Great Beyond

Great Beyond is the first story within Spinglass Cloud: Sethakeya.

## Characters

* Captain Kyan Namada
* Ankarstian
* First Officer A'tal Eckert
* Ensign Jah!Kev\_Vosk
* Ensign Alla Remmed
* The Ja'sha'vesh
* High Decider Vap Kolor of the Kraw Goreen
* High Warrior Ghep Kolor of the Kraw Goreen
* Primitary Otho Jek of the Kraw Taka
* Builder Zupok Xol of the Kraw Q'rr
* The Qaak
* Gabriel Pyycen II
* Vhra!lexi\_gel

## Publisher's summary

*An experimental warpship. A warrior with no qualms about human life. A planet with many secrets.*

The Sethakeya: An experimental ship made using technology largely looted from various aliens by humans. It is hoped that this will let them leave the Spinglass Cloud - which they have been trapped in for thousands of years like rats in a ship set adrift. Highly experimental, it can only jump randomly into the many thousands of uncharted galaxies in our universe.

Attacked by a mysterious ship shortly after its first jump, the captain of the vessel - one Kyan Namada - finds herself in a mysterious grassland - which she assumes to be heaven. Kidnapped by native warriors, she finds an ancient warrior on trial for murder. A sentence that she shares. Something is causing massive earthquakes - massive shakings and quakings of the ground - on this grassland.

The only way out is to travel with the warrior to various different zones on a world with enough secrets to fill its own book. In fact, it has a manual!

## Plot

In an old and disused corridor within Station Delta, a ceremony is taking place. Two politicians - the Kral>Karth senator Vhra!lexi\_gel and the human senator Gabriel Pyycen (cousin of Mighel Pyycen) - are present to officiate the ceremony. This ceremony is the launching of an experimental warpship. After a few seconds, the warpship disappears. Vhra!lexi\_gel asks when the ship will return. Gabriel takes out a watch.

Inside of the ship, the Captain of the ship (a young lieutenant named Kyan Namada) attempts to return the ship back to Station Delta. To her mild discomfort, she finds that the fast return system and the destination systems don't work. The only warp systems that work is the random jump systems. Taking stock of the situation, Kyan decides to explore the local space. Kyan finds that the Sethakeya is orbiting a large gas giant before the ship is attacked by a massive ship. Kyan blacks out.

Waking up in a seemingly endless grassland, Kyan finds several of the ship's commanding officers (the First Officer and two Ensigns) nearby her. Kyan walks away from the group to try to contact the Sethakeya but finds that the radio is down. Kyan assumes that she has died and has passed on to the "Great Spiral". It is then that several bald, bug-eyed humanoids surround Kyan. She then realises that she has probably ended up in hell instead.

Kyan is dragged in chains to a primitive court building. It is there that she meets the prisoner next to her - a slender yellow-furred woman who is clearly from off-world. Kyan and the other prisoner (named Ankarstian) converse for a few moments before the "High Decider" walks in and reads out Kyan's charge - of causing mass death through natural disasters. He then calls out Ank's crime. The theft of holy artifacts. Along with 25 murders. Kyan is shocked by this. This shock turns to revulsion as Ank smugly and confidently struts into the trial hall. . Kyan meekly follows Ank. The High Decider finds both Ank and Kyan guilty despite Kyan's declaration of innocence. The High Decider then gives their punishment - a battle to the death. The winner goes free.

Ank and Kyan are brought to a cell. Ank tells Kyan that she will go easy on her to make sure that she will win. The High Warrior then drags Ank and Kyan out to a massive arena. The battle begins. Kyan initially only fake-fights, however, after seeing a look of pure bloodlust on Ank's face, Kyan switches to fighting for her life. Ank then manages to skewer Kyan's shoulder with a massive sword. Kyan assumes that she will die right there. It is then that the arena descends into chaos as an "earth"quake strikes.

During the quake, Ank manages to escape - dragging the skill-skewered Kyan with her. Initially, Kyan assumes that Ank intends to kill her. Her mind flashes to the most brutal images it can before Ank slides her sword out of her shoulder and begins to dress Kyan's wound. This shocks Kyan. Ank then tells Kyan that she had only given the appearance of bloodlust to fool the High Warrior. Kyan doesn't believe this but keeps quiet about it - only asking Ank what would have happened if she had died. Ank grimly says that Kyan could kill her once she reaches the afterlife. The other crew members then arrive - having avoided the natives completely. Kyan talks to her first officer - a human named A'tal Eckert. Kyan tells of what happened - largely focusing on Ank being a savage murderer. While this is happening, Ank looks over the loot she gained from the natives. She only got two items - a small yet extremely long manual and a slender device. Ank begins looking over the manual - discovering that the grassland is one of many biospheres within the artificial world of Nxxil. The manual also reveals what the device is - an opener. It allows the user to open a gap in the thin walls between the biospheres. Ank then puts her hand up against the horizon - revealing it to be a solid wall. Ank uses the opener on it - walking into the next biosphere. She is followed by Kyan and her accomplices.

The crew arrives in a swamp biosphere. Ank walks off of the small sandy island and finds that the sludge that surrounds the islands is only about two or three feet deep. She then feels for the opener in her pocket but find that its circuits disintegrated. That is when an amphibious boat arrives on the island. Pointing guns at the crew, the natives force them into the boat. While in the boat, Ank manages to find the leader of the native group (Primitary Otho Jek) and convinces him that she is a god using her electric powers. Ank and the rest of the crew are brought to the main village of the natives. Ank sits in a howdah with Otho and attempts to seduce him. This fails. Ank then holds up the opener and asks Otho if he has seen anything like it. Otho says that he has - a religious icon that was eaten by a massive predator called the Qaak. Ank is able to convince Otho to give her a small boat so that she and Kyan can hunt for the Qaak.

A few minutes later, Ank sets off from a small dock with the boat. Kyan - along with the other three crew members - are on the boat. Kyan asks why Ank dragged her onto the boat. Ank revealed that she and Kyan have a "bond". Kyan doesn't believe this. Shortly after this, Ank spots the Qaak and jumps into the sludge to hunt after it. Kyan takes control of the boat and chases after Ank. After several minutes, a soaking wet Ank crawls back on dragging the massive Qaak with her. Ank promptly mortally wounds the creature by gutting it and tearing the opener out. Ank then brutally stabs the dying Qaak and carves chunks out of its body to eat later. Kyan is disturbed by this. The crew then travels to the barrier of the biosphere and visit the next biosphere.

Arriving in a desert biosphere, Ank lays in the sand and begins sunning herself to dry her fur. Kyan leaves Ank behind. Eckert grabs Ank and begins to drag her across the desert. Eventually, Kyan finds a seemingly-abandoned village. Unbeknownst to her, she and the rest of the crew is being watched by the leader of the village. The leader summons some of his men to apprehend the crew. As the crew wanders through the village, the natives follow them. Eventually, the natives manage to get right behind the crew. It is at this moment that another quake happens.

Kyan and Ank are separated in the chaos and find themselves in a clearing. Ank says that this is where the next opener is. It seemingly isn't in the clearing. Ank takes out her sword. Kyan - firmly believing that Ank is about to gut her - jumps Ank and tries to strangle her. A short skirmish takes place. During this skirmish, Ank finds the opener - which had been buried by duststorms. Finding that it doesn't look like the standard opener, Ank takes out the manual and finds that it is a transporter - allowing any visitors to Nxxil quick access to its center. Kyan attacks Ank during this but Ank ignores this. Once this is done, Ank presses the button on the transporter. Nothing happens. Kyan then shoots Ank with an electric gun out of fear and rage - doing nothing to Ank. Ank then readies a massive electric burst - seemingly to fry Kyan - and unleashes it.

Kyan - along with the three other crew members - awaken in a metal room. Ank is right next to them. Kyan attempts to strangle Ank but finds that she isn't affected by it. Ank then reveals that she used the massive burst to jumpstart the transporter. Sadly, the undoubtedly rare object was fried by the massive charge. Fortunately, it worked. Kyan then finds the Sethakeya is right next to them. Kyan enters the ship and attempts to bar Ank from entering, however, she is stopped by Eckert. Eckert threatens to court-marshal her for paranoid psychosis. Kyan relents and lets Ank on board. Ank sits on the pilot's chair. Kyan is surprised to find that Ank can pilot the Sethakeya. Ank flies it out of Nxxil and lets the ship orbit the gas giant. That is when the massive ship that attacked the Sethakeya before emerges from the other side of the planet. Kyan initially assumes that it is Ank's warship, however, Ank notices something extremely disturbing. The "ship" is one massive living being. This creature is feeding on Nxxil. Ank is then knocked out as the creature - named the Ja'sha'vesh - attempts to link with her mind to control it. Ank feigns giving control of her mind to the Ja'sha'vesh. When it tries to take control of her mind, the Ja'sha'vesh's brain shuts off. Ank then wakes up and pilots the Sethakeya out of Nxxil's orbit.

Later in the night, while the Sethakeya floats through local space, Kyan sleeps in bed. She dreams of Ank butchering a featureless humanoid and eating its body. Kyan is then woken up by Ank who wants to talk about what happened. Ank is only able to get out a few words before Kyan punches her - knocking her out. Kyan then goes back to bed.

## Worldbuilding

### Space

* The Jife Galaxy is a large galaxy in the Hertek Field. Most worlds within it have mastered the warp drive.
* Nxxil is a largely artificial world on the North Edge of the Jife Galaxy. It resembles a gas giant but actually is made up of countless biospheres with a small coating of gas.
* The Eris Galaxy, The Blit, and F Carina are astronomical objects still extant within the 271st century.
* The name "Ahjeq" has been lost to time.
* Galaxies in the Local Group include the Andromeda, Triangulum, Bahj, Androkolesh, and Cassiopeia Galaxies.
* Heaven and Hell sit on opposite ends of the universe, stretching the entire length of its surface. Hell is described as orange with "massive things that want to bash your skull in".
* The main Mphuan religion is called Solikranisi and has a concept called the "Great Abyss" within it.
* Nucleonites are a group that enjoys being next to nuclear waste.
* Grexors, Salitivans, and Ghrenolians are hostile creatures found within the Jife Galaxy.
* Eyeeaters are creatures that feed on the concept of being watched.
* Legends native to deserts include the Skundekers of Anoka, the Jabbering Cephalopods of Kaldaf, the Lifeforce Eaters of Kimdoka, the Mad Woman of the Great Desolation.
* Entropy Eaters are native to Mars.

### The Communion

* The C Junction is an unused slum of Station Delta. It still has some inhabitants but they are largely impoverished.
* The Orjon family is a member of the First Families. They are in decline - with one of their member serving as an attendant for the escape pods.
* Lecrenik-class ships are a massive ship found within the Communion.
* Syliutron is a material used in the construction of Communion ships.
* The Zephyl State is an ancient government native to Jel;;Gath.
* Pre-Communion audiovisuals are occasionally watched by the citizens of the Communion. Most are horribly tacky soap operas.
* Qulutrikeps are a creature whose fur is used by Orroghan merchants.
* The very first rule in the captain’s guidebook for a Communion ship is “Do not give your name to strangers unless they are members of your crew or you have known them for longer than an Orothian day.”
* English, Basic, and Esperanto are languages spoken within the Communion.
* Terkil Drak is a mass murderer found within the Communion.
* The Cult of Vonek are a group within the Communion that committed mass murder.
* Tase rifles are used by the crew of the Communion.
* Vah'uong cats are creatures raised by Kyan's father.
* Kyan is armed with an electrogun.

### Nxxil

* Nxxil is home to several unique landscapes. This includes the grasslands of Goreen, the swamps of Taka, and the deserts of Q'rr.
* The main inhabitants of Nxxil is the the humanoid Nxxal. Native to the desert world of Nxx, the Nxxal have large, unblinking eyes and are completely bald.
* The Kraw Goreen are inhabitants of the Goreen. They live within massive stone buildings. Trials within Kraw Goreen society are ruled over by the High Decider - who is essentially judge and jury. Criminals can be tried together and sentenced to trial by combat. Ranged weapons are not permitted but any other kind of weapon is.
* The Qaak is a creature native to the swamps of Taka. A hideous creature, it sings a beautiful song.
* Giant buzzards were once native to the deserts of Q'rr. By the time of Great Beyond, they have gone completely extinct.

### Characters

* Kyan is the daughter of general Helius Namada
* Formal documents are actively averse to Ankarstian. At some point, she locked herself in a room with formal documents. The formal documents ran into a corner of the room and refused to leave the corner until Ank left.
* Ankarstian has been to several different afterlifes and died a few times. She has also been a ghost at one time.
* It took Ank one hundred and thirty years to learn to speak English without translation circuits.
* Kyan read various tales of mass murderers as a kid.
* Kyan is largely asexual.