“What’s going on?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Got that part.”
“So my family?—”
“Hey, Miles! You’re up!” a guy calls from the far table.
“Thanks, Jordan.” He glances back at me. “It’s my turn to take off.”
“You have scheduled takeoff times?”
“Yeah. When it’s busy. No one wants a midair collision.”
“So… basically a real airport.”
“It kind of is.”
I glance around again, taking in the controlled chaos overhead. “This is way more intense than I expected.”
He grins, a spark of excitement replacing the earlier tension. “Wait. I’ll show you the cool part. Put these on.”
He hands me a massive pair of goggles. I frown as I turn them over in my hands, inspecting the bulky frame, the lens inside, the tiny antennas sticking out of the top, and the elastic strap that makes the whole thing look like it belongs in a sci-fi movie.
“What are these?”
“FPV goggles.”
“FPV?”
“First-person view. There’s a camera on my drone, so you’ll see exactly what it sees. Do you get motion sickness?”
“Generally, no.”
“If you start to feel nauseous, sit down.” He gestures toward a folding chair nearby.
I nod and slide the goggles over my eyes, shifting them until they sit comfortably.
His fingers brush mine. “Sorry. Let me adjust the strap.” He tightens it slightly. “How’s that?”
“Good.”
The screen flickers to life, and suddenly the entire field fills my vision. A second later, the drone lifts off with a soft whir.
“Oh my god,” I breathe. “This is incredible.”
“Just wait.”
“I can see us.” I wave instinctively and let out a small laugh.
The view dips and glides, swooping past a wall of trees.
I flinch as we narrowly miss a branch. My hand automatically finds his bicep, needing a grounding point. “This is like a roller coaster.”
“Except we’re not moving.”
“It’s amazing how things can fly. Drones. Airplanes. Those are so big and heavy.”
