Sam and Emma; Defenders of Earth

"Are we there yet?" 10 year old Emma asked the computer.

"No." said the computer flatly.

This answer always irritated Emma. She raised her voice, "I mean, wheeeen are we going to get there?"

"We will arrive at the Matawan colony on Ruta Vala III at 4 o'clock twenty-three minutes and thirty-nine seconds." Responded the computer.

Sam chimed in from the galley, " So lets eat!"

Emma crossed the bridge into the galley. There was room enough for eight at the table, but Sam and his lunch occupied three places on the end. He could eat like an adult, even though he was six.

Sam had gotten into the crackers and cheese they had brought. He also had been trying to make Earth style food with the 'Electric Cook' on this alien ship.

It could reproduce peanut butter and jam, however it couldn't make bread. The "Food Box" as Sam called it, would weave coasters out of a kind of fiber that tasted like wheat bread and was as dry and brittle as instant noodles. This never bothered Sam. Emma asked the 'Food Box' for a hotdog with ketchup, "No bun."

Emma and Sam loved going places on the ship. Despite the odd food, the ship never failed to carry them somewhere exciting.

Today they were going to visit the Matawans. The computer new very little about this alien race. They never allowed outsiders to their world. Now the Matawans had begun colonizing nearby worlds and asking to meet their neighbors.

Emma enjoyed making friends from many different planets. Some had become close and Emma wrote to them often.

Sam was happiest on the go. He didn't seem to care where they were headed; he wanted to see it.

Emma liked to bring gifts when she visited new aliens, but very little was known about the Matawans, so it was difficult to pick out something she knew they would like.

"Give 'em candy." Sam said, "Everyone likes candy."

"Yeah, but what if they don't have any mouths?" Emma countered.

"Well, get them a candy they can slurp in case they have proboskis." Sam said slurping.

Emma corrected, "You mean, proboscis."

"Not if it's more than one." said Sam.

Emma gave a heavy sigh. Sam could help and tease at the same time.

Since Matawans might live on sunlight instead of marshmallows; Emma decided to make some art.

Sam was teasing again, but he was right when he said she should make something bumpy, "In case they're color blind."

In no time at all she had made a swan out of clay and painted it.

Sam decided to bring a gift as well. He was going to bring cotton candy. "If they have proboskis we'll just get it wet. "He explained.

Soon the ship was in orbit. As always the computer checked the air to  make sure they could breathe and then arranged a pod to drop Sam and Emma to the surface. The pods were small. All they did was go up or down, like an elevator. There were four seats in the pod with belts and passengers rode back to back facing out through the windows.

Emma could barely keep Sam in his belt, he loved looking over the edge as they went down.

Ruta Vala III was emerald green from space and as Sam and Emma descended they expected to see lush dense jungle hills or forest mountains. Instead the horizon was just as straight and green when they landed as when they left the ship. They stepped out of the pod onto beautiful green grass. It looked like a soccer field for as far as they could see. All the way to the clouds, in fact. The sun stood high in the sky and shone brightly.

This spot is where they were to meet the Matawans; how come there were no buildings?

Sam ran into the pod and put on a set of armor the ship had made him. He handed Emma a walkie-talkie and checked the gummyballs in his gun. The gummyballs did not hurt. When you get hit with one it becomes sticky and spongy like bread dough. They could stick a grown up to the ground.

Emma admonished, "Put that away Sam, we were invited."

"Yeah, for dinner. Maybe were the dinner!" Sam retorted.

Suddenly the ground on their right peeled back revealing a swarm of spiders. Not house spiders, not tarantula size spiders, but man size spiders. Emma and Sam were surrounded.

"Eeeeek!" Emma shouted. "Sam shoot them!"

Sam had his gummyball gun raised, but he didn't move a muscle. The spiders were staring at Sam and Emma, mandibles clicking.

--Stay tuned for the next chapter--