Challenge #01483-D022: Portents of Doom

“You know the bad thing about being a survivor… You keep having to get into difficult situations in order to show off your gift.” - Carrie Fisher -- RecklessPrudence

"I wouldn't ordinarily complain about your... shenanigans," said the Cuidgari Security Chief everyone knew as Sherlock, "you have such a finely-tuned sense for skating on the borders of legality. But this is the third time this week. Are you bored, or have you and Rael had a... 'tiff' as you call it?"

"In me defence, I fergot it was a ten-day week," said Shayde. Technically an Ambassador, and nominally human. She had a... complicated backstory[1]. And, as it seemed, she lived to make life interesting for everyone around her. "That, and... er..."

That 'er' was a portent of doom if there ever was one. "I'm not a therapist. I'm not here for your confession. Talk to your... ah..." what was her outlandish phrase? "Snuggle buddy? He's at least been taking classes in therapy."

"Aye, but there's sommat up. I can feel it in the air, ye ken."

O powers... he'd triggered a confession anyway. "This is not my realm of expertise, Ambassador. Might I suggest a Therapist-Theist? I'm sure you can find one amenable to your spiritual views, who has also taken a vow of celibacy[2]."

"Nah, I been chattin' wi' Her Holiness Metharom Oluchi," said Shayde. "She also reckons sommat's comin'. Her knees are playin' oop, ye ken."

Well. Many was an engineer who set store by Her Holiness' knees. No wonder the Techies were edgy, this season[3]. "Any other portents of doom?" he asked with a side of sarcasm. It had taken years to learn the art and it came in handy.

Alas, Shayde took him literally, "Well, Lu Tze up in the Highway says there's a something big going tae happen, and Nik says th' whole station's on edge. Then there's th' fact that the Gluck is in bloom."

Sherlock felt a chill overtake him. "The last time the Gluck was in bloom, there was a form of land war over station territory," he murmured. There had been a superstition that a blooming Gluck was a sign of impending disaster, but he was old enough to remember the last time it had happened. He covertly upped the readiness level to Tangerine.

"Aye," agreed Shayde. "Sommat's comin'. Sommat big. I cannae stand th' stress of it. Waitin' fer the elastic tae snap so we get caught wi' our pants down."

Now there was a pre-Shattering metaphor... "Any chance that this might be a self-fulfilling prophecy?"

"None," Shayde shook her head. "Everyone's waitin' fer the other shoe tae drop. And then there's me. Trying tae nudge it."

Of course she was. "Why?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm one o' the ones as can withstand the fallout?" she guessed.

O Powers, it was going to be a long month.

[1] See my book Adapting, when it's eventually published.
[2] Because most therapists in the 25th century also work with intimacy therapies with the touch-starved. Sex workers are psychotherapists in the future. It saves quite a lot of time, actually.
[3] Strange as it may seem, stations have Seasons, based entirely on the general mood of the populace. The human 'Silly Season' is the most feared by all Galactic Security Officers.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / grandfailure]

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