The news anchor Michael Archon stiffened up as the camera feed began, keeping his red-speckled wings neatly pressed against his backside. Behind him, the green screen's projection showed a busy Orbital Works in orbit around Elysia, the pulsing glow of fusion bulbs illuminating parts of the many ships still being constructed - or more accurately, grown - in is scaffolding. He swallowed the last bit of water in his throat before his soothing voice opened up, "High in orbit around Elysia, the Hibiscus Vessel Works has been hard at work for the past eighteen months creating the triplet Cumulus-class vessels. These cargo vessels can carry hundreds of thousands of tons of goods each as they journey the trade lanes linking us to Yamatai and Nepleslia, sharing our blessed wealth with our neighbors - and theirs, with us."
The green screen's camera feed zoomed in and focused on the Orbital Works, with such detail that a handful of working Seraphs were seen branding letters onto the hull of one of the aforementioned vessels - the Threadweaver. Michael paused to let the interested viewers focus on the picture before he continued, "The vessels are in the process of choosing their names now, with the first already identifying as the Threadweaver, and her sister the Starglass. The third vessel is yet undecided, still in communion with the Sayers which bless our vessels with the tales and knowledge to choose their identities.
"For those that don't remember, all but the smallest of our vessels are raised with the stories of history and legends alongside them, that they may be enlightened on the beauty and dangers of the world around them. Those dedicated to enacting this sacred duty, the Sayers, cannot simply read from a book alone; for some vessels, an entire performance is recited monthly for their development!" The camera feed behind Michael Archon cuts to a new image, drawn with software as abstraction. Small figures surround a device or core of some kind, moving particles from it to another, as the anchor continues, "This, and the memory replication from the original Cumulus, ensures that no vessel is unprepared for her duties. The third vessel today will remain in communion for one more hour at most. Their maiden voyages to the heart of Yamatai itself are scheduled to begin on the third morrow."
The red-speckled anchor nodded and closed off his segment, "That is all for today. We will return after a word from our sponsors." The news channel fades to black, before an advertisement of a local entertainment park commands the screen.
The green screen's camera feed zoomed in and focused on the Orbital Works, with such detail that a handful of working Seraphs were seen branding letters onto the hull of one of the aforementioned vessels - the Threadweaver. Michael paused to let the interested viewers focus on the picture before he continued, "The vessels are in the process of choosing their names now, with the first already identifying as the Threadweaver, and her sister the Starglass. The third vessel is yet undecided, still in communion with the Sayers which bless our vessels with the tales and knowledge to choose their identities.
"For those that don't remember, all but the smallest of our vessels are raised with the stories of history and legends alongside them, that they may be enlightened on the beauty and dangers of the world around them. Those dedicated to enacting this sacred duty, the Sayers, cannot simply read from a book alone; for some vessels, an entire performance is recited monthly for their development!" The camera feed behind Michael Archon cuts to a new image, drawn with software as abstraction. Small figures surround a device or core of some kind, moving particles from it to another, as the anchor continues, "This, and the memory replication from the original Cumulus, ensures that no vessel is unprepared for her duties. The third vessel today will remain in communion for one more hour at most. Their maiden voyages to the heart of Yamatai itself are scheduled to begin on the third morrow."
The red-speckled anchor nodded and closed off his segment, "That is all for today. We will return after a word from our sponsors." The news channel fades to black, before an advertisement of a local entertainment park commands the screen.
