They break out of the clouds quite suddenly, racing out into the clear pre-dawn sky. The Wall is coming up below them, a massive bulwark hundreds of feet high and mounted with massive rail guns.
But that's not going to be the first thing Steve notices. For all the scale of the Wall, it's dwarfed by the immensity of the silver-white sphere hanging just above the city. It shines faintly even now, save for the underside where the smooth metal turns dark, blackened and torn. The tallest skyscrapers huddle close under it, still alight at this hour and utterly miniscule beneath the scarred god-machine. The rest of the City sprawls out from around them, glittering urban districts giving way to green pastures and woods.
Blaze could almost sigh. She doesn't know if she's grown more sensitive to it, but the difference between the darkness out there and the light of the Traveler's presence seems tangible. Even the Nexus is a respite from the oppressive shadow that lingers over their system, but this is more than relief. It's comfort, rejuvenation. Welcome home.
"And there's the Traveler," she says, for Steve's benefit. Ghost glances up from communicating with the traffic control crews to check their friend's reaction. As a personal creation of the immense being ahead, he's... a little invested. Blaze is focused on guiding them in and about to their destination - no matter the hour, the City skies are criss-crossed with the paths of civilian aircraft and Guardian jumpships alike.
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But that's not going to be the first thing Steve notices. For all the scale of the Wall, it's dwarfed by the immensity of the silver-white sphere hanging just above the city. It shines faintly even now, save for the underside where the smooth metal turns dark, blackened and torn. The tallest skyscrapers huddle close under it, still alight at this hour and utterly miniscule beneath the scarred god-machine. The rest of the City sprawls out from around them, glittering urban districts giving way to green pastures and woods.
Blaze could almost sigh. She doesn't know if she's grown more sensitive to it, but the difference between the darkness out there and the light of the Traveler's presence seems tangible. Even the Nexus is a respite from the oppressive shadow that lingers over their system, but this is more than relief. It's comfort, rejuvenation. Welcome home.
"And there's the Traveler," she says, for Steve's benefit. Ghost glances up from communicating with the traffic control crews to check their friend's reaction. As a personal creation of the immense being ahead, he's... a little invested. Blaze is focused on guiding them in and about to their destination - no matter the hour, the City skies are criss-crossed with the paths of civilian aircraft and Guardian jumpships alike.