My Friend is an Alien - Edlund Niklas. Страница 32

He was, as expected, a boy, perhaps in Niklas' age range. His skin was a pale reddish-purple, and instead of hair he appeared to have a helmet of huge, black feathers fanning out from his head. His huge, oval, almost upswept eyes showed a distinct ferocity. He wore no shirt, but his trousers were indigo blue in color and highly ornate, with purple and gold swirls running through them.

He'd also apparently felt what was happening to him and was in mid-sentence when he finally appeared. "-the spires of — and who in the cosmos are you?"

Jahv provided some general introductions, including homeworlds. Arion frowned. "Earth. I have never heard of this world. I suppose it's not important. I am Prince Arion, regent-heir of the planetary monarchy of Korras. You have my gratitude."

"Not too overbearing, is he?" whispered Keith.

"Well, he is royalty of some sort, I guess." replied Niklas. "I guess he's entitled."

Jahv had already started discussing options with Arion. "We're really in something of a hurry to get home," explained Jahv, "and this place does not have any Travelers' Assistance Station that I know of. And I don't think our shuttle would make the journey to Korras very effectively."

Arion shook his head. "I could not return there just now anyway. I was the bargaining point in a disgusting truce between my people — my own father, the King — and the Soluans. I suspect it doesn't much matter what happens to me at this point, but if I were to return to my homeworld, the truce would be broken and war would result."

"Jahv told us you people were warriors." remarked Morik. "Why would you make a truce with Soluans?"

Arion turned angry only for a moment, then calmed. "An initial attack that destroyed the power supplies for our spacefighters, and a subsequent attack on two of our major cities. Do you want the casualty list, or do you get the idea?"

Morik merely nodded.

"That doesn't mean, however, that I'm going to let these Soluans get away from here anytime soon." said Arion. He turned to the transmat console. "Is this still set for the Soluan shuttle?" he asked Jahv.

Jahv nodded, and Arion worked the controls. A transparent sphere with glowing circuitry in it materalized.

"What's that?" asked Niklas.

"Their power core." said Arion, grinning. "Is there a way to set this thing to dispersal?"

Jahv studied the console. Niklas, Davy, and even Keith started to giggle. Even they could figure out what was happening here. "Yes," replied Jahv. "Coordinates set for space beyond the station, wide spread. Do it."

The glowing sphere vanished. "They won't be going much of anywhere without that." said Arion.

"And I don't think even the lowlifes on this station would help Soluans." added Jahv. "No one likes them."

"Now that that's settled," said Keith, "can we please get the parts we need and go home?"

"Karak's had enough time, I'm sure." said Jahv.

"Hey, I just thought of something." offered Davy. "Could we use this to get back to the shuttle?"

"What, the transmat?" asked Jahv.

"Yeah, that'd be kind of cool. don't'cha think?" exclaimed Davy.

"We'd still have to carry the food replicator back to Karak, since we couldn't use the transmat from a remote location like the shuttle." said Jahv. "And then carry the parts back. And I can only set us in the docking bay at the shuttle, not inside it. The security field…"

"We get the idea." said Keith. "But even ONE less trip through that disgusting bar? I'm all in favor of that."

"Okay." said Jahv, adjusting the controls. "Focusing on the docking area outside our shuttle. Everyone get on the platform, please." Everyone climbed up to the platform. "Ten second delay, and — activated!" Jahv scurried over to the platform and waited. A few seconds later, the six youngsters disappeared — and reappeared in the docking area right near their shuttle.

"That was SO COOL!" yelped Davy. "WOW!" "It — tickled." said Niklas, amazed and grinning.

"Says you." added Keith, who appeared to be counting his parts. "I itch."

"Coolant residue from Morik's shuttle, probably." snickered Davy.

"I think I feel a little dizzy." said Morik.

"It can be disorienting at times." said Jahv. "Maybe you and Arion should wait here with the shuttle, while we conclude the parts deal.

"I have no problem with that." said Arion. "The sooner we quit this station, the better."

The group headed into the shuttle. Jahv quickly detached the food replicator and rounded up the programs he needed for it.

They had to cut through the bar again, and noticed the distinct absence of Soluans. This worried Jahv. "If those two have headed back to their ship, they'll see Arion missing. That could sober them up real quick, and I'm going to need some installation time to repair the shuttle. They can't go anywhere in their ship, but that doesn't stop them from searching the station."

"Lemme ask." said Keith. He walked up to the main bar, followed by Jahv. "Excuse me, what happened to the two Soluans that were in here earlier?"

A gruff, orange-skinned alien that seemed to be made partly out of rocks and partly out of fur answered him. "Those two? Got so drunk they picked a fight with three Pundrians. They're in the brig. Actually, they're in the brig infirmary."

Keith nodded thanks and walked away. "What are Pundrians?" he asked Jahv.

"There's a saying in some of the rougher parts of the galaxy, Keith." said Jahv. "The best translation I can give you is — If you pick a fight with a Pundrian, make sure you know a good doctor first. And a funeral director."

Karak was waiting for the group when they arrived. "Welcome back, young ones! Your parts are ready for you." he said. "You have food replicator?"

Jahv presented Karak with the food replicator. The alien inspected the device, and smiled widely. "This is good machine! Well worth the trade. I haven't had decent meal in weeks. This will produce good meals for me. Thank you!" He started going through the program discs. "Hey, what's — pizza?"

"You gave him MY program discs!?" yelled Keith.

"We'll be back on Earth before you know it, Keith." said Jahv. "Besides, those are the backups. Karak, try it. As long as you're not allergic to cheese, you'll like it."

"Sounds interesting. Is good deal whatever. Safe journey, little ones!"

"Thank you, Karak." said Jahv. "You're an honorable man among thieves."

Karak grinned widely and knowingly. "Somebody has to be, yes?"

Jahv gathered up the stabilizer and the coil and the group headed back to the shuttle. He was able to complete the repairs in about an hour, and all diagnostics on the control console checked out completely. Before long, the shuttle was underway, with its new passenger.

"Good-bye, Garboris." said Keith. "And good riddance. Gonna take me a week to get that smell out of my nose."

"Oh, come on." said Davy. "It wasn't that bad. We did make a new friend, right?"

"Two, including Karak, but I don't think he'd fit in with our group quite as well." offered Niklas.

"I don't think he'd fit in Jahv's TENT all that well!" proclaimed Keith. "Cripes, what do you feed somebody that big, anyway?"

"Whatever he wants?" suggested Morik, eliciting a few giggles as Jahv set the hyperwarp coordinates and the stars outside the ship began to elongate as the initial rush of faster-than-light speed took hold. It was a sight neither Niklas nor Davy, nor even Keith, grudgingly, would forget seeing.

A few hours later, Earth was visible through the front cockpit windows. "Now, that's a cool sight!" proclaimed Keith.

"Interesting looking world." said Arion. "Lot of water."

"It looks wonderful." said Morik.

Davy and Niklas remained transfixed by the sight of the fast-approaching planet. "Astronauts gotta be the luckiest people on the planet." said Niklas.