Lt. Cmdr. Avander Promontory & Lt. Cmdr. Katsim Peri - "The Adventures of Echo and Meander"
Amanda Nordstrom
The Adventures of Echo and Meander!
((Halls of the USS Octavia E Butler))
Meander was thrilled to be leaving their room with his boy. Oh, sure, the terrarium was cozy and it liked being with the human, but most of the time the boy was out of their den. Or sleeping. Meander loved sleeping. Especially curled up by the wetifier.
But today was an adventure day and Meander was eager to discover strange new smells and maybe new friends. They walked through spaces that Meander hadn’t yet learned to a room with shinny lights and another human.
Promontory: One (looking at Meander) and a half to beam to DS14. (beat) At Commander Katsim’s approximate location.
Meander didn’t understand any of the strange noises its boy made, but the boy had looked at him and that was nice. Meander snuggled in–it looked like they were going to go through the tickle machine.
((Arboreal Habitat Ring, Deep Space 14))
The tickle machine did its job and now they were in another place. Meander scampered around in a circle, trying to shake the last of the tickles off, before looking around.
It took in a deep breath. Yes, this was a nice place. He could smell life in the air. Plants and beings, this would be fun to explore!
Meander started to run off, his six legs working overtime, but after a couple steps, it turned back to find its boy.
He was standing next to an almost-human and… wait, Meander has seen this one before. Excitedly, Meander looked around for the turquoise-colored creature. There she was!
Immediately, the dragonet perked up at the sight of her friend, emitting a chirp in greeting. With a silent nudge from her pet, she knew she was free to do as she wished and immediately launched into the air, then angled down to land beside him. Butting her head against his, she chirped again as she folded her wings against her back and set a brisk pace deeper into the arbor.
After the excitement of meeting its friend, Meander was confused. They were outside, but they were inside. The immediate pathway had grass and plants and earth, but above them was not sky. It was a sort of half-sky, half-something else. Like day and night, at the same time. Blue sky on the horizon, but twinklers straight up.
Seeing Meander hesitate, Echo paused and cocked her head first one way, then the other. For her, the strangeness of the surroundings didn’t phase her, for her creature had taken her to many places and many environments, and strangeness was no longer strange. Growing a little impatient, she playfully nipped her friend upon his shoulder, then bounded forward, her wings lifted ever so slightly, as if to help her balance. Her long tail whipped back and forth in enthusiasm as she turned off the hardened path and launched straight into the underbrush.
Meander: Eeek-ca-ca!
Meander let out a playful yelp as he gave chase to the dragonette. There were new smells and sights and textures. They darted in and out of strange plants.
The rich, cool scent of the earth mingled with the tang of greenery, and Echo paused to snatch a leaf from a stem to enjoy its bitter sweetness. Another chirp followed when the tint of water tickled her nose and she adjusted her direction to aim in its direction, bounding through the grass and growth, wisps of grass and young, broad leafed plants waving in the wake of her exuberance.
Meander: Cahoo! Ooo!
Meander indicated to his friend–there was water nearby. He loved water!
Echo swung around, another chirp escaping as she folded her wings against her back. Trotting closer to Meander, it turned into a follow-the-leader as he angled toward the water that he had discovered.
With a quick backwards glance, Meander dove into the water, his digits stretching out, pulling taught the webs between them. Six limbs moved in tandem as he shot forward and down. This was fresh water, not salty. Oh well. He would still explore its depths. And… he was already there. This was a shallow water-path.
Meander rose to the surface and spun around. Where were the others!?
He began a frantic swim back the way he had come, but with his head above water, turning to and fro, taking in the sights. There were a multitude of people and trees and buildings, but he did not see his friend.
Suddenly, a series of bubbles floated up from below the surface, marking the presence of an air breather.
There!
He did not have to wait long, for after he had slipped into the water, she had taken to the air, then descended toward the middle, and suddenly sprang to the surface, a stream of water escaping her mouth and splashing against Meander’s face.
The creature sputtered at the incoming unexpected jet of water.
Meander: Pswargorath!
Diving down, Echo immediately swam away, but it was obvious her intent. She had tagged him, covering him in a brief shower before darting away and initiating the chase.
Meander: Croo!
With an eager cry, Meander dove back through the water to follow the impish dragon.
She was not as easy to catch as one might think for a creature of the air. Keeping her wings tight against her body made Echo far more hydrodynamic than one might think, and she had the added advantage of using her wings to propel her forward and giving her an extra boost of speed. She glanced back, her mouth remaining closed for her sound would not easily travel, and she conserved her breath for the game.
Meander redoubled his effort and began to gain on the air-swimmer. Extending his neck, he was just in reach of the other’s tail. He gave a quick little nip on the very end.
Echo might have chirped, but being under the water, she naturally refrained from such explanations. Instead, she writhed about and playfully snapped at her friend before twirling around and changing the tides. Now she was chasing him!
Meander twisted around, looking for some interesting coral or something to hide in, but this water-path was exceptionally dull. No colorful fishes nor coral, nor depths, nor anything but smoothed shallow edged.
Meander: (exhaling bubbles under water) brmf!
He returned to the surface and looked again for his boy. He would help Meander!
Echo followed, her head popping above the line of the water and she chirped at Meander who had, by that point, made it to the shore.
The boy was with the other human-ish biped, walking along a stone path through a garden of wild grasses and odd, unfamiliar shrubs. Meander gave a shake of his body to rid himself of excess water and leaped up to Avander’s arms.
Promontory: Oof! (frantically grasping the creature and trying not to be thrown off balance) You got to warn me before you do that bud.
Meander wasn’t sure what the boy’s words meant, but it sounded like he was paying attention to Meander and loved him. Meader was happy.
Echo quickly followed suit, grounding herself, then indulging in a severe shake which sent water flying. Despite her smaller size, it was still enough to spray everyone in range, including Peri, who lifted a hand and squinted her eyes to protect them. Spreading her wings, she flapped, but found herself unable to gain any height, her wings still too waterlogged. Crouching down, Peri scooped up her dragonet and placed the purple creature on her shoulder.
Promontory: It’s a pretty impressive set-up. I’ll give it that.
Katsim: What impresses you particularly?
With no cognizance of the conversation, Echo ignored the conversation between the two bets and set about preening. One wing stretched out, her beak working at the suede like skin.
Promontory: I read that the covering is made out of translucent aluminum infused with polymer dispersed liquid crystal–it lets in natural sun and starlight and also allows them to approximate planetary sky-conditions.
More unintelligible words, but Meander craned his long neck in the direction the boy pointed. It seemed like he was indicating that uncanny pseudo-sky.
Meander: Rrrrr.
He did not like the unnatural mixing of day and night skies.
Echo paused in her self care and peered over at Meander. Another chirp escaped before she returned to her careful grooming, working her nozzle along the inside of her wing, then stretching around to do the outside.
Katsim: That is an advantage.
Shifting on the shoulder, Echo turned around, her back now to Meander and his pet as it allowed her more room to stretch out her other wing.
Promontory: They’ve angled the system and make use of Bajoran solar sails to make good use of the local sun. (beat) Apparently it has positive psychological benefits compared with the typical starbase indoors.
Meander continued to ignore the meaningless babble from the big creatures–they weren’t talking to him–and focused on the dragonette who was preening under her flappy wing-arms. The creature also had six limbs, but two were on her back which was now facing him on full display.
It was very curious. Meander mirrored the creature as best he could from the arms of his boy. Lifting his front limbs up, he put his snout in the pit of the limb in approximation of what he saw. He held the pose for a moment, but couldn’t see the appeal and went back to a more comfortable pose, clutching his boy’s arm like a branch.
Katsim: I suppose that is true.
She nodded and arched her neck a little as the dragonet’s antics dominated her shoulder. Gone were the days when the creature could hide in the locks of her hair, creating a nest upon her head. Now Echo took up a lot more space.
Promontory: I hear that there’s a pretty impressive subterranean system here too. I guess it incorporates the support systems for the topside as well as unique organics that wouldn’t thrive up here, all mixed in with engineering access points. A real triumph of ecological unity… the holo said.
Katsim: I’m curious to see…
She paused as the computer chirped. Pulling out her PADD, Peri glanced at the message, then cast a knowing glance over at Avander.
Katsim: Looks like we’re being called to a briefing.
Promontory: (scratching under Meander’s head) Looks like that’s it for now buddy. Maybe we can come back soon.
Meander didn’t like that disappointed tone and let out a little gruff of disapproval and yipped at Echo. Maybe they could steal away and continue their adventures…
[END SCENE]
*****
Meander
Avander’s Gormogon
Octavia E Butler
O239910AP4
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Echo
Peri’s Dragonet
Octavia E Butler
M239008AD0