The Water Mission
by thunder falcon
Featuring opening narrative by Jaebi
The Present of Our Lost Tomorrow
"We are so far gone," Caskin says, staring at the position of Earth in the clear display. A line extends from the blue dot, highlighting the distance the ship travels. "The number grows so vast and our home," Caskin extends his fingers, gently tracing the tiny orb's lazy ellipse. "It is just a ball of light, trapped in a looking glass."
Caskin feels a comforting hand fall on his shoulder. He turns slightly, looking his partner in the chin instead of the eyes. It is not so much the manner, but the words that always move Caskin.
"Home is more than a planet that no longer needs us. It is more than where we are from and nowhere we have left behind. Home is"(finish this sentence) Lilith sputters into a sigh as she settles into her chair like the faintly remembered existence of leaves that don't fall anymore. "Home is now the watery paradise, we've always dreamed of, that has moved on without us."
For a moment the bridge of the Aquarius, feels desolate and lonely.
On the wide screen, Caskin ponders the image of the lost world of man and woman. With the ship's sensors bouncing telltale signals against the glistening planet's aquatic surface, he could clearly make out the forgotten outlines of the submerged continents just beneath the engulfing ocean's surface. It was strange to think that with the flick of a switch, the remaining familiar shapes of the old earth that humans once knew, would just vanish into pure crystal blue.
Raising his eyes past Lilith's chin, Caskin makes a dismal face. "Well, it's pretty obvious the place is being run by the dolphins and whales now," he guesses, his hand pondering over the dark skin of his clean shaven face. He glances over the instrument panel looking for any evidence to the contrary.
"From what I can tell they've been managing pretty well in our absence."
"It seems so. But I've been wondering about what contribution the highly intelligent squid, have been making to the current government structure."
"Oh, I'm so pleased," Lilith teases with a smile. "Just when I've lost all hope, you finally have a go at being obnoxious."
"I am not being obnoxious," Caskin protests in all sincerity. "I really have been wondering about that. You know, it's said they like to build little houses in the ocean depths out of rocks and things."
"Actually, from what I hear, they're pretty good at making structures from our abandoned leftovers." Lilith laughs a little, her soothing and low reflective voice, becoming light and airy for a moment. "The science team, is having a ball with that."
In dramatic contrast, Caskin is not at all amused by the possibility. "What does it say, when it turns out a squid, is naturally better at recycling than we are."
"Oh, on the contrary, since our days on Old Earth, we've gotten very good at recycling, from power, right down to bodily fluids. Of course, it's not like we had much of a choice, is it? On that note, are you thirsty? I was going to get myself something to drink." Caskin makes one of his notorious faces, that Lilith can't help but challenge. "Oh, come on. I'll have you know, that's unauthorized pouting. Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I cycled my weewee at least three times."
Of late, Caskin liked it much better when his flight partner, was more philosophically thoughtful, than funny. After all, as he felt obligated to point out from time to time, it seemed far more appropriate for her Native American origins. Besides, Lilith's gently insightful pondering, better suited his brooding state of mind in recent days. Especially since he learned that this particular water recovery assignment, would bring him to the very doorstep of where all human creation began.
"No, I'll pass," he says, his thoughts wondering into images of open fields, he'd only seen in historical files and nostalgic works or art. "Besides, if this water mission takes a sudden dive, we'll need every drop to get by."
"Well, look on the bright side. If everything goes to hell, we can avoid the entitlement battle. Of course, I've been wondering which group will claim they're the chosen ones of the universe, and therefore have greater rights than anyone else, to the sacred waters of Earth," Lilith says, her eyes rolling over a topic that never fails to bring her bodily fluids to a boil. "I'd place some credit bets, if it didn't annoy me so much."
"My money is on the Children of the Lord and Earthly Divinity," Caskin grumbles.
"Don't get me started, please," Lilith shutters, accidently revealing the sheer depths of her annoyance. "Besides, I'd have to bet on the Born Again Wives of Jesus."
"Hey, I thought you were planning to join up?" Caskin jokes wickedly, feeling a rare impulse for humor.
"Don't be a smart ass," Lilith threatens, "or I will be forced to action."
"Well, I wouldn't worry about the crazies just yet," Caskin advises, only half convinced of his own words. "Well, except for ours. Besides, if by some chance we pull this off, The Interplanetary Pleidian Council, will no doubt use their influence to make sure the water runs to all the right places."
"Yes, I'm sure you're right. And maybe one of these days, we'll impress our alien friends, by actually growing up." Now there was the Lilith, Caskin knew and loved. The militant, philosophical rebel.
A call sparks the control panel to life. Looking at the ID, Caskin realizes it's Lt. Marsh checking in with his morning report. He taps a button with a greeting. "Good morning, Lieutenant. How's it going?"
"The inmates are a little restless ," Marsh sighs with a sleepy yawn, over the communications fuzz. The picture sharpens as the Lieutenant rubs sleep from his eyes. Taking hold of the friendly hum of his voice, Caskin finds his eyes roaming to another screen to take in the view of the stars as they twinkle on and off above the ocean blue of the earth below. Just to the top of the frame, he then spies the source of Marsh's voice, the main command vessel The Worland, orbiting nearby the massive water rig, appropriately anointed with the name of Aquarius. "They gave me a little trouble earlier," Marsh continues with the fuzz clearing. "But once they have some grub, they should settle down."
"We'll send over some Bachi milk to smooth things over," Caskin lights with a plan. "But you sound a little down."
"Well, with all the problems, I'm worried things won't work out," Marsh's voice vibrates the com-panel stressfully. "And either way, I'm not going to be too popular in certain quarters, particularly some of the military ones."
"No worries," Lilith says in her soothing tone. "The one thing we still have going for us on this recovery jaunt, is the standing approval of the Armstrong Council. That is, if we can layout the new agreement to fit all the points in their mandate. But I'm sure, Dr. Kline will make sure all that is covered."
"Okay," Marsh says with a lighter voice. "But you don't have to worry too much about Hain and his team. Of course, they've been giving Cally the creeps, but I'm not too surprised there. She's the newbie, so they're trying to get to her."
"Actually, I rather had the suspicion that they were trying to get to us," Caskin guesses. "Hope they're behaving anyway."
"If you call this behaving," Marsh says with the flick of switch. One of the available screens flashes and a video image of the detention cell appears. The men and women within, look up to the camera. One stares at the lens, in particularly cold fashion and Caskin returns the gaze with some agitation.
Commander Hain.
As if producing the appropriate action to go with the name, Hain gives the camera the finger. "I wouldn't worry about that," Marsh points out, before Caskin has a chance to become offended. "That's probably for me and Cally. He thinks we're traitors."
"Well, when we have a moment," Lilith muses dangerously, "we'll explain what the term actually means. Then maybe he'll understand who the traitor really is."
"If he doesn't know by now, I think he'll start getting the picture, when the Council arranges to have his ass court-marshaled," Marsh miffs indignantly. Thanks again for sending those extra people over from Kline's team," he says, his tone shifting to the lighter side of things. "I feel a little better with the backup."
"You'll have to thank Kline for that," Caskin smiles as he banishes the confined crew members from his viewer screen. Returning to a sleepy visual of Lt. Marsh, other thoughts begin to pile upon one another.
"And how are our guests in the water suite?" Marsh asks.
"Very splashy. But it's Lynn who has the inside scoop there."
"I guess, I'll have to bug her later about that," Marsh smiles. With a wave and parting greeting, the officer terminates the call.
"So, you think what we told Marsh is true? Everything will work out okay?"
"I sure as hell, hope so," Lilith says with a guilty sigh, as she sips a cup of priceless liquid. "Water, along with everything else, is getting pretty difficult to extract from other sources, including our alien friends."
Caskin's thoughts sober up even more on this particularly distressing note. "Yeah, the Council has enough problems with keeping our population numbers under control, without everyone having kittens over reproductive rights. Good thing, I don't plan to reproduce anytime soon."
"Thank goodness the W. E. P. C. Command Security Program, is such a bit hit with the older folks," Lilith says with some relief. "If it weren't for them spending so much time in cryo-status, there wouldn't be enough water and food for everyone else. And you know the Armstrong Council is thrilled about that."
"We are pushing things to the limit trying to meet their mandates, if only to prove to the Pleidians how responsible humans can be. But at least with the non-invasive extraction procedure that has been established for the recovery protocol, I guess the Council figured we couldn't do any more damage to the place than we already have."
"That, and they didn't want us to offend the squid, unlike other parties, I don't wish to name," Lilith notes returning to her chair. Curling into its embrace with squid-like repose, she catches a fleeting glimpse of the bright side of the situation. "Well, at least we're still on speaking terms with the dolphins."
"Are you sure about that?" Caskin asks trying to avoid any traces of a humor whatsoever. "I mean, the negotiations team still doesn't like to talk about exactly what they're saying. But if you ask me about our first encounter, it looked to me like that porpoise was ripping us a new one."
"You could be right about that. But least members of their delegation were willing to come aboard the Aquarius and stay awhile. I would not have expected that, especially after what happened."
"Yeah, but after our monumental screw up, I can't blame them if they want to see who and what they are dealing with." Caskin leans back into his chair suddenly exhausted by the circumstances. "Nope, we have to face it - thus far, we haven't been a real big hit with the Krilliss." The labored water pilot gasps on the term. "Or the Krillis Unity Circle, as they like to call themselves. Hell, I still can't work up the nerve to look at the complete translation records for their opinion on the matter."
"I have the profound feeling, we don't want know. But at least, the next few meetings worked out a little better," Lilith says optimistically, as she leans back in her chair catching an unpleasant recollection unexpectedly. "God, the initial negotiations team, really screwed up on this one. If it wasn't for Dr Kline, this whole mission might end up going down the compression privy with one deafening flush."
Lynn, one the lab biology technicians with the negotiations team pops her head onto the flight bridge with a long awaited update. "Just heard from Dr. Kline. He'll be returning in about three hours."
Lilith smiles, forcing assurance into her face. "That's good to know."
"There's something else," Lynn says, cringing in her coy way. "He'll be returning with an answer. He has no way of telling which way it's going to go, but the Krilliss have definitely made it clear that they're going to make a final decision."
Caskin and Lilith look at each other, trying to avoid the thought of the worst case scenario. "Well," Lilith says solemnly, "at least we'll know one way or another."
Against his feelings, Caskin smiles in an attempt to lighten the mood. "It's too early to worry about it now. But how are our guests doing?"
"Fine," Lynn informs him with a small hint of pride, as she's one of the few translation technicians permitted to have direct access to the visiting delegation of water mammals. "Just flick on the screen and see for yourself."
"No, that would be okay," Caskin says looking at Lilith nervously. "I'm sure they want their privacy, without some two legged human-thing looking at them."
"You're being silly Cass," Lilith teases, switching the bridge observation screens over from the haunting views of the earth, to that of their unexpected guests. 
With a quick flash, the team of seven delegation members, flicker onto the screen from various views. With a random swish here and there, they float about their makeshift quarters, a fairly large reserve pool of salt water, the only water Lilith and Caskin had been given authorization to bring aboard the Aquarius.
One anointed with misshapen spot, thrashes his tail sending up a spray of water.
"How's the ph?" Lilith asks with a little concern. "Is it stable?"
"No problems there," Lynn notes with ease. "It took a little guessing, but I was finally able to get it balanced for their best comfort. In fact, after basic processing, the water is probably a little cleaner than what they're used to. As long as the gravity net keeps the water where it's supposed to be, we should be okay."
"Yeah, I'd hate to see these guys flipping around in zero-grav. That would be scary." Caskin watches one of their cobalt blue guests, taken with a flush of concern. Feeling his shoulders tense, he studies the creature more closely as it floats about randomly in the far right corner of the tank, looking almost unconscious or ill. "Have a look at this one to the back right? Is he sick or something."
"That would be she," Lynn gently corrects him with a smile. "That's Delta Ma. We had a problem translating her name, so that's the best we could come up with. But she's alright. We've seen this with a number of species among the Krilliss. You see, they are prone to educing a trance like state. It's sort of like meditation. Either way, it helps them pass the time."
The water pilot frowns as he watches their guests bob about looking most uninspired by their surroundings. Conversing with one another in clicks and rhythmic chirps, they are no doubt mildly agitated about the dulling ripples in the water. Then as if responding to a remark made by one of his pool mates, the testy dolphin with the large spot on his head, indignantly splashes his tail again.
Watching the creature glance about the chamber as if looking for a way out, Caskin can't help but examine it. After a few moments the spotted dolphin seems to calm and begins to rise and fall softly as he takes air through the fluttering vent atop his round head. Then rather unexpectedly Caskin realizes the animal is glaring right at him with a penetrating gaze. His eyes flutter at the screen in a moment in disbelief.
Is that creature looking at me? At me specifically?
He tells himself such a thing is not possible. Then suddenly, his mind begins to flicker, momentarily seized by images of his Captain and Commander. Startled by the normally consoling features of his superiors, Caskin suddenly reels back.
"Cass, are you okay?" Lilith asks, catching his jolt.
"Yeah," the water pilot gasps with a laugh, grabbing himself. "I guess I've been staring at computer screens too long." He swallows dryly, studying his spy more carefully. "Who's that one? The dolphin with the spot on his head."
"That's Wave Singer," Lynn says, brushing a stray hair back into her ponytail. "Well, that's the literal translation of his signature in English. He's a long distant envoy for the Krilliss, so he's not used to being cooped up for too long. But from what the others have told me, he's even had encounters with the Pleiadians."
"So it's true," Lilith muses more to herself than to anyone else. She gazes at the dolphin as if momentarily transfixed. "The Pleidians have visited earth."
"That appears to be the case," Lynn says with a little apprehension in her voice. "Let's just hope they don't plan to drop by anytime in the next few days."
Sensing something about their visitors, Lilith frowns. "They look really bored."
"Oh, they are really bored," Lynn confesses stressfully.
"Maybe we could get them some air-balls or some squeaky toys?" Caskin volunteers the notion without thinking of the absurdity of it and is quickly regretful.
Lynn starts to laugh. "Oh yeah! Right."
"Sorry," Caskin recants. "That must have sounded so stupid."
"Are you kidding? It doesn't sound stupid. In fact, they would love that," Lynn gushes. "It's just, we don't have anything like that aboard ship." Caskin and Lilith glance at each other knowingly, but for all intensive purposes, remain as quiet listeners. "But they can be very playful and even flirtatious," Lynn continues. "So every now and then, I go in for a dip and let them chase me around. They seem to like it."
Lilith brows flare and Caskin's jaw drops.
"Excuse me," Caskin inquires with a little mischief. "But am I to understand, that you're attempting to curry favor with these delegates, by employing your sexy whiles?"
"Why yes. Yes, I am," Lynn says with a candid wink. "Besides, we're talking about a serious amount of H2O here. In fact, that big old pool they're swimming in, is the most I've ever seen in one place off-world, so color me Water-Slut."
"At least you're honest about it," Lilith says with a teasing expression.
"Well, I for one, hate to see you compromising your virtue in such a flagrant manner," Caskin prods with feigned disapproval.
"No. It's no problem, really," Lynn coos mischievously.
Caskin and Lilith exchange guilty looks. "Well," Lilith offers, "in order to save your reputation from further scandal, we have a little something for you."
The water pilots lead Lynn to a hidden storage fall-bin off the corridor leading from the bridge. Opening it with secretive glee, they reveal the hidden booty within. A few tell-tale items fall out, and one of them bounces across the corridor.
"Is that some sort of bouncy ball?" Lynn asks.
"A beach ball actually," Lilith confesses with a weak smile. "And a floaty-raft."
"Friends of ours," Caskin sputters momentarily and goes on to explain further. "Well, we had them made custom. You see we have this sort of ritual. Every time we get a water load, we have ourselves a nice, little pool party. "
Lynn stares at the pilots a moment, her mouth a jar. "That's impossible. How can you have big pool party with just the two of you?"
Looking guilty, Lilith bites her bottom lip. "Well, I suffer from a severe multiple personality disorder, so it gets pretty crowded."
Lynn laughs. "You guys are too much!"
"Yeah, we've been told that. Look, you're welcome to these items for our," Caskin hesitates a moment, "guests. Just don't mention our little pool parties. They're not exactly regulation. Besides, it wasn't our idea any way."
Lynn's face pinches. "You're actually going to go with that explanation?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Caskin looks to Lilith for a convenient explanation. "Mostly, we tend to blame these things on one of her multiple personalities."
"If you ask me, you guys need a better cover story." Lynn looks at a misshapen yellow blob on the floor. "What's the weird yellow thing with the eyes?"
"That's a rubber duck inner-tube. You sit in it." Caskin forces his smile into a false grimace. "You'll have to inflate it along with the floaty-raft. And there's a couple of squeaky toys. Don't ask us where those came from. Officially, we know nothing."
"Officially." Lynn's eyes widen with a smile. "Where'd you get the idea for this stuff? It's kind of inventive."
Caskin's smile fades. "You mean, you don't know?"
Lynn's expression draws a blank.
"Well, we've seen things like this in the historical files." Caskin thoughts stumble across sad losses that sometimes don't make sense to him. "You know, photos from the archives of old earth. People you used to play with this stuff on sand and beaches...when there used to be sand and beaches."
"Oh," Lynn gasps softly as if happening upon something long forgotten. "Well, I think our guests will like them. It should make their stay a little more enjoyable."
"Take them," Caskin says pushing down a sudden flush of melancholy. "They're all yours. Well, for awhile anyway."
"But one of my multiple personalities, might want them back sooner or later," Lilith coos with a mischievous wink.
"Sure thing. Thanks guys," Lynn gushes. Gathering up the historical contraband in her arms she totters off to watery places.
Sighing on the lingering weight in the air, Lilith falls back to rest against the corridor wall. "On second thought, maybe we can use the stuff to bribe our visiting guests. It couldn't hurt, right?"
"Well, it's not too late to screw things up," Caskin observes gravely. "And the good Doctor, still has a fair amount of damage control to fix, so if a bunch floaty things and squeaky toys will improve his chances, I'm all for it."
Recovering a forgotten luminescent orb made for play from the floor, Caskin swishes it about igniting the spark within. Contemplating its opalescent light, he ponders on all the invisible dolphins and other aquatic creatures, swimming through the wavelets of pages added to earth's telling book. Floating in the water's rippling shadows, he's certain there awaits an army of mysterious, mammoth creatures that threaten to slam it shut.
"It's going to take a miracle," Lilith ponders, her expression suddenly looking like it might crack. "We were in the wrong, in every way conceivable."
"Yeah, but that's a role we play so well," Caskin says, haunted by a strange ache that refuses to go away. "Always being in the wrong."
Much against his labored imagination, the water pilot clearly recalls how the most recent performance began. There was a lot of screaming and yelling involved, a great deal of it done by Dr. Kline. And with the show almost shutting down on opening night, the reviews from the aquatic audience in attendance, were not at all flattering.
Copyright © 2009 Thunder R. Falcon - All Rights Reserved
