Slipstream Messenger (Neutrino Book 1)

by Daltea Francis

  “Oh, come on, don’t be mad, Mynophales,” she teased.

  “If you insist on using my given name, I’d prefer Myno, thank you,” he walked past her into the cabin and sat down on the moldy old bed.

  “Wait, that’s what your mother called you this morning,” realization dawning as she followed him inside. Lylia sat down next to him on the bed, at which point she made a sour face. “This bed is awful.”

  He shrugged.

  “You can’t possibly sleep here, not even for just a couple of hours. Why don’t you come down to Darwyth’s quarters with me? The bed is plenty big enough for both of us and you really should get some rest.”

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Neutrino said.

  “Come on, don’t be so juvenile. I’m sure we can behave ourselves, Myno.”

  “Definitely,” he paused, “Especially if you keep calling me Myno. I just don’t think I would be able to sleep with you next to me.” Neutrino smiled uncertainly at her, sure that his face must have been bright red.

  Please don’t laugh. Thankfully, Lylia smiled back instead.

  “Don’t be such a baby, Myno,” she said and walked over to the lift entrance. Neutrino followed behind her, feeling both grateful and terrified at the same time.

  23. Lake Effect

  Neutrino fell asleep faster and slept better than he ever had with Lylia at his side and Fizz cuddled up to his head. There was something about having Lylia’s warmth nearby in particular that soothed him. It made him feel less alone. He had slept in the bunk house with all of the other cadets for the last two years, but he always felt like an outsider. If possible, Neutrino felt more alone among his fellow cadets than he did in a room by himself. Here, there was this girl, this woman, who, if she didn’t exactly like him, she certainly didn’t despise him either. He would take what he could get.

  When Darwyth came to wake them up Neutrino tried to close his eyes and stay peacefully asleep. He fought to avoid facing the nightmare waiting for him in the conscious world, but it was no use. Time would not allow him to stay in that moment forever. When he finally managed to drag himself up out of the bed, Lylia had already gone. He hastily prepared himself, grabbed a bite to eat for himself and Fizz, and went out into the lab.

  Neutrino was still sleepy-eyed and a little drowsy, but Darwyth, though he had not slept at all, appeared to be wide awake. He seemed to be excited about the prospect of taking his ship out for a real try. From Neutrino’s tired perspective, Darwyth was going at break neck speed. He had trouble concentrating on what Darwyth was telling him as they ascended the ladder up the fin into the main cabin.

  Trying to follow all the directions he was being given about the controls, Neutrino found his mind swimming. He was distracted by the torture chair feel of the control seat Darwyth expected him to sit in. It was made of a shiny metal and was hardly what one would consider comfortable. Neutrino figured that comfort must not be much of a consideration in a prototype. The actual controls looked almost like an odd pair of incomplete gauntlets sticking up out of the floor on stilts. They were made in part out of the same metal as the chair, and fit around his hands and wrists like suffocating work gloves. Electrodes attached to each of his fingers and palms felt like they were slowly electrocuting him, or maybe that was just his paranoia talking.

  Neutrino looked down at himself in this contraption of a pilot’s seat. He felt detached, like part of him had walked away and was now looking down at this absurd scene and laughing. He kept thinking about things that had nothing to do with the Slipstream: moonlight and water, Lylia’s piercing dark eyes illuminated, a warm bed.

  “Are you getting all of this, Neutrino?” Darwyth asked.

  “Um, yeah…” he said, although it must not have been a very convincing lie.

  “Why don’t we go through it once more?”

  “Well, you know, if you want to…” Neutrino smiled. Darwyth, to his credit, only smiled in return.

  “It’s a lot to take in, don’t worry, you’ll get it. It’s really-” Darwyth paused with a puzzled look on his face. He leaned in close to Neutrino and sniffed.

  “What?”

  “Have you been swimming?” a weird smile crept over Darwyth’s face. Neutrino sniffed himself, the strange perfume of the lake still hung lightly on his skin.

  “Yeah, the Nilfrits led Lylia and me to this lake, and we took a swim before we went to sleep. What of it?” Darwyth chuckled slightly. “What?”

  What’s so funny about swimming?

  “Nothing,” Darwyth said, but he was still smiling, “Let’s get back to business. Now, the hand controls function together when you’re traveling in normal space, and work like standard operations on a regular ship. You were trained to pilot at the Academy, correct?” Neutrino nodded, still trying to figure out what was so funny about swimming. “How’d you do?”

  “I was getting pretty good by my fourth time through,” Neutrino snickered.

  “That may actually work to our advantage,” Darwyth said seriously. Neutrino knew what he meant. The first thing Slipstream Messengers learn is how to pilot a short range vessel in order to get a feel for space. Most Messengers breeze through the pilot’s course and then promptly forget everything. Because of Neutrino’s repetition, he actually knew what he was doing this last time in the program. The other cadets were impressed, until they found out why he was so good at it.

  “Okay,” Darwyth continued, “When you’re ready to get into the Slipstream, the hand controls will separate and you’ll be able to move them independently. At which point, you will want to begin moving you hands, arms, feet and legs just as you would if you were in the Stream by yourself, the ship should respond accordingly.” Neutrino practiced moving the controls, trying to imagine himself in the Slipstream. It was a little difficult, mostly because he was sitting here, rather than propelling himself head first.

  “How’s it supposed to read my body movements in this chair? That’s not like being in the Slipstream.”

  “Oh, I forgot you didn’t know. The chair will elongate and move you into a suspended standing position when you get into the Slipstream. The computer is hooked into your Stream Suit, which is constantly monitoring your body in order to maintain proper temperature, pressure, and to protect you in a collision. I’ve adapted the sensors to read that information and translate your body movements into instructions for the ship.”

  “What about the thrusters?”

  “Just squeeze you hands, same as usual. The harder you squeeze, the harder that thruster will push. Okay?” No, Neutrino thought, but he forced a smile and a nod.

  “Darwyth,” Lylia came up beside them. She avoided Neutrino’s gaze. “I need some help with the navigation.”

  “Why don’t you navigate, Darwyth?” Neutrino wondered out loud.

  “Oh--” Darwyth started but Lylia interrupted him.

  “What’s the matter? I’m not good enough for you anymore?”

  “No, I…”

  “You asked, begged me to come with you and now you’d rather have him do it!”

  “No, Lylia that’s not it! I was just wondering…”

  “That’s okay, I see how it is,” she stamped away. Neutrino wanted to follow her but he was still more or less attached to the chair.

  “What just happened?” Neutrino asked Darwyth and then her, “What was all that about?” She ignored him, pretending to be interested in something on the computer screen. Neutrino thought of something to say to her that he knew would just make her mad, but he couldn’t resist. At least it might get her attention. “Is this just your Tellasian moodiness that you were telling me about?”

  “I can’t believe you would say that, Mynophales Erythilon!” she yelled. “I should have known better than to talk to a stupid Stream brat!” They both began yelling things until Darwyth interjected.

  “Hey, hey! Enough! Listen, you both need to cool down. You’re just under the effects of the lake.”

  “What?” Ly
lia demanded.

  “The lake, it’s kind of like a drug. It loosens people inhibitions, not extremely unless you ingest it, but just enough that most people wind up feeling calmer, more relaxed, more open. I’m guessing that you all had a real nice talk last night, right?” Darwyth looked to them for a response, but neither of them wanted to talk now. Neutrino looked back down at his manacled hands, not wanting Lylia to see his face.

  “Afterwards, most people tend to feel tired and cranky, and frequently a bit awkward,” Darwyth continued. “But we have too much to do right now to bother with it, so I suggest you just agree to forget all about it, and get to work.” Neutrino’s heart shrank to the size of a tephor bug.

  “Neutrino, as to your question, I know the space around here pretty well, but much farther beyond and I’m lost. Trust me, you don’t want me navigating. As you well know, Lylia is eminently qualified and will do a much better job,” he emphasized the last part for Lylia’s benefit.

  “Thank you, Darwyth,” Lylia said before returning to her work. She still looked a little irritated. Darwyth stared at Neutrino for a moment, apparently deep in thought.

  “Why did she call you that? Mynophales Erythilon?” Darwyth asked.

  “It’s my given name. But I prefer Neutrino, or Myno,” he mumbled without looking up. He couldn’t focus on anything but the meteor in his chest.

  “I’m going to go help Lylia get situated,” Darwyth said after a brief pause, “You keep practicing with the controls, okay?”

  Neutrino forced a nod. Darwyth walked over to the navigational controls and began talking quietly to Lylia. Neutrino watched them over his shoulder. Lylia looked stern and serious. He wished he could so easily let it go. She was probably relieved.

  He looked back down at his half robot arms and almost felt like crying. It couldn’t have just been the lake water, there was something between them, he felt it. They talked, they understood each other. She felt like a friend with at least a possibility for something more.

  Stop deluding yourself, of course it was the lake water, she wouldn’t really be interested in someone like you.

  Lylia had already been in the lake for a while before Neutrino found her; maybe it was just some kind of reaction. She did seem calmer and more approachable last night than she ever had. If the lake opened her up, did that mean that what she said was just the truth being released? Or was it all some drug induced fabrication? Did she mean any of it? All those things she said about him not being a coward, were they true? Neutrino looked back over his shoulder at her again. Lylia was now sitting and intently working away.

  I guess I’ll never know.

  Fizz, who had followed them into the ship but left Neutrino’s shoulder to explore, returned and rubbed affectionately against his cheek. Neutrino huffed and wished his hands were free to pet the little guy. Fizz seemed to know when he needed consoling.

  “Okay, I think we’re ready, yes?” Darwyth asked.

  “Navigation is set for Oolia 6,” Lylia called.

  “Neutrino, how about you? Are you ready to pilot the first ever streamship?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be. You’d better go home, Fizz,” Neutrino told the little Nilfrit. Fizz chirped angrily and tightened his grip. “Fine, your choice. But I don’t know when we’ll be back.” The little guy made that purr-chirping sound again.

  Neutrino took his eyes off Fizz and looked up through one of the many windows surrounding him. He had almost a full range of view from above his head to below his feet and in either direction left and right. “How do I get out of here?”

  “Oh! No problem,” Darwyth said. He pushed a few buttons on his control panel and the roof above them opened revealing a very wide, very long tunnel upwards. “This tunnel leads up through the lake. Did I mention the ship is water worthy too? Ha!”

  Neutrino wished he could share Darwyth’s excitement. Instead, the usual terror pulsed through his veins like a sickness. His disappointment over the situation with Lylia was muted by his unhappiness at once more being so scared. It was like his first stream all over again. He supposed in a way it was his first time, since it was a brand new ship and all, but since his last trip with Lylia had been so successful, Neutrino had hoped he would be spared this gut churning fear.

  Neutrino clenched his teeth and pushed the panic aside just as he’d always done, then he fired up the engines and the ship began to move, a little shakily at first before he got it somewhat under control. He directed the ship slowly upwards through the long tunnel. Soon they broke through a force field into the lake, past some stunned fish before tearing into the early morning sky. They ascended further and further until the atmosphere disappeared and the orange Slipstream lay ahead of them.

  “Yes!” Darwyth shouted. He was like a schoolboy with a shiny new toy. “The first mission of the Kalyaliss!”

  “Kalyaliss?” Lylia asked, “Doesn’t that mean Beautiful Kalya in Old Litarian?”

  “Yes.”

  “My mother’s name is Kalya,” Neutrino mused as they approached the Slipstream and he began to move the ship into it. He thought he heard Darwyth say, ‘I know’, but he must have been mistaken.

  24. Life in Neon

  “A what?” Neutrino asked. The Kalyaliss had had a very shaky start as Neutrino acquainted himself with the controls and struggled to adapt what he had learned about piloting and streaming to this new streamship. After five falls, he was finally getting into a comfortable groove when Lylia informed him that he would have to make a Stream change. He had no idea what she was talking about.

  “You need to exit this Stream and enter a different one in order to maintain course,” she answered.

  “Why?”

  “Just do it!” she yelled, “Now!” Neutrino veered left and up. The streamship passed out into normal space. Poor little Fizz trembled and buried his face in Neutrino’s neck. Neutrino couldn’t remove his hands to pet Fizz, so he just rubbed his face against his not fur. Fizz did not seem to be much of a fan of space travel, but at least he had avoided strangling Neutrino mid-flight with his tentacles.

  “Okay, now will you tell me why I did that?”

  “Because if you had continued on that Stream you would have crashed into Parthis,” Lylia sighed. Neutrino imagined she would have liked to add the word idiot but she was restraining herself.

  Maybe you should have told me that before we left, he thought. But if she could avoid calling him names, then Neutrino would do his best not to stir things up either, even though he was still stewing about the lake.

  “What are we doing at Parthis?” he asked, “I thought we were headed for Oolia 6?”

  “We are, but there are no direct routes from Nikos Speeckian to Oolia 6. Most of the longer Slipstream routes, not originating on Venthall, require at least two stops.”

  “Oh,” Neutrino said. Just another thing he had never really given much thought to. And why should he? He didn’t think he would ever be good enough to stream out this far anyway. “How many stops do we have to make?”

  “Normally three, but, with the streamship, I think we can take a shortcut. You know, pick up a Stream in mid-flight, without taking the time to go all the way to each planet.”

  “Okay, so where to now, boss?” he smirked.

  “Give me a minute, Myno,” she retorted. He had the feeling she would never call him Neutrino again. At least she didn’t seem as angry anymore. “You exited the Slipstream a little beyond where you were supposed to.”

  “How’s she handling, Neutrino?” Darwyth asked.

  “Not too bad, I think I could get used to this,” he answered. He really thought he could get to like it. After the brief panic attack prior to take off, Neutrino’s nerves had slowly settled, until Lylia had yelled at him. It turned out that being inside a ship was far less frightening to Neutrino than floating around in nothing but a space suit. Once the chair straightened out so he was in a more or less standing position, maneuvering the controls became rather intuitive.


  Maybe I don’t have to quit, if they’ll let me become a streamship pilot when all this is over.

  “I thought you would like it. Don’t get too comfortable, you still have to land on Oolia 6, remember?”

  “I’ll be careful,” Neutrino looked back over his shoulder at Darwyth who seemed very pleased. “Have you ever been to Oolia 6? Creet said the Oolians were slow and boring.”

  “Ha!” Lylia snorted, “Creet would say that, he only knows about one thing; dirt.”

  “He knows about more than that,” said Neutrino angrily. Lylia raised her head and looked regrettably at Neutrino.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that he was… All I meant was that he probably never realized they’re telepathic. They spend most of their time listening to our thoughts and they usually communicate in thought. But they don’t normally go around advertising their abilities; they think it makes people uncomfortable.”

  That’s why Renix sent us here; a telepath might be able to talk to the Sun-entity.

  “Have you ever been there, Lylia?” Darwyth asked.

  “Once, on a training mission, but I went to the more populated southern continent, not where Renix is sending us.”

  “I thought the Arnasians went there every summer?”

  “Not since they started living in the dirt, which is when I was stationed there,” Lylia responded.

  “It’s not just dirt,” Neutrino intervened, feeling the need to defend someone he considered a friend. “The Under City is more beautiful than the best halls of the Senate.”

  Lylia’s monitor beeped, gratefully halting the conversation before it had a chance to turn ugly. “Navigation is ready, I’m sending it to you now,” Lylia sighed.

  Still feeling a little irritated, Neutrino looked ahead at the translucent image displaying his directions and tried to forget about it. The navigational instructions were exceedingly simple; probably also something for the Messengers who were too stupid to learn more about the universe. All Neutrino had to do was follow where the arrow pointed. He probably should have been insulted, but instead Neutrino loved it.