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**Raymond** is a figure of the C9 universe, recorded as avia titanus (33a lineage). He came out of system 33a and high-altitude peaks.
Raymond is recorded for super-heavy lift flight. The record notes hollow-core titanium-density structure. Light enough to fly at that size, strong enough to carry the G-force of 20 people. In metabolic terms, shares akio's 33A trait. He burns massive calories. He requires Akio's cooking to maintain lift. If Akio can't feed him, Ray is grounded. The record notes variable camber. He can hover (VTOL) or sprint (supersonic). Evolved for the unique gravity and wind currents of a doughnut-shaped planet.
The record follows him across 3 periods of life, from year 330 onward. In the last of them he is recorded as troop transport.
Raymond appears in 3 of the 19 chapters written so far, beginning with The Glass House, chapter 9[1].
## Early life
The records give his origin as system 33a / high-altitude peaks. His development is recorded as endling survival. as the last of his kind, his survival instinct is re-routed to protect his "adopted flock" (the house of confidence). Physically, wild. He is hunting alone in the Great Plateau. Likely observing the refugees from a distance, assessing their "Flavor" (33A resonance). What defines him in this period is solitude. The psychological weight of being the last Rimfeostas.
## Akio's partner (330–339)
**Raymond**, called Ray, is a figure of the C9 universe: a colossal white avian of the 33A lineage, almost certainly the last of his kind, and the companion of [[life/akio-nakayama|Akio Nakayama]]. [[life/chryssander-randolf-lyall-helvig|Chryssander]] names him on sight as a Rimfeosta, extremely intelligent, and the original 33A[1].
His standing at this time was akio's partner / rapid response vehicle. Physically, groomed. Feathers are cleaner. Muscle mass increases due to regular high-protein meals provided by Akio. What defines him in this period is Akio. The "Drop Test" was the initiation. Ray realized Akio wouldn't die from the fall, confirming his 33A durability. Now, they are inseparable.
He came from System 33A and the high peaks. He is white from end to end, and large enough to carry twenty people, though the feathers make the size hard to read. He holds eye contact, which is the first thing about him that is not animal.
## Later years (340 onward)
## Before the House
His standing at this time was troop transport / aerial guardian. Physically, scarred but majestic. He bears the marks of aerial dogfights against BNCY drones. He wears custom armor plating forged by Rad Albert. What defines him in this period is he treats Celestine and Sienna like hatchlings, fiercely protective.
The record's account of his early life is solitude. He was the last survivor of the Rimfeostas, and carried the weight of that.
## Abilities
## With the House
The mechanism on record is super-heavy lift flight.
He met the House of Confidence after the fall of the Klak Grove. In *The Glass House*, chapter 9, Akio puts a hand on the enormous head and it presses back with the weight of something that has decided to trust him[1].
Raymond can carry the entire core team (Chrys, Marcus, Sam, etc.) simultaneously. The record notes sonic Screech / Gust Generation. He is using wings to create hurricane-force winds on the ground. The effect answers to kinetic link. He flies better when Akio is riding. The "33A Resonance" might actually share energy between them (Akio feeds Ray; Ray carries Akio). The drain is immediate: flying with 20 people burns thousands of calories per minute. After a mission, Ray is flightless and lethargic until he is fed. If Akio dies or can't cook, Ray is grounded.
The initiation between them was a drop. Ray worked out from it that Akio would survive the fall, which confirmed the 33A durability, and after that they were not separable[1]. He carried the House where it needed to go and answered when it called: in the last chapters his courier is the one bringing the corrected map, and Akio relays his timings[2].
### Novice
He was fiercely protective of the Helvig twins and treated them as hatchlings.
The record notes just a bird. He can carry one person. Skittish.
## Death
### Mastery
Raymond died on the highest point of the Great Plateau, where he had spent the last months of his life. He was on his side, his enormous white wings half-spread across the basalt, still wearing the armour [[life/rad-albert|Rad Albert]] had forged, buckled across his chest. His eyes were open, turned toward the direction of the 33A system, and he had not looked away.
He is understanding combat maneuvers. He is diving to catch a falling sniper (Sam), banking to block a shot for Marcus.
Akio found him, put a hand against the thick down of his neck, and kept it there until the warmth was gone[3].
### Decline/Shift
## Flight
Too old to fly combat missions. He becomes the "Watchtower" of the base, perching on the highest point to scream warnings.
Ray processes wind shear, thermal current and trajectory continuously, and his structural mass is enough to make him a lifting platform rather than merely a flier. What he is built for is carrying.
## Character
His perception runs high and aerodynamic. Processes wind shear, thermal currents, and trajectory at micro-second intervals. Ray is not just an animal. He understands technique. He corrected Akio's aerial form, meaning he understands the physics of flight better than the humans do. He filters out fear and focuses on posture. The record notes pack intelligence. He understands complex commands and formation flying without verbal instruction.
Early in life he held to a lie about hisself: "The sky belongs to me because I am alone.". Later he came to hold the opposite: "The sky is lonely. The ground (with Akio) is where the heart is." His primary way of saying "I trust you." Placing a beak capable of crushing a tank gently against Akio's chest.
## Appearances
What he held early was that the sky belonged to him because he was alone in it. What he came to was the opposite: the sky is lonely, and the ground is where the heart is.
Raymond is present in 3 of the 19 chapters written so far.
## See also
- [[pages/glass-house-chapter-9-raymond|The Glass House, chapter 9]][1]
- [[pages/glass-house-chapter-17-the-explosion|The Glass House, chapter 17]][2]
- [[pages/book-two-book-two-chapter-one|The Silent Decade, chapter 1]] — He means: there were things he did in Year 340 that the boy who buried Ray would not have been able to do and remain himself.[3]
- [[life/akio-nakayama|Akio Nakayama]]
- [[works/strain-33a|Strain 33A]]
## References
1. [[pages/glass-house-chapter-9-raymond|The Glass House, chapter 9]]
2. [[pages/glass-house-chapter-17-the-explosion|The Glass House, chapter 17]]
3. [[pages/book-two-book-two-chapter-one|The Silent Decade, chapter 1]]