Day 1. November 15th, 2059: Morning

The next morning, Kate and Andrew arrived in the docking bay and boarded the lab's latest Jetstar. As they were settling in before takeoff, Kate said, "I'm going to sleep if I can. My cat must've sensed something was afoot and kept waking me last night. I hope you don't mind."

"Gleason should know better!" Andrew said with a laugh. "It's no problem Kate, I have plenty of work to do. Do you want a wake-up call?"

"No thanks, sleep helps me with the time change. I'll go with whatever it feels right," Kate said with a yawn sitting down in the white leather seat beside Andrew.

"Sure."

"Gleason is usually so good, very atypical." She leaned forward to open the cabinet in front of her and then pulling out a small blanket. "He kept knocking stuff off the dresser. Then jumping and walking on me, and then right back to the dresser again," she said with a compassionate laugh. She took off her shoes and spread out the blanket." Then he must've gotten bored, and only my feet interested him. I am exhausted," she said, reclining the chair.

Andrew listened.

Catching herself going on about her cat, Kate turned towards him. She put her hand on his arm, adding, "I am glad you joined me, Andrew. It means a lot."

"My pleasure, Kate. Should be fun," replied Andrew with honest excitement for the trip.

With that, Kate pulled the cover over her shoulders, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep. The small jet car was comfortable with four passengers, let alone two. A more recent model, it had interactive electronics. Engine noise suppressed through engine and cabin quieters. Andrew smiled, happy for the comfortable seat, quiet ride, and an adventure with Kate.

Breaking free of the morning clouds, a bright light flooded into the cabin of the Jetstar. Andrew, squinting, looked out at the bright blue broadening sky. Soon after takeoff, the cloud bank walled the jet from any view. Now, rising above 3000 feet, he could see Mount Mitchell stand above the clouds. A few other mountains on the blue ridge were tall enough to peek through the mist. The rest buried in a patchwork blanket of all shades of gray. Mount Craig rose to the right of Mount Mitchell at identical height.

While still very bright, the cabin auto-dim restored most of the cabin light level. Distant cumulus drifted thousands of feet higher than Mitchell's 6,682-foot peak. Andrew couldn't keep from squinting at the open sky before him, and the view had a unique sensation on Andrew. It reminded him of sailing on the smooth, open sea with a brisk wind at his back. He stood to take in the beautiful, if not alien landscape.

Craig was, in fact, the 2nd tallest peak east of the Mississippi, 40 feet lower than Mt Mitchell. He compared the two peaks but couldn't tell the difference. Andrew wondered if 'tallest peak' meant as much to mountains as they are to humans. He had risen in the lab's hierarchy, and many complimented him for honest and thoughtful work. Not caring much for professional titles, he was grateful for exciting projects and working with good teams. Gazing out at the mountains above the clouds, Andrew wondered if Craig would be jealous. Or, possibly, he felt admirous like a father whose son grew tall and strong, eclipsing his father's height. With their nearly north-south alignment, neither were in each other's shadow. Without a third party to tell them otherwise, they likely would have no idea a height disparity. Reflecting on their ancient age, 'If I were a mountain, I could be content taking in the world around me.'

Andrew's stomach grumbled with mild hunger as he realized he skipped breakfast. 'If earthquakes were hunger pains, would mountains eat?'. He smiled at the question. He and Ray played a game awarding random points for strange dichotomous questions. Andrew was confident Ray would enjoy this one.

The Jetstar soared higher to avoid upcoming mid-level turbulence, climbing to above 6000 feet. From the dispenser, Andrew selected his favorite protein shake flavors, chocolate with banana. He relaxed in his chair, taking in a deep breath. He thought about how Ray's day was going, the upcoming conference, and the work he had to finish in the afternoon.