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2022-02-27 05:52:07E00 left Hanga’s memories and waited for him to come back. It was an exhausting activity, and he felt worse every time he did it. Except for the energy loss, he also hated barging inside his crewmates’ minds and witnessing their breaking points. That wasn’t a great way to make friends.
Dropping on the floor, Hanga gazed up at the grey, dull, metal ceiling. "I see Maya everywhere I look. I can't face losing her all over again."
“I don’t understand what’s with all this fuss about memories. I can access my memory files and relive anything anytime.” C1313 shrugged. “If I don’t like a memory, I can always delete it. Well, sometimes it’s tricky because some rather peculiar protection mechanisms can trigger a full shutdown.” She looked at Hanga. “But I guess no one cares about my issues.”
“Not now, C1313,” E00 said. “But after this situation is resolved and we safely get the Transcendents to their new home, feel free to talk to me about your problems. Maybe I can help.” He paused for a few seconds before he continued. “Hanga, get up. The droids need you. They look up to you.”
“Really?” Hanga raised his head, his eyes beaming with hope. “Do you hear their thoughts?”
E00’s voice came into the room once more. “No. But I knew that would give you some pick me up.”
“Bastard!” Hanga wasn’t yelling, but he had cranked up the volume. “If you had a body, I would have kicked your ass.”
“Maybe. We’ll never know.”
C1313 grabbed Hanga's arm and pulled him up. She examined him from head to toe, keeping an arm's length between them. "His vitals are presently stable. E00, go to the next."
Hanga huffed at her but didn’t add anything.
For a moment, E00 observed Hanga. He looked well, maybe a bit confused. The lingering sadness about him had deepened, reliving a loss that broke his heart. E00 only knew the surface story and wondered if the Valerian wanted to talk about it. But E00 didn’t know how to ask without risking making things worse. So, he decided to do what C1313 nudged him to do, to go in and drag another crew member from the memories.
Only Cato and Jackeye were left. They both looked pretty stable up to the point when Jackeye started twitching. His whole body shook while his eyeballs moved under his eyelids. Something was happening with him, and E00 couldn’t decide if he should enter his mind now or let him stabilize before that.
Jackeye gasped and blinked open his eyes. C1313 darted in front of him, inspecting his face. Hanga approached them, his expression filled with anxiety.
“Are you alright?” Hanga asked.
Jackeye heaved a frustrated sigh. “By now, I’m able to tell the difference between reality and other worlds. And also how to get out of any construct.” He shrugged. “Okay, almost any construct. But sure as hell, I won’t be trapped in that pile of shit that’s my past.”
“Good to have you back,” C1313 added.
"This means I just have one to go," E00 replied, checking Cato's brain waves. From what he could tell, this dive was going to be difficult.
Once this last one was finished and the Transcendents loaded off the Space Spoon and into their new home, E00 could finally rest and replenish his energy. Perhaps he would even have a few moments to spare and dip into the bright star that awaited them at their destination.
He reached out and entered Cato’s mind. After he found the spot where her consciousness manifested, he slithered between the edges of the memory and entered the closest avatar he could find.
Stunned, he had no words for what he saw and felt. Getting inside the avatars in the memories wasn’t easy. He could never feel their bodies like his own. Well, not like this. He jerked his head back to get a better look at what fluttered over his shoulders.
The lines of his wings, starting from his skin, were all black, each one being a contrast to the nearly translucent substance that shimmered like crystals under the sun. Stunning and flawless, they belonged to him. He couldn't believe his eyes. He handed them a test flap, which worked. They moved. Oh my goodness, this was pure magic.
Cato was standing in front of him. Her enthusiasm matched his. A thrilling sensation bloomed in his chest, dashing through his heart and bringing a grin to his lips. He let her pull him up. She smiled. He had never seen her smile before. And then reality hit him. Those weren't his wings, and this wasn't even his memory.
Before he could say anything, she flung a hand over his. “Come, Talulah, hide your wings already. We have to go to the party.”
Who was Talulah and why was she so important to Cato that Memory Bliss sent her here? They both looked happy, and somehow this was about to blow up in their faces. Maybe this time he could prevent things from happening all over again. Maybe he could take out Cato from this memory before bad things happen.
“Cato, do you remember –”
She dragged him down the stairs to the party, where numerous human teenagers danced, drank, and laughed. Somehow, his wings disappeared without him doing anything about them. This couldn’t have ended well.
Not long after, he got a drink, a pink liquid glimmering in transparent glass. Hoping the beverage wouldn’t taste bad, he poured it inside his mouth. He couldn’t control the body, merely the words he uttered.
The doors flew open as soldiers in blue uniforms marched inside. One of them moved forward. "I'm Colonel Darren Kyel, the Interplanetary Police. It was brought to our attention that there are two unauthorized life forms present at this celebration. Please form a line so that we may collect DNA samples from each of you."
The moment E00's wings pierced through his clothing, he couldn't control his body. He turned toward Cato. “Come, I’ll fly us out of here.”
"Stop right there, Dragonkin," the Colonel shouted. "How many of you are around?"
The moment his wings fluttered to take off, a shot burned through his chest, and E00 felt Talulah’s pain as she died.
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“What’s going on here?” Tejeda asked. He and Shayla entered, probably after they finished the meal he so much craved for. The hangar bay, which was usually empty aside from Hanga’s workbench, now contained the drone holding the Transcendents, and the crew. Cato was the only one who didn't flinch at the question. “I… I can’t get Cato out of her memories.” E00 sounded exhausted as if he didn’t have enough energy to try again. “I’ve tried everything.” He gave up a sigh. Cato was the last of the Space Spoon's crew still blocked in the past, the gift Memory Bliss had bestowed upon them. “E00, can you bridge our minds and let me inside hers?” Tejeda drew closer to Cato, tilting his head as he watched over her. “I can project your consciousness inside hers. How strong you’ll be there is only up to you.” Tejeda had enough of this situation and the Transcendents. He rolled his eyes and puffed. “I say tomayto, you say tomahto. A simple yes would
The Space Spoon 51. OMG
After safely transporting the Transcendents to the star in the Winth System, Tejeda called for a team meeting. When everyone was seated at the table, he stopped spinning with his chair and coughed to catch everyone’s attention.“First of all, I want to congratulate you all for not dying during your first month on this ship. Under my command, that’s quite the feat. E00, do we have some applause sounds to insert now?”The silence that followed was an answer in itself."I take that as a no. Okay. Moving on. Before starting the actual meeting, I want you guys to tell me who made that wonderful pie. I ate all of it.""I made the pie." C1313 tilted her head in a sign she didn’t understand the praise. "I can take into account the nutritional needs of each individual and prepare something accordingly. But when it comes to taste, well, I don’t have any. My dishes can be bland, I can’t tell.""Well, I must say, your
The Space Spoon 52. Shoe Science
It had been two hundred years since Tejeda last set foot on Aunald. Valeria’s Moon looked as bleak as its citizens’ faces. Who could smile under this clouded black sky? The industry was what sustained Aunald’s economy, and almost everybody here worked in mines or factories. It was not an easy life.Drops of water splashed all around his boots as he went down the streets and alleyways. Shayla walked next to him. Her gait was more chaotic as she tried to avoid the black puddles on the sidewalk.At first, it seemed like a good idea for Tejeda to take her along with him. Maybe he could find out why she had that reaction yesterday. Beridian or King Astin? Which of the two was the source of her rage?Tall chimneys atop spherical roofs emitted black smoke. The factories looked the same as when Tejed
The Space Spoon 53. The Battle of the Limbs
Shayla had never seen such a fast charge. The way the Surtamite darted using all of his legs, like a well-tuned concert of violins, seemed surreal. The flesh segments on the myriapod’s front part buckled and then expanded in a steady, fast rhythm as the waves of the sea.Three arms thrust into the floor right next to Tejeda. He rolled over to his other side and took Carmen off his neck. His battle stance was similar to that of a swordsman, but instead of a blade, he held a spoon.A hole in the gray floor remained after the Surtamite withdrew his limbs with wooden shrapnel from its edges flying in the air.“Please, don’t damage the building.” One of the Valerian clerks jumped from his chair. “Everything in here is the property of the Trade Union for the Science Guild.”<
The Space Spoon 54. Humping the Truth
After reading the crumpled piece of paper, Shayla stuffed Tejeda's credentials into her pocket. No scientist or scientific group would ever give away a potential breakthrough due to the possibility of negative consequences. Showing those credentials to the clerks would simply tie their tongues even more.From what she had read on the mission details, Kirian’s research on organic-eating bacteria could have unforeseen effects. A potential planet-wide purge of all organic components would transform even a bountiful planet in a sea of sand and rock.“Who’s gonna pay for all this?” One of the Valerian clerks, the one with the dog, pointed toward the mess in the room. Windows shattered, holes in the floor and walls, blood everywhere, Tejeda’s body with two purple tentacles starting to melt, a Surtamite on his back with twenty arms flaili
The Space Spoon 55. Tejeda’s Antics
Shayla marched inside the Space Spoon with her arm wrapped around the dog. The little pooch pressed his snout to the side of her chest, happily wiggling his tail that periodically slapped her back. She huffed but didn’t have time for Tejeda’s antics.“E00, fire up the engines. We’re leaving Aunald ASAP.”“May I ask our destination?”With her free hand, she reached for her pocket and unwrapped the crumbled piece of paper she had gotten from the clerk. "Larva 5."“Where’s Tejeda?” Cato asked. She was standing in the far end of the corridor, looking over the hangar bay.“It is he, Tejeda, the Doggo.” Shayla tilted her head toward the pet. Then she cont
The Space Spoon 56. 4 on Larva 5
Minerals in the planet’s crust made scanning Larva 5 for life signs impossible. Since no one was traveling during the day because of the scorching heat, visual spotting was out of the question as well. They had to land with the shuttle and find communities on their own.“I’ll keep my droids on standby and carry them,” Hanga had concluded after finding out he would join the ground team. “I can’t say how sand can affect them since I haven’t performed such a test. A backpack can hold several small prototypes. Should I take a suitcase as well?”"I'm tempted to say yes, but Shayla wants all of the extra weight we can carry allotted to water." Tejeda had looked across at Shayla and realized that a bag of droids would have to suffice.It was night when the four of them landed
The Space Spoon 57. Nights Aren't for Sleeping
Tejeda opened his eyes to gaze upon Shayla’s back. Her black hair sprawled all over the place. And soon, he found the reason he awoke. A grunting came from her direction at a steady interval. He prodded her in the ribs to stop her snoring.He grinned as he realized his efforts had had no effect. In an instant, his hand found its way to her lovely hair, and he began caressing it mindlessly. He had been feeling a little groggy since the last body shift. Too much alcohol combined with the Zondarian DNA.“Why are you doing that? Does she have something stuck in her hair?”C1313’s voice startled him, and he jumped on his feet, forgetting about the cave’s low ceiling and his mighty horns. A loud thud followed his robust head ornaments protruding the hardened sand above him.<
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103. Meat Suit Part 1
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102. Monster Within Part 2
Rayna followed him through dark alleys, avoiding the city's main thoroughfares and heading for the city's outskirts. There weren't many other people around since it was late and freezing. The two veiled shadows of the night were easy to miss. Illuminated figures appeared randomly through the windows of dimly lit houses.He stopped in front of a derelict house. The sculpted archway stood crooked above the entrance, but he went beneath it without a second thought.Rayna stared at the white structure enveloped in moss to make sure it wouldn’t fall on her head. When the Bralxoid disappeared inside, she swallowed hard and followed him.Doctor Iadfoc invited her into a small, dark room with a single goose-neck lamp illuminating the top of a large table filled with glass vials. He gestured toward a threadbare sofa against the wall. He grabbed a simple wooden chair and sat facing her. For once, someone wasn't looking at her with meaningless pity, for which she was grateful.Iadfoc had a scann
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101. Monster Within Part 1
A/N: Monster Within is a side story taking place about a thousand years or more before the action in the novel. Enjoy!***Rayna sat in front of the mirror, removing her makeup. Who would she discover underneath? Foundation applied in triple layers, contact lenses, even a wig to make certain no one would see her change.Skin patches of different complexions stretched across her face like puzzle pieces jammed together into a chaotic pattern. Some parts of the jigsaw had wrinkles, while others were as smooth as a baby’s skin.Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the mirror. Her heterochromatic eyes were both different colors than before she wore contact lenses. And her hair... Well, the hair looked more like a wig than the one she threw on the floor. Honey-blonde hair tumbled in waves over her right shoulder. Ruby-red hair, spikey like a hedgehog’s, pointed toward the ceiling from the top of her head. Black, curly strands went down to her chin from her left.She was a mo
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100. Sunsetrise Part 4
Time passes differently on Yacleemb. I can’t say it’s the 56 hours days, the peacefulness of the Spreahs, or Lyam’s company. What I do know is that I’ve lost track of time. Every day, he builds things for the village; he’s happy, full of smiles, and I’m drunk with his genuine blissfulness.Unfortunately, I still have memories and can’t help but feel guilty for not contacting our friends. Wanting to know how things are working out for our crew, I stroll through the forest to the shuttle. After it powers up, a small blinking red light appears on the console. A message from E00.“Shayla, I hope you’ve found Tejeda by now. More than two months have passed, and no news from you. In the time you've been gone, things got worse around here.“Since the day you left, Jackeye has been trapped inside his virtual reality. I can’t say if it’s a voluntary decision or not. He cut me off completely.“Cato took a shuttle and left the Space Spoon about a month ago. The Interplanetary Police files show t
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99. Sunsetrise Part 3
Shayla Bale's POVOnly Tejeda Hajar is capable of disappearing and leaving me with an ambassador’s corpse. Once again, I had to assume the role of acting captain and evade the Interplanetary Police. We are all renegades once more, as we were before Tejeda found us.The crew needs me to steer the ship in the right direction, but my thoughts are far away, following the faceless Nubilae who left us. I lean against the wall and stare at his empty chair, wishing he will appear there, smiling without giving me any explanation as he always does.“Thinking about him won’t bring him back,” E00’s voice echoes from the ceiling speakers. “If you want him here again, you must go after him.”“Don’t get me wrong, E00, I want to. But it was his choice. He left us. Even if I go after him, he may not come back.”“If there’s anyone who can shake him out of the state he’s in, you’re the one.”“Why must you torment me?” I slump in Tejeda’s chair, rubbing my eyes to forestall crying. The gesture is pointle
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98. Sunsetrise Part 2
Reaching out, Carmen’s hand brushes against mine. Even though I’m mad as hell, a rush of electrical discharges takes over my core. That happened every time she touched me since the moment we’d met. Every fiber of my body, carbon and silica alike, crave to have her again by my side.“I tested the spoon. All the results said the same thing: it’s Nubilae. Who was it?”“My sister, Celia.” For the first time, a vein throbs on Carmen’s forehead. But she regains the glazed look. “She died during Iadfoc’s experiment. Many did. The rest went insane. Only I, you, and Rahul remained true Nubilae. Well, now only you and I since you killed Rahul.”“He had multiple run-ins with me and my crew. If I let him continue, surely one of my men would have died. I had to do something.”“No,” Carmen shouts, showing the anger hidden behind her previous blank expression. “I sent him to see how you are and test you. Well, you failed. No Nubilae should value the life of a lesser being over one of his brethren.”
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97. Sunsetrise Part 1
A/N: Sunsetrise is a short story I've written before even starting the novel. It holds the ending of the first volume and is made up of 4 parts. The first 2 parts are from Tejeda's POV and the last 2 parts from Shayla's. Enjoy!***Tejeda Hajar's POV“Happy birthday, Shayla!” I invite her to sit on the blanket next to me with a pat.It took me about a week to create a perfect replica of Genoria Prime inside Jackeye's world.Once every two thousand years, Genoria Prime, a water planet with just a few stretches of land covered in sand, is perfectly aligned to get the ultimate romantic view. One of its suns sets while the other rises, a phenomenon called sunsetrise.To recreate it from my memories inside Jackeye's virtual world involved a few setbacks. But that isn't important anymore.Shayla takes one of the glasses of red wine and fixes her dark green eyes on me. “Whose body are you wearing now?”“You know bodies are just meat suits for me.” I give a sly smirk, looking her over. “Well,
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96. His Blade
Tejeda's lips moved as though they were not his own. “Who’s she?”Shayla placed a hand on his back, touching for the first time the sludgy skin he had in this form. “Tejeda, stop. He’s dead.”Tejeda lifted his head to look at the sky. He remained like that for a long while before murmuring, “Why did you kill him?”"Sorry! Next time," Shayla murmured, sheathing her scimitar, "I'll kill the other guy after he kills you."“How did you know which one was me?”“Really? Is there another idiot who would risk dying for a spoon?”She observed how he flinched but said nothing. There was something wrong with him. Nonetheless, Shayla didn't believe she had the authority to inquire. In any case, she didn't expect a fair answer from him."Did you bring any DNA for me?" Tejeda asked without turning around. "As you can see, I’m in bad shape."Shayla hurled a vial toward him, and he grabbed it with one of his two remaining tentacles.“This is the last one holding the blood of King Astin. Enjoy!”Tejed
