Distractions
Jul. 24th, 2010 11:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
overcame_fearBy now Hal wouldn’t give up the ring for anything, but it’s still a relief to touch down back on the tarmac at Ferris and switch back to his flight suit. His real flight suit. It feels so long since he’s worn it, he isn’t even sure what test flight he’s supposed to be--. Oh that’s right. They’re scheduled for an FAA inspection.
Damn.
Pie is already there, naturally. He gives Hal an absent-minded wave as he keeps working on the left turbine of the X-99, Carol’s latest experimental baby. Normally inspections drive Hal up the wall, but if this one today will get him a big step closer to being able to take that pretty bird up into the sky, then bring it on.
He turns at the sound of a car driving up to the hanger, and gets his game face on (as if he doesn't always have it on already) and waits for the investigator to step out.
Oh, hey now. Speaking of pretty birds.... He was expecting another old guy in a suit. When did the FAA start hiring people like her?
Five minutes later, Hal is finishing the second of his favorite stories about ‘How Hal Jordan narrowly avoided horrible death through sheer awesomeness.’ (There are so many, after all.): “Don’t let anyone tell you test-piloting isn’t the toughest job we do here at Ferris Aircraft.”
“Least of all the mechanic,” Pie snarks in the background.
Hal pushes his dazzling smile up several notches. “You’ve met my friend, Pie, of course. Pay him no heed.” Better get her distracted before Pie says something she actually does hear. He makes a grab for something on a nearby table.
“Here. You’re an FAA investigator. Investigate this helmet.”
Slightly startled, she starts to take it, then lets him put it over her head. “What does it do?”
She jerks a little as the readout display comes on, but Hal is right there to steady her. Because he’s thoughtful that way.
“Quite the lightshow, isn’t it? It gathers sensory data which helps the ground crew.”
“Yeah,” Pie smirks. “It tells us where he’s gonna crash. This time.”
“Not much for the eject button, Mr. Jordan?” she asks.
“What can I tell you? I like to ride hard and ride long.”
He can almost hear Pie’s eyes rolling in his head at that one. When will the guy ever learn subtlety gets you nowher--?
“Hey lady!” Pie starts. “You wanna hear the real--!?”
And that’s when a bright green muzzle smacks right over his kisser. Hal’s not about to let him finish that sentence.
“Let’s get this off you. You look so much better without it,” Hal moves on, gently taking off the helmet just in time to see a gust of wind send her blonde hair into a perfect wave.
“Are you flirting with me, Mr. Jordan? That’s dangerous territory.”
“Call me courageous,” Hal grins. “How about dinner?”
She’s putting up a fight, of course. But that just makes it more fun. He’s just about got her convinced when--.
“HAL JORDAN!”
Uh-oh.
The investigator’s eyes go wide. “Here comes the boss. I’ll just be over here.”
“WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?!?”
Great. Carol Ferris could even scare FAA investigators. It takes him a moment or two to work out what she’s shouting at him, but when he hears the part about “delivering the X-99 pilot specs to the Pentagon brass,” he feels his stomach sink.
“Oh. That.”
“I had to talk rings around them to keep them calm!” she goes on. Then gives him a point by point report of just how much this has screwed up the project. He's always been impressed by how she’s able to shout like this and never lose her voice. Carol’s always had some serious lungs on her.
Ah, shut up, Jordan. You really messed up here. Admit it.
“It’s been brutal enough to keep track of you these past few months. But these last few weeks...! I demand to know where you were last night!”
Damn. Carol’s the boss. She has a right to ask. And there’s not a thing he can tell her. He always was the world’s worst liar.
“I--. I was busy elsewhere.”
Man, do things go downhill fast from there.
By the time Carol has calmed down even a little from that, the investigator has practically edged backward right off the tarmac. So much for that evening. But an ever-so-slight softening in Carol’s voice snaps his attention back to her.
“Please, Hal. I don’t want to suspend you. Give me something to work with here.”
He tries. He really does try to come up with something. But other people somehow manage to come up with stories. Hal’s never been able to.
"...I can’t.”
Her eyes flare again. “Fine! Whatever’s been taking up so much of your time lately? Enjoy it! You, mister, are GROUNDED!”
Hal manages to catch the expression on the investigator’s face right before she gets in her car and drives off. It sure doesn’t make him feel too heroic.
Damn.
Pie is already there, naturally. He gives Hal an absent-minded wave as he keeps working on the left turbine of the X-99, Carol’s latest experimental baby. Normally inspections drive Hal up the wall, but if this one today will get him a big step closer to being able to take that pretty bird up into the sky, then bring it on.
He turns at the sound of a car driving up to the hanger, and gets his game face on (as if he doesn't always have it on already) and waits for the investigator to step out.
Oh, hey now. Speaking of pretty birds.... He was expecting another old guy in a suit. When did the FAA start hiring people like her?
Five minutes later, Hal is finishing the second of his favorite stories about ‘How Hal Jordan narrowly avoided horrible death through sheer awesomeness.’ (There are so many, after all.): “Don’t let anyone tell you test-piloting isn’t the toughest job we do here at Ferris Aircraft.”
“Least of all the mechanic,” Pie snarks in the background.
Hal pushes his dazzling smile up several notches. “You’ve met my friend, Pie, of course. Pay him no heed.” Better get her distracted before Pie says something she actually does hear. He makes a grab for something on a nearby table.
“Here. You’re an FAA investigator. Investigate this helmet.”
Slightly startled, she starts to take it, then lets him put it over her head. “What does it do?”
She jerks a little as the readout display comes on, but Hal is right there to steady her. Because he’s thoughtful that way.
“Quite the lightshow, isn’t it? It gathers sensory data which helps the ground crew.”
“Yeah,” Pie smirks. “It tells us where he’s gonna crash. This time.”
“Not much for the eject button, Mr. Jordan?” she asks.
“What can I tell you? I like to ride hard and ride long.”
He can almost hear Pie’s eyes rolling in his head at that one. When will the guy ever learn subtlety gets you nowher--?
“Hey lady!” Pie starts. “You wanna hear the real--!?”
And that’s when a bright green muzzle smacks right over his kisser. Hal’s not about to let him finish that sentence.
“Let’s get this off you. You look so much better without it,” Hal moves on, gently taking off the helmet just in time to see a gust of wind send her blonde hair into a perfect wave.
“Are you flirting with me, Mr. Jordan? That’s dangerous territory.”
“Call me courageous,” Hal grins. “How about dinner?”
She’s putting up a fight, of course. But that just makes it more fun. He’s just about got her convinced when--.
“HAL JORDAN!”
Uh-oh.
The investigator’s eyes go wide. “Here comes the boss. I’ll just be over here.”
“WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?!?”
Great. Carol Ferris could even scare FAA investigators. It takes him a moment or two to work out what she’s shouting at him, but when he hears the part about “delivering the X-99 pilot specs to the Pentagon brass,” he feels his stomach sink.
“Oh. That.”
“I had to talk rings around them to keep them calm!” she goes on. Then gives him a point by point report of just how much this has screwed up the project. He's always been impressed by how she’s able to shout like this and never lose her voice. Carol’s always had some serious lungs on her.
Ah, shut up, Jordan. You really messed up here. Admit it.
“It’s been brutal enough to keep track of you these past few months. But these last few weeks...! I demand to know where you were last night!”
Damn. Carol’s the boss. She has a right to ask. And there’s not a thing he can tell her. He always was the world’s worst liar.
“I--. I was busy elsewhere.”
Man, do things go downhill fast from there.
By the time Carol has calmed down even a little from that, the investigator has practically edged backward right off the tarmac. So much for that evening. But an ever-so-slight softening in Carol’s voice snaps his attention back to her.
“Please, Hal. I don’t want to suspend you. Give me something to work with here.”
He tries. He really does try to come up with something. But other people somehow manage to come up with stories. Hal’s never been able to.
"...I can’t.”
Her eyes flare again. “Fine! Whatever’s been taking up so much of your time lately? Enjoy it! You, mister, are GROUNDED!”
Hal manages to catch the expression on the investigator’s face right before she gets in her car and drives off. It sure doesn’t make him feel too heroic.
