Out of This World

by Douglas E. Richards

  “Our parents disappeared the same way you did,” answered Zachary. “And we're looking for them.”

  “Oh that's terrible. You two are children. You poor things,” she said sweetly. “And here I was feeling sorry for myself.”

  “You didn't know we were kids?” said Jenna.

  “Heavens no. I've never seen your kind before, or anything even close.”

  The wasp began to walk forward to continue the conversation.

  Despite knowing that she was intelligent and seemed kind and gentle, the two humans couldn't help but back away nervously at the same pace at which the wasp advanced.

  “Are you okay?” she asked gently.

  “We’re okay,” replied Zachary thinly. “But I'm going to be honest with you. You may have never seen anything that looks like us before, but where we're from, we have creatures that look like you.”

  “Yeah,” chimed in Jenna. “Only they're not intelligent, and they're thousands of times smaller.”

  “Really?” said the wasp with genuine interest.

  Jenna nodded. “Really. We call them wasps. And the thing is . . . well, the thing is that even though they’re tiny compared to us, most humans are terrified of them.”

  Jenna could handle spiders, for the most part, but once the Lane family had returned home to find a wasp flying around the family room and she had set speed records fleeing the house while her dad tried to kill it. Even her dad, who was usually very brave about spiders and snakes and things, had looked extremely nervous when he had trapped himself inside the house with the wasp holding nothing but a rolled-up magazine for a weapon.

  “Terrified?” said the wasp in disbelief. “Why? What are wasps like on your world?”

  Zachary shuddered. He knew more about wasps than he wanted to. A few months earlier he had been watching a movie in which alien creatures incubated their young inside living humans. After growing, the alien offspring would exit their human hosts by bursting through their chests. His dad had told him these aliens were patterned after wasps. Zachary couldn’t believe that anything this grisly was actually happening on Earth, so he researched it further on the Internet. Unbelievably, his dad had been right. There were wasp species that paralyzed insects and then injected them with eggs. Once hatched, the baby wasps, called larva, would devour the still-living insect—from the inside. Then they would cut a hole in their dead host and fly out. Just the thought of this made Zachary’s skin crawl.

  “What are wasps like on Earth?” he repeated, deciding to keep his answer short and skip the gruesome behavior that had just come to mind. “Well,” he said simply, “they’re very aggressive. And they can fly. But the scary part is that they have stingers with poison in them— and they’re not afraid to use them.”

  The wasp nodded. “I see. Now I understand why you’d be uncomfortable around me. But I can assure you I would never hurt anyone. Many millions of years ago we were similar to the creatures you describe, but our stingers no longer contain any venom nor would we ever use them. And even though we have wings, our kind have grown far too big to fly. We’ve become a very peaceful species. Please, children, don’t be afraid of me,” she pleaded. “I’m scared myself. I just want to get back to my family.”

  They both knew that this being was intelligent and friendly. But the sight of her continued to make them want to run for their lives, regardless of what their brains tried to tell them.

  “We know you won’t hurt us,” said Jenna for them both. “And we’re trying to fight it. But I’m afraid this instinctive fear at the sight of you is pretty strong.”

  The wasp sighed. “I’m so sorry. We have creatures on our world that we are instinctively afraid of, so I understand. I'll leave now so you can avoid any further discomfort. I hope you find your parents,” she finished sincerely. She began walking away sadly.

  Even when the wasp was moving away from them its movement sent shivers down their spines. Human instincts developed over many thousands of years screamed at them to let the wasp leave. But as she got farther and farther away, their rationality and sense of fairness became stronger than their fear. They had a hurried discussion and quickly reached a decision.

  “Don't go,” they said in unison. They would just have to suffer until they could get their nerves under control. This poor being seemed like a wonderful . . . person. It wasn't her fault that she looked like a colossal wasp. And it wasn't her problem.

  It was their problem. And they would have to find a way to overcome it.

  The wasp turned to face them.

  “We're all in the same boat,” explained Zachary. “I think we should explore this world together.”

  The wasp smiled. “Oh, I couldn't agree more,” she said happily. “But are you sure you can overcome your discomfort?”

  “Positive,” said Zachary with far more certainty than he felt.

  “Great,” she said, walking up to them.

  They forced themselves not to retreat, but it took all the willpower they had.

  “My name is Lisgar. I'm a Swishmer.”

  Jenna and Zachary introduced themselves and the trio began exploring their surroundings.

  The world they were on was overcast and misty, and it was obvious that it got plenty of rain on a regular basis. Water was everywhere. Not an ocean, or even a large river, but lakes, ponds, streams, and brooks.

  There was no obvious direction to take, so the group chose one at random. The two humans described everything that had happened to them since their parents had disappeared. Throughout the discussion Lisgar was wonderful; always interested and supportive. She always seemed to know the right thing to say and everything about her was gentle and protective—the exact opposite of her fierce and threatening appearance. It wasn’t long before they realized her appearance no longer made them uncomfortable.

  Lisgar was a member of the only intelligent species on her world. They were vegetarians, and unlike wasps on Earth, their antennae ended in six, finger-like tendrils that were able to hold and grasp objects as easily as could a human hand. Lisgar spoke lovingly about her world and the family that she had left behind, often becoming emotional when she spoke of her children.

  They agreed that they would continue their hike until they either ran into a portal or someone who was native to this planet. If they were lucky they would find someone who knew how the portals worked and what had happened to them.

  They had been hiking for two hours when they came upon a crop of some kind, planted thickly in regularly spaced rows. A sign of civilization. Perhaps soon they would find someone with some answers.

  The plants were bright red and waxy looking. The stalks were taller than corn and twice as thick, and they were grown so closely together they created a red wall that was impossible to see beyond. They walked beside the edge of the crop looking for a native or a farmhouse or any other sign of habitation.

  “Did you see that?” said Zachary.

  “See what?” asked Lisgar.

  “There! There it is again,” said Zachary as they continued walking. “The air is shimmering. It's getting more intense as we go forward.” Zachary pointed a short distance ahead. “And there’s its source,” he said triumphantly. “A portal.”

  The trio heard a faint rustle in the crop beside them. Just as they were turning to look there was a break in the crop line and a dozen men—using the term loosely—rushed out and surrounded them with astonishing speed. Each wore armor and each brandished a sword threateningly. Their feet and legs were enormous and kangaroo-like, although they used them to walk rather than to hop as a kangaroo would. While their faces appeared normal by human standards, each was totally bald and they had one additional outstanding characteristic: they didn’t have necks. Their heads swiveled on their shoulders like giant owls.

  One of the men pointed nervously to Lisgar. “What about this one?” he said worriedly to another man, one who had a much more ornate sword and different armor than the others and who was obviously their leader.
>
  The leader laughed. “Don't worry about it,” he said calmly. “It's just a Swishmer. I haven't seen one of these in years, but they're totally harmless. They may look fearsome but they’re as harmless as a puppy and are easily frightened.”

  The men closed in and shoved the three travelers forward, away from the portal. “Be gentle with them,” pleaded Lisgar, despite her obvious fear. “They are not yet adults.”

  “We know that,” snapped the leader. “But it makes no difference. All three of you have trespassed on our world. You are being brought to trial.”

  “To trial?” said Zachary in disbelief. “But we didn't know we were trespassing.”

  “It doesn't matter,” insisted the leader. “Not knowing the law is no excuse. But you can take that up with the Chief Justice. Just between us, the trial is only a formality anyway. It always ends the same way.”

  “How?” asked Jenna.

  “You will be found guilty,” said the leader grimly. “And you will all be executed for your crime.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  A Last Meal

  Jenna gulped. They were in trouble again.

  Zachary screamed hysterically and pointed behind their captors.

  The men stopped. “What's with him?” one of them asked.

  “I don't know,” replied the leader. “It looks as though he's terrified of something in that direction.” He walked a few paces and swiveled his head from side to side. “Nothing dangerous that I can see. The only thing I see is a portal.”

  Zachary whimpered. “Please. Execute me. But keep me away from that h-h-horrible thing.”

  “Don't worry. I don't plan on letting you near a portal,” said the leader. He rubbed his bald head in puzzlement. “Although, if it were me facing an execution, I would desperately want to get to a portal so I could escape. Very strange.”

  Zachary's whimpering and cowering stopped abruptly. He looked at Jenna and shrugged his shoulders. “Oh well,” he said. “Worth a try.”

  Jenna couldn’t help but smile.

  “So you know all about portals and transporting between worlds, huh?” said Zachary to the leader.

  “Of course we do. We have thousands of these things leading to our world, and thousands more leading off. That's why we've set a strict no-trespassing policy.”

  “So how do the portals work?” asked Zachary casually, trying to hide his eagerness.

  The leader smiled. “Good try. We have many laws here. One of them is that we can't share information about portals with someone from another world.”

  Figures, thought Zachary in frustration.

  The rest of the trip was made in silence. After walking for two hours the group came to a giant stone wall, three stories tall and extending in both directions for as far as the eye could see. Sentries were posted at even intervals along its top.

  They were led through a gate and into the city. The buildings inside were all made of stone, but the builders had used different types and colors to create intricate and unusual patterns. The buildings themselves formed geometric shapes of great variety and complexity. They were led inside a blue, egg-shaped building and marched down wide stone stairs to a dark, damp, and musky basement.

  They finally stopped before a small stone cell with a row of bars forming the outer wall. The leader opened the bars, shoved the two humans and Lisgar inside, and locked the bars behind them. “You'll all be staying here until your trial tomorrow morning,” he announced as his men began leaving.

  When the last of their captors left, the trio talked at length about the trial and what they might be facing, but finally decided to change the subject. The more they talked about it, the more worried they became, and they knew that further discussion wouldn’t help them.

  Soon after they arrived in the prison cell, Lisgar was forcibly removed to undergo an interrogation, and Zachary and Jenna got the sense that the people of this planet really didn’t like or trust insect species. The kids had grown so fond of her that her absence further worsened their already bleak moods.

  Both kids slumped down against the steel bars. “You think we’re ever gonna see Mom and Dad again,” said Jenna softly, and Zachary could tell she was seconds away from bursting into tears once again.

  It was hard to blame her. His eyes were moist as well, and if she broke down, he wouldn’t be far behind.

  What if their parents were dead already? And even if they were still alive, as Wyland had claimed, it seemed impossible to believe he and Jenna could find them. He and his sister were incredibly lucky to still be alive, themselves, and he wondered just how much longer they could survive. If all worlds were like those they had been on so far, it would be a miracle for them to last a week.

  But they had to find some way to stay strong and positive. Even with the most positive attitude in the world, they had very little chance of succeeding. But if they gave into despair, they had no chance at all.

  Zachary knew it was important that they not dwell on just how hopeless things were. They needed to keep trying to find the humor in things, whenever possible, and convince themselves they would find their parents and make it back home alive. They couldn’t let grisly images of their parents, lying dead on an unknown world, creep into their imaginations, and they couldn’t let their longing for home weaken their will.

  The moisture began to pool in Jenna’s eyes, and Zachary knew he had to find a way to distract her from their desperate situation. Last time his attempt to do this had been clumsy and a total failure, and he couldn’t afford for this to happen again.

  “Boy, I have to tell you,” he began. “I’m feeling more confident than ever about things. This is all going to work out. I’m sure of it.”

  Jenna shook her head as if she hadn’t heard right. He had no doubt that the surprise of his statement had pulled her mind away from negative thoughts, at least for the moment.

  “How can you possibly say that?” she said.

  “Easily,” he replied cheerfully. “You just have to move your mouth.” He grabbed his jaw with his right hand and moved it up and down. “This. . . is. . . all . . . going . . . to . . . work . . . out,” he said slowly as he moved his jaw. “See. That wasn’t hard at all.”

  Jenna couldn’t help but smile. They were in the middle of a dungeon on a hopeless quest, and Zachary was clowning around. And it was working. Her mood was improving. “You really think we have a chance?”

  “Absolutely!” said Zachary, doing a good job of faking enthusiasm. “You’ve been even more impressive than I thought you’d be.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “Yeah, real impressive. Are you forgetting about the ping-pong ball?”

  “Not at all. That was just bad luck. And you weren’t clumsy. I just said that because I didn’t want to admit I was the one who screwed up. I didn’t pull the car close enough. I thought you might have trouble grabbing it. But I was in my usual hurry and didn’t move closer.”

  Jenna brightened. “Really?” she said.

  “Really,” lied Zachary.

  Jenna smiled. “All right then,” she said. “Let’s get out of this prison and get on with finding Mom and Dad.”

  “Piece of cake,” said Zachary, returning her smile.

  But this time, his smile was real. Focusing on the needs of someone other than himself was something he had rarely done before. But knowing he had lifted his sister’s spirits rather than drowned them had lifted his own spirits in ways he wouldn’t have guessed. Who knew? Was this why people spent so much time helping others?

  Now that he had successfully improved Jenna’s mood, Zachary told her funny stories about his classmates to pass the time and keep their minds off their situation until Lisgar was returned to their cell, thirty minutes later.

  As soon as she was locked inside the guard turned toward the two humans. “Are you hungry?” he asked. “You have the right to a last meal.”

  Zachary and Jenna realized they were starving. They told him so. Neither had eaten anything but a fe
w forkfuls of their mother's horrible chicken dish when this all began—it seemed like an eternity ago.

  “I'm starving too,” added Lisgar.

  Five minutes later the two humans were each handed a portion of food, dumped in the center of a flat metal plate. It was a mush that was probably made from the crop they had seen growing outside. They tasted it cautiously. It was a little bland, but their hunger wouldn’t allow them to be picky. Unfortunately, there wasn’t very much of it.

  The man who had given them the food began walking away. “Wait a second,” Jenna called out to him. “What about Lisgar? Where’s her food?”

  “She doesn't get any,” replied the man.

  “Why not?” demanded Zachary.

  “I don't know. That’s just the rule. You're from a human-type world so you get a meal. The thing with you is from an insect-type world so she doesn’t.” The man walked off, clearly not intending to argue about it.

  “That's horrible,” complained Jenna. “It's so unfair.”

  “It's okay, Sweetheart,” said Lisgar motherly. “Sometimes things aren't fair.”

  “You can have some of ours,” offered Jenna. Zachary nodded his agreement.

  “That's very sweet of you. But I'll be fine.”

  “We insist,” said Zachary. “You're just as hungry as we are. And we're a team.”

  “But you two are still growing and—”

  “We won't take no for an answer,” interrupted Jenna.

  Lisgar smiled gently. “Well if you’re going to be that insistent,” she said, obviously touched by their gesture, “then I will have a tiny bit. Thank you both.”