THE MOMENT
It was wholly unnecessary. Jerry knew that; but, the simple pleasure of letting his heavy boot stomp the metal grates on the floor only made him smile more. He thundered into the launch bay on a mission and the sharp scent of ionized fuel charged his excitement even more. He strode past an array of various spacecraft. Each one was uniquely designed to show off personality and function. Anachronistic fins, chrome accents, and hand-painted insignias stood as a prominent reminder. There was a time when space was the final frontier, not just a backdrop for the entertainment industry.
Sleek robotic arms loaded his ship with cargo from a teleportation pad as Jerry reached his craft. The retro thrusters ignited with a hum as he arrived at the bay; almost as if it was happy to see him. Jerry ran his hand along the ship's cobalt hull as he made his way up the ramp and to his seat.
His hands moved with practiced ease; he tapped each instrument panel physically to ensure the check. His eyes scanned readouts that most of his contemporaries would dismiss as relics, or at best 'ugly'. Each information display stood out from the others in a mishmash of visual styles that he hand-picked. Jerry input his new coordinates with the deliberation of a cartographer charting new worlds. He found joy in the details, despite knowing the destination as well as the back of his hand.
The hatch hissed as it sealed, and Jerry hovered up, then glided forward out of the bay. He let the autopilot handle the launch; it was the part he found to be mostly skippable so he could get to the fun of flying. He grabbed hold of the wheel as the spacecraft easily broke free of the planet's gravitational embrace. The serene hush of the cosmos made him smile as the blackness enveloped him. Then, after a quiet moment of taking in the abyss before him, Jerry turned on the radio. On these trips, he liked to open up a frequency to check in with the few others who still piloted; a small but devoted congregation, each with their own reasons for holding onto this mode of life. They share experiences, echoing laughter, and the mutual respect of those who understand why the road less traveled is worth the journey. His node beeped as he waited for a conversation to hop into.
Jerry stared forward at the dark and hesitated with a sigh. Finally, he pulled the node out of his jacket pocket to check the message.
[Sorry, need help. -Ellen]
"Timing could be worse, I suppose," Jerry grumbled with a shrug and called his wife back. She answered instantly.
"Everything okay, Love? What do you need?" he asked. She replied on the other end with a question. "No, I haven't entered warp yet, it's okay; what's up?" He wasn't surprised it was a real issue. She wouldn't have interrupted him if it wasn't.
"Oh, of course. I'm on my way," he said. "It's really okay, I hadn't started yet; I can finish this later," he reassured her. It would cut into his time; but, he was glad to help her. It was a personal matter and he felt honored he was the one she called. As much as he took advantage of modern conveniences for fun; there was something extra special about being needed by another human. He ended the call as he stood from the pilot's seat, then paused as he glanced backward toward the cargo.
"Ehh, that's a big haul... I should at least finish it express...," he mumbled, then focused on his node again.
"Ship...," he tapped through the screens to find the option he needed. "...Cargo... Destination... Earth.... Pineapple...." He tapped the 'Express' button and the wooden crates immediately disintegrated into white powder. A notification appeared on his node.
[Delivery: Complete] along with his experience points and fees collected for the service. Then, he tapped some more options and opened a black portal next to him.
"We'll try again in a little while," he patted his pilot's seat, then walked into the portal. The ship disintegrated when he left and reappeared on its bay back at the launch bay. It would wait patiently until Jerry came back to try another game.