Starchildren Options

[Kane]

Nice to see Andromeda and Sarah make amends. I like the possibility that Andromeda may not be done with the Constellation �" they really do seem a pretty good lot.

So the temple is ‘calling’ her this time and, somehow she knows it will not harm her.

Absolutely magical and captivating description of her time inside the temple!

Oh my, the concerns she has about how the power makes her feel are rather ominous. . . . Perhaps the ‘benign’ temple has plans for Andromeda that are not so benign.

Constellation are 100% the idealistic explorer's group out for the betterment of humanity. I can't really think of another faction BGS has made that's so noble.

There is definitely a lot to unravel about these structures and their purpose!

========================

Twenty Three – Pivot

Plateau, Piazzi II, Piazzi System

A dust storm had kicked up outside while Andromeda, Andreja, Sarah, and Barrett unraveled the secrets of the second Temple and blanketed everything with fine sand and pebbles blown about by harsh winds. Hopeful for another demonstration, but eager to get out of the storm, the four of them dashed back to the Frontier to hunker down until the gales blew through. Everything about the tiny ship was just as Andromeda remembered it, including the inability to host a group their size should they need to sleep there until morning arose. Two beds and two chairs in the cockpit. Not exactly the Neon City Skysuite.

But that conversation could be tabled for the moment. The first order of business was getting out of her damn spacesuit. She and Andreja had been wearing their suits for the better part of a day and Andromeda shuddered to imagine the amount of body odor clinging to her. She secretly hoped they all stunk just so she wouldn’t feel out of place.

With Andreja’s help, the blasted thing finally fell to the ground. And with Andromeda’s help in return, Andreja’s suit also fell to the ground. Knowing her partner was a considerably less lax about flaunting her body, she quickly handed Andreja a jumpsuit to don.

“Thank you, Annie. Perhaps you should put one on too?” Her eyes fell to the barely disguised curves Andromeda’s undersuit covered. “At least while Barrett is around?”

“I’m sure he’ll survive. Besides, they can look all the want, but only you get to touch.”

“Damn right,” said Andreja. “I do not share.” She gave Andromeda a long overdue kiss before climbing the ladder to the main hab where the others waited. With a tired grunt, she took a seat at the small table near the galley and tapped her fingers impatiently on the fiberglass tabletop. “How do the meteorological scans look?”

“Grim, I’m afraid,” answered Sarah. “You two are stuck with us for at least nine hours if the current low pressure belt holds steady.”

“Fantastic,” said Andromeda, with barely disguised sarcasm. “I’m starving. Anyone else up for dinner? I’ll cook.”

“You mean I get a night off from playing chef?” Barrett chimed in. “Hallelujah!”

Andromeda chuckled and proceeded to inspect the fridge for possible ingredients she could concoct something with but their supplies appeared to be limited. The best she could manage was a few gyros which, thankfully, would not take long to whip up. She busied herself with chopping up some lettuce and tomato while the synthameat lamb sizzled away in a skillet filling the small hab with an enticing aroma.

“How are you feeling this time?” Sarah called over to her. “Any ill effects?”

“None that I can tell.”

“Hm. I guess whatever altered your DNA did so to make the process easier going forward. How curious. And what sort of power did it give you this time? Something you can demonstrate for us?”

“Nope.”

“I see.” Sarah recognized pursuing the issue wasn’t a valid option and she was loathe to rekindle the animosity towards Constellation that Andromeda only recently set aside. Instead, she got up to help with diner. “I’ll pour some drinks and set the table. That about ready?”

“Sure is. Here, just hand me the plates and I’ll load them up.”

She assembled four gyros and passed them out to the crew packed tightly into the Frontier and went at her own with little regard for manners. The reisling Sarah had chosen for their wine bulbs complimented the pita sandwiches nicely, and it didn’t take long for empty plates and empty glasses to win out. They spent a little time afterwards catching up on things at the Lodge before the conversation inevitably got steered towards what came next.

“So, back to New Atlantis tomorrow?” proffered Sarah. “We need to review our new data.”

“No. Andreja and I are going home. We’ve been surveying planets for weeks now and I miss my bed. And I miss her in it with me.”

Sarah began to gently protest but Barrett jumped in to smooth things over.

“Ah, the renowned Villa Renault! I’ve heard so much about it!”

“You’re welcome to come with us,” smiled Andromeda. “Every damn one of you could probably use a vacation. I recommend you bring some earplugs though - ow! Hey, what gives?”

Having just pointedly kicked Andromeda in the shin, Andreja simultaneously smiled at Barrett in a reassuring manner. “You are of course welcome to use the guest room for a few days, my friend.” She turned to Andromeda and chided her playfully. “You do not always need to be so lewd, Annie. They know we are together and that is enough.”

“I’d be honored to relax by the pool for a while,” said Barrett. “As long as I can mix a few drinks while I’m at it.”

At this point, Sarah wisely gave up and shook her head while laughing. “Alright, alright, I can see I won’t be winning this one. Come on, let’s clean up our mess from dinner and get ready for bed. Unless you three are up for a game of poker?”

That was an easy sell. Their meal got cleaned up in record time and soon a small stack of credstiks were heaped at the center of the table while cards were dealt and more wine flowed from the bottle. Nearly a dozen rounds were played but it became evident after only two that Andromeda Renault was not cut out for gambling – her face betrayed too many emotions. Andreja, on the other hand, was apparently the perfect foil to Barrett’s own skill at the classic card game, and by the time things were winding down, they possessed the entire pot between them while Sarah and Andromeda watched. Or at least, the latter tried to watch. But it had been a long day and the wine proved to be the final nail in the coffin during their after dinner camaraderie and caused her to fall asleep sitting at the table, her head bobbing on her shoulders.

Bedtime had come. Andreja folded and left the winnings for Barrett to counf while she shuffled her cards into the deck and roused her sleeping companion.

“Time for bed, Annie. Barrett has gallantly offered to sleep in the pilot seat. I hope you do not mind sharing a small bed with me.”

“I can think of worse things,” yawned Andromeda.

She staggered to her feet and moved groggily over to the close at hand bed and fell into it with a distinct absence of grace and a sigh of relief. She patted the small space next to her and the moment Andreja laid down, Andromeda pulled her in tight. A long night of rest beckoned, but not before a final check-in.

“Annie?”

“Hm?”

“Are you sure nothing harmed you in the Temple?”

“Mhm.”

“And you gained more power? Is it disruptive? Like the first one?”

Andromeda sighed again and opened her eyes. “Ya know, if it was anyone else, I’d tell them to piss off and go to sleep.” She squeezed Andreja tighter before continuing: “Lucky for you, I can’t think of a single person I care more about. No, it’s not disruptive. I can sense other lifeforms around me when I use it. Even through solid walls.”

“Fascinating. That would be a very useful skill in my old line of work.” She kissed Andromeda on the forehead and ran her fingers through the messy tangle of opalescent hair. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I will not pester you any longer – I am... quite exhausted... my… self…” Andreja shook her head in amusement at the raucous snoring that already escaped Andromeda’s nose.

“Good lord,” chuckled Sarah from the other bed. “How can you sleep so close to that much noise?”

“You grow accustomed to it. And even though I am still unsure of exactly how she managed to put such a spell on me I would not trade her for anything.”

* * *

The Eye, Jemison, Alpha Centauri System

The soiree at Villa Renault only lasted three days, but all three parties enjoyed themselves immensely. As it turned out, Barrett was a lot of fun, which is something that it took Andromeda longer to realize than it ought to have. Her initial meeting with him on Vectera and everything that followed had strongly colored her perception of the man, and she was glad to be able set that aside and give him a proper chance. This was someone Andromeda could see herself becoming great friends with. Barrett had a seemingly endless supply of stories to tell from his adventures with Constellation, and his late husband, Ervin, and he was a sight to behold in the kitchen. Every meal he cooked and every drink he mixed knock Andromeda’s socks off.

And Barrett also happened to be the singular person who understood some of what she had gone through since finding her first Artifact on Vectera. He was the only other member of Constellation to have pulled one out of bedrock and experience its affects on the unassuming mind. Andromeda felt comfortable enough by the second night to open up about it and was pleased that Barrett was willing to do the same. Through it all, Andreja listened with rapt attention and came away with a resolve to never touch one herself. The way it had affected Andromeda was enough to dissuade any possible upsides.

But the short vacation was now over, and the Verity of Fate’s docking port lit green on Andromeda’s console. Far below she could see the blue-green sphere that was Jemison floating in the deep black of space. That was their next stop… after Andromeda boarded The Eye and gave Vladimir Sall a piece of her mind. She stormed through the airlock and up the long hallway to the station’s control room ready to unload on the old man but he heard her coming and due to some hasty interdiction she never got the opportunity to do so.

“I did not know about the Temple when I gave you the slate, rook!” he called from his station in the control room. “The scans only showed it afterwards and I couldn’t get a message to you in time!”

Andromeda deflated as she entered the room. “Seriously?”

“Deadly,” said Vlad. “I’dve given you a different slate, Dro. I swear on the head of Lady Luck herself. But if you still feel the need to punch something gratuitously you are welcome to pay a visit to my gym. It’s down the inner habitat ring hallway.”

“Ugh. Goddammit.” Andromeda took a seat in the chair next to Vlad and glanced around. The deep scanning and the subsequent data flowing across the screens were far beyond her comprehension and she couldn’t help but wonder how a former pirate managed to be so intelligent. The man must have been that in name only, for there was a kindness in his eyes that took the fight right out of her. “Alright, I believe you.”

“Good. Now then, what can I do for you?”

“Here.” She handed him the slates, brimming with data from her planetary surveys with Andreja. “Got some credits for me? Dre says our ship could stand to use a weapons upgrade. She’s fond of particle cannons.”

“I certainly do,” said Vlad. “Honest pay for honest work – and the data will help parse the background noise while the station peers into the black for those elusive anomalies.” Vlad picked up his personal slate and transferred Andromeda their pay. “Don’t spend it all in one place,” he chuckled. “Oh, and tell Andreja I said hello.”

“Can do. “Andromeda brought up her account balance and nearly fainted. “Vlad!? What the [censored]!? Are you joking!?” Her Galbank account showed a balance of over forty-thousand credits – four times the amount she had left after the down payment on her home. “All we did was point our scanners at some rocks and plants! This is way too much!”

“Surveying is not easy work, Dro. I took you a few weeks just for those three, did it not? Besides, most of that is from the Eridani II job. Lush planets like that one offer very valuable information.”

Andromeda thanked him profusely but he waved it off and insisted it was the standard rate and that plenty of the others in Constellation had signed up for similar jobs and been paid just as well. She still refused to leave without giving him a hug, and she practically skipped back to the ship with her spirits soaring. They could afford the cannons and the faster engines Andromeda had her eye on.

Andreja will be thrilled. Maybe I can talk her into doing some shopping in New Atlantis, too.

* * *

The Lodge, New Atlantis, Jemison, Alpha Centauri System

Jemison’s sun had long since set when Andromeda and Andreja finally made their way to the Lodge after an afternoon of shopping and an evening of drinking. The lights were dimmed, and only Vasco remained powered on to greet them after passing through the vestibule. Trying their best not to wake anyone up, the two women stole up the staircase and tipsily stumbled past the bar – where Andromeda grabbed another bottle of wine – and down the hallway to the living quarters. Andromeda’s room was closer, but Andreja steered her down the small hallway across from Matteo’s room instead, and opened the door to her own bedroom. Andromeda started to question why they went to her room instead until Andreja explained that their night was not yet over, and being further from the others would be more respectful. And then she through Andromeda bodily onto the bed.

By the time morning decided to return, neither one of them had slept long enough to be truly rested, and after getting dressed, they headed back towards the dining area hoping someone had made breakfast. And coffee.

Their wishes were granted by none other than Barrett himself: Constellation’s resident amateur chef. One of the tables had an urn of fresh coffee steaming away and waiting for them to pour out hefty mugs of the rousing beverage, and another had a stack of plates and a small tray of silverware. There was also a pitcher of orange juice, but it looked a bit too pulpy for Andromeda’s taste. They loaded up on eggs and bacon before joining Sarah and Noel at a nearby table.

“Morning you two,” said Sarah. “Didn’t realize you were here – got in late I take it?”

“They sure did,” giggled Noel. “I heard them stumble up the stairs and down the hall.”

“You were awake?” asked Andromeda. “And you didn’t say hi? What gives?”

“Yeah, I was in the library. Couldn’t sleep. And you were talking louder than you think you were, and I heard more than I needed to.”

Andromeda shrugged and took a bite of bacon while Andreja blushed and attempted to hide her embarrassment in vain. She sipped timidly from her piping hot coffee and politely steered the conversation elsewhere.

“Ahem. It is good to be back at the Lodge. Is there anything on the agenda today?”

“Well, that all depends.” Sarah looked pointedly at Andromeda. “First, we have to deal with the elephant in the room.”

“Rude,” countered Andromeda, jokingly. “Anyway, don’t bother asking – I already made up my mind. Yes, I’m back. If you’ll have me.”