Through The Gate, Part Two

What came through the gate was not what I expected.

In truth, I had expected a human or something human-like. I've had experiences with many strange creatures in my travel but I suppose it is a flaw of my race that we are a bit ego-centric when it comes to species. When told someone is arriving, the first thought my simple mind will have is the image of a human being. I have not investigated it thoroughly but I wonder if this is the same with all races?

Regardless, what stepped through the gate was not human. I was presented with a bipedal black and white form. The first thing that registered being a majestic feline tiger head. This was followed by a stout white fur torso striped with black swaths and covered by an unbuttoned blue work shirt, two white curving horns arching outwards from the vack of the head, a pair of white and black reptillian wings sprouting from the back and, finally, a pair of squarish black sunglasses. He surveyed us after adjusting from the gate travel and with a tilt of his large head greeted us with a noble look in his eye. This was my first introduction to Chesyr Pontchartrain, dracowolger.

After introductions were passed, I learned that we had come through the gate to be standing in his own personal floating station. At this point, Mr. Roo graciously seemed to hand over host duties as Mr. Pontchartrain offered to show Mr. Roo and myself several upgrades as well as offering me a tour of the station. I, of course, agreed and followed behind my new host torn between the fascination at where I found myself and the odd combination of beasts which he represented.

Our first stop on a circular teleportation device was a medical station. It featured several beds and an array of stunning and impressive equipment the likes of which I have not seen before. I must admit that much was lost on me as I am no doctor however I must stress that it looked to be the finest of equipment that would place most medical offices I have encountered to shame. From there, we teleported back down to the station and landed on what appeared to be a long landing strip for incoming craft.

Now, at last, I stood on ground that I was long familiar. In my travels, they go by many names, docks, landing spires, hubs, ports. I have stood at many in wonder, some on a coast, some floating amongst purplish clouds, some dangling from the top of the tallest mountain of an impressive range. The first encounter with a new port is always a thrilling moment. And, as I hurried with my imager to take images, my first thought was how the readers from Caledon would take this amazing piece of construction? We stood there for several minutes as I breathed it all in. I am sure that Mr. Pontchartrain said something but I must apologetically confess I did not hear him stunned as I was by the scope of the station before me.

From the landing strip we walked directly to the station where the main hangar doors opened to reveal a large and accommodating space for vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Four airships unknown to me but all looking sleek and powerful, floated around us. Mr. Pontchartrain mentioned with a smile that all the ships were free to be used by guests. Luckily, I had recovered myself enough to remember that statement and store it away happily for the future. We stood here for some time and spoke of airships and the capabilities of them. As we did, I made what records I could of ship types, sizes, and construction notes for those back in Caledon. Within a few moments we were moving onward to see other areas of the station.

I was taken to a commons area adorned with a wonderful circular fountain where stood several stalls and booths operated by the airship and transport companies known to pass through the area. Mr. Pontchartrain pointed out a dirigible airship created by someone known as Cubey Terra. By the way he was spoken of Mr. Terra appears to be someone that has gathered some fame to himself from his work in the department of airships and other transports of similiar character. The airship that appeared on display within the small stall certainly appeared of stout and solid construction. I could have wandered there for some time but we were moving on. Our next stop was a dining and gaming hall that featured one or two of the clockwork gaming devices I have grown used to seeing here on the mainland as well as another large poker table and a billiards table. A clockwork device similiar to the one that had scanned me upon entering through the Stargate floated behind a small bar and offered drinks to any that arrived.

Mr. Pontchartrain seemed very excited to show me something he called a holodeck and so I continued to follow him to what would be yet another amazing discovery. The room we entered was oval in its construction. A narrow gangplank stretched from the entrance door outward to a centrally located circular standing area. Featured upon one side was a rectangular control panel with an interface that seemed similiar to those I had seen in the medical facility. Windows all along every side of the room lent a spacial sense of freedom and of being detached from the rest of the station.

As Mr. Pontchartrain moved his large furred fingers over certain areas of the control panel the room suddenly changed. I was forced to keep from dropping instinctively into a crouch or, even, all the way to the floor. However, my instinct seemed to stumble into my common sense when I realized that the floor itself had disappeared! We were standing, seemingly without support, over a snow covered and cloud capped mountain range! This was Mr. Pontchartrain's holodeck.

My vertigo was quickly ignored as I spun in place and everywhere I looked was an amazing vista as if, with a flick of a switch, he had catapulted us directly into a massive still image captured by crystal. Astounding! No hiss of steam, no clicking sound of gearworks disturbed the scene. Even when flying, there is a sense that you cannot experience the totality of it as you deal with buffeting winds or holding your body right against the downward pull of gravity. Not the case here as the viewer need only stand still upon a floor that appears to not exist and absorb the wonder all around them.

We cycled through several views, some of a natural subject matter and some that appeared to be taken within great adorned buildings. The uses for such a device, not only for recreation but for medical or educational purposes, began to assault me. And it was at this moment that the first thought of apprehension gathered itself to me. Would the public at Caledon believe my story so far? Such astounding devices that might very well change the very face of who and what Caledon is today? You see many things being the captain of an Otherworld ship and due to it, I adjust rapidly to change. Though even with the previous training, I found myself hard pressed to fully understand the technology being used easily upon this station. What would a person from Caledon, who had lived their entire life on the ground, say to such wonders? Know, dear reader, that it is only after long and thoughtful meditations that I decided to tell this story.

My two hosts and myself discussed several different things as we stood there. Occasionally, Mr. Roo and Mr. Pontchartrain would share a technical discussion. Eventually, the holodeck was shut down and travel continued through the station. Mr. Pontchartrain showed me a room set up specifically for using crystal imagers as well as a very intriguing and technical Mainland version of a crystal imager that he called a camera. It looked very interesting but I believe I will stick by my old Fey hand-me-down for now. Besides, it was given to me by a good friend.

Our travel took us, finally, back to the hanger where Mr. Pontchartrain mentioned that he would need to leave on business matters soon. Indeed, the hour had grown quite late and I imagined Miss Ofeq might have begun to wonder why I had not returned to camp. Miss Ofeq! She would have to be shown this place, these devices! Mentioning this, I received a warm hearted invitation from Mr. Pontchartrain to come to the station and avail myself of its services at anytime. A grand and honorable dracowolger indeed!

At this point, I had the question of how to get back to where I had started my day. I voiced my concerns and was instructed that I could use the Stargate or, if I wished, I could use escape pods to make my way down to the ground...

~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~