Paint met me in the hallway with concern on her lizardy face. “I’m worried about the animal cargo,” she said. “I think its tank is leaking.”
And just like that, I was worried too. “Why?” I asked, already moving toward the cargo bay.
She kept up on her shorter legs. “Faint hissing and a smell that wasn’t there before. I didn’t see a crack, but…”
“But that sounds bad,” I agreed. This particular animal cargo was in a high-gravity containment tank. Losing pressure would be very bad. I broke into a jog and she followed.
We reached the cargo bay to find the tank in the center, right where I’d left it, looking like a crystal ball on a stand that was currently twinkling with warning lights. I hurried over, scanning the surface for cracks and the creature inside for distress. It was moving restlessly: a fist-sized tortoiselike thing without a shell, stumping around on stocky legs. There was definitely something hissing. The air smelled like algae.
“What do we do?” Paint asked, dithering beside me. “Should I get Mimi? Or Eggskin?”
“Maybe,” I said, inspecting the thing from all sides. Either the mechanic or the medic would be welcome right now. “Probably both.”
“I’ll call an alert,” Paint said. She scampered toward the intercom, but as soon as she did, I saw the crack.
It spread with a crick, and the hissing increased. I lunged forward to press it into place, hoping I wasn’t jumping on a grenade. “Hurry!” I told Paint.
Paint yelped and shouted a warning into the intercom that would have the entire crew rushing toward us in concern, or possibly rushing away. What would happen if this ruptured? I didn’t actually know. My Earth-based vet training was light on emergency scenarios involving high-grav life support.
Pressing on the sphere seemed to help, though not completely. There was still a faint hiss of escaping gas. I shifted position, hoping for a better angle, but the sphere was the size of my head, not something easily compressed from all sides. I called to Paint, “Grab some cargo straps!”
She did, and we spent several awkward seconds trying to wrap the thing in a way that would help, while not letting up the pressure on it.
Eggskin arrived with a hand scanner and apologies; our medcenter didn’t have anything geared towards high gravity. A terrible oversight in their opinion, but it had never seemed likely to come up.
Captain Sunlight was right behind them, clearly regretting such an exotic cargo. Footsteps said more of the crew were incoming. Maybe we could all just hold the thing together until the ship landed? That sounded deeply unpleasant. But not as bad as a rupture.
The crack spread further, and everyone present put a hand on it. The cargo straps weren’t doing much. I thought wildly that it was a pity the three coworkers present were the ones with the smallest hands — all Heatseekers. Mimi or one of the other Strongarms might have had a better shot at this with their tentacles.
I hope Mimi’s on the way, I thought. We could carry this down to the engine room to meet him, but…
Then I thought of something else in the engine room, which I hadn’t known was there until recently.
“Captain!” I said. “The gravity pocket!”
She met my eyes. “Yes. Eggskin, will it survive losing a little more air?”
“It should,” Eggskin said with a grimace. “If we can hold the tank together on the way there.”
“What’s happening?” said the perfect person from the doorway.
I greeted Mur with what was probably an unhinged smile, “Hey! Get your tentacles over here and hug this with everything you’ve got! Paint, grab the little hoversled!”
“What?”
“On it!”
We explained while Mur hustled over at his best speed and wrapped himself around the sphere like a squid claiming a bowling ball. We lifted the whole thing onto the sled, Mur and all, and I was glad the animal was a little one. The captain probably wouldn’t have taken on a larger containment tank — and definitely wouldn’t again, I was pretty sure — but all those thoughts could wait. I was the fastest of everyone present, so I got to do the mad dash to the engine room.
Paint ran into the hall ahead of me, shouting for Blip and Blop to stand aside. The Frillian twins pressed their muscley selves against a wall as I pushed the hoversled past them and the captain spoke into the intercom.
Everyone cleared a path. When I reached the engine room, Mimi already had the door open, flattening his own tentacles as we flashed past.
“This smells bad,” Mur said as I stopped in front of the unassuming little compartment. Mimi had left that door open too.
“Yup,” I said. “Mimi, can you help me lift?”
Mimi did, and the pair of us wrestled the awkward shape onto the floor, then shoved it into the area of enhanced gravity that was standard on this type of ship. Still clutching the tank, Mur flattened as he crossed the barrier, his tall squid head flopping over the sphere. My hand felt extremely heavy where it reached in.
I pulled it back and shook it. “Okay,” I said to Mur.
He was already moving, carefully unwrapping one tentacle at a time. There weren’t any further cracking noises or even hisses. Good sign.
By the time Mur had dragged himself to the entrance, where Mimi and I could give him a hand (tentacle) in dragging the rest of the way, Eggskin had arrived to assess the animal’s health. It was alive. A little stressed, according to the hand scanner, which was to be expected after all this nonsense, and the air left in the tank was thinner than ideal, but Eggskin said it ought to be good enough for the rest of the trip.
“The captain is calling the client,” Eggskin said. “She’ll make sure they meet us with the appropriate containment device.”
Mur said, “I hope they don’t blame us for this. We didn’t drop the thing; it just sprang a leak on its own.”
“Well sure, that model is famous for it,” Mimi said, as if that was common knowledge.
The rest of us stared at him. I asked, “Is it now?”
“Of course,” said our ship’s mechanic, just now realizing that we might not be as up on tech industry scandals as he was. “There was a huge mess recently when a whole batch ruptured at once before they’d even been sold to the public. You didn’t hear about that?”
“No,” I said with a glance at Eggskin and Mur. “And something tells me the client may not have either.”
“Guess I’ll go have a word with the captain,” Mimi said.
Eggskin said, “You two go ahead. We’ll keep an eye on the cargo.” A glance at me got my agreement.
They left, and we settled in to monitor the creature’s vitals. Eggskin suggested that I not sit on the floor right outside the gravity pocket.
“The leaked air is eeeever so slightly toxic,” they said. “Nothing our air filters can’t handle when it’s diffused, but best not to risk anything.”
I laughed weakly and leaned against a wall. “I don’t want to know what would have happened if that blew up on the way here, do I?”
“Probably not,” Eggskin agreed. We agreed to turn the conversation in a different direction, discussing high-gravity biology and which type of emergency containment device we should pick up on the next supply run, because this definitely needed to not happen again.
~~~
Good news! Volume One of the collected series is now available in paperback and ebook form! (Check your local store, or this handy link hub.)
~~~
These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.
Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.
The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH STUFF ABOUT THIS MAN HELP, SO I AM HERE TO DELIVER TO ALL THE OTHER FANS 🙏🏻.
Gunther is secretly a huge romantic. He loves romance novels, romantic comedies, and all things lovey-dovey. He might not show it, but he's got a mushball inside him.
Gunther has a pet cat named Mr. Whiskers. He adores his cat and loves to spoil him with toys and treats. He's also prone to talking to Mr. Whiskers as if he's a person, and will often tell him about his problems and struggles.
Gunther is a great cook. He loves trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. He's a master of the art of grilling, and can cook up a mean steak.
Gunther loves watching space-themed movies and documentaries. He's a total nerd for all things space-related, and loves learning about the cosmos. He's also prone to getting excited about the newest discoveries and innovations in the field of astronomy.
Gunther loves animals, especially dogs. He's always happy to pet a furry friend, and will never hesitate to stop and play with a playful pup.
Gunther's a good listener. He's always willing to offer a sympathetic ear and some support to those in need, and will never dismiss someone's feelings or struggles. He's the kind of guy who will always be there for you, whether you need a shoulder to cry on or just want someone to listen.
Gunther loves his ship, the Invincible II. He's proud of it and takes great care of it. He's always happy to talk about its many features and upgrades, and will often spend hours working on repairs or maintenance.
Gunther might be a tough and rugged space cadet, but inside he's still a sentimental sap. He loves his friends and crewmates from the Invincible II, and would do anything for them. He's the type of guy who puts others before himself, and will always lend a helping hand to someone in need.
Gunther is prone to getting into mischief. He might be a bit of a troublemaker at times, but he's always quick to apologize and own up to his mistakes. He's not afraid to make a fool of himself, and will often be the first to laugh at his own jokes.
Gunther's a total goofball.
Despite his tough exterior, Gunther is a huge softie. He's a total sucker for cuddles, hugs, and sweet nothings. He's always quick to offer a gentle touch, a kind word, or a soothing hug when you need it most.
Gunther's always looking for a good adventure. He loves exploring new places, solving puzzles, and facing challenges head-on. He's always up for a good dare, and will never hesitate to take on the impossible.
Gunther's a total nerd. He's a master at video games, and can often be found spending hours in front of the computer, gaming away. He's also a huge sci-fi fan, and can often be found talking about the latest movies and TV shows.
Gunther's a true friend. He's the kind of guy who will always have your back, no matter what. He's loyal, trustworthy, and always there when you need a friend. He's the kind of guy who will always offer a supportive word, a sympathetic ear, or a helping hand, no questions asked.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: RWBY
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Characters: Ruby Rose (RWBY), Yang Xiao Long, Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Romance, AU, Science Fiction, I'm a leaf on the wind baby
Summary:
Ruby always wanted to return to space, ever since her family had grounded on Patch. It would be years before she finally got her chance, courtesy of a job offer from her sister: Security aboard a freelance vessel. Exploring dead ships, taking on risky contracts, star-hopping across known space and beyond; flying free in the deep reaches of the night. Leave your expectations planetside, because the universe is vast, unpredictable, and indifferent. No matter how much you prepare, how many missions you've run, how long you've been treading starlight, remember: It will always find a way to surprise you.
There's never any such thing as an ordinary run, because every job is different. Ruby couldn't have predicted how true that maxim would ring.
Ok, even as a middle schooler, I remember being weirded out by Childhood's End's "if you give people handouts, they'll just stop innovating, so is ending world hunger really worth it? 🤔" subtext
Void Rays are not as threatening as their name may suggest, but they ARE an unusual form of life. Thin as a sheet of paper but reaching up to ten meters in diameter, it's difficult to consider a Void Ray "alive" in the way we understand. It lacks a nervous system and possesses no brain, and it's scant few organs--so thin as to be invisible if viewed from the side--are dormant most of the time. They don't even have any method to propel themselves along and have only enough musculature to flex themselves open and shut over the course of several days. They are only found in the empty, lightless regions of space. They are evolved to absorb any form of energy they can obtain; completely and entirely unreflective black in color and so close to absolute zero in temperature that they're hazardous to touch without protection. They drift through space, cast wide like "living" nets, capturing individual particles to feed upon the tiny amounts of energy they can obtain as the atoms decay. The far off light of a distant, dying star is a veritable feast for these entities, not only drawing on the scratchings of solar power but the minute amounts of energy that the photons have carried with them all this way. There's little reason to venture into the realms of space these creatures inhabit, so research into them is terribly limited. Even worse, bringing them aboard a ship to study is immensely dangerous for the poor, fragile things. Even a freezing room with temperatures in the negatives is too much for their bodies to handle, the Rays "overfeeding" and then overheating, melting them into pools of inert sludge that evaporate almost instantaneously. They can't survive anywhere but the most lifeless and inhospitable regions of space.
