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#1
Old 05-26-2014, 07:00 AM


Garrison's body seemed to take up the entire four-poster bed, draped in the rays of the sun that filtered in through the partially open blinds. Beyond that, his quarters were dark and silent save the rocking of the ship as it was, from time to time, buffeted by electromagnetic currents. Sailing between planets proved to be a very dangerous way of life, but one Garrison had grown up living. His father had been a captain, commissioned for huge and often important or priceless deliveries across galaxies, and before he was even eighteen, Garrison had learned everything from his father and had taken the man's place when he passed. Now, however, none of that was on his mind. His chest vibrated with contented purrs, his yellow cat-like ears twitching when little noises met them. When a knock sounded on his closed door, Garrison groaned and turned onto his back. "Yes, come in!"

The origin of the disturbance was a bull of a man, a quite literal bull, his pointed ears and horns up high on his head and a stocky, strong build taking up the whole doorway. But he had a kind face. "Captain, there's a problem with one of the fuel runners."

"Fuel runners?" Garrison turned back onto his stomach and got onto his hands and knees, stretching long and twisting himself a little. "Which one?"

"Main runner two." His quartermaster looked behind him. "Got a couple sailors sayin' the pump's goin' slow, worried there's a blockage in the system."

With a sigh, Garrison rubbed his tired eyes and yawned. "I see, I see... Well, give me a moment, I'll be down in the hold in a minute." The hold, along with containing a large amount of their transported goods, held the door to the fuel system and the control panel. It would tell them where the block was, what it was, and how long it would take to get rid of it. Garrison stood and stretched again, scratching his ears and stuffing his long tail into his pants so it didn't get crushed or played with by someone, and shrugged into his jacket. He tied up his black hair and hurried out of his quarters, bypassing the stairs up to the deck and going down instead.

Last edited by Tachigami; 05-26-2014 at 11:35 PM..

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#2
Old 05-26-2014, 07:25 AM

The stars shone in the dark red sky, just behind where the golden light of the two moons illuminated the surface of the forest. Most fawnettes looked to the skies to read their fortunes, or to tell stories about their Gods, but Nathaniel was different. When he saw the stars in the night sky, he wondered what other nations were out there. What were their cultures? What did they think? What did they eat? This thinking had caused him to be picked on and considered an outcast in his village. He was teased for wanting to meet an alien, and he didn't have any friends.

Tonight was the Romance Solace, when the night sky was red and the moons full, young fawnettes tried to woo their partners. They frolicked in the meadows and picked flowers for one another. They would choose a mate for life, living together and building a family together. Nathaniel wasn't interested in this. He watched as his brothers ran away with pretty girls, not really wanting to join in. He stayed on the platform that he had built just outside his room, where he often sat to stare at the stars and ignored the singing and other noises from the other fawnettes.

"Son...? You still up here?" Nathaniel looked around to find his father standing in his room, peering out at the platform he was sitting on. His father's horns were large, like all mature males. He also had a beard that he had twined with vines and flowers. His brown hair had been plaited with the same vines and flowers, and he was wearing ceremonial robes. "Why are you hiding? Come down and find yourself a nice young female. Your mother is worried about you, that you'll never find happiness."

"Father... I am not interested in girls. I want to travel, I want to see the moons up close, see other worlds... Tell me again about the alien you saw when you were a kid," Nathaniel smiled and looked down at his father, who sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know what to do with you... I try..." He sighed again when he saw Nathaniel watching intensely. "Fine... It was green, and not like you or me. It had wings and a beak and talked in a hideous squawk. Now come down here and find yourself a mate." Nathaniel stayed where he was, turning his attention to the night sky. He would never find a mate. None of the girls were interested in him. His horns were small and his ears were a lot fluffier than most others. They often laughed at him, asking if he was actually female.

"I'm sorry father. Maybe next year."

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#3
Old 05-26-2014, 07:41 AM

With his quartermaster, Addias, Garrison made his way down to the hold and through the doors to the control room. The panels were blinking calmly, the monitors showing direction, controlled by the sailing master, who spent most of his time down here. Otherwise he had a trusted mate taking care of everything. It was this mate that had noticed the blockage. Garrison's blue-green eyes fell on a rapidly blinking red light, below the panel that read "Main 2". "Give me a read on the interior of main two." Garrison said. He studied the interior monitor as it ran a read through the pipes that fueled the engines, and brought up a large, pinpointed block. "What is that...?"

"I dunno..." Sailing master Fennec replied, scratching his scaly arms. "It looks like... just a black blob. I don't think diagnostics can tell either... No..." he tapped on the left keyboard and got a red ERROR read, then sighed. "Damn it, no. We're gonna have to find a place to dock..."

"We're not near a system dock, Fennec, not at these coordinates." Garrison sighed.

"Gaia X." Fennec said, pointing to a lush planet. "Just a few clicks away, we'll get there in minutes."

"That planet's protected by the Federation, we can't dock there... Hell, they don't even have a docking station!"

"No, but they have gravity, and that's what matters for now. We need to dock somewhere and get the block out, or we'll risk blowing engine two entirely."

Garrison sighed and stared at the planet. "Fine... We won't bother the locals, we'll just get in, fix the block, and get the hell out. Set coordinates for Gaia X... I'll head up to grab my first mate and have him get a group together to cool the pipes before we send anyone in." Garrison left Fennec to turn them to the planet, shaking his head. He didn't like to invade planets that were protected by the Universal Federation of Planetary Peace, but sometimes it was necessary. And he didn't want to waste money on a new engine.

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#4
Old 05-26-2014, 07:51 AM

His father had left a few moments after their small talk. It seemed even his parents had given up on him ever being normal. He watched the parents leave the village as well, as they all went to the sacred grove together. His father was the priest, and would seal the bonds created during the Romance Solace. The newly wedded couples would return to the village a week later, making their own homes out of tree bark and wood. Soon kids would be born, and Nathaniel would be an uncle. He wondered what sort of girls his brothers had chosen and if his baby sister had found the right man to take care of her.

As he watched the stars, he thought he saw something moving. Sitting upright and blinking, he followed the light across the sky and then watched as it landed behind the village in the thick part of the forest. Aliens? Here? Nathaniel just had to see them close up. He grabbed a jacket and put on his boots, not wanting his hooves to get cold as he dashed from the home and towards the forest. He stopped just outside a clearing, seeing lights and hearing people talk. He peered from behind a tree and felt his mouth drop open. So many different aliens. They all were standing around a large ship, something Nathaniel had only heard stories about. He crouched behind the tree and watched them, wishing he could understand their language so he could find out what they were here for. They didn't seem bad.

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#5
Old 05-26-2014, 08:05 AM

They entered the atmosphere with little turbulence, engaging a series of small gravitational rotors along the bottom of the ship that steadied them as they landed in a huge green area that looked to be a grassland outside a large, dense forest. Garrison and half his crew left the ship after disengaging the field that formed a bubble over the upper decks, making it safe to wander while away from a planet. Garrison stood on the gangway to get a higher view of the place and speak to the sailors below. "Get some coolant on the pipes immediately, and once it's cool enough, disengage the pistons from pump two. Make sure no one will be crushed or injured, my surgeon doesn't need injuries on his hands and neither do I. Get one of the smaller ones up to identify the blockage and, if able, remove it. If necessary, refer to Addias if I'm unavailable."

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir!" and feet running about as Garrison stepped down and looked around. Then he stepped up to Fennec. "What type of race makes this planet home?" He asked.

"I believe a race of rather delicate beings. I hear they're not technologically advanced and their planets have little use beyond an abundance of fruit and vegetables, and fresh water. There's less than ten percent of salt water on the surface but various underground lakes that contain very high levels of salt."

Fennec had always been a rather intelligent man when it came to understanding the thousands of planets in the UFPP's list. Garrison smiled and looked to the trees, widening his eyes when he caught something. His keen, cat-like eyes caught movement and he stepped forward. A local, no doubt. He had been hoping to at least see one, but it appeared they had been discovered first. "Hello?" He said gently. "We apologize for stopping by this way... Can you understand me?" He doubted it. His entire crew were fitted with universal translators so there was no miscommunication.

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#6
Old 05-26-2014, 08:12 AM

Nathaniel watched them scramble to do whatever the one standing on the ship told them to do. He must have been the chief. His ears were like Nathaniel's, except pointier and on the top of his head rather than the side. He also didn't have any horns, but Nathaniel didn't mind. He seemed friendly and was rather good-looking. As he considered approaching them, he was spotted by the man. He was speaking, but Nathaniel couldn't understand him. He didn't seem to be wanting to hurt him, however, and Nathaniel stepped out of his hiding place cautiously.

"Hi... Um... Are you aliens?" he asked, guessing they wouldn't understand him. A few of the others that were cleaning the ship stopped to give Nathaniel a curious glance. Maybe they hadn't met any fawnettes before. Nathaniel certainly hadn't seen anything like the aliens in his life. He wondered if the green bird-like creature was around them, but doubted it.

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#7
Old 05-26-2014, 08:19 AM

Garrison smiled and nodded. He could understand the alien, but doubted they were understood in turn. Fennec looked at Garrison and smiled. "Adorable, isn't he?" He asked. "Cute, if you like that kind of thing."

"Start thinking with the head on your shoulders, Fennec, and get your ass back to the control. Make sure those sailors aren't screwing anything up."

"Hey, hey, I said if you like that kind of thing. I ain't into it." Fennec shrugged and turned, heading back up the gangplank. Garrison sighed and turned back to the local. It wasn't unusual---and in fact it was rather common knowledge---that men that spent their lives on ships would no doubt be attracted to other men. Whether it was natural or born of some need or another, it wasn't seen as anything to talk about. Garrison pulled an earpiece fit for the local's curious ear out of his pocket and tossed it to him, pointing to his own ear and the piece he had attached.

"Yes, and we apologize for coming by this way. We had an issue that needed to be looked at and your world was the nearest we could find." Garrison explained when the local could understand him. "We don't mean harm, we'll be off as soon as we can get the block in our system sorted out."

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#8
Old 05-26-2014, 08:25 AM

Nathaniel caught the curious device and fit it over his ear like gestured by the tall eared man. He started slightly to hear the man speak clearly in his language, even though just before he couldn't understand what was being said. "I've always wanted to meet aliens..." Nathaniel didn't feel scared any more, his heart thumping fast as excitement exploded in his chest. He was sure his small tail was wagging with happiness as he came closer and looked at the others working on the ship.

He felt saddened that they had to leave. Why didn't they want to stay? Nathaniel could introduce them to his family and they could have a meal together. "You have to go so soon? But we only just met! I want to show you my village and my parents... And maybe we could go to the spring and hot pools and.. and..." He laughed, jumping up and down on the spot. "I knew aliens were real! I knew it! My father told me about an alien he saw when he was young and I knew he wasn't lying!"

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#9
Old 05-26-2014, 08:33 AM

Garrison glanced back, looking at the men handling the gravitational system. It kept the ship just inches above the ground to avoid damage by anything they hadn't seen beforehand. "I... don't think your village would want to have so many strangers come about." Garrison said with a grimace. "Although... Perhaps we could remain here until dawn. I'm sure my men would enjoy the break."

A sailor appeared at the top of the gangplank. "Captain, we're running low on fruit. We have enough to last another six days."

"Aw, damn it..." Garrison pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, don't bother spreading the word! We'll have to start doubling up or you'll have to stop eating so much!" He turned back to the local. "I was informed earlier this world has an abundance of fruit and vegetables... Would it be too much trouble to seek some out for our leave tomorrow, perhaps?" While no one visited this planet because it wasn't advanced enough, and didn't require shipments or deliveries, there didn't seem to be any harm in asking to take a bit of the natural surplus along.

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#10
Old 05-26-2014, 08:38 AM

"Oh yes! Anything to help! There's an orchard not too far away from here, actually! I hope you can eat Gopongo fruit. It's my favourite!" He pointed past the ship. The orchard always had plentiful fruit growing on the viney trees, and he often went there to steal some of the fruit to eat. "There's also Rootish, which you can cook into stews to give it a spicy flavour." He jumped up and down again, hoping one of the aliens would come with him to pick the fruit. "You could come with me and I'll show you!"

On the way to the orchard, there was also a little cave he often crawled into. It hosted a few hot springs that the people of his village used as baths. He had heard of it being a romantic place and a lot of his brothers took their girlfriends there to fool around.

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#11
Old 05-26-2014, 08:45 AM

Garrison smiled brightly. "I'll do that. Just give me a minute, I should have my quartermaster handle things..." He hurried up the gangplank, finding Addias quickly. The bull of a man was watching a few sailors. "Addias, you're in charge. When they take care of the blockage, let them off the hook for the rest of the night. I'm taking a few mates with me to an orchard nearby."

"Really? Did a sweep of the place already?" Addias looked impressed.

"No, actually, a local found the ship. He's offered to show us around the immediate area and help restock the fruit stores."

"Nice. Just be careful, there's a village somewhere nearby. We don't want to cause much upset."

"I understand perfectly, Addias. Take care of Fennec and make sure he doesn't get in over his head." He pointed to a few mates and had them gather a couple empty crates each, and follow him back to the earth. "Alright, then." He said, looking to the local. "I hope you don't mind a couple coming along. We need enough stock to make it back without running out too soon. My men can be a bit piggish sometimes." And that wasn't just because a couple were actually pigs.

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#12
Old 05-26-2014, 09:05 AM

Nathaniel was excited, and waited patiently while the chief went to discuss the matter with his tribe, before returning with a few others. Happy to hear that he'd come with Nathaniel, he did another jump and started off into the trees. "It's a bit hard to see in the dark, but I bet you have really good eyesight. We have these big birds here that hunt at night time, but they live in the mountains, so don't worry. I think all we have to worry about are Vinpters, but they only come out during the day." He continuously talked as they dodged through the trees, finally coming to the cave. Steam came from the mouth of the cave and Nathaniel peered into the darkness. "There's hot springs in there. It's really relaxing."

He kept walking until they came to the orchard, the viney trees sporting the yellow fruits under their purple leaves. "Make sure you get the yellow ones. Green isn't ripe and makes your tummy hurt. Also, the stalks have thorns so you have to pick them carefully. Most males use their horns, but mine are too small, so I do this." He reached up and dug his nails into the soft flesh of the fruit, pulling it down easily. "If they don't come off easily, they aren't ready." He bit into the fruit and sighed at the sweetness that filled his mouth. "Take as many as you want, they grow daily."

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#13
Old 05-27-2014, 12:31 AM

As their little tour guide showed them the way to the orchard, he talked quite a bit in regard to the world they were now on. Gaia X seemed to be so perfect, untouched by technology and the frustrations that came along with it. Really, Garrison and his entire crew had to be detoured to this little Eden because of a problem with their own technology, a blockage in the system, which wasn't exactly a rare thing for ships that sailed between worlds and galaxies. And he seemed so excited to see them---not afraid, or hesitant---at all. Garrison was sure the locals would have retreated and not have come near until they were long gone, but this one seemed to seek him out. Curiosity. That was nice to see, something other than fear or apprehension. Or hostility. And the way he bounced around, full of energy, was endearing. Cute.

Entering the orchard, Garrison sent the men forward, having them abandon the crates near where he stood, and he watched the local for a moment. "Thank you for your help." He said. "I was afraid we'd be avoided or run off by whomever was on this planet. My name is Garrison, by the way." He looked around to the men plucking near-ripe fruit from the trees and tossed them into the crates. They paused now and then when they plucked a soft, bright yellow orb down, biting into it and muttering to one another. Garrison's ears twitched to catch their words, but they were uninteresting, mostly comments on the new fruit of the planet.

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#14
Old 05-27-2014, 12:42 AM

"Garrison..." Nathaniel spoke the name, shivers going down his spine as he said it. It was so... Different. "My name is Nathaniel," he said, bowing slightly as was the custom when you met someone new. "You don't need to worry about them, they are all at the Grove making babies." His ear was itchy and he scratched it, turning away from Garrison to feel his horns. Still small and pathetic. He wondered when they would grow bigger, like his father's. "It's the Romance Solace. The sky is dark red and the moons are big and golden... Everyone goes to the Sacred Grove to consummate their love. My family are down there now too..."

"How many other planets have you been to? Which one are you from? What is your family like? Oh, please tell me everything! I want to know! I want this to last forever... I want to remember you forever."

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#15
Old 05-27-2014, 12:56 AM

Garrison looked up at the sky, curious about this romance solace of sorts. He'd seen and participated in many planets' holidays and ceremonies, and this one was certainly different. "I see." Garrison said after a moment. "But... ah, never mind." He was curious as to why Nathaniel wasn't there too, since he mentioned his family was there as well.

He laughed at Nathaniel's eagerness. "Easy, take it easy. I'm sure we have time to talk about things beyond this planet. I've been to many others, I can't put a number on it. Hundreds, I'm sure, spread across dozens of galaxies. I come from a rather small, humid planet called Elsefre, it used to be full of rainforests and rivers. Nowadays those daily rainfalls and strong rivers power large buildings." He watched his men carefully. Half the crates were already filled and he would have to put a new rule in place once they were off again to avoid low food storage when they weren't near a docking station. Only twice did he ever run out entirely, and only once did he run out of water. He was just thankful that they had filtering units on the ship to reuse the stuff.

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#16
Old 05-27-2014, 01:01 AM

Nathaniel sat at Garrison's feet, his ears focussed on what he talked about. It sounded almost like his planet, but they had buildings and technology... Nathaniel couldn't imagine what a building looked like. They must have huge trees on Garrison's planet to make big homes. Maybe they were giants? Nathaniel was certainly shorter than the crew, and he was an adult. "Where are they from?" he asked, pointing to one of the crew members who had a funny, turned-up nose and floppy ears.

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#17
Old 05-27-2014, 01:07 AM

Garrison knitted his brow a bit and looked down to the young man. Curious customs, but he was prepared for any odd jump here or there and ready to learn them in a moment's notice. He looked up to follow Nathaniel's direction and caught sight of one of the men. "Ah, that's Abbot. He's from a very large, technologically-advanced planet called Tep 3-0. They rely on technology and are rather focused on numbers and ship designs. My ship comes from Tep 3-0, actually, it's the best quality and newest I could get my hands on. You and your kind don't have... any technology whatsoever? What's it like?" Now he sounded like the curious one, interested in how these types got on in this Eden-like world devoid of any clicking gears or lasers, wires, platforms, metal or steam.

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#18
Old 05-27-2014, 01:17 AM

"Technology... Is that like your ship? We don't have anything that's not natural here. It's just what I am used to... I'd say its boring here compared to where you are from, or your tribe." Even he found it boring at times. All the houses looked the same, and the rituals were always the same every year. The Harvest, the Solace... Always on time, every year. His father was a priest, so he had attended many different rituals, but they bored him. "We worship the Moons and Nature... But I don't think Gods really do exist. And when I talk about wanting to walk on one of our moons, people laugh and tell me they are Gods and can't be touched. But I think they are like planets, that shine... But you can't live on them because they have no trees..." He looked up at the moons, that were always present in the sky.

"I love the forest and the fruits and flowers... But I want to see a building, more ships... I want to touch the stars and see other planets... Maybe, Garrison... I could come with you?" he turned his big brown eyes on the man. "I'd try to be useful! I just really want to come with you and see the universe!''

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#19
Old 05-27-2014, 01:26 AM

Garrison looked up, toward where the two moons were. They were seen as gods? They could certainly be touched, felt, only with the right amount of protective gear. Once upon a time one had to wear bulky, ugly, heavy suits to walk on asteroids or moons, anything with a faint or no atmosphere at all. Now there was only a thin, closely fitted suit and treated headgear, tinted to keep one safe from the universe's radiation and UV. The suit acted as a filter and recycled one's breaths, giving them unlimited breathing time.

He startled when Nathaniel asked to come. He hadn't thought about that at all. "Um... You know, I don't think that'd be the best idea... I mean, that's basically kidnapping, if I just... brought you along... And there are tests to endure, and... clearances... You'd... be misplaced, I think, it'd be a huge culture shock. And it's not what you think it is, I'm sure."

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#20
Old 05-27-2014, 01:36 AM

Nathaniel's heart sunk slightly. "But... I can't stay here knowing aliens are real and there are more out there... Beyond the Moons..." His head fell and his ears drooped. "I really want to come... My family wouldn't care if I disappeared... I'm basically an outcast anyway..." He felt tears forming in his eyes and he sniffed, wiping his face and turning away. The others had filled their crates and were eager to get back to their ship. Nathaniel led them back, his arms flaccid at his sides as he walked. He didn't talk Garrison's ear off this time, and left his side once they were safely back at the ship. He cried as he returned to the trees, watching them slowly reloading their ship. Garrison looked around for him, but Nathaniel made sure to hide behind the tree this time.

In a second of quick thinking, Nathaniel crept along the ground and found a somewhat empty box. He crawled inside it, hiding under the fruit as it was lifted from the ground. He could hear the various grunting of the men lifting the box, and his heart pounded in his chest. Would his plan work? He could faintly hear a man talking to Garrison, explaining about how the blockage had been fixed and that it was nearing dawn. Even though the moons remained in the sky, Nathaniel imagined the blackness of daytime changing the red sky. He thought about his family, about his mother and father and brothers and sister. He would miss them, but promised to return home once he had seen the universe.

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#21
Old 05-27-2014, 01:51 AM

Garrison sighed, turning his gaze down. It was rare he felt guilty for something but Nathaniel, this cute little thing, seemed to be misplaced on his very home planet. He wasn't even with his kind during a ceremony. But he couldn't just let a local onto his ship at a request, or he would have ten times the crew he had now on the galleon. There were tests to endure, yes, to make sure one's eyesight, health, and mentality was in check and they had enough money and resources to handle the vast trips between worlds and galaxies.

He chewed on his lip while they headed back, and he sent the men into the galley storeroom. He looked around for the young man but didn't see him. A hand fell onto his shoulder and Garrison startled, looking around to Addias. "Hey, hey... What's the read?"

"Block's gone. It was a buildup of fouled coolant. We're gonna replace the filters when we dock in Bespar."

"Sounds good..." Garrison looked back to the trees, touching the translator in his ear.

"You okay?" Addias asked, looking around. "What's got you distracted?"

"Nothing. get that last crate up and into the hold, it's a bit too crowded in the galley storeroom."

"Sure thing." Addias bent down and hefted the crate. "Good God, this thing's heavy! How much do these fruits weigh!?"

"I thought you were a bull, Addias!" Garrison pushed him up the gangplank, and followed him. "I'll get the guys moving on starting up the engines---I guess it's better not to waste time and just get our asses moving."

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#22
Old 05-27-2014, 02:19 AM

Nathaniel waited for the box to be set down on solid ground before rearranging himself to be sitting on top of the fruit. He didn't know how long he would have to hide, but there was enough fruit to keep him going for a couple of days. He would only come out once they were far away from his planet, that way Garrison would have to let him stay. He thought about his family, knowing the ceremony had finished by now. Would his parents worry about him? He doubted it. They knew he was a wonderer, but they wouldn't have guessed he had sneaked on board an alien spacecraft. He wished he could have watched his planet shrink away as they flew into space, as they flew past the moons he had always wanted to touch.

He had initially kept track of the time, but after a day he lost count. He had eaten a few of the fruits already, but not too much else he'd be sick or need to use the toilet. He was woken from a small nap by the sounds of people moving around outside his box. They were whispering, obviously sneaking a snack while no one was around. He could still understand them as he hadn't taken the translator out of his ear. They were complaining about the rations they had to eat, talking about the food they used to have all the time when they were back home.

The lid of his box was suddenly lifted and Nathaniel blinked up at the two men, who looked just as shocked to find him inside the box. One of them lifted him out, dragging him from the cargo room and to another, closed door. He knocked on the door. "Captain, we have a stow away," he grunted, glaring down at Nathaniel. His heart pounded hard in his chest. Everyone was a lot bigger than he was. What were they going to do to him?

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#23
Old 05-27-2014, 02:34 AM

When the barrier over the deck was reengaged, Garrison watched the planet as it fell away. It quickly became a small green dot, and the deck was bathed in sunlight from a nearby star. He purred quietly to himself, but knew he had to go back to the control room to make sure Fennec was right. Indeed, a scan of the valves and pumps read that there was no blockage, and fresh coolant was circulating. Then he called a quick meeting in the galley dining hall around lunchtime to give the men a notice---stop eating so much. The stores were vast, yes, but not endless. And to stop using up so much water in the shower systems. While the filtering systems reused the water and purified it, that could only happen three times and the filters became clogged. He needed no one to tell him just what his crew made a habit of doing in the showers to waste so much water.

On the second day away from Gaia X, a swift knock came at his door while he was napping again. They were passing a star within habitable limits and the sunlight did make him tired; when he heard what the sailor said, however, Garrison sat upright and bolted to the door, swinging it open and narrowing his eyes at the stowaway. "So we have." He said, crossing his arms. "Where did you find him?"

"In one of the crates we restocked on Gaia."

"And why were you down there?" He crossed his arms and stared at the scaly sailor with a hard gaze, and the man faltered.

"Uh... Well, I... we... were just gon---"

"Shush. If I have to assign a guard to the food stock I'll certainly do it. Now get." He put a hand on Nathaniel's shoulder and pulled him into his quarters, closing the door and turning to face him. "So you wanted to come with us." He said, raising a brow.

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#24
Old 05-27-2014, 02:40 AM

Nathaniel was glad that the "Captain" was Garrison. He smiled when he was pulled inside the room, looking around his surroundings and pausing by a window. Space... He was in space. He jumped up and down, pressing his nose up against the glass as they passed a bright hot thing. He closed his eyes and turned to see Garrison looking annoyed. "I had to come... Please don't hurt me, or lock me away... I just..." He frowned slightly, looking back out the window for a distraction. "Is that a star? Is that what they look like? It's so warm and bright..."

"I'm sorry I sneaked on-board without your permission. But you don't understand... I really had to come with you. Mate-less males don't last long in my village... They would have sacrificed me to the Moon Gods..."

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#25
Old 05-27-2014, 02:48 AM

Garrison crossed his arms, staring at the young man. He just didn't look like he belonged with Garrison and the rest of them. He was too sweet. Too... cute. He snapped his head around when mentions of sacrifice was brought up. "Sacr... What? Why would they do that? Why would your moon gods need a sacrifice in the first place?" He stepped forward, sitting on the edge of one of the leatherbound chairs and pulling Nathaniel to stand in front of him. "Why would they sacrifice anyone? I thought your family loved you...? Or cared about you at least...?" He didn't see the reason. Why spill blood and take a life for the sake of a god? He didn't believe in any of the gods he heard about, but then, neither did any other man or the rare woman that sailed the universe.

 


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