The trip to Kaly Fornya was uneventful, though bizarre. One passenger, a small alien with a long white protuberance of a nose, insisted on chatting with Maka the entire time in the cramped quarters of the shuttle ship. He tried to tell her about what he planned to do at Kaly Fornya, about his adventures, about his 'legend', and Maka found herself more happy than she'd ever been to disembark at the port.
Kaly Fornya was a bustling, frenetic place, so different than her home on Neh Vah D-A Prime. Where the lonely hills whistled with wind and long grasses grew, on Kaly Fornya everything was made of metal. The entire port was a constructed piece of technology. The people on Neh Vah D-A Prime had been its inventor, but the child had long since outgrown the parent, and the mass migration to the port itself left Neh Vah D-A Prime desolate and sparsely populated. The mass of aliens, all walking purposefully towards their various destinations, brightly colored and fashionably adorned, made Maka in her simple brown shirt and pants feel incredibly out of place. The overwhelming sights and sounds were beginning to give her a headache.
Stein, on the other hand, seemed in rare form. He was smiling jovially, hands behind his back as they approached the docks. Despite being buffeted on either side from oddly smelling aliens, his spirits were high as they strolled along. "We need to find the ship Shibusen," he told her as an alien with hooves stepped hard on his foot. "I haven't spoken with the captain yet, but I am told Captain Mjolnir is very capable."
"I hope he is," Maka muttered, dodging a spine of a passerby. "Because didn't you get the cheapest crew you could find?"
"I did indeed," said Stein cheerfully. "Ahh-!"
The ship loomed in front of them. The hull was black and covered with barnacles. The masts rose high above them, white sails curled around them like clouds trapped by the posts. Her heart began to pound in her chest as Maka squeezed the shoulder strap of her pack. This was happening.
"Move!" came a shout. Someone shouldered into her as she stood on the gangplank, looking up in awe of the ship. She stumbled forward, turning to glare at the person who shoved her. He was another alien, though at first it was hard to tell. His auburn hair was spiky and his shape was mostly human, but his teeth were far too sharp to be Homo sapien and his skin was just a shade too gray. He sneered at her as he passed. "What're you looking at, bitch?"
Maka's lips curled into a snarl, but before she could reply, Stein had a firm grip on her shoulder. "I see we've met one of our crew members already!" he said with a cheerful note in his voice, but Maka could see the hard edge around his eyes. "We'll have to be sure his paycheck doesn't suffer as a result of his clumsiness."
The man clenched an overlarge hand within his long gloves. Maka suspected that if he were to remove them, it would prove his alien origin even more. But with a snort, he turned his back on them again and moved up towards the ship.
"Well, we'll have to be keeping an eye on him, then." Stein turned to Maka, and his face was jovial once more. "Shall we?"
As Maka lifted her heavy boot to step onto the ship, something squirmed in her stomach. It felt like a threshold, one she could not step back over, but she let her foot fall hard onto the deck. An itch ran down her spine.
"Welcome aboard," boomed a voice. Maka and Stein turned to see a large man approaching them. His hair and beard were neatly trimmed, and he wore a long blue coat with well-polished brass buttons. As he drew nearer, Maka noticed his gait had a slight limp to it, but despite that, his spine was ramrod straight.
"Captain Mjolnir, I presume?" asked Stein, extending a hand. "Everything appears to be in good order."
"Good order indeed, but I am not the captain. She's waiting for us in her cabin." He swept a careful eye over Maka. "I am assuming this is the young woman with the, ah… object of interest?"
Her jacket pocket felt particularly heavy. "Yes," she said, standing a little taller.
He eyed her, but his face remained impassive until he turned his back. "Well, let us greet the captain."
Stein and Maka followed the large man across the deck of the ship, taking care to keep close enough on his heels not to get run over by any of the crew rushing back and forth to prepare for the launch. Many of them were wearing long black cloaks and white masks, but there were also some who were not, and these seemed to be the ones with higher rankings. In any case, they seemed to be giving orders to the others.
There was something a bit unsettling about them, but Maka kept her head held high as she stepped through the doorway that led to the captain's quarters. Inside, the room was brightly lit, with a long wooden table covered in papers and a few scattered chairs. A lithe woman stood poring over them, but as they approached, she turned to look at them.
"Ah, Joe, thank you for bringing the good doctor directly to me." She straightened and proffered a hand, which Stein shook, while Maka examined her.
The most noticeable thing about her was the eyepatch covering one of her eyes, stretched across her long golden hair which was tied into a single plait down her back. Her jacket was black and tailed, with shiny yellow buttons that matched her pantaloons. White boots completed the look that overall created a very bright effect. Nevertheless, she managed to command authority as she gazed from Stein to Maka.
"Well, I must say I'm impressed," she said finally.
"Impress-?"
"Doctor, you managed to find the most unsavory crew I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with, and that is saying something. I have never met a larger bunch of louts in my life."
"I beg your-"
She sat down, fingertips delicately spread across the table, covered in thick white gloves. "Regardless, they will have to do. You, as the financier of this expedition, have the right to select whomever you like as a crew, and I just have to go along with it. But rest assured," and here she punctuated her words with a stern gaze from her one visible eye, "any damages incurred while they are on my ship will be reimbursed to me in full."
"I really-"
"May I see the map," she interrupted, turning to Maka. It wasn't a question.
Maka frowned, a little unsure. She flicked her eyes to Stein, but he looked back at her mildly, so she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small cube. With a little more force than necessary, she placed it onto the table.
The captain's eye trained on the box as she leaned forward. Her hands wrapped around it and she brought it closer to inspect it. Her first mate Joe leaned forward covetously.
"So this is Brew?" she asked, her voice ever so slightly choked.
"Yes," said Maka, watching Captain Mjolnir's face carefully.
"Extraordinary." The captain pressed one of the buttons, and Joe leaned forward even more expectantly. For a moment, Maka thought Captain Mjolnir might try to solve the puzzle herself - her gloved fingers were hovering over the buttons - but then she stood so abruptly that Maka startled. "Well. It is a magnificent device. As much as I might like to examine it further, it seems prudent to hide it properly while we are onboard a ship with as many miscreants as we are."
"I do say-"
"Miss Albarn, I'll leave it here, locked up safely," said Captain Mjolnir, striding to a cabinet and producing a key from her pocket.
"Wait, no-!"
The captain turned to her, braid whirling. Her visible eyebrow was raised, but she did not appear to be angry. "Miss Albarn, you must address me as Captain when you speak to me."
Maka pursed her lips.
"I understand that you are attached to the device, and I do recognize that you are the only one who can solve it. I advise that you keep it that way. However, I must strenuously insist that we lock it away unless it is in use. It is best to keep it safe, and I assure you, there is no safer place than here in my cabin."
Biting her lip, Maka tried to think. The idea of leaving Brew with the captain was not exactly something that thrilled her, but on the other hand, she was not sure if beginning the long trip into space by disobeying the captain's direct orders was one she liked either. She clenched her fist in her pocket, but nodded once.
"Wonderful," said the captain, all business again. "And while we're on the subject of you, we need to discuss your role here on the ship."
"My role?"
Captain Mjolnir smiled. "Indeed. We can't have you lazing about as we travel. I believe you will make an excellent cabin girl. I will set you up with the cook, Medusa."
"The cook?"
"Am I to understand that you helped your father run an inn back on Neh Vah D-A Prime?"
With a tightly clenched jaw, Maka nodded.
"Then you are perfectly suited for the work. Let us go and make introductions, I need to get this brig into the air."
With that, she turned towards the door, the tails of her coat sweeping behind her. Maka followed, trying to make her boots stomp as hard as they could against the wooden deck.
The crew was just as busy when they reemerged from the cabin, but Captain Mjolnir paid them no mind as she strode confidently across the deck. Joe followed, shoulders squared as he went, and Stein trailed behind them, looking around with mild amusement.
The captain descended the steps into the galley, disappearing from sight with each smart rap of her boots against the steps. Maka dragged her feet, following much more slowly.
"Medusa! How are we doing in here?" Captain Mjolnir asked brusquely.
The room was filled with steam, and it was hard for Maka to make out the person through the gloom. A shape began to form as the cook moved forward. For a moment, Maka thought the form was that of the strange spider woman who had crashed onto the dock, but Medusa slid into focus and the resemblance was less so in the better light. She also appeared almost human, but her smile revealed a forked tongue.
"I'm settling in just fine, Captain, how kind of you to ask." She swept her arms wide to indicate the small galley, and Maka noticed that one was a cybernetic attachment. The other ended with long black nails. "I'm just freshening up the space and will begin on supper shortly."
"Excellent. I think I have something that will make that easier for you." Captain Mjolnir turned to Maka and motioned with her head to step forward. Maka obliged with a shuffling gait. "This is Maka Albarn. She will be your cabin girl and assist you here in the galley. She will report to you and therefore be your responsibility."
Medusa brought her metallic hand to her chin as if contemplating the young woman she saw before her. The arm, Maka noticed with a slight jolt, was not comprised of tubes as she'd thought, but of gently writhing metal snakes.
"She's such a thin little thing," said Medusa. "Can she really be much good to me?"
"That is up to you to make her so." The captain gave Maka a final glance, then nodded to her first mate. "We'll leave you to get acquainted. Come, Joe, we have a ship to launch. Doctor, we really must discuss the state of your clothes, you're positively shabby-"
Her voice receded as she went up the stairs, trailed loyally by Joe and Stein. Maka watched their retreating backs, then turned back to Medusa.
The cook was eyeing her thoughtfully, tapping the tiny snake heads against her chin. It might have been comical if it hadn't been so unsettling. Maka swallowed, and saw Medusa's eyes snap to her neck, following the motion.
But then Medusa smiled, and her features slid into a warm countenance. "Well, you may be little, but I'm sure you can achieve great things here." She walked towards Maka, still looking her up and down. "You look a little underfed, so we'll to fatten you up, but that's not hard with my cooking. You'll be mostly on dish duty, but perhaps we can teach you to cook so you're not so skinny."
"I know how to cook," said Maka mulishly.
"It doesn't look like it," Medusa chortled, but she didn't sound malicious.
There was a chirping sound from behind Medusa's head. A small pink shape suddenly appeared, flying into Maka's face and squishing against her nose. She jumped back; it had been oddly cool to the touch. The chirping grew more excited as Medusa laughed.
"That's my morphling, Crona. Got them at Exoplanet Eee Tal-Eee. They're a loyal species, and very useful. See for yourself."
The pink creature smiled up at her, then changed into a perfect small scale replica of her. With a cry of delight, Maka cupped her hands to hold the small model of herself. Her tiny counterpart chirped happily like a songbird, looking ready to alight. With a shiver and a shake, the morphling transformed into a small version of Medusa and flew back to her shoulder. The cook lifted one of her organic fingers and scratched at Crona absentmindedly.
"They're sweet," said Maka.
"Mmm." Medusa cocked her head as she gazed down at Maka. A smile split her face, and even with the forked tongue, it was warm and inviting. "Oh, go on then."
"What?"
"Go watch the launch. I'll put you to work after that."
Maka stared at the cook for a moment, hands jammed deep within her pockets. Slowly, she withdrew them, a grin spreading across her face to mirror Medusa's. "Really?"
Medusa was already turning back towards the stove and disappearing into the steam again. "Enjoy yourself. While you can."
Captain Mjolnir was standing at the helm, hands clasped behind her back. Joe stood beside her, booming orders and pointing at crew members who weren't working fast enough. Avoiding running into anyone, Maka made her way to the starboard railing of the ship. The engines were revving beneath her feet, growling like a beast woken from a deep slumber. She gripped the wood of the railing and breathed in the fresh air.
"Hoist the anchor!" came Joe's loud voice.
A creaking rumble came from below the ship.
"Drop the sails!"
The large white cloths unfurled and were impregnated by the impatient wind.
"Prepare the engines!"
The revving grew louder and louder.
Captain Mjolnir's voice carried across the ship, not as loud as Joe's but somehow with more authority.
"Set sail!" she cried.
A roar unlike any other broke the air, and the ship rushed forward, curving gently into the sky. Maka gripped the edge of the ship as tightly as she could, wind whipping through her two pigtails. She felt her feet begin to leave the deck of the ship and she clutched the guardrail more tightly.
"Activate artificial gravity!"
The deck glowed a pale yellow and Maka's feet met the ground again.
The stars rushed by, the sky a swirl of greens and purples and blues. Clouds of tiny ice particles formed on the port horizon, shaped like rolling waves across the wide expanse of space. The constellations blurred as they zoomed towards her, and it reminded Maka of Brew's map, but the real thing was a thousand times more brilliant.
She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks and her heart beat in her chest. She felt alive, more alive than she had in years. There was an exhilaration pumping through her veins like a drug, and she knew why all the legends she read in Stein's book mentioned that the voyagers never wanted to return home.
A song wormed its way into her ears and she turned her head this way and that. A spurt of ice crystals suddenly went whooshing by the edge of the ship, and Maka leaned as far over the railing as she felt she could. Four large gray shapes were riding in the wake of the ship, crooning to each other even over the roar of the engines.
Sky whales.
Maka watched them climb higher and higher next to the ship, skin shiny with the ice that formed in the edges of space. Their six fins undulated in a steady rhythm. Each had a unique song, and Maka tried to pick out the individual cries as they crested the edge of the ship.
The eye of the sky whale roved over the deck, capturing Maka in its gaze. It was surprisingly soft and expressive. With a final croon, the sky whales swooped away disappearing into the icy fog. Maka felt her heart expand.
"Miss Albarn!"
She turned to see Captain Mjolnir's stern face far too close to hers.
"Did you not hear me give you the order to help the cook in the galley?"
"I-"
"Please return to your station immediately."
Maka scowled at her, but obeyed.