Chapter 13: Travel To Baglogi

Ship informed us that travel would take about 20 days at hyper-drive to reach the Baglogi system. We had time to sort out the supplies we purchased from our visit to the Ori Confederation. We’d have time to plan what to do when we arrived.

I resumed my schedule of training with Ship and hanging out with Koluna and Jem. Some of Koluna’s purchases were her favourite Ori foods, so our meals for the first few days out were a special treat. Normally, our meals came from a food dispenser. These were real, grown food prepared by an Ori chef. Jem and I could eat most dishes, which was a plus.

I had no favourite foods. I never knew Earth cuisine, and Tian food was pretty bland. If Koluna liked one of her dishes, good for her.

Some of Koluna’s purchases were Ori clothing. She got several items for each of us, although we needed to adjust the length for Jem and I. Once finished, they decided we should try on everything and show each other. As a Tian, all clothing was uniform and plain. One thing you don’t see is a Tian trying to stand out. I was at ease wearing utilitarian clothing, as provided on most vessels. In contrast, Ori clothing was loud, like their displays of emotions. Jem was equally excited about playing dress-up. I took a leaf out of Koluna’s father’s book and played along. I tried to make relevant supportive comments.

The Ori clothing consumed most of a day and provided a pleasant diversion. It boosted morale aboard, especially for Koluna. I wouldn’t have thought of it, but in hindsight, it worked out well. I learned something I would never have learned on Tian Prime. We had fun. And I learned how fleeting life can be. It’s important to value these moments.

A few days into our trip, we sat down to discuss our plans for when we arrived. Jem had a tablet on which she had made an extensive list.

“Ship, please review the procedure for when we arrive in the system,” said Jem.

“I will broadcast our ID, and a patrol will meet us. At that point, they’ll download our logs for analysis and the crew will disembark. Genetic scans will show you to be Baglogi. I am unsure of the reception for Koluna and Brian, though I expect it to be positive. Once they review the logs, all will be clear,” reported Ship.

“Great! Everyone will be in clean uniforms with insignia to show we’re the crew of this vessel. That should help steer their thinking in the right direction. Brian, Koluna, you have both been working on your greetings and responses in Baglogi?” asked Jem.

“Yes,” Koluna and I responded in Baglogi. The goal was to appear to be a functioning Baglogi crew.

“Excellent!” said Jem. She then went through the rest of her checklist, which included various tasks to get ready for our grand homecoming. Some items seemed petty to us. But they were important to Jem, so we didn’t complain. After all, she saved our lives, and then helped us avenge the deaths of our former crewmates aboard the Opolu Naa. Koluna got to go home to see her parents. I thought we got the best end of the deal.

As my studies progressed, Ship allowed me to examine various inner workings to better understand how things worked. Ship was a patient teacher and was glad to have me to train. There were elaborate auto-repair systems, but it could happen that someday I would need to make repairs myself. It gave me some additional assurance to know more about the systems I depended on. I saw sections of Ship that crew rarely visited. I felt privileged to gain entry.

Finally, we arrived at the Baglogi system. Ship announced we were coming out of hyper-drive. I went to the main bridge to join Jem and Koluna. The tactical display showed that we were near the edge of the system and continuing in on sub-light engines.

The star in this system was Baglogi, and the nine planets were called Baglogi-1, Baglogi-2, etc. Not a creative naming scheme, but it worked. Baglogi-4 was Jem’s home world, or at least where her ancestors came from.

It had been generations since Ship had been here. Jem was born in space. We were all dressed in clean uniforms, and we had done our best to give Ship a good cleaning. Returning after millennia, we were determined to put on a good show. Koluna and I could feel the anxiety level from Jem about returning home. We tried to show support for her.

Since arriving in the system, Ship had been broadcasting to indicate our arrival and identification. The tactical display showed all the positions of the planets. They were all where we expected them to be. But so far, there was no response. The system was completely quiet.