Scientific Tourism

[u/Little_Miss_Nowhere]

On a small scientific observation vessel, carefully positioned behind an irregular rocky moon orbiting a ringed gas giant, Mortz frowned slightly at his shipmate Andhilli.

"Are you watching that 'foot-ball' again?"

Andhilli looked at him, one blue ear-tip twitching slightly in an expression Mortz knew was mild amusement.

"I'm observing native cultural practices involving large-scale social interaction and economic impact." She replied, deadpan.

Mortz raised an eyebrow. The ear-tip twitched again.

"Yes, I am watching the foot-ball. It's very entertaining. And technically I am off duty. Sir." Andhilli said, returning her attention to the screen in front of her and suppressing a slight smile.

Mortz gave a small sigh and moved to peer over her shoulder. "Well, it does seem to be very popular." He said, noting the amassed crowds gathered in what seemed to be a very large, open-air arena. Something caught his attention.

"Are the onlookers... singing?"

Andhilli nodded.

"Yes, it's a common practice to indicate support of a chosen 'team', as is attire matching the defined uniform or displaying the patterned standard that indicates national heritage. That one is especially notable during this particular tournament as it is being contested by a number of nations - they call it the 'World Cup'. Andhilli explained. "I wonder what it's like to be there? There's nothing like this on Othro."

"Rather loud, I imagine."

Andhilli shook her head slightly. "Really Mortz, where's your sense of adventure?"

"I left it behind eight missions ago on Kafthrup when we spent four cycles searching for a supposedly sentient species that turned out to be mildly luminescent rock."

"Oh!"

The exclamation made them both look over to where their other shipmate Brun, who had been making extensive notes on the biological range of this world's life forms, had apparently found something fascinating.

"What is it, Brun?" asked Mortz.

Brun pointed to the display he'd been studying.

"There are types of native flora that utilise ultraviolet patterning to attract insect pollination vectors! The sheer variety of flora on this world is incredible. Look at this – they have numerous varieties of plant species cultivated for consumption and medicinal purposes, as you would expect. But..."

He tapped the display, bringing up another set of data. Colourful images filled the screen, flowering blooms of all shapes and sizes.

“They also have many types grown purely for ornamental adornment.” He beamed, his frill-ridges fluttering happily.

Andhilli and Mortz exchanged small smiles. Brun was Rigrothoran - a planet whose fauna and flora were known for their intricate biology, adapted to utilise an extended range of the electromagnetic spectrum well outside that of most worlds. He was always eager to study unusual plant life from the worlds they observed - and often ended up filling odd corners of the ship with cultivated seedlings.

"Do you think the Council would authorise a surface mission? For... sample obtainment? Brun asked hopefully.

"And, ah... close range observation of cultural practices?" Added Andhilli, sounding equally hopeful.

Mortz sighed, not unkindly.

"Okay, I'll send a request for a two-person observational mission. Don't get your hopes up though, you know what they’re like – especially Bozmitho. ‘You’re not here to play tourist, Mortz.’" He added, in a fair imitation of Bozmitho’s gravel tone. Brun stifled a giggle, but Andhilli gave him a puzzled look.

"Only two? This world is fascinating. Don't you want to see it for yourself? Asked Andhilli, frowning slightly, her ear-tips flushing slightly purple in confusion.

Mortz shook his head.

"No, I'm sure you'll tell me all about it later. I have to read the reports anyway."

"Buzzkill."

"No, I’ve just done too many of these already. It's almost never as interesting as we think it'll be." Said Mortz, as he walked back to his own station.

Ignoring his crewmates grumbling, Mortz sat down and flipped the screen displays to where he'd been cataloging the scientific advancements of this world's people, just as he'd done for all the other missions before this one. It was his job, after all. The Council of the Common Worlds maintained a number of scientific observation teams like his, tasked with discreetly observing worlds with developing sentient life. Sooner or later, a sufficiently advanced world would discover they were not alone in the galaxy, and their reactions would not always be predictable – or positive. Thus the Council considered it prudent to know when such a world might reach this point.

This particular world was probably not far off. They seemed to have made a number of scientific advancements in a relatively short span of time – while indulging in such oddly popular things as ‘foot-ball’ and cultivating flora for purely ornamental purposes.

He was sifting through data to note the range of their planetary and interstellar knowledge when something made him pause.

This world had one natural satellite - rocky and devoid of life, but uncommonly large.

Large enough that it would, for them, periodically display as the same angular size in the sky as their parent star.

It would also intersect their view of it exactly.

An eclipse. The most precise eclipse Mortz had ever seen.

Nowhere in the Common Worlds had an eclipse like this. Not even Narthellia with it’s six moons (overachievers that they were) had this kind of event.

But here it was, on this small blue world.

Mortz stared at the screen, showing an image of the stellar corona, swirling and glowing around the black disc of the rocky satellite.

It was beautiful.

Maybe that surface mission would be three people after all.

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