A cold and blustery day blew across Spaceport, beyond the pale blue sky the lights of distant galaxies shone through the hazy atmosphere. On the crowded docks hundreds of sailors, passengers, and merchants filled the air with a stream of voices. Jane Porter rounded the corner of dock nine, a suitcase in her left hand and her right placed firmly on her head, holding her hat in place. Several scrolls and papers were stuffed beneath her arm, a few of which, unnoticed, were buffeted lose by the wind and lost immediately. The ornate clock over the trade centre wall read, as she glanced up, five minutes to four and she quickened her pace.

She wondered why she hadn't taken the taxi, but the man behind the wheel seemed to leering at her through the glass… she shivered, and not just for the cold. Better to walk than to risk it. She didn't want any more unpleasant encounters today. Suddenly, as she arrived at dock ten the spaceship R.L.S Legacy towered before her; the bow was gleaming and the sails ruffling against a breeze, eager to be gone. The deck from where she stood she could see was already teaming with sailors as final preparations were being hastily completed. Pushing her way through the crowds mumbling "excuse me" and "pardon" she made her way towards the vessel, her heart trembling a little. This was it. She was finally leaving.

Reaching the gangplank she hurried up the steps as a tall and greyish faced man with a thin line of a mouth and horizontal slits for eyes was peering at a checklist. He wore the uniform of a sailor of the royal navy. "Everything seems to be in order…" he was rasping "Company present"

"Wait!" Jane called out raising her hand. "Wait, I…I'm so sorry you see I missed my earlier ride to port and…" her hat was blown up off of her head and onto the ship into a crowd of sailors "Oh!"

"Miss Porter, I presume?" The rasping grey sailor asked condescendingly "Well…you're just in time"

"Yes…again so sorry" Jane, having now made it on board repeated smoothing down her bright yellow skirts "I err…I'm the…"

"…medical assistant?"

"Absolutely, the medical assistant" beaming at the questioning gentleman Jane suddenly remembered herself and looked around hurriedly "Oh dear..."

"Would this be what you were looking for?" she turned around hurriedly, met with a tall feline woman wearing a royal blue coat, hat, tall boots and white gloves. In her hand was Jane's colonial grey hat. She looked down at the bewildered Jane curiously "It flew in front of my path"

"Captain" the man behind Jane immediately stood to attention "Everything seems to be in order"

"Excellent work Mr Baits. Please inform Mr Arrow that we are ready for departure" the woman returned sharply. The Man hurried away and Jane suddenly realising that she had not said anything, and dropped into a curtsey, then reconsidering reverted to a salute stammering "Captain…Madam, I err…thank you so much" she made to take the hat but Captain Amelia had turned the hat over and was inspecting the name written in scrawl-ish handwriting across the rim.

"Miss Porter?" she asked

"Yes Madam?" Jane asked eagerly

"Two things. Firstly, you will call me Captain Amelia upon all occasions where we are to address each other, do you understand?" she took Jane's meek nod as a sign of affirmative and continued "and the second is that you must not under any circumstances be late. I will not tolerate tardiness on my vessel and I will expect you to remember this from now on"

Jane was taken aback by the Captains stern tone of voice and was about of object but thought better of it and replied "Yes, Captain. I will see it does not happen again" not meeting her gaze.

"Carry on" Amelia handed Jane back her hat and turned to walk briskly away. Jane watched her leave, still holding onto her hat.

"Why, if I heard correctly, are you Miss Porter?" The sudden voice made her jump, and she was greeted by a man wearing thin metal glasses and a blue and white medic's coat. His skin was a delicate shade of lilac matching the dark purple of his eyes and his face was covered in a thin sheen of fur. "Dr. Albatross" he introduced himself, shaking her hand as she replaced her hat. "And you Jane are my new nurse correct?"

"Yes…" Jane replied distractedly with a waned smile

"Shaken are you? Well I'm not surprised…" they both shared a glance towards the helm were the Captain now stood conversing with Mr Arrow, a giant of stone "Reserve judgment, dear, she is a capable captain and an decent woman or so I believe. I've sailed under her command for this past year now."

"Oh no, I never thought…" Jane picked up her things which at her side had lain abandoned and glanced back up toward the Captain for a moment. "Well she…she seems very capable, like you said Doctor"

"I expect your tired" the kind man smiled "I'll show you were the sleeping quarters are, and the medical room. Were required on deck for launch, so we'll wait until we've broken the hemisphere" Jane agreed, and took the opportunity to look around her at the faces of the crew. Many species she recognised and a few she didn't but she supposed that Dr Albatross would have records that would enable her to practise medicine efficiently in accordance to their race. She could see no other humans and doubted that she would find any on their journey, and was suddenly gripped with a thrill for the unknown.

Seemingly in time with her thoughts, with a word from the Captain, Mr Arrow announced to set the sails. Groups of sailors dashed to the rigging and climbed the masts, unfolding the solar sails. The gangplank was raised and the rocket boosters lifted the ship into the sky. Jane rushed to the side and watched the Spaceport rapidly shrink beneath her as they soared towards the Orion nebula and the distant horizon.