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Worlds Away (runawayninja x Candira)

His conviction was touching. Just the kind of thing she would expect from a hero. Cora smiled at him and took his face in her hands. "It won't happen. I won't let it. If there was ever a person alive who deserved to stay alive--it's you." She let him go and got up to look at some of her data. "The Q'tarl DNA we've spliced into you has successfully protected your body and your brain. The issue at hand seems to be the human cells the Bydo had already bonded with. The Q'tarl tissues in your body will remain unaffected, but there are enough cells to cause a major problem. I don't know how to fix it yet, but I will find a way. I swear I'll find away to fix this."

The determination in her voice was reaching almost patriotic heights. She was offering him the rest of her promising career, her knowledge, her skills, and her protection. She was offering him her connections and a good portion of her life. "Will you let me?"
 
Rafe looked at her, the light and hope in her eyes, the dedication she was promising, it lightened his heart. He managed the barest of smiles and reached out to take her hand, holding it firmly in both of his. "Thank you...I couldn't ask you to do such a thing, but your life and your time are your own and it's not my place to decide what you are to do. If you want this...I won't turn it away. Thank you again." He softly kissed her hand. Then some idea came to him. "The...Jurai. Is it...conscious? Sentient? Does...he? She? Umm...does...the tree know of all this?"
 
Relieved that he accepted her offer and her willingness to help, she let him show his appreciation, finding the custom of kissing her hand a strange one. Still, it was charming in its own way and she decided that it was a good sign. She smiled at him and nodded, though no thanks were necessary. She meant every word of her promise, and she'd be more than happy to follow through. His question about the tree caught her off guard.

"Well, yes and no. The tree has its own consciousness. It is aware of what happens around it and responds in various ways. The tree, however, does not communicate with everyone. It chooses carefully. This tree, as we may have mentioned, is still fairly young for an ancient. Its consciousness is not fully formed." She frowned, finding it difficult to explain. "It's funny. There are so many things science can help me explain, but this isn't one of them." She chuckled and leaned back. "If you are worried, however, that the tree is frightened or angry, please don't be. Jurai understands what happened. You are safe--and so are the rest of us."
 
He nodded slowly and looked at her. "How do you know?" He wasn't being reactionary at this point, he was merely curious. "Are your trees like...gods to you?" He slowly sat up and started to get out of the bed, stretching out a bit, his tail following suit with the rest of him showing a little more control over it, even if it was autonomous.
 
She smiled and shook her head. "It's hard to explain. They're not really gods. Sacred, yes, but not gods. They're to be treasured, and they have powers of their own that they lend us. Our relationship is intuitive and caring." She shrugged here and came to his side. "We're almost to the rendezvous point. Just two hours left."
 
He nodded slowly and looked at his hand again. "I wonder...if I'm like one of them now. What if this is what being a Bydo feels like...like your normal life, like nothing is different." He suddenly shook his head. "If you're not worried about this for the moment, that I suppose I shouldn't either. I don't want to turn into one of those moping, brooding layabouts. Is there anything...safe...I can do?"
 
"As far as I know, you should be fine to do just about anything but encounter a sacred tree or a power source that might threaten the Bydo cells in you directly." She smiled, a little proud of his attitude. The fact that he was handling all of this so well really spoke to his character. Either that, or shock. Either way, he was doing quite well in her mind. You'll be free to walk about the great ship, and there's plenty to see and do there. I think you'll like it."
 
"Work is the best way to cure an ailing mind. Give me something to do." He cracked his knuckles as he started to head out of the door without any guidance or provocation. "I don't know how your ship and crew function, so just give me something simple to do." He seemed driven to be of some use to these people that took him in and helped him so.
 
"Hmmm...well you could always help out in the kitchen. I think they're trying to sort out what's still good and what we need to purge. And they've been cleaning everything for ages. That should keep you busy for awhile." She smiled and followed him, guiding him back toward the galley. "When it's time to rendezvous, the captain will make an announcement and you'll be able to see our mother ship through the windows. You should really take a look if you get the chance." That said, she walked into the galley with Rafe and introduced him to the staff--a good-natured lot with a big sense of humor.

"Take good care of our hero for me. I'll be helping the others in the med bay get everything sorted out." With that, she left him there alone, hoping to set her mind to work as well.
 
Rafe kept to himself, not eager to interact anymore after what happened. Working in the galley wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but since this was an alien ship, he didn't suppose there was much he could do on the ship. He did the work and it did make him feel more a part of the ship's community. A ship was defined by the quality and ability of it's crew and being a part of a crew made him feel much more at home, even if it had been forever since he had actually done labor on a ship. Mostly he flew small craft, but it helped, even if it was the galley. And the cheerfulness of the other galley workers did help.

When it came time for the announcement, he proceeded to the nearest window, looking outside at the view.
 
The galley staff welcomed their hero with open arms. They were all pretty mellow, but they had good work ethic. When the rendezvous came, the staff let him look out the windows while they finished their cleaning and tossed all the rags into a basket for washing later. A few of the newer hands and those who'd been homesick came along as well to look at the beautiful ship they called home. It was no space port--but it was large. It was easily big enough to house a bustling city with room to spare for weaponry, merchant ships, and goods. It was almost like a mobile spaceport.

Cheering could be heard throughout the Jurai. Cora added her voice to it as she waited in the med bay with the others to dock. Before long, the ship was safely docked and the crew was free to leave. The maintenance workers at the dock would get the ship back into working condition and remove trash and waste. Now, those onboard could freely roam.

When docking was complete, Cora rushed to find Rafe, smiling as she arrived in the galley.
 
Rafe was still looking out the window at the larger ship when she got there. He vaguely noticed her arrival. "Earth's Defense Fleet doesn't have anything like that...I mean our flagship, the Eternal, isn't half as big as that one." Slowly, he pulled away, breathing firmly as he looked at her. "So...what happens now?" He looked a little hopeful, but still rather confused about what to do.
 
"Once we dock, the crew will be free to do whatever we want. Most will check in with families, blow off some steam, or go to church. Until then, we don't really do much--it's all about the engineers and the navigators and pilots. Just enjoy the view." She smiled and stood next to him, looking out the window. "Well, this is more of a mobile space station than it is a flagship," she said with a smile. "We created it so that merchants could feel more at home in space. It also ensures that if someone needs maintenance or supplies they can get them. Sometimes it saves on fuel, too. Usually the course is planned a year in advance and then publicized so that everyone can take advantage of it. Of course, if you're not a registered Q'tarl ship, then you pay quite a docking fee, but the services and businesses within are all pretty reasonable to make up for it."
 
Rafe looked at her, taking it in and then he looked out on the ship again. "The Bydo Core Ship was the largest I'd ever seen. Earth has many ships of different classes and purposes...Stealth Bombers, Fighters, Interceptors, Interdictors, Command and Communication Ships, Policing Vessels, Industrial Ships, Frigates, Cruisers...mighty Battleships...vast Carriers, but only three of the Universe Class, the Eternal, the Zeus, and the Quasar. But...the Core Ship was huge, almost the size of our moon. I admit, this ship isn't as big, but it's...far larger than the Universe Class, and those were veritable cities in space. I've heard some aliens have Worldships that are meant to be entire colonies in space...does the Q'tarl have any like that?" He looked at her with curious wonder in his eyes, seemingly having replaced the fear and mistrust of himself that was there before.
 
"We have space stations that act like states, I suppose. But they're really home to many different races and are really more of a checkpoint than they are anything else. Then we have these mobile stations that make their rounds. These act more like Q'tarl cities and we are the majority here--especially since we run them--but we don't really consider them to be states or colonies--just large ships. We don't really have colonies yet. We're still debating about whether or not we really need them since we already have these."

She shrugged. "Our home planet is beautiful and most of us go back at least once a year to visit it. But really, our place is out in the stars, doing business, research, and making connections." She smiled and shrugged.
 
He looked her in the eyes and smiled just a bit. "I suppose I should too...it's my home now." He slowly slid his hand into her's. "Could you show me around the big ship? And what did you say it's name was? A name is a very important quality for a ship."
 
She smiled back at him and squeezed his hand for comfort and reassurance. "We'll get around to it." Her attention turned to the fantastical ship before them. "That magnificent ship is called The Arietti. It is home to more than a thouand Q'tarl and a temporary home to many more travelers. It is a fuel station, a place to trade, to eat, and you can also purchase tickets for a cruise where the duration of your stay includes various activities, meals, tours, and educational stops for the price of the ticket. Of course, it includes room and board. It can be anywhere from a modest package to one designed for luxury." She smiled. "We are a nation of business people, and we know business," she said with a laugh. "What do you think of it?"
 
Rafe stared in awe at a ship of a design he had never seen before. It looked strange and alien, but that made it all the more fascinating. "It looks very impressive...I'm in awe" he said with a smile. His tactical mind took notice of the numerous weapons and how they were strategically placed along the craft. He looked at her, his eyes burning with curiosity. "So...when do we get to see inside it?" Part of him was an explorer by nature and he wanted to see this unusual and strange ship.
 
Cora smiled at him, finding his curiosity rather charming. It was a trait that she could relate to quite well as a Q'tarl. "We'll be finished docking shortly. When everything is secure, we'll be cleared to enter. I'm certain I heard rumors of a banquette being thrown in our honor. Not only will you receive our hospitality, but you'll get a feel for what it's like to really let loose as a Q'tarl." She grinned and gave his hand a squeeze, her tail swishing as she watched the ship near.

In mere moments, the ship was beginning the docking process. It only took a few minutes to complete, but they were a tense few minutes that seemed to stretch out for hours. "I bet you'll love it here." Finally, they were cleared and the crew gathered together in the cargo hold to exit as quickly as possible.
 
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