The Lost Planet

A Real Girl! And her older brother.

One good thing about not sitting next to your parents: if a cute girl is in the seat next to you, there is no one there to make a fool of yourself.

I walked down the row, and found my seat. I sat down and pulled out my HC. I placed the macrobuds in my ear and slinked them to my HC and started playing music, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see a girl probably about my age. I pulled out one macrobud as she scooted past me. She sat down in the seat next to mine, and rested her head against the headrest. She glanced over at me and I realized I was staring. I glanced down at my knees and then back at her. She smiled.

"I'm Leha," She said smiling.

"Krane, I replied.

"So where are you coming from?" She asked.

"DortDruss," I replied. She nodded.

"I'm from LasMas, and am I glad to be out of here" She sighed, "Now I can finally see more than just that red ball in the sky all the time.

"I don't know, I think I'll miss Dort, but I guess it will be a nice change." I replied. I looked over Leha, she was tall, skinny, had long brown hair, and deep blue eyes. She was very pretty, and this attention from a girl of type was new to me. I thanked fate that my parents were 4 seats up. I saw Leha eyeing my HC, and I shrugged, holding up my HC.

"Jealous yet?" I asked. Leha smiled.

"Don't feel bad, I only got my Thinker a year ago, I'm sure you'll get one soon." I nodded to her but; I knew my Thinker was still a long way off.

"So how old are yo-," I started but was cut off by the pilot over the intercom. He when over the basics, and as I glanced over at Leha I saw her eyes slightly glazed and was probably watching a live feed of the actual pilot going over emergency instructions.  

I plugged my second microbud in my ear until and listened to music until I was tapped on the shoulder a few minutes later. I took out my macrobuds and glanced at Leha.

"I'm 15, my birthdays in a week, almost 16! I finally can get a Cruiser license." I nodded I got mine a month ago, Cruisers are our way around, they come in all different sizes and shapes. Once you got one you got a rite of passage, so to speak.

"I'm 16, just turned recently. Cruisers are great by the way. I had an old Starjet, before we moved, great stability, but not the best plasma mileage."  Leha nodded, she leaned forward and rested her head on the seat in front of her.

"My mom said she would get me either a Louis14, or a GrandHoss20, depending on my grades." She looked around "Where are your parents? Mine are on the next shuttle out of here."

I craned my neck to look down the seats, I could see the back of my dad's head, but my mom was too short.

"There down there in row 2" I said pointing. Leha craned her neck and followed my finger.

"Oh, that's cool," Leha replied.  

I felt the ship jolt, and then a bright flash of light and all of the lights above our heads going off momentarily told us we had jumped into hyperspace.

Leha sat up, and I noticed her eyes glaze over, the glaze was momentarily, and she snapped out of the Thinker phase quickly.

"Great," She said sarcastically, "I'm needed at the bridge. Can you let me through?"

I stood to let her slip past.

"Can I ask why?" She scooted past me.

"I'm the gravity mechanics younger sister."

"Oh, that's..."

"Horribly annoying, all he ever talks about is the standard system of the gravitational field generator made in Hulbla!" She proclaimed. I smiled, the outburst made her seem a bit more human.

Tell you what, I could use some company up there with by brother, you want to come?" She asked. My heart skipped a beat. Did she just ask me come with her? Really?

"Um...yea sure, I'll come."  I said in a wavering voice. She turned and began walking forward down the rows. We passed 2, and I saw mom and dad sitting, eyes glazed over. I shook my head as we walked through the sliding door to the bridge.

The bridge looked just like it did in movies, large, filled with glowing plasma screens, and several different bridge hands walking around doing probably really important things. There was a large viewing space in the front of the main bridge abut all we could see was the blurred tunnel of light one sees traveling at hyper speed.   

I followed Leha across the bridge and into a side room. The door slid open to reveal a large room filled with rows and rows of heavy computerized gear with cables running all over the floor. There were plasma drives all over and huge coiling metal contraptions hanging from the ceiling. Leha stood before the maze of technology, put her hands on her hips, and waited.

Several moments later a figure made its way toward us. The man who came out was a bit taller than me, and had dark brown hair, that was matted and ruffled. Leha's brother came out of the darkness looking distracted. He seemed to be around 20, and looked much like Leha. He stepped closer and I realized he was talking to himself.

"And I need to get the left plasma model online for the receptor balance, and then I must clean the 12th receptor cable, and replace the Y-stabilizer. Then I have to...um...well I guess the frontal monitor could b calibrated again." He paced back and forth chatting to himself. Leha shook her head, and I realized why she had invited me, her brother was nuts.

"Fa," She started, but he continued,

"I need a plasma torch, model 08,"

"Fa,"

"Also, attachment cables"

"Fa!" Leha shouted. Fa snapped out of his dreamy state, and glanced at us two. His eyes focused on me.

"Who's that?"

"Really? No 'How's it going sis?' Are you even going to acknowledge my existence?" Leha asked in a frustrated tone.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Fa said ignoring Leha's remark. I wish. Was the first thought that came to mind.

"No he's just a friend!" Leha exclaimed. Fa shook his head.

"I swear she gets a new one of you every other week, is she imprisoning you? Blink twice if you need help." By now I was smiling.

"Fa! Stop it!" Leha yelled.

"OK, Ok, I'm done, I Fa in case you didn't know," he said holding out his hand.

"Krane" I said shaking it.

"Now let's get to work, Leha did you bring the part I asked for?" She rolled her eyes and pulled out a small glowing cartage. I could see the plasma bouncing around inside.

"Tell me Krane, have you ever replaced a plasma converter to a gravity well system?"

"I can't say I have,"

"Good, come with me," I glanced at Leha, who shrugged as we followed Fa into the depths of the Gravity Well Center.