Awry With Dandelions: A Sapphic Space Opera Novelette by J.S. Fields

Author:J.S. Fields [Fields, J.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: space colony, science fantasy, space opera, space wizard, dandelions, sapphic, lesbian
Publisher: Space Wizard Science Fantasy
Published: 2022-07-04T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

“You want to use the ceremonial flame as a glory hole?”

“Don’t make it sound dirty. That’s a real thing in glasswork.” Mette canted her head, narrowed her eyes at Orin, and sighed. The sun beat mercilessly down on the trio as they leaned against the white railing of the jet ship, whose propulsion neither Orin nor Blathnaid understood. It went fast. That was all that mattered.

Moderate waves smacked into the sides of the ship and occasionally sprayed them, which helped wash off the stink. They had enough money for a cabin room—there was no bank on the boat to cash in Orin’s note—but Blathnaid didn’t think it was fair to subject other passengers to their aroma, even for a three-hour boat ride. Orin agreed. Better on the deck anyway, where no one could hear them talking about living in each other’s heads.

“Glory. Hole,” Orin repeated. “Listen to yourself.”

“I don’t know how you could have spent as much time with me as you have and not understand how to work glass. Or the names for basic glass working apparatuses.”

Orin tucked a strand of wet, salty hair behind xir ear. “I don’t see you growing plants.”

“Farming weeds is a waste of time. At least with glass you get sellable results in a short time frame and genetics don’t change every time a bee comes by.” She set her jaw. “Focus. I need a bigger flame than my shop can handle and the ceremonial flame they light for coronations is perfect. It takes up most of the back plaza and they tightly control the temperatures so they can fuss with colors, which gives me the size and control I need to not cook you alive when you hop inside it. If Blathnaid can work the temperature mechanism and you can distract anyone trying to stop us, I can ‘borrow’ the raw materials and make what we need to focus the magic.”

“Which is…a glass tube,” Orin repeated, still trying to understand Mette’s plan. “What?”

“Well, a sleeve. It used to be called a parchment sleeve, if we’re being particular because the early versions shown in the magic book were made from thin scraped hide and set on fire. The person on the inside of the sleeve, inside with the fire, died and often the people on the outside got burned up after. That’s why this one will be made of glass, so in theory, we won’t die. And glass helps me control the temperature of the flame better, so Orin shouldn’t die, either.” Her cheeks flushed. “The early colonists didn’t like having their minds fused. Everyone who set foot on the planet had it happen. No one knows why. But it’s less common now, to the point of being almost eradicated. Genetic drift maybe.”

“Or the plants that triggered the magic were culled during terraforming, or died off with the Dragon Droughts. The planet lost more than half its edible biomass. Which. Hmmm.” Blathnaid mulled, chewing the inside of his lip, before saying, “We’re not

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