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The crew of the Aerios didn’t remember the magnitude of the Garden Nebula. Only those that lived on the planets within it traveled through it. It was coined a nature preserve unofficially by all kinds of people. Sometimes new stars cast their electromagnetic pulses through the clouds, and their flares reached out to cause deep currents of rough sailing. It wasn’t the ideal place to go, and most ships built for the terrain were more flat and saucer-like, capable of cutting the waves or surfing on them for temporary speed boosts. The Aerios was pill-shaped and had no such resistance to the forces and motions waving at its hull.
Everyone sat on the bridge. Somehow, seeing outside better prepared the crew for incoming waves and dips in the path. Junne had enabled a visor for the front windshield that detected aquatic motion and pressures. It allowed the waves to be visible and the crew could brace themselves to ride out the waves with a tiny bit more notice. Sometimes, the loose dust of the nebula would make the waves visible on their own, but the visor was necessary for most other times. Gem held the console before her and breathed deeply.
Junne was concerned. “How are you doing sweetheart? Do you need a bag?”
Gem shrugged. “I don’t know yet, I suppose that would be wise.” She looked green from nausea and hot from her body reacting to the rolling motions.
Stevero came into the bridge, but not before leaning sideways into the doorframe. In his hand was a quick shot. Gem rolled up her sleeve and begged for it. “Oh thank merciful heavens.” She rejoiced.
“This should help with the nausea,” Stevero said and injected Gem with the medicine to dampen the sickness.
Rob came into the bridge next with Seaweed. A wave hit and threw everyone off their centers, except for Rob. He leaned into it and surfed the tilt of the ship with a skill unknown to the crew. Seaweed floated from one side wall of the room to the other, letting out a yip with each bump on the wall. The balance changes didn’t affect either Rob or the dog. “Hey, is anyone hungry?” He asked.
“NO!” They all yelled.
“Just me then? Ok. I’m going to get some cream of corn soup. That sounds fun.” He declared and left.
Quayl stood, wobbled, and went to the back where Hebu meditated. He sat on the floor with her. “Hebu, how are you doing with all this?”
“If I stop meditating now, I will yark.” She admitted.
“And what about Heather?”
“I think she would yark too. I have noticed something lately with her; she is very sad.” Hebu told him.
Quayl cocked an eyebrow. “Why? Can I help? Can we talk?”
Hebu shrugged. “This is your and her’s business, she doesn’t let me know what you two talk about, and I often can’t hear you when you do.” She lurched a little after another rough wave. Gem began to heave, gagging in her throat, but luckily she kept it down. The medicine either wasn’t working or hadn’t kicked in yet, and everyone was wishing it would. If she were to vomit on the floor, no doubt it would roll around in the waving motion of the ship. Nobody wanted to think about that.
“Junne?” Quayl breathed deeply. “ I think we need to stop. Find a place to settle so we can eat and get our legs back.”
Gem wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Please, Junny, we need to stop.”
“I think so too. I’ll scan on the dense field and look for literally anywhere we can land.” He hit the function on the console and a deep ping went out. In a moment, a planet was found in a dense cloud of dust. Without the special scan type, it would have been missed by any conventional ship. “I got something, altering course now.”
“Thank you!” Everyone said.
“It’ll still be 20 minutes though.”
“ARGH!!!” Everyone yelled, but it was better than nothing. It was going to be a long 20 minutes.
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A small planet was tucked behind a bright pink cloud of iron and silver. Likely nobody had known about it and the metals surrounding it blocked most radio and radar scans. This world was rich with green trees and many varieties of large flowers and vibrant petals. Vines crept up everything and poked through the canopies to reach for the nearest dozens of suns. Night didn’t exist on this planet, there was too much light, but undoubtedly there was a little darkness on its farthest hemisphere, allowing for a twilight of rich pinks and purples as the nebula’s clouds mixed with the oxygen-rich blue sky.
The Aerios touched down in a small field with uneven ground. Junne had to adjust the landing gear to accommodate so they wouldn’t lean to one side, the soft dirt made it more difficult, and they were done with the leaning. A natural stream flowed beneath the ship from a small spring at the far side of the clearing. Topping the height of the ship were the surrounding trees, most with large-eared leaves showing a deep green of health and flaunting a wealth of resources available for growth.
Junne looked out through the front window and noticed something at the tree’s edge. “Look there,” he pointed. “Does that look like a path to you?”
Quayl looked as well. “Yeah, it’s awfully wide for any animal, I think someone is here.”
Stevero suggested. “We should be careful. We may be unwelcome.”
Junne pulled his gun from beneath the console and checked the clip. “We come in peace; shoot to kill. Got it.” He joked I think.
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The sounds of the abundance of birds sang across the forest as the crew walked the trail. It was man-made and laid with brownish gravel to prevent weeds from popping through. Seaweed was happy to be in the fresh air and circled the crew happily, his tongue flapping and drooling all over. Gem noticed some of the low shrugs and plants were cut back by a blade. “Yeah someone’s here.” She pointed out.
“Hold it right there.” A man spoke to the crew from behind. Gem placed her hand on Junne’s arm to stop him from drawing his gun. He cautiously stepped forward past everyone to meet the man holding a rifle. “That’s close enough.” He commanded.
“I am Captain Junne of the Submarine Aerios. This is my crew and we mean no harm. We’re just taking a rest from our travels.” Junne declared and kept his hands clear away from his hips.”
“Turn around and go back the way you came. This is no place for outsiders.”
Quayl recognized the voice. “Nyhoh?” Quayl got a closer look. “Nyhoh, it’s me, Quayl!” Seaweed circled Nyhoh playfully and panted innocently.
They undoubtedly knew each other and Nyhoh, and he lowered his rifle. “Holy crap,” He was surprised. “Quayl! I haven’t seen you since we were kids!” They laughed joyously and hugged tight, they were both distantly lost brothers of circumstance.
“I never thought I’d see you again! Where have you been?” Quayl was all smiles and curious as hell to know everything that had happened since their childhood.
“Here! This is my world!” He gestured around. “Most of these are from my original collection, some new, some crossbred, others I’ve ventured out and procured from merchants. It’s all mine though. So who’s your crew?”
Everybody came forward to introduce themselves. Rob was first, then Stevero, then Gem. In the back was Hebu, she didn’t come forward and Nyhoh wondered. “And who is that? I’ve never seen her kind.”
There was a silence, but Hebu broke it herself. “I am a good Namina. I am not like the others.”
Nyhoh tilted his head. “Ah, I see. If you’re riding with Quayl, you must be good. I trust his judgment. But you know what I don’t trust?” He turned to Quayl. “That beard! You always wanted to grow a beard!” He slowly pointed a finger to touch it, and after a long time, he let him.
Quayl, however, wasn’t expecting Nyhoh to continue pressing his finger into it and he touched his chin. “Ack! Stop that! I see you haven’t grown a single whisker on your mug. A glued-on beard wouldn’t even stick!” He laughed.
Gem budded in. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Nyhoh. Are you going to introduce your friend?” Seaweed noticed someone down the trail and yipped, but cowered behind Gem’s ankles. She gestured to the white-haired woman standing 30 feet further on the trail.
“Oh, I’m sorry. She’s a friend, Antheia, she’s really shy.” Nyhoh waved his hand for her to come to him, but she shook her head and didn’t move. “Ah, she’ll warm up to you. So, I hope you’re enjoying the warm welcome, it’s been crazy out in the ocean lately.”
Stevero touched a leaf hanging into the path from the side, and his fingers came away with an oily residue. He scanned it with his medical device and he couldn’t get a reading on the substance. “Mr. Nyhoh, the residue on these plants, they aren’t poisonous, or cause a rash? Do they?”
Nyhoh chuckled. “Oh heavens no, they’re all safe here.”
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The house Nyhoh had built was spread apart. Most of it was a large open design with an outdoor kitchen, living room, and even a bedroom. The indoor parts were mostly personal facilities and a greenhouse. His spread-out house was very well taken care of and Nyhoh was proud of it.
“What do you think of my home?” He splayed his arms wide.
Quayl looked around. “It’s like a campsite.”
Nyhoh smiled widely. “It never rains. There’s ground water so it doesn’t need to. There are no biting or stinging bugs either, a few squirrels like to steal my potato chips but it’s all a part of the home experience.”
Gem looked around and wondered. “What do you call this place?”
“Grace.” He replied. “After my mother.” Quayl had a blank expression on his face. There was plenty of nostalgia and memories to go around, but not all of it was good. Luckily, Nyhoh corrected his error. “Oh, I’m extremely sorry about that, Quayl. I know how things were with your mother.”
Quayl sighed. “It’s in the past, 22 years I think. We have much bigger things to worry about. Have you heard what’s going on out there? There’s a war.”
Nyhoh nodded. “I have. There’s a listening buoy I bring in and out of the cloud covering this place to see if there are merchants or anyone I can get supplies from. So far, the ‘bad’ Namina hasn’t noticed us here.” He smiled at Hebu that he knew the difference and she was welcomed.
Antheia began in the kitchen part of the camp, placing pots and pans for cooking. “Dinner?” She spoke out. Her voice was raspy and worn like it had been damaged by fire or acid. It wasn’t a pleasant tone, and perhaps this was a part of her shy demeanor.
“Ah yes, dinner! Will you be staying?”
“If you’ll have us?” Quayl asked and looked to the crew; everyone nodding.
“The more the merrier! Antheia is a wonderful chef. She loves the garden vegetables the most, but we have a variety of fruits. I crossed a guava and a mango and made a guango! It’s very tasty, hearty, and sweet.” He was all too excited to share the fruits of his labor.
When dinner was served, Antheia presented several dishes at the far end of the table. She stayed well away from everyone and let Nyhoh take the dishes to the center between everyone. Her mannerisms and behavior were starting to bother Gem. She didn’t like secrets and this one was tickling at her brain. She looked beneath the table and saw Seaweed begin to cower again, he had stopped eating his head of lettuce. “Antheia is it?” Gem asked and she nodded, not reacting that much. “Please, sit with us. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?”
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Antheia looked to Nyhoh and he shrugged and said. “Only if you want to, dear. These are good kind people.”
She sat at the far end of the table and quietly spoke. “Hi. Sorry, I’m so shy. We don’t get many guests.” Her raspy voice caught and cracked.
Nyhoh smiled and explained a bit further. “Mostly for plant trades that are too large for a simple hand-off.” Gem curled his nose and smelled something foul. Everyone noticed, he thought it was his food, but that wasn’t it, it was Antheia. Nyhoh quickly covered for it. “Yes, she does have some kind of odor. I… uh… I don’t know why, I found her here and the planet was barely livable. I bet she was purposely left here. It’s kinda sad.”
Rob continued to eat his fruits and the smell didn’t bother him. He either had a stomach of iron or he couldn’t smell it. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you.” He went to shake her hand and she obliged, but when he released and withdrew his hand, he and Stevero noticed the light glossing of the oily substance.
Stevero had to ask. “Ah, don’t mind my asking and I don’t mean to be rude at all, but you do have an oily substance to you. Is that of any medical need?”
“No,” She shook her head. “It’s natural for me. It greatly helps the plants grow, especially the vegetables.”
At that moment, everyone looked at their plates and stopped, except for Rob, he didn’t care until everyone looked at him. “What? They ARE cooked, you know?”
Antheia sighed. “I’ll leave you to your meals. I’m sorry for the interruption.” She stood from the table and returned to the kitchen. Nyhoh followed with concern.
With her own concern, Gem sighed. “Smooth ya’ll… real smooth.”
Rob took a small spray bottle from his belt. “Here, this is Staufet’s Spray. It resets the olfactory senses and makes you kinda hungry. Engineers use it when there’s detergent in the oil lines.” He sprayed a squirt once on the back of his hand. “A bit goes a long way.” He passed it around, and everyone got back to their food with a new hunger.
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The evening was late and the quiet humble crickets chirped and sang near and far. Sometimes birds would flap their wings to land in their nests for the last moments in their day. There were no moons, but the many stars close by dabbled the sky with pink clouds, and the forests slept in violet twilight.
The crew was enjoying wine around a mild campfire, accompanying by toasted s’mores, and enjoying the last hours telling stories and trials. Nyhoh was fascinated with the Aerios’s and the victories her crew had achieved. Gem wasn’t present at the campfire though. She was walking through the forest and breathing the fresh dusk air.
The path far ahead was joined by another and Antheia had been coming to pass Gem, but she changed her course to veer off into the woods down the path. Gem approached the part where she turned and looked down the trail. Antheia was nowhere to be seen. Gem proceeded, and her curiosity got the best of her. She heard a rustling to her right, and she looked around. She waited and saw a glimpse of white hair reflecting the dark hues of pink sky. She kept her eye on Antheia and carefully followed with her eyes. A few steps along the trail, there was a trodden unofficial path leading into the forest. It was wide enough for only one person, Gem figured it was Antheia’s private way.
Gem followed the path, and ahead she met up with Antheia in the distance. Gem ducked low to remain unseen, and Antheia took one last look around. She opened a door of some kind behind a large mass of stone and shrubbery. Once the door clicked shut, Gem approached. In the rock was a slab of metal. It was a door of some kind but looked more like a plate than anything. There was a seam around the edges, and yet, there was no doorknob, no hinges, no access panel. Quietly, She inspected the door. It was peculiar, but Gem didn’t give up. She carefully placed her ear on the door and flattened it to hear through the metal. What Gem heard was horrifying.
She heard clicking and the dull cracking of bone and sinew. There were groans, moans, and the thrashing of wet flesh. Gem wasn’t mistaken, it was like something out of a horror film. Following the unsettling sounds was a wailing cry. She could only assume that Antheia was crying. Was she attacked? Was she hurt? Gem didn’t know. Then it was quiet. Gem went back to the main trail in terror at what she heard. She liked secrets, but perhaps this one should remain unknown.
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The crew and Nyhoh joked and played short-range fetch with Seaweed. He was in better spirits with Antheia behind a locked door. Gem now understood why he was so afraid of her. The crew’s chatter and joy were artificial sounding to Gem, she was skeptical to say anything. Did Nyhoh know what’s happened to her? Gem went to the campfire and grabbed the bottle of wine sitting on a short wicker table. There wasn’t much left, so she tossed her arm up and downed the drink, finishing it before everyone. Junne saw this. “Glad to see you join us… sweetheart?” He said.
Gem rasped out a breath and looked at Nyhoh, shaking the bottle. “Got any more?”
“Yep,” Nyhoh got up from his seat. “I’ll get it.” He stepped away, and that’s when Gem made her discovery known.
“Guys, something is very wrong here.”
They all turned to her, and Junne spoke up. “What do you mean, we’re having a great time.”
“Antheia, she went into a room and… I think awful things happened to her. There were noises… bloody noises. It was behind a door with no hinges, handle, or control panel. It’s weirding me out, she might be in danger, but I don’t know.”
Quayl stood. “Show me. Hebu you’re with me. Everyone stay here, we’ll investigate.”
Gem led Quayl and Hebu through the forest trails then down the footpath to the mysterious door. Quayl and Hebu inspected the door for themselves just to be sure.
Quayl may have come to the same conclusion; they needed to be careful.
“Quayl,” Hebu spoke quietly and privately to Quayl. “I can meditate and look through the door. It’s the safest bet.”
“Ok, give it a try.” He confirmed.
Hebu calmed herself and approached the door. In a moment more, Heather came out. She stood chained to Hebu by her neck and looked to Quayl. “Don’t worry, only you can see me.” She assured and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to do this.”
Quayl simpered and nodded. She had to for the safety of the crew. To be honest, they could just get in the Aerios and leave, but what of Nyhoh and Antheia?
Heather took a deep breath and then stepped through the door in a ghostly form, going as far as her chain would allow. It wasn’t long, a few seconds at most, and Heather came rushing out and was in a panic. She stumbled past Hebu, whatever she saw was beyond frightening, and the chain held her to Hebu while she tried to escape away. After she realized she couldn’t run away, she calmed down.
Quayl gestured at Heather meaning to describe what she saw.
Heather was panting. “A monster! A horrific monster!” She stood and returned to Hebu’s body, and Hebu stumbled backward and tripped to the ground.
Quayl helped Hebu up, and with concern, asked her. “What did you see?”
“Something very ugly. There is a creature.” She was calm, but when she looked at Quayl with a question of what to do next, she had fear in her eyes. “It was twice as large as a man.” She added.
Quayl shook his head. “Well, all seems quiet here for now. Nyhoh needs to answer a few questions.”
They left the door and its room behind and returned to the campfire. But along their walk, a deep purple cloud moved and shrouded the dark side of the planet. The iron and silver clouds blocked much of the light but the ultraviolet spectrum came through intensely. Oils and glossy leaves glowed blue all over, and it was all over them as well. Their clothes were smeared and lit with the substance from all around. The amount of this oil dappled the entire forest, and there were more little spots of the substance than there were stars visible beyond the clouds.
Quayl stopped and inspected a glob on a leaf that seemed fresh. He smelled it and it was familiar. “Ladies, the substance has the same odor as Antheia.” They looked all over themselves and were upset that they were covered in it. “Doesn’t really smell bad when it’s smeared thin, this is a fresh glob of it.”
“I think I know what going on.” Gem spoke up. “There is a monster, but Antheia and Nyhoh are far too calm for it to be any threat. I think the oils on the plants are from the monster. I think they may be torturing it for fertilizer.”
Quayl shook his head and was angered. “Nyhoh has explaining to do.”
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The campfire came into view, and laughter was plentiful, but it would stop in a moment. Quayl approached Nyhoh and immediately interrupted. “Nyhoh, we’ve discovered your secret. Care to explain what’s going on?”
Nyhoh sat his beer on the wicker table. “I see. It’s no wonder you had found out with the crew you have and detective work as good as I’ve heard. You were always the smart one, Quayl.”
Gem scoffed. “Cut to the chase. We need an explanation, not compliments.”
“Ok.” Nyhoh sighed. “So you know, nobody is in any danger.” He took a small radio from his belt and clicked the button to speak. “Antheia dear, could you come to the camp? Our guests have found out about us.”
Hebu spoke up. “Is that wise?”
“She is harmless, I promise you. Her appearance will be as it was, she’s not scary.”
Antheia came to the camp and everyone withdrew. Quayl didn’t have his crab claws formed, but he stood ready any way. Her odor permeated the air and made everyone recoil but only a little bit.
She smiled. “Hello. Let me tell you about me. I am a monster.”
“No, you’re not.” Nyhoh interjected.
“That’s a matter of perspective. You see, I was an ambassador for the Humans and the Anguillileo. I had a pivotal diplomatic mission, and it went horribly, horribly wrong. I was sick with the common cold and felt only minor symptoms, but it spread to the Anguillileo. Most fell ill, a lot died, some even in high political offices parished. It ruined their control for a a while. I looked to hide in the clouds, but they chased and caught me not far from here. They did terrible things to my body, warped and mutated it with chemical agents, surgical methods, and through divine energies. They made me… a monster… as punishment. They gave me eternal life and dumped me on this barren rock. It wasn’t until Nyhoh came and found me. He was afraid at first, but he was wise and caring. He began to grow the world. I helped as much as I could, and the oils you find everywhere is from the mucus that covers my true form. It’s an excellent source of nutrients. Out of my ugliness, together we created a thriving beautiful world.”
“It’s all true.” Nyhoh told everyone. “My ship was having engine troubles and we sat down here for repairs. She showed up and couldn’t speak to tell us who she was. The crew left with the ship and I was left behind in the panic. Antheia was sweet though. She made a fire with the meager shrubbary that grew in the rocky dirt. On my person were some seeds, and I tried planting them in a last statement before my death, as to say I was here. She helped them grow and we worked together on our garden. Some ships started noticing us and helping me out. A kind doctor did his best to heal Antheia, but there is no saving how her body was renatured. At least he could give her her voice back. We’ve been making trades with ships for the goods we need in return for unique and healthy plants, as well as our special blend of plant nutrients. Very few know her true form, and many learned to understand. A monster does not exist in one’s body, only in one’s behavior.”
“I look this way because of the use of clever holographic shielding and projection. It doesn’t really stop my odor though. I have a place where I can turn off the projector and relax. Sometimes it’s painful, sometimes it’s relieving, but every time, I cry... Never cross the Anguillileo, and certainly never piss off the Namina.” She warned.
Everyone was silent. Her story was sweet when you thought about it, but there was something learned here that nobody wanted to acknowledge, and Gem spoke up about it. “I pissed off the Namina.” She said.
“What did you do?” Antheia asked, worried for Gem’s life.
“I sent them a computer virus. It isolated all their ships from eachother. I knocked out their communications network.” The silence that followed quieted the world. The tense energy in the air stopped the singing insects and all that lived took pity on Gem.
“Run.” Antheia pleaded. “Run for your soul. Point your ship west and stop for nothing. Sail until you reach uncharted waters, then keep going.”
Junne and Quayl knew the wouldn’t be heading that way. There were coordinates given to them by Hermes to deliver specific letters, taking them east.
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The Aerios was back in the waving and rough seas. They were coming out the worst of it but the waves had made their effects well known. Gem sat next to Junne in his captain’s chair and leaned on him, placing her head in his lap. She had a 100 lightyear stare into the Garden Nebula’s prismatic clouds. The thoughts of the crew were heavy and they didn’t want to think about Antheia or what might happen to Gem. They had no other choice though, it was too much for them to carry, but they tried. Rob was fixing to bake a cake and throw a party. A party for what was yet to be known, but he was using a special replicated flour he had been working on by folding the tetrahydrocannibinol onto itself, amplifying to unprecedented levels. He was making a Baked Cake. Luckily, nobody has ever died from Ice Wheat.
The nutrient oil from Antheia was already showing healthy results on Quayl’s bonsai. He appreciated the gift. The leaves were brown at the tips, but after the oil was applied, they reverted to green again. Perhaps the immortality element in Antheia’s unfortunate form had something to do with it. He was glad.
Junne stroked Gem’s hair and comforted her. Looking at her once and a while and wondered where her mind was. “Sweetheart?” He asked, not saying anything else.
“I’m not ok.” She said, correctly guessing his question. “I don’t want to… I don’t even… I can’t…” She stammered with glossy eyes and tears pooling at the corners.
“We all know.” Junne said. “I heard Rob is making a Ice Wheat cake for us. Can I tell you something?”
She nodded.
“When this war began, I never thought I’d live long enough to ever see my family ever again. I’ve never had a girlfriend, never fell in love, not even had sex. This war isn’t a good thing, and I’m not going to give any such credit to it, but in my case, it has bonded us like a family. A new family of our own. I will protect my family, and with that same family, I will get stoned on cake with you at my side like the first time we had a Dime Baguette.” He declared and smoothed her hair gently. Moment passed, and he couldn’t tell if his declaration had any affect. He changed his tactic. “Can you use a gun?”
She nodded again.
“Ok. I have plenty, one for each of us. We should all carry a firearm at all times. Even when we’re in the open ocean and nobody is around.” He advised. “I’ll give the order later after the cake and we’re calmed down from the party. We don’t want any accidents and we should sober up first.”
“That would be wise.” She buried her head into him more.
There was a bright light of purple to their left and Junne knew what it was. “Oh! Look sweetheart! A star is being born!” She sat up and saw what he was pointing at. It was beautiful as the clouds swirled and condensed, burning hot and both imploding and exploding, and creating the elements needed for life.
“Stars can turn oxygen into gold.” She said as she watched the miracle happen. “Perhaps kind words have more merit than they seem?”
Junne hit some buttons on his console and applied the break to stop the ship. “How about this,” He said and started typing on a keyboard. “I’ll drop a beacon and we’ll name the new star ‘Gem’s Star.’ How does that sound?”
“That’s so sweet, nobody has named a star after me. You are the best person I could have ever met. The war brought me to you too, ya know?” She leaned into him and kissed him passionately.