The Depths of Space!!

[Lettuce Men of Mars]

Space... the big black nothing... well if you don't count the stars and planets... and blasterfire... blasterfire!? Rows of bright green and red arced across the black filled space, possibly giving the near by planet goers an awesome laser show.. but giving Primus a frantic dance of death. Primus's ship was relativly small and relativly light and weaved in and around most of the blasts.. but you can only dodge so much and his ship had taken far more hits than Primus deemed acceptable. The source of this rapid display.. why Three very large.. very menacing Kilassan Cruisers. They were large whale shaped ships with rows of cannons and cannons.. and did I mention more cannons.

Primus: (as he thought to himself) I have to find someplace to hide. I can't escape these.. their too fast.

Suddenly he saw it... well pictured it in his mind's eye. It was a planet.. barren of all life and covered with craters. If he landed there and hid in a crater, the ships might pass and best of all no one would be put in further danger... but to matters at hand. He needed a distraction.. just enough to buy him a split second in time to make his dash for it. He focused.. hard.. and there was a pop and a blinding flash of light. The three cruisers behind him slowed to a halt.. Primus could hear the confusion going on in the enemy vessels. He quickly crank his ship into action and twisted around the barren plains of this moon and ducked away into a ridged crater... and waited. Slowly he felt the three cruisers pass by.. one.... two.... then... three?.... no wait.. where was Three. Slowly Primus peeked his ship's view out the corner to gaze up... and he saw the ships leaving... but not the way they had come from but towards .. this small green... OH NO! It was coming through loud and clear.

That planet had life.. and lots of it. He could hear the voices from the Kilassan's crews... They had found life.. and were going to end it. He had to warn them. It was his fault they had even found it. Maybe had he let them kill him they wouldn't have found it. It didn't matter now.. even if he tried to lead them away... He cranked his ship to full throttle and blasted towards the green dot. There was a small sense of relief.. the cruisers were hesitate.. they were most likely calling up reinforcments.. maybe he could get there before them.

------------(Few Days Later)

He had been pushing his ship to it's limit and though he tried his best to stay out of range.. one Cruiser had picked him up and lit him up.

Primus: Argh..

His ship shakes as another blasts rakes across his ship.

Primus: I might have to make an emergency landing..

One of his engines from the previous blast.. breaks off and explodes.

Primus: Ok.. Make that I will have to make..

Primus is thrusted back into his seat as the Earth's atmosphere grabs hold. The Cruiser backs off, as to allow the earth's atmosphere to finish it. Primus was on the verge of panicing.. if you called calculating how to not die panicing. No matter how much he attempted, the ships controls refused to listen. finally letting go of the controls, Primus opens his mind. A glowing aura of shimmering light surrounds the vessel.. and while it doesn't stop it from falling like a rock.. it helps set it into a controled glide...right into the side of a mountain. *CRASH*

[Lettuce Men of Mars]

Tommy kicked another rock into a nearby stream. He was your average 13 yr old boy with your average 13 yr old boy life... well if you don't count the alien encounters.. but that is later. He had short black hair and was wearing a white shirt with a green alien head on it.

?: Hey, dofus are you coming or are you going to stare at your reflection all day?

Tommy turnned to his annoying older sister, Anne. She was one year older but she acted like she was 20. She wasn't more than 4'9" and had long black hair. She was fairly pretty for her age and that always caused problems between Tommy and the other boys... but thankfully she was so nerdy most boys were turnned off.

Tommy: I was just looking for your chirstmas present.

Anne rolled her eyes. Their parents had brought them up here for a little "together" time. That is what their father called it whenever he got time off work.. of course he spent most of that time on the phone talking about work.. even out in the middle of the woods. Tommy quickly took off after his older sister wo had about climbed up half the mountain. They wanted to see the stars and someone had told them the best place was up the mountain side. Little did they know the stars were about to join them on that mountain side.

Every few feet, Anne would turn around and say "Hurry up Tommy. There won't be any stars at this rate.". Tommy just grumbled and continued to climb. Anne stepped over a fallen tree and turnned back to egg on Tommy when she spotted a flashing light. Excitedly she pointed to it and cried, "Look Tommy! Look! Its a shooting star!". Tommy spun around to see the sight... It was freakin awesome... and it seemed so close... and it kepted getting closer.... and closer! Tommy screamed "Get down!" and he lunged at his sister, toppling her behind the log. The screaming "star" slammed into the mountain throwing dirt and rock in all directions but down.

Tommy and Anne slowly peeked their heads over the fallen log.

Anne: What do you think it is?
Tommy: It looks like an alien space ship.
Anne: Don't be stupid. You have been reading too many...

*HISS* The door to Primus's shuttle pops open... then falls off.

Anne: Eep!

Primus large figure rises from the ship clad in a brown dusty old robe. He was a bit shaken up but nothing a few shakes of the head did set straight. He had to find... wait a minute.. he could hear two voices nearby... and one was "I bet he is a big ugly, smelly, flesh eatting, blood suckin..".

Primus: Hey! I don't drink blood... and I don't smell..

Tommy was frozen.. how did he knew they were there.. how did he know what he was thinking..

Tommy: Anne I think we should get out of here.
Anne: For once Tommy, I agree.

The two try to crawl away.

Primus: Hey wait! I need to talk to you.
Tommy: Cheese it!

Tommy and Anne book it down the beaten path. Primus sighs and gives chase.

Primus: Come back! I need to see your leader!

[Lettuce Men of Mars]

Anne and Tommy run like they have never ran before. They past tree after tree and rock after rock.. and slowly.. without realizing it.. they were getting deeper and deeper into the wrong part of the woods.

Tommy: *Huff* I think *puff* we lost him.
Anne: Keep running!

The duo cross a small brook and hide next to a rock cave... a few seconds pass and Primus runs by.

Primus: Hey, *Huff* Wait up. I come in peace.. argh I need to run more.

He darts off into the woods.

Tommy: Whew we lost him.
Anne: Good now maybe you can stop breathing on my neck.

Tommy turns to her questioningly.

Tommy: Um.. I'm not breathing on you.

The two turn and find themselves stareing face to face with a big brown bear. It lets out a mighty roar as the children both scream. Anne falls on her back and narrowly dodges the bear's massive claw as it attempts to take her head off. The two children scamper out from the cave as the bear looms dangerously over them.

Anne: No, I don't want to die!

Tommy picks up a stick and gets between his sister and the bear.

Tommy: You have to go through me first!

The Bear doesn't seem to be frightenned.

: And me.

Suddenly the Bear begins to shimmer... then it lifts completly off the ground. It squrims and grunts as it tries to flee it's invisible clutches. Primus steps out of the shadows.

Primus: Now then you go play nicely over there.. and leave my little friends alone.

He gently tosses the bear back into the cave. It quickly scurries back into the cavern with it's tail between its legs. The two kids quickly get and up and guard themselves.

Primus: You have no more reason to fear me than that creature did. I come in peace.
Tommy: Well... um thank you! But My mother told me to never talk to strangers.
Primus: Ok, My name is Primus.
Tommy: I'm Tommy, and she is.
Anne: Don't tell him my name!
Primus: Let me guess Ame.
Anne: Its Anne!
Primus: I'm just kidding. Anne. Tommy. Its nice to meet you both. Now I need to see your leader.
Tommy: You mean my dad?
Anne: No I think he wants to see the president.
Tommy: Well I don't know the president.
Primus: Then maybe this... "Dad" can assist me. It is of dire importance.
Tommy: Alright, but everybody is going to totally freak out when they see you.
Primus: Why?
Anne: Because aliens aren't very common.
Primus:.. I knew that.. seriously.
Anne: Sure.

Primus pulls his hood down and hides his face.

Primus: this work?
Anne: Still a little creepy.. but I guess it is better than nothing.
Tommy: Let's go.

They head back to the camp sight.

[Lettuce Men of Mars]

Tommy seemed to be way too excited about the whole ordeal. Anne was still abit distrustful of the sitituation.. as far as she was concerned, Primus had put the bear there.

Anne: Hey I have a question. If you can read minds, then how come you didn't know we were hiding in the cave?
Primus: You were hidding in the cave?
Anne: Don't play stupid.
Tommy: Don't pester him. He just saved our lives.
Anne: Well?
Primus: I really wish I could tell you.. for some reason my ability is .. unstable. I can't even get a clear reading.. besides I don't like invading other's minds...
Anne: But, what about...
Primus: Unless it is first meetings.. I like to know if I am making a good impression...

They stare at him rather blankly.

Primus: What?
Tommy: I thought aliens wore cool high tech clothes?
Primus: You too?
Anne: I thought you said don't pester the alien.
Primus: It isn't important..
Tommy: Somebody is sensitive.

Primus ignores the last comment as they continue to the campsite... they could see the smoke rising over the trees... wait smoke!

Tommy: I don't remember Dad setting up a campfire.
Primus: We're too late!
Anne: What? We're too late for what?

The three dart off toward the campsite... to find it in ruins. Something else had landed.. and all that was left was ash and a burnt out camper.

Tommy: Dad! Dad!

Tommy franticly began searching for his father and mother. Anne just stood there ..as if taking it all in was too painful to even move.

Primus:... I'm so sorry...so sorry.

He could feel their pain.. and he didn't push it away.. in a way it was his fault and if anything he deserved it. Tommy had run into the camper... and when he came out.. he had in his hand.. a charred remains of a cell phone. Anne instantly breaks out into tears and falls to her knees.

Anne: No.No NO NO NO NO! *ETC ETC*

Tommy runs over and embraces his sister as they share their pain. Yes, their father wasn't always there for them... but he was still their father.. and he was all they had.. now.. they had nothing.. Primus went to console the children when he noticed something.. a flash... a flash in his mind's eye. A struggle... steel sentries... and a man... not dead, but carried away.

Primus: Children.
Anne: Not now.
Primus: Children.
Tommy: NOT NOW!
Primus: He isn't dead.

Tommy shoots up and runs over to him.

Tommy: What do you mean? Where is he?

Tommy begins popping off questions faster than Primus could answer.

Primus: Calm down. Your dad was taken captive. We will get your male parental figure back.
Tommy: Thank you!

The two children latch onto Primus with vice like grips. Primus almost thought they were going to snap him in half.

Primus: They headed that way... what is that way?
Anne: That is Libtery City.
Primus: Sounds nice.
Tommy: You obiviously never been there.
Primus: We don't have much time.. Let's go.
(END)