Dead Star Dockyards

A young woman subtly glanced at a small clock embedded in one of the pavilion's pillars, discretely adjusting her waistbelt so as to avoid interrupting the conversation of her attendants with concerns of discomfort or lacking aesthetics. They wouldn't pay any mind to the pocket mirror though, they could only do so much with her makeup and she had a habit of messing with her bangs for the perfectly 'less than perfect' look. A little bit of sweat had build up just below her hairline and she noticed the little bit of mascara she'd decided to make use of for this meeting had not been applied as evenly as she hoped. Nothing serious in isolation, but she couldn't help herself from letting out a small sigh, lamenting the gentle droning of rain on the pavilion roof.

Monda was finally being given the opportunity to fulfill the duty of her station, receiving the first visit of a foreign dignitary to the Holifanian capitol in decades. The timing of the spring shower was annoying, she would have liked the Terrans' first impression of the pride of their national architecture program to be of a sunny coastal paradise, however there were some merits. The tendency of the clouds to hang freakishly low in the sky at this time of year had been taken into account by the design bureau, with a few of the spires constructed atop nearby hilltops having a few of the upper floors extend all the way to clear skies on occasion. 

The more annoying element of the rain was that they would have to use an enclosed vehicle instead of one with an open roof. In her opinion, most of the interesting elements in the maze of marble and granite structures were not on ground level but up above. Gardens of blooming flowers grown on the walls, golden domes adorned with gemstones in various patterns that reflected brilliantly in the light, sculptures and statues of heroes past, and a scale that communicated the majesty of her homeland far better than anything she could communicate verbally. Lawnscapes and door arches would have to do.

"Any word on when they'll touch down?" She chanced a question amidst a break in the conversation, wanting to get an idea of how much longer she'd be stuck waiting here for them. The landing pad had been constructed a few miles outside of the city limits of the capital owing to a few conflicts with zoning and concerns the supposedly colossal 'Pegasus' might not be able to navigate around the various towers and other tall buildings, so Monda had been stuck out by this crudely constructed facilty for a few hours while a few planes attempted to usher the behemoth to roughly the correct location above the clouds. 

"It shouldn't be much longer, your holiness. The engines sound like they are right above us." How he was able to differentiate the sound of an aircraft from the sounds of the highway on the other side of trees was a mystery to her, but she presumed that sort of knowledge was more common among military men. "In fact . . . I think they just started heading away. The Pegasus is probably on final approach as we speak."

Hearing that, Monda approached the edge of the pavilion. She stopped just close enough to the edge to avoid water splattering onto the hem of her dress, gazing up into the cloudy murk. 

She didn't see anything. 

And how could she be expected to? The sounds of rain, traffic, and the crashing of distant waves obscured the sounds of whistling and moaning she anticipated from the Pegasus, and with a great deal of the sky above obscured by the pavilion roof there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to catch a glimpse until the very end if it descended straight down. Moreover, the clouds were so low that there was only a few hundred feet of elevation between an object being totally covered and out in the open.

clunk

The sound of a gentle but forceful impact coupled with the ever so slight scratching of steel on concrete drew her attention down to the pad. There sat a giant block of steel, devoid of the feature and fanfare she envisioned of something so large. It had arrived silently, not even whispering in the wind in it's approach, and the steely gray polished to a nearly reflective sheen blended in very well with the clouds at the horizon.

Monda was no engineer, barely competent enough in the true sciences to understand how burning coal could make electricity, however the casual display was more than enough to get the point Archbishop Envers had tried so hard to communicate to her across. The Terrans were so far ahead of them technologically that comparison was practically impossible. Just seeing it was enough to abolish any doubts about Bishop Kayes' claims of a theater and hospital aboard it, instead she had to wonder what he left out. Were there any trees in there? Maybe a bath? A gymnasium? The possibilities were effectively endless to her, to the point she wondered if they could give her a quick tour.

Envers and Eban could wait another hour, right?

No, the tour could wait until a proper party was assembled and their business here had been settled. She couldn't let her personal childish curiosity stand in the way of her duties as an Archbishopess. The Terrans were busy as well, and they'd probably be tired from their voyage. A quick stop by the council complex and then she could give them a brief tour of the capitol, or bring them to their accommodations for the night.

- - - - -

"It's been a while since I've been in a proper car." Diana ran a finger along a run of silver trim, admiring the craftsmanship. From the outside it very much looked like some sort of fancied up station wagon, however the interior was more akin to that of a limousine with decor to match. "The aesthetics are ancient, but way better than the staff cars and rover we used on Nectar."

"Is it not to your liking?" Monda appeared somewhat distressed by the offhanded comment. "I'm sure I can requisition something less ostentatious if you would prefer that."

"No, this is fine. It reminds me of better times." Diana smiled to emphasize this wasn't an issue. "My late father had a friend who was obsessed with the aesthetics of older vehicles, before they all started to be optimized for efficiency, and he had a few recreations of older models custom made. None of them were street legal, they didn't pass safety requirements even with a revised body design, but he spent his weekends maintaining and driving them around a track belonging to a club he was a part of."

"Really?"

"Yep. When I was little he would invite me over for a joyride from time to time, always said it was an expression of thanks to my father." She snaked a hand towards Donovan's wrist, silently begging for some emotional comfort. "I never picked up the hobby, I didn't even learn how to drive, but I remember roar of the engines. They were much more entertaining than the electric drives of other vehicles."

"Electric drives?"

"Motors driven by electricity, nothing special." Donovan's attention was fixed on the roadway outside, observing traffic and attempting to make sense of the signs and such. He vaguely remembered the numbers, so parsing what he assumed to be speed limit signs was relatively easy, however the rest of the language was beyond him. That said, he had a hunch the lime green signs plastered at regular intervals and next to the highway exits were supposed to indicate adjoining streets. "Is this considered a high or low amount of traffic?"

"A bit higher than the norm, maybe. Most people coming and going from the capitol either take a train or boat."

"I see. Is there an airport?"

"Further inland, yes. There are restrictions on flights around the regions galleys frequent to avoid collisions, but it isn't a particularly common medium of travel. It's a bit expensive, and for the discomfort it isn't that much faster than a galley. I understand that places without a large industrial center or nearby body of water make use of them more frequently, but that's only because a landing strip can be built pretty much anywhere with flat ground."

"Mm. I wonder if I could get a couple of lightweight models for use on Nectar."

"I-I could try to contact a factory for a quote."

"You know what . . . never mind. Anything small enough to fit on a galley would likely arouse interest in a thunderbird. Shouldn't be risking the lives of a pilot because I want to establish a few outposts inland." A small plane, maybe a floatplane, with enough space for four or five extra passengers and supplies would have been perfect for setting up a series of forward bases around lakes and gentle stretches of river. Once they cut down a few trees and cleared an area for a Trawler, the little settlement could begin to expand and harvest resources without burdening the infrastructure on the coast. If geography allowed, they might even be able to make use of log barges to float both wood and nearby mineral resources down the river for processing where the industry existed. 

He didn't have particularly high hopes that the mountainous terrain of their starting settlement would readily accommodate such a plan, however the mere act of setting up a mining or logging settlement early would make the process of expansion much easier. Maybe he'd have Arc construct a few remote controlled gliders of a size similar to what he wanted to work with to test the waters. There was every chance the thunderbirds did not find aerial prey appetizing, they had a tendency to be less nutrient dense than terrestrial animals. 

"Oh. Is there maybe anything else you think you might need? Either for the colony or just personal enjoyment? I can arrange some outfits or furniture for your stay at the academy if you'd like."

"I don't think we'll be needing-"

"Clothes, please." Diana interrupted Donovan with a pleasant smile. "I think formalwear can be handled at the Sanctum, but I find myself sorely lacking in the casual clothing department. There was only so much I could bring with me, and Donovan's outfits are starting to get worn out."

"And something for Arya! She only has one or two sets, and nothing presentable enough for the Sanctum."

"In that case, I'll have someone drop by to get some measurements. Anything else? Maybe accessories? A sword?"

"Instead of bringing all that to us, do you think it might be possible to spend part of our free day going to a few shops? If it's nice, I'd also like to visit the beach. Even when cloudy it looked very pretty."

"The beach?" Monda appeared to be suppressing a smile. "Of course we can go to the beach! We can even visit the boardwalk! There are tons of little accessory and souvenir shops, so we won't have to waste time going between them!"

"Oh I'd love that!"

"Diana, we can't really afford-"

"A day at the beach?" Diana shot her fiancé and murderous glare. "We've been working non-stop for months at this point. I deserve a little bit of time off."

". . . you've been working non-stop?" Donovan distinctly remembered her taking a great many 'holidays', on his orders no less. Unfortunately, this question only served to earn him an even more hostile glimmer in her eyes. "Alright, fine. Have your beach day."

He wasn't going to fight it. Diana probably developed some level of attachment the instant she recognized 'civilization', even if it wasn't up to the standards she was used to. Just having the ability to go around various boutiques and shop would serve to satiate the longing in her heart, or maybe it would just enhance it, but either way she would be satisfied. He could spend his day working with the Holifanians.

"You'll be coming with me, of course." Or maybe not. "The only time you ever rest is when you sleep, and I want to have a nice little date at the end of the day, okay?"

"If that's what you want." He stifled a sigh, silently accepting that there would be demands for future visits to this place until industry on Nectar could support a high-end consumer economy - something that might take decades. "I'll have to rely on you to make an itinerary for me, Monda."

"Hehe, my pleasure!" Failing to control a giggle at the childish spat, Monda clapped her hands in front of her. "That reminds me, are you prepared to stand before the parliament tomorrow? Or is it too late in the day?"

"What's the local time?"

"Right now? Around six in the afternoon. Sunset's in an hour and a half, give or take, and you'd be expected to appear before three in the afternoon, though we'd prefer if you could present at nine in the morning. The session convenes at eight, and dressing the daily order of business, routine voting operations, and assignment of members to various temporary councils for the next week generally takes an hour. In a normal session various councils and project groups would provide presentation and comment sessions to the assembly, however it is common for most of the parliament to leave after the noontime lunch break unless there is an important briefing. It is the opinion of the High Council that appearing early on will provide a better impression to the parliament."

"I can handle nine."

"I'd actually like to get there earlier so I can see how a session usually progresses. How about you, Titanyana?"

"Huh?" Titanyana had been staring intently out the window ever since she got in the car, imagination running wild with comparisons to the impression of Terra she'd received from films. Holifania was certainly less 'modern' in that respect, but she found it to be so close to the images on the screen that she almost forgot. "Um, I might need time to take a bath, but I'll be fine."

"Would it be a problem to push it back a day if it comes to it?" Donovan was slightly concerned Titanyana would not be able to hold up. She'd had a string of late nights recently, from deep dives into various topics related to her education, to touching up details on another one of the projects Donovan assigned her, to fawning over pictures and videos of Boromir she goaded Petunia into sending. 

"Not at all. Sessions get pushed back a day or two all the time, generally because one of the Archbishops, council heads, or project leads is scheduled to return at that time. I'd just like to know now so I can have the missive dispatched tonight."

"I'll be fine, Donovan." Titanyana sat up straight, confidently matching Donovan's eyes. "I can put the tablet down for tonight. This is much more important than any project."

"If you insist." He'd be having Arc put a lock on it, just to be safe. "We'll show up tomorrow, whatever time you think is best."

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