落とし穴１５４堀：空へ (Part1)
Pitfall 154: To the Skies
I apologize, I’ve been a bit busy and haven’t been able to write the main story.
So, please bear with this "pitfall" that I’ve been meaning to post but never found the time for!
To the Skies
The sky.
It is a world composed of blue and white.
A vast, unobstructed expanse that continues endlessly, forever.
A world that humans can never truly reach.
Yet, humanity has never abandoned its longing for the sky.
No, they couldn't give it up. Because...
"We were born to fly!! Looking at the vast heavens spread out before us, we cannot help but want to take flight!!"
Yes, because that sky is spread out right before our eyes.
"We can't fly because we don't have wings? Then why not just build them!"
That’s right, if you don’t have them, just make them.
"It’s impossible for a machine to fly? That’s not true; even balloons fly. It wouldn't be strange for a machine to fly!"
Didn't that great inventor once say?
"What is correct today may be wrong in a few years. Conversely, what is wrong today may be correct in a few years."
There is no such thing as an absolute in this world.
By constantly questioning what is called "common sense" and continuing to challenge the world, if you don't give up, you can go anywhere.
And what demonstrated that was...
"Let us follow the world the Wright brothers aimed for! The 34th Birdman Contest is now underway!!"
*Waaaaaaah!!*
Cheers ring out.
Yes, this is a place where people who dream of the sky gather.
To fly with their own wings.
Side: Yuki
"Now, next up is the AOZORA Aviation Team! This is their first time participating! The formation of this AOZORA team is..."
Just like that, the screen cuts to the introduction video of the next team to fly.
"First time participating, huh. That looks tough. What do you think?"
"Hmm, well, it's their first time. Wouldn't flying 50 meters be a good result?"
"..."
Taiki, Taizo, and I were spending a brief moment of our dwindling summer watching the Birdman Contest.
Well, strictly speaking, we had gathered to play games, but when we turned on the TV during a short break, it happened to be airing.
I had negotiated with Luna to secure the rights to have a TV in the inn where I live.
I’ve pushed myself hard enough until now; surely this much is fine.
Well, sometimes my wives get hooked on dramas, but that’s an experience in itself.
"That’s a classic, isn't it? Every year."
"Yeah, it’s an annual tradition. But I end up watching it anyway."
"Exactly. I want to see if they can actually fly."
"It’s romantic, isn't it?"
"..."
While we were talking, the introduction for AOZORA ended, and the flight finally began.
"Alright, AOZORA Aviation Team, takeoff clearance granted!"
"Here we go! 3, 2, 1... 0!"
"They’re off!! The AOZORA Aviation Team has taken off!! Oh!! Right below... no, they held back the fall! And soared up in one go!!"
The glider-type craft from AOZORA dipped immediately after takeoff, and I thought it was going to crash, but they corrected it, pulled the nose up, and danced beautifully into the air.
"They flew! They flew!! A magnificent flight! Now, let’s see how far they can extend their record!"
For a first-time participant, they didn't fall apart right after takeoff and managed to fly safely.
"Oh, they flew."
"They did. But, oh, they’re down."
Still, they were a first-time team after all.
They didn't extend the distance that far and crashed.
However, it seemed to exceed my expectations...
"The record is 82 meters! A magnificent flight!"
Oh, they flew further than I thought.
Well, I’m sure they designed it properly.
It looked a bit ragged, but being tight on budget is the same everywhere.
Life is harsh.
"So, are we watching until the end?"
"Ah, what should we do?"
"..."
This program is surprisingly long, lasting three hours.
If we stick with this, we’ll find it’s bedtime before we know it.
Well, for us adults, it’s still early, but it’s definitely a waste of time.
"...It’s a bit late to mention this, but isn't Taizo-san frozen?"
"...Yeah, now that you mention it, he hasn't reacted for a while."
"..."
Just as Taiki said, for some reason, Taizo-san was staring at the TV without moving an inch.
Since he was positioned closer to the TV than us, I couldn't see his face, but I couldn't imagine he was bored to the point of sleeping.
In fact, it’s impossible for Taizo-san to doze off while watching TV.
After all, he’s the type who is disciplined, turns off the lights, lays out his futon, and sleeps properly.
"Um, Taizo-san?"
I decided to call out to him.
"...Hm? Did you say something?"
Oh, he reacted normally.
"No, we were just talking about whether we should stop watching... but you were watching quite intently."
"Ah, I see. Indeed, I was watching with great focus."
"Are you interested in this kind of thing, Taizo-san?"
"That is true. It is a good thing for people, for the youth, to pool their wisdom and take on a challenge. And since they are designing it with proper calculations, such as aerodynamics, to fly through the sky, there is no way I wouldn't be interested."
Taizo-san’s face was filled with joy as he answered.
He looked like he couldn't contain his excitement.
"The future of Japan is wonderful. Is there such a lovely competition? Designing not for war, but purely for the sake of flying in the sky. It must be fun, surely."
"..."
I see. Taizo-san was active as an engineer in Japan right around the time of World War II.
His main work was likely developing weapons to kill people efficiently.
That’s probably why these people, who are freely designing purely to fly in the sky, look so dazzling to him compared to us.
Seeing Taizo-san like that, a certain idea came to mind.
"In that case, shall we give it a try?"
"Oh, that sounds good. Are we going to build one!"
"Oh!! Wonderful! Let’s build one! That’s right, just being envious is unbecoming of an engineer! Yes, we should just build it ourselves!"
It’s boring just watching.
If so, why not actually do it?
It was just that simple.
"Though, it would be boring if it were just us. Let’s invite some acquaintances, too. We can prepare a lake, and just like on TV, we can compete in teams."
"That sounds good. There are many engineers, after all."
"That’s true. Everyone has been busy with the research on the magic power depletion phenomenon lately. This will be a good change of pace. However, we should set the rules strictly."
"That’s true. Otherwise, someone might make a glider that flies forever using magic power."
"That seems likely."
"Indeed. We must be strict there. First, let’s define it as something that flies purely through aerodynamics without using magic power. The size should be within 15 meters in total length, and like the Birdman Contest, human-powered propulsion like bicycles is allowed."
Like that, we didn't resume the game that day and immediately started making detailed rules. By the time evening approached...
"All that’s left is to recruit participants."
Yes, the rule-making was finished, and all that remained was to gather the participants.
However, that was where the real problem began.