Reno shook his head, pulling himself back into the present. There was a part of him that was glad his father had never returned home; had seen the waterlogged, little bump in the ocean it had become. But Reno shook his head slightly. No, that wasn't quite right. His father would have been sad, but proud, too. To see all the work he was never able to complete, but realized by those that followed. To have the chance to visit the elegant, floating city below Reno's vantage, hidden from view by the clouds.

Reno wanted to see those forests again, beyond his own memories.

It was a long time before Reno turned his back on the view and returned to the bustle of the research base. Lila had been busy, he could see. A stage of sorts had been erected, and there were massive, sturdy-looking containers placed atop it. They reminded Reno of those old, cargo-trawling ships, and the steel vessels they used to haul goods.

The atmosphere of the place had changed. No longer was it the frantic energy of production, of clinical assignments and preparation. Now, the air was filled with a much more organic sense of excitement. The floodgates had been opened, and now journalists and reporters, photographers and the rest milled about the ares, took seats that had been arranged around the platform.

Reno allowed himself to be absorbed back into the chaos. He looked around, gratified by it all. It was hard to pinpoint, but he could see it in the easy smiles of the scientists as they were interviewed, the almost-reverent awe of the audience as they looked around at the clear blue sky, just as Reno had. It was a promise for the future.

He was startled, surprised by a tap on the shoulder. He turned to see Lila, bouncing with excitement.

"Nice job," he said. "It's all coming together."

She snorted. "Yeah - you're welcome." Her tone dropped an octave, and she nodded towards the tents. "One more look, before we start? Just for good luck."

Reno nodded. "It couldn't hurt." He wasn't a superstitious person, but there was something ceremonial about the idea that appealed to him. Together, they made their way through the crowd, before ducking into one of the buildings.

In preparation for the event, the team had erected temporary structures on the peak of Mauna Kea - the observatory had long been torn down as a gesture of goodwill to one of the island's last few places of beauty. Reno found himself huddled next to Lila in one such structure, shuffling down a cramped hallway to the space's central room.

"These are just the few we left behind." Lila said.

"I told you we'd be over capacity! You didn't believe me."

"Oh, relax. We can hand em' out like souvenirs after this is all over. People will love that."

Reno was about to respond, but his train of thought faltered as they stepped through the doorway. Suddenly, seeing the fruits of their labor arranged so carefully, the implications hit home - what they had accomplished, what they were about to do.

Reno reached down, and plucked a little, dark moth off the laboratory table.

It wasn't organic, of course. The figure's body was formed by miniscule, fitted plates of metal. Attached to the frame were thin slivers of rods and hinges, designed to emulate the natural shape of limbs and joints. But the crowning feature of the little moths were the wings; beautiful, delicate plates, far more intricate than anything else. Their liquid-black color seemed to absorb the light, rather than reflect it. They were like two little shards of black glass, wafer-thin and perfect.

Reno held it up so Lila could see, and the both leaned in close.

"They really are beautiful." She spoke in a low murmur.

"Yes."

"It's going to be amazing." Lila looked at him, holding his gaze.

Reno nodded solemnly. "You're right. It will."

She mock-groaned, nudging him. "Don't hide your enthusiasm on my account." Reno rolled his eyes, but he could feel the tightness in his shoulders easing a little. Lila was right. They had done everything they could.

"Let's go," she said. "They're almost ready." Reno nodded. He slipped the moth into his pocket before turning away.