Welcome to a distant future full of possibilities where the enigmatic Floribans are here to
explore the galaxy.
Our humanity's alien best friends and their gift of the quantum space drive allows starships
to slip through the veiled dimension they call the strange as they visit distant planets
and stars.
Come along with the astral navigators and their Floribans counterparts as they explore
the galaxy and build friendships that will change the course of history.
The strange is calling you.
Welcome friend shaped entities to the fourth episode of the strange space adventures podcast.
I'm Katie Silverwings, author of the award winning series of cozy optimistic slice of
life sci-fi books this podcast brings to you each week.
I'm thrilled to be here with you once again in audio form to share the tales of strange
space.
This week we have two more chapters from my debut novella feathered friendship.
We'll be hearing a little bit more about Bernadette's life as she finally gets to leave the bird
room and go on a bit of an exploration.
She's also going to get to meet some new people which I am so excited to share with you.
That being said, here's this week's installment of feathered friendship, a strange space novella.
Chapter 9.
Cobalt is busy collating data between two of the old fashioned solid screen data pads
Dr. Salzar Newman has left for them to enter into the computer database for one of the
biosciences department's major projects.
The little budgerigar called Bernadette, now old enough to be able to fly confidently around
the room, has just returned to sitting on Cobalt's shoulder and overseeing everything
they do.
She's spent most of the day pestering the old bird called Rico, repeating words back
and forth with him and following him every time he tried to fly to a different perch.
Cobalt has a habit of doing most of their work in a chair in the bird room, as it's
not as eerily quiet as the main biosciences laboratory is when all of the human staff
members have left for the evening.
The birds are always chirping and flying around the room, giving it a genial background noise
level that the young Florvin seems to find comforting.
Okay, so that's all of the gene variants on this one.
Now where's...
Ah!
Cobalt snaps the fingers of their left hands.
Right!
Lieutenant Ramirez's notes need to be collated and added into the system, too.
I must have forgotten to pick those up.
Bernadette chirps and turns her head to one side, looking between the screens.
Cobalt pushes their rolling chair back from the desk and stands, giving Bernadette a little
pat on the head.
Hold on, Bernadette.
You can come with me, but I'll get in trouble if you fly off my shoulder, so stay put, okay?
Bernadette is a good budgie.
Yes, that's right.
You are.
With Bernadette perched on their shoulder, Cobalt steps through the bead curtain, separating
the bird room from the rest of the biosciences lab.
I'll be big!
Bernadette chirps while they're walking over to get the notes downloaded onto another datapad.
World is a big place for a little bird.
Yes it is.
Say, that's a new phrase.
Did you pick that up while you were pestering Rico earlier?
Rico is a pretty bird, pretty bird.
Cobalt laughs.
I'll take that as a yes.
Once they've finished downloading the lieutenant's notes onto their datapad, Cobalt starts back
towards the bird room door.
Thank you for not trying to fly off, Bernadette.
I'll be sure to tell Dr. S. how good you were.
Maybe she'll let me start showing you around the ship sooner than we.
The young Florifan's voice suddenly breaks as they pause mid-sentence, dropping the datapads
onto the floor.
Their ears swivel around erratically as if seeking out the source of a particularly distressing
sound.
They close all three eyes and freeze where they stand, all while one of their lower hands
frantically searches for something carried within the pockets of their jacket.
Coby?
Bernadette flutters her wings and preens a few strands of their silver hair.
Cobalt takes a deep breath and opens their eyes.
One of their free hands comes up to stroke the small blue and white bird's feathers.
It's nothing, Bernadette.
I—
They pause for a moment to withdraw a small flask from their pocket and take a measured
sip.
I just hear and see things that aren't there sometimes, that's all.
It'll go away again soon.
Birds in the bird room alls well with the galaxy.
Rico taught you that one, too?
Cobalt slips the flask back into their pocket and bends down to pick up their dropped datapads.
Yeah, alls well now.
Come on, let's get back to work.
I think I'm going to turn in early once this is done.
Chapter 10
Several days after her first brief foray into the wonders of the outside world, Bernadette
is allowed to ride around with Coby everywhere they go.
She's ecstatic about this, particularly because the big world is full of all sorts of exciting
and interesting places to explore.
She's learned every imitation sound Rico had to teach her, but now that she's able
to constantly listen in to the conversations of the tall people around her, she knows she'll
be able to pick up even more of their words, too.
She's come to understand that Mother is something called a human, while Coby and the others
like them are Floravans, different species of tall people who come from different planets,
which are big round worlds with people and birds like her living on some of them.
Today, she's learned that her home isn't a world in itself but a starship called MSS
Venture which travels between these planets.
Bernadette has also begun to suspect that it's not normal at all for a bird like her
to be able to understand the conversations around them or do more than imitate words
and associate them with things like food and tricks.
Whenever she tries to assemble her own sentences and actually carry on a conversation, unfortunately,
Mother seems to think that she's just very good at imitating things.
Father Coby, though, tries to keep a running dialogue with her and is always happy to explain
what's going on.
For example, currently she's riding on their shoulder to visit a place called the Nav Closet,
which is, as far as Bernadette understands, the place where astral navigators are stored,
and they're doing their best to explain to her why the three miniature Floravans she
met this morning aren't allowed to visit the Bird Room.
So from what Dr. S has told me, Coby continues, before the kittens started shedding their
fur, Ilven's initial shiny things are for us to collect and make nests with phase included
wanting to borrow some of Rico's feathers while he was still wearing them.
Shiny things?
Oh, you'd have to ask Ilven about that.
It all went on long before Elder Navy took me for their apprentice.
My guess would be that they spend too much time around Dr. S and liked the bright colors.
Coby almost giggles.
Anyway, the flock's still a bit frightened of the kittens, even though they've mostly
grown out of it.
I mean, Ilven seemed pretty keen not to give you a reason to peck them earlier, so the
feeling's pretty mutual from what I can see.
The three smaller Floravans, Bernadette has learned, are the offspring of the full-sized
one called Navy.
The kittens are currently only a smidgen larger than her and covered in soft silver fur that's
started to shed off in patches on their ears and around their shoulders.
From what she understands, eventually the three of them will lose the rest of their
fur and grow to be somewhat Coby-sized, and then they'll be sent to a different starship
to serve an apprenticeship like the one her sibling is in now.
Bernadette hasn't put together yet all the details about why that is or what Coby actually
does in the nighttime when they're not in the bird room.
She knows it has something to do with moving the ship forward to wherever it's going in
space, but the rest of what she's overheard makes very little sense to her.
Ah, says Coby, turning a corner and going through one of the automatic doors.
Here we are, Bernadette.
That big room out there is Ventures Command Bridge, and back here is the nav closet.
The few humans who are busy at the different consoles in the bridge area and happen to
notice their presence either nod or wave briefly to Coby.
They wave back and then walk through the second little door.
It slips shut behind them.
Bernadette has already decided that she doesn't like automatic doors.
They don't want to obey her when she tries to use them on her own, not that she'd be
allowed out of the bird room without her sibling as an escort, of course.
Good evening, Zoe.
I hope we're not interrupting you.
Good evening, Cobalt.
No, no, I'm just pulling charge for the jump cycle.
I can spare a few minutes.
The tall, pale human with the neatly wound up black hair turns the swiveling chair around
towards the door.
And does Aireen know you've borrowed one of her birds?
She's being habituated to the bustle of the ship so we can have her ready for the tests,
Cobalt answers.
Ah, right.
So which of the ones from the big experiment is this, then?
This is Bernadette.
Albert isn't all that interested in leaving the bird room, unfortunately.
Bernadette, of course, is perfectly happy that the yellow nuisance had declined Coby's
offer to come along with the two of them today.
She's quite glad he's decided he'd rather be part of the bird room flock than go exploring.
Ah, says Zoe.
So this is the Bernie I've heard so much about.
Good evening to you too, then, little bird.
Bernadette bobs her head and chirps politely.
We've not met in person before, but she knows that this has to be the Zoe whom Mother talks
about so fondly all the time, the one who is her reason for being friends with Navy.
From what Bernadette has gathered while listening to Mother and Coby talk, Zoe is a special
sort of human who is mostly a she, like Mother, but some days is also a they, like Coby.
Bernadette doesn't know enough about humans in general yet to understand any of that,
but she knows this is a person who is very important to Mother and therefore is a member
of her flock.
So is she handling being out of the bird room well, then?
Better than Dr. S expected, actually.
Coby grins proudly, then makes a sort of sheepish gesture with their long tufted tail.
But since I have to go meet up with Elder Navy now and I don't have time to take her
back to the bird room and get to the drive bay on time, I was wondering if Bernadette
could maybe sit with you for a while instead?
You really are spending too much time with Aerie, aren't you?
Zoe chuckles warmly.
Fine, the bird can stay, but if she makes a mess in here...
She's the best behaved budgerigar in the galaxy, Zoe, Coby protests.
Aren't you, Bernadette?
You'll be good for Zoe and not bother her while she's working, right?
Bernadette is a good budgie, she says, bobbing her head again.
Since it seems like she'll be staying here, she takes the opportunity to fly up from Coby's
shoulder to the top of the high-backed chair Zoe is sitting in.
It's a nice perch, particularly since it lets her see all of the interesting things on the
screens that are set up around the room.
Ah, right, you and Aerie did say that this one talks, didn't you?
She listens, too, Coby says.
I'm pretty sure she actually understands when we're talking to her.
Dr. S says that's more wishful thinking and anthropomorphizing on my part than actual
fact, though.
Is that so?
Zoe looks up and tilts her head to one side at Bernadette.
Well then, bird, just try to be quiet while I'm working, will you?
Bernadette works through in her mind the long list of words she's figured out how to say
and the sounds that make them and then settles on a response.
Bernadette is a quiet budgie.
Zoe looks back to Coby.
Remind me, will you, to tell my wife that this pet project of hers is starting to be
a bit too creepy for my liking?
Or did you teach her to say that?
No, and she's not creepy.
Coby twitches their ears in mild irritation before shooting Bernadette a pointed smile.
But she is very smart.
I'm pretty sure she's figured out how sentences work.
Zoe sighs.
Just get going, Cobalt.
You know how Navy feels about tardiness.
And remember, the kittens are going to be with you tonight, so try not to let any of
them get misplaced.
You don't really think I'd let that happen, do you?
Coby's voice takes on an almost hurt tone, but only for a moment.
No, Cobalt says Zoe reassuringly and half-laughing.
It's more just that I know there's three of them and one of you and even I can't keep
those fuzzy little scamps out of trouble half the time when Navy leaves them up here with
me.
Bernadette, sitting on the back of the chair, looks down to her sibling with a flutter of
her feathers.
Coby goes to work now.
Yes, Bernadette, Coby waves to her and turns toward the door.
I'll be back later to pick you up.
With that, Bernadette is left alone in the room full of diagrams and displays and additional
hollow screens surrounding the central chair.
Now, so you just sit there and stay out of my way, okay, Bernie?
Zoe pauses for a moment, then sets her hand over her face and makes a sound that's halfway
between a sigh and a laugh.
And now I'm talking to the birds.
Maybe I'm the one who's been around Aerie too long.
Bernadette does as she's been asked and remains silent.
She's far too interested in looking around at all of the things in the room and trying
to figure out what the lines and words and drawings all mean.
Zoe reaches up and pulls down the little bar on the headset she's wearing so that it's
in line with her mouth.
Navy, I just sent Cobalt down to you.
If you hear anything weird tonight, it's because they've left Aerie's little mad science project
up here with me.
From one side of the headset near Zoe's ear, Bernadette hears bell-like laughter.
Curious, she repositions herself more on that side of the chair back so she can hear better.
Oh, well, the kittens liked little Bernadette for what it's worth.
They've been chattering about her all afternoon.
Navy laughs again, planning on teaching your little feathered daughter to read star charts
then.
Oh, don't you start on me, Earleam.
Zoe chuckles for a moment, then focuses her attention on one of her computer interfaces.
A few minutes later, Cobie joins the other Floribund voice wherever they are, and Zoe
and Navy coordinate a pair of long-involved checklists of things like door seals and intercom
connections and quantum analysis computer interfaces.
Bernadette listens intently from her perch on the back of the chair, all the while still
trying to piece together what's going on.
All right, Navy, that's the last of our checks.
Prepare to make our first jump of the night on my mark.
Zoe taps another series of buttons on the control pad on the chair's armrest and then
speaks again in a more formal voice.
Little hands prepared for jump to quantum space.
All NavQuon safety protocols are now in effect, jumping in 30 seconds.
At the same time, Bernadette hears Navy's voice in the headset counting backwards.
When they reach one, the voice falls silent.
At the same time, she feels the familiar but inexplicable sensation of all of her feathers
being rustled by some unseen static charge rushing like a wind across her and the entire
ship.
Bernadette is used to this sensation.
She feels it regularly during the ship's arbitrary night period, usually every hour or two.
None of the other birds ever seemed bothered by it if they felt it, though, and she's
generally assumed that they don't.
She had once asked Albert if his feathers were affected by whatever the odd static feeling
is, but this had proven to be a mistake because ever since he's teased her mercilessly about
being a silly-knot bird who feels things that aren't there.
One of the best parts about being allowed out of the bird room, of course, is that Albert
isn't here to tease her.
She ruffles out all of her feathers and starts preening the static out of them.
Jump to quantum space confirmed, Zoe.
Do you have coordinates ready for us?
Yes, just a moment.
Zoe pulls a little Hollisgreen and Stylus out of the armrest and taps it.
Your primal is still Captian and your local origin is 30 by 38 F and 1 F, she says, and
then rattles off a list of other labeled points and numbers.
All right, we've got our bearings now.
Destination?
Do you want a full jump or a half distance?
Full I think, we're running smoothly so far.
Full it is then.
Jump out points 32 by 34 B and 5.
Sound good?
Sounds good, Zoe.
We'll call when we reach it.
After this, there's silence over Zoe's headset.
She turns her chair around and starts tapping through the various lists on her displays.
Bernadette watches eagerly, trying to put together what all of this means.
And that's where we'll leave our story for this week.
I do hope you're enjoying Bernadette's continuing story as she grows up on the Starship Venture
and learns more about the world around her.
Next week, Bernadette will be meeting some new characters and finally, perhaps convincing
her mother that she's more than just an ordinary budgie.
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Thanks again for joining me today on the Strange Space Adventures podcast.
I hope your upcoming week is filled with opportunities and joy.
This is Katie Silverwings wishing you the best the galaxy has to offer.
Stay shiny!
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