Lost Cradle - A Writer's Relay Project

Chapter 9

The ground controller tilted his head for a moment as if listening to some inaudible commands. "Your ship's AI has requested the coordinates for your destination. You have received permission for take off in ninety minutes," it reported.

Hana and Phili exchanged a glance.

"It's your call," said Phili, "Captain."

Hana sighed. "The truth is that I don't even know where we should start looking for clues to the location of Earth. Someplace with a similar composition, or with a larger, older population of Humans maybe."

"I can consult the reference I brought with me," Phili began scrolling through his tablet.

Amidst the organized movement of the ground crew, the awkward motion of a Human tripping over some hoses caught Hana and Phili's attention.

"May I make a suggestion," said the man pulling himself up from the ground. He looked completely out of place amongst the machinery and droids surrounding the ship. A long scraggly red beard and unruly hair covered most of his face. He wore tattered dirty clothes that appeared to be constructed from biological material that Hana could not place.

He winced as he stood and held his lower back for a moment, then he searched the ground for something he had dropped when he'd fallen. He reached down and picked up a large battered ax.

"Jangal," said the stranger looking the ax over as if to be certain it hadn't sustained any damage.

Hana and Phiil stood with their mouths agape. Even the ground control android didn't seem to know what to do with this character so clearly out of place.

The stranger seemed to think their silence was due to their ignorance. "It's in the Wahangu system," he offered. "It's an old Human colony, I visited there once with my Dad, ruins mostly. He is there now."

Phili typed the name into his tablet. "He's right, Hana. It's not a bad idea."

The stranger scratched his beard and looked from side to side. "I could sure use a ride there if you can spare an extra cabin."

"Of course we can," exclaimed Phili. "We'd be happy to give you a lift home."

"What? No!" exclaimed Hana. "We don't know this joker and aren't picking up random hitchhikers!"

"Pardon my manners," said the stranger. He tried to smooth his unruly hair back and tuck in a wayward red and black checkered shirt collar. Then he smiled wide revealing an array of crooked yellow teeth. "The name is Leo," he said, offering his hand.

"Pleased to meet you," said Phili cordially, giving Leo's hand a shake.

Hana rolled her eyes in disgust thinking there was no way she was giving this dirty free-loader a ride when she noticed a large ring on his finger.

"Is that an amber ring, Leo?" she asked.

Leo smiled again and his eyes lit up. He held it up to Hana's face proudly. The large ring contained a shiny clear brown stone. Inside of it lay a perfectly preserved bug of some sort. Even the insect's fine antennae were still upon its head. In its mandibles lay an even smaller insect.

"Good eye," said Leo. "Not many people know what amber is." He clasped the ringed hand with his other hand and held it close to his heart and closed his eyes. "It was a gift my father gave to my mother. The creatures in it are supposedly from Earth. I always loved it as a kid. It's the only reminder I have of my late mother." Leo sniffed and wiped away a tear.

"My condolences for your loss," said Phili graciously. He looked at Hana pleading, "We need to get you home."

Hana's thoughts were running a mile a minute and while she didn't much care for this sentimental stranger, his father's gift interested her very much.