The Nose Whistle

Traveler's eyes snapped open for like, the two-hundreth time, as he laid in his bed. A small monitor he'd watch stuff on cast gloomy shadows around his room.

He didn't know what time of day it was. It didn't really matter. He did know he hadn't slept in quite a while. He also felt pretty cruddy. These bouts of insomnia began when Raedis insisted on taking his giant worldship out into uncharted space.

This meant that Traveler couldn't use his time machine, because the nature of its workings required it to be stationary. It was also in between racing series', so there was no driving to be done. His team had been spending the time developing new, and honining existing vehicles in preparation. Months had gone by. Months of endless, featureless space and despite all the still to be explored weirdness the Worldship had to offer, Traveler was bored.

He currently was having trouble sleeping. He sat up. Changed what he was watching on the screen in his room. Laid back down and closed his eyes. He was just about to finally drift off. The scene on the screen was fading and that's when it began.

First, he inhaled through his nose. It registered a shrill B sharp. Yet again, his eyelids opened like flicking a switch. He rubbed his nose and closed his eyes. Again, the annoying sound and again, he opened his eyes.

"Right! I get it..." he exclaimed to the darkness. He switched a light beside his bed on. The gloom of his room disappeared and he sat up.

Fist, he pushed his left nostril shut with an index finger, as it was the opposite one making the damned noise. He inhaled forcefully, presumably clearing the airway.

He repeated his previous test. Plugging the free nostril and, with some hesitation, attempted an initial inhale through the hopefully clear air hole.

To his disappointment, it only hung ontio the nasal note. It was now simply an 'A' at the high end of the audible scale.

"Fuck." he quietly announced to his room because now he had to get up to solve the problem. He knew what to do to solve it, for this was not the first time he was plagued by his thrashed sinuses. He reluctantly rose and made his way to his bathroom.

He winced when snapping on the bright lights but once his vision normalized, he was happy to obtain a decent visualization of his current condition.

He wore a long sleeved, hooded t-shirt bearing a holographic design of one of his favorite cars. His love, Lisa, had fashioned the shirt herself, even drawing the car on it, free hand, in holographic paint. Lisa Hole had many talents that she rarely demonstrated to anyone, save for her best friend, Jenny Gumballs and her lover, Traveler.

He ran his fingers through his brown hair. Slight sliver streaks gleamed in the light. He grinned with his stubblely shaded face at the result. It was a tussled, spikey mess that, no matter which way he turned his head, still thoight it looked rad. He sighed happily, yet was still ultimately frustrated and tired.

He left the bathroom, grabbing a wide, squat, crystalline lowball glass from the tile countertop as he left. He was about to cut the bathroom lights off when he actually looked at the glass. The thing was encrusted with toothpastes residue and otherwise cruddy. Traveller blew into it as he left the bathroom and crossed his main quarters to where he kept the booze.

After filling the glass three quarters of the way full with vodka, he put three cubes of ice to top it off. This was useless for he downed the drink quickly.

"Ahhh..." he said, drawing a breath and enhoying the potent puch the booze packed.

"That should do the trick." said Traveler as he rinsed and replaced the glass at the bathroom sink. He syreatched his long limbs and laid back down as the booze began to do its thing. He closed his eyes and once more was seconds from sleep. Next his phone rang. Traveler looked to see who was bothering him now. It was Raedis. Traveler answered. Raedis' image appeared on the small screen of the phone

"This better be good. I'm trying desperately to sleep." he grumbled into his phone.

"Sorry, man, but ya gotta get to the bridge and see this. Get dressed. Oh, and wear something sharp." Raedis said. His was excited. His silver eyes shone brightly with said excitement.

"Don't I always?" Traveler replied as he tossed his covers aside and rose once again. Raedis smiled.

"Qick as ya can, mate. This is neat." urged Raedis.

"Show me." Traveler said.

Raedis sent what he was looking at to Traveler's screen. What appeared resembled an enormous sheet of reflective metal. It was odd on the eyes to see the Worldship reflected back at them with nothing else but the blackness of space to reflect. Were it not for the ship's computers to enhance what they were looking at, the thing would be impossible to see. As Traveler studied the object his nose continued to make the annoying sound. He rubbed it fiercely, trying desperately to relieve the congestion, to no avail.

"I can't believe in the time and place I'm in, it is still possible to catch a cold." the man said. He then inhaled. His nostril made the noise.

"What?" came Raedis' voice.

"Nothing. I'll be right there." Traveler replied in misery.

As quickly as he could move, which was none too fast, he began to dress himself. He donned what he was wearing when previously clothed. These were in a pile at the foot of his bed. He was disinclined to search for a fresh outfit in favor of speed and convenience. What he tugged onto himself was a well worn pair of leather jeans, a black pair of work boots, which he left open and untied. He pulled a white t-shirt over his head upon which he had written in black marker, 'X-ok' which was the title of one of an album by one of his favorite bands.

He went to the bathroom, snapped on the lights and relieved himself. After washing his hands, he tussled his currently spikey hair into some sort of style. His face was shadowy with stubble. Readis' voice came over the comm in Traveler's room.

"Hurry up, man. This thing is wild. I think it's a ship!" called his excited friend.

This did, indeed, pique Traveler's interest and he left his room to meet Raedis, grabbing a fresh pack of cigarettes on his way out.

"I'm on my way now. Be there in ten minutes." he grumbled to Raedis over the comm.

Thirty-five minutes later, the bridge doors slid open and from it appeared Traveler. He was clad in a dark, crimson suit that was made of a fabric that changed shade and patterns depending on his movement. His hair, was perfect but the rest of his face had yet to wake up, and the lower half of it was shaded in stubble. And then, of course, there was still the damned nose whistle to contend with. If anything, his efforts to clear it only made it louder.

The lift reached the bridge and its doors slid open. Traveler winced at the bright bridge lighting. Raedis strolled casually before the large bridge view screen. Upon it, was the visage of their new contact.

The being was a sleek looking, humanoid female. She had very angular, features. Her jaw was even more square than Traveler's and her nose came to a dart-like point. Her skin was pure white and her silvery, wirey hair was shaped into a grand, sweeping, sideways crest that impressed both Traveler and Raedis. She wore the uniform of her organization. Whether it was military, exploratory, or both, was yet to be determined.

Unlike her bright countenance, her uniform was navy blue and adorned with the colorful emblems of her rank along with various accolades she had accumulated over her time in service. Raedis supposed the large number of them meant he was dealing with experienced personnel. He decided to play the straight man to what was Traveler's fool, especially once he saw the state of the man. He arched an eyebrow over a luminous eye when he saw Traveler's suit. He had never seen his friend in that particular ensemble before and dug it.

"Whoa. Nice suite, man." said Raedis, once his friend had prepared himself to speak.

"Thank you, Raedis." he said accompanied by the nose whistle. He ignored it and turned his attention to the big screen. "Wow... Neat looking beings. You've spoken with them? Is that their leader?" he asked.

Raedis nodded and motioned toward the screen. Traveler turned to address the alien leader. As he inhaled to speak, his nose whistled a loud tone. Frustrated he rubbed his nose, cleared the blockage and began again.

"Greetings! I'm Traveler. It is absolutely amazing to meet you. Welcome to the Worldship."

His introduction ended with yet another note from his nose.

The alien leader's eyes observed this new being. She found his ensemble to be excellent but was most interested in his unusual dialect. Although something appeared to be agitating the man, she had learnt through much experience, that one must not assume anything in these first contact type situations.

She attempted, in good nature, to reciprocate his greeting. First she inhaled sharply through her nose then, pushed one nostril shut, inhaled and was actually able to produce the audible sound of a low note. Traveler's face cracked his amused half smile. The alien leader continued her nasal greeting concerto and spoke.

"Hello, Traveler! I must say. You have a very melodic manner of speech! I believe we're all going to have a wonderful time together." said the leader, enthusiastically.

Raedis chuckled behind his friend. Traveler looked over his shoulder at his friend for approval. Raedis shot him a thumbs up.

"Nice. Way to work through your cold." he said.

"Y'know? I'm actually feeling better. Let's go and hang out with our new friends. What do ya say?"

Raedis smiled and was glad Traveler was appeared to be feeling better. Truth be told, Raedis couldn't stand the man when he was ill for Traveler did become somewhat of an ass.

"You bet! Let me go change. I'll meet you in our current hanger in half an hour." said Raedis and took off toward his quarters. Traveler turned to the monitor an informed the alien leader of their plans. His nose still whistling as he fought the congestion that was hampering his fun.