Snatched from Earth Read online

  The Ellico portion scowled. “You have thrust yourself into the middle of something that is none of your business,” he said furiously. “We have no obligation to offer you any explanations.”

  They stepped back, and the door slid shut.

  My clinkus tightened with guilt over the fact that I was the one who had insisted we check Ellico vec Bur’s ship. I think it was the guilt that pushed me into saying, “Well, I guess I was right when I said those Trader(s) were up to something suspicious!”

  Pleskit farted in disgust and turned his back on me.

  Tim and Linnsy began to choke and cough. The Fart of Disgust is very potent.

  “If you two really have to argue, could you at least wait until we’ve got some more open space?” gasped Linnsy.

  I could not answer. I was feeling too stupid. One of the first things the Motherly One had taught me after my hatching was that the worst thing to do when you have been proved right is to point that fact out.

  Silence gathered and grew, even thicker and heavier in the air than Pleskit’s fart. I wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say. The longer the silence lasted, the more powerful it seemed to become. So I was actually grateful to the Earthboy when he said, “Well, what are we going to do now?”

  Unfortunately, the long discussion that followed turned out to be a discussion about nothing, since we didn’t really have any options other than the hope that Pleskit’s Fatherly One would soon realize not only that we were missing but also that we must be on board Ellico vec Bur’s ship.

  “Even that may do us no good,” said Pleskit dismally.

  “Why not?” asked Tim.

  “Because we went through an uncharted urpelli,” he said patiently, and I groaned as I recognized the truth of his words.

  “Which means…?” prompted Linnsy.

  “Which means,” said Pleskit, “there’s no telling where it might have spit us out. Our trail is going to be almost impossible to follow.”

  * * *

  We slept—not easily, since there was so little space in the storage room, not to mention no soft places on which to rest. I found myself becoming agitated because I needed to finussher.

  After considerable time had passed, the door opened and Ellico vec Bur slid a large metal container into our prison. The Trader(s) stepped back so quickly, I wondered if they were afraid we would try to jump them or something.

  “Wait!” cried Tim as the door started to slide shut. “I have to go to the bathroom!”

  The door slid open again. Ellico vec Bur, looking exasperated, said, “All right, one at a time. You first,” they added, gesturing at Tim with their walking stick.

  While he was gone, I opened the metal container. “Oh good!” I cried when I saw the gelatinous goo it held. “Food!”

  “Are you sure that’s food?” asked Linnsy, sounding uncomfortable.

  “It’s called gortzwump,” said Pleskit as I reached into the container and pulled out a quivering handful of the stuff. It was orange, with green lumps. “It’s a low-level food but has a solid nutritional content.”

  “It tastes lousy,” I added. “But it will keep us alive.”

  “A diet of gortzwump keeps you alive but makes you wish you were dead,” said Pleskit glumly, quoting an old Hevi-Hevian proverb.

  “Nothing improves the flavor of a meal like hunger,” I replied, quoting a different proverb. I began to lick the gortzwump off my fingers, grateful for some food at last, but secretly wishing it were something decent.

  Nervously Linnsy reached into the container. “Eeeuw!” she cried. “It feels gross!”

  “What you do not eat, I will,” I replied. I was only quoting another proverb, so I was surprised when she looked offended.

  Ellico vec Bur returned with Tim. Pleskit was the next to leave the room.

  Tim declined to eat the gortzwump. “Wait till you get a load of the bathroom,” he whispered to Linnsy. “It’ll take you ten minutes just to figure out how to go!”

  More time passed. We slept again. We told stories. Tim learned to eat gortzwump, since it became clear it was the only food we were going to get.

  “Tastes like cream of wheat mixed with engine oil,” he said unhappily.

  We traveled through another urpelli and then another. Urpelli jumps are always disconcerting, of course. But once Tim and Linnsy got used to them, they no longer found the jumps so frightening.

  I wondered where in the galaxy we might possibly be. I started to ask the question aloud but was interrupted by a sizzling sound. Suddenly the ship lurched. The movement was slight but sickening—not so much for the way it felt but for what it meant.

  Lights began to flash. The wail of a siren split the air.

  “Are we going through another urpelli?” asked Linnsy.

  “That’s no urpelli!” cried Pleskit. “We’re being attacked!”

  CHAPTER 5 [PLESKIT]

  SPACE BATTLE

  The ship lurched from side to side as Ellico vec Bur maneuvered to avoid the attack. The artificial gravity that had kept us on the floor now became our enemy as we flew sideways, and then upside down. The four of us tumbled against the wall, and then the ceiling. The Veeblax shrieked and sprouted wings, struggling desperately to keep itself in the air. But with our bodies being flung back and forth, up and down, it was hard for it to find a safe spot in the little room.

  I saw Tim cupping his hands protectively over the oog-slama—which made it impossible for him to brace himself against the thudding collisions shaking all four of us. I was impressed to see him slam from floor to wall to floor, crying out in pain, but never letting go of the oog-slama.

  Then, suddenly, our gravity disappeared. As I drifted into the center of the room, I wondered if Ellico vec Bur had turned off the gravity on purpose, or if the ship had automatically shut it off after a couple of such wild swings. Or—more frightening—had the gravity mechanism been damaged by the attack? And had other ship systems been damaged as well? Was it possible we were now a “wounded bird”—a ship with no way to navigate or propel itself, doomed to drift through space forever?

  Who was attacking us anyway? And why? Were we near a planet? Surely none of the civilized worlds would attack a ship this way.

  For a moment I wondered if the attack was coming from someone trying to rescue us. But when the little vessel trembled and shook under another direct hit, I realized that this would be an extremely bad way to go about a rescue. I was keenly aware that only a thin metal shell separated us from the incredible void of space, from the frozen vacuum that would end our lives immediately should the hull be breached. Suddenly Ellico vec Bur’s voices came through the speaker. “Stowaways! Get up here and into some seats!”

  At the same time the door of our little room slid open.

  Clutching the Veeblax, which was squealing with terror, I led the way to the passenger cabin. It wasn’t easy to move with the gravity off, of course, and we had to bounce from wall to wall. It was even harder for Tim and Linnsy, who had no practice in zero gravity. Finally Maktel and I grabbed their arms to pull them along with us. This was easy enough to do, of course, since neither of them weighed anything.

  From our exploration of the ship (before Ellico vec Bur’s unexpected arrival had caused us to scramble for a hiding place), I knew that the largest passenger cabin—located just behind and separate from the pilot’s room—had six padded seats.

  When we reached the cabin, I could see Ellico vec Bur through the door that led to the pilot’s area. The Trader(s) were totally focused on their piloting duties. But they must have heard us come in because, without turning their heads from the console, they snapped, “Strap yourselves in. Now! MOVE!”

  Another explosion shook the ship.

  “Who’s attacking us?” asked Tim.

  Ellico vec Bur ignored him.

  The ship was shuddering, clearly badly damaged now. We floated above the vibrating floor. Linnsy grabbed the arm of one of the chairs, then pulled herself into the s
eat. She started to say, “Where are the seat bel—” but before she could finish the sentence, the safety belts had wrapped themselves around her.

  Ignoring her startled squawk, I pulled myself into a seat too. I felt a little safer once the straps and pads had positioned themselves around me. The Veeblax snuggled in beside me, whimpering in terror. I glanced around and was relieved to see that Tim and Maktel had managed to get themselves secured as well.

  “All right, listen,” snarled Ellico vec Bur. “We had almost finished our trip; the planet I was heading for is right below us. So we’re going to try to land. We’ve got no choice, actually. But it’s not going to be pleasant. Get ready for a rough ride.”

  I thought it had already been a rough ride, but a moment later we hit the atmosphere and the Trader(s)’ warning suddenly made sense.

  It’s amazing that air can be so solid. But if you think of the difference in the way water feels when you slip your hand gently in and when you slap it, then you can understand why striking air at our speed was so bone shaking.

  Ellico vec Bur cursed as we bounced off the atmosphere. We made two more skips, like a stone across the surface of a pond. Then, suddenly, we pierced the planet’s airshell and were hurtling for the surface.

  The ship was badly wounded—I could tell from the various smells that several different things were burning—and it twisted and lurched wildly as we seared our way through the sky. I am not ashamed to admit that all four of us passengers were squealing with terror.

  Whatever else I might think of Ellico vec Bur, I had to admit that their piloting was masterful. The Trader(s)’ skill at the control panel saved all our lives.

  Through the viewscreen I could see that we were hurtling toward an area of lush jungle.

  “Brace yourselves!” shouted the Trader(s). “We’re about to—”

  And then we hit. Despite the piloting skills of Ellico vec Bur, despite our protective seats, the impact when we struck the surface knocked us all senseless. The last I remember was a horrendous screeching sound, a burst of light, and a smell of smoke.

  Then blackness surrounded me.

  CHAPTER 6 [LINNSY]

  WOUNDED

  I seemed to be swimming through a sea of darkness. My body felt as if I had been put through a washing machine with a load of stones. Strange smells filled me with a sense of approaching doom.

  Suddenly I gasped and opened my eyes.

  “Mom?” I cried. “Dad? Where are you?”

  Then I saw the weird colors and strange decorations above me, and it all came back to me: I was in Ellico vec Bur’s ship, and we had just crashed on a planet trillions of miles from Earth.

  The smell of smoke drove away my concerns about my pain. We had to get out of there!

  Or had the others already gone?

  “Tim?” I whispered.

  No answer.

  “Tim?” I said again, more loudly. “Pleskit? Maktel? Anyone?”

  No answer.

  I started to shake. What if I was the only one who had lived through the crash? I would be stranded, alone, in a jungle on a strange world trillions of miles from Earth. Did this planet even have breathable air? And how would I know if it did?

  I had never felt so alone in my life.

  I stretched my neck to look around. Tim was in the seat next to me. His eyes were closed, and I couldn’t see enough of him to tell if he was breathing. A cold fear seized me. Was he unconscious… or dead?

  I tried to stand, but the seat’s straps and pads held me tight. I struggled against the restraints, but they only held me tighter. “Stupid seat!” I screamed, terrified that the automatic release was broken and that I would be trapped in a burning ship. Then I realized that I was the one being stupid, letting panic get in the way of clear thought. I began running my hands over the arms, looking for a release mechanism. Finally I found the right button, and the pads and straps slid swiftly and silently away. I jumped to my feet in relief.

  “Thanks, seat,” I said, my anger at being trapped dissolved in the realization that the seat had probably saved my life. I gave it a grateful pat, then picked my way across the crumpled floor to Tim.

  I never thought I would be so happy to see that kid breathing.

  I shook him.

  “Not now, Mom,” he muttered. “It’s Saturday.”

  “Tim,” I whispered urgently. “Tim, wake up!”

  He groaned. Then his eyelids fluttered open. He gasped and tried to leap to his feet, but the restraints held him in place, just as they had done to me. “Where are we?” he cried.

  “Shhhh! We’re still in Ellico vec Bur’s ship. It crashed. We’re the first ones awake.” I hesitated, then added softly, “Actually, we may be the only ones alive. I haven’t had a chance to check on the others.”

  I showed Tim where to press the button to get the seat to release him. It didn’t work.

  “Linnsy!” he cried. “You’ve got to get me out of here!”

  “I’ll find something to cut it open,” I said. “But first I have to check on Pleskit and Maktel.”

  The smoky smell was getting stronger. Even though I couldn’t see open flames, I wondered if the ship was going to explode—and, if so, how much time we had to get out of it.

  Then two more questions hit me: Would we be able to use the door, or had it been damaged in the crash? And if it did work, would we be able to breathe the air of this planet?

  I pushed those fears aside. One problem at a time, I told myself firmly. I didn’t have time, then, to be amazed at how calm I was able to stay, at how strong and clear I felt.

  Pleskit was just starting to stir. Maktel was breathing but still out cold. I decided to let them come out of it on their own while I tried to free Tim. But before I had a chance to work on his seat, I heard a cry of despair from the pilot’s cabin and realized that I should check on Ellico vec Bur, too.

  How did I end up in this mess? I wondered as I hurried forward. I’m just a kid. I don’t belong on another planet!

  The Trader(s) were slumped sideways in their seat. I stood next to them for a moment, uncertain of what to do. I reached forward, then drew my hand back, frightened. Had that cry been the sound of one of them dying?

  I wondered if I should check for a heartbeat—or maybe two heartbeats. But even if Bur had a heart, I doubted I could feel it beat through the hard shell of its body.

  The tentacles of Ellico’s beard began to twitch. I jumped back, surprised and a little disgusted. Even so, it seemed like a good sign.

  I moved forward again. As I did, Bur opened its golden eyes.

  “What are you doing?” it asked.

  The scratchy sound of the creature’s voice made me shiver.

  “I… I was checking to see if you were all right.”

  “We are not. My partner is hurt, though I cannot tell how badly. You must free us from the constraints of this seat.”

  I hesitated. What I wanted to do was get as far away from this weird and scary duo as I could. But I reminded myself that their piloting had probably just saved our lives.

  I reached for the release mechanism under the arm of the seat.

  Nothing happened.

  “It’s jammed,” said Bur. “You’ll have to cut us free.”

  I heard a groan from the passenger cabin and glanced back. Maktel was stirring. “Just a minute,” I said. “I have to check on one of the others.”

  “Come back!” screeched Bur.

  Ignoring it, I hurried into the passenger cabin.

  Tim was still struggling to get out of his seat. Maktel’s release button must have worked because he was on his feet. He was leaning against the seat back, one hand pressed to his head, obviously still unsteady. Pleskit remained in his seat. He looked dazed, but at least his eyes were wide open.

  “I’m all right,” he said when he saw me looking at him. “I just need a minute.”

  “Linnsy!” shrieked Bur. “Get back here!”

  Maktel looked up. “Ignore them!�
�� he said, his voice low but intense. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “We can’t just leave them,” I said, shocked at the idea.

  “They’re dangerous!”

  “Get in here and help us!” Bur’s high, scratchy voice, which was incredibly annoying to listen to, sounded frantic.

  Ignoring Maktel’s angry shouts, I scurried back to the pilot’s cabin.

  The smoke was getting thicker.

  “Open that little door,” said Bur. “The one down there. No, over there!”

  For the first time I realized the helplessness of the little creature. Locked onto Ellico’s head, it could not move or even make a gesture on its own.

  It took a few tries for me to find the door it meant. Bur’s impatient squawkings as I searched began to upset me. Even worse was the smoke; it was thick and vile-smelling, and was making me cough.

  Finally I located the door and popped it open. Inside I found a toolbox—and inside the toolbox a silvery blade.

  “Cut us free!” demanded Bur.

  I did as it asked. But the Ellico portion of the symbiotic duad remained unconscious, so they still couldn’t move.

  “Is Ellico going to be all right?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Bur, and the fear and concern I heard so plainly in its voice were unexpectedly touching.

  “Linnsy!” cried Maktel. “Come on!”

  “We can’t leave Ellico vec Bur here!” I replied.

  Then I remembered that Tim was still trapped in his seat. I scurried back to the passenger cabin and used the silver blade to cut him free.

  “Come on!” I said as he staggered to his feet. “Help me!”

  I ran back to the pilot’s cabin. A moment later Tim and Pleskit came stumbling in, the Veeblax close on their heels.

  With the boys’ help, I hauled the Trader(s) to their feet. It took all three of us to get them through the door into the passenger cabin. It was slow work, and tense, because the smoke was billowing out behind us now, and I was terrified that the ship was going to explode at any minute.

  “Come on!” cried Maktel, dancing urgently from one foot to the other. “We’ve got to get out of here!”