A Gentle Hop into History
Ever since Orion was a child, the dream of flight had captivated him. He’d studied every inch of aerospace, from primitive gliders to sleek spaceplanes, finally becoming a test pilot in his own right. But deep in his heart, he yearned to see the exact moment humans first left the ground on powered wings.
Clutching his $TIME watch, Orion closed his eyes and let the temporal jump carry him backward through history. When he opened them again, he stood on a flat, windswept field in 1903. Dawn light bathed the sand dunes in pale gold.
No one noticed him; he kept to the sidelines, silent and still. Across the field, two brothers fussed over a curious contraption of wood, wire, and fabric. Their quiet words were lost on the breeze, but Orion sensed their mixture of nerves and hope. Despite the century of aeronautical advancements he knew, this fragile flyer felt like a miracle in the making.
He watched one brother lie prone on the flyer’s engine frame while the other spun the propellers. A sputter, then a roar of the primitive motor. The delicate structure lurched forward along the makeshift rail track, kicking up a spray of sand. Orion held his breath. For a suspended moment, it seemed the craft would never lift. Then—suddenly—it soared a few feet into the air.
A rush of wonder tingled across Orion’s skin. In that modest, wobbly flight, he witnessed the birth of an era that would one day carry people across continents, into space, and beyond. He clenched his fists to stifle a cheer. The flight lasted just seconds, but it was enough: human ingenuity had taken wing.
When the flyer touched down, the pilot inside it wore a stunned grin, mirrored by the triumphant cry of his brother. Orion whispered a silent thanks for what he had seen, then tapped his watch. In the blink of an eye, the dunes and morning sun vanished, replaced by the hum of his modern airfield.
Though Orion had seen journeys across galaxies and soared at Mach speeds, this gentle hop in the dunes outshone them all. It reminded him that every grand endeavor begins with a single, humble step—or in this case, a brief, glorious glide into history.
Micro stories are a content feature offered by $TIME's dev Woj. Handwritten and accompanied by art, they serve to deepen the story world we're creating here. Enjoy!
