S1E8 - Stars

[AUDIO) We begin on a space station, hearing the hum of the slow turning engine. The room is large and nearly empty.

ARCHIVIST: Welcome to the Archives. Our final pre-selected record for review will be from section 27: Historical Worlds. Today’s sample is from Venlor 2, the larger of Par’s habitable moons. Please note that any opinions expressed in these samples belong solely to the speaker on record and do not reflect the views of this station, the archival union, or the Collected Archives itself. If anything in this review causes listener distress or confusion please report to the nearest attendant for assistance. Potential sources for distress include mild cursing, mention of warfare and battle sounds. Please also note there will be time for questions and observations once the sample has concluded.

[AUDIO] [At the sound of an electronic swoop, the sounds of the space station fade away, replaced by the sound of a quiet landing platform. Night sounds, a distant hum from the city and slight wind can be heard faintly outside. The area echoes as TRAST works and speaks.

TRAST: Oh! Damnit!

AUDIO: A clang as metal hits stone, a few footsteps

TRAST: Spoiled. I’m used to having another set of hands around. I hope he’s settled in sir. You know your business, but he’s my son and he likes to worry. Get his hands busy and he’ll forget I’m down here for a little while. I shouldn’t need longer than that.

[AUDIO] Cloth rustling,a few soft impacts

TRAST: Sure am glad we didn’t ship all the part-stores along. Can you imagine me trying to fix this with what my partner has at home? Plumbing tape, thread, some really stale bread the birds haven’t gotten yet. It’d be like one of those survival adventure shows where they use their shoes ascooking pots and somehow come home whole. And you know this ship’d never forgive me for it. Every time we took off there’d be that cough saying “remember when you patched me up with bread? Hope you like turbulence you cheap bastard”.

[AUDIO]: A couple of metallic clangs, a spinning click, more rustling. Small fidgets and clanks continue as TRAST speaks

TRAST: Everyone’s out of the atmosphere. Stars, it’s amazing to look at. We’ve never had all the ships together like this before have we? Well, all the ships but mine. Usually what? It’s patrols of three or solo scouts. Even the big missions only take a squad or two. There must be something pretty compelling up there to get us all ordered into space.

And it’s quiet down here. It really shouldn’t be. Not like we’re the bulk of the population or anything but I guess everyone’s glued to their news feeds or watching the sky. There’s no traffic sound either, almost all the ground shuttle pilots are up there with you and I guess no one has anywhere to go. Almost peaceful.

[AUDIO] The rustling and tinkering noises ramp up here

TRAST: Hey, when whatever this is is all over and we get back down will you do me a favor sir? Don’t tell Tef I spent half the operation on my back in the dirt? He worries, just like our son, and if he hears something was wrong with my ship, I’ll hear about it every launch. He’s already talking about retirement. He has all these ideas to visit parts of this place we haven’t seen, the neighbor moons, even some of the planets nearby and it all sounds… really good, but I’m not ready. I don’t know how to explain that.

[AUDIO] Two clicks as switches are flipped

TRAST: Looking good up there sir. Thanks for leaving a spot for me on the end. Just need to get this line changed out and do a launch test.

[AUDIO] Another spinning, clicking sound, fast and ringing. More tinkering clicks as TRAST continues

TRAST: I mean, every time I try