“What are our options, Commander? How do we get back home?”, Ke'zulah asked.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAgp9SVj17Jd
“We have a few options. As for getting back home, no-one really knows at the moment. Interstellar Federation is working on getting the video stream I recorded sent to our Union through some allies of theirs near the edge of the galaxy.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA8aRDDQYQWr
”We've been invited to either join a crew on another ship in Interstellar Federation, or join the crew here on the Artemis as representatives of our Vh'rilot Union. You'd be part of the ship's housekeeping department here, like you were on our ship, if you wanted.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAc1YDokvTzr
“I'd be co-First Officer with T'Planh.”, he said.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA8yjI8MIM5c
The entire conversation was in Vh'rilot.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAvLswVpmpSY
“You will no longer be Commanding Officer, Commander?”, she asked.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAxFkGuc13D8
“No. I'd keep my rank of Commander or be given the rank of Sub-Commander. Either is acceptable to me.”, he replied.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAA9uXZ9ndpv
“You will always be Commander to me.”, she said, smiling tenderly.
176Please respect copyright.PENANACiPQj8eGqj
“Thank you, but I'd prefer you called me Vo'ptinh when we're in private. Otherwise whatever my rank is will be alright.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAv0PKtHVM1T
”Commander Poole's a good man, Ke'zulah. I won't mind not being commanding officer here. It would be an honor to serve under him.”, he replied, smiling tenderly at her as well.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA8sNLATwofj
“You're my commanding officer, Commander. I'll obey your order, whatever it is.”, she said, smiling.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAfC5dGExKwh
“What do you think of our options? What would you like to do?”, he asked.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAhMTLS7Hkwv
“I'll do whatever you tell me to do, Commander.”, she said.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAiCLrrii11e
“I'm not the commander anymore, Ke'zulah. Our ship's gone...vaporized. It doesn't exist anymore. I need you to tell me which option you've chosen.”, he said, switching over to Terran.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAGFAWnKdBfE
“I choose to follow your orders, Commander. You are my commander, after all. Please...issue me a command. Issue me an order, Commander Za'tolbh.”, she replied, struggling mightily not to cry.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAo6nMqiLYxX
Vo'ptinh leaned forward and held her in his arms. She put her arms around him as well.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAF1e1EMw7Gi
He realized part of her unbending behavior might be caused by residual neurological effects of her coma, as the doctor had said might happen, post-traumatic stress from the ordeal they'd been through, or her inability to cope with the news he'd given her about their ship and where they were.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAgKIiyNgPEj
For all Vo'ptinh knew, it could have been caused by a combination of all three.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAmJ1Ki4u4TS
No matter what the cause, he knew she needed to be held and reassured of their safety. He also knew that he needed to be held at that moment as well.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAsAwp9pN2ER
“What do we do, Commander? Tell me what we to do. Tell me what you want me to do, and what we are going to do.”, she said, crying.
176Please respect copyright.PENANArG1P8YSUWi
He could tell she wasn't going to make a decision herself in the matter. Ke'zulah was quite loyal to him as her commander, and had no intention of changing that loyalty quite yet.
176Please respect copyright.PENANALiUaSGQmOq
It could have also been her way of helping him accept what had happened to him regarding the ship and having to vaporize their ship.
176Please respect copyright.PENANATHhKPhOxBV
They held each other for a few minutes, comforting each other.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAe6mmodbmQX
“Alright, Ke'zulah. I'll decide. It's alright. I'll make our decision.”, he said tenderly.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAF15sb3RwZQ
He pressed her call button and Dr. Ortkhat came in almost immediately.
176Please respect copyright.PENANADBdy8iXpDM
“Dr. Ortkhat, could you ask Commander Poole to come in here please?”, asked Vo'ptinh.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAySvTI2z0Ss
“Yes, of course.”, he said, then motioned for Craig to come in the room.
176Please respect copyright.PENANACE6k93Oz0A
“Hey there, Vo'ptinh. What can I do for you?”, Craig asked as he walked into the room.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAiTMi9DG7zR
After introducing Ke'zulah, who was still clinging to him and crying softly, Vo'ptinh said,
176Please respect copyright.PENANAIqT0iXm8Dl
“Commander, Ke'zulah and I will gladly accept your kind offer of letting us join your crew on the mission. It will be an honor to serve under you. You have our immense gratitude, respect and loyalty.”, Vo'ptinh said.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAQcVd3HAr2B
“Welcome aboard...both of you. I have one cabin you can share or you can each have your own quarters. Which would you prefer?”, Craig asked.
176Please respect copyright.PENANANbvM8P0uXo
“We'll share a cabin, Commander. Ke'zulah and I'll work out the sleeping arrangements once we've moved into our quarters.”, Vo'ptinh said.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA5466sfNwcC
“Alright. With your permission, Clarissa and I would like to bring your belongings there after we leave here.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAnjf6XSNWv0
”You'll each need to pick out a set of clothes for when you're discharged before we leave. You'll have a fairly well-stocked kitchen in your cabin, with plenty of counter space, as well as a fully-stocked bathroom.”, he replied.
176Please respect copyright.PENANABthvI7nEtQ
“Thank you, Sir.”, said Vo'ptinh.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAdeQlAUnsGp
Ke'zulah thanked him softly through her tears.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAxyGKkuTwqo
“You're both very welcome.”, replied Craig.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAwxyDBk9UJ4
He handed Vo'ptinh the bags with their belongings one at a time. Vo'ptinh pulled out a uniform shirt and pants plus a pair of socks for himself, then handed Ke'zulah a bag for her to pick out something for herself.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAV7AtfYi2hn
After picking out her clothes, she handed Craig the bag. Craig brought the bags over to Clarissa and introduced her to Ke'zulah. They then left for Vo'ptinh and Ke'zulah's cabin and set everything up for them.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAXgQ53wSWxr
The next morning, shortly after breakfast, Ke'zulah's catheter was removed. Vo'ptinh's intravenous line was also removed. They were to be released the next day or the day after.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAk3IH2y4ElJ
Craig and Clarissa came in to check on them. After Craig left for the bridge, she stayed and chatted with them for over an hour in order to learn more about them and their race.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAu4EcttyQdz
After Clarissa left and they'd eaten lunch, Nurse Baker got Ke'zulah up and had her start walking. Vo'ptinh walked with her and held her hand. They walked all around sick bay, then down a few halls. She was tired and walked slowly, but did fairly well nonetheless.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAIGsJaV7udn
Vo'ptinh encouraged her quite a bit. He'd been given a map as well as the freedom of the ship by Craig. He took Ke'zulah to the observation deck and dining hall, where they sat down for abit and had some iced tea and a snack.
176Please respect copyright.PENANApfxhx4r5GW
They were very interested in the various alien crewmembers they encountered on their walk. They talked to some of them, wanting to learn about their kind.
176Please respect copyright.PENANACiNGyi1t4B
They had never seen aliens like them before, and were genuinely very curious about them.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAZ1Ew3hOWr7
Vo'ptinh and Ke'zulah also talked about their new life aboard the ship. After getting another glass of iced tea, they slowly walked back to sick bay.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAc0UllTAYDW
With Nurse Baker's help, Vo'ptinh helped her back into bed.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA0qVq7l1sme
The next day, her intravenous line was removed. After they'd eaten lunch, they were discharged. Craig and Clarissa escorted them to their new quarters.
176Please respect copyright.PENANArZeJEakBKf
The cabin was quite large! Immediately to the left of the cabin door was a large master bedroom with a very large walk-in closet. There was frosted glass on the wall outside of the room, giving it a nice eclectic feel.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAMVTqnr4iv5
To the immediate right of the cabin door was a wall and coat rack.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAg8UfsrNrUr
A few feet into the cabin on the right was a large eat-in galley-style kitchen fully furnished with a refrigerator, stove, upright freezer, a micro-convection oven to the right of the kitchen door, cabinets, a coffeemaker, replicator, and a rectangular table with four chairs to the immediate left of the kitchen entrance.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAMHgxMlGjAL
Thanks to the dietary department, the freezer was fully stocked with various meats and frozen vegetables.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA0d5vORhGGo
The department had also stocked their refrigerator with fresh milk, cheese, eggs and bread.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAMMgAWeTDVN
To the left of the kitchen entrance was a large wall with a large-screen, as well as room for whatever they'd like to put there.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAYXTfIKpCbc
To the left of the cabin door, just past the bedroom, was the spacious Gathering Room. It was fully-furnished with a couch with dual recliners, coffeetable, two end tables with lamps, and two plush rocker-recliners. Behind the couch was a large bay window.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA83dPsbqK6P
Past the Gathering Room was a large bathroom with a full-sized tub and shower, complete with a massaging shower head. The shower curtain had a design of a map of the galaxy on it.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA6G1EKfUpwO
A double vanity with a mirror and medicine cabinet above it was to the immediate left as you walked into the bathroom. A toilet was between the vanity and bathtub. The toilet had a padded seat and lid, which impressed Ke'zulah.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAIMr0PlxMxT
Across from the toilet was a towel rack. The toilet paper holder was to the right of the toilet, attached to the side of the vanity.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA1W3reEvofY
The vanity was fully-stocked with bath towels, washcloths, hand-towels, toilet paper, soaps, shampoos and other toiletries, plus items women used.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAlPfr2HHyTp
Across from the bathroom was a medium-sized open office with a desk and other office furniture.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAI7qYu0JWdr
Looking straight into the cabin from the door was a large porthole window and a tall tropical plant to the right of the window just past the office. They looked all around and were very impressed.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA0lvsL7C1kn
They then went into their bedroom. Vo'ptinh was determined that they share a bed.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAisld61P1eB
“Xỳāng s̄ngb?”, she asked him when he told her they'd be sharing the bed since there was plenty of room in it for the two of them. (Platonically?)
176Please respect copyright.PENANAu7Yxk2oAE6
“I'd prefer otherwise, but won't force you.”, he said.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAzPj5ReZUJC
The room had a king-size bed, a large dresser across from the foot of the bed, and a nightstand on each side of the bed, each stand complete with a lamp.
176Please respect copyright.PENANA2GgD9inmpo
Sitting on the bed, she remarked to Vo'ptinh how comfortable the mattress was.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAFOm81zmpyn
It was firm, but not "wooden board" firm, and soft but not "Help! I'm falling into an endless pile of down feathers!" soft, as they described a too soft mattress. It was a very good compromise between the two extremes, they thought.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAVynustxPeT
Above the dresser was a large-screen.
176Please respect copyright.PENANACV2QIFXtHB
Their walk-in closet was what dreams were made of, she thought. It was larger than the cabin's office and had plenty of room for clothes, shoes, and anything else they could think of to put in there.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAWMqJJLSvqn
The second bedroom was just past the office. They decided they'd use that as their meditation room.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAxEyhJCTE36
Vo'ptinh then got their new stream links set up, and Ke'zulah got the kitchen organized more to her liking.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAQh12mgtf0e
Later on, she got her nightgown on; a pink nightgown with short sleeves that came mid-calf on her. He was shirtless, clad only in sleep pants.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAsIT2obyD4S
They climbed into bed and sat up for abit, looking through a disc file of Vh'rilot poetry.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAIg0XiDG5ND
After reading for 10 minutes or so, Vo'ptinh put the disc on Ke'zulah's nightstand, then gently caressed her horns.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAOvN0MMlv05
“Your horns are very beautiful.”, he said tenderly.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAuuXNcnMiVK
In Vh'rilot culture, complimenting the horns of someone of the opposite sex was a form of flirting. It was similar to saying “You have gorgeous eyes” or “You've got a nice smile” in human culture.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAmixOg1aYDX
“Thank you. Yours are very impressive.”, she replied, blushing deeply as she very tentatively caressed his horns.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAHY5kfhvDPZ
Vh'rilot males had much larger horns than females, although a Vh'rilot female's horns were nothing to sneeze at, as an ancient human phrase said.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAO4dpVB5oUT
Their horns were so important to Vh'rilots and their culture that a common Vh'rilot saying for “I love you” was
176Please respect copyright.PENANAcSqvrysliz
“I've been caught in your horns.”
176Please respect copyright.PENANAznNBvy5BBC
“Thank you.”, he said, then gave her a tender, lingering kiss, followed by several more kisses.
176Please respect copyright.PENANAcZZVBSRdIO
176Please respect copyright.PENANAf1SiiBeEhZ
176Please respect copyright.PENANA6FXKKYJOqT
176Please respect copyright.PENANAWCVuCTXJU9
176Please respect copyright.PENANA91Di59m4IC