Infinite Wild is written as a chronological, episodic series. If you have not read any previous stories from the currents, I suggest you start from the beginning.
Most of the time, spaceports and service centers arose along pinch points in the currents to serve the people and businesses waiting their turn to get through a bottleneck. Some entrepreneurial owner would anchor their spacescraper and accept payment for others to park or build on. Over time, these small stops grew too big to move through slow space or to float the currents, and they became a permanent feature of the spacescape. The Space Grouse was something different.
Positioned by the edge of the Warp Whorl, the Space Grouse was a series of asteroids cast aside during a giant flood that viamorrs first cobbled together to form a camping location along the edge of the currents. Warp Whorl was only navigable during a small window, when the gravitational shifts pulled enough asteroids out of the currents to allow bonnies and spacescrapers to pass. During other times of the year, the flows were too unpredictable to be navigable. Nobody liked waiting in slow space, especially not viamorrs. But, there were some advantages to hanging out with other humans in the furthest reaches of space, and viamorrs were nothing if not resourceful. It wasn’t Noah’s first lap of the currents, so he took it upon himself to show the viamorrs of Costa Feed just how fun sitting still could be.
“Quiet, quiet!” yelled Noah. He was so serious about his activities at the Space Grouse that he wore his favored cowboy boots, jeans, and a camp collared shirt with a bold pattern of earthly flowers on it.
A handful of viamorrs and other questionable so called professionals held individual goats by the collars and waited for Noah’s command to release them. They stood along a makeshift course full of ramps, obstacles, and inebriated spectators making bets. Warui’s goat bleated.
“You too!” said Noah. “Alright you know the rules. If your goat loses, you pay up, and you drink. If your goat wins, you collect your winnings. And you drink! Ready space herders… let ‘em go!”
Warui, positioned next to the other competitors behind their goats, released his animal and slapped it on the haunches to add urgency to the situation. The goat jumped, turned, and head butted him in the groin.
“That’s not good, right?” asked Gabriel.
“No that ain’t good.” said Noah. “No evolution likes getting clobbered in the nuts.”
“I mean for the race.” said Gabriel.
“I hope you didn’t bet on Warui.” said Maryna.
“Who else would I put my money on?” said Gabriel. “He’s the only person I’ve ever met who knows anything about goats.”
“Yeah, how to cook ‘em!” said Noah.
They watched the goats navigate their way through the course, dodging spilled drinks and anxious horns. Warui’s prized racer picked up the pace, and still enraged after being slapped by the giant hand of Warui, proceeded to ram the other goats along its way. Protests erupted.
“This ain’t goat fightin’!” yelled a large man with his belly button hanging out of his muscle shirt.
“He’s cheatin!” said another. “Sharpening horns got outlawed last year!”
Warui shrugged at his detractors. “Tell it to the goat.”
Warui’s wild billy continued its rush from behind the herd to the front and with one last kick to the side of its closest competitor, crossed the finish line first. Warui held up his hands in triumph as the goat jumped into the crowd and continued its streak of havoc.
“Well, shit.” said Noah. He handed over a wad of cash to Gabriel. “The rich get richer.”
Instead of cash, Maryna removed another piece of clothing. She looked at Noah and shrugged. “Use what ya got.”
Warui tracked down his goat and carried it under his arm back toward the viamorrs. He stood with Gabriel and secured their winnings.
“Looks like I got enough to quit being your mechanic, now.” said Warui.
“And how are you gonna get off the Space Grouse?” said Noah.
“Not thinking that far ahead.” said Warui.
“Never do.” said Maryna. “What did you win?”
“Cash, drinks, some pieces parts for bonnies.” said Warui.
“Save the good luck for the currents.” said Noah. “And hey, you know the rules.” He held up a bag o wine, twisted it to build up the pressure at the spout, slapped it, and took a big swig. “Gotta slap it now for the beating it’s gonna give ya in the mornin’.”
He handed it to Maryna who slapped it and took her turn on the spout. Warui did his best to drain most of the bag and passed the remainder to Gabriel who tried to finish the wine. The viamorrs waited, watched, and waited more for Gabriel to finish the bag.
“I thought we said to take it easy?” said Reina. Her voice surprised the viamorrs.
Noah finished a swig on a flask and handed it to Warui. “Yeah, I mean, we’re still standing. No fights yet.”
Trion walked in with Reina at the end of the race and spoke to the viamorrs. “But we have a plan.”
“A plan for what?” asked Maryna. “We didn’t go over any routes.”
“A plan to climb the leaderboard.” said Reina.
“We got a few days yet here.” said Noah. “It can wait.”
“Actually,” said Reina, “it can’t. Because if we wait a few days then Warp Whorl will be open to everyone like it always is in season.”
“There’s nothing else to run here until it does open up.” said Noah. “Why you think all these people are here?”
“Right.” said Reina. “That’s why you’re gonna run it before it opens.”
“I’d rather get rammed in the balls by Warui’s goat.” said Noah.
“And if it meant getting Costa Feed into the top five on the leaderboard?” asked Trion.
“Gonna take more than a goat to throw me off that route.” said Noah.
“That’s what we figured.” said Reina.
“When do you expect us to go?” asked Maryna.
“When you’re done with whatever this is.” Reina nodded to the goats and booze.
“And whenever you’re sober.” said Trion.
Maryna looked over to Gabriel still trying to finish the bag of wine. “It’s him we gotta worry about.” She grabbed the bag, twisted it round, slapped it, and finished the rest of the bag. She tossed the bag back to Gabriel who tried to catch it in the air but hit Warui’s goat instead. The goat kicked and bleated and tore off into the crowd.
“We’re gonna need more time.” nodded Noah.
“To sleep off the wine?” asked Reina.
“Nah.” said Noah. “We gotta catch that winning goat. Anything that can get ‘Ryna to take off her clothes needs to be saved and studied.”
“I will slap you like a bag o!” said Maryna, who took off after Noah, who took off after the goat. Warui shrugged, picked up his friend Gabriel, tossed him under his arm like another billy, and headed back to their berth in the small domed rooms of the Space Grouse.
Noah checked the settings and seals in his bonnie as the viamorrs geared up to enter the currents. “Why can we do this now, and not before?”
Reina leaned on the edge of his cockpit, “Are you still wearing your shirt from last night and your… cowboy boots?”
“I ain’t swimmin’ today.” said Noah.
“You haven’t even seen the route.” said Reina.
“I’ve probably seen worse.” said Noah. He pulled on his PSK and adjusted his helmet.
“Worse hangovers? Or routes?” asked Reina.
“Both.” said Noah. He waited for Reina to step off his bonnie and closed the viewshield, fired up the troller engine. “Is boy wonder with us?”
“I’m here.” said Gabriel. “I can float better than I can walk.”
“Good.” said Noah, scrolling his way through Reina and Trion’s route on his viewscreen. “Because you’re going first until this… what the hell? A split? In the middle of Warp Whorl?”
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