Was Cherish lamenting being unable to travel to Oshkosh for the biggest air showin the nation?....Absolutely. Completely.

But such were finances.Her bosses had ciomne up with diversifyingm, but sadly that meant her engine research abd cioncepts were sold off to Rolls TRoyce to finance some projects. Positively it was a fat bopnus check. Negatively?

Damnit, negatively Cherish was back at square one. She rubbed her temple. At least on one hand,amighty group like Rolls-Royce liked her work. On the other,shewasn't on the space team,she wasstuck fdesigning a plane with others using a Rolls-Royce engine. Specifically rousing ideas for safety and flight. Therein lie the turtlke s**t.

On one hand, she could use Boeing's route and favor the pilot. On the other hand, she could pull and Airbus and foxus ona fly-by-wure. And it had to be aeronautically stable, or she'suse a flying wing.

And this was the moment that theboys cvame home with homework, Eric wandering to do hisasCyruswhined about science class, Eos entering looking incredibly serious as he looked for the laptop. Cherish turned.

"IO heard Science cries. Do I need Dad to come pick you upo for homework and pizza for the swap?"Cherish asked. Eric peered in.

"Eos and Cyrus got an assignment to make aninvwntion they think will happen in the fuyture. Or a form of transportation." Eric said. "I got math."

"IOh sweet gods, Cyruis, do not--" Cherishkjnew what this meant.

"Our teacher said I can't let Eosdo it! I have to make my own! So... I'm makin' myself a space ship." A nod, firmly. "That lands on planets! NBot orbitsonly!" And he wasoffer,stubboirnly. Chjerish groaned, but Eos was walking up to Cherish seriously and looked up.

"I wanna make a plane." Eos said simply. Cherish blinked.

"Cyrus I'm calling Dad for you tonight for help." Cherish caLLed. Cyrus wghinedpuiitiously, but Eosstared at his sister asshe placed the call. As soon as she hung upo, she blinked. Eos was still staring.

"Yeswhat?"Cherish asked. Eosinhaled.

"Iwant a polane that fliesand lookscooland can do abarrel roll but canalso carry passengers and lookcool and lets me have a drone for presentation." Eospouted.

"Oh my word, you want to engineer a tiny prototype." Cherish exclaimed. Eos nodded.

That was it. He'd never seen his sister look giddier in his entire short life and now Cherish spun.

"Alright, first, your plane can't do tricksifit's for passengers, it has to be aeronautically stable. That means it needs to be less loose in the air somore people canhandle it. So fighter bodies are out." Cherish explained. "But you can pick the blended wing or traditional tube and wiung design--"

"707." Eos interrupted shyly. "I saw it on Youtube. The 707 did barrel rolls to sell it. And I want my plane to do that and be stable and safe." Eos fidgeted. "But what's a blended wing?"

"It means the fuselage ispart of the wing, not a tube with wings and a tail bolted on." Cherish explained. Eos tilted his head.

"Blended wiung. Can the wings go swoop like the B-2?" Eos asked. Cherish mmotioned.

"A bit with the blended wing. Why?"Cherish tilted her head. Eos... Had anidea? Eos did. He motioned.

"Go fast. Not speed of sound but go fast. Really fast. Iwant fast and fuel efficient at more heights and maybe not jet fuel but I'm re-a-klis-0tic." Eosshrugged, poulling a paper from his pack, holding it upo. Aplane was drawn on it crudely, Eos blinking. It was.... Cherish blinked.

A fewtimes, actually. Grabbed the drawing. It was fantasy, to Eos. A droop nose likeConcordee, am F0-14's Variable wing, but the body blended wing enough to streamline,even prop[er stablizing and rudders. Cherish blinked. This copuld....

"I need to borrow this." Cherish said, rushing to scan it. Eos blinked, head tilting.

"Why?"

"Because you inspired the big boss to diversify band we're working on anaircraft design and this nmight have potential. Depending oncommercialsize,interior..." Cherish mumbled. Eos blinked.

"Make sure the baggage door is a plug door.So it doesn't make lijke the DC-10."Eos blinked. "Did I do bad?"

"No." Chjerish was writing now. "Actually you mifht've helped inspitre my team. If we can build this right it might stuill hit supersonic, but that might make it acompetitive cargo AND passenger jet. That wopuldinterest the air force and well. That is a contract." A pause. "And one of my coworkers might knowif we can buildadrone in time for your schoolprohject."

"I have the Science fair in like, a month." Eosnoted. Cherish blinked, looking at him.

"OK, a month? We cabndo a drone for the Science Fair. Can adults help?"

"Uhym..... I guiess. Butwhat if your company starts research?" Eos asked. Cherish pointed.

"Researchisour job.The FAA wiullhave vested interest if we cangetthe researchdoneproperly but that might not be as hard as anentirely newsystem. Hmmmm...."

"Can we make it autoland like the TriStar?!"Eoslit up. Cherish eyed her little brother a momenbt, b linking.

"Autoiland. What is the computer bit fliups like that nosediving Quantas plane?" Cherishwas testing him. Eos blinked.

"Pilot override. Fly by wire but let pilots takeover asneeded like a Boeing., Maybe...Compensate for downparts amachine can't? I don't..." Eos panicked.Cherish nodded.

"No, no,m no, that's perfect. That helps. Training... Alsogood. If we design it to be pilot-friendly as well as... Yes.... Yes...."Cherish rubbed her chin, Eos frowning.

"Are westill talking about my assignment?" Eos asked nervously. Cherish paused.

"Oh." cherishcoughed,m looking to him. "I hate to say iut but... If my t4eeam ahrees thedrone will bemore proof of concept and a prototype might follow. If we cankeep it under buidget, then Ican certainly see my boss getting simulations and such in six months. There might be... Several prototypes."Cherish paused. "But when the pplane isapproved they'll lijkely let you sit on the maiden flight."Cherish motioned. Eos blinked, eyes wide.

"I made the plane of tomorrow?" Eos asked. Cherish noddced, and Eos whooped, jumpoing around before running to get his notebook. Cherish sighed.

"Oh, right.... You have to get help explaining how the plane worjks... Alright." And Cherish roise, walking to corral her little brother, silently debating.

Should Liumosa sneajk in to the Air-Sopace museum to study Tomcats now...?

Nosheprobably would.

Definitely.

...She wasdeadif Eosknew senshi could sneak into these places,she realized, following Eos.