Strong enough to carry things where she wanted – which she loved. But also strong enough to act as her personal platform – which was even better!
She was using him as a step ladder even now, literally standing on his shoulders to look over the top of the engine. And he held her up like it was nothing. He was working down below, using a massive wrench – it was shaped a bit differently than she was used to, but it was causing a wrenching motion, so it was awrench – to access part of the left engine. Aside from giving her a little support as she scrambled up his back, he didn't even seem to notice her up there. As a bonus, his hard skin was a pretty sturdy mount to stand on.
“I just having to tightening everything down?” She asked, peeking back at him. He had an earpiece on allowing him to hear her, since the noise of the engine alone would have blocked out her voice, but the envirosuit helmet would have made it hard to hear her even in a quiet room.
“That’s it,” he replied, his voice rumbling in her ear in a way she couldn’t pretend not to like. “All these old bolts are starting to slip and I haven’t been able to replace all of them yet. So, part of my maintenance is just tightening them down whenever they need it.
“Got it!” Haven said happily, reaching for her own not-wrench and climbing up further, into the engine itself, to reach the bolts in question.
“Hey!” Vytln called to her from below. “Don’t just go crawling around everywhere. You could fall and get crushed by something.”
“I’m being careful,” Haven promised, already working on her bolts. They were dangerously loose, causing a lot of slipping and rattling. These were so high up and in a rather tight space that she imagined Vytln hadn’t been able to reach them before.
“Got you.”
The new voice wasn’t unfamiliar to her. She’d heard it before, though she’d never spoken to the owner directly. He sounded so victoriously satisfied though she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hello, Alred,” she greeted, continuing to work.
“I can hear you!” He declared. Not like he was surprised. It almost sounded more like an accusation.
“I betting you can,” she chuckled.
“Alred,” Vytln said onto the channel, annoyed. “What are you doing? We’re trying to work.”
“I can hear her! You understand, I have not been able to hear nor see this creature the entire time she’s been here? Istillcan’t see her! But I finally hear her. I hear you!”
Haven chuckled. “You do. Can’t be hiding from you on a direct comm channel like this.”
“How are you hiding from me at all?!’
“Is being secret.”
“Yes. I know. Making it being un-secret.”
Haven lifted her head, looking out and down at the source of the yellow light that had begun shining from below. The almost vulpine like yellow light figure standing beside Vytln was looking in her direction where he must know she should be, though she knew he couldn’t see her. She hadn’t yet allowed him to see her.
“Are you mocking me?” She asked, lips twitching despite herself.
“I’ll stop if you show yourself and tell me how you’re hiding.”
She smirked. “I’ll telling you my secret if you telling me yours.”
Vytln looked at her, then down at Alred. The light figure flickered before Alred suddenly began speaking to her in English.
“What do you know of my secret?”
She grinned and responded back in English, “I know what you’re trying to build in the subcompartments beneath main storage.”
His light figure flickered.
Haven chuckled. “Relax. I’m not going to tell if you don’t want me to.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“You expected something else?” She turned, getting back to her task.
It took Alred a moment to respond, and when he did, his voice was soft. “Mockery, I suppose.”
