Upon arrival, Nal'rook leads the six off of the platform they'd just landed on and toward a building tall enough to block a large patch of the sky. Easily stretching from the surface of the planet and beyond the clouds, perhaps even into space, and impossible to fathom from their angle in width, it becomes clear that the building isn't simply meant for offices. At the end of the platform stand two guards, both serpent-like and with brilliant yellow and black patterns on their skins. Nal'rook motions the guards away with a wave of his right wing. Without a word, the two Drekkan guards separate to allow the seven into the building.

"Wortani Enterprises is a powerful conglomerate spreading across much of the known galaxy. There's very little that we don't have our fingers on," Nal'rook says, motioning for them to follow him down a hallway as they enter the building proper. Nothing about the lobby stands out, beyond its sterile grey pattern walls.

Beyond a soft, low hum in the air, there's no real sound outside of their footsteps inside the hallway. Although there are some receptionists inside, no one is talking or doing anything audible. This creates a sort of professional feel to the locale, like one would find at a library or bank. The gentle click of unclipped nails on the metal floor makes a dull thud, as another bird-like alien arrives to hand Nal'rook a pocket-sized silver rod. This Praeryndori is different, a soft green in color and much less decorated, and much smaller in comparison to Nal'rook. She offers a low bow to the group as the exchange is made, then turns and flits off down a different corridor.

Tah-Kuell leans down a bit to offer a whisper to the others behind him. "Praeryndori have notable height differences between their males and females, with the females rarely growing more than half the size compared to the average male. Though females are the ones seen most often in leadership roles among their species, now and then you see them take on less spectacular roles, like the green one just now. A secretary of sorts, perhaps."

"Astute observation, my Grey friend," Nal'rook says and gently throws the rod into the air, where it splits in half and extends a few feet before floating. Between the two halves of the stick, a hologram shows what looks like a schedule in a different language, no doubt Praeryndori, and it keeps in step with the ground as they move. It remains perfectly level the entire time they walk, hovering a few meters in the air. "The President has cleared his schedule for you today, as have I, so you'll have plenty of time to talk with him. We'll be answering any questions that are within our power to answer, so don't be afraid to ask."

"Well, I have a question. What is this place? Seems pretty big." Sophia speaks up, curious. "Are all of these offices?"

Nal'rook smiles down at Sophia as best he can before stopping at a door. He presses his fingers to a seemingly innocuous spot and with a soft chime the door splits open to allow them inside. Once they're all in, Nal'rook presses a green button on the wall and quietly the door slides shut, and they begin to ascend, much like in an elevator.

"This building has many functions, but primarily, it's used as a medium of transport. It serves as the base for a 'space elevator' that leads directly to the spaceport above the planet. It also acts as a living area for Wortani employees, as well as their guests and families. We are also a hub branching out to nearby Wortani shipyards and repair facilities. This is one of the safer areas of the galaxy, so it makes sense to engineer and create them here. Though in a less spectacular capacity, this building also serves as storage. We have a lot of things to keep track of. The most important function of this place, however, is that it comprises almost ten percent of Wortani's current research and development. We are standing on several of the most advanced laboratories in the galaxy."

Tah-Kuell taps his chin with a finger. "Interesting. Question, don't these elevators typically have windows? I'd imagine my friends here would enjoy seeing the inner workings of a fully functional space elevator. If we're going to the top floor, we'll have a few minutes to spare, no?"

Nal'rook clicks his beak in a gesture that almost seems apologetic, and nods, shifting to press a button near the door. The back wall facing them liquefies and re-arranges, suddenly changing into a thick transparent glass. From this new window comes a spectacular sight: so enormously large is the space elevator that they can barely see the opposite side of the planet from where they are, but there's still plenty to see. The giant spire extends out into space almost like a tree trunk from the base of the building, if tree trunks were made of the same material battleships are.

The span and width of the construction is unfathomable. Ships ascend and descend rapidly from it and from time to time park inside slots clearly created for them on the sides of the structure; platforms stacked with materials and containers, piloted by no-one, also rise and fall depending on their destination. In one area nearby, a group of Drekkan workers are seen with their long powerful bodies curled around poles next to cranes and gantries busy with construction work, wearing orange and yellow uniforms and hard helmets.

The entire group – minus Nal'rook and Tah-Kuell, who probably find these things common sights – stare out the window in awe. Nal'rook waits a minute or so before he clears his throat. "Wortani has invested a lot of time and effort into creating these and many other technologies for our clients."

Suddenly, the elevator slows to a stop and the window disappears, the doors soundlessly opening to allow them out into a long, glass hallway. "We've arrived."

Even the walkway seems to be a similarly thick glass to the window from the elevator, allowing them to see out into space. Outside in the distance, starships can be seen being built out of massive, detached space docks. The earlier platforms stacked with their inventory ascend into space, then are launched and float rapidly toward their ultimate destination.

At the end of the hallway, Nal'rook stops and turns to face the group. "I know that you are all still very young, but do try to be polite and on your best behavior. As his personal assistant, I can assure you that if you desire something to come out of this meeting, you will get further with respect than anything else. Now, since I'm sure he's eager to meet you," He bows low, motioning toward the door, stepping out of the way as the doors split open silently. "You may proceed."

The open door leads them into a room with a large round glass table with several floating devices and numerous red chairs. Some of the devices have lights blinking on them, almost like they're processing data or information. Opposite of the door, near the end of the room, stands an altar with a chair in the center, and in it sits a normal Human male, easily in his sixties or seventies, wearing a silver and white ceremonial robe. His hair, a short and well-trimmed salt and pepper of greys and blacks, reaches down into a similarly trimmed beard. He's not much taller than the rest of them, a few inches short of six feet.

Spotting his guests, the President smiles wide and gets up from his chair, moving around the table toward them. "Greetings, and salutations!" He calls to them from across the room as he approaches, spreading his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome to the known universe! I'm Gene Friedman, the President of Wortani Enterprises. It's a pleasure to meet fellow Humans after such a long time. Welcome!" He stops in front of the group, extending a hand toward them.

Sophia's mouth gapes open as she looks at the rest of the group, who are also struck with disbelief. The President of the largest corporation in the galaxy is Human?

Remembering Nal'rook's advice, Nicholas snaps out of his initial shock, grasping Gene's hand firmly and shaking it. "Thank you."

"Hey, a strong grip and respectable? I like it." Gene tilts his head forward inquisitively, eyebrows raised slightly. "Nicholas, I believe it was?"

"Yes, sir." Nicholas nods affirmative, bringing his hand back to his side once the shake is over.

"I'm betting you're the leader of this little ragtag group." Gene winks, standing tall again and turning his attention to the others. "Let me see if I remember correctly." He points to each of the teenagers in turn. "You must be Sophia. That's Darius. Ava. Sarah?" Each of them nod as he correctly points to them and recites their names. "If I'd been given more time I probably wouldn't have had to struggle so much with your names. Oh, and I believe you are?" He points toward Tah-Kuell.

"My name is pronounced Tah-Kuell in your language," Tah-Kuell says, bowing slightly. "I certainly never imagined I'd get to meet one of the most wealthy and influential men in this galaxy. I am honored."

"Very few people get the opportunity, Tah-Kuell. Very few." Gene grins playfully, motioning toward the table. "Oh, where are my manners? Have a seat. I'm sure you're probably desperate for some real food after the culture shock the universe has been throwing at you, right?" He turns to head toward the table, which begins to shorten to allow for seven seats. Taking his seat, slightly taller than the others, Gene settles in comfortably. Lifting his hand into the air, he snaps his fingers. From a side door, several smaller female Praeryndori flit into the room, having clearly prepared for their arrival, soar high in a choreographed dance number to surprise and delight. Each of the seven Praeryndori are a bright blue and pink, likely not their natural feather colors.

"Interesting. Traditionally, female Praeryndori perform a variation of this dance when they're seeking a mate." Tah-Kuell frowns, leaning back in his chair to admire it. "A shame none of us are genetically compatible. I hear female Praeryndori are very attentive."

Darius and Nicholas let out a chuckle, but Ava and Sarah shoot the two males pointed looks, causing them to immediately shut up. The dance only takes a few minutes, the Praeryndori soon landing gently and settling holographic menus in front of them. The female birds kneel on the ground as they wait for them to choose an option. "Each menu has been specifically crafted based on the information we have on your planet, and also, what little we know of what the Greys can eat. No offense there, Tak. No one seems to know much about your species, is all. Money is no issue here; eat until you're full, order as much as you want."

It doesn't take particularly long before the group selects some of the items on the menu, and as soon as they're done, the Praeryndori females get up and fly back through the door they arrived from with a sort of controlled chaos that can only be attributed to a high level of skill and familiarity with one another.

"Now, while we're waiting for food, let's get down to business," Gene smiles, clasping his hands together eagerly. "The circumstances that have brought you here. You were all taken against your will by a starship that had been buried in the ground, correct?"

The teens all nod in unison.

With a thoughtful hum, Gene leans back in his chair and motions toward the center of the table. A hologram appears, showing a live feed of their very ship still traveling at a fair speed toward the system's sun. "Every now and then we have ships like this appear in this sector from out of nowhere. The direction they come from is always random, from almost anywhere, but the direction they leave is always the same. We've sent teams of our fastest starships and best pilots to follow them, but those ships run on technology that greatly outperforms even our fastest spacecraft. No matter how close we follow them, they always manage to outmaneuver us. By the time we reach the system they were heading for, they're long gone. As you can imagine, after losing their track, there's limitless possibilities as to where they could've headed. We have learned they still need to stop and refuel every few stops, so that is our chance."

"I'm sorry, but where exactly do we come into this? We're just being forced to travel with it." Darius speaks, earning a nod from Gene.

"Well, you and your friends happen to be in a very unique position, Mr. Taylor. You see, technically, unregistered starships that have no clear owner are officially property of the individuals that find and board it, according to galactic law. Based on what information we've received on your time on Ziron 8, we're aware that the ship may return to recover you. If it does, we'd like your permission to acquire it and take ownership of it for research purposes," Gene explains calmly, gently pressing his palms together in his lap.

The teens look between one another, before Sarah lifts a hand slightly. "What would happen to the, uh... ship?"

"We'd dismantle it and attempt to reverse engineer its ancient technology," Gene responds simply. "It's a matter of advancing the current state of the galaxy by leaps and bounds. Things like this don't happen often."

"Wait a second," Nicholas motions around himself, to the table, the walls around them, and the door. "I noticed that the doors and walls here act similarly to the ones on the caveship. Is it really that far ahead from what you have here? We saw the space elevator that led us up here. You must be close to that level of technology. Why do you need to capture it?"

"I like you, Nicholas. You ask all the right questions, make some astute observations," Gene praises the boy, releasing a chuckle as he takes a moment to consider his answer. "Let me explain. When these ships are incapable of reaching their destination after a certain amount of time like, for example, their engines are somehow disabled, they begin to degenerate. We've captured these ships on numerous occasions in the past through sheer luck, but even then, the most we've managed to reverse engineer after all this time is the very technology you've so keenly observed in action in this very building. The last one we had in our possession degenerated to the point where it was no longer safe for our engineers to work on. It simply abolished itself to keep us from tampering with it."

Nicholas nods, frowning slightly, leaning back in his chair again as he turns his gaze toward the others. "I see."

"It's purely a business matter. We try to keep our business... above board, so to speak. Since you're all technically owners of the caveship, so too does this business have to be above board. If you decide that you don't wish it to happen, nothing further will occur, and you'll continue your journey into the unknown. Alternatively, you can allow us to acquire your ship, and ask anything you wish of us."

"Would we be able to go home?" Ava asks, raising her hand, her face lighting up.

Gene nods in response. "Yes. We would easily be able to arrange a crew and a comfortable ship to return you to your home planet. Of course, keep in mind that returning to Earth would be a one-way ticket. We can't come back for you if you decide you want to leave again. You will lose all communication with the rest of the galaxy if you decide to go back there. We can't break galactic law by mingling with Earth. However, if you wish to stay out here in the cosmos, that can be arranged as well."

"I'm all for it, then," Ava nods quickly, looking between the others. "Are any of you eager to stick this out, to let this ship just take us where it wants to go and be forced to survive on alien planets while waiting to be picked up?" She stands up and slams her hands on the table. "Think about it. We've gotten lucky up until this point. What if the next planet is... I don't know... a planet with just water or a desert or something? I'm tired of it. I just want to go home."

"The girl has a point. There's no telling where you'll wind up next," Gene chimes in. "This is your opportunity to fulfill your wish of returning home. All you have to do is say yes. You'll be on the next available ship heading back to your home planet in no time at all."

Before anyone else has a chance to respond, the door opens and the Praeryndori return to their respective individuals, platters in hand. They set them down, lifting the tops to reveal their food.

Nicholas and Darius seem to have picked similar foods: burgers and fries, chicken, comfort food. Ava has something a bit more sophisticated on her plate, chicken alfredo with garlic bread, and a souffle for dessert. Sophia, on the other hand, enjoys the scent of a hot bowl of barbacoa, a meaty stew from Mexico. Sarah immediately picks up her fork and tucks into some lasagna. Tah-Kuell, however, seems to have ordered some nondescript whipped grey concoction that he eagerly uses a strange spiral utensil to enjoy.

"Don't forget that if you want to order more, or something different, you may. Your Praeryndori servers will be available until you say you're finished." Gene doesn't seem to have ordered anything except a drink, which he sips at.

Nicholas uses some water to swallow down what he had in his mouth. "So, about the caveship. I'm only fine with it if everyone else is." He looks around at the others. "Don't forget, if we leave, we can't take Tah-Kuell back with us. We'd be saying goodbye to him forever."

This revelation causes the table to get quiet once again, as everyone turns their attention to Tah-Kuell. The grey alien realizes he's being stared at, calmly swallowing what he had in his mouth. "Don't feel as though you need to worry about me, friends. I can always obtain a satisfactory job here, or somewhere else in the Verse. Maybe we can setup a way to send messages back and forth. I'd be interested in hearing about your lives on Earth." The alien offers a dismissive handwave and a chuckle. "As if I'd so easily forget our friendship. No-one else has so eagerly given me the opportunity to escape the trap I was in."

Once more, quiet sweeps over the table. Awkwardly, Tah-Kuell clears his throat. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, it's fine, TK!" Sophia smiles, trying to think quickly. "I just... that sort of changed things a little for me. I mean, I know we can't take you back home, they'll try to dissect you or something. You'll never fit in. Not like you do here, but I'm still homesick, and the opportunity to go home is there, and..."

Tah-Kuell smiles back and nods. "I'm sure we can find a way to communicate, as I said before, and I'm much happier out here doing research than on some backwater planet. You guys have given me that opportunity and for that, I thank you."

"So that leaves Darius and Sarah then," Gene looks expectantly toward the two teens, basically on opposite sides of the table from one another. They look across the table to each other, before Darius turns his attention back to Gene. He nods slowly.

"This has been more adventure than I ever asked for. And I don't know if this space travel thing is for me. If we have the chance to go home, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't take it. We're just high school students. We're not astronauts. We can't just throw ourselves into planets for no reason and risk our lives," Darius admits. "So, I guess, yeah. I'm fine with leaving the ship here. Let's go home."

Sarah stays quiet for a bit, clearly thoughtful, before finally she, too, nods. "I'm fine with it. Take the caveship. But I think I want to stay here. I mean, if everyone else wants to go, that's cool. I'd rather not go back."

This gets everyone's attention to the point where everyone stops eating, putting their utensils down. They turn their gazes toward Sarah. "But why? Don't you want to go back?" Nicholas speaks, visibly concerned.

"I don't feel like there's much of anything back home for me. We recently moved to Washington, so I lost all my friends. I've always felt like I didn't belong, especially with my adoptive parents, even if they said otherwise. You guys are the first people I've ever met that I could truly be open with, and be myself, and I appreciate that, but I feel like maybe there's more for me out here than back there, especially if I just start fresh," Sarah explains. "I mean, who's not curious to see what life is like out here? I'm sure I can find something to do. Space travel, aliens...it's just all surreal and a little bit too much, but I think I like it here. I think I want to be part of this larger community. I've made up my mind." She says, quietly settling her gaze back to her food. The others can only offer solemn nods. It's clear they don't fully understand Sarah's situation, but still respect her decision.

"So it's settled then. We'll make arrangements immediately to send those that wish to go back, back to Earth. All those staying here, we'll make sure they're comfortable and help them fit in, we welcome you to the Verse." Gene smiles, clearly excited. "We'll have some paperwork for you all to sign soon. For now, enjoy your food and if you have any questions, Nal'rook will be happy to answer them for you." He moves down from his chair and turns to head for a door toward the back of the room. It swishes open to allow him to exit, and closes behind him.

"I hope we made the right choice here." Sophia speaks up, frowning.

Ava shrugs slightly, twirling some more alfredo around her fork. "It's not like the ship's a living thing, plus it hasn't done us any favors. And we get to go back to normalcy. Sounds like a good deal to me. I'm just glad we can finally put this whole thing behind us."

Nicholas looks over at Sarah as she quietly eats her lasagna. He wonders what could've driven her to decide staying here. Could she really have it that bad back on Earth? He frowns, pondering about life on Earth, his connection to his hometown, his school, his home. Fond memories of his parents, even Michelle, come to mind. It surprises Nicholas that it has taken him this long to actually reminisce about his old world. What must his family be going through at this point? Or any of their families for that matter? How could anyone think of leaving their loved ones behind like that?

Once he's done with his food, Nicholas gets up from his seat and walks over to look out through one of the glass windows in the room. He can see the clouds just beneath the glass moving slowly, and some city lights below. They're faint because they're so far down, but he can clearly see little dots, what must be cars or trains, moving about down there at ground level, near more tall buildings. Above him, almost at the edge of the atmosphere, he can see space and several craft descending and ascending as they make their way to different floors on the elevator. It's all astonishing, but clearly just day to day routine to everyone except those in the room.

"It's amazing," says a voice to his right. Nicholas quickly turns to see Sarah, looking out the window and smiling. "Wonder if anyone back home will believe what we've been through. You guys will have a hell of a story to tell."

"Yeah, that's for sure." Nicholas stares at her with a worried look. "What about you? Don't you miss anyone back home?"

Sarah looks away for a moment, trying to avoid eye contact as she tries to collect her thoughts, and puts her back against the glass. "I don't know. I thought I did."

"I get why you like it here," says Nicholas. "Who wouldn't? This is science fiction coming to life. It's pretty fucking awesome. But we have our whole lives ahead of us. We haven't even been to college yet. Don't you want to go back and continue your life? Have a family? A career?"

Sarah turns her gaze toward Nicholas and crosses her arms. "I can do all of that here. Well, except maybe for the 'family' part. I'd have to get a compatible alien guy, I guess." She laughs a bit. Nicholas shakes his head and chuckles.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just gonna miss this. Us joking around."

Sarah smirks, looking down as her face begins turning red. "Yeah, okay."

"No, I'm serious." Nicholas says, turning his gaze out the window again. "It won't be the same without you."