Chapter 11
Brigit is in her quarters and office when Adair and Doc knock at the open door. "Come on in. How can I help you?"
Doc and Adair seat themselves in front of the captain.
"Well, oh wait, did we interrupt paperwork? Cause I know that's very vital to a captain's existence." Adair says, with a smile.
"Actually, no, I was working on the ritual coming up. However, I've hit a bit of a block. I think I'm going to go spend some time in The Grove soon, Ground-and-Center, see if that helps." Brigit leans back and stretches, running her fingers through her light brown tresses, which are uncharacteristically down at the moment.
"Well, that's what we're here for, so I'm glad I'm not interrupting crucial captain-ey paperwork." Adair says, with a playful smile.
"So Doc here has had a change of Deity."
Adair tells the story of the older woman at the market, Doc's grandmother, the medallion, Doc not feeling Ananke anymore and not wanting to take the symbol off. Adair ends the story, which they had taken minimal breaths during, with a breathless theory, "That's why I believe Ananke has finished with Doc and Electra is just getting started."
Brigit had leaned forward during this and now sits up straight, taking a hair-tie off of her wrist and pulling her hair back into its customary ponytail as she thinks. "Okay, okay, I think I see. And Doc, how do you feel about this?"
"Well, this is all new to me, so I don't really know what to feel. I do kinda miss Ananke, but I feel, I don't know, protected, I guess, from wearing the medallion. And after talking to Adair, I realize it is Electra I'm feeling. That's why we came. So I, well," He says. He looks over at Adair, then back before continuing.
"We would like to have a section in the ritual honoring Electra. Do you think that would be possible?" he asks.
Brigit looks down at her notes and then up at both of them, a look of stern refusal on her face, and about when she can see Doc's Adam's apple move up and down in a gulp; she grins brightly.
"Of course, of course! Also, this helps with my writer's block. I was missing a sizeable chunk of the ritual and couldn't get anywhere with it." She looks at both of them. "And now I know why. Thank you, really. Now I have more work to do, so shoo."
Being dismissed, they both rise, and Adair smiles at Doc as they left. Brigit could hear Adair talking to Doc as they turned the corner. "That went well."
#
When Adair and Doc get back to the dining room, well, a space just off of the dining room that they call the lounge, Adair flops into a couch next to Doc. "So, tell me what you know about Electra. Everything."
"Well, let me see. I know she is a goddess of the sky. Kind of a thunder goddess, like Thor, I think?" He looks at Adair questioningly.
"Well, kinda. Though Electra didn't go around getting everyone pregnant all over the place." They smirk. "So yeah, she's those things. She is also the mother of Iris and the harpies. Electra is best known for help from afar. She brings rain to the mountaintops. And when you need to storm into, or through a situation, you can call on Her for help."
"I like everything so far." He pulls his medallion out and studies it, feeling the energy radiate from it into his hands, a sparking, frenetic kind of energy. "Is She usually a protector?"
Adair leans back and thinks for a moment, running their fingers through their shoulder-length blonde hair in thought, "Not usually, no. I mean, she's not not a protector, but it's not her usual MO." They turn to look at Doc, "I think she wants you for something in particular. And it's going to be up to you to find out what it is. What do you think? Are you up to the task?"
Doc frowns a little. "I don't know, hard to tell without knowing what the task is. Though, when the Gods call, you answer. I know that much. Hey," He perks up a bit, "Maybe that's what we could do in ritual, ask for guidance on my mission. Do you think cap will go for it?"
Adair grins, knowing it would not please Brigit that Rory's little nickname was spreading to the rest of the crew. "Well, I think so, yeah. But, if I were you, I'd haul ass up there right now and talk to her before she gets too far in!"
"Oh, yeah!" Doc says as he jumps up from the couch and heads off to the captain's quarters.
#
Later that same evening, Cali heads towards the Gym. She has just finished a shift at the helm, so to speak, of the ship, and she is ready to wind down for the evening before bed. But first, she needs to hit the bag a bit.
After changing into clothing more appropriate for working out, she heads for the workout area and falls in step next to Brigit.
"Captain."
"Cali."
"How is the ritual coming along?" Cali asks.
"Well, I was stuck for a while, truth be told, but then Adair and Doc stopped by and asked if we could do a section honoring Electra. I thought that was a great idea, and it got me out of my block. I was deep into it when Doc came by later by himself and asked if I could set aside part of the time already set aside for Electra for a kind of 'Ask Electra' section. He wants to find out why She picked him. Personally, I think he should do that on his own time, but since the ritual is coming up and since the veil is thinner during the cross-quarter time of Samhain, I thought it would be good."
She winks over at Cali. "And less work for me! Hey, what are you up to?"
"Well, I was going to punch a certain bag, but since you're here, and," She gives Brigit a once over, "you seem dressed for a workout, maybe I could get you to show me the climbing machine? Keep in mind I've never climbed before. Ever."
Brigit perks up, almost literally skipping down the hall with joy. "Yeah, of course, it's really cool. I'm so glad Adair could use their technical expertise to create it! Come on!"
She takes Cali's hand and, as a schoolchild will, runs into the workout area and directly over the apparatus. "Okay, so, normally, if you were learning to climb, you'd have ropes and whatnot, but we're going to free climb. It's more fun anyway, and you wouldn't fall very far." She points at the thick foam mat underneath. "Computer, initiate climbing protocol."
The lights dim somewhat outside the immediate area of the climber. A light that shines right where they stand got slightly brighter, and the most noticeable thing that happens is the dull grey hand and footholds that are a part of the wall now have a rock-face superimposed over them. Cali walks up to the wall and waves her hands in front of it. Her hand doesn't create a shadow on the wall. Instead, it looks as if she is standing in front of a rock wall.
"Wow, this is amazing!" She exclaims. Reaching out, it feels like rock.
"Wait until you see it in action. Do you know the basics of climbing?" Brigit asks.
"Um, you go up." Cali grins at her little joke. "I don't really know much. I know it's great for strengthening your arms."
"Actually, that is not true. If you climb correctly, you don't use your arms much. But don't get me wrong, you will use them. Just not as much as people usually think you do. Here, I'll go first, to both show you how to use this machine and also how to climb."
"So, first things first, you actually do more climbing with your legs. That's how I got these." She grins and smacks one of her muscular thighs. "Well, that and the higher gravity." Cali can't help but admire Brigit's thighs' size and tone as she points them out. "So what you want to do to start is look for two handholds that are kinda higher than you are like so." She shows how by reaching up and taking hold of two handholds that seemed to be in between the furthest she could reach and right above her head. "And then you put one foot on one of the lower footholds. This is going to be your guide foot. It's usually your offhand, so to speak, foot." She lifts one foot just slightly off the ground and then looks back.
"Oh yeah, you'll need to get some climbing shoes. There should be various sizes in the bin over there. I, of course, brought my own. Okay, so your lower, guiding foot is down. Now comes the beginning of the climb." She lifts her other foot, places it on a foothold where her leg made an almost ninety-degree angle, and then pushed up. "Now, this foot that you just used to lift becomes your guiding foot while your other one looks for another foothold." She teaches by example, finding places for her hands, then her foot, and pushing up, hands, foot, and then push. "You're going to want to keep your body as close to the wall as possible. If you begin to hang out, it's easier to fall. And now you can see how this machine works. The key is, you don't have to actually *do* anything. It just works, like thus."
And Cali watches as Brigit pushes up again. She seems to be halfway up the wall and continuing up. And then suddenly, just like that, the entire wall shifts down a few feet. She continues, and the rock face forms and slides down, seemingly as fast as she can climb.
"Wow, that is amazing! And it doesn't look like the foot and handholds are repeating..." Cali exclaims.
"That's the best part. It's actually printing, on the fly, specific mountains and hills. There's an entire database of famous climbs both inside and outside of Accord space." Brigit explains.
"You can switch on the fly, though what the machine has already printed is there. It will just put the new image over it and print the new location from that point forward. And when you are ready for more challenges, there are environmental factors to add. For instance, step closer to the wall."
Cali does so while marveling that Brigit is holding her spot there on the wall this whole time, calmly clinging to it.
"Ah there, had to have you move for safety reasons. Computer, seal climbing chamber, normal air."
Brigit continues, "You can replicate the environment of where you are climbing. If you're climbing somewhere higher, oxygen will go down, and it can change the heat and even pressure. And one of my favorite things to add to the climb. Computer, mount Oforro, on Zephyr, Northwest climb."
As soon as the words leave Brigit's mouth, the wind knocks Cali down to the mat and whips her hair around her face, and she looks up to find Brigit still clinging to the wall. Then, finally, Brigit yells over the wind, "Sorry about that, crazy, isn't it? Computer, ship's environment."
And with that, Cali can sit up straight as her hair falls, and she looks up to see Brigit seemingly calmly still attached to the wall, but when Brigit speaks next, Cali can hear the effort she had exerted in her voice, "Isn't that something? I love climbing all over the galaxy on our ship!"
Brigit jumps down, and after hitting the mat, falls back onto her rear. "Wanna try it?"
Cali is a little intimidated but nods her head anyway. "Let's start on something a little easier than Zephyr..."
Brigit laughs as she leans back, catching her breath. "Computer, Mount Bonny, Ember, no environmental, as a matter of fact, unseal climbing chamber."
The image on the wall shifts from harsh blues and grays to a very warm yellow-orange. After walking over and replacing her ship-shoes with climbing shoes, Cali walks up to the wall and reaches up as Brigit had taught her. First, finding a handhold with her right hand, and then her left. She looks back to Brigit for approval of the height of where she grabs. "Like this?" She asks.
"Hmm... I would go a little higher. Here, let me help." Brigit stands and, maneuvering herself next to Cali, reaches up and, with her left hand, lifts Cali's hand up about half a foot. She then reaches around and does the same for Cali's right hand. Cali can feel Brigit's breasts pressing against her back through the thin workout fabric, and she flushes, liking it probably more than she should.
Brigit mercifully steps back. "There, how does that feel.?"
"Like it would be a reach, but not a huge one. So that's what I'm going for?" Cali replies.
"Yup, now do your feet." Brigit watches from the side and notices Cali's flushed face and wonders if this is too hard, but realises that it is probably from the wind, and returns to watching Cali's feet. "Okay, good guiding foot position. Now, where do you want to climb to?"
Cali raises her leg, and it is about half of a right angle. Brigit walks over, commenting as she uses her hand to lift Cali's thigh. "You want to make as close to a right angle as you can."
Cali tries and hopes she hides the slight moan by turning it into a "mmm-hmm."
Brigit catches it, but continues the training. "Anything higher, and you risk tiring yourself out too fast or putting too much weight on your leg and injuring it. Too low, and you're just causing more work for yourself." She steps back, letting go of Cali's thigh.
"Now show me what you got," Brigit orders. Cali resists the sudden urge to show the captain the 'what you got' that she wanted to. Instead, Cali focuses on trying to climb. Pushing with her foot, she lifts herself. Looking for a handhold, and there is a ton; she quickly finds two more, about the right height, places her foot at about a ninety-degree angle, and pushes up. It isn't long until she is high enough to trigger the machine to print more rock face.
"Good job, you are a natural!" Brigit compliments as she watches.
"This is a training hill or mountain, isn't it? There are foot and hand-holds everywhere..." Cali said as she climbs, a little faster now that she has more confidence.
"In fact, it is a frequently used small mountain for training people. But you shouldn't let that make you feel like what you're doing is anything less special." Brigit smiles up at her. Not that she could see it. "Want me to change it into something more difficult?"
Cali shakes her head, red hair fumbling around. "No, not this time. I think I'll keep to this as I get my technique down." She thinks for a second, "Oh wait, weren't you going to climb?"
Brigit grins, "I was, and am. Here, stop climbing." Then, when Cali had stops, she continues. "Now, instead of going up, use some of what I taught you and your own instinct and climb to your right."
Cali sits for a moment, going over the proposed move in her mind before reaching out with a hand to the side, then finding a foothold, using the new hand and foot location, stepping sideways to a new place for both left hand and left foot, keeping her core close in to the wall. She does this a few more times. "Like that," she asks.
"Exactly, and good job, that's not a day one of climbing maneuver," Brigit responds as she sets her hands, her feet, and quickly climbs to the same height as Cali. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's climb!" She grins and climbs, seeing Cali climb as well, and up they went.
#
They both go to the sauna together. Cali wastes no time getting things warmed up while Brigit goes to rinse her sweat off in the shower before going to the sauna.
Cali leans back, luxuriating as the heat rises and the room steams up. She is taking an entire top bench, using a rolled-up towel as a pillow. She is lying there with her eyes closed as she feels the captain enter as a bit of cooler air swirls in along with her.
"Do you mind if I add more water?" Seeing Cali shake her head, she spoons a large ladle of water out and spreads it around the still warming stones. They are warm enough already, though, to hiss a little and spread steam.
"Mmm... it always feels so good in here." Brigit climbs to the top of the other bench and, replicating Cali, lays back on a rolled-up towel. "If I fall asleep, will you wake me?" She asks Cali.
"Sure, unless I also fall asleep. So I guess the same goes for you." Cali responds with a small, pleased smile. Extremely content with where she is right now. Physically, and spiritually, and also emotionally. Everything is going well. After some time passes, Cali amazes herself by not sleeping. She knows why, though. Cali can't get the feel of Brigit's breasts against her back or her hand on her thigh out of her head. Finally, she sits up. She needs some alone time in her room.
She turns from sitting up, and her eyes alight on the captain laying on the bench in absolutely nothing. She is nothing short of stunning, and Cali lets out a little, "Oh!" before she can stop herself.
Brigit's eyes open as she sits up. "Something wrong?" Then, seeing the flush on Cali's face, she asks in a whisper, "Are you okay?"
Cali shakes her head with a smile.
"Yeah, um. I just haven't ever seen you naked before. The sight, um, took me by surprise is all."
Brigit gapes in wonder as Cali flushes further, clearly embarrassed by her revelation. "You're telling me that someone who looks like that? " She waves her hand up and down at Cali's undeniable beauty. "Is saying that I'm something to look at?" Brigit says. She laughs and leans back against the wall, closing her eyes. "Well, thank you. That means a lot coming from someone who looks as fabulous as you always do." Then, smiling her beatific smile, she waves her hands in front and over her body, "Well, take it in while you can; I'm gonna head to my quarters soon."
Cali gulps and takes a few moments to sear the beautiful sight into her retinas before leaving with a quiet 'thank you' that Brigit barely hears. Cali wants to do so, so much more than that, but at that moment, Rory comes in to get some sauna time, and she leaves.
Brigit waits for a bit, luxuriating in the feeling of heat on her soft skin and being admired. It has been a while since she has had that feeling, and, well; she liked it. She opens her eyes and stands up quickly, deciding to take this feeling with her to her quarters. Brigit notices Rory has come in and said, "Hello Rory, enjoy the sauna." She says to the AI as she leaves, "Computer, bring up the heat in my quarters slightly." She showers again, this time washing before rinsing. Then, drying off, she gets dressed in her ship tee and shorts and heads to her quarters, a little less urgent than before the shower but still a little hurried.