Book 1 Flight of the Armada Chapter 1 part 1

“I am getting some sort of signal on the com,” Glendon Garin reported with excitement after months of flight through space. The other five Thuringi scouts took note and checked the communicators in their ships. “There is a good deal of music, but the language is strange.”

“Of course, it is strange,” Darien Phillipi snorted. “It is only to be expected.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The triangular ships flew in a tight wedge formation, too close together to risk a nice full-sized stretch in the cockpit. It would not do to travel so far, only to accidentally run into each other now with their destination within com range.

“No, no; it is more than simply an unknown language. It is either several differing languages or a very clever way of getting around the universal translator.”

“I have it, too,” Gareth Duncan said as he experimented with the controls in his ship. “I shall try to concentrate on one of the languages and see what I can find. Word! I have never heard such confusion!”

“Brent? Are you still with us?” Carrol Shanaugh asked as she watched one of the ships stray a little out of formation. Space flight was hard enough on the airbreathing Thuringi, but on an Aquatic like Brent Ardenne it was sure to be even more challenging.

“Mmm, yes,” Brent replied, his voice raspy and weary.

“It will not be long,” Stuart Phillipi told him hopefully.

“Word, that is a massive world there,” Darien muttered as a colorfully streaked planet with shaded bands of red and white clouds came into view. “Is that the source of the communication?”

“No, it is further in toward the sun.”

“Well, if they can talk then I presume they can eat,” Darien said. “I never thought I would say it, but I could use a nice fat friak right now, roasted and juicy to perfection.”

"Stop talking about food," Stuart groaned to his twin. "I am down to my last few ration packets now."

“I have a lock on one of their frequencies,” Gareth announced. “It may take some time for the com system to digest and translate this language.”

“Well, anything is an improvement,” Stuart pointed out. “Brent, you are listing.”

“I… oh. Sorry.”

“Brent,” Carrol said, “Would you like a catch-line?”

“Yes, I would at that, little sis.”

She sent out a towline that fastened onto his ship. She did not like the sound of strain in his voice, and the relief in his reply confirmed her suspicion he might not be able to pilot his ship well enough to make an unassisted landing. “Darien, catch Brent’s other side,” she directed. “Stuart can go ahead of us and establish contact.”

“All right.”

“Look at that world; it is ringed with orbiting rock,” Gareth noted. “That is one of the prettiest planets we have come across in a long time.”

“Oh, I do not know,” Darien mused. "I have seen better." He impatiently tugged his long blonde braid of hair over so it would not rest between his back and the seat. It was times like these when he wondered why he bothered with the Thuringi Air Command tradition of long single braids. They all wore braids but if the others did not complain, Darien would not either.

“Look at this; it is a dead red,” Stuart commented as they passed by another planet.

“We have seen many of those,” Gareth said idly. “I think I have a lock on something! Slow down; the com source is coming up fast.”

“Oh, look at it, just look at it!” Glendon gasped as they approached the planet issuing the communications. “Brent, look! All that blue – it must be water!”

“And so much land, and the greenery! What a bounty!” Gareth said with a whistle of surprise.

“There is so much white on it; I wonder what that means,” Brent mumbled. He felt a trickle on his lower lip and reached up to touch it. He drew his hand back and stared at the blood. So: his lips were parched. He hoped Glendon was right. It had to be water; it must be water down there. The suit specially designed to keep his Aquatic body hydrated held no liquid now and what little moisture remained was not enough to meet his needs.

“I will lead; follow me, scouts!” Stuart said with a boisterous chuckle and headed down through some clouds near a place where the water met the land. The others followed him. He broke through the clouds and was surprised to find the land closer than he realized and a ground-based vehicle headed right for him. He made an evasive maneuver and watched helplessly as the vehicle swerved and went off the road. “Oh, damn! I have it, I have it!” he said as he went after the ground craft.

“We just arrived and already he is breaking toys,” Darien noted with devilish glee. Brent chuckled but did not reply.

Along a lonely stretch of road in rural Massachusetts, America in the summer of 1961, Michael Sheldon rolled down his car window to enjoy the breeze now that the rain stopped falling. He needed some time off from his job teaching at-risk students in order to finish his doctoral thesis, and a few days decompressing in the country sounded good.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted a shiny spot in the cloud ahead that was not the sun peeking through. Suddenly a brilliant blue-white light was in his eyes headed directly for him. He slammed on the brakes and felt the terrifying helpless sensation of hydroplaning as his car skimmed the road surface, left the pavement, and careened down the embankment. His hands clutched the steering wheel and his legs slammed against the underside of the dash. Over and over from side to side the car tumbled until it came to rest upside down in a creek bed.

Water poured in through the open window and the cracked windshield. Michael struggled but could not twist around to keep his head above the rising water. I'm going to die, he thought in despair. I wanted to live longer than this!

The car shuddered and moved upward. The water drained out as Michael wheezed for air, relieved at first. He lay against the interior roof of his car and wondered what happened. The roadway had been empty. How was it possible that his car was lifted out of the water? How did a crane or a tow truck get down the ravine and hook up to him so quickly, where was it before the accident? Was that what made the brilliant light? What was going on?

The battered vehicle settled on the shore of the creek, and the door came off with a metallic screech. A figure peered into the interior. He grabbed Michael's arms and tried to pull him out, but Michael gave an unexpected shriek of pain. The rescuer saw the young man’s legs pinned in place by the dashboard. The stranger reached in and ripped the dashboard apart with one hand and pulled the injured driver out into the rain. He carried Michael to a sheltered area under some overhanging trees and gently sat him down. The stranger made a clucking sound with his tongue as he looked at the injured leg.

"Am I that bad?" Michael croaked.

The man jerked back, startled. He was taller than anyone Michael knew, at least six feet nine inches tall. He wore his long blonde hair in a braid that reached well past his waistline, and his eerie bright yellow eyes appeared iridescent in the half-light of the rainy afternoon. The man wore a close-fitting black tunic with a stiff upright collar and flowing sleeves with cuffs snug at the wrists. His fitted white breeches tucked into high black boots extended in front to shield the kneecap. A small cape draped around his shoulders and a gleaming pistol of unfamiliar design dangled from a holster over one hip. At the other hip, a glittering scabbard and a sword with an intricately carved silver handle hung from the belt at his waist.

Michael looked beyond the figure and saw a triangular aircraft the length of a school bus and nearly as wide in the tail section, hovering silently overhead. It was the color of the rain clouds. Despite the pain in his legs, Michael straightened and looked again at the figure before him. This man did not look like a Soviet, and the aircraft was like nothing close to a Sputnik.

"Holy cow! Are you an alien? From another planet?" He started to get up but fell back with a groan of pain. The man patted his arm and spoke an unfamiliar but lyrical language in a comforting tone. Michael remained conscious as he watched a second aircraft arrive. Another alien with humanoid feminine curves to her uniform got out and approached him unsteadily. She cut away Michael’s trouser material to reveal a two-inch deep gash that ran down his left leg. Bright red blood gushed rhythmically from the wound, and Michael wildly realized he had severed an artery in the crash. The second stranger pressed a small bulb with a needle against the leg.

Now feeling no pain, Michael watched in drowsy curiosity as she guided a wallet-sized instrument slowly along his leg and placed the tip of a small clear tube into the gash. She carefully maneuvered the tube inside the gash several times, and the bleeding stopped. She stroked the gash carefully from the interior outward, and the gash closed before his eyes. She then took the instrument and bulb and left Michael’s line of sight.

"How did you do that?" Michael asked. The stranger motioned to him not to speak and put him into the aircraft. As they flew away from the accident site Michael wondered in silence. He felt no fear but was not passive about his predicament. He glanced around the cockpit and saw his new friend evidently traveled a long time judging from the worn upholstery and the general lived-in look of the cockpit.

There were instruments on the panel Michael could not even guess as to purpose, and the inscriptions on them were not in a recognizable language. In the center of the front console was a screen displaying the area in front of the ship, like a closed-circuit television. Other screens showed the surrounding terrain from different locations around the outside of the ship, even though Michael had not noticed any sort of cameras mounted anywhere.

A series of levers and switches were on the left side of the front panel, with corresponding indicator lights. The ship was bigger than it appeared from the outside, with room enough for the pilot to take a comfortable stretch. Behind the pilot’s seat was the seat Michael occupied, and behind him a small door, presumably to the rest of the ship.

They landed on an empty beach. Michael crawled out after the stranger emerged from the cockpit. The ship was no longer cloud gray, but Michael could not pinpoint its exact hue. The metal took on a different appearance in the bright sunlight, mirroring the sky above and the sand, below.

The sandy patch where they stood was only a few yards long. From there on down the coastline as far as they could see the shore was rocky. The stranger turned slowly around, taking in deep breaths of the sea air. He inspected the pebbles on the beach and observed the waddling sand crabs, the tide and the gently weaving tall pines that crowded the landscape up to the rocks on the beach. He let out a satisfied sigh and turned back to Michael as he adjusted something near his ear.

Michael Sheldon was twenty-nine years of age with wavy brown hair and wide gray eyes. He had a crooked nose, an inherited trait made worse by an unfortunate tackle in high school football, and a solid build that saw many a winning football game at college. At his temples were wisps of premature gray. For a while, the men simply studied each other. Finally, Michael cleared his throat and spoke.

"Thanks for helping me, I owe you my life." He gave a sudden laugh. "You have no idea what I'm saying! I wonder if this is real? I expected a man from Mars to be, I don't know; little and green or something."

"(I am not from Mars)." The stranger's voice had a peculiarly clipped accent, the accent of one speaking a foreign tongue fluidly if not altogether certainly. He was still fooling with his ear, and his voice faded in an out. The surprise of hearing a perfectly delivered upper-class English accent from the yellow-eyed stranger caught Michael off guard, but the stranger took no notice.

"Where are you from? You're sure not from around these parts," Michael said.

"(My name is Stuart Phillipi de Saulin, Crown Prince of Thuringa and emissary for my father, King Lycasis Phillipi de Trennon of the Twenty-Fifth Rule. Whom do I address)?" The sound was solid now, and even though the words seemed to come out of his mouth, upon close observation his mouth did not accurately form the words.

"I'm...uh..." Michael felt woefully inadequate. "I am Michael Marley Sheldon, um...from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and... a graduate of Harvard." This information made no impression on the crown prince of Thuringa, so Michael plunged on. "How...I mean, you speak English pretty good for a... a prince. Do all of your people—?"

"(Speak this English? No. I wear a universal translator)." He pushed back his long hair to display an apparatus that circled the outer back of his ear and extended an inch to his jawline. Its circumference was no bigger than a power cord to Michael and was the same color as the man’s skin. It was barely noticeable to the younger man who had been occupied with more pressing matters. "(Oh; you have none. I beg your pardon. How are you feeling, Michael Marley Sheldon of Taulsa? Are your limbs adequately repaired)?"

"Are my limbs...I... oh, boy." Michael sat down suddenly on the beach. The prince watched him closely but saw that Michael's abrupt sitting was not from inability to stand, but from the inability to comprehend just how he was able to stand once more. "Yeah, they're just great. You said you’re an emissary for your father. Where exactly is this Thuringa, and how did you get here from there?"

"(Thuringa is far away from this sparkling planet, yet it was once quite like this. Are you familiar with the stars)?"

"I got a merit badge in Scouts for it. Yes, a little."

Prince Stuart gave him a perplexed look but continued. "(Our world was dying. We gathered together what was left of our civilization and left in search of a new home. I am a scout for our people)."

"A royal scout from another world," Michael clarified for himself.

The crown prince of Thuringa suddenly broke into a smile, delighted at his new acquaintance's grasp of the situation, and at his own ability to communicate that message. He looked like a teenage boy to the American, but he carried himself like an adult. "(You are quite correct, Michael Marley Sheldon of Taulsa)."

“It's actually pronounced Tulsa, and I’m just Michael, to my friends. And," Michael rose and held out his hand, "here on planet Earth, friends shake hands."

Prince Stuart clasped Michael's hand and tilted his head slightly to one side. "(As do we, friend Michael of Tulsa. You call your world Earth. Interesting; a very solid name)."

"You said you are looking for a new home. Are you all planning to live here?" Michael asked. He felt somehow oddly disjointed from the whole scene, as if maybe it was a dream or hallucination of some sort. If it was a dream, he ought to wake up before any of his questions were answered, if this dream ran true to form.

"(No, we only need a place to rest before moving on. We intend to settle on another world beyond here, an uninhabited one. That is our goal)."

"How long will that take?"

The tall prince sighed and knelt down to feel the water as it rushed over his hand coming ashore. For a moment he gazed at the waves, and at last he replied. "(Not for many years yet. You see, we have an armada coming; our people and our race's culture, history, zoological specimens, botanical specimens, and we cannot rush them through space. My kinsmen and I were able to travel at a higher speed by virtue of our lesser payload and stronger ships. There are far too many of the rest to ask for permanent residency here. It is not our desire to rule another’s world. We need an empty but habitable world upon which to begin again)." He squinted up at the sun. "(Ah, the thrill of travel, and the greater thrill of staying still)."

"This is amazing," Michael marveled. He had not expected an answer like that. Maybe this was a really, really good dream. "When did you get here?"

"(Moments ago. I entered the atmosphere and went below the surface cover and found myself head-to-head with a vehicle that ran off its pathway. I am so sorry, Michael. I did not expect to contact an inhabitant so soon)."

"That was you? You just now got here?"

Stuart considered his words. “(I should look for a place to settle, diplomats to contact. We did not expect to meet anyone so soon. Have you any suggestions)?"

“You mean, like, take me to your leader?”

“(Yes. I need to meet and speak with the principal ruler of your world).”

"Well...look, your Highness –”

"(Where)?"

"No, no, that's just an expression. Your Highness, this planet just came out of a worldwide war not so long ago between powerful countries. My country—this one, America – is terrified of the Communist threat from Russia. Things are in such a state that if you just sashay up and say, 'Hi, I'm a royal prince from outer space', well, the world is spooked enough to blow you away just as a precaution. Or even worse, they’ll think you’re a regular human who’s lost his mind. Even if someone were to believe you..."

Michael stopped, before he could tell this strange visitor further information. Suppose like the science fiction movies he saw that they were there to take over the Earth. Michael did not want to reveal anything that might compromise his own world. If this were a dream that would be one thing, but it was starting to feel real.

Prince Stuart's face was a study in uncomprehending concentration. "(I will need to learn more about your world, Michael of Tulsa. I have understood few of your words just now)."

"I know, I'm sorry. Just understand that this world is not a bad place, but there are a lot of very trigger-happy people who could give you the wrong impression of it. They might be afraid of you, not understand what you want and try to fight before you said anything."

The air around them took on a glow as other triangular-shaped crafts appeared from the clouds above. Michael counted five more in addition to his new friend’s. They landed in a semi-circle around the two standing on the beach. From the crafts emerged more tall people with yellow eyes and long blonde hair, and they took time to get acclimated. After stretching and taking surreptitious glances at the native of Earth, the other Thuringi walked stiffly around on the beach. One talked to Stuart in that strange lyrical language. His blonde hair was darker and his face animated as he repeatedly gestured toward Michael with a frown. Unlike the calm prince, this one had sharply angled eyebrows that knotted at his brow and underscored his displeasure. Over his uniform he wore a long black waistcoat with long tails that swirled with every gesture he made.

Two Thuringi were in a long-awaited conference. One was a little stockier of build, and he had a hand on the other’s shoulder. Michael saw that the other one was the female who repaired his leg. She apparently did not quite have the hang of gravity yet since she clung unsteadily to him. Another man, taller and slenderer than the others, took samples of the beach sand. The fifth one simply stood and stared at the ocean.

"I thought we were going to come quietly, unnoticed! And yet here you are, Stuart, collecting some stray istay, some Outlander, to your bosom! Who is that pathetic looking creature? Is that the best this world has to offer?"

"Stuart, this is beyond our wildest dreams! Why could we not settle here, instead of going to Farcourt? It is just as promising – oh hush now, Darien; who you to complain after a journey like that one!" the tall one exclaimed. "These deposits are much like our own vaguno. Theirs must be a farming race to grow such a rich field of vaguno as this."

"Be still a moment, both of you," Stuart said. "This world, this Earth, will be a good resting place for our people. No, we must continue to Farcourt in time, Glendon. My friend over there is Michael of Taulsa. He offered us a haven from the world's woes. They have apparently been at war recently and there are Communiss? - someone - his people have been fighting. It is apparently complicated. He suggested we take shelter at a location he knows. He seems quite kind; not an istay at all, Darien. Why are you in such a foul mood?”

"Inspired by Brent, no doubt," Glendon said as he picked up a seashell and shook it curiously. "He has been quite irritable this past week. His skin is terribly parched.”

They turned to look at the figure that stared out to sea. Michael was unable to understand what they said but he followed their line of sight to the still figure. He cautiously approached the mesmerized man, who appeared injured by the looks of the four white slightly diagonal slits under each ear on his neck. The man wheezed with every breath, and his face was strained and in pain as he stared at the water before him.

"Um...we call it an ocean. A very...very large body of water. This is water, see." Michael scooped up a double palm’s worth of water and held it up to the man. The water trickled out from between his fingers.

The man's eyes widened as he emerged from his trancelike state. "Illick chara-a-a-nay!" he shouted, flinging his arms out in ecstasy. He dove into the water and splashed about like a crazed seal, whooping and laughing. Michael jumped back and wondered if the poor man suffered from some sort of space fatigue. Stuart joined Michael.

"Uh...what does illick chara-a-a-nay mean?" Michael asked as he kept a wary eye on the still splashing celebrator.

"(It means, 'He is a fool who hesitates at such bounty)."

"Sort of, 'the last one in is a rotten egg'?"

Stuart looked at Michael for a moment and laughed. "(I suppose...whatever that means)." He gestured to his kinsmen to join them and introduced them in order of lineup to Michael. "(This is Lieutenant Colonel Glendon Garin)," he said in reference to the slender one taking samples.

Glendon smiled as he reached to finger Michael's wavy brown hair. He had a very elegant way about him, as if dignity and professionalism were his second nature. He was an extremely attractive man by Earthian standards, and his angular features, large expressive eyes and thick long eyelashes were Hollywood quality. "Ver hitum caute?" Glendon asked. Stuart pointed at Glendon's ear, and Glendon smiled apologetically at Michael. He adjusted his own translator and spoke again.

"(Interesting. Are you all colored thus)?"

"No, we're all pretty different," Michael said. Glendon slowly circled Michael and inspected him by observation. There was nothing alarming in the way this was done; Glendon was simply curious about his new acquaintance.

"(This is my brother Prince Darien Phillipi)," Stuart said as he indicated the one who gestured and grimaced earlier.

A long dark gray coat shaped like a wasp’s wings in back draped over Darien’s black tunic. His clothing was edged with silver piping and small colorful rectangles occupied the left breast of his tunic. They reminded Michael of military medals. A quick glance at the other Thuringi revealed they all had medal-rectangles. Like his companions, Darien wore weapons at his waist: a pistol nestled in its well-worn holder and a beautiful silver sword with an ornately carved handle, a close match to Prince Stuart’s. The gleaming blade bore some sort of writing along its surface, and it was hard for Michael to keep from staring at it.

Darien had a rugged face with deep-set yellow eyes and shaggy dark blonde bangs along with a thick ropelike braid of hair that reached to the small of his back. He cleared his throat and spoke with a patronizing tone. "(And is this your kingdom)?" he asked politely.

"No, my property is miles from here," Michael answered with the feeling that should this prince discover Michael was a common nobody, the thin veneer of friendliness might be gone again.

"(This is Major Gareth Duncan)," Stuart said, referring to the stocky one who stepped forward, his translator already adjusted. Gareth had keen eyes that missed nothing, a steady gaze that met Michael's gaze measure for measure. He wore a mud brown tunic with a myriad of pockets full of items he obviously needed or used often. His breeches showed evidence of stains, like oil or lubricant. His voice was unemotional, but his eyes were full of anticipation. "(I would like to see your technology)," Gareth said without preamble.

Michael replied, "I doubt that we could come close to anything like you've already got."

If Gareth looked disappointed, he quickly shrugged it off. "(There is always an opportunity for technological exchange)," he said, and opened a tunic pocket and removed a small palm-sized box. He touched its surface, pointed one end at Michael and studied the box. Gareth looked a little surprised and wore a small, pleased smile. He did not explain what the box was for, and Michael had no chance to ask.

"(That one out there)," Stuart said, gesturing out to sea, "(is Sea Commander Brent Ardenne)." Brent emerged from the water, his dark blue suit soaked and he, happy. Many small tube-like lines ran over his uniform in a weblike pattern, and they pulsated with a rhythmic beat. His wetsuit was once again full of the liquid he so desperately needed, and he was energized again. "(Brent, this is Michael of Tulsa)."

"(Hail, Michael of Taulsa)!" Brent greeted after arranging his translator properly. He had a roguish smile, not as wicked as Darien but every bit as speculative. He turned again to the sea. "(And a glorious Taulsa it is, too)."

"No, that's the Atlantic Ocean," Michael corrected. "Tulsa's in Oklahoma."

"(I am indeed sorry)," Brent's attention returned to his host. "(Do you wish to retrieve it from their clutches)?"

"No, no," Michael declined. "It's fine where it is, it’s all right."

"(Ah)," Brent said, astonished at Michael’s words and trying not to be obvious about it. He glanced over at Stuart and made a face that asked, did he say what I think he said?

"Who's that?" Michael asked as he gestured to the loner with the balance problem. Hesitancy swept through the group of Thuringi, and Michael wondered at their reaction to what he thought was a reasonable question. The figure moved to stand next to Gareth Duncan.

"(This is Princess Carrol Shanaugh de Phillipi)," Stuart said. "Darien’s and my sister." She removed her helmet and Michael could not hold back a welcoming smile. No wonder they hesitated to mention her. A pearl like this should be hidden from thieves. She extended her hand gracefully, royally. Taking a tip from Errol Flynn's Robin Hood movies, Michael kissed the back of her hand.

Darien suddenly jerked Carrol away and shoved his face in front of Michael and bared his teeth.

"Dakarte Istay!" snapped Darien.

"(He is not one of us. He is an Outlander of the Unknown Territory)," Glendon protested in Michael's defense, gently pulling Darien back.

"(Have you ever seen the like)?" Gareth mused, and looked at Carrol for her reaction.

She looked at Darien and smiled at his anger. "(Do not take it so personally! We are here to meet people, not fight them. He did me no harm whatsoever)."

"What...what'd I do?" Michael asked, his eyes wide with apprehension.

"(Nothing; you did nothing wrong. In our society, a man usually is better acquainted with a woman before he displays such an affectionate move. In some families, they even wait until they plan to be devoted to each other)," Stuart explained soothingly.

"Devoted?"

"(With the intention to marry)."

"Oh, heck," Michael moaned. "I'm sorry," he said, and addressed the woman. "Here on Earth, sometimes kissing a girl's hand is like a show of respect and admiration. I didn't mean to insult you or insinuate anything. I sure don't want to start a feud."

"(What)?" they chorused.

"I don't want to start a fight."

"(You did not)," Carrol assured him. "(I take no offense; we do not know your ways either. There is much for everyone to learn).” She looked at Gareth pointedly. “(Thank you ever so much for the reading material).” It was obviously a statement only he understood, and he grinned at her.

“(Please accept my apology on behalf of my brother’s harsh reaction),” Stuart told Michael. “(He is on edge from the strain of our journey and has always been quite protective of her).” To Darien he muttered, “(We might as well have brought Erich, after all).”

Darien curled his lip at his brother but said nothing.

Stuart continued. "(Perhaps I should better introduce our people as a whole. The royal Phillipi family ruled Thuringa for centuries. Ours was a self-supporting world and we shared our bounty equally. No one was lesser in comforts and goods than another as long as they worked within the community; the nobility and the ordinary people were of equal worth in the eyes of the king. The average lifespan is six hundred years, and six hundred years is a long time to live down a dishonorable deed)."

Brent snickered and pointed to himself to indicate he was living proof of something dishonorable. He did it in a good-natured way, as if his naughty deeds were inconsequential enough not to bother him or his royal companions.

“Six hundred years! How do you measure years, and how long are the days where you lived?”

“(Our homeworld was roughly the same distance from our sun, as yours,” Stuart explained. “We probably have similar measurements of time).”

"So, what is your society like; what do you do? Do you marry and have families...?"

"(Thuringi usually wait until after the one-hundredth birthday to marry, or once we are comfortable enough with the everyday execution of daily gifted tasks to settle down and have a family. Among the scouts, three of us are married: my wife Aura -)"

"(My sister)," Brent interjected.

"(- have a son named Erich. Brent and his wife Isador have a son, Triton; and Glendon and wife Janis have a daughter named Echo. The children are all adolescents now.)"

Glendon and Brent exchanged wry glances which told Michael that raising teenagers was no easier on Thuringa than it was on Earth.

"Is everyone in the military, like you?" Michael asked as he noted all the uniforms.

"(No, we have civilians as well, but civilians are rarely sent on a scouting mission to the unknown. Every citizen performs a task of trade or skill they are judged gifted to perform. The time spent in these tasks are touted as ‘hours earned.' Some are gifted in military matters, but others prefer the civilian life. We are all required to perform common duties - gathering garbage for recycling or destruction, or cleaning public buildings or streets, that sort of thing. These tasks are routinely rotated every nine days so no one would be stuck doing the same thing)."

"(Nobody enjoys gathering up friak peels)," Darien said in his low growl, "(but at least everyone has a turn at not enjoying it)."

"(Gifted tasks are what a person’s natural ability is included to do, such as medical practice, architecture, teaching, animal husbandry, engineering, and military service)," Stuart added. "(Our world had been a happy world where good times abounded, and the Thuringi warriors were sent on missions to other less fortunate worlds. The majority of Thuringa were warriors, but the war with the Shargassi wiped out most of the Sea Command and much of the Ground Command.)"

"The... the Shar-ga- what?" Michael asked about the unfamiliar term.

"Shar-ga-SAY," Stuart repeated pleasantly. "Even with only fourteen thousand warriors left, the Royal Thuringi Air Command could still outfight any warrior forces of the Stellar Council worlds!"

"Word!" Brent exclaimed proudly.

Stellar Council worlds! The thought of many alien races made Michael's head spin. A part of him wanted to announce to the people of Earth this marvelous revelation that was history making, world-shattering news. It was the world-shattering part that held him back. There was no way Earth would be able to digest this information. There would either be wholesale panic, or he would be branded as a nut who watched one too many science fiction movies. There was a lot more to learn about the Thuringi before the revelation of their existence was made, especially if only six were present on Earth.

"I’d like to know more about you, myself. Maybe this isn't the best place to talk right now," Michael said with a glance at the open beach all around them. "I come from a place about a thousand miles from here. There's a house on some property my family owns that's pretty secluded. Why don’t we go there, and you can tell me more about yourselves? You could even stay there for a while."

Prince Stuart studied his newfound friend. "(You would do this for us and our people)?"

"Well, how often does a fellow have a chance to help someone from another world? Someone who's helped me?" He patted his legs in emphasis. "If you'll give me a lift – a ride in your ship, that is – I’ll take you out to the house."

"(Yes, that would be wonderful)." Prince Stuart and his companions exchanged relieved looks.

Michael worried over what he did. Bam! Just like that, he offered a safe haven for people he literally knew nothing about. Suppose they were here to take over the Earth? Suppose that weapon at the prince's side was meant to kill any resistance to their arrival?

But then, the prince and his sister saved Michael's life. They repaired his injured leg. The prince asked what diplomatic sources he should contact; it was Michael who suggested secrecy. If there was one thing the movies taught him, it was that the government always had secret weird experiments going on, and this prince seemed too nice for some G-man scientist geek.

Off in the distance they heard a bell clang from a beach house on down the shore. "Well, maybe we'd better get going," Michael suggested.

They all got back into their respective ships and followed Stuart and Michael's lead. Michel advised them to stay low to avoid radar.

"(This radar of which you speak)," Glendon asked Michael, "(What kind of probe is it)?"

"It can locate a plane in the air," Michael said. "It uses sonar waves."

"(It sounds primitive)," Gareth mused. “(Still, it was largely primitive measures that brought down our world, so let us stay cautious).”

"(This Taulsa)," Brent wanted to know because all he saw beneath his ship was land, "(Is it near great waters)?"

"No, but there's a creek that runs through our property and a fair-sized stock pond."

"(This language is like so much Thelan to me)," Brent growled. "(What is a ‘creek’ and a ‘stockpond’)?"

"They’re water sources. Why, we're almost there already," Michael said as he looked out of the cockpit. He felt giddy inside. He was flying inside a spaceship! What an adventure! No one would believe him, of course; no doubt his family and friends would figure he spent too much time at the B movies.