Gateway to the Stars

SCREEEECCHH. The ship grinds on either side of the hatchway and then shoots forward like a cork from a bottle. Out and out into space.

"Honestly, you all worry way too much." Esier says with a cocky smile, spinning the controls as the ship arcs free of the sprawling space station - a turning wheel of metal orbiting a blue planet.

The ship threads its way past a few other startled vessels before more lazers begin rocking the ship but Esier is in her element now. The ship leaps and rolls, twisting around to evade the station based cannons before finding a clear vector to break orbit.

"Now Chet!" The silver-haired woman shouts into the horn and the world stretches and elongates.

You look over your right shoulder and see, in a moment, a thousand Brenna's looking back at you, dressed in infinite variations of your clothes and hair.

You clap your hand to your mouth and a thousand others echo your movements. Then the world steps sideways. No. Not sideways, precisely. It was as if the entire universe moved one inch in all different directions at once - simultaneously expanding and contracting at once.

You squeeze your eyes tight and then the world rights itself and you stumble forward, aligning your body once again in space.

"Chet?" The silver-haired woman asks. She's back at the panel, toggling switches and talking into the drinking horn.

"We're three systems away, in the shadow of a binary. They should prove enough chatter to let us chart a path back to the HavenConduits." The silver haired woman nods, glancing back at Alven for a second opinion.

"I don't think we will be using the HCs for a little bit. They nabbed our serials while we were in lockup. They've probably got a SnatchGrab on the Wave by now. Best keep us out of sight for a little bit."

"Free publicity - can't knock that." Esier quips, giving you a naughty grin. "I hope they got my good side."

Arven gives a gut laugh.

"Plot us a small hop route to the Bao'an system."

"We're going to Tsee Bon!' Esier exclaims, clapping her hands in excitement. "Yes! Best regroup location ever!'

"Try to keep your clothes on this time." Arven says drolly.

"We got what we came for, that's what matters." says the silver-haired woman warmly. "First round's on me." She glances over to you.

"You too, you saved our lives back there." She extends a hand.

"I'm Captain Lia Vummai and welcome to the Silent Leopard."

###

"Time for some proper introductions." Captain Lia and Arven pull up a five-legged stool in a cramped mess hall one deck down from the cockpit. Arven had walked you there - not exactly escorting you but never more than an arm's length away. Lia had ducked into another room and returned in a fresh change of clothes, trading her prisoner jumpsuit for a golden wrap cloth that shifted with her body - giving the impression of constant movement without ever truly leaving her frame.

"Let's start with some basics..." Lia begins.

"What were you doing in the Crytonian substack?" Arven cuts in. Lia shoots him a sidelong glance.

"I was going to start with - is this your first time off-world." Lia chuckles. "But yes, how did you end up in a second-rate data repository this far from the HavenConduits?"

"Uh... well. I just..." you fumble for something that makes sense but it all comes rushing out in a gush.

"My name is Brenna, and I'm looking for my boyfriend, he constructed this portal out of an alien metal and usually that creates a pocket dimension but I don't think it did this time because it felt different and I think I teleported me to the other side of the universe because I couldn't understand anyone but now I do and I'm really worried I won't be able to find my way home and if I'm so far away, why do all of you look like humans?"

Arven barks out a laugh that he barely manages to swallow into a cough, struggling to keep his scowl on his face. Lia smiles.

"So I'm going to say, yes, this is probably your first time off-world." She gives Arven a knowing smile. "I don't know what humans are - people from your planet, I presume?"

You nod. "Earth." She gives a little shrug.

"I haven't heard of it, but if you traveled here by interstellar portal... " she looks you up and down. "Ah, there it is." She reaches for your wrist, elevating the red-gemmed bracelet you received from Isla. Her grip is firm but soft and briefly, you consider what else those hands could do to you. Your cheeks feel hot and you are very aware of both sets of eyes watching you.

Lia rubs two fingers in a circular motion over the stone and it lights up with a warm red glow.

"This is an anchor. You cannot use an interstellar transport without one - your atoms would be spread across six systems in the first couple of seconds." She squints at it.

"I don't recognize the design - do you Arven?" He takes your hand in his human hand, rough and calloused, holding it up to the light.

"Looks vaguely Bravidian. Maybe from the Abhaile cluster?" Abhaile... the name rings in your ears as Nyree's words come bubbling up from the hot springs of Talverton.

"Don't worry Brenna, we will meet again on Callte Abhaile... "

"Yes!" You shout, causing Arven to drop your hand in surprise. "That's the one! Callte Abhail! That's where I need to go."

Lia shakes her head. "I'm sorry, the Abhaile cluster is pretty far off the beaten path. Once we get to Tsee Bon, you can try and book transport that way but you may have to jump a few ships to get close. Shipping vessels these days are always looking for an extra pair of hands if you are willing to work."

How long would that take, you wonder. This isn't like the pocket dimensions - time should pass normally. At least Ryan and the kids are safe and having fun at LaPush, that gives you a solid week, maybe more.

Lia sees your concerned face.

"Don't worry, you are safe here with us for now. Well, provided we don't get raided by the OCC." She says.

"Or ambushed by one of your former business partners." Arven says.

"Or our ship breaks down because it's a million years old, or Esier accidentally crashes us into some space junk." Lia holds up her hands, "But aside from that, you should be fine."

"Who are you - what were you doing on that space station?" You ask.

"Thugs and criminals." Arven answers. Lia shoots him a dirty look.

"We are non-traditional transport and logistic professionals specializing in the needs of underserved communities." Lia recites. "I'm not sure what things are like on your world, Brenna, but out here beyond the Rim, if you don't have currency, it is a rough life."

You give a sympathetic nod.

"Between polyCorps and the OCC, it is hard for everyone who isn't a made-man to carve out a little bit of their own sector of space." Lia continues. "We spend our time helping people get what they need, even if it is off the books."

"As for our most recent adventure - that station is a data repository. That's... uh..." she fumbles for a description.

"Like a big hard drive?" You ask, hoping the word translates. They both look at you strangely. "Guess not." You reply.

"I'm sorry - it takes a little while for the Dialectapedes to do their full work." Lia answers.

"Dialectapedes?! So I have bugs in my throat now?" You ask alarmed.

"Technically, in your lungs - and laying eggs in your occipital lobe right now."

"Uggh." You recoil.

"The less you think about it, the better." says Arven, the barest hints of smiles tickling his lips as he holds your gaze a few moments longer than necessary.

"So yes, a databank," Lia continues. "It was supposed to be a simple job, retrieve some client information, erase the files and leave but it looks like the new station commandant decided to spring for the upgraded security system and caught us off guard."

"We should have known." Arven mutters. "We should have been prepared."

"We made it out, old friend, that's all that matters." Lia says softly. She slaps her thighs gently with the palm of her hands. "Well, with that properly tangled up, it's time for us to lick our wounds and look for new work. That's why we are off to Tsee Bon."

"But why do you all look like me?" You ask. "If you are all aliens from other worlds, shouldn't you have three eyes or blue skin or something?"

Arven gives a little half-shrug but Lia answers.

"Navidian's Law." Lia says. "Navidian was a brilliant scientist from my people. The academy where I studied on Alton Prime is named in his honor. He theorized that to achieve the necessary mastery over the raw materials of your home plant to achieve interstellar travel, a species would need a certain set of physical characteristics. Hands that can manipulate tools, a cranial structure that can support enough brain mass. And as such, the most direct path to that arrangement is this."

She gives a sweeping gesture over her body. "Two legs, lungs that can synthesize oxygen, the works. Of course, Navidian was widely criticized as being a fascist but the point holds. If you find the time, you'll discover that there is enough variation in the universe to keep everyone interested." She gives you a warm smile at the end with the hint of a promise.

Arven rolls his eyes. "Now you sound like Esier," he says dismissively. He turns to you, "If you are a spy, you're the worst spy I've seen. Stay out of the way and it should be a quick trip to Tsee Bon." He stands, gives you and Lia a curt nod and stalks off.

"What Arven lacks in bedside manner, he makes up for in efficiency." She says by way of apology. "I'll show you to the guest bunk and where we keep the TastyPaks. Hopefully, we can help you on your way."

###

"Uh, miss Brenna?" There's a polite knock on the hatch to your bunk as Chet's voice squawks apologetically out of a small speaker next to the ladder.

"We are about to touch down on Centus Delta and Captain Vummai would like you to come with us." You walk over to the panel next to the ladder out of your room, squinting at the symbols on the panel. Finally selecting a round orange button with an icon of a snout on it, you push the button and speak into the panel.

"Yes, I would love to. Give me just a minute." Lia had shown your room - a cramped bunk with one thick utilitarian comforter and a triangle pillow, surrounded by grey storage containers and with a standing faucet/toilet combo in one corner. The walls had at one time been covered with garish alien posters - with unreadable text, and neon blue geometric shapes - giving the room the vague impression of a college dorm room.

But between the psychedelic trip through space and the frantic escape from the data facility, on top of the high-wire stress of the last confrontation with Quilp, you quickly peeled out of your clothes and collapsed into the bed. Now, some indeterminate hours later, you are standing mostly naked next to the speaker box, trying to remember where you put your..

"Um.. did the clothes fit?" Chet asks through the comm. Hanging from a hook from the ceiling was a loose mesh net filled with some grey cloth. Pulling it down, you find a loose fitting v-neck sweater that feels surprisingly warm against your skin and some black leggings made of some sort of material you can't identify. As you pull on the leggings, you feel them mold to your legs, lifting and supporting like a knee brace but not limiting in any way.

You consider bringing your bracelet but you are afraid of losing it so you leave it with your clothes and pull yourself up the ladder and hit the button on the hatch. Chet is there, patiently waiting in a workman's jumpsuit, his shaggy brown hair hanging all around his face.

He gives you a hand up into the corridor connecting the bedroom units.

"Yes, they fit perfectly." You answer. "How did you know?"

"I did some guess work, especially around.. uh.." he begins to gesture at your chest and then realizes, in a flash, that it would be crass, so makes a little squeaking cough and blushes hard.

"Um.. I'm glad you like them." He rubs his palms on his jumpsuit.

"Can I walk you to the hanger bay?" He asks politely, eager for a change in subject. You give him a warm smile.

"Yes - I'm still trying to figure out the layout, I'm afraid I'll get lost just going to the galley."

You and Chet make your way through the poorly lit corridors and hatches, weaving deeper into the ship.

"Yeah, the Silent Leopard is a Trelkzian ship, and those guys have some interesting priorities." He shakes his head. "It was conceived as a passenger ship, but only has a handful of bedrooms - and the Trelkzies have a pretty loose definition of what qualifies as a bedroom - but it's got a cracking Gyrodrive. Beats the heck out of anything you'd find this side of the outer rim belter scrapheaps, so we keep her flying."

As he rambles on, you follow him down a series of metal stairs, taking a moment to appreciate his form fitting jumpsuit from behind.

He pauses and looks back at you apologetically.

"Sorry, I bet that was a lot of talking. I hear this is your first trip off world?" You nod.

"I don't mind. I want to learn! How did you come to work on the Silent Leopard?" you ask.

"I've always been working on ships, ever since I was a kid out scrapping pieces at the wreckyards of Janus. Each month, I send home a good chunk of my pay to my cousins - they are starting a Mercury farm on a remote moon near Malkenair, where I grew up. It's not much but I help when I can. I met Captain Vummai when she helped run off some BoltHeads that came looking for some easy pickings at the farm. She was down a mechanic and offered to take me in. And I've been working with her ever since."

He gives you a warm smile.

"Ever since? How old are you?" You ask playfully. He grins and blushes. Oh there is definitely some connection here.

"Old enough." He says and then quickly spins a hatch wheel and the bulkhead groans, opening up into a hanger bay about the size of a small basketball court. Down below, Lia and Arven are loading equipment into a three-engined gator, propped up on stabilizers.

"Brenna! Glad to see you up and about." Lia calls out. Arven gives you a curt "hmf" with a nod as he pulls some chrome boots off a rack. The whole room begins to rumble and shake, rattling your teeth as you descend the stairs to the hanger bay floor.

"Welcome to Centus Delta - the third moon of the Centus superplanet. We just entered the atmosphere - in another couple of minutes, Esiar will have us landed on the forest floor." Lia lugs a canvas bag into the back of the gator.

"Really more of a jungle." Arven comments, bringing a pair of chrome boots over to you. "Here."

"What are these?" You ask. Chet kneels next to you.

"Air gliders. Here, I'll help you get them on." You feel his warm hands, even through the leggings, as he gently lifts your calf and eases your foot into the first boot. Looking down, you are caught off guard by how shapely your legs look, well-turned and muscular. Chet apparently appreciates them too, as his hands linger on your legs after each boot.

"Centus Delta is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life but we are most interested in the BazzyBazzy fruit. They grow up at the top of the flower stalks and they are a food miracle. Almost pure protein and fiber, you can feed them into the TransMat in the galley and make almost any food you imagine. They are the ideal raw material."

Arven gives a dismissive grunt.

"They make everything taste like tsi-tsi seeds. Sour and dry." Lia rolls her eyes.

"I didn't see you complaining when you wiped out the last couple for that Szaro Beast roast before the last job."

Chet stands, brushing his knees. "Well, beats the heck out of TastyPaks, that's all I care about." There's a clang and the whole ship jolts to the left.

"It's time." Arven hops in the driver's seat of the gater

The speaker squawks in the corner. "Touchdown, boys girls and non-gender specific guests. We have arrived!" Esiar announces. Chet takes your hand and points to the red and pink buttons on the side of the chrome boots.

"Red turns them on - tilt your foot forward to go up. To go down, just walk normally, they will naturally slow your fall. The only way to really hurt yourself is to hit the pink button and deactivate them when you are up high. So.. you know... don't do that." He gives you a big thumbs up as the hanger bay doors hiss and groan, opening into the bright shining light and sounds of the jungle.

You hop in the back of the gator and take the goggles offered from Lia.

You grab a hold of the railing as the gator lurches forward, soaring out into the alien jungle.

###

The high-pitched whine of the gator engines made conversation impossible but the view more than made up for it. Giant spindly mushrooms pierce the dense mossy forest floor while colorful flowers loom large above you, their blossoms so enormous you could climb inside. Lia pulls back on the yoke and the gator slowly gains altitude, soaring above the ferns and undergrowth and angling towards the forest canopy.

"There!" Arven points towards a dense cluster of bell-shaped blossoms, shimmering in an incandescent blur of blue, red and orange on top of a broad yellow leaf. It was one of many such clusters scattered along the sunny jungle canopy.

Lia guns the sluggish gator as it creeps up to the height of the plants and then, with a lurch, kills the engines. The gator lands on the spongy leaf with a wet splat.

Taking a moment you survey the horizon. Thousands of broad yellow and orange lily pads knit together to form the jungle's canopy, interspersed with tall, red leafed weeping willow branches. Beyond the forest, a single jagged mountain looms in the horizon, the very top obscured by churning storm clouds. Back towards where the Silent Leopard landed, you see the twin suns that anchor this system, shining white hot. The heat would be immense if not for the sudden gusts of summer breeze sweeping through the branches.

Lia fiddles with a wrist-mounted device.

"Okay, we've got two hours of daylight, with the three of us working, we should be able to fill the gator before sundown." She hops out, her chrome boots squishing on the broad yellow leaf. Arven is already pulling a canvas bag out of the gator and anchoring it to his belt.

"So I'm guessing the air is alright to breathe?" You ask, half-joking. Lia smiles.

"It's a little oxygen heavy, from all the plants so if you feel light headed, land somewhere and take some slow breaths till the feeling passes. We also have respirators if you need." She pulls a small round cylinder, no bigger than a pill bottle, out of the front seat of the gator and hands it to you. It has the same buttons as the callbox in your room.

"We will keep the frequency open at all times, but we've been here a few times before and haven't run into trouble. If there are predators in this forest, they stick to the forest floor." She reaches down and clicks on her boots.

"Now, are you ready to fly?"

###

The first leap was terrifying. The second one, less so and by the third, you were jetting after Lia like a kid at a trampoline park. WHOOOSH go the boots as you bounce and glide along.

"AHHHH HA!" You laugh, a little maniacally, as you skip along the gusts of air on the strange alien planet. You make the mistake of glancing down, the dark forest floor visible in slices between the broad yellow lilypads but thinking about it makes you queasy, so you focus on the radiant blooms hanging like giant bells above you,

"Come on up here!" Lia waves you up to the edge of a red blossom, peeling back a petal to reveal a bright blue fruit, about the size of a beach ball, tucked inside.

"This is a BazzyBazzy fruit. They start out as yellow, and then green but they are only ripe when they are blue." She reaches in and gives it a sharp tug. It comes loose with a moist squelch. She gives it a quick once over and then tucks it in her canvas bag. She waves you on and the two of you jet off to the next flower and lilypad.