This week, our Odd Prompts hint was from Fiona Grey. She gave us, “The row of vultures perched high upon the cloud, peering down through a pink, leopard-spotted cloud.” We had a couple of different ideas for this one, so we decided to try to combine the two and see what happened.

Planetfall

The Vultures circled lower as they closed in on the final approach. Even though they had been planning this for what seemed like an eternity, they were making one last stop to go over the plan, clustering thickly around a tall peak that jutted through a second, higher layer of clouds, well above the unbroken wall below. The row of Vultures perched high upon the cloud, peering down as if to see through a single pink, leopard-spotted cloud that apparently enveloped the entire world.

The chatter between the ships rose to what would have been, in person, a deafening roar. Everyone was keyed up over finally being here, on their target world. After letting the cross-talk swell to a crescendo and break, Commodore Settles broke in with a sharply barked “Shut it!” Talk stopped abruptly. Tara wasn’t precisely scared of the Commodore, but she also didn’t want to get on her bad side. Commodore Lia Settles was a tough cookie. 

The Commodore’s voice came through her communicator, steady and calming. “Okay, as we planned, teams of three will move out in all directions to find a good base. The flag and an escort will stay here in order to follow up on suggested locations efficiently and to provide overwatch in case of trouble. Any last minute questions?” The silent moment’s pause stretched out unbearably as we waited. Finally, the Commodore’s voice started again, “Okay, then. You have your headings. Remember that if you have trouble and lose contact, fly straight up. We’ll be watching and will come to assist.”

At her word, we all broke away, falling into formation as we descended into the cloud cover.  

And the Lucky Winner Was…

Becky Jones, who got the prompt we sent in, “She kept trying to send in her application, but they wouldn’t accept it. They kept saying her address was invalid.” Her story in response to that can be found at https://profornery.wordpress.com/2020/08/31/possession-by-a-house/