Page 52 of Alien on the Moon

Rylan’s jaw fell open as they stepped inside. The throne room was even larger than the highway, big enough to hold large balls and dinners. However, it was empty at the moment, just the king and queen’s thrones at the far end.

Rylan kept his eyes on them. The Thryal royalty. He couldn’t believe he was there.

Rylan had been a scientist for a long time. He put in the work, the time, and the effort to achieve that. He spent late nights studying in school. He had worked overtime on his projects. Yet this was the first time he was actually given the honor of meeting the king and queen.

Rylan had never even been in the same room as them. Maybe he’d seen them from afar at a parade once but never this close. And certainly, he never addressed or was addressed by them directly.

That was reserved for more important royal scientists—the smartest of the smart. Rylan had spent most of his career shipped off to work on remote moons like the one Elena found him on. Though, for that, he was grateful.

Rylan’s mind was racing. He suddenly couldn’t remember what he was supposed to do while meeting them. Arccoo had kept it all so casual.

Should he bow? Get on one knee? Avoid eye contact? Call them “Your Highness” or “Your Majesty”?

“Your Majesties,” Elena said as they got closer. She then grabbed Rylan and pulled him down onto one knee with her. “We are honored by your invitation.”

“Of course,” the king said. “Nothing less is deserving of our hero scientists.”

“Again,” Elena said, rising to her feet. “You honor us.”

“Very much honor us,” Rylan chimed in as he rose to his feet with her.

“Well,” the queen said, “we didn’t bring you both here just to be thanked for bringing you here. Word of your work, and its benefit to our kingdom, has reached us. But we’d like to hear from you directly.”

“Certainly. Rylan?” Elena looked at him.

“Oh, well… um…” Nerves started to take over. He was talking to royalty after all.

Rylan was too stunned to speak. The two of them, upon their thrones, exuded pure power. It was the most intimidated Rylan had ever felt in his entire life.

Then he realized he was being asked to do the thing he excelled at the most, talk about science. A calm swept over him.

“We successfully terraformed the moon. And we—before I move forward, how much do you know about terraforming?”

“Pretend we know nothing,” the king suggested.

“But that we also have somewhere else to be in an hour,” the queen added.

“Right… so… essentially, the moon was uninhabitable before. No plant life would grow. Our project changed the landscape of the entire moon to not only grow plants but grow copious amounts of crops. Enough to feed countless people across the kingdom. And more is being produced by the day.”

“Fantastic!” the king called out. “The potential famine is avoided then?”

“Not only avoided,” Elena chimed in. “But if we’re smart, we’re well on our way to having an abundance.”

“And what’s next?” asked the queen. “You figured out how to terraform that moon. What’s next? What’s the plan of action?”

“We let the machines do their work,” Rylan said plainly. “A lot of the process is automated. Currently, twelve people are stationed there. A station leader. A few mechanics and engineers in case something breaks. A couple of biologists to ensure the crops are healthy and safe to eat. And, of course, a chef.”

“We have them all on six-month contracts,” Elena added.

“And after six months?” asked the king.

“Well, then we evaluate everything,” Rylan said. “How have the machines been working? Have the crops stayed healthy? Is the output consistent? And if everything is successful, as I suspect it will be, we take the next steps. Find other moons and deserted planets to terraform. Figure out what other crops we can grow this way, both for food and medicine. I’d say within months, a lot of our problems in the kingdom regarding crop growth will lessen. And within two years, they’ll be all but forgotten.”

“That’s very good to hear,” the king said, unable to conceal a smile. “And you two are the geniuses behind it all. Right?”

“Yes, I suppose Elena and I are.”

“Then shouldn’t you be there?” the queen asked. “Why hire others to run the station for these crucial six months? Shouldn’t your brains be there to ensure it runs smoothly?”

---