* * * * * * * * *

CHAPTER 3:

"Outsiders"

The stars outside of Xianea’s ship streaked past as the ship completed the singularity jump, now accelerated to incredible speeds. The unusual feeling of stretchiness during the jump had passed, and everything returned to normal again. The girls, though, weren’t quite back to normal themselves. "Ughh…" Buttercup muttered, looking a little green, "I think I’m gonna be sick…"

Blossom, who was doubled over and clutching her midsection, agreed, "Yeah…no kidding…Bubbles, you okay?" Bubbles had one hand over her mouth, and waved the other, indicating that she didn’t want to risk saying anything right now.

Xianea looked up from the controls, "Don’t worry, it will become easier after the first few times."

Buttercup leaned over the edge of the chair and said, "What was that, anyway?"

"That is the most common method of faster-than-light travel used in this portion of the galaxy," Xianea explained. "By creating a small singularity in front of the ship, its enormous gravitational pull will seize the ship and accelerate it forward. Then, the singularity is deactivated, but the ship continues forward at its current velocity. One can likewise create a singularity just behind the ship to slow it back to a stop once again."

"Amazing…" Blossom said.

"Yes, indeed. Unfortunately," Xianea continued, "the effect of the sudden acceleration toward the singularity feels quite unpleasant if you’re not used to it. But don’t worry…after a few more jumps, you won’t even know the difference."

Bubbles looked like she was starting to feel a little better. She hovered up out of her seat and floated to the front, where Xianea was piloting, and gazed out of the cockpit at the stars streaking by. "So, we’re going to Centraxia?"

Xianea shook her head, "Not directly. We need to make a few stops first. There’s a station out this way, and I’ll need to visit it for supplies."

Blossom nodded. "What’s this station like?"

Xianea hesitated, then said, "Um, well…It’s sort of a rough place. The Galactic Monitors don’t have jurisdiction in this area…" Seeing the confused look on their faces, she quickly explained, "The Monitors are a group of powerful robots that enforce galactic law. This station lies outside their boundaries, though, so it attracts a lot of criminals and bounty hunters and the like."

"Sounds like a real nice place," Buttercup remarked. "How long before we get there?"

"We’re almost there already," Xianea answered. She motioned for them to return to their seats, while she prepared to decelerate the ship.

The girls sat back down, and Blossom said to the others, "All right…this could be a dangerous place we’re going to be walking into, so let’s make sure we follow Xianea the whole time. Don’t split up, we don’t want to get lost out here."

"Okay," Bubbles said, who wasn’t planning on it anyway. Buttercup just nodded.

"Brace yourselves," Xianea warned, starting the sequence. The singularity appeared behind the ship, pulling it to a stop just as fast as it had accelerated the ship before. The sensation was different this time, more of a crushing than a stretching. They didn’t feel nauseated like before, but instead, it felt like the wind was knocked out of them. Still, it wasn’t as bad as before, so after a few deep breaths, they recovered.

Blossom panted, catching her breath, "Everyone all right?" Bubbles and Buttercup both nodded.

The stars outside were stationary once again. The ship rolled to one side, and they started approaching the station in the distance. The girls, interested by this, flew out of their seats and over to the glass to stare out of the cockpit. "Wow…" the three of them said together.

The station consisted of a huge central hub, from which 6 tube-like sections protruded. A similar, smaller module was at the end of each one of those, and dozens of spaceships, some large and some small, were attached to the sides of each of the smaller modules. The station had plenty of windows and lights across its surface as well, which consisted largely of a dark red metal.

"Paradise Fringe, they call it," Xianea told them. "We should be able to stock up on everything we need there. I’m going to need fuel cells for the ship, as well as other provisions."

Blossom nodded, and as the ship started moving into docking position with one of the station modules, she turned to the others and said, "Let’s leave our spacesuits behind. We won’t need them on the station, and there’s no sense putting them through any more wear and tear."

"Got it," Buttercup said.

The ship shook briefly as it docked with the station, and Xianea got up, "I only have one other piece of advice for you while you’re on the station with me. If you see anyone wearing a symbol of a star with blades on each of its points, show them respect. Those are members or associates of the Gyahembu family…they run the station, and they’re the law around here. Just be careful around them."

"We will," Bubbles promised.

Xianea nodded, satisfied, and flexed her wings slightly, "All right…let’s go."

* * *

The four of them traveled along the primary walkway towards the central hub of the station. Alongside of them were dozens of shops, each selling all kinds of different items, including food, clothing, mechanical parts, weaponry…anything anyone could want, it looked like there was a shop to buy it. The walkway was also packed with aliens of all shapes and sizes, wandering back and forth along their way, some of them sulking in the corners or keeping to the shadows. Many of them looked very ferocious, and quite a few of them were armed as well.

The girls felt conspicuous with their brightly-colored appearance, a sharp contrast to the dark colors most were wearing. Of course, being cute little children wasn’t helping either, nor was the fact that they were floating off the ground instead of walking. A number of bystanders cast stares in the their direction as they passed.

"I don’t like this," Bubbles whispered to Blossom. "Maybe we shoulda stayed behind in the ship…"

"We’ll be okay," Blossom reassured her. "Just don’t wander off."

Xianea, in the lead, was looking back and forth, glimpsing into each shop as they passed. "One of these will have the fuel cells I’m looking for. I need M-class cells, and so far, all I’ve seen are G and K class."

They passed a rather large, blob-like creature with tentacles, heading in the opposite direction, and it glanced at them with its one eye as it passed them. Buttercup looked back over her shoulder at it and said, "Man, there are some freaky creatures here…"

She suddenly bumped into someone, since she wasn’t watching where she was going. Looking forward again, she started to say, "Hey, watch where you’re…" but trailed off. The creature she bumped into was at least 8 feet tall, and muscular. It was covered with dark green scales and had a pair of glowing yellow eyes and a row of long, sharp teeth on its crocodile-shaped head. It was wearing a red outfit emblazoned with the symbol of a bladed star.

"Cyddathjah yuhojnarei ayguau chozig!" it growled, grabbing Buttercup in one of its huge, clawed hands. Xianea and the other girls froze and watched this happen, unsure what to do. The movement and conversation of everyone in the walkway came to a dead halt as they watched to see what would happen.

Buttercup was going to try and break free, but she recognized the symbol it wore, and decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea. "Ah," she said nervously to the others, "a little help, here?"

Blossom said, "Bubbles, quickly…tell him we’re sorry!"

Bubbles flew quickly over next to the creature and spoke in his language, "[We’re sorry, we weren’t watching where we were going.]"

The creature looked at her and narrowed its eyes. After a moment’s thought, it said, "[Hmmph. You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today. I’m going to let you go, but next time, your friend here gets blasted out of an airlock.]" It released Buttercup, who floated back a little to a safe distance.

"[Thank you…it won’t happen again,]" Bubbles promised.

"[See that it doesn’t!]" it snarled, and continued walking. The crowd of people parted to give him enough space to pass, then got back to their regular business, although more of them now cast glances at the girls.

Xianea let out a sigh of relief, and her expression became serious, "You must be more careful. They have an extensive network…if you get on their bad side, they’ll hunt you down if necessary." She glanced around, "I think it would be best if we didn’t stand out in the open like this. We’re very noticeable out here."

The girls agreed, and the four of them quickly headed off towards the nearest establishment. It looked like some kind of restaurant/bar, but it seemed like there were a lot of people just lounging around at the tables instead of eating or drinking. They took a seat at an empty table off to one side…the girls still felt conspicuous, but at least they weren’t standing out in the open anymore.

"We might as well have something to eat while we’re here," Xianea said. "What do you think?"

Bubbles thought about that and remarked, "Well, I am getting kinda hungry…"

"They won’t have any foods from Earth, though," Buttercup pointed out.

Xianea shook her head, "No, unless by some miracle one of them has visited your planet. But I highly doubt it."

"Eh, I didn’t think so," Buttercup frowned.

"Perhaps there is something comparable, though," Xianea suggested. "What is it that your species consumes? Energy? Minerals? Other lifeforms?"

"Heh…I suppose other lifeforms," Blossom said. "Err, not actually alive though."

"Hmm, I see," Xianea said. "Plant, or animal?"

"Either," Blossom replied.

Bubbles cleared her throat. "Ahem! Some of us only eat plant…" she reminded her.

"Okay," Xianea said. "Raw, or cooked?"

"Cooked!" all three girls said.

"Hmm, perhaps an ilyae root," Xianea said thoughtfully. "I’m told it’s quite tasty to lifeform-eaters." The girls nodded their okays, and Xianea signaled for a server. The furry, cat-like creature came over to the table, and Xianea said to it, "Three broiled ilyae roots and a type-four elec." The server nodded and went off to get the order.

"You’ve been so kind to us," Blossom said. "If there was someway we could repay you…"

"No payment of any kind is necessary," Xianea told her. "But…I would like to hear more about your Earth. That is, if you’re willing to talk about it…I know it was a great loss you suffered today."

"No, it’s…it’s all right," Buttercup said. "The Earth had lots of everything you could imagine…"

"Millions of different kinds of plants and animals," Blossom added. "We still hadn’t even discovered them all."

"Yeah, and all the people…" Bubbles said. "The music…the art…the…" She paused, and closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting to cry in a place like this. In a low voice, she whispered, "I want to go home…"

Blossom put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Don’t worry," she said. "We’ll find a way."

The server came back to the table. In front of each of the girls, it placed a plate holding a large, bulb-shaped object…they were a strange blue color, and were steaming, like they had just been cooked. Several small orange spots covered the skin just around the top part, but the rest of it didn’t have a single spot. In front of Xianea, the server set down a glass containing a softly glowing purple liquid.

While Xianea lifted her glass and took a sip of it, the girls stared at the ilyae roots in front of them quietly. Buttercup was the first to say something, "Go ahead, Blossom…see if it’s good or not."

"No, you go ahead," Blossom replied, not taking her eyes off the root. "You don’t have to wait for me to start."

Bubbles picked up a utensil off the table…it looked vaguely like a fork, except with the four prongs set in a small circle instead of a straight line. She poked it into the root and pulled some of it out…it was a light blue underneath the outer skin, almost a sky blue. Otherwise, it had a consistency similar to a baked potato. Closing her eyes, she gingerly lifted the "forkful" of root up to her mouth and took a bite.

The other girls watched her expectantly. "Well?" Buttercup asked.

Bubbles’ eyes opened up as she chewed, and she smiled. Swallowing the bite she’d taken, she said, "Hey! This is good!" She took another bite. Looking at each other, Blossom and Buttercup shrugged, and took their own forkfuls of root, tasting them. Their faces lit up, just as Bubbles’ did.

"It’s kind of sweet in a way," Blossom commented, "but still hearty…I like it!"

"I could swear there’s cinnamon in here," Buttercup said.

They began to eat with more enthusiasm now. Bubbles looked over at Xianea, who was still sipping her drink, and said, "What is that, anyway?"

"My species consumes energy directly," Xianea answered. "Although any energy substance can sustain us, we prefer it in this refined, liquid-like state, because it is much more appetizing."

"Is it good?" Bubbles asked.

"To me, yes," Xianea said, setting the glass back down. "It would probably do some serious damage to you if you drank it, though. It’s not meant for organics."

Blossom stopped eating for a moment so she could talk, "Are you a robot?"

Xianea shook her head, "No, but I am biomechanical. I’ll explain it to you better during the trip to Centraxia. Although, we’re still going to need to find M-class fuel cells before we go. They must be in short supply right now…"

There suddenly came a voice from the next table, whispering, "Pssst..." They turned to look in that direction, and saw someone wearing a dark cloak. He looked up at them...it was a purple-skinned bug-like alien with segmented eyes. His voice came again, and they realized he wasn't speaking to them directly, but rather, communicating telepathically. "Come join me at my table...I have a proposition for you..."

Xianea and the girls looked at each other, and Xianea shrugged. They picked up their food and carried it over to the table where the stranger was sitting. As they did, he continued, "My name is Alyxk. I couldn't help but overhear that you are looking for M-class fuel cells. Your guess was correct, they are rather scarce at the moment."

"That's what I was afraid of," Xianea said. "We'll have to wait until the next shipment comes in, then."

"Not so," Alyxk said. "For you see, I anticipated the shortage, and stocked up on a number of the cells myself. I would be willing to let you have some of them...but you must do something for me first..."

Blossom narrowed her eyes...she instantly knew it was probably something illegal, but she said, "We're listening..."

Alyxk explained, "My brother had been wrongfully accused of stealing from the Gyahembu...they locked him up in the prison cells of the lower central hub. I want you to free him."

"Us? How?" Bubbles asked.

"Don't play dumb," Alyxk said. "I can only read your surface thoughts, but I can see that you have great power, the three of you. This should be a simple task. Do we have an agreement? I guarantee that you will find no other fuel cells of that class on board this station anywhere."

They thought about it for a few more moments, and Xianea said, "Well...if he was wrongfully accused, then he doesn't belong in the prison. What do you think, girls?"

Buttercup said, "I agree...let's bust him outta there! Besides, it's our only way off of this station."

"I dunno..." Blossom said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She finally thought, Ah, what the heck This whole place is a giant collection of criminals anyway...these Gyahembu are probably just as crooked. So it wouldn't really matter, there's no real law we're breaking...we're just trying to do what's right... She finally said, "Okay, we'll do it." She reached out and shook Alyxk's hand.

"Excellent," he said. "I shall see you back here, in this same place, when he has been released. Oh, and don't worry about paying for your food...it's on me."

"Thanks!" Bubbles exclaimed. She finished up her ilyae root, as did the other girls, before getting up to leave. Xianea went with them, out of the establishment, but she looked troubled. Bubbles asked, "What's wrong?"

"Centraxians are peaceful by nature," Xianea admitted. "We detest participating in any kind of violence. I'm afraid that if you're going to 'bust out' this person, I won't be able to help you."

"That's all right," Blossom said. "I think we can handle it by ourselves, right?"

Buttercup nodded, "Right."

"If you are certain, then I suppose it's for the best," Xianea said. "All right. I will wait for you here, in the walkway. Please be safe."

Blossom said "We will. All right, girls, let's roll!" The three of them flew off towards the central hub. Xianea watched them go, and said something under her breath, in her native tongue, "J ipqf uifz xjmm cf plbz..." She could do nothing but wait and see how everything turned out...