~~IN YARN'S OPINION~~

  The constant bickering hurts my brain! Looks like Izzian and Enot got off to a rocky start, like a couple of Beaky Buzzards. Gala and Izzian seemed to be fast friends, though, and our little alien may need a good friend in the coming year.

  Earth wasn't exactly like the Huckchuck Region on Klesia or Ithmonius Sixteen, but it would prove to have its own feral creatures. They may not come in the form of an argumentative tree, but no planet is perfect.

  You may be wondering what happened aboard the Gratified Speed 1213. I can tell you that nothing extraordinary occurred. Mostly, our three Klesians slept in extended sleep portals, only waking every so often to eat and use the facilities.

  Take it from one who knows, space travel can be excessively boring. Since our travelers slept most of the trip, the ship didn't have to be overly weighed down by food and other supplies. If you think about it, one doesn't need much when one slips into a relaxing, extended sleep portal, just a favorite blankie and a comfortable pillow.

  And since most of the comet ship burns away, extra supplies would only end up disintegrating or floating through space as burnt pieces of crud. Trust me, there is already too much crud floating around space, some alien space ships and their crew included.

  For instance, I am currently being followed by a group of Fester Tails. You heard me correctly: Fester Tails are real.

  I understand your skepticism. Fester Tails are the stuff of legends and fairytales. As children, we sing songs about the Fester Tail princess who saved the kidnapped king and queen by building a tiny space ship. She zoomed to the cruel planet, battled the callous kidnappers and flew home a hero.

  I assure you that Fester Tails are not as pleasant as the fairytales and songs would have you believe. They can be quite intrusive. They are also clever and manipulative. The Fester Tail princess that battled the mean aliens probably won with her wits rather than a sword.

  I'm not sure exactly what the tiny buggers want from me, but so far, I haven't stuck around long enough to be caught. As long as I move around every few days, I should be safe. You see, they are rather small and a trip that takes me an hour might take the Fester Tails a few days at least.

  If they caught me, the diminutive creatures could latch onto my ship, burrow through the hull and eventually make their tiny way into my ship's electronics. They can do horrendous damage if left unchecked. Strange that such a tiny being has the ability to create such a large disturbance. Fester Tails can do anything once they put their little minds to it.

  And, the most important thing of all; if you ever find yourself infested with Fester Tails, remember to never strike up a conversation. If you do, they will never leave you alone. They may bury themselves deep in the smallest recesses of your ship and live there for generations.

  ***

  CHAPTER 13

 
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