Welcome to a distant future full of possibilities where the enigmatic Floribans are here to
their 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 episode seven 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 focus on Bernadette the budgie's life now that her little family
has noticed that she's a sapient bird.
Stick around after the chapters for a special announcement.
Without any further delay here's this week's installment of Feathered Friendship, a Strange
Space Novella.
Chapter 14.
Will you just hold still, Bernie?
Zoe laughs brightly.
I don't want to solder you instead of these microwires.
Ever since they all realized that Bernadette was, in fact, intelligent and sapient and
able to carry on a proper conversation with them, the tall people in her flock have been
treating her much like they do Navy's three silver kitten floofs.
Zoe, in particular, seems to have warmed up to her in no small part because, unlike the
kittens, Bernadette isn't in the habit of borrowing their tools and hiding them in hard
to reach places around the ship.
Bernadette, be still, she promises, allowing Zoe to continue carefully connecting the tiny
bits of circuitry on the collar they're setting up over her mantle and breast to match the
two little bands that they've already put around her legs.
The whole collar is designed with small, carefully arranged sections so that she can move them
to preen the feathers underneath.
It's secured across her upper back with an even finer band running under the base of
her wings.
Do you really think this will work, Zoe?
asks Cobalt, who's been assisting them with the procedure.
Well, the theory's sound enough and she's smart enough to understand how to use it.
So hopefully?
Yes.
A few minutes later, everything is attached and the latest prototype of Bernadette's personal
tech adaptations are finally on and ready to test.
Okay, Bernie, that should do it.
Now say something.
Hello, world.
I am Salzar Newman's Bernadette of venture.
Zoe and Coby laugh.
Oh, really now, Bernie?
Zoe says, still chuckling.
I know that's a classic programmer's phrase, but the name Aery's given you is three times
longer than you are.
It was the name Mother put on my registry paperwork when I hatched, Bernadette replies
with a punctuating chirp.
It's mine and I'm keeping it.
You really are Aery's daughter, aren't you?
Zoe pats her on the head briefly to smooth her back feathers into place over the circuits
connecting the sections of her collar.
You've certainly inherited enough of her personality.
I will take that as a compliment.
The tiny circuits continue to do their job perfectly, allowing Bernadette to speak with
a voice that's less garbled and imitation-like and far easier to understand.
That was the whole point of this, really, to make good use of some of the same sorts
of microcircuitry that Zoe specialized in designing before they became Navy's Navigator.
The small set of bird-sized accessories started out as a modified and patched-backed-together
combination of an old pocket com and one of the fancy earpieces the Floravans wear when
they're working in quantum space.
So, Bernadette, Coby asks, are you ready to try flying with this on?
Yes.
Bernadette accepts her sibling's assistance to get to a higher perch for takeoff and then
stretches out her wings and flaps them experimentally for a few moments.
It doesn't feel nearly as heavy as the last one, Zoe, she comments excitedly.
Thank you.
The unexpected weight of the first version of Bernadette's gear had been enough that
the all-important flight test had ended with her abruptly falling out of the air and Coby
having to dive and catch her before she could injure herself crashing into the ground.
This current set is the result of the twelfth round of modifications to the system.
She's pleased already with the latest prototype, but it's all worthless if she can't fly properly.
With another moment to stretch her wings and sort out the minor differences from her usual
center of gravity, Bernadette launches herself up into the air and makes a few experimental
flights around the room.
Within moments, she's zooming past the open viewport and the sea of stars beyond it with ease.
Flight adjustments are working, she says, chirping excitedly in her own voice to go
along with the computer-aided output of the thoughts she's wanting to express.
Good, Zoe tells her, applauding.
Now come land and we'll test your interface with the computers.
Bernadette wheels around the room and gracefully lands on Zoe's outstretched arm.
Okay, what first?
Try activating your hollow screen projection, I think.
That's what's most likely to short out on us again.
Bernadette flexes her wings and then tucks them away and taps the appropriate place on
her left foot's leg band.
There's a small pinging sound, and then a hollow screen roughly the same size as herself
appears hovering in front of her.
Good.
Now see if you can get through the menus and send Ari a message.
Okay.
Bernadette gestures at the screen with her wing and beak to move through the menus, then
pecks the appropriate button when it appears so she can enter the message.
A few moments later, she's tapped out a message.
Look mother, no sparking feathers this time.
Bernie.
She adds as an afterthought a picture of her face with Zoe and Kobe looking over her shoulder,
then pecks the appropriate button to send the message.
Having done this, Bernadette looks up to Zoe, bobbing her head and chirping happily.
This is much easier than trying to hold a stylus in my beak.
Thank you.
Anything to keep my stylus pins from getting beak marks all over them.
Zoe laughs.
Alright, hollow screen checks out.
Flick it back off and let's see if you're able to interface with the ship's systems.
Zoe carries her over to the workroom's computer terminal and sets her down in front of it.
You should be able to voice activate it.
See if you can find your record now and pull it up on the screen.
Bernadette chirps her understanding and then taps the terminal's activation button with
her right foot and looks up to the display screen.
Show personnel record for Bernadette Venture please.
A few moments later, a bio file appears on the display, complete with her full name and
a listing of her pending legal parentage.
A photo of Bernadette is included in the file, as are her bioidentity statistics and a link
to the record that Mother had filed with the interstellar Budgeriger Breeders Association
when she was a hatchling.
There's also a link to the Declaration of Recognition as a Sapient Being documents which
Mother and the ship's easily flustered protocol officer have been trying to file for her along
with the adoption paperwork.
Good, good, Zoe says, see if it will let you in anywhere else, Bernie.
Bernadette taps the access button again.
Please show listing of systems and files I can access, she says, tilting her head to
one side of the display screen.
She knows the system doesn't actually understand her body language or politeness, but that
doesn't do much to change the way she talks to it.
A short list including things like personal messages and official personnel record pops
up.
At the bottom of this is an entry entitled Educational Materials and Assignments.
Bernadette, ever the curious bird, gestures at the words with her wing.
What's this one, Zoe?
She asks, making an appropriate gesture with her foot to open the file.
The display populates with an entirely new brightly colored interface filled with pictures
and what seem to be lists of subjects and tasks.
Ah, well now, pending legal status or not, no daughter of mine is going to get away with
being uneducated.
Zoe grins at her.
I took the liberty of enrolling you in the same education for children on Starship system
Navy always puts their kittens in once they're old enough to study like human children do.
A lot of the initial lessons will probably be refreshers for you, considering how much
you've already picked up, but it'll be a good place to start.
Really?
Oh, thank you, Zoe.
Bernadette flutters up to Zoe's shoulder and nuzzles affectionately against their cheek.
So I'm not eerie anymore.
Zoe laughs and lightly strokes Bernadette's head feathers for a moment.
Oh no, of course not.
It was only eerie when I thought it was a coincidence, you know.
Because it is now, well, Aerie and I never planned on having kids, but I couldn't ask
for a better bird to call my daughter.
Bernadette nudges their cheek with her head again.
I like being part of your flock too, Zoe.
Zoe gives her head feathers another gentle stroke of affectionate acknowledgement.
Just try to remember how much you like us when you get to the point where you're sick
of doing homework, they tease.
I will, and then I will pester you to help me study.
Zoe laughs brightly.
Deal.
Looks like everything's working then, Coby chimes in.
Who knows, Bernadette, after you get through all of these kitten school things and into
advanced subjects, maybe you'll be able to come to the Academy on Earth with me.
Bernadette is excited by the thought.
That would be stellar.
Do you think they'd let me?
Coby grins, well, my Nina and their navigator and his wife are all instructors at Earth.
I'm sure we could find a way to get you in if they helped us.
Zoe shakes their head, giggling.
Now Cobalt, if you say she's going to be your navigator someday.
I'm going to be a starship's captain someday.
Bernadette's excitement spills over into motion and sends her flying in happy circles around
the room again.
Coby's ears twitch with amusement.
She's smart enough to be a navigator, but no, Bernadette's going to be my captain.
Zoe sets a hand over their face, halfway trying to hold back laughter.
You two have talked about this already, haven't you?
We might have.
Coby looks back to them with a thoughtful twitch of their tail.
What's wrong with the idea of her being an officer, Zoe?
Dr. S did confirm that Bernadette can expect to have a human-like lifespan.
Why not let her do something brilliant with it?
Bernadette lands on Coby's shoulder and takes her usual perch nestled slightly under their
tickly strands of silver hair.
She's quite keen to hear the answer to those questions herself.
Zoe shakes their head again and then smiles at the two of them.
Well, I look forward to seeing you with a starship of your own someday, Bernie, but
let's worry about fine-tuning your com bands first, okay?
I want to make sure this ship's doors know not to close on you and catch your tail feathers
again.
That would be nice.
Chapter 15 A few weeks later, Bernadette is riding on
Coby's shoulder as they make their way back to their quarters after the ship's nightly
quantum space transit cycle.
Bernadette has gotten into the habit of listening in on the intercom announcements whenever
she wakes to the static-like sensation shimmering over her feathers that signals that the ship
has finished one of its jumps and returned to normal space.
If she times it just right, she can usually manage to fly down and be perched on the molding
of the door opposite the one to the drive bay's antechamber in time to meet her sibling
when they emerge at the end of their shift.
Tonight, Coby has been in the drive bay assisting Navy, which means that tomorrow, Bernadette
gets to spend the whole day with them.
As a provisional apprentice, they're only required to assist Navy or CL so many nights
in a row, and then they're given a free day to rest and work on their other studies.
The two of them have just finished their brief visit to the bird room to do their usual end-of-the-night
chores, not the least of which is to make sure that Mother has remembered to keep track
of time and send herself to her nest to sleep at a decent hour.
Tonight, they were both pleased to find that she had.
Since all is well in the land of the budgies, they now return to Coby's little cabin attached
to the quarters Mother and Zoe share with Navy and their kittens.
The rest of the flock seems to have already gone off to their nest by the time Bernadette
and Coby arrive.
Bernadette has never been sure why her sibling's nest is in a different room from everyone
else, but she's been glad to have a perch in the corner of Coby's space now instead
of spending her nights cooped up with the other budgies.
The door is a nice touch, too, since the three kittens are a bit larger than her and can
be entirely too curious and cuddly for their own good.
Bernadette does like the small silver members of her flock, of course, but there are times
when she's very glad she can fly faster than they can scamper.
When they reach Coby's room, Bernadette flutters over to her perch.
Her sibling flops themself dramatically down onto the nest of blankets they sleep in.
Well, Coby says, that was a long day.
Agreed.
Bernadette begins to preen her feathers.
How did your shift go?
It went.
Coby briefly lays their upper pair of hands over their eyes.
Ciel told me that I'm apparently going to be tested again next week to see if Navy can
clear me to sign with the Academy at Earth when we make port there in a few months.
That's good, though, isn't it?
Bernadette tilts her head to one side.
Her sibling is using the tone of voice that usually means something is bothering them.
Yeah, it's good, I suppose.
They still sound far less excited than Bernadette would have expected.
She can't help thinking of the idea of being a proper space service Academy cadet as a
terribly exciting thing to look forward to herself.
You're not looking forward to being done with your apprenticeship.
Coby hesitates for a moment before they respond.
Well, the bioscience programs there are neat, at least, especially because Earth has such
an amazing variety of native species to study.
I'm just... sort of not looking forward to have to try to find a navigator who can put
up with me, that's all.
Oh, I'm not sure I understand.
It's nothing, Bernadette.
Coby kicks off their shoes, which land on the floor one after the other with a somewhat
satisfying thud.
Just... you know I still have the problem about... being sure I'm only seeing the things
that are really there.
I know it's gotten better lately, especially since you've been around to double-check with
when I've had the odd off day, but I still...
They trail off and sigh, rising from their nest reluctantly in search of the softer yellow
and white-striped outfit they wear instead of their apprentice's uniform when they're
sleeping.
Well, I'll be living with my family once I get there.
I'll be fine, don't worry about it.
Bernadette is confused, but she's also a tired little bird and has something of an awareness
that there are things her sibling doesn't like talking about, even with her.
Okay then.
She fluffs out her feathers and settles into a comfortable spot on her perch to sleep.
I'm glad you'll have a flock to keep you company while you wait to find someone as nice as
Zoe and Lieutenant Freyberg.
Yeah, I suppose I just have to hope there is someone like them out there for me.
Coby turns off the light and then returns to their nest and curls up into their usual
little ball under the blankets.
Good night, Bernadette.
Pleasant dreams.
Good night, Coby, Bernadette replies.
After a few long silent minutes, a thought occurs to her.
She activates the little light source Zoe had included in one of her leg bands and flies
over to the nest to land on the blankets near her sibling's shoulder.
Coby's ears twitch and they open their third eye to look at her.
Can't sleep?
No, nothing like that.
What then?
Well, she begins hopping a little closer to their face.
Ciel told me before about how Floravans don't dream like humans do, but how some of you
can sort of share that experience because it's on a similar wavelength to the way you
sense quantum space.
Oh, did they?
Coby's voice takes on a curious lilt.
So what's got you thinking about that now?
Well, she replies, gesturing with her wing.
We know that I experience dreams, and Mother and Navy did decide that a lot of my brainwave
patterns look more similar to a human's than a normal budgie's.
I was wondering if that means you'd be able to get into my dreams too.
Coby seems to consider this for a moment, and then they raise all three of their eyebrows
at her.
You know, Bernadette, I honestly don't know if it would work or not.
It's been...
They pause, their ear twitches, and then they shake their head.
Well, it's been a long time since I was a kitten sharing Heather's dreams at any rate.
Bernadette notices the hesitation, but since they seem to be trying to stay away from the
thoughts that make their ears twitch in that particular way, she decides not to call attention
to it.
Heather strikes me as the sort of human who has very interesting dreams.
She's met Coby's older sister and calls over the relays a few times now.
Heather is a doctor and the best sort of an eccentric human, just like Mother is.
Bernadette is already looking forward to the day they meet in person.
Oh, she certainly does.
Coby laughs lightly.
I used to be just as good at getting into them as my Nita is, too, believe it or not,
and they are one of the best there is at that.
I usually have dreams about flying, Bernadette tells them, and stars.
They're nice.
Would you like to make an experiment of it?
You know, little sister, Coby smiles and reaches out to lightly stroke her recently preened
feathers.
I wouldn't mind that at all.
Bernadette chirps happily and turns off her little light, then settles into a comfortable
position nestled into the space between her sibling's chin and shoulder.
It's not long before both she and Coby are fast asleep, and the two of them are soaring
together through the endless sky of stars where no other thoughts or troubles can reach
them.
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 how Bernadette's family is faring with their quest to get her recognized
legally as a person.
Now for our special announcement.
This isn't the only podcast you'll hear my voice on this week.
I've had the delight of being the special guest of the week for season two, episode
six of the Forbidden Radio podcast.
Head on over to the link in the show notes to listen to my conversation with the Forbidden
Radio fellows about my books, how I wound up writing these stories, and a touch of fun
rambling about D&D and our favorite older sci-fi shows and movies.
Thanks again to Forbidden Radio for inviting me to hang out with them, and hello to any
Forbidden Radio listeners who have come over to the Strange Space Adventures podcast and
reached this episode.
As always, if you've enjoyed the show, please leave a comment or review on your podcast
source of choice.
Reviews and recommendations are the best way to help grow the show so I can continue bringing
you more and better stories each week.
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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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