A Wedding of Lesser Gravity

You can do this, Bran reassured himself. You can do this. It is only a wedding. Only a party. It will be fine.

But why did it have to be in space?

Not so long ago, Bran wouldn’t have thought twice before boarding the ship. He had always loved the feeling of weightlessness and thrilling sense of traveling the unknown. He missed the quiet hum of engines burning and the many systems in a spacecraft working together.

However, as he tentatively took a few steps forward and into the shuttle, he felt his heart pounding in his head. He focused on his breathing and kept walking to his seat. He could do this. He had to do this.

It had been 8 months since his last time in space. It was too long and not long enough. The wedding invitation had surprised him. It had also forced him to expedite his return by a few months. He had been counting on those months to be better prepared, but he knew they would not have made much difference. He was ready.

And if not, there is not much I can do about it now, he thought.

He forced himself to relax. He opened his mind and focused just on breathing. He could feel the rest of the guests around him moving through the shuttle and finding their seats. He focused on them. How many could identify by their Essence alone, how many carried with them some form of charged devices, who was human and who was not?

As he fell back into the meditation, his anxiety lessened. He barely noticed the shuttle taking off.

***

“Dear passengers, we are now preparing to dock at our destination,” a monotone voice said on the shuttle speakers. “We kindly remind you to secure any untethered objects and to tighten your seat’s safety belt. Gravity will be restored shortly. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Bran felt the freedom of zero gravity vanish as the shuttle docked and joined the larger spacecraft’s artificial gravity field.

He was relieved at how quickly his more anxious thoughts proved false. Bran knew that statistically, he was more likely to have an accident in a shuttle while leaving an atmosphere than inside a larger spacecraft.

Of course, the mind conveniently ignores statistics when it wants to.

They disembarked quickly, leaving the shuttle behind and entering the far larger space cruiser. After a security check and the usual decontamination protocols, they found their way to the main event. A wedding. In space.

Some people are just determined to tempt fate, he thought to himself. Sure, space travel and spaceships were much safer these days. But accidents still happened. He knew that all too well.

Lights, colors, and music filled the main deck of the space cruiser. The deck had been adorned and adapted for today’s event. Tables and chairs were arranged around a central stage. Musicians played in several smaller platforms distributed around the area. Most were on ground level, but some floated gently over the guests on moving platforms. Servers and attendants alike flowed through the entire deck gracefully, plainly enjoying the benefits of a fraction of their normal gravity.

Above them all, a glass roof reflected the light of the stars beyond.

Bran had missed this view. He soon found himself drifting to a less crowded corner of the deck, where he could stop and appreciate the view. It took him a few minutes to realize he was not alone.

“I wasn’t sure if you would be here today,” said a familiar voice to his left. It was not a whisper, but it was quiet enough that it conveyed the same secrecy. “I hoped you would, though.”

“I wasn’t sure myself,” Bran responded, still looking up at the stars. “Seriously, who gets married on a spaceship?” He looked down from the roof and to his right. Even after gazing at the stars, he was stunned.

Eryn wore a long dark blue dress with long sleeves and a deep cut, perfectly fitted. The elegant gown wrapped around her neck, leaving her fair shoulders bare. Her dark raven hair was braided and neatly pinned. She wore little makeup, slightly darkening her lips and eyelids. A thin silver necklace with a small emerald crystal matched her light green eyes. She looked up, smiling to herself. Somehow, she seemed brighter than the stars above them.

Bran had really missed this view.

Her eyes lowered and met his own. Her smile deepened.

“I am glad I did come. I missed this.” Bran managed to look up to the stars again. “Even if we are going a bit slow for my taste.” He smiled at her. “I… I can’t shake the feeling that something is going to happen. A panel will snap, and everything will implode. Or the craft’s Core will malfunction, and the artificial gravity will crush our bones…”

“Very romantic thoughts for a wedding,” she joked. She grasped Bran’s hand. “I know it is difficult to come back after an incident. A lot of what happens up here is outside of our control. Statistics and assurances don’t help either… But you are doing the right thing. Facing the unknown. And… I am here if you need to talk.”

“I know,” Bran replied. He gave a reassuring squeeze to her hand, then reluctantly let go. They were probably far from anyone to notice, but it was better to be safe. “Thank you. For everything. It has been a strange few months. After I was discharged from the hospital, they grounded me in the Academy. I was only allowed to meditate and study. Not even flight simulators for me.”

“Then it is fortuitous that a dear friend decided to have a space-themed wedding on such short notice…” She looked at him, a spark of mischief in her eyes.

Realization dawned on Bran.

“You didn’t,” he said, incredulous. But of course, he knew better. The final piece of information finally clicked, and the complete picture made sense.

“What, me?” she asked, seemingly offended. “Why, I would never dare plan someone else’s wedding just to get you off the planet.” She was the perfect picture of innocence, but he knew her better than anyone. The amusement in her eyes betrayed her. “I might have given a few suggestions, though. After all, who wouldn’t love to get married under the stars?”

He laughed, and with the laughter, the tension finally seemed to leave his body. He was suddenly reminded of where they were and that he should probably enjoy his best friend’s wedding. He glanced to the side and caught their reflection on one of the transparent panels of the ship.

Bran was wearing a simple dark blue suit. With a high collar and black shirt underneath, his utilitarian look was nowhere near as stunning as Eryn’s. Together, however, they looked quite the pair. Both on his suit’s lapel and on Eryn’s earrings were imprinted the silver wings of the Emissaries.

“It looks like it will be a big party,” Eryn said beside him.

Bran turned to look at the main deck. Right, the party. Hundreds of guests had arrived in other shuttles, and now waves of people were parading across the room.

The E.S.C. Windbreaker was a modestly sized ship, at least by today’s standards. It could comfortably house a dozen thousand people for long journeys and had most of the expected commodities of a modern spacecraft. Today, however, the space cruiser would stay in a locked orbit, giving the wedding guests a breathtaking view of Eros. After the ceremony and the subsequent party, most guests would return to the planet, while a few remained on the cruiser for a short trip to Run, one of Eros’ two moons.

“We should probably find the groom,” Bran said. “We should congratulate the madman. It looks like he was right after all. Who knows, he might even be happy”. He tried and failed to sound cheerful.

“It was not your fault, you know. Leaving was his choice, but he didn’t leave us. He left because…”

“I know,” he interrupted, “I do. It’s just… I miss him.”

“Me too.” They shared a glance. There was more to it, and they both knew it. They let the unspoken words remain unspoken. They would not say it. Could not, lest it break them.

There were many rules for the Emissaries. They could have no land nor have almost any property. They had strict codes of conduct and social guidelines in their public lives. But it was one rule alone that haunted Bran. Emissaries could have no romantic relationships outside of arranged political unions.

And definitely none within the order.

“Let us join the party then,” Bran said, offering Eryn his arm. She took it in a formal posture, barely resting her hand over his elbow.

***

As they rejoined the wedding reception, Bran began to feel uneasy again. A crawling sensation on his neck multiplied with the noise of conversations around them. Abrupt sounds made him turn, expecting a disaster.

“Emissaries,” some whispered as they walked through the deck and toward the ceremony area. People made way for them, and Bran kept a stoic expression, indifferent to the mixed response. Some smiled, others rolled their eyes. A few even cursed them under their breath as they saw their silver insignia.

All part of the job, Bran reminded himself. He was used to it by now.

At first, it had baffled him. How could they react so negatively? Didn’t they know theirs was a profession of service? It had taken some bad encounters to realize the truth. They were afraid of what they did not, or could not, understand.

Bran and Eryn reached the room where the groom awaited the start of the ceremony. It was an ample observation deck with a prime view of Eros. The white and green planet turned slowly in front of them, half covered in shadow.

Darvey stood looking towards the planet. He looked sharp and elegant in his formal wedding attire, a slightly more elaborate version of Bran’s own, with a collar that reached his cheek and a golden sash wrapped over his black suit. He looked taller than Bran remembered.

Bran noticed the absence of any silver details.

“You look surprisingly like an adult, ready for a quiet and responsible life,” Eryn said beside Bran as soon as they entered. She spoke jokingly, as always, but Bran could hear the emotion behind the words.

Darvey turned immediately, a dumb-struck smile plastered on his face.

“Please tell me I don’t look scared shitless out of my mind.” He stepped forward and embraced Eryn in a warm hug. Then he turned to Bran.

“Don’t worry,” Bran replied. “You never had a mind to begin with. She’ll never notice.”

They locked arms and shared a laugh. Despite Bran’s worries of awkward tension, it all felt perfectly familiar. He met Darv’s eyes, and there he saw understanding. They both knew that things were not perfect between them, but that didn’t change their friendship.

“Thank you for coming. I know the paperwork must have been hell.”

“Oh, it was. The Council could not believe I wanted to return star-side so soon.” His superiors had explained —at length— that after a cockpit accident like his, standard procedure would dictate a 1-year recovery. He had almost agreed. “But I wouldn’t miss it. Not for all the Criss in the moon.”

Eryn reappeared with three glasses filled with a golden wine. They each took one and raised it.

“To Darvey,” Eryn toasted. “And a new, boring, grounded, ordinary, happy life.”

Darvey smiled, ready to respond with a —maybe— clever toast of his own. Then the disaster Bran had been dreading happened.

***

All lights in the cruiser went dark. Starlight filtered to the observation deck so he could still see the faces of his friends, partly covered in darkness. Bran froze as his heart raced and cold sweat ran down his back.

His instincts and training took over.

Bran turned to the glass panels beside them, confirming none were broken. He felt no change in air pressure and was breathing fine. Bran ducked and placed a hand on the floor. He breathed out and focused on the hum of energy going through the ship.

Emissaries were respected and feared. While they mostly worked as diplomats and scholars, they belonged to one of the oldest organizations in Eros. And the only one who knew the secrets of Criss, the mysterious crystal-like substance that powered most of their technology.

Each member of the Silver Order chose a different role, depending on their interests and skills. Bran’s specialty was one of the rarer positions in the organization.

He could feel the energy traveling beneath his feet. All power in modern spacecraft originated from a central Criss Core. It sustained all systems, including the engines, artificial atmosphere, and gravity.

Dozens of catastrophic scenarios played out in his brain. One after the other, the ship’s systems failed. Tiny variations in space could lead to abysmal consequences.

Bran forced his raging mind to calm, focusing on the thrum of energy beneath him. He found… nothing. Nothing wrong that he could detect.

He felt a hand on his left shoulder as Darvey kneeled beside him.

“It is all right,” he said. “It is all right. Just breathe.”

Bran tried to push deeper into the connection to the ship’s core. He needed to go further. But the harder he tried, the fuzzier the image in his mind became.

A second pair of hands grabbed him. One hand over his right shoulder, the other pressed over his chest.

“You are okay,” Eryn whispered beside him, “you are safe. This thing is an old craft. Power flukes happen. It will pass.”

Bran gasped for air, and the image in his mind shattered. He opened his eyes and just now noticed a low red light filling the room. The backup power was working.

He could feel his heartbeat racing in his ears, pulsing on his neck. Bran focused on breathing, trying to find his center. He reached with both hands to his shoulders, holding onto his friends.

They lay there in silence.

A few moments later, the light turned back on.

“Lighting systems restored.” A monotone voice echoed through the speaker on the space cruiser. “No imminent threats detected. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding.”

Bran forced out a chuckle.

“I hate that voice,” declared Darvey. “It could at least sound more… human.”

“Not sure that would be better,” Bran replied. The idea of a human-like voice for a machine was somehow uncomfortable. “I’m okay.” He gave them each a reassuring smile. He let out a long breath, feeling better. He was glad no one else had been in the room. He wasn’t sure how he would react to a panic attack in public, with others staring at him. An Emissary having a panic attack over a malfunction would not do.

But these were his friends. The three of them had seen through their worst moments. He found strength in them and knew he could be himself. They had always known that as long as they were together, they could survive anything. Maybe that was the problem. Three would soon become two.

Bran stood up slowly. “Well, that was embarrassing,” he finally said. “So much for the fearless Silver Order elite, heh?” In response, they hugged him. The embrace was just what he needed, even if he would not ask for it.

Bran cleared his throat and pulled back from them. “Right then, we were celebrating. Wait,” he said, looking around, “what happened to our drinks?"

***

Bran recovered —steadily, if not quickly— from the incident. Their reunion was cut short soon after. The ceremony was about to start, so Darvey left the observation deck to prepare the final details. Eryn and Bran remained for a few minutes, mostly in silence, but enjoying the company of each other.

The ceremony was short and beautiful. Bran and Eryn stood near the groom in a place of honor.

Ashabel, the bride, floated through the deck to the altar, gracefully ignoring the gravity that bound everyone else. Her gown was so long it floated behind her like an afterimage. It was the traditional bright red color with white embodiment. By the time she reached the altar, Darvey had almost fainted. Twice.

Bran was truly happy for Darvey. It finally dawned on him as he saw the pair stand side by side. He still wished he had not left the Order, but he could understand his choice.

After the ceremony, they quickly moved to the party. The guests feasted and danced, the previous incident of the power outage out of their minds. As the end of the wedding drew near, the deck’s gravity was temporarily reduced. Musicians, dancers, and guests alike soared above, laughing and enjoying themselves. A few of them, who had had one drink too many, were quickly intercepted before they could make a floating mess.

Bran remained safely bound to his grounded chair. All the furniture was wisely bolted to the floor.

He let himself enjoy the moment. Beside him, Eryn floated expertly above the deck. Not dancing or struggling like the others, she just floated, smiling.

A wedding in space, Bran conceded, did offer the best view after all.