renaming ceremonies
20 Nov 2019Nullvektor
It's not often that this happens, and when it does, it should be addressed with the appropriate gravity. It's bad luck to rename a ship, after all-- unless you take precautions.So it goes that I found that my Anaconda didn't suit its former name. Missing-ness? Existential angst? Loneliness? Not really the best qualities for an exploration vessel. To better suit her iridescent purple paintjob, and her purpose of delving into the black and traversing the void, she now bears a title invoking the savior goddess of the crossroads, the unknown, the dark, of witchcraft, Hekate Soteira.
To commemorate this, and to pay due respect to the gods, I dredged up an ancient earther ceremony. After stripping out everything with her former name, I got a few bottles of the waters of Shinra and wrote that name on a canister of iron ingots.
“Oh mighty and great ruler of the seas and oceans, to whom all ships and we who venture upon your vast domain are required to pay homage, implore you in your graciousness to expunge for all time from your records and recollection the name Saudade, which has ceased to be an entity in your kingdom. As proof thereof, I submit this canister bearing her name to be corrupted through your powers and forever be purged from the sea.”
I ejected the canister and a bottle into space.
The rest of the bottles, save for the one smashed over her bow, were dispensed among the dockers who were lucky enough to be near the landing pad.