Ancient Birthright (29 page)

“How often does it need food?” asked Nadya as she moved in for a closer look.

“Maybe every ten or twelve days it needs to attach to ship to get nutrients.”

Tuuan flashed past with Reedn closing in on her. Dantee waited until Tuuan was clear then flicked out her tail and tapped Reedn off course.

“Why’d you do that? I almost had her,” Reedn wined as he sailed past his intended handhold and into the cockpit.

Chapter-33

Saigg and Renna served drinks and a tray of assorted cakes to both sets of their parents, as well as Karonna, Kaas, and Davvie. The gathering was an informal status meeting where they shared the latest news from
Nauka 7
. The meeting had become a weekly occurrence since the children launched on their relief mission. Saigg needed these sessions to control the anxiety he felt about the danger to his precious children. From previous discussions with his father, he knew Command Prime Garuu felt even more apprehension.

“Tuuan reported the repairs to the PTO ship’s radio were successful,” Kaas said. “It turns out the ship had been unused for so long, all the buds on the radio sprouted. She removed the buds and started two in nutrient. One as a backup for the PTO and the second she plans on giving to Anika, so they can communicate on the return trip.”

Saigg grabbed two orange flecked cakes before his younger brother Davvie could shovel them into his mouth. Davvie was stretched out on the floor at his parent’s feet and looked half-asleep as he chewed. The group was in Command Prime’s cabin since it was marginally larger than the others.

Saigg said, “The
Endeavour
should rendezvous with
Nauka 7
sometime tomorrow. Beldon says their biggest concern is their fuel. They don’t have much of a safety margin. If they can’t match velocities, and run out of fuel, one of our kids may have to use the PTO ship to push them to the Russian craft.”

“Is the Russian ship totally without maneuvering capabilities?” his father asked.

“They still have fuel in their attitude jets, but the last time they used them their pressure hull developed a crack where it was damaged in the collision,” Saigg answered.

Renna set her drink aside. “I got a message from Dantee. She says Reedn is getting fat and has a hard time getting through the airlock on the PTO. Apparently he developed a taste for the Russian’s food,”

“You better call them back and have a talk with your son. If he gets too big, he won’t fit in his pressure suit,” Saigg told Renna.

“Oh, now he’s my son?”

Saigg chuckled. “Of course. When he does something wonderful—then he’s my son. As an example, have you noticed how well they’re doing with their English? It’s amazing how quickly they’ve picked it up. Reedn says the Russians correct their English all the time and force them to say it properly. Just like his mom.”

“I wish we’d had the knowledge to teach them Russian before they left. We could really use the help in that language,” Domm Feuua added.

“Dantee told me she’s learned some Russian. Then she admitted that most of the words were cuss words that Anika said when she didn’t think the kids could hear. Once we get the Russian crew on board, you can ask them to teach you all the Russian you want,” Saigg told Domm Feuua.

“I’m looking forward to that.” Domm Feuua stopped and shifted his eyes to his daughter before focusing them on Saigg. “Saigg, this is a hard branch to chew. But I need to tell you that I’ve come to accept you as Renna’s mate and the father of my grandchildren. I still think you’re an uneducated slug but maybe that’s what we needed to solve this problem. Sometimes preconceptions and too much education can stifle creative thinking.”

Chapter-34

Endeavour
: Transjump plus 5 years, 245 days:

“Main engine ignition in three...two...one, ignition, all engines online, throttling up to one hundred percent power…

“Main engine cut out. We’ll maneuver with the attitude thrusters and orbital maneuver pods from here.” Rishly deftly tumbled the orbiter one hundred and eighty degrees so the cockpit windows presented him with a view of
Nauka 7
. A dull brown cylinder, tapered on one end, and with an opening almost the full diameter of the object at the other floated next to
Nauka 7
. “Cindy, you’re clear to open the payload bay doors and move the docking module into position over the airlock.”

“Doors coming open. Arm clear of the cradle,” Cindy answered. “Moving docking module into position and...it’s locked, pressurizing.... Good pressure seal on the docking module. Robotic arm is stowed. Clear for docking maneuver.”

“
Endeavour
, this is
Nauka 7
. Before you dock with us, if the
UE
ship joins with your docking module first, can you release the locks from inside
Endeavour
? You’ll then need to grasp the PTO with the robotic arm and hold it out of the way while you complete the join with
Nauka 7
.”

“What do you think, Major Rishly?” Cindy asked.

“If there is a strong point on the planet to orbit craft, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Rishly keyed his mic. “
Nauka 7
, is there a tab or protruding appendage on the PTO we can grab with the manipulator?”

“Dantee says there is a storage cradle support about four docking ring widths back from the airlock that should work.” Anika’s voice returned.

“Beldon, place the aluminum for the PTO in the airlock. We might as well transfer it while the ship is attached to the module,” Rishly said.

“Roger, I’ll move it in.” A few minutes later Beldon reported. “Aluminum is in the airlock.”

Rishly keyed his mic. “Okay, PTO you are cleared to dock with
Endeavour
. The aluminum you need for fuel is in the air lock so you can transfer it to your ship once you’re docked.”

Rishly and Jollye gasped when the PTO snap rolled ninety degrees to point its docking ring at
Endeavour’s
docking module. It quickly translated sideways the five hundred feet separating the two craft and came to a perfectly aligned stop floating ten feet above the module.

The first indication of contact was when the module locked light snapped on. Cindy pressurized the module seal, and then activated the robotic arm. She used the video camera on the end of the arm to search for the suggested attachment point. Rotating the manipulator grip, she clamped on to the ship ready to move it backward and still maintain its orientation to the orbiter.

“I have the manipulator locked into position. The PTO crew is clear to transfer.”

“I’ve already transferred. You can release the lock and move my ship out of the way,” a muffled but very young voice said in her left ear.

Cindy’s startled reaction would have launched her out of her seat if she’d not had her safety harness in place. “Holy shit! You scared me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know I had to wait to come in. Your airlock controls are just like on the Russian ship, so no problems using them.” The click of the little-space-suited figure removing its helmet heralded Cindy’s first glimpse of one of the beings she’d been talking to for years.

“We can say hello’s when we are with the Russian ship. Now we do docking maneuver?” Tuuan asked, obviously trying to jolt Cindy out of her astonished daze.

“Pilot, the PTO crewman is aboard. I’ll leave the craft locked with the module until you have completed your portion of the docking operation.”

“Roger, Cindy. Understand, clear for docking maneuver,” Rishly rolled and pitched the
Endeavour
until the payload bay faced the nose of the Russian ship, and the docking module aligned with the docking ring.

Cindy released the clamps and moved the PTO aft, so it lay parallel with the right side payload bay door and clear of the docking module. “PTO is clear and stationary.”

“Docking ring centered in target window, distance two hundred feet. Switching flight controls to docking station. Cindy, you have control of
Endeavour
,” Rishly said.

“I have control,” Cindy answered as she shook the nervous cramps out of her hands. Her right hand settled over the attitude thruster joystick, and her left caressed the firing buttons. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She’d done this several hundred times in the simulator, but this would be the first time in a zero gee environment. “Initiating approach.” She gently nudged the bottom thrusters and moved
Endeavour
closer to
Nauka 7
. “Distance one hundred eighty feet, closure point five feet per second, target is centered. Target drifting to three o’clock, closure point five, one hundred fifty feet. Correcting drift.” The merest of breaths issued from the right side thruster.

Beldon moved up beside Cindy. “You’re doing great. It’s just like the simulator.”

“She’s a natural. When we get to
UE
, I introduce her to my instructor pilot. We can fly simulation missions together” Tuuan floated up between Cindy and Beldon.

Cindy saw Beldon jerk back in astonishment when he caught sight of Tuuan in his peripheral vision.

“Beldon, this is the PTO pilot.”

“You are soul Beldon!” Tuuan latched on to his jump suit and pulled close to nuzzle and lick his ear. “I’ve heard about you all my life, and now to meet you in person makes me so happy I cry. I Tuuan, daughter of Karonna and Kaas.”

Cindy frowned. “Please go cuddle someplace else. I have work to do. You’re distracting me… Contact and lock. Maneuvering controls are off and safe. Major Rishly, you have the ship.”

“Roger, I have the ship. Maneuvering controls transferred to flight deck—and they are off and safe,” Rishly said as he completed his checklist.

“I’m pressurizing the docking module seal. Pressure is holding steady. System indicates a good seal,” Cindy reported. She released her restraint and turned to locate Beldon and Tuuan. Tuuan was sitting on Beldon’s folded arms. She used one hand to hold his jump suit and the other to gesture wildly as she talked.

Beldon put a finger to Tuuan’s lips to stall her discourse. “Tuuan, this is, Cindy, my mate.”

“You are Beldon’s Cindy?” Tuuan launched from Beldon and zeroed in on Cindy’s shoulder. “I’ve wanted to meet you also. I hear as much about you as I do Beldon.” Tuuan administered little nibbling-licks to Cindy’s ear. “Come. We say hi to Russians and Dantee and Reedn.”

“Wait a minute, Tuuan. We have three more crewmembers on this ship who would like to meet you before we open the airlock.” Cindy headed for the command deck. “Major Rishly, Major Jollye, and Colonel Striker this is Tuuan, pilot of the PTO ship, and Saigg’s niece.”

Striker turned to Cindy ready to greet the
UE
pilot. All he saw was Cindy floating in the hatch. “Where is she?”

Tuuan grabbed a strand of Cindy’s hair and gently pushed off so she floated off Cindy’s shoulder and appeared above her head. “Hi Colonel Striker, is good to meet you.” She waved a hand at him. “You too Major Rishly and Major Jollye, we been waiting for you, so we can go home to
Universe Explorer
.”

“That was some very impressive piloting you did when you docked with us, Tuuan. How many years have you been flying spacecraft?” Major Rishly asked.

“Not too many. I learned a few thirty-cycle ago, and Dantee let me practice a little on way here.”

“Are you the normal size for a person of your species?” Striker asked.

“I is normal for luzzon female. Dantee is small for age, but Reedn and I is about average.”

“How old are you?” Becca asked.

“We all turn seven while we wait for you, but grandpapa Garuu say we are precocious and advanced of normal luzzons. I not sure what that means.”

“When do you normally reach your full growth?” Becca asked.

“We is big when we gets to about sixteen or seventeen Earth years.”

“When do your people normally start learning to fly a spaceship?” Rishly added.

“All advanced classes start when we done with all soul schooling, when seventeen or eighteen. Pilot training start at eighteen and lasts two years. Three years if to pilot to other planets, not just planet-to-orbit.”

“For those of you who don’t know the family tree, grandpapa Garuu is Command Prime, or as we’d say, Captain, of the
Universe Explorer
,” Cindy told the three crewmembers.

“Why did Command Prime Garuu pick a pilot who was only seven years old, if he had older more experienced pilots available?” Rishly asked.

“We is only luzzons who can learn to fly and can fit through small PTO ship maintenance airlock.
Universe Explorer
not have enough aluminum to send bigger ship with bigger pilot and you make wrong thinking. We is seven months old, not seven years. Grandpapa give instructor pilots one week to training us to fly PTO and to learn English.” Tuuan reeled her body back to Cindy’s shoulder. “Let’s go see Russian’s and my cousins. I start to get sleepy. It nappy time.” Her eyes drooped and her energy seemed to run down.

Becca studied the instrument console for a few seconds. “We have pressure in the tunnel. It’s safe to open the airlock doors.”

“I get Beldon help me open doors. You come say hi to others and make Iosif not be grumpy bear anymore.” Tuuan pushed off from Cindy and headed down to the airlock.

By the time the four left the command deck and moved to the airlock, humans and luzzons were everywhere.

Dantee and Reedn sat on Beldon’s shoulders. “Soul Beldon, I very pleased to meet you. Mom and dad told me to say hello for them and all who are in
Universe Explorer
. We as a people owe you much for helping us to communicate with Earth and to be learning languages,” Dantee said, giving him nuzzles and a lick on the ear.

“They’re affectionate little kids. Hi, I’m Anika Drankova, currently the default ship’s captain on
Nauka 7
.” Anika held her tiny hand out to Colonel Striker.

“Colonel Mathew Striker.” He shook her hand while studying the tiny young woman before him. She couldn’t be more than fifteen or sixteen. Her writhing cloud of long dark auburn hair framed an exceptionally pretty face.