“Let’s Wrangle That Comet: our journey has finally begun.”
Kyrie Lastgear might have fallen in love with Dr. Miracle if the mysterious entity had possessed a physical body. What a fantastic display of pyrotechnics! What a stunning mastery of ferocious heat and searing flames! Miracle had been the living embodiment of fire, and Kyrie had been the only one to embrace and accept the holocaust. What a pity that Miracle was so secluded and domineering! Nobody else had stricken so much wonder and hunger in Kyrie’s heart; she yearned to find out just who or what this phantasm was, and how she could imitate them. For the time being, though, she bathed in the serenity of her room, lighting candles everywhere so she could be surrounded by her element. She had to wonder just how much arson she could get away with before Miracle kicked her off the ship!
Best to put her skills to practical use. In spite of her burning passion, Kyrie was an inventor and a scientist first and foremost, and although wanton destruction gave her a thrill, nothing good ever came out of it in the long run. The Dauntless was currently on the outer fringes of the Strategos system, appearing to wander aimlessly through the vast ocean of stars. Kyrie was curious about the ship’s propulsion system and wondered just how Miracle proposed they explore the galaxy so speedily. It had been six centuries since the people of Helios 3 first broke the virginity of the heavens and a lot of advancements in space travel had been made since then, but few reasonable people could honestly say they could explore the galaxy at will with any sort of haste (the Ozmund Company being one of the elect).
Kyrie abandoned her fiery sanctuary and explored the ship in search of answers. It was homier than she expected; it didn’t have the sterilized feel of military ships or the dull monotony of commercial liners. Every square meter seemed custom-made to suit whatever taste the passenger had. Indeed, it seemed as if the ship molded itself just for Kyrie’s sake, like it had been designed, constructed, and brought all the way here just for her. The walls were flickering with red, orange, and yellow, and they were warm to the touch; the floor waved with happy heat; the ceiling dripped embers. She blinked her eyes and rubbed her face, and the Dauntless was the Dauntless again, no longer a paradise. Was this happening to everyone else, or was Kyrie just special? She pressed on, more amazed with every step.
She learned, by degrees, that the Dauntless had eighty guest rooms, with a furnished bathroom, closet, and personal area for every passenger (although some had already chosen roommates). There were also five public baths: two open shower areas, a sauna, a large “open ceiling” hot spring that allowed the bathers to look up into the heavens, and even a “cold” bath for variety (Kyrie preferred molten lava). There was a gymnasium fully-stocked with every conceivable method of exercise, a training room, a fully-equipped laboratory, a data library meticulously compiled, three entertainment rooms, a kitchen, a dining-room, twenty storage rooms, a clinic, a garage, a communications room, the general assembly room, a computer room, and even a room just for people who wanted to relax in the company of others. Most of these spaces were already occupied, but Kyrie wasn’t interested in them yet: she wanted to see the engine room.
She figured the best person to ask would be Amy, the doctor’s assistant. She had been searching for the unassuming woman ever since leaving her room, but she had played a vanishing trick and was nowhere to be found. Kyrie then tried finding the engine on her own, to no avail—but she gradually began to understand the layout of the ship, and even learned that its surrealistic surroundings was not an experience for her eyes only.
“You must really like fire,” Shana giggled when Kyrie explained it to her. She pressed her hand against the wall, caressed it, then leaned her cheek against it. “Sometimes I see images that are too beautiful for words. I can’t seem to paint them, though. It’s not that I keep forgetting them, or that I’m unable to do the pictures any justice, it’s just…I get the feeling I’ll kill it if I paint what I see here. It’s different from drawing people or other locations—you’re complimenting those facets of your life by reproducing them according to your perspective.”
“So maybe what you’re seeing here,” Kyrie said, knocking against the wall, “is a perspective meant only for you, just as I’m seeing the fire.”
“You’re probably right,” Shana said. She moved away from the wall and closed her eyes. “So it’s just for me. I almost feel unworthy, and yet…whenever I want to, the ship will show me exactly what I love, and only me. It must not want me to feel remorseful about this honor.”
“So maybe everyone else is the same,” Kyrie mused. It was certainly something to think about at the very least. The Dauntless reformed itself into whatever the individual desired, lulling them into comfort, all for the sake of their enjoyment. It was clear this ship had been made in another galaxy—maybe even another universe—but how did it get here, and more importantly, how did it run?! Kyrie picked up the pace and resumed her search, but when lunch came, she was no closer to her destination. She realized she would have to ask Dr. Miracle or Amy, and went to the dining room in the hopes that they would be here (but why should anyone else’s stomach groan in synch with hers?).
Neither of them were in sight—Miracle stood out like the sun and Amy was easily identified by her ubiquitous cane—but she did see Herut and Eve talking shop together, and if memory served correctly, these two were particularly good at repairing and modifying machines. She approached them politely and sat down, but Eve raised her guard and became shy. She was far more comfortable around machines, and although Herut was not entirely mechanical, she was as close as they got.
“Sorry, am I…interrupting anything?” Kyrie said.
“We’re just sharing information,” Herut replied, a vague smile still on her mouth. She had quickly made friends with Eve and looked up to her as a superior mechanic.
“Oh. I was just wondering about the engine, and I thought you two—“
“Don’t even think about burning it down,” Eve warned her bluntly. “I’ve got a good deal going here and I don’t need a destructive maniac ruining it.”
“Look, whatever Yenae told you isn’t true!” Kyrie squealed. “I may be a pyro, but I’m not reckless! I just like to light the occasional fire. I’m actually from a renowned family of inventors!”
“Oh yeah, that’s right,” Eve mumbled: “the Lastgears. Yeah, I’ve heard of you. Okay, I guess I understand why you’d want to check out the engine.” Kyrie nodded eagerly.
“Ahuh, ahuh! I’d love to see the propulsion schematics. Judging from our current speed, we must be using a sub-Lennethium drive, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we could go full throttle.”
“That’s what we surmised as well,” Herut said. “However, we’ve been unable to verify this, since the engine room remains elusive.”
“I know, I’ve been looking for hours.”
“But you can’t complain about the ambiance,” Eve indicated with a grin. When she explored the ship, she had seen the interior of countless devices on the walls—their workings, their designs, the process to build them from scratch… Herut’s perspective was nearly identical, except that she saw things from a more practical point of view and Eve had a more artistic eye. One saw machines as a function, the other saw them as fashion; no wonder they were already friends.
“I know, it’s almost eerie. Anyway, I hope we find the engine room soon.” Herut suddenly jerked her head around and raised her middle finger. Chandra was standing across the dining room, making ugly faces at Herut, praying and hoping that she would leave the room quickly.
“I’m outta here,” she stated, leaving the rest of her meager meal (artificial humans do not require the amounts of food normal humans need). She scampered out the door in two seconds, presumably to renew her search for the engine, leaving Chandra alone with her prey. She sat down, coldly dumped the rest of Herut’s food, and sidled up next to Eve, who couldn’t help but stiffen.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Eve dear,” she whispered seductively, “but I heard you’re fond of machines. I don’t know why, but I think that’s really sexy—maybe it’s because I belong to that little family.”
“O-oh yeah? W-well how about th-that.” Chandra giggled and trailed her silky hand against Eve’s jaw; their eyes locked and her breath became shallow. Since she was so unaccustomed to other people, Eve’s sexual experiences were very limited. She was not a virgin, but one could not say she was very experienced, either. And Chandra was by far the most beautiful woman she had ever met. Kyrie’s skin was already red, so she couldn’t really blush, but she could certainly feel awkward.
“Uhh…should I leave you two alone?”
“No, don’t go!” Chandra exclaimed, reaching out to grasp her arm. Her eyes sparkled with virginal desire, glowing green and lush and bursting with life. “You’re so beautiful…your red skin is so pretty…and you have the wings of an angel. Please don’t go.” Kyrie hesitated for a few moments as she was drawn into that hypnotic stare, and only just managed to escape.
“I’m sorry! I have to! Sorry, Evie!” She sprinted away and returned to her room, breathing heavily as the candles slowly massaged her nerves. Kyrie had not been a crewmember long, so she didn’t know who everyone was or what their abilities were—and thus, she didn’t know that Chandra had been designed specifically for sexual gratification—but she swore she would not be ignorant long. And the first step out of ignorance, her dear mother had told her, is the desire of knowledge.
“First the engine room, then that woman,” she promised herself.
……
Aseria was perhaps the only person onboard that had a prior connection to Dr. Miracle (her half-sister Aria apparently knew and trusted the enigmatic apparition), so Kyrie went to her next and asked her where their patron was. Not even Aseria knew, but she did know where Miracle’s assistant was. Amy was reading quietly in her room and welcomed Kyrie very eagerly. She already knew about the Lastgear lust for creation, and had actually wanted to place her in charge of the engine. She was in no condition to walk, however, since the pain was stabbing her sharply that day, but she did have enough energy to explain how the Dauntless worked.
“As you’ve guessed, Lennethium is one of its energy sources, but the doctor doesn’t use that unless it’s necessary. Instead, the ship relies on a combination of matter fusion, dark matter—a bit of Lennethium—and teleportation, courtesy of Dr. Miracle. Matter fusion is basically the process of breaking down waste and refuse and using it as energy. In other words, the trash you throw out contributes to our power. Dark matter, on the other hand, is basically the energy produced by the heavens themselves. The Dauntless can absorb this energy into itself and store it as fuel. Lennethium, as you no doubt know, is a rare mineral that can be used to greatly exceed the speed of light. The Ozmund Company grew to power because it discovered a way of synthetically reproducing this material, but Dr. Miracle uses the genuine article.”
“What about teleportation?” Kyrie squealed. She was slavering and almost mad with glee. Not even Chandra could have seduced her like this.
“Well, to put it simply, Miracle uses teleportation to transport one body of matter into an empty space. Take this book: if Miracle moved it over there, it would occupy that empty space, and then the space would then occupy the area previously taken up by the book. Matter can only be moved or changed; Miracle just uses this principle to take the Dauntless to distant places in an instant. Of course, even if an object the size of a pea is already occupying that space, the results could prove quite disastrous. Miracle must be very careful when transporting objects like that…but you don’t have anything to worry about!! My master is very efficient and has not yet made an error. Even so, we only teleport when we need to cross long distances.”
“I see! So can you show me where the engine room is?! Oh, right, I forgot.” She giggled bashfully and pointed to Amy’s foot. Blithe smiled…well, blithely, and waved her hand.
“It’s okay. I can just tell you. Remember the open-ceiling sauna? Starting from there, head to the right and walk all the way down the hall. Take a left, go to the second door on your left, and go down the ladder you’ll find. That will take you to the engine room. Here.” Amy handed Kyrie a key and made her promise to keep it safe. Of course, Kyrie was really more worried about losing her way, but Amy assured her that wouldn’t be a problem.
“After all,” she said gaily, “that’s what we have Lyara Tanith for, right?”
……
Record of the voyage of the “Dauntless” (as composed by Alala)
Day 2 and people have already gotten the wrong impression about me. Except for a small minority, the rest of them treat me like I’m a sex-crazed airhead. I used to be angry at people when they said those things, but I’m older and wiser now. They’ve been corrupted by preconceived notions about the Felinis people, particularly the residents of Tigris. They all assume we are nothing more than “nymphomaniac cat-girls”, and because nobody’s ever enlightened them, they keep perpetuating these ideas. That’s why I’m here—so that somebody can set them straight!! But now I’ve become emotional; I need to approach this rationally. First I have to make a record about the people that have made the largest impressions on me, and go from there. In no particular order…
Kate Shepherd: muscle-bound fighter from Utopia, but she has strong morals. Respects me.
Kay and Tee Acheron: creepy.
Mink: seems emotionally dead, but that blabbermouth master of hers says she just isn’t very expressive. Quite loyal and actually rather nice. I saw her smile at me once! It was so precious!
Athena Sifr: doesn’t seem to like me or anyone else, except Fuuka. VERY hardcore.
Shana Suing: cute and sweet, but treats me like a kitty. A REALLY good artist (but she made me look too cute! ARGH!).
Herut: distant and unsociable, but she wasn’t programmed for interaction.
Fuuka Fujiwara: I can tell she’s a very strong woman despite that frailty. Utterly devoted to Athena (they’re so cute together!). A magnificent doctor, but ironically, not in the best of health herself. Respects me!
Sharyn: can’t understand a word she says. Too self-assured. That little robot of hers is annoying.
Riene Latoli: a very smart woman, but quite bashful around the rest of us. Seems worried about her weight, but I think she has a great figure. Treats me like a kitten (blegh!).
Eve Kasberry: uncomfortable around people. I don’t know much else.
Aseria Tolan: kindhearted, but there’s definitely something twisted about her. Insanely devoted to Lil for some odd reason. Wants to touch my ears (no, stay away!).
Allegra van Landingham: fun, but she’s got a dark side. Treats me like a kitten.
Chandra: STAY AWAY, ALALA! DON’T GO NEAR!
Kyrie Lastgear: a wacky fun-loving girl who unfortunately treats me like a kitten.
Lyara Tanith: has quickly made friends with Shana. Treats me with great respect (yay!).
Lillianne Markus: jackass. Insanely protective of Aseria. Doesn’t like others interacting with her much.
Vimmy Fonester: makes even the most hyperactive Felinis seem meek and timid, but at least she respects me. I don’t see how she and Mink found each other.
Rebecca Hill: a good person but VERY shy, especially when I’m around. I think she’s afraid I’ll jump her in a frenzy.
Naja Elapidae: jerk.
Yenae Marliir: ARGH! She is your number one ENEMY on this ship, Alala! She lives only to make you suffer! EVERYONE ELSE is NICE to you compared to this prankster bitch! SHE NEVER STOPS TEASING ME UNLESS SHE’S ASLEEP! She pulls my tail! She touches my ears! SHE EVEN PINCHED MY CHEEKS and asked if “all the rumors about my species” were true! What makes her think she can treat me like I’m a STEREOTYPE?! I DON’T LIKE THIS WOMAN AT ALL! Ugh, she drives me nuts!! I just wanna smash a cobbler in her face, just once! (Ahem!) I do have to admit that she’s a very good leader, though, but whenever I’m around…
Amy: very sweet. I like her VERY much. She does NOT treat me like a kitten and is probably the last person that ever would. Why can’t everyone else be so nice?
Valti: crazy mad scientist I wouldn’t want to be friends with. Afraid she’ll pull my tail, or worse.
Dr. Miracle: no comment.
Clearly there are some people on this ship I need to make better acquaintance with. Kate, Lyara, Mink, and Fuuka sound like a great start, and I’d also like to get to know Rebecca (how could a bounty hunter be SHY, anyway?). I’m glad I already made one friend so quickly…and maybe if things keep up, Amy and I could go to the next level. I know I’m being hypocritical when I say that (I mean, c’mon, I’m preaching about being avant-garde, but I also have my urges), but she’s such a great woman! I just wish I could do something to help her foot. Fuuka is the best doctor I have ever seen (and I’ve seen some excellent doctors), but even she can’t seem to fix it. I want to ask her about it, but I don’t want to pry.
That Yenae gave me a ball of yarn to play with, so I just threw it at her head! But I kind of wanted it, too—not to play with, of course! I mean, that’s just childish! I’ll make a nice scarf for Amy—just as soon as I learn how to knit! I’ve got nothing but time on this ship since we don’t seem to have any particular destination, so maybe it’s time I picked up a hobby.
Damn it, now she gave me a glass of milk! I wanted to splash it right in her face, but mama told me NEVER waste anything. I drank it once she was out of sight. I guess it tasted okay.
WHO AM I KIDDING?! BEST MILK EVER!!
I hate that woman. –Alala
……
As she completed her diagnostic of the ship’s crew, Alala emerged from her room and made her way to Amy’s quarters. She tried not to stare at her surroundings, and if she did, she pushed her desires away and willed for the ship to present itself in its true form. Admittedly this was a duller image, but it didn’t distract her from her goal. Alala’s whitish ears perked up as she saw Fuuka walking ahead of her, heading for Amy’s room, and she hurried her pace to catch up. The woman smiled at her softly and nodded her head.
“Hello. Are you well today?” Alala nodded proudly and flexed her arms.
“Yup, healthy and strong!”
“That’s good,” she giggled. “I’ve just finished my rounds and have examined everyone. There were many people who did not feel comfortable with my inspections, and some who were quite the opposite.”
“I know. This is a well-blended assortment here. I still can’t shake the idea that something else is going on—you know, something to justify the pretense of a treasure hunt. It sounds so ludicrous.”
“Like something out of an anime,” Fuuka replied. Alala’s ears wiggled in confusion, so she explained. “Anime is a branch of animation exclusive to a country called Japan on Helios 3 that was quite popular half a millennium ago. It’s…fairly obscure, I know, but I enjoy it immensely. Some of their programs have people like us and plots like the one we’re currently entangled with.”
“You’re kidding!” Fuuka shook her head. “So it had things like Felinis people on treasure hunts? That’s bizarre. I’m not accustomed to televised programs—Tigris is sort of primitive in that aspect.”
“But surely Mars had several stations.”
“Yeah, but I was too busy studying to watch any.”
“It really is more like a hobby,” Fuuka admitted. They had already approached the door and knocked their way inside. Amy was still reclining on her couch, reading a book, and waved at them.
“Good afternoon. How do you like the Dauntless so far?” Alala grinned.
“I gotta hand it to ya, lady, it’s one hell of a ship! Where’d Miracle get it, anyway?”
“Well, it has been in my master’s family for a very long time. I do not know where it was made, but I’m certain it comes from another galaxy.”
“Oh, cool! So hey, Fuuka here tells me you were hurt.” She nodded.
“It’s usually not so bad. I hardly notice it unless the pain is extraordinary. I had to use those crutches in the beginning, but lately I’ve been getting along with just a cane.”
“Is it true it never heals?” Alala was being a little too nosy, but the receptionist didn’t mind: she loved that refreshing inquisitiveness.
“Yes, that’s true. I’m fortunate to have such a small wound, too.”
“I wouldn’t call that fortunate,” Alala murmured.
“She means it could’ve been a lot worse,” Fuuka said as she tended to the injury. In spite of her earlier efforts, the wound was still fresh and still bleeding, and the only thing she could do was dress the bandages and give Amy some painkiller.
“Oh. Well, I guess you have a point. How’d you get it, anyway?”
“In a fight.”
“A fight?” Alala cast a quizzical expression Fuuka’s way; the fox-girl just shrugged.
“She’s teasing you. More than likely, she was bitten by an unfamiliar reptilian animal. That’s my professional opinion, for what it’s worth.” Alala pursed her lips and shook her head—but Amy’s eyes had been too serious and too firm to be kidding. Just then, a small cylindrical object that had been lying on a desk began to buzz, and Amy picked it up with a smile.
“That must be our pilots. Since the doctor can’t be disturbed right now, I volunteered to handle any situation they might encounter. Yes?”
“Miss Blithe, our current trajectory has caused us to approach a comet. We’re safely out if its range, but one of our passengers felt it was necessary to perform a more thorough investigation. With your permission, we would like to tie her in chains, stuff her in a closet, and forget she ever existed.”
“Tee, you know that would not be—“
“Hey doc, don’t listen to that two-headed cab driver! Let’s send a couple of girls over and mine for materials! I’ve heard that comets wield some of the most precious ores around! Some even have Lennethium! Whaddya say, huh?!”
“Valti, get your hands off that transmitter!”
“How many do you want off?”
“ALL of them!”
“Kay, Tee,” Amy said to them, “if Miss Brignor wants to visit the comet, she’s more than welcome to. As a matter of fact, that sounds like a wonderful way to begin this voyage. Run parallel to its course and prepare to fire a grappling rope.”
“What do you mean? What will that accomplish?”
“For an object that size, moving at that speed, landing on it with the ship would be impractical. Dr. Miracle installed a few small shuttles here that can slide along the rope. Valti, did you hear all that?”
“I believe she has already gone to suit up,” Kay said.
“I still can’t believe that six-armed freak wants to stop the voyage just for her own personal gain,” Tee grumbled.
“Now-now,” Amy tittered, “everyone here has the same rights. Soon we’ll find a place you’ll want to see. I’m going to send two other people to go with her. Keep me updated, all right?” Both twins sighed and agreed to her request. They didn’t like the idea of stopping the ship just for Valti’s selfishness, although it probably was a good idea to stock up on materials. And they really had no right to say what a person could and could not do.
……
Because she had the most skill with machines—and because she was also an accomplished shot—Eve Kasberry was given the honor of firing the grappling rope, though she declined riding over there.
“It’ll be so crowded,” she had replied stuffily, “and besides, somebody has to stay behind and make sure nothing breaks.” Mining for materials on a comet was not that appealing to very many people, but Lillianne signed up with unprecedented enthusiasm, and nearly convinced Aseria to go with her, which she nearly did. But at the last minute, Yenae butted in and ruined everything, citing that the journey sounded “fun”.
“I’ve lived on a small planet all my life,” she explained, “so this shouldn’t be any different. Ladies, I’m ready whenever you are.” Lil snorted curtly and was in a foul mood for the rest of the trip. She put the suit on roughly and glared daggers at Yenae as the three women sat in the cramped shuttle together. Valti and Yenae had a harder time putting their equipment on, since one had six arms and the other had a tail, but they were used to adjusting their accommodations, and were far too excited to complain in any case. The shuttle ride was a little nerve-racking, even though the cable would hold under the most intense pressure, and the transport hardly weighed a thing in that feeble gravity—and even if did break, they would just hover in space until a retrieval unit was sent. Once they were close enough to the comet, Valti turned the engines off and let gravity do the work for her.
“Thanks for coming along with me,” she said to her companions. “I don’t think I’d be able to gather as many materials by myself. Do either of you have any experience with this?”
“I’m an archaeologist by trade,” Lil grumbled, still feeling angry that her dear Aseria had been supplanted.
“I actually lived on a dwarf planet all my life, so it’ll be just like home,” Yenae chimed in. Valti didn’t look very encouraged but tried to smile.
“Well, it’s the best I could hope for. Okay, we’re close enough to land. I’m firing the retro-rockets.” The landing was fine—not great, but good enough—and the three women cautiously made their way out onto the comet, Valti landing first. “The truth is,” she muttered, “even though I’ve done this sort of thing before, I’m still a bundle of nerves. All right, the first thing we need to look for is Lennethium. It’s a glowing pink ore that’s about the size of your fist.” Valti played the part of director and cheerleader quite well, and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty as she knelt down and dug through the rubble in search of materials the crew could use.
The surface was not entirely stable, though, and sometimes it became turbulent. Yenae said she was accustomed to walking around planetoids, but even she almost lost her balance as the comet shivered and shook. She joked that it must be a “comet-quake”, and wished she could extend her tail for balance. A much more powerful jolt sent her tumbling to the ground, slowly, and Lil went with her, dropping a basket full of ore.
“Gods damn it!” she shouted. She scrambled to retrieve the chunks of comet she had excavated and climbed back to her feet, only to be tossed again. “What the hell is wrong with this hunk of rock!? Hey, Professor, you wanna get us killed?!”
“Don’t blame me,” Valti retorted. “It’s just changing course. Comets do that, you know.”
“Changing course? Bullshit! This flying death-trap is breaking apart, and we’re on it!”
“Then we’d better hurry back,” Yenae said calmly. “Valti, let’s just take what we can and return to the ship. It’s too dangerous to stay.”
“And here I thought you girls wanted action and excitement.”
“Not at the cost of our lives, you idiot! Let’s go already!” Lil had to fight in order to keep her balance as the comet gradually shifted to the left. It was not following an elliptical orbit so much as breaking free of one, hurtling towards a yet-unknown destination—more than likely a destructive one.
“Acheron sisters, do you read us?” Yenae spoke through the radio. “Do you read? Oh good, listen: the comet’s changed orbit and we’re heading in ahead of schedule. Get ready to bring us in once Valti’s given the word. Pick up the pace, Professor! …I’m sorry, she’s lagging. The damn fool still thinks this is a picnic. Any idea where the comet’s headed?”
“We probably shouldn’t tell you,” Kay replied. “It’ll cause a panic. Just stay calm and approach the shuttle.”
“Kay, I’m detecting another life force on the comet,” her sister stated. “There are dozens of them. …Oh, shit.”
“What?” Tee’s face turned red as she grimaced.
“I accidentally transmitted that part. They heard everything.”
“Are you sure? Captain Marliir, did you—“
“Life-forms, we copy!” she exclaimed. “Valti spotted them first. Remember Shana’s crack about Miracle not being a tentacle-monster? Guess who makes up the welcoming committee down here.” Stomachs churned, throats tightened, and lips pursed anxiously as one problem after another surfaced. It would be cruel to add fuel to this fire, but…
“Captain, Professor, Miss Markus, we may as well tell you where the comet’s headed. The gravitational force of another body has started to pull it, which would account for the instability you’ve been feeling. It’s on a collision course.”
“What’s the matter with you?!” they heard Lil scream—but her ranting wasn’t aimed at them: they could hear her striking Valti. “Let’s go explore a comet, you said! It’ll be fun, you said! We’d be bringing supplies back, you said! There wouldn’t be any danger, you said! I haven’t even been with this crew for a week and I’ve already started to hate someone!”
“Stop it, you two!” Yenae shouted—then, to the sisters, she said, “Pardon us. I have to shut off the radio for awhile, but please keep us informed. Hopefully we’ll make it out of here alive, if not well.” Then came a disturbing silence, followed by a few agonizing minutes of dreadful waiting. Would they keep fighting each other and forget about their predicament, or would they band together, fight off the approaching creature, and leave the comet before its doom? Suddenly, the radio squawked back to life for a minute.
“—top it, you’re squeezing my arm!”
“I wouldn’t be hurting you if you just stopped fighting each other!”
“It’s Valti’s fault to begin with! She led us here to this death-trap!”
“Nobody forced you, Lil! Professor, will you please stop picking those up and hurry along! No—don’t bring those with you! Who knows what they’ll do to our ship!”
“But this is the scientific opportunity of a lifetime! I’ll never get this chance again!”
“Lil, could you—ow! What are you hitting me for? I’m trying to settle this matter and save your sorry butts! Valti! Put…those tentacle-creatures…DOWN!”
Kayleigh and Teleah let out a deep, beleaguered sigh.
“They’re doomed.”
“It will be difficult finding replacements.”
“Rest in peace, you all—we hardly knew ye.”
“We can still hear you two!!” Lil shouted.
……
As Valti tried wrangling as many of the tentacle-beasts as she could, balancing them and her swag with her six arms, Lil and Yenae fought the rest off as they tried to clear a path. They could already see the object their comet was going to smash into (the moon of a distant, dead planet) and worked hard to avoid this deadly fate, trying to stay calm in the midst of it. Lil’s cursing aside (every syllable aimed directly at the absentminded Valti), they were slowly making progress, even as the comet started bucking out of control. Valti fell quite often, but she always seemed to have a spare hand ready to spring herself back up—except for one time, when a long, slithering mass snaked out of an opening in the ground, wrapping around her waist and dragging her back to its lair.
“Hey, look, I think we’ve disturbed the boss! Boy, think about the thesis I could write on this sucker!”
“Is she serious?” Lil balked. Yenae sighed.
“No, just crazy. Come on, we’d better save the poor twit.” She didn’t even make two paces before she realized she was on her own.
“Not me, sister!” Lil shouted. “That bitch got herself into this mess, so she can get herself out! You’ve got five minutes before I leave, Yen! Use them wisely!”
“Hey, get back here, you backstabbing…crap! No time to waste.” Yenae hopped after the tentacle as quickly as the comet’s gravity allowed, firing clumsily. She was the only one who thought of bringing weapons, and as such, felt a little overwhelmed. But thank goodness Valti was no helpless damsel: she was already attacking her captor with the digging instruments she brought, even bashing it with the sharpest ores. The tentacle fought back, though, slamming Valti against the surface of the doomed comet until she nearly blacked out. Luckily, this bought Yenae some time, and she closed the distance and fired until she seared the tentacle in two. Valti wriggled away and took hold of the smaller section of the beast.
“So how much longer do we have before we crash, because I saw a nice vein of pyrinthinide—“
“JUST GO, YOU IDIOT!!” Yenae pushed the obstinate woman herself, and in spite of the comet’s thrashing and spinning, she managed to thrust Valti through the shuttle door and hurled herself in with fifty-two seconds to spare. Lil didn’t even need to be told to leave.
“Wait, you said we had 52 seconds? That’s more than enough time to grab a few samp—“
“Shut up!” they both screamed. Valti sighed forlornly, but there was nothing she could do; she was outnumbered.
Valti pretended like the past hour had been a casual vacation as she carried her haul to her lab, taking special care of the severed tentacle. Lil wanted to clobber her, but she chose rather to rush to Aseria’s side and make sure she had remained unmolested. Yenae went straight for the sauna and, finding she was alone, disrobed completely and took her time washing. She especially celebrated the release of her tail, and smacked the water with it until half the room was drenched. As she got out and toweled off, humming happily to herself, another crewmember crept in, wondering if anybody else was there. Chandra’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect: Yenae was completely nude and had her towel wrapped around her peroxide-blonde hair, arms stretched up and chest prominent.
“Oh,” purred the visitor, “it seems fortune has favored me today.” Yenae looked confused.
“Dun-dun…dunn?”
Preview of next chapter
Chandra: Darn, it cut off right when we were about to get to the good part!
Herut: TRUST me, it’s for the best.
Chandra: Don’t you have any romance?
Herut: No, I’m a service and maintenance unit. We don’t need love.
Chandra: Oh, how tragic! But in your case, kid, you deserve it.
Eve: Hey, quit it! If you keep fighting like this, I’ll have to work overtime!
Herut: Sorry. I didn’t mean to tax you.
Chandra: Mmm, and would you be “servicing” me as well?
Eve: Uh…l-let’s just talk about what happens in the next chapter! The crew arrives at their first real planet, and we all get out to stretch our legs and search for riches.
Herut: Yes, but there’s more to this world than meets the eye.
Chandra: Oh, like beautiful women everywhere, lined up just for me?
Eve: She’s pathetic.
Chandra: You like it! Hee-hee-hee!
Herut: Ugh, get a room, you two. Stay tuned for “Sargasso: set sail for adventure!”
Chandra: And maybe sweet Eve here will get lucky! Mwah!
Eve: Must not abuse authority, must not make up bogus maintenance requests, must not give into temptation…
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