“Very well, I will answer any of your questions,” The Captain said and stood up. He had pants and a jacket in contrast with the coveralls the others wore, and he had a short red cape draped over his shoulders. “I am Captain Kanthua L'Krani, please don’t hurt my crew”

Gabriel folded his arms and took a moment to look around the bridge. He had entered almost in the middle into what felt like a bridge built from the seating area at an arena. To both sides of the entrance stairs went up and down the bridge, behind him up the stairs were consoles and stations for who knows what and right in front the Captain's chair overlooking more stations on two tiers below. Large windows showed the black of space and Gabriel caught a glimpse of a map between the frightened Quizeaterans. Everything in here was white as well with some stations color-coded. “I have one important question and we will go from there. Why did you kidnap me and Madeline?”

Captain Kanthua looked a little confused before spotting Madeline outside and making the connection. He looked down at the floor, “we didn’t, we were given stasis pods and told to keep you in a cell until pickup.”

“And who told you that?”

“A group of Igirs pirates, I was never told any names.”

“That tells me nothing,” Gabriel said and the Captain pointed to the aliens outside. “Same race as them” He once again looked down at the floor and folded his ears forwards and looked very ashamed of himself. “...They have my family” he added after a moment.

Gabriel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. “Fuck...” He opened them then slammed his fist into the bulkhead, leaving a small dent. The Quizeaterans all flinched back and looked more terrified if possible.

“Please spare my crew, I am the one who...” Captain Kanthua stated but Gabriel held up a hand to silence him.

“Madeline, can we talk?” Gabriel said and walked out of the bridge. “Throw this one in a cell or something,” He said to the Quizeaterans and poked the still unconscious Igirs with the stun rod.

He glanced at Madeline who waved her feather and he started down the corridor with her in tow. After a bit of walking, he picked a random door and opened it, looking into a mess hall with tables and benches for up to about twenty Gabriel estimated at a glance. On the far side was a counter with the kitchen beyond, and of course, everything was white in here as well. He closed the door behind them and sat down on the closest bench. “I wanted to go in there all mad and slap some aliens around for answers. But...I’m not mad anymore, not at them at least”

He looked to Madeline who waved her feathers, but she was looking at him with a reserved expression her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “What?” Gabriel said questioning.

Madeline’s feathers rippled, “Your...outburst in the bridge, and taking down the Igris...I’m sorry, but you scared me a little”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn't have made you...” Gabriel started but Madeline shook her head.

“No Gabriel, please don’t apologize, this is on me, you have been kind and helpful...But I can't deny I feel like a bradril following a rechor around” She said her expression turning almost sad, or embarrassed.

“What following what?”

Madeline giggled or chirped, Gabriel had not decided what to call it, but was glad to see her not too upset. “A bradril is a small tree-climbing animal and a rechor is a large scary predator, even for me and my people.”

Gabriel sighed and buried his face in his hands. “I feel like a dangerous predator to you?” He looked up at Madeline.

She waved her feather but looked a little ashamed and did not meet his gaze. “A little...I have seen your teeth, you eat meat, right? and your strength...” she trailed off and fell silent.

Gabriel sighed and leaned back, studying the ceiling. “What a great example I’m setting for humanity, scaring the first two aliens I meet and killing the third kind” He was going to continue his tangent but Madeline walked up and grabbed his face, looking into his eyes.

“No! you have been kind and...and a much-needed friend these last few days. It is something I need to get over, you have done nothing wrong” She looked upset, but Gabriel didn’t know if it was directed at him or herself. He closed his eyes then nodded, “Alright, I’ll stop moping, where were we? Oh, yeah, I’m not angry at the Captain and his crew”

Madeline let go of his face and moved back a step. “Neither am I, at least not very much and while I do not approve that he even accepted this job, the Captain's family was taken”

Gabriel rubbed his face with both hands and murmured. “It’s probably a blessing in disguise, we could have ended up on a pirate ship or something...” Gabriel looked up at Madeline with a sudden realization. “Which means we are going somewhere there might be inspections or the like. If they were just crossing empty space who cares what transport we are in.”

Madeleine tilted her head and then nodded while waving her fur, Gabriel decided was a more apt description than feathers and one Madeline used herself. “Yeah, that sounds likely. There is some risk to having a civilian carrying your illegal goods, even with hostages. I would assume many would still go to the authorities, so wherever we are going has to be worth the risk.”

Gabriel leaned back and ran his finger through his hair, “It's a good thing this is not getting complicated” He let out a long sigh and punched the bench in frustration. “So what do you want to do?” he asked Madeline after a moment.

Madeline let out a long breath. “I don’t know, I obviously want to go home, but I have to admit being in space is a bit exhilarating, mostly terrifying, but just a little exiting.”

“I know what you mean,” Gabriel said and scratched his chin. “So do we try and help the Captain in return for getting a ride home? Not that I even know which way home is at the moment.”

“I’m sure we can find out, the Igris pirates or whatever they were must have found you somehow,” Madeline said and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, yeah I’m sure it will be fine.” Gabriel patted her hand and then stood up. “Alright let’s go back and talk to the rest.”

He walked towards the door but Madeline grabbed his hand before reaching it. “Are you alright?” She asked and her expression was worried.

“Yeah, I’m fine why” Gabriel furrowed his brow.

“Are you sure?” She asked looking into his eyes.

Gabriel opened his mouth to tell her yes, but stopped and looked away, how did she read his expressions this well? “No, I guess I am not. I have never killed before...I was trained for it and even what to expect after but...” He shrugged and met her eyes again. “I will be alright, don’t worry,” He said and smiled at her. She nodded and let go of his hand.

Walking towards the bridge Gabriel saw that the two Igris had been cleared away, but there had been no time to clean up the blood staining the white walls. He stepped into the bridge and saw that many who was here before had left, leaving the Captain and the bridge crew alone. Captain Kanthua upon noticing him immediately jumped off his chair and quickly walked over looking at the floor. “We have decided to help you get your family back, and in return, you will get us home,” Gabriel said crossing his arms.

Kanthua looked up surprised. “I will do my best, but I don’t know where you home is”

“That can wait,” Gabriel said and looked at his loincloth. “First of all, we both need clothes.”

“Of course, may we take a scan of you? I also want to provide better food than the nutrient paste if possible” Kanthua said and gestured to a crewmember. “You, make sure clothes are made”

Gabriel stepped out of the way as the Quizeateran quickly passed. “A scan will be fine, I have more questions as well. I think the gravity here is lower than my planet, and if you have the materials I would like clothes that weigh me down to my preferred weight.”

“We will do our best” Kanthua waved at a crewmember who stepped cautiously over. “This is my science officer Taurana,” she will try to calculate your gravity. Taurana had the same white coverall as the rest but with a diagonal stripe colored orange.

“Alright, let’s see,” Gabriel said and thought for a moment. “Water weighs 1000 kilos for every cubic meter, sound travels at 343 meters for every second passed, and the speed of light is 299 780 000 meters every second, well not quite but I don’t know it down to the meter.”

Gabriel had to explain how humans counted with a base of ten as the Quizeaterans counted with eight as a base. He continued with every universal measurement he knew, which were not many more and he even tapped out seconds as well as he could, giving his own height and weight on Earth, and finally, the computer spat out calculations close to accurate. “And gravity on earth is 9.8 meter every second squared”

After explaining what he meant by squared Taurana nodded and her ears shook back and forwards as she typed at the computer. “We are down to an acceptable margin of error, weight and measurements should only be off by a couple of, by your way of counting, a couple of parts of a thousand.”

“That will have to do, I wish I could remember atom weight or something,” Gabriel said and shrugged. “So, clothes?”

“Oh, of course, I will see what materials we have to construct clothing that should match your weight on your home planet” Taurana hurried past with a bow.

“Now that clothes are sorted, what should we do about the pirates?” Gabriel asked Kanthua.

“I...I can’t leave them with the authorities without having them finding you and then my family might...” He looked down and folded his ears.

Gabriel resisted the urge to pet the Captain's head. “How about disabling their ship and leaving them with a distress beacon of some sort assuming, of course, they have one”

“But then they can tell whoever picked them up about you”

“Who would believe them?” Gabriel shrugged. “A strange alien fought and defeated nine pirates with the help of a Zilgi whose people only sends envoys into space”

“Emissaries” Madeline corrected.

“Emissaries” Gabriel added. “They don’t know about us being kidnapped do they?”

Kanthua shook his head, making his ears flop around. “No, I don’t think so, not the ones living anyway”

“Then that’s the plan,” Gabriel said and nodded to himself. “And I would like to see the stasis pods we were brought in on. They might have some useful information, not that I would know how to access or read it”

Kanthua nodded. “I will have to send Taurana with you, she is the best with Igris technology.”

“Alright, in the meantime can we take the scan? I don’t want to just sit around if I don’t have to” Gabriel felt impatient, maybe because be was still bothered by the pirates he killed, he tried to put it out of his mind.

“Yes, my medical office is in the med bay, he will help you. I’ll send a message to him, do you know the way or should I send someone with you?”

“I know where it is,” Gabriel said and nodded to the Kanthua, “Please send Taurana there when you have options for clothes, I would like to see it beforehand.”

“Of course” Kanthua gave him a small bow before turning back to the bridge. Gabriel and Madeline headed to the med bay, and while this was a large ship it still was only a minute or so of walking. Gabriel realized he had completely forgotten to ask what this ship did. Tradeship? courier? It could wait until he met the Captain again.

He pressed the button next to the med bay and the door slid open making sure to remember the color associated with the med bay, yellow in this case. It might be the same for other Quizeateran ships or maybe universal. Looking inside he saw three Quizeaterans milling about sorting drawers and taking inventory. One Quizeateran with a diagonal stripe from his left shoulder to right hip as well as yellow collar stopped as he saw them enter and bowed. “Welcome to the med bay I am Alith the medical officer, the Captain messaged me about a scan.”

“Yeah, I was promised better food,” Gabriel said remembering not to show teeth as he smiled. “So how does this work?”

Alith walked over to the wall and pressed a button and what looked like a less claustrophobic MRI machine slid out. It was fully encased in glass with one ring at the head of the bed and Gabriel guessed by the shape it would move up and down the length of his body. There were also two handles with several buttons “You just have to lie down and I will handle the rest, it should only take a few moments” He pressed a button and the glass case slid up.

Gabriel walked forwards and laid down, the bed protesting a little and Alith’s eyes widened. “You are heavier than the Igris pirates”

“And luckily not sensitive about my weight, can we get on with this?” Gabriel heard Madeline let out a chirp before she covered her mouth.

Alith nodded and pressed a few buttons on the machine. “Just lie still and look straight up at the dot, please follow it with your eyes and press any button when it turns red.” Gabriel looked up and saw a small glowing orb projected on the glass when the case covered him. As the ring begun humming the dot slowly moved around, it started off slow and deliberate but as the ring moved down the glass over his legs it’s movements became more erratic and color change more spontaneous.

Gabriel did not have much trouble following it and wondered if a reaction test was standard procedure for a scan. Still, he did as he was told and his eyes flicked around following the dot until he felt almost dizzy. The dot finally slowed and came to a rest where it had started as the ring stopped above his head with the humming died down. A moment later the glass case opened and he heard Alith’s voice. “There, it is done, you can sit up now” He was studying the machine with a focused look.

“Alright, anything interesting to tell me?”

“Yes, when it comes to food, I think you can eat almost anything we can, but you should stay away from a certain spice we call fire-root. It will not be poisonous but your mouth might feel like it is burning if you eat too much of it, or if it’s too concentrated”

“Capsaicin? That is the chemical that increases sensitivity to heat and burn the mouth.” Gabriel said, suddenly excited he might get to eat something with strong spices after the nutrient paste.

Alith looked up at him “I see you are familiar, though we call the chemical something different. Your translator should, however, translate it for you, and how do you use capsaicin?”

“Same as you, as a spice” Gabriel shrugged. “We do have a scale called Scoville scale but I don’t think the measurements would translate, Nevertheless I want some with my next meal”

Alith shook his head and then nodded. “Alright I’ll see to it”

“Do your mouth not burn from it?” Gabriel asked as he stood up and walked over to look at the monitor. Of course, he did not understand any of it.

“It does, but some of us like a little burn to our food,” Alith said while continuing to type. “You reactions looks to be about, hold on, two-tenths of your seconds, that’s fast”

“Hmm, usually I’m just under 0.18 or thereabouts,” Gabriel said and shrugged “I must be tired” Alith stared at him but before he had time to speak the door slid open and Taurana walked in.

“Hello, I have news about the clothes” She bowed respectfully to both Gabriel and Madeline before walking over to a big monitor and after typing on her tablet of whatever two simple models popped up. One of Gabriel and one of Madeline, both without any details. “So we have the machines to make the same type we wear” Both models suddenly got covered in white coveralls, “We have to make some adjustments for Madeline was it?”

Madeline waved her fur but said nothing. Gabriel nodded to Taurana who continues “To...accommodate for a tail, but that will be easy. The weight problem I think I can solve by making an undergarment out of a material we have that is heavy and strong. We use it for flexible patching that does not have to be airtight or keep heat in or out.” Gabriel's model got his coverall removed and what looked like a wetsuit got applied.

“If I’m going to have something that tight on my skin I need to feel it beforehand, and I want undergarment underneath, kind of like what I’m wearing but more refined.” Gabriel went on to describe the underwear he wanted and confirmed the weight suit or whatever he would call it would be comfortable enough after feeling a sample Taurana had brought with her. Madeline also ordered some clothes but as Zilgi was quite a bit more common than humans that proved no problem.

“I will have these made right away,” Taurana said and tapped on her tablet. “The Captain told me you wanted to see what was on the stasis pods?”

“Yes, do you know anything right now?”

Taurana shook her head “No, I have not dared look, we only did what was told of us”

“Alright lead the way,” Gabriel said and gestured to the door. Taurana nodded and led them down towards the cargo holds, turning at the last intersection and opening a smaller hold. Gabriel caught a glimpse into the large hold and the bodies within, he felt his mood drop but clenched his fists and tried to ignore it. This smaller hold just held two pods, obviously the stasis pods and some other powered down equipment, as well as various boxes on shelves.

“This is our storage for spare parts” Taurana explained as she powered up the pods.

Gabriel looked around before meeting Madeline’s eyes, she was standing outside looking a bit apprehensive but waved her fur and walked up to him. She touched his arm and he noticed he was tense and still clenching his fists. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath relaxing before turning back to Taurana who had either not noticed or politely ignored them.

“This one held a Zilgi, for...stasis over four months.” She looked back at them both. “That’s 180 days in your measurements,” She told Gabriel with a quiet voice.

Gabriel met Madeline’s eyes, she was tearing up but blinked a few times and took a shaking breath, “It is more than I expected, my family must think me dead by now” She wiped at her eyes, “But no matter, anything else?” She grabbed Gabriel's hand as she spoke.

Taurana went back to the pod and after a few minutes shook her head “No, it is completely erased, all that was on was your race and time activated” She walked over to Gabriel's pod and examined it. “This one was carrying an unknown specimen” She looked at Gabriel before turning back. “You were held in stasis for...” She froze and almost dropped her tablet. When she turned back she had a horrified expression. “I’m so sorry, Forty thousand days” Gabriel blinked as Madeline gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

Gabriel felt faint when he spoke his voice came out faint and shaking “I have been in stasis for over one hundred years?” Taurana nodded and looked at the floor. Gabriel felt his eyes tear up and he steadied himself on the wall. “Madeline please stay here, Taurana, get out” Madeline squeezed his hand but Taurana hesitated. “Out!” Gabriel snarled and she hurried past, closing the door quickly once she was out.

Gabriel turned to Madeline and felt tears begin to fall down his face as he spoke. “Please stay,” He said feeling his throat tighten and he felt himself begin to shake. Madeline waved her fur as her own eyes teared up and tears began falling down her cheeks. Gabriel tried to say more but collapsed to his knees and hugged himself as he started crying. His family would be dead, all his friends gone, everything he knew…He fell to the side but was stopped when Madeline caught him, she had moved behind him and put her arms around his chest. Gabriel leaned against her and cried...

He did not know for how long but when he finally stopped he felt drained, tired and weak. Madeline was holding him and gently stroking his hair. She had also stopped crying but was still holding him tight. Gabriel closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, He squeezed her arm “Thank you, Madeline, I’ll be alright now.” She reluctantly let him go as he sat up and looked at her. “Thank you for staying”

She waved her fun and nodded at him, wiping at her eyes as one more teardrop fell. “Of course, a hundred years...” She reached out and hugged Gabriel again. He smiled and hugged her back.

“Alright, let’s go get some clothes, and food, we can’t sit here hugging half-naked forever” Gabriel patted her back.

Madeline laughed and pulled away, “Are you really alright?”

Gabriel smiled and shook his head, “No, but I will be, this helped immensely” He stood and extended a hand to her. She took it and he lifted her to her feet, “I deal with situations like this by breaking down for a while, and then it won't...hinder me so to speak, some carry these feelings around for years but...” Gabriel shrugged. “I’m never going to see my family again but I will manage, probably, or at least for a few days.”

Madeline nodded, “Then I will be there for you if you need me again”

Gabriel smiled warmly, of all the aliens he could have been kidnapped with... “That means a lot, thank you”

Madeline smiled and nodded while waving her fur, “You saved my life at least once by kil...subduing the Igris that entered our cell, and the rest would probably find me eventually, not to mention I would be handed over to who knows when we reach our destination, I will gladly lend a shoulder to cry on”

Gabriel nodded still smiling, “I’ll offer you the same, then. Now let’s get some clothes” He opened the door to find Taurana pacing in the corridor, she looked at him worried but did not say anything. Gabriel smiled at her and nodded, “Are the clothes ready?”

Taurana looked like she wanted to ask something but decided against it “Y...Yes, they are, please follow me” she said and turned, walking down the corridor towards the front of the ship and turning into a short corridor flanked on the left side by a green line and a brown line on the right. She opened the door on the right and walked in with Gabriel and Madeline close behind.

The room was probably maintenance or at least a Quizeateran equivalent. Shelves lined the walls with several different pieces of technology, a few machines stood against the far wall and a row of tables stood in the center of the room. One Quizeateran stood at the table laying and inspecting clothes. When they entered he, or she as Gabriel had trouble telling their gender, looked up and bowed moving away from the clothes. Taurana walked up and gestured to the garments, “I had these made after your measurements so they should fit, and I made sure the material was the toughest we had to accommodate your...strength”

Gabriel walked over and picked up the heavy undersuit, it felt soft and stretched when he pulled but it felt very durable. “You said you repair holes with this? How well does it do against weapons?”

Taurana’s eyes widened before typing on her tablet, “It should stop rounds from the guns the pirates used as well as disperse the energy from the ones we use. I don’t know about anything bigger, It is not meant to be used for armor however it is resistant to cuts”

Gabriel nodded and picked up his underwear, “Alright I want to get dressed, can I have some privacy?” Taurana bowed before exiting the room with the other Quizeateran but Madeline stayed inspecting her clothes. Gabriel raised an eyebrow at her, “Were you planning on watching?”

She looked over, “No, but I need to get dressed as well, just turn around”

Gabriel shrugged and did just that, turning and pulling off his makeshift loincloth. The boxers fit well and were comfortable, and the weight suit, or whatever he was going to call it also fit well and did not constrict any movements. He finally felt like he weighed the right amount again, and while the difference was not huge, he had in fact not noticed for days, this was still better. He tried some jumping and high kicks and nothing pinched. Finally, he pulled on the coveralls, these ones in grey. “Are you done, Madeline?”

“No, I might need some help, they have made the hole for my tail small” Gabriel looked over his shoulder to see Madeline with her coveralls around her waist trying to fit her long tail through the back of the coverall. Underneath she wore underwear similar to that on earth, although made with a tail in mind.

“Alright let’s see” He walked over and stopped before reaching for anything, “What exactly do you want me to help with?”

Madeline sighed and dropped the coverall in frustration, “I might need you to thread my tail through the coverall”

“Sure, please don’t smack me in the genitals this time,” Gabriel said and Madeline giggled, but still as a precaution, he stepped to the side before grabbing her tail. His fingers sunk into the soft fur and he smiled. “Oh, soft” Madeline sighed and looked at him but the fur on her head stood in edge, she was not mad then. He grinned and squeezed her tail to flatten the fur so it fit thought the coverall. She twitched but said nothing as he slowly pulled her tail though.

“Thank you, I need to get this adjusted,” She said and put a hand down the back of her coveralls, no doubt adjusting the fur around her tail before pulling up the rest and zipping up the front. “Now let’s get some food please”

“Oh, yes please, I’m starving...”