Escaping My Shadows

A Gathering of Friends

"Captain Katsumi? Captain Katsumi?"

A pleasant voice intrudes upon Captain Katsumi's dreams. Instead of being surrounded by images of his ancestral Japanese homeland, which he has never actually visited, he now finds himself in a brightly lit white room that is empty. Empty except for him and a figure of someone he can't quite make out.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"Good day, Tsutsui. I am Kyrilles. It is time for you to wake up. We are approaching the K'tan system."

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Kyrilles."

"Of course. I hope you had a restful journey."

"Oh yes, you are an excellent host."

"Oh, well thank you."

Captain Katsumi slowly opens his eyes. He lies on his side in the strangest bed he has ever slept in. When Dave Walker brought him into the small cabin it consisted solely of four walls with no door. While he stood there, something began to form along one wall. That something quickly became a bed that was the perfect size for him. A thin, folded sheet appeared at the foot of the bed. A cushiony-looking pillow appeared at the other end. Along another wall appeared a small dresser and a reclining chair.

"Hopefully this will do," Dave said.

The captain could barely talk, he was so amazed at what he had seen so far. He did a quick bow toward Dave. "This will be more than adequate."

"I'll let you get settled in. If you wish to read something or watch a video just ask. I obtained a treasure trove of very old movies and book files from a few hundred years ago that I've been watching and reading. Right now I'm in the middle of Lieutenant Hornblower, by C.S. Forester. I'm sure you can find almost anything that you'll like. Anyway, it will be a few days before we reach the K'tan system."

As Dave walked out of the small cabin a door appeared in the opening. Tsutsui walked to the door and reached toward the doorknob. He wasn't sure what to expect when he tried to turn it, but the knob turned easily and the door quietly opened. He smiled when he saw a small name plate on the other side with his full name and rank.

Tsutsui sits up and then stands. He does some quick stretching then makes the bed. After dressing he prepares himself for what he hopes is a momentous meeting between Dave and his long-lost friends.

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"Did you see that?" Albech asks via the low power shadow communication link.

"Yes, a jump vortex opened outside of the system," Domash responds.

Both of them have been watching their sensors closely for the several weeks they have been hiding in or about the almost broken Planet One. They have been very careful not to allow any ships to follow them to this system. With the Chitoxan war over they know any presence of a shadow vessel will cause a great deal of alarm. That's why they have been very careful when going out in search of supplies for them and their ships. They can't afford for their hideout to be discovered. Though their ships are well shielded against radiation, the left-over radiation from the reactor core overload discourages exploration by humans and others.

"Who do you think it is?" Albech asks.

"Don't know. Myrzax can't pick up anything yet, it's too far out. Its sensors showed that the vortex was open only a short time, so it must be just one ship. But why here? There's not much here of worth and radiation levels are still too high for any civilian salvage."

"Well, we'll have to be careful. We can always move further in if we have to."

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