Wavedancers

02 - Meetings and Memories

     "It is time to wake up, Captain." Kaya announced. Her interface softly lit the darkening room, the sky outside growing darker with the purples and pinks of dusk.
     With a groan Orion opened his eyes. "w-what?" he groggily spoke, forcing his barely awake body to sit up.
     "It is time to wake up, we have to leave soon."
     "We're... what?" Orion queried as he rubbed his eyes.
     "We are leaving soon, Miss Ravaan's ship is being filled with the necessary cargo for our mission, and the crew are convening as we speak."
     Orion wiped his hair from his face and processed what Kaya said. "What do you mean the crew are convening? and that we are leaving- what? What's with all the rush?"
     "Oh, Admiral Faultis has caught on to our plans, and has ordered you to come into his office in the morning. So we are leaving tonight."
     "Oh." Orion shifts, and sits on the edge of the bed, "OH FUCK I NEED TO PACK."

     "Okay, my best captaining shirt, comfy pants, my dental hygiene device... I feel like... ah, of course!" Orion exclaimed as he lifted the mattress up and grabbed a very old journal that has long since been resting on the slats there. "Couldn't forget this." Orion uttered to himself, holding it close a moment before placing it into his pack.
     "Miss Ravaan has just informed me that her ship is ready to depart, Captain." Kaya announced, barely hiding the excitement in her voice.
     "Gotcha. I... think I have everything?" Orion said, picking up his pack and slinging it over his shoulder. He stepped towards the door and looked back to the his room, the room he most likely wouldn't see for quite a long time-
     "Cough, Cough." Kaya stated unamused, her tablet still sitting on the desk.
     "Oh, shit, right, sorry." Orion stammered, grabbing the device and shoving it into his pack.
     "It is no problem." Kaya said, her voice muffled within the pack. Orion awkwardly laughed it off, before turning back to the room once more.

     It felt odd to Orion, leaving this room which he had lived in for so long. It's not as if he would never see it again, but something about this mission had an air of permeance that he couldn't shake. Hesitation melded with anxiety as he reached for the button to open the door, his breath catching in his throat.
     "It will be alright, Captain." Kaya spoke, startling Orion for a moment. While having no traditional physical form, her words felt like a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
     "Thanks, Kaya." Orion took a final, deep breath, and opened the door. "Onwards, towards the future," declared Orion as he took the first step into his new life.
     "That was a good 'captainey' thing to say right?" He questioned, speaking over his shoulder to Kaya.
     "Yes. Congratulations Captain." Kaya remarked with only a hint of sarcasm in her synthetic voice.

- - - 

     The walk to the spaceport was filled with sights that Orion hadn't seen for a long time. The streets and alleys were filled with the hustle and bustle of Kerrada's night life. Food stalls selling smoked meats and unique alien cuisine, stores selling little trinkets and baubles with no real purpose, the occasional street urchin asking for a spare credit or two.
     Orion used to visit these streets when he was in the academy, at first a friend dragged him along, then he visited for the energy of the space alone. For all the turmoil and chaos out there, here was this collection of people enjoying what they had, sharing their cultures, their food - their freedom.
     Orion stopped as a smell made its way to his senses, and a wave of nostalgia caused him to stop for a moment.
     The street food vendor nearby called out to him, "Hey kid, could I interest you in some delicacies from beyond the stars?" The being who called out was a Kotraxian - a humanoid single sex race with two pairs of arms, tougher red-brown skin and short horns protruding form their forehead - and they held out a selection of various candies and roasted morsels in his direction.
     Orion looked over, a feeling of forgetting something worming it's way into the back of his mind as he internally debated if he had the time. "Sure, how much for the... the rock candy looking one?"
     "Ah, a fine eye you got there. 20 credits for some Grethan Stagg crystal."
     Orion held out his wrist to wave his UCA - Universal Credit Accessor - over the payment stub. After a short moment a beep signalled a successful payment, and the Vendor held out the candy.
     Orion hesitated as he took the candy. "Thanks," he finally said after a moment too many.
     The vendor took in Orion's expressions. "Aye, no problem. Stay safe out there kid, and may the stars guide you on ya travels."
     "Thanks... And you." 

     After a moment, and once the vendor was out of earshot, Kaya piped up, "We have delayed enough, please try to make no more stops before we arrive."
     Orion sighed and looked down at the treat in his hand - the candy was a rough conical shape, its colouration resembling that of an opal - and took a little nibble. "I wont. It's just... Iused to come through here. I wanted a little taste of some of that nostalgia, you know?"
     "I... do not, while I have facsimiles of most emotions, nostalgia is not something within my programming." Kaya explained. While her voice was monotone, something about the way she said it felt off to Orion.
     "Hmm. Maybe we could try and... I don't know, reprogram you? I'm no professional but I could try?" Orion suggested.
     "Perhaps. I have seen your test scores, and do not believe you could add to my programming without harming me. But the idea is not horrible, perhaps if we find someone more qualified then we could. Until then my current programming will suffice. Also I believe that would void my warranty and get you arrested."
     "Oh." Orion uttered, disheartened, as he took another little nibble on his candy.

Even if he can't remember.
He still misses them.

- - - 

     The almost overwhelming sounds and smells of the night markets faded more and more as Orion approached the spaceport - the low hum of engines, and the slow groans of cargo transports replacing them.
     The echoing sounds of an argument caught Orion's ears as he approached the port. At first he couldn't make out what they were saying, but the closer he got to the door the more of the yelling he could understand.
     "-and these couplings are over two decades old! How are we supposed to go anywhere if this... ship falls apart mid-flight!" Called out a more masculine, yet effeminate voice.
     Orion quietly stepped towards the door, pressing his ear up to it in order to hear more clearly.
     "I triple check every coupling, every wire, every damn light fixture in my ship before I go to sleep every damn night, you will be fine." A female voice explained, exasperated.
     The low hiss of the hydraulics cut the argument short, and Orion - unaware that his hand brushed over the door controls - looked towards where the door once was, only to find a handful of figures looking back at him. After a moment of awkward glances, Orion cleared his throat and straightened his clothes.

     "You must be Shuna?" Orion said as he stepped into the port, looking towards the woman in the worn, and somewhat scrappy, black flight suit.
     The woman let out a huff of amusement and looked Orion up and down before responding. "That would be I. Palmer, right?" She queried, outstretching a hand to him.
     "Yep." He replied, taking her hand, "Or Orion. Captain even, if you'd like. I dont mind either way."
     "Orion it is." She decides, and gives Orion's hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.

     The man, presumably who Shuna was arguing with, crossed his arms and scoffed at the whole interaction. After a moment to look Orion over, he stepped foward and slid his arm into Orion's, expertly, "Hello Captain~"
     "Oh- uh- hello?" Orion stumbled over his words as the man pressed himself against Orion.
     Shuna scoffed, "Of course the mechanical whore latches onto the captain the first chance he's got."
     "The... the what?" Orion probed, looking to the man.
     "Oh, ignore her. She's just jelous I know more about mechanics than her." The man asserted, sticking his tongue out at her.
     "Well when you're made of the damn stuff, you have an unfair advantage." Shuna grumbled, crossing her arms.
     "Could..." Orion looked back at forth at the two, his confusion only growing, "Could one of you explain what the hell you're talking about?"
     The man sighs dramatically, "Fiiiiine," and releases Orion and poses cutely, "Hi! I'm pleasure unit G.I.N.I. here to make all your wishes come true~"
     "Pleasure unit???" Orion questioned, "Kaya what kind of crew-"
     "Hey! I wasn't finished!" Gini interjected. After a moment of silence, he continued, "While I used to service studs like you," he explained, booping Orion's nose, "Now I service engines, and ships! No matter how... outdated most of their parts may be."
     Shuna gave him the stink eye and turned away to tinker with her ship.
     "I see..." Orion confirmed, "As long as you can keep the ship in top shape I see no reason to complain. But I'd like to talk about your service history at some point soon."
     "My service history? or my... service history~"
     Orion blushed. "You know what I meant!" He blurted out, embarrassed.
     "Did I now?"

     "If you wouldn't mind, I believe we should board now." Kaya interjected.
     Orion looked over his shoulder, only to remeber kaya wasn't physically there, then turn back. "Why do you suggest that, Kaya?"
     A pregnant silence filled the space, and Orion asked once more, "Kaya, why do you think we should leave?"

     After what felt like too long, Orion finally spoke. "Well I suppose we are heading out then."