《Cosmic Crossings》 Chapter One: To the Stars Fern stared at the pages in front of her with a rage hotter than Ra. Which wasn¡¯t very hard considering the small sun that her even smaller planet revolved around hardly provided a month-long summer. A summer that was almost over, and used to be her favorite season. Emotions swelled to the surface in heavy tidal waves: anger, sadness, and something bitter that she swallowed down with guilt. Her dad up and died and this is what he left her? A wrinkled, leather-bound book the size of her palm. An empty book. Two tears slid down her flushed cheeks, Fern aggressively swiped them away. She¡¯d cried enough. He promised he¡¯d come back since she was a little girl. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon little fiddlehead, don¡¯t get into trouble.¡± With a toss of a few silver pieces and a thankful nod to Isabelle, the cafe owner who had watched her since she was one, he¡¯d be gone. Fern would sit at her small attic window and stare into the stars, wondering where her father¡¯s cargo ship was headed next. Sometimes it was days, or weeks, but he promised he¡¯d return before the next full moon. ¡°I¡¯ll be home before Reka rises, make sure the kettle is hot¡±. ?? Two weeks ago she watched the orange orb, crest the dusk skyline. Her throat had immediately filled with bile as she ran to Belle Cafe. Isabelle greeted her with a similar look of despair. She shook her head and continued wiping tables. Anxious cleaning was Isabelle¡¯s favorite practice. Something wasn¡¯t right. Three days later, her father returned. In a body bag. Two officers had arrived at the warp gate that led to Del Station. Fern knew before they made the town announcement. Everyone seemed to know. On a planet as small as Delphi, originally meant to be a pit stop for passing travelers, everyone knew of Eric Telren. A local Robin Hood, Fern¡¯s decrepit teacher from ages 5-18 had called him. Years ago she had shown Fern a fragile, crumpling book lined with gold letters. ¡°You can borrow it, historians claim the tale came from Earth.¡± Fern reluctantly accepted it, curious to unweave the constant mystery that seemed to follow her father. The fable told of a man who stole from the rich to give back to the poor, a cunning, selfless thief. She wasn¡¯t sure if it entirely described the ¡°famous¡± Eric Telren who worked in shipment deliveries and could hardly afford a new washer. Nonetheless, he always ensured the town was taken care of, sometimes before themselves. After Fern confirmed the body, her father was sent to the morgue to be cremated. They gave her the day. With the recent violence crossing the cosmos, the morgue was fuller than normal, there was no time to hold the body of a twenty-year-old¡¯s dad. She longed to hear his rough voice, smelling of cigars and peppermint tea one last time. ?? The stupid book rested in Fern¡¯s hand in a taunting fashion. She¡¯d already flipped through every page since Isabelle had dropped it off yesterday, along with flaky butter rolls and steaming peppermint tea¡ªher father¡¯s favorite. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Fern. Your father knew the risks he took in his line of work, I never liked it but he did it for you. You were his heart,¡± Isabelle said. Fern looked at her with the sorrow-filled fog that had plagued her since her father¡¯s death, ¡°I know. I just wish we could have spent more time together. He knew it was getting more dangerous. He wouldn¡¯t let me leave this meek planet because of it. Now I¡¯m just alone in the universe.¡± The words were more dramatic than she meant, but it was the truth. After crying for days, she was angry. She hated it. Hated herself for it. It¡¯s not like her father chose to die. Isabelle looked down with something like shame as if she could have somehow prevented all this. Her father was a traveler, no one could have kept him here. ¡°Well I know I¡¯m no comparison, but you¡¯ll always have me. I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Isabelle said with a soft smile and ruffle of Fern¡¯s bronze, wavy hair like she was eight again. ¡°You are enough.¡± Fern gave her a reassuring smile. She was. Isabelle had essentially filled the role of her mother since before Fern could remember, but she¡¯d never be her father. Fern bit into the freshly baked roll with closed eyes. Damn, they were good. For the first time in weeks, a part of her softened. The feeling however quickly faded when she remembered the meager heirloom her father had left sitting in her lap. As if Isabelle could sense her annoyance she spoke, ¡°Listen I know that book might seem kind of worthless, but your father wouldn¡¯t give me something useless to guard in the case he never returned. He wanted you to have it.¡± Fern knew deep down she was right, but couldn¡¯t figure out how for the life of her. ?? Ra was close to rising and Fern¡¯s eyes hurt from spending yet another night crying. It felt pathetic. The candle on her nightstand cast dancing rays on her father¡¯s book. Fern ran her fingers over the cover, why did he leave this thing? Picking it up she only felt annoyance. ¡°Piece of trash.¡± She threw it across the room. It landed underneath her window, the pages splayed open to nothing. A part of her felt guilty for calling her father¡¯s apparent ¡°prized possession¡± trash. She walked over to place it back on her nightstand as morning light began to stream through the glass. Fern froze in place. Words were appearing on the page, by themselves. The book was enchanted. She¡¯d always read of the ancient practice but had never known anyone in her small town capable of it. It looks like her father has been hiding more than she thought. The words appeared slowly in a delicate cursive. My little fiddlehead, If you are reading this, I am no longer with you on this physical plane. You must know you are my world Fern. Everything I¡¯ve ever done has been for you. You are my light and I love you always. I promise my spirit will always be near you. There are things I haven¡¯t told you. Things I am not proud of. Worries I never wanted you to have. I¡¯m sorry if you feel deceived, but I kept these secrets for your safety. There are people out there who would go to great lengths to find you. People who likely murdered me. And are coming to Delphi. More information will be revealed when the time is right. It is dangerous for you to know too much at once. I¡¯m deeply sorry for leaving you with such burdens to face on your own. You¡¯ve likely realized this book is enchanted. Keep it close to you. It knows when and what to reveal to you. Just follow the light. You must leave, for they are almost here if you are reading this. Do not hesitate. More than enough funds are hidden under the floorboard beneath my bed for your journey. Use them wisely. Go to the warp gate to Del Station. Ask for the Emerald. Tell them you need to get to Teilall. Trust no one but yourself. Good people are out there, but bad people hide in the same skin. I love you fiddlehead. Dad Fern felt frozen in disbelief. This had to be some kind of joke. Before she even had time to comprehend the words, they disappeared from the page. Great. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Someone knocked on the front door. Isabelle never knocked. Fern grabbed her black rucksack with tiny, golden stars she had embroidered at age ten and began stuffing all her necessary belongings inside. Within a minute she was in her father¡¯s bedroom, sure enough, a hefty pouch of what had to be a hundred gold coins rested beneath the floor. She stuffed it in her bag and adjusted to the added weight, heading for her bedroom window. The roof was no stranger to her as she often lay there to search for comets and meteor showers. Brisk air greeted her along with a faint light by the front door. She didn¡¯t waste time trying to catch a glance at who awaited her as she reached for the tree branch before her and quietly made her way to the ground. Fern entered Belle Cafe out of breath. Isabelle dropped the glass she was drying with a shatter. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Isabelle stuttered. She knew. How did everyone know people were after her, but her? Guilt covered Isabelle¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Fern, I don¡¯t know why but your father always said you were important and that one day people might remember. I thought he was just joking like he did, but I should have known it wasn¡¯t one. You need to get to the gate.¡± The two walked briskly up the cobblestone road trying to appear as if Fern wasn¡¯t running for her life. As much as Fern felt pissed that it seemed everyone in her life had been keeping secrets from her, she knew Isabelle cared deeply for her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know my father was a secretive man, I don¡¯t blame you for this.¡± A look of relief passed over her face and she turned to Fern in urgency as they reached the gate. ¡°Do you have everything you need? He said you would.¡± ¡°Yes, it seems this was planned quite a long time ago,¡± Fern let out a bitter laugh. Isabelle¡¯s eyes squinted in pity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry love. I thought we¡¯d have more time together.¡± ¡°We will,¡± Fern said in more of a reassurance to herself. Footsteps echoed in the distance. ¡°You must go.¡± Isabelle gently pushed her towards the gate. It was all happening too fast. ¡°I love you Fern. You¡¯ve grown into such a brilliant, kind woman. Don¡¯t let anyone take that from you.¡± Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes like tiny crystal drops. ¡°I love you too. Take care of the cafe, I¡¯ll be back for some tea soon enough.¡± Fern gave her a wink and brisk hug. As the world shifted around her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel she might never see those warm, brown eyes and white curls again. The thought made her much more nauseous than her first time experiencing interdimensional travel. ?? Fern vomited in the nearest trashcan. It felt like her insides had been twisted into braids and pieced back together. ¡°Looks like we got a newbie.¡± A stout man smiled at her smugly. It was all too much. She frowned at him grimly. There wasn¡¯t time to argue with a stranger. ¡°I need to find the Emerald.¡± She spoke matter a factly attempting to pass as someone who had more knowledge than the citizen of a simple pit stop planet. People bustled around her in varying creeds and colors. Never in her life had such diversity crossed her path. The air was filled with strange smells and languages she¡¯d never heard before. Men and women passed between different ports, preparing their respective ships and goods for their destinations. The man gave her a slimy look, staring far too long at the black leggings and light blue hoody she had thrown on during her frantic packing. He rolled his eyes and let out a puff of the tobacco-like substance he was smoking. The smell was musky with a twinge of something close to rosemary. Fern loved rosemary. She waved the smoke out of her face in pointed annoyance despite slightly enjoying the herbal fragrance. ¡°That hunk of rust is docked at gate eleven,¡± he said with a snarl. Guess he was not a fan. She gave a quick thanks and immediately started walking, happy to leave the stranger¡¯s presence. Her eyes set on the glowing eleven 800 feet away. The man called out behind her. ¡°They¡¯re under new management by the way. The captain is a piece of work.¡± Awesome. Another lovely new detail. There was no choice, Fern had zero knowledge of reliable ships she could take. The Emerald would have to do, new management or not. Her boots hit the ground at a heavy pace. The warp gate took five minutes to reset. If anyone was following her, she didn¡¯t have much time. Gate eleven was empty aside from the opened door of a docked ship, which was indeed a hunk of rust. It was far better than Fern had imagined in her brief walk, but even with her severe lack of space travel knowledge, the ship looked decades older than the ones she passed. ¡°Hello?¡± She called out into the open doorway. Silence met her as she poked her head in. Aside from a few open lockers that likely belonged to the crew, the entrance was empty. The temperature was much warmer than the rest of the station which she welcomed in her vastly underdressed layers. A trail of smoke crept from the room at the end of the long corridor. It smelled of ginwrit, a popular herb consumed by many travelers in their free time. Isabelle always hated the smell but didn¡¯t mind the increased appetite and loose inhibition it provided. Hungry, relaxed patrons, meant more profit and Isabelle was a baker at heart. Fern heard laughter from one of the closed rooms. The voice sounded feminine as she was replying to someone likely on a comm. Another room contained a soft snore. A cough threatened to leave her throat as the increasing distance to the smoke made her eyes water. She didn¡¯t particularly care what people did in their free time; she had caught her father more than enough times with ginwrit after a particularly long trip. Fern just hoped it wasn¡¯t the captain who seemed to be smoking an entire joint of it. As she rounded the corner she was met with a solid body. Stumbling to back away, Fern¡¯s eyes met with the ginwrit user. The tall man, perhaps a few years older than her, sized her up. Unlike the man at the gate, his gaze held less slime and more of an assessment of the stranger on his presumable ship. ¡°May I help you?¡± He brought the joint to his lips and blew the smoke to the side. Hazel eyes awaited her with question. ¡°I need to get to Teliall.¡±. Fern stood up straight, resisting the urge to shuffle her feet nervously, as she crossed her arms. The man¡¯s eyes crinkled in amusement. ¡°A little demanding, aren¡¯t you? What makes you want to go to Teliall? Seeking some wisdom?¡± He mirrored her crossed arms seeming to test how much knowledge she truly had of the vast universe, which was embarrassingly little. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± He was a stranger. The less he knew the better. His posture remained the same, unfazed. ¡°Well as Captain of The Emerald, I think it is my business.¡± Things couldn¡¯t get any better. Of course, this jerk was the newly established captain. Fern was beginning to lose her patience. It had already been the worst month of her life and her emotional regulation was at an all-time low. Let¡¯s not forget that there were presumably still people following her, who wanted to kill her. Her eyes frantically peered down the hallway. ¡°Listen I don¡¯t have time for this. My dead father recommended your ship, and all I know is I need to go to Teliall. I have more than enough money.¡± Did it really matter if he knew the already vague information her father had given her? It was too late to hold back now. She reached into her bag and held out three gold coins. The briefest flash of pity passed his eyes. A second later he grabbed the gold coins from her palm before Fern had a chance to reevaluate her father¡¯s choice in ships. ¡°Captain Lucas. Nice to meet you¡­,¡± he paused to hear her answer. The captain held out a hand to shake. For the sake of keeping the peace, Fern extended her hand outwards. His fingers were warm and rough as he shook gently. A man who had spent his life working, but someone who at least didn¡¯t try to establish dominance through grip strength. Her arms returned to crossed. ¡°Fern,¡± she replied. ¡°Ah Fern, intriguing name. Well, it appears you¡¯re in a hurry, so let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡± She stared at him in annoyance. He was observant, she¡¯d give him that. He walked to the cockpit as he left the joint that had gone out on a crystal ashtray and motioned to Fern towards the four passenger seats. ¡°Take a seat, you can meet the crew later. Teliall is quite the trek. Good thing you paid more than enough,¡± he winked before turning around. She would need to learn exactly how much passengers paid for space travel or she would be out of coins far sooner than her father likely anticipated. Fern watched his shoulder-length, black hair fall into his eyes as he squinted at some type of map system inputting coordinates. She wondered how her life had gotten to this point. Tiredness filled her body, her mind grew too tired to analyze her current situation further. She sat down in the seat at the back. Life was in Fate¡¯s hands now. The sadness that had been following enveloped her closer, like a clingy, old friend. The captain glanced back at her. ¡°To the stars young Fern.¡± He slumped into his seat, pressing buttons and shifting gears Fern could hardly comprehend. ¡°I¡¯m twenty,¡± she deadpanned, already sick of his arrogance. He replied with his back turned away and a wave of dismissal. ¡°Semantics. A year younger than me still.¡± Fern¡¯s stomach twisted in the knowledge that someone barely her senior was about to fly her across the universe. He looked much older than he appeared but he also looked tired and exhaustion aged us all. ¡°My father was a smart man. This is important,¡± Fern suddenly felt the need to utter. She felt like an obnoxious child, no longer familiar with herself. Grief was making her intolerable. If his writing was true, her life was about to change even further beyond losing him. With a careless smirk and taunting wink Captain Lucas replied. ¡°Dead men tell the best tales.¡± Chapter 2: Ginwrit and Pancakes Fern woke to the smell of ginwrit and pancakes. Her exhaustion from not sleeping for two weeks must have knocked her out cold. It was foolish to have let her guard down so easily. She¡¯d started to care less about her existence lately. She was playing a dangerous game. If her father had been so ready to die for her then surely she had to be worth something. The least she could do is not allow her life to go to waste. It felt as if she was stepping into a new life. There was the before and after. Her heart ached for home and a part of her felt guilty. Both for leaving to begin with and feeling like a child who wasn¡¯t ready for the real world. Isabelle¡¯s sorrow-filled face flooded Fern¡¯s memories as she took in her surroundings. Cosmos protect her. She did not know how much more of life she could bare if anything happened to the gentle soul who had raised her. When this was all over, she¡¯d come back, and leave their tiny planet together for the stars. First, she had to figure out where the hell she was even going. Oh and how to lose the assassin¡¯s presumably trailing her. Fern had zero knowledge of who might have wanted her father dead. He was more of a mystery to her than she had realized. The pit in her stomach twisted further. Why hadn¡¯t he trusted her? Noting the empty pilot seat, Fern cracked her neck and rubbed her eyes. Luckily she usually only opted for a smear of blush or she¡¯d look like a raccoon. She couldn¡¯t fully remember when the last time she had gotten more than an hour¡¯s night of sleep. Of course, her body chose a stranger¡¯s ship to finally relax. It was hard to tell how much time had passed, as the glass frame around her only showed stars. A small part of her felt a twinge of excitement. So this was what her father had been hiding from her. The mild sense of thrill quickly left as Fern remembered why she was here, to begin with. How long does death plague one¡¯s mind? She had a feeling it would never fully leave. Fern tentatively exited the cockpit, remembering she was in a foreign space. The ship felt fairly large, appearing to have three doors on each side of the corridor that led straight from the cockpit to the exit port. Of course, she had no idea what a ¡°large¡± ship even looked like, the only glances she had of them were from squinting at Del Station and the small transport ships that brought supplies to Delphi. Light laughter could be heard in the distance alongside the voice of a young boy. What was a child doing on the ship? The last door on the right was open with a warm glow and a trail of smoke curved along the edge. It was like the Captain came with a personal tracking device. She supposed it could be useful. Fern entered what she presumed was the kitchen based on the scent of maple syrup and the sizzle of bacon on a stove. The sounds in the room paused as the three people inside suddenly stared at her. ¡°Sleep well?¡± Captain Lucas gave a taunting smile, his gaze taking in her rumbled clothes. The end of the joint he had just finished fizzled out in the same crystal dish from the night before. His dark locks were tucked behind his ears, a few loose strands framed his eyes. He had a rugged softness to him, an aura that pulled people closer whilst reminding them to proceed with caution. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Super,¡± she replied sarcastically. Fern attempted to squint at what she guessed was a clock hung on the side wall. Strange symbols covered it with multiple hands¡­most definitely not analog. ¡°It¡¯s been ten hours,¡± said the woman sitting at the round, wooden table in the middle of the room. She was petite with dark curls and a feminine appearance. A cup of black coffee steamed in her hands as she took a deep sip with painted red lips. Her demeanor was relaxed and unassuming, but Fern had a feeling her curves and black dress that covered her arms and legs, were only one layer of her personality. Fern blushed at the further reveal that she was severely behind on the times. Literally and figuratively. The ship was cozier than she expected, a lot of the rooms had been paneled with dark, stained wood and subtle flourishes of color from intricate glass light fixtures and tapestries. Probably not the smartness for preventing any type of fire, but the atmosphere was far more relaxing than the stark metal gray of Del Station. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time for introductions,¡± the Captain spoke, realizing Fern was a stranger to the crew. ¡°I¡¯m Scarlet,¡± the woman answered before the Captain has a chance to speak. She seemed sure of herself, a quiet confidence that Fern both admired and felt a slight intimidation from. Her deep, ebony skin was radiant and she seemed to be greeting Fern with a genuine tone. Fern gave a forced smile, unsure of how to pretend she was here for something other than the fantastical messages of her dead father. A loud cluck of metal sounded from the corner of the room. The smell of burning began to permeate the air as Fern finally noticed a young boy who appeared to be attempting to make the pancakes that had drawn her into the kitchen. ¡°God damn it,¡± the young boy cursed with red cheeks. ¡°Language Seb,¡± Captain Lucas said with a smirk. The boy¡¯s snarl in reply. His answer showed that he didn¡¯t seem to care what the captain thought of his language. ¡°My younger brother. He¡¯s a absolute doll,¡± Captain Lucas drawled with thick sarcasm, further annoying Seb. As Fern took a second look at the boy she could see the faint resemblance. They each had the same ivory skin that reflected like Reka¡¯s light. But Seb¡¯s hair was closer to a honey brown and light freckles were sprinkled across the bridge of his nose. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure if a space ship was the best place for a boy who looked hardly thirteen, but who was she to judge. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you both. Can I help at all with breakfast?¡± Fern posed the question to whoever wanted to answer. ¡°I like her already,¡± Seb instantly replied. ¡°You can grab some plates from under the sink over there. It¡¯s nice to have a person willing to move around here, Lucas and Scarlet just like to sit around all day.¡± He flipped his final pancake on to a tray with bacon and sometype of pink fruit that resembled strawberries. Fern grabbed plates, happy to have something to do as Lucas gathered utensils. ¡°Wow look at that! You¡¯re already inspiring Lucas to be proactive. An inspiration,¡± Seb said in a tone that only a sibling would use to poke the highest level of annoyance from his brother. Lucas however didn¡¯t appear to be bothered. In fact, he seemed happier the more his brother taunted him. A soft grin rested on his face as he ruffled Seb¡¯s bed head further. ¡°Pretty sure I¡¯m the one who actually does stuff around here. Someone has to keep the ship running,¡± Scarlet said with rolled eyes. To the untrained observer it appeared as irritation, but Fern noted the affection behind the statement. ¡°Are you the ship¡¯s engineer?¡± Fern asked unsure of the correct term to use for her job title. ¡°Engineer, mechanic, repair women, whatever you want to call it.¡± Scarlet plunked a pancake and two pieces of bacon on her plate with a sigh of happiness. ¡°God I love food.¡± Fern gently laughed trying to relax in the new environment. She had never been good with new people. Her whole life she had been around the same ones. The only times she had really come in contact with outsiders was at Belle Cafe, but Isabelle always warned her to be weary of patrons. ¡°You can never be sure of people¡¯s full intentions love,¡± she¡¯d say. Those warm eyes flashed into her mind and Fern¡¯s heart pulled in grief. She hoped no harm had come to Isabelle during her quick leaving. As if Lucas could sense her drifting mind, he thucked a plate in front of her piled high with food. ¡°Better eat up. Long month of traveling ahead,¡± he winked. Fern¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°A month?¡± Of course she hadn¡¯t even thought to ask how far Teliall was from Del Station. Fern had been running on pure adrendlaine and insomnia. ¡°Did you tell her anything Lucas,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°Oh you know just quick introductions, seemed like she was in a hurry,¡± Lucas looked at her with a air of question, but didn¡¯t press further when Fern didn¡¯t reply. The pancakes where nearly as good as Isabelle¡¯s, fuffy with a hint of vanilla and slathered in butter. She cleaned her plate within minutes, realizing it was the first full meal she had eaten since her father¡¯s passing. ¡°Man when was the last time you ate,¡± Seb raised an eyebrow as he began to gather everyone¡¯s dirty dishes. It seemed everyone else had also devoured the teen¡¯s cooking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s be a rough month. That was the best meal I¡¯ve had in weeks. Thank you.¡± Fern meant it. It¡¯s not like she was staying at bed and breakfast. She appreciated the hospitality the small crew had immediately provided her. ¡°Hey no need for apologies, cooking good food is my purpose in life. One day I¡¯ll be a world class chef. Top in glaxay.¡± Fern smiled in graditude. Quite the big dreams, but he was at the age where if he kept those beliefs with him, then perhaps he could accomplish anything. ¡°Alright, well it¡¯s time for my midmorning nap, so I¡¯ll be in my cabin.¡± Scarlet strolled out of the room before turning around. ¡°You did show Fern her cabin right Luca?¡± She gave him an accusatory stare, as if she already knew the answer. The cute nickname didn¡¯t match the gruff captain standing before her. Luca rolled his eyes before replying. ¡°Sorry Scar, she just looked so peaceful.¡± The words came out with a tone that hinted that was only half of his reasoning. The other was likely not caring where the stranger decided to close her eyes. After all, it¡¯s not like she asked. Fern felt a tinge of frustration that she could have been sleeping somewhere that hadn¡¯t wrecked her neck. ¡°Follow me,¡± Scarlet called out, disappearing down the hall. ?? Fern tucked her rucksack, containing her father¡¯s book, a few changes of clothes, and a handful of photographs inside one of the cubbies that were built underneath the small bed Scarlet had shown her. Her entire life in a bag. She pulled out his book, flipping through the empty pages. God she needed another message.