Across The Universe With A Giant Housecat (The Blue) Read Free Page A

sometimes rankled that I had had to give up my dream. Even the name Stellar Intrepid formed a bitter taste of regret in my mouth.  
    Why would they be contacting me now?
    “I’ll take it in the cockpit,” I announced, heading forward to the cockpit.
    Whoa… I felt a little unsteady on my feet. I slowed down a bit, taking each step carefully until I reached the cockpit and collapsed into the pilot’s chair.
    The cockpit of the Dragontooth was easily my favorite place in the whole ship. It had a huge window looking out into space; I had spent many an hour in quiet contemplation, seated in one of the comfortable pilot’s chairs, staring out into at the vast blackness of space.
    Through the window, the pearly pink of the planet shone below, its atmosphere making its edges hazy. Above it, the sky gave way to darkness, several stars twinkling in the distance. And the Dragontooth was suspended in the middle, in the planet’s orbit.
    I had almost died on that planet. With narrowed eyes, I gave it a challenging gaze. The planet was like an old adversary now, the kind best regarded from a healthy distance. Well, it hadn’t beaten me. Of course, that had been because of a thirteen-year-old girl and a giant housecat, but even so, I had won.
    Katelyn appeared beside me, her fingers flying across the monitor as she accessed the comm.  
    A face popped up on the monitor. It was a male face, the mouth a firm line of disapproval, the eyes hard and calculating beneath thick gray eyebrows. He was in his late fifties, perhaps older.
    I recognized him at once.
    He was Standing Admiral Northe, one of the men in charge of the entire Stellar Intrepid.

Chapter 4

    I didn’t expect that at all.
    “Sir!” I gulped. What did he want? “It is a pleasure to see you, sir. How may I help you?”
    I had only seen him once before, when he had paid a visit to Horatio Nelson Military Academy when I had been a student there, before my injury. Other than that, my only knowledge of him came from a portrait that hung in one of the halls of the military school, alongside the portraits of other admirals, past and present.
    “You’re Alan Michael Wolf?” he asked, his voice gruff. Was he angry? Perhaps that was just his normal expression.
    “Yes, sir!” I proclaimed with too much enthusiasm. I was instantly nervous at speaking to someone of so high a rank.
    Leo caught sight of the man on the monitor and bristled, letting out a low growl. Katelyn shoved him out of the cockpit and closed the door. Thankfully, Northe didn’t see any of that.
    “Good. My name is Standing Admiral Northe. I’d like to speak to you.”
    “Yes, sir. I’m listening.” I leaned forward.
    “I’ve got an offer for you, Wolf. But I don’t want to discuss the details of it over this comm. channel. I’m at Iron Horn Base now.”
    “You want me to come there?” I asked.
    “Yes. Soon, if possible.” He certainly didn’t mince words.
    “How soon?”
    “Can you leave today? I know you aren’t active military anymore and this request is unorthodox, but I’d consider it a favor if you were prompt in your arrival here.”
    I glanced over at Katelyn, whose face was a study of astonishment and surprise. She hadn’t expected any of this, either.
    Considering our reason for running from Randew Larsen was gone, we didn’t have anywhere else to be.
    “I’ll be there. I’ll leave today.”
    “Excellent. Arrangements are already made for your arrival. I look forward to speaking with you.” The monitor switched off.
    I let my breath out slowly and collapsed back into the pilot’s chair.
    “They want you!” Katelyn exclaimed, bouncing into the chair next to me. “For what?”
    “I haven’t the foggiest,” I admitted.  
    “What’s Iron Horn Base? Why does it sound familiar?”
    “Don’t you remember? That’s where I went to military school two years ago. Horatio Nelson Military Academy on Iron Horn Base. ”  
    Two years ago, I hadn’t been the spacefaring