By David C. Daoust
The sands of Twin Crown- a veritable sea of burning hot granules that engulphed the moon in its entirety. Oasis were far and few between, the largest of which was the construction ground for the Ark run and operated Starport.
Starports, themselves, were common throughout all of the solar system. Each planet or moon, throughout, had at least one such facility.
The original settlers, of the newly habitable moon, had very little care for such a structure. This was largely in part because they brought with them massive Rovers. Oversized vehicles which housed their entire crew -more than that- their entire ‘village’. It was a massive fortress of a machine, once used by pioneers to map and explore the solar system during the ‘Time of Dispersion’; back when the humans had first arrived- just after Helio-Fall, long before the ark-machines had a chance to set the terraforming processes to work.
As more and more planets and moons became habitable, such vehicles became less common among pioneers. It was not long until someone found a way to make a profit off these, mostly obsolete, machines. Namely, by selling them off cheap. Selling them off to those that would do anything to change their situation. Like, for example, the original settlers.
Settlers which would come to be known as the ‘First Wave’- these were a people that had escaped the all-encompassing grip of the Viceroys; those that ruled the Royal Alliance City-stations that pocked the solar system. They wanted nothing more than to be free of the oppressive laws, of the overpowered law-enforcers, but, most of all, to live a life free of the gangsters that truly ruled those corridors.
These were a people trapped between imposing laws- and the criminals those laws created. They rebelled against all, for as long as they could, yet when they found themselves at the end of their rope, at long last, they fled— to start a new life.
Their rebellious culture left its mark- these were a people that refused to send their coin back into the hands of the Viceroys that controlled so many aspects of their lives. Viceroys who had followed the Trade Consortium example, and tried to sell new, less protective clothing lines; more about fashion and taste. Some such products with expensive material, others with cheap. The variety throughout, extensive. They resisted the change.
As a whole, those of the Royal Alliances’ City-stations ‘Narrows’, designed and built their own machines, what products they could, even their own clothing.
Such clothing, all, still based on the space-culture they were born into. For the most part this entailed armored heavy gear, which could seal air-tight, and held some form of rebreather built-in. Most sported a pseudo neck-ring, incorporated into the design, whether it was made for space-use or not. Many such had an ‘ethereal hood’ should they find themselves in a breach. Many more came with helmets; full transparent dome or just a fully armored head piece with little more than a dark visor to see from.
The First Wave, at least the adults, tended to wear a rich brown armor. A clear descendent of something designed to serve in space. It was now repurposed for those that hunted what prey they could throughout the sandy wastes. While the visored helm lost its original purpose- it was invaluable during a sandstorm and such hunters were very rarely seen without.
At the same time, the First Wave children (and some women) tended to wear the brightly colored designs that truly represented the rebellious culture they had hailed from. In truth, these designs had lost much of its protective nature throughout its evolution, yet the full covering and heavy collar, many with an ‘ethereal-hood’ still installed, told of spacer design.
It was one such design that the young Harper Blue had just finished putting on. Flopping on her bed she sunk her feet into her boots. They came up high and latched tight. Her older sister, Sadie, at one time, had taken to wearing the lighter loose clothing, more common with those from Grady. Harper could not imagine wearing something so flimsy. Not out in the dunes, anyway. Though she had been living among the townsfolk for a while… ultimately, she felt better in First Wave garb.
Finally, after a full day of sleeping, the First Wave teen had awoken from her injuries. Once she had regained consciousness (for the second time), she found herself still weary —still haunted by her dreams- all her worries. Mrs. Lauren had been there to explain that things were okay, and, most importantly, that her sisters were just fine- after which, Harper, once again, drifted back to sleep.
She awoke again sometime later.
That crack to her skull had really sent her for a loop. Most of the worried dreams had faded from her mind. Some though, had left a new slant on what had previously been weighing on her. The first thing she had done- strip down and jump in the shower. Clean and fully refreshed, she was feeling one hundred percent better.
Up and out of her room, she headed down the long homey corridor of her families Rover.
Harper half expected to find a kitchen full of people chowing down on the grub she could smell from the hallway. She didn’t find that; she did not find that at all.
The food though, it was delicious. She slopped some into a bowl. Keeping the oversized spoon, she wandered out of the dining area in the hopes of finding someone else- somewhere. She heard a room full of people laughing. She could only wonder what they were doing. She entered into what was the family room, found it packed…
Her two younger sisters were on the floor. The youngest of which, Dicey, had her head in a domed visor as she held controllers in front of her. Grace, had a small view screen in her hand which seemed to have all her focus, even if she was adding to the laughter throughout the room.
As far as she could tell, everyone was, not only super, but sitting around playing video games!
Even the old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lauren, both had their heads in a visor of their own! Harper was a little surprised that they would have such a device. To be honest, though, she supposed that was probably an ageist assumption that they wouldn’t…
Hugo, too, had his oversized scaly head stuffed within a visor.
All Harper’s worries seemed miles away, and a little bit absurd.
Ratchet had commandeered the main Farwall, that all the seats throughout the family room centered on, she could see the game he was playing– it looked like Arachnoid. She could only wonder.
She noted the little fiery guy Hamlin was not within the room, nor was the bulbous piece of Arktech that stole Ratchet’s mind…
“Don’t mind me guys,” she announced, trying to get at least one of her sister’s attention, “Just late to the party, I guess.”
“Harper!” Both her sisters yelled in unison. Both happier to see her, up and around, than Harper had ever witnessed before. Dicey’s visor and controls were dropped to the floor, same with Grace’s hand-held view-screen, as the two tiny sisters charged her.
Harper laughed as they engulphed her, toppled her down onto the overly lush carpet. Harper was forced to abandon her food on the nearby ottoman as she wrestled free of the laughing mass of happy little sisters. She finally managed to pull herself up onto the couch, even managed to acknowledge others in the room despite her sisters still being latched on to her. Her questions, though, were adding up- and yet unspoken.
Dicey had a grip on her midsection, so tight, she may be trying to hold Harper from the brink of death, while Grace just sort-of stood really close, with one arm loosely around Harper’s shoulder, beaming a smile.
Harper found Mrs. Lauren enjoying the sight of the re-united sisters as her husband gave her a welcoming smile. She greeted them in turn.
Upon turning to Hugo, the old Jinn rumbled a greeting that seemed to shake the entirety of the Rover, one that got both the sisters laughing even harder and left everyone in the room amazed with his vocal cords. (Such a noise was reserved for special occasions.)
Ratchet though, Ratchet threw her a dark look- one that could only compound her questions. He greeted her curtly, and was lost again within the game before him.
Harper found her mind racing through what she may have done to garner such a look…
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