Exploring the Stars

Chapter 12 - What's In Store?

(There are italicized words in this chapter that are foreign. Knowing their meaning isn't needed, but it helps know the characters using them a bit more. The final chapter of this book is a listing of these words with their meanings.)

It was three weeks later, when a petite woman with long blonde hair was walking around the Udyamita, inspecting it closely. As she walked, a tall man with close-cut dark hair walked up to her. When she saw him, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him before they kissed.

"Emeka, it has been a very fun few weeks, hasn't it?"

"Da, Ksenia, my dear kapitan. And how did you feel being responsible for ensuring our Udyamita was refit properly?"

Ksenia said, "I still can't believe it. Dannay made me Kapitan so she can focus on xeno. Why not our Hari, though?"

Emeka laughed. "Sweetie, you know he didn't want the responsibility. He's been everything from a deck-hand to captain, and he likes it fine being the first officer."

"But the Foundation ..."

"The Foundation will do what Dannay tells them to do, now that you are proven yourself so perfectly as a captain. She has wanted to 'retire' to her true passion, xenobio, for years, but never found someone who she trusted completely to run the ship. Finally, you are that person."

As they talked, several others were arriving a few paces away, not close enough to intrude, but Ksenia knew who they were. She also saw Dannay, Hari, and Gamal coming down the walk, as they said they would. "Tak, Emeka, I supposed I need to get this moving. We are still on for the family game night, right?"

"As if you could keep us out of it, sweetie. We'll be meeting in our family suite so the lower deck doesn't overhear much of our antics."

Remembering her own antics the night they all became a family caused a flush to come to Ksenia's cheeks. "Thank you, moi mily celovek, for making me remember our antics right before I will welcome the new crew!"

He kissed her forehead and said, "Don't mention it, sweetie. We'll see you on the bridge shortly!" He then walked off to join the other three of the original crew as they went onto the ship.

She then walked over to the new crew members and said, "Ahoy, mateys – when I first joined this crew, this was how my Kapitan welcomed me. Mita, if you would join me," she said, as Mita's persona became visible on the dock. Ksenia then went over the mission of the ship and welcomed the thirteen new crew members.

– o O o –

Personal Journal, Ksenia Solovyova

Date: 174-7-11

Aksana, my dear, I finally admit you were right all these years. Not only do I now have friends, but a family as well. The five of us are not only ship mates, but also wed to each other – me, the little orphan girl who was useless.

Dear Ksenia, you have never been useless – they just didn't see what use you would be. Atlantis did. My dearest friend, you have always had a spark; coming to Atlantis nurtured it, but these people let you truly flourish.

You've always told me this, dorogaya druga, but I always felt like a fake – like I didn't truly belong. Now I see that ever since I arrived in Heinlein Island, the people have been helping me, not just because I was a weak, helpless, useless little girl, but because they saw something in me.

And now, zaychonok, these friends – my family! – they have shown me that who I am, what I know, what we can do together – I truly matter to them!

Dear friend, you have always mattered, but until you met these wonderful people, you never truly saw it. Even when you were lauded for your dissertation, you felt something had to be wrong. Now you know that it, and you, were very bit as valuable to humanity as anyone else would be.

Dear, I am humbled. I am blessed. I am humbled that I have been so blessed. Spasibah – thank you for believing in me, and for guiding me.

As always, my friend, you are more than welcome.