Vanguard Of The Mutants

5: Journey to the Planets

Dizzy, very dizzy. Sheranee always felt like this when waking up from cryosleep. Her eyes hurt a little as they opened after sleeping for six months. Fortunately, only a few weak red lights illuminated the inside of her capsule.

Her vision still blurry, Sheranee barely saw the big red emergency exit lever right in front of her. Fortunately, she did not have to use it. As the clamps fixing her body to the capsule in flight let loose of her, the cryopod slowly opened.

A blinding white light forced her to squint as she floated around the cryogenic archive in zero gravity, everything around still hazy. Sheranee stretched, trying to wake up her sleepy muscles. Her eyes slowly recovered, allowing her to make out a few shapes.

But then a giant shadow devoured her.

Darkness engulfed Sheranee. Floating around in zero gravity, trapped by what felt like a soft cloud of fake fur, she habitually curled up. Soon, Sheranee felt the grip of artificial gravity and she fell onto a hard, rhythmically shaking surface. She must have been in the Vellamun's habitat ring and someone, a certain someone, carried her.

"Setanto!" she let out a sleepy squeak.

Suddenly, Sheranee felt herself being thrown around in a high arc, hitting a soft, bouncy surface. She could only twist and turn, disoriented. A blinding white light hit her face as the bag opened. The next moment, she saw Setanto looking down on her with a wide grin on his face, arms rested on a padded surface.

"What are you doing," Sheranee hissed, "We agreed on no abductions before breakfast!"

But he only replied with an innocent expression, "Do you notice anything, Honey Bunny?"

Dumbfounded, Sheranee looked around, finding herself in the Vellamun's command center. Spin gravity of 0.8g, a giant screen with higher definition than the human eye could perceive, unless improved by Doctor Moreau. Would have made for a great little cinema if only the seats had been more comfortable.

Only now did she notice, most of the old furniture had been either rearranged or disappeared completely and the gray walls had been repainted in black. She lay on a big, red couch, taking up most of the command center. A low table before her, giant pillows, the biggest being already occupied by sleeping Funi. The command center had been transformed into a private cinema.

Her eyes widened as she squealed out in excitement, "That's my old couch! How did you..."

"Well, some rooms weren't finished when we launched. If I have to set up some furniture anyways it may just as well be a nice couch."

Sheranee grabbed him by the collar and pulled herself up to kiss him on the cheek, "Thanks! Now excuse me, I have to get dressed."

Speaking of getting dressed, Sheranee, still in her underwear, noticed something. Setanto did not wear the standard uniform, but a tight-fitting golden yellow shirt with a black collar, together with wide cut black breeches and the usual knee high black velcro socks instead.

"Valentina dressed you up like this, didn't she?"

"Yes and she's got something for you too." he ruffled her hair.

This one time, Sheranee granted it to him and he enjoyed it with a very wide grin. Fortunately, her suffering did not last long. "Setanto!" they suddenly heard Tapeesa shouting in the distance.

A short moment of silence followed. "You built the spa?" Sheranee guessed.

"Yes," Setanto answered, mildly confused over the blue-eyed girl's reaction, "Tapeesa is in the hot tub."

"Did you...?"

"Yes, I'd never let her or your underwear get wet for the wrong reasons!"

"Did you give her a towel?"