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Chapter: Chapter 1: Dirtball

  • Talita approaches the far end of dry storage, where her path intersects the bug ferret procession. In the distance, she sees a human conversing with a bug ferret in sign language. She is a fat freckled white woman with medium-short fluffy red hair. Her round face has a button nose, thick eyebrows, and serious expression. She wears a pleated skirt and white collared shirt. Gillie, presumably. Talita watches her intently signing as she walks by, assuming Gillie is too busy to notice her. Gillie spots her anyways and briefly waves hello. Talita, taken off guard, waves back with frantic nervousness.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 29

    Jun 06, 2024

  • SHIKAVIIL PORT Original population: 1,536 avians Current population: 50 humans, 24 avians, 1 centaur An overview of the city habitat reveals it is a circle about one kilometer in diameter, divided radially into 8 wedges, and a circular road separates those wedges into interior and exterior portions. One half is primarily industrial, with a construction yard, wet storage, animal agriculture units, dry storage, on the exterior; and climate control, water treatment, and electrical distribution on the interior. The other half is primarily residential. The exterior has human and avian housing blocks and park spaces behind the large apartment buildings with corresponding Terran and Avian flora. Between the two housing blocks is the medical offices, and on the end further from the plant entrance is the post office and rec center. The inner section of the residential side has half and half avian and human agricultural units, with rows of covered plant beds and massive multistory aquaponic greenhouses. Talita pushes her cart of phones down the residential side of the circle road, while the ant line of bug ferrets and forklifts goes down the industrial half to the far airlock exit, which has rail access to the ground-to-orbit boats. She passes by a human worker in the agricultural section who is using a sprayer on some of the plants. Talita: How’re the green beans, Rasheed? Rasheed: The spider mites are winning. Talita: Bummer. She continues her long walk, glumly resting her head on the cart's cargo.

    Runaway to the Stars: Pages 27 and 28

    Jun 04, 2024

  • The large exit door rolls up, showing bright light outside the hallway. Idrisah: If Gillie’s still working with the ferrets, give her a wave from me. Talita: Sure thing. Idrisah: See you tomorrow! Talita walks out of the personnel exit into the massive exterior space, which is, ironically, another interior. An opaque geodesic dome ceiling covers the sky of a small city habitat with a utilitarian mixture of industrial, residential, and agricultural buildings. A large central pillar features the current time in human and avian timekeeping methods. Bug ferrets form an ant line emerging from the vehicle exit door onto the circular center road, driving forklifts carrying Calcery's server units. A few avian residents can be seen flying laps in the airspace above the buildings.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 26

    Jun 01, 2024

  • Talita: Besides cleaning the hell out of my apartment. Idrisah: Don’t worry about it. We’re probably just going to take photos and hang out. I’ll leave the boring stuff for my parents afterwards. Talita: Is your wife coming? Idrisah: Of course! Talita: I’ll have to brush up on sign language… Idrisah: (ASL) You already understand us well! Talita: Yeah, I just wish I could… uh… reply. She wiggles one of her four fingered, symmetrical hooved hands in the air. Idrisah: If Gillie can talk to ferrets, I think your hand shape could work for most signs. Talita: Ehhh… She looks away, face bristling in embarrassment. Talita: I’d just look like an idiot. Idrisah: That’s always part of learning a language! Talita pushes a button on the panel for the exit door to the recycling plant.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 25

    May 30, 2024

  • Talita and Idrisah exit into the hallway and walk towards the plant exit while Cheevwut and Ohwitiil continue to scream at each other. Talita: Wow, those two can barely get through a shift together. Idrisah: Just wait. They bicker all year but I swear— every spring they pair. Talita: Really?? Cheev, NO… Idrisah: At least Cheev’s not keeping the Ohwitiil eggs in. BOTH: ewww Idrisah: So are you excited for the party tomorrow? Talita: Oh! I wanted to ask… I only know about the Jovian holidays, is there anything specific I should prepare for Eid-al-Fitr?

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 24

    May 28, 2024

  • Ohwitiil: AND YET IT DOESN’T SEEM TO GET FROM YOUR HEAD TO YOUR BRAIN! They gesture between Talita's head and the area between her midshoulders. Another avian walks over, this one crest-less with simple pleated garb and a cap-like head covering. Cheevwut: Stop having a hernia over dust and negotiate with our aluminum buyer, geezer. Ohwitiil: Cheevwut. I can hear your disrespect, even if you use Jovian English. Cheevwut: What, are you gonna dock my pay? Oh wait, I’m in charge of payroll now. Ohwitiil: I’M STILL YOUR MANAGER! They scream at each other in Tiiliitian. Talita waves awkwardly to Idrisah, who is peeking over her cubicle wall to see the commotion. She scurries over to Talita and starts gently pushing her towards the exit, smiling politely at her arguing coworkers. Idrisah: Excuse us!

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 23

    May 25, 2024

  • Runaway to the Stars: Page 22

    May 23, 2024

  • Talita: Idrisah? She peers into Ixion Recycling Plant's Admin Wing. Inside is a large open office space with humans and avians working at cubicles. Idrisah stands in the center aisle of the room, speaking to two avian workers in their language, Tiiliitian, with the assistance of a keyboard and microphone pinned to her sweater. She is a tall, friendly-looking woman in her thirties with a long face and nose, medium brown skin, and a turban style hijab. The avians she is speaking to are feathered, bird-like aliens half her height with black bare-skinned faces, hooked beaks, six small beady eyes, and large bat-like ears. They stand on their winged forelimbs and use their computers with the two-fingered hands on their hindlimbs. One is smaller with a colorful striped head crest and flashy elaborate dress, and the other is larger with drab clothing that covers the crest-less top of their head. Talita waves frantically from the entrance. Talita: Idrisah! Idrisah continues her conversation, oblivious.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 21

    May 21, 2024

  • Two bug ferrets sit in a forklift and awkwardly operate the human-designed controls. They begin to lift one of the server rigs. Ferrets swarm around Talita's legs, tapping her. Ferret 1: Noove. Ferret 2: Go. Ferret 3: You’re in the way. Ferret 4: You have to noove. Talita: (panicked) I’m going! Talita exits and grabs the cart again. She watches the forklift heading out with a Calcery unit at the far freight door. She looks wistful as she walks deeper into the facility. People speak indistinctly in the distance.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 20

    May 18, 2024

  • Talita: But it pays well, you know? I owe it to Mel for onboarding me right out of college. Calcery: It’s been almost a decade. No one owes an employer that much. Ferrets come over to tap Talita's side. Ferret 5: Ninute is over. Ferret 6: Electricity needs to go off. Talita: I’ll text you, Cal. Safe travels. Calcery: You too, Talita. Talita: But I’m not— Calcery disconnects with a click. Ferret 7: TRILLLLL! One ferret yells and signals frantically with a hand while another switches off the server power supply. SFX: CHUNK, descending hum

    Runaway to the stars: Page 19

    May 16, 2024

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© Jay Eaton 2024