Stardate: 398732
Earth date: May 5, 2321 22:08
Location: Terran installation 0626
Finally, after months of preparation, I Kroll of house Krekikk shall set out upon my journey across the stars to widen our collective horizon. I excitedly make my way to the human exploration vessel, which I shall call my home for the foreseeable future.
The Gungnir XPD3024 had a length of 350 meters and is perhaps the most beautiful starship I ever laid my eyes upon. Its sleek spearlike hull was nearly all black, with the exception of the fine golden writing running along its length, which seemed to be an ancient terran language describing blessings by their gods, craftsmen and leadership. What looked like bands of fine golden silk fluttering from the midsection to the end of the spear, was in reality a highly stylized closed wing design allowing the Gungnir atmospheric flight while also functioning as a massive heatsink. While the ship was already an absolute beauty, the thing that allowed it to appear divine were the light distortions caused by the terran grav-drives, causing ripple like effects, letting the golden runes pulse gently.
"Hello there, young Krikoki," I turned around to face the possibly largest, most muscular human I had ever seen, casually strolling over to me. "You must be Kroll, our new xeno-sociobiologist, right? I'm first mate Ragnar Thorson. It's a real pleasure getting to know you."
"Why yes, I am indeed your new xeno-sociobiologist." I chitter happily as my translator does a fine job of informing me about the meaning of the humans' body language, amusement. "And I assure you the pleasure is all mine Master Thorson. When I heard which type of craft would be my home for the foreseeable future, I could barely contain my excitement, and now that I stand before the Gungnir, I must state the obvious."
"Oh? And what might that be, my young friend?" I nearly jump out of my carapace as I scan my immediate vicinity for the new voices' origin, which was an ancient looking little human standing right behind me.
"H…how did you get behind me!?" I stammer out of shock. "I've got almost perfect panoramic vision of my surroundings!" Both the old man and Thorson look at one another before the both of them start to chuckle.
"You just answered your own question, my young friend. Almost, perfect." The little man beams at me with an unreasonable amount of pride. "But where are my manners? I am Thor Jacobson, father to Ragnar Thorson and his absent siblings, and I am the Captain of the fine vessel you wish to state the obvious about." I quickly wipe my eyestalks with my mandibles to aid me regain my composure in front of my new employer.
"Ah yes, my apologies. What I wished to point out is that none of the pictures, videos and simulations quite manage to capture the feeling of standing in front of one of Odins' spears." I focus my attention towards my new Captain. "The way the light breaks due to the grav-drives, resulting in rainbows to shine from the golden runes, how the wings allowing atmospheric flight look like bands of golden silk slowly flowing like liquid, no doubt because of the same gravity based light anomalies. To put it short, just standing here in front of your ship, Captain lets me take whatever doubts I still might have held and lay them to rest."
The captain and his second in command both looked at me, then at each other and then back at me.
"Well, would you like to keep marveling at the outside, or would you like me to show you in?" The tall man asks with an impossibly warm look In his eyes and rather than speak up again I give a single affirmative bob to him before turning towards the captain, who just as he had appeared earlier had now vanished without a trace.
"Does he do this often?" I ask Thorson as we walk towards the massive cargo ramp right under the spearhead shaped cockpit.
"Yeah he tends to just appear out of nowhere every now and then." He answers as he signs some documents handed to him by the dockworkers. "Don't worry yourself too much about it. He mostly does that to keep the people on their toes and focused on their work. Nobody wants to be the one that got caught slacking off during work hours, so long as you keep that in mind you'll be fine."
"I see, so he disciplines slackers?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued. I doubt that is particularly often of need, seeing as everyone here seems very dedicated.
"Yeah, with a disappointed fatherly talking to." Thorson amusedly bellowed, " Also, I'd appreciate it if you would simply refer to me by name rather than my rank. It saves a bit of time and keeps people at ease."
The cargo bay was of the standard military design, meaning everything was secured or was in the process of being strapped down. 25 meters wide, 125 meters long and 5 meters high, the cargo bay was more akin to a full-on warehouse stocked exclusively with specialized vehicles for research, exploration and combat. Humans really do love their vehicles and it showed in each and every one of their designs. Sleek yet robust by design and without a doubt also crafted of superlight, super tough alloys and composites making them nigh unbreakable.
As we walked through the cargo bay, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer number and variety of vehicles that were being loaded onto the Gungnir. From sleek, aerodynamic craft designed for atmospheric flight to rugged, tank-like vehicles meant for harsh, alien terrain, the humans had a vehicle for every possible scenario.
As we passed by one of the vehicles, I noticed that it had some strange appendages attached to it. "What is that?" I asked Thorson, pointing at the appendages.
"Oh, that's Cernunnos, one of our xenobotanical research vehicles," he replied. "It's equipped with specialized sensors and tools for studying alien plant life. We're hoping to make some breakthroughs in understanding the biology and ecology of the plants we encounter on this mission."
"That sounds fascinating," I said, my mandibles clicking with excitement. "I can't wait to see what kind of discoveries we'll make on this journey."
Thorson chuckled. "You and me both, Kroll. You and me both."
We finally arrived at the living quarters, which were surprisingly spacious and comfortable for a vessel of this size. My quarters were decorated in a style reminiscent of my home planet, with soft, warm colors and comfortable furniture. As I settled in and began to unpack my belongings, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the journey ahead.
I knew that the road ahead would be long and challenging, but I was ready for whatever lay ahead. For the chance to explore the vast expanse of the universe, to make new discoveries, and to expand the collective knowledge of all sentient beings. This was the beginning of a great adventure, and I couldn't wait to see where it would take us.
Kroll out.