We were asleep in the jungle. We kept it in microgravity, so my upper right hand was holding a palm frond unconsciously, and Jane was snuggled up behind me, her tendrils wrapped around me, and her hand cupped around my upper left breast.
"Captain Grey," said Josephine, the ship's Expert System. It waited a moment, and then repeated, "Captain Grey."
"Yeah," I said, opening my eyes before she could repeat it. "Go."
"Captain Grey, I have picked up an anomalous signal," Josephine said.
"Anomalous in what way?" I asked. Jane stirred, and I rolled in the air, snuggling sleepily closer to her.
"It is a radio frequency signal which is not binary, but seems to be intelligently pulsed. It is repeating, within a three-sigma margin of error, though the frequency is shifting erratically."
"Uh-huh," I said, running my lower left hand over Jane's thigh, taking joy as I often did in the contrast between the blue of my skin and the green of hers. Vaguely I remembered that I had put SETI related signals into the list of things Josephine should wake me for. "Play the signal."
Jane ran her fingers lightly through my hair, and then we both started. There... in the static... was something we had never thought to hear again, and would never forget. Bursts of static... short, pause, short, pause, short, longer pause... long, pause, long, pause, long, longer pause... repeating.
"Localize that signal!" I instructed. I kissed Jane, and flipped around, using one foot to push lightly against her knee, pushing me towards the open hatch to the ship's spine, and her back towards the palm tree. A moment later, she'd pushed off the palm tree, and followed me out.
As ever, please comment if you'd be interested in reading a webcomic based on this teaser.
"Captain Grey," said Josephine, the ship's Expert System. It waited a moment, and then repeated, "Captain Grey."
"Yeah," I said, opening my eyes before she could repeat it. "Go."
"Captain Grey, I have picked up an anomalous signal," Josephine said.
"Anomalous in what way?" I asked. Jane stirred, and I rolled in the air, snuggling sleepily closer to her.
"It is a radio frequency signal which is not binary, but seems to be intelligently pulsed. It is repeating, within a three-sigma margin of error, though the frequency is shifting erratically."
"Uh-huh," I said, running my lower left hand over Jane's thigh, taking joy as I often did in the contrast between the blue of my skin and the green of hers. Vaguely I remembered that I had put SETI related signals into the list of things Josephine should wake me for. "Play the signal."
Jane ran her fingers lightly through my hair, and then we both started. There... in the static... was something we had never thought to hear again, and would never forget. Bursts of static... short, pause, short, pause, short, longer pause... long, pause, long, pause, long, longer pause... repeating.
"Localize that signal!" I instructed. I kissed Jane, and flipped around, using one foot to push lightly against her knee, pushing me towards the open hatch to the ship's spine, and her back towards the palm tree. A moment later, she'd pushed off the palm tree, and followed me out.
As ever, please comment if you'd be interested in reading a webcomic based on this teaser.
1 comment:
This one is maybe. I'm intrigued, but I need to see more to be sure.
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