Eloquent Tales & Blues

Discovery: Return

“Fenton, where are you all?”

“We are heading back to camp.” The squadron leader clamped a hand on his radio and signaled his team to stop. “Jarvis, unless you’re planning on diverting us to investigate another mystery, learn how to relax.”

“Don’t be snippy. Your report is the bedrock of our expedition.”

Fenton scanned his squad and motioned them forward. “We’re heading back from the ruins.”

“Why are you all dragging out this quick jaunt?”

Shandri grabbed Fenton’s shoulder, her fingernails digging into him. “Did he actually say that?”

With an explosive sigh, Fenton pushed Drew’s back, driving him forward.

Drew grumbled as he glared back at Fenton before continuing his march. After several heartbeats, Fenton took a few slow breaths and squeezed the radio. “Please tell me you saw what that woman considers brief.”

“I’m aware of the actual distance.”

“Then stop giving us grief for the delay,” Fenton’s gaze drifted to Shandri. “Do us a favor and educate Diana on the correct definition of a reasonable jaunt.”

“That’s already done. What do you have for me?”

Fenton’s head swayed as he resumed. “Can’t you wait until we’re back?”

“I need to know what happened to the previous colonists.”

Fenton groaned and wiped the sweat from his face with his forearm. “That’s not a straightforward question.”

“Were you able to discover any valuable information?”

“Something tore through the colony’s perimeter and leveled most of its buildings. You’ll have to wait for our return to get our detailed report.” Fenton kicked a stray stone into the forest as he released his weapon and pulled the storage device from his vest. The added logs made the device heavier. “I skimmed enough to know you wouldn’t have approved this jaunt to begin with. The ship had limited power. I copied what I could before leaving.”

“I didn’t realize you brought a storage device. How extensive are the logs? How much of the database were you able to retrieve with your portable unit?”

A shiver ran down Fenton’s back as a branch cracked deep in the forest, echoing Tarian’s warning. He examined the forest’s shadows. “Well, the first entry I found was from a man named Tarian, the expedition’s leader.”

“What did it say?”

Fenton’s head snapped to his right while shoving the device into his vest. He brought his rifle up and inspected the undulating shadows. Fenton stepped away from the trees, clearing his throat, “He spent most of that entry documenting the forest. Then he wrote about the ‘things,’ his word, that moved inside it. We haven’t reviewed enough of the tattered logs to understand what we’re dealing with.”

“Fenton, you’re more seasoned than that. What’s got you on edge?”

“You won’t get all the details over the radio. All I have is what I read and a gut feeling. We’ll return from our short walk soon, and then you’ll be able to read the logs and form your own opinion.” Fenton lowered his rifle, spun around, and scurried after his squadron. Fenton switched the channel on his radio, silencing Jarvis. “Everyone fall in on me on the double!”

Ignoring the confirmations, Fenton continued his march. When the last member of his team fell into step with him, Fenton stopped and leaned against a tree. “Has anyone seen anything interesting in the forest?”

“No,” several members replied.

Drew shouldered his rifle as he scrutinized the surrounding undergrowth. “What did you spot?”

“Nothing,” Fenton’s fingers crept along his gun, ejecting the power cell. His eyes flicked to the cartridge’s indicator, and he slammed it into place. “Probably just the wind.”

“Forget that.” Alec poked the bulge in Fenton’s vest. “Ever since you skimmed those logs, you’ve been different. What’s in there?”

Fenton brushed Alec’s arm aside and drew in a sharp breath. “I said I’m fine. Besides, we don’t have time to talk about this. Jarvis is getting punchy...

Transformation: Founding

Doubt lodged deep into Caitlin's mind over the world she had urged them to seize. Housing charts shifted weekly, but supply rosters never stabilized. Fists pounded tables in every hall as arguments spilled into the streets. Each proposal dissolved into shouting before it reached a vote. Unity became a relic of polite conversation, the way it vanished with the Federation.

She recognized many familiar faces, all hard workers, but tonight they looked ready to turn on her. No one tried to meet her gaze. For a moment, even Quinn avoided her. As she slumped in her chair, her mind sought an answer, but she kept circling back to the fact that everything had changed. The loudest voices carried an edge she had never heard before.

Caitlin dug through her notes and hoped the meeting would be more productive. As the clamor grew, she leaned over to Quinn, covering her microphone. "Is it too late to change our minds?"

Quinn flashed her a satisfied grin as he patted her back. "Yes, we made the decision, and it stands."

With a groan, Caitlin began tapping her mic, and the raucous crowd stilled, one stray voice at a time. When silence settled upon the hall, she addressed the latest batch of concerns. "Every attempt to debate the efficacy of rebuilding what was lost is a moment we cannot recover."

Her gaze swept across the gathered colonists as she drew a breath. "While I agree in principle that things must be altered, it's a discussion that's not relevant in our current circumstances. We are shelving the idea of colonizing other worlds and reforming the Federation. We need to build a solid foundation for our home. Once we've established our new world, we'll shift our focus back to the stars."

"You're the one who brought us here! You don't get to decide what comes next!" A man shouted. Several others rose to their feet, voices cracking with anger.

"We cannot fracture. We need unity that holds." Caitlin raised her hands, urging everyone to calm down. When the talking ceased, she folded them on the table. "Our immediate need involves developing our new home. Once complete, we'll adjust our platforms to work without the requirement of going through the Larian hub. And remember, the Federation is gone. As my esteemed colleague said, nothing is shielding us."

Caitlin gestured at Quinn before she pressed her palms to the table. "We have a dire need for proper ships if we're ever to protect this fledgling coalition. We must deal with our greatest threat, not gamble on distant futures."

Nodding, Quinn stood up and greeted the crowd with a smile, "Everyone here knows I opposed this plan, but after working with Caitlin, I realize this is our only genuine option."

"What should we do first?" asked another nameless voice from the group.

Caitlin drew a sharp breath as she leaned forward. "We need to establish clear leadership so we can advance in a united fashion."

A murmur rolled through the chamber, hardening into a chant. Several seconds later, Caitlin and Quinn nodded when they recognized the demand.

"Create a triumvirate...

Discovery: Discovery

Fenton peered around a tree trunk, leveling his rifle at the ruins in the clearing. He dropped his eye to his scope and studied the damaged structures. With a few adjustments, the distant images snapped into focus, pulling a curse from his lips. He touched the comm jutting from his ear and slid down to the ground. “Everyone fall in on my signal, double time.”

Rolling to a knee, Fenton examined the crumbling walls. As the silence lingered, he spun away from the devastation and sat down to watch his squad’s arrival. When the last member of the squad approached, Fenton rose and wiped his face. “Anyone discover anything dangerous during the brief walk?”

“We...” Shandri turned around. “Need to correct Diana’s definition of that term.”

“Quiet!” Fenton jerked his thumb at the ruins. “What oddities did we encounter?”

After a series of negatives rang out, Fenton nodded. He shouldered his rifle and walked through the trees toward the ragged structure. “No matter, I’m sure Jarvis is already cataloging whatever wildlife we missed. Let’s hustle over there and explore the remains of our ancestors’ colony.”

“What are we looking for?”

Fenton snickered as his eyes studied the path. He patted a tree and smirked at the woman behind him. “Brianna, I thought our mission was self-evident. We’re here to discover what happened to that outpost.”

“Is anyone else nervous that we haven’t come across any wildlife?” Drew asked as his head spun, attempting to focus in every direction at once.

Brianna shoved her shoulder into Drew’s back with a chuckle. “Don’t be jumpy.”

He jumped, training his weapon on her.

Brianna batted his rifle away. “Calm down! The landing wasn’t stealthy. I’m sure all the critters and creatures scampered away. Before long, we’ll run into all the mysterious things Dyrk and Diana discovered from orbit.”

“Their descriptions make me uncomfortable.” Drew lifted his gun while resuming his meticulous inventory of the surroundings.

“The simple reasons are most often the right ones.” Fenton ran his hands along the fragmented edge. He punched the wall and turned to face his team. With a deep breath, Fenton jerked his head toward the damaged barrier. “While there is some decay, it’s obscuring the actual source of the damage.”

“What happened?” Shandri asked, examining the rupture.

“Among everything else, an explosion devastated the remains.” Fenton wiped his face as his gaze slipped to the structure’s interior.

“What?!” Alek stalked to the gap and traced the devastation arrayed along the breach. “Why would our ancestors bomb themselves? What could have prompted that decision?”

Fenton pointed at a building in the distance. “Morris, you take Brianna and Shandri and inspect that structure.”

“What’s our job?” Drew asked.

Fenton shook his head and gestured at another form. “We’re examining that.”

The skittish man squealed as he leapt back from the colony wall...

Bridled Anger

As the sun crypt up the sky, Ramas shook his head. With every motion, the wanderer’s helm softened and elongated. Within moments, the steel had transformed from a protective piece of armor into a hooded cloak. When the edge of the garment reached his calves, he pulled it tightly around his shoulder before pulling the hood down to obscure his milky white eyes. With a sudden inhalation, he emerged from the shadows, stepping onto the town’s main thoroughfare and weaving between the early risers.

Halfway down the street, someone emerged from a crossing path and stepped in front of Ramas, forcing the wanderer to stop. Prior to scanning the area, the stranger leaned in so closely that Ramas could discern the man’s last meal. “What kept you?”

Ramas’s shoulders relaxed as he identified his mark upon the newcomer. With an obscured smile, his hooded eyes soaked in everything despite their deformity. “I’m not that late, Jandar.” Ramas inched closer as he ran his thumb across his lips as he lowered his gaze to the ground. “Besides, Emily’s soldiers are everywhere. In order to avoid them, I needed to take a circuitous route, which delayed my arrival slightly. However, I’m not exceedingly late.”

“I would have rather you had gotten here earlier than you did.”

“That’s a detail we can bicker about later.” Ramas reached out, grasping his informant’s shirt as his head bobbed. “For now, let’s focus on the actual issue, Emily’s soldiers. Is their presence here an abnormality? Or does she truly enjoy the support she’s apparently receiving in this section of the continent?”

“We cannot talk out here,” Jandar said, grabbing Ramas’s arm. With a gentle tug, he retreated down the side path, dragging the wanderer behind him. Every time Ramas pressed about their destination, Jandar would raise a finger, forestalling the discussion. After the third silent rebuke, Ramas resigned himself to following his informant on their own circuitous path through the city. After what felt like hours, Jandar pulled up beside a secluded and unkempt building. His head whipped about as he reached for the door’s handle. “Once we’re inside, we’ll have ample privacy for our inflammatory discussion.”

Ramas tugged his hood as he stared at the establishment’s wall. With his altered sight, the solid structure was nothing more than lightly packed sand suspended in glass, letting him make out the collections of stars just beyond the barrier. His fists clenched as he silently ground his teeth. When his gaze shifted back to Jandar, the similar cluster beside him confirmed the ambush. With a groan, Ramas freed himself from Jandar’s grasp. “Why did we have to come here?”

“Emily has many spies,” Jandar said, opening the building’s door and ushering Ramas inside. “Inside, we won’t have to worry about them. We can have candid conversations.”

Ramas released a pent-up breath as he sauntered into the doorway. He lingered in the opening for a couple of heartbeats before he thumped the frame. “Jandar, you’ve worked with me for many seasons. Must we talk inside?”

“You need to come inside so we can talk.”

“No,” Ramas said, unclenching his fists...

Discovery: Assignments

“That was one of the best landings I've ever had,” Dyrk said as he powered down the ship. He unbuckled and stretched his arms overhead. "After establishing base camp, what do you expect Jarvis's first course of action will be?"
His co-pilot turned toward him, pulling her legs tightly into her chest. "We're a good hike from the remains of the previous ship. I’d say it's even odds that Jarvis’s first order will be dispatching a team to explore the remnants or cataloging the local wildlife."
"Let's find out." Dyrk activated the internal comm with a shrug. "Jarvis, as you can guess, we've touched down. However, that brings my expertise to a close. What's first on my new agenda?"
"How far away is the missing ship?"
"It's a bit of a stroll," Diana replied as she worked at her console. When her fingers stilled, she leaned back as her mouth curled into a tight smile. "I've sent everything to your system. You can debate the distance shortly."
The silence broke with a curse from Jarvis. "In what special world is that considered a stroll? That’s more of a day’s march than a casual walk. Couldn't you have gotten us closer to it?"
Diana stared through the windshield and studied the surrounding forest. The swaying limbs calmed as the landing winds died off. A flock of strange birds launched from the trees, darting off towards the horizon. As she watched the creatures disappear, her hands clapped as she leaned toward the clear barrier. "I selected this location because it was the only suitable site that would allow us to maintain the integrity of what we're searching for."
"Dyrk claims he could land anywhere."
"He could have landed on top of the vessel and destroyed crucial evidence." Diana sighed and collapsed into her chair. Her eyes darkened as she lifted a finger. "Which isn’t our primary task."
"Fine. Help establish base camp instead of combing through the local wildlife."
"On it, Jarvis," Dyrk replied, shutting off the comms. He rose and tugged her arm. "You heard the boss."
"I heard his orders," she replied, pointing at her display, "but something about those creatures appears strange."
"We knew this rock wasn't like home," Dyrk opened the cockpit's door and jerked his thumb through the opening. "But you've been given orders."
Her hands flew across her console as she returned to the seat.
Dyrk jostled her shoulder. "We have to get moving."
"Those weren't birds." Diana jumped up and pressed her face to the windshield. "They were winged lizards."
The creatures sliced across the sky with practiced precision. Nothing about their flight suggested surprise, panic, or fear. Dyrk ambled to her chair, his jaw tightening. "That's a terrifying concept. Are you telling me dragons exist on this already dangerous planet?"
Diana spun and shouldered her way past Dyrk as she fled the cockpit.
Dyrk's eyes fell to her console, studying Diana's scans of the creatures. A knock tore his attention away, and he jumped back, hands flying to his chest.
Diana snickered and leaned against the doorframe, "A little jumpy, aren't we?"
"Do you enjoy scaring people like that?"
With a wink, she left, and without looking back, she said, "Weren't you talking about following orders?"
"Yeah, I mentioned that." Dyrk ambled towards the doorway, his stride lengthening with each step.
As he stepped through, hands slammed into his chest.

Transformation: Inaccessible

"Declan, the colony is just about finished how goes placing the platform?"

Declan looked up from the platform's glowing red center with dread pouring visibly from his face. "Brielle, we have a problem."

Brielle looked from the worried platform technician to the glowing red crystal next to his knees, and she began to take on his concern. "Declan, these platforms don't have issues."

Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Declan looked up and explained, "There's only a single reason why the crystal glows red, and we all know what it is."

"Stay here, Declan," Brielle commanded as she nodded her head. She abruptly spun away from Declan and raced off towards the captain of the colonization ship.

She raced through the corridors as fast as she could, and she just managed to avoid all of the tight corners and the occasional colonist roaming the halls. She ran until she eventually came to the new colony's civic center. The captain always worked from there while they established a new world for the Federation.

Once she found the right doors, she paused outside so she could catch her breath. When she was able to breathe naturally, she opened the door, and her eyes immediately found the captain. She walked up to him and reported her dire news. "Captain Quinn, something has happened to the homeworld."

Confusion settled into the captain's face with her words prompting him to ask, "Brielle, what are you going on about?"

"The platform's crystal is glowing red, sir."

The captain's face went white as he began to process those words. He looked at Brielle and with great hesitation sought confirmation. "Red, you're sure?"

"Yes, sir," Brielle answered as she forced a lump down her throat.

Quinn lifted a hand and snapped a finger as he cried out, "Connor!"

A man poked his head into the room, saying, "Yes, sir?"

Quinn looked at the young man and commanded, "Get my portable communication pack, we need to raise homeworld."

"Yes, sir." the disembodied head replied.

"Connor, I wanted it here an hour ago understood?"

"Yes, sir." The man responded as his head disappeared, letting the door fall closed behind him.

Quinn looked at Brielle and tapped his fingers on his desk. She hesitantly watched his fingers as they continued their dance upon the wooden surface, but she slowly averted her gaze to his solemn and scared eyes. "Sir, has anything like this ever happened before?"

Quinn looked up and stared into her eyes as he answered, "No, no one has, but we all know what it means." He saw the unease behind her eyes, so he offered her what little comfort he could. "This could be a glitch on homeworld's platform. All we know is we cannot connect to this platform's twin back home. They could have taken it offline."

Before Brielle could say anything, the door flew open and Connor came in with the portable communication device placing it on the desk and stepping away, allowing Quinn access to the device. Quinn quickly configured the device to communicate with the homeworld and tried to connect. When the first attempt failed, he made other attempts, but each failed. Faltering Quinn attempted to connect to other worlds in the Federation. And with each failed attempt to contact other colonized planets, the fear behind Quinn's eyes grew.

Quinn looked between Connor and Brielle and spoke at them both, "Go fetch Caitlin and the other senior colonists. We'll need to come to a decision."

Discovery: Awaiting Confirmation

Dyrk adjusted the craft’s trajectory and then flipped the communication switch. “Is anyone manning the comm back home, control?”

“Yes, we’re still here.”

Diana jostled Dyrk’s shoulder as she deactivated the comm. Narrowing her eyebrows, Diana tapped her armrest and sighed, “Were you expecting them not to be listening?”

He licked his lips and drummed his console as he winked at her. “I figured everyone manning control might be on a break.”

Diana slid forward and covered the microphone. “You’re aware we’re retracing the colonization vessel’s trajectory. And it vanished the moment it entered this atmosphere, right?”

“I’m aware of the history.” He peeled her hand from the comm before reactivating the system and clearing his throat. “We’ve located the remains of the colonization ship.”

“Any signs of survivors?”

Dyrk’s tongue ran across his lips as he scrolled through the results of the scans. “Wendell, I’m uploading a full copy of the report now. But while you’re waiting, I can describe the eclectic array of life on this rock for you.”

“Please do,” Wendell muttered.

Dyrk took a slow breath, refreshing his display. As the records flowed across the screen, a whistle leapt from his lips. “While there are plenty of creatures that look familiar and would have been brought with the colonization team, they’re outnumbered by the creatures I don’t recognize.”

Silence filled the spaceship’s cockpit, and just before it became uncomfortable, Wendell’s voice shattered it. “Repeat that.”

Dyrk rubbed his eyes and leaned toward the comm. “The majority of the lifeforms on the planet appear to have been plucked from popular fiction.”

“Excuse me?”

Dyrk pressed his back into his seat and folded his hands. “Are you aware of the fantasy novels that have been popular these days?”

“What about them?”

Dyrk flexed his fingers as he reached for the controls. “You’ll need a sampling of them to identify the more unusual creatures in the report.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

Dyrk shook his head and tapped the microphone. “Wendell, that’s not the strangest thing.”

“And what would that be?”

His fingers flicked to the bottom of the report as he gnawed his lip. He released a pent-up breath and tapped the screen. “We’ve performed multiple checks and keep getting the same results...

Unlucky Voyager

Sebastian stepped up to the railing as he studied the gleaming ocean. A second later, he looked over at his friend and clapped his shoulder. “How are you doing, Jimmy?”

A wry chuckle emanated from his friend’s mouth as his cupped hands slid up to his chest. He peered at Sebastian while keeping his eyes on what he was holding. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“We’re taking a trip. What’s there to feal bad about?” Sebastian asked as he slapped the railing. He leaned against it and thumped Jimmy’s chest. “We’re about to enjoy a cruise. Can’t you relax?”

Jimmy opened his hands, revealing a frog. “I’m pretty sure this fellow is bad luck.”

Rolling his eyes, Sebastian rose and gripped Jimmy’s shoulder as he wiggled his finger over the animal. “What are you talking about!? It’s just a frog. You can’t provide for the thing. Why not release it?”

“It’s mine,” Jimmy said, pulling the frog away from Sebastian. “When I first grabbed it, I thought it was lucky. However, ever since, I’ve had nothing but a run of bad luck.”

“What are you babbling about now? It’s just a frog!”

“No sooner had I picked it up than a seagull nearly slammed into my head.”

“You grabbed the thing’s lunch,” Sebastian said, slapping his friend’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “What did you expect...