Melorania and Kerloran soon shooed the four humans away so the party could begin. The four wandered into a secluded corner, found an unused couch, and huddled together to try to figure out what they had just gotten themselves into.
Kibi started to move in that direction, but Ilika grabbed her hand. “I think they need some time without us. This will be their mission, and you and I don’t have a part to play, as far as I can see. If I’m wrong, someone will let us know.”
Kibi was torn, but eventually nodded. A lively song began, and her feet started moving almost by themselves, so she grinned and pulled Ilika toward the dance floor.
“I am so sorry . . .” Mati began.
Rini gave her the sternest look he could muster. “Didn’t you hear what they said? They are glad it happened. It gave them some . . . you know . . .
volunteers . . . for something nobody else wanted to do.”
“Yeah, but you and Boro will have to fight off a bunch of horny reptiles, with scales and claws, trying to get into Sata’s and my pants! Except . . .” she continued thoughtfully, “we won’t have pants . . .”
Boro laughed. “But we will have scales and claws, too!”
Sata nodded and smiled, and got the impression that Boro was looking forward to the experience.
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 166
By morning, they had the schedule.
For the next Satamia day, the four volunteers would be in meetings, briefings, classes, and training sessions almost constantly. They looked for times they could eat and sleep, and found only breaks for snacks or short naps.
Ilika and Kibi were only invited to the first meeting.
A large white feline leapt onto a table at the front of the conference room.
“I am Silmula Sorafax. Although this is not something we do often, I have as much experience in these matters as any mortal in Satamia. I have been placed in charge of this mission, although you must understand that I will remain on the outside, and not join you for the Great Transformation.”
Mati had heard that term somewhere before, just recently, but couldn’t remember where.
“As you may guess from your schedules, the four of you are off-duty concerning your ship, and all other training and activities, until this mission is completed. Please note that, captain.”
Ilika
nodded.
Boro raised his hand. “We have the . . . pre-mission schedule . . . but we were wondering how long the . . . um . . . transformation will last.”
The big cat was silent for a moment and seemed to almost smile. “As I understand it, a year would do you good.”
The four fellow crew members in the front row, currently off-duty,
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 167
swallowed hard.
“But since there is some urgency in figuring out where we can resettle those beautiful reptiles, and since good response-ship crews don’t grow on trees, I’m thinking that about twenty days might do the trick.”
Sata could almost see Boro doing the math in his head, then realizing, with wide eyes, how long twenty Satamia days would be.
“But the length will also depend on you four. This is not a vacation. You will be in there for a purpose, and to atone for what, as Melorania said, could easily be considered a crime.”
Mati nodded, and mentally heard Rini’s assurance that they would be together, no matter what.
After several hours of basic information, Ilika, Kibi, and a few others departed. The meal break was so short, it was served from a cart by a large furry ape whose nimble hands quickly assembled trays for each species.
The hundred or more students in the back of the room gathered into groups where they were comfortable, introduced themselves to each other, and chatted about the fascinating adventure they were witnessing.
Silmula Sorafax and about a dozen other advisors and teachers took a large table and talked as they ate. Even though the group included four reptiles, they could offer little insight into the situation that the large cat did not already know. Avians, ursines, a four-legged equine, and two humans completed the team.
Boro glanced at the two monkey mammals. “I wonder why we’ve never met them before.”
Sata, holding his hand, shrugged. “Maybe they came in one of those ships that brought students. Come on, I have . . . something I want to say.”
They grabbed a tray, saw that Mati and Rini were already huddled together, and picked a small table in a corner.
As soon as they sat down, Sata scooted her chair close to Boro, put her arms around his neck, and began the deepest, longest kiss he had ever received.
“Wow . . .” he began when she finally, reluctantly, let a little space come between them. “I guess I did . . . something right,” he went on with a shy
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 168
smile.
She grinned at him with smoldering eyes. “You certainly did! And I’ve been aching to get some time alone with you to tell you. I’d like to do more than tell you . . .”
Boro looked embarrassed. “Um . . . we’ve got less than a quarter hour, AND we have to inhale this food.”
“It’s very simple,” she continued. “When you stepped up and agreed to go in there with me, I knew I was going to be yours, and only yours, whether we’re reptiles, monkey mammals, or anything else . . .”
It seemed to Mati that a thousand different people had a million thoughts about the homeless reptiles, and she and her friends were going to have to sit through every minute of it.
Luckily, Silmula Sorafax was very skilled at breaking up the presentations, leaving time for questions, demonstrations, toilet breaks, snacks, and even little games and dances.
Even so, after about six hours, Mati was asleep on a couch, with Boro not far behind on another couch. The large white cat seemed to have anticipated this, and lessons and discussions continued as long as any two of the four humans were awake.
Rini awoke from a short nap to find Mati munching on fruit slices and nuts. She formed thoughts while chewing. Hi. I saved you some.
The slender boy sat up and yawned. Did the equine ever quit talking about safety protocols? His deep voice put me right to sleep.
Mati smiled. Yeah. He became embarrassed when Boro and Sata both joined you in dreamland. But then Sata woke up, so we listened to a bird who’s learned a bit of the reptiles’ language.
It’s weird that none of the Nebador reptiles can speak it, Rini shared while eating.
They say it’s mostly genetic. The homeless reptiles are born speaking it, and it’s not like anything they’ve ever heard.
I was awake then. Did you hear that spider saying it’s almost like some insect languages?
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 169
No, I missed that, Mati admitted. I wonder how reptiles got an insect language . . .
Maybe we’ll find out.
After a long pause, Mati formed a new thought. No matter what stupid things I do, you’ll always be with me, won’t you?
Rini popped a few nuts into his mouth. That’s right. But . . . I’ll be with you when you do smart things, too!
Silmula Sorafax leapt onto a table and cleared her throat. “We’re going to take some questions and comments from the students from other star systems
. . .”
Ilika and Kibi walked through the boarding tunnel hand in hand, then strolled around the Manessa Kwi, half-heartedly making sure everything was stocked and ready.
“I always like time alone with you,” Ilika began as they descended in the lift, “but this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
Kibi laughed nervously. “Do you think . . . they’ll be okay?”
Ilika thought about her question as they entered the utility room. He touched a symbol and an access panel opened. “They have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into, and all the briefing and training can hardly begin to prepare them for the experience of living in another creature’s skin.”
Kibi took a deep breath as she watched Ilika begin a diagnostic. “I gathered as much, since no one else is volunteering to go in their place, or even with them.”
“Yeah,” Ilika confirmed, closing the panel. “I’ve only done it with another mammal, of similar intelligence, and I’m not looking forward to the next time.”
“What
kind?”
“Equine. Beautiful creatures, but they live with more than their share of fear. Fear, as I’m sure you know by now, is the enemy of intelligence and wisdom. Horses have worked hard, on many different planets, to overcome that handicap.”
Kibi nodded and opened her water filter cabinet. “So . . . the greater the difference in the creatures, the harder it is to live in their skin?”
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 170
“I’m not sure ‘harder’ is the right word. I’d say more like ‘shocking.’”
“Oh,” Kibi responded without voice. She finished looking over the supplies, and closed the cabinet. “So there’s . . . real danger?”
Ilika’s laugh was full of tension. “Oh, yeah! In addition to the claws and all that, there’s the very real possibility of forgetting who you were, or just not wanting to come back. You have to choose to end the mission. Equine fear makes that very hard. There are things going on in this situation that will also make it a supreme decision for our friends.”
Kibi swallowed, then took a deep breath to clear her head. “We won’t be getting any missions while it’s just you and me, will we?”
Before Ilika could answer, both their bracelets chimed.
Deep Learning Notes
What aspects of the situation would cause there to be no volunteers for what Mati and Sata had to do?
Where had Mati heard the term “Great Transformation”?
What is your opinion of Silmula Sorafax as a leader?
When living as another creature, what could make a person not want to end the mission and return to their previous form?
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 171
