"Viritine?" I say aloud. The translator struggles but the meaning pops into my mind like recalling a fond memory. It's a name but also a title, "The Goddess of Stellar Waters."
She's beautiful. I've never seen an eden ship this close before. It's more rounded than eden ships tend to be. A faint aura of countless colors radiates from the hull, reflected starlight interacting with the
Prism used in its construction. The hull itself is white, a pure shimmering white accented with gold.
It doesn't just look regal. It feels regal. The ship is covered in embellishments. I see gold filigree and other useless adornments on its frame. It bleeds decadence and flaunts eden superiority. It's a shameless display of their power, but also their grace.
I would jump at the chance but something holds me back. I can't scrap it, I'd be killed on sight if caught. I can't leave it here either. Maybe the eden pay those who return what's rightfully theirs? I wonder if it'll still sail. Then again, maybe I'm just curious. Humans rarely get a chance to venture aboard an avatar.
Entering the ship takes little effort and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. The doors fly open as if welcoming me inside. The air is fine but most systems are offline, including the higgstech. I activate the magnetic seals to keep me down. I step lightly, careful not to touch anything that looks valuable. That's easier said than done. Everything about this ship is valuable. I can't help but feel like every step is a desecration.
Despite having no power, the inside is made bright just with the headlamp on my suit. Every surface seems to reflect the light. The walls are white and gold, much like the outside. I look up and realize how open the ship is. Most ships are compact, the corridors long and cramped. The ceiling here must be over 50 meters up.
It makes me uneasy. I'm used to being cramped. This is too open. It feels like being planetside. Am I Kenophobic now?
It isn't just an open space, it's blatantly designed in a way that would seem irrational. I stand at the bow, but I can see the stern easily through a series of massive golden rings that separate sections of the vessel.
From bow to stern, each ring is a massive opening that prevents sealing off hull breaches. The eden aren't giants. Why would the rings be there? It was one thing to blend function and beauty, but this seems out of character.
I take a few cautious steps and suddenly hear the sounds of water splashing. The magnetic seals on my boots keep me on the ground, but a wave of water rises from the floor and into the air. The entire ship is flooded, not with standard water but a thickened solution using water as a base.
Scans reveal large amounts of copper, silica, and other conductive materials. I hear a scratching, tapping sound, a warning from the Geiger counter in my suit. The whole area is heavily irradiated. I kick myself up from the floor, the magnetic seals deactivating. I float quickly to the roof above, where the radiation sits within acceptable levels. The suit would probably be fine, but I don't want to take any chances. I guess The rings may prove useful after all. I can move through them to reach the bridge.
A feminine voice, bubbly and bright calls from all around me,
"Ravye, illr taeuh."
Fascinating, we now know so much more but at the same time— so little— about avatars here. Glad you're keeping some mystery to them! Wild that they're between biological and mechanical, but it sounds like they're not quite biomechanical either?
Ooo yes. I didnt want to reveal too much with them and I'm glad the mystery is appreciated. Also yeah. Not quite biomech either. Imagine an artificial organism that evolves naturally. They aren't built but clearly don't follow nature's rules. Imagine if nature invented the wheel, and creatures evolved with wheels. It's really abstract. It could never happen, which is the point. They're impossible organisms, a biological paradox. Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it thus far.