Oh, that's nice! Looks a bit like asparagus, but ahm,
brown.
Netty nibbles a bit, and Danny puts this and that in his mouth, rolling his
eyes up toward the ceiling as he tastes, trying to concentrate on the taste.
His pace picks up as he realizes that he isn't being poisoned or affronted,
and he starts popping items into his mouth one after the other. They're all
famished. Netty is licking her fingers as she turns to scan the interior of
the ship. Her eyes take in the sights she is seeing, both from the ceiling
and floor clear brownish glass panels. She comments, with awe.
Oooh, its like cotton candy!
Danny and Billy follow her gaze and see clouds and puffs in light blue and
rose and light yellow floating past the ship, as though the ship were standing
still and fog or clouds were passing by. Suddenly what looks like a white
MANTA RAY without a stinger comes floating by, but pulses his wings so as to
stay in place in front of the ceiling panel, looking in at the three
passengers in the ship. The ship is hovering on its side, above the surface
of a planet, for the convenience of the manta ray’s ability to view the
passengers. Rather than seeing the bottom or top of the rays, we see them
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facing into the top and bottom glass. But for the passengers the center of
gravity feels like the floor of the ship. They are all in awe, but finally
Billy relays a telepathic message.
He wants to come in, but he can't! He'd die in here,
and we'd die out there. Bummer.
The ship suddenly takes off so that the horizon of the cotton candy planet
comes rapidly into view. Then the planet shrinks rapidly to where it looks as
small as a golf ball, a bit of light colored fluff out in the distance, dark
on one other side but light on the other. Just as suddenly the ship zooms
back, but this time returning to the dark side of the planet. Triangulation
is the fastest way from here to there, in a space ship not limited to
propulsion. Danny is also in awe.
My gosh, a perfect boomerang! What a way to travel!
As the ship moves into the dark side of the planet, it appears at first that
all is pitch black. Then the three see blinking lights, of all colors, and
one of the lights draws near the ceiling panel, taking the form of the
creature that visited on the day side. It hovers, pulsing its skin wings and
pulsing faintly in the light it emits, too, a creature without eyes or ears or
appendages except for skin wings like a manta ray. Netty draws near Danny,
who puts his arm around her while she lays her head on his shoulder.
_______________________________
Returning to the dome city, Danny, Netty and Billy walk in through the front
entrance. It is very early morning, the city still sleeping and quiet. Billy
walks off toward the family quarters, waving good-bye wordlessly, and Netty
and Danny, too tired to do more than smile and give a half-hearted wave back,
walk off to their room together.
_______________________________
Martha is bringing a plateful of what looks like scrambled eggs and fried
potatoes back to one of the tables set up on the pram for breakfast. A chef
in a big white hat and white coat is clanking pots and pans over a sizzling
electric plate, arms constantly in motion as he works his magic. Now and then
he snatches herbs from this jar or that sack. Big Tom is sipping coffee from
a mug, and Tammy is giggling with her new girl friend as they try to get their
dolls to sit up straight on the bench beside them.
Billy is half asleep, blinking sleepy eyes that don't want to stay open, not
saying anything, unlike his typical chirpy self. Red and Clara scuff up in
their housecoats, no longer hiding the fact that they are spending their
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nights together. Martha glances at Billy with a puzzled look on her face,
kidding Billy.
Billy? I think you need to go back to bed, son, you
look like you need a good night's sleep.
Without hesitation, Billy replies.
Yeah, OK mom.
Billy drags off, leaving Martha with her mouth open.
I was only kidding!
Jonah walks up with Ian and his gray-haired assistant. All three are grim, as
though concentrating on a serious but not alarming matter. Martha has a
decanter of coffee from the communal coffee maker, along with extra mugs, and
offers them some coffee. They accept with a nod of their heads. After a sip
or two, Jonah, who has been solemnly mulling over his thoughts, confides.
We've heard from another city, like ours. They seem
to be friendly, seem to be doing OK, but there's
something odd ..
Martha jerks her head up suddenly, alarmed.
Odd?
Jonah debates with himself for a moment or two before continuing.
Well, I don't think they're entirely human.
Martha is clearly relieved that this is the only potentially bad news.
You mean like those super smart kids we've got here
with us?
Jonah is warming up and eager to talk about a matter he knows they must share
sooner or later.
Well .. let me just say this .. the transmission we
got was carrying both audio and video, but they didn't
speak. We got the signal by teletype. And in the
video, they all just stood there, smiling and waving,
but not speaking. Now why would that be .. unless
they couldn’t speak.
Martha frowns and looks down for a moment, processing possibilities.
Did they given any indications .. I mean .. did it
look like maybe the mike was just broke or .. maybe,
ah ..
Jonah is spilling it all freely now.
No, no, and that's not all. They had little mouths,
and no hair. No hair at all! But other than that ..
well, they had big brains, you could see that, big
eyes too .. blue and brown and hazel .. beautiful
eyes, I'll say that! But not a hair on their heads!
And not a word!
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Martha smiles, relieved and obviously expecting something far more bazaar.
So .. did you invite them for supper?
Everyone laughs. Jonah is smiling and likewise relieved at her reaction.
Well yeah! What else was I supposed to do! How weird
can it get! I mean, beyond what we're already dealing
with, what the heck!
Jonah smiles wryly at Big Tom.