The last forty-eight hours or so had been extremely boring. Yes, Eric was in a spaceship that was travelling faster than he could comprehend. But it was a small trade shuttle, and there was only so much you could do while you were confined in a trade shuttle on the way to what Keeska called a meeting hub. Whatever that was.
Eric had spent the equivalent of three days sleeping, eating, and reading. And while that should have been like a really fantastic mini-vacation, he was way too stressed out to enjoy it. Also, the food sucked.
Keeska had done ta best to keep Eric from going crazy from either boredom or anxiety. He'd spent more than a few hours with Keeska curled up next to him, talking or reading. But Keeska had also been trying to catch up on things eet had missed while eet was stranded. And eet had been helping Ticheck pilot the shuttle so that one of the Iska was always in the pilot's cabin. Apparently the shuttle's systems could mostly get them where they needed to go but still had to be monitored. It seemed even space technology was stupid.
That and this was an old, cranky vehicle. It had been the only one available when Ticheck had left to go after Keeska, since it wasn't exactly a scheduled trip. The fact that their rescue vehicle was the shuttle equivalent of the glitchy POS you borrowed from the mechanic wasn't filling Eric with confidence.
Eric sighed and opened a different book on his tablet. He didn't want to run the battery down playing games, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to distract himself with reading much longer. At least Keeska had assured him he'd be able to charge it once they got to Keeska's ship. Wherever that was.
The learning curve on this new life of his was going to be a bit steep.
Eric groaned and thunked his head back onto the wall behind him. He tossed his tablet to one side and stretched his legs out on what seemed to be the shuttle's equivalent to a window seat. Except without the window. He would kill for a window he could look out of for more than a few minutes at a time.
Keeska appeared next to him, smiling. Eet shoved Eric's legs over with ta hip so that eet could sit. Keeska rubbed ta hands over Eric's thighs, trilling softly.
Eric reached out and grabbed Keeska's hand, twining their fingers together. "Hi."
-Hi. All right?-
"I'm fine."
Keeska smiled sadly and shook ta head. -No. But will be fine.- Keeska stood, tugging gently on Eric's hand. -Come look.-
"Come look at what?"
Keeska trilled happily and led Eric into the pilot area. Most of the front of the shuttle was glass, just like in a car. Through it Eric could see a giant, cobbled together monstrosity. He stared.
Keeska pointed. -Trade hub.-
Eric picked his jaw up off the floor and poked Keeska with his free hand. "You could have told me that a hub was a space station."
-Oops?-
Eric snorted. "Yeah, you're way too excited to be sorry. Dork."
Ticheck was laughing at them quietly as eet navigated toward what Eric assumed was a docking area. He took advantage of Ticheck's temporary good mood to move closer to the window and get a better look.
He had thought all of the floating building was spinning, but now he realized that only outer portions were. The rest of it was relatively still. How did that work?
The whole thing looked like it had been expanded several times by people who didn't have a lot of interest in maintaining consistency. Or maybe it was deliberate. How would Eric know?
There was one very amusing thing he did know, though. The sci-fi movies he'd watched all his life hadn't gotten it totally wrong. He grinned. He might be freaked out and have no idea what he was doing, but even in the middle of nowhere in space, some things were still somewhat familiar.
Ticheck grouched at Eric and he moved back again. Keeska reclaimed his hand.
"Now what?"
Keeska bounced a little. -Now dock and find out where home is. Ticheck says parents meeting us here.-
"Um…"
Keeska looked at him. -What?-
"Do they know I'm coming?" Eric asked. He really hoped they knew he was coming.
Thankfully Keeska nodded. -Ticheck sent message with update.-
Well that was good. Maybe. He could only guess what Ticheck had said about him. It perhaps would have been better if Keeska had sent it, but oh well.
*~*~*
I watched as Ticheck expertly moved the old glitchy ship into the shuttle docking area. Thankfully it was basically an open warehouse with parking spaces. If the shuttle had been any bigger, they would have had to try to maneuver the stupid thing into a bay and docking clamps.
That would not have gone well.
Ticheck and I had tried to hide how dysfunctional the shuttle's computer systems were from Eric. I thought we had done a fairly good job, but he wasn't stupid. He didn't need to perfectly understand my conversations with Ticheck to figure out that the stupid thing was glitchy.
Even the bathroom didn't work right. The cloaking system was about the only thing that ran properly, and that was because Ticheck had spent most of the trip to pick me up trouble shooting it. I was honestly a little surprised Ticheck had managed to hold the thing together for the entire round trip. He was our best mechanic, but still. Even miracle workers had their limits.
Ticheck set the shuttle down with a quiet thud. Eet sighed in relief and patted the dash. "You should check the hub console. See where home is. I'll wipe the computers and get the bags loaded on a dolly."
I nodded and left the pilot's cabin to retrieve Eric. He wasn't sitting like I had expected. Instead he was waiting by the loading door in the cargo hold looking impatient.
I laughed and grabbed his hand. -Such hurry.-
He shrugged. "I've never been on a space station before."
I told the control panel to open the door and let down the ramp. -Come.-
Eric stayed tight to my side as I went over to one of the large computer terminals against the wall. He watched while I pulled up the visitor listings, entering a search for the family's ship. The hub was busy and Eric refused to give up my other hand, so it took a moment.
-Home on other side of hub,- I told him. -Wait here. Tell Ticheck. Eet will follow.-
I moved Eric until he was standing against the wall next to the console. He looked a little surprised but seemed like he would stay put.
I jogged back to the shuttle and stuck my head into the cargo hold. Ticheck was loading bags into a large wheeled bin.
"They're docked in the yellow bays, number 10," I told eet.
Ticheck sighed. "Of course they are. You'd best take Eric on ahead. It'll take an eternity to get the cart through the crowds unless I sweet talk my way into the maintenance corridors."
I nodded. "If you're sure."
"That's what they pay me for, little one."
I frowned at eet, but eet waved me off and then proceeded to ignore me. I sighed and went back to retrieve Eric. He was where I had left him, watching people come and go. He wasn't gawking like a tourist, but it was a close thing. Thankfully most people just went about their business without really acknowledging him. A few, including a tall Human woman with slanted eyes, smiled kindly and waved.
He took my hand as soon as I was close enough.
-Hungry?-
He winced. "Yeah. No offense, but shuttle food sucks."
It really had. I nodded and led him into the corridor. It took a second to get my bearings. All the hubs looked similar but were arranged differently. I figured out where we were and led him to the most popular food market.
On the way, Eric finally transitioned into the gawky tourist, looking at everything. He was polite about it, but he was definitely curious and people could tell. Most simply ignored him, recognizing him for the newcomer that he was. I pointed out a few things but mainly just let him look. There was time for teaching later.
When we reached the food vendors, I took him to one selling small loaves of bread. It was in the center, and we passed quite a few much more exotic things. When he realized where I had brought him, he grinned. "Bread is good. I can do bread."
The shop keeper giggled at him, a smile curving her wide mouth. "You must be new," she said in a thick, rolling accent.
He blinked, obviously surprised that the small red-scaled female spoke his language. "Yes. Hi."
She quickly put a few different kinds of loaves in a sack and held it out. "Be welcome in the stars. I am Sazic. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."
Eric took the bag from her, trying not to be too obvious about figuring out what it was made of. "Thank you," he said smiling.
I reached for the payment console, but she waved me off. "A welcome gift for your Human. We see so few of them."
I nodded. "Thank you." I would have to ask Aeka to shop here when eet replenished our supplies. Sazic winked at me, and I wondered if she didn't have a little telepathy of her own.
Shanking my head in amusement, I led Eric away. -Do you want to look around more or go to the ship?-
"We should go to the ship. You need to check in."
-True.-
*~*~*
They finally stepped into the docking area of a large, black ship. A wide ramp was lowered into the warehouse-like space. There were people everywhere. Not all of them were Iska.
Eric had gotten used to trying not to stare by this point, but he still couldn't believe how many different types of people he'd seen so far. The lizard girl at the bread booth had been sweet. He'd also seen tentacles, a little bit of slime, and every color imaginable. Among other things.
Eric looked around curiously, moving quickly out of the way of workers moving giant crates around. "You weren't kidding about it being at the other side of the hub."
Keeska sighed. -Is large station. Sorry.-
Eric shrugged. "It's fine. What now?"
-Now we take side door. Get out of way.-
Keeska led him to a smaller entrance on the side of the ship, obviously meant for people only. They started down a hallway only to be interrupted by a small group of Iska. All of them talked at once. Keeska looked over at Eric apologetically but didn't even try to translate it all.
Eric squeezed Keeska's hand and let go, hoping to put eet at ease. Keeska smiled in thanks.
After a few minute's conversation, the cluster of Iska moved on and Keeska turned back to Eric. They continued down the hallway.
-They Aeka's and Kasc's staff,- Keeska said after eet had reclaimed Eric's hand. -Parents out. Not sure what time we here and had important meeting. They will see us tomorrow.-
Eric frowned. "They didn't want to see you today?"
-Don't be silly. Of course. But could not wait if I not be here.-
"Fair enough."
-Come. I show you rooms.-
Keeska took Eric through a convoluted path until they wound up in what looked to Eric like a long narrow living room in a small apartment. There was color everywhere. The walls were pale blue and had been covered in paintings, most of them landscapes. There were shelves bolted to the walls as well, and those were filled with pottery and glass. The floors were covered in some kind of dark grey carpet, but there was color there too, in scattered woven rugs. The tables were black and made out of something Eric couldn't identify. Dark bronze chairs and a short couch the same color were arranged in the center of the room.
There was a cooking area at one end. The counters matched the grey floor, but the cabinets and what looked like appliances were all dark red. It was sparkling clean, which didn't surprise Eric even a little bit.
A large door took up space on the wall opposite the kitchen area. That was where Keeska led him after giving him a moment to look around. The door slid into the wall to reveal a warm blue bedroom. Gauzy, shimmering fabric on the walls made it feel a bit like a butterfly cocoon.
Keeska tugged him over to the large bed, pulling him down on it and resting ta head on Eric's chest. -If you don't like, we can change.-
Eric looked at what he could see of the room. "I think I like it."
Keeska nodded against his shoulder. -Ticheck be here soon. Bring your things. We put them out.-
"I think you're going to need more shelves, then." Keeska's had already been fairly full.
-Probably. Is good.- Keeska pointed at an opening in the wall that Eric hadn't noticed. -Closet there. And bathroom if need.-
Now that was a good idea. The shuttle accommodations had not been extravagant. "Can I shower?"
-Of course. But soap will be weird.-
"That's fine. You used mine for months." Eric slid out from under Keeska.
The closet separated the bathroom from the bedroom. The shelves and racks were all open, without doors of any kind. Most of them were empty. Keeska apparently didn't collect clothes as much as eet collected decorations and knickknacks.
The bathroom was glorious. The floor was bright blue textured tile. Everything else was various shades of grey. A bright silver mirror on the wall reflected spots of light from concealed fixtures.
The tub was built into a corner. It was also huge. It looked big enough to fit him, Keeska, and two friends. There were two spouts, one high and one low. Eric pushed a button on the higher one and grinned when warm water streamed out with plenty of pressure.
He quickly stripped and stepped into the tub. There was a curtain tied against one wall. He unhooked the fastening and watched as the grey material fell perfectly around the edge of the tub, keeping any water from leaking out. Well, that was very elegant.
Eric stepped fully under the water, sighing happily. He'd use the weird soap. Maybe take a nap with Keeska. Maybe eat some of the weird bread. Argue with Ticheck some more when eet dropped off his pile of stuff. They'd probably unpack some of it. At the very least Keeska would want ta blanket.
He might be in a spaceship docked at a space station, but that seemed like a pretty normal evening.