Facing the Black - for Zana
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junetideTitle: Facing the Black
Gift for: Zana
By: [to be revealed]
Gift type: Fiction; 969 words
Genre: Sci-fi
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Bryta and Jenna have been alone among the stars for too long.
Giftcreator's notes: I hope you enjoy it!
Bryta’s fingers glide across the touchpad, deftly inputting orders, before saying aloud, “Jenna, set destination for Hoag’s Object, Veni settlement. I’m going to get some sleep.”
“Veni settlement input,” Jenna’s gentle alto comes back from around her. “Sleep well, Captain.”
Bryta smiles, weary and almost sad, and pushes up from the control pad, gently enough that she won’t ricochet. She shoves off toward the cargo bay to grab a serving of rations, which she heats in the unit before settling to eat a hot, reconstituted vegetable stew.
It gets cold in space, even with climate controls. The blackness does it, Bryta thinks. There are the stars, the galaxies and objects, but they’re distant. It gets to her sometimes, the surrounding emptiness. It’s been more than a standard month since she’s seen another lifeform.
A few hours after she falls sleep, Jenna says, “Captain, we’re approaching the Atri settlement in Hoag’s Object. Estimate six hours before the Veni settlement.”
Bryta rubs her eyes, yawning, and pushes up. “Thanks, Jenna. I’ll take control soon. Keep us on course.”
“I shall.”
She takes just long enough to take an air shower and scrub washing powder through her short hair before heading back to her controls, dehydrated fruit in hand. “I have the controls,” she says, and the touchscreen lights up as Jenna lowers her power use.
An hour before reaching Veni, Bryta thumbs on the comm. “Veni Customs, Captain Bryta Tobson speaking, Clever class ship number Alpha Charlie 2697, designation Jenna, requesting permission to dock in approximately one standard hour.”
The reply is in no time, back across the comm. “Captain Tobson, Sergeant Hale speaking. How’re you today?”
“Dorry!” Bryta grins. “I’ve missed you. Glad to be back around people.”
Jenna makes a vaguely sympathetic humming sound, the lights shifting to a pale green.
“Glad to have you back. What do you have today?”
“Shipment includes nanotubing materials and those acromium sheets off the asteroid belt in Cartwheel’s Coyote system. I also have Earth pearls some of your jewelers ordered.”
It takes Dorry a moment to answer. “I have a berth for you on level eight, slot ZT. I’ll meet you there myself.”
“Roger that. Over.” When she’s thumbed off her end of the comm, she says to Jenna, “You’ll be glad for upgrades.”
“Yes, Captain, and to be around other AI.”
Bryta grins. “At least we keep you in shipshape, my love.”
The lights wink a soft pink. “Slot ZT, level eight.”
“I know.” Bryta turns her attention back to guiding her ship properly into place, and when she docks in their assigned slot and opens the door, Dorry is there to meet her.
He sweeps her up in a hug, kissing her cheek. “It’s been too long.”
She hugs him back, rib-cracking tight. “How long is customs going to be?”
“I’m expediting you on the grounds that you need interaction with someone other than Jenna.” To the ship, he adds, “How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m well, thank you.” Her voice reverberates into the berth. “How are you?”
“I missed your lovely captain. I might steal her when I’m off.”
“That would be good for her,” Jenna says.
“Jenna!”
Jenna doesn’t answer.
“She’s lonely too,” Bryta says to Dorry. “Space…”
He nods. “I like working the port, myself. I might come planetside with you. Off in a few hours.”
“If I’m cleared quickly, you’re welcome aboard.” She sighs, straightens her shoulders. “Are you inspecting?”
“No,” he says, regretful. “I’m just your welcoming committee. Get your plasfilm in order, though, they’ll be here soon.”
“They?”
“You get M’Von today.”
“Oh, I like them.” She heads back into her ship.
M’Von clears her ship with no issues; they know her, so prioritize Jenna, but are still thorough, as they should be. Bryta would be disappointed if they weren’t.
By the time she’s starting to feel guilty about not clearing the slot, Dorry or not, he hurries down the ramp to the berth. “Sorry,” he says, “sorry. I had to grab my bag.” He holds up the sack in question.
“Come aboard,” she says, gesturing. “We need to clear out.”
Dorry joins her, strapping in in case of turbulence, and she says, “Through atmosphere in three minutes.”
“Three minutes,” Jenna repeats. “All systems are functional and ready,” she adds after a second.
“There’s a mech upgrade you could afford with this shipment,” Dorry says.
“Few minutes, then tell me.” Bryta’s fingers race across her screen, altering settings, before lifting off from the dock and turning to the right angle to land on Veni.
The burn is easy and graceful; Jenna handles it as well as she ever does, which means perfectly. Bryta takes them to a landing area outside the main city in the province, then says to Dorry, “A mech upgrade?”
“Gravity. They’ve gotten it to the point that it fits Clever class and above. Moxie and below are too small still, but Jenna could handle it.”
Bryta considers that. She could afford it, she’s sure. “How many credits?”
“Forty-eight five.”
“What do you think, my love?”
Jenna hums again, her sign that she’s running a process, before saying, “You would have an easier time performing your exercises to maintain optimal health, and you could have a companion.”
“I could,” Bryta muses.
“You have mentioned a rikicat.”
“I was thinking more sapient,” Dorry says.
Bryta flashes him a grin. “I think, for now, a rikicat.”
When they lift off a month and a half later, a few hundred thousand credits more in their accounts and Jenna’s gravity upgrade installed, with a red-and-orange mackerel rikicat she’s named Nemo aboard, Bryta faces the stars and the black with a smile. They may be lonely, but they’re sweet and home, and Jenna and Nemo are all the company she wants on this trip to the Tadpole.
Gift for: Zana
By: [to be revealed]
Gift type: Fiction; 969 words
Genre: Sci-fi
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Bryta and Jenna have been alone among the stars for too long.
Giftcreator's notes: I hope you enjoy it!
Bryta’s fingers glide across the touchpad, deftly inputting orders, before saying aloud, “Jenna, set destination for Hoag’s Object, Veni settlement. I’m going to get some sleep.”
“Veni settlement input,” Jenna’s gentle alto comes back from around her. “Sleep well, Captain.”
Bryta smiles, weary and almost sad, and pushes up from the control pad, gently enough that she won’t ricochet. She shoves off toward the cargo bay to grab a serving of rations, which she heats in the unit before settling to eat a hot, reconstituted vegetable stew.
It gets cold in space, even with climate controls. The blackness does it, Bryta thinks. There are the stars, the galaxies and objects, but they’re distant. It gets to her sometimes, the surrounding emptiness. It’s been more than a standard month since she’s seen another lifeform.
A few hours after she falls sleep, Jenna says, “Captain, we’re approaching the Atri settlement in Hoag’s Object. Estimate six hours before the Veni settlement.”
Bryta rubs her eyes, yawning, and pushes up. “Thanks, Jenna. I’ll take control soon. Keep us on course.”
“I shall.”
She takes just long enough to take an air shower and scrub washing powder through her short hair before heading back to her controls, dehydrated fruit in hand. “I have the controls,” she says, and the touchscreen lights up as Jenna lowers her power use.
An hour before reaching Veni, Bryta thumbs on the comm. “Veni Customs, Captain Bryta Tobson speaking, Clever class ship number Alpha Charlie 2697, designation Jenna, requesting permission to dock in approximately one standard hour.”
The reply is in no time, back across the comm. “Captain Tobson, Sergeant Hale speaking. How’re you today?”
“Dorry!” Bryta grins. “I’ve missed you. Glad to be back around people.”
Jenna makes a vaguely sympathetic humming sound, the lights shifting to a pale green.
“Glad to have you back. What do you have today?”
“Shipment includes nanotubing materials and those acromium sheets off the asteroid belt in Cartwheel’s Coyote system. I also have Earth pearls some of your jewelers ordered.”
It takes Dorry a moment to answer. “I have a berth for you on level eight, slot ZT. I’ll meet you there myself.”
“Roger that. Over.” When she’s thumbed off her end of the comm, she says to Jenna, “You’ll be glad for upgrades.”
“Yes, Captain, and to be around other AI.”
Bryta grins. “At least we keep you in shipshape, my love.”
The lights wink a soft pink. “Slot ZT, level eight.”
“I know.” Bryta turns her attention back to guiding her ship properly into place, and when she docks in their assigned slot and opens the door, Dorry is there to meet her.
He sweeps her up in a hug, kissing her cheek. “It’s been too long.”
She hugs him back, rib-cracking tight. “How long is customs going to be?”
“I’m expediting you on the grounds that you need interaction with someone other than Jenna.” To the ship, he adds, “How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m well, thank you.” Her voice reverberates into the berth. “How are you?”
“I missed your lovely captain. I might steal her when I’m off.”
“That would be good for her,” Jenna says.
“Jenna!”
Jenna doesn’t answer.
“She’s lonely too,” Bryta says to Dorry. “Space…”
He nods. “I like working the port, myself. I might come planetside with you. Off in a few hours.”
“If I’m cleared quickly, you’re welcome aboard.” She sighs, straightens her shoulders. “Are you inspecting?”
“No,” he says, regretful. “I’m just your welcoming committee. Get your plasfilm in order, though, they’ll be here soon.”
“They?”
“You get M’Von today.”
“Oh, I like them.” She heads back into her ship.
M’Von clears her ship with no issues; they know her, so prioritize Jenna, but are still thorough, as they should be. Bryta would be disappointed if they weren’t.
By the time she’s starting to feel guilty about not clearing the slot, Dorry or not, he hurries down the ramp to the berth. “Sorry,” he says, “sorry. I had to grab my bag.” He holds up the sack in question.
“Come aboard,” she says, gesturing. “We need to clear out.”
Dorry joins her, strapping in in case of turbulence, and she says, “Through atmosphere in three minutes.”
“Three minutes,” Jenna repeats. “All systems are functional and ready,” she adds after a second.
“There’s a mech upgrade you could afford with this shipment,” Dorry says.
“Few minutes, then tell me.” Bryta’s fingers race across her screen, altering settings, before lifting off from the dock and turning to the right angle to land on Veni.
The burn is easy and graceful; Jenna handles it as well as she ever does, which means perfectly. Bryta takes them to a landing area outside the main city in the province, then says to Dorry, “A mech upgrade?”
“Gravity. They’ve gotten it to the point that it fits Clever class and above. Moxie and below are too small still, but Jenna could handle it.”
Bryta considers that. She could afford it, she’s sure. “How many credits?”
“Forty-eight five.”
“What do you think, my love?”
Jenna hums again, her sign that she’s running a process, before saying, “You would have an easier time performing your exercises to maintain optimal health, and you could have a companion.”
“I could,” Bryta muses.
“You have mentioned a rikicat.”
“I was thinking more sapient,” Dorry says.
Bryta flashes him a grin. “I think, for now, a rikicat.”
When they lift off a month and a half later, a few hundred thousand credits more in their accounts and Jenna’s gravity upgrade installed, with a red-and-orange mackerel rikicat she’s named Nemo aboard, Bryta faces the stars and the black with a smile. They may be lonely, but they’re sweet and home, and Jenna and Nemo are all the company she wants on this trip to the Tadpole.
Poll #11032 Facing the Black
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 4
I enjoyed this!
Yes
4 (100.0%)
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Date: 2012-07-04 08:33 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2012-07-21 07:53 pm (UTC)