Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The wormhole was stationed just behind Earth’s moon, high overhead of a large slightly tinted warp in space, hardly visible but just there. The Earth was barely visible from their position, but from what they could see, it looked nothing like the marshy, swampy Titikia.

A few dozen ships were waiting in the moons shadow, holding out until the rest got there. A Titikian commander stood in the Center Craft, ready.

“We’re only here to collect the EETs.” He said, using the term for Enriched Earthling Titikians. “You know how to use these- flyers, I believe?”

His second-in-command nodded and held up a pink sheet labeled ‘Titikia’ with an address below. It was the only way discreet enough to spread the word to Earthlings who may have Titikian knowledge so they could return and there would be no problem. The ships were to deliver the flyers and stay parked, hidden, until the EETs got there. “Check,”

“Send the first ships to . . . uh. . .”

“New York City, sir.”

“Yes. New York- something. The earthlings probably won't notice anything. Remember, be discreet." The commander said before shuffling his second away.

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"We're going to miss the ship!"

Varanda and Grace stumbled through the Titikian crowd as twilight set in. How long was a Titikian day? They hadn't been there more then a few hours- right?

"Shit!"

The cargo ship rose into the air above them, ramp already closed. It took off into the atmosphere as the grinding started again.

"Guess we're spending the night on Titikia." Grace said and sighed.

"We'll probably be outside. You know how Titikians are." Varanda said and sat down.

"You mean, hating Dedodakees and going all 'you spelled our planet name wrong so now we're going to kill international relations' or something like that?" Grace asked, sitting down on the landing pad, which was glowing a bright blue, the 'all clear'. The Dedodakees spelt 'Titikia' like 'Tikitia' which thoroughly pissed the Titikians off. "We're doomed."

Varanda laughed. "What are you, depressive?"

"No one in the streets after dark!" a Titikian guard barked, behind them. "And definitely not on the landing pad, you suicidal?" he asked in Standard Galactic.

"Uh… okay," Varanda said, not knowing much Galactic herself. She turned to Grace as the guard left.

"Standard Galactic. We're not supposed to uh… do something…" she said sheepishly.

"Do what?" Grace asked.

"Hey! Can you repeat that?" Varanda called after the guard in broken Galactic, but he had disappeared.

"Uhm, I'm guessing we're not supposed to sit on the landing pad." She said and got up.

"It gets dark quick here. Wasn't it morning when we got here?" Grace asked.

"But only three hours past," Varanda said.

"Probably a Titikian thing," Grace said and sighed.

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It was getting dark fast.

"What is this, city limits?" Ophelia asked. There was a large sign in front of them, something in a foreign language scribbled on it. "Somehow, it looks familiar."

They were just outside the city, which ended abruptly about fifty feet away. What was left was a large, marshy plain that stretched on for miles.

"I dunno," Sarah said. "But something tells me Varanda won't be here."

"True," Ophelia said and eyed the sign. "Wait a minute…"

She pulled out a small steno pad and flipped through the pages. "Oh wow…"

"What?" Sarah asked, peering over her shoulder. On the page was a list of symbols and their meanings. She looked from the page and back up to the sign. The symbols were identical.

"Uh, Ophelia?"

"Yeah?" Ophelia asked.

"Holy crap."

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"AHH!"

The streets of New York were filled with panic.

"It's straight from Independence Day!"

"They're gonna eat us!"

The Titikian spacecraft soared overhead.

"Sir? Why are they noticing us?"

"So much for being discreet…"