TNS Chapter 36 Preview (Patreon)

Chapter 36 is going to be releasing on 04/24/23 at 0800 MST for all my awesome patrons! Please enjoy this preview!

Chapter 36

Subject: Fleet Leader Barrilin Onaya

Species: Oyan

"No problem, sir. Well, here we go," he said as he stepped forward to open the door.

I followed him and was stunned by the room we were entering. There were screens and seats and tables and desks all over the place, but somehow it didn't feel the least bit cluttered. There weren't any visible cables, and the decking was all in the proper place. It was like a completely different world from all the command centers I'd ever been in. And it was much quieter...

"OFFICER ON DECK!"

Every single person in the room stood up straight with their left hand at their side and the other touching their forehead. A form of salute. I was touched. My gont guide paused for a moment in surprise before quickly turning around and mimicking the gesture. Admiral Heckett was standing in the center of the room, trying his best to suppress what appeared to be a smile.

He walked up to me and outstretched his hand. I recognized the gesture from the briefing. A handshake, a sign of mutual respect that had been a human tradition for millennia. Quite the honor.

As I took his hand he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Fleet-Leader Onaya. I am Admiral Heckett. Welcome aboard the USSS Thanatos."

After we shook hands he grinned and whispered, "You're supposed to say 'at ease' to get them to stop."

"Oh. At ease!" I replied.

Everyone went back to their tasks, noticeably louder this time. From behind the admiral I saw a screen portraying the hallway I had just been in. Ah, I see. Theatrics. I looked back at the admiral, now knowing that this man was cut from the same cloth as I.