Escape To Space Fountain

Mission Summary

On this final Saturnight of Earthmonth July 2022, Bane Thunderwolf hatched a plan to lead the fleet on a tour de fountain of Boston area water features and fountains. We set out early from Fort Antwerp with seven pilots, one crawling maggot, and one very ripe maggot (seriously, I can see his wings pulsing beneath his skin just waiting to burst forth) in tow. Maggot Peach continued to impress, christening his second ship in as many missions: the adorably disproportionate tinytall Princess Hilarity, made from two baby bikes stacked together in typical HARV configuration that together almost matched the size of a standard ship.

Pulling dual duty as navigator, Bane took us over the g-welled Rubicon of I-90 as we weaved our way through heavy Allston transport traffic and down Brighton and Comm Aves en route to our first stop at the fountains on Copley Plaza. While inspecting the radiation pools, Leotard was sternly advised to not drink that water by a concerned bystander. After a very brief shore leave, we were off again to our next destination in the Public Garden.

Near the Swan Pond, we came upon a sad fountain containing a sculpture at its center, which did not appear to be functional, despite a shallow pool of stagnant water surrounding its base. Bane offered bonus points to any pilot willing to lay down in the liquid, and 2 Lucky almost took the bait (he must've forgotten he's still a maggot). Skunk jumped in with his aquatic shoes for a photo op, and then we departed through the Common in search of our next destination.

We passed through the neon glow of the Theater District and tightly packed downtown buildings toward the Greenway, when suddenly Lordmcfuzz called out mechanical from his position in the rear as tailgunner. A dropped propulsion transfer conduit was repaired in no time without the need for any tools, and we arrived at our next stop shortly thereafter: the majestic ring of radiation geysers first encountered almost exactly ten years prior during Operation Poseidon's Pimple. Pilots frolicked in the glorious bursts of warm radiation, with enhanced visual stimulation from an array of pulsing chromatic lights embedded in the terrain and the occasional billow of STEAM, as surrounding civilians danced and reveled to the groove emanating from Syntax Error's life support system.

One short block later we stopped to refuel at a 7-11 before continuing on through the North End and over the locks to an old favorite destination in the North Point Park. After multiple failed attempts by Leotard and Wombat at activating the radiation turrets, they finally powered themselves on -- seemingly with no human intervention -- in dazzling powerful arcs that spanned the entire length of the space. Pilots took turns test flying Princess Hilarity, which turned out to be quite a wheelie machine.

Pressing on through the Cambridge and Somerville Systems toward our final destination, Bane alerted the fleet of the need for strict silent running protocol while making our final approach. As we passed over the Community Path near Davis, Skunk cut the groove on Syntax Error and pilots flawlessly entered stealth mode as we arrived at a peaceful koi pond in front of a converted housing complex. Multiple pilots captured visual records of the encounter, while others reviewed fun facts about the creatures inhabiting the lagoon posted nearby. Having successfully completed all mission objectives, we flew casual through the Davis, Porter, and Harvard Constellations back to base.