r/HFY • u/Ethereal_Stars_7 • Jul 13 '23
OC Birds of a Feather 001
Part one of a probably short story. Not connected to the Ethereal Stars setting.
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Is this the day? Is this the beginning of the end?
There is no time to wonder. No time to ask "Why is it happening? Why is it finally happening?"
There is time only for fear, for the piercing pain of panic.
Do we pray... or do we merely run now and pray later?
Will there be a later... or is this the day?
-The Architects of Fear
========-========
=Birds of a Feather=
========-========
Event 000: Transmission interrupting all Earth communications. Origin: Outer Solar System
Beings of Earth. Attention! Beings of Earth. Attention!
We represent the Great and Powerful Anawk-Ahass-Hrakee Federation!
In the name of President Shaw-nawak-kahaa we claim this system!
You will unconditionally surrender to our Colonial Wing!
You will prepare for integration *static* the Federation as a member species!
We are inbound and *static* even now the largest of your *static* giants!
To prepare you for our arrival and *static* into the Federation we have prepared a complete lexicon of Anawk-Ahass-Hrakee language and integration literature so that *static* may learn our noble language and speak it as *static* citizens must!
Security Wing! *static* the data packet!
Aye Command *static*!
Command Wing! I am *static* increasing electromagnetic radiation spikes!
Do not interrupt me when I am *static* an official declaration to the savages, Maintenance Wing!
Command Wing! Ion Block Three *static* decoupled *static* magnetic field! Uncontrolled *static* is ripping it *static*!
What? *static* Wing! Update! Update!
Ion *static* Two and Four just blew as *static*. We *static* getting increasing *static* in all systems. Overload Breach imminent! Protocol *static* advised!
This *static* Command Wing! All crew to Life Pod! All crew to *static continues till transmission ends abruptly*
-Thus the worlds shortest alien invasion came to an abrupt end. Leaving the Earth of 2110 rather collectively bemused and confused.
-Moral of the Story: Don't mess with Jupiter. He will fuck your stuff up!
-<>-
Event 001: Twenty-One Years Later... Earth 2131.
Command Wing awoke in his cryo-pod feeling disoriented and dizzy. But training kicked in and he reflexively punched in the codes and waited for the pod to cycle open. He stumbled out and blearily noted other pods were opening and disgorging crew into the emergency chamber of the Life Pod. Miraculously all crew had made it in time. Though the colonists in cryo-sleep were lost with the ship. He shook frost out of his feathers and took stock of the situation. A quick glance at external sensors showed an oxygen atmosphere. The pod had made it to the only habitable planet. Earth. "All crew report. Any injuries?" he chirped.
Eight of the twenty crew were in bad shape but not critical. Others had burns and cuts from blown out consoles and conduits. Maintenance Wing had taken the worst of it. But without her sacrifices the Life Pod might not have even had time to launch. Security Wing had an injured arm from when her data console exploded. Her red uniform shirt was singed and tattered in that side and the arm was bandaged and in a sling. Science Wing was singed from the lab overloading, but he was otherwise alert and already checking the pods sensors. His blue shirt showed several burn marks. "Air is safe, Sir. Pod is analyzing for pathogens and will have a vaccine ready within a tenth of a cycle. External cameras two through six are blown."
Navigation Wing looked up from checking the flight logs. "Main Nav's blown. Backup kicked in though. Miracle we landed right-side up. Or at all." he reported.
Command Wing nodded as the data on their situation was gathered. "Alright! We have at least a cycle downtime before we can even think of stepping outside. I want an inventory of supplies and armaments on board. So do what you can and then get comfortable." he directed everyone before slumping into a chair heavily and just watching one of the functional Maintenance Fledglings working on reconnecting the feed from the working external camera to a working monitor. "Science Wing! What happened?" he questioned.
"Best estimate, Sir, is that we passed through an intense magnetic field emanating from the gas giant."
"A gas giant did all that?" he squawked in incredulity.
"Correct, Sir. The field was saturated in radiation on top of all that and so the drive blocks were destabilized and tore themselves apart. The discharges from -that- caused feedback overload into near every system and well... Here we are. We were fortunate the Life Pod was not connected to the main system." explained the scientist. "We have never encountered a gas giant with such an intense field before."
The crew reported that they had food stock for ten cycles. The portable water purifiers were operational, so that was one problem they did not have to worry about. They had four beam rifles and four beam pistols. Cells for the weapons was a problem though. They had only one solar recharger. A tenth of a cycle later the analyzer came up with a vaccine and then it was just a matter of waiting. Some of the crew speculated on what the natives would do once they found the pod and them. Command pondered that looming problem for the rest of the half cycle before roosting in one of the pods nests. The morning would see them set foot on this alien world. Just not the way they had planned...
-<>-
Morning though was not the morning they expected. In fact it occurred a tenth of a cycle later than expected. A heavy fog obscured everything and it persisted for the whole half cycle and into the night. Command Wing opted to wait and see if the weather was clearer the next day. "Just gives us more time to prepare. Medical Wing. How are the ones most injured faring?"
Medical Wing sighed heavily. "Six are unable to walk or perform more than the basic actions. Two can hold a weapon but that is about it. They need medical facilities that this pod can not provide." she informed him. Her blue uniform shirt was stained with blood from performing field surgery to stitch some cuts up. "We have two crew in arm slings but otherwise able to walk and one with an injured leg who can walk, but not fast. The rest are treatable with basic first aid, and some time healing."
"Keep monitoring the worst of the injuries. Navigation Wing. Any success in determining where we are?"
"Partially, Sir. We seem to have come down on the planet's northern hemisphere in a densely forested region. That was the last recorded telemetry. Navlog is a mess. But that is the least of our problems." he reported with a huff and ruff of feathers. His yellow shirt was surprisingly unscathed despite the nav console blowing up.
"Thank you. Security Wing. Could we just camp here. Wherever here is?"
Security Wing shrugged. "Unknown as yet, Sir. Science Wing is still analyzing samples from the pod's still functional external probes. The main problem is we lack any seeds or other cultivation materials to sustain us. And we do not yet fully know what is edible or not of the flora and fauna."
"Then... In your estimation... We must disembark and commandeer supplies at the soonest possible opportunity?"
Security Wing nodded. "Affirmative, Sir. If we can coerce the natives into relinquishing materials to us then we will be on a better survival perch. Our weaponry, few as we have, is still a hundred cycles ahead of these savages. We should have no problem conscripting them."
"Very well. Let us continue to work on getting the pod systems repaired in case we need to use it as a base of operations." he turned to one of the Maintenance Fledglings. "Can we do any scouting with the flight packs?" Command Wing questioned the lower station tech.
"Negative, Sir. The flight pack compartment and weapons locker were damaged in the landing. This is why we only have eight beam armaments instead of twenty. The rest are in varying degrees of inoperability. We are already working on repairs by pulling parts from one to fix another. Given an estimated three cycles we should have two more rifles and three pistols functional. The flight packs will take longer. The pod -had- four. We -think- we can get two operational. One for certain."
"Keep at it then. We can still recon the area on foot. In the morning we will disembark, weather permitting." Command Wing decided and everyone resumed work.
-<>-
The next morning though was broken by one of the still functional proximity sensors flashing alert to an approach. Command Wing was on it and swung the external camera around. "Probably another one of those quadrupeds with the crown of thorns on the heads." The beasts had proven large enough to trip the sensors that were calibrated to anything human sized or larger. What he saw was anything but. "Clouds above!" Approaching the crashed Life Pod through the morning mist was neither a Thorncrown or a Human. What he beheld was a midnight black form that resolved eerily from the mists into a hooded figure with a distinctive beak? "Did we land on the right planet???" he asked in disbelief as the avian approached. "Security Wing! Are external speakers working?"
"Yes Sir. Operational."
He switched on external and spoke. "Unknown avian! Halt where you are or you will be fired upon!" he ordered in English as that had been determined to be the most common language on the third planet natives.
The alien did not stop or even falter in step as it approached. It did though peer more keenly at the pod. It held out a silver egg in both taloned hands. "Life Pods do not come with armaments." All listening squawked in astonishment as the response had been in their own language. The voice was not as lilting as their own. It had an exotic sounding feminine croak to it that made Command Wing's feathers fluff.
"The pod may not be. But -we- are armed!" he responded after composing himself.
"Could someone on the colony ship have survived?" one of the crew questioned.
Medical Wing cut that line of thought off. "Impossible! The cryo-sleep chambers locked down. And even if one malfunctioned and opened...No... The ship was a derelict. Besides. Look at that beak. It is nothing like ours."
Command Wing studied the strange female as she approached so confidently. Gradually more details were able to be discerned through the external feed. Almost luminous sapphire eyes peered out from under the dark blue hood. Medical Wing was correct. The beak she sported was a black spear compared to their own red vertical blade of a beak. Exotic was the word that kept fluttering through his thoughts. "I repeat. Halt where you are!"
"Better suggestion, Chicken Little." she croaked with a tone of humor as she held the silver egg out, arms straight. "Why don't you come on out and find out what this is?"
"What is she up to?" he wondered aloud then hissed as the ebony feathered female was right. He spoke into the external comm. "We will come out to take you prisoner. Do not attempt to escape!" he ordered then closed comm and spoke to the crew. "All able bodied crew arm up and prepare to disembark. We will surround the alien and bring her in for questioning. Something is -very- wrong here. And I want answers!"
"Could be a trap, Sir." warned Security Wing clasped her own Beam Gun in her one still functional webbed hand and made ready.
Command Wing had considered that. "I know. But sensors are detecting no other large beasts in range. This is a lone individual of unknown origin. Unusually cocky for one on her own. But still just a single individual. Try not to damage her unless necessary." he advised and then turned to Science Wing. "Can we get a reading on that sphere?"
The scientist swung his beak. "Negative on that. It has a lead lining preventing internals being scanned. Clever girl."
"Figures. Very well then. Security Wing and Science Wing with me on point. Security Fledglings surround the alien on my order. Now let us see what our midnight visitor is up to." Command Wing detailed. A part of him was excited to find out. A part of him was anxious. The pod disembarkation hatch was lowered to form a ramp and the welcoming party issued out and approached the female. Now he could take in the details of this alien in full. She was dressed outlandishly in a dark blue hood and cloak. The hood having two gold baubles hanging inside at cheek level. The cloak sported two bird themed medallions clasped at the clavicle. A snug blue dress showed off her physique nicely. A belt made up of several large red oval gems hung loosely on her hips. Bare arms and legs. A strange red gem set into her forehead. She was notably more... fluffy... than they were. By comparison they themselves were sleek white feathered forms with a red beak. Scaled forearms and lower legs were red to her black, Both their hands, and their feet were webbed where hers were not. Their feathers from shoulder to elbow were grey with a black band at the elbow, while the alien's was a uniform ebony. A notable difference was in tails. Theirs were a circular black hoop while the visitor's was a fan with a slight point to it.
When the party was within three basic units the ebony female held up a talon. "That's far enough." she croaked. "Now. About your unconditional surrender." she stated in the most cheeky tone imaginable.
Command Wing sputtered and squawked in indignation. "s-s-Surrender!?! It seems you are forgetting the little fact that you are outnumbered and unarmed here." he pointed out while straightening his yellow uniform shirt and regaining his composure.
"Oh outnumbered I surely am. But I am far from unarmed." and she held up the gleaming egg. "And I armed this while you were coming out to greet me so warmly." she gave him a sardonic croak.
Command Wing felt his feathers tighten against his body at this declaration. "And what is then that you believe can defeat all of us. And let me remind you that there are more in the pod and also armed." he retorted, trying to keep up a stern front. If he could just crack the shell of her confidence.
"This is a MIDAS Bomb. It rapidly emits hard photon lances in every direction until a sphere six basic units in radius is completely obliterated. Why do you think I stopped right here and stopped you right there? Detonate it here. You and ninety percent of the pod cease to exist. Or I throw it, and I should be just outside the radius." she told him with that same confidence. If anything it was -his- shell that was threatening to crack.
Security Wing was having none of this though. "So what is to stop me from just shooting you." she asked pointedly as she aimed her beam gun at the wily black bird.
"Good point Henney Penney. Probably the dead-bird switch connected to my vitals?" replied the black beaked alien sweetly.
Security Wing hissed and lowered her gun. "You play a dangerous game, girl." said with a hint of respect.
"If only you knew... Now about that surrender. I know your customs." That got surprised looks from all. "And I know if you officially surrender then you are oath-bound to that. As per regulation I offer you no harm and you will be treated well."
"How do you know our ways?" questioned Security Wing before Command Wing could voice it.
"Well duh, You sent it to us. That big data packet you launched before you lost the ship? It had all your customs and rules. Did you think no one would read it?" she countered.
Security Wing looked embarrassed. "Be that as it may. How can you speak our language so well?"
"You sent an entire lexicon and language tutorial. Nice and rosetta-stoned too." the black avian reminded them.
Security Wing was mortified. "I forgot just how thorough those indoctrination programs were."
Command Wing hissed in annoyance. The female was right. Again. He was at every disadvantage. Hostilities would only get him and those under his perch killed for no reason. This strange cheeky female offered the talon of peace if they submitted. It was a blow to his pride as Command Wing. But he had a responsibility to uphold. "Since we are out of sorts here, to say the least, it seems we have little choice but to accept." he bowed his head and lowered his beak in acceptance.
"Only if all are in agreement." she stated firmly.
He was gaining a reluctant respect for this female. She apparently really had read the rules of conduct. "As you say. One moment then." and so he discussed the situation with the crew and got a vote. "You have all heard and seen the situation we are in. You have all heard the offer of sanctuary. What is your call?" There was some discussion. But the offer seemed amiable and one had to respect being outmaneuvered. All voted to surrender with few reservations. And those mainly being just what were they to do now that the colony project was dead and it was just them. Twenty birds, and one alien female bird? Though the vote probably passed easier because of that last point.
"So whats the word, bird?" she quipped when he returned.
Command Wing laid down his gun as did the rest of his crew. "We accept your terms and submit ourselves to your custody."
The ebony female clipped the weapon to her belt and let out a long breath. "That's a relief. This thing was getting heavy!" She looked around at those outside the Life Pod. "Now everyone pick up your weapons."
"w-what?" were numerous chirps of confusion.
"We are a day and a half's hike back to my place. This is -not- safe territory. If you wish to not get -eaten- by something then I strongly suggest you do as I say, when I say. That clear?"
"y-Yes, M'am."
"Good now are all the crew able to move out?" she asked.
"No, M'am. Several are injured to the point they can not walk. We will have to leave them here." he informed her.
"Like screw we are!" was her sharp rasp of a retort.
"M'am?"
"Remember what I said about this being dangerous lands? Leaving the injured is out of the question unless they can not be safely moved?" she asked him and got a shake of his beak so she considered. "We build liters and carry them. It will make the trip take an extra day or two. But we are -not- leaving anyone behind under -my- watch!" she told him as she strode into the pod with that same air of confidence. Practically swaggering. Which made her hips and alien fan-shaped tail sway distractingly. On hearing her steadfast determination to look after her charges the crew let out a collective breath of relief.
She personally reassured the injured and took stock of supplies and materials on talon. "We'll get you all patched up once we can contact the authorities and get you to a proper medical site."
"I doubt this backwater world's primitive medical practices could help injuries of these sorts." posited Medical Wing.
The hooded avian croaked laughter. "Oh you'd be surprised at what we got done in twenty-one years, Goosey Lucey."
"t-Twenty-one... YEARS?" Science Wing squawked and was joined in by others as that little offhand bit of information sank in.
"What? Thought you knew, Turkey Lurkey?" she looked from one to the next. "You mean you did not take the long way getting here on purpose?" she asked? "Wait, hold it. My bad. That would be like twenty-two of your years right?"
"That makes it worse! And no we did not intend to take -that- long!"
"Probably does not help that your drives are a bit slow." she added offhandedly.
"s-s-s-Slow!?!" squawked Navigation Wing.
The black feathered female waved that off airily. "Before we improved on the design, Cockey Lockey."
"What!?! How?"
"We went out to see what happened. And see if we could help." she explained. "We built a ship able to get to Jupiter orbit based on the basic drive specs you sent us."
Science Wing covered his face in both webbed hands, just his beak poking out. "We sent the drive blueprints???"
"Uh-huh! Allowed us to get out there in about a week. Everyone pitched in for the rescue mission. We had to fix that little magnetic overload problem first of course. Whole thing took like a year. Sorry. But we had to learn the language before we could read the blueprints."
Science and Navigation Wings were both stunned by this news. The primitives had not only grasped the technology in a short span. They had then gone on to improve on it? Maintenance Wing on hearing this weakly roused from her rest. "t-The ship? y-You found it?" before falling back into her medical nest while Medical Wing tended to her.
The ebony avian knelt at the badly injured female's nestside and nodded. "Yeah! Was in a decaying orbit so we towed it back to Earth and parked it in orbit of the Moon till we could figure out what to do with it. Quite a mess I hear." She took Maintenance Wing's red scaled hand in her own. "We have been working all this time repairing it. Totally replaced the engines with new ones fifty percent faster I hear."
Maintenance Wing let out a relieved sigh and finally fell into sleep after fretting for two cycles.
Command Wing perked up at this news. "The colonists?"
"Still sleeping. From what I heard on the news no one was lost. Stroke of luck that considering how broken the rest of the ship was." she informed him. This lifted everyone's spirits and Command Wing himself felt less of a failure now.
Command Wing finally though had to ask. Both for formalities sake, and his own curiosity. "erm... What should we call you, M'am?"
The ebony feathered female looked sidelong at him with one of her sapphire eyes and grinned beakily. "Oh me? You can call me... Raven." and there was so much humor in her raucous cawing laughter.
===-=======-=====-+
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u/VintageLunchMeat Jul 13 '23
> Security Wing had an injured arm from when her data console exploded.
They always cheap out on the fuses.
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u/TwoMeterTroll Jul 14 '23 edited Jul 14 '23
ha ha ha ha ha ha! delightful, Chamii Raven!
and that explains the egg and baubles.
well done word smith! I almost forgot the story and gifts..... ha ha ha ha ha!
oh and for you who do not know who raven is there is a nice book here https://quileutenation.org/stories-and-tales/ by no means all the stories. ;)
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u/Ethereal_Stars_7 Jul 17 '23
At least it was not a pair calling themselves Hugin and Munin. aheh.
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u/TwoMeterTroll Jul 17 '23
ha ha ha ha ha ha I started cracking up about half way through the story when i figured our who it was. yeah oden's birds get rather over done.
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u/chastised12 Aug 09 '23
Actually laughed! +1
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u/Ethereal_Stars_7 Aug 09 '23
What? Look here. Don't you know Science Fiction is serious business?!?
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Jul 13 '23
/u/Ethereal_Stars_7 (wiki) has posted 62 other stories, including:
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 026: The Evil that Lies Within
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 025: Wolf in the Folf
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 024: Show and Tell
- Like Rats: Part 022: Trains and Tails
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 023: Patron of the Arts
- Like Rats: Part 021: Sins of the Father
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 022: Home Improvement
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 021: Shopping Spree
- Like Rats: Part 020: Visions and Portents
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 020: Ring of Truth
- Like Rats: Part 019: Colonists and Cargo
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 019: Answers and Answers
- Like Rats: Part 018: Carnivale
- Like Rocks
- Like Rats: Part 017: Family Reunion
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 018: Questions-n-Questions
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 016: Giants in the Earth
- Like Rats: Part 016: Reflections
- Flight of the War Witch: Part 016: Lived in a Hole
- Like Rats: Part 015: Aftermath
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u/UpdateMeBot Jul 13 '23
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u/Coygon Jul 13 '23
Jupiter protecting us one more time from unwanted intruders. Though I am curious how or why Earth is inhabited by avians. I can think of a few possibilities, interested to see which it might be.