* * *
The projections of the various biologicals Zhem could now converse, sophont to sophont was becoming evident to the Vargriform Cym. His first time as a Steward in this new chassis was constrained at first, but the Middle Passengers soon grew more interested in watching the flight departure out the view ports. He noted on a Portable Controller that there were only two Distinct Passengers and made an inward note to converse with each to learn more.
“Honorables,” announced Zhem to his charges, “I have received notification that at present acceleration, we should reach the jump point in 25 hours. Feel free to conduct yourselves about the public Commons, Galley, and your Cabins. Any questions can be directed to either a crew sophont or to the Ship’s AI via your Cabin terminals. Thank you.”
While two of the Middle Passengers remained aloof, staying in their Cabins and emerging only for Fresher use or for meals, Zhem found his claws full of answering questions that came slightly more frequently and faster than usual sophont bandwidth. The Noble from Pandrin’s government let slip that he was on a mission to make contact with Kaets’ Republic Embassy to set up a Nobility application for the border world to be represented. He complained that the 60% Vargr population and government there was overdue for the paperwork, census, and seemed to lack interest in membership in the Republic of Regina despite the charter annex back in 1889.
The cooler, reserved Ahurai Clan Aslan female was smooth and very business oriented. Zhem learned from her that the Dentus Ahurai colony was preparing IPO for Territory on Kaets to settle an enclave for ihatei to “step off” if they had a mind to foot their bills.
Zhem noted that even though his Vargriform chassis might make him appear as a Vargr, this Aslan lady did not stereotype the Cym as one, not completely. She was almost as tall as his chassis. Zhem made a note to pass to Captain Gankinra about the details he had learned, so as to have topics to bring up at First Meal.
Zhem did not need a Portable Controller to take a watch on the Bridge. Rather, the Cym simply connected a cable from a Bridge Data Port to his Vargriform chassis. For the remained of the night into the next watch, Zhem conversed with the Panas though most of the conversation was one-sided because of Cym-AI barriers long upheld by law and out of precaution.
Inside his Electronic Brain, Zhem was coming close to what it must feel like to become a so-called Traveller.
The next ship-Day, Qithka stepped from her Crew Cabin to start her cycle turn at Steward. Today she would get to meet the Middle Passengers, converse, and learn a bit about this year of 1902. With her was her Portable Controller through which she could keep an eye out for any Yellow lights from any of the roles aboard the Panas Gankinra. Coffee, breakfast meat kabobs, maple syrup drizzled over thick, black pepper bacon had Qithka’s maw salivating such that she had to hide it by sipping her beverage.
The Morning Persons of the four Passengers featured only the tall, imposing Aslan who at first did not immediately speak to Qithka. But when the Relict Clone broke the ice about business news tickers over the system news media, the Ahurai female opened quite a bit. Still today in 1902, the Aslan maintained the gender partition unless crossed by necessity. Qithka was glad to see that nothing needed a diagnosis or repairs. The ship was too new, too high Quality for the Ergonomics to break a Control Panel.
Qithka learned from the Aslan female that very few Clans had come through the Interregnum, Ahurai being the most sheltered out of Dentus. Privately, Qithka remembered back to the end of the Fifth Frontier War when Aslan fighting on the side of the Third Imperium had been granted Territory on Dentus much to Clan Ahurai delight.
The male Aslan had lost none of their bravado. Ihatei or “second sons” still brazenly stepped off into the Wilds, most never returning. This led to the Aslan consolidating much of what Territory the Clans could claim within the borders of the Republic of Regina. To Qithka, this was a good thing. She remembered the race for conquering space by the ihatei of the Rebellion.
"I have a request, Steward," declared the Aslan. She had introduced herself to Qithka though Qithka was rated enough in Steward to keep a names and Cabin number list in a pocket of whatever uniform she wore each ship-day.
"How can I help, Honorable Hooi?" offered Qithka automatically. Her training aboard the Armed Junker Arrkolltsue resurfaced. Her Pattern mother had turned into quite the young waif of a Vargr to market Passages for the Junker from Northammon all the way coreward until Firgir Subsector. But that was back in the early 1200s. Now all Qithka felt confident in doing right was crying in front of strangers.
"This may seem odd for other sophonts but-..." A stream of Trokh which Qithka did not understand muttered from Hooi. "Would you mind tossing each bite of my meals into the Commons air for me to catch?"
Evolved from pouncers whereas her own race had been 'Chosen' for uplift by the Ancients from Terran chasers, Qithka02 could see Hooi's desires. Almost.
"But of course, ma'am. I've never done this, so please forgive beforehand if I am inaccurate."
"On my honor, Steward."
Hooi did not immediately devour the throws she caught in her Paws, speared on her natural Dewclaws, or in her fanged mouth. Most went to her plate after their 'capture'. Qithka02 thought it sporting, but she wisely kept her opinions quiet and her expressions professional.
Breakfast went well between the two carnivores. Only once was Qithka inaccurate with the underclawed, arcing throws because of her wrist snap to add distance across the Commons from the Galley to the table where Hooi sat snatching seared rare meat chunks. When the meat bit hit the deck, throws paused as the Aslan female dove for the fallen bit, summarily devouring it and using her off-paw to wipe the floor with a saturated disinfectant towel. Qithka saw that Hooi’s slit pupils had gone round and wide with the desire to snatch more throws from mid-air. Qithka took the pause to use a fork to take bites from the shared meal for herself.
Only when Hooi’s ears stopped flaring back, her long tail stopped twitching, and she held up a stopping paw did Qithka nod in recognition of the signal that the meal had sated her.
Hooi brought her cleared plate to the Galley, licked it clean and then inserted into the autowasher. Then the tall Aslan looked down to Qithka and patted her on the head. More Trokh was followed by Anglic in saying, “You will go far, Steward.”
“I am here to serve,” Qithka answered with a standard customer service response. The petting was demeaning to her past lives, but Qithka02 choked them down and went to wash her head in the Common Fresher. Hooi had not washed her paws before petting Qithka.
Toward lunch, Qithka passed the Medical compartment where the Med Console was folded down for the Noble. Zhem had laid the panicked Human so he could scan the injured right hand. Tableware stabbing accident. When the injured was diagnosed by the robotic doctor, bleeding was stopped, sealant, nutrients, and a glove-like bandage was overlaid the entire hand. Qithka did not stop to gawk though the man complained the entire time about the too-sharp knives from the Galley. The Human would have to eat at First Meal with his off hand.
Instead of finding free time entertainment, Qithka caught a four-hour nap she needed if she was going to see the Panas Gankinra jump. In her previous lives, Qithka’s predecessors had seen up to Jump-4 from various classes of starships. This Safari Ship was rated and expected to jump three parsecs from Pandrin coreward to Kaets. Her Pattern mother was witness to a twined Jump-3 drives via Nexus giving that old Armed Junker increased range though it cost in tonnage converted from the hold into tankage. Even the 50-ton Cutter had to lend volume to holding the extra fuel.
Another night terror tormented Qithka. In it, she dreamed she stood at ground zero when the Zirunkariish Healthcare arcology was bombed causing it to implode and collapse upon itself. The noise was deafening, the rubble spray landing at her feet as she looked on in horror. So many had died that day instead of the intended bombing target: Dame Qithka01 Cannagrrh.
Two full shifts of arcology staff and a population of patients were mercilessly crushed by the mass of the crumbling superstructure. Qithka cried from the moment she heard the sound of the shape charges, through the blast, witness to the collapse and bawled to be engulfed by the tower of dust. The resulting fire that broke out woke her in her Cabin. She had been crying in her sleep. So much death on Vincennes.
Shaa Gankinra was making her exit from the Common Fresher, redundant in that the Fresher could house the toiletries of ten crew. The Panas Gankinra when fully double-occupied could sleep eight crew. The Passenger Fresher was on the far side of the ship and handled only the four Middle Passengers.
“Och, do you look like you had a rough sleep,” noted Shaa when she saw Qithka’s bed head and hunched over stance.
The projections of the various biologicals Zhem could now converse, sophont to sophont was becoming evident to the Vargriform Cym. His first time as a Steward in this new chassis was constrained at first, but the Middle Passengers soon grew more interested in watching the flight departure out the view ports. He noted on a Portable Controller that there were only two Distinct Passengers and made an inward note to converse with each to learn more.
“Honorables,” announced Zhem to his charges, “I have received notification that at present acceleration, we should reach the jump point in 25 hours. Feel free to conduct yourselves about the public Commons, Galley, and your Cabins. Any questions can be directed to either a crew sophont or to the Ship’s AI via your Cabin terminals. Thank you.”
While two of the Middle Passengers remained aloof, staying in their Cabins and emerging only for Fresher use or for meals, Zhem found his claws full of answering questions that came slightly more frequently and faster than usual sophont bandwidth. The Noble from Pandrin’s government let slip that he was on a mission to make contact with Kaets’ Republic Embassy to set up a Nobility application for the border world to be represented. He complained that the 60% Vargr population and government there was overdue for the paperwork, census, and seemed to lack interest in membership in the Republic of Regina despite the charter annex back in 1889.
The cooler, reserved Ahurai Clan Aslan female was smooth and very business oriented. Zhem learned from her that the Dentus Ahurai colony was preparing IPO for Territory on Kaets to settle an enclave for ihatei to “step off” if they had a mind to foot their bills.
Zhem noted that even though his Vargriform chassis might make him appear as a Vargr, this Aslan lady did not stereotype the Cym as one, not completely. She was almost as tall as his chassis. Zhem made a note to pass to Captain Gankinra about the details he had learned, so as to have topics to bring up at First Meal.
Zhem did not need a Portable Controller to take a watch on the Bridge. Rather, the Cym simply connected a cable from a Bridge Data Port to his Vargriform chassis. For the remained of the night into the next watch, Zhem conversed with the Panas though most of the conversation was one-sided because of Cym-AI barriers long upheld by law and out of precaution.
Inside his Electronic Brain, Zhem was coming close to what it must feel like to become a so-called Traveller.
The next ship-Day, Qithka stepped from her Crew Cabin to start her cycle turn at Steward. Today she would get to meet the Middle Passengers, converse, and learn a bit about this year of 1902. With her was her Portable Controller through which she could keep an eye out for any Yellow lights from any of the roles aboard the Panas Gankinra. Coffee, breakfast meat kabobs, maple syrup drizzled over thick, black pepper bacon had Qithka’s maw salivating such that she had to hide it by sipping her beverage.
The Morning Persons of the four Passengers featured only the tall, imposing Aslan who at first did not immediately speak to Qithka. But when the Relict Clone broke the ice about business news tickers over the system news media, the Ahurai female opened quite a bit. Still today in 1902, the Aslan maintained the gender partition unless crossed by necessity. Qithka was glad to see that nothing needed a diagnosis or repairs. The ship was too new, too high Quality for the Ergonomics to break a Control Panel.
Qithka learned from the Aslan female that very few Clans had come through the Interregnum, Ahurai being the most sheltered out of Dentus. Privately, Qithka remembered back to the end of the Fifth Frontier War when Aslan fighting on the side of the Third Imperium had been granted Territory on Dentus much to Clan Ahurai delight.
The male Aslan had lost none of their bravado. Ihatei or “second sons” still brazenly stepped off into the Wilds, most never returning. This led to the Aslan consolidating much of what Territory the Clans could claim within the borders of the Republic of Regina. To Qithka, this was a good thing. She remembered the race for conquering space by the ihatei of the Rebellion.
"I have a request, Steward," declared the Aslan. She had introduced herself to Qithka though Qithka was rated enough in Steward to keep a names and Cabin number list in a pocket of whatever uniform she wore each ship-day.
"How can I help, Honorable Hooi?" offered Qithka automatically. Her training aboard the Armed Junker Arrkolltsue resurfaced. Her Pattern mother had turned into quite the young waif of a Vargr to market Passages for the Junker from Northammon all the way coreward until Firgir Subsector. But that was back in the early 1200s. Now all Qithka felt confident in doing right was crying in front of strangers.
"This may seem odd for other sophonts but-..." A stream of Trokh which Qithka did not understand muttered from Hooi. "Would you mind tossing each bite of my meals into the Commons air for me to catch?"
Evolved from pouncers whereas her own race had been 'Chosen' for uplift by the Ancients from Terran chasers, Qithka02 could see Hooi's desires. Almost.
"But of course, ma'am. I've never done this, so please forgive beforehand if I am inaccurate."
"On my honor, Steward."
Hooi did not immediately devour the throws she caught in her Paws, speared on her natural Dewclaws, or in her fanged mouth. Most went to her plate after their 'capture'. Qithka02 thought it sporting, but she wisely kept her opinions quiet and her expressions professional.
Breakfast went well between the two carnivores. Only once was Qithka inaccurate with the underclawed, arcing throws because of her wrist snap to add distance across the Commons from the Galley to the table where Hooi sat snatching seared rare meat chunks. When the meat bit hit the deck, throws paused as the Aslan female dove for the fallen bit, summarily devouring it and using her off-paw to wipe the floor with a saturated disinfectant towel. Qithka saw that Hooi’s slit pupils had gone round and wide with the desire to snatch more throws from mid-air. Qithka took the pause to use a fork to take bites from the shared meal for herself.
Only when Hooi’s ears stopped flaring back, her long tail stopped twitching, and she held up a stopping paw did Qithka nod in recognition of the signal that the meal had sated her.
Hooi brought her cleared plate to the Galley, licked it clean and then inserted into the autowasher. Then the tall Aslan looked down to Qithka and patted her on the head. More Trokh was followed by Anglic in saying, “You will go far, Steward.”
“I am here to serve,” Qithka answered with a standard customer service response. The petting was demeaning to her past lives, but Qithka02 choked them down and went to wash her head in the Common Fresher. Hooi had not washed her paws before petting Qithka.
Toward lunch, Qithka passed the Medical compartment where the Med Console was folded down for the Noble. Zhem had laid the panicked Human so he could scan the injured right hand. Tableware stabbing accident. When the injured was diagnosed by the robotic doctor, bleeding was stopped, sealant, nutrients, and a glove-like bandage was overlaid the entire hand. Qithka did not stop to gawk though the man complained the entire time about the too-sharp knives from the Galley. The Human would have to eat at First Meal with his off hand.
Instead of finding free time entertainment, Qithka caught a four-hour nap she needed if she was going to see the Panas Gankinra jump. In her previous lives, Qithka’s predecessors had seen up to Jump-4 from various classes of starships. This Safari Ship was rated and expected to jump three parsecs from Pandrin coreward to Kaets. Her Pattern mother was witness to a twined Jump-3 drives via Nexus giving that old Armed Junker increased range though it cost in tonnage converted from the hold into tankage. Even the 50-ton Cutter had to lend volume to holding the extra fuel.
Another night terror tormented Qithka. In it, she dreamed she stood at ground zero when the Zirunkariish Healthcare arcology was bombed causing it to implode and collapse upon itself. The noise was deafening, the rubble spray landing at her feet as she looked on in horror. So many had died that day instead of the intended bombing target: Dame Qithka01 Cannagrrh.
Two full shifts of arcology staff and a population of patients were mercilessly crushed by the mass of the crumbling superstructure. Qithka cried from the moment she heard the sound of the shape charges, through the blast, witness to the collapse and bawled to be engulfed by the tower of dust. The resulting fire that broke out woke her in her Cabin. She had been crying in her sleep. So much death on Vincennes.
Shaa Gankinra was making her exit from the Common Fresher, redundant in that the Fresher could house the toiletries of ten crew. The Panas Gankinra when fully double-occupied could sleep eight crew. The Passenger Fresher was on the far side of the ship and handled only the four Middle Passengers.
“Och, do you look like you had a rough sleep,” noted Shaa when she saw Qithka’s bed head and hunched over stance.
and the name Otto was printed on the large T-shirt Zhem wore the first Day of jump. Qithka could not place the reference and gave up to attend First Meal after securing Engineering. The next week in jump transit did not require the Bridge or Engineering compartments. The ship was assured its transit however long it took.