The Passage

-New Neighbors-

Danny, Netty, Billy and the hybrid boy are standing in a circle in the center

of a circular room without windows, the main room of a Zeta craft. There are

also a couple large Zetas and some small beige colored Zetas, that are about

as large as a child. The large Zetas are grouped with the adults, chatting

and gesturing. The children are grouped and chatting with the smaller Zetas.

The small beige colored Zetas are tittering like birds among themselves now

and then as they chat among themselves. Billy is face to face with the hybrid

boy, having an animated conversation. Billy says,

Heck! I seed them squirm all around so's you didn't

know where they were headed, but I weren't scared!

The hybrid boy puts his hands on his hips and leans back a bit.

They weren't squirming, silly! They were walking!

Don't you know anything?

_______________________________

It is evening in the dome city, and the lights coming from the edge of the

dome are being dimmed slowly to simulate evening. The residents are moving

slowing as they take their evening strolls around the pram area on the roof of

the top level. Children are being called in from play in the center grassy

area near the fountain, complaining slightly as children will about having to

give it all up and go to bed. Danny and Netty are walking slowly along the

pram, hand in hand.

Netty glances up at Danny’s face.

Don't you want to go see it? Not everyone gets an

invitation.

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Danny replies, softly, almost under his breath as though talking to himself.

Hell yeah!

_______________________________

Later that evening, after night has fallen both inside and outside the dome

city, Danny emerges from the entrance of the dome city. He is walking alone

toward an observation ship that is hovering just above the ground a few feet

from the entry of the city. He is striding purposefully. As he nears the

ship, Netty and Billy emerge in their pajamas and nightgown, jogging after

Danny. They close the gap, so that as they arrive at the ship they are all

together.

A walk-up ramp drops from the side of the ship, the light from the center of

the ship flooding the area. The three walk quickly up the ramp, unafraid.

There is a faint light coming from the top center of the ship, as one-half of

the top area is a brown glass that allows viewing in and out.

Inside the ship, Danny and Netty emerge from a corridor that wraps around the

central room of the ship, through a doorway arch that goes directly into the

circular room in the center of the ship. Individual rooms are along the very

outer edge of the ship. Danny and Netty are hand in hand, with Billy walking

eagerly just ahead of them. They all take seats side by side around the

observation circle, Netty still holding Danny's hand, as she senses he is

nervous. Billy is pointing toward the floor and then the ceiling, talking

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excitedly as the ship turns on its side, showing a horizon view through both

the ceiling and floor observation glass.

It’s so cool!

Danny looks up and just stares upward, silently, not moving for a moment.

Then he asks, wonderment in his voice.

How do they do that?

Netty turns to face him.

The ship is turned sideways.

Billy is chirping, in his child's high voice, excited as always by these trips

but contained. He senses that, in spite of his age, he is the leader here,

and that this couple needs him to stay steady for them.

We can even go upside down! It's so cool!

Billy is pointing at the ceiling as he says this, then points to the floor.

Watch, watch! We're taking off!

The ship is turning sideways in the air, moving slowly at first and then

rapidly picking up speed so that it zooms off into space at an angle to the

Earth. The fact that the ship has a clear brown glass floor and ceiling can

be faintly seen due to light coming though the ship.

_______________________________

Fog is swirling around a rocky ledge. Danny, Netty, and Billy are standing in

a huddle, though are relaxed and looking around.

It could be anything. It could be an octopus. It

could be .. yup! Its an octopus!

A large orange colored octopus, raised one-half way up on its many tentacles,

is approaching. It has no eye, and is dry and smooth looking, the under sides

of the tentacles a creamy white. Billy puts his hands on his knees and goes

face-to-face, so to speak, with the octopus.

Are you the same guy I talked to last time?

The octopus extends what looks like a pink worm from its underside, and Billy

unhesitatingly puts his hand out and lets the talking tentacle wrap around his

hand.