IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE EARTH III

Written by DTYarbrough

A SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORY

Copyright 2011 All rights reserved

IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE EARTH III

Richard, the island is beautiful, said Lindsay. I can hardly believe we've got it all to ourselves for a whole month. It will probably take the whole month to complete our research, said Richard. It rains here practically every day. No wonder the jungle is so lush, said Lindsay. How far is it to the hut? It's near the center of the island, said Richard. We'd better get started. The trail is grown up so bad we'll have to cut our way through. I thought you said they brought in the equipment and supplies a couple of days ago, said Lindsay. Do the trails disappear that quickly? Air drop, said Richard. They used parachutes to drop in the supplies and equipment. So no one has been here to prepare for our arrival, said Lindsay. Do we even know the hut is still standing? They reported seeing the roof of the hut during the air drop, said Richard as he prepared to swing the machete. It's still there. It's a good thing we don't have to carry the supplies, said Lindsay. This is slow going as it is. .................... I'm tired, and it's hot, said Lindsay. Can't we rest for a minute? We've only got a couple of hours of sunlight left, said Richard. We can't rest for long. It's starting to rain, said Lindsay. That should cool us off. But it's going to make it harder to get our footing, said Richard. Let's keep going while we can. I'll try, said Lindsay. But I don't know how much longer I can keep up this pace. What's this? asked Richard. It looks like another trail. A freshly cut trail, said Lindsay. And it's heading in the right direction. But who cut it? asked Richard. Looks like we're not alone? Our supplies! said Lindsay. You don't suppose they're pirates? Call the ship. Get them back here at once. We don't have cell phone reception here, said Richard. We'll need the shortwave radio. Let me guess. It was part of the air drop, said Lindsay. Let's hurry. I think I've found my second wind. .................... Look! Up in that tree, said Richard. Looks like they missed the clearing with that one. But there's nothing attached, said Lindsay. It's just a parachute. Maybe the cords broke, said Richard. Help me look through the underbrush. 1

Look at these broken twigs, said Lindsay. Someone's been through here and I think they were dragging something. Can you tell how many there were? asked Richard. Just what are we up against? Can't tell, said Lindsay. The rain has washed away any footprints. But there couldn't have been that many of them if they had to drag it out of here. Let's continue, said Richard. The hut should be fairly close. But let's be quiet in case they're still around. .................... I don't hear any voices, said Lindsay. I'll bet they're long gone along with all of our stuff. There's the roof of the hut, said Richard. I told you it was still here. That's not funny, said Lindsay. Where's the rest of it? I think that it's on the other side of the clearing, said Richard. Where are the other parachutes? Looks like they didn't even bother to cut the cords, said Lindsay. They must have taken the whole thing, parachute and all. Unless those idiots missed the clearing with all of our supplies, said Richard. We'll have to investigate in the morning. Right now we need to find shelter for the night. ................... Everything is soaked by the rain, said Lindsay. Except for a few spots under the roof. Not exactly what I had in mind for our first night, said Richard. But fortunately it won't get too cold if we can get dry and stay that way. I'll try to start a fire. Help me gather some of those dry leaves from under the roof. That's my bed you're talking about burning. And what are we supposed to eat? asked Lindsay. That little hike from the beach made me hungry. How do you feel about sushi for breakfast, said Richard. If we can't find our supplies in the morning, we'll have to return to the beach. Look for anything that will hold rainwater. We're gonna be pretty thirsty by morning. What if the pirates have gone and taken all of our supplies and equipment with them? asked Lindsay. What if they haven't gone? said Richard as he pulled out a lighter and started the fire. We can't afford to have a large fire. They may see the smoke. As thick as that rain is out there, said Lindsay. They wouldn't see it if we caught the roof on fire. But it can stop at a moment's notice, said Richard. These storms can be really freaky. If Professor Kingston is right, said Lindsay, they're more than just freaky. They're downright unnatural. That's what we're here to find out, said Richard. But we're not going to do much without our equipment. 2

I'm still amazed that you were able to put two and two together, said Lindsay, and it led us back to the triangle. Superstorms and earthquakes don't just suddenly start appearing for no reason, said Richard. There had to be a cause. But to tie it all to increased activity in the Triangle, said Lindsay, and the way you tied it together. That's what was so amazing. They had the supercomputer and the data, said Richard. I just came up with the reverse approach. Instead of trying to predict the upcoming weather, with all the unknown variables, I decided to have them trace a superstorm back to its origin. No unknowns, no variables, just hard data and you saw the results. Every superstorm they traced had its origin in the Bermuda Triangle, said Lindsay. It was the Butterfly Effect all over again. And if we can tie the storms in with the alien's activity here, said Richard, maybe we can convince the aliens to stop what they're doing. It'll no longer be just a case of a few lost sailors. We're talking about worldwide catastrophes. And what if they don't listen? asked Lindsay. What if they just erase our memories again? When Professor Kingston's report is released, there will be so many people snooping around in the Triangle, said Richard. Someone will surely discover the answer. And if it's not the aliens that are causing the increased activity? asked Lindsay. Then someone will have to discover the real cause, said Richard. But my money's on the aliens. How are we going to contact them, asked Lindsay, if their di-lithium refinery is at the bottom of the ocean or even deeper beneath the ocean floor as we suspect? We may have to return to the mine in Costa Rica, said Richard. But when we do, I want to have data to back up our arguments. How do they get the crystals here, asked Lindsay, and how do they get them into the ships after they're refined? UFO activity isn't being reported in either area. At least not an abnormal amount of activity. That is puzzling, said Richard. And that's something we're gonna have to figure out. Especially if we're going to try to contact them here in the Triangle. Well, unless we can recover our equipment and supplies, said Lindsay, we'll have to worry about our own survival. Saving the world will have to wait. Is sleeping part of your survival plan, asked Richard, or do you want to talk about aliens all night? Sleeping would be nice, said Lindsay. .................... We've circled the clearing and there's no sign of any parachutes, said Lindsay. If it wasn't for that one still in the tree, I'd think we were on the wrong island. Or they dropped the supplies on the wrong island, said Richard. But someone drug something away from that tree where the parachute is. Let's follow their trail back down to the beach. Maybe we'll 3

find some answers. What do you think happened? asked Lindsay. I'm thinking some pirates saw the airdrop, came ashore, stole the equipment and supplies and sailed away to shores unknown, said Richard. It's a good thing you've already sold the manufacturing rights for your machine. You'll probably never see the original again. Do you know how long it took to develop my data base, said Lindsay. I should, said Richard. You used my rock collection to develop a lot of it. We wouldn't have met if it wasn't for that machine, said Lindsay. If I come across the jerks that stole it, somebody is gonna walk the plank. This is where the trail splits, said Richard. We came up that way and they came this way. Keep your eyes open for any clues. There's got to be at least a dozen of them, said Lindsay. Look at all the tracks. We can't be sure of that, said Richard. They might have made a couple of trips. For all we know, one pirate made a dozen trips, said Lindsay. Looking for clues and guessing at what they mean is a waste of time. Let's look for food. I've been looking, said Richard as he pulled out his machete. We'll be lucky to find berries and they might be poison. The sea is our only safe source of food. I'm gonna cut us some cane spears. Have you ever done any spear fishing? asked Lindsay. In scuba gear, said Richard. Hopefully we can find some tidal pools. It will be like shooting fish in a barrel. Ever shot any fish in a barrel? asked Lindsay. I didn't think so. Thanks for the vote of confidence, said Richard. I'm sorry, Richard, but I'm hungry, I'm wet, I'm dirty, and I'm pissed, said Lindsay. I guess I got up on the wrong side of the rock. You've got to keep a positive outlook, said Richard. We're gonna get through this. .................... The tracks ended as soon as we hit the sand, said Lindsay. We don't even know which way they went. The trail was heading that way when it met the beach, said Richard. Let's go that way for a while and see if there are any tidal pools. The tide's just now beginning to recede. Those islands out there, said Lindsay. Are they inhabited? Don't know, said Richard. We'll have to look for lights when it gets dark. But what difference does it make. There's no way we can swim that far. Beside, there are sharks in these waters. Maybe we could light a signal fire tonight, said Lindsay. And attract the pirates, said Richard. I'm not sure that's a good idea. We could pay them a ransom to get us back to civilization, said Lindsay. Do you think they'll 4

take American Express. Oh, they'll take it all right, said Richard. To pay for our burial at sea. What I wouldn't give for a candy bar right now, said Lindsay. Darn it, Lindsay, said Richard. Now you've got me thinking about candy bars. I put some in our supplies, you know. What kind? asked Lindsay. No! Don't tell me. I don't want to know. Nothing but beach as far as the eye can see, said Richard. If the whole island is like this, we'll have to wade out past those waves to find any fish. There's got to be some closer to the shore, said Lindsay. That's at least a quarter mile out. What about the sharks? You spear a fish that far out and you'll attract every shark for miles before you can get back to shore. The fish are here, but you can't spear them if you can't see 'em, said Richard. Look at how murky the water is. Let's keep going, said Lindsay. Maybe the other side of the island will be different. They were Milky Ways, weren't they? Mounds, said Richard. Mounds! exclaimed Lindsay. You know I'm allergic to coconut! Then you're not missing anything, said Richard. Think about something else. When the tide's out, we may be able to dig up some clams. That will be hours, said Lindsay. I'm hungry now. I'm gonna look for berries. All the berries I've seen are still green, said Richard. They'll just make you sick. Even if they aren't poison. But you promised me breakfast, said Lindsay. That's what got me through the night. All right, said Richard as he turned over a rock exposing several grubs. Breakfast is served. I'll pass, said Lindsay. I just lost my appetite. Besides, I'm on a restricted seafood diet. So. You eat any food you see, laughed Richard. No! said Lindsay. If my food can see me, I'm not eating it. So we're through thinking about food? said Richard. Yeah, said Lindsay. Now that I know there's plenty, I can be picky. Okay then, said Richard. Let see what's on the other side of this island. .................... Look, said Lindsay. A freshwater stream flowing down to the ocean. That sounds like a waterfall, said Richard. Let's follow it upstream and check it out. It is a waterfall, said Lindsay as she started removing her clothes. And a large pool. I'm going in. 5

Wait for me, said Richard. Race you to the other side. This is great and the water temperature is just right, said Lindsay. It's just cool enough to be refreshing. Where are you going? Be right back, said Richard. I've gotta check this out. Why are you cutting more spears? asked Lindsay. We probably won't even used the ones we've got. It's sugarcane, said Richard as he bit into a piece of cane. Catch! Oh, this is heaven, said Lindsay. It's so sweet. You're so sweet. Come on over here. .................... Where are you going? asked Richard as Lindsay climbed out of the water and onto a large flat rock. I'm gonna take a shower, said Lindsay and she stood beneath the waterfall. Join me. Where'd you go? asked Richard as he reached the rock. Back here. Behind the waterfall. said Lindsay. There's a cave back here. I can see a light. Sunlight? asked Richard. I don't think so, said Lindsay. Hurry up. See for yourself. Quiet, said Richard as he walked through the waterfall. Someone may be in there. Are we gonna check it out? asked Lindsay. Of course, said Richard. But try not to make a sound. Watch your step. Better give me your hand. It's our stuff, said Lindsay. There's my machine. Shh! said Richard. You'll wake up the dead. How did it get here? asked Lindsay. Do you think the pirates are still here on the island? They're obviously not here, said Richard. They would have heard us by now. Is that a Milky Way wrapper on that table? asked Lindsay. It is. You did bring Milky Ways. Why did you lie to me? I just wanted to get your mind off of candy bars, said Richard. They don't look like pirates to me, came a female voice from the shadows. How many nude pirates have you seen lately? came another more masculine voice. Lindsay grabbed a sheet off one of the cots and wrapped it around her as two strangers stepped into the light. Did you say these items belong to you? asked the young man. We thought pirates were setting up shop on the island. Who are you and what are you doing on this island? asked Richard. For god's sakes, Richard, said Lindsay. Put something on. Can't you see there's a woman present. 6

Toss me a sheet, said Richard. Is that one of my suits he's wearing? I want to know who ate the candy bar, said Lindsay. There had better be some left. We were hungry, said Antonio. We've been shipwrecked here for almost two weeks. I ate most of it, said Maria. Don't blame Tony. We didn't know it was yours. We thought ... Pirates, said Lindsay. You thought there were pirates. I can see where you might get that idea. Huh, Richard? Okay, so I was wrong, said Richard. I didn't hear you coming up with a better explanation. Well, we've got one now, said Lindsay. Hi, I'm Lindsay and this is Richard. Pleased to meet you. Hi, I'm Maria and this is my Tony. said Maria. Do you have a boat? Can we go home now? Richard can use the shortwave to contact the boat, said Lindsay. We'll have you home in no time. The shortwave? asked Maria. Square box, heavy, with lots of tiny pieces inside? Yeah, said Lindsay. We droped it, said Maria. You dropped it! exclaimed Lindsay. A couple of times, said Maria. Tony has been trying to fix it. Where is it? asked Richard. Over there, said Maria. And over there and some of it's over there. I'm afraid we're stuck here too, said Lindsay. At least for the next month. We'd be willing to share our supplies in return for your help, said Richard. And then we'll give you a ride home. How can we help? asked Tony. We'll get into that later, said Richard. What's for lunch? We've hardly touched your food supplies, said Tony, except for the salt and spices. We didn't know how long it would have to last us. This time of the year, we're up to our ears in crabs. You can't even walk on the beach at night without stepping on one. I was just getting ready to cook up a batch of molasses, said Maria. I was going to make some rum but now it looks like we want be here long enough for it to ferment. With my sweettooth, the molasses won't be around long enough, said Lindsay. .................... Build a hut, said Tony. We had thought about doing that on the beach, but we were afraid the pirates would spot it too easily. We need it built on top of the hill, said Richard. We've got a better view from up there. In case the pirates come? asked Maria. 7

Enough with the pirates already, said Lindsay. We need to keep a close watch on the weather. I can tell you what the weather will do, said Tony, and I haven't even been paying attention. It's going to rain, then it's going to rain some more. Should we give them the whole story? asked Lindsay. Might as well, said Richard. When the report comes out, it won't be a secret much longer. .................... Aliens, huh, said Tony as he smiled at Maria. They don't need any more rum. We're serious, said Lindsay. You've seen firsthand what these storms are like. Look where you two ended up. The weather is getting weirder all the time, said Maria. Maybe there's something to what they're saying. We'll help you, said Tony. If only for the ride home. But I'm gonna need a little more proof before I start believing in E.T. I can't eat another bite, said Lindsay. It was delicious, Maria. I'm gonna want your recipe for that sauce. That was the best crab I've ever eaten. You were just hungry, said Maria. You'll get tired of it soon enough after three meals a day. .................... You said you were shipwrecked, said Richard. Where's what's left of your boat? It capsized at sea during a storm, said Tony. We woke up on shore. I have no idea how we got here. We weren't anywhere near these islands when the storm began. It was a miracle, said Maria as she made a motion across her chest with her hands then kissed her rosary. I see you got the generator going, said Richard. How long have you been running it? A couple of days, said Tony. I needed the light to try and fix the radio. Hopefully there's enough fuel left to run our equipment, said Richard. You'd better just forget about the radio until we've got a place to work that's not so dark. My machine will run on batteries, said Lindsay. Did you remember to pack the solar powered battery charger. Yeah, said Richard. And there should be some candles in one of those boxes. We should find them so we can turn off the lights and save fuel. We haven't even looked through all the boxes, said Maria. Things take up less room while they're in the boxes. We're still trying to figure out what all this stuff we've looked at is for. Like the elephant phrophalactics, said Tony. Elephant condoms? asked Lindsay. Richard? Weather balloons, said Richard. We use them to get our instruments aloft. I told you, Tony, said Maria. There's no elephants around here. 8

That would explain the air tank, said Tony. I thought there was something wrong with it. Tony breathed some of the gas, said Maria. He thought he was dying. He ran around sounding like Donald Duck during hunting season. That wasn't funny, said Tony. Trust me, said Maria. It was funny. He didn't mess with any more stuff after that. I was busy working on the radio, said Tony. Here they are. How many candles do you want? Two or three should be enough, said Lindsay. How many are there? Looks like a couple of dozen, said Tony. Enough for a birthday cake. You didn't bring birthday candles, said Lindsay. Let me see one of those. Oh, these will be fine. I'm sorry I doubted you, Richard. I still haven't gotten over the weather balloons, said Richard. That reminded me of the last man I was intimate with, said Lindsay. I still remember his last words. What did he say, asked Maria. Okay lady, said Lindsay. You're clear to board the plane. .................... We should get started on that hut, said Richard. Are you sure we can't stay here in the cave? asked Lindsay. It's waterproof, especially compared to anything we might be able to build. There's not enough room, said Richard, and we'll need some privacy, and I'm sure they'd like some too. There's another cave, said Maria, on the other side of the island. It's huge. We thought about using it, but the entrance wasn't as well hidden as this one. We didn't think anyone would ever find us in here. How far is it to that cave? asked Richard. We can be there in a couple of hours, said Tony. A couple of hours to look around and we can be back here by dark. Let's do it, said Richard. If it checks out, we can move in tomorrow. .................... Look at those storm clouds building up over the island, said Lindsay. I've never seen storm clouds build so quickly. Too bad we don't have our equipment set up, said Richard. This could be a prime example of what we're looking for. Does anyone have a compass or a magnet? I've got a compass, said Tony. But I can tell you we're heading east. Look at where the sun is. I want to know where magnetic north is, said Richard. Could I see your compass?

That's not north, said Tony as he looked at the compass. Wait a minute. Now it's pointing that way. Is this what you were talking about? Exactly, said Richard. I wish I knew how long the magnetic field has been disabled. I'll bet it coincided with the storm buildup. Oh well, tomorrow or the next day we'll get the instruments in place. Will we have to go up on the hill? asked Tony. Maybe not, said Richard. I thought we'd need to go up there to see storms developing in the distance. But it looks like they're developing right on top of us. I hoped to be on an island near the center of the phenomenon. I had no idea we'd be right in the middle of it. Is that a good thing? asked Maria. I hate thunder and lightning. It's starting to rain again. said Tony. Run. The cave is just around that bend. .................... How much have you guys already checked out? asked Richard. This is it, said Tony. We didn't have any flashlights when we were here before. Well, we've got some now, said Richard. And we've got a couple of hours. Let's see just how big this sucker is. Don't get us lost, said Lindsay. Remember, the compass will be useless for a while. .................... It's really cool in here, said Lindsay. It must be a deep cave. And it's dry, said Richard. That's unusal for a cave. It may be the evaporation that makes it feel so cool. My mouth is already dry. This may not work out if it's two hours to the nearest fresh water. There's another stream just a little ways farther down the beach, said Tony. Water will be no problem. Any tidal pools? asked Lindsay. In case the crabs dissappear. Maybe a half mile further, said Tony. Perfect, said Lindsay. Welcome to our new home. Well, I guess we can head back and prepare for our move, said Richard. We'll have plenty of time to explore after we have the instruments set up. What will the instruments tell us? asked Tony. Two things, said Richard. They'll measure magnetic field strength and weather conditions like barometric pressure and humidity. One or two instruments could do that, said Lindsay. Why did you bring so many? The instruments will give us a time based profile, said Richard. By comparing their readings at several locations all around the island, we should be able to triangulate the exact center of the phenomenon as well as any connections between the atmospheric conditions and the magnetic field strength. That's sounds important, said Tony. We should set up the instruments tomorrow. We can move 10

into the cave while the instruments are recording their data. Good idea, said Lindsay. It won't kill us to stay in the small cave for one extra night. Actually I was thinking of sleeping on the beach tonight if it's not raining, said Richard. Under the moon and stars, said Lindsay. That sounds so romantic. Actually, I was going to keep a lookout for UFO activity, said Richard. If we're as close to the refinery as I think we are then there should be some activity. The crabs, said Maria. How are you going to sleep with crabs crawling all over you? We'll build some hammocks out of the parachutes and cords, said Richard. We'll just need to put up some poles to tie them to. I'd like to see these UFOs, said Tony. Mind if we join you? Still skeptical? asked Richard. Sure. You can join us. .................... You girls go get the parachutes while Tony and I cut down some trees, said Richard. We need to get this done before dark. We're gonna need eight poles, Tony. Actually five should be enough, said Tony. We put one in the center and we tie all of the hammocks to it. That way we all face in different directions, said Richard. That's perfect. .................... We've got an extra parachute here, said Lindsay. Leave it, said Richard. If the rains are light, we can use it to build a tent. We'd better go inside and eat, said Lindsay. Maria said it should be ready about now. .................... So what exactly are we looking for, asked Tony as he lay back in his hammock. Bright lights and weird sounds? I doubt that they will turn on their parking lights, said Richard, and they're probably small enough to land on the beach. We probably should look for something blocking our view of the stars as they pass overhead. Unless they're extremely close, they'll probably only block a few stars. What's that sound? asked Lindsay. It's some sort of clicking noise. That's the crabs, said Maria. It's starting. You couldn't hear a jumbo jet over all of that racket, said Lindsay. And it's getting louder. There are thousands of them, said Maria. They come down to the sea to mate. Look at that, yelled Tony as a bright light streaked across the sky. It's just a shooting star, said Richard. Now, if you see one of those change direction or speed, then we may be getting somewhere. What about that blinking light? asked Maria. 11

There's your jumbo jet, said Richard. The blinking is too consistent to be a star being blocked by passing objects. And the light itself is moving. The stars will look stationary. With the low tide tonight, there's a lot of beach, saud Tony. They could land a pretty big ship and the high tide will cover their tracks. With the increased weather activity in recent months, I'll bet they've increased the production of Di-Lithium recently, said Richard. Unless they're stockpiling, this should be the perfect night to see one of the ships. What if we do see one? asked Maria. What will we do? It's possible the island is the center of the activity, said Richard. But it's far more likely they will land in the ocean and submerge during the transfer. We won't be able to reach them if that's the case. But if we see them, that will confirm my theory. Then what? asked Tony. Who do we tell? No one, said Richard. At least till the boat arrives in four weeks. But if we can find the location of the refinery, we may be able to contact them. First contact, said Tony. Isn't that dangerous? We think we've already contacted them, said Lindsay. We're still alive. You think you've contacted them, said Maria. What did they look like? We can't remember, said Lindsay. We can't even remember meeting them. But things we think we remember tells us that our memories were erased. Who else could do that? The C.I.A. said Maria, or the K.G.B. They would have killed us for sure, said Richard. And why would the C.I.A. or the K.G.B. be processing Di-lithium? There's no use for it here on earth. At least none that we know of. Maybe a super-laser, said Tony. I've thought of that, said Richard. It could theoretically be used in a super-laser. But how many super-lasers would you need. What about an anti-magnet? asked Tony. You said yourself that it could be used for that. There's no indication that it has ever been used outside the Triangle, said Richard. If our military had it, they would surely have used it by now. And that goes for any military. And if humans are processing it, for whatever reason, they would have learned of its anti-magnetic properties. Maybe they have good intentions, said Tony. Not all humans are corruptible. Think back to the first reported incident that gave the Triangle its name, said Richard. It was back in 1945. Do you really believe humans could keep a secret that long? What about Roswell and Area 51? asked Tony. We know all about your government secrets. That's exactly what I'm saying, said Richard. You would have heard the same kind of rumors about this if humans were involved. The pressures they're using to process the Di-lithium were beyond our capabilities until recently, said Lindsay. You can forget about humans. 12

What's that? asked Maria as she pointed to the sky. Everyone gazed up to see a patch of sky darken as a shadow grew and drifted slowly toward the sea. Just then the rain began to fall. It's just a cloud, said Richard. It's starting to rain. Help me put up the tent. The wind's picking up, said Tony. We might as well go inside. I guess you're right, said Richard. We can try this again some other night. Besides, the instruments will give us some answers after tomorrow. .................... What do you think the aliens use the Di-lithium for? asked Tony. Propulsion? Could it also have antigravity capabilities? I don't think so, said Lindsay. Magnetism and gravity are not even related. Maybe they used them to create warp speed like they did in Star Trek. Was there any scientific justification to using that idea on Star Trek? asked Maria. I thought they just made it up as they went along. What else would they have that we don't have? asked Tony. You can bet it's something new? Time travel maybe, said Maria. If they had time travel capability, they could go back in time to process the Di-lithium, said Richard. Then they wouldn't have humans snooping around. Good point, said Tony. What about transporters like the ones on Star Trek? You would need a concentrated energy beam, said Lindsay. It could definitely be used for that. That's it, said Richard. That's how they get the raw material here, and the processed crystals onto the ships. That's why we didn't see any UFOs, said Maria. How far away could the ships be? If they can transport it through solid rock or ocean from Costa Rica to here, said Richard, they could probably transport it to the moon or farther through air and space. Why couldn't they just move their processing facilities to the moon? asked Lindsay. That's a great idea, said Richard. I was wondering where they could put it so that it wouldn't interfere with our weather. But they'd need air, water, food, and all sorts of things that you don't have on the moon, said Tony. No more than they're using right here on earth, said Richard. They could transport it along with the raw material. We'd never miss it .................... It's our ship, said Lindsay. But they're not due for a couple of days yet. We must have lost track of time, said Maria. It's been so much fun over the last three weeks. No storms, no aliens, no pirates, just fun. It's been a real vacation. We're gonna miss you guys. 13

When the storms pick up again, we'll come back, said Richard. Would you guys like to join us when we do? You can count on it, said Tony. It's been a real pleasure. Well, let's not keep them waiting, said Richard. Wait till you see the bedrooms on the ship. They've actually got mattresses.

14