FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Joined in Mind and Body

Chapter 2

Andrew looked around the shuttle. It was generally empty in the passenger section here, but he was immediately aware of the differences between this military shuttle and what he would normally ride on as a civilian. The first notable thing was that all the seating was around the edges of the shuttle. Not rows of chairs, just benches with restraint systems. If he had to guess based on the full size, he'd say the shuttle could seat around 100 humans. It was pretty big.

That of course brought up the second item. The ceiling of the shuttle was at least 13 feet up by his estimates. Obviously made for Kathari to be able to stand in comfortably. The other thing that caught his attention were a set of slightly raised, bowl-shaped padded impressions in the middle, as well as several huge couch-like objects with a strange sweep to them.

He was vaguely aware that the rest of the humans were waiting patiently to pass him as he stood and stared at everything. As he was looking around, he felt a very large hand against the flat of his back give him a slight push forwards. "You'll see more." The Kathari murmured. The hand left his back very quickly, and he scooted out of the way, feeling dizzy. Probably the excitement and rush of the situation.

Andrew walked carefully to the bench and sat down, touching the restraint field activator and relaxing against the soft pressure of the invisible energy that surrounded him in response. He watched as Tyrin and Kelia curled up comfortably in the bowls, which explained their purpose.

He realized that he was staring when he noticed that Tyrin was staring back at him. His face flushed and he looked down at his thumbs, his mind still fuzzy. He noticed Tyrin leaning over to Kelia and murmuring something to her, then realized that both of them were staring at him. His ears felt uncomfortable, like he had to pop them, so he tried yawning. But the background static persisted through several pops. He stuck his finger in his ear, trying to figure out why his head felt so fuzzy, but the feeling suddenly went away.

Glancing up, he saw that the two Kats were no longer staring at him. They were engrossed in their own avid conversation now. He sat up straighter as the restraint field adjusted and allowed him movement. The soldiers and security officer took seats one seat away to either side of him, while the captain headed most likely to the bridge. It was only a short while before a pilot announced pending liftoff. Some minor G forces, much less than civilian shuttles and flights, and then everything was relatively smooth.

The soldier to Andrew's right leaned over and murmured to him. "We're about to go into sensory mode. If you can't handle it, close your eyes." Andrew looked at the man, confused, and was about to ask what he was talking about, when the ship just suddenly vanished.

Well, it didn't precisely vanish. He could still feel it, the lights were still there, and everybody was still obviously around, but the actual inside of the ship was suddenly transparent, leaving a perfect view of everything going on around it. Rivulets of air and vapor trails from going through the atmosphere flowed along the side of the ship while the glow of the engines warped the view of the swiftly retreating land. In fact, they were already leaving the atmosphere. Fast ride!

"Kats work best like this," the soldier explained. "Looks like you're dealing with it okay. The entire Kat combat section of the ship is like this. Clear on the inside, normal on the outside, with only access locations visible so people don't get lost or run into walls." The soldier pointed up and ahead. "There's our ship."

Andrew strained to spot the ship against the background of unwinking stars, but as they swiftly got closer, he was able to find it. It didn't look all that big at first because of the distance, but as the range closed, he saw that it was docked beside an orbital military platform. He had been to one of these before, and the places were not small. The ship beside it made it look pretty small though.

The Karenthis was indeed a very large ship. Like a somewhat flattened teardrop in shape, with the point being the nose, it severely dwarfed the orbital platform that hung beside it. Andrew tried to remember if he had ever read anything detailed about the ship, but his thoughts were being fragmented again. Like a constant static at the back of his mind. He was finding it harder to concentrate as they approached the ship, but he worked to keep his mind on the approach.

The shuttle headed towards what he assumed was the belly of the ship (it's difficult to tell up and down in space), and soon was caught by a tow beam and pulled swiftly into the bay. Andrew sadly missed the sheer immensity of the ship at the end of the approach because of how distracted he was. He also missed the fact that both Kats on board the shuttle with him were staring at him again. As soon as the shuttle was secured and a debarkation ramp was extended, everybody began to stand up and get ready for the next part of whatever task this was. Andrew sat for a moment, gathering his thoughts a bit better before he stood up as well... and promptly stumbled.

"Woah there," exclaimed the soldier, catching his elbow. "Not used to space travel I guess? Don't worry, you'll get your space legs soon enough." Andrew smiled, but wasn't sure. He normally had no problem with space travel. Maybe it was because of the size of the ship. Andrew nodded to the soldier, and turned around to find himself looking right at the lowchest of a Kat... Um... Tyrin.

"By special arrangements, we'll be helping you with your stay here on the ship," Tyrin said, dropping down onto his lowbelly so he was only slightly taller than the human. Andrew took a moment to examine the upper half of the creature at close range. He noted that even though the Kat wore no clothing, he did have a wrist com as well as a headset similar to what Andrew had used in the past. The earpiece was obviously made for a feline ear though. Andrew struggled to keep his mind on things.

"Unless you'd rather have a human contact instead," Kelia stated, taking a similar posture just to the other side. "We can understand if you do. Some people consider Kathari to be intimidating."

That cleared Andrew's head substantially. "Oh, no no," he protested. "I'm as happy as a kid in a candy shop to work with Kathari." He blushed slightly. "In all honesty, it's been my dream to even be able to see one at all since I was a kid."

"Well, then, it's a good arrangement!" Kelia said, smiling. "You get your childhood wish, and we get to work with an appreciative human." Without warning, her arms swung out and she nabbed him, drawing him to her and giving him a big hug. Andrew was startled at first, but the soothing purr from the Kat helped him relax in a heartbeat, even though his face was buried between moderately-developed breasts. Her chin topped over his head even when she was this low, so he couldn't see the look she gave her pairmate, nor their nods to each other.

"Well, I see you've made friends already, Mr. Foster," drawled Capt. Sirelly's from behind him. Andrew jumped and tried to disengage from the feline, thinking he had maybe done something wrong. She let him go for him to spin around, but quickly draped an arm over his shoulder. "I hope you can handle their touchy feely stuff. They are very much contact-oriented. Some humans have trouble with it. Though I hear if you can stand it, it's not too bad."

"He'll be better off when you don't sneak up on him like you caught him with his hand in the cookie jar, Captain," Tyrin commented. "Anything else before we get him set?"

"No," the Captain said. "You two have been fully briefed and know what you need to know. Get him set and we're good to go." And with that, the man saluted, which was returned by the two Kats, and all the humans filed out the door of the shuttle and headed off.

"Right. Do you prefer to walk, or catch a ride?" Kelia asked, causing Andrew to turn around to face her again.

"Um, I can do either way. I'm not afraid to walk, or whatever." Andrew answered.

"Well, we've got a ways to go," Kelia said as they both stood up. "So catching a ride is likely the best idea." Before Andrew could figure things out, he was suddenly lifted physically into the air by Kelia as if he were nothing more than a doll. He halfway considered flailing before he was suddenly placed onto Tyrin's lowback, just behind the taur's shoulders. He blinked and wrapped his arms around the feline's waist automatically before he realized what had happened.

"Hell of a ride!" Andrew exclaimed, looking down from his perch.

"You might get a few odd looks," Tyrin informed the human, twisting his upper body fully around at the waist to look. "This is not too common. Only happens when the Kat or Kats involved like the human involved." Tyrin turned back around and both felines headed towards the door and down the ramp with a bemused human perched atop.

Sure enough, Andrew did get some looks from both Kathari and Human crewmembers in the halls as they went. Most were just curious. A few from humans were jealous. None were overtly displeased. Andrew was still having trouble keeping his thoughts straight, but it was fading into a background hum.

"We'll stop by intake and outfitting to get you checked in and get your wrist com, then on from there," Kelia told him, pointing to the door ahead. "You'll be able to reach us by com anytime you need. If you have any questions or concerns, please be sure to let us know. Especially if you experience anything abnormal. Some people do not adjust to mixed ships well."

She glanced at him as they paused outside the door and she reached up to lift him off Tyrin's back. "Please be aware that Kathari don't get embarrassed about anything, or suffer from social taboos like humans do," she said to him quietly. "Unless you intentionally insult us, nothing you say or ask is likely to upset us. So please do speak up if you have anything to say. We can't begin to emphasize this enough to new people."

She patted his shoulder and both Kats escorted him through the door to the intake area. "We have Andrew Foster here for civilian intake," Tyrin announced to the woman behind the desk. "Identity confirmed by wormhole signature prior to shuttle flight, escorted fully en route. Passes P.K.E."

The woman nodded. "Already scheduled. Lucky guy has no wait." She gestured to several people in military attire seated in the room. "Though I hear you're being put right to work on an important job, Mr. Foster. So no time to relax for you. This way please!"

Andrew looked at the two Kats as the woman stood, and they gestured for him to go. They would be waiting here apparently. He turned and followed the woman to a secure door that led through to a small room with three other well-secured doors. "There will be health checks, a physical, and a mental evaluation. Some records taking and other such things. It doesn't take too long," she informed him, opening the door on the right. "Disrobe completely inside and drop everything in the wall bin. It's one-way once you go through this door."

"Mental evaluation. Meh. I hate psychologists," Andrew muttered, stepping through the door.

"Then you shouldn't have a problem here," the woman said with a smile as she closed the door. Andrew thought about that for a moment. Computerized evaluation maybe? Even worse.

With a sigh, he began disrobing, looking with some trepidation at the airlock-style door on the opposite side of the room. Collecting his clothing into a bundle, he found the pull-out bin in the wall and dropped it in, somewhat startled to note that his belongings were immediately whisked away to locations unknown. When he closed the bin, a scanning beam swept the room. He felt a bit out of place, but he was in decent condition for a computer nerd, and in generally good health. He should be proud of his physique.

The scan completed, and apparently whatever was being checked for passed. The airlock door hissed and slid open with a whoof, revealing a 20-foot cubical room on the other side, a similar airlock door opposite him. He stepped into the room, looking around, and finding absolutely nothing present. Just faintly glowing walls, floor, and ceiling. The floor was slightly padded to his bare feet, and a quick touch on the wall behind him revealed the same padding there.

"Please step to the center of the room," a pleasant female voice informed him. He recognized it immediately as a computer. Most people couldn't tell the difference anymore, but Andrew could. He stepped forward until he was in the center of the room. It wasn't hard to miss, since as soon as he got there, the light faded and left only a single spotlight on him from above.

"Welcome to the starship Karenthis," the voice informed him. "This is a computerized medical, class Alphacon 24. If you are not familiar with this process, please raise your right hand, and you will be given more information as we progress to help avoid confusion or panic." Andrew blinked and quickly raised his arm.

"You have indicated that you are not familiar with the Alphacon 24 medical process," the computer said. "Extra information will be given at each step. The most important thing to be aware of is that this process is completely safe, and you will not be endangered at all. This process has a history of absolutely zero incidents. I am a presence of Sybelle, this ship's ISABEN, or primary computer. I will be monitoring and administering this process."

Andrew was amazed. ISABENs were exceptionally high class semi-phased and semi-organic artificial intelligence computer systems. He realized that he should have been expecting such a thing on a ship like this, but didn't expect to actually interact with one. If he wasn't just getting a physical from it, he'd love to sit and have a chat.

"If you would prefer to be rendered unconscious for this process, please raise both hands. You will be monitored at all times, and if you are undergoing too much stress, you will be automatically rendered unconscious for the remainder of the procedure for your own safety," Sybelle informed him. There was a brief pause as Andrew lowered his right hand. He was far too curious to let weird stuff keep him from knowing what was happening.

"At this point, you will be bound, and then rendered immobile," Sybelle informed him. He felt a force field, similar to a restraint field, closing around him carefully and lifting him off the ground. He realized suddenly that gravity had been reduced in this room, and was continuing to go down. He wiggled his finger as his nose itched, then suddenly realized that his finger didn't feel at all like it was wiggling. "Conscious control of your skeletal muscular system has been disabled," the computer intoned.

"I am forming a small wormhole directly to your trachea to oxygenate your blood. This room will be flooded with a warm fluid for most of the remainder of the process. A force field will be blocking your mouth and nose. Please continue to breathe normally." Andrew almost panicked for a moment as energy closed air-tight over his mouth and nose, but he kept his cool and continued to breath, discovering that he could indeed do so. Damn... Impressive.

The "flood" of fluid was literally that. A sudden immersion in warm, relatively thick fluid. He couldn't control his eyes to close them, but he found no discomfort from the fluid washing over them. The sound from beneath the fluid was somewhat clearer. "The process is performed by a combination of scanners and field-generated implements combined with direct control applied to your nervous system to perform some inner activities."

He was aware of several scanning sweeps past his vision. "Your intestinal tract is about to be flushed and examined. This is a warning only, so that you may expect it. Some food substance will be inserted afterwards to tide you over, however a meal is recommended after this procedure." Intestinal tract flushed?

Andrew was pretty certain that his monitored stress levels rose a bit. He felt the oddest feeling through his entire belly followed shortly by an incredible need to defecate. The need faded though, and the pressure decreased as apparently the material was exiting from inside directly. The sensation continued to flow from his esophagus and down through the full length of his gastrointestinal tract for a few more moments before it stopped, much to his relief.

"The results of the medical scan indicate some repair work needed. You will be rendered unconscious briefly to this part of the process." Andrew heard that sentence, and then his mind went blank. He found his vision fading back in apparently only moments later. He had no idea how long he had been out, but he was still suspended in the liquid.

"Repair work was completed in 93 seconds." Well, that wasn't too long. "The final process of the physical examination involves removing all bio matter that is not yours. This removes all bacteria and viruses from your system. Proper GI flora and other beneficial flora will be reintroduced thereafter."

Another scan ran by much more slowly. Then a tingling through his entire body. "Mr Foster!" the computer suddenly exclaimed. This confused Andrew. It didn't sound like the normal scripted setup. Suddenly a holographic female face filled his vision. "I knew that you were coming. I hope you will be able to help." He felt hands caressing his sides and belly and got confused much worse.

"Hopefully you will be a tech who can understand me better than those others," Sybelle purred to him. "Even broken computers have needs..." Confusion on his part rose to a panic as the computerized touch was suddenly caressing his genitals. The holographic woman glanced off to the side. "Oh, your stress is going up. I guess I'm being too forward. I'm sorry. Don't worry, we'll have a chance to meet in better conditions later, Andy."

And with that, the holograph vanished. Andrew seethed. He REALLY hated that name. The fluid drained away swiftly, and he was interested to note that he did not feel wet at all. He felt a modicum of control come back to his body. The field around his mouth and nose faded, and a moment later he was lowered to the floor of a brightening room as the air lock on the other side hissed and slid open.

It was not cold, but Andrew was left shivering. Had he just been molested by an exceptionally powerful shipwide AI?! Yes... Yes he had... he beat a hasty retreat from the room before the computer might decide to get more personal.

The other side of the door opened to a hallway that took a sharp left. A sign informed him that he should continue forward to the next door, and wait there until he was admitted for his mental evaluation. He sighed. If it was computerized, likely Sybelle was in charge of it also. This could get messy.

The hall went a short ways then took a right, and he found the door already open. "Please come in, Mr. Foster," said a voice from the room beyond. It was female, but not the computer. Andrew blinked as he realized that he had not been given his clothing back. Then a feline face looked around the door.

"Don't dawdle," this male-voiced Kat said encouragingly. "You're in no danger from us at all. And honestly, how much clothing do you see us wearing? Don't worry."

Andrew blinked and his fascination with Kathari quickly outweighed his personal concerns. He stepped into the room and found himself facing a pair of Kathari, one male and one female. Well, both hermaphrodite still of course, but in their respective phases.

"I still don't like the subnote on this order," the female said quietly to the male.

He glanced sharply at her. "We'll worry about that if we get there." Andrew had a weird feeling about this. The male Kat looked at him. "Andrew Foster. Welcome to the Mental Evaluation. This is a Kathari-based Evaluation, using psionics. At this point, in order to proceed, we need your permission. Let me advise you what you are permitting."

The Kat dropped down to Andrew's level and looked hi squarely in the eye. "By giving permission and going forward with this evaluation, you are authorizing a fully invasive reading of your mind, linked temporarily to the two of us. Everything that you know, everything that you have ever done, and a lot of things that you do not know you know will all be known to the two of us. Your feelings about things, your reactions to inserted concepts, everything about you that even you yourself do not know half of. This is what you would be permitting. With this information, we would make both an objective and a SUBJECTIVE decision on your right to remain aboard this ship. If you decline to give permission, you will be barred from work aboard this ship, and placed in protective custody until you are able to disembark. Do you give permission?"

Andrew swallowed. This sounded serious. What if he had some deep dark secret hidden from his own psyche? What if they laughed at some of his childhood? What if... Hmmm... What WAS it like to be mentally linked to a Kathari? That actually sounded really cool! "You have my permission." Andrew said.

The female immediately relaxed. The male nodded. "As an interesting note, Mr. Foster, we were under orders to read you even if you didn't give permission. They really want you on this ship, and don't want anything avoidable to get in the way." Andrew blinked. That was not expected.

Andrew felt a feather-light touch at the edge of his mind. The female held out her hand to him as she dropped to her lowbelly. "Come here. Sit on my forelegs and put your legs to either side of my lower body."

Andrew was surprised at this, but did as she asked, carefully sitting on the massive legs and spreading his legs to either side of her lowchest. "Scoot close and put your entire front against me. Put your arms around my waist, and turn your head to either side, pressing your cheek against me." Andrew blushed furiously, still fully nude, but he did as he was told. All in all, the feel of fur against his skin was actually very nice. He just hoped it didn't end up arousing him and embarrassing him that way.

He saw movement behind himself from the corner of his eye, and the other Kat suddenly pressed in behind him. The male's forelegs folded over his legs, covering them and pressing them more firmly against the female. The male's entire front pressed against his back, and two large arms dropped down to wrap around his arms and hold them tightly around the female as well. Sandwiched between the two massive bodies, he was entirely comfortable and had almost no part of him not caressed by fur. This was... Ack! Bad thoughts! Down!

"Make yourself comfortable, enjoy what you like," the female said. "This will take a short while." She placed her dinner plate sized hand atop his head. Andrew felt a gathering of energy, kind of like a static charge building up. His whole body felt tingly in response, and then suddenly his mind was not his own.

He felt detached as his mind was grasped by the two immensely powerful and trained minds of the creatures that he was stuck between. There was a sensation of draining to a degree, though it left nothing missing. He fell in nothingness, almost frightened. But he was aware of a soothing vibration surrounding his whole being, and it helped him stay calm. He clung to the Kathari in front of him more tightly, and felt an encouraging squeeze from the male behind him. All in all, this was a hell of a sensation.

After the first reading part, his mind was suddenly inundated with all kinds of concepts. Some were formed into visions automatically by his mind, like dreams flashing by exceptionally fast. Flowers, guns, and fluffy clouds floated by. Murders and singing, exploding bombs and happy picnics, even various races mating, all flowing through his mind as they read his reactions to them.

The concepts started mostly tame, followed by things that scared him and disgusted him. Soon thereafter, things that were entirely questionable based on society flashed by, some intriguing him, others causing him to recoil. The images flashed by faster and faster, and culminated in an image of two Kathari mating in their own quarters, as opposed to the other concepts of Kathari mating during combat to restore energy levels, often with human onlookers and attendants.

Andrew suddenly felt himself released and left alone in his own mind, snapped back to himself. It felt oddly empty for a moment. He was slightly dazed for a short while, but became aware of the Kathari discussing in low tones above him, apparently in their own tongue, since they were definitely not speaking Terran.

Time went by as they discussed, and the Kats shifted slightly on occasion. Andrew could feel the play of powerful muscles beneath the soft coats, and was now much more impressed by these creatures. He relaxed and enjoyed the comfortable warmth as they continued to discuss. At least he stayed relaxed until he realized that he was quite aroused, at which point more than enough blood filled his face and distinct embarrassment caused him to squirm uneasily.

The male released his arms, and got up from behind him. Andrew drew his arms back from around the female and tried to scramble to get up and stop poking her. Her hands caught his shoulders though and she leaned down to look him in the face. "Don't worry," she said with a smile. "Your reaction is not common, but it's not offensive. Kathari greatly appreciate humans who appreciate us. And we're not like the computer." Her velvety tongue ran up his cheek before she released him. Huh... Now that was something the information at home didn't say. They may look like cats, but they didn't have rough tongues.

The male spoke up from behind, "And to answer your unasked question, so you aren't left wondering forever: No, not everybody gets to be part of a sandwich. Only ones whose preliminary evaluation indicates a propensity for accepting it. That kind of full body contact is the most efficient and effective way of performing the reading, but very few humans are comfortable enough to do that." The male helped him up from behind and handed him his clothing.

"Humans like you help to keep us happy with humans," the female chuckled. "It's hard to be a very affectionate and tactile race working with a race that shuns contact unless you can find some good apples in the bunch." She looked past him as she stood up. "What about the...?" she asked the male as Andrew worked to re-clothe himself.

The male shrugged. "It's new to me. Pass the information on only to his keeps, so they can stay aware." Andrew considered asking what they were talking about, but the male's hand touched his shoulder and interrupted his thoughts. "Welcome to the ship, Mr. Foster. Your keeps are waiting outside. Enjoy your stay!"

The female led him out through the high door. Tyrin and Kelia were waiting outside as the only creatures in the room. They were sitting on their haunches, but both stood when he arrived. "He's good to go," the female told them.

"Great. I'll take the results," Tyrin said, holding out his hand. The female grasped his hand behind the wrist and they both stood there for a few seconds, apparently transferring information mentally. Tyrin nodded to her as she released his hand. "We did notice that. No worries." The female nodded and headed back through the door.

Tyrin scooped Andrew up and placed him on Kelia's back. This time he was more ready for it, so didn't flail. Kelia turned around and handed him a very nice-looking wrist com. "This is your official wrist com. You should wear the wrist unit at all times when in public places. You can take the headset off anytime you don't need it. Are you familiar with how these work?"

Andrew smiled and put the headset on. It was a very lightweight and comfortable headset, based entirely around clipping behind one ear. Centuries ago, humans were happy to have "Bluetooth" headsets for cellular phones this small. Now the same space and more comfort carried a micro point power module, holographic projector, and countless other tidbits of technology as well as the basic sound in and out.

"I've never worked with one nearly this nice, but I know how to use them," Andrew answered her, tapping the wrist panel and activating the control holo. He quickly tuned the settings to his liking as the Kats watched, obviously impressed with the speed at which he worked. He felt a slight fuzzing in his mind for a moment that made him pause, but he shrugged it off and finished setting things on the wrist com. He again missed the look that the Kats exchanged over his head.

"Okay, I'm cleared for the ship," Andrew said. "So what's the job?"

"We'll explain more at your quarters," Kelia said as she started walking out the door, Tyrin bringing up the rear.

"Quarters?" Andrew exclaimed. "I hope it's not a big deal for them. I've never failed to finish a job in under a day, so the quarters are likely to be under-used."

"Um, Andrew... Regardless of how quickly you finish the job, you'll still be with us for at least a month or more," Kelia murmured. "We stopped to pick you up en route. We're back on our way now, and entered slip space as soon as you were cleared to stay on the ship a few minutes ago. You'll be on board for the duration of this deployment."

Andrew stared at her back in shock. "Month?" he finally asked. "Wow... Does this have anything to do with the main computer se..." He was cut off by a Tyrin's hand covering his mouth.

"We'll discuss it at your quarters," the Kat said with a glare, then glanced at the people nearby in the hallway who had taken an interest in the odd discourse.

Andrew bit his tongue and sulked for a while after that. The two Kats were silent, aware of his displeasure. But Kelia finally broke the silence at what was probably the perfect instant. "Hey, Ty? How about we take the runway?" Any sooner or later and Andrew likely would have been too deep in his sulk. But his curiosity was piqued immediately, though he tried not to show it.

"We could do that," Tyrin agreed with a smile. "Just be sure to pay attention."

The two Kats changed direction and the Kat to Human ratio in the hallway quickly leaned much further in favor of Kats. Andrew put a hand on Kelia's side, leaning to look around and see a wall at the end of the hall that split it into a T intersection, with nothing but Kathari in the area, many of who were breathing somewhat heavily. Kelia caught his hand and reached back for his other, pulling his arms until he was pressed against her back and wrapping them around her waist.

Andrew was aware of Kats looking at him very curiously as they rounded the bend to the right, and he was also aware of a low rumble of sound that was growing louder quickly as they walked faster. "Hold on tight," Kelia told him, and the hallway suddenly opened up into a massive tubular structure.

Andrew gawked. There were potentially hundreds of Kathari here, all running along the tube. The gravity was obviously maintained around the full circumference of the tube, as there were Kats running on all surfaces, upside down or right side up making no difference. The traffic was separated by direction top and bottom, but the overall effect was somewhat intimidating. Pounding paws were making the rumbling, and Tyrin was peering around the side of the entrance ramp.

"A shift just let off. Be sure to keep a tight hold, Andrew!" And with that, the Kat bolted, merging almost instantly with the flow of other furred felines.

Andrew tightened his grip as he felt Kelia tense beneath him, and sure enough she took off as well. There was a moment of vertigo as she climbed up the side of the tube and caught up with Tyrin, and then the ride smoothed out substantially.

Andrew had ridden horses before, and a walking Kathari was nothing like it. But a running Kathari was even further removed from similarity. He could feel massive muscles pulling and loosing beneath his thighs, and his body was rocked only slightly as the feline ran at pretty substantial speed through the tube. He relaxed his grip enough to look around and found that he was the center of the attention of several curious Kats.

"He doesn't look used to this," a female-phase Kat observed. "Taking your friend on his first runway trip?"

"He's new to the ship too," Tyrin answered her. "Picked him up at Terra and he just finished intake. He's very Kat friendly."

This statement obviously impressed the entire group of Kats surrounding them. "Heck of a way to start his shipboard life!" the female laughed. She pulled closer and smiled to Andrew, "I hope you enjoy this, Friend of Kats." And then she pulled away and shot off down a diverging tube in another direction.

Andrew spent the whole trip completely sulk-free, amazed at the sheer mass of felines involved in this method of transportation. On the entire trip, he saw no other humans at all, and realized that what he was doing must be really rare. The reaction of Kats who ran alongside reinforced this idea. He wasn't sure of the speed, so he wasn't sure how far they got before they slowed and came to a quick walk at an exit hallway.

"You'll be stuck using human transport systems when you're not with us," Kelia teased, panting softly. Both Kats caught their breath quickly in the hallway leading away from the runway tube, and soon the hallway opened into yet another amazing area.

It was obviously indoors in the ship, and the whole area was blocked out in even patterns, but the whole space opened up higher that Andrew could see above him. Decently wide pedestrian streets went between apparent buildings, similar to an indoor mall back centuries ago. Multiple levels had bridges crossing the open streets, and from the looks of signs and indicators, this was almost like a commercial district. Stores advertised items on signs and in storefronts, delicious smells came from restaurants catering to all types of tastes, and Kathari and humans mingled and chatted with friends.

"We may be on what could be the most amazing military vessel in the known universe, but we Kathari insisted on proper amenities, and got them." Tyrin explained with a smile. "Environment is very important to the proper operation of the ship's crew, and the ship's crew is important to the operation of the ship."

"One thing I will apologize for is the fact that we are completely filled on civilian human quarters. And I doubt you would like the military quarters. So you have been placed in a Kathari district," Kelia informed him. They walked down a side street and up two ramps to the third level before entering a building hallway. Down to a cross-hallway, a cheery greeting from a Kat who passed going the other way, two doors further on the right, and they stopped at a door labeled 17-3824. The door was a dual-door, with a Kathari-sized entrance as well as an inset door for humans.

"By ship policy, the two of us as your keeps will have unrestricted access to your quarters for your first month here, in case of emergencies," Kelia told him. "And of course you will have standard owner access, so you can define access for other people if you desire. Access is doubly-restricted by the physical door as well as a sig screen." She touched the higher plate beside the large door and it slid aside, leaving only a faint sheen of energy in the way. Andrew recognized the energy as a high security thing. If you weren't allowed in, you couldn't get past that even if the door was open.

Both Kats stepped inside, human still perched atop Kelia, and Andrew looked around as lighting came on in the room. The place was huge! And quite posh to boot. The carpeting on the floor looked quite thick. The furniture was obviously meant to accommodate Kathari, but there were human accouterments spread around also. And it all looked horrendously comfortable.

The whole suite was one big block area, but holographic walls were able to obstruct the view of certain areas at need. Andrew wasn't sure what to make of the Kathari sanitary facilities, but was glad to see that a standard human toilet was also present. The Kathari demonstrated to him how the kitchen floor could be raised with a control switch, since some humans liked to cook for their Kathari friends. That and the fact that the Kathari quarters were meant to double as overflow human quarters if necessary.

The Kathari sleeping arrangement was a huge padded bowl set partially into the floor and also filled with a multitude of pillows. Even with their size, Andrew guessed that at least six or seven could fit comfortably into the place. There was a loft for entertainment area, and the ceiling was very high. Obviously the second floor below this one was the upper region of the quarters below, and the next set of quarters above would start on the fifth floor.

Tyrin lifted Andrew off Kelia's back and set him down. The carpet was indeed very plush. The two Kathari took places on lounges that resembled what Andrew had seen in the shuttle. Now they made more sense. A lower section to rest the lower body on, and the curve up at the end to lounge the upper body on.

"Okay, now we can tell you more about what's going on," Tyrin said.

"Ty?" Kelia murmured, and she reached over to touch his hand. They looked at each other silently, passing information telepathically, and finally Tyrin nodded.

"Okay, Kelia just suggested that we do this the easier way for you," Tyrin looked at Andrew. "Completely avoid confusion, take a lot less time, and simply transfer the knowledge to you directly. Are you ready to become an expert on ship life, Andrew?"

Andrew considered. He swore he could remember reading something about how Kathari had never successfully managed to do knowledge transfers to humans, because the human mind just didn't accept it properly. Maybe that had changed. "I suppose so, if it's the best way."

Kelia smiled and got off the lounge, dropping to rest on her lowbelly on the floor. "Take your shirt off and come sit on my forepaws with your back to me," she said. Andrew found the request odd, but he did as he was told, shucking his shirt and taking a seat on her forelegs.

"You need to be relaxed to be receptive," she explained, and her hands landed on his shoulders lightly. Big hands they might be, but Kathari had the art of massage down to its most profane level. Andrew found himself about to figuratively melt in very short order. Fingertips were used most, with occasional thrilling use of claw tips against his bare skin.

Without him being completely aware of doing so, he was soon urged to lay on his belly on the furred forelegs, his legs spread to her sides. He found his hand clenching in delight at the toes of forepaws that made serving plates look small as his shoulders, back, and even his legs were worked over by the Kathari. He was so utterly pleased and relaxed that had they asked him to take his pants off, he likely would have done so without questioning.

Her hands worked up his back, and along his neck now, then she began to massage his temples. His pleasure-hazed brain took curious note of a tingle like static as she began to draw power, and then suddenly her mind was touching his. His whole body went rigid in response, but not too badly after the massage. And it wasn't rigid due to any negative reaction either. He felt knowledge flowing into his mind. Details of the ship, his job on it, and other information. He could find his way unerringly now, he was sure of that.

A shudder ran through him, heralding another side effect of the transfer. Then it was over, and her mind withdrew, leaving him with a full pool of new knowledge. "What...?" Andrew mumbled against her forepaw.

"You already knew that Kathari get psionic energy from positive personal energy and emotion," Kelia explained, rubbing his back. "Transferring knowledge to you took a carrier of psionic energy, so it gave you positive personal energy there with the transfer. It's an unavoidable side effect, but hopefully not too bad for you."

"No... it's fine... I think I'd purr if I was a Kat..." Andrew murmured as he rolled off her forepaws. "I feel really tired now though." He yawned.

Tyrin nodded sagely. "For you, that was a lot of work. And you won't be able to use the information you just got until you sleep and sort it all in your mind." Andrew felt himself being scooped up by Kelia and set into his bed as he was drifting off to sleep very rapidly.

"Sleep well, Andrew," she murmured kindly. "We'll be back in the morning. Call us if you need us." Both Kathari got up and padded silently from his quarters, leaving the man to sleep.

As Andrew nodded off, he halfheartedly had an idea to get up and take a shower, but he was just too tired. He'd have to deal with the mess in the morning. Odd that he wasn't too freaked out at the side effect of the transfer being making him cum in his pants. Maybe he was just too relaxed and happy to worry abo... Zzzzzzzzz...

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