He nodded and took off.
Cori was hugging her friends and promising to come back soon.They all got back to the pyramid, where Harwin had little Harran and his rattle.Chloe and Harwin risked a quick hug, and she stroked Harran’s head with her sleeve.
By the time they were ready, Chloe was feeling like she would miss Aten.
Gertrude was excited and called shotgun on the new vessel.They were hailed, and their ship slid easily into the shuttle bay of the slip ship.
Stepping out of her shuttle and onto the decking felt weird.She kept her staff with her as she walked toward the hallway where her four Zowoths were waiting.Well, three and a half.One was considerably smaller than the other three, but then, she was the most high-ranking.
“Lady Chloe, this is your vessel, and I am the pilot, Margo Pike.Battle rank three.”
The man next to her said, “Engineer Arvel, battle rank four.”
“Security officer, Lord Baket, battle rank four.”
“Maintenance and food prep, Soven, battle rank four.”
Chloe looked at the woman who had scars covering a third of her face.“Margo, you are Terran?”
“I was.I am Zowoth now.”She smiled, and her cheek pulled against the scar.“If you would like to get underway, we can go anywhere you like.”
“Sanctuary Base.Oh, this is Skylar, Dyturan-Terran and keeper of the Terran ghosts.And this is Cori, altered Terran.”
Cori waved.“Hey.”
Skylar nodded.“It is pleasant to meet you.”
Margo nodded.“Your ship is settled, consciousness is linked to the slip ship, and Soven will show you to your quarters.Are we free to travel, and where did you want to go first?”
Skylar grinned.“How long to Orexi, and from there, how long to Sanctuary Base?”
“Using Gertrude, eighteen hours to Orexi, and based on arrival time, two days from Orexi to Sanctuary Base.”
Cori said, “How long to the array that projected our world’s death day?”
Margo paused.“Show me the location.”
“Show me a tablet.”
Margo chuckled and walked to the wall, caressing the screen and pulling up a projection.“Where do you want to go?”
Cori put a call in.“Trin, where is Isolde’s array?”
“Ackuvel territory.Sending you the ping.”Trin said, “You are going to get her?”
“We are.”
Trin grinned and then said softly, “Thank you.”
Cori got the ping, and Margo set it on the chart.
Gertrude said, “I am loving this new ship.So sleek and pretty.Right.I have the coordinates, and the path looks fun.From this point, we should be able to slip there in fourteen hours.”
“Excellent, Gertrude.I stand ready to assist you.Soven, please take the ladies, get scent samples, and inoculate yourself, Arven and Lord Baket.”
Soven grinned.“Safer for everyone that way.”
Margo pointed to Cori.“That one can kill you, the Dyturan can kill you, and the third is the beloved of Dytura, so take a guess.”
