The tangy – slightly stale – heat of ground veef and beans made Shay wince, having only now remembered his friends, frankly, abnormal tastebuds. The space taco fell to pieces in his hands, clumps of the artificial beef leaving streaks on his favourite shirt; the words ‘Heavy Hands for Hobart’ printed in orange graffiti across his chest.
Elise had taken a spot right next to him, albeit slightly above him, on top of the stairs railing; they led further down the front docks, towards the main stage.
The entirety of the stations central hub revolved around the docks, of which spanned a ludicrous distance, connecting the two arms of the stations horseshoe silhouette. In many ways, this was the heart of their home, yet it felt as foreign to Shay as the first moon would have to the astronauts. The thought almost made him laugh, a hollow, fragile kind.
“Oh my god, Shay, it hasn’t even started yet.” His friend chastised him, pushing a napkin towards the mounds of space taco lumbering down his shirt, her worried eyes skating from his own, then to the shirt, “Thank you, by the way.”
Her thanks quickly pulled him back, suddenly conscious of the crowd, packed like sardines, shoulder to shoulder, drowned in hot breath, the din of people assaulting his ears, the intermittent shoves of passers by. He had done his best to ignore it.
Shay’s fear of crowds warred with his love for his friend, and if she wanted to sit at the front rows, then by god he was determined to sit them in the front rows.
Noticing his troubled expression, Elise threw her arm around the crown of his head, “Come’ere, goof.” Exchanging her half eaten space taco to the other hand.
This time Shay didn’t hold back his laugh, looking up to his friend, he quickly twisted out of the way as a veef missile shot past him, “ ‘Lise!”
“-shit, sorry!” She whipped the taco launcher away, which of course only sent it’s payload at a greater velocity across the crowd. The two quickly processing what had happened in tandem, eyes wide.
Complaints crawled out of the cacophony of voices, “Oi! Oi, who the fuck?!”
“Shit.”
“Idiot” Shay genuinely face palmed for what felt like only the second time in his life.
“We should probably-“ She started.
“Yeah, we should.” Shay grabbed her by the arm and went to yank just as a deafening melodic siren cried out across the docks.
The raging crowd stilled, conversations dying mid breath as the song overpowered them all. It was an anthem befitting of a royal celebration, the audio lights working to create a ghost orchestra on the sound waves, their symphony indistinguishable from the real thing. Organs played hand in hand with violins, accentuated with a rich soprano from a lone singer who now occupied the stage.
She wore a white naval suit, cleaned and pressed, shining streams of brunette hair ran down her shoulder, opposite the ornate cloak falling down her other; insignias broiled in dazzling accents of silver and gold. Shay noticed she glared at the towering man near the rear of the procession, his hulking form unnoticed behind the formation of officers flanking her.
Ending the anthem in a stunning cadenza, the woman curtsied, miming the pinching of a skirt she didn’t have. Her ice blue eyes hidden behind half moons as she smiled to the crowd, Shay was enamoured. Elise scowled, almost missing the fanfare entirely as streamers went off and laser lights shot through the air like some pre-space concert.
Shay, forgetting about the previous taco assault on the innocent bystanders adjacent to them, beamed to his friend, “That was amazing!” He shook his friend from her gaze, seemingly staring daggers through him, “Elise, you there? That was so fucking sick!” Practically vibrating.
She twisted into a smile, the moment so quick he didn’t see. Shay quickly changed mental topics, focusing back on the crowd, and the procession of CANZUC Naval Officers. He held an even greater deal of respect for the engineers he could see in the back, collaged in blues and purples, their cloaks a deep midnight black.
“Yeah, sorry,” she ran a hand through her hair,”that’s the first time I’ve heard it in person.” Shay noticed her eyes peering past the formation, to the same behemoth he saw earlier, “Holy shit who is that?”
Before he could answer, amidst the dying noise of the CANZUC Anthem, a booming voice reverberated over the makeshift arena, “A Brilliant thanks to Combat Overlead, Angela, for her dutiful display,” The He-Man impersonator stepped onto the MainStage, audible whispers resounding throughout the crowd, “and many thanks to all of you, the people of Mudgway Super Cluster, for your brilliant welcome” He gestured behind him, “The crew of the HMAS Moment and I are honoured to undertake this years Hobart Day.”
The mans hands clasped behind his barrelled form, “He’s like a walking marble statue, I don’t think my brain has even processed it yet, how the hell does someone get that..” his friend trailed off, looking as if to pierce the man with her gaze alone.
“Strong and handsome?” Shay finished her sentence for her.
“No, goof…well maybe, oh I don’t know! Just because you fawn over anyone in a uniform doesn’t mean I do.” She crossed her arms, continuing her visual attack. Shay chuckled, noting the taco had vanished, hopefully not into the crowd. Her sharp cheekbones caused shadows to cascade down her face at rigid angles, he faced back towards the stage, eyes lingering on his friend for a moment.
The man, plastered in a crimson red uniform of the same style as the gorgeous singer from before, complete with a silver breastplate, stood tall - Shay could swear he almost eclipsed the two, who were seated a story above – a cloak ran down the entire width of his back, terminating before his heels, scintillating silver stars grew more numerous from his shoulders to the end. Shay could see tiny projected shields, almost invisible from this distance, running from his chest, down the cloaks length - an artistic display of defence, he could only salivate at the thought of the complexity of the uniforms engravings, of which were scarcely made out from his position.
Behind the captain extended the main docks of the Mudgway Super Cluster, or ‘The Station’, which everyone naturally defaulted to, the official name usually only appearing in ceremonies or the like. The docks encapsulated the life blood of the station, their ports home to a myriad of trade and cargo vessels, the HMAS Moment was so huge it couldn’t even occupy the largest hard point anchors they had, Shay easily discerning the last minute modifications to the docking struts.
It’s silver hull loomed behind the Captain, with the entire assembly for Hobart’s Day taking place on the pedestrian decks, sitting dozens of metres above the ships below; it was a testament to the size of the Moment.
Shay dragged his focus from the silver giant, looking behind him to the upper decks, the entire trade hub they had set the stage in felt strangely like an opera house – though he’d only seen them in videos – he landed on the upper decks, the seating they so fortuitously avoided. Compared to their cramped ‘best seats in the house’ area, the upper decks looked sparse, being almost two hundred metres away, he wasn’t surprised.
Various Wensago mulled about the platform, blanketed by plumes of steam billowing from the dozens of food wagons nestled both below and between them. He thanked whatever stroke of luck landed them a way out of there, seeing normal people outnumbered by the fashion enigmas.
As Shay regarded the congregations below, the booming voice cut his thoughts short, “I am Captain Exo-Meridian, although I hold captaincy over this marvellous vessel,” he gave a grand gesture behind him again, “ It wouldn’t be possible without these exceptional men, women, and ortos behind me.” A terribly white smile ran across his face. “To begin, I would like to introduce our…”
Elise nudged Shay’s shoulder, “Is it Ortos now? I swear last week they were Servos.” She gave him a questioning look.
“Yeah, I think they’ve settled on Ortos for good now. Servos was too close to ‘servants’, and Robots, well, y’know, sounds a bit mindless.” The tall, metallic figure of Seth peeked into Shay’s mind, He tried to hide an embarrassed glow with his hand, “I probably shouldn’t have called Seth a robot, hey.”
A snort escaped Elise, Shay was disappointed that it didn’t rip her nose ring off, “If you didn’t I would’ve.” Shay rolled his eyes, his friend smiling as the two turned back to the stage.
“…and lastly, to commence the celebration of Gwen Mudgway and the crew of the HMAS Hobart’s dutiful sacrifice,” Captain Exo-Meridian again swung around to point at the Moment, Shay couldn’t tell if his displays of affection for the ship were genuine, or just showmanship, “from this day forward, the full might of the first Fortress Class vessel in the CANZUC Royal Space Force, the HMAS Moment, will be Mudgway Super Cluster’s new Tethership!” There was silence, and then the crowd went ballistic, all manner of clapping and chanting being sent in to the cavernous docks ahead.
Above, a rhombus-like, black tinted spacecraft hung in the air, adjacent to the Moment from where Shay stood, silhouettes – probably some of the stations wealthiest - could be seen offering fairy claps of their own, markedly not as surprised as everyone else. Filled with more wealth than the audience combined, ten times over, he couldn’t help but feel melancholic, the outer-quarters popping into his mind.
‘What happened to Tethership Tullis?’ his friends text dinged at the edge of his vision. The crowd was still a den of sound, lively with conversation taking over the celebrations.
Shay looked right, Elise had her fingers in her ears, he pretended to speak, and got a kick out of seeing frustration slide across her face as she made extra effort to emphasise her impromptu earbuds.
With a roll of her eyes and a mental slap from her brow, she acquiesced, “What?!”, it just so happened everyone’s attention had settled a second before she screamed, not having heard it die down with her fingers in her ears.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes stuck her like pin pricks, an entire spectrum of emotion swept over her as the crowd sought the yells source. Shay had the distinct pleasure of pretending not to know her while also laughing inwardly at his friends expense. Elise shrunk, trying to make herself as small as possible. Fortunately the moment was short lived as a man in a black suit took the stage giving the usual spiel.
“Fuck you, idiot!” She whisper-yelled, jamming her fingers into his sides, having jumped down from her perch with more speed than gravity allowed.
He stifled a laugh, trying desperately not to draw anymore attention to themselves, they’d had their fill, “You might as well get up on stage at this rate.” He teased.
Another jab, then a shoulder for a combo, “What happened to Tullis?” She glared.
Shay pointed toward the astutely dressed man on stage, “I think you’re about to get your answer.”
The man, who had affectionately called himself ‘Mr Mudgway’ delivered what could only- wait, shay did a double take, “That’s Mr Mudgway?!” His vision suddenly tunnelled through the man, “Holy shit, Elise that’s- “
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“I know, everyone heard, who’s the attention seeker now?” She gave him a pointed look, crossing her arms.
It was only now Shay noticed the mans suit didn’t seem to shift and slide with his body as he walked around the stage, instead cracking apart and morphing back together at his joints, hexagonal lines binding back seamlessly. Shay considered himself more tech literate than most, but even he was at a loss. It was no wonder he wore it a cool midnight black all over, you wouldn’t notice the intricacies at a glance.
His clean shaven face was surprisingly young, all things considered, the only indication of the mans age his platinum hair and crows feet. “As some of you will know, and some not, Tethership Tullis did not return from her final voyage beyond the Laniakea Rift. It is with great respect that we dedicate a portion of your contributions this Hobart’s Day, toward the wellbeing of her crew mates families,” He gestured everywhere, “To those who have lost loved ones in this event, I have personally recovered the Glimpse of Tethership Tullis’ crew, albeit before their departure.” He looked pained, Shay narrowed his gaze at the action, “Please feel free to report to the nearest EEA Office to acquire access.” At that, several specks in the crowd moved toward the massive gates they entered, Shay could hear muffled cries amongst them.
“The man hasn’t shown himself in public for close to eighty years, why now?” His question beamed with suspicion. Shay wasn’t the sceptical type, but he always knew he was a little quicker than most, the usual tactics politicians or the occasional silver tongued shopkeeper employed would always ring a metaphorical bell in his head.
“I mean, I don’t even know the name of our last Tethership, if he only comes out when thousands of lives are lost in one go, makes sense he has to do a PR run.” Every now and then, Shay would be surprised by how astute Elise could be, that isn’t to say he thought her dumb, but she was very much the curt, talk first think later type; at least around him, put her in front of a panel of strangers and you’ll suddenly be greeted with her opposite.
He looked the most influential man to walk the station up and down, trying to peer past the façade he knew must be there, “It was about fifty-five years ago, the Absolution, went down guns blazing during the Robo- “ mentally kicking himself, “- the Ortos Advancement. As far as I read, Mr Mudgway wasn’t mentioned, not even an honourable one - for our founders very own kin at that.”
“I’ll admit, that’s weird. I’m pretty sure I see like, a hundred people taking holo’s of him right now.” Her head on a swivel.
Shay didn’t say a word, staring at him like a grizzled detective.
The opening ceremony crawled along, the pageantry growing more and more tiresome after the fifth speech, Shay lost track of the amount of times the red suited meatball turned around and smiled at the Moment. He honestly thought the man a bit too attached, how a data runner is to their cable bag, or Elise is to Space Taco’s. Finally, with momentous relief, the ceremony ended. Bass heavy thumping and scratchy static whines the signal for the crowd to disperse, off to enjoy the many oddities of Hobart’s Day.
Mr Mudgway had retired backstage long before it’s conclusion, Shay taking note of his early departure coinciding with the black tinted shuttles flight below deck. It glided through the air without fanfare, the reflection of neon lights from the days many stalls the only indication of it’s shape as it crested below the stage. What he wouldn’t give to ride in one of those, he knew exactly what it was of course, having been recently featured in the latest edition of SubLight - not to be confused with Hublite, a far more nefarious torrent of an old-age porno ‘url’.
He put the archaic naming convention behind him, analysing a super imposed 3D model of the 2832 Liano Reagent, it’s glassy ovular cabin hugged by two exterior platforms that floated freely around its girth. The thing looked like the antithesis of function over form, that is until he examined it’s specs.
Suffice it to say, Shay almost spat out the banana smoothie Elise and him were enjoying. Both having strolled to the second floor deck after spotting the ridiculously large banana stall, which housed within it, a banana bar, with various banana themed gadgets and foods to stuff your face with. The most startlingly breathtaking of which was the banana peel tape gun, one side of the tape sticky, the other just as slippery as a banana peel. Elise bought it immediately, jamming the thing into her sling bag like it was Flare and the EEA had her on parole.
“Really,” Shay looked to his friend, fighting with his own amusement and confusion, “I can’t even begin to imagination what you would use that for.” Glaring at her bag dangling her shoulder, only now did he realise an enamel banana pin was stuck to its side as well.
Elise raced past him, “I doubt you could, Shay.” Her mischievous grin said all it needed as she pocketed a small vial of ‘Essence of Cavendish’ off a shelf just out of sight of the barkeep. Shay didn’t exactly share his friends kleptomaniac tendencies, though with prices these days he didn’t disapprove of them either.
“Did the smell on the way here do nothing to you?” Rhetorical and accusing, Shay followed after her, his eyes trailing the exit.
She giggled, “C’mon, we’ve gotten enough, time to check out that pre-space dollar stall.” Her eyes lit with anticipation.
He couldn’t help but do a double take, “We’?! Don’t make me an accomplice.” He chided, making an effort to catch up to her, swiping her ankle with his foot.
His friend very nearly fell out the exit before propping a foot in front and spinning to him, Shay had already scooted past her in that time, flashing a cheeky smile and making his getaway, “Shay!” She snarled, chasing after him.
It had been three hours, the two friends sat on the second level, overlooking a procession of people watching a small holo-play of the Formid Expansion on the main stage. Elises bag now swelled with an eclectic collection of useful - and useless items. Shay couldn’t guess how much of it was paid for. Another announcement had just been made over the airwaves – apparently the formalities of Hobart day weren’t quite over.
The docks sprawling out in front of them had grown more lively, the daily operations refusing to halt even for the historical event. The space encompassing the industrial area was so big it housed it’s own weather system, the plumes of smoke and steam coalescing high above, wispy clouds integrating with the gravity waves of the station. Shay noted they looked like the breaking white heads on beaches his dad surfed, back when he apparently lived on Earth, Shay had his doubts.
Leaning over the railing, Elise had taken to rifling through them all, pulling out a spinning top – no, he checked again – some kind of three sided star with a rusted bearing in the middle, as far as he could tell.
“No idea what this does, I just grabbed it.” She stated, twisting the device around with her hand.
Shay shook his head, “It looks utterly useless.”
Throwing it back in the bag, Elise looked over the edge of their spot, lost in a vacant perusal of their surroundings, “Not really sure what to do now, we kind’a covered everything.”
“If by ‘covered’ you mean ‘stole’, then yeah, pretty much.” He joined his friend in her watch.
“It was pretty nice of your aunt to let us stay the night, and if I’m to be a little selfish, the company really helped.” Shay offered a half risen smile, passing over Elises back again.
Elise looked to him, her eyebrows relaxed in near perfect symmetry, he’d be lying if he wasn’t a little jealous, “It’s okay, today’s your day and I do care about you enough to let you have at least that,” she laughed, “plus, she adores you, honestly won’t stop talking about you becoming an engineer one day. I swear when I mention my art her eyes glaze over.” Shay chuckles to the side, “oh my god, sorry for her interrogating you as well, she’s so – y’know.” Shay did indeed know, the Vestman attracted a very specific type of individual, and her aunt fit it to a T.
“It’s cool, it’s refreshing how she just completely forgets about personal barriers and all. Besides, Ann is probably the coolest person I know, even if she is related to you.” He jabbed.
Elise retaliated with a lazy shoulder pop, “Dick.”
They sat there in the kind of comfortable silence only the closest of friends enjoy, acting as one observer, watching the world around them move like clockwork. Tatters of people meandering around the hub, idle conversations filling the void with white noise as the occasional crash and bang resonated up from the industrial district. A distinctly metallic odour would pass by intermittently between the cocktail of foods, and what would best pass for the collective smell of thousands of people jammed into one space. Eventually an event was called for all the wandering souls attending Hobart’s Day. A final farewell to the lost aboard Tethership Tullis, and a conclusion to the first day of three for the annual event.
Shay and Elise stood closer to the stage now, Shay having wanted to get a better look at Mr Mudgways suit this time, betting he’d make a last appearance for the occasion. Evidently, he guessed right as shortly after everyone had simmered down, he spotted that same 2832 Liano Reagent crest the backstage. Shortly after, Mr Mudgway stepped out.
He looked on with piercing focus, drilling into the obscure parts of the mans suit as he walked out. “Even this close I can’t tell a fucking thing. Could we get closer?” He gestured to a corner of the stage where the stair case lead from, covered by a large large silver sail. “That’s about the closest spot we can get to.
Elise followed his finger, “Shay are you kidding? That’s so many people to get through.”
Shay felt his heart palpitate for a fraction of a second, swallowing hard he steadied himself, “I know. I got this – we got this. Let’s go.” He said as he placed one sure foot in front of the other, dragging Elise with him like some emotional support animal. Thankfully Shay’s tense aura and glaring red jacket made for an obvious ‘get out of my way’ signal, as the sea of people undulated around the two.
The inconvenienced and slightly hostile expression on Elise’s face scanned the surrounding crowd as Mr Mudgway began his speech. The two pressed through the throng of onlookers toward the edge of the stage – and the beginning of the lower rafters Shay had just noticed. Half paying attention to the rehearsed script, they finally made it.
“..and to farewell those brave souls, Tira Lockley, wife of Overlead Leonie.” Mr Mudgway stood tall and with confidence despite the devastating circumstances. “Thank you, Tira. Please,” pointing her towards the podium that had been moved into centre stage, he stepped quietly toward the exit – their exit, where they hovered over the boundaries to the lower rafters. Shay felt the obvious thought to follow him down dart though his head.
“Okay, what do you see?” Elise’s text popped up just out of his line of sight. He answered with a light tap, fearing to look away lest he miss something. The man clad in the mundane looking suit stepped out of site, below the stage. Shay began to step with him without thinking, edging them both towards the lower area backstage.
By a stroke of my divine influence, the stages security had left a momentary hole in their watch, disturbances throughout the crowd orchestrating the opportune moment for the two to make their pursuit. To the ordinary person, and most definitely to those who will no doubt investigate todays events, it would seem almost impossible, what with the unfathomable technology this world possesses – how meddling I am.
“Shay,” Elise tugged on his arm, “we can’t!” Her words devolved into a whisper amidst the noise from the audience. The woman’s speech apparently garnering more attention than was necessary.
Shay turned, his full attention falling upon his friend for a moment, “Really?!” We swiped his hand at her bag, her hypocrisy in full display.
With a roll of her eyes, Elise seemed to deliberate with whatever metaphorical entity governed her moral compass. “Fine. Fine, whatever.” Her words came out like a machine gun.
Step by step they made their way after the most influential man on the station, the firstborn of Invictus Mudgway, founder and pioneer of the Laniakea colonies - and perhaps one of the most reclusive individuals to hold a seat of power. The mans steps made themselves known over the rattling of old bolts and creaking of centuries old construction, mottled with ware from countless maintenance runs and long service.
Shay and Elise crept through the engineering tunnels adjacent the main-stage exit, pipes and cables sliced long scars across their line of sight; making the corridor seem like a prison cell. The sound from outside fell away as if there were an invisible wall, painting the once mundane, poorly lit lower decks into a shadowed forest of hidden dangers. Despite a brief pause as the two exchanged sideways glances with one another, they continued on.
Muffled conversation teased at the edge of their senses, their footfalls built pace, passing blinking lights and the errant beeps and buzzes of bundled circuitry.
The two fell in step, following along the sharp turns of the tunnel. Shay counted two odd protrusions he had to duck underneath, Elise having the privilege of simply walking through unobstructed.
“What’s wrong?” Elise whispered, noticing Shay double taking at the globular protrusions they’d passed.
His gaze lingered before snapping ahead, “I don’t know what those are.” He stated, knitting his brows in an effort to dig up a passable guess, “Nevermind, let’s keep moving.”
The voices had grown now, “…a gamble, that’s about-“ a deep baritone, smooth as silk yet sinister; biting the ear, “..if it works-“ Shay struggled to hear from their spot. The maintenance tunnels suddenly flew by faster in his effort to hear more, outpacing Elise who had taken to scanning behind them.
Elise called to her friend like you would a cat, but to no avail as he rounded a bend up ahead, lost in his fervour. She huffed and raced after him, “Dumb idiot. Fucking tunnel bullshit.” To her left the craft Shay had obsessed over flew by her, the air vibrating in its passing. It was the same one he had said went below stage before Mr Mudgway.
Not a fraction of a second later her friend bounded back around the corner with a crazed look in his eyes. Suddenly the corridors seemed so much smaller as his sprint ate the ground, even the cramped space of the engineering shaft did little to slow him, “Down!” He screamed, leaping toward her like a lion to prey.
The last thing Elise saw as she swung around to avoid a face-on collision was a bright red pulse piercing the black veil of the tunnels, coming straight from the protrusion further down, one they had passed earlier.
The last thing she felt before Shay tackled her was a terrible screeching pain, like sound given form, slamming into her bones, followed by numbing white light.
Then all was black.