Rich, poor, human or animal. A blizzard will freeze them all straight through. Unless of course you are smart. Unless one thinks about the situation.”
“Thinks about the situation?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him again, and he noted the redness of the skin that she had not been able to cover. “If you were caught in the middle of nowhere, miles from shelter, during a blizzard, what would you do? Assuming you were human of course.”
“I... do not know. It is not something I have ever considered before.”
“Most people panic. If they're put in a situation they have not thought about or can not deal with. An emotional response. One that could very well get them killed.”
“And what would you do?” His voice was challenging.
“Look for a place to get out of the wind. A place that would allow me to curl up and warm it with body heat. Make a nest in a snow bank if I had to. The wind is the most dangerous aspect of a blizzard. It is relentless; strips you through you to the core.”
“Then why do you stand at the top of a mountain where the wind blows the strongest?”
“Because I'm stupid? Confident? Cocky? Take your pick. ”
“Can I pick the truth?”
Her laughter was echoed by the howls of nature.
“You have the truth. If you care to look at it.. Understanding is a three edge sword.” She laughed again, at his confused expression. “It's a Vorlon thing.”
His expression didn't change.
“More Babylon 5. Oh... I think the snow's slowing.”
He looked around. She was right the snow was no longer falling quite as heavily. Most of what was in the air was from the continually blowing wind.
“It's hard to be the strong one all the time.” Despite his advance hearing, he almost didn't hear her. “Despite all appearances I do not operate on logic alone. I have emotions too.” It was only a tone louder.
“Prowl'll be disappointed to hear that. He was most like looking forward to having a companion.”
She just smiled, a true smile, before watching the white again. They stood in silence, just watching as the blizzard blew itself out and the sky began to clear. “You know what though? What I truly love best about blizzards?”
He just looked at her.
“They always end. No matter how cold or lonely. No matter the amount of snow they drop or how loud the wind howls a blizzard will always end, and the results will fade over time. The cold, the cutting, the pain will with time will be just a memory... and we can walk away from it.”
She turned away from him and headed back down the mountain. Crossing his arms under his bumper, he scowled. Why did he feel as if more had been said then he had heard? At least she was smiling again. In the end perhaps that was all that really mattered.
Universe: Movieverse
Natural Disaster: Blizzard
The snow was still falling - blowing? - he couldn't really tell the difference anymore. It was so thick he could barely see beyond his own front bumper. He couldn't go in yet though. She was out here in this mess, crazy as it was. He shivered; the flakes melting as soon as they touched his plating. Ignoring it he continued to climb, attention locked on the heat signature shown by his sensors.
The winds buffered her as she stood at the top, staring into the white. The view was considered breathtaking. That was when one could see it. Today said view was none existent and aside from the howling winds, everything was painfully silent.
He stopped beside her, motor running softly, a quick scan washing over her. Unwilling to disturb her further, he said nothing; just watching as she stared unseeing into the snow, letting her body be buffeted by the winds. The temperature had not dropped further, but the wind started to pick up again. He considered. The reports said the storm would be over within an hour, however it showed no signs of letting up, and an hour of exposure would be dangerous nigh fatal to her, despite her precautions.
“Lonely at the top isn't it?”
“Yes.”
She never looked away from the white; her voice barely voicing the single word.
“Let's go back. It's not even 10 degrees. You'll catch a cold out here and then I'll be hearing it from Ratchet.”
The wind howled around the two beings utterly alone in the falling cocoon.
“They're making hot chocolate.”
She pointedly ignored him.
“At least tell me why you're doing this.”
A bitter smile crossed her face. “Lonely at the top isn't it? In more ways then you'll ever know.”
She turned her attention back to the swiftly falling, blinding flakes.
“Try me.”
She paused for a moment before reciting,“Greatness is never appreciated in youth, called pride in midlife, dismissed in old age and reconsidered in death. Because we cannot tolerate greatness in our midst we do all that we can to destroy it.” A quick glance at the being beside her. “From the show Babylon 5.”
He calmly waited for her to explain.
“I'm not a great human being. To think I am would be conceited.” She let out a bark of laughter. “But perhaps that is the point they were trying to make.”
“This is about the incident.” His voice was quiet, no trace of emotion or bias.
“Maybe. No. Yes. Always.”
“If this bothers you so much why did you say anything?”
“Because loneliness is better then guilt.”
“Guilt? What would you have to be guilty for.”
“Everything.”
At his expectant look, she sighed. “There is a poem out there, I don't remember the exact words, but the narrator watches as group after group of people are lead away. He doesn't speak for any of the groups because he is not of their group. But in the end when they come for him there is no one left to speak for him. I won't live in that kind of world. If I ignore the nips and bites at others, because its not my business, not my concern... The stirrings of many against few, it makes me sick. The guilt would proceed to eat at me... and it would be my own fault.”
“Instead you stand in a blizzard, trying to freeze yourself to death.”
“Perhaps.” She tilted her head chin to the sky eyes closed. “You know what I like about blizzards? They're honest. A blizzard doesn't care. Rich, poor, human or animal. A blizzard will freeze them all straight through. Unless of course you are smart. Unless one thinks about the situation.”
“Thinks about the situation?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him again, and he noted the redness of the skin that she had not been able to cover. “If you were caught in the middle of nowhere, miles from shelter, during a blizzard, what would you do? Assuming you were human of course.”
“I... do not know. It is not something I have ever considered before.”
“Most people panic. If they're put in a situation they have not thought about or can not deal with. An emotional response. One that could very well get them killed.”
“And what would you do?” His voice was challenging.
“Look for a place to get out of the wind. A place that would allow me to curl up and warm it with body heat. Make a nest in a snow bank if I had to. The wind is the most dangerous aspect of a blizzard. It is relentless; strips you through you to the core.”
“Then why do you stand at the top of a mountain where the wind blows the strongest?”
“Because I'm stupid? Confident? Cocky? Take your pick. ”
“Can I pick the truth?”
Her laughter was echoed by the howls of nature.
“You have the truth. If you care to look at it.. Understanding is a three edge sword.” She laughed again, at his confused expression. “It's a Vorlon thing.”
His expression didn't change.
“More Babylon 5. Oh... I think the snow's slowing.”
He looked around. She was right the snow was no longer falling quite as heavily. Most of what was in the air was from the continually blowing wind.
“It's hard to be the strong one all the time.” Despite his advance hearing, he almost didn't hear her. “Despite all appearances I do not operate on logic alone. I have emotions too.” It was only a tone louder.
“Prowl'll be disappointed to hear that. He was most like looking forward to having a companion.”
She just smiled, a true smile, before watching the white again. They stood in silence, just watching as the blizzard blew itself out and the sky began to clear. “You know what though? What I truly love best about blizzards?”
He just looked at her.
“They always end. No matter how cold or lonely. No matter the amount of snow they drop or how loud the wind howls a blizzard will always end, and the results will fade over time. The cold, the cutting, the pain will with time will be just a memory... and we can walk away from it.”
She turned away from him and headed back down the mountain. Crossing his arms under his bumper, he scowled. Why did he feel as if more had been said then he had heard? At least she was smiling again. In the end perhaps that was all that really mattered.