The Passage

Nah! You can breath that stuff, but it ain't easy!

You gotta get tough, Netty! My mom made nothing of

it.

_______________________________

Walking out of the room where Netty was recovering, the three encounter a

buffet of odd shaped cooked vegetable shapes that has been placed at the side

of the corridor, finger food for those interested. Billy doesn't hesitate,

walking right up and popping something in his mouth before the others have

even noticed. He turns and looks at the other two over his shoulder, his

cheeks puffed out with food while he chomps away. Netty says,

Oh, that's nice! Looks a bit like asparagus, but ahm,

brown.

Netty nibbles a bit, and Danny puts this and that in his mouth, rolling his

eyes up toward the ceiling as he tastes, trying to concentrate on the taste.

His pace picks up as he realizes that he isn't being poisoned or affronted,

and he starts popping items into his mouth one after the other. They're all

famished. Netty is licking her fingers as she turns to scan the interior of

the ship. Her eyes take in the sights she is seeing, both from the ceiling

and floor clear brownish glass panels. She comments, with awe.

Oooh, its like cotton candy!

Danny and Billy follow her gaze and see clouds and puffs in light blue and

rose and light yellow floating past the ship, as though the ship were standing

still and fog or clouds were passing by. Suddenly what looks like a white

MANTA RAY without a stinger comes floating by, but pulses his wings so as to

stay in place in front of the ceiling panel, looking in at the three

passengers in the ship. The ship is hovering on its side, above the surface

of a planet, for the convenience of the manta ray’s ability to view the

passengers. Rather than seeing the bottom or top of the rays, we see them

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facing into the top and bottom glass. But for the passengers the center of

gravity feels like the floor of the ship. They are all in awe, but finally

Billy relays a telepathic message.

He wants to come in, but he can't! He'd die in here,

and we'd die out there. Bummer.

The ship suddenly takes off so that the horizon of the cotton candy planet

comes rapidly into view. Then the planet shrinks rapidly to where it looks as

small as a golf ball, a bit of light colored fluff out in the distance, dark

on one other side but light on the other. Just as suddenly the ship zooms

back, but this time returning to the dark side of the planet. Triangulation

is the fastest way from here to there, in a space ship not limited to

propulsion. Danny is also in awe.

My gosh, a perfect boomerang! What a way to travel!

As the ship moves into the dark side of the planet, it appears at first that

all is pitch black. Then the three see blinking lights, of all colors, and

one of the lights draws near the ceiling panel, taking the form of the

creature that visited on the day side. It hovers, pulsing its skin wings and

pulsing faintly in the light it emits, too, a creature without eyes or ears or

appendages except for skin wings like a manta ray. Netty draws near Danny,

who puts his arm around her while she lays her head on his shoulder.

_______________________________

Returning to the dome city, Danny, Netty and Billy walk in through the front

entrance. It is very early morning, the city still sleeping and quiet. Billy

walks off toward the family quarters, waving good-bye wordlessly, and Netty

and Danny, too tired to do more than smile and give a half-hearted wave back,

walk off to their room together.

_______________________________

Martha is bringing a plateful of what looks like scrambled eggs and fried

potatoes back to one of the tables set up on the pram for breakfast. A chef

in a big white hat and white coat is clanking pots and pans over a sizzling

electric plate, arms constantly in motion as he works his magic. Now and then

he snatches herbs from this jar or that sack. Big Tom is sipping coffee from

a mug, and Tammy is giggling with her new girl friend as they try to get their

dolls to sit up straight on the bench beside them.

Billy is half asleep, blinking sleepy eyes that don't want to stay open, not

saying anything, unlike his typical chirpy self. Red and Clara scuff up in

their housecoats, no longer hiding the fact that they are spending their

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nights together. Martha glances at Billy with a puzzled look on her face,

kidding Billy.

Billy? I think you need to go back to bed, son, you

look like you need a good night's sleep.

Without hesitation, Billy replies.

Yeah, OK mom.

Billy drags off, leaving Martha with her mouth open.

I was only kidding!

Jonah walks up with Ian and his gray-haired assistant. All three are grim, as

though concentrating on a serious but not alarming matter. Martha has a

decanter of coffee from the communal coffee maker, along with extra mugs, and

offers them some coffee. They accept with a nod of their heads. After a sip

or two, Jonah, who has been solemnly mulling over his thoughts, confides.

We've heard from another city, like ours. They seem

to be friendly, seem to be doing OK, but there's

something odd ..