Continued from Close to the Edge: Star Beagle Adventures episodes 12 - 19
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 20: The Reveaiing Science of God
Scene 1: Amid Fusions of Wonder
Dawn of a light lying between the silence and sold sources
Chased amid fusions of wonder
In moments hardly seen forgotten
Coloured in pastures of chance, dancing leaves cast spells of challenge
Amused but real in thought
We fled from the sea
Whole …
“So you’re abandoning us, after all this time?”
Only a human with supreme self-confidence would dare tease a vulcan of T’Eln’s status. Captain Ronald Howard, XIV, had deliberately placed himself within tentacles’ reach of the monstrous beast that now shared his name. T’Eln seemed quite comfortable in the creature’s presence and was often found close to it, as she was now.
Skip Howard had chosen a lavender nail polish and matching eye-shadow. The giant cthulhuoid was mimicking this color with lavender stripes along the back of each of its tentacles. The rest of its body was partially camouflaged, not invisible, but echoing the colors of the beach and vegetation in a pattern that muted the impact of its size.
The ancient vulcan responded without a hint of emotion. Which was no surprise as the kolinar had removed all of her emotions. She regarded Skip Howard, with a cold, emotionless gaze that still gave him the creeps.
“I go where I am most needed. I remain where I am most needed. Skip needs me. And the colonists need me. I have lived a very long and very productive life. Much longer than most vulcans. And of all the things I have seen and done, none are so fascinating, or so profound as the opportunity this place provides to me. The kolinar permanently suppressed my emotions. But not my instincts.”
T’Eln’s expression softened just a little. She stepped toward the monster and placed her hand on its side. In response, the area of thick, rubbery skin around her hand changed color to mimic the light olive color of her skin. Ripples of color passed along its skin. But the four red eyes remained baleful, one focused on Skip Howard, the others looking about the island. Because T’Eln was not near the front of the creature, where the eyes and mouth were, she was outside of its range of vision. But then, Skip Howard realized, vision was not the primary sense this creature relied on.
“I have been in almost constant telepathic contact with Skip. He could be a million years old, but his consciousness is only a few days old. Emotionally, he is an infant. A newborn.”
Skip Howard smiled. “Your maternal instinct is engaged.”
The former premiere of the Vulcan Science Academy gave a single nod of her head. “I am as astonished by that as you are, Captain Howard.”
Howard laughed lightly. “Why do you call him Skip? That’s my name.”
“He is you. At least in part. Captain Carter calls him Skip Cthulhu. Lance Corporal Spitze calls him Skiptomilu, apparently some sort of pun on the name that Carter has given him. I call him Skip Rock. Part of your personality is in him. And part of Rock’s. She was the one who grafted part of your personality into him. I suppose you could say that while you may miss me, I will not miss you. Because part of you will remain here.”
Skip Howard walked slowly and cautiously up to the enormous, and rather terrifying creature that shared his name. And, apparently, part of his personality. He tentatively reached out a hand, which was met by a tentacle.
T’Eln watched emotionlessly.
Howard took a step back from the creature. “So, was he protecting us from his fellow, um, cthulhuoids? What was all that lightning about?”
“The lightning was intended for him, not for us,” T’Eln replied. “Not to kill him, but to seriously wound him and to warn him. The were separating him from the pod. Which would, under normal circumstances, lead to his demise in short order. To employ a human metaphor, think of it as a really nasty divorce.”
“I assume he will survive?” Howard asked.
“If we can learn enough about him quickly enough,” T’Eln replied. “He has found a new pod. He is the first of his kind to form familial relationships with other sentient beings.”
Captain Howard made an amused noise. He stepped forward again until he was close to the point where some of its tentacles folded back along its body. He reached out again to lightly pat a massive tentacle.
“Take care of her for me, buddy.”
The creature responded with a low, creaky rumble, like an ancient, haunted house clearing its throat.
Howard turned to look at the ancient vulcan.
T’Eln responded by raising an eyebrow.
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 20: The Reveaiing Science of God
Scene 1: Amid Fusions of Wonder
Dawn of a light lying between the silence and sold sources
Chased amid fusions of wonder
In moments hardly seen forgotten
Coloured in pastures of chance, dancing leaves cast spells of challenge
Amused but real in thought
We fled from the sea
Whole …
20.1
Amid Fusions of Wonder
Amid Fusions of Wonder
“So you’re abandoning us, after all this time?”
Only a human with supreme self-confidence would dare tease a vulcan of T’Eln’s status. Captain Ronald Howard, XIV, had deliberately placed himself within tentacles’ reach of the monstrous beast that now shared his name. T’Eln seemed quite comfortable in the creature’s presence and was often found close to it, as she was now.
Skip Howard had chosen a lavender nail polish and matching eye-shadow. The giant cthulhuoid was mimicking this color with lavender stripes along the back of each of its tentacles. The rest of its body was partially camouflaged, not invisible, but echoing the colors of the beach and vegetation in a pattern that muted the impact of its size.
The ancient vulcan responded without a hint of emotion. Which was no surprise as the kolinar had removed all of her emotions. She regarded Skip Howard, with a cold, emotionless gaze that still gave him the creeps.
“I go where I am most needed. I remain where I am most needed. Skip needs me. And the colonists need me. I have lived a very long and very productive life. Much longer than most vulcans. And of all the things I have seen and done, none are so fascinating, or so profound as the opportunity this place provides to me. The kolinar permanently suppressed my emotions. But not my instincts.”
T’Eln’s expression softened just a little. She stepped toward the monster and placed her hand on its side. In response, the area of thick, rubbery skin around her hand changed color to mimic the light olive color of her skin. Ripples of color passed along its skin. But the four red eyes remained baleful, one focused on Skip Howard, the others looking about the island. Because T’Eln was not near the front of the creature, where the eyes and mouth were, she was outside of its range of vision. But then, Skip Howard realized, vision was not the primary sense this creature relied on.
“I have been in almost constant telepathic contact with Skip. He could be a million years old, but his consciousness is only a few days old. Emotionally, he is an infant. A newborn.”
Skip Howard smiled. “Your maternal instinct is engaged.”
The former premiere of the Vulcan Science Academy gave a single nod of her head. “I am as astonished by that as you are, Captain Howard.”
Howard laughed lightly. “Why do you call him Skip? That’s my name.”
“He is you. At least in part. Captain Carter calls him Skip Cthulhu. Lance Corporal Spitze calls him Skiptomilu, apparently some sort of pun on the name that Carter has given him. I call him Skip Rock. Part of your personality is in him. And part of Rock’s. She was the one who grafted part of your personality into him. I suppose you could say that while you may miss me, I will not miss you. Because part of you will remain here.”
Skip Howard walked slowly and cautiously up to the enormous, and rather terrifying creature that shared his name. And, apparently, part of his personality. He tentatively reached out a hand, which was met by a tentacle.
T’Eln watched emotionlessly.
Howard took a step back from the creature. “So, was he protecting us from his fellow, um, cthulhuoids? What was all that lightning about?”
“The lightning was intended for him, not for us,” T’Eln replied. “Not to kill him, but to seriously wound him and to warn him. The were separating him from the pod. Which would, under normal circumstances, lead to his demise in short order. To employ a human metaphor, think of it as a really nasty divorce.”
“I assume he will survive?” Howard asked.
“If we can learn enough about him quickly enough,” T’Eln replied. “He has found a new pod. He is the first of his kind to form familial relationships with other sentient beings.”
Captain Howard made an amused noise. He stepped forward again until he was close to the point where some of its tentacles folded back along its body. He reached out again to lightly pat a massive tentacle.
“Take care of her for me, buddy.”
The creature responded with a low, creaky rumble, like an ancient, haunted house clearing its throat.
Howard turned to look at the ancient vulcan.
T’Eln responded by raising an eyebrow.
20.1
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Cthulhus and space shrimps and purple fur monsters, oh my!
).
