Signs and Portents
Posted on Fri Mar 27, 2026 @ 2:14am by Civilian Gertrude Helsing & Lieutenant Liam Blackwood & Civilian Florence Cooke & Civilian Beatrice Weatherford & Civilian Henrietta Barton
1,837 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Jubilee
Location: Tea Time Studio
It had been weeks since the Marine Corps Ball and the station was back to normal. Or as normal as DS5 could be. Even the commanders of the station had been quiet--publicly, anyway. It made for a rather boring Tea Time.
But things were about to change. Word was spreading that a comet that had not been seen in 250 years would be passing through the system in just over a week. Ships were already arriving, hoping to watch the event--or be blessed by the good fortune said to come to those who saw its passing.
Gertie was the first to arrive, as usual. She liked to be early to make sure that everything was ready, and to get the tea ready. Whether D'ouaine brought the promised fortune or not, it would bring a lot of business to the local merchants, and that would be very good indeed.
Once the tea, sandwiches, scones, and cookies were set out, Gertie sat down and waited for the others to arrive.
Beatrice came into the studio, yawning. While on the way she had stopped off for a rare coffee with an extra shot of espresso but it hadn't kicked in yet.
Opening she put the to-go cup under the coffee table, fighting another yawn. "Hey Gert, uhhh..., I can't stop yawning."
"How late did you stay up last night?" Gerty asked.
Dabbing the corners of her eyes as she had teared slightly from the yawn. "No later than usual," giving a slight giggle, "though I have been taking some dance lessons."
Leaning forward, Gertie asked. "Really? What sort of dance lessons? Don't tell me you're learning to tango, too?"
Picking up the coffee she smiled slyly. "Not specifically." Picking up a shortbread as she sat back. Just general ballroom, but Tango is on the list."
"That sounds like fun. You should consider filming one of your dances--when you feel competent enough." Gertie grinned mischievously. "Might as well show that the commander is having a positive influence on the station personnel."
Henrietta walked in just at that particular moment. "Who is taking dancing lessons? I am rather curious as to who and where?" the woman setting down her own offerings of pastries. "I've been seeing booths being set up in preparations for the incoming comet. In fact, I had a person stop me to see if I wanted my fortune read. A curious individual, I did let her read my palm, she said I was in store for a time of romance." she chuckled. "There really isn't anyone in my life right now, and I do not see anything in my future truly."
Beatrice looked up and smiled at Henri's entrance before replying to them both. "I don't know about filming my efforts but we could definitely mention the increase. Because I'm not the only one in class. That and things ARE getting hectic on the promenade with the incoming comet."
"Very much. I hear the arboretum is going to close all but the recreational deck for the duration. Can't say I blame them. The last thing they need is a bunch of visitors deciding to camp out." Gertie shook her head. She loved taking walks on the different levels of the arboretum and would hate to see any part of them damaged by careless visitors.
"Well, that would be horrible for the place of beauty be ruined. We do have a guest that can give us more information on the comet. I'd like to introduce our...I mean the Chief of Science Lieutenant Liam Blackwood." Henrietta glanced towards the wings of their little studio.. "Liam would you please come join us." her eyes sparkling with delight and anticipation.
Liam stepped out from the wings, smoothing down his uniform jacket as he approached the table. “Good afternoon, ladies.” He said with a smile, taking an open seat.
After pouring him a cup and handing it to him Beatrice poured herself a cup as she asked, "So Lieutenant, what can you tell us about the comet that will be arriving soon?"
“Thank you for having me.” He began. “Long-time listener, first-time guest. And I promise I’ll try not to bore your audience into switching channels.”
He settled back slightly.
“Comet D’ouaine is what we call a long-period comet. It has an orbital cycle of roughly two hundred and fifty years. The last documented time it passed through this system was during the early expansion period of this sector...long before Deep Space Five even existed.”
He lifted his cup slightly. “So, in many ways, this is the first time the station itself gets to see it.”
Liam took a sip of his tea before continuing.
“It’s made up mostly of volatile ices...water, ammonia, methane....with a fair amount of silicate dust mixed in. As it gets closer to the star, those ices heat up and turn to vapor, which creates the glowing coma and the tail everyone’s excited about. Given the angle of solar radiation and the particle density in this region, projections suggest the tail should be especially bright this time around.”
He smiled. “In simpler terms…it’s going to be beautiful.”
"It sounds like it. But then, space has a lot of lovely things to see," Gertie said. "So, tell us what makes this comet so special--besides the 250-ear cycle."
Beatrice set her cup in the saucer she held. "And the station gets a front row seat for it all. But all the traffic, the closure of areas of the station, and other measures being taken. All these visitors to the station aren't here just for the beauty of the comet are they?
"What makes D’ouaine stand out isn’t just the 250 year orbit. It’s that it’s predictable, rare, and historically documented across multiple cultures in this sector. There are records some scientific, some less so, tying its appearances to major transitions. Political shifts. New trade routes. Even the founding of a few colonies.”
He smiled.
“Correlation, not causation, of course. But when something only appears once every few generations, people tend to assign meaning to it. Not everyone coming to the station is here purely for the view. Some are scientists hoping to gather fresh data. Others are pilgrims who believe witnessing its passage brings renewal or good fortune. A few merchants see opportunity. And whenever you mix belief, rarity, and commerce… you get crowds.”
Henrietta was looking around, Where was Flo? Did she get stardust in her eyes from dancing?
"Oh Florie, wherefore art thou, Florie?" Henrietta looking straight at the camera, "anyone out there, if you see our missing Tea Time Lady, Miss Florence Cooke, please send her our way." giving warm smile, "It feels oddly empty without her."
"She's either shopping or flirting," Gertie replied cheerfully. "Or both, knowing her."
Florie entered the room. "Sorry, I'm late, ladies, I went out to buy some new boots, met an old friend and lost track of the time." She smiled. "If it’s any consolation, I brought some fresh pastries."
"Well then," Gertie said cheerfully, "You'll just need to show everyone your new boots."
Florie held up a pair of knee high boots. "Fine red Algorian mammoth leather, what do you think?" She asked.
"I think they're lovely. Just the thing to watch the arrival of a famous comet," Gertie said, bringing the discussion back on topic.
She turned her attention back to the chief science officer. "That's good to know. I'm sure we'll hear hundreds of people claiming the comet is responsible for one thing or another. So, what do you recommend we do to take advantage of the coming comet?"
Liam smiled. “Well, scientifically speaking? Find a good viewing spot and enjoy it.”
He rested his hands around the teacup.
“The arboretum observation decks will probably be some of the best places on the station. Low light, wide viewing angles. But honestly, anywhere with a clear view of the system should work.”
He winked. “And if you happen to feel a little luckier afterward, I won’t argue with the result.”
Gertie laughed. "Neither will I. Is there anything else you would like to tell our viewers?"
Henrietta was listening to every detail that Liam Blackwood was talking about and gave a soft chuckle when he mentioned feeling luckier. It was all a bit well possibly filled with nonsense.
Beatrice was shaking her head and looked to their guest. "You’ll have to excuse Gertie. She suffered a slight stroke a few years ago which rendered her perpetually horny."
Henrietta raised her eyebrows and gasped out. "Beatrice, it isn't Gertie. You've said before that it is Florie!" she looked over towards Liam. "I am sorry we must be a little bit twitter pated to be talking like this. Perhaps it is due to the comet that is coming our way. Already it seems that we're being affected."
Gertie laughed. "There are many ways to get lucky. Florie's welcome to any man she can catch. Me, I'd rather be lucky in other ways. Perhaps this will be a good time to take up needlepoint. I hear it's in fashion again."
Liam blinked, caught off guard by the sudden turn in the conversation. For a brief moment he looked down at his teacup, composing himself before looking back up. “Well… I’ll leave the station’s luck and romance forecasts to the fortune tellers on the promenade." He said. “My expertise mostly ends at orbital mechanics.”
He folded his hands. “What I can say is that events like this tend to bring people together....scientists, travelers, pilgrims, merchants. Even if the comet itself doesn’t change anyone’s fate, the gathering around it sometimes does. New ideas, new friendships… occasionally new opportunities.”
"Thank you," Gertie said, smiling. "New opportunities are always welcome--especially on a station this large. I think, with this new chaos, we will need all the good luck the comet can engender."
“Thank you all for having me. It’s been a pleasure joining you today.” He set the cup down and leaned back slightly. “If any of your listeners or anyone on the station has more questions about D’ouaine or anything else astronomical, I’d be happy to help. I’ll make myself available.”
"Wonderful." Gertie grinned. "You've given us a lot to look forward to. Thank you."
She turned to the camera. "You heard it. A lot of people and maybe some luck are headed our way. We've been through a lot recently, but I think we can deal with this, too. Especially now that we know what to expect. So, time to stock up and get ready for the onslaught. For the Tea Time ladies, this is Granny Gertie. Good luck and good shopping."
Gertrude Helsing
Tea Time Lady
Deep Space 5
Civilian Henrietta Barton
Teatime Lady
Deep Space 5
Civilian Beatrice Weatherford
Tea Time Lady
Deep Space 5
Florence Cooke
Tea Time Lady
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant Liam Blackwood
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space 5
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