by Paul Vayro
Chapter Nineteen
Zarg turned the final corner to the door that would allow him off the space craft and out to explore the Earth. Unfortunately it was packed with a growing crowd of equally excited youngsters. Believing his curiosity of a more intellectual nature than his peers, Zarg felt justified in his decision to push to the front. Scanning the back row of the rabble, three gaps presented themselves. Opting for the one to the right he waited for it to gape once more. It didn’t take long as an adult stood on a box to address the group.
“Okay everybody. I realise this is very exciting for you but we need to be patient and adhere to health and safety guidelines.” A mass groan entered the air. Health and safety was the bane of many Jefferian lives. Forced to study and learn regulation after regulation whilst growing up created an extremely aware society; unfortunately they were also incredibly bitter about being patronised. “Pushing and shoving is riddled with danger and helps nobody.” Dawn spoke with increasing stress in her voice. “I must also ask that you remain within visual contact of the ship once outside….” The speech had drawn many of the teenager’s attention, keeping them rooted to one spot and revealing numerous gaps for Zarg to take advantage of.
Swerving through the first few rows unchallenged, Zarg’s excitement grew; however nearing the front he aroused tuts and stern looks as he squeezed past elbows and trod on feet. His foray ceased completely when a forearm blocked his path. He looked up to see the source of the imposing limb.
“I hope you’re not pushing in, Zarg.” Don stared down proudly, his eye swollen from the battle in the cafeteria. “Me, and my mates here are security. We have to go out there first and check there’s no stinkin’ humans left.” Don turned to his crew and laughed. They joined in without needing to know what was funny.
“I thought we’d been through this, Don. It’s not going to be like that.” Zarg spotted a potential opening. If he could squeeze through he could see a path all the way to the door.
“I don’t think I like your attitude.” Don moved forward menacingly.
“Ah well. What can you do?” Zarg lost all fear of Don. The prospect of being on the Earth overshadowed the bully's menace. Fortunately an eruption of applause distracted the thug. Unable to resist copying the masses behaviour, Don clapped in unison, unsure who it was for or why. By the time he remembered he was about to thump Zarg, the little alien had skimmed through the remainder of the crowd and reached the door just as it opened. Zarg skipped down the ramp and on his way as Don sent a series of threats after him, each as empty as the next.
The ship had landed within a grass basin on the edge of Puddleton. The natural bowl was part of the same series of undulating mounds that created Noel Hill. The sides stretched up around forty metres, their circular nature secluding a space craft of stereotypical shape to perfection.
Zarg sprinted away from the craft, gulping at the sweet tasting freedom until his mind was full. Running with wild abandon he completely forgot he was past this kind of behaviour and should be looking for a corner to sulk in, but finally he’d reached the Earth and wished to experience it with every sense he possessed.
The eager alien raced up the incline before fatigue quickly forced him to stop and catch his breath. Falling face first on to the grass the green shoots curled around him, his glove already switched on and allowing everything within five feet to react to his presence. Zarg nestled his cheek in to the soil, enhancing his belief that the very Earth was hugging him, holding him close to its heart so he wouldn’t float away. He rolled on to his back and waved his limbs back and forth. The simulations he’d spent so long inside simply couldn’t compete with the reality.
After a few gleeful moments, Zarg sat up with a beaming smile and looked down at his frolicking peers. Several groups, one led by Don, had begun to hurl missiles at each other. Dawn flailed around amongst them suggesting reasons to stop, none of which were adhered to. Zarg leant back on his elbows and continued to survey his surroundings in peaceful solitude. Nobody else had climbed as high up the incline as he. He tried to take everything in but there was just too much.
He let his mind wander freely, jumping from thought to thought. He’d spent a long time fawning over pictures and reading accounts of the Earth’s sensory delight, but none of it had even come close.
The colours were so much more vibrant than the books ever suggested. The sky had been described as blue in so much of what he read but they had failed to elaborate. Now he could see why. It couldn’t be tied down to one shade, sometimes it wasn’t even blue, more a symphony of lights and darks intermingling and overlapping to form a whole of infinite curiosity. He took a deep breath. The freshness of the air chilled his insides to a temperature he could only label in terms of pleasure. He’d never contemplated the comfort of air let alone experienced it.
Drunk with curiosity, Zarg looked at the remaining twenty feet that led up to the lip of the basin. ‘What harm could a peek do?’ He told himself he would just take a look then head back down to the ship. He was a very good liar.
Zarg reached the top and stared at Puddleton. For natural beauty it couldn’t begin to compete with the basin, but for pure intrigue it stood without equal. Zarg looked back to the ship; everybody had become involved, in one way or another, in the fracas Don had started. There was certainly nobody paying attention to him. He glanced back to Puddleton then to the craft before a moment of contemplation. There was only one side of the basin Zarg would be going down and he wouldn’t bump in to a spaceship at the bottom of it.