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“Maybe,” Matt agreed, cocking his head and squinting at it as if trying to imagine it.
The pilot came down the short ramp to greet us. He was a Veyra, tall and narrow-built, with smooth, dark brown skin and a pair of slender gray antennae that moved subtly as he spoke. He introduced himself, checked our names against his passenger manifest, and confirmed that our luggage would be secured in the cargo compartment.
We watched while the larger cases were loaded and strapped into place. The pilot then showed us inside, explaining that the shuttle was configured to carry passengers alongside cargo, so the seating was practical rather than luxurious. There were padded seats, secure harnesses, and a small forward cockpit with a single viewscreen. There were no windows or panoramic view screens in the passenger cabin, and no attempt to make the interior resemble a hotel.
It was a shuttle. An old one, at that, but very well maintained so it remained a reliable working vessel.
The boys seemed perfectly happy with it once they got inside.
“Can we see space from here?” Matt asked, pointing towards the cockpit.
“I have a screen showing the approach and navigation information in my cockpit,” the Veyra replied. “You won't have a view from the passenger cabin, I'm afraid.”
Matt considered that for a moment, then nodded. “That's okay. We already saw Earth.”
The rest of the children looked slightly disappointed, but didn't complain. I suspected the novelty of the journey would keep them occupied regardless, especially as it would be quite brief.
Darren made sure Laura was comfortable in her car seat, which the pilot had already taken off the luggage cart and helped him secure to one of the seats, then positioned her stroller against the bulkhead in the designated space. The pilot brought over the supplied securing straps and helped us fasten it firmly into place. He checked each attachment, then showed Darren how the locking mechanism worked so he could release it safely once we arrived. After that, we settled into our seats and fastened our harnesses, the children managing their own easily enough. Skye was secured beside Darren using the shuttle's dog restraint, and the boys were checked twice to make sure their belts were properly fastened.
The pilot walked through the cabin, checking every restraint and confirming that the stroller was securely fastened before returning to the cockpit, closing its door behind him. Moments later, a low hum filled the cabin as the engines came online. The lights changed from their ordinary setting to a soft blue.
Darren leaned towards me. “I hope the landing is as smooth as the technology looks.”
“I'll be holding you to that,” the pilot called back from the cockpit, obviously being able to hear us quite well despite the door between us, thanks to having the shuttle’s two-way comm system live.
Darren laughed, and I settled back into my seat as the pilot activated the audio communication system. We could hear the channel opening, followed by the quiet electronic tone that indicated an outgoing transmission.
“Captain, this is the Silver Horizon shuttle. We're ready to depart and begin our journey. Please confirm our departure clearance from the shuttle bay.
A moment later, another voice answered.
“Copy, Silver Horizon. You are cleared to depart once you contact New Haven for final landing instructions.”
A brief pause, as the pilot then addressed us. “Okay, just as a heads up, the colony’s AI, as you may already know, is a variation of the program that comprises Xeranos back among the Mylos fleet, and they consider themselves siblings. His name is Bob, and he is known as a bit of a jokester. That was all the warning we got, which was fine, as we all did know about Bob before he opened communications with New Haven as we began to move. Then several minutes later, we heard, “Silver Horizon’s shuttle is now ready to begin landing clearance.”
A cheerful voice came over the speakers.
“Good afternoon, Silver Horizon. Welcome to New Haven. There's just one thing before landing clearance can be granted…”
I heard the unmistakable enthusiasm in the voice and felt my stomach sink.
Oh, no.
“Knock, knock.”
The children immediately began giggling. Sarah and Nick exchanged incredulous looks, while Darren closed his eyes briefly as if asking the universe for patience.
The pilot sighed. “Who's there?”
“Cargo.”
The giggling grew louder.
“Cargo who?”
“Cargo unloading is only to occur once landing safely.”
There was a moment of silence before the children erupted into laughter. Matt practically bounced in his harness, while Evan leaned forward, grinning so broadly I thought he might hurt his face.
