Eddie on the Edge of Everything

16: Octopus Speech

"Stella, who is Luna?" I said tapping my finger on the name. "I see it everywhere. It's in my room, on all the holo-books, and I even saw it tattooed to Novus's leg."

Stella sighed. "When Novus found me, he was very lonely. He once had a daughter named Luna. He loved her very much."

"Did something happen to her?"

"Yes, but we don't talk about it," said Stella. "It upsets him to this day. She was his everything, and he lost everything when she went away."

"She died?"

"We often think the ones we love will never leave us. Novus beats himself up everyday for what happened."

Novus shifted on the couch. His leg shifted too far causing him to roll right off. His head made a loud thump as it hit the floor.

"Starspit!" he yelled, rubbing the bump forming on his forehead. "Uh, I need to stop falling asleep on this thing." He turned to us. Embarrassment flooding his face. We, of course, were giggling. "What are y'all two doing?"

"Just talking," I said.

"Talk is cheap," he said standing up. "But you know what is cheaper?" He placed his hands on his lower back and stretched. "This couch. Never buy bargain furniture. Always something wrong." Suddenly a bright light emanated behind my head. Novus pointed excitedly out the window. I turned around. The bright white light blinded my eyes for a second. "Well look at that. It's this solar system's famous Two-Tailed Comet! What luck! We must be getting close to the planet Drax."

I pressed my face to the glass crying out with awestruck wonder. A giant comet with one bright white tail and a one bright blue tail surged near the ship. It was a beautiful illuminated ball made of ice, rock, and frozen gases. I had seen plenty in books but never seen one in person. Novus did not seem as impressed. In fact his initial joy at seeing the comet turned to regret.

"If the comet is this close to the planet then that means..." Novus face palmed. "The comet festival must be happening." He groaned.

"A festival!" I cried. My spirits instantly lifted. "I love festivals."

"Ugh," he groaned again. "This one is a little too wild for my tastes. Perhaps we should find another planet." Noticing the excitement lighting up my face caused him to change his tune. "I suppose we can attend the festival. We need to stop for supplies anyway, and Drax is the best place to get wish junk, especially a new Alcemator. But we are not staying long, got it?"

"Yay!" I cheered.

"Ooolalallllla!" cried Stella, eagerly grabbing my arm and yanking me to the cockpit.

"Stella, what are you doing?"

She floated to the captain's seat and joyfully patted the seat next to her.

"You want me to sit while you steer the ship?"

"Olla," she responded.

Novus peeked his head inside. "Actually she actually wants you to steer the ship."

"Me," I said, shocked. "Drive the spaceship? I'm not even old enough to drive a car."

"It's not hard." Novus shoved me into the seat. "Consider it a big honor. Stella never lets anyone at the controls."

Stella pressed a button and the steering wheel shifted to my side. I sat there stunned and unable to move. Doing the best her body language could muster, Stella showed me what to do. I gripped the wheel; my palms started sweating on the cold metal.

"Stella," I said, my voice echoing my fear, "I really don't want to do this."

Before I could protest further, Stella flipped a switch sending the ship into an instant nosedive. Novus strapped himself in on the seat nearby, laughing. We zoomed faster and faster into deep space. My first reaction was to scream and cover my eyes, but I looked over at Stella. She pretended to pull an invisible object to her chest. I gripped the steering wheel, let out another scream, and pulled back hard. I felt the ship begin to turn upward until at last it leveled out.

"Oh my gosh, I'm doing it!" I cried in astonishment; my hands trembling. "I'm driving the ship."

"Why not you take us close to the comet?" whispered Novus in my ear.

"What? No way," I said. "I don't want hit it?"

"Oh come on, Eddie. Live a little." Novus grabbed the wheel and made a sharp turn towards the comet. I screamed again.

Stella floated to my lap and guided my hands. Her suction cups digging into my skin.

"We are headed straight for it!" I cried. "Pull back! Pull back! We are going to crash!"

I felt the ship jolt and twist sideways. In a flash we blasted through the comet's white tail. Icy dust bounced off the metal exterior. The ship dropped again this time spinning and spinning until Stella turned my hands to the right and pulled. By now I was feeling a bit more comfortable. I shouted with delight as the ship flipped upside down zooming along the bottom of the comet.

"Woah!" I shouted staring out the window at the massive ice ball. The surface was covered in clumps of rock and large crystals of ice. It looked like the mix between a wintery wonderland and a dirty snowball. The ship turned sideways again and we began encircling the space lump.

"It's huge," I exclaimed as the ship surged along the comet's side. "It must be bigger than my hometown." I was so captured by the sight that I ignored Stella's loosening her grip until she let go entirely. Much like that moment when you're learning to ride a bike and the adult lets go of the seat, you have that moment of fear and confidence as you ride off alone for the first time.

"You got this, Eddie," encouraged Novus; his hand squeezing my shoulder. "You're doing it!" He didn't seem nervous at all. An overwhelming pride rushed through my limbs. I was flying a spaceship alongside a comet, and I was doing it all on my own.

My careful hands continued to turn the ship's wheel along the path of the comet's curved side. It was a terrifying yet thrilling experience, one I would not trade for anything. The controls reminded me of that video game Space Cadet Rampage I had played with Gilbert. Except in that video game if you crashed the ship you started over and tried again. Life does not give you second chances like video games do. Here a mess up meant bang, boom, and no coming back. But I was in good company. Novus and Stella made sure that any slipup was instantly corrected.

After encircling the comet one more time, I pulled back on the wheel causing the ship to rise off the comet and back out into open space.

"Oh my gosh!" I screamed, wiping the sweat off my brow. "That was so exciting and scary! What if I had hit it?"

"Well you didn't," said Novus, patting my shoulder. "You did a great job. I'm proud of you." Stella gave me a congratulatory wiggle with all eight of her tentacles. "Alright, Stella, take us to Drax."

Stella assumed control. I leaned back and watched the ace pilot perform her expert flying skills. Maybe someday I would reach her level.

Not far from the comet a bright orange globe grew before us. An icy north and south pole capped the top and bottom of the planet. Novus pointed out the large empty desert on the planet's sunny side and the many sandstorms visible from space. It was difficult to see so high up, but as we turned to the dark side of the planet a deep black stain with white flecks peeked across the surface. It was one massive city covered in millions of lights.

"And that black part down there is the planet's one great city," said Novus. "The planet never rotates so it is always night time there. Keeps it cool so you'll want to wear that coat again." He leaned over the controls. "Stella, prepare the ship for landing. City of Esalas here we come."