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 Floriban 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 episode five of the Strange Space Adventures podcast.
I'm Katie Silverwings, author of the award-winning series of cozy, optimistic science fiction
stories this podcast brings to you each week.
I'm thrilled to be here with you in audio form to share the tales of Strange Space.
This week we have two more chapters from my debut novella Feathered Friendship.
Our chapters this week are the beginning of a turning point in Bernadette the budgie's
story and I can't wait to read them for you.
Without any further delay, here's this week's installment of Feathered Friendship, a Strange
Space novella.
Chapter 11.
Several hours pass with periodic check-ins from Navy and Coby and exchanges of odd lists
of coordinate numbers as the only interruptions to Zoe's quiet chart-reading routine.
Bernadette keeps herself occupied with feather-printing and looking at the various charts and displays
to try to figure out what they mean.
She's gotten relatively good at reading the language of the tall people recently, since
she spends so much of her time keeping Coby company as they're working.
They've even started to read bits of things out loud to her when she's shown the right
sort of interest.
Zoe's displays are a bit too advanced for Bernadette, though.
All of the words and numbers and charts seem to run together with no hint of their context
no matter how many times she tries to read them.
She wants to try and ask what it all means and what Coby and Navy are doing wherever
they are for that matter, but she's promised to be quiet so her questions will have to
wait.
Some time after the fourth exchange of coordinate numbers while Zoe is once again silently contemplating
the information on her display screens, a light chime sounds from the little work chamber's
door.
Enter, Zoe calls, still distracted by her charts and numbers.
Hey, Zoe, I brought coffee.
Mother walks in carrying a tall covered mug like the ones she often brings into the bird
room while she's working.
Harry, you're a wonder.
Zoe turns the chair around.
Please tell me you've come to pick up your feathered daughter as well.
Ah, hello, Bernie.
Mother comes over and places the steaming mug in Zoe's hand so she can properly reach
up and give Bernadette's feathers a soft stroking.
I was wondering where you were.
Bernadette would normally greet Mother with a lot of exuberant chirping, but since Zoe
has asked her to be quiet, she settles for quietly flapping her wings and bobbing her
head.
Mother giggles, then looks down to Zoe.
So, love, what do you think of her?
Well, Zoe glances up to Bernadette briefly and then chuckles, let's just say I'm glad
she's not as loud and messy as the rest of your birds.
Oh, that's odd.
Bernie's usually pretty talkative.
Bernadette is a quiet bird.
Bernadette informs her in as quiet a voice as she can manage, bobbing her head happily.
Well, she was being quiet until you came in.
Zoe looks up to Mother with a fond smile and a tone that's only halfway serious.
Please, Aerie, if you're going to talk to the bird, take her away.
You know I'm working, and you're distraction enough on your own.
I know, I know.
Mother smiles and then looks back up to Bernadette and pats the perching spot on her shoulder.
Come on, Bernie, let's leave Zoe alone now so she can work.
Bernadette reluctantly flutters over to her shoulder and then looks back to Zoe and dips
her head and wings.
Thank you, Zoe, she says, still trying not to chirp it out too loudly.
Zoe looks like she's about to say something and then holds up a hand at some voice from
her headset in a wait-a-moment gesture.
Alright, location confirmed as 37 by 34E and 9.
Proceed with jump back to normal space in 30 seconds.
Mother stands quietly and watches with Bernadette as Zoe follows her routine of tapping buttons
on her armrest's hollow screen and making a similar announcement over the ship's intercom.
That done, Zoe deftly tucks the stylus back behind her ear.
Bernadette shivers again as the static feeling begins to ruffle the edges of all of her
feathers at once.
She's never felt so much of it at one time before.
She feels a similar shiver run through Mother's shoulder even through the thick layers of
uniform she wears.
Mother shuts her eyes and sets a hand on the door frame.
When Bernadette looks toward it she sees the pale fingers gripping tightly as if Mother
needs a perch like that to hold her up.
Return to normal space confirmed, says Zoe, still focused on her headset and screens.
If everything's okay down there we'll set for the next one in five minutes.
I just need to let the quantum analysis compile and the ship markers update.
Looks like we've got more folks in the area to keep an eye on now that we're approaching
Sol.
The static now passed, Bernadette sets about rearranging her feathers.
She stops after a moment to nudge Mother's cheek instead because she's never seen the
pinkness drain away from it like this before.
She wasn't aware before that now that Mother could feel the static too or that it could
have such a strong effect on her.
Mother still has her eyes closed tight.
Bernadette nudges her cheek again and makes some soft chirps to try to reassure her without
being too loud.
Zoe looks over to them now, her face shifting to a more concerned expression.
Mary, you okay?
Yeah, Mother says, finally opening her eyes.
She slowly removes her hand from the door frame and rubs both of them together.
It was just a bit sharper than usual that time.
Zoe slides her chair over and sets her hands on Mother's.
You got distracted and forgot to eat your dinner again, didn't you?
Mother is silent as if contemplating the question, then lets out a single half-hearted
laugh.
Possibly, I don't remember.
I'll get a snack or something on my way back to the lab.
Promise?
One of Zoe's hands reaches up to gently touch Mother's cheek for a moment.
Promise?
Good.
Zoe looks up at Bernadette and chuckles.
Bernie, hold her to that for me, will you?
Bernadette is a good budgie, she replies.
Time for stick snacks, little birdies.
It's downright eerie how she acts like she understands us, you know, Zoe says to Mother,
removing her hands and returning to her work.
Eerie?
Mother laughs, sounding like herself again.
Who, this sweet little thing?
Yes, eerie.
Zoe glances back pointedly at Bernadette.
I'd bet anything she's just pretending to be a normal bird.
Bernadette is not a normal bird?
Bernadette asks, looking up to Mother and tilting her head to one side.
Considering how many times she's been informed that she isn't a proper bird at all, at least
by Albert, it's confusing that Zoe seems to think the same thing.
Mother is silent for a moment, looking at Bernadette closely.
You know, Zoe, she says at last.
I think I have some tests I need to do.
I'll see you later.
If you're still awake when we have the mid-shift break, yeah, I'll come find you.
Great.
Mother's usual enthusiastic mood has returned in full.
Come on, Bernadette, we have work to do too.
Chapter 12.
Okay, Bernie, let's see if you're just very clever at imitating or if Coby and Zoe are
on to something.
Dr. Salzar Newman absently munches on one of the strawberries she'd picked up from the
crew mess on her way back to her workroom.
She points to Bernadette with the stem.
Who are you, little bird?
Bernadette is a good budgie.
The bird sitting on the table in front of Dr. Salzar Newman bobs her head happily.
Bernadette takes a nibble off of the remaining bit of strawberry on the stem before adding,
Bernadette is a Bernadette.
Dr. Salzar Newman looks at the bird for a moment and makes a note on the holoscreen
beside her.
Okay, good answer.
Now how about me?
Who am I?
The bird is silent for a moment, then flutters her wings excitedly.
Dr. S is a good human.
Dr. S is mother.
Dr. Salzar Newman's eyes widen and then she chuckles.
That's sweet, Bernie.
She offers the bird the stem of another strawberry while she makes a few more notes, then gestures
to the bowl of strawberries the two of them are sharing.
What about these?
Strawberries.
Time for Snick Snacks, little birdies.
The bird pauses and tilts her head to one side before adding, time for Snick Snacks
for mother.
Dr. Salzar Newman laughs.
Well, you've certainly got a good memory, Bernie.
Yes, yes, Zoe and Navy are always fussing at me for getting distracted with my work.
Navy is a good Floravan, Bernadette says, unprompted with a cheerful bobbing of her
head.
Zoe is a good human.
Navy and Zoe loves mother.
I know they do.
Dr. Salzar Newman smiles, although the tone of her voice says that she's equal parts
baffled and fascinated.
I didn't know that you knew that though.
Bernadette loves mother, the bird adds.
Aw, Bernie.
She shakes her head.
That's sweet too, but all of this is still stuff you might have reasonably been expected
to learn how to say.
There's precedent to rearranging phrases and responding to key words at least, but
I've never encountered a budgie as young as you who could do that before though, and certainly
not to this extent.
The little blue and white bird tilts her head as if waiting for another question to answer.
Dr. Salzar Newman makes another note or two on her datapad and then taps her stylus to
her lips.
Okay, what else can we try?
Let's see.
Ah, I know.
Who's my assistant?
Can you tell me about them?
Bernadette chirps happily and wags her tail feathers the same way she does every morning
when the person in question enters the bird room.
Assistant is Kobe.
Kobe is a good Florovan.
Bernadette is blue like Kobe.
Kobe is sibling of Bernadette.
The doctor laughs at this description and adds some more notes to her growing collection.
So you certainly have a sense of object permanence and identities of the people you've met.
That's incredible, Bernie.
Bernadette is a smart budgie.
Bernadette flaps her wings excitedly and lightly fluffs out her feathers for a moment.
Yes you are.
Let's see.
Here's a challenge for you.
How about our home?
Where do we all live, Bernie?
Birds in the bird room alls well with the galaxy.
The bird preens a few feathers on her wing before looking back up at Dr. Salzar Newman
and tilting her head slightly to one side again.
Bernadette in the bird room.
Bernadette in venture.
Oh, okay.
And what is venture?
Venture is home.
Bernadette adds in an imitation of the whistle the ship's intercom system makes before an
announcement.
Venture is shiny starship.
So it is.
Dr. Salzar Newman claps lightly for a moment or two.
I know I've never taught you that specifically.
Or has Kobe been telling you things?
Kobe talks to Bernadette.
Kobe talks to Mother.
So you might be able to piece together information from what you've heard us say too?
Incredible.
I can't wait until Kobe comes off the jump shift to show them this and to apologize for
not paying attention to what they've been telling me about you.
Bernadette bobs her head happily.
Okay, Bernie, tell me something else.
Dr. Salzar Newman smiles softly and picks up another strawberry to nibble on.
Your choice.
The bird is silent for a long time.
Finally, she chirps and pointedly stretches her wing towards the perches on the other
side of the room where the rest of Dr. Salzar Newman's budgerigar flock is going about
their business.
Albert is annoying yellow bird.
Bernie.
Dr. Salzar Newman is startled enough that she almost chokes on her strawberry.
Now, who in the stars taught you to say that?
Bernadette taught Bernadette.
The little bird replies.
She fluffs out her head feathers and flutters her wings for a moment before holding one
wing out towards the perches again.
Albert is annoying yellow bird.
The yellow budgerigar named Albert doesn't seem to recognize that he's been insulted
even though from where he's perching with the other budgies on the other side of the
small room he doubtless could have heard her.
He doesn't so much as look Bernadette's way.
Incredible.
Dr. Salzar Newman shakes her head.
Although I'll admit, Bernie, I don't quite understand why he annoys you.
She taps through the menus on her datapad and then sends off a message.
Bernadette folds her wings back, seemingly content to have said all she might possibly
have to say about the subject.
She hops up onto the rim of the bowl of strawberries and looks down at the datapad.
She tilts her head to one side as if trying to read the contents of the screen.
A few moments later a pinging sound alerts Dr. Salzar Newman to a new message.
She reads it and smiles before looking back to the curious little bird perching on the
rim of the bowl.
Okay Bernie, I have another test in mind for you.
Are you up for a bit of a challenge?
Bernadette is a smart budgie.
Dr. Salzar Newman laughs and offers the bird her hand.
I'll take that as a yes.
Come on, we'll be going back to my quarters for this.
Bernadette hops up onto the hand with a happy chirp.
And that's where we'll leave our story for this week.
I hope you've enjoyed these latest chapters of Feathered Friendship.
Next week we'll see just what Dr. Salzar Newman has planned for her next experiment.
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Thanks again for joining me today on the Strange Space Adventures podcast.
I hope your week ahead 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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