had been to Okil. This whole episode had tarnished his view of it, or at least some parts of it. The normal everyday people still had a special place in his heart. However, the President and people like Harri were nothing to him; and given a choice, he would not save them. A new start for the human race deserved a chance to be free of corruption. Okil made a promise to himself to get to the heart of the corruption and find out what threat there really was to his own species.
However, he reminded himself it was not all bad. He had at least got his wish. Although it was not under the circumstances he had hoped for, he was taking Tikki to Karal.
Chapter Twelve – Tikki
“I thought I would leave Darl in charge of things and come back here to be with you all when we entered the wormhole.” He sat down in one of the chairs, buckling his seat belt. Then he leaned forward and spoke to Charlie. “In a moment we are going to fly through the middle of space, down a long tube that connects your planet to mine.”
“Your skin is lots of colours,” Charlie said, touching Okil’s skin.
“Yes, and there will be loads of colours outside. Look.”
He pointed to three beacons; they were heading straight for them. It seemed as if there was nothing on the other side other than space, but as soon as they crossed the threshold, the wormhole opened. It looked like a huge vortex about to suck them in; it reminded Tikki of a tornado.
“Is it safe?” she asked.
“Yes, I’ve travelled this way lots of times. It’s very safe and very stable.”
“So that line you told the control tower was a lie?” Tikki asked, her nerves disappearing. “I thought for a moment we really were in trouble and were going to get stuck on Earth.”
“No. I made it up. Our technology makes the wormholes very stable. Although it is stretched almost to its limit to connect our planets.”
She looked out of the window, seeing the stars in the distance and great towering clouds of gasses. Charlie was mesmerised, his eyes big saucers of wonder. “I bet you are the youngest human to ever travel through here, Charlie.”
“Big clouds and bright stars,” he murmured.
“Wow, I wish I had a camera to take pictures of it all.” Reja was just as awestruck as Charlie.
“This is not how we thought we would be spending our evening, was it, Reja?”
“No way. I thought we were going to sit around while you cried your heart out at letting this alien slip through your fingers.” Trust Reja to tell all her secrets.
“I’m glad you are here, Tikki,” Okil said, reading her mind. And when he placed his hand on her cheek and she felt the colours crossing from his skin to hers, she was glad too. More than glad: she was happy and excited, although extremely afraid of what the outcome would be.
However, when they crossed a star nursery, which Okil pointed out to them, she knew that this was an experience she would never forget, or regret, even if she was about to get sent straight back to Earth. Tension filled her body, as up ahead the wormhole opened up into normal space.
“The space station,” Okil said. “We have a plan. Reja you will go with Darl on to the station. He will take you to decon’. Once you are in there, he will distract the guards. At that point I will escort Tikki to a decon’ room and hopefully get you in there without anyone seeing Charlie.”
“And then?” Tikki asked.
“Then Darl and I will go through decon’. Afterwards, I will ask the guards to check something on the controls. Darl will get you back on the cruiser.”
“Sounds so simple. So they will know we are both there, but not Charlie.”
“Yes. Don’t worry, there are only ever two, maybe three, Karalians stationed there. We should only be docked for an hour.” Okil smiled reassuringly. “Charlie, I will need you to be very quiet.”
“He’s good at that, aren’t you, Charlie?” Tikki asked.
He nodded, not taking his eyes off the stars. In one hand,
However, he reminded himself it was not all bad. He had at least got his wish. Although it was not under the circumstances he had hoped for, he was taking Tikki to Karal.
Chapter Twelve – Tikki
“I thought I would leave Darl in charge of things and come back here to be with you all when we entered the wormhole.” He sat down in one of the chairs, buckling his seat belt. Then he leaned forward and spoke to Charlie. “In a moment we are going to fly through the middle of space, down a long tube that connects your planet to mine.”
“Your skin is lots of colours,” Charlie said, touching Okil’s skin.
“Yes, and there will be loads of colours outside. Look.”
He pointed to three beacons; they were heading straight for them. It seemed as if there was nothing on the other side other than space, but as soon as they crossed the threshold, the wormhole opened. It looked like a huge vortex about to suck them in; it reminded Tikki of a tornado.
“Is it safe?” she asked.
“Yes, I’ve travelled this way lots of times. It’s very safe and very stable.”
“So that line you told the control tower was a lie?” Tikki asked, her nerves disappearing. “I thought for a moment we really were in trouble and were going to get stuck on Earth.”
“No. I made it up. Our technology makes the wormholes very stable. Although it is stretched almost to its limit to connect our planets.”
She looked out of the window, seeing the stars in the distance and great towering clouds of gasses. Charlie was mesmerised, his eyes big saucers of wonder. “I bet you are the youngest human to ever travel through here, Charlie.”
“Big clouds and bright stars,” he murmured.
“Wow, I wish I had a camera to take pictures of it all.” Reja was just as awestruck as Charlie.
“This is not how we thought we would be spending our evening, was it, Reja?”
“No way. I thought we were going to sit around while you cried your heart out at letting this alien slip through your fingers.” Trust Reja to tell all her secrets.
“I’m glad you are here, Tikki,” Okil said, reading her mind. And when he placed his hand on her cheek and she felt the colours crossing from his skin to hers, she was glad too. More than glad: she was happy and excited, although extremely afraid of what the outcome would be.
However, when they crossed a star nursery, which Okil pointed out to them, she knew that this was an experience she would never forget, or regret, even if she was about to get sent straight back to Earth. Tension filled her body, as up ahead the wormhole opened up into normal space.
“The space station,” Okil said. “We have a plan. Reja you will go with Darl on to the station. He will take you to decon’. Once you are in there, he will distract the guards. At that point I will escort Tikki to a decon’ room and hopefully get you in there without anyone seeing Charlie.”
“And then?” Tikki asked.
“Then Darl and I will go through decon’. Afterwards, I will ask the guards to check something on the controls. Darl will get you back on the cruiser.”
“Sounds so simple. So they will know we are both there, but not Charlie.”
“Yes. Don’t worry, there are only ever two, maybe three, Karalians stationed there. We should only be docked for an hour.” Okil smiled reassuringly. “Charlie, I will need you to be very quiet.”
“He’s good at that, aren’t you, Charlie?” Tikki asked.
He nodded, not taking his eyes off the stars. In one hand,
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