A World in Between

Langley gritted his teeth for a moment and leaned against the console as he tried to figure out exactly what it would take to keep the nest as a part of the ship without entirely dismantling it. He obviously couldn't have it taking up all the space in his salvage claw but only the bow or stern of the ship would be able to hold the nest without causing too much drag on the Laurel. Even then, having something that large permanently attached to his light craft would impede the ship's capabilities indefinitely. There was really not else for it, the main body of the nest would have to go, but perhaps there was a way to preserve her privacy at the same time.

"I respect your need for privacy, however you must understand that I can't simply keep the nest in the salvage claw. Not only do I need the claw to work but a heavy weight in the bow at all time is essentially suicide should we get into another storm like that. I'd place it in the stern but that would create the same issue. So stick with me here, what if I moved my stuff out of the starboard hull and set up shop in the main cabin? There's plenty of room in there to set up much of the nest's furniture and other comforts and you can have it all to yourself. We can move the fabricator and other equipment to the main cabin where everyone could use it and any other gear you have on board we could find a spot for as well."

Langley wasn't used to confrontation. Sure, he recognized that not everyone would be able to immediately adhere to his lifestyle, but there were going to have to be a couple of compromises, not to mention his ship was the only mobile salvation on this planet.

Fushio tucks the last vial into the box, which was now fairly full... she tries to close it, but found it unable to latch. Okay, too full. She pops it back open, and removes a couple of the small things of medicine. She closed it successfully this time, then reattaches it below her

“You are concerned about personal space on a vessel that is what? Less than 200 feet long?”

She walks over to the main cabin’s door to the outside, opens it, then wings the medicine vial out through it. She watches to make sure they land in the ocean, then closes the door again.

“I hope you are not expecting a separate bathroom too... I get the feeling our host did not have mixed company in mind when he... built this?” She glances toward Captain Ward, looking for some sort of answer. It’s not like she is trying to be mean... just... trying to get the girl to understand the situation. This vessel is small... and three people were gonna get a bit cramped.

They aren’t stuck in life pods, so that’s an improvement. But realistically, the boat seems to have been designed for functionality... not comfort. And a crew of one. Supplies, food and water, would now be getting split three ways. The fabricator The two kept going on about will no doubt help, but starvation took the longest to kill.

She glances around the room.

“I can just sleep here, if that’s fine... do you have some cloth I can make a hammock with? Also... think our main concern would be incorporating the water purification system from the nest of Jade Cloud, into this boat.”

Ship designed for one. Pod designed for one. Three people on board. Showers and laundry probably wouldn’t be a thing, unless someone was loose on their design specs... but no reason to throw that out until certain.

Jade’s temper flared for a moment but she figured, getting angry would do nothing for them at this point. She took off her backpack and produced the manual for the VIP survival pod.

“The furnishing isn’t the problem. The Nest is not the only shape this pod can take. It was designed so in situations like these my family would fare just fine. Here is shape three, it’s able to create a habitual space for a family of four...two bedrooms and two baths. A master bed and bath for the parents....”

Her voice trailed off and her voice cracked a bit at the mentioning of family, but the girl continued.

“And another bedroom with two beds and a shared bathroom for the kids. Not to mention, if calibrated with another system, we might even be able to program it for smooth integration. It will build itself. But something was wrong. I’m not quite sure what’s broken. Maybe it’s not getting enough power?”

She gazed at the solar ceiling and verified that there’s definitely vegetation encroachment, but also some panels would need replacement.

“The possibilities are endless... my mother made sure after all...we just need the resources logged in. For now we can dismantle the survival pods communications since it’s no longer needed. “

He had to admit, there was something appealing about the niceties of a home like that. The only question was, how would he be able to tug that thing behind the Laurel without compromising the ship's capabilities. However, with the weather having mostly cleared up, there was no need to rush this. It would stay in the salvage capture unit for now until they could figure something out. "Well there's no need to jump into anything so quickly. There's a shallow location not far from here I like to anchor out on to make repairs. I'll pick up some salvage from your ship along the way to make a new mast and probably add to The Laurel. If you have any suggestions, I'd be more than happy to hear them."

Langley set the course for a location he knew as the emerald shoals. It was there that several spires of brilliant green coral jutted out of the ocean and provided a stable base for him to work on his ship without worrying about drifting away from valuable resources, not to mention the beasts which lurked below were not something to be trifled with.

Jade was satisfied with the solution that Langley has come up with and agrees.

“Okay I’ll do what I can then. “

She then busies herself with cleaning up the ship of the encroaching vegetation, collecting more kelp and oily seed pods. She removes her bagpack and takes out some vials, collecting water samples as well as samples of the kelp and algae close to the deck.

When they’ve set up a laboratory she’ll study these samples to understand why they grow so quickly, an almost violent spurt of growth.

“Has the plants always been so aggressive since you’ve been in these waters Langley? “

Langley observed her cleaning up the deck of The Laurel and gave a little smile. He went in and helped her, his wiry frame and surprisingly strong hands made ripping vegetation free a simple job. In under half an hour, the deck was clear and the two of them sat in the middle surrounded by samples.

"It's the reason I made a ship instead of a base. The emerald shoals is near where my ship crashed.. I originally tried making a home of sorts there but it got overrun by plants. They wrapped it up and strangled it, so I made The Laurel and kept on the move. The plants can't keep up with something moving unless it sits in one place for too long."

Fushio watched the two, still not offering much to say at the moment. She might have suggested just towing the water nest... but the conversation shifted away from it, and on to other subjects. About plants?

She left the two of them alone when they went outside. Moving to stand by a window, she watched them. She could here their conversation just fine... her ears were huge after all... though it was mostly white noise as she considered her new associates.

Jade Cloud... young, female, and just crashed onto a planet... lost everything... everyone she knew... and clearly didn’t have the background for it. Maybe she’d been a bit hard on the girl for wanting to keep the nest... and some semblance of normalcy with that personal space request. She made a mental note to apologize.

Her gaze shifted to their host; the sea captain. She turned away from the window, and started to explore the ship’s cabin. Just because someone rescued her, and the human female, it did not make them inherently safe... and the captain definitely seemed to have some quirks.

How long had he been here? Humans, like her own race, were by nature, social creatures... extended periods of isolation took their toll. Madness would probably claim anyone, given long enough. She moved slowly through the cabin... looking at things, opening what she could, and more importantly, doing her best to set things back as she found them. It was simply a matter of trying to figure out how... how far down the rabbit hole he had tumbled, if at all.

They worked diligently on cleaning up the deck free of the aggressive vegetation. After, she just took a moment to breathe and appreciate the view, but not so long as to start thinking of the sad things. She noticed Fushio exploring and thought that perhaps, she’ll speak up when she’s ready.

“Captain, these plants are very useful. We have an almost unlimited supply of food, but it’s not good to eat just one thing.... have you perhaps tested out which foods are edible?”

Her stomach growls in response.

“I’ve only had the kelp to eat. It’s nutritious but not very filling I’m afraid. “

As they spoke she maintained their basic survival features, such as adjusting the rain catchers. She looked about the spacious deck, seeing that some spaces could be better utilized. For planters perhaps?

Langley pulled tight some tension wires attached to the masts. As they had been skipping along through the water, the sea captain had mostly been concerning himself with locating pieces of scrap. Without the capture jaws however, he had to resort to his old method of picking it up. Long booms swung out from either side of the ship and trawled with thick nets made of chain. The holes in between the links were wide enough to let fish and other fauna make it through but large chunks of floating wreckage almost always got caught. Already the crafty captain had fashioned some wreckage into a new mast and used tensile wire to keep it anchored down.

"The plants are good for a light snack but I do always find-find-find" He sighed with frustration and pounded his head with a fist before continuing. "FIND that fishing is a little more reliable for something substantial. Fiori Fish are fairly common, though I'm not sure if they're fish in the traditional sense. You'll see them breach alongside the ship as it goes, they're bright yellow and often glow in the dark. They're not very smart either so all you have to do is hold a net out to catch them. I utilize a solar cooker to prepare them when I want to conserve energy but we also have a microwave emitter and can set up for a good old fashion fire if need be."

Fushio continued to explore things for a few moments. She opened a door, identified it as the bathroom, and closed it again... she took another quick look around the cabin. Ultimately she found nothing of any terrible significance. Not that she really expected to find any handcuffs or bloody clothes... the problem is, lack of evidence didn’t necessarily mean the captain was safe. More just narrowed it down to safe or careful.

She made her way back to the window and looked out at the two humans again... then the sky. It was clearing. And that meant sun... which meant heat. Heat and fur... were not the best combination. She walked to the door, and paused hand on it’s handle. She’d been in worse environments. Far hotter, and far colder. Didn’t mean she liked it. With a sigh, she pushed it open and stepped out onto the deck to join the others.

Jade was on her way to find Langley’s fishing gear when she almost ran into Fushio.

“Hello Fushio, I was just on my way to grab some fishing gear. “

She bows and continues to make her way towards the storage closet. There, there was an almost complete set of fishing tools. Some fake lures, a net, a fishing rod and a tackle box. She grabbed the set and went back to find an unoccupied space in the deck.

Setting up the net on the side of the ship, she then set the fishing rod a bit further away, taking out her survival guide to read as she waited for a bite. Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it.

Fushio stepped back as the girl passed by. She lingered by the door, watching as Jade gathered the fishing equipment. Fushio pushed the door open, holding it so Jade wouldn’t have to fight with it to get back out. She followed her out, and quietly sat down as Jade set up the fishing equipment.

Fushio glanced briefly at the survival guide in the human girl’s hands, then leaned back against the outer side of the main cabin, relaxing.

“...Fish here might be poisonous. I can scan them, if you want... you know, before we eat them.”

Jade was a bit startled, but glad that the other female finally began to speak to hear.

“Oh! Yes, you’re right. Please do. “

She takes a sideways glance at Langley at the mention of the dangerous fish.

“He’s been eating them for years so I figured... but then again it might also be due to that.... well it doesn’t hurt to check. “

She said it all in a hushed tone so only they could hear. Soon, there was a response on her fishing line.

“Woah! “

She held on to it firmly, reeling when the fish let up and loosening up slowly as the fish protested. Soon after, the had a fish. Though it was a strange looking one. It looked much like the deep sea fish back on earth with it being almost transparent, but it was meaty, so at least there’s that

“You noticed it too?” Fushio’s tone is equally low as she follows Jade’s gaze toward their host. “I think it’s more...”

The sudden fishing prevents her from continuing the conversation, as she lets Jade focus on landing the fish.

The really bizarre looking, translucent fish.

“I’m no fishing expert.... but... I don’t think clear ones are normally something you eat....”

She stands back up.

“I’ll be right back.”

Fushio turns, walking off, and heads back in to the cabin. She comes back a few moments later carrying her portable medical scanner... it looked like a thick, rugged tablet computer.

“I have logged a lot of poisons, venom, and toxins over the years... but I can’t guarantee this one will not have something new. So... even if the scan comes back clean... it might still be toxic...”

She turns it on, the holds the device above the fish... also making sure to aim it away from Jade... and lets it run through it various scans and analyses.

Jade waits patiently for Fushio to scan.

“What an amazing device....”

She thinks of how she could help the moment it doesn’t show any results. Immediately her mind went to the computer of the Nest. It might not be able to identify a specific toxin. But it can break down its chemical components. So they could then compare with similar poisons and toxins in Fushio’s system.

“I hope it’s edible... or we could at least find out if it isn’t... we can’t survive on kelp and seaweed forever.. it’s not healthy. “

At some point they’d have to land as well. Perhaps she could find some fruit and harvest seeds. Start a garden on the deck maybe?

Fushio reads over the results of her scanner once it finishes.

“I am not seeing much of anything as far as poisons... not even traces of mercury... so it is coming back cleaner than some earth fish.”

She shrugs, and flips the medical device off.

“If you think we can run it through your pod systems to rule out any others, might be worth it. Though... honestly? I am kinda curious what color it turns when you cook it. I am betting white.”

Still crouching by the fish, Fushio gently pokes it with a finger. “Seems dead. Guess it does not have back up lungs.” She pokes it again.

“I guess it’s worth a try. The fishing nets might have more when we finish our experiment. Come. “

Jade was quite excited, scooping up the fish with a large seaweed. She then led Fushio to her Nest, which was cradled by the ship’s claw.

Once inside she takes it to the kitchen, trying to butcher the fish the best she can. Surprisingly, her knife skills are pretty good. It’s not surprising. She was the one that took care of her father and sister while they and their mother were all busy with their colorful careers.

Once the meat, bones, and the fish’s various organs were separated, she washed her hands and went to where the fabricator was. She tried to 3D print a molecular scanner but failed, needing various materials as components.

“Argh! Alright...we need various carbon, some kind of metallic alloy, and oil. We’ve got oil. For carbon...”

The girl looked around, spotting some furniture that they didn’t need. She fed it to the fabricator. Now all they need is metal. The thought about it and went to the storage. As she rummaged she found some spare parts, piping, and some loose nuts and bolts. And finally. The jackpot. Batteries. And a whole box full too.

“We don’t need this much for it. “ she took two and fed those to the fabricator. Then she hit the print button, confirming it with her voice.

“Confirm print. “

Soon the scanner was finished, built in was a small solar and hydro charger. She then hands it to Fushio.

“Here you go. You go ahead and begin and I’ll write down the formulas so we can begin comparisons. I can’t only help with plant based formulas though. “

Fushio follows Jade into the nest... and simply watches her. She isn’t too surprised by Jade’s knife skills. She knows practically nothing about her after all... but it isn’t a far stretch to imagine some having skill with a knife. The Sul isn’t bad with one... just her skill set is geared toward other types of blades with different functions.

It is however nice to know the human girl can cook. Little things can go a long way in situations like this.

Fushio finally takes the scanner when it’s offered... the printed molecular one... from Jade.

She looks it over... hoping it has instructions. Finding none, she sighs, and grabs the kelp Jade used to transport the fish, and shoves it into the printer. Following Jade’s example, she enters something, and presses confirm. “Confirm?”

The machine hesitates, then spits out a small booklet: The instructions for the molecular scanner.

“Thank yo...” She stops, and glances at Jade, then the machine. Quickly, Fushio grabs the booklet, turns and walks away... apparently lacking any real explanation for why she just thanked the machine. She snags a piece of fish on her way by, heading back out to the deck. And sun. To use the scanner on the fish.

Jade cleaned up, placing the rest of the fish in a container and washing the cutting board and knife before drying and placing it back where she got it.

She smiled a bit, remembering how Fushio seemed a bit flustered by the machine. It was kind of cute.

She then followed Fushio with a notebook and pencil in hand, excited to know more about the fish. She imagines they’ll be doing experiments like these often, so they can understand this new world they’ve landed in.

“So what does it say?”

Fushio rests on the deck, leaning back against the main cabin. The new scanner is next to her, sitting in the sun. It’s running. The printed manual sits next to it, open. “It is still running. Took it a little bit to charge up enough to use... and the manual is poorly written. Should be ready in just...”

The molecular scanner dings. Like a microwave timer. She looks at it.

“Now. Should be ready now.”

The Sul sits forward, her own scanner resting on her lap, and she starts cross referencing between the two, looking at the various protein and chemical compounds.

“Based on what I am seeing... I do not think this animal is toxic. Nothing is matching or similar to anything I have recorded in my travels... Which... makes sense as it appears to be more in line with camouflage defenses... “

Fushio looks up at Jade.

“Would not recommend eating it raw if we can avoid it though.”