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As the crowd walks up the crew ramp of the Infinite Horizon they are met by a middle aged equine who is wearing different clan colors. He matches paces with Zuhumi who is a half a head shorter. He says, "Welcome to the Infinite Horizon, Zuhumi. I'm Hrothrop of the Crab Nebula clan. I and my clan were responsible for coordinating this venture." He gestures up at a row of clan flags arrayed across the walls of the room they walk into.

Hrothrop continues, "It took the work of seven clans to build this ship and that is why we're including all seven clans in the compliment of crew."

Zuhumi stops to look around the common room before turning to look up at the master shipwright and says, "It is going to take me some time to get used to the idea that I have a crew I rarely had passengers on my old ship."

Hrothrop laughs and pats Zuhumi on the shoulder. "That is how we all start out in the clans. I'm sure you will do fine."

"Besides," Hrothrop says, "you will have a lot of good people to help you out."

The room fills with the former occupants of Zuhumi's ship.

Hrothrop continues, "I understand that your first goal, mission if you will, is to help these fine tigers, find and reclaim their home world. After that, what you decide to do with this ship will mainly be up to you and your crew. With the occasional request from the Council of Clans, I am sure." He chuckles.

Zuhumi smiles, wryly. Everyone knew that the Council of Clans never made requests. He bows his head, "Even as a simple trader the goal has always been to benefit the clans as much as myself."

Hrothrop chuckles softly, "Then, the clans have a lot of catching up to do to restore the balance."

A young equine steps up, standing a step behind the elder ship write. Hrothrop reaches back without looking and gently tugs her forward.

Hrothrop smiles as he looks down and then back to Zuhumi, "This is Kalina, my daughter and top of her class at the engineering academy."

Kalina ducks her head and blushes slightly.

Hrothrop hugs her gently and leans over to more quietly confide to Zuhumi, "I wanted her to take up music, or playwriting, but no, all she wanted to do was play with daddy's tools." He mock-sighs.

Kalina giggles and pokes her father in the ribs. She looks up at Zuhumi, still blushing a little but says with confidence, "There is nothing more beautiful musical then a well-tuned engine."

Hrothrop laughs, "Her mother was the same way. Some clan stereotypes are facts rephrased."

Kalina slips into another room quickly. Hrothrop looks after her and shakes his head, chuckling softly.

"She'll be off looking for something to fix, even if nothing is broken," he says.

Zuhumi nods and grins, "I know the type."

Itico and Randa approach Zuhumi and Hrothrop.

Itico asks, "Where are we going to be staying?"

"Oh," Hrothrop grins, "you will need to talk to Azukar. They're in charge of cabin assignments."

Itico looks up at Hrothrop in mild confusion, "Cabin?"

Hrothrop laughs softly, "Sorry. I forgot that not everyone uses our jargon. People get their own place, home away from home, when we can afford the space. Some people prefer to keep together and we can give them a shared cabin, or suite. Let's see what Azukar has come up with for you and your kin." He taps a communication device on his belt and quietly speaks into his headset.

After a moment a bulky equine rushes in and has to come to a hasty stop by grabbing onto a hatch frame before he barrels into the large Friesian in his way. "Excuse me," Azukar says, carefully squeezes passed and approaches the group around Zuhumi.

"Sorry, sorry," Azukar apologizes, looking a little wild-eyed and a little frazzled with wild black hair splashing around its head, neck and legs as it comes to an abrupt stop. "No one told me that some of our guests were, ummm, quadrupedal. That makes things different, more complex, we need to rearrange sanitation facilities, sleeping quarters, common spaces, gym..."

Hrothrop lifts a hand and smiles at the larger equine. "Just get our guests onboard and into the common room. You'll have time to figure out the rest. Right now, everyone knows where the station facilities are."

Azukar, sighs, nods and looks over at Itico and Randa. "Umm, pardon, can you understand me?"

Itico snorts but Randa stands on her four paws, looks back at the other tigers and calls them to stand in line behind her. To Azukar she says, "Lead the way."

Azukar lets out a short laugh and turns.

Hrothrop says, "Don't forget our lizard guests."

Zuhumi's sister Ealika steps up, "I have them. We're going to the garden common room. I'm going to show them the bugs we have there," she explains as she pulls the dozen smaller lizard people along behind her on a sled.

Azukar turns, shakes out its mane and then leads Randa and the other tigers out of the room.

Itico stays with Zuhumi, Hrothrop and the growing number of the ship's crew as they come aboard.

Hrothrop turns to Zuhumi and places a hand on Zuhumi's shoulder. "No matter what happens," Hrothrop says, "come back alive and make sure you bring Kalina with you. Even if you lose the ship. You two must come back and tell me what went wrong." He gently pokes Zuhumi in the chest with the same hand that had been on his shoulder. "If I find out it was something you did wrong to blow up the ship, I will not let you have another one of mine."

Zuhumi chuckles, "I have no interest in losing anything or anyone."

"Good, good," Hrothrop says, "I hope that the universe helps you keep that lofty goal." He grins and continues, "In a way I wish I was going with you, but honestly, Kalina is a better all-around engineer than I am and I'd just worry too much about my new ship. I get to stay here and worry about the new ship and my daughter." He grins wryly.

"We will take care of both of them," Zuhumi says.

Hrothrop nods, "I hope so." He turns to leave then returns and asks, "You got your command card?"

Zuhumi shows it to Hrothrop who nods.

"After you officially take control," Hrothrop says, "lock it in the safe in your quarters." He then exits the ship.

Zuhumi takes a deep breath and turns to his mother. "Well," he asks, "who am I replacing than?"

Ishta replies, "Me, of course."

Itico follows as the crew head to the ship's control room. This single room is larger than the cargo bay of Zuhumi's old ship.

The control room is circular with seven stations around the perimeter. There are a few seats for guests near the rear of the room and a station in the center for the commander. Large virtual windows circle the room allowing a panoramic view around the ship as if the crew were atop the large vessel. The pilot's station had several other screens that showed views around and underneath the vessel, whatever the pilot needed to see. Since the ship was still sitting inside the hanger, all the screens were filled with the myriad of ships that surrounded them. Infinit Horizon loomed over many of them.

Ishta waves to several already in the room as she enters. None of the crew stand, but several nod or wave as they continue their assigned tasks. Ishta steps into the commander station space and places her hand on the console. She touches a button on the command screen and announces to the ship through the intercom. "I am Ishta of the Nova Clan and I am formally transferring command of the Infinite Horizon to Zuhumi, also of the Nova Clan." She releases the intercom and moves to another part of the console that is off to one side. She pulls her own command card from one of her many pockets, opens a cover and inserts the card. She types a sequence of commands into the nearby console and then pulls the card out. She gestures to Zuhumi to insert his own command card.

"Now," Ishta instructed, "type this." She shows him a sequence of commands.

Zuhumi types and when prompted says a sequence of words into the microphone that is built into the command console.

After a moment, a tone sounds all through the ship.

The crew in the control room applauds.

Ishta smiles, embraces her son and says, "By the stars I hope you are able to finish what you started." She kisses him atop the head and then makes her way out of the control room and off the ship.

The pilot unlocks her seat to rotate away from the pilots station. She stands and towers over Zuhumi. She bows her head respectfully, white hair and mane pouring over her head and shoulders. She looks back up and says, "Pilot Grade 1, Trumbal. It's an honor to work with you, Zuhumi."

Zuhumi looks up at the towering white haired pilot. He grins, "I am surprised that you signed on for something like this. It could be deadly boring."

Trumbal laughs softly, "Then again, it might not be."

Zuhumi grins and asks, "Are your husbands coming along?"

Trumbal shakes her head before combing her hair back into place. "No," she replies, "they're all still gainfully employed where they are and don't want to unbalance the engines. So, you only have to put up with me, for now."

Zuhumi bows his head, "You are the first of my mother's students that I have had the honor of meeting."

Trumbal snorts, "I will do my best to fly like a normal person, not like how she taught us."

Zuhumi laughs. "Thank you, Trumbal," he says.

"It is customary for a new commander to give a speech," Trumbal informs Zuhumi.

Zuhumi ducks his head, and blushes a little. "I'm sure that will not be the first thing that my mother neglected to tell me about."

Trumbal laughs and retakes her seat.

Zuhumi looks around and asks the room in general, "Who do I talk to about crew?"

Ealika steps up, she's only a slight bit shorter but her hair is significantly darker than her brother's. She smiles, "Azukar is busy getting everyone settled, so you have to deal with me."

Zuhumi chuckles, "Fine. Just wanted to know if all crew was onboard."

Ealika steps back to her own console and scans one of her displays. She turns back to Zuhumi and says, "There are five people still off the ship, helping to finish loading supplies. They're nearly done. Looks like no more than five minutes."

Zuhumi sits in the commander's chair, sighing. "At least I get some time to think." He chuckles.

"Enjoy it when you can," says Itico.

As the crew return to system checks and whatever else they need to do before relaunching back into space, Itico sits in the rear of the room watching the activity with interest.

After a few moments, Randa pads quietly in since the door to the control room has been left open. She sits next to Itico and noses his shoulder. "Everyone is settled in," she says without using the broadcasting translator. "There are a lot of rooms on this ship, so a lot of variety. Most of us are staying together in what I'm told is called a bunk room. They're taking out the standard sanitation facilities and putting in some that might fit us better. You and I can have our own rooms if we want, or choose to stay with the others. Or, the rooms are there if we decide to use them."

Itico acknowledges and noses Randa back gently, and huffs softly.

"Since we don't know how long we will be on this ship," Randa says, "and we are the only two who are mature, I figured that we might as well use the rooms, in case we have adult issues."

Itico ducks his head briefly like the nod of the bipeds around them. "It's a good idea," he agrees.

Ealika looks up from her console and signals Zuhumi, "Commander, everyone is onboard and provisioning has been completed."

Zuhumi sighs, nods and thanks Ealika. He stands to face the front of the control room. He then looks down at the console, and asks, "Video, or just audio?"

Ealika moves to show Zuhumi the different controls and steps back before Zuhumi touches anything.

Zuhumi gathers himself, clears his throat, and looks around at the now silent room. He toggles on the video intercom and begins to speak.

"Not long ago," Zuhumi says as he looks forward at the virtual window directly in front of him, "I was deep in space gathering forgotten resources to sell to the highest bidder. The same job that many of you have done before. That solitary life was interrupted by an event that no space faring species ever wants to see, and a scavenger dreads, the total inhalation of an operational spacecraft. This incident started a chain of events which has changed my life and the lives of many in our collective clans. Not only have we broken off all contact with a lucrative buyer and discovered technologies which are far beyond what we currently possess but we have made new allies."

Zuhumi looks back to Itico and Randa sitting near the door. He sees Ealika with a handheld recorder aiming it towards the two guests as though they had planned this.

"I promised these two," Zuhumi turns to face front again, "that I would help them find their way home. Many of you may already know this. What you may not know is that their home world was taken over by our former trading partner."

He pauses for a moment before continuing. "The owner of the ship that exploded was the same person who invaded their homeward and killed or enslaved their kin. The death of this man puts the corporation in disarray. I had known this individual for a while now and I knew him well enough to believe that he did not put a transition plan in place and it may take them some time to decide what they are going to do. They have two main choices. They can either choose new leadership or dissolve the corporation. Either option takes time. In the meantime, the employees of the corporation may be unpredictable without clear instruction from the top. I am hoping that we can take advantage of this and hopefully remove them from our friend's home world without trouble. However, I can not guarantee that things will go smoothly." He pauses again to take a deeper breath and push hair away from his ears.

"Space," he continues, "is a dangerous place even when you are not dealing with dangerous people. You were all hired aboard this ship because you are good at your jobs and you don't mind a little adventure. I just want everyone to know that there might be more risk than might have been mentioned at first. I want everyone to have the opportunity to step back off this ship if they aren't willing to take on this additional risk." He pauses to look at Ealika.

Zuhumi resumes, "I will give anyone who wants to leave ten minutes before we launch."

Ealika gestures and mutes Zuhumi's microphone. "All crew is reporting that they are not leaving." She then unmutes the microphone.

Zuhumi bows his head before speaking again. "I thank you all for your confidence in me," he says, "or this mission. I hope that I can live up to the reputation I have built for myself in such a short time and eventually deserve this confidence. In closing, I would hope that even though we come from seven clans, we can work together as if we were a family. While I was born Zuhumi to the Nova Clan, while I am here I am Zuhumi of the Infinite Horizon. Yes, I know how that sounds but I hope that we can all live it down eventually." Zuhumi looks at the crew in the room with him. He asks each one in turn, "Are we ready?"

Ealika aims her camera at each one in turn as they confirm the ship's readiness.

Zuhumi looks forward again, "All passengers and crew, Infinite Horizon will get underway as soon as we receive traffic clearance. Thank you everyone. Please get ready for imminent launch. Zuhumi out." He forcibly stabs at the touch sensitive button to close the intercom and flops into his newchair.

The crew in the control room quickly stands and applauds for a short moment before getting back to work.

The Infinite Horizon had been allowed priority clearance and soon was rising through the skin of the gigantic clan ship. As soon as it was sitting on the outside, the magnetic clamps were released and Infinite Horizon was in free drift after it retracted the landing struts.

Trumbal announces, "Ship is clear of moorings."

Zuhumi replies, "You don't need me to tell you to do your job, Trumbal."

Trumbal grins as she nudges the controls. "Taking us up and away."

"Navigation?" asks Zuhumi.

"Gate marked, pilot has the coordinates," replies Anailea, the lead navigator. "Time to first jump gate is one hour and fifty-eight minutes."

Zuhumi nods, stands, "I had better check on the rest of the ship. You all have everything up here under control, you don't need me hanging around and bothering you."

A few of the crew chuckle.

Ealika points to the commander's console and points out, "You forgot something"

Zuhumi turns and thanks Ealika as he steps back and extracts the command card from the slot and flips the cover over the slot again. "First place I am apparently going is my cabin." Zuhumi leaves, beaconing Itico and Randa to follow him.

The rooms near the control room are strictly functional and empty now. There's an office for the commander, an shift crew conference room, a small break room with a galley and a few more that Zuhumi did not recognize. At the end of the hall was the commander's personal suite.

As the three enter, there is a quiet click from a far corner. Zuhumi just catches the sight of a fleeing equine tail as it vanishes into another passageway. Zuhumi blushes and quickly walks over to snatch up a ribbon that had been placed on a nearby table.

Randa looks up at Zuhumi, tilting her head a little as she asks, "You and Kalina?"

Zuhumi blushes more deeply but he shakes his head. "No," he says as he sheepishly pulls the ribbon from his pocket. He looks up at Itico and asks, "Could you smack the close button there that's right behind you?"

Itico turns and hops up on his hind feet for a moment so he could slap the door control.

The door slips shut almost silently.

"Are you sure it was her?" Zuhumi asks Randa.

"It is her, no doubt," Randa says.

Zuhumi lifts the ribbon up and shows it to Randa, "We are not together, but she obviously wants us to be."

Zuhumi moves to the commander's safe. He places the command card inside and sets his own lock before closing the small but dense door.

Randa sits on her haunches, looking up at Zuhumi. "She wants you, bad."

Zuhumi blushes more and shakes his head in more disbelief than denial. "Why would she? She's the daughter of the most famous ship builder in our known galaxy. She could just about have anyone she wants."

Itico chuckles softly, "That's not how any of this works."

Zuhumi drops the ribbon on the table where he grabbed it from, looking equal parts worried, happy and aroused. He looks at Randa, "You knew, already. Before we caught her leaving this room."

Randa nods.

"How?" he asks.

"I could smell her the moment she entered the room with us when we were talking to her father," Randa explains.

"Oh," Zuhumi ponders. "Women wear inhibitors to help causing problems when dealing with men when the women are in a," he pauses and ducks his head, "more receptive state."

Randa nods, "It may be good enough for you, but any of our kind could find her anywhere on this ship with our eyes closed."

Zuhumi sighs and slumps back in his chair.

Itico stands and pads quietly across the floor. He walks up to the door that Kalina had fled through and uses a forepaw to push it open gently.

There's a squeak from behind the wall.

Itico says gently, "You may as well come out, Kalina."

Kalina shyly enters, following the large tiger. She blushes furiously, having been caught. "I'm sorry," she stammers.

Zuhumi asks, "For what?"

Kalina ducks her head, "Listening in."

Zuhumi says, "The way you flew out the door I wouldn't have been surprised to see you running all the way back to the clan council ship."

Kalina giggles softly and looks at Randa. "I knew I was caught," she says.

Randa says, "You had nearly made it. If I had known what you had been planning, I would have found a way to stall him for an extra second or two."

Kalina giggles and hides behind her hands, "It wasn't exactly planned."

Randa leans over and noses the young lady, "I understand."

Zuhumi sits back in his chair, looking more than a little shell shocked. "Well, at least I now know that this cabin has an escape hatch."

"Three, actually," Kalina says.

Itico looks up at the young equine male and asks, "Is there a problem?"

Zuhumi laughs, "No, no, not really. I admit though, I am stunned."

Kalina looks taken a bit by surprise herself, "What?" She shakes her head.

"I've been following you since early term when you did that brilliant neutrino piping demonstration. Zuhumi of Nova Clan, youngest person to reach master in orbital maneuvers, youngest of any clan to earn solo trading rights, youngest of any clan to top the profit charts three cycles in a row, youngest to discover not one but, what, three intelligent species, and discover some really outrageous technology and then earn the right to command a multi-clan vessel but also be elected to the Council of Clans?" She stands, arms crossed, shyness lost as she glares down at Zuhumi. "There's probably ten-thousand girls, and probably half as many boys, wishing they were standing here on this ship right now with you." She stops for a moment to take a calming breath. She sits down on a nearby chair and picks up a large pillow which she clasps to her chest in a crushing embrace and continues, "You do all that, so easily, so effortlessly and you're not even being the slightest haughty about it." She starts to tear up and admits, "I've been so attracted to you since before I knew what hormones were." She breaks down and cries into the pillow.

Itico and Randa exchange an understanding looks and quietly leave the room. Itico makes sure to close the door on their way out.