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Klang3Omake

The planet of Seralix IV stretched out in front of Keen, Zizania, and their Rinan companions as they descended from their shuttle. The landscape was stark and beautiful—a vast expanse of golden desert, bordered by mountains in the distance. The winds howled gently, stirring up dust devils that danced across the sand. Seralix IV had been chosen for its unique ecological challenge: to stabilize the desert in such a way that it neither expanded nor shrank, maintaining a delicate balance for the sake of the planet's ecosystems.

The Affini government had proposed the usual solution—a tree barrier, vast and sprawling, a natural barricade to hem in the sands. But Keen had a different idea. Faster, more efficient, and a bit more creative. Wind traps.

The team was led by Jene, one of Keen's brightest Rinan students. She was young but eager, her fur fluffed with excitement. Her bright eyes sparkled with determination. Zizania, ever the calm overseer, stood beside her, a serene presence of vines and leaves. Keen, for his part, was there to provide guidance—should it be needed, of course. He was letting the Rinans lead this time, but his hands itched to get involved.

"Alright, Jene," Zizania said softly, her vines coiling lightly around her. "This is your project. You know what to do."

Jene nodded, her small frame practically vibrating with energy. "Yes, ma'am!" She turned to her team of Rinans, who were equally ready to get started. "Okay, everyone! Let’s get these wind traps set up! We want to capture the wind to create microclimates that can stabilize the desert border without letting the sands shift too much."

The Rinans, quick and nimble, scurried about, hauling materials from the shuttle to their designated spots. The wind traps were simple but ingenious—large, triangular structures designed to funnel the wind into underground reservoirs where the moisture could be collected and used to sustain patches of hardy vegetation. This way, the desert wouldn’t grow, but it also wouldn’t shrink, maintaining a balance that would keep the planet’s ecosystem, and spectacular vistas, stable.

Keen watched with pride as the Rinans worked. They were efficient, moving with a precision that spoke to their training and their enthusiasm. He was content to let them lead, at least for now. It was good to see them taking charge, to see them thinking outside the box.

“Hey, Keen,” Zizania called over, a playful smile on her lips. “Not going to jump in and take over? It’s not like you to sit back and watch.”

Keen grinned, extending his legs a bit so he could see over the wind traps. “Oh, I’m just here for moral support, Zi! And maybe to throw them a curveball if it'd make for a better story later.”

Zizania chuckled. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The installation went smoothly. Jene directed her team with a confidence that surprised even her. The wind traps went up quickly, their angular forms jutting up against the clear blue sky. The desert winds were funneled exactly as planned, creating a series of controlled currents that would keep the sands in check. It was unorthodox, but it worked—and it looked fascinating.

After several hours, the work was done. The wind traps stood in neat rows, a series of gleaming structures that cast long shadows across the sand. The team gathered, sweaty but triumphant, to admire their handiwork.

“That… looks fantastic,” Zizania said, genuinely impressed. “Good job, Jene.”

Jene beamed, her ears twitching with excitement. “Thank you, Zi! I couldn’t have done it without my team.”

Keen clapped his hands together. “Excellent work, everyone! You’ve done it! You’ve saved the planet from the tyranny of the sands!”

As the team was packing up, preparing to return to the shuttle, a local Affini bureaucrat arrived. Liane, Fifth Bloom, she/her, was in charge of overseeing the ecological efforts on Seralix IV. Her vines flowed gracefully as she approached, her face bright with curiosity.

“What’s this? Wind traps instead of a tree barrier?” Liane asked, examining the structures. Her eyes widened with surprise and delight. “Oh, how clever! And so much more resource-efficient! This will be quite the tourist attraction, I imagine. Well done!”

Jene blushed under the praise. “Thank you! It was Keen’s idea, really. We just… made it happen.”

Keen scoffed. “Nah, you took a napkin sketch and turned it into architecture.”

Liane smiled warmly, her vines rustling with approval. “A wonderful idea. You have done splendidly.”

And then, just as the team was about to head back, one of the smallest Rinans, a little ball of fluff named Aika, approached Liane. In her tiny paws, she held a small basket. Inside, nestled comfortably on a soft blanket, were three tiny kittens—eyes barely open, mewling softly.

“I… I brought you a gift,” Aika said shyly, holding up the basket. “They’re really sweet. And they’ll keep you company.”

Liane’s eyes softened, her vines reaching out to gently cradle the basket. “Oh, my goodness. They’re… adorable!” She cooed softly at the kittens, her expression melting into pure affection. “Thank you, Aika. I… I’ve never had a horse before. This is wonderful.”

Aika giggled. “It's called cat, not horse!”

Keen couldn’t resist. He stepped forward, his voice booming with playful grandiosity. “BEHOLD! Another planet rescued from entropy’s grasp… with SCIENCE!” He threw his head back and let out a theatrical mad scientist cackle, his voice echoing across the desert.

The team laughed, and even Liane chuckled, the kittens mewling in her vines. As they boarded the shuttle, the work complete, there was a sense of satisfaction among them all. They had done good work, and they had done it together.

Two missions accomplished, Keen thought.

A year and a bit later, Liane received a message from a xenoveterinary friend of hers. “Oh, and don’t forget to spay and neuter your kitties after their first litter,” the message read. “Also, I’d love to adopt one of the new ones when they arrive. Let me know?”

Liane smiled, glancing at the now slightly older kittens tumbling around her office, playing with the vines that dangled down from her desk. Yes, they were certainly a joy—and quite the unexpected delight.

---

The day was perfect for launch: a clear blue sky with just a few wispy clouds and a gentle breeze. Keen stood by the makeshift launchpad on the outskirts of the Rinan capital, watching with pride as his graduating class of Rinan engineering students made their final preparations. Unlike the usual frenetic scene of rockets ready to blast off with a flurry of smoke and fire, today's launch was a study in serenity and ingenuity.

The Rinan under Keen's mentorship had decided to do something different, something that would mark their rite of passage in a unique way. Instead of the standard "More boosters! More struts!" approach, they had opted for elegance and innovation. The result was an airship-ionocraft hybrid, a graceful vessel that would slowly ascend into the sky, eventually releasing a small, Gemini-like space capsule into orbit around Nyrina and then, with a single boost, a free-return trajectory around its mun.

Keen had been involved in the planning phase, of course—suggesting a few tweaks, a bit of guidance here and there—but for the most part, this was their project, their triumph. Now, all he had to do was observe and keep an ear on the radio as they embarked on their journey.

Beside him stood Vervain, an Affini in charge of safety for today's mission. Going from a planet to its moon was essentially a grocery run for Terrans and even simpler for Affini, of course, but Rinan traditions had to be respected and the graduating launch of the WhatGoesUp.WhatGoesUp program was one of them. She had her vines crossed in a subtle expression of impatience. Vervain had a gentle face framed by cascading leaves, but today, her leafy eyebrows were furrowed.

"This is taking forever," she grumbled, glancing up at the airship as it began its slow ascent into the sky. "If this were a normal rocket, they'd be halfway to the Mun by now."

Keen chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Ah, Vervain, you must learn to appreciate the journey, not just the destination. This approach is not only environmentally friendly but also wonderfully creative. No Rocket Age civilization ever managed to use a hybrid craft like this, and neither any modern hobbyist trying to do so with period technology. You’ve got to admit, it’s pretty clever."

Vervain sighed, her vines twitching slightly. "I suppose... but it's just so slow. I was hoping to be back in time for cuddle time with my floret. I mean, she does love it when I come home early."

Keen gave her a knowing smile. "Patience, my immortal friend. The best things in life take time. And look at it this way — you get a cool story to take home. An airship launching a space capsule doesn't happen every day, or even every semester."

Up above, the airship gently floated higher, its ion thrusters crackling softly as they pushed against the thin atmosphere. The Rinans onboard were busy at their stations, adjusting instruments, checking readings, and communicating with ground control. Every now and then, a cheer would go up as another milestone was achieved — a smooth altitude gain, the activation of the atmospheric ion thrusters, the successful activation of a stabilizer, the gentle drift into the upper atmosphere, the opening of the nitrogen tanks to feed the ion engines in closed-cycle mode.

Keen couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride. This was their moment, their ingenuity on display. And they were doing it with style.

As the airship continued its slow, graceful climb, one of the Rinan students, a particularly fluffy little fellow named Blil, scampered down from the observation platform. He carried a small, woven basket in his arms, cradling it carefully.

Blil approached Vervain, his whiskers twitching with a mix of nervousness and excitement. "Um, Miss Vervain?" he piped up, his small voice barely audible over the gentle hum of the airship's ascent.

Vervain turned, her expression softening at the sight of the young Rinan. "Yes, Blil? What is it?"

Blil held out the basket, his eyes wide. Inside, nestled on a soft blanket, were two tiny kittens, their eyes barely open, mewling softly. "I... I wanted to say sorry for making you wait so long. And I know you like cuddles, so... here are some cuddles you can take home with you."

Vervain’s eyes widened, and her vines softened, uncrossing immediately. She gently took the basket, her expression melting into pure affection. "Oh, Blil... they’re precious. Thank you so much."

Keen gave Blil a thumbs up. He overdid it a little bit, but hey, it worked.

The kittens mewed softly, their tiny bodies wriggling in the basket. Vervain’s vines cradled them delicately, as if they were the most precious things in the world. "These little ones will make wonderful companions. I think they’ll help make up for the wait. Thank you, Blil."

Keen grinned, watching the exchange with amusement. "See, Vervain? The best things really do come to those who wait."

Vervain laughed softly, her earlier annoyance completely gone. "Yes, I suppose you're right, Keen. Thank you, Blil. This is a wonderful gift."

The airship reached its target altitude, and the team on board signaled back to the ground that they were ready for the final stage. Keen and Vervain turned their attention back to the sky, just in time to see the small space capsule detach from the airship, its main thruster firing briefly to give it the final push into orbit.

"Look at that!" Keen shouted, his voice filled with excitement. "Perfect launch! Textbook!"

The students cheered over the radio, their voices filled with triumph and exhilaration. The airship began its slow descent back to the surface, mission accomplished; the two Rinans in the capsule began the short checklist for trans-munar injection, with Keen reminding them to go slow and not skip steps. An Affini shuttle would keep an eye on the capsule and its two occupants as they went around the mun and made reentry, but that portion of the mission was pretty routine.

Vervain cradled the kittens close, a contented smile on her face. "Well, Keen, it looks like your students have done it."

Keen nodded, his heart swelling with pride. "Yes, they have. Another triumph for science and creative engineering!" No mad-scientist cackle today, not in front of the students' families.

The Rinans laughed, their joyous squeaks filling the air. Vervain chuckled, gently petting the kittens. The mission was a success, and everyone—students, teachers, and even grumpy Affini safety officers—would have a story to tell.

Eighteen months or so later, Vervain got an email from a colleague elsewhere on Nyrina. “Hey, don’t forget to spay and neuter your kitties after their first litter,” the message read. “Speaking of, I’d love to adopt one or two of the new ones when they're weaned. Let me know if you have any left?”

Vervain smiled, looking at the now slightly older kittens chasing her vines around the room. "Ah, little ones," she said softly, "looks like you’ve already got a fan club."

Klang3

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