Chapter 19: Departure

Yuri answered the call to the radio to talk to Ulric for the first time in many months, before long not one but three ACs appeared on the horizon. Ulric joined the three hovering ACs above while the other two settled into the plaza below. While Yuri, Ulric, Ryan and Arley visited above the rest of the crews descended to join the welcome home party their friends were having.

Ulric told them of the relays he had installed that would let them keep in touch with the community back home from here. Yuri told of the Trinium deposit that had been found and after talking to Steve, Mika, Jake and Maj the community began constructing a cargo ship to transport it between, what would soon be known as Zumkari, and the community. An AC with robots on board would be dispatched and work would start on a mining operation, a road connecting it and a port for the cargo ship. Zumkari would soon be a valued trading partner.

The serum injections were carried out and soon all the Zumari women had been inoculated. Babuto and Babuta proudly displayed their new clothing for all to see. Babuta had loaded the AC with sample clothing and orders soon swamped her. She had also brought samples for the Zukari. She offered a partnership to Amanda but Amanda respectively declined for Amanda had other ideas. Babuta then approached Angie one of her former slaves, Angie accepted, and the clothing business started.

Neona found Rania and asked if she had gotten the items she had asked for and Rania smiled and nodded her head yes. They went to the new Zukari AC and Rania handed a number of packages to Neona, which Neona placed in one of the four seat air cars. She gathered Amanda, Summer, and Erika and flew up to join Ryan. When they went to the cabin below Neona handed some of the packages to Amanda.

"Open them," Neona told Amanda.

With shaking hands, Amanda did and found a top, skirt and boots in them. "I don't understand," she said.

"They're yours dear try them on for size. We'll wait up top for your call," Neona said with a smile. They walked up on the deck to wait.

Amanda quickly stripped of her clothes and put on the outfit when she was dressed she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and grinned at the beautiful woman reflected there. With a step that almost bounced she hurried up the steps to let the others see her.

"Wow," said Summer, "You look great."

"I'll say," said Erika.

"There are just a couple more things I need to add," Neona said and opened the package she had taken with her. Neona stepped behind Amanda and fastened a necklace around her neck and then bent down and fastened a knee bracelet just above Amanda's left knee.

Neona stepped back and viewed the woman who stood before her. Amanda wore a powder blue top that hung loosely over her breasts leaving her midriff bare. She wore a short pleated skirt of dark blue panels on top and light blue ones underneath. Her boots were shiny black and zipped up to just below her knees. The necklace she wore was shiny silver in color with two hearts suspended in the front. One heart had a white stone in it and the other had a dark red. The knee bracelet was made of white crystals and also had two hearts with a white and red stone.

"You my dear are beautiful," Said Ryan from his position at the AC controls.

Amanda blushed and tears welled up in her eyes. "What do the hearts stand for?" she asked.

Neona smiled and answered, "The red one stands for you dear and the white one is for me. They symbolize the fact that I will always love you even when we are far apart."

Amanda threw her arms around Neona and started to cry on her shoulder. Summer and Erika stepped to either side and the four of them stood there hugging for a long time. At last, the four of them separated, Amanda announced that she would like to go down to the party below, and show off her new outfit.

Ryan remained on board as the four women descended to the party below. Amanda was the subject of many looks and conversations as she strutted around in her new outfit. The party continued into the wee hours but at last Summer, Neona, and Erika returned to their air car. Amanda approached and confronted the three women.

"Please take me with you when you leave," she begged.

"We can't Amanda. We don't know when or even if we will return. Separation from your people for a long time would result at best. You could even face the possibility of death if you went with us. I love you too much to see you face such a future," Neona said with tears in her eyes.

No matter how insistent Amanda was the answer remained the same. Finally Neona boarded the air car to join her two companions and they went up to the AC above. Crying Amanda waved and then fled into Babuta's quarters where she was staying. There she cried and hours later succumbed to sleep. When she awoke after a fitful sleep it was the day of departure for her new friends. Hurriedly she scribbled a note to Babuto and stashed it in her drawer were it was sure to be found. She left and hid in an abandoned building near the center plaza.

The ACs descended in twos to take on provisions for the upcoming journey. AC2 the one with Ryan, Summer, Neona, and Erika on board took its turn and lowered into the plaza. Provisions were loaded on board followed by hugs and tearful goodbyes.

"No Amanda," Neona sighed, "It hurts that she did not even show up to say goodbye. I'll miss her very much."

"I know you will my dear," Erika said as she put her arm around Neona.

"Maybe she just couldn't stand to say goodbye because I know she loves you a lot Neona," Summer added.

All the Explorers were busy saying goodbye and did not see the figure that stealthily climbed aboard AC2 and tiptoed across the deck. The figure bent down and squirmed into the crawlspace that allowed access to the engine, water converter and other machines that supported the AC. It closed the access door and hunkered down silently.