Page 10 of Soros
I felt proud in that moment and took in the natural beauty of Earth with oceans and continents stretching out beneath us in all their majesty.
The closer we got the clearer it became to me that we were being directed to base one in China.
“Is Ko’roz an intelligent man?” I asked Soros.
“Yes. Why?”
“Then he’ll do research on Earth and understand that he won’t be able to blend in if he goes to Asia. With his height and skin color, he’ll stand out too much in that part of the world. Base one is in Asia.”
“What are you saying?” Lios asked.
“I’m saying that if you have a choice between base one and four, then go to base four in the Pacific Ocean.”
From the way theGreat Defenderchanged direction, I knew he had taken my instructions. It was awful to feel the ocean coming closer without us slowing down.
Star grabbed onto the armrest and widened her eyes in fear. “We’re going to crash,” she cried.
“Don’t worry.” Nerix placed a hand on top of hers and leaned in, speaking in a soft tone. “Do you see that small island coming closer?”
“No.”
“It’s there, trust me. There’s a volcano and the entrance to the base is through the hole.”
“What’s a volcano? And how do you know?”
I shook my head at Nerix. There was no need to explain the nature of volcanoes to Star as it would only freak her out to know that we were diving into liquid fire.
“It’s a type of mountain,” he said. “Look at the team and Captain Lios. Do any of us look concerned?”
Star looked around. “No.”
“That’s because we have the instructions on how to land safely. We’re receiving it telepathically and we all know what’s going to happen. As long as the captain isn’t nervous, we don’t worry either.”
Leaning forward in his chair, Soros pushed a hand through his thick, curly hair. “Do you want me to come and hold your hand again, Star?”
I didn’t like theagainpart because it confirmed that Soros and Star were getting closer and had been intimate to some degree.
Nerix, who stood next to Star, was quick to dismiss Soros. “It’s fine, I’ve got this. Here, take my hand if you want. You’re safe, Star. We’re not letting anything happen to you.”
Theoretically, I knew Nerix was right and that theGreat Defenderwas built for this type of landing, but I felt nervous and nauseated as well.
“I liked it better on Tandaquon,” Star said in a small voice.
“Me too. That’s why I wanted to go to base thirty-seven,” I explained and looked to Lios with anI-told-you-soglance.
He responded without looking at me. “I made the request but was told that our ship is too large to get that close to a big city. Only shuttles can go into urban settings. Our destination has been locked in and the ship is taking it from here.”
“Hmm…” Feeling tense, I leaned back in my seat as if I could break the speed of the collision with the lava that was imminent now. The hole of the volcano looked tiny from this angle, but it grew in size the closer we got and by the time we hit thesmoky surface of the crater, it was like diving into a large lake.
Everything went black for a moment, and we could feel the speed of the ship slow down. The few seconds it took before we could see anything again gave me the impression of going through a waterfall and finding a large cave on the other side.
“I still don’t understand how it’s possible to have a hollow volcano,” I said aloud. There was a moment of silence before Lios answered me. “I extended your question to the people working here and have an answer for you. The volcano is partly an illusion created with original Mulka technology. It’s been here for more than a hundred thousand years and has served as a base for outside visitors to Earth. The sulfurous fumes and the occasional outburst are enough to keep humans from settling down on this island. The local government is keeping curious humans away.”
We flew through a massive cave, reaching a docking station. When we exited, we were met by staff from the Federation that wouldn’t be able to blend in among humans as they weren’t humanoid in appearance.
Lios turned and held a hand up to stop Star and me. “They have concerns about you, Star. You haven’t undergone the medical program, as have the rest of us. You could be at risk when it comes to local diseases, and you could potentially be a risk to humans. We all need to get cleared through a quick medical check, but they’re warning us that yours might take a bit longer.
Star’s eyes were large and timid when she asked, “Will it hurt?”
