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0:35

Escapod. Episode 976.

0:38

Reflected in Mirred

0:40

Skyes. By Deborah

0:42

Elthaft. Part 1 of 2. Hello

1:09

and welcome to Escape Pod. The

1:11

very first science fiction podcast magazine.

1:14

I'm Merlafferty, your co-editor and host,

1:16

bringing you wishes for a happy

1:18

new year and our first story

1:21

of 2025. Part one of Reflected

1:23

and Mirred Skyes by Deborah L.

1:25

Davitt. Deborah was raised in Nevada,

1:28

who currently lives in Houston, Texas,

1:30

with her husband and son. Her

1:32

award-winning poetry and prose has appeared

1:35

in over 70 journals, including F&S

1:37

and S. Asa Moves, Analog,

1:39

and Light Speed. For more

1:41

about her work, see Deborah

1:43

L. davitt.com. He released a

1:46

new poetry chatbook in 2024,

1:48

Xenoforming. It's narrated for

1:51

us by Iba Armancass.

1:53

Iba is an Emmy-nominated

1:55

writer-director producer currently working

1:58

for K-L-C-S-PBS. in Los

2:00

Angeles. A voracious reader who began

2:02

narrating fiction podcast nearly a decade

2:05

ago, she is now one of

2:07

three narrators on inner space, outer

2:10

thoughts, Caltech, NASA, JPL's first science

2:12

fiction anthology. In her free

2:14

time, she is learning to make

2:16

neon signs and getting way too

2:18

into hockey. This story was originally

2:20

published in compelling science fiction in

2:23

2018. So strap yourself in like

2:25

you've got 18 months to go. It's

2:27

story time. reflected

2:35

in mirrored skies by Deborah

2:37

L. Dapht, read by Ibaramagas.

2:40

Above them stars. Below, the

2:42

endless royal of leaden clouds

2:44

that engulfed Venus from

2:47

pole to pole. Mariana Dulahay

2:49

watched the radar screen and

2:51

eyed the autopilot's trajectory.

2:54

Beside her, her co-pilot

2:56

had his feet up on the

2:58

console. Relax, Aloha Jalani

3:01

told her. Aloa Jalani told

3:03

her. The computer's done the

3:05

flying for months. It'll handle the

3:07

docking maneuvers too. He laced his hands

3:10

behind his head. I don't get why

3:12

they need us along for these halls.

3:14

Mariana shrugged, overriding the

3:16

autopilot. She loved the feel of the

3:19

ship. The sensation of wind transmitting

3:21

into her hands through the controls.

3:23

She'd flown a C-17 globe master

3:25

back on earth. She missed it. Her

3:27

current assignment felt like a glorified

3:30

trucking gig. The human mind,

3:32

Alua. She reminded him, is our best

3:34

backup. We're here to ensure that

3:36

computer error doesn't cost thousands

3:39

of lives. Ahead of them,

3:41

illuminated by Venus's slow creeping dawn,

3:43

a ship hovered. Long, white-tiled,

3:45

and cylindrical, it hung inside

3:48

a mesh of carbon-fiber filaments

3:50

that cradled it below

3:52

three parallel cigar-shaped balloons,

3:54

each the length of the ship itself.

3:56

And trailing behind it? A

3:58

shimmering filaments... of silver. At

4:01

this distance it looked like spider

4:03

silk, but was as wide as a

4:05

soccer pitch, though no thicker than a

4:07

human hair. These soap bubble mirrors

4:10

floated above the clouds, reflecting

4:12

light and heat, cooling the

4:14

planet below. It would be centuries

4:17

before the sulfur clouds precipitated

4:19

a snow, the carbon in

4:22

the atmosphere following. Plans

4:24

called for that snow to be

4:26

paved over with diamond, locked in

4:28

place forever. But no one alive

4:30

today would see it. Three balloons?

4:32

Aloa asked. Why not just one?

4:35

Like a Zeppelin back home.

4:37

Venus requires redundancies.

4:39

Mariana reminded him. Drop

4:41

below the clouds and if the

4:43

pressure doesn't crush your ship,

4:46

the heat will charborell you

4:48

and the sulfuric acid will

4:50

dissolve whatever remains. She touched

4:53

the comms control. This is

4:55

supply replenishment ship, 1468. We

4:57

are making our final approach,

4:59

40 kilometers to your southwest.

5:01

Open the barn doors. S. 1468. This

5:04

is the catheche?" A pleasant

5:06

female voice responded. Captain DeSirecen's

5:09

compliments, Captain Dulehe. The barn

5:11

doors are open, but we

5:13

are not receiving the autopilot

5:15

handshake. Mariana gave Alua

5:17

a side-long look. Want to take her

5:19

in on manual? The younger man

5:22

suddenly pulled his feet off the console

5:24

as a door on the flat

5:26

surface of the cylinder opened.

5:28

Policy dictates. Mariana

5:30

chuckled. Policy states that someone

5:32

with 8,000 flight hours log

5:35

can take it in. But even I

5:37

use autopilot. Liability insurance

5:39

doesn't cover idiocy. She clicked

5:42

a button on the console. Bring us

5:44

in, Kitesh. She leaned back. Now,

5:46

for my safety lecture. There's no

5:48

more than a thousand people in each

5:51

of these habitats, most of whom are

5:53

here on 20-year contracts or are lifers.

5:55

They get excited about new faces. Don't

5:57

let that go to your head. Alua

6:00

frowned. Why would I? Mariana gave

6:02

him a look. Because you're a young

6:04

guy and you spent the last 18

6:07

months cooped up with only me for

6:09

company? Heck, last time I was here

6:11

I hooked up myself. Though now's my

6:13

chance to figure out if Tesar

6:16

and I have something real going

6:18

on, or if it's just hormones

6:20

isolation and wishful thinking. I'm just

6:23

saying if you find someone friendly,

6:25

use a condom. And what business

6:27

is that of yours? Mariana

6:30

rolled her eyes. I'm staying here to get

6:32

six months of gravity on my bones,

6:34

she replied bluntly. I won't be

6:36

there to laugh when you complain that it

6:39

burns when you pee on the way home. Like

6:41

her son on earth. Although I like to argue.

6:43

A trait she found less than endearing.

6:45

All of a side. Yes, mother. Can the

6:47

mommy crap? Mariana replied succinctly.

6:50

To think that I looked forward to

6:52

having a trainee with me on this run,

6:54

just to have somebody to talk to talk

6:57

to. Captain

7:00

Danel Tazar stood in the

7:03

cargo bay, watching his people

7:05

unload supplies from the SRS.

7:07

Welcome back, pirate, he told

7:09

Mariana, with a cheerful public

7:12

reserve that belied the hundreds

7:14

of text messages sent

7:16

between them. Two years had

7:18

wrought changes. Fresh gray

7:21

sprinkled her dark hair. How was

7:23

earth? She made a face. Only they long

7:25

enough to see my kids, and

7:27

then I rotated back out again.

7:29

Her co-pile had asked. His

7:31

dark eyes sparkling with mischief.

7:33

What's this? Mariana Grimest.

7:36

I have an interest in the age

7:38

of sale. Your captain might be

7:40

descended from the female

7:42

buccaneer. Jacquesote d'ulé. Pirates,

7:44

she grumbled. Overly

7:46

romanticized criminals. Desir

7:49

gestured for them to accompany

7:51

him. The autonomy that captains

7:53

had in those days fascinates fascinates

7:55

fascinates me. They were alone out there

7:57

and had to enforce order with little

8:00

more than charisma. I consider

8:02

each pirate, and each pirate

8:04

hunter, a case study in

8:06

leadership." Mariana nodded,

8:08

but Olua looked bored. If

8:10

you don't need me for anything,

8:13

the young man returned, I'd

8:15

like to go explore. Don't get

8:17

in anyone's way, Mariana

8:20

replied. Yes, mother, Olua

8:22

called, ducking out of

8:24

the compartment. Tassa regarded

8:26

Mariana. Your replacement?

8:29

He's young. Mariana replied,

8:31

shrugging. Eighteen months without

8:33

anyone to talk to will

8:35

make or break him. She smiled

8:38

and gave Dassar a nudge in

8:40

the ribs. You up for cards

8:42

tonight? Maybe your exo too. What's

8:44

his name again? Joshua Lee.

8:47

Dassar's smile faded. Lee died

8:49

last year. His wife had

8:51

seniority and wound up as

8:53

exo. Her head rose. In trouble?

8:56

She murmured. Something

8:58

to talk about, but

9:00

not here." He replied

9:03

just as softly.

9:05

Look, I'll invite her

9:08

tonight, and you can

9:10

see for yourself.

9:12

Mariana acquiesced.

9:15

He liked her

9:17

ability to adapt.

9:19

A quality he wished

9:21

more people in his

9:24

habitat possessed. just loudly

9:26

enough for the young

9:28

officers of the navigation

9:30

and communication consoles to hear

9:32

her. The 3D printers could manufacture

9:34

everything we need without recourse to

9:36

Earth if we didn't waste her

9:38

abundance on these mirrors. The

9:40

communications officer, a young woman of

9:43

Eurobay ancestry, looked up from where

9:45

she was monitoring calm traffic from the

9:47

rest of the habitat fleet. A sure

9:49

commander, she agreed, but the printers can't

9:51

make a goosey seats. And I can't make

9:53

a goosey soup without the melons. So I'm

9:56

stuck ordering seeds from Earth and begging for

9:58

space in one of the greenhouses. Bittna

10:00

felt her face tighten. Luxuries,

10:02

she sniffed. We could do without

10:04

them. The navigator, Jinkew

10:06

Pack, looked up, frowning.

10:08

Bittna considered him. She thought

10:10

Jinkew might be ready to be

10:13

recruited. Perhaps an encounter between

10:15

him and Yunceo would soon be

10:18

in order? I ordered Samupsil,

10:20

he noted, however. Everything

10:22

else I can do without, but even

10:24

from a can, it's a taste of

10:26

home. I know it's a waste of

10:28

money, but... Bitna turned away. He's not

10:30

as ready as I thought. Money, she snorted,

10:32

checking another station. A useless

10:35

habit of thought. Here we are, 260

10:37

million kilometers from Earth,

10:39

and we're all paid money that we

10:41

can't spend. Except for on goods from

10:43

Earth. Meals and board are provided.

10:45

The money we earn can be used to

10:47

buy little luxuries. Chocolate bars from

10:50

the habitat exchange. But no

10:52

one here makes any goods that

10:54

could be traded. There's no point

10:56

to the dollars we earn here. or the

10:58

rubles earned on the Russian habitat. It's

11:01

a meaningless gesture to assure us that

11:03

we aren't slaves, but none of it

11:05

is meaning unless we return to Earth. We

11:07

need to make our own meaning. Her mind

11:09

had spun like this, even before her

11:12

husband's useless death a year ago. But

11:14

Joshua had talked her out of

11:16

bitter jags of depression during her

11:18

first years. Sweetheart, I know it's

11:20

disappointing, but the Mars billets were all

11:22

filled. And this isn't so bad. We're together.

11:25

That's what matters matters, right.

11:27

Except that they'd been trapped inside

11:29

this windowless shit for years on end,

11:31

only seeing the same people, the same

11:33

faces, day in and day out.

11:36

Claustrophobia hit some people. They had

11:38

had a youngster go screaming out an

11:40

airlock just two years ago, unable

11:42

to bear the enclosed space any

11:44

longer. Depression over the pointlessness

11:47

of their existence had been

11:49

what hit Bittna. A planet she'd

11:51

never walk on. A slave to

11:53

some future generations' inheritance. And

11:55

then... Joshua had died a simple

11:58

heart attack and some inside

12:00

Bittna had snapped. We're not

12:02

together, and it's also pointless

12:04

the way it's being done. She'd gone

12:06

back to work early, taking his

12:09

position as exo because of

12:11

her seniority. For a while, her voice

12:13

had been toneless in public, as

12:15

she tried to work through the

12:17

grief and the anger. But then, she'd

12:20

started dreaming about the planet

12:22

below. Dreaming that she heard its

12:24

voice, like a spirit or a

12:26

ghost. Her rational mind denied it.

12:28

But... It didn't need to be true.

12:30

It just needed to be something

12:32

that other people could believe. Believe

12:35

in more strongly than they believed

12:37

in the lives of a distant Earth.

12:39

We don't have to be slaves to the

12:41

future. We can take control of

12:44

our own lives. Retask the 3D

12:46

printers for what we need. Weapons,

12:48

tools, sabotage the mirror production. Then,

12:51

when Earth is about to write us

12:53

off as a bad investment, declare

12:55

our independence. Her

12:57

wrist unit beeped. Park Lee here,

13:00

she said, tapping it. Exo? Novak

13:02

here. The head of security,

13:04

one of her current lovers and

13:06

one of her most ardent

13:08

supporters, sounded strained. Can

13:11

I have a moment? Bina could see

13:13

the encryption level on a

13:15

signal. What he had to say,

13:17

others couldn't hear. She stepped into

13:20

the captain's office beside CIC

13:22

and closed the door. What's the

13:24

problem? Be quick. I'm having dinner

13:26

with the SAR and the pilot of

13:29

that supply ship in an hour. The co-pilots

13:31

at issue. What about him? The plan

13:33

was very specific. They needed sympathetic

13:35

pilots who could smuggle in

13:37

weapons, provisions, extra parts, and

13:39

extra medicines. Put their useless

13:42

money to work in the

13:44

form of bribes and payoffs. Did Yuntio

13:46

make the approach? I groomed her

13:48

myself. She should have no difficulties

13:50

seducing a young man just off

13:52

18 months of isolation on an SRS. A

13:55

hesitation. She did.

13:57

That's the problem. Dassar

14:01

remembered the last time he'd played

14:04

cards with Mariana. He and the

14:06

pilot had wound up spending most of

14:08

the evening on the couch in his

14:10

quarters instead. The couch, the floor, the

14:12

bed. But these days he could feel trouble

14:14

brewing like an itch at the back of his

14:17

skull. He'd invited two others to join

14:19

them this evening. Dr. Leanne Barry,

14:21

the Habitat psychiatrist, and

14:23

his executive officer, Bitna Park

14:25

Lee. Bitna sat across the table

14:27

from him. Body language pulled in,

14:30

face closed. as she studied her

14:32

cards. Did you know, he commented,

14:34

breaking the silence, that

14:36

the astronomical symbol for Venus

14:38

is supposed to be the goddess

14:40

of love holding up her mirror?

14:42

I like that, Mariana replied to

14:44

the smile. Seems pretty on point, given

14:47

your mission here. Silence.

14:49

Conversation had limped along so

14:51

far. I was sorry to hear of your

14:53

loss. Mariana told Bittna now,

14:56

clearly trying to take the other

14:58

woman's measure. I am at your

15:00

husband the last time I passed

15:02

through. Thank you. Distant tone. So,

15:04

you are once again passing through.

15:07

A clear message in Bittna's

15:09

voice. Drop the subject. Mariana's

15:11

eyebrows rose. Not entirely. I'm

15:14

going to stay on Aphrodite Station

15:16

for six months. Maybe longer,

15:18

if there's a birth available

15:20

in one of the habitat ships.

15:23

Her eyes flickered towards Dassar.

15:25

A rueful addendum. Kind of

15:28

tired of being out there alone.

15:30

A nod at the ceiling. Ah. So

15:32

your co-pilot will be returning

15:34

to Earth alone, in an

15:36

empty supply ship. Bittness set

15:38

two cards on the table

15:40

with the precision of a

15:42

surgeon, excepting two in return

15:45

from Tassar. A waste, I

15:47

think. The SRS ship should be used

15:49

to take people home to Earth.

15:51

Mariana cleared her throat. We

15:53

do retrieve people at the ends of

15:55

their contracts, depending on their gravity

15:57

acclamation, and bring new colonists here.

16:00

No, I mean we should be sending people home

16:02

in mass, the ones who don't have

16:05

the proper attitude." Fitness expression

16:07

flickered. The proper attitude being?

16:09

Dr. Bieri prompted. If we must

16:12

remain, then we shouldn't change

16:14

this planet. We should live lightly

16:16

above her, without skimming her atmosphere

16:18

for carbon to wrap her in

16:20

veils of her own substance. Hiding

16:22

her face won't change her. She'll

16:24

eventually rebel and destroy us all,

16:26

if we try. Venus didn't

16:29

destroy Joshua. Dr. Bieri murmured.

16:31

I didn't say she did. DeSar had long

16:33

been aware of fitness anger and

16:35

resentment. She had requested

16:37

that mission control sent her

16:39

home after Joshua's death, but no

16:41

replacement could be sent for her for

16:44

18 to 24 months, thanks to the

16:46

logistics of space flight. So she'd stewed,

16:48

and her resentment seemed to be

16:50

infectious. Strange opinions, considering

16:52

you requested this assignment.

16:55

He pointed out. catching Bieri's

16:57

warning headchick. Joshua

16:59

volunteered. Bittner replied

17:01

stonily. He wanted Mars.

17:04

The waiting lists were too long,

17:06

so he put us up for Venus,

17:08

and look what it got him.

17:10

Little more than slavery and

17:12

death. DeSar opened his mouth to

17:14

retort, but a knock at his

17:16

door forestalled him. A crewman

17:19

poked her head around the hatch,

17:21

her eyes wide. Sir, she whispered, there's

17:23

a problem. Yes. He asked

17:26

impatiently. A look of

17:28

consternation. A body's been found, sir,

17:30

she replied, darting a glance at

17:33

Mariana. It's the co-pilot from

17:35

the SRS. Mariana stood in

17:38

the clinic, looking down at

17:40

Ola's body naked under its

17:42

sheet. He looked smaller, devoid

17:44

of the restless energy that

17:46

had marked him in life.

17:49

The habitat's medical doctors

17:51

had already done an autopsy. Not

17:53

that much of one had been

17:55

required. Multiple stab wounds

17:57

spoke for themselves. What did

17:59

he... get into," she murmured. Putting a hand

18:01

on the gurney, her throat suddenly constricting.

18:03

He'd been too much like her son

18:06

back on earth, she realized, was a sudden rush

18:08

of guilt. It had colored how she treated

18:10

him, brushing off his questions and arguments

18:13

brusquely. Distantly, the doctor's words

18:15

just a sour filtered through her consciousness.

18:17

Indications of a struggle, but no

18:19

DNA under his fingernails. Evidence of

18:21

recent sexual activity, but someone cleaned

18:23

his body before dumping it into

18:26

the waste disposal of the waste

18:28

disposal area. It would have gone

18:30

out with the next load of

18:32

unreclamables to burn in the atmosphere.

18:34

More lucky the greenhouse crew found him.

18:36

The doctor sounded dispirited. I used to

18:38

work in ER in Chicago, Captain. I thought

18:40

I'd put my days of violent crime

18:42

behind me. Mariana's head rose. They

18:44

washed him in bleach and threw him away like

18:47

trash. Dull words. Forcing her mind to

18:49

work through it. It gets worse. Tissar acknowledged

18:51

grimly. Security cameras didn't pick

18:54

up anyone moving through the corridors with

18:56

the corridors with the body. Security

18:59

cameras didn't pick up anyone

19:01

moving through the corridors with

19:03

the body. Or anyone entering

19:05

the disposal area till the

19:08

botany crew showed up. Whoever did

19:10

this knows I hijack security

19:12

systems. Or as a member

19:14

of your security team, Mariana

19:17

thought. I told him to stay out

19:19

of people's beds. She replied,

19:21

emptyly. Could be. The doctor

19:23

put in. Moving to the other side

19:25

of the gurney. But he probably

19:27

didn't know it was coming. The first

19:29

stab came from behind, but caught

19:32

a rib. She pulled back the sheets

19:34

and Mariana's mind would blank again.

19:36

He wasn't your son, but he called you

19:38

mother and he laughed. She felt DeSar's

19:40

hand on her shoulder, guiding her away

19:42

from the body. Greatfully, she took gulps

19:44

of clean air in a side office, then

19:47

raised her head and met his eyes. When

19:49

we catch the son of the bitch who

19:51

did this, what are the options? DeSar's side

19:53

and pulled a chair towards her

19:55

towards her. We're technically under

19:57

maritime law here he explained leaning

19:59

the desk. The cetace is

20:01

considered a U.S. flagship, which

20:04

means that for lesser offenses,

20:06

eh, bunk-arassed or

20:08

uncompensated work for limited

20:11

durations. For medium

20:13

offenses, exile to another

20:15

habitat, return to Earth. But

20:17

that's expensive. How about murder?

20:20

Mariana countered. He looked

20:22

away. I could send in to murder

20:24

or life imprisonment. There's

20:26

no jury in maritime law. There's

20:29

just me." DeSar exhaled, looking

20:31

grim. Life imprisonment's a

20:33

problem. A life sentence here means one

20:35

less person on my crew to do

20:37

the work that keeps everyone else alive.

20:39

And one more person taking up food

20:41

and air, so that people on the

20:43

waiting list have kids have to wait that

20:46

much longer to have them. So you dropped

20:48

them out the same garbage hatch that they

20:50

slated for Oloa? She countered. A

20:52

standard at how distant her voice sounded.

20:55

DeSargimist. I could. he acknowledged,

20:57

but I also have to get the people

20:59

still aboard to line up behind the idea.

21:01

In forcing the law gains me

21:03

their respect, but depending on who's

21:05

responsible, it might become one of

21:07

those leadership case studies I mentioned

21:09

earlier, like pirate captains needing to

21:11

maintain the loyalties of their crews. She

21:14

wanted to spit, wanted to deny

21:16

that political reality had anything to

21:18

do with justice, but he regarded

21:20

her with such steady patience that she took

21:22

a breath to calm herself. What the

21:24

hell's going on here, Daniel? I

21:27

haven't been able to prove anything,

21:29

he replied slowly. But our rate

21:31

of mirror deployment is down

21:33

by nearly 20% in the past

21:35

six months. Equipment keeps breaking down.

21:37

Spare parts get lost or the

21:40

3D printer's jam when trying to

21:42

manufacture new ones. Oxygen scrubbers

21:44

go offline. Sabitage, she asked,

21:46

blinking. Who'd sabotage is

21:48

the very habitat that's keeping them

21:51

alive. He nodded. Securities

21:53

found no evidence, but that's

21:55

my suspicion. I don't know if

21:57

Ola was death is related. I hope

21:59

not. And I don't know if my own XO

22:01

is involved, if she's the cause, or if her

22:04

attitude is the symptom, or if it's all just

22:06

a coincidence. He ran a hand through

22:08

his hair tiredly. I've had Dr. Bieri

22:10

listening to the crew's concerns. A

22:12

number of them seem to echo

22:14

bitterness sentiments. Some of them just want to

22:17

go home, I think. They signed one of

22:19

your contracts, and then realized that they

22:21

didn't like it here. But it's hard

22:23

to cancel the contract and go back and

22:25

go back. Others. There's cross-talk from

22:28

other captains that some of their crews

22:30

are upset at being subject to the

22:32

maritime laws of Earth, that they want

22:34

elective representatives and self-governance. Except that you're

22:37

on a ship, with qualified people who've

22:39

been trained to operate it, and you

22:41

can't and shouldn't be electing people who don't

22:43

have the training to run it. Choir preaching.

22:45

Tisar Grimist. Let's get on with

22:47

the investigation. I'll be fascinated to hear what

22:49

security has to say. and

23:11

that was part one of reflected

23:14

in mirrored skies by Deborah L.

23:16

Davitt. I'm still trying to get around

23:18

the idea that it's going to

23:20

take 18 months to drive somewhere.

23:22

Some people get tired of a

23:24

traveling companion after being on a

23:27

road trip for a day or

23:29

two. Lots of stories address boredom

23:31

and damage to mental health that

23:33

occur in situations like this. But

23:35

this story gave us something else.

23:37

Mariana and Alua developed a sort

23:39

of familial connection. with the good

23:42

parts, like affection, but also the

23:44

bad parts, like discounting an argument

23:46

when you think you know better than

23:48

your child. And now there is also the

23:50

grief of losing a loved one. Mariana,

23:53

shuttle pilot, mother, and mother by

23:55

association, must now take on the

23:57

mantle of investigator to see if

23:59

she can find out who killed

24:02

Alua and possibly uncover a

24:04

larger problem at the outpost.

24:06

Isolation damages more people than

24:08

just shuttle pilots. But we'll

24:10

talk about that next week.

24:12

Escape Pot is a production

24:14

of Escape Artists Incorporated distributed

24:16

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24:18

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but don't change it and

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other rights are reserved by

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our authors. Thank you to

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to you. Our music is by permission

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of Dikaiju. We can hear more from

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them at dikaiju.org. That was our show

25:15

for this week. Our quote comes from

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Douglas Adams. Space is big, really,

25:20

really big. You just won't believe

25:22

how vastly, hugely mind a bogglingly

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big it is. I mean, youth may think it's

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a long way down the road to

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the chemists, but that's just peanuts to

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space. We'll see you next week for

25:33

Part 2. Happy New Year. Stay safe,

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and stay kind.