Futuristic Stardust Frontier

[Pokeking]

Every one of us has a story to tell. There are as many stories out there as there are stars. Some live privileged lives and other lives are full of struggle. Some are celebrated and others face scorn. Some lives are exciting while others are more monotonous.

Life at the Cervantes Institute might seem exciting to outsiders because it was one of Mars's preeminent research facilities. To those who lived there, there was nothing overly special. It was simply a community where everyone knew each other and worked with each other in either school or in the office. Many fit the Cervantes mold: normal. The Marconi family who lived at the corner house was anything but normal. Angelo Marconi sang opera while working on his machines in either his garage or while attending to any of the Institute’s many systems with his staff. Mirabella Marconi had picture frames full of stamps from long ago. Mention them and she will not let you leave her office for hours as she tells you all about how she collected them. The apex of Marconi eccentricity was their son Shane.

Shane was born on July 11th in the year 2439. His existence represented a child’s fascination and the need to have another set of hands around the house to help with chores. As a girl, Mirabella saw a family of gorillas in a zoo. It was the only place where they could be found because after years of poaching and habitat destruction, they had vanished from the wild long ago.

The two created what they called the Natal Ark and the two piled their dreams and hopes inside. Within, a new life form developed. He will have a human’s body structure, sentience, and biochemistry. However, he will have the appearance of a gorilla. Why? Because of a dream that she wanted realized. At first, the lifeform was called Durango to pay homage to the town where Angelo and Mirabella first met. They tried to enroll him at the school when he was old enough and after much discussion, he was admitted. The teachers found him to be an eager student, but his peers shied away from him as if he was a monster. Why? I’m a kid like them. I just look different.

As he grew, his situation did not change much. Teachers and staff encouraged him. His peers tolerated him at best. Life at home was changing. He had always been known as Durango. He yeaned to call Angelo and Mirabella Marconi Dad and Mom, but they had always been emotionally distant. One day, when he turned 15, he was made to wear nice clothes and they took him to a fancy restaurant for the first time in his life. The gift they had for him was simple, an envelope. He opened it and pulled out a piece of thick paper. It was a birth certificate bearing the name of Shane Durango Marconi.

After graduating high school, he began to work alongside his father. The pay was nonexistent because he wasn’t officially employed since there were only so many positions available, but he found the work engaging. One day, on a Martian summer evening, his mother came into the room of 25 year old Shane and spoke of a fantastic opportunity. A communication had come in from a colleague named Byron Trent who was stationed at the Marfa Colony on Garene as one of the colony’s doctors. He readily jumped at the chance. His parents bought a decommissioned shuttle called the Tycho which was an interplanetary craft. At top speed, it could travel from Mercury to Pluto in about six hours. An 18 meter long craft, most of its military grade components had been swapped out for civilian counterparts.

Three months had gone by on the journey from Earth to Garene. There were plenty of activities to keep the mind and the body occupied, but Shane rarely ventured outside of the quarters he had been assigned. The only times he headed out was for mealtime, for gym time, or mostly to visit the Tycho. Diagnostics were run daily. There might be those that would balk. Who runs daily diagnostics? Someone with loads of time and one who hadn’t really formed meaningful connections with anyone yet.

Shane was asleep on the mattress, the bedsheets around him arranged into something resembling a nest. The bed shook slightly and shook again a couple minutes later. This time, the shake was stronger. Err! Err! Err! “This is not a drill. All hands abandon ship. This is not a drill. All hands abandon ship.” Shane was startled awake. There was a shake again and this was more brutal, and he felt on the floor. No time to dally. He reached for the closest clothes he had with him, overalls. He must make it to the Tycho and get out before the ship explodes.

As soon as he secures his glove-like shoes, Shane runs out the room and enters bedlam.

 

[Hippu]

Human expansion made significant leaps with the discovery of faster than light travel, something most could imagine with how long people had looked to the stars and wondered about the matter. But as is often the case, new technology meant testing limits like a young child without the guidance of a parental figure and just like that child, some limits were pushed too far. Earth hardly had a system in place for establishing a connection to its colonies to supply them not only with medicine, food and water but order when the first colony that was a year's distance for the fastest craft was established. Unable to rely on a distant government, power was handed to a more local authority to prevent the collapse of the colony and the deaths of its inhabitants.

Even after advancing technology improved the conditions and the population grew, a system that formed out of necessity which placed order, security and swift trials above delicate human rights remained. What started with a sheriff and a handful of deputies grew into a full corp of law enforcement that would overpower, restrain and drag someone to a court to be immediately sentenced on what evidence could be presented then and there, if they weren't too violent to apprehend. Those that raised a weapon against the enforcers typically weren't given the chance to think twice. How the police were trained and where they recruited from was a well maintained secret, none of them would tell no matter how hard they were questioned, though the truth was that none that were out on the street knew themselves. Maybe their memories were wiped, or maybe everything they knew before faded during their training.

Strangest of all was how whatever names they had before were replaced in their everyday lives by numbers, but now the wheel of change had begun to turn again, and some were being retrained to integrate into less harsh systems on new frontier locations. They were handed identification with names and those that were deemed sensitive and approachable enough would now be like those that acted as a public face to the police back home, there to ease fear and inspire cooperation from the populace. That's how they made sense of it anyway. For the newly named Fiore Alessi, it was like a feral cat being rehabilitated and the moment she stepped onto her ride to her new post was like coming out of a kennel for the first time. That first step was nerve-wracking but it had only become more comfortable from there. People didn't try to hard to avoid looking her way and the new uniform wasn't as stuffy and hot.

Enroute, Fiore had begun to memorize faces and become slightly acquainted with some of the other passengers, but still spent much of the trip to herself. It still seemed like an odd dream up until the moment alarms started blaring and the panic began. Now with everything feeling completely real again, tension returned to her body again and she processed the details of the situation quickly. Unfortunately she was in the most inconvenient place for getting off the ship as whatever was happening set off automatic damage control responses which closed off the more direct paths to escape craft and funneled her to the hanger where privately owned smaller craft were kept first. Time was likely running short and a quick check of a terminal confirmed that there weren't many emergency escape craft left, so her best bet was one of the ships here.
(Hope it turned out alright.)

 

[Pokeking]

(ooc: Looks okay to me. If there are any further discussion, just let me know in PM.)

The transport vessel Travis listed which made maneuvering the corridor difficult for Shane. The air was stale and he realized that either the Life Support system was deactivated, either voluntarily or involuntarily, because of the disaster. Wires exposed and sparks popping out of exposed panels. Smoke was starting to fill the hallways and blur his vision. Onward, onward, he ran. The intercom blared a new warning. The engines were starting to go critical and he knew that he was running out of time. Just enough time to make it to the shuttle bay, find the Tycho, and get out of harm’s way before the ship blew up.

Shane had made it in time to see the last shuttlecraft leave. Tycho was all alone. The shape of his cruiser reminded him of a diving beetle, a large forest green beetle. There was a panel by the door and he pressed his hand against it. His identity was confirmed by the cruiser’s computer and he was admitted. With the door closed, he sat at the console and started the launch sequence. While the computer handled the sequence, he checked his supplies in the main cockpit as well as the nook where his bed was and the cargo hold. He had left the assigned quarters in a rush and some of his stuff was left behind. Dread filled him. Not only for himself but for any stragglers that might remain. I will try to wait as long as possible, then I gotta get out of here.

 

[Hippu]

New warnings over the intercom made it clear there was far less time than she had thought and there was only one ship left ahead, it was life or death and it was abundantly clear that life meant getting on that ship. For the few seconds it took to get from the entryway to the door that she had seen open for someone, Fiore barely felt the ground beneath her steps and her knuckles slamming against the ship's hull as she came to a stop briefly startled her. "This is the last way off the ship, so don't leave me to die!" For the first time in a long while she was panicking and could hear it in her voice, but strangely did not dissociate from it. This was her, afraid of dying and the fact that her survival was no entirely outside her hands and in that of a stranger.

She had a deep trust in her fellows back at the old colony, they shared a space together as far back as they could remember, eating, sleeping and just about everything else together. She could put her life in their hands and know they would do all they could, but someone she had never met was different. She couldn't know what kind of person the owner of this shuttle was, and worse was that they could hold the role she had played in keeping order against her. She had her doubts back then and questioned whether the heavy handed approach they took was really necessary but she did her job all the same. Her doubts she found were right after a few days aboard the transport, a stiff reprimand or a fine had proved adequate to solve what situations she had come across and the whole ship hadn't gone down for it, or at least as far as she knew. But that was something to look into later, if they would ever find the answer anyway.

She took a deep breath as the thoughts raced through her head and calmed down significantly for it. When and if the door opened to let her in, having a seat would probably do her some good, and then they would see what happened from there. Another call from the intercom came through to remind anyone left of the urgency of the situation and was cut off mid-sentence by what was likely some kind of power failure. If the shuttle had some kind of scanner on it, they might be able to see if anyone else was left, if something didn't accelerate this catastrophe further and close off their escape.

 

[Pokeking]

There were two sections of the Tycho: the cockpit and the cargo hold which he intended to develop into something that could double as a workshop. His father was fond of the time he spent in garage. Mother didn’t like him bringing his work with him home, but it gave him a certain peace. Besides, our neighbors would bring malfunctioning computer consoles or robots or who knows what. If he was too busy, I would give it a shot.

Shane looked up, “Time? Time? Time!?” He had relayed the request to the ship computer but no response. “Tycho?” His own ship’s computer apologized, “No go Shane. Travis’s main computer has stopped responding to me. My scans indicate that all remaining power has been diverted to structural integrity to allow maximum time for evacuees.”

Shane replied, “How far are you with the launch sequence?” Tycho replied, “Nearly done. You have a woman wanting to get in.” Shane asked, “Weapons?” The craft said, “None that I can see. Admit?” The gorilla said, “Yes. Yes. Go ahead while I finish here.” He pressed a button for the shuttle’s intercom, “Have a seat and strap yourself in. We're in for a bumpy ride. Almost done here. Tycho, as soon as she’s inside, lock the door and begin take off.”

The shuttle starts rising from the ground as the shuttlebay’s floor starts rumbling furiously. Shane practically jumped out of the cargo hold and ran to his seat in the front, the one with the red cushion. He straps himself and introduces himself with just a single word, “Pray.” He taps a button on the console so that he can switch from console steering to wheel steering. In a situation like this, a more tactile way of piloting was recommended. A panel in the front opens up and apparatuses rise up and form a wheel.

Shane grips the handles and hits the acceleration. The Tycho moves forward at top speed and out into space. Garene looks forward, the size of a quarter at this distance. Ahead are the fleeing shuttles and escape pods, but they are pinpoints.

He doesn’t want to look back. To do so would be to invite death. The Tycho left in time, but yet did not. The transport vessel exploded but the Tycho was still within the shockwave. The shuttle shakes as it fights the throttling. The planet gets closer and closer as the shuttle careens forward. Shane grits his teeth as he struggles to maintain control of the shuttle that had has been disrupted in the blast. Alarms go off in the shuttle as the planet gets closer and closer. He tries to aim the shuttle at the colony but the stabilizer’s kaput. The only thing that Shane and his visitor can hope for is that they land in one piece.

 

[Hippu]

The way in finally opened and the officer scrambled in and parked her self on the nearest suitable surface to take another series of deep breaths. "We'll be goners any minute now by the sound of it, so don't idle now" she commented without looking up from her hunched over position. Law aboard space vessels were similar to that of naval ones, so the other person aboard this ship was its captain as its owner and pilot, and though formality was often dropped under casual circumstances or in smaller civilian craft, it only felt right to at least maintain it during introductions. "I've about caught my breath now captain, sergeant Alessi at your service. Oh, and thanks by the way."

Fiore looked and around and scooted into a proper seat now, fastening the seatbelt quickly. It was just after that she got a good look at the captain and noticed he had some distinctive features that left her unable to find proper words to respond to. He was definitely a rarity, even those that underwent extensive genetic manipulation for one reason or another didn't take it this far and in fact some parts were already too developed towards their natural anatomy to change so much through genetic manipulation after birth let alone at a legal age for one to make such a choice themselves. Surgeries could be done to accomplish some of those alterations but that didn't seem the case to her here. This was a real gorilla, or at least someone's approximation of one if they never had a chance to see the few left, that had been given certain human features, possibly to more easily interact with human tools and infrastructure. Most wouldn't be able to make the distinction, even when gorillas were more common but in this age where information was easier than ever to pick up and people like her were on the job 24/7 with plenty of time where nothing was going on, studying subjects as a hobby to pass time and avoid boredom was pretty common. Some picked up on history, others became nuts about mechanical things, and she casually read up on anatomy and physiology.

Fiore was about to try her hand at subtly prodding at the matter when the shockwave rocked the ship and everything slowed down again for way too long. She can hardly see what happens to the other craft drifting around as the planet before them gets bigger and ultimately envelopes their view. Their survival was once again in question and out of her hands, but all she can think of is the irony that she went through so much training and screening to police a much more calm place with a far more relaxed grip and now a violent series of events in these past few minutes might make her arrive in a few more pieces than one. At least it wasn't boring.

The descent had felt like forever but waking up after that landing left her with the impression of a lot of what followed being quite instant. The lapse in memory was a sign the impact had at least rattled her senses if not knock her out completely, but after she had dragged herself out in a daze and got a sense of the surrounding area which was made up of a lot of open area and no human presence. The flood of information to her mind was still leaving her feeling off but her own injuries were not life threatening neither it seemed were her companion's.

 

[Pokeking]

Captain? The owner and pilot of the Tycho came out of the door in the back and as his hands graced the console and steering wheel, “Welcome Sergeant Alessi to the Tycho. If you want to call me captain, you may or skipper. I like the word skipper.” Grimacing and gesturing with his head in an attempt to look at her as best as he could given their predicament, “I much rather prefer being called Shane or Durango. No problem. I’ll try to keep us in one piece.”

The Tycho is rocked by the shockwave as Shane maneuvers to minimize the damage and evade the remnants of the Travis, their former home these past several weeks. The brightness as they enter the atmosphere gets to him and he slaps on his goggles with reflective lenses.

The windows are slightly chipped from the debris and the stress is aggravating them into noticeable cracks. Lush savannah like a sea of gold comes up quickly. The Tycho skids and ravishes the grasses as the craft plows forward. The friction eventually catches up which slows them down. Thud! They have stopped.

Shane feels his arms and chest, “I thought I was going to puke my heart out, but I’m okay.” His hands reach for his buckle and leans back to give his heart a chance to catch up with him. "You?" He turns his chair around and asks, “How are you?”

 

[Hippu]

Now that they were out of immediate danger and on the ground, they needed to find out where they were relative to the colony so they didn't end up going the wrong direction. If they couldn't manage that then it would be best to try to set up here and contact someone. "Nothing is broken and I don't think either of us are dying yet, so is anything still functional on the ship? I'm hoping the flora means there is water pooled somewhere." If there was plant life here, something likely evolved to eat it, and something else to eat that, so her head was on a swivel for signs of other life that might take an interest in them but so far there was nothing. The crash might have scared everything off, and if they weren't used to humans then they might be too cautious to cause problems but it was too early to let down their guard.

"If nothing else, the ship should still provide better as much shelter as we could ask for, so all that is left is water and food, in that order. After that, we should have enough room to figure out what to do next." Conserving energy and making very deliberate movements was going to be important until their situation improved, and getting a better view of the area seemed like the best first move for finding a source for their needs but if the ship could find it for them it would be better to wait for Shane's assessment. "Now seems as good a time to ask as any, so do you know anything about what happened up there, Mr. Shane?"

 

[Pokeking]

Shane tapped on the panels and tried to turn on the ignition, “Dead as the dodo. Main and auxiliary power chewed up trying to keep us in one piece. Just battery power left. If I use it, we would just have a few minutes of air time. Then it’s back down and harder this time. If we stay here, we’d need batter power to keep the lights and temperature going. Sure, we can stay here for a few days. I have water and MREs for a few days. I’m vegetarian by inclination because of my Western Lowland ancestry, but I’m able to eat other things and we can’t afford to be too choosy if we run out. If we have to resort to eating snails, or was passes for one here, then we must. If we do stay here a few nights, we’ll have to lock up. Can’t have snakes or other predators visiting us. I have one bedroom, but just big enough for a guy like me. Not fit for a claustrophobe. Opposite the bedroom is the bathroom. Shower stall, wash basin, and toilet. No more, no less. Just barebones.”


He taps on the gauntlet on his left arm to pull up the map of the planet. A holographic image of Garene floats above. Some parts of the image are clear, others are glitchy, half is blank. The only parts that were clear was the crash site and the surrounding area up to a thousand yards. The pinpoint indicating the location of the colony is not there, “Marfa Colony’s somewhere in one of these blank spots but based on the terrain in the spot where we are” He points at the ghostly globe, “northwest is approximately where the colony lies. Soon, we would need to get going. I can set a beacon and even set it to point to where we go. In all the hullabaloo, it’ll take a few days for the staff to realize that they are at least two short when they look at the passenger manifest.” He turns the data gauntlet off so he can conserve its power. “Sorry, I don’t really know what happened. I was sound asleep, so I don’t know too much as to what really happened. Whatever it was, was quick and deadly to the transport vessel. I don’t think it was anything natural. Subspace radiation or rouge comets or anything like that, the crew would know to be on the watch for something like that. It had to have been some accident or, and I hate to say it, sabotage.”

 

[Hippu]

"Not going to be that easy finding out where we are then, is it? With just the one bed, I can either sleep in the cockpit or we can alternate being awake. The latter would keep someone around at all hours and prevent any nasty surprises. Also, are you sure your gut can handle meat if we have to? I wouldn't want you to get sick or something." She wasn't looking at Shane while going on, instead finding a way to climb up onto the ship to view their surroundings from a higher perspective. As a result, she didn't realize they did in fact have a map of sorts for guidance until he started talking about it. "Northwest.. If this were home, I could figure the direction out by the stars or landmarks, but unless you have a compass that works on this planet, we'll have to rely on that map for a sense of direction. How much power do you have on that thing? If it's an option, I'd suggest charging it up from the ship's remaining battery and setting out tomorrow."

They couldn't exactly drag the ship with them, so they would have to figure out shelter in the likely case that civilization was more than a day out. But they should be able to put together some kind of carriable storage for bringing enough of the MREs and water with them if there wasn't something suitable already on the ship. They'd have less to carry if they consumed some of the supplies before leaving, and it would be a shame to waste the shelter the ship did provide by leaving it behind immediately, even if soreness from the crash would have become more apparent by the next morning. "A catastrophic accident or sabotage is most likely, I agree. There would have been some warning if something had occurred outside the ship but it was completely normal up until the doors started sealing off and warnings blared." She broke into a series of stretches as she recalled the incident to ease the tension and cramping that was becoming more noticeable in her muscles. "You've that gorilla strength right? It would probably come in handy for making some simple tools, assuming Garene's plants are similar enough to the Earth plants we cultivated the old colonies for. I assume these aren't all Earth plants out here anyway since they found intelligent life here didn't they? Something else must have developed on this rock."

 

[Pokeking]

Shane smirks to bring a snippet of levity to their perilous situation, “I can handle eating meat. My mother, my creator, made sure of that. Despite looking like a gorilla, I have the same biochemistry as a human so the same meds can work on me. I got my human genes from her. Take my eyes. Natural gorillas, those precious few left, have brown eyes. Me? I have her bluish green eyes. It’s the little things in my genome that influences my behavior. I’m mostly vegetarian, I drum my chest, and so on.” He’s talking but he’s looking at his things in the cargo hold and deciding which belongings that they should take with them if they have to venture forth. “Beacon has its own power supply and there are photovoltaic cells on panels that I can just pop out.”

He carries a beacon and sets it in front of the craft, driving it into the ground for stabilization. He caresses the side and panels slide out on either side. It now resembles a large synthetic flower. “There now. Hopefully, someone will pick up the SOS and come by. Shane holds up his left wrist and checks the gauntlet’s power levels. “60%. I have a couple of revolvers and other nonessential stuff like my holographic kit I can use to siphon power from before digging into ship’s battery. As we venture along into the glitchy or blank patches, the map will start to fix itself.”

Shane looks at the sky, “First sunset’s in about an hour, second is about an hour after that if I remember the data correctly. My strength isn’t as strong as a pureblooded gorilla, but I do fine. I weigh 212 pounds and can lift my own weight no problem. Most tools, I have. The pair of revolvers I have are going to be used to provide supplemental power. Not to say that we’ll be bereft of weapons. I have a machete locked up in the weapons cabinet. Plus, I have my hands. We’ll take a scanner which would be able to tell if prospective food is safe enough. Might need to cook something so we’ll take a fire kit also.” He looks back at Alessi, “You said that you are Service right? Go ahead and look in here to see if there’s anything else you think that we ought to take with us. I can carry a lot, but I still only have the two hands. Our best bet is to find a tribe of Garenians. I’ve never seen one before, only in pictures. Hopefully we would come across a tribe that is familiar with humans even if they’ve never seen one like me before. I’ve read that most are friendly or at least neutral towards humans. They just prefer to keep to themselves so they can maintain their way of life.”

 

[Hippu]

"You're better equipped for this surprise camping trip than I thought, and not having to worry about weird biological differences is a plus too. Let's settle ourselves before it gets too dark." Easily said, but she wasn't actually sure what to do with the time. They had food, water and good shelter, and they could probably still cook in the dark so that wasn't urgent. Maybe the crash was catching up to her now since she kept drawing a blank as she looked around the site for something that needed doing. But ultimately it seemed that all was well and the next logical step would be to scout around the area for the natives and they didn't have the time to go very far. It would probably be better to stay here, rest and check themselves over for any injuries they might have missed.

"Law enforcement, the lines may have blurred or disappeared sometimes in human history but-. Well, the differences might not be that substantial in this case. Er, let's see what you've got." She saunters over and examines the contents of the hold. "I'm not expecting much trouble, we can scare off animals between the two of us probably and if someone with a gun comes after us there isn't much we could do anyway. But a machete is more than just a weapon so whether we should bring that depends on if we have to worry about getting through brush or dense vines somewhere along the way. Some rope, an inflatable boat and some tarp would be useful, and if you have any duffel bags to carry food, water and anything else we find we need along the way then that would be all we could ask for. I assume we are already taking any antibiotics, disinfectants, pain killers and bandages you have on hand." She scans through the hold for the particular items as she lists them off. The rope would be key for rock climbing to take the most direct route somewhere, the boat could save them some energy if they found a creek or river while looking for the natives assuming they needed a source of water beyond whatever they ate, and the tarp could be used for a rain cover or surface to work on if they needed it.

"About those Garenians, we might want to play a few rounds of charades on the road in case they don't speak our Interstellar Standard Language." A sharp pain in her lower back came as she turned at the waist to look back at Shane and caused her to let out some unintelligible sounds and wince for a couple seconds. "I'm hoping that's just a cramp. Any new aches or pains on your end? I'm not a physician but it might all be catching up to us and if anything hurts too bad we shouldn't aggravate it so don't ignore your condition." With how well equipped the ship was so far, a pack of healing stims would be a cherry on top since laying around for weeks or longer to recover didn't sound like much fun.

 

[Pokeking]

Shane placed his hands against his hips, “You think so? There was a moment, brief moment, that I thought about staying back home after I got my shuttle and do freelance work around the Sol System. For 25 years I lived in the same neighborhood located on the same research base on the same Mars. Except for occasional trips outside the Cervantes Institute and scant trips to Earth or the Moon, there I was.”

Looking at the skies again, he starts picking up the catalogued gear and stores it away. “Earth has both intrigued me and has given me the willies. My parents took me to an old-time zoo there once. I was seven, I guess. Not one of their better thought-out ideas. They took me there as a learning experience, so they took me to the gorilla habitat because they wanted me to encounter them. One gorilla looking at a whole troop of them separated by glass. They both fascinated and frightened me. It was an experience that I could have done without.”

Shane puffs out his cheeks, “Count on the charades because I don’t think many of them cared to learn any Earth languages since they refer to keep to themselves. I know sign language and Italian, but that won’t do us any good here.”

Shane dashed for one of the medkits, “Let’s take a look. I’m not a doctor but Mom is. Her specialty is genetics, but a doctor she is. One can’t help but pick up a few things. I feel fine right now, but I could use a booster just in case.” He takes out a hypo and inserts a pod full of pain reliver. He presses it against his arm and the device emits a hiss. Need me to administer this to you?”

 

[Hippu]

"I've actually never been to the Sol system since you mentioned it. Maybe some day I'll find my way there, or even try taking one of those vacations. Earth has a kind of strange feeling to it for me too though, different but strange, just because it's where we all started from I guess. Places life can develop are still a rarity and that one just happened to grow a bunch of primates that surged into the great unknown and made new spaces for themselves out of the other rocks. If I recall, there are still millions of years left until it's all gone but someone decided that wasn't enough. I'd better stop myself before someone tells me I'd make a better philosopher than a peacekeeper." No one else could probably claim to have experienced what Shane had or really understand what it's like to be made in the image of something that was nearly gone and kept in an enclosure to conserve what is left. Some zoos had gotten better at recreating environments for animals so they wouldn't be completely without skills on the off chance that some day down the line their habitats could be restored but it was largely considered a pipe dream. But maybe he could feel a little less alone in going through life.

"I think I just pulled something a little, so hold onto that until we see if this will get any worse. About those charades though, I'm awful at it. Any ideas for how to convey we're lost and looking for a city?" They could pick some rocks along the way and try to make them look like buildings when they found a tribe but that seemed like a longshot. "By the way, I have a taser hooked to a biobattery in my forearm, the prongs push through a patch of non-conductive false skin to work properly but it's automatic so if you touch it you'll get zapped. I got it for insurance before getting sent out here, I didn't feel right without something substantial to subdue people but clubs and guns put people on edge and that's the opposite of what my job is. and no one would notice it in everyday interactions." With that out of the way, her mind returned to the pain and the offer of pain relief.

It was a well known fact, or at least she thought it was, that abusing pain killers made people extremely sensitive to pain and more reliant on them, so it was discouraged in her field where exposure to pain could be very common to use any more than absolutely necessary. She would get examined and treated if needed once they were safe. "It's funny, taking a moment to realize you probably have the strangest life of anyone in the galaxy and yet you, weird encounter with the real gorillas aside, sound like you had a pretty normal family life. But I live a life that's not that unusual and here I am not able to even remember being a kid."

 

[Pokeking]

Shane started to close the door and made sure that they were secure for the night, “It’s morbid for me to say, so don’t take this the wrong way. It was a miracle that the survivors of the Bellerophon were able to crash on a planet such as this. Imagine if they found themselves on a world with extreme gravity or toxic atmosphere. Here they found a people that they might be able to get along with. They had to live with them for 13 years and learn from them. What are the odds?” He looked back and said, “No shame in philosophizing just as long as it doesn’t impede.”

Shane puts the hypo back in the case, “As you wish.” He puts it on the dead console and his thoughts turned to communication, “Well. Most are familiar with humans. They call us Ouhkx, sounds like oh kicks. Roughly means star person. The Garenians never had a written language before we showed up so linguists developed a pictographic language. Symbols represent words but I don’t know any of them. With limited tech, we won’t be able to access that information. I could draw for them using a stick or finger. That could help.”

Shane sits down with a ration packet, one of three he has. He pulls at the tab and opens it up. The “food” inside resembles cubes of toffee. Unassuming size but chockfull of nutrients and as filling as a single meal. They all come in a wide range of flavors, nearly all are fruit based. Each packet has 30 cubes. He looks inside and takes out a bluish cube, “Blueberry. My fav.” He then presents the bag to Alessi. “I guess you could call it a normal childhood. Lonely though. I didn’t have any friends growing up because they thought I was a freak. Teachers appeared to be more supporting. Memories are a tricky thing. They are still within us, but sometimes we misremember or not remember for a variety of reasons.”

 

[Hippu]

"Out of the fire and into the frying pan, but instead we ended up on the rim of a bowl." Relatively safe, but still not the most comfortable situation. But on the matter of philosophy, it was hard to explain why it was undesirable for one in her position to think too much about human nature and how they are driven. But ultimately it came down to the fact that it didn't really suit someone whose job was just to keep people aligned with the law.

"Oh-kicks huh? I've read that writing stuff down reduces how much we remember by ourselves, but it does allow what we write to potentially outlast us too so giving them some sterilized writing tools would probably be a nice way to thank them for helping us star people. Well, assuming they aren't against writing things. But if it helps get our message across then drawing is probably a good idea when we find them." The pain in her back was starting to ease up so she took that as a sign that it wasn't something severe enough to demand special attention or restrict her from traveling. "I have steady hands at least but I'm not sure how good I would be at drawing things. I've never really tried."

"Favorites.. Some things have been relatively more enjoyable to eat than others but I don't think I've tasted anything that I'd want to eat every day. Being too picky to eat what's available is a flaw I think." She doesn't really know much about the assorted cubes so she takes one based on the color that looks most appealing, a reddish-purple one. "Some big differences from the stereotypes vids show but you had two parents, went to a school with other kids, and even went on a trip to a zoo at least once. Even trying to figure my earliest memory so I can have them in order leaves me feeling a bit dazed and sometimes I get the feeling there is a tight band or an overly large staple on my brain for the effort. The weirdest thing is I don't remember my parents at all, but I don't think I was the only one so I didn't give it much thought." Fiore finally stuck the cube in her mouth to finish off her rambling and focused more than usual on the taste in her mouth. It was unfamiliar, strong but in a good way. It left a tingle in her cheeks that was pleasant, almost enough to make the experience of getting to this point worth it. For a moment she wondered if humans were just driven by the desire to eat before dismissing the idea as too silly. But it would be hilarious if someone discovered it was true.

 

[Pokeking]

"Styluses? I think I have something that can be used by them for drawing. Paints would also work as gifts. You're right, writing is a mixed bag. We had to beg them to give us permission to write their myths down. We convinced them that it was the least invasive. We didn't want to ask any of them to leave the planet and they are shy about recorders replaying their voices. After the nightmares that have appeared throughout human history, we are trying to avoid repeating mistakes. However, I have read reports about some adventurous youth wanting to learn more about our ways. There is rumor that a few even want to leave their tribes and live among us. We might see one or two in the colony. None on the station though, but that may change in a generation or two."

Shane traces on the palm of his hand, "Nothing too fancy is needed. The Garenian's are bright people. I'm thinking something resembling a hut in the sky and a line between that and a series of houses in the ground." He considers Alessi's words, "Memory can be a tricky thing. Some form of mass hypnosis? Brainwashing? One day, maybe you would consider coming by my neck of the galaxy. Perhaps we can do...some...thing?" The gorilla yawns and then rubs his face. "Perhaps we oughta get some shut eye? We have a long day ahead tomorrow."

 

[Hippu]

"Anything that won't spread any commutable diseases and isn't too complex. Finding something they can make and use on their own from their environment would be best. Then again, this isn't my field of expertise. I'd hate to have those types that try to study and preserve cultures cursing my name because giving a pen and paper to the Garenians caused a domino effect that caused them to abandon all their traditions." From the sound of it, the dominos may have already been tumbling from humans showing up in the first place though. "Things just happen faster and faster don't they? I heard there were people born before the first rockets who lived to see humans reach space and even land on the moon for a short time. In a generation or two there may be some Garenians taking tours or making new homes at the opposite end of the galaxy"

Shane had a point, it was only getting later and they would need their sleep. "We'll figure it all out tomorrow then, aside from my memory issue anyway. Even if there was some big secret hiding in there, how much would it really change who I am now? Well, I guess I still am figuring out all of who I am and what I want. If you saw where I had been until this transfer, you might understand why I haven't really had the time to work that out. But since you mentioned it, if I do then I think I'd like to do something normal-ish for a tourist." Fiore checked around to get an idea of where to stick herself and get some sleep. Pretty much anywhere would work with some cushioning, but if a seat in the cockpit could recline then that might be the best option. Reclining chairs were supposed to be pretty comfy after all. "I'll see you in the morning."

 

[Pokeking]

Shane got droopy eyed, “Fortunately, it’s taken 50 years for even a whisper of a few wanting to venture outside of their villages. I think the colonists are having to tread a fine line between preserving the peace and accommodate the curious while also maintaining a respectful distance in the name of noninterference. Maybe it would have been best if the Bellerophon had been destroyed, but the will to live is strong. Another thing to consider when speaking of outside influence. Colonists are encouraged to not have children unless administration has given permission. Even then, only one child would be allowed. It might seem barbaric to enact such a policy. The other side of population control is regulating how many come here and who they are. Me? I got here by way of Byron Trent, one of Mom’s colleagues. He is one of Marfa’s doctors and said that he needed someone to help with medical equipment. I know machines well enough and if I can serve as a medic if needed.”

Shane loosened the straps of his overalls and the top half fell forward. He reached for the closet and hauled out two blankets and pillows. “This one is for you. I’ll use this set.” He lays the cushions on the floor and crouches down to bunche up the blanket. He taps on his gauntlet to select an alarm to go off in seven hours. He pulls off his shoes and flexes his ape toes, “Until tomorrow.” He snuggles against the cushioning and begins to slumber.

 

[Hippu]

It was too late to worry about what could have been, and change can't be prevented forever. But maybe it could be directed towards something that wasn't so bad. Such things were outside their control though, so now it was time to sleep. Taking after Shane's example, Fiore placed the cushions strategically for what she expected would be the most comfortable layout, placed the blanket down and laid on her side to get the extra cushioning from the blanket and allow it to cover most if not all of the rest of her form. Sleeping in her clothes was something she was kind of used to, and this planet was colder than where she had come from so the extra warmth would probably feel better anyway. She did of course remove her shoes before laying down, but in a drowsy, nearly sleeping state she did have to check before she finally did sleep that night.

Shane's alarm announced the morning or at least what could be considered morning for them and with it came awareness of the soreness from yesterday, but it wasn't as bad as she had expected. She immediately did some morning stretches while reassessing the situation and remembering the plan. As she finished up, a slight pain in her core ordered her to eat something soon. "How are you feeling, Shane? I'm fine myself. A little hungry, but that will quiet down soon whether we eat now or not." Her life before had taught her to eat when she could, but duty came first. It wouldn't kill anyone to eat now versus later, as long as they didn't go the whole day without. "You mentioned knowing Italian didn't you? One of the other officers back home was big on languages and old marching songs. I couldn't tell you the names of any of them but at least one was probably Italian. I know one was French, and had something to do with onions. I only know that because he told me."

 

[Pokeking]

Ding, Dong. Ding, Dong. The alarm beeps and Shane yawns big showing off his pronounced teeth. As he sits on the floor he rotates his arms and reaches for his feet to stretch. As he pulls the straps of the overalls over his shoulders to snap them in place, his toes reach for his shoes. He then reaches down and laces them firmly. He looks at Alessi, "Can't afford to have these guys fall off. Back home, I didn't make much use of my feet like my ancestors would have. My shoes are custom made. I can wear human shoes, but I find them to be stiff and don't give me the mobility that I want. I'll probably make more use of my feet here."

He stands up, "Slept all right and I'm doing okay. All things considered." He opened the bathroom door and places his hands below the basin's faucet to collect water. "Just a bit to refresh the face." The hairs on his face prickle from the moisture. He sits down and reaches for the ration bag. Shane plunks out and consumes an orange cube. "I know Italian and I can also sign." He holds up his hands and signs that he hopes that their day will be productive. "That means 'I hope our day will be productive.'" He smiles, "I like songs. My dad sings opera, but only when he's working on his machines. Don't ask me to sing any arias though even though I know a few and can sing well enough."

He stands up again and says, "We'll take inventory and get set up so we can head out and hopefully find help."

 

[Hippu]

"Too soft? Or is it a support thing? Either way, it wouldn't do us much good to rush you if they did fall off, so don't worry about being left behind. I owe you, and it's my job to protect you, and anyone else in need we may or may not come across." She took his grabbing a cube as a go ahead to do the same, after which she tried to follow his hands but isn't quite confident that she got it right and tries to imitate what she saw. "I only vaguely know of opera, and what's an aria? I'm not sure if singing would attract attention or scare things off, but do as you like."

Inventory time. First the essentials would be accounted for, then what they thought would be the most useful and then whatever else they could fit. The first two categories were ready to go in short order and double checked, leaving just a little room left for just a couple more things. But once that was taken care of, Alessi took a quick look at herself and concluded that cleaning up wasn't worth using up water that could go to more important things, especially when she wasn't that dirty yet and would only end up worse in that regard after getting too far from the ship to conveniently come back. She wouldn't criticize Shane for doing so though.

 

[Pokeking]

“It’s a support thing. I’d go barefoot if I could but that’d be a bad idea to the extreme. I guess Mom wanted me to get the same usage out of my feet as true gorillas although my body shape is human. It’s perfect when I was working under machinery and someone wanted to pass something to me. Just place it my foot and I raise my leg and turn my foot so I can grab it with my hand or I’m watching an old-style TV. I can hold a bowl of snacks with one hand, eat with the other hand and manipulate the remote with my right foot.”

Shane flexes his toes and describes, “An aria is a piece of music meant for one voice. Usually part of a larger work. When I was a kid, when I heard Dad sing, that was a clue to stay out of the way. He didn’t want me to get hurt after all. I mostly stayed in my room playing with old computers and my holographics kit when my parents got me one. I’m a swell hologram designer and programmer or at least I’d like to think so. My kit will stay in the shuttle. Getting off track. If we come across Garenians and they prompt us to sing, do. They like singing.”

Shane started to carry items out of the cargo hold. There were several items that would have been heavy for a human of his size, but were not too burdensome for him. “Now, I can carry heavy items, but we need to streamline the inventory. I’ll take my toolkit, the rations, and the first aid kit. The machete, rope. We ought to take headgear to avoid too much sun. He slides his goggles over his eyes, “That’ll help on the glare. I think I have an extra pair somewhere around here. It’ll need some adjusting since it’s sized for my head.”

Shane gets on all fours and searched the cargo hold, “Ah! Here we go.” He hold the goggles up so that Alessi can take them.

 

[Hippu]

"Would walking like a real gorilla help or nah? Or is it that you're trying to keep your hands clean? Would suck to have the downsides of both worlds. Anyway, you'll have to show me what you can do with holograms sometime, especially if I have to sing at some point here." She wasn't a terrible singer, but she wasn't someone with training either. Most 'singing' she had done had been tunes designed to synchronize with others and associate with training to help it kick in if she ever was at a loss for what to do in a high stress situation. "Talking about normal stuff has got me thinking for what may be the first time about what I would do if I ever left this for something different. What would I even want to do? What kind of things are there to do for that matter? Maybe something like one of those stories, settle down and live off the land. Honest, simple living is what they call it I think." It was just the first thing to come to her, it wasn't exactly decided yet nor was it necessarily the best sounding idea of any she could come up with yet. But it didn't sound bad.

"You're right, I didn't consider the weight of it all much. We're well equipped but we still can't be too wasteful." She followed after and looked the goggles over to see how they might adjust when they were handed over. "Too bad I left my hat in my room, it actually looked kinda nice. So, which landmarks are northwest?" If he had mentioned it before, she didn't remember, but it was also a way of conveying readiness to set off when he was. "Hey, there are big zoos where the animals can stretch their legs aren't there? Maybe I'll work there. Seeing them do what they do and having some room to roam and gather my thoughts about..everything."

 

[Pokeking]

“Walking like a true gorilla help? Not exactly because I need the use of my hands. If you want to see my holograms, that’ll take a good while given our circumstances. Let’s just say that some are artists and others are programmers. It’s not often you come across one who does both. Being alone gives one plenty of time to hone skills.” His voice had fallen from chipper to somber. “Years of being alone with no one to speak with except for my parents. Even then for most of my life, they were reluctant to be parental figures. I was created to be a servant and they called me Durango. That changed when I turned 15. I was given a first and a last name. I was their son now.” Shane hears his companion reflect about possibilities, “You might find a new start on Marfa, a place where you can make a difference. Who knows what the future holds?”

Shane looked around and got out his map. The holographic globe hovered above his wrist and he used his free hand to manipulate it. He zoomed in and said, “See this small line? That looks to be part of a river. I can’t tell how long the river is, but water is life no matter what part of the galaxy one’s in. Here, it’s even more critical. We should head in that direction and head west once we get there.” He heads to the beacon that was in front of the shuttle to make sure it’s working and will function without monitoring. He then gets a pole and bends the top. Next to the beacon, he thrusts it into the ground. If anyone finds the beacon, they’ll know in which direction we are travelling in a general sense. I’m marking this spot with the map so as we journey, we can chart our path. Once we get to the Colony, we can order a pick up for the Tycho."

He puts a bucket hat on his head and adjusts the chin strap and unfurls the drape in the back to protect his neck. Shane starts to place his share of the provisions in a large backpack. There is a bag for Alessi. “Ready when you are.”