DT 2022: Stage Moment

Roxanne shrugged off a hint of ghostly vertigo as she leaned on a railing above a steep incline of stadium seating. It was an old feeling, from before she became a Spartan supersoldier but childhood feelings fade slowly. Memories of looking down vertical mountain cliffs far above normal cloud cover and fog hiding away distant depths below – shivers trembled up her back and prickled her neck with goosebumps.
The memory of fog faded with a practiced, extra-loud exhale, replaced by hundreds of rowed seats swept out beneath her towards a large performance platform at the center of the open-air arena. Compared to her mountain birthplace, this steppe was disappointing. Holographic rainbow lights glowed above and within like herds of sunlit jellyfish. The crowds gaggling at the lowest third of the bleachers. The onlookers worked their way slowly to their seats, offering a distant chortle and laughter indistinguishable from the wind. Roxanne only read their faces from this distance. Children, teenagers, and young adults – carefree, excited, and happy.
Seeming uncaring to the world outside the partial-dome that enveloped them at daybreak with the South American sunset out of sight. Only a lucky moon hovered above in the orange-gold sky. More hologram light trickery turned Luna into a spotted circle seeming to struggle with a chronic case of not-knowing-its-favorite-color and exploring the wild spectra of ROY G BIV.
“Enjoying the view?”
Roxanne glanced back and spotted her commanding officer – Dad – no, Major Kyser Duceppe, but Dad worked too. The graying-cool-dad-looking Army major came to stand by his Spartan subordinate, glancing between the stage far below and the blonde-youth considered his charge.
The Spartan offered her usual quirky smile, “It’s okay.”
“Ever been in a stadium like this?”
“The UNSC Infinity’s memorial garden has a raised, ring mall around it that compares a little bit to these heights.”
“I’ve seen photos, never been there myself.” Duceppe noted with a side glance, offering a paper tray with burgers and fries. “Also got food, you want?”
Roxanne shook her head and waved away the offered meal. “Not hungry, just bored.”
“Why not chat up your teammates then? Show starts in ten minutes. You got five more of downtime then you gotta make it backstage.” Duceppe picked at some of the fries with a hint of dejection.
“They’re around. Andra and Merlin probably want some alone time anyway. Daniele’s taking over the security detail as usual. Or trying to.”
Duceppe offered a slight laugh through munching fries at the Boson team lead’s expense. “Well, I can’t fault him. Spartans are known to take over operations without proper rank. I don’t speak as an expert, but knowing you all – I would say a sense of self-importance was bred into you.”
Roxanne’s eyes matched the ease of her commanding officer even as she offered a little twitch. “Daniele knows what he is doing. Too bad no one wants to listen to a kid.”
“Wisdom can come in all forms, but no one is guaranteed a fair audience. It’s like respect, earned through trust and exposure. Daniele is quite intimidating behind his helmet visor, but he’s just a boy when you take him out of armor.”
“Remind me why we can’t wear armor everywhere, Dad?”
Duceppe shot Roxanne a side look, hearing her nickname for him aloud. He elbowed her but even with serious effort, her enhanced muscles and body mass didn’t budge or register the hit. Duceppe gave a sheepish grin, rubbing his elbow and continuing, “Atlántida requires a different touch. There’s no aliens here – hopefully.”
“For that chance there are, and why we’re here. Wouldn’t it be good for all of…”