999 OCTILLION SOULS, June 6, 2024
I FLIGHT 31
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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE:The following information is derived from Information Seed 40 and received by the Gravitational Wave Observatory. I and AI performed a frequency analysis on it. IE edited certain parts to make them more 'readable'. (He might have overdone it.) Please feel free to comment.31
Seven or more shifts passed as the pirates led the asteroid mining ship through wormholes. They arrived at the edge of the Grand Empire or beyond it. That was certain in Legume’s mind.
The tremor that ripped through the Ore Seeker wasn't the first sign of trouble. The distant, muffled sounds of battle and the tense whispers amongst the Wugum miners, a tremor, violent and unexpected, sent a fresh jolt of terror through her.
Charlotte, nestled against her, whimpered in her sleep. Legume tightened her grip on her daughter, willing calm she didn't quite possess. Panic clawed at her throat, a raw, primal fear. The Wugum crew, usually stoic, were now ashen-faced, their guttural murmurs tinged with fear. Even the hulking Shi pirates, who had taken over the ship with brutal efficiency, seemed taken aback.
Legume's mind raced. Was this a counter-attack by rival spacefarers? A malfunction deep within the Ore Seeker's aging systems? Or something more sinister, something entirely out of their comprehension? The silence that followed the tremor was even more terrifying than the shaking itself. It stretched for what felt like an eternity, broken only by the ragged gasps of a wounded Wugum miner and the rhythmic hum of the ship that now seemed strained, almost labored.
Then, a sound unlike anything Legume had ever heard before echoed through the corridor – a high-pitched whine that seemed to vibrate through her bones. It was followed by a sickening crunch of metal, a sound that sent shivers down her spine. A collective gasp rose from the Wugum miners, their fear morphing into raw terror. Legume's heart hammered against her ribs. They were under attack, of that much she was certain. But by what?
The Shi pirates, their initial surprise replaced by feral snarls, barked their guttural language. Their movements were swift, and predatory, as they herded the Wugum miners further down the corridor, away from the unknown threat. Legume, caught in the tide of terrified non-humans, felt a surge of protectiveness for Charlotte. She couldn't let these pirates, or whatever lurked outside, take her daughter from her.
A primal instinct to survive, to protect Charlotte, flared within her. Fear remained, a cold knot in her stomach, but it was laced with a steely resolve. They were on a captured mining ship, hurtling through a chaotic galaxy filled with unknown dangers. This latest attack was just another hurdle, another terrifying twist in their desperate journey. But Legume wouldn't give up. She would protect Charlotte, no matter what monstrous entity lurked outside their metal cage. In the face of the unknown, the fierce love for her daughter became Legume's anchor, a beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness.
doc_T: Man, that’s some word soup
The high-pitched whine intensified, a sound that burrowed into Legume's skull. It pulsed erratically, almost like a deranged heartbeat. The metallic walls of the ship vibrated with a low hum, the unseen movement sending tremors through the floor. Legume's breath hitched. This wasn't a physical attack, not in the traditional sense. This felt… insidious like a million tiny insects were gnawing at the ship's hull.
A strangled cry erupted from one of the Wugum miners. Legume risked a glance through the narrow viewport. She saw it then, a shimmer in the corridor – not a hulking creature or a hail of blaster fire, but a swirling cloud of what looked like dust motes, a dark, nebulous mass that pulsed in rhythm with the eerie whine. The Wugum miners closest to the cloud recoiled in horror, their guttural shouts laced with a primal terror that transcended language.
Panic threatened to consume Legume, but the sight of Charlotte, her face peaceful in sleep, steeled her resolve. This wasn't some spacefaring pirate; this was something else, something alien and terrifying. But whatever it was, it wasn't prepared for a mother's fierce love.
cap_mal: yeah, word salad alright
Legume squeezed her eyes shut, picturing the cloud of motes, the way it pulsed with an unsettling rhythm. An idea, desperate and untested, sparked in her mind. She had spent years on Lisse, a habitat choked with smog, learning to navigate its treacherous environment. Maybe, just maybe, that knowledge could be used now.
Taking a deep breath, Legume began to sing in Galactic Common. It wasn't a song of beauty or hope, but a guttural chant, a rhythmic counterpoint to the whine of the dust cloud. She poured all her fear, her anger, and her fierce protectiveness for Charlotte into the chant. The Wugum miners, initially startled, joined in, their voices a chorus of defiance against the unseen threat.
Our chorus of defiance
Will drive out danger
The storm howls ‘bove us
Our song rings strong,
A battle cry of protection
Sing courage into the night,
Against the loomin’ blight.
The effect was… unexpected. The whining faltered, and the pulsing of the dust cloud grew erratic. Disorientation emanated from the nebulous mass. Through the viewport, Legume saw the cloud hesitate, its tendrils flickering away from the miners who chanted the loudest.
Was it working? Could a simple song, born from the desperation of a mother, repel an attack by something akin to intelligent dust? Legume didn't know, but she continued to chant, her voice hoarse but unwavering. For Charlotte, for survival, she would keep singing until her throat was raw.
uk_gwo5: a helluva song
In the dim confines of the Ore Seeker, a small act of defiance, a mother's love turned into a weapon, held at bay the unknown threat swirling outside. The battle wasn't won, but for now, a fragile hope flickered within Legume's heart. They might not understand their attacker, but they wouldn't go down without a fight.