Endless Horizons Sagas - Season One - World Without End

episode one - Return of the Vibrius

The ocean's rich, salty tang combined with sunbaked fish, sweating dockers, and the hundreds of crates filled with the wares that flowed through the empire made a heavy pungent aroma like no other in the world. The morning sun hid behind shallow clouds; its orange and reddish haze painted the entire whitewashed port an almost mystical glow as the bright blanket of stars and the lights of the past empresses' dominions faded into the daylight. Seagulls flitted and screamed their challenges, diving for the morsels the fishmongers tossed back into the ocean. Hundreds of tanned, sweaty, and heavily muscled dockers, more than half of them shirtless and showing off their chiseled, hairy chests, were in a rainbow of family-colored skirts. They moved efficiently, loading and unloading cargoes with steam-powered cranes and keeping the unending line of lorries busy.

Dock managers yelled their unending coordinating commands mixed with a steady stream of insults and curses. Trade house ladies with their barber perfect short business hair, assistants, and pressed business suits cruised easily through the throng as merchants, dockers, and sailors moved out of their way, leaving visible wakes in the chaos. Dock mistresses in the imperial green and red trousered uniforms shouted orders and inspected every item against their manifest-filled clipboards. The air sang with the familiar chaotic melody of merchants calling bids and competing for the best goods, as sailors and fishers held up samples of what their boats promised.

Janali loved it all, and her step was as light as her mood. The best news in the world had arrived with the sweating messenger girl. Her most ambitious design had survived the disaster everyone thought had befallen it-and blamed her for. The Vibrius, the enhanced cargo ship she designed, had limped into port. She didn't care that it was six months behind schedule. She wouldn't even care if it was completely empty. The fact that all the sailors aboard were not dead because of some design flaw she'd missed had lifted a tremendous weight from her.

Glancing up at the Star Empresses' dominions that floated above the horizon sky around the entire world, she sent her prayers of thanks up to them again. She especially thanked the greatest Star Empress in the west for all her blessings. She had been blessed by the empresses with a talent for mathematics. That talent and love had manifested in many achievements, both in the sciences she loved to explore and the business she was required to do for family.

The Vibrius was the result of her work. She'd experimented with different propulsion systems until she found one that was more efficient. She'd built small boats and demonstrated the drive for her mother and sister with not a drop of humility. She'd managed to convince them to let her build the Vibrius. It had broken records on the first legs of its maiden voyage. Then, it vanished without a trace. For months, she'd done nothing but pour over her designs and dream of exploding boilers and burning men.

Now, the Vibrius had limped into port with most of her crew alive and in good health. On that news alone, she'd gladly take any retributions from her mother or sister over the financial losses. But her mind was already reviewing all the designs, yet again, as she prepared to correct the flaws that had caused the disappearance.

Kasen Clint, one of the louder and more annoying merchants, spotted her and jumped up to walk beside her. "I spotted one of your mother's ships moving in on the morning tide. Is it the northern or southern route vessel?" Her voice was a sonorous alto that sliced through any level of noise clearly and cleanly.

Janali didn't stop walking and kept her eyes forward. She had to get to the ship to fend off the eager merchants like Kasen, especially when word got out which ship it was. Since she was close to her cargo pier, it wouldn't hurt her reputation to help spread the news. If the ship wasn't empty, it might help make up for her losses if a little rumor spread increasing demand for whatever was aboard. "It's the Vibrius."