A Space God Spreads its Wings
“What is the first rule about approaching an unknown planet?” the captain demanded, crossing her arms.
“Of course it’s to scan for life, and I did that—” replied the first mate, but she cut him off.
“When you saw that it held a pre-spacefaring culture, what was your thought process exactly?”
“To keep our distance!” he said. “I didn’t even orbit directly; I made sure we stayed close to the moon instead!”
The captain glared. “And did you consider for one moment the size of our ship with the solar sails unfurled?”
“What do you mean? We don’t have enough mass to affect the tides or anything like that—”
“The shadow,” snapped the captain, pointing at her first mate. “I spend one night in sickbay, and you’ve already caused an eclipse on a primitive world. Do you have any idea the kind of panic and cultural upheaval we’re seeing even from this distance?”
The wide-eyed look on his face made it clear that he had not considered that, but was considering it now. “Oh.”
“Yes, oh,” the captain said. She aimed one finger at the first mate’s face, and pointed the other hand toward the bridge. “Now you are going to come look at what we’ve observed so far, and you’re going to tell me what you think we should do about it. Your answer will tell me whether you get demoted or just reprimanded, so think hard.”
“Good.” The captain led the way. “If people are getting sacrificed into volcanoes, it won’t go well for you.”
Thanks for the idea, @flashfictionfridayofficial!