Chapter 3: Riebeck
Space has an unnerving tendency to transform even the most mundane things into, at best, petty annoyances, and at worst, deadly threats. Take water, for example. Riebeck likes water. They'll happily while away the hours by the river, banjo in hand. Or fall asleep to rain drumming on the roof of their cabin. But then there's the North Pole of Brittle Hollow, where icicles had ruptured their fuel lines and caused them to spend several hours sealing up the leaks with flaxroot binding strips. And the vicious waterspouts of Giant's Deep, which Riebeck had sworn off visiting forever after listening to Gabbro's terrifying stories.
And the vast, glittering field of ice currently surrounding the Traveler.
"How in Hearth's name did we miss this?"
The four astronauts are crammed into the cockpit of Traveler-1, faces pressed to the viewports. Their helmets lie scattered across the floor, forgotten. Partly thanks to the momentum from their orbit around Timber Hearth and partly to sheer instinctual terror, Riebeck had managed to mash controls until the Traveler's velocity had matched the ice belt's, mere seconds before the vessel and everyone in it could be pulverized.
That was several minutes ago. Now they're leaning against the bulkhead, trying not to hyperventilate.
"Hey, is anyone listening?" Feldspar says, a touch irritably. "How'd we manage to set our coordinates to the middle of a blazing ice belt?"
"I don't know, Feldspar. We're on the outer reaches of the solar system. I suppose it's possible the ice belt simply didn't catch the light for us to see it through our telescope." Chert is perched on a little box that Gabbro fetched out of Traveler-1's storage for them. Their face is pinched with worry. Feldspar has abandoned their viewport and begun to pace the width of the cabin. And Gabbro… well, Gabbro is hard to read at the best of times. They could be thinking of solutions, or they could be composing a haiku.
It's a starkly beautiful sight, once you get past the constant danger. Millions upon millions of ice shards, splayed out in a shimmering field in front of them. And above them. And behind, and below. (Technically there is no above or below, not in space, but it's hard to think in those terms when your concept of direction is, by instinct, in relation to where your feet are.) Some of the shards are the size of the vessel, others only a hand's breadth across, and every size in between. And oh, they're moving at high velocity around an alien sun, better not forget that part. Riebeck slumps against the bulkhead, a faint moan escaping them.
"Hey." Gabbro's lean shape appears in their periphery. "You okay?"
Okay is not the word Riebeck would choose right now. "As well as can be expected, after that."
"You did good, buddy. That was some quick thinking on your part."
Riebeck's cheeks burn with surprised embarrassment. "Oh. Um. It's more like we got incredibly lucky? But thanks. I just need a moment."
Gabbro gives them a knowing nod. "The comedown's always rough. Take your time."
"There's only one thing for it." Feldspar has stopped pacing and is rolling their shoulders as if limbering up. "We can't hang around here forever. The question is; what's the quickest way out of this mess?"
Chert hums to themself, tapping their fingers together as they think. "It must be hundreds of miles wide, in all directions. Perhaps we could use the warp core-"
"No!" Riebeck blurts, before they can stop themself. Six pairs of eyes turn to stare at them. "I think we should save using the warp core for emergencies," they mumble, unable to meet the others' gazes. "Anyway, it would take cycles to recharge the solar crystals so soon after warping."
"Alright then," decides Feldspar. "We'll do this the fun way."
Chert recoils in horror. "Feldspar, no!"
"Feldspar yesss," they grin, rubbing their hands together. "Don't get your suit in a twist, it's just frozen water. As long as we don't hit anything big or sharp enough to punch a hole in the hull."
Before anyone can remind them there are many, many other things that can go wrong besides a full hull breach, Feldspar hops into the pilot's seat, seizes the controls and starts a slow burn from the rear thrusters, easing the Traveler into what might be generously called a gap. Riebeck doesn't even realize they've moved from their spot by the bulkhead until they find themself gripping the back of the chair.
"Mind that iceberg! And that one! And-" there's a dull, resounding thunk as something scrapes along the hull.
"Enough with the back-seat piloting," Feldspar says through gritted teeth. "Let me Do My Thing."
"You heard 'em." Gabbro's firm hand steers Riebeck away. "Let's not distract them. C'mon, we should probably go re-acquaint ourselves with our safety harnesses."
·◊◊◊·
With all four parts of the vessel docked, Traveler-1's controls override those of the other ships. Besides the obvious necessity of only having one pilot at a time, this means fuel is shared, as each ship lends the appropriate thrusters to keep the vessel moving in the pilot's desired direction.
It's a strange feeling, knowing that Feldspar is, in a way, piloting four ships at once. Every time there's a short burst from Traveler-2's thrusters, with no input from Riebeck, they can't help but jump. But they would take that any day over having to find their own way out of the labyrinthine ice belt. Or sit through another warp.
Out there in the void, in that curious, flat light, the belt looks as if it's suspended in time. It puts them in mind of a forest. An eerily silent forest, hurtling around a star at unfathomable speed. A series of tiny patters against the hull draws their attention upward, not that they can see anything. If they didn't know better, they could have easily mistaken it for rain.
"Feldspar, would you mind terribly not scouring our hull to shreds?" Chert's voice comes through the signalscope.
Feldspar's reply is prefaced with a growl. "Hey, do I tell you how to do your job? Let me work!"
The feed stays silent after that. Maybe Chert has buried themself in star charts. Or maybe they're talking with Gabbro on their private frequency. Riebeck considers joining them. Then again, they wouldn't want to intrude.
Between the burn of thrusters and occasional patter of tiny ice shards on the hull, their eyelids are starting to grow heavy, their head nodding. They let their head fall back against the seat. And before long, they hear nothing at all.
·◊◊◊·
They startle awake as a hand shakes their shoulder. "Huhwha?!"
"Easy, easy. It's just me." Gabbro pats their shoulder to dispel their alarm. "Come join us on Traveler-1. You'll want to see this." Riebeck unbuckles themself and rises stiffly out of their seat, which was definitely not designed to be slept in. There's no sign of the ice belt through their viewport now; only the endless reach of space. Yawning and bleary-eyed, they shuffle out to rejoin the others.
Gabbro wasn't wrong.
Lumen 282-b is unremarkable, as far as stars go. A little on the small side, not unlike the Hearthian sun. There are countless trillions of stars like it out there in the universe. As lovely as it is, it's not Lumen 282-b that drew the Hearthians to this solar system, but the stunning array of planets orbiting around it. They were, through the powerful Observatory telescope, mere specks against Lumen 282-b's distant light. Pinpricks of shadow, betraying their presence but little else. But here, with the ice belt receding in the distance, their full majesty becomes apparent.
The closest is a milky blue sphere with a lone moon, its lazy orbit giving the Traveler plenty of time to take it in as it approaches. A shadow passes slowly across its surface - from its neighbor, a gas giant banded with shades of yellow and green, ringed by an array of moons. In the far, far distance is what might be a rocky planet, silhouetted against the bright light of Lumen 282-b.
"I can hardly believe it!" Chert turns, their face lit up. "We're here. We're really here! We made it!"
"No need to sound so surprised," grumbles Feldspar, but there's no bitterness to it, not anymore. They're out of the pilot's seat, stretching their limbs with a triumphant air. "It'll take more than some oversized icicles to stop us. No need to thank me, by the way, I'll accept a planet named after me. That big one will do."
"You want us to name a planet that's full of gas after you?" says Gabbro. "Not sure that would be my first choice, but…"
"Hm, you're right. Let's put a pin in that. Anyway-" Feldspar gives an exaggerated yawn. "That little adventure back there really took it out of me. I'm gonna go take a nap."
"You're going to sleep?" Chert flaps an incredulous arm as if to encompass the cockpit, the viewport, everything. "Right now?"
"What's the rush? I'm going to conquer everything in this solar system sooner or later. That ice planet looks like a good place to start." Feldspar is already retreating through the hatch toward Traveler-2, waving off Chert's spluttering. "We're on approach. Wake me up when we reach its sphere of influence."
·◊◊◊·
Feldspar might be ready for a nap, but Riebeck and the others linger in Traveler-1s cabin, unwilling to tear themselves away from the view for long. On closer inspection, the so-called 'ice planet' is more likely a gas giant, its outer atmosphere rippling and flowing in shades of blue. It's mesmerizing to watch, and so is its larger sibling, receding in the distance with its five moons orbiting in close procession. Like Hatchlings playing follow-the-leader. The blue giant has only one, tidally-locked moon, which seems unremarkable at first, though Riebeck finds their attention drawn again and again to this lonely icebound sphere.
"Are those… clouds?" Gabbro and Chert come over to squint through the viewport. It's a tight squeeze, but Riebeck doesn't mind. They drop to one knee to give their smaller companion a boost.
"You know, I think they are," Gabbro says slowly. "Hard to make out from this distance, but we'll be able to see more with a Little Scout."
"I can't wait." Chert practically vibrates with excitement. "Imagine! A moon with an atmosphere! With weather! Esker will be sick!"
"I expect it would be a bit cold for camping out." Riebeck says with a shiver. They've had about enough of ice to last a lifetime. Though they have to admit, an atmosphere is a promising start when it comes to finding evidence of other life. Perhaps even whole civilizations.
"Hmm." Gabbro's moved away from the window, hands on their hips and staring into - well, not into space, that's outside - but at an uninteresting spot on the bulkhead. "How's this for a name; Rimy Shade?"
Chert considers this. "For the blue giant?"
"Yep. And for our many-mooned friend over there, Bulwark."
Bulwark. Bulwark. That name sounds familiar. Riebeck wracks their brain - if only they could remember where they'd heard it before. For some reason it makes them think of Esker, and marshmallows, and falling asleep to the sound of the old Hearthian's stories-
"-Oh! After the giant shield Breccia forged to protect themself from falling rocks!"
Gabbro nods approvingly. "Exactly, from the myth."
"Rimy Shade and Bulwark," Riebeck says, testing the way the names roll off their tongue. They feel… right. "I like them. Very poetic."
"Better than Feldspar, anyway," adds Chert.
"Mean." Feldspar is standing in the cockpit entrance, rubbing their eyes.
"Gah!" Chert throws their arms up in surprise. "I thought you went to get some sleep!"
"Yeah, I did. Funnily enough, it's hard to nod off when you know there's an unexplored solar system just outside." Feldspar takes in the sight of Rimy Shade filling the viewport, a slow smile spreading across their features. "Wow. That's really something, huh?"
Such an understatement, and yet something in the cabin's atmosphere shifts. For a few moments, the four astronauts aren't four astronauts at all. They're every Hearthian who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what lies out there beyond their reach. They're every hatchling with a question the grown-ups don't know how to answer. Every story that ends on a question mark instead of a full stop. They stand in companionable silence, remembering every step in their journey here, from hazy laughter-filled days playing in barrels to calculating orbital maneuvers that would take farther than they'd ever gone before.
It's Feldspar who breaks the spell. "So, our new planets have names. You figured out what to call all those moons yet?" They're looking at Bulwark and its collection of moons with a glint in their eye.
Gabbro shakes their head with a soft laugh. "Not yet. It's a process."
"I got it; Esker One, Esker Two, Esker Three-"
"Absolutely not," says Chert flatly.
"What? They'd love it!"
"Not everyone is as big-headed as you!"
"Okay, Feldspar One, Feldspar Two…"
Riebeck decides to leave the two of them to their bickering. From across the cabin Gabbro shoots them a sideways look and a good-natured eye roll. It's entirely possible Chert and Feldspar will carry on like this for hours, or at least until the Traveler gets near enough to Rimy shade for Chert to send out their Little Scout. From then on it's likely they won't hear a peep from their astronomer for hours.
There's a treat stashed away in Traveler-1's tiny locker, among the handful of possessions Riebeck brought aboard with them. Porphy had found them on that last night in the village, pressed it into their hands and then buried their face and soaked their shirt with tears.
"You better make it home, my friend," they'd hiccupped, as Riebeck rubbed their back. "Or I'll never forgive Gossan for sending you out there."
Riebeck carefully retrieves the bottle of sap wine, along with four cups, and cradles it against their chest as they make their way back to the cabin. Feldspar's voice carries through the open hatch.
"Fine, but I'm not returning home without having a planet named after me! A smaller one is acceptable. And I'm willing to share with Riebeck, since they did manage to save us from becoming a smear on an iceberg." Oh no. Riebeck's belly fills with lead. Feldspar's just being kind, but the praise makes them want to hide in a corner with a blanket over their head.
"Humble and generous." Chert says drily.
Luckily, the sight of Porphy's gift distracts Feldspar enough that this particularly excruciating conversation is left to flounder and die, hopefully never to be revived. Riebeck hands out the cups, and the four astronauts come together on the floor in circular formation. It's not quite right without a campfire in their midst, but that will have to wait until they find a planet atmospherically rich enough in oxygen to sustain a flame.
"What are we drinking to?" Riebeck asks as they pour a generous share into each of their friends' cups.
"Surviving our first cycle?" suggests Gabbro.
Feldspar lifts their cup high. "And to exploring new worlds!"
"To unraveling the mysteries of the universe," says Chert.
Riebeck takes a deep breath. "To those who came before us, and those who will come after."
The cabin falls quiet as the four astronauts drink.
"Wow," says Gabbro after a minute, smacking their lips. "That's…"
"Really bad?" offers Feldspar.
"No kidding. What did Porphy do to this stuff?"
"Maybe it was the warp?" The sap wine truly is nasty. It lingers, syrupy and bitter on Riebeck's tongue. "Could it have gone off somehow?"
"And more importantly, why is it impossible to have a decent drink in space?" Feldspar says, waving a fist at the darkness outside the viewport.
"One of the great mysteries of the universe," Chert says darkly, pushing their cup away.
Gabbro tilts their head back with a laugh. "If you ever figure that out, we really will name a planet after you."