The Beacon: Hard Science Fiction by Brandon Morris (red white and royal blue hardcover TXT) 📕

Kimikizu responded to the gesture with the traditional reply, “I await directions.”

The Iks started laughing. “Now let’s cut the ceremonial crap. I’m Norok. Nobody’s giving you any directions here. We’ll be awaiting your directions. You’re the Navigator, after all.”

Kimikizu was shocked, but tried not to show it. Unconventional! Apparently she hadn’t been adequately warned about the Explorers. What would be next? All that was missing now was Norok trying to fertilize her eggs.

“I’m Kimikizu,” she said, further lowering her beak.

“A pleasure,” replied Norok. “We’re not so formal here, but if you want to be addressed by your full name, we’ll honor that. Sorry if I shocked you. I’m Norokamilo, if that’s of any importance to you.”

“No, that’s fine, Norok,” she said, deliberately swallowing the rest of the name. “I was aware that Explorers are more relaxed.”

“You’ll see it’s comfortable here with us,” said Norok. “Perhaps we should spend a little more time with the other groups when we’re off-duty so we don’t forget the formalities entirely. You really seem taken aback. I’ll include that in the next meeting.”

Oh no! Norok was the one to set the topics of the meetings, which meant he was no ordinary Explorer. He had to be the Supreme. She should have fallen to her knees before him!

“Are you the Supreme Explorer, Norok?”

The Iks took two steps ahead of her in the group's direction and then turned to face her. “I hope it’s not obvious?” he said amicably. “Formally, you’re correct, but you’ll see that it doesn’t matter much to us, Kimi. Sorry, Kimikizu, of course.”

“Please call me Kimi while I’m here,” she said spontaneously. Otherwise she would always be the outsider, and that wasn’t what she wanted. She already felt enough of that among the Navigators.

Kimikizu was still lost in thought as they reached the group. As Norok introduced her, she looked at the Iks who would be on board the flying machine with her. From the beaks in the group, she could tell that there were Iks of all ages. The differently patterned tail feathers, and especially their varied eyes, told her that the Explorers also came from different regions of the home world. She was surprised that they all seemed to get along.

“Kimi?” the Supreme Explorer addressed her.

Oh, he must have asked her something. Her lower plumage turned yellow. It was so embarrassing!

“Sorry, I was preoccupied.”

The others clattered their beaks, but it didn’t sound malicious.

“I asked you to say a few words about yourself.”

“Of course.” She considered what to say. Norok had already described her function.

“I’m Kimi. My parents come from the southern mountains,” she began, “but they first met on the ship. I have three sisters and four brothers, all of whom are older than me. In my free time I offer flight lessons. I’m not bad at aerobatics myself. My biggest idol is Kuturamilo.”

When she mentioned the name, everyone started clattering their beaks enthusiastically. Was it because the second part of the name was the same as the Supreme Explorer’s? Often, it was possible to infer kinship this way.

“The Explorers worship Kuturamilo,” said Norok. “He significantly advanced flight for the Iks. Did you know he was an Explorer himself?”

“I thought he was a Conqueror?”

The others made grinding noises of protest with their beaks. She must have said something wrong.

“According to the Conquerors, yes,” Norok said. “To be fair, Kuturamilo was initially a Conqueror, but then he joined the Explorers.”

“I wasn’t aware of that.”

“No problem. You certainly must have legends about famous Navigators that we don’t know.”

Kimikizu thought about it. No, there were no such legends, most probably because the Navigators, as a group, hadn’t even existed for 3,000 cycles yet. The profession had only been introduced when it became clear to the Supreme Leaders that the species would have to leave the home world. Apparently 3,000 cycles wasn’t enough time for legends to develop.

“This isn’t really my area of expertise,” she replied elusively.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” said Norok. “Our giant bird awaits us.”

With an elegant gesture, he put his right wing around her and led her to the wide staircase at the belly of the flying machine.

The bird they boarded felt entirely different from the one in which she had performed her test flight. It was far bigger. Kimikizu estimated that it was ten wingspans in both width and height, and at least 150 long. The smell inside was also very different. It was clear that the Explorers spent most of their time in the flying machine. It didn’t have the neutral smell of machine oil, but of everyday life, sometimes unpleasant like sewage, and occasionally pleasant like food and the warmth of sleep.

Norok led her through the corridors according to a system that left her feeling somewhat lost. They both pattered ahead on their short feet with the others behind them. Gradually she felt uncomfortable constantly being at the head of the group. She calmed herself by remembering that this was a gesture of hospitality, even if it conferred a special position that didn’t correspond to her social status.

Her feet started to hurt. She missed the wind tunnels. For two or three days she would have to go without spreading her wings and propelling herself up without stopping and, cheating gravity, tumble into the deep. How could the Explorers manage without this experience on a long-term basis?

“Will we be able to fly on the rock planet?” She asked.

“No, this planet has no appreciable atmosphere. That’s why it’s not such a loss. So you’ll be needing a flight suit in addition to a breathing mask.”

Another embarrassment. Of course, she should have known there was no atmosphere on the planet. But the flight suit got her attention. So far, she had only heard of this technology. They looked just like spacesuits, but they also had several jets that worked even outside of atmospheric layers.

The group stopped at a door. She hadn’t noticed, but now there were only six of them.