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“What?” Katie thought she had more time. Usually, they gave her three to seven days.
“The general needed helpyesterday.Apparently, his commanders were not willing to let him keep this little girl in the first place. We’re the only reason they're allowing this to happen. So, hurry! Get home, pack a bag, and meet me back here as quickly as possible.” Stella swiftly ushered Katie out to her car.
“You don’t want me to go to the space station?”
“Oh, no, dear. Since it’s so urgent, we’re going through the portal to Luxenia.”
Katie stopped at her car. “Thewhat?”
“The portal. We don’t use them a lot, but it’s necessary.”
Katie gave her a panicked look as she got into the driver’s seat.
“Oh, don’t worry! It’s quite simple. You’ll be queasy initially, but it goes away fast. Now, hurry.”
That was what Stella said, but in less than an hour, Katie was in the portal feeling a lot more nauseated than she expected. She had to squeeze her eyes closed to not get dizzier than she already was.
Katie’s knees buckled slightly once her feet touched Luxenia’s ground. The portal disappeared as Katie steadied herself before picking up her bags.
“Well, that was interesting,” she groaned, pushing back sour bile.
“Isn’t it? It’s like it gives you sea legs.” Stella giggled.
After gathering her composure, Katie stood straight and looked around the strange planet.
There were no mountains that she could see, but small rolling hills far into the distance with oddly shaped trees dispersed all over. The sky was of a pinkish hue, and the air felt warm and salty. It had the aroma of an oceanside getaway, but Katie didn’t see nor hear any water or birds to give away its whereabouts.
When she looked down, the pathway seemed to be the same pink as the sky.
“Is this their dirt?” she asked, bending over to rub the material in her fingers.
“Yes. Luxenia has a high salt content throughout the entire planet. So much so, you can smell it even. Have you noticed?”
“Yes, I did. Huh, interesting.” Katie brushed the remaining dirt, or salt, from her hands as Stella made sure that the translator Katie had been injected with before their departure was in working order. It was a small chip that had been placed via a needle just behind Katie’s ear and would allow her to hear and speak in the Luxenian’s native language.
“So, where am I to go now?” Katie asked when Stella was satisfied.
“We head this way. We aren’t far from where the general lives.” Stella strode down the path as Katie picked up her pace.
“We?”
Stella chuckled. “Yes, ‘we.’ I know I don’t usually accompany my employees, but I want to make sure everything goes accordingly since this is so rushed compared to usual. I won’t be staying. No need to worry about me evaluating you.”
Katie let out a nervous chuckle. That wasn’t even a thought until Stella mentioned it.
The two women hadn’t been walking very long when Katie saw a simple yet prominent house not far off.
“Is that it?” she asked, nodding to the blue-gray brick building.
“Yes, it is.” Stella pulled her violet hair from her dual buns and remade it into a single, tight business knot at the nape of her neck.
Katie smiled at the ever-changing Stella, realizing that there was no way she could be human, given her ability to adapt as quickly and effectively as she did.
Drawing closer, Katie began to notice how … blasé … the house was. It was simple, sure, but boring, with no specifics whatsoever. No décor, shrubbery, color, nothing.
If she hadn’t known any better, she would have assumed it was vacant. She wondered if that was military-issued housing or just a representation of her new boss.
Ugh, I hope it’s not the latter.
