045: Outrageous Fortune – Five
The journey back to Amanhecer Station, with two Leviathan corpses lashed to the hull of the ship, thankfully was an uneventful one.
"Welcome back Pelekys, we can get those off your hands in just a moment. Hell of a broadcast!" The docking control attended said over the ship's comms, "Are you needing any repairs?"
"Nothing major, but we'll take a dry dock if you have it." Nevara responded.
"Linking you the coordinates. Signal when you're ready for dematting."
They didn't have too long a wait, as several small ships were buzzing out towards them, manipulator arms at the ready.
"Alright, we can confirm a Beta and a Delta Leviathan." The lead of this retrieval unit radioed once their team had taken possession of the two bodies, "Transmitting confirmation to the Avvisi, you should see the funds in your account shortly."
"It's greatly appreciated." Pryseia replied, "Fair fortune in returning them to the Quanvengier."
Once that was taken care of, they only had a short flight to the far side of the station before they were dematted safely inside, and Malakh stood from her seat to get repairs on the ship organized, calling over her shoulder, "Shouldn't be more than a couple hours, I can meet you all on the station later."
Rhea grinned at that, turning in her chair to face the rest of them as she said, "In that case, we should make an outing of it. All of us! Vi?"
"Still nothing from my Storlayacas scans." Came Viatrix's response an instant later.
"Those are running in the background, though, right? You don't need to be babysitting them?" Rhea asked.
"No? Why."
"Cuz you're gonna be busy for the next couple of hours," Rhea told her, "Hop in one of your new drones, sweetheart, we're taking you out on the town!"
Having limited experience with what the societies in the greater galaxy were like, Elytra wasn't sure how the people aboard Amanhecer Station would react to the AI controlled drone bobbing alongside them, but as they made their way through the shopping district within the station, she noticed that there were plenty of other drones wandering through the crowd.
Some, like the one Viatrix was controlling, were small hovering things in an variety of configurations, while others were walking around on an assortment of legs, from small to large.
"It's very different, seeing things from this perspective." Viatrix said in wonder as her drone floated along, turning this way and that as she took everything in. More than once, she'd been distracted enough sightseeing that one of them had to tug the drone out of the path of store fronts, decorative pieces, or even people when she'd been too busy looking in the other direction. "Very interesting. I'm so used to being the size of the Pelekys, that it's almost shocking to see things so small be so detailed."
"I get that," Rhea nodded, "Looking at things under a microscope gives me a similar feeling."
Viatrix spun the drone to have it stare at Rhea. "Yes, that's exactly it! I feel as if I am moving alongside microscopic organisms!"
Nevara let out a quiet laugh at that. "I can assure you that 'microscopic' is not a word I would have associated Rhea with." She said, eyeing up the fact that, with her current choice of footwear, Rhea was slightly taller than her.
Rhea laughed loudly in response, saying, "Compared to the Pelekys, I am a tiny, dainty little wafer of a woman!"
"So if we are as microscopic entities that live within your body, what would that make us?" Pryseia wondered.
Viatrix rushed ahead of them before turning around to take them all in thoughtfully before saying, "I think you would be my immunocytes. You can protect me from infection from within, after all."
Nodding approvingly, Rhea said, "I can get behind that."
Elytra grinned over at Viatrix. "But in that drone, you're as microscopic as us, so is there anything in particular you'd like to experience on this scale?"
Viatrix hummed thoughtfully as she bobbed back to the rest of them. "I hadn't really given the notion much thought? Food's out, I can't imbibe other recreational substances, or fornicate. Of the human saying of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, I can only really try the rock and roll part, but I can listen to music whenever I want, so I'm not sure if that would be a novel experience."
"What of live music? A recording is not the same." Nevara pointed out.
"I suppose not," Viatrix mused, "Oh, and I guess then a live performance like a play or something? That's something I can't experience outside of a broadcast."
"We have our goal, then," Pryseia said, pulling out her data pad, "With the number of people who call this station home, there must be something available in the realm of live entertainment."
Despite the fight with the Briddbragnan, as well as the two encounters with Leviathans, the Pelekys has received very little in the way of damage. As Malakh finished going over the diagnostics of the ship with the lead mechanic who'd been assigned to their berth, she couldn't help but be grateful for the care and precision that went into the construction of the Pelekys. She knew with any other Thalatte ship - mass produced as cheaply as possible - the damage wouldn't be anywhere near this minor.
"Been a busy week for me and my team," the mechanic, an apiarian named Eyla, had chuckled as she tucked her data pad into her overalls, "Had another ship come in a couple days ago with a busted engine and a whole squad of disabled mechs!"
"Oh?" Malakh had replied as disinterestedly as she could. She had a sneaking suspicion as to who the captain of that particular ship was.
"Yeah, it took a bit to get it all patched up, but things could have been a whole lot worse," Eyla explained, "Whoever hit them knew how to disable without destroying, real precision stuff. Captain said it was raiders in a Thalatte ship, can you believe it?"
Malakh couldn't help but laugh at that. "Thalatte guns strapped onto the hull of some other vessel, more likely. Their weapons are decent enough, but their ships are more trouble than they're worth!"
"That's what I said! But this Captain Lauter insisted it was Thalatte all the way through. Which is odd, because if it was a Thalatte ship with a Thalatte crew, they wouldn't have left a wounded ship drifting like that. Even raiders would have taken the vessel and its mechs as a prize." Eyla said, giving Malakh a knowing glance.
Shrugging, Malakh told her, "Well, maybe this Captain Lauter tangled with someone they shouldn't have. Maybe they'll think before they pull some stupid shit like that again."
That got an even bigger laugh out of Eyla, her mandibles flaring wide. "Oh I highly doubt that! They seemed bent on upgrading their ship in order to stand a better chance against whoever it was they tangled with, but alas, they hadn't the funds for those upgrades, after the cost of all their repairs. They've headed out towards Usgaisjan space in order to go hijack cargo vessels."
The derisive snort escaped Malakh before she could stop it. "I'm sure they're better equipped to take on one of those instead of someone who can actually fight back."
"They'd hit their monetary goals a lot quicker if they took bounties on the Leviathan that haunt those trade routes, rather than the ships that travel them, but what do I know? I'm just a mechanic." Eyla said as she nudged Malakh good-naturedly, "You and yours seem to do alright against those nasties, if your broadcasts are anything to go by. You lot certainly wouldn't get jumped by Thalatte raiders!"
"It's a better way to make a living than what we were previously doing, that's for sure." Malakh agreed.
With everything sorted and left in the capable hands of Eyla and her team, Malakh was able to join the others much sooner than she expected, linking up with them with time to space before a performance at a small theatre.
"They have a theatre here?!" Had been her incredulous exclamation when she'd learned what they'd planned on taking Viatrix to.
"Given the theatrical flair the Kith of the Void are known for, that they would have a thriving performing arts industry is not something that should come as such a shock." Pryseia had pointed out.
Malakh had just hummed thoughtfully, conceding the point before asking, "So what are we seeing?"
"It's a recreation from the exploits of the Ningjing, an infamous Kith ship from when the Kith of the Void were still new," Elytra explained, handing over her playbill on the performance, "They were one of the first crews to really grab audience attention on a galactic level, so seeing this will be a little like research, in a way."
Her excitement palpable, even through the drone, Viatrix hovered over so she could read the playbill over Malakh's shoulder. "I'm rather looking forward to it! I've been reviewing the recordings of other Kith crews, but seeing a retelling done by none of those involved in the original exploit is a fascinating departure!"
Grinning at the drone, Malakh said, "Let's grab some snacks and settle in, then. Now you've got me excited to watch too!"
"Oh that was something else!" Viatrix was practically vibrating with excitement when they stepped out of the theatre an hour and a bit later, "I have seen the actual recording of that event, but watching it live was an entirely different experience! What they included, what they had to cut for time, the limitations of the stage itself! This is a medium I hadn't properly understood before!"
"It was fun, but we've gotta take you out to a proper, written-for-the-stage-from-the-ground-up play," Rhea grinned as she caught up with Viatrix's drone, "Adaptations from other media sometimes lack that special something that a pure stage play has."
Pryseia nodded, "We should take the opportunity to find a proper theatre in the future. The hunt for the Storlayacas won't take up the entirety of our time, and so a moment spent pursuing our leisure will not hinder our mission."
"And live music as well," Elytra added, "A concert is truly something else."
"Very true, and I look forward to experiencing those, but at the moment my circuits are abuzz over this whole thing!" Viatrix said, "Reviewing footage on my own is something I can accomplish quickly and efficiently, but I never imagined how different that experience would be with others involved!"
"Yeah, the audience you watch something with can really have an effect on your experience of a thing." Malakh agreed.
Viatrix bobbed the drone over to her, saying, "It was something I greatly enjoyed. Are there perhaps other performances locally we could check out so I could experience that again?"
Bringing up a data pad, Nevara did a bit of searching to see what was available on the station. "There appears to be some comedy performances later tonight, as well as a couple different drinking establishments where live music will be playing, but it seems that was the last stage performance happening tonight. We arrived at the station late in their day, so they're winding down for the night."
"Hm, that's a pity," Viatrix admitted, "I find myself craving something narrative after that performance."
"Well, we could head back to the ship and just watch movies together?" Rhea suggested, "I'm sure we'd be able to find something we could all enjoy across the vast spectrum of filmed media that exists across all our species."
"I would be amenable to that," Pryseia said with a nod, looking to Viatrix, "Would this scratch your narrative itch?"
"I think it would!" Was Viatrix's response, "And like Elytra said earlier, it would be like research, since we need to come up with interesting story ideas for our Kith characters."
"Or we could just do it to hang out with one another." Elytra laughed.
"Also a valid reason to engage in this endeavour!" Viatrix agreed.
It was some time later, back on the ship and several hours deep into a watch party of different films from the crew's assorted cultures when Viatrix suddenly said, "Oh, I've found it! The next Storlayacas!"
Pryseia hastily paused the recording, saying, "Show us, please."
Taking control of the large view screen they'd been watching recordings on in the rec room, Viatrix brought up a live feed of what appeared to be some kind of advertisement for a criminally gaudy social event. The area it was being filmed in was bedecked like it was a wedding, flowers and draping fabric, all a white so bright it seemed to glow, masking what very much looked to be a more industrial walkway.
In the foreground was what appeared to be a human woman, though she was strikingly different from Rhea. Her skin was milky pale, eyes a bright crystalline blue, while her hair was sleek, straight, and golden. She wore a gold, high collared dress that scintillated with every movement, one of her slim, bare arms gesturing out at the scene behind her.
"-many of these items have been donated by Aion Aggregates Ltd, the tech firm returning as one of our event sponsors."
The camera then panned across a truly ostentatious warehouse, everything about the structure seemingly gilt in gold. Standing out in sharp contrast against it were various machines of war - armoured tanks, personnel carriers, fighter craft, along with several mechs, a handful of Odazaen included.
As well as a Storlayacas.
"Holy shit," Rhea breathed as she sat up, while Pryseia and Elytra on the next couch over, and Malakh curled up against her side all turned to her as if they had no other choice, "That one's mine."
Nevara clicked her mandibles together, saying, "Vi, what is this event?"
"Some type of fundraising auction being put on by a Necupole conglomerate," Viatrix explained, bringing up other media related to the event, stills and banners for a charity auction being put on by Ururriniaix & Co, who or whatever they were, "They claim the proceeds are going to help those affected by one of the many conflicts going on around the galaxy, but a check on their records is showing me that the money raised from previous events have all just staying in their own pockets."
"The Necupole are fond of their funds. It doesn't surprise me that this is all a ploy to make themselves seem more magnanimous than they actually are." Nevara said with a humourless laugh.
"They probably use these events as an excuse to dress up fancy more than anything." Malakh laughed humorlessly back, untucking her tail from her curled position to gently swat Nevara with it.
"Has this auction already come to pass, or does it lie in the future?" Elytra asked as she frowned thoughtfully at the footage. Viatrix brought up more ads for the event, a date clearly marked, but in a number system Elytra didn't recognize.
"They only have the date written in their local time system, of course, but converting it to standard, it's a little under two months away from our current date."
"Time enough to come up with a plan on how to get it, then," Elytra hummed, drumming her fingers against the plate of her chin.
Leaning back in her chair, head propped up on her fist and a slow smile creeping across her face, Pryseia said, "I may have an inkling of an idea, if I may present it to the group?"
Viatrix cackled at that. "Well with that tone of voice, I'm curious to hear what you have in mind!"
Her tail flicking in delight beside her, Pryseia asked, "The Necupole are remarkably similar to humans in terms of physiology, are they not?"
"Suspiciously so," Rhea confirmed, "There's been scientists on both sides of our borders who have theorized that humans may have descended from Necupole colonists who interbred with the local wildlife, because our genetics are incredibly similar. For centuries before we even achieved space flight, before we even had confirmation that there even was other life out there in the galaxy, there were those who theorized that ancient astronauts from beyond our world had altered the natural course of life on Terra, giving rise to humanity. Of course, despite mounting evidence to corroborate this theory, the Necupole Plutocracy is quick to dismiss or discredit any proof that comes forward, even when it comes from their own scientists."
"Of course they would," Malakh said with an annoyed flick of her tail, ears pinned back, "If they admit that humans are descended from their race, then they'd have to face ridicule on the galactic stage, as their sexual appetites are responsible for one of the 'lesser' races. Plus, it would destabilize the order that they're so keen on maintaining, since, as technically Necupole, the humans would have to be elevated in status in interstellar society. Refusing to do so would no doubt cause all kinds of legal bullshit that could destabilize the economy, and that's the last thing the Necupole Plutocracy wants."
Rhea laughed bitterly at that, pointing at the necupole woman on screen. "Yeah, the main way they've been able to brush it all away as a coincidence of evolution is that while humans come with a myriad of hair, skin, eye colours, and body types, necupole pretty much all look like that."
"Taller than the average human, yes?" Pryseia questioned, "Closer to your own height?"
"Yeah, I'm abnormally tall for my kind," Rhea said, gesturing to Elytra, Malakh, and back at Pryseia herself, "Most humans are around your height, but there are those who are both much shorter and much taller. Humans come in way more variety than the necupole do."
"I know in the medbay you have equipment to speed in the growth of both skin and hair," Pryseia asked, grinning fit to burst now, "But do you possess anything that could alter the pigmentation of such?"
Rhea frowned at that, replying, "Yeah, I've got the gear for cosmetic alterations like that. Why d-"
She cut herself off, pointing a finger at Pryseia, her eyes going wide and a grin breaking out across her face as she said, "An undercover job!"
Pryseia grinned right back. "What better place for Chancellor Bathory to ply her trade than within the halls of the elite?"
Chuckling darkly as she slung her arm back around Malakh next to her, Rhea said, "Oh I think that would make for some very entertaining programming."