The mining station belonging to the "Bodacious Fuzzy Felitaur Babes" is bustling with activity. Ceres and Aurora are running the ore processing units that run through the center of the station. The "gate" being built takes huge quantities of refined metals, and they are doing their best to keep up. Copernicus, still shocked at being a new father, is nonetheless still being forced into some more meetings via gradio with Tharhome. Libra has volunteered to watch over Tycho and Chrissa while they sleep, so Melora can get a little free time.
Aurora pads into one of the main cargo bays and purrs to Melora, "Well, if you are really bored, we'd be happy to have you help. We have bins of various metal bars, coded by marks as to type and alloy. Each bin holds 150 of the same type as the mark on the front. If you could sort the bars into the bins for us while we mine a fresh asteroid?"
Melora looks over, from her idle study of an old book and closes the pages. It goes into her backpack with her reply, "Now that'd be somethin a bit more satisfyin than studyin somethin I c'nt git heads ner tails of."
Aurora smiles, "It's nice to see we have another level headed person in this mating group. Between Ceres and Copernicus...well, we've been worried. I'll turn on the intercom so you can ask me or Copernicus questions if need be. I think Ceres showed you how to use it?"
Melora nods her head then grins, "Helps bein' the only female o'the household fer some time. Sure... Ceres'd showed me it th'first thin. Took me a bit t'figure those weren't peoples, though, standin behind the wallin'."
Aurora chuckles, "Well, you're not alone anymore. I realize now that we should have been worried about you. You could have easily taken Copernicus from us if you wanted to. I'm glad your part of the group Melora. Any other questions before I leave? No ship is scheduled to dock for hours, so the airlocks won't be active."
Melora shakes her head, "shoul' be fine. I c'n count, even iffin I c'nt read those funny squiggles ya call writing. An I couldna take him 'way, even iffin I did want. He cares.. an is too responsible fer jus up an leaving ya, even on my say."
Aurora nods, "He does seem to be responsible...in his own way. Regardless, I'm glad you're here."
Aurora pads over and hugs Melora close and kisses her on her nose and purrs, "Well, I'd best be off before Ceres gets her..."
Melora chuckles, "Well, I jus wish I could git outside fer a breather, but Copernicus' tol me about what'll happn..." She nods, giving her a bit of a grin and cocking an ear.
A loud wail comes over the intercom, along with a grinding sound, "The ore processor is trying to eat my tail again! And I just had my fur done! WAHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Aurora sighs, "Ceres. Take care Melora." and runs out of the cargo bay.
Melora hums quietly, taking a glance around. Glad, she is, to be getting off and doing just something. Something to keep her mind off _interiors_.
The cargo bay is very quiet, four airlocks are regularly spaced along the interior, along with several windows. Stacks of metal bars have been dumped at the end of a chute. Numerous bins are near them.
The intercom buzzes a little and a bit of a hum can be heard through the station. Melora, keeping the link open, busy at work below. Occasionally a clunk of movement can be heard through the sensitive speaker.
The intercom buzzes slightly and a familiar voice purrs, "Melora kecharra, Aurora already putting you to work?"
Up in the bridge, Copernicus curls out on a couch as he waits for the next call from the council. He also helps monitor some of the station functions for Aurora and Ceres. He purrs again, "How are you holding up Melora? Giving birth and going right to work is hard on anyone."
Melora calls back through the intercom, pausing enough in her humming to answer, "I asked fer it, m'dear. Ya can't b'gin t'know how borin it is sittin an tryin t'read a book ya canna be unnerstandin'."
A chuckle is heard, "Sounds like my first year of pulse drive text books. Or worse yet, my uncles books on dimensions that I used to er...move us."
Copernicus hmmms as he looks in on the ore processing center and sees Aurora threaten to put Ceres' head into it if she doesn't get back to work and quit complaining about her tail. He chuckles softly, forgetting the intercom is open.
The intercom chuckles back, "Dunno how that is, but this' stuff from someone else's home. I look at th'pictures an try t'figure it..." Her words are accented by a few thunks as she works.
Copernicus hmmms, "Are those the books Wanderer gave you before we left?"
A slight pause, possibly a nod of the head, gives a bit of silence before the reply, "Yah, th'one 'bout who m'people are. I had it in m'pack."
Copernicus leans back after adjusting some of the station keeping repulsors to hold orbit near the gate being built. It's very purpose makes gravity and space unstable. Finally he purrs thoughtfully into the intercom, "We may be able to find someone who can eventually translate that Melora. I wish I knew how to get ahold of that shaman's council. I'd have a word or two to say to them about their stupid rules too. Not only is Wanderer apparently gone, but you were nearly killed."
Another pause in the noise, including in the work part and Melora says through the comm, "That, m'dear, was by me own choice. Someone I respected needed assistance only I coul' be givin."
Copernicus nods, even though Melora can't see it and purrs, "But it shouldn't have been necessary. And if you had told me I could have helped. Instead, what I did probably caused you to be lost instead. Regardless, I'm just glad you're ok. And it seems the bit about "Leetle Flyink Keeties" came true too. They are adorable Melora. I still can't believe I'm a father."
Melora purrs through the com, "I didn' know who coul' help, Coper, an Wanderer seemed t'need secrecy. It's notta worry though." She chuckles a bit at the end of that, "I woul' hope ye are. Ain't sure how yer father's takin ta 'it though." The work ensues again, clunking randomly.
A loud laugh comes through to the cargo bay as Copernicus purrs, "My father just smiled widely and said "Serves you right". I think he's happy to be a grandsire."
Melora grins a bit, unseen. She purrs, "he knows they're 'bout now, doesn't he? I thought I heard ya announcin it..."
A bubbly voice cuts in and purrs, "Copernicus, can we all go outside for a bit of dancing this evening? I bet Melora would find it fun too! Can we please?"
Copernicus ers at the intercom and purrs, "Well, Ceres...Melora can't go outside. I was thinking of getting a space suit made for her, but I don't know if she'd like it or not."
A scuffle is heard over the intercom, then a loud "OW! Stop it Aurora. I just forgot, honest!"
Aurora is heard to purr, "We'll talk about it later. Now let's get to work. And leave the intercom off." *CLICK*
Copernicus doesn't know how to respond and just remains quiet as he looks outside to the vacuum of space, as much his home as any planet.
Melora can be heard to drop another bar from the cargo hold, counting under her breath in strange sounding numbers. She purrs quietly, "doesn't mean y'all can't go out there on yer own.." she says. Heard, unheard, she's not sure.
Nearby, the silver ring of the forming gate can be seen from nearly all the windows on one side of the station. The last of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Stabilizers are being installed, and one of the Chirr'T'Thar in charge uses his throat voder to transmit, *Ok. As soon as we get them in place, I want a power test. I could care less what Skygazer says about some sort of aligning them based on residual magic energy. We need to know if they can hold power before we seal things up.*
Copernicus purrrs to Melora over the intercom, "I have another call coming in for me in about 20 minutes. How's the sorting going?"
Melora purrs to the intercom, "Fairly quick. Ain't much thinkin t'this."
Melora adds, thoughtfully, "Good thin' that th'units we count in are similar. In the same size groups. The language fer th'numbers is somewhat different. I'll tap 'em out later."
The last device is wired in, and the order is given to apply power to all 3,143 devices. A brilliant blue glow shimmers over the surface of the mile diameter circle. Space ripples, and a few small gravity waves are formed. The forefur notes that this is going well so keeps the power on to allow for a few tests. This'll show the Skygazers not to try and con them with this "magic" stuff.
Copernicus grins and purrs to Melora, "Well, Aurora will appreciate the help. We're using a lot of metal, and getting it sorted is important, if a bit tedious."
The two small gravity waves reach the station, and cause it to shudder slightly. Copernicus blinks and adjusts the station keeping devices as he turns on the scanners, "By the First Mothers Aerolas, what was that?"
The forefur is watching the power consumption of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Stabilizers, and blinks as it suddenly spikes. A small hole in space starts to form, or at least, tries to form. He sends the command to power down immediately, but it's a bit too late. The partly formed portal collapses.
Melora scrambles, the sound of the latest picked up bar of metal clattering to the floor, "Sharra, what in the lady's name's *THAT*" Her wings splay rapidly and she's a cat seeking her balance.
Copernicus blinks as the scanners show a huge graviton pulse coming from the gate, and he nearly roars, "Idiots! All hands, prepare for impact!" as he hits the collision alarm and strengthens the meager shields on the station.
Melora tries to claw the floor then manages to start scrambling towards the nearest doorway.
Aurora and Ceres scramble towards the bridge as Libra triggers the blast doors for the room she and the two kits are resting in, while Copernicus tries to move the ship out of the way, but the pulse is much too fast, and slices a 50 meter wafer off one side of the mining station neat as you please. Cleanly opening one side of the cargo bay and explosively decompressing it into the vacuum of space.
As the wall sheers off, Melora begins a sharp scream. A portion of it is heard over the intercom before stark silence reigns to the rooms. To her, the room seems to tumble and is gone in darkness. Lights flicker a few times and cargo is dark.
Copernicus screams, "Melora!" and hurriedly works the controls to save the rest of the station and the people on board as he roars to Aurora and Ceres, "Cargo hold ruptured. Melora is outside. She's got a minute or two tops! Get out there!"
Aurora and Ceres are having troubles moving through the station till Copernicus finally gets it semi stabilized. He grabs a throat voder and leaps towards the nearest airlock, his claws digging into the metal decking.
A darkish shadow floats past the view screen as Coper wheels away to get out. Almost feline in shape and hilighted by white tufts. It's hard to see in the darkness of this side of the station.
Copernicus is met at the airlock by Aurora who purrs, "Ceres is already outside. Do you have a fix on her location? With explosive decompression, she could be anywhere!"
Copernicus curses himself, "Well, no time to do that now, I'll head out, you head to the station and guide me." and with that leaps into the airlock, and rapid cycles it, not even noticing as his lips and nose seal and the protective nictating membrane covers his eyes. He pops out of the airlock, heading towards the general direction of the cargo bay, his eyes following the probable trajectory by noting the pattern of debris.
Melora doesn't seem to have followed the pattern of debris. Surprisingly enough, she's made it to almost hang outside the lounge areas of the station, floating and still somewhat tumbling in the darkness. Up has no meaning here.
Copernicus growls into his throat voder and tells Ceres to alter her search pattern and to Aurora, *Well? We need a fix on her NOW!*
Aurora's voice sounds strained *I know. But the sensor array is in diagnostic loop. At least another minute till it's done. I'm...I'm really sorry.*
Copernicus growls, *Skip the sorry, just let me know where she is the instant you can!*
The dark shadow stops spinning finally, in relationship to the station that is. Odd enough. It begins to move back in the direction it came from, near the input links for the station. Not that Melora knows what links are.
Copernicus doesn't want to think about the non-Chirr'T'Thar friends he's lost to decompression accidents. It's not a pretty way to die. He watches Ceres move frantically in her search pattern as he does a 360 loop in two directions, to get a quick scan of the "horizons".
Aurora curses at the sensors as the diagnostics turn up serious damage and the autorepair units indicate 2 hours to repair them. She turns on all the external cameras and starts a visual search.
Melora paddapads on literally 'thin' air, almost as if nothing had happened. Zero-Gee didn't bother her after a while before, and a puzzled expression is on her face as to these big dangers of space. Blue lightening flickers from time to time at the edges of her vision, somewhere about ten or fifteen feet away from her.
The felitaur, not knowing anything about these things attached to the outside of the station, continues padding along, back along that previous path. She shows up stark black against the stars again, white fur tufts where light hits her, on that monitor.
Aurora eeps as she sees something felitaur like move past a damaged monitor and shouts out coordinates to Copernicus and Ceres. Copernicus, being closest, approaches that location on the hull first. He sees the motion and assumes it's her drifting, and, fearing the worst, still races towards her.
Melora pauses and begins to 'beat' her wings a few experimental times. Odd place this is... soothing too. The beat moves her forward, as though flying but a bit easier. She begins to gain a grin. Frightened, perhaps, at first, she's enjoying every moment of this now. Perhaps that wall was supposed to do that.
Copernicus blinks as she seems to be...moving her wings? Finally he gets close enough to get a good look and he stops short. Ceres, close behind stumbles into him and purrs *Why'd you stop? There she is she's...by the first mother's fertile loins!*
Aurora, unable to see clearly shouts, *What are you waiting for, why aren't you getting her inside!?!*
Melora spies Copernicus now then grins a bit more. Seems she's trying to say something. Space, no words get far there.
Copernicus, still in shock, finally finds his voice, and vocalizes into his throat voder, *Well, she had been feeling cooped up, and she seems to be enjoying her stroll.*
The white feline picks up a bit of speed, opening both wings to their fullest and seeming to 'glide' on what would be air if there were any. Her forepaws are outstretched, hardly moving as her flight takes her nearer. Blue motes drift around her.
Aurora blinks and eeps, *By the first mother, he's gone into shock and become delusional. Ceres, get Copernicus inside, we'll deal with the body when we have to, no sense losing them both."
Ceres finally stammers, *I thought you said her race couldn't survive in space?*
Aurora thinks . o O (Wonderful, I've lost them both to grief and shock. Great. Best head outside and get them in, and...by the First Mother's supple haunches, she's...ok?)
Melora waves a hand then makes a barrel roll, almost laughing. All the way over, upside down then back topside again. Probably the most free she's ever flown.
Copernicus lamely waves to his mate as he finally gets some conscious thought going and flies over to her, leaving Ceres stunned and still. Almost a rarer sight.
Aurora is heard over the link, *How is that possible?*
Melora seems to be saying something again, looking a bit more concerned. He's not answering, and that bothers her.
Copernicus moves quickly towards Melora, desperate to make sure she's really alive. As he comes closer, it's clear his mouth,nose and eyes are sealed up like before. And then he *thunks* and bounces off a barrier about 15 feet from Melora, blinking.
Melora points to her mouth, nodding understandingly. She mouths something more. A half moment later she spies Ceres and waves that direction.
Melora blinks in response and pushes towards Copernicus. He feels a 'pressure' then a yielding sensation. Blue light flickers across him then he's within her sphere.
Copernicus is further stunned as he feels an atmosphere around him. He feels the tiny changes noting he's starting to unseal, but that will take an hour. He palms a speaker set out of one pouch and tunes it to his throat voder, he purrs, "Melora, thank the first mother you are all right. I...I didn't know you could do this."
Melora frowns, hovering right next to him, "do what?" She asks.
Copernicus would blink if he could and his purr is heard over the speaker *You have some sort of force field, a bubble of air around you. You'd have died if you hadn't done this. It must have been what you did when you gave birth too. When you locked Aurora out of the room.*
Melora gets an odd expression to her face, "I haven't done anythin' t'all. Jus screamed 'nuff t'make my throat raw. An I certainly didn't lock Aurora out annatime."
Copernicus just skips the explanations and gives Melora a vigorous hug and a sigh of relief is heard over the speaker, *I thought I had lost you this time.*
Ceres finally comes up in front of Melora and reaches out and pushes against the barrier. It's clear her hand is pressing against something.
Melora looks over then frowns. She holds up her hand in response to Ceres.
Melora takes a deep breath, leaning against Copernicus. She shudders a little, "That flash.. was the door supposed to go away?"
Copernicus shakes his head and the speaker says, "No, some idiot turned the gate on early. Nearly destroyed the station. And I have a feeling, that before your changes, you wouldn't have survived out here. You'd be dead now.*
Melora purrs quietly, "I'm not, so let's not worra on that? Why's Cere's standin over there?" She begins to slowly move towards the other 'taur. The same blue light flashes over the woman then yields away.
A small meteorite flashes towards Melora, and right in front of her face it bounces off...something.
Melora winces then glares in that direction, "Who's throwin rocks?"
Ceres blinks and finally speaks over the voder, *How does she do that? It was hard as a steel wall, then she just..walks towards me and I'm inside the bubble?*
Melora just stops, puzzled then says softly, "I ain't doin annathin... nothin. Coper? Git me inside please?"
Copernicus ers, *No one. In space, with no gravity or air to slow things down, when something is started moving, it keeps moving till it hits something. Lots of rocks moving through space at high speeds. Interesting how easily it bounced off. Yes, of course. No idea how long the air in your bubble will last. The working airlock is over that way.*
Aurora's voice comes over the speaker, *Whatever is holding air around her is totally transparent to the sensors. You weren't joking about her race probably being magical, were you?*
Copernicus mutters *Not now* to Aurora over the voder.
With a chirp of glee over the com link, Ceres recovers and purrs *She can space waltz with us now! This is great!*
Copernicus just gives Ceres a look and guides Melora towards the airlock.
Melora nods, almost weakly and nervously. She starts padding in that direction, her wings shaking a little before they begin to beat regularly just before she panics. A quick blue flicker is all the warning and the bubble has pulled away from her companions as she pushes forward at high speed, towards the airlock.
Copernicus mentally "whoops" and follows Melora quickly towards the open outer door of the large airlock, capable of fitting 3 or 4 felitaurs, normally. He's amazed at the speed Melora is capable of in space. More evidence she's magic propelled, or something anyhow. He watches her enter the airlock and moves to go in, slowing as he reaches about 16 feet from her, hoping she'll let them in also.
Ceres also comes along and bumps up against Melora's field, waiting.
Melora hits at the wall inside, making little blue splashes of color with each hit. Where the wall touches her bubble is a blue highlight of color, nearly dripping. It seems to fit the shape of the room.
Copernicus's voice purrs over the speaker he left attached to her fur, *You have to let us in too Melora. We have to close the outer door before we can let air in and open the inner door.*
Aurora can be seen, wide eyed, just outside the inner door of the airlock.
Melora glances over her shoulder. Spying Copernicus and Ceres there is enough and the yielding sensation comes from the wall again.
Copernicus pulls Ceres in when he feels the lack of resistance and then hits the controls. The outer door seals, and there is a rush of air as it's pumped into a chamber that would normally be void of air at this time.
Ceres snugs Melora, *This is so neat. Wait till my family hears about this! Another race that can live in space!*
When the outside air pressures against the bubble, as though both were near equal, the lights flicker away and the bubble disappears.
Melora shakes beneath Ceres' arms. If she weren't white, she'd be pale and her eyes show whites all the way around. She pulls her arms tight about herself.
The inner door of the airlock slides open, and Aurora purrs as she hugs Melora and looks at Copernicus, "Is the Skygazer family tree always this...branched?"
Melora stutters, "I... I ... Copper? er.. " just before fainting to the ground. Perhaps the idea she was that close to dying, or just fright has caught up to her. Quite out-cold she is.