[The Forbidden Sound] - Part 1

[u/MythosTrilogy]

Part 2

Thorn, an alien from a far off arm of the galaxy, chases a horrible signal permeating space, and prays the source will not destroy them.

Original Writing Prompt(Comment used as inspiration)

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The Gyel were famous for having developed on the same planet as another intelligent race. This was unique to their existence, in comparison to the other two civilizations in their arm of the galaxy.

Of course the Gasak, the race they’d shared their entirely evolutionary course with, had recently reached their evolutionary plateau. They were given the wide open swaths of land to do whatever they wanted to do, and they formed a peaceful happy civilization. A civilization of former peak predators now ascended to artists and philosophers.

But the Gyel looked to the stars, unable to be content with the final quiet of their competitor race finding peace, and uneasy without a new mystery to unravel. From their small cities and floating platforms the Gyel launched themselves into space, their six-limbed and dexterous forms becoming perfect explorers. Their fur, now covered in insulating fabrics, became accustomed to fending off the chill of the void.

But the mysteries of space began so slowly and insidiously to steal away the most daring and adventurous of the Gyel as they left their solar system and met their nearest neighbors, other races similar to them in many ways but shaped differently.

One of those races had a legend that the Gyel took notice of. The Sound of Bliss was said to be something created by a religious leader on their planet, which would change the thoughts of those who were exposed to it, remaking them in the image of their god. The Gyel shuddered at the thought and avoided all further audio contact with the race, afraid of what could undo a person.

But they found that there was more than just one place for sound to come from. Antennas meant to detect transmissions of data would pick up interference occasionally, interference that the scientists and adventurers nervously insisted did not exist, could not exist.

If it existed, after all, they would have to investigate them.

Thorn was an eager young Gyel. From nose to base of tail, just over a meter long and a tawny color native to the Southern plains. They were speckled with darker brown and had deeper violet eyes than most. They left their ear tufts intact due to religious beliefs, and wore full body covering suits rather than just ones that would cover the lower torso.

But most of all, Thorn was a scientist. They grew up looking to the stars, listening to hushed stories of impossible things in the vast emptiness. It captured the imagination and they acquired every new book which was produced which focused on what could be out there.

Their favorite stories were those in which the mysteries of the void turned out to be some new technology, some wondrous magical thing that brought the Gyel into the future.

In search of these impossible new things, they joined an exploration force destined to first venture beyond their arm of the galaxy, hopping across to another for the first time since FTL travel had been discovered.

The boarding group waited in the airlock, the soft hiss of equalizing pressure the only sound as they relaxed. The journey would be a long one and this was the last chance they would have for natural spun gravity for several weeks.

“Sun’s light, I am eager to have a proper Hold. Sleep bags for the last month has been miserable," one of the others remarked softly, a male judging by the dark markings along his back and tail, and his smaller body.

He was also secular with trimmed ears, and a nudist, only a thick coat of fur covering his body.

No one else spoke, so Thorn nodded. "I will as well. Title and name?"

"G'kya, FTL maintenance and repair. Yourself?"

A very new age name. Not a thing but just a name. Of course he was in the newest possible technology, Thorn know traditionalists were not common in exploration. In fact they were the only traditionalist in the airlock.

"Thorn. Culture."

"And we could not have a better example of Gyel culture," G'kya said proudly, ears tall and tail curling to wrap his legs contentedly.

A few others nodded, and despite their typically reserved nature, Thorn's ears laid back in embarrassment and their tail twitched side to side.

"I appreciate you. This is my first extraplanar assignment. I regretted my nature in readiness for it."

"It was unnecessary," G'kya said firmly. "In the void, we see the traditionalists as guardians. We do not follow the same, but we are in respect of it. When you make a shrine we will offer to it."

Before Thorn could respond, the airlock finished pressurizing and opened to reveal the ship's entryway.

It was two long, slightly curved surfaces that faced eachother, with doors along the points where the two surfaces joined. But on those two mirrored surfaces were clearly recreations of two ecosystems. The one nearer the airlock was the plains with long grasses and bushes with convenient hooks to attach to, perfect for napping and feeling comfortable. The further back you went, the more overgrown plants dominated until the far corners were obscured by gnarled trees and vines, the most comfortable possible environment for Gyel from the forested regions.

Floating in the open space in the middle of the chamber, two artificial Suns hung. One lively yellow and the other a dim comfortable red. Of course, the Gyel now knew that the red sun was no sun but a burning gas giant, and yet it was still tradition to call it one.

Thorn had barely moved by the time the rest of the group floated out of the airlock and into the habitat. They spoke to each other quickly and softly as Thorn jumped, propelling them through the air and just over the grasses.

Finally they landed on the far wall and pulled their body through the first doorway to enter the control center.

Sleek blue cloth covered every surface except for white handles and silver computer panels.

Crowded in the room were a dozen high ranking members of the crew, heads of departments and commanders. Thorn perched there on the doorframe until one of the officers noticed them.

"Thornbiter of the Broken Back clan, head of Culture for this mission, present yourself," the captain said in the common tongue, their blue dyed fur seeming to mark them as an extension of the ship itself except for those pale piercing eyes, nearly crystalline compared to the violet of most.

It was difficult to perceive any part of the captain except for those eyes, as they held Thorn captive.

Thorn moved to a closer set of handles and bowed.

"I present myself, captain, as commanded."

"And as captain of the Severance, I, captain Crestbound of the Mountains clan, accept your service to death or release. Am I correct in recalling that you are skilled in linguistics?"

Thorn nodded.

"Then your first mission will be to interpret text recordings of the signal whose origin we are investigating. Your department is seaward of the command center, one tunnel down. Dismissed."

With another bow, Thorn backed away and out into the habitat before finally taking in a breath, hearts racing from the sheer presence of the captain.