Failure to Launch (ID)

[Pink Moon Wolf]

The Mexus Center of Modern Technology: the top provider of technological advancements on Dimensional Island. Nearly every groundbreaking piece of machinery that was brought into being on the island rather than being transported from another universe was created in this laboratory. Any bit of hardware or software that needed a repair or an upgrade could be sent here and come back working like it never had before. Home gadgets, security systems, tools, vehicles, weapons... no one could deny the impact Mexus had on modern-day Void City or the people who inhabited it, both benign and supernatural.

For a place so renowned, though, something about its main facility seemed... sketchy.

At least that's how Lydia always felt when she came here. Granted, unlike most of the island's inhabitants, she actually knew what took place within these walls.

After parking her car at the rear of the building, Lydia meandered over to the back door, the familiar, unpleasant aroma of cold metal and sterilizing chemicals hitting her nose the moment she stepped inside. It wasn't that strong quite yet; the back room she had entered through was little more than a blueprint storage room masquerading as an employee lounge. She immediately went for the lockers, unlocking hers simply to drop her keys inside and slam it shut again.

When she turned away from the lockers, ready to enter the lab proper, Lydia suddenly realized she wasn't alone.

[ThePopcornFairy]

Jack stared at her from the desk he was seated at, a booklet in his hands, his form completely rigid, his cheeks bright red, his hazel eyes wide with shock. For the longest time, all he could do was stare at her in stunned silence like a deer in the headlights. Then he frantically, spastically scrambled out of his seat, only managing to stand upright by grabbing the desk and dropping his booklet in the process.

"L-Lydia!" He picked up his packet of papers, adjusted his glasses, stood up straight and stared nervously at the young pilot who had just entered the building. "Lydia, hi! Uh... I, uh... How are...? Er... Um..."

Well... no sense in beating around the bush.

Jack sighed and looked away from her, fidgeting in place. "Lydia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ditch you last night. I-I swear I didn't forget about you! I just... they asked me to help fine-tune some upgrades, it ended up taking longer than I thought it would... Th-That's no excuse, I know! I could've let someone else do it! I should've been there for you, I'm a terrible person and...!"

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"J-Jack... JACK!"

Once his ramblings had been cut off, Lydia offered Jack a gentle look and a raised hand in an effort to calm his nerves. Any anger she felt before was replaced with sadness and sympathy for the awkward intern. Despite her frustration with the situation she was left in last night, she didn't have it in her to be upset with him.

"Jack... it's okay. I'm not mad. I know it had nothing to do with me personally." Lydia shrugged. "Believe me, you're not the only one who has a hard time saying no to these guys."

[ThePopcornFairy]

"Yyyyyeah..." Jack rubbed his neck and cast an uncomfortable expression at the floor. "I still feel awful for leaving you in the dust like that. And for taking so long to get my hands on my phone and let you know what was going on. I-I really am sorry, Lydia... I must've looked like a total deadbeat to you. I didn't mean to ruin your night."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"Jack, it's fine," Lydia insisted, mustering the most encouraging smile she could. "You're not a deadbeat. You're just working for a bunch of apathetic nutcases with the worst senses of timing. I don't blame you, so don't go beating yourself up over it. Besides, I was bound to get drunk and emotional even if you did show up."

She stepped closer to Jack and gave him a gentle nudge on the arm. "We'll just have to try again some other time. Like... maybe tomorrow night, after this mission's done and dusted?"

[ThePopcornFairy]

Jack's blush brightened as Lydia's touch brought out a dorky smile. He didn't like making excuses for letting people down. All he ever wanted was to make others happy through his acts of service. But he was so used to being scolded for his mistakes around here that being let off the hook by Lydia felt simultaneously relieving and... perverse, in a strange way.

Well, as long as she was being cool about it, Jack figured he should do the same for her sake. No sense in getting her rattled up when now was her time for action.

"Y-Yeah. Tomorrow night sounds good. ...P-Provided that the pod's been properly cleaned by then. They'll want me around for that."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"Yeah, speaking of, whaddya say we get to work before my dad has an aneurysm?" Lydia chuckled, jabbing a thumb towards the break room door before making her way through it.

She stepped into the main hub of the laboratory. Its cold, messy, dark grey, metallic, industrial appearance was ever apparent, bustling with workers and scientists passing around papers or typing away at computers, an enormous machine plainly visible at the epicenter of this mechanical beehive. As she made her way across the balcony overlooking this grand device, navigating through the various people and equipment, Lydia continued her conversation with Jack over her shoulder. "So what'd you end up doing to Proteus II? You said you were adding some upgrades?"

[ThePopcornFairy]

"So to speak, yeah," Jack snickered as he closely followed Lydia through the busy lab, blindly stumbling and bumping into many of the surrounding technicians and equipment as he attempted to flip through the papers he was carrying. "We buffed up the anti-magic field generators. Figured those would be useful on this mission. We tweaked the electromagnetic boosters, considering how much trouble they were giving you last time. Oh!"

He then closed the booklet and excitedly offered it to Lydia. "And I finally got around to fine-tuning the Neuromuscular Facial Response Program! I got all the new details here if you wanna go over them."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

Lydia couldn't help but laugh, not only at Jack's enthusiasm for this program, but at the absurdity of the situation he was proposing. "What for? I'm never gonna use that thing!"

Upon suddenly realizing how insensitive she must've sounded towards Jack's passion project, Lydia quickly did a literal and metaphorical 180 and accepted the booklet from him. "But hey, maybe I'm wrong. I've found a use for every other gadget on that pod. I'd hate to see all your hard work go to waste."

She turned back around and continued to walk forward, shooting Jack a cool, collected grin over her shoulder. "You'll have your day in the sun, Jack Wexler, you'll see."

[ThePopcornFairy]

Jack bashfully rubbed his neck, clearly not offended by Lydia's first comment and trying to take her last one to heart. "Heheh... Yeah, a guy can dream, I guess. I mean, ever since the Phoenix Project was shut down, I haven't..."

"There you are!"

Jack and Lydia's attention was promptly directed to the source of the irate voice. Dr. Pendleton was marching over to them, a clipboard in his hands, his dark eyes locked on the pilot. "Really, Lydia, keeping us waiting like that... We've been ready to launch for hours!"

"Um, well... better late than never, as it were...!" Jack offered in a feeble attempt at elevating the mood. He then immediately started chastising himself for resorting to clichés to do so.

Dr. Pendleton sighed and walked alongside his daughter and intern, showing the former his notes. "Look, we don't have anymore time to waste, but let's at least go over the mission parameters one more time before launch..."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"Ugh..." Lydia pushed the clipboard out of her face. First he scolds her for wasting their time, and now he was wasting her time repeating their phone conversation and a million other things she already knew. "Let's not, okay, Dad? I know my mission. I know my target inside and out. I can do this whole routine blindfolded, backwards and in my sleep!"

She descended the staircase at the center of the balcony, leading to the chamber the entire workspace was built around. "I'm here. You can do your jobs now. Just let me do mine!"

[ThePopcornFairy]

Dr. Pendleton raised his hands, refusing to argue or justify Lydia's attitude. Whatever got them back on some semblance of their original schedule soon. "Fine. Have it your way. Suit up. We're closing the cooker shield in two minutes."

While the doctor walked away to man his own station, Jack followed Lydia down the staircase, stood next to her, and smiled up at the machine that was the center of the project and everyone's attention. "So... is it really just second nature to you at this point? Do you get nervous at all climbing in there?"

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"Nah..."

Lydia took a deep breath as she studied the submersible pod standing before her: Proteus II, an amphibious vehicle capable of withstanding any atmospheric conditions, armed with an array of gadgets, boosters, sensors, mechanical arms and hooks to help it cling to and interact with its environment. It was barely bigger than an SUV, bearing a crablike design with most of its more impressive equipment tucked away, but its simplistic appearance belied the technological marvel that it was, at least in her humble opinion. The ship stood within an open chamber, itself hardwired to all sorts of machines meant to transform Proteus II into its true intended state.

"I'm used to it by now," Lydia mused, not the slightest hint of concern in her voice. She shot a coy smirk at a nearby table up on the balcony, upon which she could just barely see a black glove and a small, almond-shaped cartridge, the latter of which was connected by wire to the chamber.

[ThePopcornFairy]

"Well... that's good," Jack sighed wistfully, looking between Lydia and Proteus II. He wished he had the same level of cool that she did. To him, every mission was a giant question mark. He couldn't help but fret over her wellbeing and the integrity of the project every time she was launched into peril. But at the same time, he envied her willingness to face each challenge head-on and the wonders that she must have experienced along the way. What he wouldn't give to share in her adventures, unhindered by his meager position and his cowardice.

"So, uh..." At this point, there wasn't much Jack could offer Lydia besides a nervous grin, a shrug, and a shaky but genuine "Good luck."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

Lydia responded to his sheepish grin with a calm smile of her own. It only dawned on her then that out of everyone who worked at Mexus, Jack was the only one who openly offered her well wishes with every mission. This wasn't exactly a startling realization. It just filled her with a small sense of warmth, something she had been severely lacking in the last few weeks.

Somewhat on a whim, Lydia leaned in and gave Jack a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks." Then she handed Jack her suitcase and the booklet he had given her, freeing her hands so she could climb the ladder up to the hatch on top of the pod. "Let's lock and load."