Radiance (General Audience, No spoilers)
I'm still in atlantis_lvw. *Does a little dance*
This week's challenge (Challenge #5) was "falling" secondary characters, nameless or OOC characters only, <600 words.
My entry was #5 and is below. :) Thanks to rinkle for the beta.
Only 7 contestants left. Next week will be the last normal round, so please vote!!!
Radiance (General Audience, No spoilers)
by starrylizard
Major Lorne shifted slightly in the warm night air as he casually poked at the little campfire with a stick. The movement caused a burst of sparks to fly up into the air and he grinned, remembering nights spent camping as a kid with his family. It wasn’t often that off-world missions were this calm and he planned to enjoy it.
Lorne examined the other members of the mission team in the firelight. Lieutenant Cadman was lounging comfortably on the other side of the fire. Miko was not only listening politely to Parrish, but actually appeared to be very interested as he rambled on to her. The botanist’s arms flailed about as he explained the unique aspects of the surrounding plant life to her in the animated way that only Parrish could manage when talking about all things green.
The other marines, Briggs and Albelez, had taken first watch. Lorne could hear the two of them chatting quietly over the open radio channel, teasing each other to stay awake. Their voices buzzed in his earpiece; the whole experience was calming and familiar and Lorne smiled as he settled down on his sleep mat, sprawled comfortably on his back, one arm cushioning his head.
He looked up into the inky blackness of the night sky. It never ceased to amaze him how every world held completely different star patterns and how the night skies were so clear - no smog or city lights to mar the view.
There was a sudden streak of light across the sky, gone as quickly as it came.
“Hey guys, I just saw a falling star.” The voice was Cadman’s. The woman had obviously been settling in to sleep as well.
“That means you can make a wish,” Parrish threw back and Lorne chuckled slightly.
“What are you, a ten year-old girl, Parrish? Who wishes on falling stars these days?” Cadman flashed a wicked smile at Parrish, who just shrugged.
“I think it’s romantic,” Miko sighed and there was a lot of rustling as the pair of scientists got comfortable on their mats too, obviously hoping to see another falling star.
“I’ll make a wish if you don’t,” Lorne finally spoke. “I wish for…”
“No, don’t tell us, Major. Then it won’t come true.” Miko had her head turned toward him, her eyes large behind her glasses that glittered in the firelight.
Lorne nodded, closing his eyes and silently making his wish. He opened them as Miko let out a gasp. There were more falling stars, lots of them, appearing to streak across the sky and disappear, as if continually being replaced.
“I can’t believe it; it’s a meteor shower.” Miko’s voice was full of awe.
Lorne shifted to face Miko again, at once awed by the sight and slightly concerned. “Should I be worried for our safety?”
“It’s very unlikely to be a problem, Major. Falling stars are really meteors, small fragments of cosmic debris, entering the planet’s atmosphere at extremely high speed. In meteor showers, they are caused by particles smaller than a grain of sand coming from a comet’s tail. It is very rare to have any meteorites hit the ground when there are so many like this. We are probably seeing something that happens only once a year. It is an honor, Major.”
“You should make a wish as well in that case, Miko.”
Miko whispered something in Japanese, looking slightly self-conscious, and Lorne smiled, looking back to the display above. He decided this wasn’t the right time to tell her he spoke some Japanese.
This week's challenge (Challenge #5) was "falling" secondary characters, nameless or OOC characters only, <600 words.
My entry was #5 and is below. :) Thanks to rinkle for the beta.
Only 7 contestants left. Next week will be the last normal round, so please vote!!!
Radiance (General Audience, No spoilers)
by starrylizard
Major Lorne shifted slightly in the warm night air as he casually poked at the little campfire with a stick. The movement caused a burst of sparks to fly up into the air and he grinned, remembering nights spent camping as a kid with his family. It wasn’t often that off-world missions were this calm and he planned to enjoy it.
Lorne examined the other members of the mission team in the firelight. Lieutenant Cadman was lounging comfortably on the other side of the fire. Miko was not only listening politely to Parrish, but actually appeared to be very interested as he rambled on to her. The botanist’s arms flailed about as he explained the unique aspects of the surrounding plant life to her in the animated way that only Parrish could manage when talking about all things green.
The other marines, Briggs and Albelez, had taken first watch. Lorne could hear the two of them chatting quietly over the open radio channel, teasing each other to stay awake. Their voices buzzed in his earpiece; the whole experience was calming and familiar and Lorne smiled as he settled down on his sleep mat, sprawled comfortably on his back, one arm cushioning his head.
He looked up into the inky blackness of the night sky. It never ceased to amaze him how every world held completely different star patterns and how the night skies were so clear - no smog or city lights to mar the view.
There was a sudden streak of light across the sky, gone as quickly as it came.
“Hey guys, I just saw a falling star.” The voice was Cadman’s. The woman had obviously been settling in to sleep as well.
“That means you can make a wish,” Parrish threw back and Lorne chuckled slightly.
“What are you, a ten year-old girl, Parrish? Who wishes on falling stars these days?” Cadman flashed a wicked smile at Parrish, who just shrugged.
“I think it’s romantic,” Miko sighed and there was a lot of rustling as the pair of scientists got comfortable on their mats too, obviously hoping to see another falling star.
“I’ll make a wish if you don’t,” Lorne finally spoke. “I wish for…”
“No, don’t tell us, Major. Then it won’t come true.” Miko had her head turned toward him, her eyes large behind her glasses that glittered in the firelight.
Lorne nodded, closing his eyes and silently making his wish. He opened them as Miko let out a gasp. There were more falling stars, lots of them, appearing to streak across the sky and disappear, as if continually being replaced.
“I can’t believe it; it’s a meteor shower.” Miko’s voice was full of awe.
Lorne shifted to face Miko again, at once awed by the sight and slightly concerned. “Should I be worried for our safety?”
“It’s very unlikely to be a problem, Major. Falling stars are really meteors, small fragments of cosmic debris, entering the planet’s atmosphere at extremely high speed. In meteor showers, they are caused by particles smaller than a grain of sand coming from a comet’s tail. It is very rare to have any meteorites hit the ground when there are so many like this. We are probably seeing something that happens only once a year. It is an honor, Major.”
“You should make a wish as well in that case, Miko.”
Miko whispered something in Japanese, looking slightly self-conscious, and Lorne smiled, looking back to the display above. He decided this wasn’t the right time to tell her he spoke some Japanese.