by AZ Kelvin
“Grant! Come on in here, while we wait for the rest of our crewmates.” Boss and the others welcomed him warmly into the circle of the pre-party party. “Scotch?”
“Thank you, sir, but no.”
Grant was peppered with questions about life on Cantankerous Base after the events with the Kang a couple of years earlier. He answered as best he could and updated them on the current state of commerce and trade at the base. The conversation paused as Gina and Pene emerged from Gina and Boss’ quarters ready for the party.
Gina was dressed in a beautiful cap-sleeve V-neck satin gown in a shimmering azure blue that swept out around her feet in a floor-length mermaid-style skirt. A sequined accent strip started at her right breast and then spiraled around behind her body to finish in front again at the right hip. A French braid held her deep Irish red hair back with only enough left loose at the front to make it look just right. A silver bracelet with blue microcrystal fringe jingled and glittered around her left wrist, accompanied by a blue microcrystal knuckle purse gripped in her right hand. The toes of her silver-and-blue-metallic double-strap wedge shoes slipped out from under the front of her skirt with every step she took.
Pene walked along beside her and talked excitedly about some point of interest as they crossed the common room. She had on a simple white knee-length dress with a boat neckline; beaded blue flowers cascaded down from the right shoulder across her body then expanded to cover the left half of the skirt. She accented the dress with a blue sequined lace shrug, sheer white pantyhose, and blue metallic T-strap platform sandals. Blue-and-white sparkle-dust earrings and bangle bracelets matched a small purse that hung from the crook of her right elbow. Most of the swelling across her nose had gone down. Gina was able to cover the bruises with makeup and dark colors that made Pene’s bright blue eyes stand out like clear blue sky that peeked out on a cloudy day. Her wavy dark brown hair was parted on the right and swept down over to partially cover her left eye.
Boss was always stunned by how beautiful Gina was, but tonight she stole his heart all over again. “Ah, Gina, my love, you are radiant with beauty. And Pene, the stars themselves never shined as brightly as you do tonight.”
“Thank you, my dear.” Gina smiled and kissed him.
“Thank you, sir,” Pene said.
“Ah, Pene, you only call me ‘sir’ when we’re on duty. Any other time just call me ‘Boss,’ okay?”
“Roger dodger, Boss!”
The group made conversation about how nice everyone looked, especially how nice Pene’s outfit looked on her. She smiled and played with her hair shyly as the others complimented her on her outfit. She was obviously unaccustomed to nice clothes and friendly attention. The talk shifted to what kind of performance the Keect’na were going to put on later. Grant told them that the Keect’na ‘dancers’ were called the Zzhaakssaa. The performers would shoot and bounce light between each other with song and dance in a spectacular performance of light and sound.
“What can be taking Katy so friggin’ long?” CJ asked irritably of no one in particular.
“Patience, my boy. Waiting for a woman to get dressed is like watching water boil,” Boss said. “The more you wait on it the longer it seems to take.”
Katy eventually made her entrance and CJ forgot completely about having to wait. Katy’s evening gown was made out of the form-fitting Shimmerskin material, which hugged her body like a needy child. The material glimmered so much when she moved, it was like she was wrapped in molten gold.
CJ’s upper chest tightened and it was hard to keep his breath as an unconscious whisper of “Ooh, damn,” escaped his lips. Katy had been his crewmate, his partner, his friend, his lover, and now, by the Light of the Stars, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Her typically constrained hair was set loose upon the universe and fell in dark blonde waves with highlighted crests to splash about around her shoulders. The years of squeezing through maintenance tubes and wrenching on stubborn engine parts made her body slender and strong, shown by the play of her muscles under the Shimmerskin material. The dress, which had cap sleeves and a deep wide V-neckline, started with a diagonal crisscross of shimmery banded trim accents that shifted from light gold at her shoulders to a deep bronze at her waist and then continued down into the skirt in a sparkling dark gold to where it flowed around her feet.
A split at the left leg went tantalizingly up to mid-thigh showing off her slender leg and the rose-gold metallic T-strap heels she had on. She had a sheer gold sparkle-dust shawl that was wrapped around her back and hung at the elbows, outside to in, about half a meter over each arm. On her right wrist, she wore a three-banded gold bracelet with various colored gemstones set individually around it, and on the other wrist hung a small, gold sparkle-dust purse.
CJ couldn’t be sure whether it was the glimmer effect of the outfit or if it was Katy’s beauty radiating like a golden aura in the air around her, and he didn’t particularly care which one it was at the moment. “Katy, I don’t know what to say. You’re the most beautiful woman I‘ve ever seen.” CJ took and kissed both of her hands at once.
“Well, I’d say that was a pretty good choice.” She blushed, which made her even more beautiful, as she smiled and kissed him in thanks. “Sorry everybody, for taking so long. It was a real pain getting into this thing.”
“Well, it was worth it. You look gorgeous!” Cat said.
“You look very beautiful, Katy,” Pene said, with a hug.
“Thank you, Pene, you do too. I love that dress.” Katy hugged her back. “And, Cat, I love that choker.”
“I know, me too.” Cat put her hand to her Asteria gemstone necklace. “Cal gave it to me just before we came out. Isn’t it beautiful?”
The question launched a frenzy of compliments and comments from one woman to another about the various dresses and accessories. CJ, Boss, and Cal all looked at each other and shared a silent ‘Wow!’ over Katy’s outfit. The steward politely cleared his throat to remind the group they were expected elsewhere quite soon.
“Ah, yes, Grant, our apologies,” CJ told the young man. “Give us one more second. Everybody lift a glass.” He made sure everyone had a glass to raise; even Pene got half a glass of wine. “Ship and crew!”
“Ship and crew!” The rest replied just as loudly and they all drank. Now, with the toast concluded, they followed Grant down to dinner.
*~*~*
Chapter Seventeen
A short reception preceded the seating where Tad introduced his fellow base coordinators and department heads, as well as prominent individuals and shopkeepers to the crew. A band of two dozen or more musicians provided music of various melodies and tempos, while appetizers and drinks were served along the back wall. CJ and the crew were greeted by a great many people who had made Cantankerous Base their home.
The ‘be seated’ bells were rung and the throng of partygoers moved from the dance floor into the dining area. Breads and fruits, with water and wine, were laid out along tables set with colorful flower arrangements. A first course of appetizers and salads was served. A constant murmur filled the room with an occasional outburst of laughter, as people began to converse politely while they ate. A few of the base personnel they already knew came by the group’s table for short greetings and talks. Grant stood nearby to make sure their every need was tended to. Cal was right, CJ thought as Katy caught his eye and smiled. This is going to be great.
The eloquence and regality of the event were absolutely shattered by an all too familiar voice. A skinny man with a pale complexion and a perpetually happy face waved at them. CJ did his best to hide a grimace as the man came up to their table.
“Hey, guys!” Del Hopper called out to them, and then there was no escape. The man spoke so fast it was hard to keep up with what he said, and he gave no chance to get a word in edgewise. “I saw the Moon in ol’ dry dock three, down there. Pretty banged up again, I see. At least yer able ta drive her in yerselves this time. Although I’d
been right out there with Bingo to haul y’all in. If y’all needed it, that is. Great little tug, Bingo. I’m a pilot if ya can’t tell. Been a pilot all m’life. Y’all pilots? I could’n imagine not bein’ a pilot. Greatest thin’ flyin’ around the universe. Take ol’ Nelson there. Why he’s out there hoppin’ around the galaxy like a frog on a launch pad. Yessiree, he ‘n’ I were just talkin’ the other day ‘n’ he said Del—”
“Del,” Tad said at the same moment, as he came over to the table. “I really hate to interrupt, but dinner is about to be served. I wouldn’t want to you to miss out.”
“Oh, Coordinator, hey there! No notatall notatall thanks, Coordinator. Okay then be talkin’ to y’all later.” Del Hopper’s never-ending voice trailed off, as Tad led him graciously back to his seat. “Coordinator, you know I was thinkin’…”
“Who was that?” Pene asked as the two men walked away.
“That was Del Hopper,” Cal answered. “Pilot extraordinaire, don’t think so, just ask him—if you wanna waste half a day.”
The rest of the dinner was exemplary; there were roasted meats and steamed vegetables, with flavorful varieties of rice and pasta. An hour passed before the staff began to clear away the dinner dishes and present the choices for dessert. A visually tantalizing array of sweets passed here and there among the tables, which were served with tea, coffee, or a select choice of liquors and liqueurs.
The dessert course was enjoyed by all and eventually cleared away, as the main lights dimmed while the blue conical smoking lamps were lit and the table vents came on. The event’s Master of Ceremonies began to speak of the Keect’na performers when a commotion at the main entryway stole everyone’s attention.
A spotlight panned over to the area and there stood Nelson Moon with two nurses present to assist him if it was necessary. He had two canes to support him, but he stood—no more suspensor chair. He even lifted one of the canes to briefly wave hello to everyone. A round of cheers and applause resounded throughout the room for the return of the founder of Cantankerous Base.
“Well, look at that,” Cat said, as she saw Nelson, not only out of his chair and on his feet, but walking.
Boss looked on with great interest, as Gina put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Nelson had been confined to a suspensor chair simply due to age. His central nervous system had become too weak to carry the impulses necessary to move his legs, and yet now, here he stood.
Nelson wasn’t alone as he made his way to a reserved part of the table CJ and the crew was seated. An armchair with a tall back was brought in for Nelson and a space was cleared for a suspensor chair carrying a Keect’na like none other the crew had seen before. Beside the chair walked the Keect’na female they had met there two years ago. The one who came to their rescue when their power was down and life support was low. She and her crewmates had fought beside the Altered Moon against the Kang invaders.
“Crissiael!” CJ called out when he saw his crystal friend. She raised her hand and pulsed with the soft green and blue patterns which meant she was happy to see them.
Crissi knelt down in front of the Keect’na in the suspensor chair and flashed a complex sequence of colors. The other Keect’na responded with a short series of her own. Crissi stood and came to greet CJ and the crew. The Keect’na were similar to Humans only in silhouette, with a torso, two arms and two legs, and an oval to round head, but the similarities stopped there. The physiologies of the two species couldn’t be more different, the Keect’na’s being based around an internal crystalline structure that broke out into millions of microscopic branches, which acted as both the central nervous and the digestive systems.
A living crystal, you would think, would be rough and stiff, yet Crissi’s body moved with the smooth rhythm of sand shifting on the face of a dune. The plates making up her body glinted and gleamed as she walked. Smaller plates among the larger ones would be drawn together by an interconnecting membrane whenever Crissi needed to contract a limb and let loose when she needed to extend.
Crissiael stood a little over a meter and a quarter tall. She was a deep azure blue in color, with crystal plating that ran in pastel colors along the ridges of her body. Sparkling cords ran everywhere in between the crystal plating. They looked like tiny crystals caught up in a spider web twisted into a cord. All of the cords and crystals were bound together with a membrane serving as both energy conduit and muscle tissue. The crystalline tissue was black and deep grey in color with trillions of micro-facets along the skin surface. The matte texture reflected a soft light complementing the bright flashes of the shiny body plates. The strange-looking membrane held the secret of polyoxometalate-based life forms.
The Keect’na physiology didn’t include lungs to shove air past vocal cords to produce sound. When they communicated they vibrated crystals inside their bodies to produce a desired sound and used their throats and mouths as resonating chambers to enunciate their singspeak. The ranges of the Keect’na language sounds could produce a deep hum, like wind across an empty bottle, to a shrill whistle that could be incredibly loud. Listening to a Keect’na conversation was similar to sitting in a rocky canyon full of wind chimes and empty bottles on a windy day. Different colored light pulses and glow sequences accompanied sounds that accentuated or isolated speech patterns to set tone and intent.
“Seeshaay Eevernnaurr,” was as close to ‘CJ Evermore’ as she could come as she half spoke and half sang in the manner of all Keect’na. “Annd thee crau of thee Aalterred Naunn, Eealann Na’Hann!” She used the informal greeting of friends, as she put a hand to her chest and pulsed a soft green that was picked up and swirled with blue in the facets of her eyes.
The Humans and the Keect’na learned soon after the two species met that careless physical contact between them could be dangerous for the tender and smushy fleshed Humans. The exterior plates of the Keect’na were as hard as diamonds and some were quite sharp, all of them capable of accidentally catching a pinch of flesh. If they fell, you certainly wouldn’t want one to land on you.
Crissi turned toward Pene, who was standing at the edge of the group; Pene looked fascinated. No doubt Crissi was the first Keect’na she had ever seen in person. “Eealann Na’Hann, younng Huannann,” Crissi said to Pene with a soft green glow.
“This is Pene, a new member of our crew,” CJ spoke up for Pene when she was too enraptured to respond. “Pene, this is Crissi.” He put his hand on Pene’s shoulder to break the spell.
“H—Hi, I’m Penelope,” she almost whispered, then relaxed and spoke more easily. “Penelope Andrea Burnette.”
“Ahh, Eealann Na’Hann, Denneellaudee Anndrreeaa Durrnneet,” Crissi said, as her singsong voice transformed Pene’s name into a beautiful melody. Crissi put her hand to the large crystal on the center of her chest, “Crrissiaaaelll,” she half spoke, half sang, as a structure like a tree of frost inside her body began to vibrate and glow in a beautiful variety of colors.
Pene seemed awestruck. “Eealann Na’Hann, Crrissiaaaelll.” She returned Crissi’s greeting in Keect’nese singspeak with perfect tone and inflection. Pene raised her eyebrows as she saw the group’s reaction to what she said. “I’m sorry—is that wrong?”
“No, not at all, Pene,” GABI told her. “Quite correct, in fact, and well said. Most Humans have difficulty with the guttural pronunciation of the Keect’nese language. Have you heard it before?”
“No, it just sounded right.” Pene appeared quite pleased with meeting her first alien.
“Good job, Pene.” Gina winked.
Crissi brought the crew over to meet her traveling companion in the suspensor chair. Crissi knelt down in front of the other Keect’na for a moment and flashed another complex sequence of light patterns. The occupant of the chair then slowly looked up at the crew of the Altered Moon. “Thiss iss Nnaanntsshaay, sshee iss Na’laann…” Crissi seemed to struggle with finding the right Human word. “Elldeesst auf Aall. Sshee dauss nnaut ssdeeak Huannann.”
The Keect’na E
ldest of All could do no more than whisper the greeting, “Eealann Na’Hann.” Her voice was no stronger than that of a murmuring wind through a stand of pine trees. The membrane between the epidermal plates was dry and wrinkled. The Na’laann’s external plates dangled softly into each other without the membrane to keep them in place. The effect was like a wind chime tinkling in a light breeze. Her movement was slow, and some areas seemed like they had to catch up with other areas as she shifted position.
The crew paid their respects as best they could, which Crissi passed on to the Na’laann. Pene added her own greeting, “Eealann Na’Hann, Nnaanntsshaay,” again in perfect Keect’nese singspeak, to which the Na’laann responded with pulses of green, blue, and purple, indicating she was deeply touched.
“What does that mean?” Pene asked Crissi a moment later.
“Eealann Na’Hann?” Crissi paused for a second then said, “Yaurr Sstirrit Drrightennss Nee.” She put her hand out to indicate Pene and brought up a soft green glow; then she acted as if she took something from Pene and put it onto herself, which increased Crissi’s glow.
“Literally, it means, ‘Your Spirit Brightens Me,” Nelson said, as he joined the group at the table after a short discussion with Tad and his fellow coordinators. “Hello, hello, everyone, it is so very good to see you all. GABI, my dear, how marvelous you look.”
“Hello, Father, I am pleased to see you, as well as a bit surprised to find you without a suspensor chair.” She smiled warmly.
“Yes, yes, that I can imagine,” Nelson said, as he continued to greet the others. “Bernard, my friend, we must talk later about this.” He pointed at his legs, to which Boss raised his eyebrows and nodded.
“You bet your upright and walking ass, we do!”
“Ah, Gina, Gina, you are as beautiful as ever.”