Read Terra's World for Free Online

all that this achieved was to translate one lot of weird alien symbols into another lot of weird alien symbols. Of course, thought Billy, that must be Fnrrn. The language of her adopted homeworld.
    ‘Is that good?’ Billy wondered.
    Terra turned to face him. ‘For the last two years I’ve been pestered by alien bounty hunters. Your little girlfriend back there was just the latest. I want to find out why, and at that rendezvous point’ – she gestured towards the readout – ‘there may be someone who knows.’
    ‘And I suppose you have a plan for what to do when we get there?’
    ‘We’ve got a few hours,’ said Terra, getting as comfortable as possible in the command chair. ‘I will have by the time we arrive.’
    ‘Can I ask a question?’ asked Billy.
    ‘Why stop now?’ Terra smiled.
    ‘Why me?’
    Terra frowned and wrinkled her nose.
    ‘Why are you bringing me with you? I’m not going to be any use to you. I’m just going to slow you down, maybe even mess up and get us into trouble.’ Billy crumpled a little at the thought of this, then recoiled when Terra stood up and loomed over him, as best a shortish girl in baggy clothes could.
    ‘Now listen to me, Billy Dolphin. Ever since we met I’ve had to put up with you whining and moaning about how I ruined your life without you even knowing it was me you were moaning at. But,’ she went on, sitting back down, ‘you’ve been a good friend. Possibly the first human friend I’ve ever had. And tonight, being my friend nearly got you disintegrated. So I think I owe you.’
    Billy had no idea how to respond. Fortunately Terra wasn’t finished. ‘Remember I said I thought you were just jealous? Jealous of me, ’cos I’d actually been to space and you hadn’t?’
    ‘Yes?’
    Terra pointed out of the porthole. ‘Well, there you go, then,’ she said. ‘No reason to feel jealous any more.’
    Billy went to the porthole. Space. Your actual deep proper real genuine final frontier these are the voyages space. He beamed.
    ‘Besides,’ said Terra, putting her trainered feet up on the console, ‘I’m starting to figure out that plan, and you’re a big part of it. Now get some sleep, I’m going to.’ She pulled her woolly hat down over her eyes.
     
     

 
     
     
    1.9
     
     
     
    T hrox checked his reflection in the mirror of a parked car. Tracey looked as immaculate as ever. He adjusted his virtual hair and walked up to the front door of the house. He didn’t need to check the address. He’d memorised it.
    He’d used a depressingly simple Ymn communication device (‘phones’, they called them) to contact the girl’s parents and get himself invited to their home. All too easy. He rang the doorbell.
    An adult Ymn female opened the door. She held one of those rudimentary opaque metal slate-like devices that Ymns were all so impressed with.
    ‘Yes?’ asked the woman Throx recognised as Mrs Bradbury, although none of her current neighbours would be familiar with that name.
    ‘Hello, I’m Tracey,’ said Throx. ‘I called earlier, remember? I’m a friend of Lydia’s. I lent her some study notes, and I’m afraid I need them back. You said this would be a good time to come round.’
    ‘Oh that’s right, come in,’ said the woman. ‘I’ll see if I can find them for you.’ The Ymm seemed distracted but not particularly anxious; was it possible she didn’t even know her child was gone?
    Throx smiled gratefully – or at least his digitally generated Ymn face did – and stepped into the house.
    ‘Can I get you something? Tea?’ asked the woman. Throx replied that that would be lovely, and looked around at the house’s furnishings. Soft. These Ymns needed a lot of comfort. Weak.
    Once he had the Terra girl’s family hostage, he would send a signal to his ship. Terra would be given the choice; return to Rrth, or he would employ all the many pain-giving techniques he had learned during his Guild training on first one, then the other of