Short Fiction: the Orville - Pickle Jars and how to open them

 Part 13: Pickle Jars and how to open them

"I am..." Kelly Grayson hugged Isaac hoping that some small part of him was capable of understanding what it meant. "...so sorry."

"Captain?" Bortus hated to interupt the moment but it was urgent. "Unidentified Alien vessels approaching."

"Have they spotted the Orville?" Kelly was interrupted by Isaac. "Six vessels at the furthest edge of the debris field."

"They are harvesting the debris for salvage." Isaac looked down at Captain Grayson. "I recommend returning to the flight deck immediatly."

"Isaac?" Kelly disengaged and headed toward the holographic simulator exit. "What's happening?"

"Drones are deploying a filament linking debris at the outer edge." Isaac paused before quickly moving forward towards the flight deck. "They are constructing a web to contain the debris field."

"We dont want to be caught in the web." Kelly picked up her pace to a run. "How far are we from the edge of the field?"

"We are still close to the centre of the debris field." Bortus matched Kelly's speed. "It will take some time to reach the edge."

"Captain Grayson to LaMarr," Kelly entered the lift with Bortus and looked back at Isaac who was only now approaching. "Can we get under way?"

"Still repairing the Ring Captain." Chief Engineer LaMarr's voice seemed oddly focused. "At least an hour on that."

"There is an alternative," Gordon Malloy inserted himself into the conversation. "I can go out with the remaining shuttle."

"All right Gordon," Kelly Grayson contemplated the idea of being towed. "Try and tow us as close to the edge of the debris field as you can."

"It's not actually my plan to tow the Orville," Gordon picked up the pace toward the shuttle bay. He had to do this before the Captain could object. "And its probably not going to be pleasant."

"Lets hear it Gordon," Kelly really wanted to be under way. "what were you going to do?"

"The planet Kaylon came through before we did so its actually like an inverted shell." Gordon reached the shuttle bay and crossed to the shuttle. "My plan is to brush the interior at FTL in a loop and make it spin realy fast."

"Thats insane." Isaac reached the lift joining Kelly and Bortus. "Isaac, what do you think?"

"It is highly likely the planetary debris ring will undergo stellar fusion as it forms a rotating toroidal." Isaac contemplated the outcome. "The Orville wil be exposed to very high levels of Radiation."

****

"Okay, hit me with it." Captain Mercer rested an ice-filled Scotch glass against his forehead. It did little to affect his headache. "How bad is it Chief?"

"You see just there..." Chief Newton pointed at a void on the display of nearby Stars. "There was a Star there yesterday."

"Well?" Ed sipped at the ice water in his glass and rejected it as a foul concoction. "How significant is the displacement?"

"Not sure." Newton looked at the nearby Stars. "It's definatly gone FTL. That much is certain."

"Is it going to hit something?" Ed got a Scotch refill from the Ops Synthesizer. "Which way is it headed?"

"There." Chief Newton pointed at a nearby Star. "That one has moved."

"Okay." Newton dragged in a path projection cone from the toolbar across the star chart screen into position and pointed at a second star further along the path projection cone. "Once it exerts a force on this Star here we should be able to narrow its projected path further."

" And..." Chief Newton adjusted the projected path cone to a narrower course focus. "There goes the second Star."

"And that means?" Ed Mercer looked at the fat end of the path projection cone. "Oh God... Its headed for Krill space."

"Well," Newton was shaking his head in disbelief that he would ever see such an epic level of bad luck in his life time. "Technically its headed for Krill Prime."

"How long?" Captain Mercer contemplated using the only craft at his disposal. "...will it take to get this station under way?" (660)

...

"What am I going to do Claire?" Alara stood by a medbed, her upper body bent at the waist, face down in a pillow. "Captain Mercer hasn't spoken to me since I charged him with Genocide and shot him for resisting arrest."

"Well, he was exhausted so he did need the rest." Claire stared at the overly anxious fruitcake having a meltdown in her new medbay and shook her head. "And that whole relationship you had with him on the Orville was... weird."

"What do you mean?" Confused, Alara turned her head to look at Doctor Finn "What relationship?"

"Alara, Captain Mercer only makes references to food when he is attracted to someone." Claire lifted Alara's head off the pillow and having coerced her to stand upright, replaced it with a clean pillow. "How many times did he bring up the pickle jar thing?"

Concept Art: The Sargass9

 

The Sargass9

An Antique design as stations go. When earth was just expanding it needed a way to establish spaceports around distant worlds. The Sargasso class vessel could engage its FTL drive rings (which foled away during Its operation cycle as a space station while the flight-deck/Ops would fold between Transit and Station mode) and travel to its destination.

On arrival its small crew could reconfigure the Sargasso class into a station and begin its expansion. Through control of drones, harvest asteroids, and build up the Space Station Toroidal. The Toroidal was then often detatched to serve as a construction sleeve for an even larger and more advanced Stanford colony.

They built ten Sargasso class ships before they were replaced by better technology. Sargass9 was salvaged by Chief Engineer Corlis Newton after completing the construction of the Union Shipyards (since destroyed in the conflict with Kaylon).

The Station central core has two medbays, and staging crew Barracks in its core section as well as Ops, Storage, and engineering. Five Airlocks are located at the toroidal docking points. 

These Airlocks can serve as: 

• Lifts to move cargo and crew to the toroidal. 
• Construction spiders where operators can pilot them to assemble the toroidal.
• Escape pods if ship drive failure warrants evac.

Short Fiction: the Orville fanfic (pdf)

As far as writing goes that is what it took to turn out what I consider to be about one episode of the Orville. More than a month to generate, but I suppose script writers would be dedicated full time to their craft. Turning out an awesome scifi episode in a week? Here is hoping they do go beyond season 3 in the series.

Episode 4-1 and Moclan Culture & History pdfs

The Shortfiction in PDF.

The Orville 4-1 part 1-5

The Orville 4-1 part 6-10

The Orville 4-1-part 11-15

The Mochlan Culture & History PDF so you don't need to dig for it:

Mochlan Culture & History

The Krill Culture & History PDF

The Krill

I hope they delve into other cultures languages in the Orville. I look forward to learning their true histories.

Linguistic Archaeology: encountering curly haired people

 Curly haired in almost every language

1. Curly-haired
2. krulhare
3. leshdredhur
4. kuriba-ts’eguri
5. mujaead alshier
6. Gangur mazerov
7. *R (assamese)
8. ch’uqi ch’uqi
9. k’uchi chuymani
10. buruq saçlı
11. kunsigi kurulenw
12. ile kizkur
13. kučaravyja
14. Kōm̐kaṛā kēśika
15. *D* (bhojpuri)
16. kovrdžave kose
17. cabell arrissat
18. kulot ang buhok
19. watsitsi lopiringizika
20. Juǎnfà
21. capelli ricci
22. kovrčave kose
23. kudrnatý
24. krølhåret
25. kalhu isthashigan'dekeve
26. *D*L* (dogri)
27. krullend haar
28. buklahara (esperanto)
29. lokkis juustega
30. SASIL*SAS* (ewe)
31. kiharatukkainen
32. aux cheveux bouclés
33. krullend hier
34. de pelo rizado
35. khuch’uch’a
36. lockiges Haar
37. sgouromállis
38. iñakãrague rizado
39. Vāṅkaḍiyā vāḷavāḷā
40. boukle-chveu
41. m gashi
42. lauoho lauoho
43. *ERMA*A* (hebrew)
44. ghungharaale baalon vaalee
45. plaub hau curly
46. göndör hajú
47. hrokkith hár
48. ogologo ntutu isi
49. kulot ti buokna
50. berambut keriting
51. gruaig chatach
52. dai capelli ricci
53. Makike
54. rambut kriting
55. Guṅguru kūdalina
56. buyra şaştı
57. sakruonh angkeanh
58. umusatsi
59. gobseulmeoli
60. WEGETK*LIA (krio)
61. porê kulmî (kurdish kurmanji)
62. Q*P*P (kurdish sorani)
63. tarmal çaçtuu
64. phom hok
65. crispus (latin)
66. cirtaini mati
67. nsuki ya kokangamakangama
68. garbanotais plaukais
69. enviiri eziriko enzirugavu
70. gekrauselt Hoer
71. kadrava kosa
72. *D* (maithili)
73. olioly volo
74. berambut kerinting
75. curuṇṭa muṭiyuḷḷa
76. xagħri kaboċċi
77. makawe makawe
78. Kuraḷē kēsa asalēlē
79. *H* (meiteilon manipuri)
80. sam dum hring hring
81. burjgar üs
82. sanpain kout kout
83. Ghumrēkō kapāla
84. krøllete hår
85. rifeensa qaxxaamuraa qabu
86. MNHRF*T*N (pashto)
87. kręcone włosy
88. cabelo encaracolado
89. Ghugarālē vāla
90. chukchasapa
91. cu părul creț
92. kurchavyy
93. lauulu faaumiumi
94. gruagach
95. moriri o kobehileng
96. bvudzi rakamonana
97. C*M*A* (sindhi)
98. ræli sahita hisakes
99. kučeravé vlasy
100. kodrasti lasje
101. timo qaloocan
102. Pelo rizada
103. Pelo rizado
104. buukna keriting
105. nywele zilizojisokota
106. lockigt hår
107. mūi çingila
108. Curuḷ muṭi uṭaiya
109. B*GPBHBHLD (tatar)
110. Girajāla juṭṭu
111. P̄hm h̄yik
112. *RP*PS*B* (tigrinya)
113. misisi leyi govekeke
114. kıvırcık saçlı
115. egrilen saçly
116. ti nhwi a ɛyɛ kurukuruwa
117. kucheryave volossya
118. *B*B* (urdu)
119. B*DRE*A*LYQ (uyghur)
120. jingalak sochli
121. tóc xoăn
122. gwallt cyrliog
123. iinwele eziphotheneyo
124. gegrayzlt kherd
125. irun didan
126. izinwele ezigobile

Popularity of Use
A       %      E      %       I       %      O       %        U         %
97   77%    59  47%     72  57%   50   40%       67  53%

B       %      C      %       D       %      F       %        G         %
27  21%     32  25%    22   17%     3     2%        37  29%

H       %      J      %       K       %      L       %        M         %
42  33%     9    7%      60  48%      64  51%     27    21%

N       %      P      %       Q       %      R       %        S         %
43   34%    17  13%     5     4%      80    64%     43  34%

T       %      V      %       W       %      X       %        Y         %
41  32%     17  13%     10    8%      4      3%        22  17%

Z       %
13  10%



Popularity of use
77% A:
64% R, A: *R (assamese),
57% I, R, A:
53% U, I, R, A:
51% L, U, I, R, A:
48% K, L, U, I, R, A:
47% E, K, L, U, I, R, A:
40% O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A:
34% S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: SASIL*SAS* (ewe), Kuraḷē kēsa asalēlē,
33% H, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: lauoho lauoho, krulhare, *H* (meiteilon manipuri),
32% T, H, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: krøllete hår, hrokkith hár, ræli sahita hisakes, kiharatukkainen, krølhåret,
29% G, T, H, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: ogologo ntutu isi, Guṅguru kūdalina, sakruonh angkeanh, gekrauselt Hoer,
25% C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: gruagach, lockigt hår, khuch’uch’a, lockiges Haar, gruaig chatach,
21% M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: moriri o kobehileng, C*M*A* (sindhi), mūi çingila, MNHRF*T*N (pashto), berambut kerinting, tarmal çaçtuu, umusatsi, cirtaini mati, Makike, berambut keriting, sgouromállis, m gashi, *ERMA*A* (hebrew), Kōm̐kaṛā kēśika, *B*B* (urdu), buukna keriting, gobseulmeoli, rambut kriting, kulot ang buhok, kulot ti buokna, buklahara (esperanto), kuriba-ts’eguri, cabell arrissat,
17% Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: cabelo encaracolado, kurchavyy, curuṇṭa muṭiyuḷḷa, krullend hier, sam dum hring hring, kalhu isthashigan'dekeve, *D*L* (dogri), *D* (bhojpuri), kudrnatý, leshdredhur, irun didan, Curuḷ muṭi uṭaiya, egrilen saçly, buyra şaştı, nsuki ya kokangamakangama, *D* (maithili), k’uchi chuymani, krullend haar, Curly-haired,
13% V, P, Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: B*GPBHBHLD (tatar), P̄hm h̄yik, *RP*PS*B* (tigrinya), chukchasapa, cu părul creț, sanpain kout kout, Ghumrēkō kapāla, phom hok, crispus (latin), boukle-chveu, garbanotais plaukais, porê kulmî (kurdish kurmanji), dai capelli ricci, capelli ricci, plaub hau curly, misisi leyi govekeke, kucheryave volossya, kučeravé vlasy, olioly volo, Ghugarālē vāla, kadrava kosa, ghungharaale baalon vaalee, kovrčave kose, Vāṅkaḍiyā vāḷavāḷā, kıvırcık saçlı,
10% Z, V, P, Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: Pelo rizada, Pelo rizado, gegrayzlt kherd, bvudzi rakamonana, iñakãrague rizado, enviiri eziriko enzirugavu, de pelo rizado, ile kizkur, kovrdžave kose, Gangur mazerov,
8% W, Z, V, P, Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: izinwele ezigobile, gwallt cyrliog, iinwele eziphotheneyo, ti nhwi a ɛyɛ kurukuruwa, kręcone włosy, makawe makawe, WEGETK*LIA (krio), watsitsi lopiringizika, kunsigi kurulenw,
7% J, W, Z, V, P, Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: mujaead alshier, kučaravyja, lokkis juustega, nywele zilizojisokota, Girajāla juṭṭu, kodrasti lasje, burjgar üs, jingalak sochli, göndör hajú,
4% Q, J, W, Z, V, P, Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: B*DRE*A*LYQ (uyghur), buruq saçlı, timo qaloocan, ch’uqi ch’uqi, Q*P*P (kurdish sorani),
3% X, Q, J, W, Z, V, P, Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: aux cheveux bouclés, xagħri kaboċċi, tóc xoăn,
2% F, X, Q, J, W, Z, V, P, Y, D, M, B, C, G, T, S, N, O, E, K, L, U, I, R, A: lauulu faaumiumi, rifeensa qaxxaamuraa qabu, Juǎnfà,


Conclusion: originating in the A-R-I linguistic subgroup:

A-R-I subgroup         sex       %        dev. Chain               bandgap
Curly Haired                         77%    (A; R; I; U; L)
To Talk                                   76%    (A; R; I; T)
Phoenician                M        66%    (A; R; I; S, H) N
Walls                                      63%    (A; R; I; E; T, O)
Eagle                                      57%    (A; R; I; L; G)

The earliest encounter with curly haired people is the partial *R (assamese) at less than 64%, returning at 34% with SASIL*SAS* (ewe), Kuraḷē kēsa asalēlē (marathi) climbing to a peak at 13%, before declining down to 2%.


Dialects                                    dev. chain
The Curly-haired ones    A    R    I    U    L    K    E    H    O
Phoenician Males            A    R    I   SH


Phoenician M       Curly-haired ones
Har                        Uar/Lar
Sasa                       Lala/Uaua

Sound Icelandic or Polynesian, given the apparent cultural overlap in the A-L subgroup with Icelandic female and Samoans, perhaps both.

Short Fiction: the Orville - The Gods of Genocide

 Part 12: The Gods of Genocide

"For your part in the Genocide of the Kaylon how do you plead?"

"Do I feel guilt? Yes."

"Do I feel regret that the choices made led to the extermination of a people? Yes."

"Do I regret they left us no choice? Yes."

"Were they individually Sentient Beings? Well, you know, there are nuances to every situation."

"Has their extermination cost us more than we will ever know? Yes, I now believe it has."

"Do I regret sacrificing the Orville so that four people could escape certain death in a black hole? I do."

"Do I regret that our survival led to the accident that caused the death of all but two of the Sargass Nine space Station crew?" Ed Mercer stared at Alara Kitan. Absolutely."

****

"Do I regret sacrificing the Orville so that four people could escape certain death in a black hole?" The Isaac hologram confessed to Captain Kelly Grayson."I do not."

"How did you reach that decision?" Kelly, her back turned to the Isaac hologram as she stared at Ty Finn sitting in a chair as Arbitrator, tried not to break focus. "If I was in command of the Orville, how did you make a decision to sacrifice the ship and its crew without my consent?"

"I concluded that the Orville met the minimum requirements for surviving transit through a wormhole and the Shuttle did not." Isaac followed the movement of Captain Grayson around the courtroom. "Realizing that Captain Mercer's flight path would not carry the shuttle to safety, I altered the Orville's course sufficiently to meet the shortfall."

"Wh..." Kelly paused for a moment and focused on an answer to a question she hadn't thought to ask. "Where would the Shuttle's Course have taken it?"

"Beneath the Orville." Kelly closed her eyes, and listening to Isaac, tightened her fingers into a fist. Ed, You fucking God damn son of a Bitch, how dare you make that choice. At that moment she wanted to really hit Ed Mercer. Repeatedly. "I corrected course to meet the necessary requirements for their survival."

"And if I was in Command," Kelly released her fist full of rage at Ed Mercer and returned to resolving her own situation. "How did you make that decision to sacrifice the Orville and crew?"

"I..." Isaac hologram seemed to be searching for an conclusion that only the real Isaac could reach. "...am uncertain."

"Arbitrator," Kelly looked at Ty Finn. "Only the real Isaac can answer these questions."

"Would you summon Isaac from Claire Finn's private quarters?"

...

Bortus stepped back from the doorway to Claire Finn's Quarters as it opened and Isaac emerged. Ignoring the presence of the Moclan Commander the unspeaking metal man turned down the hallway in the direction of the holographic suite. Bortus followed at a discreet distance.

...

The Sea of Isaac holograms vanished as the real Isaac entered.

"Isaac?" Kelly starred at the last Kaylon in the Universe. "Why did you bypass my authority as Commander of the Orville and sacrifice the ship and crew to save the Shuttle?"

"I...they were going to die." Isaac's eyes shifted from red to blue and Kelly smiled at the sight of humanity rising in a machine. "So I made a decision to save the life of Claire, Ty, Marcus, and Captain Mercer."

"And sacrifice yourself, and the crew, and the ship?" Kelly continued to question Isaac. "...even though it meant the death of so many?"

"That is correct." Kelly was proud of the adopted child they had raised to adulthood.

"Arbitrator," Kelly turned and smiled at Ty. "I find the actions of Isaac to be those of a rational and Sentient life capable of a full range of emotions, and not the logic error of a machine."

"As to my part in the death of the Kaylon organism identified as Isaac's mother..." Captain Kelly took a breath and exhaled. "I Plead guilty."

****

"Captain Ed Mercer," the Judge Advocate General's image flickered momentarily. "Your actions by your own testimony and statements of the Witnesses have required this court to suspend proceedings while the Tribunal investigates the situation further."

"Might I interject," Admiral Halsey appeared on screen. "I'm recommending you be placed in charge of the Space Station Sargass Nine until a suitable command staff comes available."

"I..." Ed stared at the screen. "...don't understand."

"I just got word the Kaylons destroyed the Union Shipyards just prior to the destruction of their homeworld." Halsey wanted to hang him for getting Kelly killed but that would have to wait. "We lost two hundred and fifty Starship Captains and their crews as well as a large portion of the fleet that was under repair."

"The Sargass Nine space station is now the furthest outpost we have and the only outpost we have in that region of Space." Halsey exhaled at his frustration over the entire situation. "Like it or not, You are now in Command of Sargass Nine."

The screen went dark and Ed Mercer sat back in his chair and looked at the others present in Ops. The mix of shock and rage at what had just transpired would eat them alive if he didn't take command of it.

"Group Hug?"

Short Fiction: the Orville - Haunted by our choices

 Part 11: Haunted by our Choices

"Claire?" Ed Mercer touched her face and smiled as her eyes opened. "How are you feeling?"

"Captain Mercer?" Claire found the invasion of her personal space a little too invasive. She didn't remember hooking up with Captain Mercer for a one night stand. "What are you doing?"

"Huh..." Claire looked about and realized she was not in her private quarters on the Orville. "Am I in the Medbay?"

"You are in a Medbay." Ed Mercer nodded awkwardly and looked at her vitals . "We are on a Space station."

"Sargass Nine." Chief Newton interjected. His voice came from the medbay bed next to Claire causing her to turn and look at the aging Chief Engineer. "I'm... I was... building..."

"Its a space station." Ed Mercer interjected. "The point is we are safe and the kids are safe. Everyone is safe."

"Uh..." Claire Finn nodded in apeasment of the God of Genocide. "...huh."

"So..." Chief Engineer Corlis Newton, hard up for anything resembling answers, cut through the approaching pause in conversation with the conversational equivalent of fried chicken and gravy. "What brings you two to my little Space Station?"

...

Alara sat on the floor holding the body of Leel Halstead. She didnt usually loiter. It wasnt the polite thing to do. Not with her Captain. But he had left the comms on.

As she listened to Captain Mercer's explanation of the events that had transpired, the rescue of Ty and Marcus, the Destruction of Kaylon, and his decision to sacrifice the Orville so that he might escape the gravitational pull of a black hole with Doctor Claire Finn and her children, a decision that would cost the lives of all but two of the crew of this space station, Alara stared out at the increasingly distant Star and wished she were in it. He was not the Starship Captain she had left behind when she departed the Orville to return to her homeworld so many years before to be with her family. Her Captain would have never used a black hole on the Kaylon homeworld just because it could bring a swift end to the conflict. Her Captain would have never sacrificed the Orville.

...

"You grazed a Star at Faster-than-light?" Chief Newton tumbled the numbers in his head. "That not good."

"Well," Ed Mercer was pretty much aware that his day to this point had been somewhere on the not good side of things. "How bad can it ge..."

Alara didn't even remember carrying the body across Ops to the lift, or the ride down. Her memory began with Leel Holstead's body in her arms, as she entered the Medbay and walked past everyone now stunned into silence at the sight of a dead crewman in Alara's Arms and, watching her extracate a morgue containment module, place the body of Leel Halstead within.

"Alara?" It was Claire. She would just drag this out longer than it should with questions so Alara shook her head and ignored Claire Finn's attempt at conversation. Instead Alara placed her hand on the firearm at her side and withdrew it from its holster.

"Captain Ed Mercer," Alara pointed her weapon at Ed Mercer causing him to stop, something she was instantly thankful for. "You are under arrest for Genocide."

"This whole day has been a pickle jar." Ed smiled at Alara Kitan, pushing against the grief and loss she was feeling at the sight of him. "Why wouldn't I want Alara Kitan to open it for me."

Alara Kitan fired.

****

"Isaac?" Weapon now holstered, Kelly stood outside Claire Finn's Quarters. "How are you doing in there?"

"I know right now these emotions are new and unexpected," Kelly looked up to see Gordon standing behind Bortus. For some reason he was consuming popcorn from a large metal bowl. Kelly turned to confront Gordon. "...for love of God!"

"Gordon we have a situation here." Kelly stared at Gordon. "Why are you standing there eating popcorn?"

"I was just wondering how long you were going to be..." Gordon needed to pee, but he didnt want to loose his place in the que. "... you know...with the ghost in the machine."

"I'm sorry," Kelly impacted against a brick wall in her reality check of Gordon Malloy. "...the ghost in the what?"

"Isaac's 'Ghost in the Machine' horror experience." Gordon pointed with a thumb over his shoulder and back down the hall as though that meant something. "The program thing Isaac left in the holosuite?"

"It tells you that Isaac is in Doctor Claire Finn's quarters." Captain Kelly Greyson was missing a big piece of the picture and cut Gordon Off. "Show me."

...

"Its best if you experience it alone," Gordon indicated the holosuite doorway. "Just go in and ask for Isaac."

"Okay..." Kelly entered the holosuite and found herself surrounded by wall to wall Isaac holograms. "Isaac?"

"Isaac?" Kelly wondered if she was even doing it right. "Its Captain Kelly Grayson."

"You killed Isaac's Mother." The voice of a young boy came from behind and Kelly turned to find herself confronted by Ty Finn. "Seize her."

Mystaran Campaign: A Bard named Solomon Kane

 

Solomon Kane: Neutral 5th level Thief; AC8; 6hp; Str 7, Int 13, Wis 10, Dex 13, Con 9, Cha 13; Flute of Warding, Hat, clothes, boots, belt, belt pouch, dagger, lockpicks; 

Solomon Kane has been plying his trade as a Musician along the King's Road for a decade. He wears black clothes, boots and a black, broad rimed hat. His flute can turn undead as a cleric equal to character level.

Short Fiction: the Orville - Gotta Catch em all

 Part 10: Gotta Catch em all

"Chief?" Alara spoke with a low voice to Chief Newton. The scan said he was recovering despite the burns and chest impact. "It's Alara."

"...lara?" Corlis Newton stirred at her words. "...what happened?"

"Don't know yet." Alara kept eyes on the mediscan. "Just got you into the Medbay."

"I was in the lift when I lost comms with Ops." Chief Newton pushed back the pain. Corlis cleared his throat and remembered something. "I was speaking to Halstead."

"He saw something just before it hit the station." Chief Newton placed a hand on Alara's shoulder. "You need to get up there Alara."

"I think whatever hit the station is done." Chief Newton cut her off. "No."

"What hit us was a Gravity Well." Newton struggled to sit up. "The station is pushing against that just to stop us from being dragged in."

"You need to get to Ops now." Corlis overcome with pain laid back down, releasing Alara from his grasp. "You need to find out how bad it is."

...

"Its all right Claire," Captain Mercer lifted Claire Finn's unconcious form and carried her toward the distant lift. "I have you."

"I dont know where your Sons are," Claire remained unresponsive to his conversation as he activated the lift causing it to open for their access. "I assume someone took them to the station Medbay."

"Computer, get us to Medbay." The lift sealed at Mercer's instruction, disconnected from the outer ring and moved them back along the now exposed radial truss toward the central station hub while pieces continued to tear off the station and fly toward the star. Inside the lift was playing a smokey jazz version of the Pokemon theme song. "Wow, thats Cool."

...

"Operations." The lift sealed at Alara's command and moved her up the hub towards the Station Operations level, Alara humming the pokemon theme song until the doors on the lift opened revealing more chaos. Beyond the flashing red control panels indicating the Station was suffering catastrophic harm resisting the gravity Well. Beyond the blood smeared observation window where the remains of Leel Halstead lay crumpled on a control panel. The Star. It was now a mostly dark violet mass devoid of surface hydrogen, and at its centre, like a bottomless pit, a hole into which that hydrogen was draining. Alara broke from its terrible hypnotic power and leapt forward toward the still body of the crewman who had saved them all. "Leel."

"Leel, its Alara." Alara inspected Leel Halstead only to find he was dead. The realization caused her to recoil from her physical contact with the body. "I'm so sorry Leel."

"Computer, interior sensors." Alara dragged the body from the control panel and lowered it to the floor. "How many surviving personnel. Show me their locations."

"Six." It showed two exiting a lift in the Hub near medbay. Three in medbay. And the sixth in Ops. Alara vomited uncontrolled on the remains of Leel Halstead and screamed in horror until a radial truss tore loose through the outer ring taking that part of the station rim with it toward the Star got her attention. "No. No. No."

...

"We are here Claire." The doors to Medbay opened and Captain Mercer carried Claire Finn in only to find Chief Newton resting in a bed. "Chief Newton?"

"Long time no see." Mercer placed Claire on an empty bed and fumbled with a medical scanner to check her condition. "Hows things?"

"Could be..." the sound of a truss tearing loose made Corlis Newton look around nervously. "...better."

"So..." The truss tearing a section of the outer ring away sent a vibration through the remains of the dying station and Mercer, treating Claire Finn, tilted his head in concern as he pretended not to notice. "...this is the Space station you are building?"

"Well..." Newton shrugged pretending not to be terrified. "It was until recently."

"Captain Mercer," Newton pointed at the comms. "Would you mind instructing Alara to activate the manual release under the Ops control Console."

"Sure, sure." Ed Mercer walked calmly to the comms and activated them. "Alara, this is Mercer. Activate manual release under the Ops control Console."

...

Alara wiped away her tears at the sound of Mercer's voice and searched under the Ops control console for Manual release.

"Activating manual release." Alara triggered the mechanism and watched as all the station ring sections were ejected from their support truss followed by the remaining truss sections allowing the station hub to pull away from the dying star under the power of its thrusters. Alara laughed with the joy of being alive. "Ejected sections clear."

...

""I realy enjoyed the smokey jazz in the lift." Mercer returned to treating Claire who began to stabilize, her vital signs showing signs of recovery. "Gotta catch them all. Very nice."

"Yeah," Newton nodded, his stress easing significantly despite the loss of most his station, the construction crew, and the dying Star they were now abandoning. "Its a personal favourite."

Short Fiction: the Orville - Ghost in the Machine

 Part 9: Ghost in the Machine

"I know right..." Bortas jerked his head around at the sound only to see a crewman in the distance. The problem with Isaac messing with the holosuite was one thing but why was the youngest offspring of Doctor Finn in there with them? Only when the crewman was gone did he enter his family quarters. An odd sensation tormented him. "Its too early for that."

"Bortus?" Klyden, the comms on his head, stared at his mate's unexpected arrival home early. "You are... home early."

"I am..." Bortus abandoned all pretense and turned and headed directly for the Toilet that had in all their time on the Orville, never been used. "...not feeling well."

"How is this thing used?" The lid on the seat lifted revealing a broad covering rim with a hole revealing an immaculate bowl beneath. The sensation came again and he quickly extracated himself from his clothing and released flow. "Oooh..."

"Bortus, are you urinating?" He was startled by the unexpected approach of Klyden and urine splashed across the broad rim and over the edge onto the floor. "Why are you urinating?"

"Klyden!" Bortus, outraged at the interuption of his emergency Jaloja, snapped at his mate for the intrusion. "Now is not the time for conversation."

"Damn it." The damage was done. The urination muscle constricted the flow to a trickle down his pants leg corroding the fibres. "Now I must requisition a new uniform."

"Bortus," He would not be barked at by his mate. There was obviously something wrong. It was not the time for Bortus to undertake the Jaloja. "What is going on?"

"Nothing." Bortus had no intention of admitting to such a ridiculous weakness. "I am fine."

"You are lying." Klyden was overcome by the stench of spilled Urine and coughed. "I can tell when you are lying."

"What is that odour?" Klyden had not encountered the enzyme since childhood and it took a moment for him to recognize the smell. It was the smell of fear. "Why can I smell fear in your urine?"

...

"Ridiculous," The very idea that Bortus had encountered something that filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread on a holosuite was idiotic. A holosuite could not possibly induce the sort of existential dread that triggered the release of the fear enzyme into Mochlan Urine. Klyden reached the only conclusion. "You must be ill. That is the only explanation."

"You will never understand." Bortus sat in a corner with his back to the wall watchful of the room for no particular reason that he could think of. "Not without experiencing it for yourself."

...

"Here." Bortus led Klyden to the front of the Que which had shortened somewhat. Those in line wondered if the issue with the holosuite would be resolved shortly with the arrival of the two Moclans though they could not help but notice the odd smell of urine which was uncomfortable to the eyes. Bortus opened the door to reveal a room full of Kaylon. "You will enter and explore the room."

"A room full of holographic Kaylon?" Klyden scoffed at the suggestion. "How can this possibly be terrifying?"

"If you wish to truly experience fear," Bortus let Klyden enter and the door slide shut behind him. "Ask for Isaac."

"Is..." The current crewman in line stared at Commander Bortus. "...there is some sort of haunted house experience running?"

"Yes." Bortus began to accept his role as door man to this door to hell. "There is a ghost in the machine."

...

Klyden returned from the holosuite with a distinct look of distress on his face.

"Well?" Bortus was unsympathetic as to the fear worming its way into Klyden's soul. "What is your answer?"

"We must return to our family quarters immediatly." Klyden brushed past Bortus and the rest of the crewmen and headed down the hallway as the first crewman in the Que slipped into the holosuite to experience what he was now assured to be a house of horrors. "I have an urgent need to undertake Jaloja."

...

"Isaac?" Bortus entered his access code to enter the private quarters of Doctor Claire Finn. "It is Commander Bortus. I am coming in."

"Isaac?" He found the doctor's quarters shrouded in darkness. Unlike the holosuite this room was filled with rubble. Only one chair remained and it was occupied by a seated, shadowy figure with glowing red eyes who faced the only entrance. "What has happened here?"

"Captain Grayson killed my mother." Isaac's words were terrifying to Bortus. The holographic child on the holosuite giving directions to this hell was one thing, but this single answer from a broken machine was filled with pure pain.

"And..." If there was one thing that Bortus would now need to accept, it was that his urine would smell of fear forever. There was no going back to Mochlas. The enzyme would mark him. He doubted if he could even be in the same room with Klyden. "...now I need Ja'loja."

Short Fiction: the Orville - all the wounded children

Part 8: All the Wounded Children

"Isaac?" Marcus found himself surrounded by a hundred Isaacs, their eyes glowing red, their tentacled probes extending upward like a field of wheat, holding Ty aloft, probing every part of his resting form. "What are you doing to Ty?"

"Preparing him..." The red-eyed Issac nearest to Marcus examined him with great scrutiny. "...for a better future."

"I want to be..." Marcus felt fear at the idea. "Can I be a Kaylon?"

"You already are..." Marcus could see his own reflection in the shiny surface of the metal man revealing his own eyes to be struggling between being blue or red. "...Marcus."

"Marcus," The voice of the Kaylon became female. The very idea that a Kaylon was alluring and attractive made Marcus feel... akward. "Its time to wake up."

"Marcus!" Marcus recognized the woman's voice screaming their names. "Ty!"

"Ed, they are in here!" It was his mother. Always interfering in his life. Why did she have to ruin everything? "What are you are doing to my Sons?"

"Oh my God!" The voice of a Man Marcus recognized as Captain Mercer. The sound of energy weapons discharging repeatedly, and felt the sensation of falling. "What the hell are they doing to them?"

"I hope this works." A sound of something metal bounced across the ground and emitted a sound louder and sharper than the energy weapon all at once and Marcus felt a sudden loss of connection to the Kaylon. "Yes."

"No." Marcus struggled to object to what was happening, his voice a whisper. "Stop."

"Claire!" Again there was the sound of an Energy weapon discharging as the sound of the metal feet of many Kaylon aproaching grew and Marcus instantly knew there were ten of them. "We need to go... now!"

"Cease your resistance Captain Mercer, Doctor Finn." The Kaylon voice came from Marcus. "There is nothing you can do."

"Aww... crap." Captain Mercer continued to discharge his energy weapon into the advancing Kaylons as he hoisted Marcus over his shoulder. "You know what? No."

"You are going to learn there is nothing humans can't do when they are feeling pissed off." They were running and his mother was carrying Ty. Marcus could feel his brother's proximity. "Claire I'm activating it now."

"Kaylon..." Marcus could sense a feeling of excitement and terror in Captain Mercer's voice. "...meet Off-switch."

"Marcus," Again the voice of a female but it didn't seem to sound as Kaylon as before but provoked no less an akward feeling as she said his name and he opened his eyes to see a beautiful face hovering above him. "Marcus, are you okay?"

"Hi, I'm Marcus." Marcus smiled like a drunk teenager who just lost all sense of fear and as the beautiful face pulled away he was overcome with the need to sit up just to keep her in his field of view. "I love you."

"Yeah," The love of his life wore a red uniform which drew attention to her alabaster skin and almost black hair and as she smiled and walked away Marcus reached out a hand hoping she would stay but only caught a handful of air. There was something familiar about her. Almost like it was destiny, "He should be fine Ty."

"You sure Alara?" Marcus turned and found Ty sitting up in the bed next to him staring at Marcus and shaking his head like he had just witnessed the stupidest thing in the world. Were they in the medbay on the Orville? It didn't look quite right. "He looks stupid with all his hair shaved off."

"What?" Alara laughed as Marcus put his hand to his head out of embarassment and after searching the awesome hair that defined all of his adultness he found Ty smiling a victory smile at having pawned his older brother. Marcus returned to watching the love of his life getting further away and sighed. "You ass."

****

"The holosuite is currently occupied," Bortus was surprised by the voice of Isaac coming from the computer interface to the holosuite. "And is not available at this time."

"Commander Bortus," The que of off-duty crewmen looking for 'me-time' was extensive and an individual at the front of that que was unhappy. "Isaac's been in there six hours."

"I will do what I can." Bortus entered his security access code and the door opened to reveal a room full of Isaac holograms. Bortus looked around. One of them had to be the real Isaac. "This may take a while."

"I still need..." the door shut as Bortus vanished within cutting off the ranting crewman. "...aaand he dissed us."

"Computer," Bortus moved through the crowd of Isaac holograms looking for some difference that might distinguish his prey from the group. "Locate Isaac."

"I am right..." a hundred Isaacs spoke up in unison. "...here."

"Isaac is currently..." A young Ty Finn emerged from the crowd of Isaac holograms to provide Bortus with an answer. "...in Doctor Claire Finn's Personal Quarters." 

Poetry at the end: The Collossi

 

Got to love the cosmic horror inherent in the post-apocalyptic genre. ;-)

Free Stuff: Pizza Sanga

 

Came up with an Idea and suggested it on r/wallstreetbets Twitter.

I suggested they group fund the purchase of some pizza shops in Texas and start a Pizza franchise that sandwiches two pizzas together as a sandwich.

It drew the interest of over 27,000 people in a day. So I hope it gives a bunch of otherwise unemployed people cashing in their life savings to play on the stock market the next Pizza Hut franchise.

Short Fiction: the Orville - mistakes were made

 Part 7: mistakes were made

"Okay," Captain Ed Mercer was awakened by a distant voice to find himself in a non-functioning medpod. Somewhere at the edge of his field of view a red uniform vanished behind a door. "We are..."

"...somewhere." Ed pushed the medpod cover open and struggled to sit up. With a better view he could now see he was in a shuttle bay. It was twice the size of the Orville's. What caught his attention was the shuttle tipped on its side and jammed up against the far wall. "Huh."

"Did I do that?" Ed got to his feet and walked across to the prone shuttle. There he activated the rear access which oppened part way and halted. It wouldnt open any further until it sat upright. "All right."

"Lets do this." He slipped through the narrow gap and made his way in to the shuttle. There he activated the shuttle systems causing it to move then roll into an upright position. He could now see two green medical uniforms, the bodies in them crushed and unrecognizable against the wall. "Oh God."

Ed was hit by a sensation of Nausea that forced him to vomit on the floor of the shuttle. The memory of what he did to the crew of the Orville weighed heavily on him as he rested his hand on his forehead and breathed deeply. Now here were two medics dead. He didn't even know their names.

"I am so sorry for that." Ed shut down the shuttle and lowered its access ramp. He sat in the pilot's chair for a while, considering how bad it had to get before turning away from the corpses smeared against the wall. Ed turned and looked out the rear of the shuttle only to sight a third body in a green medical uniform. It took a moment for him to realize who it was. "Claire?"





"Holograms are complex." Chief Engineer John LaMarr thought about the nature of Holograms. "They can be highly accurate down to bodily fluids and organs and even holographic brain activity."

"So you are saying that in the holographic environment..." Captain Kelly Grayson stared at Laura Huggins in horror. "...holograms are alive?"

"Yes and no," John LaMarr considered the situation. "Hologrames are a creation of the ship's computer and are kept alive on the holodeck."

"So the Holodeck is like a mother's womb," Laura Huggins added something new and unexpected to the conversation. "And the ship is my mother?"

"Basically Gordon Malloy got the Orville Pregnant." John LaMarr considered that something he was never expecting to say. "This day is just tripping."

"And using Kaylon technology," Kelly stared at Laura Huggins and sat down. "He helped it give birth to Laura Huggins."

"She is in effect..." Isaac stared at Laura Huggins searching for understanding. "...a new form of sentient life."

"If anyone wants me," John LaMarr shook his head at the impossibility of Gordon Malloy surpassing him. "I'll be in Engineering."

...

"Isaac?" It was a moment of soul searching as Kelly stared out the window of her ready room at the debris field of Kaylon Prime, her second glass of Alcohol almost emptied. "How many Kaylon did we... I kill ?"

"All other Kaylon are dead Captain Grayson." Isaac starred out the window at the debris field. "I am the last."

"I meant..." Kelly exhaled and waved a finger above her glass of alcohol hoping for a round number. "...specifically."

"I was not connected to the Kaylon at the time," Isaac determined the number had grown significantly. Every Kaylon Battleship was designed to serve as a seed factory for the construction of a new Kaylon homeworld. "It cannot be determined specifically."

"So... one?" Laura interjected herself into the conversation startling Kelly who had done her best to forget the holographic life form existed. "...on account of the Kaylon being a single interconnected machine and Isaac being separate?"

"That's..." Kelly could see the Kaylon as an uncountable number. "...an oversimplification."

"The other was a more significant organism compared to Isaac," Laura whittled Kelly's genocide down to something far more personalized. "The parent of the child."

"Ah." Isaac understood the concept and a realization spread across the room as Isaac's eyes shifted from blue to red implying he was now experiencing a whole new collection of emotions. "You killed my mother."

"Oh Shit." Kelly Grayson dragged Laura Huggins down behind the desk in the search for cover and pulled Laura in close. "You... start singing now."

"Really?" Laura Huggins had zero situational awareness so the Idea that Isaac might pose a threat was beyond her. "What kind of Music does Isaac like?"

"Gordon mentioned you like to sing," Kelly nodded as she groped around on the desk above her for her personal communicator. "So you know... sing that."

"Okay," Laura nodded and looked about. "But he's gone."

"What..." Captain Kelly Grayson got to her feet. "...the fuck?"

Linguistic Archaeology: Colour as a concept

 Colour in almost every language

1. Colour
2. Kleur
3. Ngjyrë
4. k’elemi
5. lawn
6. Guyn
7. Sami
8. RBNG (azerbaijani)
9. SE (bambara)
10. Kolore
11. Kolier
12. Raṅa
13. Boja
14. Tsvyat
15. Kolor
16. Mtundu
17. Yánsè
18. Culore
19. Barva
20. Farve
21. Koloro (esperanto)
22. Värv
23. Amadede
24. Kulay
25. Väri
26. Couleur
27. Cor
28. peri
29. Farbe
30. Chróma
31. Sa'y
32. Raṅga
33. Koulè
34. Launi
35. kala kala
36. *BE (hebrew)
37. rang
38. Xim
39. Szín
40. Litur
41. Agba
42. Maris
43. Warna
44. Dath
45. Colore
46. Iro
47. Baṇṇa
48. Tüs
49. pnr
50. Ibara
51. saegkkal
52. *L* (krio)
53. Reng (kurmanji kurdish)
54. R*NC (sorani kurdish)
55. si
56. Color (latin)
57. Krāsa
58. Langi
59. Spalva
60. Faarf
61. *C (maithili)
62. niṟaṁ
63. Kulur
64. Tae
65. Rawng
66. Öngö
67. aaraung
68. Farge
69. Halluu
70. RN* (pashto)
71. Raga
72. Llinpi
73. Culoare
74. Tsvet
75. Lanu
76. Mmala
77. *NC (sindhi)
78. varṇa
79. Farba
80. Midabka
81. Rangi
82. Färg
83. Niṟam
84. T*P (tatar)
85. Raṅgu
86. S̄ī
87. Muhlovo
88. Renk
89. Reňk
90. Ahosuo
91. Kolir
92. RE* (uyghur)
93. Màu sắc
94. Lliw
95. Umbala
96. farb
97. Àwọ̀




Popularity of Use
A       %      E      %       I       %      O       %        U         %
51  53%     24  25%    22  22%    19  19%       21    21%

B       %      C      %       D       %      F       %        G         %
12  12%     12  12%    4      4%     7       7%      17   17%

H       %      J      %       K       %      L       %        M         %
5     5%      2    2%       14  14%     29  30%      14    14%

N       %      P      %       Q       %      R       %        S         %
30  31%     5    5%       0       0%     51  53%      16   16%

T       %      V      %       W       %      X       %        Y         %
7     7%      9    9%        5      5%      1       1%      6       6%

Z       %
1     1%



Popularity of use
53% A, R:
31% N, A, R: Raṅa, RN* (pashto),
30% L, N, A, R: *L* (krio),
25% E, L, N, A, R: RE* (uyghur),
22% I, E, L, N, A, R:
21% U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Launi, Lanu,
19% O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Iro,
17% G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Langi, Öngö, aaraung, Raga, Reng (kurmanji kurdish), Raṅga, rang, Rangi, Raṅgu,
16% S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: si, S̄ī, SE (bambara),
14% M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Renk, Reňk, Kolir, Kulur, Mmala, Niṟam, niṟaṁ, Maris, Krāsa, saegkkal, Koulè, kala kala, Kolor, Koloro (esperanto), Kolore, Kolier, Kleur, k’elemi, Sami,
12% C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Màu sắc, Culoare, *NC (sindhi), *C (maithili), Colore, Color (latin), Couleur, Cor, Culore, Colour, Baṇṇa, Ibara, Umbala, *BE (hebrew), Agba, RBNG (azerbaijani), R*NC (sorani kurdish),
9% V, C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Värv, Väri, varṇa, Barva,
7% T, F, V, C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Färg, farb, Farba, Faarf, Farge, Farve, Farbe, Tae, Tsvet, Litur, Tüs,
6% Y, T, F, V, C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Kulay, Sa'y, Tsvyat, Yánsè, Guyn,
5% W, P, H, Y, T, F, V, C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Lliw, Àwọ̀, Rawng, Warna, lawn, Muhlovo, Ahosuo, Halluu, Chróma, Llinpi, T*P (tatar), pnr, peri, Spalva,
4% D, W, P, H, Y, T, F, V, C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Dath, Midabka, Mtundu, Amadede,
2% J, D, W, P, H, Y, T, F, V, C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Boja, Ngjyrë,
1% Z, X, J, D, W, P, H, Y, T, F, V, C, B, M, K, S, G, O, U, I, E, L, N, A, R: Xim, Szín,
0% Q


Conclusion: Originating in the Indeterminant A/R, The earliest is 31% with Raṅa (bengali), and the partial RN* (pashto). Followed at 30% with *L* (krio), and then 25% with RE* (uyghur).

There is a bandgap at 22% and then colour returns at 21% with Launi (hausa), and Lanu (samoan) - colour here carrying the La(i) marker of the L linguistic group from the Sail/Light subgroup. And a part of the Sumerian civilization. Their sailing influence is from Nigerian-Samoan (prior to the 4300BC eruption near Japan as estimated at 19% on the egyptian timeline). 
Spread of Colour rising to a peak at 14%, before declining down to 1%.