#spaceship cruise

[fullibooked]

Drinks at the space bar anyone? Nothing is poisoned, I promise…

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal is an absolute blast. A murder mystery on a spaceship cruise, with a little Westie dog, a knitting lawyer on Earth-to-Mars delay, honeymooners, and cocktails!! There's nothing better, oh wait, there is. It's widely used non-gender-specific titles, casual queer rep, and a main character living with chronic pain, and that's all in this book too!

Every chapter starts with a recipe for a cocktail and ends with a sentence or two that had me saying "Just one more chapter" all night. I stuck with the classic martinis for this, for Tesla's sake. (The character, not the brand obvs). Though I'm sure all the bars on the cruise liner would have had a lot more decorations.

While I loved Kowal's Lady Astronaut series dearly, this jaunty space adventure has rocketed to my favourites list, and I will not apologise for any space-styled language that is a result. This deserves all the stars.

[kameel-sm]

Galactic transit.

Originally completed 31st July 2024.

My interpretation: In the far future, humanity has expanded beyond our solar system and now spans the galaxy. But galactic civilizations need to transport, trade, and organise people and materials. At this mixed space port, passenger, freight, and commercial spaceships can be docked. It is an important hub in this system and is often frequented by massive star cruise ships that transport tourists and workers from star to star. On this occasion, a scientific exploration vessel is approaching the port attempting to seek a birth so its tired crew may find some rest and relaxation at the port before heading back out on another expedition.

[no7er]

Jupiter - Bringer of Jollity Digital artwork by me, 2022

[hyperjerk]

I did a sketch that ballooned into an entire scene featuring every character of my "The Cosmic Cruise" project. And because many of the characters had yet to be fully coloured, I took this opportunity to get that done and have a large situational piece at the same time.

The concepts are still early days, so names, appearances and character traits are likely to change.

On board the Cosmic Cruise Ship "Levi", Captain Zane and First Mate Aria return, carrying cannisters of some kind, and are greeted immediately by the rest of the crew.

Sat on the center podium is June. Not a member of the ship's crew, but a regular celebrity figure.

To the bottom left is Joe, a coms and transport operative. Essentially logging arrivals and departures.

To the right of June is Pondi, an engineering officer.

Resting against the wall is Tyan, physical activities officer.

To her side is Debit (pronounced Debbie), who is an accountant appointed to the ship to make sure its finances are in check. A one-track mind and a party-pooper.

In the bottom right is Ralph.

In the background to the left of June is Ik. He's on the engineering team and has a strange presence about him.

Above Zane and Aria is one of many Levi screens where the ship's assistant AI is able to communicate with passengers.

Sat atop the Levi screen is the nefarious Nibly. He's a hacker with ill intentions.

In the background to the right of June is a poster featuring the evil Blue Lazue, master conman who frequents the casinos to prey on unlucky souls and imprison them with crippling debt.

[sapsolais]

!

[leonardoeatscarrots]

Finished this background that took forever

[death3x]

#SST24

Day 18: Luxury

Name: Space Cruise (for soldiers only)

"I know God doesn't hear dead men..."

Made in Cinema 4d with Corona Renderer

[cappurrccino]

god, the sable soundtrack is so good... I need to replay that game

[batshit-auspol]

With the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, many of the former empire's resources were sold off to the highest bidder, and their $14 billion space shuttle program was no exception.

Seeking to recoup some of that eyewatering spend, in 1998, the "Buran" (Russia's answer to the American Space Shuttle) was offered up for sale on eBay for $10 million.

No serious offers were received - with most people assuming the listing to be a joke, until the New York Post confirmed the sale, with Russian authorities stating they "actually have two" if anyone is interested.

(Pictured: A later auction of a smaller scale Buran in 2005)

Sensing an opportunity, a group of Aussie entrepreneurs including Australia's first astronaut and the lawyer for Prime Minister Paul Keating offer to lease the shuttle from Russia, to put it on display in Australia during the Sydney Olympics.

After gaining permission from the Kremlin for the lease, in 1999 the Russian military briefly stops bombing Chechnya in order to dismantle the Buran, and it is placed on a barge to be shipped to Sydney on the (soon to be infamous for other reasons) Tampa shipping vessel at a cost of $5 million.

Once in Sydney, after a disastrous few months on display where crowds failed to flock to the shuttle exhibition featuring such compelling educational offerings as "activities is to assist in the development of issues of nutrition and hygiene at home" (an actual quote from their website) - the leasing company declared bankruptcy and washed their hands of the space shuttle completely.

The Buran Gift shop where you could buy soviet space ship themed football jerseys, in case you needed one of those

One of four people listed on the lease, described as a business partner of the Prime Minister, also claims he never knew he was a director of the company, which went on to cause a lot more problems.

This whole debacle presented a slight issue for the cash strapped Russian authorities, who had now only been paid $100,000 for the 9 year lease of the shuttle instead of the $600,000 they were owed. Eventually the decision was made to abandon the once $1 billion Soviet pride and joy in a Sydney carpark, where it resided for a year under a small tarpaulin.

Failed attempts to be rid of the shuttle included a 12 day auction hosted by an LA radio station, where listeners were offered the chance to buy the shuttle for $6 million, however all bids turned out to be pranks and the shuttle remained.

Multiple attempts were also made to sell the shuttle to Tom Cruise, with the exacerbated movie star's representatives repeatedly telling the insistent traders that he was not interested in owning a Russian spaceship.

Eventually a Singaporean group dismantled the shuttle and shipped it overseas, however Russian authorities soon reported they once again had been failed to be paid for the lease. Singaporean representatives responded that they definitely had paid for the shuttle, and that they simply couldn't remember when or how much was paid.

Representing the Russian government, Lawyer Suhaila Turani told the Wall Street Journal “I feel sorry for the Russians. They’re good in space, but they’re very naive in business.”

For a time the shuttle was abandoned in the storage yard of event company Pico, with the company owner telling the Wall Street Journal "I just want this thing out of my life" after three years of being stuck with it.

A few years later the shuttle was found by German journalists dismantled in a junkyard, and it was then bought and shipped to Germany to be put on display a museum, so all's well that ends well (except they dropped it from a crane while trying to set it up, but it polished up okay).

[typewritingyip]

The Arcturus Missions

Part Thirty Five - Reactionary Actions

Part Thirty Four

———

There are considered four basic types of human relationships; familial relationships, friendships, acquaintanceships, and romantic relationships. 

Familial relationships are formed through blood ties or legal connections, invoking both close and extended family. 

8% of pilots have this direct connection.

Friendships are defined as voluntary bond based on shared interests, values, experiences, and are often characterized by shared support and respect. 

87% of pilots among the MECHA database log between 1 and 4 other pilots in this category. 

Acquaintanceships and Professional relations are known to be limited in scope, often involving those you either recently met or those whom you spend limited or set time around.

25% of pilots consider other pilots at large to be professional relationships while another 15% consider them solely acquaintances.

Romantic relationships are formed through romantic attraction, respect, intimacy, and a deep emotional connection. 

93% of pilots who enter the program while in a romantic relationship, no matter the category thereof, are known to no longer have those relationships post testing.

Relationships are highly complicated and complex, dependent on the person or persons involved as a whole.

—

Leaving New Kaon felt like going on a cruise, maybe not a long cruise or even one on a smooth ocean but still a cruise. A respite that was more than needed, at least for Hound.

It was hard to picture that they’d only been there for around a week, it truly felt like a lifetime. Then again, missions like that one usually felt that way, especially with those outcomes.

Sunstreaker was on a different transport shuttle with Ironhide and his unit, while Breakdown was remaining in the city with the secondary unit for more monitoring of the system. Hound had tried to stay but now was sitting effectively in isolation on the shuttle. Though Megatron had not said a lot his actions had spoken louder than any orders. His commander was remaining on New Kaon as well; they'd likely return in a few weeks. The Prime’s shuttle was ahead of this one, taking the few wounded that needed more intense care with it.

Sighing slowly, Hound hangs his head, closing his eyes. 

The ship hummed quietly through space, it was weird how familiar the sound of a spaceship could become. It was oddly comforting, how the small sense of familiarity brought so much peace. Leaning back in the seat, Hound opens his eyes slowly, “You know, it’s unnerving how quiet you are.” He kept his voice low, staring at Mirage who was now sitting across from him.

With a smile, Mirage shrugged a bit, “Says one of the few mecha who can tell where I am when I use my outlier.” Hound shrugged and nodded, “True.” He smiles, his visor lighting up the shuttle a bit.

Shifting, Mirage stands and moves to sit next to him, “You feeling better Hound?” He almost wanted to sigh or worse, roll his eyes, but instead he nodded, “I’m alright Mirage, I swear it.” Kicking his feet out in front of him, he crosses his ankles comfortably. Mirage watched with a slight frown, “Are you sure?” Nodding, Hound looked over, “Of course, why do you ask?” It wasn’t obvious, not to him.

But to Mirage he could see the difference clear as day. 

“Your movements, physical mannerisms, they’ve changed.” He was frowning, “They changed before your crash but they're still different.” Hound’s heart raced, frowning down at his feet a bit before looking at Mirage, who shifted a bit, “You almost look more comfortable, more fluid in your movements, less stiff. Was that precursor? To the crash?” Sighing, Hound shakes his head and shrugs, “I don’t know, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice.” Rubbing his hands over his face, his head thumps against the wall. Closing his eyes again, Hound bit back a curse.

Shifting some, Mirage rests a hand on his shoulder, “Hound, what’s going on?” Keeping his eyes closed, he sighs slowly, “Back, back when I was a new pilot, I was different. We have classes of pilots, anyone can be a striker, that’s what I am now.” Mirage leaned forward some, “Now?” Nodding, Hound finally looked over, “Now, I first tested into Hunter class. Back then there were more classes than there are now, but most pilots are strikers now. It’s what we need.” Frowning, Mirage shifts again in his seat, “But you're all so different, does your class really cover so much?” Nodding, Hound smiled a bit.

Shrugging, he sighed, “Well, Breakdown is a tanker class, but the twins and I are all strikers. Or, well, before the crash I was just a striker. Now, I feel like I used to. More.. awake.” He flexes his fingers with a bit of a smile, visor brightening slightly. Mirage stared, nodding slowly, “Did you feel asleep this whole time?” With a sigh, Hound shook his head, “No, god no. I wouldn’t have been able to do half of what I’ve done had I been asleep. No, I just, I feel like me again.” He sighed, “No, that’s not right either.” Mirage chuckles.

Shaking his head, he tosses a hand out, “Forget it, I don’t have the right words for how I feel.” Hound looks at Mirage, visor still bright with a smile, and Mirage smiles, shaking his head, “Not even in another one of the languages from your home?” It almost brought him to crying laughter.

“Oh god, I can barely speak my native language let alone the two others I have certifications in. If I can’t explain it in English, then I can’t try to in Spanish or Arabic.” Mirage was smiling, a real smile that reached his eyes, and Hound tried not to swear again or shift uncomfortably. Glancing away, Mirage rubs at his neck subconsciously, “So, why do you know those languages over any others? Why not upload a communication chip?” Shaking his head, Hound shrugged, “We don’t have those on earth, you’ve got to sit down and learn it. These translators we use are new and you’ve seen how fallible they are.” Nodding, Mirage chuckles a bit, “Well, yeah. I was wondering why Jazz had a hard time back when he first appeared.” Hound chuckled, shaking his head.

For a moment, Hound thought of Perceptor, and the pilots still on Earth. Looking at the hands of his suit, he sighed slowly, “He tried to give us our best chance, Percy, he designed the translator.” Slowly, Mirage puts an arm around Hound’s shoulders, “He did and you’ll see them again, plus most of us have to meet him. Making it so that we can speak and grow close.” If anyone else were awake in the shuttle, they’d be cringing or gagging or making obscene gestures. Thankfully, most of everyone was asleep and the few that were awake were too focused on their own conversations. 

Nodding some, Hound sits back, “If we all make it out of this war it will be a miracle.” Mirage squeezes his shoulder lightly, “We know the feeling, very well but we’ve got each other. All of us, we’re fighting this war together this time.” Smiling, Hound nodded. Never before getting sent across the universe did he think he’d be thankful for giant aliens.

—

To be fair, he tried to stay awake to talk, he really did. Even with Blue on comms it didn’t keep him awake. Disconnected and passed out on his cot, Sunstreaker was dead to the world.

The shuttle around them was lively and it shocked more than a few mecha when Bluestreak was quiet for a while, at least until the visor on Sunstreaker went dark. Blue seemed to deflate after a few minutes, though was content enough where he was at.

Sunstreaker had his arms around Bluestreak’s middle, head resting on his shoulder, and was clearly asleep now. Bluestreak was trapped, but the small smile on his face gave all the clues that anyone needed. Whistling and cat calls were not unheard of, along with a share of obscene gestures. Someone even made the comment of how lucky the Paraxian’s seemed to get with the “hot aft aliens”.

Honestly, Bluestreak wouldn’t disagree. Looking down at Sunstreaker, who’d settled like that to talk and even when he disconnected, kept talking with him. Listening contently, not wanting to overrun the conversation or cut his train of thought off. Maybe he was lucky. His comm line was still open, glad to be able to make sure Sunny was alright even while he slept. Okay, maybe that was a little creepy but he was so small compared to everything else around them. Just being able to see that he was okay was comforting enough.

Bluestreak blinked as someone waved their servos in front of his face, “Primus,” Ironhide smirked, “Not quiet kid, well, don’t you look all cozy.” And his faceplates burned, clearing his vocalizer, “Slightly, what do you want?” And Ironhide’s servo came up to cover his spark, “Yelling at your commanding officer! What would Prowl think?” Blue couldn’t help but roll his eyes, muttering, “What did he think about the commanders running the humans ragged.” Nodding, Ironhide vents deeply, “Yeah, you’re not wrong there.” Rubbing at his neck, Ironhide shakes his head, “Sunstreaker feeling okay?” Nodding, Blue looks down at Sunny with a soft smile, “Yeah, just recharging.” 

Ironhide smiled a bit, “Well, that’s good. Otherwise I’d probably hear it from Prowl, again.” Bluestreak chuckled, “Yeah, I’m not surprised by that at all.” With a nod, Ironhide pats Bluestreak’s shoulder before heading back for the cockpit.

They’d have a flying stop in Iacon, a few days to re-supply before they were going back to their planet’s “tropical paradise”, as Sunny had called it. Elita and her unit would be setting up on the other coast, something about the system was attracting the Quints and they needed to figure it out.

Looking back down at Sunny, at the camera in his cockpit, Blue sighed. They needed to know what the Quintessons wanted, not just for the sake of Cybertron but for Earth. It was bad enough they were attacking a species that was well matched, to know that there were only so many suits and pilots on Earth to defend Sunny’s kind was killing him.

It was hard to know the person you, you might love; his spark spun funnily. Would be heartbroken if anything else were to happen to his planet, that he cared that much he’d be willing to die for it. Bluestreak had known the feeling once, back when Paraxus had been beautiful with its tall and shining spires. He almost felt that way for Cybertron, but nothing was quite like home. For Sunny, he could understand why it had shifted to Earth over the place called Florida, when you lost home it was easy to see the planet as home. Just for Blue, it was different.

He almost giggled when Sunstreaker started to snore, sitting back and putting his arm around Sunny’s back, closing his own eyes. The anxiety could wait till morning.

—

Iacon was beautiful, as always, and Hound was happy to be back. What he wasn’t happy about was the checkups that were scheduled in with a handful of the Prime’s medics. For him and Sunstreaker, it was hours before they escaped and the sun was starting to set already.

All Hound wanted to do was take a shower and be out of the suit for at least five minutes. Sunny was dragging his feet, Bluestreak having disappeared hours before and the poor guy was pouting. It was hard to hold his tongue, “How was your mission with Ironhide?” Sunstreaker looked up and started to walk more normally, “I got my visor shattered by Blue, I killed I think three quints, uh, swam in the ocean.” Nodding a bit, Hound smiles some, “Yeah, I heard about the visor, the new one looks good though.” Sunny hummed.

That was one of the things Hound could count on with Sunny, not having to make painful conversation, just quiet understanding. They walked together through the quickly darkening Iacon, plating scrubbed and scratched buffed, likely looking as nice as the suits had the day they came off of assembly. 

Neither of them expected to be facing Prowl this late in the evening, let alone be facing down his disapproving glare, “Shit.” Their voices combined in a way that only happens when you spend too much time around each other. 

“You would think I’d start to grow accustomed to that greeting.” His doorwings flicked, for what reason Hound didn’t know and he could guarantee Sunny had no clue, “Head inside, once you’re cleaned up Jazz wants to talk.” Hound barely spared Sunstreaker a glance, “I’ve been out of Iacon longer, I’m showering first.” He didn’t even want to think about what he and the cockpit of his suit smelled like. Almost gagging again.

—

Running a towel over his hair, Sunstreaker ducked past him just as the door for the bathroom opened. He barely sidestepped to let him past. Neither of them had expected Bluestreak in the apartment, but he and Prowl had left not long after they got their suits to clean. Though Hound will have to spend some time actually scrubbing at the floor of his suit, the assistance suit was currently soaking in their makeshift sink. 

It was a relief, to feel clean again, though his hair was starting to get on the longer side. Certainly longer than it ever had been, at least since he was eighteen. 

To be honest, he hadn’t noticed the state of Jazz’s own suit when he came in, too busy or maybe just too tired. Though he wasn’t looking forward to dealing with the look on Jazz’s face, “Look,” Jazz held up a hand and Hound scowled, “Tell me what happened.” Sighing slowly, he kept a scowl on his face, “Fine, I experienced the crash after using my suit for almost forty-eight hours.” Jazz’s face dropped, without another look, Hound went to the kitchen. Jazz did not stop him. 

It took him only a minute or two to get together something to eat and a cooling pack for his head. Disconnecting was getting harder with the jerk to his coding, he could remember how painful it had been before but at least this wasn’t as bad. Sighing, he went back into the living room, thankful the door to the bathroom was still shut and would be for a while yet.

Jazz stared, biting his lip, “What was it like?” Shrugging a bit, Hound sat and started to eat, keeping his head down to hold the cooling pack there. They didn’t have enough water reserved for showers and ice, “It was an artificial seizure effectively.” Each time he chewed, his head would pound and his implants would ache, “Did you not go through it before? Back when you first got here?” Slowly, Jazz shook his head, “No, no I didn’t.” He sighed and shifted back, tucking the cooling back into the collar of his shirt instead.

“Jazz, this was my second one. I didn’t know it until it happened again.” And Jazz went pale, staring at his own food before pushing it away, “How?” Shrugging, Hound can only shake his head, “My best guess is being hybrid-class.” He knew Jazz would sigh from relief, couldn’t help it, but it didn’t make his current state suck any less.

Jazz sat back, “What are you going to tell the others?” Closing his eyes, Hound sighed, “That I experienced the crash, end story. They don’t need to know,” “But they might.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Hound sighed, “Not now, not yet. Look, you didn’t crash. I was always going to be the most susceptible. They might not ever crash.” And the door behind them slid open as Prowl and Bluestreak returned. Both men shared a look before turning to the Cybertronian’s.

This would stay between them. Just one more secret to be kept from their allies. Another thing that could leave a crack in the foundation.

Prowl moves and sits on the couch, offering a hand to Jazz, who happily takes it and sits contentedly on Prowl’s shoulder like an odd parrot, his calculating gaze shifted to Hound, “I was told you crashed.” Tilting his head a bit, Hound shakes it just slightly, “I don’t think it’s like how you mean.” Prowl tried not to smile, “Then what’s your crash like?” Sighing, Hound looked down.

His head was pounding but the apartment in Iacon was cool and familiar, “When the crash hits, it’s the overloading of your implants with the main system. It’s the first and last time you’ll experience it because the system will adapt, overuse will ebb and you’ll be a stronger pilot for it.” “If you don’t die.” Jazz points at, pointing an accusatory finger at Hound, sighing he nods, “Yes, if you don’t die. If it doesn’t kill you. If you're able to handle it, it’s horrific, everything about it is horrible but once it’s done it’s at least done.” Another lie to go among the dozens.

Nodding slowly, Prowl sighed, “Alright, go ahead and get some rest Hound, you’ve earned it. You won’t ship back out until the lord protector returns to Iacon.” Bluestreak sighed and said something Hound didn’t understand. Prowl nodded and Hound frowned, “What did he say?” His helmet was still soaking for the time being, Prowl glanced over, “He asked if the prime and lord protector are fight, the answer is yes.” Nodding, Jazz snapped his fingers, “That’s why you called him Lord Protector instead of Megatron. Get all formal when they get mad?” Prowl looked like he wanted to roll his eyes to a painful extent, “Extremely.” Hound sighed deeply, “Great.” Looking down at his bowl, he stacked it on top of Jazz’s unfinished one before making his way to the bedroom.

All he wanted now was some halfway decent sleep, and to not think about the screaming match Megatron and Optimus Prime had had, and the implications of their argument.

—

They were supposed to be set up on opposite sides of the land mass, opposite coasts but the communication signal became strained not even five miles out and non-existent on the other side of the continent. Which made the point of the units splitting up useless.

So, now while Ironhide and Elita were setting up watches, the twins were avoiding each other and Bluestreak was nowhere to be found. Likely hiding from Sideswipe. Sighing, Sunstreaker sat down near the heater again, rubbing his face tiredly.

It was the middle of the night here and not exactly early back in Iacon either. Honestly, all he wanted to do was sleep, but not having others around while he slept had proven to all of them to be more dangerous than it was worth.

He wasn’t sure why he was avoiding Sideswipe, maybe because of Bluestreak who had wandered off for energon, now almost an hour ago. He knew his brother wouldn’t quiet understand, hell, he didn’t understand. It had all felt so normal, so natural. 

There was no label there yet, of course, but when their unit was out they were together up till the moment Blue needed to set up and then Sunny was off to tear the Quints apart. It was all still so new and terrifying, he just liked being able to be the listening ear for Blue.

Sighing, his mech sinks a bit in the sand, curled up near a heater, by himself trying to keep his eyes open.

Sideswipe was sat around the heater with his unit, laughing and listening to Chromia tell yet another story about the war. It’s weird, these things wouldn’t have kept his attention back home, learning of their pointless history while the war waged around them but this. When the peace had been found and they all only were now working together because of it, it felt far more interesting. Glancing over, he frowned a bit at Sunny, sitting all by himself.

He wasn’t entirely sure what had changed so recently, that they were now sitting apart instead of together. Part of it he knew was Hound splitting them up, ‘for the greater good’ his ass, it was to keep them all alive. But that was the farthest he could understand it. 

There had never been a time where he and Sunny were separated so often or for so long, not once. 

He could see the cafeteria, the long tables with the round uncomfortable seats, watching Sonny sketch in a notebook. It was before their parents died, before that attack that took everything from them, how the light came through the windows high up on the wall. The school had been old when his grandparents were alive, let alone now after dozens of battles off the coast. Plastic tray in his hands, a few friends were laughing behind him, thankfully making their way towards his brother rather than away.

“Hey, Sideswipe, we lose you?” He blinks and looks up, frowning a bit before shaking his head, “Uh, no, sorry Skids. Was thinking.” With a hum, Skids looks back to Chromia, “I say we just invite the pair over, not like more bodies will make it any colder.” She nodded and smiled, standing and patting Sideswipe on the back. He smiled some, looking up at her, he’d only been with these people for around a month and knew they’d sooner lay down their lives for him then not; “Hey! Bluestreak, Sunstreaker! Come on over, join the better unit!” There of course was the typical uproar from those busying themselves out of Ironhide’s unit but the laughter from his brother almost made him smile.

Almost.

What wiped it away was Bluestreak, who had now almost killed his brother twice. The sooner Sunny saw that that particular alien wasn’t his friend, the better. When they came over, Sides had hold of Sunny and pulled him to sit between himself and Skids. Bluestreak had stared dumbly before sitting with Chromia.

“So, tell me Blue, how’s Ironhide’s unit treating you? Oh, and how the hell you broke Sunstreaker’s last visor. Sides here won’t shut up about it!” He suddenly remembered that Skids had a big mouth, his foot met Skids leg with a practiced ease he’d gained from doing to Sunstreaker over the years. The resounding clang and yelp brought him satisfaction.

Once Blue got talking though, Sideswipe couldn’t help but lean in and listen, even as Sunny fused and tried to get his attention. Something was going on, and he wanted to know what.

Sunny was thankful he only had to ping Blue to get him to shut up before spilling their secret, mumbling something about being tired and reminding Sideswipe he hadn’t slept in over a day. Of course, he didn’t darken his visor till his brother had.

It was going to be a long trip.

—

In the last month and a half, give or take, it has been nice to just deal with the local issues on the planet instead of jettisoning off to some other part of the system or a neighboring system. 

The apartment was at a much more comfortable temperature than it had been in the last week or so with the thermostat on the fritz. The twins were apparently in some tropical paradise with their teams and Megatron’s unit had finally returned to Iacon, just as Optimus Prime had gone across the planet. Hound doubted it was a coincidence. 

Currently, Breakdown, Jazz, and himself were sitting together. Trying to enjoy the quiet conversations they really only got to have when Sideswipe wasn’t around or when Sunstreaker didn’t have Bluestreak around.

Even though Jazz cared for Prowl’s brother (though Hound didn’t think that the translation was quite right) he could be a lot of mech to go around even a group of them. He was honestly surprised Sunstreaker was so moon-eyed over him, but was he any different? Any time he could go out in the suit, he found himself at the bar that played music from home with Mirage of all people, the pair of them content to sit and listen.

“Earth to Hound, come in Hound.” A hand was waving in front of his face and he pulled back from it, Jazz smirks and Breakdown chuckles, “Welcome back to the land of the living, what were you thinking about?” Jazz couldn’t keep the laughter out of his voice and Hound sighed.

Before smirking and shifting his cooling pack, they were becoming a staple of his whenever home to avoid using up their limiting supplies, “The look on Knockout’s face the other day, when Breakdown asked if he wanted to join us in the market.” The grin on Jazz’s face was wicked even as poor Breakdown looked more confused than anything, “I was trying to be kind.” Chuckling, Jazz shakes his head, “Yeah, and flirting.” Hound snorts as Breakdown turns bright red, saying something neither of them understood which only made Jazz laugh harder.

To be fair, they wouldn’t be this giggly if the twins hadn’t perfected their still. So liquid courage was certainly a help in this.

“As if you are the one to talk Jazz! You and Prowl!” Breakdown frowns down at his cube, they were large but thankfully not full of gin. Or the closest that they could make to gin with their alien plants, “And I’ve never denied it! Just tried to keep the PDA on the down low, it’s a bit odd, dating a giant alien.” Jazz shrugged a bit even as Hound chuckled, setting aside his glass, this stuff was far too strong to be healthy. “What? I have, you all didn’t know for months.” Sighing, Breakdown shook his head, “Regardless, I was not flirting. Just trying to be kind.” Both Jazz and Hound hummed, unconvinced.

They lulled into silence for a bit, to watch the city, all thinking of their own relationships. Thinking of this place and how much things had changed in the last, six months, more? God, Hound wasn’t sure anymore. Frowning he looks down at his watch, now broken, just a habit to wear it still. Adjusting the cooling back to sit just under his implants, he sighs and closes his eyes. They all got lost in their own trains of thought, each trying to deal with their demons in their own way.

Jazz was the first to break his silence. 

“You need to stop talking to them about the treatment we got from MECHA.” Jazz’s voice was quiet, the apartment was dark but the sky line of Iacon in the night showed through the window, “What? Why?” Hound glanced over, shifting the cooling pack on his neck, “There are things you don’t know about Cybertron, who they used to be, who they fought to not be.” There was something in Jazz’s eyes that made Hound want to ask a million questions but he stayed quiet, “Our recent history sounds like their darkest days.” Breakdown rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Our planet is living ours.” Sighing, Jazz nodded, “I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that they're eerily similar.” Both Hound and Breakdown slowly nodded.

Looking back out on Iacon, Hound felt his throat tighten, “I’m not going to lie,” “No, you shouldn’t, but stop bringing light to the torture we faced.” He winced and closed his eyes.

How could being the only one compatible in his family be torture? How could wanting the freedom for their planet be torture? How could becoming the best part of his life be torture?

“And don’t listen to the voice they put in your head during testing.” Jazz’s voice was lower, he was staring at Iacon with such intensity, “It will ask you how it could be torture, to be a hero, choosing to forget every moment of horror we face.” His fingers brushed lightly over his implants, eyes watering.

Nodding slowly, Hound took a slow breath, “We were soldiers Jazz, our bodies haven’t been our property since we were eighteen.” He shifted and rested a hand on Hound’s shoulder, squeezing, “I know, but it’s time to take it back.” Jazz chuckled, “None of them can get to us here, we’re still fighting for our planet, but on our terms.” His gaze turned to Breakdown’s, “No one’s going to die, not of our crew, not on our watch.” Breakdown nodded firmly, eyes watering too, “We have to learn to live again.” Jazz looks between them.

They sat there, quietly for a moment, “We were tortured for the sake of it, weren’t we?” Hound’s voice wavered, tears forming, “I think so. Discovery or not, it doesn’t change that we’ve been owned, used, and abused.” He nodded slowly, even as the tears fell down his face, gasping once before covering it with his hands. Carefully, Jazz rubbed Hound’s back as the man cried.

He could love his life, love being a pilot, be proud of it even and still know, finally know, that how they did it was wrong. No wonder the Cybertronian’s stared at them every time they mentioned the work back home, every time they threw themselves on the live grenade, it wasn’t expected or needed of them here. They didn’t have to be the sacrifice for “the greater good”. The guinea pigs for the never ending, churning machine that was this war from hell. 

Taking a slow and deep breath, Hound wiped his eyes and stared back at Iacon.

It was a beautiful city, how the cities of his memory looked, before they were destroyed. Before every beautiful thing in their world had become nothing more than a resource. How everything had become expendable beside the suit. 

“Dozens of pilots tried to pilot Vortex before Aid came along, and they just kept sending them to die, for data.” Jazz nodded slowly as Breakdown hung his head, “They sent us to die, for data.” Sighing slowly, Jazz laid a careful arm around Breakdown, “We’re more than just a resource here.” He smiles a bit, “Joan had to remind me a million times my first year here, that freedom is the right of all sentient beings and what we endured. That was not freedom.” What it wasn’t didn’t need to be said, it was so plain as day.

Hound hung his head in shame, the pilots lived and breathed the propaganda. Unwilling, no, unable to open their eyes with Shockwave digging through their coding every— 

“It’s been six months.” It hit him and Breakdown at the same time. The same instant, “Actually, closer to nine now, but yeah. It’s funny how it’s easier to see when they aren’t digging through your brain every six months or so.” Jazz stood and went to the window, leaning against it to stare at the soldiers in front of him, leaving his glass almost empty, “So, what are you going to do with your freedom?” Hound and Breakdown shared a glance, looked to Jazz, then to Iacon before back at each other and grinning.

Standing, Hound offers Breakdown a hand and helps him up, the poor man stumbled slightly, having had more to drink than either Jazz or himself, “Jazz, we’re going to fight to live.” His smile was contagious and bright, “I was hoping you’d say that.” Jazz’s voice was light, lighter than it had been when they decided to drink that evening.

Fighting to live gave them more time, fighting for Cybertron gave them people they could trust. The more of both they had, the less likely it was that they’d die as soon as they stepped foot on Quintessa. 

———

A/N

HOLY FUCK 5k words, that is more than I thought it was going to be but I almost posted the chapter without the intro which would have made me very sad to forget.

So, there is a tiny time skip in this chapter as we saw, but next chapter I will be going over the events leading up to the chapter after, which takes place several months from now.

Honestly, I am kinda sad that I’ll be time skipping but it’s time, it has been a minute and I need to progress the story.

Is my plan set in stone? No, I think I have proved that with literally finishing the chapter and putting it up right after. But, do I know where I want it to go? Vaguely. Uh, I think..

Anyways, I hope you enjoy! I know the twins part towards the end is rough but I have the hardest time with Sideswipe out of anyone.. I kinda know why but yeah, I need to do a him focused chapter soon.

Also blame the delay on the fact my mind has been eating itself, I got into an audiobook the other day and now am listening to the 9 book series. I have made a grave mistake.

TAGS

Thank you @keferon for this amazing AU, I would not have written god knows how many words of this fic without you.

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[specialagentartemis]

I keep trying to read cozy sff and I keep kinda going “that’s it?”

Cozy mysetery on a spaceship and I’m just going. This is a generation ship type deal with universal memory uploading/downloading and bodyprinting so your memories get put into a new body when you die and everyone is functionally immortal. Where are you getting the wool and the silk for your cute yarn shop. Why is embezzlement to get rich even like, a thing on a luxurious interstellar passenger liner generation ship that’s been cruising for 300+ years now. This is an exceptionally closed system, where is that money even coming from. How am I supposed to believe there are the normal motivations to Get Rich on a generation ship where everyone is explicitly provided equal housing in a location of their choice for free and a food replicator that can make anything they want also for free and also everyone is functionally immortal. Like I absolutely expect weird status competitions to arise but embezzling from your yarn shop to Get Rich just feels so… what is the point of setting this story on a spaceship when it’s just a cozy mystery pastiche of early 20th century manners in a queer socialism setting that does not care about the generation ship part at all. Just set it on a queer socialism planet or something so I stop wondering who’s raising silkworms and angora goats on this spaceship! Mannnnn I love generation ships and I know I just wanted this to be a different story than it was, because this story ran exclusively on Quirkiness and Vibes so it could do its memory uploading murder mystery and cute aunt who solves mysteries and likes to knit, but I think cozy sff just is not for me because I’m going no back up what the FUCK is the economy on this spaceship

[theghostavocadoe]

I'm at Disney world so FUCK YOU ff7 characters and their favorite rides/attractions at WDW

Cloud: Doesn't have a single favorite but he likes those slow-moving track rides. Like the Peoplemover. He calls them "air-conditioned naps"

Tifa: Seven Dwarves Mine Train because she loves the swinging carts.

Aerith: Unironically loves It's A Small World. She knows the whole song by heart and drags everyone on to ride it with her.

Barret: Toy Story Mania because he gets WAY too into it and ends up with the most points by the end

Red XIII: 🎵In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room🎵

Vincent: Haunted Mansion. Obvious reasons are obvious.

Cid: Big Thunder Mountain is his guilty pleasure. He has the whole safety announcement memorized ("If any of you folks are wearing hats or glasses, best remove em, cuz' this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!!")

Reeve/Cait Sith: Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Reeve has a soft spot for Figment since he reminds him of Cait.

Zack: Rock N' Roller Coaster. Again, obvious reasons are obvious.

Kunsel: Smuggler's Run. He convinces Zack and Cloud to do it with him and they end up flawlessly executing the escape.

Genesis: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Doesn't seem like the type of guy to like roller coasters, but he LOVES them.

Angeal: Muppet Vision. I mean come on it's the MUPPETS. "But that's not a ride-" Fine. Tower of Terror. He's a sucker for the theming.

Sephiroth: Spaceship Earth. He's a giant nerd and loves correcting and/or commenting on the history bits of the ride.

and of course I can't exclude my boys

Kadaj: Space Mountain. Dark rides, his beloved.

Yazoo: Flight of Passage / Naavi River Journey. He just loves the Pandora area in it's entirety.

Loz: Jungle Cruise. He thinks it's fucking hilarious.

[ouroborosorder]

Oh it’s because two astronauts were collecting someone’s corpse from space so they could bury her on earth and their ship was about to crash so the girls punched through the mountain so the ship could fly through the other side

symphogear really is the anime ever

[mindblowingscience]

An advanced alien civilization may want to cruise around the galaxy, and the best way to do that is by steering their binary star system, a researcher proposes in a new paper. Long-lived civilizations may have many motivations for wanting to move somewhere else in the galaxy. They may need to escape an impending supernova, for example. Maybe they need to scout our new natural resources. Or maybe they just feel like exploring.

Continue Reading.

[ice-creamforbreakfast]

Whats the lore behind Cabbagepatch?

I should really have a page dedicated to this 🤣 Okay, strap in! This is going to be a long post!

Empress of Evil, Cabbagepatch Prudence Le-Croissant Pantoufle  Baba-Yaga Mothballs-Smyth and her siblings belong to a race of ancient, immortal shapeshifters with a default dog-like appearance.

The Mothballs Siblings minus Robespierrepatch

Several hundred years ago, Cabbagepatch and her siblings were looking for new planets to conquer when her brother Cookiebatch, overcome with psychic energy, tried to eat the spaceship's controls, causing them to crash land in Strangetown.

Cabbagepatch as a puppy and an adult on her home planet, Cardboard Batuu. The crash in Strangetown. Cabbagepatch in disguise as a French dog. Cabbagepatch as an elder

The crash caused a massive disagreement between the Mothballs siblings, and they split up and fled to various corners of Sim Earth.

Tigerpatch's fifteen minutes of fame

Cabbagepatch went to Champ Les Sims, disguising herself as a French dog, Figgyduff moved to Chestnut Ridge and started an illegal horse dealership, Kapusta hijacked a cruise ship, before eventually settling in Ravenwood, Tigerpatch moved deep into the Selvadoradian jungle, but rose to prominence as the face of a Simflix documentary, Rottenbonnet set up home on an offshore garbage island, Mitzipuff and Cookiebatch were discovered by scientists, who later tricked a rather stupid man into taking them after they all but destroyed the lab, while Foxipuff and Blobbypatch are unaccounted for, but do attend family gatherings when called.

Cabbagepatch performing a blood sacrifice with her siblings, while wearing Sentate couture

Cabbagepatch was kidnapped by scientists in Champ Les Sims. She was bored and wanted something to do, so she let it happen, and then promptly blew up their lab.

She then reconnected with her brother, Robespierrepatch, who had left during an earlier migration and was communicating from Sim Earth. They had a falling out over sausages, so like her siblings often did, Cabbagepatch found a nice family and stayed with them until they annoyed her and she had to kill them. Rinse and repeat several times over.

Cabbagepatch found a family she could tolerate, but Figgyduff, after learning of her sister's location, broke into their home and destroyed their kitchen in search of sausages. Cabbagepatch got the blame and had to kill the family. Her bloodfeud with Figgyduff never ended.

Cabbagepatch ended up being taken in by a nice old lady who fed her the most magnificent sausages. Cabbagepatch grew to like her, and together they guarded their home from unwanted visitors with much aggression. Sadly that wouldn't last, and she ended up being 'inherited' by her grandson (the gall!) Milo.

Cabbagepatch waiting for Milo's wife Hana to die

She remained with Milo and his family and lived a comfortable life, occasionally begrudgingly sharing her time with their other pets (thankfully mortal). Occasionally she would run into old enemies, but overall, her life was peaceful and allowed her great freedom to build a large stock portfolio and start various underground businesses.

Cabbagepatch when she went off sausages for a few months

When Milo and Hana passed away, Cabbagepatch found herself living with Milo's sister, Heather; her favourite of the Smyth family. Heather remained ageless on a strict regime of Botox, Ozempic, and cosmetic surgery, and became the one human Cabbagepatch actually liked.

Heather in her late eighties to early nineties with Cabbagepatch

During her time with Heather. Cabbagepatch was free to go about her business, given Heather was busy with her own portfolios and businesses. She accepted an invitation to join the League of Evil.

Cabbagepatch and her associates during some downtime (credit: @theplottdump)

Cabbagepatch has learned from her long life that it's okay to wind down a little, and having had an eventful time on Sim Earth, she makes sure to involve herself in smaller pet projects, as well as large-scale business ventures.

Cabbagepatch, along with Vampire Cher and Vampire Enya, taking down evil children's author KJ Rowley in the Banned Forest

Cabbagepatch's greatest enemies

Being a business woman and dangerous individual of such calibre isn't without enemies. Cabbagepatch has made a variety of enemies in her time. For the most part, she lets them live, as without enemies, where would the fun be?

This brings us to the present moment, when Cabbagepatch appears to have buried the hatchet with Figgyduff (and not in her head either), in their war against the Clucking Cosa Nostra. No one knows what the future will bring for Cabbagepatch, except perhaps Cookiebatch, who does have psychic powers, but either can't, or chooses not to verbalise them.

[illarian-rambling]

Next on the character intro docket for The Final Voyage of the R.S. Starbreaker!

Faalgun Falani, the Captain

I’d been numb for so long. Ever since I was a boy, the feeling haunted me. It took me a long time to realize boredom isn’t painful to most people, that it doesn’t consume most of your time. It’s not that I think everyone is boring, I swear. Believe me, most folks are entirely too fast for my liking. Gods beyond, I… will not be going into detail because then we’d be sitting here for another twenty pages and no one needs that. It’s more like an itch. Plenty of things make me happy throughout the day: quiet mornings, singing to myself, having a pint after work, though that last one is a little harder now that I’m dead. But that itch is still there. It’s like that ankle you sprained when you were a teen that never quite healed right — it doesn’t stop you from running and jumping around, but that ache is always there.  I think other people have the ache too, but we all fill it in different ways. For me, the only time it leaves me alone — the only time I can really be at peace — is when I’m walking that line between fortune and ruin.  I got into a lot of fights when I was a kid. I’m sure it’s not surprising to hear I didn’t win many — a short Halan stature certainly isn’t unheard of on the Flying City, but it’s rare, and I’m pretty compact even by that metric, so I was always the smallest in the orphanage where I grew up. Even so, even after every boot to the stomach and poke in the eye, I always came back for more. It was the only time I felt alive. The only way I knew how to alleviate that itch. In regards to that, flight school was the best thing to ever happen to me. That line between fortune and ruin became a starry horizon. The rush of a fist to the jaw became the rush of G-forces pulling at my stomach. I excelled, to say the least. I trained to get good at docking procedures and memorized every regulation in the handbook, but really, in my heart, I was there for those lightning moments where the world fell away because I was flying too fast for it to keep up.  I guess gambling was just easier, though. It was certainly a faster fix. I never wanted….

Faalgun is fun because he is a military veteran with a gambling addiction that was eventually the death of him and the cause of a massive amount of trauma in the process. He is also, however, a 3'5" little lizard guy who likes to sing in secret and wears a little tricorn hat. Ah the dichotomy.

Faalgun, a mentioned, grew up in an orphanage after being surrendered as a hatchling. His home, the Flying City, is a rather singular place in the solar wheel, as it is the only space-faring civilization. Picture a giant cruise ship/space station but made of wood. Powered by magic, the Flying City moves between the three inhabited planets and trades goods between them. They are protected by a vast fleet of voidskiffs (magical spaceships) and as soon as he was able, Faalgun left the orphanage to join this fleet.

From there, his rise in rank was pretty meteoric. Faalgun is truly a fantastic pilot and captain. A little overly fond of risk for sure, but the Flying City Navy isn't an active military at the moment, so his fancy maneuvers were somewhat overlooked. Other than that, he was incredibly by-the-book. Many people resented him for his quick ascent to the rank of captain, others stuck close hoping some of that luster would rub off on them. Fairweather friends, you could say - not that Faalgun could tell the difference. He was glad to have people to hang out with for once, and thought nothing of it when they first invited him out to a casino.

Something is a little off in Faalgun's brain. Adhd or a family history of addiction or both, he doesn't know, but either way, he lives for an adrenaline rush. In this way, gambling was like catnip to him. In record time, he lost all his money, his house, and, in a final blow to his pride, he was stripped of his rank in a dirty alleyway after his commanding officer tracked him down. He got in debt bad. No one was there to support him - his 'friends' abandoned him the moment he lost his rank and he had no family to speak of. In the span of about a year, he was sleeping under a bench half-drunk trying to figure out which loansharks would still talk to him. Soon enough, he found the answer was zero and also they were quite mad he hadn't paid back any of the money he'd borrowed. Some thug eventually beat him to death in an alley and that was that. Faalgun's soul went to the hell of the goddess Ibara, patron goddess of sailors and explorers. He'd failed her as a wanderer of the stars. Except now, with this mission given to the R.S. Starbreaker and its ghostly crew, he's been given a second chance. And even if he thinks he's the scum of the earth, he refuses to screw up again.

Soooooo, he's got some issues, to put it lightly. Aside from those, Faalgun is a pretty shy person. Some social anxiety for sure. He does well when in command; he's highly organized, rules oriented, and does things by the book. But in more personal settings, he tends to be quiet and a little awkward at making conversation. Very introverted fellow. Due to the trauma surrounding his death, Faalgun's self-esteem is terribly low. He thinks of himself as a terrible, weak wretch of a person and refuses the rank of captain aboard the R.S. Starbreaker even though he's already doing the job pretty much. In death, he wants to be a 'better person,' so he avoids cards and dice like the plague, and does his best not to let his impulsiveness get the better of him on missions. He doesn't always succeed, but sometimes that's for the best. If anyone of the crew is going to take a risk to rescue another, or throw themselves into a fight to defend the ship, it's Faalgun. He might not be the official captain, but this is still his crew and he has a duty to them.

Very sad lizard, very angsty. But what does he look like? Well, as stated, Faalgun is a lizard. Picture something like a dnd kobold. He stands at around 3'5" - closer to 3'0" really, most of that 5" is his horns - and has pale blue scales and a ruff of white fur that cascades from the top of his head to the tip of his tail. He's around late twenties in age. His eyes are yellow and reptilian, his horns have almost a crystalline sheen, and he has two whiskers on his snout, like an Eastern dragon. His blood is a dark blue. As for clothes, Faalgun still wears the torn and stained military uniform he died in. He sees it as a reminder of what he truly is.

Now for some fun facts because there's gotta be something fun about this man!

Faalgun is a fairly talented singer. He got into it as a kid and though he has terrible stage fright, he sings softly to keep himself occupied while steering the ship.

He's asexual, mostly because I think it's funny to call him an 'ace pilot.' He's probably demiromantic also. He's been in one relationship in his life and it was kind of a shitshow between those two factors and some very poor communication.

Because he's a reptile, any cold planet they go to, he tends to get very, very sleepy.

Building off of that, the entire crew thinks Faalgun is downright adorable. Not that they'd ever say so. But they are thinking it very hard.

He's probably the best trained fighter on the ship, which would be great if he wasn't the size of a six year old.

Anyhow, that's Totally-Not-Captain Faalgun Falani! Ostensibly the leader of this voyage, walking ball of guilt and trauma, and also cute little lizard guy. A man of many facets. I hope you enjoy and have a bitchin day!

@amandacanwrite @elsie-writes @riveriafalll @kosmic-kore @kaylinalexanderbooks

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