Zak followed Tony out into the corridor. His eyes wondered everywhere, trying to take in every detail at once. The walls were bluish gray and warm to the touch, and they walked for what must have been a couple of hundred yards.
"I realize that this is tough on you, Zak." Tony said. "I remember expecting to wake up and find out that it was a dream." They came to an elevator and Tony touched a keypad on the wall. "Just remember, if Baaca hadn't taken you, the Jur'kaalchik would've."
"It's just really hard to believe." Zak stepped inside. "My brain keeps telling me that you're right, but something says you're full of shit, too." The elevator started up, then stopped after just a short time.
"I am full of shit, but I'm not lying to you." Tony smiled and held his arm out, following Zak into another hallway. He was relieved when Zak smiled at the dumb joke, and led the kid towards Deck One. "Deck one can be pretty busy, so don't let anyone knock you down." A set of red doors slid apart as the approached.
It was incredible. The room was at least a hundred feet long, and the walls farthest from the doors were clear. Zak swallowed hard, seeing stars slip by. He felt a little dizzy and leaned on a bulky metal chair. Several chairs and workstations ringed the room, and a raised platform sat in the center. On it was a large chair, also bulky looking but bigger than the others were, with a workstation directly in front of it.
Zak followed Tony towards the platform, eyes wide and searching. Something sat at one of the workstations that was obviously not human, appearing to be something like a skinny grizzly bear. He bumped into the rail that surrounded the platform and almost fell. A strong hand took his arm, and Zak looked up into the face he'd seen in the woods.
"Careful, Zak. I have these guys convinced that you're salvageable." Baaca smiled slightly and let go of the kid's arm. "If you fall down on the first day, they'll rib your forever." He wore a gray ship's suit with black boots and a black jacket, identical to the one everyone else wore except for the color. His long brown hair was parted in the middle, held back by a shiny clasp. Zak looked into his hawk like features, and immediately noticed his lavender eyes.
"Thank you for saving me." Zak almost whispered. Baaca had an almost animal magnetism, and he was grateful to Tony for showing him the red button on his buckle.
"My pleasure. Welcome aboard the Panther." Baaca swept his arm around. "The best jump rescue boat in the fleet."
"I thought that Panther was the name of the computer." Zak knitted his eyebrows together. "He talked to it when I was in that tub thing." He indicated Tony.
"See, Baaca, I told you he was smarter than most." Tony chuckled, crossing his feet and leaning on the rail.
"Panther is the ship. He's an AI matrix. You can't have one without the other." Baaca sat in his chair, indicating a bench that Zak could sit on.
"You mean the ship is alive?"
"Yes and no. Panther is by definition alive, and he runs a lot of the ship. He is the ship more or less." Baaca was amused by the look on Zak's face. "If you decide to stay with us, you'll get to know Panther pretty well, and he'll teach you everything you need to know."
Sensing that the interview was over, Tony stood up and touched Zak's shoulder. "We were about to get something to eat, Captain. Wanna come along?"
"Thanks, but we hit terran space in a few minutes. We'll make orbit in about an hour. Why don't you bring Zak back up to watch the landing." Baaca touched a couple of controls and swiveled his chair to the workstation.
"We'll be right back, then. C'mon, Zak." Tony led the way back to the doors. Zak shook Baaca's hand, almost mesmerized by his eyes. He turned and followed Tony, committing Baaca's face to memory.
"What would you like?" They sat at a table near the door of the lounge. It was deliberately decorated to look like a planet side restaurant, with table cloths and sim-wood chairs. One whole wall looked out into the reaches of space. Zak couldn't take his eyes away.
"Hello?"
"Huh?" Zak started and looked back at Tony, feeling foolish. "Sorry. What are the choices?" He could imagine some pill that replaced food, or some exotic alien dish. It was hard to be hungry.
"Here, look at the menu. There's over 128,000 dishes that Terrans can eat." Tony held up a small flat viewer. "The ones with that little blue dot in front of them are specifically from Earth."
"You mean we live on other planets now?" Zak asked, taking the menu. It was a cool idea, one that he had fantasized about often.
"On about 300 different planets now. Earth is still home, but there are four unexplored earth-like planets out there for every one that we've colonized, not to mention the inhabited ones that we have relations with." Tony ordered his lunch, settling on a chow mien dish.
"How many of those are there?" Zak scanned the menu and settled on a bacon cheeseburger and a Coke.
"I only know of about a hundred, but I've stayed on Panther the entire time I've been here. I don't leave that often."
Zak bit into his burger, realizing how hungry he really was. It was hot and juicy, and he savored the taste. It was like a lifeline in this new confusing world. "Why don't you leave the ship much?" He asked around mouthfuls, studying the other's features. "Don't you want to explore very much?"
"I never had anyone to go with. Baaca rarely leaves Panther unless we're on a drop, and until yesterday I was the only other human on Panther." Tony picked at his meal, not wanting it much. "Anyway, every now and then Baaca would take me some place and let me see it. It was really obvious that he wasn't very interested, though."
"Why did he save me?" Zak spoke so quietly that Tony looked up. Zak's face looked drawn, and it was easy to see that he hurt inside. It tugged at Tony's heart.
"Panther saved you, Zak. When he scanned you, he must have seen something in you that we need because he told Baaca to retrieve you. Actually, they don't very often bring anyone back." Tony slid his plate aside and to a sip of Zak's Coke. "I'm glad they did, though. I wouldn't want you to be dead now that I know you a little."
"Me, too." Zak smirked. "Considering the alternative anyway." He finished off the hamburger and took a drink of the Coke, feeling a little thrilled that Tony had drank out of the same glass. It was totally his imagination, he was sure, but it was very suggestive. "Where are we going to land?"
"Well, I think that Port Ventura is still under repairs, so I would guess that it'll be Arizona Structure and Maintenance in Hawaii." Tony put his feet up on the chair next to him and stretched. "A Hullerbendite cruiser took out most of Ventura when it's Grav-Drive failed. Most of the port was scrapped."
"Where's Ventura?"
"You know, Ventura Boulevard? Haven't you ever been to California?" Tony shook his head. "The names haven't changed much, but the smog's gone now."
"No shit? It's still the United States?" Zak was excited, wanting to see home again. He wondered what everything looked like.
"No' it's just North America now. The US government was the basis for what's now the Terra League though, so it's not very different." Tony stood up and put their trays into a slot in the wall. "Let's go. You gotta see the landing!"
"Why? What's it like?" Zak followed, sealing up the front of his jacket. "How big is the Panther? What's it look like?"
"It's 478 meters long, and looks like a 747 with the wings on top and backwards." Tony held the lift for Zak, then keyed for Deck One. "Except the Panther has four Grav-Engines where the tail would be, each about twice the size of a school bus." He leaned on the wall with his hands behind him. "You know what's cool, Zak? I have forgotten a lot of the words that I used to say when I was home with my parents. Thanks."
"No problem. Glad I could help." Zak stepped out of the lift and walked through the red doors again, right on Tony's heals. They walked up onto the platform and stopped one on each side of the command chair. "Jesus." Zak whispered, getting his first look at his home world from space.
They watched in silence as earth slid closer, then stopped growing in size. Off to one side, a greenish skinned humanoid spoke to a voice coming out of his console, and overhead a blue light flashed. Zak watched the crew work intently over their controls, and Tony leaned over Baaca's station and typed in a command. "Yi-Chaud, this is Tony. There's a grav warning on number four."
The person at the other end answered in words and a voice that defied description and Zak jumped at the high piercing squeal of it. Tony smiled, and Zak grinned back, embarrassed. "Sorry, I keep forgetting where I am."
As they got closer, other ships came into view and slid past them. Earth filled the windows, and Zak was struck dumb by the beauty of it. He looked out the side of the ship and watched two giant ships waver, then disappear in a flash of red light. Just as he was going to look back, one appeared, braking hard and curving into its approach path.
"It's a little crowded up here today." Baaca intoned, adjusting a control. "Arizona, this is Panther. Request clearance for a work pad." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, twirling a writing stylus in his fingers.
"Panther, you're cleared for pad One-seven seven west. Guidance is a lock on." A tiny voice informed them. Baaca touched the control again and leaned back. "Navigation, switch over to planetary please. Follow the lines this time, okay Krimm?"
Zak watched as the skinny bear thing waved then set to work at its controls. He nearly got vertigo as the Panther rolled over and descended into the clouds. He expected to have to lean the way the ship did, and was faintly embarrassed when he noticed Baaca and Tony looking at him with smiles on their faces.
The clouds parted, and they moved over a lush forest at what seamed like a couple of miles high. Up ahead, there was a huge flat area, bristling with towers. Small vessels of different kinds came and went. Zak felt his jaw drop as a massive ship, bigger than anything he had ever seen, lifted off, pivoted, then moved up towards space, gaining speed.
"That was the Manaco." Tony said quietly, startling Zak by suddenly being next to him. "Manaco and Panther are pretty good friends. We try to get them together as often as possible."
"Panther has friends?"
"Yeah, they socialize like we do, but on different levels. You know, computer shit." Tony pointed. "That's out pad, and that's Phoenix. That blue out to the west is the pacific."
"Where's California?"
Baaca chuckled. "From San Francisco to Mexico City is out there under that water. From here northwest to Reno is a big puddle." A small chirp sounded, and Baaca pointed at the benches. "Have a seat, boys. Panther's taking us in."
Zak sat down quickly, not knowing what to expect. In the windows, the trees got bigger and bigger, revealing themselves to be giant redwoods. "When did they plant redwoods in Arizona?"
"Actually, we think they were put there by the tsunami of 2259. They kind of came up by themselves." Tony shrugged. "I asked the same thing, only Baaca made me ask Panther."
There was a faint vibration and a sigh, seeming to come from all over the ship. The crew began to shut down their stations, and Tony stood up and stretched. "We'll be in Decon for about twelve hours, Zakster. I don't know about you, but I'm shot."
"I don't know if I can sleep." Zak stood up and stepped off the platform. "I have so much in my head, I feel like I'm gonna blow up."
"Have Panther knock you out. You need some rest." Baaca shut down his board and followed them towards the doors. "We have a refit to do, and I plan on giving you two some time in the city as well."
"What's the refit this time, Baaca?" Tony asked.
Baaca rubbed the side of his face and yawned. "I don't know. Something to do with the Bercolli drive. Maybe it won't feel like the inside of a grav coil next time we turn it on."
"You mean that weird ripple or whatever it is, like the room is shrinking?" Zak walked between them as they entered the lift.
"Yeah, it isn't supposed to do that. It even gets to Panther, and that worries me." Baaca keyed for the crew deck. "It started about a week ago, just before we got called in from Tendagono."
"Where's that?"
Tony smirked and chuckled. "About 500 light years from here."
"Oh."
They stopped at the door to the room Zak had slept in. "These are your quarters, Zak. You can keep them as long as you like." Baaca extended his hand and shook with Zak. "I realize this is a bitch, but you'll adapt. Panther has never been wrong when he wanted someone retrieved."
"I wish I knew why he wanted me, but I'm glad he did."
"Ask him. You can speak to him any time you want to." Baaca patted Zak's shoulder and headed down the hall. Tony smiled, then pointed at a door straight across from Zak's. "I'm right there, man. If you need anything, just come over."
The door opened as Zak stepped inside. It was dark, and he looked for some kind of control for the lights. A blue lens began to glow on the wall. "Zak. Illumination?" The grating half whisper half sandpaper voice of Panther came from the wall.
"Hungh!" Zak started, then caught himself, feeling like a fool. "Hi, Panther. Yes, lights please." They came on to reveal the room he'd woke up in. Just in from the door was a desk and workstation. A door across from the entrance opened on a bathroom and some kind of shower, and next in line was a closet and dresser drawers. The last wall had the bed in a recessed alcove.
Zak took off his jacket and laid it over the desk chair. "Panther, uh., why did you have Baaca save me?" He slid his sweaty hands down his pant legs. It felt strange to talk to a computer, like he was in a movie or something.
"Zak necessary. Uplink qualities."
"What are up link qualities?" Zak sat in the chair, putting himself at eyelevel with the glowing blue lens. A metal disc attached to a wire slid out of the wall. Zak took it in his fingers and looked at Panther. "What's this?"
"Place right temple." A diagram came up on the screen next to Panther showing Zak how to place the disc on the side of his head. Nervously, he held it up and touched it to his head. It was warm, and his vision dimmed hazily.
In his mind he saw the ship. It was beautiful. A long graceful cylinder that tapered to a rounded point, with a bulge where Deck One was. Wings with equipment and weapons on them swept forward from a point about a third of the way down the hull. Towards the rear were the for massive Grav-Drive engines.
Suddenly Zak understood how things worked and where they were. The layout of the ship was imprinted on his memory, and how to use the doors, lifts, lights, etc. It was amazing how comfortable the link with Panther was. The voice sounded the same in his head as it did in his ears.
Un-aware of it, Zak laughed. Panther flowed through his mind like quick silver, finding his way into every corner and crevasse. It was comfortable. He reached out and tapped a command into the keypad, redirecting the lessons towards ships operations. In a blink, four hours went by. The disc popped off and Zak blinked. The food processor blinked, and a cup of Coke sat there.
"Thanks, Panther." Zak sipped it and set it down. "I really enjoyed that. You're an amazing teacher."
"Pleasurable." The deep voice rasped. "Zak rest?"
"Yeah. I wasn't to tired awhile ago, but I feel muggy now." Zak stood up shakily and pulled off his jacket.
"Side affect" Panther said. The door to the bathroom slid open. "Hot shower recommended."
"Thanks." Zak slipped his boots off and set them by the bed then pulled at the front of his ship suit, feeling the closure release and open. He understood now how the fabric worked, that it was literally several thousand tiny units that locked together. A processor chip in each one helped it communicate with the others to function as fabric.
Zak pulled off the suit and tossed it on the bed. He walked into the bathroom and looked at the controls for the shower. From Panther's teachings he now knew that it not only sprayed water, but also did medical maintenance, or Re-Gen as it was called, each time it was turned on. It also had some really cool functions.
"Panther, I want to kinda separate myself from the past a little. Set for hair growth, eighteen inches rear, four inches front, streaked. Use current color and blond."
"Affirm."
Zak smiled and stepped into the shower. The almost to hot water felt wonderful. Soap and shampoo were dispensed through pips on the wall, and when he went to scrub his hair, Zak found that it was already lengthening. He laughed out loud and patted the wall. "Panther, you're awesome!"
He finished and stood still, letting warm air jets dry him off. One nozzle was higher than the others, and he held his head under it, rubbing his hair vigorously. It was soft and silky, and had to run his fingers through it over and over. It was hard to believe. Finally he stepped out and looked into the mirror.
"Panther, the tint is perfect." He said quietly, touching and stroking the no long tresses. Then he noticed them. His eyes. It was such a shock he had to consciously breath. He had been born with green eyes, like his dad's, and now.now they were light purple. Almost lavender. Like the others.
A lump formed in his throat. He'd been so busy that he'd forgotten why he was here and not at home. He wished his mom could see his hair. She had always allowed him to get the newest clothes and understood how he always needed to look his best.
The tears came leaving unwelcome streaks on his face. He swiped them away as he went back into the main room and pulled the covers back on the bed. Zak slid the boots out of the way and climbed in, hugging the pillow to his chest. He couldn't stop the sobs that racked his chest, and it was awhile before he slept.
In the fog of a hard sleep something wondered his dreams. A desire that he'd fought for a long time. He saw Tony lying on his bed back home, and Tony beckoned him, taking off Zak's clothes. He pulled Zak onto the bed and kissed him, running his hands over Zak's body. Zak opened Tony's ship's suit, sliding his hand down...
And smacking his head on the wall next to his bed. Zak groaned and rolled over, throwing the light sheet and pillow across the room. His forehead pounded where he'd hit it, and he staggered into the bathroom. The mirror revealed a goose egg forming. A little cube slid out of the counter top, and Zak picked it up, knowing from his lesson with Panther what to do.
He touched it to the bump and closed his eyes. After a few seconds the pain went away and he opened his eyes. The bump was gone. He set the cube on the counter and turned to relieve himself. "Thanks, Panther." He said, touching the control to remove the waste.
"Affirm."
Zak wondered out and sat at the desk, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The food processor beeped, and the smell of fresh coffee reached his nose. He picked up the cup and sipped, finding it prepared perfectly with just the right amount of sugar and cream. Candy bar coffee his dad had called it.
"What time is it, Panther" He asked, setting the cup down. A display on the wall showed 0645, and he rubbed his face again. "Is Tony up?"
"There is one message left at 0640. Tony will be in the galley at 0650." The computer rasped. Zak nodded and got up to dress. It was funny, but he was getting used to Panther's voice. It was almost comforting. Even when he was alone, Panther was there. He shook his head and started to tug up his ship's suit. Talking to his friend the computer, what would happen next?
He still found the suit comical. The legs had the feet in them like little kid's pajamas. He slid them up and over his shoulders, feeling it begin to comform to his body. Zak was fairly proud of his build, and the suit showed it off pretty damned well. He put the belt on and checked for his comm, then pulled on the boots.
Next he stepped into the bathroom and dialed up a toothbrush and a tube of Crest (obviously more of Tony's work), brushed his hair, and found a gleaming silver clasp lying near the little sink. He looked towards the desk and smiled, holding the clasp up towards the lens. After fumbling it twice, he got his hair parted and pulled back, setting the clasp low near his neck, similar to Baaca's.
"You're the best, Panther." He said, stopping for his jacket. A dark blue pack was on the desk and he stopped to pick it up. "What's this?"
"Shore pack. Currency, supplies."
"Cool." Zak keyed open the door and stepped out into the hall. "Where am I headed, Panther?"
"Ahead second right corridor." His comm answered in Panther's voice. His stomach rumbled and Zak set off. Twice he met up with people he couldn't identify, each time the comm translating for him when they wished him good morning. The second `person" looked more like a fern than a person.
"About damned time!" Tony hollered, pointing at the wall clock. "I said 0650, not two minutes after!" He watched as Zak smiled and sat down, ordering toast and more coffee. "You ready to see the world, Zakster? We have two days before we have to be back."
"What's happening for two days?" Zak asked, crunching on the toast.
"We can't do the type of refit that Panther is getting. It's too big. So, while the port guys improve the ship, we goof off. Cool, right?" Tony drank from a glass of juice and attacked his scrambled eggs. Zak watched incredulously, wondering how anyone could eat a big breakfast.
"The hair's great by the way." Tony said around a mouthful. "The streaks are nice."
Zak blushed and smiled. "Thanks. I got a lesson from Panther last night. I like him."
They finished and stood up, Tony shouldering the strap for his own pack. They entered a lifted and went down for what seemed like a long time. The doors opened and warm humid air hit them. Zak could feel his suit adjust to the temperature to keep him cool.
A huge door was open in the side of the ship, and through it they could see the forest. A long gangway led towards a sparkling tower, and dozens of people entered and left, some pushing large boxes that floated by themselves. Zak followed Tony out, watching the other pull what looked like sunglasses out of his kit. Zak fished through his and pulled out a pair and put them on.
"What a fantastic day!" Tony grinned, putting his arm around Zak's shoulders. "Let's do the beach."