How Ruis and Samba originally entered Ship

"It is noted that Our last Captain was an Elder, however, in accordance with
Our programming, a sufficient time has elapsed that a new Captain may also
be appointed from the genetic code Elder. Acknowledged and accepted.
Welcome aboard, Captain."

Captain? Ruis stood, stunned, as a square silver door rose upward with a
quiet whoosh and a ramp angled out and down to his feet. He'd had no notion
he could be named Captain, the highest rank, still, in all of Celta. The
highest rank ever held by any ancestor. Captain.

"Let's go." Samba wriggled in his arms.

He'd wanted to be of a Command Officer rank so he could access as much of
the ship as he could to begin with. He'd thought he'd be a Lieutenant, maybe, then work up to a higher status. Captain.

"Go!"

"All right, we'll go!" He walked up the incline of the short ramp into a
small spherical room. He looked around the tarnished metal interior as the
ramp retracted and the door closed behind him.

"Is expeditious access requested?" asked the ship.

Ruis didn't know what 'expeditious' meant. He shrugged. "Yes." Drawing in
a deep breath, he crossed the threshold.

And was sucked, Fam and all, by a powerful force up a slanting round tube.

Samba screamed. Her shriek rose in volume and intensity until it went
beyond Ruis' hearing, but still battered his ear drums.

Lights flickered before his head, darkened beneath his feet. He curved
inward on himself, both to protect Samba and because the tube was narrower
than the stretch of his shoulders.

The air rushing by him plugged his ears.

They swept around curves, slid through twists, always upward.

His heart pounded so hard he thought it might jump from his chest.

Thump!

It wasn't really a splat. More like a whoosh-shump. But it felt like a
spat. The landing on a springy pad knocked the breath from him.

Samba jumped from his arms and swore, running up and down a featureless
corridor.

She looked twice her size with all her hair sticking out. Her tail was
especially impressive.

"Uhn," Ruis said, feeling incredibly stupid. He rubbed his ears. They
popped. Standing, he put a hand on the wall and locked his knees to stay
upright. This day had wrenched his insides in more ways than one.

The metal wall beneath his fingers was warm to his touch. Too warm for
regular metal, more as if it were truly alive. He curled his hand and
pulled it away.

Samba glared at him, then stared at the gold marking on the gleaming wooden
door in front of him, turned her back, and started grooming.

He got the idea she wasn't pleased. No, she didn't even need to talk, let
alone communicate telepathically. Steadying his breathing, he squinted at
the golden insignia. "Too dim," he murmured.

The light brightened.

Ruis shivered. He'd just been reminded in the most basic way that the
Colonists had come from a yellow-sunned, slightly dimmer world.

He stood and dusted his trous off. The quiet was incredible. No night
noise. No wind. No insects. No animals.

No people.

His ears strained to hear other sounds than his own breathing and Samba's.
Nothing. He squared his shoulders. Right. This is what he wanted.

The door was wider than the few others marking the corridor, and of dark red
wood. Though it shone with polish, the surface wasn't even, deep gouges
marred the smoothness. The symbol showed the sign for Captain and Nuada's
Sword -- the Captain's Quarters. From what he understood, the Captain had a
suite, with visual and audio access to the entire ship, a tradition the
GreatLords' had continued in their Residences.

"Request entry."

"Let's go IN!" demanded Samba.

Stay Tuned! Next month an additional curse on the ship -- The Blight