By: Me, Tato

Strick sat at a gas station in Brooklyn, New York, extreme boredom 
filling his mind. Cam and Em had gone shopping....and he REALLY didn't
want to go with them.  Not that shopping was boring to him, oh no.
Well....yes.  He didn't particularly HATE it, but he hated going with
Cam and Em.  They were his friends, but he felt that some things,
friends could stay out of.  ESPECIALLY shopping!!  He had been reading
the same book for over 2 hours.  It was a great book!  But in the past
2 hours, he had read the current book "The Hobbit", taken a bathroom
break, gotten a soda, read more of  "The Hobbit", took another potty
break, and continued to read.  As he read, he felt a sudden rush of
wind come towards him.  It started out very light...barely noticable.
But it soon became incredibly strong!  It nearly knocked him over!  He
looked up from his book and saw an incredibly large space craft come
down from the sky.  He covered his eyes to get a better glimpse of it
without the sun's rays.  It almost looked....birdlike.  As the large
craft came racing down, Strick backed up.  It had almost reached the
ground when....it stopped 2 feet off the ground!  Stick stood in
amazement at the strange object.  A doorway opened, and he saw a
strange looking boy walk out.  He had long, curly hair.  His ears were
what looked like....spirals.  He looked strangely familiar.  Strick
couldn't pin-point where, but he swore he had seen that boy before.
Another boy came out.  He was a black male with his hair in braids.
He had been discussing with the other boy.  Strick got up to meet
these two.  

"Hi," Strick said racing up to the two.  He examined the two closer.
One looked human.  The other...he didn't know!  

"Hey," the earther said distractedly.  "Are you service here?"

"Me?  No, I'm just hanging out."

The earther sighed heavily.  "Okay, I guess what we'll have to do it
ourselves."  

"I'm Strick," Strick said putting out his hand to shake the two.

"I'm Harlan," the earther said.  "This is Radu."

"Uh...hi," Radu said with a wave.  

"So...what brings you here?" Strick asked trying to make conversation.

"We're out of fuel and we need to get some," Harlan said glancing
around his surroundings.  

"I see.  I'd be happy to help you," Strick offered.  

"Thanks."  

"Hey, 'The Hobbit'." Radu said pointing to the book in Strick's hands.

"Yeah, it's pretty good."

"Ms Davenport showed me the CompuPad with that story.  It's very
interesting.  Is that a book?"

"Yep.  Dont you have books?"

"No, just CompuPads."

"Oh."

"This is all very nice, but could be please get on with this?" Harlan
asked impatiently.  

"Chill out, Harlan!" a voice called out on the ship.  

"Why dont you make me, Elmira?" Harlan shot back.  

"You wanna see me make you?  You asked for it, Harlan Band!"

"Oh yeah?  Well I'll--"

"You'll what?" Radu asked eying Harlan.

"I'll....nevermind.  Let's just get this over with and get out of
here."

Harlan walked away to talk to a man from the store.  Meanwhile, Radu
and Strick sat talking.  

"I feel like I've seen you around before," Strick commented.  

"Yeah, same here.  But...it's not possible."

"Yeah.  Well maybe--"

Just then, another ship shot down.  It knocked Strick to the ground.
Radu flinched slightly.  He helped Strick up, and they both made their
way inch by inch to a new space craft that had landed.  Out came a
young man.  Human.  He had a black, longsleeved shirt on with green
and white stripes.  He walked out and glanced around.  He spotted two
beings standing next to the ship.  

"Hi," he said casually.  "I'm Tommy.  Tommy McPherson.  I was
wondering....do any of you have anything good to read?  It's sort of
boring up in space, and I need something to read while they do their
work."

Radu and Strick looked at eachother.  He looked familiar.  "Uh....we
have 'The Hobbit'," Radu suggested.  

"Yeah, it's pretty good."

"Really?  Any of you got a spare copy?"

"No. I only have this copy," Strick said holding the book up.  

"Hm....can I see that?  They may be able to make a spare copy for me
in a few minutes."  Strick looked at Radu.  They both shrugged.
Strick reluctantly gave the book to Tommy.  He raced in the ship and
came running out.  "Okay, they should have a copy made for me soon.
We just gotta wait."  

"Okay.  So....how are you?" 

"I'm pretty good, I guess.  It's not exactly a pleasure to be abducted
ya know.  And those UPN creeps took my tape while I was abducted!  Can
you believe the nerve of those guys?"  

"Man, that sucks," Strick replied.  

"Yeah, it does.  And now I cant get it back.  We've been taking the
copies of them that have been made by people recording it.  I've taken
it from several people.  The last person I took it from was a girl
named....Bekah....something like that."

[author's note: I say this where they take all the copies of them from
experience.  I've been searching EVERYWHERE for 6 days straight, and I
cant find my copy of the tape, and so this is the explanation!]  

"We've almost got all of the copies."

"Glad to hear it," Radu said with a thumbs up.  He never knew what it
meant, but Harlan always had a thumbs up when something good happened.

"Me too," Strick agreed.  

"Yo Radu!  You going to help me here or do I have the honors of doing
this?" Harlan yelled a distance away.  

"Oh....I thought you didn't want to do it all by yourself.  But...if
it's an honor...go ahead!  Help yourself!"  

Harlan sighed heavily.  "Thanks a lot."

"Your welcome!" Radu said happily.  Tommy and Strick started laughing
hysterically.  "What?" Radu asked suddenly worried he might have done
something wrong.  

"Nothing, nevermind," Strick and Tommy said simultaneously.  

Strick, Tommy, and Radu stood in a small group getting to know one
another.  Suddenly, a car pulled up.  The man in the car stared at the
two ships for a moment, and then carried on.  He looked familiar to
these three.  As he filled his car up, he noticed three people staring
at him.  He casually walked towards the group.  

"Do I know you?" he asked curiously, and a bit confused.  

"I dont think so," the three of them chorused.  

"Hm...are you sure?"

"No.  I'm Strick.  This is Radu, and this is Tommy McPherson."

"Hi.  I'm Kristian Ayre.  I swear, I've seen you guys before."

"Yeah, it's wierd isn't it?" Strick said deep in thought.  

"Hello!  Radu!  I'm finished.  Get over here, we're leaving."

"But can't I stay for a little bit?"  

"If you stay, you're staying for good!"  

"Just give me a few minutes!"

Harlan shook his head and ran back into the Christa.  He started it
up.  Radu knew that he wouldn't leave without the navigator.  But then
again...this was Harlan he was talking about.  

"I gotta go now.  See ya!"  And with that, Radu took off into the
ship.  The opening closed, and the majestic vehicle flew into the sky
until it couldn't be seen.  

"Well, they should have my copy of my book by now!  I wonder what's
taking so long?" Tommy said looking over to the space craft.

"I dunno.  Go check," Strick suggested.  

"Okay, I'll be right back."  Tommy quickly left the group.  

"So...Kristian....how are you?" Strick said trying to make
conversation.  

"I'm pretty good.  I just came down here to visit some friends."

"I see."

"How are you?"

"I'm pretty good.  Bored."

"Yeah, me too."

Strick and Kristian nodded for several minutes not saying anything.
Finally, Tommy came running back.  

"Okay I'm back.  They were making extra copies of the book so they
could have it too."  Tommy handed the book to Strick.

"Thanks."  Strick took his book back.  

"Hey, the Hobbit?" Kristian said glancing down at the book.  

"Yeah....you've read it?"  

"Yeah.  It's great.  But in the middle of reading it, I lost my copy."

Tommy's face brightened and ran into his space ship.  He carried out
another book identical to Strick's.  "Here ya go!"  

"Hey, thanks!" Kristian exclaimed.  

"Well, I have to be going now.  I have to find the other two copies of
the tape.  I have to drop by to see a newly-wed.  Jeau something.
She's a suspect on having a copy. See ya!"  Tommy quickly exited the
small group and departed in his shuttle craft.  

"Well, I'm going to take off now.  Catch ya around!"  Kristian waved
goodbye to the strangely familiar boy and drove away.  Strick sat back
down and resumed reading. He was half way through the chapter when he
saw two shadows.  

"We're back!" Em shouted out.  

"Hi.  Finally." Stick commented, a grin on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Cam asked suspiciously.  

"Yeah.  Anything INTERESTING happen lately?" Em said folding her arms
with a smirk on her face.  

"No, nothing at all.  People drop in and out....you know, the usual."
Strick smiled as he looked down to his book.  Sure.  Nothing.

The End....told ya it was wierd!!