This is honestly the first new thing I've written in a LONG time, and it's based off of the RPG I'm working on (kinda a mix between Farscape, Spelljammer and Shadowrun). I hope you all like it, let me know what you think:
Rej stifled a yawn yet again and checked the directional reading, hoping that this time the distance to their destination was reduced significantly. Still got another five minutes or so, he thought as he did the mental calculations. Two years doing this job, and now he didn’t even have to bust out the abacus to do the conversions…or worse, ask the ship to do it for him. Brightbird is really obnoxious when I need help, he thought with a rueful chuckle.
As if she could sense he was thinking about her, his forehead tingled as she reached out mentally. “You haven’t fallen asleep again, have you Rej?” she chided him good-naturedly. “Because I don’t think it’s good for you to keep drinking that bitter liquid all the time, especially if it’s not doing its supposed job of keeping you up and functional.”
“It’s called coffee Brightbird, and you know that since I’ve told you a few dozen times. What can I say? Tea doesn’t keep me awake anymore,” he responded through their telepathic link, all thanks to the communicator pod she’d grown and implanted at the back of his neck.
Brightbird sniffed, a habit she’d picked up from her bipedal crew; after all, living ships didn’t have noses. “Well, the goblins tell me it stinks and bothers their sensitive noses. And you know how important my maintenance crew is to me.”
Chuckling, Rej threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender. “OK, OK, I give. How about a compromise: I’ll only drink coffee when we’re planetside, and in return they need to stay out of my quarters and stop ‘borrowing’ my things. Sound fair?”
“I think I can make them see reason,” Brightbird cooed, and Rej chuckled again. “Oh, and Rej? We’re about to exit the Astral.” Leaning forward in his chair, he studied the directional reading and found she was right. Which made sense, since she’d been alive for over a hundred years and doing this long before his dad was a twinkle in his grandmother’s eyes.
Sitting upright in the “captain’s” chair –a name he only used in his head, since Titans were VERY sensitive to being captained and not piloted- Rej tapped the growth behind his right ear to enable ship-wide communication. “Attention crew of Brightbird, this is your pilot speaking. We’re about to exit the Astral and reenter the Black; if you’re not in your suit or in your quarters, it’s gonna get a bit chilly.” Being inside a Titan gave mortals some protection against the icy cold of the Black, but there was only so much the living ships could do; hence why crew quarters were established next to organs that generated excess heat.
“Exiting the Astral in 3, 2, 1…the Black has been reentered,” Brightbird’s voice came over the speakers that she’d grown throughout her insides. Personally, Rej thought her voice reminded him of an aunt he’d had growing up; a little stern, but capable of being affectionate and looking the other way whenever he and his cousins got into mischief. Others said it sounded different to them than a matronly Human voice, which was completely understandable since the actual language of the Titans wasn’t anything mortals could speak or comprehend. Every person heard it differently.
“What’s the name of this planet again?” Rej heard a voice behind him, and he couldn’t help but wince. “And what’s it look like down there?”
Of course you’d be the first one up, Rej thought with a grimace. Since Polaree live on an ice planet, there’s no need for you to wear a suit; and, you’ve been impatient for some action for days now. Rubbing his face to wipe off any trace of disdain –Polareen were very prickly about being disrespected- he spun in his chair to face their resident Spellslinger. “The planet’s called Terran 247 –since none of the scouts actually landed on the planet, they don’t know its actual name- and if you want to see what it looks like, you know you can head to the observation deck and take a look for yourself.” All Titans had a translucent piece of skin at the front of their body so any crew they had could see outside for themselves.
Grrreta gave a low growl but nodded her head after a second. “You’re right, I can’t expect scouts to do their actual jobs. Too dangerous, which is where the professionals come in.” With a grace that you wouldn’t think a humanoid polar bear could possess, she drew her spell pistols and twirled them around for a moment before holstering them. As arrogant as she was, Rej had to admit she was damn good at what she did. Turning around, Grrreta looked over her shoulder at Rej. “I’ll be on the observation deck whenever the rest of the crew are suited up and waiting for you and the Titan to land.” With that, she lumbered off to the stairs going down.
“I believe the proper term for one such as her is ‘stone-cold bitch’, yes?” Brightbird said in Rej’s head and it was all he could do not to bust up laughing. That would surely get the Polareen back to wonder if he was indeed laughing at her.
“You’re correct, fair lady,” Rej said mentally and felt pride and contentment from the ship. “And now, if you don’t need anything else from me, I’ll head to the bay and get the shuttle ready for launch.” Brightbird admitted she was fine and so Rej stood up, cracked his back in relief from sitting so long, and headed down the hallway towards the bay.
As he approached the stairs leading to the bay Rej heard a voice call out his name. “Hey, Pilot, have you seen our resident grump?”
Barely slowing down, Rej turned to face the speaker. “She’s on the observation deck Kail, waiting for everyone else to be ready and join her.” Kail was the ship’s Field Medic, responsible for keeping the crew in good health on and off Brightbird.
“Roger that, Pilot; on my way.” Using his tail to give a mock salute, the grey-furred simian Valeran turned and loped down the hallway, using his long arms to propel himself down the hallway faster than Rej was capable of moving normally. Ending his wool-gathering, Rej turned and continued his journey.
Approaching the bay, he could hear voices raised in argument, and he mentally groaned. Of course they’d be here early, he sighed, since they never stop arguing or not trusting the other. Picking up the pace, he exited the hallway and tried to make as much as possible while coming around the shuttle’s side. “What’s going on?” he asked the two individuals squared off against one another, though he had a feeling it was the same old argument he’d heard before.
“Can you tell this thief that I’d like my ceremonial dagger back, the one I received from the clan’s elder when I came of age and left our world?” Standing there with her arms crossed, you wouldn’t think that that high-pitched a voice would come out of a tall Minotaur Warden, but that was indeed her natural voice, much to her and everyone else’s chagrin.
“And can you please explain for the umpteenth time to this thick-headed bovine that I don’t have her dagger, and that I’m not a thief??” Guttersnipe, the Goblin Delver, also stood with his arms crossed, but it wasn’t as imposing as it was on Marilyn.
“So if you didn’t steal it, then I’m sure it was one of your light-fingered cousins that supposedly maintain this ship, huh? Am I supposed to be dumb enough to believe that tripe?” Marilyn continued her tirade, ignoring Rej’s outstretched palm.
Guttersnipe snorted. “You’re dumb if you think I’d steal, much less from one of the crew. And for the last time, just because the maintenance crew are Goblins doesn’t mean we’re related! Do you want me to ask the next steak I eat if she’s an aunt of yours?”
Marilyn gasped. “How dare you? You know I’m a vegetarian!”
“What I do know is that you’re a horned pain in my…!”
“Enough!” They both turned in astonishment to stare at Rej, who was almost as surprised as they were to have shouted at them. “Marilyn, until that time that you actually SEE Guttersnipe stealing from you –or anyone, for that matter- can you please stop accusing him of being a thief? I’ll ask Brightbird if her goblins know what happened to your dagger.” She snorted, blowing her hair out of her eyes, but begrudgingly nodded.
“And as for you!” Rej continued, pointing a finger in the Goblin’s face, “you need to not needle her so bad about her beliefs. Plus, you know comparing her to a cow is just insulting; you wouldn’t like it if she compared you to a rat, would you?”
“Goblins do look a little like rats,” Marilyn grumbled under her breath, but apparently Guttersnipe was suitably admonished for he didn’t react to her words.
“Yeah, yeah. Fine, I’m sorry Marilyn. Happy?” the Goblin said, stretching out his arms in a gesture of surrender. When Rej gave him a nod, it seemed to mollify the Delver, for he turned and finished stowing his gear on the landing shuttle.
“I’m as close to the planet as I can get, Rej. Is the shuttle ready to launch?” Brightbird spoke in his head.
Finishing his inspection and making sure the bound air elemental was fully recharged from the last time the shuttle was flown, Rej clicked his tongue. “All good on our end, fair lady, just waiting for Grrreta and Kail to arrive,” he said to Brightbird telepathically.
As if that was the cue they’d been waiting for, the Polareen and Valeran hustled into the bay. “Never mind, Brightbird, the crew is all here and we’ll be taking off in just a minute if you’d be so kind as to open your bay door,” Rej said out loud for the other’s benefit. He could’ve used his communication growth to link the crew in so they could hear Brightbird’s words, but since they couldn’t talk back to her he usually saved that for when they were planetside.
They all entered the shuttle and assumed their normal positions: Rej in the pilot’s seat, Guttersnipe next to him as navigator, Marilyn by the shuttle door, Grrreta behind Rej and to the left of Marilyn, and Kail at the back of the shuttle. No sooner had Marilyn closed the shuttle door than Brightbird opened her bay door after closing all entrances into the bay. Rej shielded his eyes for just a moment until they adjusted; after days under the artificial lights inside the Titan, natural lighting seemed just a bit harsh. Once he could see clearly again, he pulled up on the wheel while letting off the elemental’s throttle slightly. The shuttle rose, and with gradual pressure on the shuttle’s engine pedal, they accelerated and moved out of the Titan.
“For honor!” Grrreta said.
“For money!” Guttersnipe chimed in.
“For excitement!” Kail cackled.
“For knowledge!” Marilyn shouted.
“For all of that, and for fun,” Rej finished as he aimed the shuttle towards the planet. “Now, let’s go see what trouble we can get into down there.” The crew gave a resounding cheer as Terran 247 grew closer and closer. Sure, their life was dangerous and one mistake could be their last, but there was nowhere else in the Black he wanted to be than right here right now.
