Salvagers

“So the plan is settled then,” Orion said. “Imogen will take Mimi to sell the wands we found in the Humming Forest. Juniper and I will network and find some new missions or locations to scour. And the rest of you will be sure to just enjoy yourselves. We’ve been working hard lately, and you all deserve a fun night on the town.”Helio chimed in, “ We will arrive at 13:00 local time, so the sun will have already set by then. The Chimera will be parked overnight in the harbor, so feel free to embark and disembark as you please. However, we aim to depart tomorrow at 06:00, so please return at least an hour before that.”“Ok everyone, enjoy your day off on the ship, and let’s regroup at 12:00 for dinner, and then we will deboard together after that,” Juniper said standing up. “Meeting adjourned. Hop to everyone; disperse!”The Dynamos left the bridge and went about their day aboard the Chimera. Juniper headed to the greenhouse off of the laboratory to meditate. Mimi joined her there to sketch some of the plants in her research journal. Delta went to the kitchen to start preparing food for the group and Bo joined, partially to learn some more about cooking, but also to be able to snack all day. Imogen made their way to the lab to grab the wands she had been studying before whisking them away to the library for more research. Fig and Salem first went to their room together and hung out there for a while before making their way to the rumpus room to play with the instruments and games. Vesper, Ash, Nico, and Helio all went to the gym where Vesper and Helio chatted while on treadmills, and Ash and Nico sparred on the mats. Orion stayed behind on the bridge to make sure the ship stayed its course and to work on their favorite task; data management and cleanup.Salvagers is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Around 12:00, everyone convened and had dinner together in the mess hall. Delta and Bo brought out bowls of a hearty stew they had made; enough to keep everyone energized but light enough so they would still have room to sample the snacks at the market. Afterward, Orion landed the ship in the dry harbor and spoke into the intercom, “We have arrived. The time is 13:13; make a wish and have fun!” And so the Dynamos disembarked the Chimera and made their way across the dry harbor to the Night Market. It was about a 15-minute walk along the paved path along the water’s edge. They could see the glowing bustle of the market in the distance with the quiet town of Calendula in the background.They eventually reached their destination and split off into small groups and made their way into the   wooden structure that was the Night Market.Bo turned to Ash and admitted, “I’ve never actually been to the Night Market before. This is my first time.”“Well, then I’ll take you around! I grew up here and would come almost every night.” Ash bolted ahead of the group, turning to call out to Bo, “Come on! You have to see the Feasting Grounds first.” “Oh! Ok, yeah!” Bo said starting to jog to keep up with Ash. The two of them passed through the entrance and dove headlong into the fray. Bo’s senses were immediately overwhelmed by the shouting of the vendors, the dozens of ever-changing scents, the kaleidoscopic luminescence emitting from the lanterns strung up above the stall, and the warmth of the bodies packed into these narrow corridors.Ash guided the pair down the maze-like pathways — left, left, forward, right, squeeze through a narrow gap between two stalls, left, forward, forward, right. They bobbed and weaved through the crowded narrow passageways. Bo clung to Ash’s hand so he wouldn’t stumble or lose track of his friend. “Hey! Watch where you’re going!” someone called out as Ash and Bo dove past a delivery person precariously balancing a stack of boxes in their arms. The smallest parcel from the top of the pile fell off amid the hustle and bustle, but Bo stopped to pick it up and apologize to the courier. Ash paused for a moment and turned around when she noticed that Bo was no longer following behind.“We’re almost there! Just a little further,” Ash beckoned to Bo.Bo’s stomach gurgled a little. He stood back up and walked over to Ash. “I’m starving! But can we just walk this last bit? I wanna take in the sights a little more.” Ash nodded and the two walked further into the din of the crowds — right, squeeze, left, forward, right, right, left, forward.Eventually, the corridor gave way to a large courtyard. The drooping cloth that hung overhead to protect the halls from the elements came to an end. Bo looked up and saw an enormous canopy slope upward and stretch out above the square. Luminous multichromatic lanterns strung along the large wooden beams holding the fabric up illuminated the scene. In front of the two youths lay a wide courtyard filled with tables and chairs in a haphazardly strewn-about layout. People of all types sat and ate food and sipped on drinks; chatting and laughing — filling the Feasting Ground with a rumbling din.The edges of the square were lined along all sides with food vendors of every kind and every scent to match. Steam and smoke wafted into the crisp night air filling the canopy with a fragrant haze. Ash explained, “First, we have to go around to all the stalls and get all the free samples we can get our hands onto. Then, we can get something to eat and head over to the Promenade. If you stay in here too long, your clothes will just smell like food for the next forever.”After nearly gorging themselves on little pieces of meat or vegetable stuck onto tiny wooden skewers, thimbles of beverages, small cups of rice mixtures, little spoons of ice cream, and bits of fudges, Bo and Ash finally decided to get some vulture legs. The vendor took their money and handed each of them a large thigh bone, sizzling hot and shining with a sour glaze. Holding the drumsticks the size of their arms by the protruding bone, the youngest members of the Dynamos left the Feasting Grounds and strolled down some more halls until they reached the edge of the Night Market.Perpendicular to the market ran a stretch of green land. The lamps blazed above, bathing the greenery in a soft warm glow. The two of them walked along and talked of what they dreamed their life would become as salvagers while wrenching chunks of flesh off the roasted vulture thighs, gazing at the full moon overhead.Salem headed into the Night Market alone; they didn’t get much time to themself and getting lost in a crowd was one of their favorite ways to remedy this. Salem eventually found their way to a booth filled with scrolls and hand-written booklets. They ran their hand along the spines and eventually landed on a black leather-bound book called “Romancing the Rock.” After skimming it for a moment, Salem smiled to themself and reached into their bag to pull out their wallet, but it wasn’t there. “Looking for something?” Salem recognized the voice and looked up to see Nico standing in front of them dangling the wallet from their fingers. “Juniper wants to read it when you’re done. She had the sense yesterday that you were going to forget your wallet, so she sent me to bring it to you.” Salem grabbed the leather bifold and paid for the novel at the counter. The older woman there nodded and rang up the order. “13 circles, please.”  Salem handed over two yellow bills with an equilateral triangle embossed on the front, and the shopkeep handed back 11 red paper bills with a circular mark along with the book. Salem stashed the cash back into their wallet, tucked the book and billfold into their bag, and stood up tall to face Nico.Nico asked Salem, “Have you been to the Night Market before?”“I came once when I was ten years old. I haven’t been back in 12 years, so I don’t remember much,” Salem said, tucking their prematurely graying hair behind their ear.“Let me show you around, then. There is a fortune teller on the western side I always go to see whenever I’m here. I hope he’s still around. Care to join me in my quest to find out?”Salem replied, “Yes. Let’s go.” The two of them walked in a single file line barely speaking to each other, simply taking in the sights and scents and the roar of the crowd. They stayed to the left, pushed along by the flow of foot traffic. After about a half hour, the two arrived at “Tandem and Tea.” The booth’s entrance was draped in a thick purple fabric.Nico quizzed Salem,” Have you ever heard of Tandem cards?”Salem confidently said, “Of course. The Tandem is a practice of either meditation or divination recovered from the Past era. An archivist named… what was it again?” Salem’s eyes darted up to the right to recall. “Yes, her name was Kiffin Henrie. In the year 266, while exploring in the North, Henrie found these symbolic cards centered around archetypal dualisms. After dedicating years of her life to the research, she published the deck of cards with an illustrated guidebook replete with all the imagery illustrated alongside the text. Kiffen Henrie called these ‘The Tandem,’ which has remained a popular practice for those without the sense.” Salem paused for a moment before commenting, “Juniper said that regular people really could tap into the sense using the Tandem, but I don’t really believe it.”“Care to test out that theory?” Nico said in a theatrically ominous tone as they pulled back the curtains. They entered the dimly lit booth that stretched away from the entrance a considerable distance. On all sides, a thick burgundy fabric draped in a way where the folds rippled in semi-circles down from the ceiling. A figure dressed in all white stood to greet them.“Welcome to Tandem and Tea, my name is Eunice. Please have a seat.” Eunice’s hair was long, ash blonde, and wavy, pulled back into a half ponytail to keep the loose strands out of his eyes. Eunice’s beard was a darker blonde with a strawberry tinge — full but trimmed neatly to frame his face. “What kind of tea would you like? We’ve got an herbal blend, a jolted blend, and a light blend.“Jolted for me,” said Salem. Nico nodded in agreement. “Two jolted, then.” Eunice gave them a nod and pulled on a string, which connected to a bell that was built into a square hole between this stall and the one next door. Eunice rang the bell twice, waited a moment, and then rang the bell twice again. “I have an arrangement with the cafe next door,” Eunice explained with a grin, “Please sit, sit!” Nico and Salem obliged arranging themselves across from the Eunice in front of a low table. “How may I be of assistance?”“Yeah, how about something for the team?” Nico checked in with Salem, who nodded in agreement. “What about a now, soon, and later spread?”“A classic. That will be 8 eight circles,” which Salem paid. “Start shuffling these, and while you do that, please tell me a little about the team. A crumb of context to precipitate the Tandem’s sense.” Salem took the stack of cards and did an over-hand shuffle while Nico explained, “We are a team of salvagers — the Dynamos if you’ve heard of us. We find things.” Eunice nodded, “Ah yes, your reputation certainly precedes you. You’re a bit more serious than I thought you might be with a name like that. Curious.”“Yes well, we have recently upgraded our ship to take on a team of apprentices to train. Salem here is one of them, while I’m from the original crew. My name is Nico, by the way.”“Cut the deck into two piles, please,” Eunice said to Salem, who obliged. “Now, back into one; however you choose. Very good, please pass them back to me.” Eunice took the stack of cards and flipped the top three into a row. Opportunity, Labor, and Division. The bell rang overhead, and a curtain lifted to reveal a small window. Eunice stood and passed the cups to Salem and Nico who blew on them to cool the tea. “Let’s begin!”Eunice pointed to the leftmost card. “Now is a time of opportunity, and it seems work will come to you soon. I’m curious what sort of jobs you will embark upon.” Eunice pulled two more cards and placed them below the first two; Deception and Curiosity. “Interesting; for salvagers, I bet it will be some sort of reconnaissance mission and perhaps some sort of exploration of some long-forgotten ruins. How exciting!“However, something tragic will happen later. Perhaps something will split your team? A disagreement perhaps? Let’s check.” Eunice pulled another card and placed it below Division; Descent. “Perhaps some great fall. The question now is whether this is something metaphorical or literal.” Eunice rifled through the deck and found two cards. He shuffled them back and forth and eventually took one in each hand and put them behind his back. “Left or right?”Salem quickly said, “Left!” Eunice revealed the Tandem card: Material. “Well, you'd better look out below!”  Next time on Salvagers:Imogen and Mimi sell the magic wands from the Humming Forest, while Vesper and Delta relive their first date on their anniversary. Get full access to Salvagers at salvagers.substack.com/subscribe

Orion arrived at the bridge and surveyed the room they spent most of their waking hours in. On the far side of the room, light poured down from the windows in the upper area. The faint sound of Helio’s tapping on the consoles drifted across the room, accompanied by beeps and hums bouncing off the exposed metal walls from the computers hard at work keeping The Chimera afloat. Two sets of stairs descended from the control station above on either side of the platform.In the lower area of the bridge sat the large circular meeting table Orion had custom ordered specifically for The Chimera when The Dynamos upgraded to a new ship six months ago in order to take on apprentices. Orion ran a hand along the four-meter-wide ring of hard lacquered black wood carved from a single slice ebony tree from the Jain mountains. Twelve matching stools with low backs and leather seats were mounted to the floor around the perimeter of the table. They had been coated in a black shell so they matched the ebony table.Orion sat in their chair at the head of the table; their back to the wall that rose to the upper area where the unaware Helio went about their work. In front of each seat, a console was mounted onto the table along the inner edge. Orion reached forward and swiped three fingers from top to bottom across the screen, which responded by lighting up and flashing the words Welcome Back Orion. A sound like the chime of a vibraphone cooed from the monitor as the words faded and the screen switched to the main navigation menu.“Orion, is that you? You scared me half to death!”“Good morning, Helio,” Orion said warmly. “Are the revised excursion debrief log templates prepared for this evening?”“Uh yeah… wait I’m in the middle of something. I’ll be right down!” Helio called out from the upper deck. Orion pressed a couple of buttons and the hologram projector flickered to life, projecting the three-dimensional map of the area along with a mini Chimera flying at the center — the terrain slowly scrolling below as the ship soared by.Salvagers is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Nico stared at their closet and thought, What to wear today? The black jumpsuit with the mock neck, or the black jumpsuit with leather straps? What a difficult decision! Eventually, they grabbed a third option — a black jumpsuit with a plunging-v neckline — and zipped it onto their body. “That’s the ticket!” they said to themself.Meanwhile, Fig stared at the mirror and blinked. Her long blonde hair retreated back into her scalp forming a cropped shaggy mullet. Her jaw sharpened and her brow bone protruded slightly. Her shoulders widened and her bust receded and became more muscular. He looked in the mirror and ran his fingers across the dark blonde stubble on his cheek. Shaking his head, Fig blinked once more and undid the transformations. And then blinked back and forth a few more times switching between the forms quickly.Juniper burst through the door to the bridge and announced, “I have a good feeling about today! The Night Market is going to be a success, I can feel it in my bones.” She rushed across the room and flung herself into the chair to the left of Orion, her braid swinging behind her like a tail. “You and me partner, we are gonna find something great for this team to do next. Our next gigs will be fruitful!”“I do not doubt it,” Orion said, briefly meeting Juniper’s gaze and smiling warmly before returning their attention to the map. They tapped a few icons on the console and the map zoomed out so that both The Chimera and The Dynamo’s destination — The Night Market of Calendula — were in view; a red dotted line depicting the ship’s trajectory.Salem then arrived at the bridge, turning on their sense to scan the room to see who was there and how they were feeling. Both Orion and Juniper had a golden aura about them — happy and excited. Salem saw the outline of Helio across the way; orange — a little anxious. “Hello everyone, the clouds were exceptionally fluffy today, did you see?!”  As Salem walked across the room, they opened their mind and telepathically communicated to Helio, Hey, come on down now. I’m sure the log templates are fine. There is nothing to worry about, come join us.Roger that! Helio responded in his mind. He hit print on the log template and 12 copies spat out of the printer. He grabbed them and walked down the stairs. Salem sat down next to Juniper and engaged their console. Helio sat on the other side of Orion, holding the papers tight with both hands in their lap. It was then that Mimi entered the room, and sat down on the other side of Salem.“Good morning everyone! I hope you all slept well. Did anyone see anything interesting while exploring your dreamscapes?” she inquired. Mimi felt a large hand grip her shoulder and looked up to see Delta’s mustachioed face. She beamed as he sat down next to her. Vesper gracefully slipped into his seat directly across from Delta next to Helio, who relaxed his grip on the stack of papers and placed them on the tabletop. Nico stepped into the hall and took a left. The sound of their boots on the cool metal sent reverberations down the corridor. They got to the stairs and swung down and around the banister reaching the lower level. “Heeyyy! Are any of you kids heading to the bridge? Wanna walk together?”Fig had opted to blink a few more times in rapid succession when they heard Nico’s voice down the hall. Eyes shut, Fig opened the door to the hallway and said, “Nico, yes, hi! I’m here. I’m ready.”“Looking quite dapper today. Boy Fig is always so cute with that little curly mop of yours!”“You know I don’t like it when you call me Boy Fig and Girl Fig. I’m always just Fig,” he said plodding down the hall to the stairs.“I know, I’m just messing with you. Just Fig.” Nico put their arm around Fig’s shoulder and gave a quick squeeze. “I just wish you would try the no-hair look like me; you’ve got the head shape for it,” Nico proclaimed as they ran their fingers adorned with black dagger-like nails across their smooth scalp. “ I can just tell! Race you to the bridge?”“You’re on!”Juniper rose and walked hurriedly across the bridge. “One of them is going to get hurt, I can just feel it. And we don’t need to replace this door again.” She swung the door inward just as Fig and Nico were about to barge through. The two of them fell to the ground in a pile of giggles.“I’d say that’s a tie, wouldn’t you all?” Vesper said to the room. Fig and Nico burst out laughing. Salem couldn’t help but smile a little. Fig and Nico stood up. Fig rubbed his left hand and rotated his wrist, a shock of pain across his face. Delta and Mimi were too busy prodding at their consoles to look up until Vesper called out, “Delta, I think Fig got hurt, can you two Defenders check it out?” Fig took his arm over to Delta and Mimi, who gave it a once over before deciding it wasn’t critical and sending him to his seat two to the left of Delta’s.Paying little mind to the ruckus across the room, Orion said to Helio, “Where’s Ash and Bo? And Imogen! Call for them, won’t you?”Helio tapped the side of their headset and spoke into the microphone, “Bo and Ash; Good morning, Angels! Your presence is requested on the bridge. Don’t be late, got it?” Helio looked over at Orion who raised an eyebrow expectantly. “Oh yes, and Imogen, can you get up here too if it’s not too much trouble. Thank you, Imogen. Thanks!”Bo shot up like a rocket, his curly ringlets exploding off of his head in all directions. He jumped from his mossy linen-covered bed across the room onto Ash’s flaming quilt. She was still sleeping and the two of them needed to get upstairs now. He shouted and shook her to no avail. So, Bo did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed the half-full glass of water from the side table and dumped it onto Ash’s face, recoiling immediately knowing this would not garner a peaceful reaction from Ash.Her eyes opened immediately and she gave a furious screech looking around in confusion. She saw Bo sitting on her bed, but before she could yell anymore, Bo said, “Come on, we’re late! Do you want Orion mad at us again?” Ash quieted herself and shook her head, slicking back the shock of hair on the top of her head away from her face. “Let’s get dressed. But don’t dump water on me again, kid. Got it?” Ash grabbed a red jumpsuit and orange leather sandals. She took one moment to look out the window as she sprayed a little too much of an acrid cologne onto her form. She waited in the doorway as her younger roommate, no longer a child but not quite an adolescent got dressed“Sir, yes sir!” Bo said, throwing on a green sweater and some brown shorts, almost running out of the room barefoot. Ash held out an arm and pointed at Bo’s feet. Bo quickly threw on some sandals. The two of them sprinted down the hall and up the stairs, barely able to catch their breath. As they hit the final landing before the stairs that led up to the bridge, a pair of hands grabbed them by the collars and stopped them in their tracks.Imogen, tall with deep skin and hair twisted into locks held back by a purple headband, stood over the two young ones. Imogen let go of Ash and Bo’s shirts and breathed out loudly through her lips. Raising her arms into the air, with a knit shawl dangling over her shoulders, Imogen said, “Alright, breathe in.” Ash and Bo closed their eyes and inhaled. “That’s right, hold it at the top. And release. Good.” All three of them exhaled in unison. They then breathed in and out a few more breaths before opening their eyes and looking at each other.“We are calm, cool, and collected, yes?” Bo and Ash nodded in agreement. Imogen led them up the stairs and through the doors into the bridge. “We’re all here, no need to fuss. These two were just with me finishing up some experiments on the wands we found in the Humming forest. Shall we start?” Imogen said smiling at Orion and Juniper.Imogen then sat down between Delta and Fig. Nico was seated to Fig’s left. Into the seat next to Nico slid Bo, who immediately began to fiddle with the touch screen console. And finally, Ash sat between Bo and Vesper, completing the circle.Orion nodded to Helio who said, “The time is now 04:29! Great job being on time everyone. That’s got to be a record. Shall we begin?” Helio looked up and Orion who smiled warmly in approval.“Yes, let’s commence!”Next time on Salvagers!The Dynamos head down to Calendula to visit the Night Market. Get full access to Salvagers at salvagers.substack.com/subscribe

“Goooood morning good morning!” Helio said brightly into the microphone on their headset, their voice crackling over the intercoms in every room of the ship. “It’s time to get your cute little booties up. I’ll give you all a moment to stretch out those glutes before we start the morning announcements.”  Helio put their feet up onto the console and wiggled their toes, marveling at their own handiwork in the form of sloppily and hastily painted magenta nail polish. They leaned back in the mounted chair and stretched their arms above their head with a groan. Helio then lazily sat back up and began fiddling with the dials to pull up the log and reports the ship had generated for that day.Salvagers is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Vesper sat up in bed and reached over to pick up the cup of water sitting on the bedside table. He blinked a couple of times and smiled as he looked out the window to see a bright blue sky. Vesper swung his legs out from under the covers, a teal linen duvet with golden leaves embroidered along the edges, and strolled over to see what fresh sights the ship had to offer. He peered through the circular triple-paned glass and saw the stretches of ocean miles below, fluffy white clouds with the bright morning light illuminating them.After downing the entire glass of water, Vesper set it on the nightstand and jumped back onto the bed. “Delta…” he cooed. “Wakey wakey!” Delta opened one eye to look at his partner, grumbled, and then turned away burrowing into the blankets.“Well, that’s no way to start a morning!” Vesper said, pulling away the blankets and revealing Delta’s muscular arms before delicately placing little kisses all over his face and neck, and arms. Delta turned back and smiled devilishly before pulling Vesper in for a kiss.“Alright, let’s get up,” Delta sighed. He went to sit up but instead pulled Vesper into a bear hug. “Actually five more minutes, ok?” Mimi had already been awake for an hour or so when Helio’s message fizzled through the speakers. Her roommate always managed to wake her up with the noise as they scrambled to get ready and deliver the morning announcements on time. Mimi didn’t mind so much though. She used the time to enjoy the sunrise and to journal. She got into the shower and made the water scalding hot; no one else was awake yet, so the hot water was all hers to hog. She lathered her tan skin and brown curly hair with flower potions and serums and breathed in the scents, lavishing in every moment. Mimi stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel before sitting down at her vanity, or rather the standard desk that came with the room which she had transformed into a vanity replete with mirrors and lights and small bottles and tubes and boxes of cosmetics. Helio’s voice entered the bedroom through the speaker again. “Today is the 21st day of the 5th month; the 133rd day of the year 497. The time is 02:22. Today we will arrive at Calendula. The local forecast is medium-warm — like 60 degrees — and partly cloudy today. It’s gonna be a bit nippy tonight though. Today’s agenda includes a visit to the Night Market this evening. Please report to the bridge by 04:30. Ok, see you all soon! Love ya mean it! Kisses!” Mimi poured some oil out of a long emerald-colored glass bottle with round ridges that smelled of moss and earth, rubbing it into her skin. She pulled on a burnt orange knit cropped jumper over a gray linen tank top with some matching linen pants. She slid her feet into black leather sandals before sitting back down at the vanity and painting a line of black along her lash line and applying some orange blush to her cheeks and lips. Satisfied, she stood and walked out of the room and down the hall to join her roommate, Helio.Juniper stared blankly into her cup of tea, the green leaves swirling around at the bottom. She blinked herself back into full consciousness and put the cup down on her desk. Half-dazed, she picked up the small gold mister from the ground, filled it with water, sprinkled in a pink crystalline powder, gave it a swirl, and began to pump away at the mechanism. Water sprayed in a fine mist from the nozzle, Juniper guiding the cloud of dew onto the shrine of plants underneath the circular window. One pink flower looked up at her and smiled. Juniper winked back.She whipped around to the mirror, stared at the green overalls, nodded at herself in approval, pulled the wooden pin from the loose bun on her head, and gave her head a shake; long white hair cascaded down around her face. She reached up and braided it into one long plait down the back of her head that reached down to her waist. She spun around, the braid continuing to spin around her neck like a snake about to throttle its victim. She spun the other direction, her arms out to give her momentum.Juniper gave herself one more shake all over her body and said to herself, “Common, birdie, today’s gonna be a good one.”Salem promptly woke up with the first announcement. Deep amber eyes opening wide, they sat up, swung their legs out of bed, and raised their hands high over their head. They rose and then dove down stretching out their spine and back muscles. Reaching for the nightstand, they grabbed a prepared glass of water and downed it swiftly. They quickly made their bed with precision before turning about-face and walking into the washroom. A brief scalding hot shower later, Salem returned and donned their black linen wide-legged pants and matching cross-body muscle wrap-tank top and moved over to the counter by the window.Salem flipped the switch on the already full kettle which began to whir to life. They opened the lid of a small black ceramic jar and grasped the small wooden spoon that fit perfectly into a notch in the lid. They scooped exactly ten beans — five red, three black, and two white — from the jar into a stone mortar. Grabbing the matching pestle, they quietly but firmly ground the beans into a fine paste which they deposited into a copper vessel that stood on legs with a spout coming from the bottom. By the time the transfer was complete, the kettle came to a rolling boil, which Salem then poured into the copper dispenser. While the morning brew’s ingredients steeped, Salem took a moment to gaze out the window at the clouds below. They picked up a small notebook from the desk and noted the date, time, and scientific names of each formation they saw that morning. Satisfied with their documentation and sure that the brew was ready, they grabbed two mugs from the counter — one black and one white — and poured out the red clear liquid from the spout.Walking across the room, they sat down on the foot of the other bed in the room where their roommate lay still asleep. Fig had a slender pale face and long blonde hair that lay scattered about the pillow. Mug in hand, Salem gave Fig a gentle nudge on the foot that was poking out of the covers.“Time to wake up, Fig,” Salem said. Fig slowly blinked her crystalline blue eyes open, rubbing them and yawning. She took the mug Salem held out and put it to her lips, drinking deeply from it before letting out a big sigh.“Ok, I'll meet you on the deck in a bit. Thanks for the morning brew, roomie!”“Any time,” Salem responded. They walked to the door, mug in hand, and exited with a small smile of satisfaction on their face, their boots tapping on the metal floors as they made their way to meet Helio and the rest of the crew for the morning announcements.Next Time on SalvagersMeet the rest of the Dynamos as they assemble on the bridge to plan their visit to the Night Market. Get full access to Salvagers at salvagers.substack.com/subscribe