Aglais Io

Link to article: Aglais Io.

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Gazing upon the radiance of the eye, Dr. Pitford beheld Jupiter's omniscient observer, the Great Red Spot. It pierced him, revealed him and stripped the doctor of all his securities and secrets, laying his life bare for judgement.

He stood on the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, Io. Its eccentric orbit in its periapsis phase, where Jupiter and Io were at their closest. He felt as if he could reach up and embrace Jupiter tightly. The planet was so immense and all-consuming, it made it difficult to comprehend such a celestial body could be dying, withering from a cancer that will soon turn on the earth, [*https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2399 SCP-2399].

The exact details were obscured behind heavy redactions and shushed bureaucracies, but it wasn’t difficult to infer. A hyper-advanced warship didn't exactly scare him, (being that was part of the job description) but it definitely was depressing to learn. He observed the mechanical beast spray a myriad of colours, lighting up the storm from within, each laser blast able to end the earth in a second.

A tap on his shoulder ended his introspection. He turned to see a young woman with swirling brown eyes. "Hey, Dr. Pitford right?" she asked cordially.

"I was waiting for Dr. Müller, is he with you?”

"Dr. Müller is ill. Nothing serious, but I will be filling in for him.”

He stared for a while, reconfiguring his mind to work out how in the hell the Foundation could mess this up. Not a singular email, not one notice and now he got a scientist he had never before seen at Io station one. Perhaps he stared too long, as the mystery doctor had to nudge him out of his torpor.

"Erm, are you okay, Dr. Pitford?" Those dizzying eyes made him nauseous and he struggled to respond.

"Yeah, and you are?"

"I'm Dr. Maria Juno, it's a pleasure to work with you.”

“Well, I hope you’re ready. The climb is not going to be easy.”

-----

The pair squinted up at the steepest mountain in the solar system, Steeple mountain. God-like fingers stretching 17km up to the sky. They grasped at unfathomable mysteries, which (to the dismay of Dr. Pitford), were //anomalous// mysteries. To be reported, prodded and deciphered.

Presently, all Jovian anomalies were reported to Jupiter’s command station, ‘Iris’. To date, 23 anomalies have cropped up across several moons, including Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, and Io.

Dr. Pitford demonstrated how to use their back thrusters, that would assist them on their ascent. An efficient azure flame lifted him from the ground, and he hovered. He was satisfied, besting his previous take-off time by several seconds. But the mental celebrations fizzled away, as checking his partner, she was already on the cliff above him, her backpack sizzling from activity.

“How did you… I guess you’re a natural.”

“Thank you, it all comes quite easily to me." Her stare was far away and solemn, but Dr. Pitford could not ascertain why.

“Why's that?”

“I was born on Iris.”

"That was you, huh? Then you have never been to Earth?"

"That's a luxury I can't afford, with 2399 causing a mess, I have a lot to do here.” She said. “Also, I do have a question? Why aren’t they sending unmanned missions to survey?”

“Did you read the mission brief doctor?” Dr. Pitford’s exacerbated sigh was answered with Dr. Juno’s immovable shrug. "Steeple mountain naturally deviates in height, whether through erosion, Jupiter's gravity or volcanic activity. But now, it possesses a visual anomaly that causes the peak to appear far taller than physically possible.”

"I can see that." Craning her neck.

"But in reality, neither drones or satellites can perceive the anomaly. This means that the expedition requires a human touch. So, we will take recordings at 5, 10, 15 and 17 km up respectively."

They secured the portable spectrometers, anemometers and seismic recorders. He traced his finger along his plasma pistol and radio, feeling secure by their presence. Their first steps marked the beginning.

Climbing, they felt the cold sulphur beneath their feet, snow that stained their boots a sickening yellow. Even through the spacesuit’s filtration system, breathing the dense volcanic air was difficult. He was conscious of where he placed his hands, reaching and grasping for the next hold. He breathed slow, but sweat still streamed, soaking his snoopy cap.

A chronic nervousness entwined Dr. Pitford. Perhaps he feared Io’s fragility, its anger erupting rancid fumes that reeked of his father’s Marlboros. Or 300,000 km above him, SCP-2399 was splattering Jupiter like a Jackson Pollock. But he knew it was neither, and the migraine from worrying wasn’t worth the effort.

Thankfully, the rear winds were favourable and they approached their first checkpoint an hour early. Planting the seismograph into the ground, he asked Dr. Juno to take recordings whilst he took wind speed.

“So, Dr. Juno, what do you specialise in?”

“Me? The thermodynamic convection currents of Jupiter. But at the moment, SCP-2399 has made it difficult for anyone to study Jupiter, it's ravaging the anticyclones and destroying her.” He noticed emotion for the first time.

"I thought that the Great Red Spot was a consequence of its electromagnetic fields devastating Jupiter's atmosphere."

"You're wrong. Jupiter is the one that birthed the spot."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know of the Church of the Sky?"

"They believe that planets are Gods, or divine, or something right?" He turned to look at Dr. Juno, who was doing a poor imitation of appearing busy. "You know your seismograph isn't calibrated right?"

"Sorry can you fix- thanks... I'm not very use to this model."

"Right."

"We believe that Jupiter is containing the extraterrestrial ship within its atmosphere, like an immune response, engulfing the supercomplex inside the Great Red Spot. When the storm dies…”

"So you believe Jupiter is protecting us?"

"Yes.”

“It’s an interesting theory.”

“Are you not religious, doctor? Do you not have faith?”

“I’m Catholic… God has tested my faith many times. The Foundation, my father, it all makes it difficult to believe. But, I understand that it's God’s plan.”

“Yes, I agree.”

He shrugged, “Why are you recording like that? Set the anemometers to m/s and record the heading.”

This far up, the winds produced from Io's volcanic surface were toying with the doctors, who heard little but whining zephyr and Io’s wrath. In the silent workings, Dr. Pitford wondered how he was partnered with the most incompetent doctor on Io. Ultimately the thought branched to a realisation. All his nervousness stemmed from a fear of being watched, and his only suspect was Dr. Juno. Clearly she was not a seismologist and something in those turbulent eyes shone unnaturally.

"Doctor, what is the earth like? Sorry, I just felt a little tense."

"Pardon?" The question caught Dr. Pitford off guard.

"What are butterflies like? I love looking at monarchs, clearwings and especially peacock butterflies, their eyespots remind me of Jupiter's storms. But there is so much you can fit in a book."

"Butterflies? They are pretty, I suppose. There was a time in California, where I tripped and fell onto a field full of migrating monarchs. God, the vibrant ambers and blacks swallowed everything like a hurricane." he reminisced. "What? What are you smiling for?"

"What about the forests?"

"Forests, hm, imagine a hundred Director Lewises side by side.”

“God that's a horrible image.” The pair couldn't help but chuckle.

“But in all seriousness, I think trees are the most beautiful things in the world. There's this park I love to visit when I’m in the US, Redwood National Park. Enormous trees that stretch to the heavens, sheltering us from the sun. When my mum and I held hands, the two of us didn’t even reach 1/8th the circumference.”

“Really?”

“Living breathing organisms, but they’re immensity felt more like ancient gods. That trip held my favourite memories, the three of us an actual family.”" He paused, embarrassed by his rambling, but watching Dr. Juno’s shell melt away eased his worry. “You’ve never seen anything pretty?”

“Everything is beautiful in its own way, even Director Lewis and Io”

“You named the two ugliest things in the galaxy. I know, I did my thesis on it.” Conversation was nice, but he desired to dig deeper. “What is it like growing up in space?”

She fidgeted for a while, forcing Dr. Pitford to fill the space with tales of vast oceans, fierce animals, and the great wonders of the world. Finally, she relented, admitting that she had never talked of her life, but now, she was comfortable. “I'm not sure how, but my mother kept her pregnancy hidden, even from the Foundation. She passed medicals, travelled through space, and still remained unnoticed. She died when I was born.”

“Her name was Cathrine right? I'm sorry you had to go through that.”

“Don’t worry, I only wished we could have know each other. They say we look alike” She trailed, pausing to breathe. “But there I was, bushy eyed and newly born on Jupiter station 'Iris'. The Foundation raised me, but to them I was practically another anomaly. So I spent my time alone in the observatory, staring at what I thought was truly beautiful. Those swirling eddies of hydrogen and helium, that eye.”

The pair who seemed polar opposites, formed a peculiar connection. Their camaraderie and conversation making their climb manageable. Eventually, they had scaled to their camping point at 10 km, half way along their gruelling journey. The wind should have been devouring their tent, but an unexpected calm let them rest.

-----

Dr. Pitford’s dreams were fitful and strange, constellations spun beautiful vignettes of arms and a face, personifying themselves in space. The stars drifted down to Io and gleamed at him. He did not feel boiling heat, nor blinding light, just an alluring beauty that strung him up Steeple mountain like a puppet. His limbs flowed lazily behind, as the sky floated him up to the peak. The stars gravitated into a form of a woman with butterfly wings, she spoke but all he could hear was a deafening wind.

“What?” He screamed desperately but the wind denied his voice, again he shouted. But still those swirling starry lips mimed unknowable knowledge. The wind grew to a hurricane and he gripped onto the mountain like a child to a toy, trying his best to breathe, to listen, to not be blown away and at last…

‘You are the key, to alleviate this stagnancy…’ she whispered.

All at once, time froze and he crashed to the ground, left panting and disoriented. He stared at his fairy’s face whose colour appeared duller than before. One by one, the stars making up her figure blinked out of existence. Beneath his feet, Io began to melt, and the last thing he saw was Jupiter’s amber iris dimly staring back. He awoke breathless, scopophobia made him shiver.

-----

“Good morning doctor, you’ve been napping for 3 hours.”

“Only 3 hours huh? I felt like I slept through a storm.”

“It’s because we did, a sulfur cloud drifted through and I cleared up base a quickly as possible for you.”

“Thank you Dr. Juno, I’m grateful.” He dusted himself off, suddenly realising the weight missing from his belly pack. “Do you know where my radio is?”

“I… I threw it away. Mine too.”

“What?” Dr. Pitford’s anger began to boil, but still she stared at him innocently.

“Dammit, I knew you weren’t a seismologist!” Again, he was forced to raise a pistol to someone’s head. Why did God test him so? “Explain yourself.”

“You had a dream didn’t you Dr. Pitford, a woman made of stars.” The wind was loud in the silence, but he did not falter. “I had that dream too, but I have been having dreams like those since I was a child, and I suspect my mother was the same.” Her voice as gentle as a stream. “You have seen it with your eyes, Jupiter is beckoning.”

“How can I trust you? You hurt Dr. Müller!”

“He’s fine, too many sleeping pills and some forged documents.” Unsatisfied, he traced the trigger. ”Jupiter told me about you, what you did to your father.”

“Don’t bring that into this.”

“She commanded me to kill you whilst you slept. That you were a killer.”

“And you didn’t.”

“Joshua, you defended yourself and your mother, nothing more. I didn’t kill you because I… I trust you. I see your hands shaking, you have a conscious but also the will to fight. However you torment yourself, God will forgive you.”

“Christ…” He lowered his plasma pistol.

“You can go back if you would like.” She spoke breathlessly.

“You can’t get rid of me that easy, we’re finishing off what we started. But you are telling me the truth, the whole truth.” He met Dr. Juno in the eyes and for the first time he didn’t feel dizzy, he saw only gripping determination.

“I promise. It’ll be nice to finally get it all off my chest.” She paused, digesting the truth she had kept secret for so long. “You have to admit you overreacted a little.” She giggled.

-----

Having climbed 15 km up, they saw their quarry, the sweet lovers embrace between Jupiter and Io. Jupiter’s gravitational attraction exerts 6.3x10^^22^^ Newtons of force, physically lifting Io’s surface by 100 m. The image invoked breathing or perhaps a heartbeat, and now it was Io’s turn to grasp her lover. The view was stunning, in the periapsis phase, they were directly beneath the Great Red Spot, and the peak looked akin to a needle piercing the iris. The perfect setting for Dr. Juno to reveal the truth.

“We believe every celestial body in the sky possesses a soul, they look over earthlings, protect them and life itself arose from their existence.”

“How so?” Enthralled by every world.

“The complex interplay of Earth, celestial bodies and natural law all coalesced to give rise to life. To birth beings that could feel their heavenly warmth and power. In return, we devote our lives, providing unwavering devotion and fidelity. As a Catholic you know how precious and blessed human life is.”

“My mother said that a lot.” Listening to her joy, it lit his hope that his mum was truly waiting for him. “So why has Jupiter brought you here?”

“She is dying, that monster is killing her through…”

"Stagnancy?”

"Right, stagnancy, entropy, complete nothingness, Jupiter has been suffering ceaselessly, crying symptomatic anomalies like an illness. Soon, SCP-2399 will leach all her energy and life, and befall the same fate as Mars. The silent Death.” Her gaze furious.

“I see.”

“As providence, she has chosen me as her apostle. Granting the strength to generate my own gales." She raised her hand and the familiar screech of pressurised wind sounded from her fingers, rattling his helmet.

“So that was you helping my slow ass up.” He chuckled at a thought, he really believed he was the competent one.

“I feel her suffering as if we were one. Even with this power, I... still have no idea what I’m doing.” The mix of rage and sadness etched in her eyes, reminded him of his own.

"God’s plan. If this mountain is where you're meant to be, we keep climbing!" He laughed, arms stretched to the sky like a fool. No matter what he could say, he knew nothing could sooth the heavy fog of purpose that drowned her. So, the only thing he could do was make her smile.

-----

The visual anomaly caused the peak appear even more distorted up close. The rock stretched impossibly upwards, like a waterfall mid motion or a poorly taken panorama, an unnatural reflection of reality. However neither Dr. Pitford nor Dr. Juno felt any change in steepness, paradoxically, they stepped farther with every step. Even nearing 90°, they powered exponentially upwards and they knew they were nearing the top.

They could see the titanic battle between SCP-2399 and the Foundation, the machine firing its array of vibrant weaponry. The fire began horizontally then slowly arced up into the atmosphere. As the frequency increased and the sky got brighter. The pair finally realised, the stray fire was coming towards Io, towards them. The sky sizzled and burned as annihilation destroyed everything. A violent rage lit the sky, not the gentle glow of Jupiter, but the blinding horror of death.

His body screamed to flee, but his mind saw only Dr. Juno. He sprinted to where she was standing, but grabbed air. Where did she go? Fuck... A savage wind overcame his every sensation, not from the laser, but the wind of a hurricane. He cracked his eyes open to see that he was alive, but he also saw a winged woman formed of stars. Her index pointed up to the sky in defiance. To his shock, the laser was no longer charging towards them, but placidly spiralling in a whirlpool of wind at her finger tip.

All Dr. Pitford could do was stare, as the pieces within his mind fell into place. As the laser encroached the eye of the storm, the lady flicked her finger and redirected it several kilometres away, exploding in a mountain-sized blast. The storm finally silenced to a whisper and the fairy of stars descended to the ground, precipitating to reveal Dr. Juno.

"… Dr. Juno are you okay?"

“Yes, thank you Joshua, but I’m tired.”

“Jupiter and you? It was a trial.”

“Could you please carry me the rest of the way?”

“This is your fate? No... That's not fair. No human could bear a responsibility like that.” He scrapped her up in him arms. “Explore the Earth, visit Redwood national park or go butterfly hunting or experience the sea! Don’t give me that look…”

“You have already given me all those things” Her whisper melded with the sky.

“Alright Maria. You rest now.”

-----

Finally, 17,000 km up on the peak, the view was breathtaking. Looking down, Dr. Pitford knew he should have fallen. On all sides the drop was sheer, but he was solid, standing without vertigo or fear. They fixated on their master, their herald, Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Its swirling iris of copper, auburn and burgundy judged them silently on their precipice.

From a quiet nothing, a tiny radiant light descended from Jupiter’s pupil, a butterfly made of stars landed on Maria Juno’s outstretched finger. With one flap of its wing, Jupiter and Maria Juno metamorphosed into one, their figure an ethereal fairy brimming with light. A gentle flap lifted her from his grip back into the sky.

“Maria! What will you do now?”

“My nature. Generate dynamic new life and birth great storms. However, that cancer will continue to reassemble and devour me. Joshua, promise me one last thing.”

“Anything.”

“For humanity’s sake and my own, destroy it.”

“I promise.” Her smile dwarfed the sky.

“You helped me feel like a person for a day and it was wonderful. Thank you for everything, Joshua.” Jupiter pressed her starry hands against his heart and plucked out a star. She admired it in her palm, until the time finally arrived to ascend back into Jupiter’s omniscient observer.

“Thank you, Maria.”

[[/div]]

[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box]]
> **Filename: Aglais io - 001.jpg**
> **Author:** H. Zell
> **License:** Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
> **Source Link:** https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aglais_io_-_001.jpg
=====
> **Filename: Fairy of Eagle Nebula.jpg**
> **Name:** The Fairy of Eagle Nebula.
> **Author:** NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
> **License:** Public domain
> **Source Link:** https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fairy_of_Eagle_Nebula.jpg
=====
> "SCP-2399" by djkaktus, from the SCP Wiki. Source: https://scpwiki.com/scp-2399. Licensed under CC BY-SA.
[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box-end]]

Aglais Io

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