Out There

Out There

“Joe! Are you asleep?” Frank asked sharply.

“No.”

“Yeah, right. You’ve been staring out that window for eons. It’s not like the scenery changes all that much.”

“There’s something out there.”

“Yes, yes there is. The whole rest of the universe. However we have a limited view of much of it from here.”

“No, I mean there’s something out there, right out there, outside the porthole.”

“Like something stuck to the ship?”

“Maybe.”

Frank rushed over, putting a hand to Joe’s head, “Joe, you’re hallucinating.”

“I saw it!”

“Listen to me! Remember the classes we took? This is classic hallucination. Seeing things that aren’t there, especially out the windows.

“No! I saw it!”

“Joe, Joe! This has been a long run, too long. It’s a wonder we haven’t all gone over the edge. You just need a rest. Let me bring you to sick bay, Dr. Meadows will know exactly what to do. Alex! Take over! I’m bringing Joe to sick bay,” off they went.

Tendrex listened from outside the porthole. He was able to understand the language because he had studied it in his youth. He had studied all the languages in this universe in his youth, and several other universes as well. He meant no harm to the ship, he had only stayed this long because he knew the human had seen him and he was trying to decide what to do about it. Now it was taken out of his hands.

He chuckled at the thought, “hands.” Purely a human saying. Excitedly he wrapped his tendodloids tightly around his barastand, and shimmered into invisibility before seeping into the human’s spaceship. He still had enough time to do a more thorough study of the earth beings inside, before he was due to show up at his next assignment.