Out of your element

Chapter 1

A “Galactic Migration” occurred in 2132 as people on Earth were moving to exoplanet Centaurio. The move was due to the fact that all of the natural resources had finally been used up, but also to avoid the catastrophic comet collision of 2137, “Halley’s Hell-Raiser” which destroyed the majority of Earth.

If you were among the unlucky and didn’t fill out your “Earth Transition” paperwork correctly and on time, you were either obliterated immediately or you survived for a short period of time, but suffered immensely due to dust fires and cannibalism until the remaining plants and animals died causing Earthly extinction…I think….I mean, my Earthly ancestors got their “transition” paperwork in early I’m told. Anyway, Centaurions just assume there is no longer life there.

Since the transition from Earth, oxygen is no longer needed for our survival, making us all a sky blue like color; not all black, white and brown and all those crazy Earth colors.

This would probably be a good time to introduce myself, I’m Chromy from the Upper East side of Opraius and I’m 7 years old…not an “Earthly 7”. Since we are further away from the sun instead of 365 days in a year, it’s 1,095. So I would be 21 to you. Enough of the symantics, I make things happen, and keep the party started. I’ve been constructing borgs and space carts since before my 3rd birthday, so my techno skills are out of this world. No, LITERALLY out of this world! I took my friends Mercury and 10 on a joyride to Mars, the bourgeoisie planet of the Universe.

Chromy is interrupted by one of her BFF’s Mercury, “Miss Chromy are you tele-transported to this conversation room with myself and 10 or are you doing an upload to Galacata-gram? Must you use our convo time to create content.”

“I don’t have to,” Chromy replied “but when you guys aren’t talking about anything gurgly, I get bored.”

10 teleports Party Stars to their virtual conversation and says mockingly, “Does that make it more exciting? Better yet, I could dis-engage this teleport and get back to my workout.”

“Take it easy ladies, I’m on a smooth, chill vibrational pattern and you two won’t mess it up…10, you know you’re not working out and Chro, stop acting like a defective borg!” Mercury declares.

10 rolls her eyes at the truth and Chromy jokes, “Mercury feeling mellow because Carbon Dee came to see her today.” The girls laugh and Mercury smiles so big and wide her tele-transport signal get wavy causing the line to disconnect.

After a few minutes, the girls’ physical images appear back in their teleport room and 10 imposes some fun for the anxious Chromy.

“You remember my cousin Nesium? Chromy and Mercury’s tele-ported images shake their head in agreeance. 10 continues, “she was telling me stories about the Earthly celebrities and famous content creators from MySpace, Facebook and Instagram…Kimmy Eastly was one of THEE biggest…and just happens to be a relative.

“No she isn’t, we’ve been over this and I’m gonna need a point really soon 10…” an impatient Chromy projects.

“It’s called a ‘set-up’,” 10 continues, “anyway…she uploaded herself planting expensive jewelry throughout Calabasas, crazy part is, she accidentally planted her heart-shaped platinum locket. She then had a #Challenge for her fans to go find the jewelry, take a pic and upload it with hashtag #KimmyDidThis. She had 20 pieces hidden and only 17 were found.

A now antsy Mercury says, “I’m with Chromy now…what IS your point??”

“You two are slower than 15 gigabytes,” a now irritated 10 blurts out. “Chromy wants content…how epic would it be to upload us completing the Kimmy Eastly challenge!

“On Earth?” A curious Mercury asks.

“Not on Mars! What you think Chro? Chro?” 10 repeats again.

Suddenly Chromy’s signal starts behaving the same as Mercury’s when she was happy beyond measure.

“By the looks of her signal, I know exactly what that means,” Mercury adds “Space trip!!”

Chapter 2

“Zerk, zerk, zerk, zerk, zerk!” 10 sings along with her music blasting. She hovers her transportation modulator into Chromy’s family lavish driveway, where she meets Mercury getting dropped off by Carbon Dee.

“Merc and Carbon Dee, what’s the gurgle?

Carbon waves as he hovers away.

“Is that RR-19’s new song? I love her!” Mercury exclaims before joining in on the chorus. Chromy comes out amongst the musical commotion…

“Hey ladies! You packed for an epic trip!”

10 turns the music down so they can hear clearly,

“I’ve got my oxygen pills, nuclear sun tan lotion, extra batteries…”

“Can you leave the “nerdy-you” in this galaxy please? Mercury quips.

“Seriously,” Chromy adds as her and Mercury hi-five , “things in my tote include Jupiter-juice and some very potent Gaza leaves, that’s the type of mission in on.”

The girls gather their totes and strap into Chromy’s new and improved space cart…not quite a rocket, not quite a car but it gets the job done. Chromy adjusts the dials, turns on the new RR-19 mini hologram and informs Mercury and 10 that they will be on Earth in about 60 minutes. Then they go over the list of popular places they will search and go over the last 3 missing items they are in search of for the hunt: 1) Diamond Butterfly Ring 2) Ruby Earrings 3)Platinum Heart Shaped. Their plan is to land in Calabasas and get right to the hunt. Though Centaurions evolved from needed oxygen for survival, they still must limit their voyage to 3 days so their blue pigment doesn’t completely fade away. Meanwhile, the girls prepare for landing.

“Get your devices ready for our first Earth uploads! Countdown to Calabasas in 5…4…3…”

A loud bump is heard as they land a few seconds before expected.

“What kind of counting is that?” 10 chuckles.

The girls slip a contact like disc over their retinas for protection since Earth is much brighter than Centaurio being closer to the sun. They gather their totes and exit the space cart. They are in awe at the unusual prehistoric looks of things…brown dirt, patches of green grass.

“I can’t believe all those stories my family passed down were true! 10 says in amazement.

“Where my gorgeous galactic girls with good vibrations at? On Earth, that’s where! You all know me, it’s Merc with the quiet storm 10 and the party starter in the background, Chromy.”

Mercury uploads her greeting to Galacta-gram as soon as Chromy is finishing hers.

“…and we’re just getting started!” as she chews a Gaza Leaf, “First 3 people to upload ten stars, I will open the teleport portal for you to get a taste of Earth without needing oxygen pills!”

After Chromy and Mercury finish Galacta-framing they joke at 10 for being such a nerd since she didn’t even do an upload yet, just busy being in awe and going over hints and notes to get the hunt going.

“According to my calculations, we’re about 100 zilometers from a Ruby,” 10 utters.

“According to our calculations, we’re about 1 nanometer from a dork.

All 3 girls cackle and they start their journey. 10 takes an oxygen pill and the other girls ask for one as well.

“Looks like a little nerdy preparation isn’t so bad, huh?”

At the exact same moment, Chromy gets a ping from her gem tracking device, confirming the same calculations 10 mentioned moments earlier…

“Looks like we ARE super close to a Ruby…”

They continue moving closer and closer until the arrive near a broken wooden wall that read NOB by the ocean and just to the left is a broken flower pot Chromy spots the Ruby earrings. The girls are super excited and immediately do a Galacta-gram. The stars from their followers are pouring in…

“Okay let’s keep this thing moving,” 10 eagerly emits, “we gotta find that platinum heart locket.”

“…and the diamond butterfly ring! People haven’t seen diamonds in ages, I guess I’ll keep that piece for myself,” Mercury states so there is no future confusion.

“Deal. But we’re looking for the platinum locket next,” says 10.

They all agree and head back to the space cart to recharge with nutrient pellets and to get some rest. Even though the trip was only an hour, to travel to a totally different galaxy usually takes a lot out of folks. Before turning it in for sleep, Mercury jokingly inquires from 10…

“Why do you write your name like the number 10 when it’s actually Tin?”

“I just think it’s lame that Centaurions are so fascinated with old elements from Earth, I am the number 10, divine, a fusion of being and non- being, complete and independent.

“Whatever girl, Goodnight to you!”

Chapter 3

The following day, the girls get out early with a great attitude to find the remaining pieces, their skin is still blue, but not as bright as it was when they arrived. Things didn’t start out well initially, but by the end of the day, Mercury had a diamond butterfly ring on her finger, another Galacta-gram and more followers than ever.

“Ready to wrap it up so we can get rest for trip back home tomorrow?” Chromy suggests.

“Hell no!” 10 yells. “I’m not going anywhere until I get MY piece.”

“You can just have the Ruby earrings,” Chromy barters.

“I don’t WANT the earrings!”

Mercury interjects trying to make sense of the situation.

“WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND THIS NECKLACE 10? ENOUGH OF THE CHARADE, SAY IT!”

10 is reluctant, and kind of embarrassed but she tells them how Kimmy Eastly is her family’s Earthly ancestor and with the technology of sensory teleportation, if she was to have her actual item, she can upload her and get to meet and talk to her in person and she concludes with:

“How cool would it be to talk to one of my famous ancestors from the past!”

The girls are clearly upset from being misled, and find it hard to understand, especially since they’ve always disregarded 10 being related to Kimmy; and just to finally put the story to rest, they agree to continue to search for the platinum heart shaped locket into the night and through the day, pushing their return home and oxygen/color levels.

Still with no luck. Heart broken at missing a chance to see a loved one, 10 breaks down in front of space cart crying. When she wipes her eyes, she sees a something shining beneath the surface,

“I found it,” she screams with elation.

The girls do a final Galaxy’s-gram and head home.

Chapter 4

Days later after they make it back to Centaurio, Mercury, Chromy and 10 all gather with the platinum heart locket to initial the sensory teleportation. After about 3 minutes of bells and whistles and weird sounds, an image of a dog developed.

“Who, what the hell?” A confused 10 let’s out.

Shaking their heads in irritation, Chromy and Mercury angrily shout, “A DOG’S LOCKET?!!