Forever Magazine Issue 107 by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: magazine, science fiction, Science Fiction - Short Stories, science fiction magazine
Publisher: Wyrm Publishing
Published: 2023-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

Originally published in A People’s History of the Future, edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams, 2019.

The Music of a New Path

A. T. Greenblatt

TESSA

Tessa’s crew was making music again in the deepest part of space. Like a heartbeat, like a lifeline. Anything to survive in the endless, gaping void between stars.

She was chewing gum on the half beat of her crew’s song: Iona tap, tap, tapping her foot as she tinkered in the engine coils. Kaitlin’s clear whistle, winding and floating, as she bustled around the mess. Nima humming counter-melody to Kaitlin’s tune as they wrangled the livestock in the cargo hold. And below it all was Cagwin’s Castaway’s bass, droning and whirring and shifting as it hurled them through the emptiness to the next colony.

There’s always another colony, Tessa thought, and it gave her a bit of hope. The crew’s song thrummed in her ears as she drifted around the command center, display screen in hand, debating where they should go next. Surrounding her, the bay windows showed a bright blue atmosphere with cloud wisps, making her feel like she was floating in some colony’s sky. It was a lie, of course, but Tessa didn’t care. She was a deepsailor, but that didn’t mean she had to stare into empty space.

Clack, clack, clack went her teeth as she worried, keeping half an eye on the readings Cagwin’s Castaway fed her about the exterior of the ship, half an eye on the readings about its organic and inorganic parts, and half an eye on the colony requests coming through. Over and over she plotted out potential courses using known routes through the mind bending twists of spacetime only to be disappointed in her options. They’d reach their destination in three days. She’d put off the decision for far too long.

“Here’s the choices, crew. We run to Beta station next,” Tessa said, keeping the frustration out of her voice. She wished they had the supplies and resources to make longer treks, to try new routes.

“I hate that place,” Iona grumbled over the com.

“Same,” said Nima.

“They pay well enough,” Tessa argued, but halfheartedly. “They’re desperate.”

“That’s because half of their population harasses deepsailors,” countered Kaitlin, with a snort. “Not worth the money.”

“Never thought I’d hear you say that,” Iona teased.

“Me neither,” replied Kaitlin with a laugh. “But we’re not that pathetic. Yet.”

“Well, the other option is Scion 8,” Tessa said. The entire crew groaned, and Tessa could swear Cagwin’s Castaway’s pitch got lower too.

Tessa rolled her eyes, but inwardly she was pleased. They had come a long way since she’d found Cagwin’s Castaway and her crew in that ship graveyard. At least, they had the luxury of meager choices now. “Beta Station it is then,” she said. She pulled up the client contract.

[CONTRACT REFUSED] flashed on her screen. Tessa froze. Cagwin’s Castaway rarely ever cared where they went.

“Okay, smart ass,” Tessa told the ship. “Where should we go then?”

Cagwin’s Castaway didn’t respond. Droning, droning went its engines.

Tessa ground her teeth into her chewing gum.

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