Take Ten

“Today is the day of doing” thought Jobi. It was flight testing day, and Jobi just knew he would pass today. After a quick meal of querth and a cold bath he headed off to the testing center. Once he arrived he got in the queue behind an elderly female Nork. The elder turn to him and said “Good dawning! What brings you in?” “I am taking my flight test today, and you?” replied Jobi. “Oh, I have to retest my second set.” He noticed her third and fourth eyes both looked a little filmy, but ever the good Nork he wished her well anyway. “Good Juju!” He said.

The elder got called and shuffled off to one of the side rooms. ‘This is it, I’m next…’ Jobi got called and went up to the desk. “Good dawning!” he said to the clerk. “Oh, it’s you again Jobi… retesting you are?” “Passing!” exclaimed Jobi. ”Second door axisward” replied the clerk lifelessly.

Jobi went through the door he knew so well and right up to Yarnk, the flying licenser. “Good dawning!” he said… Yarnk glared at him, handed over a remote and grunted, “To the ship.” Jobi glided down the hallway and out to the landing pad. “First step?” asked Yarnk. “Lower ramp” replied Jobi and pushed the ramp button on the remote. The two glided up the ramp and into the vessel. “Second…” “Affirm clear ramp and close!” shouted Jobi confidently. He looked around and pushed the button again. The ramp lifted and clicked into place and the two headed for the control panel.

Jobi took the pilots seat and buckled in. Yarnk took position next to him and waited, he knew this routine. Jobi did all the checkpoints, he made sure the views were clear, the engine started, his seat was adjusted. “”Start up and hover at five meters” said Yarnk. Jobi lifted off the ground with grace and hovered over the landing pad.

“Fly out to the center spindle and land.” Rising from the center of the city, like a giant fungi, was the monstrous spindle of town hall, capped, at 450 meters, by the city’s largest landing pad. Jobi began to accelerate and zipped through the city toward the spindle.

Jobi was ecstatic, but the Norks on the streets started to yowl and glide into each other in panic. “Lift!” screamed Yarnk, “Lift!” Once again, Jobi failed to gain any altitude and was accelerating over the city at a mere five meters…

“Return to test pad.” Jobi reversed the ship and returned to the landing pad. He set the ship down, turned off the engine and lowered the ramp. Yarnk snatched the keys from his claw, scribbled on his clipboard and said “Failure number nine, due to lack of altitude.” You may re-test in 3 cycles of the Lunar 2.”