SHIP'S LOG:

The Metataxi

Reema White Antelope 5/15/2021 11:15pm

"Wow. I really don't remember those being there before."

Alabaster statues, bigger than skyscrapers, loomed above us, taller than the thunder clouds.

"We're outside the lightning, Captain, but--oh! What's this?"

"Hold us in place, Ran Pleasing. And get Anthropology on the line."

Ran Pleasing pulls some levers. The speaking tube lowers down.

"Runa Secret Tradition, report to the bridge."

"..."

"Runa Secret Tradition, REPORT!"

"... uh, oh... what? Is that the speaking tube? I've never gotten a speaking tube announcement before. How does it work?"

"Speak into the tube? It's got a funnel on the end."

"Keep talking! I'm sure it's around here somewhere..."

"Runa Secret Tradition we have a situation here. We have need of your expertise."

"You mean?"

"That's right. It's the reason you're here. It's a Däniken event."

Reema White Antelope 4/3/2021 10:05pm

"Ran Pleasing! Report!"

"Readings are all over the board, Captain. The lightning might have scrambled everything up--"

Leftover sparks fire intermittently across the bridge.

"Altitude?! Any thing we're about to hit?"

Storm clouds still fill the windows. Which is a better sign than mountains.

"Mountains captain!" says Ran Pleasing. "Registering three nine five niner. Taking us up and around."

The Metataxi jerks to an abrupt incline. Paper and coffee cups fall.

"Take us out of this storm while you're at it, Ran Pleasing."

"Aye aye, captain."

Reema White Antelope 2/19/2021 11:31pm

"See? I told you the new doping would be great in lightning!"

Even on the bridge, I had to shout over the storm for Rita Pearl to hear.

She looked at me nervously, face lit up by the blue spark lightning just outside the windows.

Nope, the lightning was no problem at all. If anything, it liked the Metataxi. It was almost as if we were generating the electricity ourselves.

"Captain," Rita said. "Your hair."

"What? Is it funny? Whoah! YOUR hair! It's standing on end! And, there's a little drip of blue light at the end of your nose."

I reached out to touch it.

"Don't touch it!" Rita screamed.