Journeys with a stranger

Unwelcome Guests

A bright burning white star high above in the view of a sattlelite. Its blinding view covers a peeking planet. The greenish and red planet slowly pushes out from behind the star. The sattlelite focuses on the planet and correct its course to it.

When the planet is more into the view as the sattlelite closes in, the revolving moon shows itself. This ice covered moon is what the sattlelite is aiming for. The camera from the sattlelite zooms in to look at it more closely. Over 10,000 times magnification it sees a speck floating among the surface.

Before it could identify the object, the sattlelite shut down. The floating sattlelite slowly turns transparent. Still in a collision course with the planet, It helplessly drifts. And suddenly a mysterious probe comes and latches itself to the sattlelite. Which then makes both non-transparent again. The floating speck seems to notice and move around the surface.

The probe actives the sattlelite and zooms at its maximum view before the speck hides. It is a space craft. And it hides behind the moon. The probe carries the sattlelite towards the moon in a rapid thrust. It sends a noisy signal.

Meanwhile at the surface of that moon: Riada is shaking and shivering. The cold air chills her. She watch Nicole stretches. Berriot throws his fur top onto the ground. "Get ready Riada," Berriot announces. "Lets see how fast you both really are," he continues.

Both Diana and Shael' awkwardly watches all of them preparing to run. Nicole looks at Riada, "I'm about ready to sprint." "Riada you ready," Berriot asks, "Now Riada run!" Riada is stunned and confused for a second. She runs ahead. Nicole angrily shouts, "Hey! Berriot you sneak!" Both Nicole and Berriot races off.

Riada is halfway to the snow-drawn line. She huffs as both Nicole and Berriot easily ran by her. Riada never seen such speeds in her life. She stops defeatedly as Nicole and Berriot crosses respectedly. Nicole won by a foot ahead of Berriot. Riada slows down. She still breathes heavily.

"Keep running," Berriot assures her. So she runs again. She finishes and stops. Riada is winded by the sprint. Berriot then places his hand on Riada's head. He proudly tells her, "Great run there, Riada." He smiles at her.

"Nicole, I still don't understand you," Diana speaks, "how is this surpose to warm her?" Annoied by the comment Nicole responds, "Oh! excuse me sister. If she runs then her muscle will heat up and warm her." Nicole crosses her arms. "But she will sweat and that cools her," Diana implies. And Nicole does not think of that. She turns away and shouts, "If you think of another idea to warm her up and train her, then do tell me what it is."

Diana is offended. But she keeps quiet. Berriot steps in, "Ladies do not fight! Do not make me take Riada away from your arguments." This shocks Nicole and causes Diana to look at Berriot. Nicole tries to say something.

She is interupted by the ringing of her left wrist. Her left arm reverts to her original and true muscular appearance. On her left wrist is a rusted bronze machine. It rings again; which causes the gases from her arm to vibrate and echoes. Scared, Nicole rushes her sentence, "Time to go we gotta hurry." Alerted by Nicole, Berriot, Diana, and Shael' prepares to leave. They become very worried.

Shael' looks at Nicole's wrist machine. He asks, "what is going on, Alto?" Nicole does not reply to him. She hastily packs. Shael' demands an answer. Silence after that.

In her stupor, Riada looks up at the sky. The Sattlelite-carrying probe and the spacecraft is racing towards them. Riada catches her breathe. Then both of the objects slows and stops. Frozen in place the objects still seem to race into their direction.

Riada turns to Nicole and asks, "What is that thing?" Nicole and the others seems to be frozen in place too. Thoughts enters Riada's head saying, "that on the left is a spaceship and on the right is a probe. Huh a sattlelite, it is holding."