Surviving my Scholarship

The Traveler

I ducked through the cavity opening and glanced into the small pod filled room before me. Various beings crammed into the pods getting prepared for the departure. The small cubby areas provided a supported bright orange cushion and a bright white wall petition blocking the annoyance of the patrons around them.

The noise level became unbearable and I flinched at the brightness the filled the room. Another shuttle had taken off and the blue flame illuminated the room. This wasn't what I was expecting. Why would they place them so close when it was clearly upsetting the consumers? I wonder if I can fix it when I come back. If I come back. The thought made my heart clench.

The jumpsuit behind me placed a hand on my shoulder and led me deeper into the room. We passed by an Oobleck being and it was hard not to stare. They were all over the galaxy now but came from one farther away. I'm not sure what galaxy but I know they blended well with the environment. My father taught me what to look for when trying to find one.

This one was silver, almost reflective, with small decorative leaves coating his misshapen form. He literally looked like a blob of something disgusting and he had trouble keeping himself contained within his own pod. His small beady blue eyes pierced into mine and I quickly look away in guilt. He gurgled at me and a splash of fluid fell on the floor near my feet.

Great. I had Oobleck's cursing me with their spit now. I had heard rumors that the Galactic Police were starting to employ them to control the delicate ecosystem of the fresh water on Earth. Their favorite delicacy has always been red algae. I wonder how many others were tooling around the waters helping to keep humans safe and oblivious.

Humming distracted me from my pondering and I glanced down as the jumpsuit cleaned up the goo placing it in a small glass capsule. I turned my head and became face to face with a darker woman with bright gold hair. She smiled at me before lying back in her pod raising an octave. Another hum started in harmony behind her and then the room filled with the soft melody from an entire group.  

"Great, Tunics," the jumpsuit groaned as she gestured me to a pod in the middle. She tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes. She was having a bad day.

I smiled at her in sympathy before turning and sitting smoothly into my assigned pod. I glanced around the room and the golden haired Tunic turned to me never stopping her part in the melody. Tunics were fun beings who only sang, however probably not in a small confined space like a shuttle. There was also a myth that they were Empaths.

"Oh, honey, honey," she started out with her group filling in background as if they had one mind. "And I'm telling you, no, no, no, don't break my heart."

I turned away from her unsure of what she was telling me and watched as a bald suited man passed by me and took up position in the back of the shuttle. I frowned as I gave him a quick once over. The suit was the trademark I was so familiar with. The Galloway's were making sure I left. I wasn't going to be coming back. That was certain now.

"All you need is love," she started again touching my shoulder. I jerked back, pulling away from her. She looked at me concerned.  It was obvious she had been to Earth before.

I shook my head and turned looking towards the suited man sitting next to me. He was focused hard on a notebook in front of him. His brows caused a crease on his face while he concentrated.

"Men, who needs them," the woman started singing again and I glanced back at her. I didn't know that song. "I had a good life, singing for my supper, and then this man came and promised me better. He told me of a land that I could see as a new life. When I followed him here, I met his wife. Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble. Men are trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble."

The jumpsuits started making a ruckus as another man entered the capsule. He trudged forward and the smell incased the room. I had to resist covering my nose. He was filthy and looked out of it. He started coughing as he approached me and collapsed in my lap briefly. My hands shot up and I tried to slide out from under him over my pod.

The hired suit jumped forward pulling the man off of me and throwing him towards the back of the room where the jumpsuits were able to contain him. He was placed in the back behind a curtain and I calmed myself before wiping the filth from my lap. A sharp pain filled my shoulder, but I ignored it thinking it must have been banged when he arrived.

A soft tap next to me had me jump again and I turned to see the golden haired woman holding out the capsule from Pierce. I smiled at her as I reached out for it. I glanced at it again before looking for a pocket to place it in.

The shuttle shook as the engines powered up and the noise increased becoming unbearable again. The smoke rose around the shuttle and then it was off pushing through the clouds, breaking the atmosphere, heading towards the ship heading to Earth.