“We’re disappointed in the rudimentary nature of the proposal. “What was the Venusian response, Burt?” Rynnden asked.Ī grunting sound issued from Burt’s audio feed. Close encounters every few days are still unacceptable.” I know exactly how orbital resonances work. “I am the guild’s chief astrogator, Burt. You’ll only have to execute corrections every 72 hours.”Ībseq’s tentacles knotted. If your guild astrogators examine the details, they’ll see that your orbits are in a three-to-two resonance with the cables. We’ll have to dodge the elevator cables every other revolution.” “We think it’s completely unfair that the Venusians are assigned the polar terminator orbits while we’re relegated to low-altitude equatorial. Our guild is unequivocally opposed to the proposal,” Abseq said in a voice pitched high by atmospheric helium. Read more science fiction from Nature Futures Abseq gestured with a tentacle and the sound cut off. High-frequency feedback screeched through five audio systems. It’s been really busy, with the conjunction and all.

Xix bowed a sleek, reptilian head and hissed. “You were tasked to survey your teams for feedback on the draft proposal. Everyone else good?” Hearing no objections, they continued. “Could you please share the last meeting’s minutes again?” “Excuse me, Rynnden?” She absent-mindedly stroked the tail of the feline taking up most of her camera’s foreground. They were interrupted by a human whose black skin was sprinkled with stars. “Our goal today is to finalize the orbit reallocation proposal -” One rectangle showed a spaceship control room with a semi-aquatic biped who bellowed, “NO, OTHER CRATER, ONE WITH GAPPED RIM!” “Asymptotic giants, you’d think I’d remember that! Can everyone hear me?” “I see everyone’s here, so -”įive other delegates in five separate rectangles frantically waved appendages. They preened their shoulder feathers and inhaled deeply from their supplementary respirator.

Out of the silent planet audio book