Frankly, Zaa!nu was terrified.

The hatch to the bridge was open. She stepped in, and was surrounded by lights. Red-skinned aliens with black horns and yellow fangs were sitting in front of boards half covered in little lights. There were more lights on the walls. An amazing image maker on the far wall was showing...

Zaa!nu stopped and stared, her fear forgotten for the moment.

That...that huge curved blue thing...in the window...is...Ooafa. The entire world.

I'm looking down at the whole world. By the sun and the sea...it's beautiful.

She clicked once or twice, but kept it as muted as she could. She could barely breathe.

"Zaa!nu, do you see the Captain? Zaa!nu?"

Her ears pressed against her helmet, and she blinked, then looked around, trying to make sense of the wonders around her. There was so much. She walked over to one wall, and stared at the blinking lights on the display.

"Zaa!nu, someone's talking to you. Look at them," Geh!kin said urgently.

She turned slowly. Geh!kin made her suit speak, sounding like an alien. She caught the slight tilt and jerk of the actual alien's head as they responded.

"Turn so I can see what he gestured at."

She turned and saw a closed hatch. "The Captain is behind there. Walk up to it. Do you see a control?"

Taking a deep breath, Zaa!nu forced herself to focus. She did as Geh!kin asked. She didn't see how to open the hatch, though.

"I called the Captain on the radio and he said to get in there. Figure out the door control, quickly. Start trying things."

The problem was, Zaa!nu didn't see a doorknob, or a latch, or even a pull-cord. She had no idea what to do. She looked back and forth. I'm just a learning-village girl. How am I supposed to do this!?

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"Try something!" Geh!kin urged.

There was a lit square to one side of the door. Zaa!nu went to press it, even though it didn't look like a button. Before her hand reached it, though, the hatch opened. She flinched, then straightened up and marched in as best she could, still worried about falling over.

Inside, another alien sat behind a desk. He wore a uniform a bit fancier than the others. He was also bigger and wider than most. He was staring at her—no, at the box in her hands. She walked up and set the box down in front of the Captain, then took a step back and, taking a chance, she tried a salute.

Once the box was on his desk, the Captain ignored her, opening it and pulling out the fake Petra. Zaa!nu looked around the room, trying to find a plug for the antenna. She spotted one, but it was behind the desk. There were probably a bunch on the bridge, but I don't know how obvious that would be; the bridge seemed pretty busy.

She stiffened as the Captain started shouting. Uh-oh, he figured out it was a fake right away. Geh!kin was talking fast. Zaa!nu tried to help by gesturing vaguely with her arms as if it were really her talking. Or really Killian talking, rather.

"Stand at attention, best you can," Geh!kin whispered urgently. Zaa!nu did. Then Geh!kin shut up, except for saying brief things that probably were "yes, sir" or "no, sir." The Captain stood, and yelled louder and louder.

The hatch behind her opened again, and the Captain's voice lowered somewhat. He was yelling at the new person now, and Zaa!nu took a chance and turned her head enough to see. It was the same alien who had gotten in her way, back in the hangar. Killish's rival, if that was what he was, was smiling. He barked out a couple of enthusiastic answers, saluted, then turned smartly and marched out, sparing the briefest moment to smirk at her.

The Captain continued to chew out "Killian" for another zeg or so. Finally, she heard Geh!kin's voice. "Salute, and get out of there. Be polite but fast." Zaa!nu gratefully did as she was told, trying to imitate the rival. She walked out onto the bridge, then back the way she came.

In the passageway, one of the first doors on the left opened, and it was the rival again, mostly suited up now and carrying his helmet in the crook of his arm. He stepped out, and said something brief to "Killian" with a smirk, then marched off quickly.

On an impulse, Zaa!nu blocked the door from closing all the way, checking that the rival wasn't looking back. Once he had turned a corner, she quickly shoved the door open wider and stepped inside, then allowed the door to close. She was in the rival's quarters, and most importantly, there was a plug in the wall that she had glimpsed from the corridor. Checking that there was no one else present, she plugged Petra's antenna in.

She stood there waiting for several moments. Now what do I do? She suspected that she was in a place that would be safe for a kozeg or two, but stayed tense as she wondered how it was going. Finally, Geh!kin spoke.

"All three antennas are in place and working. Good job, everyone. Stand by."

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