A Stitch Through Time

An excerpt from "A Stitch Through Time".
Plot overview: Catherine Rose Jessup, a young 23-year-old widow, late of Colonial Williamsburg and most recently a pioneer settler from the Territory Of Missouri, has mysteriously traveled through time from 1810 to the year 2544.
Alynx Ardeth, a member of the Pangeran race from the Pangere Quadrant, is Head of Security at the Federation Directorate facility in what was once Jefferson City, Missouri. They become good friends as he helps her adjust to her new surroundings, new world and new century.
There is some romance in the novel, but it's clean romance.
In this excerpt, the newlywed Ardeths, along with Dev Mercutio, Bentar Foster and his family, are traveling to the men's new jobs aboard the Pangere Quadrant Space Station after the Missouri facility closes.
They've stopped for a 10-hour layover on a Muldharen freighter, traveling through 2 star portals, before the last 3-hour leg of their journey. Enjoy.
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After contacting the freighter and receiving coordinates to the ship, Bentar punched the information into the control panel in front of him and Alynx. The two men then leaned back to relax abit after putting the shuttle on autopilot control to let the craft do the flying for the last 15 minutes or so of their flight.
They would turn autopilot control off and pilot the shuttle into the ship on final approach but took this opportunity to relax abit. Bentar turned around to check on his wife and son, beaming with love and pride at them. Caydem was happily drinking a bottle and cooing with pleasure over his meal while Mayte sang him a children's song from Orrion.
Alynx turned around and saw Catherine embroidering one of the blocks for their new quilt. The quilt blocks would have embroidered flowers native to both Pangere and Earth.
Eventually, the freighter came into view. Catherine put down her needlework to look at the freighter. "Good Lord!", she exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "Tis HUGE!" Alynx, Bentar and Dev chuckled. Alynx replied, "Actually, it's quite small compared to the space station. But it's definitely bigger than our craft, that's for sure!"
After turning on the shuttlecraft's communications system, he said, "Alynx Ardeth and Bentar Foster of Federation Directorate former Missouri Earth facility, piloting Shuttlecraft 20 from Earth on final approach. Requesting permission to enter your landing bay." A voice answered back, "Permission granted, Shuttlecraft 20. Welcome aboard! Take it slow as we've got several ships coming aboard at the moment." "Copy that", Alynx said. "Will do."
Slowly, though far faster than Catherine thought the person on board the freighter had meant for them to go, Alynx and Bentar piloted the craft onto the ship through the landing bay's forcefield-protected entrance, following the entrance curve into the landing bay before pulling up to the space where a crew member in a long-sleeved yellow and gold uniform with the Federation Directorate insignia had motioned for them to park their craft.
The bay was huge, much larger than the one at the Missouri facility. Catherine was impressed but suddenly very nervous. This was much larger than she'd expected. She also realized that they were on a ship with nothing under them to catch it should it founder. Alynx saw her concern and reassured her that they were flying just as they had been in the shuttlecraft. That seemed to relax her abit. They were greeted by Commander Thromburg as they exited the shuttle. He and Alynx greeted each other warmly with a handshake and a huge hug.
The Commander was an old friend of the men and had actually been one of their instructors when they'd been in training on Orrion, the Fosters' home planet. Alynx and Dev had attended the Academy to become fighter pilots 12 years prior, while Bentar had graduated 5 years later. The flight school on Orrion was known throughout several galaxies as the best for fighter pilot training. If you graduated from Orrion Flight Academy, you were known to be the best of the best, an elite fighter pilot, since only the best pilots made it through their tough program.
Alynx had been the first Pangeran to attend the school and had graduated at the top of his class, earning several awards for his bravery, tenacity and ability as a pilot. A humble man, he didn't brag about his awards, but was deeply honored and proud to have received them.
He'd opted at age 18 not to join the family jewelry business nor to become a sommelier as his sister Panthea had done, instead deciding to become a fighter pilot.
His family was extremely proud of him nonetheless, although his older brothers ribbed him on occasion about becoming a fighter pilot instead of a jeweler and gemologist.
Motioning to the Fosters and offering Catherine his right arm, he said to his old friend, "Brandon, you remember Bentar Foster, class of 2537, don't you? He was also one of my top deputies back on Earth. This is his lovely wife Mayte and son Caydem."
The Commander remembered Bentar and shook his hand, and Mayte's as well, welcoming them to his ship then saying "Hi there, Buddy! Welcome aboard!" to a half-asleep Caydem while gently shaking the infant's hand.
"And I know you remember Dev Mercutio."
The Commander said, "How could I forget?", then shook Dev's hand.
Alynx then said,
"I'd also like you to meet my lovely wife Catherine.", Alynx continued, beaming with pride and love. Catherine curtsied deeply to the Commander as she said, "Tis an exceeding honor and pleasure to meet you, Commander."
Taking an etiquette cue from her, since rarely did a lady curtsy in the 26th century, Thromburg bowed formally to her, the antiquated kind of bow military personnel usually only gave an Ambassador nowadays.
Catherine was pleasantly surprised at the bow, especially since most 26th century gentlemen never seemed to bow or to even know anything whatsoever to do with chivalry, totally different than the customs during her century.
'Manners, and gentlemen, were so much more formal, gallant and chivalrous back then', she'd thought repeatedly to herself in the months since she'd arrived in this century. 'When did manners become so casual and relaxed?', she'd mused almost daily.
"You remarried, Alynx?", the Commander asked, surprised. Alynx nodded his head and said, "Yes, I did, Brandon." Thromburg replied, "Well congratulations, Alynx! Is this the young lady you told me about from the early 19th century?"
"Yes, she most definitely is.", Alynx replied, smiling. "Well it is truly a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Ardeth!", Brandon said to Catherine, who smiled and demurely bowed her head slightly in response.
"Gentlemen, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you all again!", Thromburg said, "Well everybody, let's get you all some lunch before showing you the VIP suite for you to relax in!", leading them to a lift that would take them to the floor containing the officer's dining hall.

A Stitch Through Time", with over 16,000 views on Inkspired, is Live on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9R34KK1?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_ts_5MMRD9NT70D3BYT28QDY

"The Chulmu Chronicles", with over 10,000 views on Inkspired, is Live on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9RKDBTT?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_ts_A8EJ781NH8KDQFNZ1AAC

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I hope you enjoy these books!

All 28 chapters of "A Stitch Through Time", are now live on Inkspired. Check it out at https://getinkspired.com/story/170856/a-stitch-through-time-?ref=mobile I hope you'll enjoy the story of Catherine and Alynx Ardeth. It's available for pre-order on Amazon, and will be on Kindle Vella, and directly through me soon very soon.

A Stitch Through Time Catherine Rose Jessup, a young Terran widow, time travels from 1810 to the year 2544. There she meets Alynx Ardeth, a Pangeran. They begin a friendship as he helps her adapt fo her new century. They eventually move to the Pangere Deep Space Station closer to his home planet. She learns to adapt and....

Ideas for dresses for Audra, my mid-19th century time traveler. Which do you prefer?