Dead Star Dockyards

"Help me." Donovan stared at the screen with a blank face. He wouldn't call the other side of this unscheduled conversation chaotic, indeed no single element appeared out of place, however the precious few seconds he had to judge the situation revealed odd behavior. The unkempt hair and dim light suggested she was having breakfast, and yet she wasn't at a table. Porridge of some sort sloshed around a bowl in her free hand while a trace of juice on her cheek suggested it wasn't the only course she was partaking in. What he didn't understand was why she was eating in the back seat of a car. "Please?"

"What are you-"

"Somebody's just had a baby and we are heading over there to congratulate her. Can you help me?" Diana pawned off the tablet to a bleary eyed Titanyana in order to spoon some porridge into her gob.

"What do you need my help with?" He supposed that was as good a reason as any for Diana and Titanyana to rush on one of their 'off days', though he was slightly irked that Titanyana was so tired. Arc wouldn't let her cram on these days, meaning she had been up until the cutoff point. The poorly disguised guilt on her face said she knew he wouldn't like this, but Donovan would say nothing about it. If she was willing to go so far for a few more hours of education, he wasn't going give her shit for it. The exhaustion could handle that on its own.

"Do you remember the whole month thing from a week ago? You told me to go with nine months of 35 days?"

"Vaguely, yes."

"Well I'm trying to get a good set of names down for them and I can't figure out the direction I should go." Another spoonful of porridge. "I mean, I know I want it to be a Greco-latin naming convention with some Hebrew elements, and I have a general sense of theme for each month, but I can't for the life of me determine the theme for one of them or the names for most of them."

"Okay, well, tell me what you've got." Donovan honestly didn't care that much. To him, a default number month system was sufficient - preferable even - though he wouldn't complain about something a bit more flavorful if the names were kept brief and easy to remember.

"So I want to have a theme of a life cycle over the course of the year, birth to death you know? And then I also want to have the Earth, Sun, and Moon represented as well. I've already determine the second, fifth, and eight months should be the moon, sun, and Earth respectively, so lets start there. What should the names of those months be?"

"Lunus, Solus, Terrus. Easy."

"I told you he'd say something like that!" Donovan barely caught sight of Diana smacking Titanyana's shoulder with the back of her hand. "I want something a bit more creative."

"What sort of creative? Do you want gods or something?"

"I don't know, but no gods! Those are an actual thing here, so I don't want to step on any toes if there are gods of those things around."

"Then I will just tell you to use Lunus, Solus, and Terrus. They follow the Greco-latin naming convention, and perfectly encapsulate the theme of the month by directly using the theme in the name."

"Ugh, fine. I'll give it a think. Anyways, on to the month themes?" The picture on the other end shook violently as they went over some bumpy terrain.

"Sure."

"So it starts off with birth, obviously, of which I want to use the Greek 'Genesis' for both the literal meaning and presence in the Bible -"

"Genesiary."

"What?"

"First month, has a similar phonetic ending to 'Janus', hence, 'Genesiary'."

"I mean . . . I won't say I didn't consider that, but I feel like its a bit off. Sort of like too many syllables or something."

"Personally I don't like 'ee-air-ee' at the end. It feels weird to say." Titanyana added her own thoughts on the matter, mumbles only audible over the groan of the engine thanks to her proximity.

"Okay, then we drop the 'i' - 'Genesary'." Simple problem, simple solution.

" . . . okay, I kind of hate how close that sounds to 'Janissary' but I do like it more than the alternative."

"You can keep thinking about it. What's the next one?"

"Next in my little cycle of life would be the third month, which I decided should be something along the lines of 'hope for the future'. Think of it like a child seeing the world with awe and imagining what they could be in the future. I also want it to be the month of hope considering its when a traditional farming society would start planting and its the month we first brought Nekh to Nectar, so I'm drowning in options here."

"Really? What have you got then?"

"If I had an idea of what I wanted, I wouldn't be asking you." The tinge of hostility in her tone was drowned out by an otherwise harried disposition.

"Okay, then what about another biblical thing? If you don't want gods and modifications of the base words are more or less off the table then we need something in the realm of mythos. Is there an angel or city that covers that field, Arc?"

"Unless there is room to work around such words as 'God', 'Jesus', 'Messiah', and perhaps the lesser symbol of a rainbow, your best option would be to look outside of the biblical canon."

"That's fine."

"What do you have for us?" Diana spoke through a mouthful of porridge, hand over mouth to prevent spit.

"The archangel Jerahmeel, also called Jeremiel, Remiel, and sometimes Ramiel depending on text, was believed to be the angel of hope. It should be mentioned that his divine tasks were the responsibility for divine visions and guiding the souls of the faithful into heaven, which seem to be in contrast to the theme you have in mind."

"No . . . no I think its pretty consistent, actually." Diana handed off the bowl to someone in the front passenger seat, probably Petunia, before taking the tablet from Titanyana. "I want this month to represent a plan for the future just as much as it does hope. I feel like a divine vision and someone to guide you there are pretty good traits in a name."

"Okay, then let's call it Ramiel for now." Donovan wanted to knock these out as soon as possible. This might be an off day for the girls, but for him this was when the work started. The crew he was training for the next Trawler were due to wake up and report for duty in a few minutes.

"I like Remiel better."

"Gonna be honest here Titanyana, I don't think it matters too much for this one. Its basically the difference between gray with an 'a' and an 'e'." Donovan shut down the woozy woman with a short retort. "People will know what you mean either way. Anyways, next month."

"Month four is something to do with learning, innovation, and effort. Also maybe a bit of a fire as a reference to rising temperatures given it precedes the month of the Sun."

"Solus."

"Grrr." Diana gave a playful growl at Donovan's assertion. "It's supposed to represent the work someone puts in towards the hopeful future of the previous month, if that helps."

"Prometheus, easy." Donovan's failure to elaborate evoked a confused expression from Diana. "He was the Titan in the Greek mythos who crafted mankind, his love for them ultimately driving him to steal fire from the gods and provide it to us, which would cover that fire reference. He's also associated with knowledge, progress, and forward planning - his name literally translates to 'forethought' - which should be more than enough to cover the whole 'growing' concept, right?"

"I feel compelled to add that Prometheus is also seen as a representative of minor deceit and rebellion against authority for the sake of progress. His crime of stealing fire was punished by chaining him to a boulder and having an eagle eat his liver every day. This in mind, you may also be able to draw a connection to Heracles and his twelve labors to cover the 'effort' portion of the month as some versions of the story have him slaying the eagle and freeing Prometheus from his torment while searching for the Apples of Hesperides."

"Ah, but wouldn't the god-like status disqualify it?"

"No, actually. I really like this one." Diana was tapping her lips. "Even though it kind of intrudes on the 'no gods' rule, I feel like a Titan and a God are distinct enough in the Greek mythos to make an exception."

"Why don't you seem happy about it then?"

"I just don't want half of our months ending with '-us', you know? So far we've got Lunus, Solus, and Terrus, which is already a third of our months. I just want a bit of variety, something to make the poetry a bit more interesting if ever it happens."

"Some sources claim Prometheus has the separate name of 'Ithax', the Herald of the Titans and kindler of fire, though there seems to be some conflict on that front." Arc, the sentient supercomputer, answered a question Diana didn't know she asked.

"Oh that's just perfect! It's an 'x' at the end right?"

"It is."

"YES! Oh I love it, 'Ithax'. That's our fourth month!" A hyped up Mercedes barked in response to her cheers, though the nature of her being off-screen made it difficult to determine where she was exactly.

"Then let's move onto the next one. Month six, right?"

"That's the one I don't have a theme for."

"Okay, then the seventh."

"The theme of the seventh is good harvest and prosperity. Its supposed to represent the time in someone's life when they are finally reaping the rewards of their efforts and planning."

Donovan reclined, trying to think of anything that might satisfy Diana without breaking the 'literally just the word' and 'no gods' rule. If he could choose a god it would probably be Ceres or Demeter, harvest goddesses from the Roman and Greek pantheons respectively. A violation of the 'literally just the word' rule would almost certainly give him Messis, Sodeia, or any of the Hebrew words related to the harvest. The unfortunate thing was that there weren't many 'heroes' or 'events' related to farming or harvests in the Judeo-Christian Greco-Latin mythos that stood out to him. Granted he didn't know much about this subject and he was failing to consider to consider later time periods, however the lack of input from Arc despite Donovan's frantic searches suggested it didn't think there was a worthy word either.

". . . let's just see what the final month is about. I'm sure I can help you with determining the theme of month six."

"Yeah. The last month is supposed to encompass the end of life, more specifically a peaceful rest. To represent this, I have selected 'Noach' as the final month's name."

"Not holding back on the symbolism, are you?"

"Hey, the word does mean 'peace', 'rest', and 'comfort'. Blame the universe for giving me such a beautiful metaphor."

"I never said I didn't like it." Donovan sighed. If he was being completely honest, he kind of missed that ship. Despite his memories of isolation, it was something he considered to be distinctly 'Terran'. Even the Trawlers, vessels largely of his own design, couldn't capture the vibe he felt from the Noah and its contemporaries. "Anyways, I think I have an answer for your theme question."

"Hit me."

"You've got birth and death, which I have no issue with, and in between you have a dream, the period of education and effort to learn how to manifest that dream, and the realization of that dream. That's great, wonderful even, but a part of me is confused as to why you don't know the final piece of the puzzle."

"Is it obvious?" Diana clearly felt she had overthought the problem now, not that Donovan's intention had been to put her down.

"Sort of, but I think you've missed it because you haven't really 'lived it' so to speak."

". . . well?"

"Every step you take in one direction is a step you didn't take in another, and you can't walk through every open door. When you are working towards a greater goal, you will have to make tough decisions about what to lose in your pursuit. It could be in the form of wealth, a greater opportunity, or in the more consequential fields, lives, but the effect is more or less the same."

"So I'm missing trade-offs?"

"A trade-off is an exchange of relatively equal conditions. Speed for quality, profit for reputation, maintenance for efficacy. Generally they don't change the end product on a fundamental level, and they can go either way without extreme consequences. What I'm talking about are sacrifices. These are things that have to be put on the line if you want to succeed, prices that will be paid regardless of how much you bargain."

"I don't think that fits the vision I have . . ."

"It definitely does. Tell me, Diana, what did you forgo to achieve your position? What sacrifices did you make to ensure survival? Did you have many friends? Did you have fun? Were you reasonably relaxed and without stress?" Diana's expression shifted, more contemplative and less enthusiastic than before. "What about the people who worked to get us here? They could very well have spent their remaining days indulging themselves, something I would not have blamed them for. Instead they got hard at work to give us the chance - not a guarantee - to survive and carry on the struggle. That's sacrifice."

"Alright, alright, I get it . . . but I don't want to call the month 'Jesus'." If nothing else, Donovan could complement her ability to redirect a conversation. "It violates both of the rules."

"How about 'Atlas'?"

"Vetoed, it has too close a connection to maps."

"Hector?"

"Don't like it. Also, his sacrifice ended up being for naught as Troy fell."

"Marcus Curtius?"

"What's the story with that one?"

"Uh, a fissure or something opened in the Roman forum, priests said the only way to close it would be to sacrifice Rome's greatest strength. Marcus Curtius, in a bid to save the city, proclaimed the greatest strength of Rome to be its weapons and bravery, donned his armor and rode his horse into the chasm which is said to have closed after."

"I'm not going to lie, it sounds kind of silly."

"Then do you have a better one?" Donovan suspected Diana wasn't nearly as read up on mythology and such as he was, surprising given how insistent her grandfather had been that Donovan absorb as much as possible. Granted, the intent behind this seemed to be a bid to keep him aware of himself and his principles amidst the chaos and provide inspirational material from which he could draw in the future, however Donovan couldn't help but think it was also in preparation for an occasion like this.

"I'll look for a better one in my free time, same for the harvest month. I like what we have though! Barring the whole Lunus dealio, of course."

"Hey, four out of seven isn't bad, right?"

"I'd call it four out of nine, but yeah."

"Alright then, unless you have something else to talk about, I've got stuff to do. Love you."

"Love you too!" Diana blew a kiss, the car she was in sounding like it was slowing down. "And make sure you get some sleep! I didn't raise a stink because it would have ruined the mood, but you can't hide those baggy eyes from me!"

"Uhuh, yeah. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow!"

- - - - -

Diana hopped out of the car before it came to a complete halt, borrowing the momentum of the vehicle to start her strut.

"Hi baby! Did you have a good run?" She didn't miss the opportunity to lather affection on the dog who had been running astride them the entire time, enjoying every second of it. Unfortunately for Diana's clothes Mercedes was shedding, so the eager rubbing against her pants left a lattice of brown and black hair. "You did, didn't you?"

Feeling playful in the wake of the sprint, Diana deftly avoided the yapping canine's attempts at laying muddy paws on her outfit, damage that would surely take Petunia hours to rectify.

"Here you are, Lady Mercedes." Petunia placed a wooden bowl on the ground and poured some water into it, the sound of which immediately snatched attention away from Diana.

"Thank you, Petunia."

"It is my pleasure, Diana." She was still a little uncomfortable with treating her ruler on a first name basis, wholly understandable considering she referred to a pet as 'Lady'.

"Shall we go see the baby?"

"I'll wait for Mercedes to finish her drink. You two go ahead." Their target destination wasn't difficult to spot - a particularly crowded house a few rows down this 'block'. They couldn't drive down without damaging the footpath further, something Donovan and the engineers insisted they avoided at all costs, so a short walk was in order.

"Very well. Don't let her boss you around, alright? Do you remember the commands?"

"Sort of, though I'm not certain I possess the assertiveness they require."

Smiling to build Petunia's confidence, Diana turned to begin her march. She was incredibly curious about what a baby Nekh would look like. Would the ear fur be all crinkly? Would the tail be 'naked'? Most animals came out with at least some sort of coat, but humans tended to enter the world without much in the way of body hair even on their heads.

"I just don't think he'd put the proper amount of thought into his response." Diana frowned at the sarcasm dripping from the mouth beside her. Not a sad or frustrated expression, just a playful admission of defeat. "Do you regret those words?"

"Four out of nine isn't a passing grade."

"That's still four more than you could nail down." Titanyana grinned, tired eyes rejuvenated at the opportunity to poke fun at Diana for a change. "I don't think you'll come up with something better anyways. Considering how much time you spent trying to find something for such a concrete theme, I doubt there are many valid words left to find."

"The world of words is one deeper and more complex than any you could ever imagine, young lady." Diana narrowed her eyes, tilting her head up so she could exaggerate how much she was 'looking down' on Titanyana. The smirk on her lips maintained the playful nature though.

"Deep and complex for sure, but you've set limits upon it!" Titanyana placed a hand on her hip, tutting like a teacher correcting a student whilst wagging a finger. "And don't act like you didn't have Arc's help."

". . . I feel a pop quiz is in order. Just a little something to give you a reality check."

"Please don't." Diana's faux threat earned an immediate retreat from Titanyana, whose confident facade crumbled under the slightest pressure. Even her ears folded down, something that wouldn't happen for mild inconveniences, telling Diana this was a sorer subject than she initially thought. She made a mental note to ensure Titanyana didn't develop some form of inferiority complex around her education.