The Neko's Tail - 20. Looking for Home

“A new ship…?” Artemis echoed weakly.

He leaned back in his chair, head spinning. This was not the reward he had been expecting. Not that he had been expecting any reward at all.

“Yes. I want to make sure my kit is safe out in space,” Ceirel smiled.

“This is…. This….”

“This is a great gift Mara,” Reinard cut in, smiling. “Thank you.”

“You told Reinard we needed a new ship,” Elias hiccoughed.

Artemis felt the neko’s hand brush his thigh and his tail flicked uneasily.

‘You have horrible timing kitten…’

“My ship is about ten years old,” he explained, trying to ignore Elias’ touch. “It’s still in good condition. The only problem is it’s a little small for three people.”

“From what I saw it’s a very nice ship,” Reinard said before yawning.

Ceirel looked at the Faro, a mortified expression on his face.

“Didn’t you sleep?” he demanded.

Reinard stared down at his plate guiltily.

“Sweet Golaski…” Ceirel muttered.

Elias copied Reinard’s yawn, his head dipping.

“I think Elias and I should get going anyway,” Artemis said. “He seems pretty tired himself.”

“We have a guest room set up. You’re welcome to use it instead of making the trip all the way back to the port,” Reinard said, stifling another yawn.

“We don’t want to intrude…”

“Oh, it’s no intrusion at all,” Ceirel smiled.

“Not at all,” Neistar agreed. “I want to get to know the two who are going to travel with my ardai.”

Elias rolled on the bed, his head spinning. He was so tired, but at the same time he had never felt more awake.

“A new ship…” Artemis muttered, sitting on the bed.

His tail flicked back and forth on the bed and Elias tracked its motion. Swatting the tiger’s tail, the neko giggled.

“Really?” Artemis smirked at him.

The tiger leaped at the neko, pinning him to the bed. Elias let out a squeak as Artemis’ hands began tickling his arms. Pulling himself away from the tiger, he grinned at Artemis, breathing heavily.

“I love your smile,” the tiger said, staring at him.

The neko’s grin faltered.

“You still want me?” he asked, his bracelet repeating the words.

He hated that thing…

“Yes,” Artemis said immediately. “But you like Reinard. I know you do.”

“But… But I like you too,” Elias said quietly.

He tugged the chip out of his bracelet, setting it on a table with a sigh.

Artemis smiled at him.

“You like both of us?”

The neko nodded. Artemis wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling Elias’ neck.

“It’s perfectly okay for you to like us both,” he said.

Artemis’ lips pressed into Elias’ forehead.

“Let’s get some sleep kitten,” he smiled.

A bell roused Reinard from his sleep and the fox shot out of bed. He scanned the darkened room in a panic, confused. This wasn’t the closet he usually slept in…

The bell chimed again, and Reinard traced the sound to a communicator on the bedside table.

Picking up the device, he spoke into it.

“Hello?”

“Good morning ser. Your Mara wants you awake and downstairs in fifteen minutes,” Eigal’s voice said.

“I’ll be there.”

Setting the communicator aside, Reinard took a deep breath. His hand traced his neck, confirming that his collar was gone. He was still free.

He was dressed in under a minute, sticking his card and block in a pocket. The fox stepped out of his room, spotting Elias standing in front of a door.

“Good morning,” he said.

Elias jumped at the voice, looking at Reinard guiltily.

“What are you doing there?”

The neko whispered something about Artemis. There was no translation and Reinard assumed he didn’t have his translator in.

“I’ll go see if he’s downstairs,” the Faro said, walking past the neko.

“Eighel!”

Elias’ hand grabbed Reinard’s and the two stared at each other, a horrified expression on Elias’ face. He released the Faro’s hand, shivering.

“Are you okay?”

The neko nodded quickly, eyes filled with fear.

“Do you want to walk with me?”

Elias hesitated before nodding again. Reinard gently took the neko’s hand and led him down the stairs.

“I know you don’t like to talk, but if you ever need to get anything off your chest you can talk to me,” he said.

His Mara approached, Artemis beside him.

“Good, you got Cadet Elias too,” the Faro smiled.

The neko broke away from Reinard, hurrying to Artemis. The tiger scratched his head with a smile.

“You okay kitten?” he asked.

Elias whispered to the cat and Artemis frowned.

“Why aren’t you using your chip? Where is it?”

Scowling, the neko handed the tiger the black translator chip. Artemis took Elias’ arm and pressed the chip back into the bracelet.

“Why did you take it out?” he asked.

Elias muttered something.

“It’s too loud,” the bracelet repeated.

“Oh. That’s easy to change.”

Artemis pressed a spot on the chip and a holographic wheel appeared over the bracelet. He moved the wheel down.

“There, it should be quieter now,” he smiled.

“Perfect. Why don’t we get some breakfast and then we’ll head to the port,” Ceirel said.

Elias sat stiffly in the long carriage, staring at his feet. He was between Reinard and Artemis, the Faro yawning still.

“Captain Artemis, Cadet Elias, I may have been a little hasty last night,” Ceirel said, sitting across from them.

Neistar sat beside his Segal, a grim look on his face. Elias looked up, but couldn’t bring himself to meet the Faro’s gaze.

“Nonetheless, an Artego never backs down after he gives his word. I would like to know what goes into buying a starship.”

Elias glanced at Artemis. He knew nothing about the process himself. The carriage began moving and the neko squeezed his eyes shut, the momentum of the vehicle pushing him sideways against Reinard.

“It depends on whether the ship is new or used,” Artemis explained. “I haven’t been through the process myself either. The Fleets loan new corporals a vessel. My ship has been with me since I was wearing a brown bangle.”

“Really? How does the fleet afford that? It can’t be easy to fund,” Neistar said.

“You’re under contract. The Fleets take a quarter of your pay until the ship is paid off. If you die in the line of duty, they gain any credits you have. The ships they loan out generally have a few hundred light-years under their wings already. It isn’t much of a loss if they’re… well, lost.”

Elias was lost already. He still had no idea what a light-year was and he had never had any money to spend.

“Still, you have an idea of the price of- Reinard, what are you doing?”

The Faro shot up, gasping. He looked around wildly, his eyes settling finally on Ceirel.

“Sorry,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

“Captain Artemis, make sure he gets enough sleep,” Ceirel said.

“We both will,” Elias said quietly.

His bracelet repeated the words, quieter than before.

Both Ceirel and Neistar smiled at him.

“The ship I was given cost around 75,000 credits. It’s not that big of a vessel,” Artemis said.

Elias felt a weight on his shoulder. Glancing over, he saw Reinard leaning against him, snoring quietly. The weight felt nice, and the neko tried to hold back a purr. His tail brushed against Artemis, and the tiger looked over at him.

“Enjoy this chance,” Artemis said in the tiger’s language.

Ceirel looked upset, but he let Reinard sleep. A purr slipped out of Elias, the motion of the car rocking him gently. Ceirel, Neistar, and Artemis continued to talk, their voices lulling the neko to sleep.

“Elias is very… unusual…” Neistar said, staring at the neko. “I don’t believe I have ever met his like around the port. Not that I go there frequently.”

“He’s very special,” Artemis smiled, gazing at the neko sleeping with his head on Reinard’s shoulder.

The car hit a bump, jostling the two, and Reinard muttered something, his arm falling into Elias’ lap.

“Are you still making your way to your home planet Captain?” Ceirel asked.

Artemis shrugged as the car rolled into the port.

“We might take a couple detours if Elias or Reinard want to. But yes. It has been almost six months since I’ve been home, and I need a break from space.”

Ceirel nodded.

“Everyone needs a break at some point.”

As the car pulled to a stop, Artemis reached out and gently shook Elias. The neko startled awake, slapping at his pants.

Artemis frowned. He hadn’t seen that reaction from Elias since he was collared.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, as Reinard shook his head beside the neko.

Elias shook his head.

Artemis leaned toward him, whispering, “Do you want the collar?”

“No,” Elias breathed, his bracelet announcing the word for the car to hear.

His ears flattened and Artemis scratched the neko’s head.

“If you need it, just let me know, okay?”

Elias nodded.

Stepping out of the car, Artemis helped Elias out, standing behind him protectively. He stood a head taller than the Faro moving around the port, and he took full advantage of that, leading his group through the crowded port until he found a grey Faro with a brown bracer.

The Faro frowned, recognising Artemis.

“Captain,” he said, lazily standing at attention.

“Corporal. We’re looking for the dry-docks.”

“We?” the Faro echoed.

He finally spotted the Artegos behind the tiger and his eyes widened.

“Golaski… You are an Artego…” he breathed, recognising Reinard standing beside Neistar. “My sincerest apologies ser.”

Bowing to the clan, the grey Faro stammered, “Dry-docks… this way. Follow me please, Captain, sers.”

A speckled grey Dalmar greeted the group in front of a tall building. Reinard scowled as the dog shaped alien approached, the Faro’s tail bristling behind him.

“Good morning,” the Dalmar said in the common tongue. “What can I help you with?”

Cierel stepped forward smoothly, casting a withering look at both Reinard and Neistar.

“Good morning. I am looking for a new ship,” he said with a friendly smile.

A smile that failed to reach his eyes.

“Ah, well, at the moment we only have three available; however a fourth should be finished today,” the Dalmar said. “What sort of ship are you looking for?”

Artemis stepped forward, explaining his needs to the Dalmar. Reinard didn’t understand most of the words, something about the benefits of a ZX-80 engine over a CY-93 engine. It seemed the tiger was happy to have someone to discuss mechanics with.

“I might have just the ship for you,” the Dalmar smiled. “Unfortunately it is of Faro make, so it is a little cramped. But it is a modular design, similar to the rest of their crafts, and it would be easy to swap the modules out for more appropriate ones.”

He motioned for the group to follow him. Artemis went with the Dalmar eagerly, the rest of the group lagging.

Elias touched Reinard’s hand briefly, looking into the Faro’s eyes.

Reinard took a deep breath, trying to release the tension in himself.

“I’m okay,” he said.

They brought up the back of the group, making their way towards a building Reinard slowly realized was a starship.

The Dalmar pointed Artemis up a ladder, watching with interest as the tiger squeezed himself into the narrow entrance to the ship. Reinard could have sworn the tiger got stuck at one point, but he was able to dislodge himself and crawl into the ship.

He poked his head back out of the hole a moment later.

“It’s too tight in here. But from what I saw it has a good layout.”

The Dalmar nodded.

“Replacing most of the modules will take about twenty days,” he said.

“Can I see one of the modules?”

“Of course,” the dog smiled.

“Reinard, Elias, feel free to mention anything that doesn’t feel right,” Artemis added. “This is your ship too.”

It reminded Elias of home, of nesting in a tree with his family.

The neko stared at the cabin, his eyes looking up and down the pole leading to a mattress suspended in the air. It was like a thin tree, and while the neko wouldn’t trust his weight on the pole, he liked the idea of nestling in the small den

“The idea for most starships is to conserve space. As such, you find cramped quarters, corners cut on space. But I try to avoid claustrophobic situations. And so you see the cabin that is my signature design. It is only thirty six square feet, yet it feels wider. There is a space for the dresser under the bed, and the desk against the open wall allows for an open feeling as you sit and relax from a hard shift of mining or exploration.”

Artemis nodded as the Dalmar made his pitch.

“I like it,” he said. “However, there isn’t much space between the bed and the ceiling.”

“Ah, but it is adjustable,” the Dalmar smiled, pressing a button on the wall of the cabin.

There was a quiet hum as the bed slowly fell toward the ground. Elias’ eyes widened as he watched the mattress’ descent.

“And the modular construction of the ship, it doesn’t compromise the hull strength?”

“Oh no. Solid as a rock yet flexible enough to handle the pressure. Now if you get into a fight, you better have some good armour, but I assume as a part of the IEFL you won’t be in that situation very often.”

Elias glanced at Artemis, trying to get the tiger’s attention.

“Did you want to say something Elias?” Artemis smiled at the neko.

Elias shivered as eyes bored into him. He hated being put on the spot, but Artemis said he could ask questions…

“What about the stars?”

The Dalmar looked confused, but thankfully Artemis came to his rescue.

“The false glass,” he explained. “Do you use any in your construction?”

The Dalmar shook his head.

“Most of our customers do not like staring into the vastness of space constantly. However, it would not be too difficult to place a square into the layers of the hull,” he said.

“How expensive would it be to add on?”

The dog rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“The materials are hard to come by on this world, but I have a miner friend who can get them from Oyhaf 1b. It shouldn’t be more than 200 credits per square.”

“So six hundred. What about the whole ship? Kitchen, cockpit, hall, three cabins, a recreation centre if it’s feasible, a med bay…”

“Altogether it would come to 120,000 credits.”

Artemis nodded.

“And if I offered my old ship as part of the payment?”

The Dalmar frowned.

“That depends on the value of your ship,” he said.

“Captain, you don’t have to sell your ship. I promised you I would pay-” Ceirel began.

“I know, and I am very grateful,” Artemis interrupted. “But I don’t need my old ship any more. It’s been good to me. Now it’s time for it to be good to someone else.”

“May I take a look at your ship before you start making plans Captain?” the Dalmar requested.

“Of course.”

Artemis followed the Dalmar out of his ship. He was glad he had kept the vessel clean the past month. Of course Elias helped with that. Silently the tiger resolved to keep a cleaning schedule on board the ship.

“It’s old, but it does have a few good parts,” the Dalmar said, stopping in front of the ship. “I can’t resell it, but the parts alone, I could give you 45,000 credits.”

“Any chance you could take 50,000 credits off a new ship instead?” Artemis suggested.

The dog smiled at the tiger.

“I suppose I could.”

Artemis smiled as he began running numbers in his head. He needed a place to stay for two months, assuming things went wrong. 6,000 credits for a cheap room, and he had that in his card. He’d have to avoid taking on fresh water at stations, but if he could plot a course through oceanic planets that would take care of itself.

He turned to Ceirel.

“Is the price okay with you? It should only be about 70,000 now.”

“Anything for my kit,” Ceirel said, looking at Reinard. “Are you sure about this?”

“We have a month for you to change your mind,” Artemis added.

“If I change my mind in that month, I will let you know,” Reinard said.

“That is all I ask.”

Ceirel turned back to Artemis.

“If you are happy with the ship you are getting then we’ll finish this. You are welcome to stay at our home for as long as you need.”

“That is very kind of you. Thank you,” Artemis bowed his head slightly.