#shamanspace — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #shamanspace, aggregated by home.social.
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CW: MH, PTSD, combat
Four months and three weeks after leaving "Mother of All", still at Hiiliteräs High Port.
Seeker was resting in the cabin she shared with Dyani. The counselling had stretched out to two weeks, but the doctor had given her a provisional all-clear, provided she kept up with the mental exercises she had been prescribed. And took the medications if she needed them.
There was a knock on the door. She got up, and opened it. The engineer, Sparks was there.
"You've been avoiding me" the older woman stated, "even though the Captain would have told you to talk to me."
"I thought it was not my place to intrude."
"Can I come in?"
Flustered, Seeker stepped aside "Sorry, yes, of course."
Sparks grabbed the desk chair, and sat, gesturing at the door.
Seeker closed it, and then perched on her bunk.Sparks looked at her for a few moments "The counselling has helped, I can see that. But I think you need something more. Scan me. Now."
Seeker started at the sudden unexpected order, and tried to pick up the engineer's mind, only to find - nothing.
"Sparks, you're, your mind, it..." She stuttered.
"Good. It works then," and she pointed to a barely visible comb in her hair, "Now. You've been avoiding me. Why?"
"Your past is your own. The Captain..."
"Seeker, I have known the Captain since we were children. We were separated for about fifteen years, but we're together again now. She would not have offered without me knowing."
"Oh" came the reply in a small voice.
"Now. Here is what you should have asked me about. Much like yours, our home planet is a single polity. Unlike yours it is a democracy - we elect our leaders. About four years after the Captain left on her first voyage as a trader there was a military takeover of the government."
Seeker was staring now.
"They cracked down on any opposition, killing anyone who objected to them. Or that they thought were objecting. For two years they held power, but then we struck back. And we struck hard. The response was brutal. I was working as a grav mechanic, when I saw a family being shot at by a squad of troops. One shot hit a four year old little boy. So I took the grav module I'd been fixing, and drove it into that squad at mach three. Then I picked up their guns, and went hunting."
Sparks looked at the ceiling. "Then I went hunting. When I could not find any more soldiers, I went hunting a bottle. We won. We are a democracy again. And the little boy lived. But. I. Was. Broken."
"What happened then?"
"Annabelle found me. Took me aboard, and showed me how to live again. When she purchased this ship, she named it after me."
After a few minutes Seeker asked "Why? Why tell me?"
"I was never a killer, but I had to become one. To save lives. You are not alone. You can still be a good person, still be worth knowing. Maybe even more so."
"She loves you, doesn't she?"
"And I still don't know why," Sparks replied with a lopsided smile.#SF #SFF #Microfiction #Microfic #tootfic #ShamanSpace #IAmWriting
-
CW: MH, PTSD, combat
Four months and three weeks after leaving "Mother of All", still at Hiiliteräs High Port.
Seeker was resting in the cabin she shared with Dyani. The counselling had stretched out to two weeks, but the doctor had given her a provisional all-clear, provided she kept up with the mental exercises she had been prescribed. And took the medications if she needed them.
There was a knock on the door. She got up, and opened it. The engineer, Sparks was there.
"You've been avoiding me" the older woman stated, "even though the Captain would have told you to talk to me."
"I thought it was not my place to intrude."
"Can I come in?"
Flustered, Seeker stepped aside "Sorry, yes, of course."
Sparks grabbed the desk chair, and sat, gesturing at the door.
Seeker closed it, and then perched on her bunk.Sparks looked at her for a few moments "The counselling has helped, I can see that. But I think you need something more. Scan me. Now."
Seeker started at the sudden unexpected order, and tried to pick up the engineer's mind, only to find - nothing.
"Sparks, you're, your mind, it..." She stuttered.
"Good. It works then," and she pointed to a barely visible comb in her hair, "Now. You've been avoiding me. Why?"
"Your past is your own. The Captain..."
"Seeker, I have known the Captain since we were children. We were separated for about fifteen years, but we're together again now. She would not have offered without me knowing."
"Oh" came the reply in a small voice.
"Now. Here is what you should have asked me about. Much like yours, our home planet is a single polity. Unlike yours it is a democracy - we elect our leaders. About four years after the Captain left on her first voyage as a trader there was a military takeover of the government."
Seeker was staring now.
"They cracked down on any opposition, killing anyone who objected to them. Or that they thought were objecting. For two years they held power, but then we struck back. And we struck hard. The response was brutal. I was working as a grav mechanic, when I saw a family being shot at by a squad of troops. One shot hit a four year old little boy. So I took the grav module I'd been fixing, and drove it into that squad at mach three. Then I picked up their guns, and went hunting."
Sparks looked at the ceiling. "Then I went hunting. When I could not find any more soldiers, I went hunting a bottle. We won. We are a democracy again. And the little boy lived. But. I. Was. Broken."
"What happened then?"
"Annabelle found me. Took me aboard, and showed me how to live again. When she purchased this ship, she named it after me."
After a few minutes Seeker asked "Why? Why tell me?"
"I was never a killer, but I had to become one. To save lives. You are not alone. You can still be a good person, still be worth knowing. Maybe even more so."
"She loves you, doesn't she?"
"And I still don't know why," Sparks replied with a lopsided smile.#SF #SFF #Microfiction #Microfic #tootfic #ShamanSpace #IAmWriting
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CW: MH, PTSD, combat
Four months and three weeks after leaving "Mother of All", still at Hiiliteräs High Port.
Seeker was resting in the cabin she shared with Dyani. The counselling had stretched out to two weeks, but the doctor had given her a provisional all-clear, provided she kept up with the mental exercises she had been prescribed. And took the medications if she needed them.
There was a knock on the door. She got up, and opened it. The engineer, Sparks was there.
"You've been avoiding me" the older woman stated, "even though the Captain would have told you to talk to me."
"I thought it was not my place to intrude."
"Can I come in?"
Flustered, Seeker stepped aside "Sorry, yes, of course."
Sparks grabbed the desk chair, and sat, gesturing at the door.
Seeker closed it, and then perched on her bunk.Sparks looked at her for a few moments "The counselling has helped, I can see that. But I think you need something more. Scan me. Now."
Seeker started at the sudden unexpected order, and tried to pick up the engineer's mind, only to find - nothing.
"Sparks, you're, your mind, it..." She stuttered.
"Good. It works then," and she pointed to a barely visible comb in her hair, "Now. You've been avoiding me. Why?"
"Your past is your own. The Captain..."
"Seeker, I have known the Captain since we were children. We were separated for about fifteen years, but we're together again now. She would not have offered without me knowing."
"Oh" came the reply in a small voice.
"Now. Here is what you should have asked me about. Much like yours, our home planet is a single polity. Unlike yours it is a democracy - we elect our leaders. About four years after the Captain left on her first voyage as a trader there was a military takeover of the government."
Seeker was staring now.
"They cracked down on any opposition, killing anyone who objected to them. Or that they thought were objecting. For two years they held power, but then we struck back. And we struck hard. The response was brutal. I was working as a grav mechanic, when I saw a family being shot at by a squad of troops. One shot hit a four year old little boy. So I took the grav module I'd been fixing, and drove it into that squad at mach three. Then I picked up their guns, and went hunting."
Sparks looked at the ceiling. "Then I went hunting. When I could not find any more soldiers, I went hunting a bottle. We won. We are a democracy again. And the little boy lived. But. I. Was. Broken."
"What happened then?"
"Annabelle found me. Took me aboard, and showed me how to live again. When she purchased this ship, she named it after me."
After a few minutes Seeker asked "Why? Why tell me?"
"I was never a killer, but I had to become one. To save lives. You are not alone. You can still be a good person, still be worth knowing. Maybe even more so."
"She loves you, doesn't she?"
"And I still don't know why," Sparks replied with a lopsided smile.#SF #SFF #Microfiction #Microfic #tootfic #ShamanSpace #IAmWriting
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CW: MH, PTSD, combat
Four months and three weeks after leaving "Mother of All", still at Hiiliteräs High Port.
Seeker was resting in the cabin she shared with Dyani. The counselling had stretched out to two weeks, but the doctor had given her a provisional all-clear, provided she kept up with the mental exercises she had been prescribed. And took the medications if she needed them.
There was a knock on the door. She got up, and opened it. The engineer, Sparks was there.
"You've been avoiding me" the older woman stated, "even though the Captain would have told you to talk to me."
"I thought it was not my place to intrude."
"Can I come in?"
Flustered, Seeker stepped aside "Sorry, yes, of course."
Sparks grabbed the desk chair, and sat, gesturing at the door.
Seeker closed it, and then perched on her bunk.Sparks looked at her for a few moments "The counselling has helped, I can see that. But I think you need something more. Scan me. Now."
Seeker started at the sudden unexpected order, and tried to pick up the engineer's mind, only to find - nothing.
"Sparks, you're, your mind, it..." She stuttered.
"Good. It works then," and she pointed to a barely visible comb in her hair, "Now. You've been avoiding me. Why?"
"Your past is your own. The Captain..."
"Seeker, I have known the Captain since we were children. We were separated for about fifteen years, but we're together again now. She would not have offered without me knowing."
"Oh" came the reply in a small voice.
"Now. Here is what you should have asked me about. Much like yours, our home planet is a single polity. Unlike yours it is a democracy - we elect our leaders. About four years after the Captain left on her first voyage as a trader there was a military takeover of the government."
Seeker was staring now.
"They cracked down on any opposition, killing anyone who objected to them. Or that they thought were objecting. For two years they held power, but then we struck back. And we struck hard. The response was brutal. I was working as a grav mechanic, when I saw a family being shot at by a squad of troops. One shot hit a four year old little boy. So I took the grav module I'd been fixing, and drove it into that squad at mach three. Then I picked up their guns, and went hunting."
Sparks looked at the ceiling. "Then I went hunting. When I could not find any more soldiers, I went hunting a bottle. We won. We are a democracy again. And the little boy lived. But. I. Was. Broken."
"What happened then?"
"Annabelle found me. Took me aboard, and showed me how to live again. When she purchased this ship, she named it after me."
After a few minutes Seeker asked "Why? Why tell me?"
"I was never a killer, but I had to become one. To save lives. You are not alone. You can still be a good person, still be worth knowing. Maybe even more so."
"She loves you, doesn't she?"
"And I still don't know why," Sparks replied with a lopsided smile.#SF #SFF #Microfiction #Microfic #tootfic #ShamanSpace #IAmWriting
-
CW: MH, PTSD, combat
Four months and three weeks after leaving "Mother of All", still at Hiiliteräs High Port.
Seeker was resting in the cabin she shared with Dyani. The counselling had stretched out to two weeks, but the doctor had given her a provisional all-clear, provided she kept up with the mental exercises she had been prescribed. And took the medications if she needed them.
There was a knock on the door. She got up, and opened it. The engineer, Sparks was there.
"You've been avoiding me" the older woman stated, "even though the Captain would have told you to talk to me."
"I thought it was not my place to intrude."
"Can I come in?"
Flustered, Seeker stepped aside "Sorry, yes, of course."
Sparks grabbed the desk chair, and sat, gesturing at the door.
Seeker closed it, and then perched on her bunk.Sparks looked at her for a few moments "The counselling has helped, I can see that. But I think you need something more. Scan me. Now."
Seeker started at the sudden unexpected order, and tried to pick up the engineer's mind, only to find - nothing.
"Sparks, you're, your mind, it..." She stuttered.
"Good. It works then," and she pointed to a barely visible comb in her hair, "Now. You've been avoiding me. Why?"
"Your past is your own. The Captain..."
"Seeker, I have known the Captain since we were children. We were separated for about fifteen years, but we're together again now. She would not have offered without me knowing."
"Oh" came the reply in a small voice.
"Now. Here is what you should have asked me about. Much like yours, our home planet is a single polity. Unlike yours it is a democracy - we elect our leaders. About four years after the Captain left on her first voyage as a trader there was a military takeover of the government."
Seeker was staring now.
"They cracked down on any opposition, killing anyone who objected to them. Or that they thought were objecting. For two years they held power, but then we struck back. And we struck hard. The response was brutal. I was working as a grav mechanic, when I saw a family being shot at by a squad of troops. One shot hit a four year old little boy. So I took the grav module I'd been fixing, and drove it into that squad at mach three. Then I picked up their guns, and went hunting."
Sparks looked at the ceiling. "Then I went hunting. When I could not find any more soldiers, I went hunting a bottle. We won. We are a democracy again. And the little boy lived. But. I. Was. Broken."
"What happened then?"
"Annabelle found me. Took me aboard, and showed me how to live again. When she purchased this ship, she named it after me."
After a few minutes Seeker asked "Why? Why tell me?"
"I was never a killer, but I had to become one. To save lives. You are not alone. You can still be a good person, still be worth knowing. Maybe even more so."
"She loves you, doesn't she?"
"And I still don't know why," Sparks replied with a lopsided smile.#SF #SFF #Microfiction #Microfic #tootfic #ShamanSpace #IAmWriting
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CW: MH, substance abuse, PTSD, consent orders, swearing
Twenty two years ago, planet Qnzick.
Sparks felt her head pounding. That meant she was getting sober. That meant that she would remember. She must not remember.
A hand grabbed her head, she tried to struggle, but her arms were not working right. Maybe she was still drunk. Drunk was good.
"You stink Athena" came a voice.
Sparks groaned in response. She was trying to say that her name wasn't Athena. She'd lost the right to that name. Lost the right when - she blacked out again.Annabelle looked down at her old friend. She'd heard the stories - the unstoppable mechanic who had torn through dozens of squads of the dictator's troops. And then, once the revolution was over, she'd vanished.
It had taken her six months to find Athena. And what she found was a mess.
She rolled the unconscious woman onto a cargo gurney, and took her back to the shuttle, guiding the little grav sled up the cargo ramp.
"Doc?" she called.
An older man looked up. "You found her, then?"
"Yep, but she's pretty messed up. Can you have a look?"
"I can look at the physical" he cautioned.
"I know. I'll have to find someone else to help with the rest."
"Are you sure you want to do this? She is not going to be happy with you."
"We agreed fifteen years ago that if one of us was incapacitated, the other would do whatever was needed."
"You have the paperwork?"
"Right here."The doctor read over the form. It was valid.
"You consent to this on her behalf?"
"Yep."
"Very well. On your head be it."Two days later, Sparks was sober and screaming at Annabelle.
"Let me fucking die! Just let me go! I'm a fucking mass murderer."
"Nope. You are coming with me" was Annabelle's calm reply.
"Where? Where are you taking me?"
"To get you the help you needed. The help you should have got after the fighting stopped."Annabelle pushed the float chair Athena was strapped into through the city. People stepped aside as her screaming continued until her voice was too hoarse to be heard. They turned into the hospital. At reception she said "I have a consent grant in the case of incapacitation. And a confirmation from a doctor." She showed them the paperwork.
Sparks whispered "No, just let me rot, please."
"No way. I am getting you back, and then we are leaving. Together. I never should have left you behind in the first place."
"I deserve to be forgotten."
"Not by me. Get well. I will visit as often as they let me."The next six months were terrible for both of them. Sparks refused to see Annabelle, and yelled at her when she insisted. But, gradually, the yelling stopped. Then there were tears. Then the ghost of a smile. Eventually, Sparks looked forward to seeing her.
A year later, Sparks walked out with Annabelle on her arm, and onto a trader ship. They never returned to Qnzick.
#SF #SFF #ShamanSpace #microfiction #microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting
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CW: MH, substance abuse, PTSD, consent orders, swearing
Twenty two years ago, planet Qnzick.
Sparks felt her head pounding. That meant she was getting sober. That meant that she would remember. She must not remember.
A hand grabbed her head, she tried to struggle, but her arms were not working right. Maybe she was still drunk. Drunk was good.
"You stink Athena" came a voice.
Sparks groaned in response. She was trying to say that her name wasn't Athena. She'd lost the right to that name. Lost the right when - she blacked out again.Annabelle looked down at her old friend. She'd heard the stories - the unstoppable mechanic who had torn through dozens of squads of the dictator's troops. And then, once the revolution was over, she'd vanished.
It had taken her six months to find Athena. And what she found was a mess.
She rolled the unconscious woman onto a cargo gurney, and took her back to the shuttle, guiding the little grav sled up the cargo ramp.
"Doc?" she called.
An older man looked up. "You found her, then?"
"Yep, but she's pretty messed up. Can you have a look?"
"I can look at the physical" he cautioned.
"I know. I'll have to find someone else to help with the rest."
"Are you sure you want to do this? She is not going to be happy with you."
"We agreed fifteen years ago that if one of us was incapacitated, the other would do whatever was needed."
"You have the paperwork?"
"Right here."The doctor read over the form. It was valid.
"You consent to this on her behalf?"
"Yep."
"Very well. On your head be it."Two days later, Sparks was sober and screaming at Annabelle.
"Let me fucking die! Just let me go! I'm a fucking mass murderer."
"Nope. You are coming with me" was Annabelle's calm reply.
"Where? Where are you taking me?"
"To get you the help you needed. The help you should have got after the fighting stopped."Annabelle pushed the float chair Athena was strapped into through the city. People stepped aside as her screaming continued until her voice was too hoarse to be heard. They turned into the hospital. At reception she said "I have a consent grant in the case of incapacitation. And a confirmation from a doctor." She showed them the paperwork.
Sparks whispered "No, just let me rot, please."
"No way. I am getting you back, and then we are leaving. Together. I never should have left you behind in the first place."
"I deserve to be forgotten."
"Not by me. Get well. I will visit as often as they let me."The next six months were terrible for both of them. Sparks refused to see Annabelle, and yelled at her when she insisted. But, gradually, the yelling stopped. Then there were tears. Then the ghost of a smile. Eventually, Sparks looked forward to seeing her.
A year later, Sparks walked out with Annabelle on her arm, and onto a trader ship. They never returned to Qnzick.
#SF #SFF #ShamanSpace #microfiction #microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting
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CW: MH, substance abuse, PTSD, consent orders, swearing
Twenty two years ago, planet Qnzick.
Sparks felt her head pounding. That meant she was getting sober. That meant that she would remember. She must not remember.
A hand grabbed her head, she tried to struggle, but her arms were not working right. Maybe she was still drunk. Drunk was good.
"You stink Athena" came a voice.
Sparks groaned in response. She was trying to say that her name wasn't Athena. She'd lost the right to that name. Lost the right when - she blacked out again.Annabelle looked down at her old friend. She'd heard the stories - the unstoppable mechanic who had torn through dozens of squads of the dictator's troops. And then, once the revolution was over, she'd vanished.
It had taken her six months to find Athena. And what she found was a mess.
She rolled the unconscious woman onto a cargo gurney, and took her back to the shuttle, guiding the little grav sled up the cargo ramp.
"Doc?" she called.
An older man looked up. "You found her, then?"
"Yep, but she's pretty messed up. Can you have a look?"
"I can look at the physical" he cautioned.
"I know. I'll have to find someone else to help with the rest."
"Are you sure you want to do this? She is not going to be happy with you."
"We agreed fifteen years ago that if one of us was incapacitated, the other would do whatever was needed."
"You have the paperwork?"
"Right here."The doctor read over the form. It was valid.
"You consent to this on her behalf?"
"Yep."
"Very well. On your head be it."Two days later, Sparks was sober and screaming at Annabelle.
"Let me fucking die! Just let me go! I'm a fucking mass murderer."
"Nope. You are coming with me" was Annabelle's calm reply.
"Where? Where are you taking me?"
"To get you the help you needed. The help you should have got after the fighting stopped."Annabelle pushed the float chair Athena was strapped into through the city. People stepped aside as her screaming continued until her voice was too hoarse to be heard. They turned into the hospital. At reception she said "I have a consent grant in the case of incapacitation. And a confirmation from a doctor." She showed them the paperwork.
Sparks whispered "No, just let me rot, please."
"No way. I am getting you back, and then we are leaving. Together. I never should have left you behind in the first place."
"I deserve to be forgotten."
"Not by me. Get well. I will visit as often as they let me."The next six months were terrible for both of them. Sparks refused to see Annabelle, and yelled at her when she insisted. But, gradually, the yelling stopped. Then there were tears. Then the ghost of a smile. Eventually, Sparks looked forward to seeing her.
A year later, Sparks walked out with Annabelle on her arm, and onto a trader ship. They never returned to Qnzick.
#SF #SFF #ShamanSpace #microfiction #microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting
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CW: MH, substance abuse, PTSD, consent orders, swearing
Twenty two years ago, planet Qnzick.
Sparks felt her head pounding. That meant she was getting sober. That meant that she would remember. She must not remember.
A hand grabbed her head, she tried to struggle, but her arms were not working right. Maybe she was still drunk. Drunk was good.
"You stink Athena" came a voice.
Sparks groaned in response. She was trying to say that her name wasn't Athena. She'd lost the right to that name. Lost the right when - she blacked out again.Annabelle looked down at her old friend. She'd heard the stories - the unstoppable mechanic who had torn through dozens of squads of the dictator's troops. And then, once the revolution was over, she'd vanished.
It had taken her six months to find Athena. And what she found was a mess.
She rolled the unconscious woman onto a cargo gurney, and took her back to the shuttle, guiding the little grav sled up the cargo ramp.
"Doc?" she called.
An older man looked up. "You found her, then?"
"Yep, but she's pretty messed up. Can you have a look?"
"I can look at the physical" he cautioned.
"I know. I'll have to find someone else to help with the rest."
"Are you sure you want to do this? She is not going to be happy with you."
"We agreed fifteen years ago that if one of us was incapacitated, the other would do whatever was needed."
"You have the paperwork?"
"Right here."The doctor read over the form. It was valid.
"You consent to this on her behalf?"
"Yep."
"Very well. On your head be it."Two days later, Sparks was sober and screaming at Annabelle.
"Let me fucking die! Just let me go! I'm a fucking mass murderer."
"Nope. You are coming with me" was Annabelle's calm reply.
"Where? Where are you taking me?"
"To get you the help you needed. The help you should have got after the fighting stopped."Annabelle pushed the float chair Athena was strapped into through the city. People stepped aside as her screaming continued until her voice was too hoarse to be heard. They turned into the hospital. At reception she said "I have a consent grant in the case of incapacitation. And a confirmation from a doctor." She showed them the paperwork.
Sparks whispered "No, just let me rot, please."
"No way. I am getting you back, and then we are leaving. Together. I never should have left you behind in the first place."
"I deserve to be forgotten."
"Not by me. Get well. I will visit as often as they let me."The next six months were terrible for both of them. Sparks refused to see Annabelle, and yelled at her when she insisted. But, gradually, the yelling stopped. Then there were tears. Then the ghost of a smile. Eventually, Sparks looked forward to seeing her.
A year later, Sparks walked out with Annabelle on her arm, and onto a trader ship. They never returned to Qnzick.
#SF #SFF #ShamanSpace #microfiction #microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting
-
CW: MH, substance abuse, PTSD, consent orders, swearing
Twenty two years ago, planet Qnzick.
Sparks felt her head pounding. That meant she was getting sober. That meant that she would remember. She must not remember.
A hand grabbed her head, she tried to struggle, but her arms were not working right. Maybe she was still drunk. Drunk was good.
"You stink Athena" came a voice.
Sparks groaned in response. She was trying to say that her name wasn't Athena. She'd lost the right to that name. Lost the right when - she blacked out again.Annabelle looked down at her old friend. She'd heard the stories - the unstoppable mechanic who had torn through dozens of squads of the dictator's troops. And then, once the revolution was over, she'd vanished.
It had taken her six months to find Athena. And what she found was a mess.
She rolled the unconscious woman onto a cargo gurney, and took her back to the shuttle, guiding the little grav sled up the cargo ramp.
"Doc?" she called.
An older man looked up. "You found her, then?"
"Yep, but she's pretty messed up. Can you have a look?"
"I can look at the physical" he cautioned.
"I know. I'll have to find someone else to help with the rest."
"Are you sure you want to do this? She is not going to be happy with you."
"We agreed fifteen years ago that if one of us was incapacitated, the other would do whatever was needed."
"You have the paperwork?"
"Right here."The doctor read over the form. It was valid.
"You consent to this on her behalf?"
"Yep."
"Very well. On your head be it."Two days later, Sparks was sober and screaming at Annabelle.
"Let me fucking die! Just let me go! I'm a fucking mass murderer."
"Nope. You are coming with me" was Annabelle's calm reply.
"Where? Where are you taking me?"
"To get you the help you needed. The help you should have got after the fighting stopped."Annabelle pushed the float chair Athena was strapped into through the city. People stepped aside as her screaming continued until her voice was too hoarse to be heard. They turned into the hospital. At reception she said "I have a consent grant in the case of incapacitation. And a confirmation from a doctor." She showed them the paperwork.
Sparks whispered "No, just let me rot, please."
"No way. I am getting you back, and then we are leaving. Together. I never should have left you behind in the first place."
"I deserve to be forgotten."
"Not by me. Get well. I will visit as often as they let me."The next six months were terrible for both of them. Sparks refused to see Annabelle, and yelled at her when she insisted. But, gradually, the yelling stopped. Then there were tears. Then the ghost of a smile. Eventually, Sparks looked forward to seeing her.
A year later, Sparks walked out with Annabelle on her arm, and onto a trader ship. They never returned to Qnzick.
#SF #SFF #ShamanSpace #microfiction #microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting
-
Four months and eight days after leaving "Mother of All". At Hiiliteräs High Port.
The Captain had called everyone into the mess for a meeting. It was a little cramped, but they all fit.
"Alright everyone, I'm back from the inquest. They are accepting our version of events, and the surviving hijacker is being charged with attempted piracy. In this system that is 25 years, no parole."
There were nods around the room at that.
"Further," she continued, "the system has sent word back to Silver notifying them, and sending an invoice for repatriation of the other hijacker. Seeker?"
"Yes, Captain?" Seeker's voice was unusually subdued.
"The inquest has found you acted appropriately. I am adding a note to your file that you have been combat tested, and reacted with appropriate force. On a personal note, you almost certainly saved lives. Thank-you."
"Captain - "
"I am recommending you for a one week post-combat counselling course here on-station. The ship will cover it."
"Yes Captain," she spoke softly, and started to retreat to the back of the mess, head held low.
"One question, Seeker."
"Yes Captain?"
"I know you've been scanning everyone who comes aboard. How did they get past you?"
"There are some people, Captain, who can just block a casual scan. But in this case they had a device. Our scientists have discussed the possibility of one, but this is the first I've actually seen that can block a scan completely."
"How did you find it?"
"Dyani did. When she took everything from the", her voice hitched, "the survivor, it included a hair ornament. As soon as it was taken, I could hear him. I thought she told you."
The Captain turned, "Dyani?"
"I thought Seeker had told you" the gunner replied.The Captain shook her head, "Always double check who has passed on what, OK?"
"Yes Captain" the three junior members of the crew said together."Now, do we have two of them?"
"Yes Captain" Dyani replied.
"Good. Hand one over to Sparks. Sparks?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Figure out how to make more. I am certain that the folks back on Mother of All will want to know how to make one."
"Aye!"
"Back to your duties. Alaine, Seeker stay put."The crew dispersed to their duties. Alaine and Seeker waited.
The Captain looked at them both. "Seeker, you are relieved of duties until you have completed the counselling." She started to object, but the Captain rolled over her, "Alaine? Your job is to make sure she goes. You will escort her to the session, and escort her back."
"Yes, Captain."
The Captain turned back to Seeker "It is not that I don't trust you, but things like this get under your skin, and make you think of doing all sorts of stupid things. After your first couple of sessions, have a talk to Sparks. She knows."
Alaine straightened up "I'll make sure, Captain."
The Captain looked them over "I'm certain you will. You've both got a map on your PDUs. The first appointment is in one hour."#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Four months and eight days after leaving "Mother of All". At Hiiliteräs High Port.
The Captain had called everyone into the mess for a meeting. It was a little cramped, but they all fit.
"Alright everyone, I'm back from the inquest. They are accepting our version of events, and the surviving hijacker is being charged with attempted piracy. In this system that is 25 years, no parole."
There were nods around the room at that.
"Further," she continued, "the system has sent word back to Silver notifying them, and sending an invoice for repatriation of the other hijacker. Seeker?"
"Yes, Captain?" Seeker's voice was unusually subdued.
"The inquest has found you acted appropriately. I am adding a note to your file that you have been combat tested, and reacted with appropriate force. On a personal note, you almost certainly saved lives. Thank-you."
"Captain - "
"I am recommending you for a one week post-combat counselling course here on-station. The ship will cover it."
"Yes Captain," she spoke softly, and started to retreat to the back of the mess, head held low.
"One question, Seeker."
"Yes Captain?"
"I know you've been scanning everyone who comes aboard. How did they get past you?"
"There are some people, Captain, who can just block a casual scan. But in this case they had a device. Our scientists have discussed the possibility of one, but this is the first I've actually seen that can block a scan completely."
"How did you find it?"
"Dyani did. When she took everything from the", her voice hitched, "the survivor, it included a hair ornament. As soon as it was taken, I could hear him. I thought she told you."
The Captain turned, "Dyani?"
"I thought Seeker had told you" the gunner replied.The Captain shook her head, "Always double check who has passed on what, OK?"
"Yes Captain" the three junior members of the crew said together."Now, do we have two of them?"
"Yes Captain" Dyani replied.
"Good. Hand one over to Sparks. Sparks?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Figure out how to make more. I am certain that the folks back on Mother of All will want to know how to make one."
"Aye!"
"Back to your duties. Alaine, Seeker stay put."The crew dispersed to their duties. Alaine and Seeker waited.
The Captain looked at them both. "Seeker, you are relieved of duties until you have completed the counselling." She started to object, but the Captain rolled over her, "Alaine? Your job is to make sure she goes. You will escort her to the session, and escort her back."
"Yes, Captain."
The Captain turned back to Seeker "It is not that I don't trust you, but things like this get under your skin, and make you think of doing all sorts of stupid things. After your first couple of sessions, have a talk to Sparks. She knows."
Alaine straightened up "I'll make sure, Captain."
The Captain looked them over "I'm certain you will. You've both got a map on your PDUs. The first appointment is in one hour."#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Four months and eight days after leaving "Mother of All". At Hiiliteräs High Port.
The Captain had called everyone into the mess for a meeting. It was a little cramped, but they all fit.
"Alright everyone, I'm back from the inquest. They are accepting our version of events, and the surviving hijacker is being charged with attempted piracy. In this system that is 25 years, no parole."
There were nods around the room at that.
"Further," she continued, "the system has sent word back to Silver notifying them, and sending an invoice for repatriation of the other hijacker. Seeker?"
"Yes, Captain?" Seeker's voice was unusually subdued.
"The inquest has found you acted appropriately. I am adding a note to your file that you have been combat tested, and reacted with appropriate force. On a personal note, you almost certainly saved lives. Thank-you."
"Captain - "
"I am recommending you for a one week post-combat counselling course here on-station. The ship will cover it."
"Yes Captain," she spoke softly, and started to retreat to the back of the mess, head held low.
"One question, Seeker."
"Yes Captain?"
"I know you've been scanning everyone who comes aboard. How did they get past you?"
"There are some people, Captain, who can just block a casual scan. But in this case they had a device. Our scientists have discussed the possibility of one, but this is the first I've actually seen that can block a scan completely."
"How did you find it?"
"Dyani did. When she took everything from the", her voice hitched, "the survivor, it included a hair ornament. As soon as it was taken, I could hear him. I thought she told you."
The Captain turned, "Dyani?"
"I thought Seeker had told you" the gunner replied.The Captain shook her head, "Always double check who has passed on what, OK?"
"Yes Captain" the three junior members of the crew said together."Now, do we have two of them?"
"Yes Captain" Dyani replied.
"Good. Hand one over to Sparks. Sparks?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Figure out how to make more. I am certain that the folks back on Mother of All will want to know how to make one."
"Aye!"
"Back to your duties. Alaine, Seeker stay put."The crew dispersed to their duties. Alaine and Seeker waited.
The Captain looked at them both. "Seeker, you are relieved of duties until you have completed the counselling." She started to object, but the Captain rolled over her, "Alaine? Your job is to make sure she goes. You will escort her to the session, and escort her back."
"Yes, Captain."
The Captain turned back to Seeker "It is not that I don't trust you, but things like this get under your skin, and make you think of doing all sorts of stupid things. After your first couple of sessions, have a talk to Sparks. She knows."
Alaine straightened up "I'll make sure, Captain."
The Captain looked them over "I'm certain you will. You've both got a map on your PDUs. The first appointment is in one hour."#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Four months and eight days after leaving "Mother of All". At Hiiliteräs High Port.
The Captain had called everyone into the mess for a meeting. It was a little cramped, but they all fit.
"Alright everyone, I'm back from the inquest. They are accepting our version of events, and the surviving hijacker is being charged with attempted piracy. In this system that is 25 years, no parole."
There were nods around the room at that.
"Further," she continued, "the system has sent word back to Silver notifying them, and sending an invoice for repatriation of the other hijacker. Seeker?"
"Yes, Captain?" Seeker's voice was unusually subdued.
"The inquest has found you acted appropriately. I am adding a note to your file that you have been combat tested, and reacted with appropriate force. On a personal note, you almost certainly saved lives. Thank-you."
"Captain - "
"I am recommending you for a one week post-combat counselling course here on-station. The ship will cover it."
"Yes Captain," she spoke softly, and started to retreat to the back of the mess, head held low.
"One question, Seeker."
"Yes Captain?"
"I know you've been scanning everyone who comes aboard. How did they get past you?"
"There are some people, Captain, who can just block a casual scan. But in this case they had a device. Our scientists have discussed the possibility of one, but this is the first I've actually seen that can block a scan completely."
"How did you find it?"
"Dyani did. When she took everything from the", her voice hitched, "the survivor, it included a hair ornament. As soon as it was taken, I could hear him. I thought she told you."
The Captain turned, "Dyani?"
"I thought Seeker had told you" the gunner replied.The Captain shook her head, "Always double check who has passed on what, OK?"
"Yes Captain" the three junior members of the crew said together."Now, do we have two of them?"
"Yes Captain" Dyani replied.
"Good. Hand one over to Sparks. Sparks?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Figure out how to make more. I am certain that the folks back on Mother of All will want to know how to make one."
"Aye!"
"Back to your duties. Alaine, Seeker stay put."The crew dispersed to their duties. Alaine and Seeker waited.
The Captain looked at them both. "Seeker, you are relieved of duties until you have completed the counselling." She started to object, but the Captain rolled over her, "Alaine? Your job is to make sure she goes. You will escort her to the session, and escort her back."
"Yes, Captain."
The Captain turned back to Seeker "It is not that I don't trust you, but things like this get under your skin, and make you think of doing all sorts of stupid things. After your first couple of sessions, have a talk to Sparks. She knows."
Alaine straightened up "I'll make sure, Captain."
The Captain looked them over "I'm certain you will. You've both got a map on your PDUs. The first appointment is in one hour."#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Four months and eight days after leaving "Mother of All". At Hiiliteräs High Port.
The Captain had called everyone into the mess for a meeting. It was a little cramped, but they all fit.
"Alright everyone, I'm back from the inquest. They are accepting our version of events, and the surviving hijacker is being charged with attempted piracy. In this system that is 25 years, no parole."
There were nods around the room at that.
"Further," she continued, "the system has sent word back to Silver notifying them, and sending an invoice for repatriation of the other hijacker. Seeker?"
"Yes, Captain?" Seeker's voice was unusually subdued.
"The inquest has found you acted appropriately. I am adding a note to your file that you have been combat tested, and reacted with appropriate force. On a personal note, you almost certainly saved lives. Thank-you."
"Captain - "
"I am recommending you for a one week post-combat counselling course here on-station. The ship will cover it."
"Yes Captain," she spoke softly, and started to retreat to the back of the mess, head held low.
"One question, Seeker."
"Yes Captain?"
"I know you've been scanning everyone who comes aboard. How did they get past you?"
"There are some people, Captain, who can just block a casual scan. But in this case they had a device. Our scientists have discussed the possibility of one, but this is the first I've actually seen that can block a scan completely."
"How did you find it?"
"Dyani did. When she took everything from the", her voice hitched, "the survivor, it included a hair ornament. As soon as it was taken, I could hear him. I thought she told you."
The Captain turned, "Dyani?"
"I thought Seeker had told you" the gunner replied.The Captain shook her head, "Always double check who has passed on what, OK?"
"Yes Captain" the three junior members of the crew said together."Now, do we have two of them?"
"Yes Captain" Dyani replied.
"Good. Hand one over to Sparks. Sparks?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Figure out how to make more. I am certain that the folks back on Mother of All will want to know how to make one."
"Aye!"
"Back to your duties. Alaine, Seeker stay put."The crew dispersed to their duties. Alaine and Seeker waited.
The Captain looked at them both. "Seeker, you are relieved of duties until you have completed the counselling." She started to object, but the Captain rolled over her, "Alaine? Your job is to make sure she goes. You will escort her to the session, and escort her back."
"Yes, Captain."
The Captain turned back to Seeker "It is not that I don't trust you, but things like this get under your skin, and make you think of doing all sorts of stupid things. After your first couple of sessions, have a talk to Sparks. She knows."
Alaine straightened up "I'll make sure, Captain."
The Captain looked them over "I'm certain you will. You've both got a map on your PDUs. The first appointment is in one hour."#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two hundred and fifty five years ago:
Lorn looked out at the conclave of clan elders, all in their distinctive clan finery. And the scattered shamans amongst them, all in black.
Finder detached herself from the mass, and leaned against Lorn "A sight isn't it?"
"You have no conflicts between the clans?"
"Many! All the time!" Finder grinned at the stranded explorer "But that is what we are for. We are members of our clans, but we also mediate between the clans. It can be a bit tiring sometimes."
"But what about conflicts of interests?"
"Simple! If the conflict is between the Copper Diggers and the Horse Clans, a sender and listener from maybe the River Clan would mediate."
"So the clans never fight?"
"Some clan members might fight, until a sender puts them in their place, but no, the clans do not fight."
Lorn looked at her friend, "So you are pacifists?"
"Amongst ourselves," Finder paused "But if we have the chance to strike at the raiders, we take it. That is a rare event, and their weapons can be a devastating reprisal.""Crime?"
"Oh, it happens. Jealousy, greed, all the rest, we have them all. And there are not so many of us that we can be everywhere."
"But you hunt them down."
"Hence my name. Finder of Unnoticed Details."
"One part diplomat, one part detective?"
"And one part psychologist. And a bit of relationship councillor as well," Finder added.
"But what happens when one of you has the problem?" Lorn wondered.
"Then we find them, and do what we can to heal them. But, as with all people, sometimes that can be hard. Even with our gifts."Lorn looked out at the conclave again.
Finder gave her a hug from the side, grabbed her hand and dragged her forward "Come, let me introduce you! You can tell us of your people,."
#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two hundred and fifty five years ago:
Lorn looked out at the conclave of clan elders, all in their distinctive clan finery. And the scattered shamans amongst them, all in black.
Finder detached herself from the mass, and leaned against Lorn "A sight isn't it?"
"You have no conflicts between the clans?"
"Many! All the time!" Finder grinned at the stranded explorer "But that is what we are for. We are members of our clans, but we also mediate between the clans. It can be a bit tiring sometimes."
"But what about conflicts of interests?"
"Simple! If the conflict is between the Copper Diggers and the Horse Clans, a sender and listener from maybe the River Clan would mediate."
"So the clans never fight?"
"Some clan members might fight, until a sender puts them in their place, but no, the clans do not fight."
Lorn looked at her friend, "So you are pacifists?"
"Amongst ourselves," Finder paused "But if we have the chance to strike at the raiders, we take it. That is a rare event, and their weapons can be a devastating reprisal.""Crime?"
"Oh, it happens. Jealousy, greed, all the rest, we have them all. And there are not so many of us that we can be everywhere."
"But you hunt them down."
"Hence my name. Finder of Unnoticed Details."
"One part diplomat, one part detective?"
"And one part psychologist. And a bit of relationship councillor as well," Finder added.
"But what happens when one of you has the problem?" Lorn wondered.
"Then we find them, and do what we can to heal them. But, as with all people, sometimes that can be hard. Even with our gifts."Lorn looked out at the conclave again.
Finder gave her a hug from the side, grabbed her hand and dragged her forward "Come, let me introduce you! You can tell us of your people,."
#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two hundred and fifty five years ago:
Lorn looked out at the conclave of clan elders, all in their distinctive clan finery. And the scattered shamans amongst them, all in black.
Finder detached herself from the mass, and leaned against Lorn "A sight isn't it?"
"You have no conflicts between the clans?"
"Many! All the time!" Finder grinned at the stranded explorer "But that is what we are for. We are members of our clans, but we also mediate between the clans. It can be a bit tiring sometimes."
"But what about conflicts of interests?"
"Simple! If the conflict is between the Copper Diggers and the Horse Clans, a sender and listener from maybe the River Clan would mediate."
"So the clans never fight?"
"Some clan members might fight, until a sender puts them in their place, but no, the clans do not fight."
Lorn looked at her friend, "So you are pacifists?"
"Amongst ourselves," Finder paused "But if we have the chance to strike at the raiders, we take it. That is a rare event, and their weapons can be a devastating reprisal.""Crime?"
"Oh, it happens. Jealousy, greed, all the rest, we have them all. And there are not so many of us that we can be everywhere."
"But you hunt them down."
"Hence my name. Finder of Unnoticed Details."
"One part diplomat, one part detective?"
"And one part psychologist. And a bit of relationship councillor as well," Finder added.
"But what happens when one of you has the problem?" Lorn wondered.
"Then we find them, and do what we can to heal them. But, as with all people, sometimes that can be hard. Even with our gifts."Lorn looked out at the conclave again.
Finder gave her a hug from the side, grabbed her hand and dragged her forward "Come, let me introduce you! You can tell us of your people,."
#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two hundred and fifty five years ago:
Lorn looked out at the conclave of clan elders, all in their distinctive clan finery. And the scattered shamans amongst them, all in black.
Finder detached herself from the mass, and leaned against Lorn "A sight isn't it?"
"You have no conflicts between the clans?"
"Many! All the time!" Finder grinned at the stranded explorer "But that is what we are for. We are members of our clans, but we also mediate between the clans. It can be a bit tiring sometimes."
"But what about conflicts of interests?"
"Simple! If the conflict is between the Copper Diggers and the Horse Clans, a sender and listener from maybe the River Clan would mediate."
"So the clans never fight?"
"Some clan members might fight, until a sender puts them in their place, but no, the clans do not fight."
Lorn looked at her friend, "So you are pacifists?"
"Amongst ourselves," Finder paused "But if we have the chance to strike at the raiders, we take it. That is a rare event, and their weapons can be a devastating reprisal.""Crime?"
"Oh, it happens. Jealousy, greed, all the rest, we have them all. And there are not so many of us that we can be everywhere."
"But you hunt them down."
"Hence my name. Finder of Unnoticed Details."
"One part diplomat, one part detective?"
"And one part psychologist. And a bit of relationship councillor as well," Finder added.
"But what happens when one of you has the problem?" Lorn wondered.
"Then we find them, and do what we can to heal them. But, as with all people, sometimes that can be hard. Even with our gifts."Lorn looked out at the conclave again.
Finder gave her a hug from the side, grabbed her hand and dragged her forward "Come, let me introduce you! You can tell us of your people,."
#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
CW: Threats, combat, death, shock
Four months after leaving "Mother of All", in jump.
Alaine and Seeker were in the crew mess, both working on interstellar navigation problems. This had been a busier than usual jump, as they had taken on three passengers at Silver, after leaving the neighbouring system of Brass. They were now heading to Hiiliteräs.
Alaine looked at the corner of his PDU "Hm, Dyani is taking a while delivering food to the passengers." Dyani was around the same age as Alaine and Seeker, but had been a part of the crew a while longer than Alaine.
Seeker looked up, and then got to her feet and ran the few steps to the cabin she shared with Dyani.
"Seeker?" Alaine called after her, but then the hatch to the passenger area opened, and he turned to greet Dyani.Instead there was one of the passengers, wearing light infantry armour, and holding a strange automatic pistol. Behind him was another of the passengers, unarmoured, but holding a similar weapon to Dyani's head.
"Hands where I can see them!" the passenger hissed, emphasising her words with a wave of the gun.
Alaine dropped his PDU, and lifted his hands slowly. Then, to his surprise he heard a voice in his head - Seeker - saying "Make him focus on you. Now, please."
"You won't get to the bridge, you know. The Captain will see you and lock it down."
The hijacker grinned "Then she'll get to watch you die one by one."
"That won't matter to her. We're first year apprentices - a dime a dozen."Alaine saw Dyani suddenly go limp in the grip of the second hijacker, like she had fainted.
Then he saw a feathered rod appear in the other arm of the second hijacker, and a spread of blood around it. The one in front started to look past him, and another short rod appeared in her eye, and she dropped like a sack of rocks.Dyani had twisted out of the grip of the second hijacker, and grabbed his gun. "On the floor! Now!"
He sat.Alaine looked behind him, and saw Seeker holding her tiny bow, staring back at him. Then she dropped it and threw up her lunch.
He could hear Dyani on the ship comm to the bridge, and vaguely head her saying that the third passenger had been locked in her cabin by the hijackers.
He stared at the dead hijacker, then back at Seeker. Then he went to the sink, got a wet cleaning cloth and a cup of water, and took them over to her. "Here, rinse your mouth" he instructed after wiping her face.
The Captain then entered, took in the scene - Dyani holding the injured hijacker at gunpoint, the mess in front of Seeker, and Alaine cleaning her face.
"Alaine, take Seeker to her cabin. Sit with her. Don't let her be alone." Alaine nodded, helped Seeker stand, and took her to her cabin.
They sat on her bunk, and he handed her the glass. "You saved the ship, Seeker."
She just stared ahead.
He gave her a small shake "Look at me."
She looked at him.
"You saved me, thank-you."
Then she started to cry.#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two months after leaving "Mother of All", in jump.
Seeker was in the mess when Alaine got off duty from the engine room. She was hunched over her PDU, with an actual paper notebook next to her.
"Hi there" he greeted her.
"Mmmph" was the distracted reply.He shrugged, and grabbed a tray from the rack, and added hot water to it. Waiting for the meal to rehydrate, he tried again. "How is it going, Seeker?"
"Mmm"
OK, time for the big guns "There's a space whale looking for the telepath making all the noise."
"Mmm? They can sod off."OK, she was well and truely gone. He stuck the tray onto the induction element, and brought it back up to full heat, and then carefully carried it over and started eating. Some sort of noodle sheet interleaved with a sauce. Not bad.
He was about half way through when Seeker suddenly looked up.
"Alaine? Who enforces contracts that span systems?"
"Ah. You're studying trader contracts?"
"Yes. And nowhere does it say anything about what happens if you break a contract, it makes no sense!" she complained.
"Right. Well. It depends. If the contract is with one of the interstellar banks or one of the big conglomerates, they will enforce it themselves by sending breach notices to any system in range, along with a bounty. Further, they will notify the Trade Board, who will issue a blackball notice against the ship and crew."
"What is to stop one of them just doing that to someone they don't like?"
"That's the second level of things. Any trader, big or small, lives by their reputation. If you break a contract, the person or group you cheated will tell everyone about your despicable behaviour, and very quickly no-one will let you trade. Sometimes even down to not selling fuel."
"So a big conglomerate picking on someone?"
"Word would get out that it was a setup or tarjob, and the big boy would be out of business very fast."
"So it all just runs on reputation?"
"Pretty much. Naturally there are still con men out there, but eventually they get caught."
"So is there an actual government?"
"Kind of. There is a thing called the Confederation, that many systems belong to, but it has no real power, and mainly offers individual planets something to blame for whatever. The Scouts, the Trade Board, the other bureaucracies, they all run independently of the Confederation."Seeker shook her head slowly "Smoke and mirrors. It is all just smoke and mirrors."
Alaine grinned "Yep, but as long as everyone pretends not to look behind the curtain, it works."#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Three months, two weeks and one hour after departing "Mother of All". Low port, planet "Brass".
The crew were making the most of the banquet that the Captain had put on.
Being stuck in a closed environment for over a week at a time, and often not being able to obtain fresh food at the ports - especially the high ports in orbit - meant that they had a somewhat different view of what constituted a banquet to planet dwellers.
Plates of exotic fresh vegetables accompanied by dips were a popular starting point. The crunch of the sticks of green, red, and purple was suddenly interrupted by gasps of surprise as the rich umami flavours of the vegetables washed across the crew's mouths.
Dyani looked at the purple stick in her hand and sniffed it. A faint earthiness greeted her nose. She bit into it again, and the snap of the vegetable gave way to a bold meatiness. She looked over at Engel "Sir? How well do these preserve?"
He grinned "Sadly, not very well at all. Not even flash freezing. It does mean that Brass makes a pretty penny out of food tourism, though."
Everyone started sampling all the other offerings - the meat filled pastries, redolent with a spice that seemed to combine cinnamon with pepper proved to be sweet, like spiced tarts.
The bowls of berries, to the surprise of all, tasted just as they appeared - like small sharp, sweet, fruit.
The breads had a trick hidden under their crusts, though. Although they steamed and broke like a normal bread, in the mouth they cooled and dissolved like mist, with even the crust disintegrating before it could be chewed, leaving a cool creamy taste behind.
There were no leftovers.
#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
One month after leaving "Mother of All", in jump.
Alaine finished his breakfast unexpectedly alone. Normally Seeker would be on the same shift cycle, and they would share meals. He made his way aft, heading for the engine room and another lesson from Sparks.
He reached the airlock to the main hold, checked that the telltales were double green, and opened both doors. As the second door opened, he heard Seeker call out "Hold!" and then after a moment "Clear, come on in!"
"Missed you at breakfast," he said entering the hold. Down the length of it there was a corridor between the shipping containers and pallets. Except at the far end was a wall of compressed fibre pallets, and a target.
Seeker turned around "Sorry, I really needed to get in some practice."
Alaine then saw the strange device in her left hand. It was a short framework, with a grip in the middle and a complex system of pulleys and cords at either end. Then he saw the long rod in her right hand an realized that it was some sort of bow.
"You are combat trained?"
"Grandmama and Charlie made sure of it. Plus there is a tradition in the family of archery. Lorn became an expert hunter after she was stranded.""That looks a little clumsy in a fight shipboard," Alaine frowned.
"The arrows will go through light armour."
"Still tricky to carry around."Seeker put the arrow back into a quiver by her hip, and opened a pocket on her ship suit. "That's what this is for." In her hand was a miniature version of the bow, barely a handspan across. "This won't go through armour, but it will take out a faceplate at ten metres.
Alaine shook his head "OK, that is scary."
Seeker grinned "Thank-you!"They heard the far hatch open "Alaine, you out there" Sparks called.
"Yes, Sparks, coming!", he started down the corridor, and called over his shoulder "Don't shoot me in the back!"
Seeker laughed "If I do shoot you, you'll see it coming! After all, you are a friend!"#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Three months and two weeks after departing 'Mother of All'. Low port, planet Brass.
Alaine stepped through the main hatch into Athena, and was immediately showered with beer.
The Captain stepped forward, and shook his hand "Well done, Alaine!" she congratulated him, "you not only passed, you passed with honours! You are now a certified Class 2 Pilot! You know what that means?"
Alaine looked puzzled "No Captain, what?"
"You are now stuck with all the boat handling duties."
"Yes, Captain." Although it was going to be an extra responsibility, it was one Alaine was looking forward to. As pilot of the small shuttle, it would mean that he would be in command of it. Effectively Captain. Albeit of a tiny in-system boat, but still, it was a command of sorts.Sparks shoved a bottle of soda water into his hand "Get ready!"
Alaine turned back to the hatch just in time to see Seeker enter. He shook his bottle and popped the lid open, spraying her with soda water.After the shower subsided, the Captain stepped forward "Congratulations Kid! You passed both exams with honours. You are now a Class 1 Cargo Handler, and have a Class 1 Contract Drafting certificate."
"Thank-you Captain. But, please, that was soda. So why does it smell of beer in here?"
"That was for me," Alaine explained, "Soda for Class 1, Beer for Class 2 and Class 3, and sparkling wine for Class 4 and above." Sparks pressed two bottles of beer into Alaine's hands, and he handed one to Seeker.Dyani stepped aboard, and was also showered with beer. "Congratulations Dyani!" the Captain said stepping forward "You passed your Class 2 Navigation certificate. Only just, mind, but you passed. Well done!"
"Thank-you Captain. I'll make sure I keep studying."
"Good to hear. Alright, Sparks! Engel! Clean up in here. You three piles of soggy fabric, go get cleaned up, and join us in the mess. 10 minutes."
All five chorused "Yes Captain!"Ten minutes later the entire crew was in the mess, where the Captain had obtained some high-end fresh food from the local suppliers. "Right. I'm not going to give a speech. Dig in. Everyone is off duty until first shift tomorrow." The crew cheered, and dug in. Food prepared by actual cooks from fresh supplies was a rare treat, and one none of them was going to pass up - especially if the Captain was paying.
#SF #SFF #SciFi #Tootfic #Microfiction #Microfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Three days after departure from "Mother of All", in jump.
Alaine was in the crew mess working on the calculations for a piloting assignment. Yes, the computers could run them in a fraction of a second, and him doing them manually with only an offline calculator to help would take days, but if the computers were offline for some reason, it would be down to the crew.
He was part way through the jump field spread compensation, when there was a thump into the chair next to him. He looked up to see a very frazzled looking Seeker.
Seeing she had his attention, "I don't think the First Mate likes me."
Alaine frowned "What makes you say that?"
"He's had me recalculate the current load by hand twice today. And yesterday he had me shift half the cargo from the back from the hold to the front. This afternoon he wants me to move it back!"
Alaine relaxed "He doesn't hate you. He had me do that too. Just work through it."
"But why? What's the point?"
"Ask me again just before we transition out."
"Is this some sort of 'but it is good for you' thing?"
"Look at what I'm doing. I'm doing jump calculations by hand. Need to be able to do it for my Stage 3 pilot certification."
"What is that?"
"That's co-pilot on jump. Stage 4 is primary on jump. Stage 5 is solo."
"And you're Stage 2? What is that?"
"Nope, I'm only Stage 1. Co-pilot on in-system. I'm studying Stage 2. But it takes a lot to learn the jump calculations, so I'm getting a head start."
Seeker studied him for a few moments "Do any of you ever take breaks?"
"Sure! That's what sleeping is for."Seeker looked at him in horror, then Alaine laughed "No, we do take breaks. Really."
Skeeker glared at him, and he held up his hands and continued "We get two days off each jump, plus shore leave when possible. We try to synchronise things so half the crew is off at a time."
"What do you do?"
"Well, in jump we try to fit in a movie to watch as a group. Read, play board games, argue about movies, books, actors, the usual."Seeker glanced at the time, and Alaine checked it as well "Well, you better get some food into you. You're back in the hold in 20" he pointed to the store of prepared meals.
"And you?" she asked.
"I'm back in engineering in an hour. so I'd better get as far as I can in this calculation."And with that he returned to his PDU.
#SF #SFF #SciFi #Microfiction #Microfic #Tootfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Shaman Space Part 3.
Three months after departure from "Mother of All":
Seeker announced the ship to the SPC, "Grenfeld Low this is Athena on final approach."
"Athena this is Grenfeld Low, you are clear to land, please follow beacon drone 114 to Pad D."
"Understood Grenfeld Low, locking onto beacon drone 114."
Seeker set the ship's approach lock to the beacon.
"Grenfeld Low, we are locked."
"Very good Athena." There was a pause, then Seeker heard a proximity alarm. "Athena! Grenfeld! Athena! We have an uncontrolled cargo pod intersecting your vector, break off! I say again, break off!"
Seeker cut the approach lock, and started a port turn.There was a flash, and then blackness.
Seeker took the sim helmet off. Alaine was watching her. "Stupid cargo pod got me" she complained.
"I remember that one. You have to go right back to get past it," Alaine sympathised.
"How far?"
"When you try it again, look to your medium scans. That's all the clues I'm giving you for now."
Seeker glared at him. He grinned back. "Hey, it took me six goes for that one."
She shook her head "These training courses are cursed!"
"Yeah, they are. But they are what will save your life out here. Just like the drills."
"Funny, I always thought they would be something for the military or corporations."
"There might be some independents who don't do them. But those ones have their luck run out. Same as anyone who misses too many overhauls."
Seeker looked thoughtful. He continued "If it had not been for the drills, we would not have lasted as long as we had against that pirate ship. As it was if your patrol boat had not been there, we were not going to make it."
"Glad we could help out."The intercom beeped "All hands, all hands, stand by for re-entry into normal space."
A moment later Seeker said "There!"
"We are now in normal space. Resume duties" and the intercom clicked off.
Alaine looked at Seeker "I don't know if you really can feel it, or if you are having me on."
"I feel something. Every time, in either direction."
"I know there are some people it makes sick. But I've never heard of someone who can just tell."
Seeker shrugged "When we get home, we'll have to ask great-grandmama. Maybe it is a thing."
"OK, my turn with the sim. I've got an exam coming up at our next port. All going well I'll get my stage two piloting cert."
"That's solo non-hyper, right?"
"Yep." Alaine's voice was muffled as the helmet slid on, and he pulled on the haptic gloves.
"Good luck," Seeker called loudly. Alaine did not respond, his ears must have already been plugged.#SF #SFF #Microfic #Microfiction #Tootfic #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Six hours after meeting the Captain:
The ship's intercom beeped and Engel's voice announced "All hands to the mess, all hands to the mess. All crew meeting in five minutes."
Just under five minutes later everyone was in the mess. The Captain cleared her throat loudly, and everyone shut up.
"Right. As you all know, we are being required to take on an extra crew member. This is Seeker of Hidden Truths. Or simply Seeker. She will be working with the trade section mostly, and studying to get certified. She is also going to be gathering information for this world's council, in much the same way that the Scouts do for the Confederation. In return, the Council have agreed to provide annual servicing of the ship and clearance for shore leave when we visit."
Engel stepped up "Seeker has her secrets, as we all do. If she chooses to share them with someone, that is her business, and I expect you all to keep her confidences as you would for any other crew member. Seeker? Do you have anything to add?"
"Thank-you. I am not fully familiar with your customs, but I am a quick study, as my great-grand parents taught me much about being a Scout. I am not a very technical person by nature, so I expect to be studying a lot over the next few months. I look forward to being a productive member of the crew."
Engel looked around "OK. The work crews say they will be finished in two days. They are pulling out all stops to get us moving. With luck, we will still make it to the trade fair. Dismissed. " He looked over to Seeker, "Kid? You're with me."
"Yes sir!"
"Good. You understand."
"Alaine warned me."
"Don't be angry when he calls you 'Kid' as well."
Seeker nodded "Until I prove myself. Yessir."He guided Seeker to a storeroom, and got out a PDU, and handed it to her after making a note on his own. "This is yours. You will have a bunch of coursework options listed shortly. For now, there is a bunch of administration for you to deal with. Grab a seat in the galley and get it completed."
"OK, Sir. And then?"
"Then find me in the hold. Get to it."
"Yessir!"---- End Part 2 ----
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Fifty years ago:
Joyful Finder stood in front of the council. She was still wearing her Scout uniform, rather than the traditional black, and next to her stood Charlie. They were obviously nervous - Joy was nervous too.
An elder of the Copper Diggers spoke "You have returned to us from the stars. And you have brought another."
"Respectfully, Elder, Charlie brought themselves. They had word that I was leaving the Scouts, and came after me."
The elder nodded, acknowledging the correction, "So, what news have you brought to us from the stars?"
"The confederation continues, as do the various offices and boards. There are hints of threats from outside, but the greater threats are from within."
"How long?"
"There is no urgency. It is likely to be many generations before there is a significant breakdown. And much depends on outside threats. An outside force may galvanise and stabilise the confederation."
"This is the conclusion of the Scouts?"
"It is my conclusion from the Scouts' reports," Joy wanted this to be clear. She doubted many Scouts fully understood the significance of the intelligence briefings. It was likely that even some of the people responsible for the briefings did not understand the greater significance.
"And the ships you have both arrived in?"
"They are our own, after a fashion. We remain subject to reactivation by the Scouts."The elder turned their attention to Charlie. "And you. You intend to settle here. To become part of Joyful Finder's clan?"
"If she will have me."
"Good answer. Are your superiors aware?"
"Yes, I filled in the appropriate paperwork, and filed it before setting off. I was lucky to catch up."Turning back to Joy "And maintenance of your ships?"
"We have sufficient here to perform it. Especially with the plans and educational materials I have brought with me. We need not ever fear raiders again. Not when we can build our own ships."
"How long?"
"I see we already have small satellites and aircraft. Less than ten years to build the first, if we have the dedication."
"And to ships that can take on the raiders?"
"Less than twenty. And starships too."With that the audience was over.
Charlie sagged against Joy as they stepped outside. "That was intense."
"It is not over, Charlie."
"What now?" they almost whined.
"Now you get to meet my parents."Charlie gulped, and wondered if they could go back to the Elders.
Dives Swiftly, Joy's hunting bird and (in Dive's opinion) surrogate parent, appeared from the sky, and landed with a thump on Charlie's shoulder. She started preening Charlies' hair."Don't worry too much - Dives approves of you. Mother and Father will like you" Joy grinned.
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two hours after meeting Seeker:
Alaine knocked on the Captain's door, "Captain, it's Alaine. I have Seeker with me."
"Is it urgent?"
"No, but it is important, Captain."
"Meet me on the bridge in thirty."
"Yes Captain"Seeker giggled, and Alaine's head snapped around at the unexpected sound to see her composing her face into one that was innocent of any expression. She shooed him towards the bridge. Once they were there, she closed the hatch.
Alaine frowned at her "What was all that?"
Seeker suddenly grinned "Your - our - captain sounded just like great-grandmama when she is with great-grand-Charlie. We interrupted them."
Alaine blushed "And you didn't..."
"No, never amongst friends or family without permission, remember? I've heard that exact tone of voice before, that is all."
"I wonder..." Alaine began.
"None of our business, is it?" Seeker cut him off.
"I guess not," he paused, "Wait! You've interrupted your great-grand parents, but not your parents?"
"My mother raised me on her own, and has never taken a lover. My grand parents died in an air crash. So it has really only been mother and the great-grands."
"I'm sorry."
Seeker smiled sadly and shrugged "I never really knew them, but I know Mother misses them."
"Is your mother like you?"
"Yes, our family has always had at least one in a generation. According to great-grandmama the genetics are uncommonly dominant for us."Alaine sat digesting this for a time. Then Seeker giggled again, causing him to look up. She held up her hands, explaining "Your expression, that is all. I have seen exactly that expression in old photographs of my ancestor Lorn."
"What?"
"In her private diaries, her partner, Finder, included some photographs that she had taken with Lorn's logger, and Lorn had arranged to have printed. One of the things about Lorn was that she never stopped thinking. You had exactly the same expression."The bridge hatch opened, and the Captain stepped in. Alaine immediately stood, and Seeker copied him.
"Alright Alaine, what is so important?" her voice just short of scolding.
"Captain, I know why Seeker said what she said when she presented us to the Council."
"Go on," her tone shifting to one of cautious curiosity.
"Captain, you've seen some of the people here wearing all black? It is a symbol. The Scouts call them Shamans. But really, they are something else."
Seeker cut in "Captain, I can project my thoughts, and read those of others. To a certain degree. And, amongst friends or family, only with permission. Or crew mates."The Captain looked at Alaine.
"Captain, it is all in here," he held up the book "This is the history of the Scouts' involvement here. Starting with one who was shot down by raiders. An ancestor of Seeker."
"Why tell us now, Seeker?"
"Because Alaine worked it out. Until someone did, I was bound to silence."#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two hundred and fifty four years ago:
Lorn snuggled closer to Finder. Outside their tent, there was a light snow falling, illuminated by the two moons, and visible through the open flap.
"Love, what is on your mind?" Finder whispered, not wanting to break the quiet of snow.
"The raiders, I'm afraid."
"What about them?"
"You've said that they can sense unshielded minds," Lorn was also keeping her voice low.
"Yes, They have mind workers in their number."
"How?"
"That is our greatest shame. In their early raids, they stole children from us - toddlers. Some of those were potential mind workers."
"And they raised them as their own?"
Finder nodded.
"They could not do that aboard a single ship. They must have a base somewhere."
"If they do, it is out of our reach.
"And if you do fight them, some of who you fight would be descendants of your own people."
"Sadly, yes. These are dark topics for a beautiful night."
"Sorry, Finder. My mind..."
"I know, love. It almost never stops." Finder reached over and closed the tent flap "It is nothing we can do anything about at this time. Let me bring you some quiet."
"I think quiet is going to be the very last thing in here," Lorn smiled in the dark, pushing the dark history she had just learned aside.Three years later the raiders returned. But so did a Scout cruiser. And that had much bigger teeth.
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Six hours after:
Alaine finally put down the book, and looked back at the notes he had been taking.Starting with Lorn two hundred and sixty odd years ago, there had been a tiny but constant immigration of Scouts to this world. Every ten or twenty years one would simply stay. Up until Joyful Finder's departure and return with her partner, Charlie. Since then, no-one.
But still he had questions. How had Finder of Unnoticed Details known about Lorn during her crash? How had Joyful Finder's hunting bird known how to pull a circuit breaker on an unfamiliar ship?
He wrote up a summary of what he had learned, and forwarded it to both the Captain and Engel. After a moment, he also sent a copy to Dyani.
Then he got up, and went looking for Seeker.
He found her in the number one turret, it had space for two people, but was usually operated remotely from the bridge. Turrets were often targets and crew were harder to replace than equipment.
Seeker had the blast armour open, with the armoured glass exposed. This was used when sighting in targeting cameras, or during weapon tests. Or when a member of the crew wanted to look at open space.
"Alaine, how nice of you to join me. It is a remarkable sight, is it not?" Seeker, as usual, seemed like she had a hidden joke going on.
"Seeker, um, yes, it is. We don't often get to look down on a planet like this."
"But that's not why you are here, is it?"
"No. It was my expression, wasn't it?" He had been trying to work out what things she was picking up on with her "deductions".
"Mostly, yes. You have a question for me?"
"A couple actually. First, though, is the black dress. The Archivist was wearing something similar, as were a few of the Council. What does it mean?"
Seeker's air of humour dropped. "That is a very deep question Mister Haughton." She had never used that name with him before. Had he gone too far? But then she continued "It is a difficult one to answer as well, as what we are does not translate well into Standard. I understand the Scouts usually translate our status as 'Shaman', although that is rather misleading. I suppose you could call us 'conduits'."Alaine was silent for several minutes. "I think I begin to understand," he said finally, "Although it sounds insane to actually ask it."
Seeker looked back from the view of the planet, and stared at him. "Ask the second question" she commanded.
Alaine gulped, and then pressed on "Seeker, can you read minds and send your thoughts?"She regarded him steadily for a few moments "Yes. All of our people learn how to shield our minds, but only a few can sense and send. Hence 'conduits'".
"Have you been reading our minds?"
"Not since making myself one of your crew. It is rude to pry into the mind of a friend without permission."Alaine slumped into the gunner's couch. "So why tell me now?"
"Because you learned enough to ask. That is what I was waiting for."#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
One week later:
Alaine had watched Seeker, and seen how she had interviewed every member of the crew other than the Captain and Engle. About their homeworlds, families, the Trade Board, all sorts of subjects. Even such things as popular music and entertainment.
So he was outside the Captain's cabin now, and knocked. "Come!" came her voice from within.
He opened the door, and stepped in, closing it behind him. "Captain, I have a request."
She waved a hand indicating he should go on.
"I would like permission to go station-side and see if there is a public archive feed."
"You've checked remotely?" was her instant response.
"Yes, Captain! No archive feeds. In fact, Captain, the station-side data feeds are rather sparse."
"They are aren't they? Very well, but take Dyani with you, she's got training in xenosociology."
"Yes Captain!"He found Dyani in the cabin she shared with Sparks. "Dyani, I'm going station-side to try and find a public archive. Captain wants you to come with me."
"That's going to be interesting, Alaine. How are you going to read it?"
That brought him up short "I ... had not thought of that."
"It is still worth having a look. Even kid's picture books can teach you a lot."The station-side guards proved to be perfectly happy to point them in the right direction, and thirty minutes later they were at the public archive. Stepping in, they were greeted by a short middle-aged man in flowing black. "Ah! Our guests!" he exclaimed with a large smile, "What can I do for two traders this day?"
"Uh, hi," Alaine managed, rather overwhelmed by the enthusiastic greeting. "Uh, we were hoping to read up a bit on your history."
"I know just the book for you! It is a popular tale, you know."
"Sorry?"
"You'll see, you'll see!" the archivist said cheerfully, "Just wait here."Now that they had a moment to look around, Dyani and Alaine were again struck by how odd these people were. There were no data systems obvious, just shelves and shelves of paper books.
"Here we go!" the archivist almost boomed as he reappeared, "Just be sure to return it before your departure!" And with that, thrust a book into Alaine's hands, and shooed them both out.
Bound in a vegetable fibre cloth, the book had clearly been read many times. Inside the writing was in Standard on alternate pages, and the local language on the others. Just like the signs. Hopefully it would shed some light on everything.
The first two pages started "Log entry - Scout Lorn aboard Gremlin" followed by a date and the coordinates of this system. The date was over two hundred and fifty years ago. "Initial survey detects no radio transmissions, a chlorophyll biosphere, and no mass hydrocarbon emissions. Closing for mapping survey."
Why had the archivist given them this?
"Alaine?" came a voice. He looked up - it was Dyani.
"Yeah?"
"Why was he dressed the same way as Seeker?"
Alaine did not have an answer. Yet.#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Two hundred and fifty eight years ago:
Lorn had been on this planet "The Mother of All" for two years now. In that time, Finder of Unnoticed Details had made it clear that she found Lorn attractive. And Lorn had not turned down Finder's advances. But even after two years some parts of Finder remained a mystery.
Like yesterday. She had been thinking about making a compound bow to replace her recurve. But that would require pulleys that could stand the wear of the bowstring.
"Finder? Do you know if the Copper Miners know of any harder metals?"
"You mean like a high-carbon steel? Or more like a tungsten alloy? You'd need to talk to one of the Iron Clans for those. " was her reply, leaving her speechless.
This from a society that operated in the mid-Bronze age. Except for their detailed knowledge of microbiology, viruses, and other medical matters.
For now Lorn just stared at Finder's sleeping figure, trying to work out the strange puzzle that was this world. She'd never seen any sign of large settlements, no sign of centres of advanced learning, and yet, they had scientific knowledge that should have been centuries ahead of their level of development.
Finder's hand darted out, and seized Lorn's wrist, startling her out of her thoughts.
"Love, you are thinking too loud. Come, be with me and then sleep. Tomorrow, we shall go on a trip, so you can learn." With a strength that surprised Lorn even after two years, Finder pulled her down, and shortly after rational thought beat a hasty retreat.
Six weeks after:
Lorn gazed at the cliffs on either size of the canyon they were in. They were beautiful, but there was no sign of why Finder had brought her here. Unless ... Lorn tried to focus her mind as Finder had been teaching her, but to no avail.Nothing. She could hide her mind, but had no talent for anything more. However, the attempt had brought something to mind, and she studied the rock faces more closely. There, almost unnoticeable, was a discontinuity. There was something camouflaged here.
"Well spotted, my love" Finder grinned, "Just what I would expect of one who has made exploration her life. Come, let us say hello."
And she led Lorn into the heart of the secret of this world.
Inside those cliffs was, for lack of any other name, a research university. They studied the sciences and engineering, and passed their findings on to a council of the Elders. They assessed each new finding or development, and determined if they were of benefit to the people of the world. And they had discovered so much! Even such things as mechanical flight and all that that required. And chose to simply not. Even so, they kept everything recorded, so that if at some point it was needed, it could be done.
Instead they chose to keep the world as pristine as they could. And so they had vaccines and chemotherapy, but no cities and no pollution.
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Three hours later:
The engineering team had been and gone. The agreed to price was roughly half their cargo, and had been the subject of some of the most intense haggling Alaine had seen the Captain take part in. Indeed, the haggling had taken twice as long as the assessment of the damage.
What was a surprise to everyone was the hyperspace coil replacement. These strange people said they could easily fabricate the replacements. It was just something they chose not to do, usually. They did have a few jump-capable ships, but almost never used them, choosing to keep to themselves.
Then there was Seeker. She had sat in on the briefing and the haggling, but never once spoke a word. Just watched. So Alaine had watched her.
Eventually it was just the two of them in the galley. And she was now watching him.
"How?" Alaine asked after several minutes.
"How what?" Alaine could hear her almost laughing in her reply.
"How did you know so much about us?"
"Ah. That is a question with many answers. Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes! That's why I asked!"
"Even if the answers are uncomfortable?"
"Yes!"
"Alright. Let's start with the simple ones," Seeker paused, "You heard my full name earlier?"
"Err, yes? 'Seeker of Hidden Truths'? Was that it?"
"Exactly. That is not the name I was born with, but it is my adult name. We acquire our names as our nature solidifies."
"So?"
"My nature is to uncover secrets. To find the truth behind things. I saw the way you looked at work teams in their ship suits, and heard your words to your Captain. From that it was easy to deduce your conclusions."
"But how did you know where we were going?"
"Deduction again. Your ship appeared to be running at half power on approach to the station. It is usually the way of your ship builders to match the reaction drive to the hyperspace engine, so I worked out where you had likely come from, and your likely destination based on the likely range of your engines."
"So it was all deduction?" Alaine asked after digesting Seeker's explanation.
"You heard what my great-grandmother said? About untruths?"
"Uh, that your people don't like them?""That we despise them. This does not mean that we cannot use them, and do, but they are a sign of poor character."
"What does that have to do with my question?"
"Everything. For while we despise an untruth, we are perfectly happy with a partial truth."
"So there is something else."
"But I am not going to tell you. Not yet."
"Why not?"
Seeker leaned forward "Because we will need to know each other much better first. Now, tell me of your home, your family."
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
Now:
Seeker of Hidden Truths looked over the crew of the Athena again, sensing their confusion, and then looked up at the council.
"They are traders. Honest in their dealings. They planned a shortcut to Ikrundi. They suspect the raiders were rival traders, or sent by the same."
Alaine stared at the young woman, how did she know all this? He glanced at the Captain. She looked just as shocked and confused.
"And us?" one of the men on the Council asked.
"They know nothing. Some believe we are a secret division of their Scouts," Seeker paused and grinned, "On account of the shipsuit designs."
"Which they now know to be not the case, Seeker."
"Elder, they would know soon enough anyway" Seeker's voice sounded defensive.
A different person spoke up, a woman this time, "Complex Tunnels, you know that this would be the case. No need to admonish Seeker. Especially not in front of visitors. What is your determination, Seeker?"
"I think we should repair their ship, for a fair price, and allow them to trade. "
Alaine was running out of amazement - they were just going to let them go?
She continued "However," Alaine's relief collapsed, "the Scouts have left us even more alone, now that we can defend ourselves. We need news of the wider universe."
The old woman's voice sounded amused as it asked "And your solution?"
"We require them to return at least twice in a standard year. And one of us should travel with them, to represent our interests."
The old man, Complex Tunnels, broke in "Ha! The fruit does not fall far from the tree, does it now, Joy? Now, my fellow councillors - do we agree with this course, that young Seeker has set?"
There was a pause, and Joy spoke again "We are agreed. You intend to be that representative, Seeker?"
"Yes, Elder."
"I see I owe Complex Tunnels a brace of pack horses. Very well. Captain?"
"Yes?"
"Seeker will escort you and your crew back to your ship, and we will send an engineering team to quote. We do not use your credit system, so you will have to barter from your cargo to pay."
"Do we get any say in this?" the Captain asked.
"To be frank, Captain, no. You trespassed on our system, albeit without knowledge of us. You know this to be fair."
"It would have been nice to have the illusion of choice, at least," she grumbled.
"Oh, Captain!" Joy laughed "We despise untruth here. However, I invite you and your First Mate to join my family for dinner tonight. I think you and Charlie will get on marvellously. Seeker will mess with your crew, they will need to get to know one another before you depart."
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
-
A work in progress - the Athena after being hit by pirates.
-
Two days ago:
The watch officer saw a blip towards the outer system, near the further gas giant.
A tiny ripple in gravity.
She thumbed a button on the laser link to the station above Mother of All "Command? Watch station three. I have a jump signature near Smithy. Coordinates follow." It was not unheard of for ships to visit, but Scouts always jumped in much closer. This was something else. The Patrol would look into it.
She went back to her duties.
----
Seeker of Hidden Truths sat in the command seat for Divessen Station. The only reason she was seated here was because all the command staff were in a briefing with the Council.
Many, many years ago her ancestor had met and bonded with a Scout whose ship had been destroyed by the raiders that had plagued their planet. That had led to the destruction of the raiders, and a vague alliance with the Scouts.
Sixty years ago, her great-grandmother had left to join the Scouts. Her return saw the building of the station, the establishment of the Patrol, and much more.
Now, she served as an apprentice. But, when no-one else was available...
A message came in - an arriving ship, near the gas giant Smithy. That was the behaviour of either someone taking a shortcut, in which case no harm, or a raider. And for them they had a special welcome.
"Findottier, this is Command. Jump sign at these coordinates. Monitor and investigate under stealth if no departure in eight hours" she transmitted to the newest of their patrol boats.
Seeker then sent a copy of the information and the orders to the Council.
---
An hour later she was summoned to Council. She walked in, and bowed to the elders. "I am Seeker of Hidden Truths, I come as summoned."
"You have done well, Seeker" came a familiar voice from the assembled Elders. It was her great-grandmother! "We have determined that you are to maintain command of this situation until it is resolved. Do you accept this commission?"
Seeker took a moment to find her voice "I ... I accept the Council's commission."
"Very good. Remember that even in command, you are not alone."
"Thank-you, Elder."
"To your duties, Seeker"
And with that, she almost ran back to the command centre.
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
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@Unixbigot
The hashtag #ShamanSpace will get you the current story.
And https://rdmasters.lympago.com/p/microfic-and-tootfic-list.html has the two earlier stories #ScoutAndShaman and #ShamanScout listed.I will add links for Shaman Space to the listing page soonish.
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---- Part 2 -----
The crew of the Athena assembled at the airlock that mated with the station. Another oddity - the fittings had been completely standard.The Captain ran the checks. "Sparks, confirm?"
Sparks re-ran the checks "Confirm, seals good, pressure good, no contaminates."
With that the Captain opened the locks. Beyond their airlock was a second one - the station-side one, with the outer door already open. As they watched, the inner door opened, forming a short corridor between the station and the ship. The Captain led the way.
They emerged into a wide concourse, much like any other orbital station. There were two armed guards. Armed with holstered pistols of some kind - and alarmingly sharp looking pole-arms in their hands. They nodded to the Captain, and stepped back, revealing a young woman dressed in flowing black.
She looked them over and then spoke, her voice unexpectedly musical and resonate - like a deep bell sounding in the distance "I am Seeker of Hidden Truths. I will escort you to the Council. Follow me."
Alaine watched her as they followed. She would be around his age he guessed. Odd for them to send someone so junior to escort them. Also odd was that the two guards did not follow, but stayed at the airlock, which they had closed.
They passed several groups along the way - all oddly quiet. All looked at them curiously as they passed, but made no comment. Alaine was starting to feel just a little creeped out. The whole place was eerily quiet. The crew was keeping quiet in turn. The Captain would speak for them.
And everywhere, everything was so ... normal. Hatches looked completely standard, signage was dual language, in both what was presumably the native tongue and in Standard, just like any other station. Even the clothes looked familiar. They looked like ... Alaine gave voice to his realisation "Captain, those clothes..."
"Aye, hush now."
So she had noticed as well. Everyone other than their guide were wearing clothes that looked worryingly like Scout uniforms. Had they stumbled upon a top-secret Scout base?Seeker took them through an ornate door into a large room, with dozens of people seated in stepped rows, like an auditorium. "I have brought the crew of the Athena before the Council" she announced.
One of the seated figures asked "How do you find them?"
"What?!" Alaine wondered - they had not exchanged a single word since leaving the concourse, how could they have any sort of verdict? He looked around, and the rest of the crew looked just as confused and worried.
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
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Now:
Under the watchful gaze of the patrol ship, Athena docked with the orbital spaceport above the fourth planet.
By this stage they had a full accounting of the damage. Number 2 turret had a jammed canister in the launcher, the tiny 6-seat launch had a score of shrapnel holes in the hull, there were gaping holes in both the cargo hold and the engine room. Two reactors were inoperative. One of the reaction drives was wrecked, and the hyperspace jump coils had been mangled.
The only miracle was that the actual cargo appeared undamaged.
As they had approached, it became clear that this was in no way an uninhabited system. The space dock had an almost constant stream of craft of all sizes coming and going. What their equipment did not show was any sign of ships making the jump to hyperspace, and the distinctive gravitational ripple it caused.
"All hands secure stations" the all-crew channel crackled.
Then on Alaine's private channel "Alaine to the bridge." That was the Captain.
"Aye, Captain!" was his prompt response.When he arrived, the Captain pointed to his PDU. "You've seen the damage assessment?"
"Yes Captain!"
"If your family's yard had us in, how long to fix it?"
"At a rough guess, a couple of months."
"And here?"
"I don't know. I've seen the report that no jump traces have been seen. If they don't have that, we could be here a very long time."
"And yet they speak our language, and have our frequencies."Alaine was about to reply, when the ship's radio crackled to life again "Heavy Trader Athena, this is Divesen Station Control. You are ordered to present all able-bodied crew to the Station Council. If you have non-ambulant crew, they will be attended by our medical teams. Your ship will be held under seal until you return from your meeting with the Council."
"That did not sound friendly," Alaine observed.
The Captain grimaced "No, but by the same token, it was not unfriendly, either. At the very least they are offering medical aid. Not that we need it."
"But Captain, all of us?"
"You know the first rule, Alaine?"
"Local customs must be observed."
"And now we have to learn them."--------- End Part One -------
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
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@asakiyume
Correct! #ShamanSpace for this story, #ScoutAndShaman for the first in the series, and #ShamanScout for the second.
All three happen in different time periods. -
@rdm This is great! Went back to catch other episodes in the story. Is the hashtag #ShamanSpace the one I should follow to be sure not to miss other installments?
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One day ago:
The all-ship intercom chimed "All hands, all hands, stand by for re-entry into normal space."
The announcement was an old tradition going back to the first days of hyperspace travel. Alaine was in his bunk, and put down his PDU. While there were a handful of people who reacted badly to the hyperspace transition, most could not even detect that it had taken place. As a result spacers often tried to see if they could tell when the transition took place.A few moments later, the intercom chimed again "We are now in normal space. Resume duties." Alaine had not felt a thing. He shrugged, and looked at the clock. On duty in 30 minutes. He got up, had a wash, and went to the galley.
Dyani the second gunner and sometimes passenger steward looked up from her bowl of spicy soup. He'd tried it once, and it had nearly taken his head off. "Hiya kid. You got your calcs for a gas giant worked?" she asked.
His final assignment the night before had been to work out optimal fuel scooping trajectories for either of the two gas giants in the uninhabited system they were heading for.
In the year that he'd been aboard, his days had been 8 hours work, 8 hours study, and 8 hours sleep. And snatching the odd bite on the fly. But that was what it took if he was going to pass any exams when they next hit a Board testing centre.
"Yes, Ma'am" as a junior, everyone was "Sir" or "Ma'am" to him. Or "Captain".
"Good. Eat, and run it by Suri."
"Yes, Ma'am." And he got himself a small bowl of dried fruits, nuts, and flakes of grain. He had no idea what any of them were, but they combined to make something that was almost familiar.He was just finishing his breakfast, when the lights went red. "All hands, all hands, we are being painted with a targeting radar. Suit up, and prepare to take fire."
Pirates? Here? Why would they be hanging around in an uninhabited system? Then Alaine realized. Someone at the last port had figured out what they were probably going to do, and had arrived to lay in wait for them.
He suited up, and went aft. Sparks the engineer was waiting for him. "OK, kid. We check the gauges, run the diagnostics, and then come back to the airlock. They'll probably target the engine room first, so we don't want to be in there if it gets hit."
"Yes Ma'am!"He could feel the two turrets firing off chaff and pebble canisters.
The two of them completed the checks, and reported to the bridge that all was good. Then they retreated to the airlock, and closed both doors.
Several minutes passed.
Then the explosions started.
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
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Now:
By the time the mystery patrol ship Findottier was in visual range, Sparks and Alaine had got the deck gravitics up and running - not perfectly, but good enough for the ship to run at 1G and for the floor to be the floor.
The bridge sent an image of it to all the displays aboard, in case anyone recognized the class. It was certainly unusual.
Unlike themselves and all the common classes of ships, this ship did not have any visible turrets. Instead it appeared to have missile tubes along its sides, like an ancient sailing ship. And there were no visible laser mounts at all.
"Well, Alaine, you grew up around a shipyard, ever see anything like that?" Sparks asked.
Alaine studied the wedge shaped craft. "In layout it sort of reminds me of a Scout, but much, much bigger. And I've never seen a weapon setup like that before. I wonder where they - oh, look!" He pointed at some barely visible patches on the hull. "The laser mounts must retract!"
The Captain's voice came over the radio "All hands, make secure. We are instructed to make our way to the fourth planet, which appears to be the primary. There is a space dock and repair facility there. ETA 22 hours." Then, on the engineering channel "Alaine, if Sparks can spare you, please assist Engle and Yaani in assessing damage to the cargo."
"Yes, Captain!"Five hours later Alaine was exhausted - he, like the rest of the crew had been up for over a day. Engle, the First Mate, had sent him off to eat, and to get a few hours sleep.
It took him some time to get to sleep, despite his exhaustion. But once there, he slept hard. Eventually he awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. Six hours sleep.
"Alaine?" It was Yaani.
"Mm, yeah?" he still wasn't completely awake.
"Captain wants you on bridge. You're backing Grendel as co-pilot."
"Grendel? Isn't she on guns?"
"She's got an in-system licence. You're to back her up."
"Right." Alaine shook himself awake, pulled on a new skinsuit, and put his pressure suit on over it, helmet folded back.He stopped by the little galley and made himself a drink to take with him. The rich, slightly sweet aroma filled the tiny space. He made one for Grendel as well, adding a pinch of spices, as was her preference. Capping the mugs, he entered the bridge. He could see Suri and the Captain standing, waiting and Grendel in the pilot's seat. "Good, you're here Alaine. Take your place."
"Yes, Captain. I have co-pilot."
"Very good. Grendel?"
"I have the con."
"You have the con. Buzz my cabin when we are one hour out."
"Acknowledged."Alaine handed Grendel the drink he'd prepared.
"Thanks, Alaine. You'll see multiple incoming ships on the display. Our new friend says they are the local search and rescue teams, checking for survivors from the pirate ship."
"After it got nuked?"
"They say they have to check."
(reposted into thread)
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace
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One week ago:
Alaine was on the bridge, shadowing Suri the navigator. She was only a couple of years older than him, but still called him "kid" like everyone else aboard.
"OK kid. Let's see your plan" she held out her hand for his PDU.
He handed it over asking "Why head for an uninhabited system, though?"
"There's a good market for the fabrication units just beyond. We could stop off at a couple of other planets first, but if we take the short-cut, we can arrive in time for a big industrial fair at their capital."
"So we stop off once, refuel from an iceball or gas giant, and carry on."
"Yep. OK, look at my calculations now" Suri pointed at her screen."I think I must be getting the hang of astrogation. That looks identical to mine!" Alaine exclaimed excitedly.
"Not so fast kid" the screen changed "This is the calculation I did last night."
"Wait, so what was the other one?"
"That was what I thought you'd do."
Alaine's face fell "I'm not getting it am I?"
Suri grinned "It isn't too bad, kid. You made the same mistake I would have made two years ago. Wencell, the navigator before me pulled the same trick on me. Off you go, and compare the two. Tell me where you went wrong over dinner."
"Yes Ma'am."Alaine went back to the cabin he shared with the other spacehand, Yaani, and sat at the desk, going over the calculations. After about half an hour he found his error - he'd gotten the mass wrong for one of the outer planets. A minor error, but one that would have placed them light-weeks away from their intended destination. Not a fatal error, but it would have cost them most of the time they were trying to save.
Yaani came in, all 80 kilograms and 110cm of them. Yaani could also bench over 400kg, having come from a high-G world. "Whatcha got there, kid?"
"Suri's nav calcs for the next jump. I was shadowing her."
"She put up what she thought you'd do?"
"Yeah. I'm to tell her where I went wrong at dinner."
"You got an answer for her?"
"Yep."
"Good on ya. It took me nearly a week when she did that to me. I just ain't got the head for astrogation."
That made Alaine feel a little better. Mind you, Yaani had an almost instinctive sense for cargo packing, and was usually working with Engle, who acted as the Load Master.He wrote up his error in detail, ready for dinner.
(reposted into thread)
#SFF #SF #SciFi #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #ShamanSpace