Inspired came from this picture by Julie Dillion:
Halcyon materialize
in the copilot chair, laid back with his virtual legs up on the
console. “Lucas, in all of the years of my artificial life, you
are the only pilot I know who's not creeped out by her.” Lucas
looked up from his star map and out of the deck window. “A huge
mass of helium and star dust is something to be afraid of. By the
way, it's not a 'Her'.” “You know that's not why pilots are
afraid.”
Halcyon stood up and stared out into the space. Before
them glowed bright yellows and blues, swirling and drifting together
and into the darker edges of the stars. In the central of it all held
the eponymous Siren, a form the color of a dark wine hue with stars
pulsing in her body like diamonds. She loomed over another form,
holding its face close to her own. The second form was dim compared
to the siren's. “Have you ever heard the legend of that inspired
her name?”
Lucas nodded. “Of course. Sirens were mythical
creatures that were stuck on an island or something and sang a song
so beautiful that compelled any person passing them to come closer.
The poor saps were so out of their minds that they didn't realize
that the sirens' island was surrounded by sharp rocks and leading
them to their deaths.” Halcyon shook his head. “It wasn't that
simple. The Sirens' song gave you visions of your greatest dreams:
riches, fame and love, glory itself, anything. It also gave showed
you your greatest flaw, your Achilles heel one could say.”
Halcyon never turned
from the window as Lucas walked next to him. “The first time I flew
here, I thought my sensors were malfunctioning. I thought there was
no way I could have just flew through her form. Even now, they're
going haywire. There's something about almost...Primordial about it.
As if the sirens abandoned their island for the stars, hoping to
luring new travelers.”
As they stared out,
the second form seemed to dim, as if its energy was slowly pulled by
the siren's grasp. “Be careful not to fly to close, my friend. You
never know what lurks.”