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Chapter: Chapter 2: Party Guests

  • Talita looks up with a completely flat expression and vacant stare. Talita: I’m going to have a panic attack. Bip: No need! I’m not gonna hurt you or your tablet. After all, you rescued me! Talita: Rescued—your data is in all these phones? Bip: Most of it! Some of it’s left onboard, but without power I can’t connect to it. Talita: Wait—don’t tell me you were the shipboard AI of that new wreck! Bip: I am telling you that. The damage cut off power to my servers, but luckily we still had all those contraband phones! Talita: …Contraband. Bip: Oh! Bip moves one of their avatar's hands in front of its face, as if talking conspiratorially. Bip: Don’t tell anyone, but… I was a pirate ship.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 61

    Aug 17, 2024

  • Talita: WHAT ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU ON MY TABLET!? Bip: WOAH, woah, calm down! I’m an AI, duh. My name is Bip. Thanks for asking. I’m on here because your security program suuucks. And I got bored of waiting for you to look in the boxes. Talita: The boxes? Talita looks wide-eyed at the eight boxes of quantum phones on the charging mat, then leans over them to get a better look. As she does, every single phone in the boxes lights up with a Bip avatar face on its screen. Every phone simultaneously: Hello!

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 60

    Aug 15, 2024

  • Runaway to the Stars: Page 59

    Aug 13, 2024

  • Talita's tablet, which sitting on her bedroom desk plugged in to charge on its stand, has something on the screen. It's a white iconified avatar of a bug ferret with human or centaur-like cartoon eyes against a black background. Talita stares in blank surprise, pitcher raised to her lips. The avatar lifts its two-fingered vector hand in greeting. Thing on the screen: Hello, Talita! Gillie and Idrisah are walking home, holding hands. Gillie is on her phone. SFX: SHRIEK! A loud scream erupts from the still open door of Talita's apartment, startling Idrisah but unnoticed by Gillie.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 58

    Aug 10, 2024

  • Talita stands at the threshold of her illuminated open door and waves goodbye to Gillie and Idrisah from as they walk away into the dark habitat dome. Now alone, she takes a big stretch that arches her back and sticks a rear leg and arm out. She fills a pitcher of water at the sink and sips it from the spout side, absentmindedly opening the curtain separating her bedroom from the rest of the apartment.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 57

    Aug 08, 2024

  • It's dark outside in the dome. Gillie and Idrisah put their shoes on as they stand in the open door of Talita's apartment. Idrisah: Thank you so much for having us! Talita: Thank you for coming over! Idrisah: Sorry to be running out right after bing bong. I have to— Gillie: (ASL) Let’s hurry. Your parents are awake by now. Idrisah: (ASL) I know… Don’t tell them we celebrated before I called for Eid prayers. Talita: Is Eid on a different day in the Nexus? Idrisah: Well… on Earth, it’s based on the local sighting of Luna in its crescent phase after the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. In space, everyone usually goes with Mecca’s sighting. But Nexus Jovia is on Martian Valley Time… and Dirtball’s on 23/7 Human-Avian Standard… Inset panel: Human home system showing Earth, Luna, Mars, and Jupiter with Nexus Jovia where Idrisah's parents live. A segment of Avian Territories shows a little star marked "Ixion-3 or Shikaviil-3 (a.k.a. Dirtball)." Idrisah: –I just try to celebrate when the rest of my family does. Talita: I see.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 56

    Aug 06, 2024

  • Talita: Not right now, though, please. Gillie: (ASL) Now we have more excuses to visit you. Idrisah: (ASL) It’s important we remaining residents stick together! Talita: Yeah… It can get pretty lonely out here. Inset Panel: The barren surface of Dirtball. Gillie: (ASL) Are you two more interested in the bug ferret soap opera now that the TV is muted? Idrisah: (ASL) The audio is only part of the problem! The TV screen shows The Dragon victorious, the subtitles reading "I'm very pleased to claw this victory away from Claws..." Time passes, the lights-out chime sounds out at 20:00. SFX: BIIIIING BOOONG

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 55

    Aug 03, 2024

  • Idrisah: (ASL) Oh, sure! It’s not like we’re listening, anyways. Gillie: (ASL) This app is bad with non-human voices and even worse with crosstalk. We need to train it to recognize you. Idrisah: (ASL) I think Talita should just try signing! Gillie: (ASL) Your comprehension IS really good... Talita's cheeks begin to bristle with embarrassment. Talita: There’s… a lot to work around. Gillie: (ASL) that just makes it more exciting. Idrisah: (ASL) We’re xenolingiusts! “Working around” is what we do! Talita bristles even harder, shrinking away from her friends. Idrisah: (ASL) We’re willing to help if you’re willing to try! Talita: (ASL) …Yes. Gillie and Idrisah smile.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 54

    Aug 01, 2024

  • Idrisah: TEMPS… With Calcery gone, our apartment building is crowded for once. Your new crew is NOISY, Talita. Inset panel: Idrisah taking out the trash and looking down the end of the apartment hallway at the 5 temps raucously conversing and drinking. Talita: Not like me telling them off would do much. Idrisah: Are they being jerks? Talita: It’s the usual vibes. Like they’re worried that if I get mad I’ll flip out and maul them, or something. Idrisah: That’s so stupid!! You’re just a person! Announcer: TEN! THAT’S A MATCH FOLKS! CONGRATS TO– Gillie nervously looks down at her transcription app as the two talk. It is struggling with the overlapping conversation. App transcript: ??1: it’s remarkably hard to condense the dragon— ??2: for besting her opponent and waning— ??3: Thor 3 meters tall with sharp teeth galactic cup— Idrisah: I wish you could just tell them to go fuck themselves— ??1: threats are absolute bottom of the 100 kilo weight last— ??2: of things that help— Gillie: Ahem Gillie: (ASL) Can I… uh… mute the TV?

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 53

    Jul 30, 2024

  • Talita: Not any weirder than the rest of the stuff you all do with your genetics. Idrisah: Yeah, natal labs will let people do some crazy stuff to their kids. Gillie: (ASL) And sometimes they don’t even get it right. She tugs on one of her ears. Talita: Um… If it’s not too personal… do you conceal those in public because you were born off-model? Gillie: (ASL) I never know when one of the temps is gonna be a prick about it. The humans because they know what a designer catgirl is SUPPOSED to look like… Inset panel: An on-model catgirl reclines on her side. She has furry cat ears and a long fluffy tail, but the rest of her body is perfectly humanoid. Gillie: (ASL) And skimmer avians are just freaks about GMH in general. Talita: Like they aren’t bad enough about other species of avians. Inset panel: A skimmer avian bright yells "Blasphemous speciation!"

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 52

    Jul 27, 2024

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