Page 62 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
A hover vessel pulls up near us and the Igzok driver hops out to greet us. Like most members of his species, he’s small in stature, with a barrel-shaped torso, short but powerful arms and legs, and a muscular tail. He’s covered all over in green and brown scales, and he’s wearing a hat on top of his reptilian head.
“Welcome to Ferus Bankolia. I’m Jeernit and I will be your guide for our tour of the Upper Bankolia Wildlife Sanctuary today.”
Felix gasps, his eyes alight with excitement. “A wildlife sanctuary?”
I smile at him. “This planet is famed for its many wildlife preservation initiatives. I was right, wasn’t I? You love it.”
Felix’s face shines so brightly I can’t look away. “This is the most amazing early Christmas gift I could ever get.” He turns to Jeernit. “Will we get to see many animals on this tour?”
“Of course. Although our routes are designed to maintain an appropriate distance from the wildlife, a lot of them are so used to us they will come closer than you might expect. We also provide long-range binoculars for viewing them in closer detail.”
Overcome with excitement, Felix jumps up into my arms and wraps his legs around my hips as he kisses me soundly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“You’re very welcome,” I say, feeling unexpectedly breathless at the intensity of his affection.
The guide smiles at all of us. “Are you all ready to start the tour?”
We hurriedly agree and board the open-top hover vessel.
I lean toward Felix. “This planet, like many others, maintains what you on Earth would call a zero-carbon footprint. They have developed technology and energy sources that are environmentally safe.”
“That’s amazing. I wish humans would do that.”
The hover vessel moves at a fast, smooth clip while we follow a dirt road into the wildlife refuge.
“This is like going on a safari,” Felix muses while he looks around. “I’ve always wanted to do that but never had enough time or money to make it happen.”
“What is a safari?”
He briefly explains how the experience works on his world, and I nod in understanding. “Ah, yes. This will be similar, but I believe the people here treat the safety of the animals and their environment as the foremost priority.”
“I love it.” He reaches out and pets one of my tentacles. “Thank you.”
For the next few hours, we travel through the sanctuary.Along the way, our guide Jeernit points out different animals that call this place home and tells us about their habits and characteristics.
Sasha has his camera with him and documents as much as he can. I know I can’t give these pictures to Felix to take with him when he returns to Earth, but he can at least look at them as much as he likes before he returns home.
Felix barely blinks the whole time we’re touring the sanctuary, eagerly absorbing every detail and bombarding Jeernit with a barrage of questions. However, our guide seems only too happy to answer and is clearly pleased by Felix’s enthusiasm.
As if in silent, mutual agreement, the rest of us stay quiet and let Felix ask as many questions as he wants. It’s clear that he’s truly passionate about animals and loves learning everything he can about them.
Seeing him like this makes me hope that he can find a way to continue pursuing his passion for animals in a way that is more fulfilling for him.
If he stayed with you, he could explore animals from so many different worlds. He’d never be bored.
The thought brings me up sharp.
I know our time together is finite, so why am I suddenly entertaining ridiculous notions?
By the time we arrive at our accommodations for the evening—it will take us several more days to tour all of the sanctuary, which encompasses hundreds of miles—the suns are setting.
In contrast to Glacius Major, this planet is currently experiencing early summer in the region we’re in. While it did get quite warm in the afternoon, now that evening is upon us, a hint of cooler night air is already setting in.
We thank Jeernit for his excellent work as our guide and check in at the reception cabin located at the entrance. Our sleeping quarters, farther into the forest, prove to be as unique as the sanctuary.
“Our guest units are actually built around the trees in the forest and made from all-natural materials,” the clerk on duty explains.
Felix’s eyes light up. “That sounds amazing!”
