A Story in Orbit [open]

[O'oru!uu]

Outer space was dark, bar pinpricks of light from distant stars, and the Sun itself hovered a long, cold distance away. The familiar star perched on the edge of Saturn's ring, which cut a colorful swath through the sky. As time passed, the orbiting space dust slowly moved upward and blotted out the light. The silhouette of a whale became clear against the ring. It wafted its tail up and down. It was joined by less opaque members of its pod, until the stripes of Saturn became mingled with whale-ish shapes, all coexisting while seeming to be from different worlds.

Sound does not travel through space, but the whalesong hummed, as it hit the delicate frequency between 'radiowave' and 'human psyche.' Each note carried for minutes, if not hours, and a long, slow message stated something about being friendly, and how they had an ambassador they wanted to extend to the Saturnian people. She was small and she could speak Human. There was more to the message, but the whales hadn't wrapped up the harmonies on the first part after about one Saturnian day had passed.

There was no telling who had heard the whalesong, because outer space was huge, and dark, and the wavelengths of the whale messages covered a surprisingly broad range of possible ears.

(ooc: Ask to join! :D)

[Lilavati Saadhanasama]

The captain of the Prasaada found himself dealing with a plethora of mixed feelings about this mission.  On one hand, he was honored to have such illustrious guests aboard, when they could have chosen any other ship, maybe one with more luxurious quarters or newer engines.  On the other, he always found himself with a certain degree of skepticism when it came to the mystics.  It seemed to him like their predictions were so cryptic they could apply to anything, and you could easily find yourself chasing spectres in the marshes.

As captain, he was privy to the prediction of the royal mystics that had sent him on this assignment:  “Others older and wiser wait for us in the black, at the golden face of the rings.” Combined with additional visions that put his ship in this very section of space at the exact moment of the mystics’ specifications, it made him a shoo-in.  The crew would definitely appreciate the bonus that would be coming their way.

He walked up to the observation deck, a great transparent half dome that he frequently used when entertaining tourists.  Today there was only one occupant, a slight woman with an excessive amount of modesty, given the degree to which she covered her body.  That was the sort of thing that got someone run over on the land, without your henna visible to alert others to your presence in the darkness.  She turned when she heard his footsteps on the deck, and smiled.  He found he couldn’t help but smile back in return.

“We’re coming up on the coordinates, miss,” he said, “Any idea when we might see something exciting happen?”

“None whatsoever!” she chirped, “but I’m sure it won’t be long.  And please, do call me Kalpani.  Things like ‘miss’ and ‘ma’am’ are much too formal for me.”

The captain rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture he did when he was anxious.  His first mate frequently teased that if he wasn’t careful, he’d erode the skin back there clean away.  “Well, it’s kinda hard not to, not when you’re talking to the official royal representative.”

“Oh, no, I’m nothing quite so ranked,” Kalpani replied, “I’m a humble explorer.  I was merely recommended by the princess as a...scout of sorts, I suppose.  You know, see what I can see, do what I can, report back, that sort of thing.”

He stared out at the blackness, lit up by a distant sun and framed by the planets’ rings as they lazily rose into view.  “What do you think’s out here?  We might be coming up on a vast amount of nothing.”

She adjusted a fold of her dress.  “It’s possible.  But I think the mystics were amazingly clear this time around.  Not a whole lot in the way of double meaning.  It’s like they were being dictated to.”

There was a summoning beep as the observation deck’s communication line opened.  The captain strode over and tapped the panel.  “Yeah?  What is it?”

“Captain!  I’m detecting life signs off the port bow!”

[Lojze Tzifira-Ortzi]

"Life signs?"

The tall, lean figure that entered the observation deck was decidedly non-Saturnian. In fact, the only reason she had managed to get on board was the mystics' pronouncement that "A LADY OF THE GEARS" would play a role in the mission. And who was a better manifestation of that portent than the Princess of Uranus herself?

Lojze had been exploring the ship since weaseling her way on board and bullying the captain into giving her a guided tour (taking copious notes on the engines and construction and whatever else she came across that looked useful and interesting and engines). She ignored the polite but pained glance he gave her now; it was no worse than the looks the rest of the crew and the other distinguished visitors had been giving her. One could never say that Iphigenia Alojiza Nephele Tzifira-Ortzi didn't stand out in a crowd, even in her "gentleman adventurer" drag. The intricate gears they had painted on her face in the curious bioluminescent henna they used only made her stand out more -- and justified her presence here. Oh, mystics.

Crossing the observation deck, she came to stand next to the smaller Saturnian lady. It was by sheer good fortune she had been on a diplomatic visit in her role as Plenipotentiary of the Aetherium, and that Uranus and Saturn had strong, cordial relations. It also helped that she was rather fond of the Heir, finding her quite the adorable little thing.

And inquisitive and sneaky, much like herself.

"I say, they seem to have spotted something," Lojze observed under her breath with the faintest of wry smiles. "Perhaps you shall have your adventure after all."

[O'oru!uu]

An unwatched radar screen blipped dozens of tiny green dots. The dots inexplicably formed into the shape of a whale. The whale appeared to be crudely animated. Its tail went up and down with each sweep of the pointer.

[Lilavati Saadhanasama]

Kalpani smiled at the tall Uranian, her expression shy and secretive.  It was privileged information to know Kalpani’s true identity, and Lojze was one of the select few.  “I hope so!” she said, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement.  “Just think, there might be something out here, waiting for us.”

The captain turned from the communications panel.  “They’re very strange readings.  It may just be an instrument error,” he assured them, “but we’ll know for sure soon enough.  If you’ll excuse me, ladies, I should get to the bridge.”  He strode back towards the stairs that led into the ship proper.  “Feel free to stay here and enjoy the view.”

If it was a thinly veiled attempt to keep the two travelers out of the way, it didn’t work very well, as they followed him back towards the bridge without a moment’s hesitation.

“Maybe these are the ‘others’!” Kalpani said to Lojze, “They must be truly unique if they can contact the mystics like they did.”

“It may still be an error,” the captain interjected, “Because if it were right, they’d have to be very good at holding their breath.  We’re detecting them right outside.  Not only that, but there are no other ships in the area.”

[Lojze Tzifira-Ortzi]

"Curious." Taking out her cigarette holder, Lojze plugged a vapour stick into it. "One would think we would have seen them from the observation deck if they are that close." She stuck the holder between her teeth and strode past the captain to the bridge's bank of radar screens. "It could be an experimental craft employing some sort of scatter cloaking device. They often do test new technology out this way without advising anyone, after all." She added a mental BLOODY ROTTEN RAT BASTARDS, WHY WAS I NOT KEPT IN THE LOOP THIS TIME. There will be WORDS. "Or it could indeed be a glitch," she continued, glancing at Kalpani. "Or your prophesied 'others'."

An eyebrow went up as one scope in particular caught her attention. "Hello. I have never seen a radar signature do that before..."

[O'oru!uu]

Two cadets on the view-deck pondered what appeared to be an extra moon in Saturn's orbit. It was blood red, and appeared to be coated in dimpled metal. They proposed explanations to each other, from optical illusion, to hallucination to a spot on the windshield, and they also shot down each of their proposals, one by one.

Then, like invisible fingers nudging the fabric of space down, the orb vanished for a moment, before reappearing in the same manner.

"Captain! That's no moon!

"It's an eyeball!"

[Lilavati Saadhanasama]

Kalpani had to skirt her gaze around Lojze’s arm, being a bit too short to properly peer over her shoulder, in order to see what had the cadets in a flurry.  She let out a surprised squeak at the sight of the eyeball peacefully floating in space.  Her shock turned to delight as the eye casually glided out of sight, space rippling ever so slightly around it.

She practically leapt up to where the two cadets were sitting, ignoring their surprised protests as she pressed her face as close to the glass as she could, looking down into the blackness of space.  “No wonder we couldn’t see them!” she exclaimed, breaking out into a huge smile, “They were right below us!”

[Lojze Tzifira-Ortzi]

Lojze followed Kalpani onto the view-deck and peered out the window. She had seen the eyeball too. "I stand corrected." When those mystics got it right, they didn't mess about. She'd never been one to believe in such things; now she wasn't so sure. "What manner of behemoth was that? Was it a ship, or a beast of some kind?"

She rather fervently hoped it was the former. The latter was inconceivable.

[O'oru!uu]

The hum that filled the air could not be described as a noise. It was more of a presence. Outside the window, forms overlapped one another, softly swaying lines abstract until they would suddenly resemble a fluke, fin, or belly, and then they would swirl away as the pod meandered. Colors appeared, too, in great round eyes, or flickering across skin.

A single star swooped under the rings of Saturn, a slow spin to its movements, and as it approached the view deck, its tail and body took shape. The star was a tiny space whale, whose skin was so golden that it reflected the distant sun fiercely. The eyes of the small space whale were awhirl with colors. Whatever the grand intentions of the interplanetary creatures, the calf was clearly approaching the ship.

[Lilavati Saadhanasama]

Kalpani continued to press her face to the glass, as if she wanted to jump out into space and join them.  "They're beautiful," she breathed, "I've never seen them this close!"

"But what are they?" one of the cadets asked, frozen in place at his controls.

"Don't tell me you've never seen a space whale, kid," the captain said incredulously.

"Well, no--" the cadet stuttered.

The captain waved him off.  "Don't worry about it.  You can call yourself a sailor now, at least.  All proper sailors have encountered space whales.  Not really dangerous, unless you get under one of them flukes.  But our guest's got a point.  They never come this close to the planet, not unless someone's riding them.  Usually they hang around the outer moons and keep to themselves."

"Maybe they're the ones that sent the message!" Kalpani said excitedly.

The captain snorted.   "Possibly, but I doubt it.  It's not like they've ever shown any particular interest towards us, assuming they're even intelligent."

"But what if they are?"  she turned to Lojze, her face beaming.  "Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

[Lojze Tzifira-Ortzi]

"It would be positively fantastic," Lojze replied. And by fantastic she meant so far beyond anything she knew that it went right into the realm of the impossible. She stared out the window at the small golden whale nearing the ship, her mind awhirl as she thought how to parlay this into some sort of benefit to Uranus. And by benefit she meant how useful would an intelligent space-faring species be for the Raiders.

She kept those thoughts in the back of her mind for now; this was not the time. Best to play her role as "Lady of the Gears" and see what transpired from this strange encounter.

[Lilavati Saadhanasama]

"Reduce the engine output to 50 percent," the captain commanded, "let's try to avoid startling them for the time being.  Keep her nice and smooth."

Kalpani, in the meantime, remained fixated on the window, her eyes wide with wonder as the calf continued to approach the ship, golden in the darkness.  "Hey, its mouth is opening!" she declared, "Maybe it's trying to feed--"

Her jaw dropped in utter surprise as the calf got even closer.  "Is that--is that a girl in its mouth?"

[O'oru!uu]

"Eeuuuuorrrrrruuuooo?" said the little whale, mouth opened more widely.

Its nose reached the window, then went past the window. That was followed by its wee flippers and, finally, its shining flukes. The baby whale was small for a whale, but still longer than a human was tall. It hovered on the ship's deck, as real and tangible as any of the ship's crew or passengers, but the window completely unharmed behind it.

The girl curled up inside of the whale's mouth unfolded herself and rose, kneeling on its tongue. She was covered in rags that flickered with aurora-like flame.

"Wooooaaaauuuhhhrrrraaaaauuuuuooooooooeeeiiiiuuu!" proclaimed the girl from the baby space whale's mouth.

[Lilavati Saadhanasama]

The entire crew of the Prasaada, honored passengers included, stared.

“Did...did that girl just speak...whale at us?” one of the cadets asked, his voice incredulous.

“Don’t be marsh-addled,” the captain replied, “Space whales sing, but they sure don’t have their own language.”

“But...she did speak!” Kalpani exclaimed, “I mean, I don’t know what she said, but she must have been saying something.  She was saying something at us!  She’s a girl, with wild space whales, saying something to us!  They have to be the ones that sent the message!  Oh, this is so exciting!”

“Okay, so they’ve gotten in contact with us.  But how do we get in contact with them?” one of the other cadets asked, folding his arms over his chest.

“Um.”  Kalpani considered a moment or two, then stared out the window again.  Her gaze intense, she began waving her arms wildly, her attempts to somehow signal the girl outside so energetic that she hopped a little with each wave.