“Stuff towards furthering their colonial goals,” I said dryly.
“Definitely. Bringing otherwise barren worlds to life isn’t easy, nor is taming wilderness worlds. I’m sure all of us will actually benefit in the long run.”
I hated that he was right, as it gave legitimacy to the reason they’d plucked my beloved from my grasp and kept him so very far away, high in orbit. Though as much as I hated to admit it, knowing he was doing such a worthy thing was also an irritatingly soothing balm to my soul. Damn it.
“Whoa!” I cried out as I noted how ginormous the ships truly were as we began our final approach. “I knew they were big, but somehow, I was thinking big like a cruise liner or big shipping container carrier.”
”They are much bigger than that, unconstrained by having to be built on a planet’s surface with limited docking space.”
I mutely nodded as he began softly speaking to the ship we were about to dock with. My breath caught as it loomed ever larger and then appeared to swallow us up as we entered a docking bay. Then the ceiling turned non-transparent, indistinguishable from the rest of the walls and flooring, just as a soft bump let me know we’d actually landed.
“As you all say, okie dokie, we’ve arrived A-OK! You can take your seat belt off and mosey on out. Someone from guest services will meet you as you disembark and help you find your friend. Thank you for flying with Mylos Spaceways!”
I snorted as I undid my seat’s harness and stood up. “You sound like you watch a lot of cowboy movies.”
Rantyr beamed at me. “I do! But I watch other things too, and they don’t all have cowboys. Have you ever watched a vid series called Car 54, Where Are You?”
“Can’t say I have,” I replied as I watched the hatch open and the ramp descend.
“Oh my goodness, really? You definitely should. And The Dick Van Dyke Show! Oh, and Green Acres! Those are two of my favorites, along with Bonanza.”
I smiled back. “I will. And if you haven’t seen it, The Brady Bunch is one you can’t go wrong with.” Then, thinking of his general golly gee whiz vibe, added, “And Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle.”
”Thank you! I will!” He beamed at me with such golden retriever energy, I had to fight the impulse to pat his head. Instead, I made good my escape, hurrying down the ramp.
“Carl?” A Mylos holding a data pad asked me.
”That’s me!”
”Great! I have a data pad here for you to use during your stay. Simply leave it with Kittinir - it’s yours to use whenever you visit, as Xeranos indicated you would be a recurring visitor.”
“Hopefully, yes.” That all depended on how Kittinir responded to my surprise visit. At least, I thought it was. I’d not told him I planned on going to the nearest Fleet mail hub and asking if they could let me ride. And when Rantyr called up to ask permission, I may have asked Xero, as the AI insisted I call him, not to mention my trip, as I wished to surprise Kit. He’d sounded delighted for some reason, so I was pretty sure he hadn’t, otherwise Kit himself would have been here to meet me.
“Well, if not, Kittinir can return it to the quartermaster. Now, please place your thumb here to lock it to your biometrics. Perfect! You’ll be able to ask Xeranos anything via this tablet, as well as call out to ask for his assistance anywhere on the ship.”
“Anywhere?” I glanced around nervously.
“Yes, saying his name will turn his attention to you directly, rather like one of your home AI systems, only sentient.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, having watched Terminator and Space Odyssey.
The male gestured towards a door across the hangar. “And if you have anything you’re more comfortable asking me personally, I’m Norlok. You can simply ask Xeranos to open a comm to me or use the tablet to send me a written comm.”
I walked alongside him towards the door. “Thanks, much appreciated.”
We reached the door, and it opened, revealing a bustling corridor outside.
“We’re rather busy today, with all the deliveries and whatnot.”
”So I see. Well, I’ll just get out of your hair then.” I glanced around. “Um, Xero, where’s Kittinir?”
”Kittinir is currently at Bratty Dogs in the main leisure area.”
“Bratty Dogs?”
“It’s a restaurant,” Norlok informed me as he walked away.
”That it is,” Xero’s voice said from the tablet. “It serves a variety of hot dog style sausages. I believe he is on his lunch break. Would you care to join him?”
