Maz gripped his luggage and peered through the rounded entrance. Then he stepped onto the disk. Nessa scooted to the deck. Scion, then Skyla, then Eklun, then Elektra stood on the disk. Elektra manipulated her implant, and the disk powered up. Earth faded into the distance as the ground shrank.
The sound reverberated through the docking chamber as the disk locked into place under Maz’s and the nestmates’ feet.
“You’re here!” Nessa asked. “What now?”
“We’ll show you the storage room.
“I’ll take you,” Skyla said, already starting for the door.
Nessa scampered after her.
“After we get the nourishment packets, we’ll all rendezvous in the control center.”
They stopped at a neon synthesis door. There was a passcode pad mounted on the nearby wall, and Skyla tapped the passcode into it. The door became gas. Skyla and Nessa stepped inside. The chamber was roomy. They were surrounded by shelves, but there was enough standing room for both of them. Nourishment packets stacked four or five high stuffed every inch. Besides that, cube containers lined the floors. Nessa grabbed a packet.
Skyla gestured to the door.
“Let’s get going,” she said. “We gotta get home.”
She and Skyla entered a quiet hallway with rounded lights all around. It gave way to a dark control center lit by several log-drive screens and instrument panels. Cushioned hovering chairs surrounded the control station.
One swiveled to the girls. Maz pointed to the chairs next to his.
“Two left,” he said. “Enough for both of you.”
Nessa wriggled into hers.
“Can you live in this once we land?” She asked.
“Theoretically, yes,” Eklun answered. “We’d have to hook up to a powering station sometimes. Y’know, to recharge the heating, electricity, and water elements.”
Nessa’s implant lit up. A message appeared on-screen. Incoming holo-feed from Kommer.
There was a green configuration and a red configuration. She hovered her finger over the red one. It was tempting, but she tapped the green one. Kommer’s hologram flashed for a second and steadied.
“What do you need?” Nessa said through gritted teeth.