Carpathia IV: Episode 199 - First Ones
NCCS Shadowdancer-A
Aire stood before the door of the atrium and gave his new uniform one last check. Buttons all in order. Ruffles floofy and ruffly. Boots nice and shiny. He gave his tri-point hat a little shift on his head and tapped the door control. The heavy doors gave a clank and slowly parted, revealing the festivities inside. Pumpkins. Orange lights. Crew dressed in all manner of spooky and sexy outfits. Mostly a combination of the two. Aire strolled in and greeted each crew member he came across, exchanging pleasantries and costume comments.
Some costume surveys took longer than others. Easy enough to guess a pirate or a ghost. Some were not so easy at all, particularly those of of a more esoteric nature. Phobos's was one of those.
Aire: Well, Phobos, you're definitely wearing something.
Phobos: I'm Len! He's a vocal synthesizer AI from old Earth days. One of the first.
Aire: In that case, it's very you.
Phobos's head shook, two sudden, jerky shakes as though he'd been slapped with an invisible hand.
Phobos: Deimos wanted me to be Miku. She was the first. Len came second.
Aire struggled for a moment for a reply. Not an easy thing, figuring out how to respond someone with an actual technological split personality. A statement of ignorance seemed to be on order, which had the extra benefit of being entirely true.
Aire: I'm sure both would have been lovely choices, but I have to admit I don't know anything about either of them. It looks like a fun outfit, though.
Phobos: Thank you, Captain! I worked hard on it.
And like every other batch of small talk, Phobos trotted off with a smile and a wave, leaving Aire to move on the the next. After greeting several more crew, both individually and in small groups, he found another trio relaxing on a couch, just the three that he hoped to see.
Mikado saw him first and greeted him with a smile and a big wave.
Mikado: Hello, Captain!
Aire flashed a broad grin as he ambled up to the group.
Aire: Hello there. This is your first Halloween party, isn't it?
Reylen: For all three of us!
Aire: I hope you're enjoying everything. Now, Mikado, you're dressed as... um...
Aire glared carefully at Mikado who was not only dressed in skimpy latex, but also laying seductively on the sofa. On purpose, by all apperances.
Aire: A slut?
Mikado giggled.
Mikado: Close! I'm an incubus.
Aire gave a knowing nod.
Aire: Should have guessed. Reylen, you look like a vampire.
Reylen: That's right! My original plan was to be Nibelakul, a tokki demon, but then I noticed the similarities between Nibel and vampires and I thought that would be something new and interesting.
Aire: You look good. Very authentic, but for the shorts.
Reylen: Parties are always hot, so I thought this would be better. Plus, I get to carry around this pouch of cranberry juice wherever I go. Gonna need a refill soon.
Aire: You should find a clip so you can stick it to your belt and not have to carry it.
Reylen: Good idea!
Aire saved Sylvar for last on purpose, for he was not sure what to say.
Aire: And Sylvar... Did you invent your own idea?
Sylvar: Nope! Actually, sort of. I'm a First One.
Aire awaited further explanation, but none appeared forthcoming after several seconds of silence.
Aire: A what?
Sylvar: You don't know either? So far, nobody I've met at this party tonight knows. The legend goes that First Ones live in the void between universes. Nobody knows what they look like or if they exist. Some say they're simply massive creatures. Others say they're filled with the essence of the cosmos itself.
As much as Aire wanted to let his mind go and enjoy the mythology, one thing he's learned above all else in the last couple of years was that there is frequently some truth to every myth. Naturally, he wondered how much truth there might be to this one.
Aire: Good show, Sylvar. It is certainly very inventive.
Aire tucked this little bit of new info into the back of his mind, to be retrieved later, and was just about to mingle with the rest of the party when he noticed Ryuu staggering towards him, half-full glass in his hand.
Ryuu: Wush up? Sheemsh like you're having a good time!
Aire forgot about everything else and focused only on Ryuu, who was most definitely not focused at all, taking a rather wavy path to get to them, staggering this way and that. Come to think of it, he'd never seen Ryuu drink at all, so this was entirely new. Still, he figured a dragon would surely be able to handle a little alcohol.
Aire: Ryuu, how many of those wine spritzers have you had?
Ryuu came to a clumsy halt and swayed, studying his drink intently as though he were expecting it to do something.
Ryuu: Thish ish my shecond one sho far. Good shtuff!
Aire had nothing to say about this, but he didn't need to. As if to put an exclamation point on the ridiculous scene, he let out a tremendous, fiery burp that prompted the three on the couch to duck. Fortunately, the blast didn't reach that far and there were no floppy, singed ears.
Ryuu: Shorry.
Aire still didn't know what to say, but Ryuu kept talking anyway.
Ryuu: Oh! Shylvar! You're a Firsht One!
Now, Aire's ears did a little wiggle. Suddenly, his little theory that there might be more to this First One myth seemed more relevant.
Aire: If you'll excuse me, gentlemen.
Aire gave Ryuu's ear a pinch and pulled him away.
Ryuu: Ow! Ow! Ow!
With several small meeting rooms scattered all over the ship, perfect locations for an impromptu private discussion, it didn't take long to steer Ryuu into one of them, even in his inebriated state. Now, however, was the time, for he thought that Ryuu might be more forthcoming at this particular moment. Once inside, He plopped Ryuu into a chair while he took a seat in another.
Aire: Ryuu, I just want you to know that I really do appreciate all the help and guidance that the dragons have given us over the years.
Ryuu: Shank you!
Aire: That said, sometimes you do make me want to throw you out an airlock. What do you know about these First Ones?
With this, Ryuu seemed to instantly sober up a little, sitting up straight and flinching a little.
Ryuu: Aw, that'sh not very nishe.
Aire: First Ones, Ryuu. Out with it.
Ryuu ducked his head and nodded. Even his speech slurs began to subside.
Ryuu: Oh, sherioiush now! Honeshtly, we don't know. They may exist. They might not. We've never seen one, but we have enough evidence that we think they exist. Stories. Physical evidence of the destruction they've left behind. We're not sure if they're physical beings or something else.
Aire: Sylvar said they live in the void between universes.
Ryuu: That's the theory. We don't think they can live long in our universe. That's why we think we haven't actually seen one.
This was enough for now, Aire thought. Nothing especially alarming in any of this, but indeed worthy to keep in mental notes and inform Admiral Zhang.
Aire: Thank you, Ryuu. You may go.
Ryuu stood and gave a comical salute.
Ryuu: Aye aye, Cap'n!
Back, at least partially, to his drunken self, Ryuu moseyed out the door. Aire did not follow, thinking about what he should do next. He decided not to bother Admiral Zhang right now. The morning would do fine. Instead, he took out a tablet and recorded what he heard and his thoughts for review later.
Aire: New personal log entry...
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
