031: Sea of a Million Stars – Five
Agreeing on a look for the interior of their ship ended up being easier than anyone expected. Through the type of coincidence that some took as definitive proof of some higher power, some divine creator, each of their races had an architectural style that employed ornate ribbed vaults, pointed arches, elaborate detailing, and evoked an ominous presence. Pryseia knew it as Neo-Resurgence, for Nevara it was Classic Brutal, Rhea's people had Gothic, while Malakh's had Vanity, and Elytra herself had Late Ostensible.
Regardless of the name, it was an aesthetic they could all agree on, and better yet, there were plentiful examples of each to pull from in the design software provided by the Kith. By the time they were clear of the core and out of subspace, they'd managed to come up with a design for panels that could be fabricated en masse and easily installed.
While the fabricators started churning out enough panels they could get a start with, Malakh and Elytra took a trip outside in order to link Viatrix up to Lianshae.
For the sake of future convenience, one of the modifications Malakh had insisted on having installed on the Pelekys while at the dry docks of Quanvengier was lighting they could toggle on the mech anchors that ran along the top of the ship. The abyssal black paint job on the Pelekys was not standard for Thalatte vessels, so they clearly hadn't even thought to put lights in when designing the thing. As it was, Elytra was grateful for the lights, because she knew for a fact that she wouldn't have been able to find the anchors otherwise.
Once she was firmly in place, she popped open the cockpit, the clamps and control apparatus releasing from her space suit. Elytra barely registered it, however, as she was awestruck by the sight before her.
Space, in the truest sense of the word. Distance stretching out farther than she could perceive, stars twinkling with crystal sharpness in the distance, planets rendered invisible due to distance, smears of colour from the nebula they were parked in front of, the scope of it almost too large to comprehend. Zero gravity had her hanging weightless above the seat of Lianshae's cockpit, her sense of vertigo so thrown off by a lack of gravity that she felt like she was simultaneously rising above and falling into the scenery in front of her.
Something touching her arm startled her enough that she choked on her own scream, though her panic swiftly died down when she saw Malakh before her.
"Whoa, hey, you're alright! Let's get your boots activated." The deorviran said, lifting Elytra's left arm and tapping a button on the vambrace that ran along her forearm. Elytra felt a momentary vibration coming from her boots an instant later, and then Malakh shoved down on her shoulders. When she made contact with the floor of the cockpit, she felt her boots lock in place, holding her from floating away into the void.
"I completely forgot that this is your first proper extravehicular activity," Malakh was apologetic over the communication channel built into their space suits, "We should have run you through a tutorial first."
"I should have mentioned it," Elytra replied, her eyes drawn back to the expanse before her, "I just got so caught up with it all that… it slipped my mind."
Malakh turned to take in the view, and the two of them stood there in silence for a time.
"I've lost count of the number of times I've been out here like this," Malakh eventually said, a quiet reverence in her voice, "When a space walk is a regular part of your job, it just becomes another workplace you have to suffer through… I'd forgotten how beautiful it was."
Her chest tight with emotion, both her own and Malakh's, Elytra unthinkingly reached out to grab the other woman's hand. Malakh shot her a watery smile and squeezed back, and the two of them turned back to the scenery before them.
"Come on, the other's are going to think we ditched them to take care of all the decorating," Malakh eventually said, pulling the cable spool she had attached to her tool belt, "Let's get Viatrix plugged in so she can have a look around."
Taking a deep breath, Elytra nodded, and the two of them got to work.
"Oh… This. Is. Fascinating!" Viatrix trilled from the display she was using in order to hang out with the rest of them as they worked on redecorating the bridge, "As I hoped, Lianshae's code is different, but subtly so. It reminds me more of genetics than computer programming! Rhea, you mentioned before that these Storlayacas are siblings, and the code I'm seeing substantiates that hypothesis."
Rhea hummed thoughtfully from where she was helping Nevara anchor a decorative panel in place. "If that's the case, then I wonder, with their expertise in the field of genetics, if the Bernetigan would be better equipped to decipher Hyttan code?"
"Who's to say they haven't?" Nevara offered, "Perhaps whatever techniques they use to convert others to their own race stem from Hyttan origins."
"A truly nightmarish thought, but one that does hold merit." Pryseia said with a shudder, "I hope to never have the chance to find out for myself."
"I raise my hand in favour of that!" Malakh replied with a shudder of her own.
"Then here's hoping my scanning doesn't turn up anything in Bernetigan controlled space," Viatrix said, "But I do believe the information I've been able to extrapolate from Lianshae will considerably widen the net I can throw. Or narrow down the search? Hm. Both analogies work, in this case. If I continue with the genetics route of explanation, I now have a more complete DNA sample to scan for. More likely to find something, but I have no way of calculating a timeline on how quick the search will be."
"Well, at the very least, we have something to keep us busy while you scan," Elytra said as she hoisted another panel up to Rhea and Nevara, "I'd offer to race, but I think that would be unfair to you."
"I'll say," Viatrix oscillate with amusement, "You lot just have to decorate a couple rooms, I have a whole galaxy to scan!"
As expected, the remodelling of the Pelekys was completed before Viatrix's scan for another Storlayacas unit was.
One of the reasons for this speedy completion was the Kith's design keyword being flexibility. Gutting an remodelling the interior of a room was always an involved process, no matter how many resources and people you threw at it. But throwing up a facade over a preexisting structure was far more cost effective, both in terms of money and time. The Kith design programs were all about modular construction, allowing for the fabricating of panels that could easily attach to the superstructure already in place. Their go of it was made even easier thanks to the utilitarianism of Thalatte design, which left them with a nearly featureless canvas to work with, very little in the way of protrusions they would need to work around. This meant less work having to design custom fitted backings for their panels, as a flat surface against a flat surface made for easy installation.
The bridge of the Pelekys, of course, was going to be where they'd been seen by their audiences for the most part, and so had received the most elaborate redecoration. Instead of the bare gunmetal grey of Thalatte design, they were now layered in complexly decorated arches, backlit to provide a moodier atmosphere. Sinister scrollwork blended the separate panels together to give the illusion of the whole thing being a singular work rather than pieced together. The consoles and chairs had likewise received facades in order to make them look more at home within some medieval castle, rather than the spaceship that housed them. The centrepiece of the room was the captain's chair on a raised dais, which now looked like a high backed stone throne, carved by a master hand with plush seating to die for. In reality, it was just a sturdy but lightweight shell over the original chair, which was still able to swivel around for more practical use.
In addition to the bridge, the armoury had been given a facelift. The shelves and racks for their assorted gear had been given fronting to make them look more thematically sinister, the wall panelling only a smidge less elaborate than what they had going on in the bridge throne room. Aside from the gear racks, the only things in the room were the exit ramps and the demat zones that gave them access to their cargo hold, which left them with a lot of empty space to work with. In all the material they had on the ins and outs of making a production space for their prerecorded footage, having a space they could quickly modify to suit their needs was a must.
Lastly, they added decorative panelling to the hallways that ran from the bridge and circled the crew cabins. Another tip from their production material, as dramatic walks through cramped corridors were staples of the genre.
With their decorations complete, and no signs of Storlayacas signals on Viatrix's end, the crew of the Pelekys turned in for a well earned rest.
"I'm pleased with your progress," Rhea said to Pryseia over their breakfast the next morning, "You're back in shape enough that it'll be safe to swap out your prosthetics."
"Blessed revelation!" Was Pryseia's reply, "Can it be done after the meal?"
"Of course. Do you want to be unconscious for it?"
"I'd rather be alert. Immobile, I know, but there are reports I would prefer to peruse rather than lose myself to the realm of dreams."
"Is it an intensive process?" Elytra couldn't help but ask.
Rhea seesawed her hand back and forth briefly. "Kinda? The eye's an easy swap, just swapping out one device for another, but the arm is another story. It's a more complicated machine, a multipurpose tool that can also feel sensation. A lot of complicated nerve connections that have to be meticulously attached so that the artificial limb can be used both effectively and without pain."
"It's not a painful process, but it is an uncomfortable one." Pryseia told her, "It's akin to the static that fills a limb when you have it held at the wrong angle for too long a time. It isn't a painful sensation, but it is somewhat maddening."
"So of course you're staying awake for it." Nevara's voice was all fond exasperation.
"I'd rather do something more productive with my time than sleep the better part of my day away." Pryseia countered.
"Not me. I'd rather be out if I have to do a swap." Malakh said, patting her right leg.
"You've a prosthetic as well?" Elytra asked, shocked.
The deorviran nodded, holding her hand up to the middle of her thigh. "Here on down it's a replacement. Synthetic bone and muscle attached to my real meat, overlaid with actual skin to make it look seamless. It's the same as the model Pryseia's got on right now, because I have no need for the over-engineered mess she prefers to be swinging around!"
"Forgive me for wanting more than basic utility!" Pryseia said with a laugh, not sounding sorry at all.
With Rhea and Pryseia busy with the limb swap, the rest of the crew spent the day designing the outfits and refining the personas they'd be performing once the cameras started rolling.
Dramatic anti-heroes with larger than life personalities were, according to the data provided by the Kith's marketing research, the personas that drew the largest audiences. Memorable character designs with striking pallettes helped crews stand out from one another, and kept watchers coming back for more.
Trying to come up with such a design was something that Elytra found to be quite nerveracking, but thankfully she wasn't alone in that.
"Does this strike you as intimidating enough?" Nevara asked, passing her the data pad she'd been working on. The both of them had ended up in the recreation room, too much nervous energy to stay cooped up in their rooms. The data pad bore the image of what could only be Apiarian armour fit for nobility. It had sharper lines and angles than Nevara's regular armour, detailing across the breastplate that called to mind the emblems of rank and office that members of the Koleopteran military wore, and a muted colour scheme of dark burnished metal and teal highlights and lighting.
"I'd say so," Elytra said, handing the data pad back, "It looks like you could cause damage just by walking into things!"
"Among certain sects of Apiarian military, that was by design." Nevara admitted, "To keep those not of the correct social standing at arms length both metaphorically and literally."
"Have you settled on a stage name yet?" Elytra asked.
Nevara leaned back in her chair, a noise of distress rumbling in her chest. "No. The whole acting aspect to this career is not one I look forward to."
"That's why we just need to stand in the background and look scary," Elytra joked, holding out her own data pad, "Would this serve?"
Nevara took a careful look over the image on screen, her eyebrows lifting slightly. Elytra had pulled her design from more archaic styles of Koleopteran armour. Simpler, in comparison to Apiarian design, larger plates meant more for show than for protection. They were supposed to look impressive in their role as members as Kith of the Void, after all, not practicable. Overtop the ensemble she'd added a sleeveless cloak, the hood of it abnormally large in order to cut a more mysterious silhouette. Shades of purple dominated the design, some dark enough to almost be black, some light enough to be mistaken for white.
"It certainly would." Nevara said as she handed the data pad back, "Have you come up with a name?"
"Would 'Mistress Spooky' count?"
Nevara surprised herself with the bark of laughter that shocked out of her. "That might undercut the severity of the persona you're trying to convey." She replied after a moment, her mandibles flared in a grin.
"Back to the drawing board, I guess." Elytra said, her own grin just as wide.
Elytra made her way to the medbay some time in the afternoon, a tray of food in hand. Rhea and Pryseia had been cooped up for the better part of the day due to the swap, so if they couldn't come to lunch, then lunch would come to them.
"Oh you're a lifesaver," Rhea breathed when Elytra entered the room, "I was about to radio for something to eat!"
The medbay, now retrofitted by Kith engineers, was a far cry from what it had been under Thalatte regulations. The decor was all white, lending a brightness to the room that felt worlds warmer than the stark minimalism of the architecture on Iromay. The utilitarian healing slabs had been replaced by beds that looked far more comfortable, though from the thin sheen of sweat that covered Pryseia, currently laid out on one of the beds, it wasn't enough comfort to distract from the careful work being done to the nerves of her arm.
"Supine as I have been," the deupazing said, only the barest hint of strain in her voice, "This procedure has left me ravenous."
The top portion of the bed had been tilted up to allow for Pryseia's upper body to be in a semi-sitting position, her left arm held in place by a contraption looped around her bicep and mounted to the bed. Above the device, her navy, scarred skin stood in sharp contrast to the white bedding. Below the device, however, was a complicated mechanical arm, far more robust than the one Elytra had assumed was her natural arm. If anything, this one more resembled an armoured gauntlet, interlocking plates of navy, black, and gold that gently twitched as the reattachment process continued.
Rhea hit a button on the side of the bed, and a table extended in front of Pryseia. Elytra placed the tray of food in front of the captain, while the doctor grabbed her own plate to take back to the desk she'd been working at.
"Hope you ladies haven't been too bored without us," she said as she nodded over at Pryseia, "It's going along well. She should be out of here in a couple hours or so."
"I'm looking forward to that," Pryseia said through a mouthful of food, "I'd forgotten how aggravating this whole process was."
"You could have been out for it." Elytra countered, and Pryseia waved the notion away.
"As I stated earlier, I would rather my time be used more productively. I believe I have settled upon a design for my stage costume."
"Me too," Rhea added after she'd swallowed her own bite, "Just gotta come up with a name for it."
Elytra let out a little laugh at that. "Nevara and I are in the same predicament. I've no idea how Malakh's faring. I haven't seen her since breakfast."
"She's probably perched up on the highest spot she can get to in the engine room," Rhea said, her fondness as dense and encompassing as a morning fog, "She likes to be alone when she's working on designs."
"Hopefully she completes her drafting before Viatrix finds sign of the Storlayacas we seek," Pryseia directed towards the console in the room the AI preferred to appear on, "I would hate for her to be startled from so great a height."
"Don't worry, I'll make my alert sound nice and pleasant," Viatrix replied, her floral avatar popping up on the display, "I'd hate to spook any of you with such good news!"
Viatrix's alert came in the middle of the night, but that didn't stop Elytra from scrambling out of bed and bolting for the door. In the corridor outside, Pryseia and Nevara, both of them sleepwear-clad, were rushing out of their own rooms and heading for the bridge, and Elytra fell into step with them.
Rhea and Malakh arrived a few moments after they arrived, dressed but dishevelled, Rhea in a shirt too short and Malakh in one too long.
"You picked up a signal?" Pryseia said to Viatrix, though she shot Rhea and Malakh a teasing grin.
"I most certainly did!" The AI said as her floral avatar popped up on a smaller display panel, the main screen filling with a map of one sector of the galaxy, "The good news is that it's only about a day's worth of subspace travel away, on a colony world built more for tourism than for armed forces."
"And the bad news is…?" Nevara inquired, knowing that there had to be a catch.
The map zoomed in on one stellar cluster, and then further in on a single world. Relatively small, it was all islands and oceans, images of ground level popping up along the side of the screen to show beaches and resorts and a thriving nightlife. The name of the world, Ritroser, popped up along the top of the screen.
"The bad news is that its on display at a museum," what was clearly a clip from a commercial appeared on screen, showing the Storlayacas unit standing next to an assortment of other mechs in an exhibit, "So the security on this thing is going to be tricky to get around. Especially since this is a Zymeth world."
"Of the modern races, the Zymeth Geniocracy possess the most advanced technologies." Pryseia told Elytra before the latter could even ask, "Whatever systems they have in place to guard the artifacts in the museum's possession will be formidable indeed."
"Formidable, sure," Malakh said, her grin all teeth and a competitive glint in her eye, "But not impossible."