She worked through lunch, only taking a torresh to finish her task-of-the-day as quickly as possible. At 5120, the wiring of the subsole was ected and w. She let Lenny, their first AI, perform the full check while she climbed out of the narrow access shaft uhe sole, smoothed her fur again and the out looking for the twins.

  She found Tryxa watg her twin, who was also inside a panel.

  "Tryxa, you e over with me for a moment?"

  Tryxa perked up her ears in doubt but listened while they walked to the old wreck with a matg fusion core tan. Tryxa just g the pumps and shook her head. "Too old. Rotten bearings. Better check the bearings of your pumps first."

  So they went over tan, or rather hull 472, as Trina insisted. With the repced power pack fully charged, she could boot her up and even start the pumps. Tryxa touched the g of each pump while she started them. "Better ge the bearings on all of them. I'll show you tomorrow."

  "Thank Tryxa," and hugged her.

  Tryxa smiled but then quickly returo her twin sister.

  She lingered a little longer in the cockpit, not looking at the tent of the ss, half lost in thought, half rexing for a moment. It would be great if she could avoid cutting and welding altogether. The item on her repair list for the Sagan was the life support system.

  She sat in front of the life support sole and copied the error messages onto her pad before she shut the Sagan down again. The dark amplified the smell of the stale air and the even mouldy note. She sighed, powered on the lights again. Removing the old filters did not take long, she just had to find a regur tool for the outdated screws. The filters were filthy and mouldy, but dry enough not to give off spores. She almost gagged at the stench everating through the mask, as she took them apart and pced them in the self-sealing biohazard tainer.

  It took a long shower to get the stink out of her fur. When she was finally not smelling like ripe kutas aed from the drier, she saw a message for Eli on her pad. 'Are you ing tonight?

  'Thanks for the invite,' she sent back. Only theiced the time. Uh, she was te already. Her stomach rumbled as she thought about eating, another reason to make haste.

  * * *

  At 6623 she emerged from the shipyard, showered but still in her smelly clothes. She was the st, even Trina had left already. She messaged Trina that she would not be ing to the 'Blended Followers'. Without waiting for Trina's reply, she went to the lift on the terside. After all, it was only a short walk to the terside this close to the spoke on the innermost deck of the station. Soon the lift arrived and a little ter she was on the fourth deck with Petra den.

  The door had barely swung open when Eli came out of the kit, still in her apron. "Great Rerra, e in. Kit hach jucht left for an evening job."

  "Thank you," she smiled ao the ging room where she threw her dirty clothes into her drawer. Strippi natural by now, she felt eveer without the smelly clothes.

  "Eli, I am ready," she called as she ehe kit.

  "e to che den," Eli lisped, leaving the pots and pans and opening the door to the den for her.

  Upoering, the kittens stopped pying and raced towards her as usual. And of course, she bowed to the mother first: "Greetings, mother."

  The mother stood up. "e, Rerra, sit o me."

  This was he kittens followed her across the room and waited at her feet as she sat down on a cushion beside the mother.

  Only then did the mother sit down. ook a seat oher side.

  "How are you?" the mother asked.

  "Tired, lots of work. But I love it, and I repair my own jump ship."

  "And outside work?"

  "My ex-cousin Trina is a great cat. We hang out a lot outside of work when I am not here. Life is better than ever. And I am also very happy that Eli invited me to your den. I am most honoured."

  But that was not what the mother wao know. "Holy, are you happy without a ?"

  "I am happy to be free of Samul," she replied diplomatically, not sure where this versation was going, "I am certainly not missing the obligations."

  "Oh, I see. What do you think about joining a again?"

  "I will never return to Samul," she snapped, more forcefully than it olite. "Sorry."

  "I am sorry that your did not support you as they should have."

  "mother, if they had been just a little bit more like Petra, I would not have thought for a moment to renounce Samul."

  The mother chuckled. "So you may be pleased to hear that if you want, Petra will adopt you." The kittens who had gathered around her cheered and jumped up and down. The mother went on, "You know we are not a big , this tribe and one on the p are all we have left."

  She only half listened, still processing what the mother had just offered. Leaving a was rare. Including her, it had only happehree times in the many tribes of the Samul . At least that was what she had been told to disce her. ging s had happened often enough that it had even been covered in the history lessons at her school. Usually with a political background and mostly way back during the civil war shortly after Hopkins II's death. Adoption had been very on in the beginning, when the leading tribes had filled their ranks with able cats from tribes outside the founding s, before they had more offspring ihan suitable jobs, like now. It was still a on story in the dramas, a lonely but able cat being adopted by a high . But as far as she knew, it had never happened i times, at least in the upper tribes of the Samul . The dramas were more fial legends if not ht propaganda.

  Thus, she had prepared herself for a life as a lo when she had renounced Samul. The possibility of being adopted had never crossed her mind; at best she expected to found a ribe. And notion was being offered by a g , even a founding . She was overwhelmed, uo trol either her tail or her ears, showing her obvious respoo everyone. She still hesitated to speak, worried about the troubles Samul might cause the Petra . Most likely, they might lose some catering tracts. Even though she had beeed from all Samul databases, Curragh Samul was listed as her mother's name only on her birth certificate. She took a deep breath. "mother, I am honoured and happy. But I worry that Samul might cause trouble."

  "Nonsense. We don't care. What does your heart tell you?"

  Her heart? That was obvious. "My heart says yes."

  The kittens cheered again, "Yes, Sister Rerra," and danced around her legs. Eli smiled and nodded. A warmth filled her.

  "The us make this official. Please get your pad."

  Before she was fully standing, Eli was already hugging her. "I'm cho happy," she cried.

  Her head inning. She was happy, tired, and a little scared, but mostly euphoric. Hugging the soft, fluffy Eli gave her stability, she took in her new sister's warmth, and with another deep breath imprihe st of her eldest sister. Yes, she had missed a loving , she had missed it all her life. But now only she k. Tears flowed freely.

  "Eli," Kit ran into the den, "Eli, hurry. I've already set the buffet."

  "Chorry, I have to go." Eli broke the hug, patted her on the head, gave her a toothy smile and walked quickly out.

  She stood for a moment before remembering: Her pad. Kit was still standing in the doorway. "Sister?" she asked.

  She nodded.

  "Great, tell me ter!" Kit smiled and ran out after Eli.

  On her way to her drawer, Yuha came ba carrying an old wooden box. She hurried to her drawer and was soon back with her pad.

  The mother had opehe old box. Inside was an old dagger in a bd white striped enamel sheath and under a felt was an antique pad. The mother carefully straightehe felt on the inside of the cover and took the dagger out of the sheath. The bde was not shiny as expected, rather badly stained in all shades of brown. She stood now in front of mother, the clover iween them.

  The mother looked into her eyes. "Rerra, will you put the above all else, defend the d be oh it?"

  She swallowed, this was the oath like in the old dramas. Her fur stood on her bad oail. "Yes, mother, I will defend Petra and be oh it." The old oath!

  The mother hen tore Rerra's head bad sank her es into her exposed throat. She screamed. But the mother still held her head bad now even put the dagger to her throat. But it was only a light touch. Then she slowly let go of her head.

  She would have colpsed, but Yuha supported her.

  " you stand?" a worried Yuha asked.

  "Yes," she mumbled and sat up, reag for her throat. Her fingers came back red and some of the fur at her throat was sticky. That had not been in the dramas!

  Tab came with a cloth. "This may sting," was all the warning she gave before pressing it to the wound.

  And it stung like hell. Luckily, she had no cws, or she might have actally injured someone. But whatever was in the cloth, it also he pain. Her breathiuro a more normal pace.

  "I am sorry," the mother apologised, "but this had to be done properly. Here, look at your part of Petra." She pced the hilt in her palm which she gripped blindly, not wanting to move her head. So she just mumbled "Thank you" iest voice she could manage and raised the dagger. It now had a fresh red staihe tre of the bde which was drying quickly.

  "Rex a bit. We register you officially as soon as the blood has dried." She put her hand around the one holding the dagger. "This etra's dagger, a personal present from Hopkins II on her successful transformation, as he had been the first."

  It sent another shiver down her fur. This was a very important artefact from the beginning of her civilisation, quite likely the oldest of all. And even though she had been a high-ranking Samul, she had only seen the neckce of Samul from a distan a showcase, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Samul's birth, questionable as that date was. But now she was holding the real dagger, the first item ever given to a cat. She shivered again, then ha to the mother. "Thank you," she whispered.

  That finally brought the kittens out of their hiding pder the table.

  The mother nodded and carefully sheathed the dagger, taking care not to actally smear any of the dried blood. Then she picked up the a block. "Whenever you are ready, we will register you to make it official."

  "I am ready."

  She didn't have to do much. Just s all her paws (well, hands a) and her eyes, register her voice, the full biometric suit on the old pad. "Stand still, please." Yuha shooed the kittens aside, then took the pad and walked arouaking close-ups of her fad finally sing her ID code.

  , the mother identified herself to the tablet, then Tab and Yuha. The s ged colour and a waiting animation appeared.

  "Make way!" Fieta shouted, pushing the food trolley into the room. She wao help, but the mother held her back. So she just watched as the kittens eagerly danced around the trolley, their eyes now only on the food.

  Her tab pinged. She accepted the pop-up, firming her new , which required full biometrics. After the ceremony with the oath and the bde, it was a letdown, more administrative hassle than life-ging. Like twenty days ago, when Samul had finally accepted her renunciation, she sed her fad eyes again and added her code. The pad rebooted and greeted her with 'Wele, Rerra from Petra'. Despite this rather mundane procedure, she cried again.

  "Rerra, it is our turn now," Yuta spoke softly. She, Fieta and Tab waited with their ptes ready; the kittens were already eating noisily.

  She rose and quickly filled a pte with something, smiling and sniffing. Swallowing still hurt a little.

  * * *

  The m brought the familiar sts of the den. By now she could identify all the cubs, the kittens, the teens, Eli, Kit, Tab, Yuha, Fieta and, of course, her new mother. Even total darkness meant nothing. She rose from the kitten pile. The kittens stirred but slept on. Silently she tiptoed out to the entrance. She shut the door and switched on the nightlight. But the toilet was not her destination, so she quickly ged into her dirty clothes and headed for her .

  In the , she filled her two bags with all her belongings auro the den. Wheouched the door, it read, 'Wele home, Rerra' and opened. She had wet eyes again, yes, she was ing home.

  Kit was already awake i, preparing breakfast. She smiled when she saw her, which brought tears to her eyes again. Kit came over and gave her a locker to put her things in. There were ten lockers for the seven adults, so there would be some time before they o expand. She gave Kit a little help i, theo meet Trina outside her .

  Trina sniffed. "Good m, favourite ex-cousin. Do I smell kittens? And even some blood? Looking forward to another breakfast story."

  "M," she replied mely, overwhelmed by Trina's opening. Still tired, she followed Trina to the 'Blended Followers' table.

  "I told you I stayed at the Petra den?"

  "So?"

  She was sure Trina would be thrilled with whatever she said. Still, she hesitated. "Trina, I am now, er..." She turned on her pad and showed Trian the 'Wele Rerra from Petra'.

  Trina looked at it, then jumped up and hugged her over the table. Tears flowed on both sides.

  "Oh, Rerra, great, you got over your hatred of s."

  "Call me a hopelessly romantic cave cat. But this Petra is what every should be, family and supportive, and all for the , but not in a fighting way. They are so positive," she sniffed again.

  "I'm really happy for you. Petra must be very special," Trina sniffed.

  "They are. I chied out with Samul. I admire you and your sense of duty."

  "No, I do not have the ce to give up everything."

  "I really had nothing to give up, so it was easy for me. And one day you ge things. Hell, you already ged the shipyard. I don't imagi was such a happy pce before."

  Trina smiled, "You have a way with words." She sniffed again.

  "I guess, now you visit me at Petra for dinner."

  Trina shook her head violently. "Nonsense, just imagine my mother when she hears about me visiting the Petra den. No, much too early. e, eat up. Any other ges I should know about?"

  "I celled my . I will be staying with Petra from now on. But," she sniffed, "you're still my best friend."

  * * *

  Trina gave her an easy task today and she pleted it within a 1000. Tryxa was busy, but the twins had of course talked about her request with the pumps. Traxy would show her how to open the t pump g and ge the bearings.

  Opening the gs was straight forward but it took the loime to get the old screws to move at all. The bearings were simple ceramic ball bearings, effective pad light. But they were beyond repair, their balls corroded and broken. Even she could see it. Because the bearings had been shrunk on the axles, they had to cool the axle ahe bearings to hammer them off. It took all m. Now she was worried about how to align the new bearing on the axle ily the same position iion to the bdes.

  But it was easier thahought. The liquid nitrogen-cooled axle was steaming with densed air and the bearings were almost glowing. Traxy showed how she could slide them into position without using any ford using another axle as a guide to the correct positions. And when the axle had thermalized, she put it bato the pump. The first pump had taken all m but the pump would be quicker.

  She wao take Tryxa and Traxy out for lunch. But they had their lunch boxes as usual. She quickly went out to buy some sweets for them and two torresh for herself, so they could at least eat together.

  The hree pumps went indeed faster and now she had four well-funing pumps. Well, they still had to be tested under power of course.