Golden Ships and Wisps of Light

Hum and Bert follow Chester to the spiral galaxy, but the beacons have lost contact with Astra and each other. How will they move forward from here?

Episode Quote:

“I stood there, I could feel the world around me change. The plants were still shuffling around, the light was still dancing between their leaves, but a different type of sensation began to arise from the ground. Beneath my feet the ground felt like it was breathing. Slowly rising up and down, up and down. I didn’t move.”

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Transcript

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The Star Jelly Files

Episode 14

Golden Ships and Wisps of Light

Ummm hello. I am not sure if this broadcast is actually making its way through to you. Although if it doesn’t it doesn’t I guess. This is Hum. We have been trying to get in touch with Astra for a few days now with no success. Well we haven’t been able to get in touch with anyone over the past few days. No friends, allies, beacons, other worlds, no-one. We double checked all of our equipment and communication channels and can’t find any issues. So, as a last resort Fred ( our sentient ship) and I decided that we would just take over Astra’s broadcast station, and hopefully get her attention this way. Or get any of the other beacons attention really. The last contact we sent to Astra was a few weeks ago. We're not sure when she shared it with her listeners, when she shared it with you, or if she even got around to it before we lost contact.  But, I do think she received it. I am going to assume that all of you are caught up on things. That you all know that the last time we sent a message we told the stories about how we found out Tempest is helping Chester, and how they chased us away form the Gate of Dragons. Well we didn’t actually run away. We hid behind a distant moon, until we saw them leave, and then we followed them. It wasn’t difficult to follow them. I don’t think Chester cared about hiding himself at the time. If he did, he wouldn’t have been flying a giant golden ship. It was large enough to carry hundreds of beings, but as far as we knew Chester and Tempest were the only ones on board. It would not be an easy ship to hid even if they wanted to.  The ships was a giant rectangle of metal that looked as if it was made of gold. I had never seen a design quite like it, which made me think it was a design of his own making, or of another world that I had never seen before at least. As they flew through space, the light of every star they passed reflected off of the mirrored surface of their ship making it so anyone who was looking to the stars would see it shooting across the sky. 

At the time we were unaware that we would be following them to the outer edges of the universe, and following them as they planned to attack the spiral galaxy. We don't think they knew we were following them. We stayed far enough behind that I don't think they noticed us, and we have enough experience in stealth that we are able to hide our ship and ourselves as we made our way forward and through the universe. I think the real challenge for us was choosing not to stop them in advance, before they had a chance to get anywhere. Bert was in favor of stopping them and questioning them. That way we could figure out what they were really trying to do. She thought we could overpower them. I talked her into the idea that it would be better to observe. Even if we captured them I don't think they would have told us the truth. Some may accuse us of not acting quickly enough when this history is told, but I think it is worth the risk. 

It didn’t take us long to realize that they were heading to the spiral galaxy. Heading to the part of the universe where there are a grouping of worlds that have had the do not disturb sign hanging on their door for millennia. I figured there were two reason that they may be heading there. The first could be that they were invited. I was under no illusion that Chester could, and would, try to talk his way into where he wanted to go. For all we knew, he could have told the beings there that he was doing research and wanted to work with them. They are isolated enough from the rest of the happenings in the universe that they may not even know a whole lot about what is going on. I know they understand the history, from last time, and from when Clara was accused of her crimes. Some of them served on the galactic panel that punished her for what she had done. What I didn’t know was if they thought the matter was closed, if they knew Chester was back and wearing a new disguise, or if they knew the problem had re-emerged at all. As far as most worlds knew, Chester was a beacon. A being in charge of protecting worlds. Not Clara’s brother Phineas, who once helped conquer worlds. I am not sure how many beings and worlds Astra has had a chance to tell about this discovery. Probably not many. The universe is a big place, and not all worlds communicate in the same way. It takes time to spread a message that far and wide. The beings of the spiral galaxy may just think they are inviting a beacon over to work with them without understanding the risk.

The other possibility I could see was that Chester was going there to take revenge for their assistance in sentencing him and Clara. He could be going there to begin his new grand plan. Whatever that grand plan is. I have to admit to you that all of it is so fuzzy now. I image it still has to do with stealing technology and knowledge, but who knows what he really wants. Time can easily change someones mind. Just because last time he was here he spent his time stealing from worlds, and forcing worlds to communicate when they rather not, doesn’t mean his goals have stayed the same. Rather than manipulating worlds into conflict, he may just choose to start conflict on his own. 

So, we followed him. We stayed quiet, we paid attention to our surroundings, and as we traveled we tried to reach out to other worlds to see if they had any information for us. We realized quickly after leaving the Gate of Dragons that we had lost contact with the other beacons, Astra, and a few others we were working with during this journey. What we didn’t know was why.  We weren't successful in reaching anyone. The few worlds that we could reach, ones that were local to the Gate of Dragons, had already closed their borders in the hopes of keeping Chester out. They were close enough to have already heard the rumors about his return and Clara’s return, and were hoping that they would stay away or could be kept away before things escalated. Many worlds that participated in or witnessed the first war that Clara and Chester had brought to the universe had zero interest in a repeat event. If it came to it they would help. But I believe they are still hoping that the beacons can stop the escalation before it is a problem. 

I should say here that the events from last time were not a war in the traditional sense. It was not a group of planets fighting another group of planets. It was Clara, Chester, and a few worlds attempting to take what they wanted regardless of who they hurt. The war was stopping them from causing harm. Which when you are dealing with a universe of this size, and beings who know how to travel it, can be complicated. It was a slow fought battle that was comprised of protecting those worlds that Clara and Chester tried to take advantage of, and stopping the fights that had already been started. The war was ultimately won by Astra. But I will let her tell that story some day if she chooses to, and assuming she is still okay. It is not a pretty story. She may never decide to tell it. 

While pursuing Chester and Tempest we eventually arrived at the spiral galaxy, and saw to our surprise that Vi’s ship was sitting at the boarder waiting for him. It was an old fashioned saucer ship, and it was just sitting there. It wasn’t scanning Chester’s ship, wasn’t approaching us or a world. Just waiting there. This caused several minutes of heated debate between Bert and I about if Vi could also be involved, or if we should try to reach out to her again. We tried to make an educated guess about if Vi was waiting for him to help him, or waiting for him to stop him. A very big question that would change how we approached the situation we were facing. As it turned out though we would not have the luxury of speaking to Vi or anyone. Our communication systems were totally down, our telepathic communications were blocked, and there was no way for us to reach Vi without showing Chester we were there. We had a dawning suspicion that Chester was blocking our communications. Although how he was doing it was a mystery. In theory he should not be able to block the telepathic communications of the beacons. But, to Bert’s point, he does have a habit of stealing knowledge. So he could very well know something we don’t.  I had been thinking about that possibility for hours, but it was in that moment that it seemed the most likely cause of our problem. We made the decision that I would take on the form of a non-corporeal being and float my way around the closest planet,  hiding myself from the ships in the area, and then I would sneak up on the other side of Vi’s ship. Hoping to talk to her, or observe what was happening in closer detail.  

When I am in my non-corporeal form I look very much like the northern lights on Earth. Rays of light that flicker across the sky. Most worlds and beings only see me as an atmospheric event when they see me in that form. Sometimes taking pictures of me to share with their friends. In happier times I found it fun to either disappear just as they were taking the photo or changing colors depending on my mood. But, In that moment, watching Chester approach Vi’s ship I was planning to stay as subtle as possible. Disguised as a soft yellow light that would blend in with the light off of the nearest star. 

Bert parked Fred behind the closest planet, floating in space in such a way where Chester’s sensors would not be able to find us, and where he couldn’t look out the window and see us. I stepped towards the back of our ship and through the air lock. I stood for a moment, in my physical form, allowing myself to feel the cold of space pressing in upon me. Allowed the silence of it to surround me. Then I opened the airlock door and changed. Allowing my light form to be sucked out into space and propelled away from Fred. I stretched, allowing myself to fully feel myself come apart and become something completely new. I had just reached my full form, a grouping of twelve light beams that fluttered back and forth as I began moving towards Vi’s ship, when I felt the shockwave. I was blown off course, and began spinning in circles as I raced away from my planned destination. Imagine a length of ribbon, riding down the rapids of a river, trying to grab onto every rock and tree limb trying to stop itself from flying forward. That is how I felt. I shifted this way and that grabbing on to planets, and astroids, and other space debris trying to slow my progress. As I flew forward, I managed to turn back and look to see what had happened. What had caused me to be pushed so violently away from the spiral galaxy? I was almost afraid to look back, afraid the whole galaxy or atlas a couple planets would be gone. Destroyed. But I was wrong.

As I turned back the galaxy was there, the planets, and stars, and spirals of dust hadn’t changed. What had changed was that Vi, and Chester’s ships were gone. Not flying away, not visible in the distance, not floating around as pieces of space debris. But simply gone. As if they had teleported away leaving us behind. Yes, teleportation devices, and cloaking devices, and all those technologies exist. The fact that the ships were gone was not what shocked me. What shocked me was that I couldn’t see the energy trails of how they had left. With all of those technologies, I can see the energy they leave behind once they are activated.  When a ship teleports the space in front of you looks wavy for awhile, where the rip in space time was created. When a ship hides itself with a cloak you can still see the waves of energy radiating off it as it pretends to hide.  As if you are watching the heat rise off of pavement on a hot day on Earth. There was none of that. No residual energy at all. They were just gone.  

I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think about it then. To figure out what Chester or Vi had done. By the time I had slowed myself down I had landed on a planet that was unfamiliar to me. Bert soon found me, and came to pick me up. We are still sitting on this planet as we send out this broadcast to you now. We think it is unwise to stay floating in space for now in case Chester isn’t actually gone, and this planet is as good as any until we can get communications back up and running. Or, at least figure out where we should go next. 

This planet is interesting, and I wonder if I was drawn here on purpose. It feels more alive than other worlds. I believe it is a world that Walter is in charge of looking after. It is in his sector of space anyway. It is not a world that we have ever discussed, not that Walter and I discuss all of the worlds we care for, but I feel like this is a world he would have wanted to discuss. It feels so different than most worlds. When I landed I took on my physical form again. Not knowing where I was, I preferred to wear the form I use most often as a beacon so that those who know me will know it is me. I was wearing my Earth clothes, jeans and a t-shirt, and my long silver hair from my home world. I blended into to planet to a certain extent. Most of its surface is covered with thick vegetation. So thick that it is like one giant plant that covers the ground and reaches up into the sky as plants and trees would. Its varied tones of light and dark green almost match my sage colored skin. The sky was nearly blocked out. I could see a few stars, but most of what I saw as I looked up was more vegetation. I could not see any buildings, or structures anywhere. The air was not humid as one might expect it to be, but dry. The air was brittle and cold, and made me feel like I should be standing in a field of ice rather then in the densely populated forest. 

The ground was soft and moved slightly under my feet as I began to explore, and my shoes almost skidded like when you try to walk on wet grass. I was standing in the middle of what I thought was a forest. I decided to explore a little while I waited for Bert, and noticed that the plants that cover the ground and that surrounded me where moving. Slowly yes, but moving just the same. It was as if they were shuffling closer together and then further apart. I would see a plant, taller than I was slide in one direction, lean in towards one of its friends, and then lean back out and shuffle away. I could hear their whispers roll across the forest as if the wind was speaking, but it was them. I tried to figure out what language they were speaking. I have seen a few worlds with living plants, but nothing quite the same. It was as if I was standing in the center of a group of beings, all of them watching me, and discussing me, but not talking directly to me. It was then that I noticed in addition to the whispers that floated across the wind, that there were also small wisps of pink light that flitted across the forest. Jumping from plant to plant, and working its way towards me. 

I decided to stand still, and see if the lights would approach me, or if maybe even one of the plants would approach me. Even though I didn’t speak their language I could try and find other ways to communicate. I reached out in my mind. Telling them I was not there to harm them. That I had landed by accident, and that my ride should be there soon. I waited, and hoped I would get an answer of some kind. As I stood there, I could feel the world around me change. The plants were still shuffling around, the light was still dancing between their leaves, but a different type of sensation began to arise from the ground. Beneath my feet the ground felt like it was breathing. Slowly rising up and down, up and down. I didn’t move. I didn’t want to disturb anything or anyone. I continued to wait until they finally arrived. Rising up from the ground, through the vegetation, and appearing in front of me were three large pink orbs of light. They were taller than I was, at least 10 feet tall, and floated only a few inches off of the ground. They looked like giant soap bubbles that had some type of unknown light source. 

As they observed me all of the plants around us suddenly shifted to look towards the sky, and I followed their gaze. Bert was here. She was preparing to land. This did not seem to phase the beings that were in front of me. If anything they seemed amused. I am not really sure how to describe how I know that. It was just the energy they were radiating at the time. They seemed to have decided that they would wait to communicate with me, until after Bert’s ship had landed. 

Bert stepped out of the ship followed closely by Al, and they both stopped next to me, waiting for me to tell them what was going on. I really didn't have anything to share. I had no idea what was going on. 

It was then, as the three of us stood staring at the three pink orbs that there was a brilliant flash of white light, and a sudden wave of understanding overtook me. They had opened some form of communication that allowed us to telepathically link. All they said was “It is about time you returned. Now tell us, why has it been so long.”

We had no idea that they were talking about. When we tried to ask questions, tried to figure out which of us there were talking to or about they refused to respond. No matter what we said it seemed they refused to speak until we answered their question. So, here we are sitting in the ship, looking for any record of this world, and what work a beacon may have done here. We did discuss if it would be better for us to simply leave and try and figure out where Chester is, but if these beings know us, Bert and I think there is more to the story we should probably know. I think the story has something to do with Chester, or another beacon that is playing a part in this whole mess. So, I am sending this broadcast out now in the hopes that it will catch the attention of Astra, or any one really. Any beacon may be able to help us figure this out. The orbs have not moved. They are still sitting in the clearing. Staring into our ship waiting for our response. 

Astra, if you are receiving this, I have included the coordinates for this world in the data file that I am sending along with this broadcast. If any other beacon hears this, I think you should find Astra first. Then come find us. We don’t know where Chester is. I think our best hope is to re-group and then move forward. Especially if Chester is going to continue blocking our communications. We need to know what we are facing before we form a plan. 

-Hum

Message received by galactic relay station 0019284312. Broadcast automatically sent to listeners per configurations established by Astra. Next broadcast will be sent in 168 Earth hours.

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Star Jelly Files podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and that you are having a great day. The Star Jelly Files is written, produced, voice acted, and created by me, Elizabeth Hamblett. If you would like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content check out my Patreon at www.patreon.com/starjellyfiles. If you would like to learn more about the podcast or visit our merch store check us out at www.starjellyfiles.com The links are also in the description.

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