T02-AQUAVIT

[Intro] [steady low starship engine hum, cryo hiss softer now] [radio static, an old man clearing his throat] [Vendor Chant] [radio voice, dry and close, drums follow every syllable, swing still heavy, filter half open] Kuiper whiskey, Kuiper whiskey aquavit lemon palinka, palinka slivovitz lemon [Verse 1] [quiet close croon, conversational] Lights off through the belt dark side of the rocks twelve crates riding low ticking like a clock [short silence] Old man on the radio says the price is fair says come straight to the cart says he'll be right there [Whisper] [whispered, almost under the engine hum] Everybody's looking for me and the old man always knows [Chorus] [sidechain bass breathing, plucked arpeggio enters] Aquavit (clear as ice) held it up to the stars saw right through to the end kept it in the dark kept it from the sun don't you warm on me not till the run is done [Verse 2] [distortion on the word Guild] Guild lights on the lane sweeping left to right I go where they don't look I go where there's no light [short silence] Wrote a little word on the bottom crate something only I could read something that could wait [Bridge] [everything drops out except the engine hum and radio static] Lemon [silence] (say again) [silence] [Vendor Chant] [radio voice, drums follow every syllable, filter wider, kick leaning into four on the floor] Kuiper whiskey, Kuiper whiskey aquavit lemon palinka, palinka slivovitz lemon [Chorus] [full sidechain breathing, wordless choir a little closer] Aquavit (clear as ice) held it up to the stars saw right through to the end kept it in the dark kept it from the sun don't you warm on me not till the run is done [Outro] [engine hum steady, radio chant fading to one word] Lemon [hard cut, no fade]