"Student" Commander Altaica Powell
A The Class Menagerie* short story
a continuation of "The Elevator Between Worlds"
by Don Miller, Jr. (aka LionkingCMSL)

As the 'lift was on its way to the hangar deck, Altaica said, "Computer, change of destination. Transport Room number 3."
"Aye. Transport Room number 3."
The 'lift slowed, stopped then reversed its previous direction of travel. After about three minutes the 'lift doors opened and Altaica glanced out somewhat nervously. She had half expected to see an old college campus. What she saw though was the familiar port bow section of Deck 17. She walked in to the transport room and found Lt. (j.g.) Elmer Malaga at the console.This particular zebra morph had gotten over his fright the captain had given him during a hurried transport a couple of years back.¹ For months after that incident, the Burchell's zebra morph was very nervous around the larger "predators" on board the Lion's Den. Not that they would harm Malaga, but the "wild" zebra within him had strong influences.

As Altaica walked towards the platform, she said, "Lieutenant please put me next to 'The Watering Hole'²."
"Aye, sir. It'll take a second or two as I route through Outpost 1's emitter network."
"Ok. Ready whenever you are."
"Ready now sir. Beginning transport now."

The process took hold, and when Altaica could see again she knew she had a problem. She wasn't on Homestead.

Lt. Malaga couldn't believe what his console was telling him. There had been an energy "flux" just as the transport process had reached the designated emitter. Now there was no sign of the commander. Even if she had been totally dis-assembled and beamed into space, there would be a trace, but there was nothing. Nothing!

"Transport 3 to the Bridge!" the intercom blared exictedly.
"First Officer Painless Wolf here. What is it?"
"I lost the Commander! She was in a transport and she vanished!" came the fast, excited and almost gibbersh reply.
"Please slow down and please repeat you problem again more calmly."
"I lost Commander Powell during a transport! She was in the middle of one and she vanished without a trace. I don't know how!" The lieutenant was nearing hysteria.
Captain LionkingCMSL had walked out of his office and next to his chair during Malaga's repeated statement. "What do you mean by 'lost' Lieutenant?"
"She was in the middle of a transport to Homestead when an energy 'flux' hit the emitter that was being used. Now there is no trace of her. None!"
"Was she ... ?"
"No sir! I would be able to tell! That leaves a trace also!" Malaga was starting to get excited again.
"Ok. Calm down. We'll find her." LK then cut the connection to the the zebra and spoke to his bridge crew. "Ok furs, let's find out what happened. Lee Bibbers, I want a complete sensor sweep of Homestead, Outpost 1, any ship within transport range and local space. Contact the BattleFoxx for help and use of their scanners. If they give you a problem, which I doubt, patch them through to me.
"George, I want every ship, Outpost 1, and every community on Homestead know that we have a missing fur. Let them know that she may be injured and may not be able to contact us." The two named furs "ayed" the captain and went to the task set to them. LK continued, "Lee Philips, I want Tranport 3 to have a complete diagonstic and tear down. I also want the station's conduits and the emitter used checked out throughly."
The muskrat looked at his captain and said, "LK, that transport just finished its 90 day inspection yesterday. It couldn't be where the malfunction occured."
The large anthro lion turned to the 'rat and said in an icy tone, with lips curled back and ears flattened against his skull, "I don't care if that inspection was finished thirty seconds before Altaica used it. I want that thing torn apart and inspected with a microscope if that's what it takes. Do you hear me Commander?"
The normally very active bridge had become dead quiet. This was the first time LK had "bared" his canines at a member of his crew without "good" cause, and this was the first time at a "Command" crew member ever.
Lee Philips could normally argue a point about the engineering sub-systems with the captain and get away with it, but not this time. By the set of LK's ears, lips and eyes, Lee knew that if he disagreed this time, there actually might be blood spilled on the bridge. His blood. He said instead, very quietly, "Aye Captain. Transport 3 will be torn apart to the last resistor. Everything will be inspected. Nothing will be overlooked."
"Thank you Lee."

LK looked at the disheartened muskrat at the Engineering station and knew he would have to apologize for his behavior. He didn't mean to come down that hard on Lee, but if he didn't do everything possible to find Altaica, he'd have one very angry tiger on his paws. Altaica's mate, Lt. Commander Albert Powell. He might still have one anyway.

As LK watched his crew work at their assigned tasks, he had a hunch where Altaica ended up and it would be up to the Creator to bring her back. LK just hoped that the students of DeMontfort would accept a seven and half foot, three hundred seventy five pound tigress without to much trouble.

+++ Somewhere +++

Altaica looked around. She was not on the quiet side street that "The Watering Hole" was located. Instead she was on a busy "main" street and she was looking at an old style college campus. She became aware of voices nearby.

"Did you see that?"
"Where did she come from?"
"Look at the size of her!"
"I still want to know where she came from. She just appeared from nowhere."
"Probably some sort of magic trick. Yah, that's it. A magic trick."
"She has to be in a woman's basketball league."

Altaica quickly moved away from the speakers as she didn't want to be asked questions she couldn't answer. As she was walking, she surreptitously touched a button on her wristlet and said, "Commander Powell to the Lion's Den."
No response.
She touched another stud. "Commander Powell to Outpost 1."
Still nothing.
Altaica touched a third stud that would put her voice on all known used hailing frequencies. "Commander Powell of the Lion's Den to anyone. Can anyone hear me?"
Silence was her answer, but was that George in the background, very, very faintly? She couldn't be sure.

She had stopped in front of a building directory for the campus. She looked at it to get her bearings and very nearly fainted when she saw where she was. In three inch high letters at the bottom of the directory was spelled out "DeMontfort University".

As she was recovering from this shock, a voice, with a British accent, asked, "May I help you? Are you lost?"
Altaica turned to her left and saw a young mare standing there. "No, ... er, ... yes. I seem to be misplaced."
"Whom or what are you looking for?"
Altaica very quickly came up with one of the names of the five students who visited the Lion's Den. "Dani Murrieta. I'm a friend of hers. She didn't tell me where she was located on campus."
"Oh. I can take you there. She is in the same dorm as I, Richter Hall. I am headed there now, as my classes are done for the day."
"Thank you, .... "
"Excuse me. I'm sorry. My name is Cindy Rydelle."
"No apology needed Cindy. It's a pleasure to meet you."

While they were walking, Cindy said, "Dani didn't tell me that she had a friend that was a basketball player."
"Well, I'm not. I've been in some 'pick-up' games, but I seem to intimidate the other furs, ... people." Altaica knew she had to watch how she spoke. There had been confusion between the students on board the LD and the crew. Although both groups spoke Standard, or what they called English, there were still differences.
If Cindy heard the gaffe, she never let on. "I can see why. Oh, my."
"What is it?" Altaica asked as they were passing a large building in a courtyard.
"I just remembered that I have to stop in here, the Adminstration Building, for a few minutes. Our building is straight ahead and Dani's room is on the third floor. Her room number is 301. It's the second door on the right."
"Thank you."

They parted and Altaica covered the remaining distance between the buildings in a short amount of time. As she neared the doors, she was prepared for anything. When they did not open for her, when she approached, she reached for the obvious handle. She also had to duck her head when going through the doors, as they weren't designed for a fur of her height. As she was looking for the 'lift to take her on the third floor, a set of double doors opened and two students got out. They only spared her a glance as they were in a rush.
She entered the 'lift and said, "Computer, third floor."
Nothing happened.
"Computer! Third Floor, now!"
The elevator still did not respond. Just as she was to walk out and find a flight of stairs, a bear morph walked in, with his muzzle buried in a book. He didn't even look up as he pressed "2" on the elevator keypad. The doors closed and the elevator started to move. Very sheepishly, and quietly, Altaica pushed "3" and leaned against the back wall.

When the doors opened for the third floor Altaica got out and then realized that Cindy didn't tell her which way she should turn when she got out of the 'lift. She looked to her left, and found a blank wall a few feet from her. She turned to her right and started to walk.

Altaica was passing the first door on her right when she saw Kevin leaving his room at the end of the hall.
"Kevin, is that you?"
"Altaica? What are you doing here?"
"Seems an errant Transport beam put me here," Altaica said with a rueful smile.
Kevin just shook his head and walked over to Dani's door and started pounding on it. "Dani! Open up."
Dani opened her door and said threateningly, "Kev, this better be important."
Kevin just jerked his right thumb over his shoulder towards Altaica.
Both Dani's eyes and mouth opened wide when she saw who was standing behind Kevin. "Commander Powell?!? What are you doing here? How did you get here?" There was a noise and Dani saw the booted foot of Brad coming out of the elevator. "Quick, get in my room!" Dani said pulling on Altaica's arm.

Altaica let herself be led into the smallish room, remembering to duck, just in time. She then repeated to Dani what she had told Kevin and elaborated a bit more.
"So the roles are reversed," Kevin quipped.
Dani said, "Only a half hour since we left? It's been a week." She looked to Kevin for confirmation and he nodded in agreement. "Have you talked to or seen anyone, other than Kev and myself?"
"Well, there were students who seen me transport in, but they think it was a 'magic trick'. I also met one of your fellow students. Cindy Rydelle. She's the one who told me where to find you. I told her that I was a friend of yours. I hope that's okay with you."
"I have no problem with that. I would like to think you, and the rest of the crew of the Lion's Den as friends, for the kindness you shown us. What's the problem Kev?"
Kevin had been standing there with a bemused look on his face. "She said only a half hour had passed, when it was a week for us. Now is that because of time flowing at different rates or because of a 'wrinkle' in time? Hmmmm. I wonder."
"Kev, we don't have time for that. We have to figure how to explain Commander Powell's appearance here. Also, how to get her back where she belongs."
"We could always stay with that I'm your friend and I'm looking to take advanced courses here. As far as getting me back to the Lion's Den, I think that will happen in its own good time. I don't think we can influence it one way or the other."
"That'll work, your cover story, but we'll have to tell the other three. If they don't agree, ... well Dani always has her clipboard," Kevin said with an evil smile.

There was a knock at Dani's door.
"Dani? It's Scott. We have a problem."
When Scott said his name Altaica rolled her eyes upward and thought, "Oh no! Not him. Anyfur but him."
Dani opened the door and said, "Scott get in here. We have something to discuss."
Scott walked in and did a double take when he saw Altaica. He put on his most disarming smile and said sweetly, "I see that you decided to look me up."
Altaica gave him such a cold look that it would've froze mercury, and said, "Mr. Sorrell, I have no interest in you. I am happily mated and therefore not available. Not only that, we are from different universes, I believe."
Scott kept his smile, but inside he wilted. "Oh. I see. Mated?"
"Married. Hitched. Spoken for. Have a significant other."
"Ahh."
"Scott, Commander Powell is using, as a cover story, that she's a friend of mine and is here to see about some advanced classes. Got it?" Dani asked.
Scott looked at Dani, Altaica and then "the clipboard" that was on Dani's desk, and said, "Got it."
"Now, what's the problem you were talking about?"
"One of the washers, number three, is not completeing its cycle. It goes halfway then quits."
Dani gave a heavy sigh and said, "Ok. I'll get a repairman to look at it."

Damon, as was the rest of the football team, was getting tired of Biff's fantastic story. Six mile long battleships and large anthro lions in space. Really. The only thing that kept Damon from totally discounting the story and telling Biff that he had been sacked one too many times was the fact the story was always the same. It never varied. Plus when you add in the other four that "were" there, well, maybe there was something to it. That last was the reason he let Biff "drag" him to Richter. So he could talk to the other students.

"I'm telling you Damon, some of these people were huge," Biff said as he left the elevator.
"How huge Biff?" Damon asked as he looked at the lion.
"They would put our basketball team to shame. The Captain was close to eight and a half feet tall. A tigress ...." Biff then saw Altaica crossing from Dani's room and into the lounge. "I-i-is h-h-here!"
"What are you babbling about?" Damon said as Biff dragged him by the arm to the lounge. "There are no large tigresses here ...." Damon stopped short when he looked into the lounge and saw a very tall tigress whose ears were almost brushing the ceiling.
"Biff, Damon, meet my friend Altaica. She's here visiting. She may be taking courses here."
"Pleased to meet you Altaica," Damon said. To Dani he continued, "I know what you're saying, but you do know that Biff has been telling the story of your adventure all over the campus."
Dani gave Biff a serious look and tapped her clipboard. Biff finally got what she was saying and nodded his head. To Damon she commented, "Yes, I know. Fortunately not many believe him."

As the other Richter Three students came in they were introduced to Altaica with the same cover story. Tony was taken aside, by Kevin, and was fully briefed.

+++ Aboard the Lion's Den +++

George looked up from his board. He thought he could hear Altaica's voice very faintly.
"LK listen to this!"
George patched his board to the main Bridge speakers, turned up the gain and thru the static was very plainly heard, "Commander Powell of the Lion's Den to anyone. Can anyone hear me?"
"George, see if you can contact her!"
George didn't answer, as he was already doing that very thing. "This is the Lion's Den Altaica. You're coming in very faint. Can you hear me? Where are you?"
Static was his answer.
He turned to his captain with a very sad look on his muzzle. "I'm sorry LK. I lost her."
"That's ok George. You did your best. At least we know that she's alive. Keep trying."
"Aye, sir."

*** Three hours later ***

A very disheveled and dirty muskrat appeared on the bridge.

Lee stood at strict military attention, saluted and said, "Sir! Transport 3 has had a complete diagonstic done on it and has been completely torn apart. Nothing was found out of the ordinary. I also have had a report from Outpost 1. They did the same thing to the conduits and emitter used with the same result. The problem was not here or on Outpost 1."
"At ease Lee. Thank you for your report. We have had audio contact from Altaica and she is alive. Somewhere.
"I would also like to apologize for my behaivor earlier. I didn't mean to come down hard on you. We're all friends here. I bared my canines at you in public, so I'm making my apology in public also."
"Permission to speak freely sir."
"Lee, it's LK. You know that. You can speak freely at any time. You also know that."
"You couldn't prove what you just told me to me three hours ago. I don't believe there was call for your actions."
LK looked down to the deck and said, "Lee, again, I'm sorry. But if I don't do everything to satsify not only myself, but also Albert, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You know how I feel towards my crew."
"Yes, I do. That's what makes your actions so hard to believe."
LK looked at the muskrat and extended a paw. "Friends?"
Lee looked at the offered paw, took it and said, "Friends and apology accepted."
With that the bridge broke out in appaluse, and LK said, "Ok. Let's see what we can do to get our missing fur back. I think I may know where she is."

+++ DeMontfort U. +++

It had been a tiring three weeks at DeMontfort for Altaica. She had forgotten how hard college life was.
She had been approached by not only the woman's basketball team, but also the wrestling team, and the martial arts club. They all had put on a hard sell campaign, but she resisted. The offer from the martial arts club came when she was working out at the gym and she was using some modified moves in practice. The instructor there had asked her for a match. She had warned him that she was very highly skilled and a black belt. The instructor said that he would take his chances. He had floored Altaica once. He had used a move that she had not seen used in a long, long time. After that it was all Altaica. She broke off the match after only ten minutes, much to the relief of the instructor. She had so many new moves, to him, and could move her huge body so quickly, that she became an orange blur. Altaica was actually afraid that she had hurt him with one blow that knocked him down, hard. He got up, wobbly, after about 2 minutes. That's when she called the match.

She had sat in with some of the students to see what they were being taught. She was appalled at how inpersonal some of the instructors were. She had to hold her toungue more than once when theories were being taught that she knew had been disproven, or at least had been modified.

To their credit, the students, of all Richter, very quickly accepted Altaica as one of them. The six students who knew the true story helped her accustom herself to life at DeMontfort and Earth in general. Even Biff, more than once, covered for her when she was at a loss for words.

She had been invited to some parties, and she attended. It was during one of these parties that she almost blew her cover story.

"So what do you do?" Brad asked.
"I'm in security. I head a security force."
"Oh. Won't your employer miss you, or are you here on the company's behalf?"
"I sure hope LK misses me. But I don't know if they can find me. I'm so far away from home."
"Huh?"
"Oops. I meant that I didn't know where Dani was located on campus, so I didn't give them a way of contacting me. Excuse me Brad."

She left Brad and went to another room to practice her cover story again. She hoped that Brad wouldn't tell everyfur what had happened.

She was sitting in Dani's room reading a newspaper to see what the local happenigs were. She had gotten into some deep discussions, but she was a quick learner, and all those briefings and reading she had done kept her out of trouble. Altaica did not know how she would repay Dani for her kindness. The poor mouse had put up with her very graciously and never once complained.

Altaica's wristlet chirped, scaring not only Dani, but herself as well. She had almost forgotten what it sounded like. She touched a button and said, "Student, er, Commander Powell here."
LK's voice came over the link and said, laughingly, "Student Commander? That's a new one. Are you ready to come home Altaica? I have one very worried tiger here."
"Yes, LK. I'm ready." To Dani she said, "Well, it looks like I have to leave. Thank you for your kindness and tell everybody goodbye for me."
"Yes, I'll do that Altaica. You are very welcome. Say hello to Captain LionkingCMSL for me."
"I will." Into the wristlet Altaica said, "Ok. I'm ready."
"Right. Starting transport process now."

Dani watched her large friend vanish. There was a knock on her door and she opened it to find Kevin.
"Hey Dani, where's Altaica. I thought she was with you. I want to ask her some questions."
"She went home," Dani said as she wiped away a tear.

+++ Aboard the Lion's Den +++

When her vision cleared, Altaica saw LK and Albert both standing next to the transport console. There was a very relieved looking Lt. Malaga also.

"Welcome back," LK said. "Were you where I think you were? DeMontfort?"
"Yes. How long have I been gone?"
"Only four hours, Al." Albert got a glare from the commander. Albert looked at the captain, who just shook his head. "Ok, Altaica it is. I see you've been shopping."
Altaica looked at the "scrubs" she was wearing. "Fours hours!?! I've spent three weeks at DeMontfort. I owe Kevin for these. My gi was getting a tad worn. I might just have some made. They're as comfortable as the gi."
LK looked at Altaica and said with a smile, "Three weeks, eh? I might just deduct that from your vacation time." At the hurt look the tigress gave him, LK continued, "I'm kidding Altaica. Let's get out of here so the lieutenant can close up shop."
"Aye, LK," both of the tigers said.

THE END

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* = All The Class Menagerie characters and artwork © Vince Suzukawa/Classwork Comics, 1997-2001.
All Lion's Den characters and artwork © Don Miller, Jr (aka LionkingCMSL or LK) 2000 - 2001
Painless Black Wolf © himself (Yes, that's his real name.)
¹ Please see "Respite" by this author.
² "The Watering Hole" © John "the Gneech" Robey (He had put "The Watering Hole" in a NG we both frequent.)