Voyagers Book II

A Collaboration of TrueFan, Zarek Dragon and Douglas DD

Drake got a stuffed dolphin which he named Echo. With permission from Will, he took it to show Oliver. On the way home, John and Will picked up Matt and took him to see Robbie. Will teased Robbie about having Matt's dog tail in place.

Fleet Admiral Mirah, Admiral Robinson, Commodore Bowman and Captain Tietokone had a meeting in a restaurant to discuss the upcoming trip to Darastix.

Fleet Admiral Mirah then had a meeting with Corey… to discuss his report. He gave Corey the impression that he had already been accepted into the Academy. Then, when Corey spoke to Commander Hanson, he was slightly disappointed to find out that it wasn't a done deal. What kept it from being totally disappointing was knowing that he was still on track to be accepted.

Greg Robinson, Fleet Admiral Mirah and Kyle received an email from a law firm informing them that Greg's mother was suing for custody of Kyle. Kyle went to visit his grandmother and had a heart-to-heart chat. He convinced her not to try taking him away from what he loved.

The Darastixians had a service on earth for Medici.

The crew of the SS Victorious had a day in court to determine who would be the captain of the ship. The previous captain had been relieved of his duty, and a new captain took his place, following regulations.

Sunday, 8 March 2122

SS Sooloo - Medical Section ~ 1500

Dr. Tom was supervising his staff in making final preparations to leave Earth. Wesley Scott, the Lab Tech, and Asa Hicidhe, the nurse who took over when Christian started his training to become a full-fledged doctor, and of course Christian were all busy with individual tasks.

This left Dr. Tom somewhat free to entertain some thoughts of his own. When it appeared that everyone was just about finished, Dr. Tom asked for their attention.

"I like to think of the group in this department as being my extended family. That being said, I've given this a lot of thought." Tom then stepped over to Christian and dropped to one knee.

"Christian. It's difficult to believe that we've only known each other for a few months. But, in that time, I've come to realize that I have no desire to live the rest of my life without you to share it with." Tom then reached into his lab coat pocket and pulled out a small box. He opened it with its contents displayed to Christian. "Christian Abernathy, would you make me the happiest person in the universe by agreeing to be my husband? Will you marry me?"

Emotions were flowing through Christian at speeds far in excess of Hyperflight level 20, but he was able to reign his emotions in... not well enough to speak, but well enough to vigorously nod his head and wrap his arms around Tom. Looking at the other two who were present, Tom said, "I'll take that as a yes... don't you guys agree?"

Robinson Household ~ 1530

Kyle, Danny and Koji were spread out on the floor of the sunroom, happily playing a computer game, geared to improving vocabulary skills. It involved defeating the forces of evil using words garnered from various clues to bring the nefarious beings down. The game was interrupted by the front door chime.

Koji quickly jumped up and answered the door. His face lit up with surprise and pleasure when he saw Miranda Buckner standing at the door wearing a wide smile.

Koji shouted out, "Nafldask Gramma!" and gave Miranda a big hug. Kyle and Danny rose from the floor and raced to the door. Kyle and Danny understood why their mom had ordered them to put clothes on a half hour or so ago. She obviously knew company was coming.

"Hello, Gramma," Kyle said as he joined Koji's hug. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Well, here I am anyway," Miranda grinned.

"Kyle, aren't you going to invite your grandmother into the house?" Kyle's mother, Alicia, asked as she came to the door.

"Oh, sorry. Come in, Grams," Kyle said.

Miranda stopped to receive a hug from Danny, and then approached Alicia, holding out her hand. "I am so pleased to finally meet you, Alicia," Miranda said.

"Nuts to this hand shaking," Alicia responded as she gave Miranda a hug of her own.

"Oh my, thank you for the wonderful hug." Miranda looked Alicia over and said, "I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful daughter-in-law."

"Thank you, Miranda."

"You may call me Mother or Mom if you like?"

"Well then, thank you, Mom." Alicia turned to the boys and sent them out to Miranda's car to retrieve her luggage. The admiralty driver who drove her from the airport carried the large suitcase, but each boy found a smaller satchel to bring to the house.

"Kyle, would you please show your grandmother to the guest room," Alicia instructed.

"Grams is spending the night?" Kyle asked. The day was full of surprises, starting with Grandma Miranda's appearance at the front door.

"I want to show Nafldask Grandma her room," Koji insisted.

"You take her little suitcase and take her there. I'll follow along to make sure you don't get lost."

Koji placed his hands on his hips and glared at Kyle. "I live here so I know the way, Opsola," he groused.

"Whatever you say, Koji, but Danny and I are coming to help carry her things."

After getting all of Miranda's luggage into her room, everyone met Alicia in the sunroom. "Where is Gregory?" Miranda asked. "I thought he would be here when I arrived."

"The responsibilities of command stopped him as he was stepping out of his office," Alicia replied. "It seems the food replicator on one of the Explorer ships keeps serving oyster stew no matter what is ordered. They needed a flag officer to approve of whatever it is a flag officer needs to approve of and Greg was the only one available."

"It could be worse—it could keep serving spinach," Kyle giggled. "But food replicators make lousy food most of the time, but at least they make the right stuff. They're mostly for emergencies. There's no way in the galaxy they could come close to replicating Randy's shimmy lasagna."

"Do you have any idea what might be wrong?" Miranda asked.

"I have no clue. I don't know much about electronics and mechanical things and computers. All I need know is that they work when I use them. But I can get you to any star in the known galaxy and quite a few unknown ones if that's what you want. Danny knows more about fixing stuff than I do."

As if on cue, Danny entered the room. He had made a stop at the bathroom on the way. "What do I know about?" he asked.

"Why a food replicator keeps making oyster stew no matter what people order."

"I don't know anything about cooking. Food replicators cook. That means I don't know anything about them either," Danny said matter-of-factly.

They were interrupted by the front door opening and a teenage boy entering the house. "Unka Ronnie," Koji shouted with glee. He attached himself to his fourteen-year-old uncle. "I love you Unka Ronnie. Did you bring me anything?"

Ronnie bent down and gave his little nephew a kiss on his forehead. "I brought you my own awesome self," he grinned. "Could you ask for anything more?"

"Kekliss," Koji responded enthusiastically, spouting the Draconian word for candy.

"You mean your Uncle Ronnie is not sweet enough for you?" Ronnie asked as he ruffled Koji's hair, who giggled with delight. Ronnie had spent the day in a seminar on the new star drives.

"And who, might I ask, is this delightful young man?" Miranda asked even though she already know who he was.

"Sorry, Grams," Kyle replied, feeling a bit chagrined. "I got kind of carried away watching those two being silly. Anyway, this is my new brother and your new grandson Ronald Gordon Robinson." He pointed to Miranda and continued. "This is Miranda Buckner, my grandmother and I guess yours now, too."

Miranda held out her hand, palm down, and was surprised when the teen knew exactly what to do as he took the proffered hand and gently kissed the back of it. It was obvious the boy had been taught manners. "A pleasure meeting you, Ronald."

"The pleasure is mine. My friends call me Ronnie, and I have to think my grandmother is one of those friends."

Miranda was impressed by every aspect of Ronald Gordon Robinson. He was dressed in his duty uniform and looked quite professional. He was a friendly, outgoing boy. He was wonderful with Koji, who obviously adored him; he was unfailingly polite and exhibited the kind of poise and self-confidence one would expect from a person of any age in a leadership position. It was obvious that the tall black teen was completely comfortable in his own skin, a rarity in a boy of his age.

Ronnie was soon sitting on the sectional in the living room, Miranda sitting on his left and Koji on his right, as he answered his grandmother's questions about how his life was. The more Miranda learned the more impressed she became. If this was the kind of boy Greg's new wife raised, then it was clear her son had married the right woman. And when their newborn arrived, he wouldn't be able to ask for a better set of parents.

The conversation was interrupted by the garage door opening, which meant Greg was returning home. Kyle noticed his grandmother tense up. He knew this would be the first time she would be talking to his father since before his wedding.

Greg opened the door into the sunroom and stopped when he saw his mother. Alicia had told him she had arrived, but it was still a bit of a surprise to see her. "Hello, Mother, and welcome," he said in a quiet, controlled voice.

Kyle saw tears start to drip down her cheeks as everyone stood in silence. He wondered who would break the silence. It didn't surprise him that it was his grandmother who acted first. Miranda strode over to her son, stood on her toes and kissed his cheeks, and then wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Oh, Gregory I am so happy to see you and so sorry for what a terrible mother I have been. How can you ever forgive me for what I've done to you and my grandson?"

Gregory Robinson, who had done everything in his power to patch the rift between his mother and himself, looked down at the sobbing woman and said gently, "I love you, Mother. I've always loved you; how can I not forgive you? I am happy you are here at this great moment for our family?"

Blackwell Residence ~ 1600

The house was almost empty. Furniture was in storage and everything that Jason and Heather Blackwell wanted to take with them to Draconia… or Darastix, was boxed up and waiting for Space Fleet to transport to the SS Darastix. "Jace, your mom and I don't plan on ever coming back to this house, unless it is to visit you. That is, if you would like the house," Jason offered.

"I appreciate you offering, but Jordon and I won't be settling on Earth anytime soon, and when we are ready, we would like to have horses."

Jason nodded his head, "I understand. In that case, we should put the house on the market. Whatever credits we get should go to you and Jordan to put toward your own home."

"Thanks, Dad," Jace hugged his father. "By the way, permission has been granted for you, Mom and Christmas to be on the Sooloo. Mom will be the first female to travel aboard."

"She is looking forward to it," the older Blackwell averred.

Robinson Household ~ 1700

There was a lot of talking and babbling with things settling down after Alicia put the boys to work setting the dining room table for dinner. Miranda couldn't help but notice that Kyle, who was the Chief Astrogator and a senior officer of starship, and Ronald, who was the Chief Engineer and a senior officer of a starship, were also sons who were expected to assist with household duties by their parents, announced dinner was ready to be served.

As they ate, Miranda noted to herself that all the boys at the table had lost a parent or, in Koji's case two. While Danny didn't have any parent die, he had lost his father, who refused to acknowledge his son's gayness and had disowned him. She thought that those prejudices had died long ago, but then she realized her own unhappiness about the relationship between Kyle and Danny. She had blamed her feelings on their young age, but now had to admit that she had harbored prejudices of her own; prejudices that cost her years of happiness with her son and her grandson.

The dinner was a cordial, family affair. Miranda was made to feel an important part of the family, which she was, and she enjoyed doting over the four boys as well as her son and daughter-in-law. Alicia tried to figure out how such a delightful woman and loving mother and grandmother could have become what Greg had often called Mother Bitch.

The cordiality continued into dessert. The delicious apple pie and ice cream seemed to add to the healing atmosphere in the Robinson home. Miranda was sad that they would be seeing three of the boys off the next day before she really had a chance to get to know them.

She would have a short time to continue patching the wounds between her son and herself, before he left on the SS Darastix. She would be able to get to know her daughter-in-law better and talk about her pregnancy, giving birth and make sure Alicia knew how eager she was to become the grandmother to a newborn son. Ron would be around for a while longer and she hoped to get to know him better. From what she had seen of her new grandson, she was certain that relationship would only grow stronger.

Despite how great the feelings were in the Robinson living room, sleepiness was catching up to the boys and catching up with the adults. Kyle was the first to say he was ready for bed. He stood up and started giving out hugs and kisses. Danny followed his lead and soon the four boys left for their bedrooms.

First they stopped in Kyle and Danny's room as a group. "I take it we will all be sleeping in our own beds tonight," Ronnie said.

"I think that would sit better with Grams," Kyle responded.

"I am so glad the three of us were able to have our bit of brotherly love last night. Who had any idea Grandma Miranda was going to show today?"

Danny answered, "Mom did and kept it a secret from us."

"Did she tell you why she kept it a secret?"

"It was simple. She told me while we were doing cleanup after dinner that she simply wanted to surprise us," Kyle replied.

"Mom has a sly sense of humor at times," Ronnie chuckled. "It can either make you laugh or make you want to scream."

"Or something in between," Danny said. "This was an in between thing."

"I think Mom simply wanted to see the looks on our faces," Kyle added.

"I wasn't there," Koji said. The three older boys looked at him wondering what he was talking about.

"You weren't where?" Kyle asked.

"I wasn't with you guys last night," he pointed out as if that hadn't been obvious from the start.

"That's because we planned on having sex. You know the rules, Koji."

"But I never even knew you all went into the bedroom together."

"That's because we didn't tell you and because Ronnie waited to give you time to fall asleep before he came over."

"I don't think it's right. I don't care what our age difference is, I know what having sex is and I know how to do it."

"Dads don't do it…"

"I know that!" Koji interrupted. Kyle let out a sigh of exasperation as Ronnie fought hard not to break out laughing. "Can I sleep with Unka Ronnie tonight? It will be my last chance in forever and ever to sleep with him."

"You know the rules. The answer is yes as long as you follow them," Ronnie said.

Fifteen minutes later, after brushing, flossing, peeing, and washing, Danny and Kyle were in bed together as were Koji and Ronnie. Danny and Kyle were naked, but Koji and Ronnie were each wearing underwear as per the rules set down by Kyle and Danny.

"I wish we could be nakey," Koji said as he and Ronnie settled into Ronnie's bed.

"You know we can't."

"I want to see your big dicky."

"You've seen it before."

"But not big and hard and, you know."

"Koji, what did I say would happen if you got out of line when I agreed to let you sleep with me?"

"But Koji won't see it in forever and ever and even more forever and ever."

"You've even seen it big and hard. So, let's go to sleep."

"Please. One last time. Please." Koji gave Ronnie his best puppy dog look as he placed his hand on the waistband of Ronnie's boxers. "I just want to touch you so I can see your giant dicky."

"For the last time. What did I say I would do to you if you did something you weren't supposed to?"

"You said you would grab Koji and hold him upside down and shake him so that his brains go from his ass back to his head." Koji reverted to third person, something he didn't do very often anymore.

"Exactly. And I am serious about that."

Koji started tugging down on the waistband and Ronnie threw off the covers, rose from the bed, grabbed Koji around his waist, held him upside down, causing the little boy to giggle crazily as if he were being tickled.

"Whoopie, Koji's brains are going back to his head from his ass. Shake me more so they all go back to my head."

Koji was laughing so hard and having so much fun that Ronnie suddenly realized that he had been thoroughly conned by his little nephew. He now knew that Koji had no intention of pulling down his underpants or touching his penis. Nope, what Koji really wanted was to be held upside down to have his Unka shake him. It was something just as fun, or more so, than tickling.

Ronnie set Koji down on the bed. "You are a little conman my little nephew. You wanted me to shake you, didn't you?"

"Hehehehe, that was so much fun."

Ronnie wrapped his arms around his nephew. "I love you so much. I'm going to miss you terribly."

"I love you, too, Unka Ronnie. Koji will miss you, too."

Finally, the boys were under the covers, the light was off, and Koji was wrapped lovingly around his favorite unka. That was how the boys fell into a loving and restful sleep.

Monday, 9 March 2121

Vegas to Sooloo ~ 0900

"I cannot believe you talked me into this," Miranda Buckner said as she rode in the front seat of the Space Fleet van. Greg, Alicia and Kyle were in the middle seat, with Danny, Ronnie and Koji riding in the third seat. Crewman First Class Marina Drabek, who hailed from Prague, was their driver, although the van was essentially driving itself.

"It's not like you haven't been in space before, Grans," Kyle told her.

"It's not being up in space that concerns me, it's all those G's on an old woman."

"They have discovered ways to minimize those effects since your last trip up there, Mother," Greg told her. "It uses the same principles that govern the artificial gravity fields on the spaceships.  You'll feel some pressure, but much less than what you felt back then. And even that wasn't the feel of maximum G's."

"I will believe it when I feel it," Miranda responded haughtily.

"Nobody is making you go."

"My grandson and his family want to show me where they live; I want to see it. I believe that means my going off planet. That doesn't mean I will necessarily enjoy the voyage, even though I am sure I will enjoy the destination."

Alicia gave her mother-in-law's shoulder a friendly squeeze. She received a grateful smile in return.

When they arrived at the spaceport, Drabek took over driving. She transported her passengers to a small shuttle parked on a tarmac. It was an Admiralty shuttle that featured all the latest technological gadgetry, including the newest gravity dampers.

Their pilot was Commander Arnold Hart. He piloted mostly Admiralty shuttles and was used to shuttling VIPs. He recognized Danny's name and knew of his reputation as a pilot. Danny happily accepted his invitation to ride in the copilot's seat.

The trip to the Sooloo was routine with all systems operating perfectly. Koji provided the entertainment when he decided to tell his Miranda, his jennu nafldask, "Hal is the captain of the Sooloo and he is going to meet us when we get there. Dave used to be the captain but now he is the commode, and that is even higher than the captain."

Koji looked perplexed when everyone broke out in laughter. "What did I say? I know what I said is true," he asked. "Dave isn't the captain he is the commode and it's true, so why is it funny?"

The laughter increased and Kyle quickly hugged his son to assure him that everything was okay. "You did fine, Koji," Kyle told him as the laughter died down.

"Then what did I say wrong?"

"Well, you see Koji, you're right about Hal being in charge of the ship. Dave is a commodore, which is a higher rank than a captain."

"That's what I said—he's a commode."

"Listen carefully. You said that Dave was a commode when what he is, is a commodore."

"Oh, yeah, they are different. So, what is a commode?"

"A commode is a kind of toilet."

Koji looked around him and saw how everyone was trying to fight breaking out into laughter again. Then his eyes lit up, he flashed a smile of his own, and started laughing, which had his family laughing again. He knew everyone was laughing with him, not at him. This time he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Arnold allowed Danny to line up the shuttle with the Sooloo's airlock, a task which Danny handled deftly. Then Arnold completed the final docking due to Danny's having never handled the shuttle in a close-in situation, an action that Danny, as a trainer, understood completely.

After the shuttle was secured, Kyle and Miranda disembarked first and were met by Hal when they stepped out of the airlock."

"Welcome aboard the Sooloo, Mrs. Buckner," Hal said graciously. "It is a pleasure to have you aboard." Miranda smiled and thanked him for the invitation and the welcome.

Greg and Alicia were next, followed by Danny, Ronnie and Koji.  Since Greg was in uniform, Hal dutifully saluted the admiral. Greg returned the salute, then instructed Hal to stand down.

"We're here to give my mother a tour of her grand-family's home," Greg said, referring to Miranda's grandson Kyle, grandson-in-law Danny and great-grandson Koji. "As a result, I think we can dispense with the formalities of rank. The only reason I came in uniform was to keep me well within Space Fleet regulations."

"I can assure you everything is shipshape," Hal grinned. Knowing who was coming to tour the ship, he made sure she was ready for a white glove inspection. He handed Miranda a document enclosed in a plastic folder. "Here is your agenda, Ma'am. It's been printed and bound to make a nice souvenir of your visit."

"Thank you, young man," Miranda said. "I was just about to ask if there was a plan to this tour—I should have known better than to think otherwise."

"Since Kyle is the one who planned the tour, I will turn you over to your grandson and follow along to see what he can teach me about my ship."

Kyle gave Hal a look that clearly said, "Cut the bullshit, Captain," only to receive a smirk in return. Kyle shook his head, gave Hal a friendly smile, and commenced to lead his tour.

Since they were close to the shuttle bay, that was where the tour began. Danny took over when they boarded the Rafael which was docked in the bay. He talked about how it was his favorite shuttle. He also mentioned the bubbas that were docked in the lowest part of the hull. At Greg's suggestion, the fighters just happened to be out in a training flight. He thought their absence would give his mother one less thing to worry about.

From there they went to the Sick Bay where Miranda met Dr. Tom as well as Doogie, who was back to his normal self now that his holographic equipment had been replaced. Miranda was impressed by the facility as well as by Dr. Tom. She never had thought that a doctor could be so young.

Their next stop was Operations where they were met by Steve Boyer and Shasho. The first thing that struck Miranda was Steve's glasses, since most sufferers of vision impairment either wore contact lenses or had Lasik repair done. Glasses, except for readers, were a rarity. What she didn't know was that Steve simply liked the nerdy look the glasses gave him.

Steve turned the Operations tour over to Shasho, who blew Miranda away with his interesting presentation. She knew that many of the crew members of the Sooloo had adopted sons, like Kyle and Danny had. She couldn't see how children could be parents to children, but her great-grandson, and now Shasho were changing her mind about what a child could accomplish on a starship.

Koji was the star of the next part of the tour, the ship's school. He got to show off his classroom to his jennu nafldask. His tour included the desks, the books, the computers, the maps, both physical and virtual, the globes and the star charts that could be seen on the ceiling. He told Miranda there was much more he could show, but they didn't have enough time.

They then went to Engineering where Miranda marveled at the big machines, flashing lights and comforting hum of active electronics. Connor introduced himself, but left the tour to his assistant chief, Tom Kohl, with instructions not to get too technical. Connor guided Ronnie to a corner of the room where the two chief engineers got extremely technical until the end of the Engineering tour. Kyle smiled to himself knowing that scuttlebutt had Connor and Ronnie ranked as the top two engineers in the Explorer Fleet. Those two were obviously having a great time, exchanging ideas in their few minutes together.

"I'll look into your suggestion on how to balance the pressure differentials," Connor said as Ronnie followed his family.

"It should help solve your problem and keep your readings consistent," Ronnie reminded him.

"Thanks for the ideas," Connor called out.

From Engineering, they went to the Bridge where Kyle was the star. Hal was no longer on the Sooloo, having been shuttled to Earth to help with the organization of the procession. Jordan, as first officer, was now in command; he and Kyle agreed earlier that the Bridge tour would be under Kyle's leadership.

Of course, Kyle emphasized Astrogation, telling his grandmother that it was his job to get them to the right place.

"The math must be incredibly difficult," Miranda said.

"It can be, but there isn't a problem I can't figure out," Kyle said modestly. He didn't tell his grandmother that there was a procedure named for him and hoped nobody else would say anything. As much as Greg and Danny wanted to toot Kyle's horn, they understood that if anyone was going to reveal Kyle's little secret, it would be Kyle himself.

Kyle then demonstrated how he would calculate a route to Darastrix from Earth, using Jordan as his assistant. "I start out with Earth being a known location as A1A1, which means I am at Earth and am lined up with the planet's axis, at least as far as the math goes."

He loaded the proper star chart into the astrological table, entered numbers into the table's computer and made sure to write everything in his notebook. Miranda asked why he had to write everything down when he had modern computers to do everything.

"Because as amazing as our technology is, even with many different backups, we have a rule in Astrogation that says… um… well, shit happens. No offense Grans, but that is the rule all astrogators live by," Kyle explained. He glared at Koji, who stifled a giggle, and went on. "We are taught that if we have all of our calculations in a logbook, we will always have the information we need if it all hits the fan." Knowing his grandmother has had to deal with the results of a disaster in space when his grandfather was killed, Kyle elected not to mention that he had needed to use his book when their computer's programs were hacked by the Rogue Star.

"Darastrix is DC4 and if I line it up with the axis, I know I want to go from A1A1 to DC4DC1. The letters and numbers have to do with the order in which stellar bodies are discovered."

"If you have all the information, why doesn't the computer have this all precalculated?" Miranda asked.

"It does. But I need to do my own calculations in order to enter what I want into the log. I guess you could say I'm backing up the computer."

"It sounds much too complicated to me, but then, what do I know? Since your supposed to be a ship of exploration, how do you enter your coordinates for places you've never been to?"

"That, Grans, is where you really go to work using the telescopes, the astrological table, the rules and laws of Astrogation. It's when a chief astrogator earns his salary, I guess."

"Well, all I can say is, I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks, Grans. I hope you found this interesting. It's time for you to meet a very important person on this ship, Randy Jenkins."

"And he would be?"

"Our executive chef," Kyle grinned.

Which meant it was time for the Galley tour and then lunch in the senior officers' lounge. Miranda was impressed by the layout of the Galley, including the equipment, the efficiency of the boys on the kitchen staff and the food knowledge of head chef Randy Jenkins

When Randy heard of the tour just a couple of days ago, the first thing that popped into his head was his shimmy lasagna. Then he thought it might also be fun to show Kyle's grandmother as well as his stepmother just what the Galley was capable of on short notice. He contacted Kyle and asked if there were any special requests for lunch. Kyle asked Miranda if she had a lunch request for the tour and she raved about a charcoal rotisserie chicken dish at one of her favorite restaurants in Puerto Vallarta.

"I know it's not a dish they can cook up on a couple of days' notice, but it is one of my favorite lunches and I haven't had it for a while."

"I'll tell Randy, who's our executive chef. You'd be amazed what he could come up with," Kyle told her. When he passed Miranda's request on to Randy, he mentioned that if he couldn't fulfill the request, shimmy lasagna was always a great choice.

Sooloo Operations Center ~ 11030

Steve Boyer walked into the Sooloo's Operations Office and saw his son, Shasho, exactly where he expected to see him, on his favorite computer. Since he was now the only one who used that computer, Steve thought Operations might just as well call it Shasho's computer. It was situated in the starboard aft corner of the center's main office. Its location had been tucked away far enough that Shasho had some privacy yet was close enough to the center of the office that he could keep up with the business of the office.

Steve noticed that Shasho was the only person in the main office. Kash, the Chief Operations officer was not in his office, and Steve was obviously not in his own office. It wasn't unusual for Steve's office to not be in use since he rarely worked in it. He preferred being at the center of things, which meant working at the front desk of the main office as much as he could.

"Where is everybody?" Steve asked.

"Noah is double checking the computer inventory for Opsola Brad," Shasho replied, "and Whit is helping with the return of the medical equipment."

"I thought the shipment of replacements for the computers came in four days ago."

"Not everybody was here to do double checking. We need to make sure we have all the new ones and that the broken ones were shipped back to Earth."

"I know. Our job is to make sure everybody did their jobs. Is the duty roster up to date?"

"Yes. Right now, I am completing the full manifest listing of everyone traveling on the Sooloo, including families and guests traveling to Darastix. I just got word that Admiral Robinson requested to be on the Sooloo."

Steve looked over Shasho's right shoulder and shook his head. "Jeez, Shasho, how can you concentrate with that thing sticking out of your pants?"

"If it is out of my pants, I can put my hand on it, which calms it down, and I can do my work."

Steve shook his head at the idea of touching his own erection calming it down—that simply would not happen. "And then somebody comes in and sees your little erection pointing up and screams in horror."

"First, Opsola Steve, it is not little. Second, nobody on this ship except maybe a guest would scream because somebody has an erection getting air. And third, I would hear somebody coming through the door and can slide it in quickly, just as I practice doing."

"It didn't go anywhere when I came in," Steve pointed out.

"That is because I knew it was you and I know you know I sometimes give my penis some air and I know you will do what you just did and act all upset and then go find something to do until your own erection goes down. I know you do the same thing sometimes when you are alone in here."

"You know too much for a little kid."

"It is because I am very smart and my Opsolas are good teachers. But we need to get our business done. I will put my friend in my pants if you wish." When Steve said nothing, he draped his sweater over his lap to allow Steve to be able to concentrate.

"Was everything ready for the Lunar Courier's arrival?" Shasho asked.

"Yes, sir," Steve saluted. The Lunar Courier was a large shuttle that generally transported cargo to Luna City. It was too large to enter the Sooloo's shuttle bay and was slated to dock at one of the Sooloo's outer locks to load the last of the engineering machinery as well as the old computer stations and return them to Earth.

"You do not do sarcasm well, Opsola. Did I use the word sarcasm properly?" Shasho asked.

"Yes, you did. I'm sure you will enjoy my teasing and sense of humor much more as your own sense of humor develops." Which I hope will be soon, Steve thought. Whatever possessed me to think that at fifteen I could be a good dad to a gifted boy who not only thinks he's smarter than I am but might actually BE smarter than me.

Shasho turned his head and looked over his right shoulder. "I know that you have your friend out of your pants when you sit at the front desk and you are careful how you do it, so you don't get caught and embarrassed. I do the same, only in my corner I am even safer."

"Maybe this would be a good time to do as I say and not as I do," Steve said, hoping what he said didn't sound as stupid to his son as it did to himself. Steve took his glasses off and wiped the lenses with the hem of his shirt in an attempt to look like he was doing something useful.

Shasho ignored Steve's comment. He knew his Opsola would say stuff for a while and then let the matter drop. He had to be more careful around Opsola Brad, who set limits and followed through with consequences if his limits were disobeyed.

"Did you see Jesse when you checked the shuttle area?" Shasho inquired.

"Yes, he was busy servicing Big Bubba since it would be picking up one of the last loads of returning crew members along with some last-minute supply shipments."

"And they would be…," Shasho started reciting the names from memory before Steve could stop him.

"That's good, Shasho. I'm impressed that you know who they are."

"That was one of the things I was working on. Did you have time for you to help Jesse?"

"If you mean, was I servicing Jesse while he was servicing the shuttle, then my answer is yes. And yes, I left a little something on the floor of the engine compartment."

"What about the medical equipment?" Shasho wanted to hear more about Steve and Jesse but knew even Opsola Steve had his limits.

"The old body scanner is in the cargo holding area, as is poor Doogie."

"The Atlantis III will be launching from Earth in an hour with the replacement equipment and the new main telescope lens carefully stowed in the specially padded hold."

The body scanner was being replaced by a newer, more sophisticated model. Doogie's hologram was not maintaining a steady image and the holographic medical officer would flitter in and out of view or become blurry and stretched out of shape at times. While his hologram projector was disconnected, he was still available for consultations, but only verbally. He could be projected in a holodeck in an emergency, but he was much more effective in the sick bay. His new projector would have him looking solid and handsome once again.

While the old scanner could be repaired, it had undergone three failures in the last two months. Dr. Tom decided that three failures were two too many and asked Operations to order a new projector. Operations also took over procuring transportation for the new equipment and Space Fleet provided its best cargo shuttle which was built with handling delicate cargos in mind.

"Who is scheduled to unload the Atlantis?" Steve asked Shasho.

Shasho gave him the names of three very reliable crewmen, including Jesse, as well as Dr. Tom and Christian. "And the Atlantis has two cargo experts on board as well," Shasho finished.

"It looks like you have everything under control, son." Shasho grinned at receiving the compliment. "Now, what about the kitchen inventory?"

"Chef Jenkins emailed me his inventory check list. He showed everything that is on board and the items he ordered that will be coming on one of our shuttles. Then we will have everything and everybody and will be ready to launch."

"Speaking of launch, how about you having lunch with me as soon as Whit comes in to relieve you?"

Shasho reached under his sweater, did some jiggling, followed by some zipping and buttoning. "I would very much like lunch with Opsola Unka Steve. I love you, Opsola Unka." He arose from his seat and gave Steve a tight, heartfelt hug.

His son's wide grin was all Steve needed to see to remind him why he and Brad had decided to adopt the little genius. Being an Opsola definitely had its great moments.

Officers' Dining Hall ~ 11100

After receiving the request, Randy contacted the Space Fleet commissary at the spaceport, who contacted the restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. When all the dust settled Randy was cooking up a tangy chicken dish along with rice, beans, and a salad on the side.

Even though they were served an early lunch at 11:00 because they had to depart for Earth in time to be in place for the procession, the active morning, coupled with a light breakfast, had everyone hungry and ready for lunch—especially the adolescent boys. Two of Randy's assistants brought the lunch out and the seven family members dug right in.

"I don't know how that young man did it," Miranda marveled after taking her first bite of Randy's lunch, "but this chicken is as good as pollo in PV if not better. I truly thought that there was no way a teenage chef could somehow cook up that request. I continue to be amazed by every aspect of this ship's operation. The food alone tells me you boys are in good hands."

"There was a lot of detective work to go along with the cooking expertise," Greg told his mother.

"Well, that young man is a miracle worker. Oh, and thank you Kyle for following through on the request."

"All I did was tell Randy and it took off from there."

The entire group enjoyed the chicken. When Randy came out of the kitchen to check on how everyone enjoyed their lunch, he received a round of applause and a big hug from Miranda, who praised his "touch of home."

"I hope you plan on putting this on our menu," Kyle said.

"Trust me, this is one great recipe. You will be seeing it again," Randy grinned.

After Randy left, the topic at the table turned to the shuttle flight.  "How did you feel about it?" Ronnie asked Miranda. "We've been so busy nobody's had a chance to ask."

"It was much less stressful than the ones I took way back when," Miranda replied.

"Yeah, those gravity fields and dampers work very efficiently." Ronnie, the engineer, was happy to be able to get in a good word about his field of expertise.

"It's something I'd be willing to do again. Maybe I can convince Bill to take me on a vacation to Mars. He really does need to get out more."

There were three tours left for after lunch. All were non-essential, so if they ended up running late one or all of them could be skipped. That made the computer center next, where Miranda met Brad. She thought Brad was a delightful young man, even more so when she found out he was one of Shasho's fathers. She congratulated him on having such a polite, erudite and knowledgeable son. Brad explained how the computers controlled the ship and that there were multiple backups for everything.

He then guided everyone to the holodecks. They entered Holodeck One which was set up as a Mexican market. Miranda grinned and said she now felt right at home on the Sooloo. Koji explained how they had a lake for swimming and play area program. Kyle and Danny were relieved that Koji didn't mention "nakey" swimming. Brad flicked a few switches and opened the door to Holodeck Two where Miranda could see how that program worked.

Their last stop was the officers' quarters, specifically the quarters for Kyle, Danny and Koji.

"Oh my, this is much larger than I imagined," Miranda marveled.

"Being a senior officer has its perks," Greg pointed out. "In a sense it's actually larger, but a wall was put up to give Koji a private bedroom."

"Not only am I impressed by the size, but also by how neat and organized this is seeing as three young boys reside here."

"We are required to keep our quarters up to ship's standards or else we're in deep doodoo," Danny said, at which time it became his turn to be embarrassed. "Sorry, Grans."

"I raised your father," Miranda said, "so I am familiar with how boys your age behave—even if they are supposed to behave like an officer and a gentleman at all times."

Koji opened the door to his room. "My room is neat too," he said proudly.

Miranda noticed the stuffed wyvern on Koji's bed and grinned. When she left the room, she saw Megrez seated on the credenza in the main room. She thought she recognized the penguin but said nothing. You put the boy in space, placed an officers' uniform on him and made him responsible for navigating a star ship to an unexplored star, but you still can't take the little boy out of the officer, she thought with a wave of fondness. She was now one hundred percent certain that she had made the correct decision when she dropped her legal action. Her grandsons were exactly where they belonged.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jordan's voice coming over the room's intercom. "Time to head for your shuttle, Kyle. You must leave on time for the shuttle to make its window or you have at least a forty-five-minute wait.

When the Robinsons (and one former Robinson) reached the air lock, they found Randy Jenkins waiting for them. He was carrying a freeze carrier by its handle. A freeze carrier was made for carrying frozen food; it was well insulated and had battery operated freezer coils. A freeze carrier could keep food frozen for five days before needing to be recharged.

"This is for Mrs. Buckner," Randy told them "It is my specialty and I thought she might enjoy it when she had the opportunity to sample it."

"Why thank you, Randy. That was very sweet of you. Considering how good your first attempt at fiesta chicken was, I can't wait to taste your specialty. May I ask what it is?"

"It is my own special lasagna recipe. I think you will enjoy it. The carrier will keep it frozen for five days."

"That is plenty of time for me to take it home. Bill and I both enjoy Italian food."

Kyle hid a smirk. He knew that the special ingredient to Randy's recipe was shimmy. He couldn't wait to find out how his grandmother enjoyed the dinner. The entourage walked through the air lock and on to the Admiralty shuttle for the trip down to Earth.

That ended Miranda Buckner's tour. Kyle and Greg felt it was successful, but little did they know how successful it was. Since Kyle had met his grandmother, she had gone from an adversary, to her accepting him as part of the Space Explorer program, to being a reluctant supporter of the program. They had seen all of that, but what they didn't have time to see as they sat in the shuttle for the flight down to Earth, was how the tour of the Sooloo had expanded her views to an entirely new dimension. When things became rough for the program on Earth, the tour put her in a frame of mind that would make her one of the Explorer program's staunchest and most powerful supporters.

Darastixian Embassy, Earth ~ 1300

Several personnel from Space Fleet, Darastixians and some civilians lined the route from the Embassy to the shuttle that would take Medici's body up to the RDS Shouryou. Prince Zarek came out of the Embassy, followed by the capsule containing Medici. Six guards walked alongside the capsule, three on each side. Following the capsule were more guards and those close to Medici.

As Zarek led the procession, he spotted Kyle Robinson standing with his family. He stopped the procession and walked over to Kyle. "I found a memory key that Medici meant for you. It tells you a little more about your mom and your bloodline."

An older woman asked Kyle, "Who was that and what does he mean by 'your bloodline'?"

"That is the Prince of the planet we've always called Draconia, but we now know it is called Darastix by its inhabitants," Kyle explained to his grandmother.

The procession continued to the landing pad. As the capsule was being loaded into the shuttle, Zarek spoke a few words, "I want to thank everyone here for giving Prince Medici a regal sendoff. I am sure that if he were alive, he would be proud of your actions. I also want to thank Space Fleet. You have been gracious hosts, and we look forward to working with you. After meeting the crew of the SS Sooloo, we decided it was time to take a chance on returning to Earth. I am happy that we did, you have all been great. Thank you."

Commodore Bowman walked up to Zarek, "With as gracious as you have been to me and my crew while we were on your planet, I am glad that we were privileged to treat you and your family with the same kindness. I am sure that those who knew Prince Medici will miss him, and we consider it an honor that you invited us to join the escort taking him home."

After the procession was past him…

After the procession went past him, Kyle waited for his grandmother to pounce on him, both for his alien blood line and for keeping it secret. Whatever the reason her attack would be totally unfair, and he was ready to fight back. But his adolescent thinking failed to account for the fact that the Miranda Buckner standing next to him was no longer the lady who tried to take him away from his father and from his rightful place in Space Fleet, nor was she the grumpy lady who answered her door in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This Miranda Buckner was his Grans, a lady who had learned the hard way how much she loved her grandson.

Miranda stood next to the boy who had grown to be almost as tall as her. "Kyle, what did that man mean about you learning more about your mom and your bloodline?" she asked for the second time, her tone steady and remarkably friendly. "What you told me did not answer the question, but I blame that on the noise and excitement of the parade. Now that it's quieted down, I would love the complete answer."

Kyle waited for her to up her voice to angry mode. Instead, she looked at him with a benign smile. Kyle had been braced for the worst and wasn't getting anything near what he expected. Seeing her grandson's discomfort, Miranda placed her arm around Kyle's shoulder. "I love you unconditionally. You have no need to be afraid to tell me the truth. There is no need for us to have secrets between us."

Kyle knew he had to tell his grandmother everything. Standing out in the open on a sidewalk next to a busy street was not the best place to have such a conversation, but he had no choice since he and his grandmother would be going their own ways from there. That was the reason for his curt answer when she asked him while the parade was going by. This was a conversation that should be had in the living room at home where everything was private and quiet.

"Grans, I learned just a few weeks ago that mom had Darastixian blood which means I do, too. And then I found out it is royal blood. That was what the memory key Prince Zarek gave me is about—more information on my blood line."

"And your father never knew about this bloodline?"

"He never told me about it if he did, and when I asked him about it, he claimed he didn't know," Kyle answered noncommittally.

"So, does this royal blood make you a prince? Does it mean you could end up being the king or something some day?"

"I'm not sure how all this stuff works. Trust me, the genetics with mixed marriages is more complicated than creating a course to an unexplored start system. And I don't know enough about Darastixian laws and customs to say anything other than I seem to be an important person on the planet."

Miranda gave Kyle's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Is that what you want? To be an important person on another planet?"

Kyle leaned his head against his Grandmother. "I told you what I want, Grans, and I meant it, all of it, every word of it."

"Then tell me again, love."

Miranda's request sounded so loving that Kyle could sense what his grandmother wanted; she wanted to make sure he completely believed it and believed it so completely that he could say it with confidence in a situation that almost begged him to back down.

"I want to be a starship captain, Grans. I want to be an Explorer starship captain." He looked his grandmother directly in her eyes and said with a smile and with a certainty and a belief that nobody could doubt. "I want to be the youngest starship captain ever and I'm young enough that I have enough time to do it and do it right. I know I can do it, Grans, and not because my mother's genetics gave me royal blood. I don't care about that, what I care about is that I know I can do it because I will be good enough to do it and because I have a great family who loves me and knows I can do it."

Miranda kissed Kyle on his forehead. "I love you so much, Kyle, and am so proud of you. Now you have two things to give me."

"Two? I know you want me to bring you something special from my space exploration. What else do you want me to bring?"

"An engraved invitation to your swearing in as the youngest starship captain ever in Space Fleet and its Explorer program. With a reserved front row seat, of course."

"And what if I'm not the youngest one?" It didn't occur to Kyle that he would never be a captain because he could work hard to make that happen, but he also knew when it happened would be out of his control, and he knew his hard work could improve his chances of becoming the youngest.

"I love you, Grans. You're going to be there as an important person—the matri… um… the marti…," Miranda was about to finish Kyle's sentence for him, but he managed to finish it himself, "… matriarch of the family." Kyle gave his grandmother a grin that melted her heart.

She gave Kyle another kiss and released his shoulder. She was about to say her goodbye when a bundle of energy flew into their midst.

"Captain Hal says it's time for us to go, so I gotta say hi and bye Nafldask because I am going into space with my opsolai and I wish you could come too, but you can't because the Sooloo is all guys," Koji gushed.

She grabbed the little boy and held him tightly against her. "I love you, my moxt autgabin." Koji grinned when he heard his Nafldask say "little grandson" in perfect Darastixian.

"I love you too, Grandmama." Koji pursed his lips and Miranda stooped down so he could place a quick, gentle and loving kiss on her lips.

"You be good to your fathers and behave yourself," she said when she straightened up.

"I always behave myself," Koji said with a sly grin. "I do everything I tell myself to do." Koji screeched with laughter and ran down the sidewalk to where Danny was waiting.

"Are you two related by blood per chance?" Miranda asked Kyle.

"It is highly unlikely. If we were it would already be known, and besides, Koji would never have ended up lost in an orphanage. I really gotta go, Grans. I love you and thank you for being such a great grandmother and for being so understanding. Danny loves you, too." Miranda waved to Danny who grinned and waved back.

As she watched her twelve-year-old grandson walk away to meet his twelve-year-old husband and their young son, her great-grandson, she gave her thanks for being blessed to be a Grandmother and to have them in her life instead of being a foolish and bitter old woman.

As for the secret being kept by her son, Kyle's father, that was going to be the subject of a later conversation.

SS Sooloo

Shuttle Bay ~ 1430

Jace and Jordan trusted the twins to put their stuff away and then were to meet them at the VIP quarters reserved for Jason and Heather Blackwell, Jace's parents. Jace and Jordan were waiting for their shuttle to dock. Jordan ribbed Jace about being nervous, "You would think this is your first time meeting your parents. Remember, they were on the Sooloo for our wedding."

"I know, and I'm not nervous. I am excited," Jace clarified.

The Raphael had just landed with Kyle, Danny and Koji disembarking just before the Donatello landed. As the door opened, Koji, being a typical seven-year-old, looked to see who was getting off. He didn't recognize any of the people but did notice one was female and she was carrying a small child. He started asking his opsolai about them. Kyle recognized them and started explaining as they walked to their quarters.

Jace walked up to his dad and hugged him, then kissed his mom's cheek. He offered to carry Christmas for her. Jordan led the group to the VIP quarters which were situated between Dave and Hal's quarters and those of Jordan and Jace.

As they entered the VIP quarters, Jonas and Jason were already inside, eyeing a fruit basket, compliments of Space Fleet, or more directly, Dave and Hal. Jace chuckled, "That fruit is for your grandparents."

"I know, but the oranges look so…" Jonas argued.

Heather smiled, "You may each have one."

Jace asked, "Has Christmas said his first words yet?" when the door chime sounded. Jason, Jace's dad, answered the door to see Kyle and Danny with their son, Koji, standing there. "I hope you don't mind, but Koji saw you coming aboard with a little one, and he asked if he could come visit."

Jace, holding Christmas, smiled at his dad. Koji walked over, and Jace went to introduce him, "Christmas, this is..."

"Ko... ji," Christmas smiled.

Everyone was stunned. How did Christmas know Koji's name, and how was it the first word that the fifteen-month-old toddler said? Koji exuberated, "How does he know me?" It was obvious that Koji was elated at the utterance of his name.

"I can only surmise that maybe he heard your dad telling my dad," Jace tried to explain, but knew that Christmas wouldn't have seen his face, and hearing it the one time wouldn't have connected it with the boy in front of him. For now, the answer Jace gave appeased everyone.

"Can I hold him?" Koji inquired.

Heather, Jace's mom, replied, "You have to sit in a chair and not move while you do. And if you feel like he's getting heavy, you need to let us know."

"I'm stronger than I look," Koji explained as he sat on the couch beside Jace. Jace carefully placed Christmas in the boy's arms, helping Koji get a good hold on his brother.

"Koji," Christmas spouted more easily.

"Yeah," Koji grinned, "that is me." Jace stayed beside Koji, ready to assist if the boy needed it. Kyle and Danny watched their son and smiled at him, marveling over the toddler. "I think he wants down," Koji determined.

Jace helped Christmas get down on the floor, and the toddler used Koji's and Jace's legs to stand. "Walk," Christmas uttered and grabbed Koji's left hand and Jace's right hand.

"I think he wants to walk some place," Koji chuckled.

Jace laughed, "You think?" Jace and Koji stood up and helped Christmas turn around. Then the toddler started taking a step, slowly. While this wasn't the toddler's first steps, he still wasn't proficient at it.

SS Sooloo Bridge ~ 1500

Hal was sitting at his seat, reviewing some information on a data pad when Dave sat in the seat beside him. He could tell his husband had a lot on his mind and remembered the day, not so long ago, when he was more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. He grasped Hal's shoulder and give him a reassuring squeeze, "Nervous?"

"No, not really..." Hal replied unconvincingly.

"Babe, you will do fine. Just remember to trust the crew to do their jobs."

Hal leaned over and kissed Dave. Moments into the kiss, they broke apart after hearing someone clearing their throat. Bill Mirah, smiling, said, "Commodore Bowman... you do know that fraternization with your subordinates is against Space Fleet regulations?"

Knowing Bill was joking, he replied, "Yes Sir! However, if I am not mistaken, there is an allowance for subordinates who are married to their superior."

Bill, Dave and Hal laughed. Bill replied, "I am happy to know you've read the 'revised' regulations... so many weddings in the Explorer Fleet kind of required the change, or we'd be busting senior officers way too often. I just came up to wish you luck on your first command, Captain."

"Thank you, Sir."

Bill shook his head as he noticed Hal holding Dave's hand. He then headed off the Bridge calling out, "We'll see you on Draconia."

Kyle, sitting at Navigation with Will at the helm called out as he tried to suppress a giggle, "Don't you mean Darastix, Admiral?"

Bill turned facing Kyle, "Nobody likes a smart ass, Commander Robinson," at which point he grinned and winked at Kyle as he exited the Bridge.

Hal shook his head as he called out, "All hands, report readiness to depart."

A few moments later, Hal noted his display that confirmed everyone was ready. He then opened the ship-wide channel. The tactical officer, knowing Hal's words needed to be heard by all the ships in the task force, patched him into the communications.

"Attention: I know some of you are happy to be returning to space, and some of you are excited to go for the first time. For those of you feeling at all nervous, remember; you've trained for this and I am happy to have all of you aboard. With the Commodore's permission..." Hal noted Dave's non-verbal approval before continuing, "Commander Robinson, if you please."

Kyle simply replied, "Mr. Crusoe..."

Knowing what Kyle was saying, Will Crusoe, as deftly as he moored them in space dock when they arrived, moved the Sooloo, followed by the rest of those heading to Darastix, out of dock and on their way.

 

End Notes:

This work is a collaboration of 3 authors. We will be posting chapters of this story as we are able. When commenting, please send to all three authors or click here... Authors of Voyagers

 

 

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