"I'm not dumb, it's obvious. Who would call you at this time of day and get snubbed?" Rachael scoffed. "Your boyfriend? I doubt you have one. I doubt you're even the type to receive calls from friends."
"I don't understand," replied Christina, glowering. "Care to elaborate?"
"You prefer texts over calls, especially at this hour," said Rachael. "It's past six already. And, considering your father's personality, I'm sure he's found out about our... mischievous activities at his workplace."
Christina shook her head. "No way he could've found out," she replied. "Our faces were concealed under nose masks during the mission. And with Djuma's intervention, he must have tampered with all the CCTV cameras."
"Did you forget we went back there wearing those cleaning team uniforms without our masks?" Rachael reminded. "Everyone in NASA must be staring at our faces on their computer screens by now."
She chuckled, settling back onto the bed beside Christina. "Fortunately, I'm a minor, so I won't face jail time. Unlike you and..." She turned to Stefan, expecting his input, but was met with his soft snores.
The sound filled the room, a gentle accompaniment to the girls' hushed conversation. Rachael's gaze lingered on Stefan's peaceful face before returning to Christina.
"Looks like someone's escaped the drama, let him enjoy his sleep while it lasts," she whispered and returned her gaze to Christina.
"And considering your father's circumstances, he may opt not to press charges, given your unique position as his only child. After all, you masterfully led us into his office, our capable captain."
Christina gave her a sidelong stare, her expression a complex blend of emotions. "If I hadn't known you for so long, I would have assumed you're a witch," she said finally.
"Do you mean I'm exceptionally intelligent?" Rachael asked, rephrasing her words. "Don't worry; you don't have to vocalize it. I don't like blushing anyway."
"Don't twist my words to suit your purposes. I meant you're far more treacherous."
"Me? How?"
"You're more of a bitch than I am, Rachael. I should tread carefully around you from now on; I wouldn't want to be implicated in a crime I didn't commit."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You possess an uncanny ability to entrap people with your words; it's scary. I should leave now."
Christina stood up from the bed, her hand reaching for the door. But Rachael's voice halted her.
"You can't go home until I learn my brother is safe," she stated, her tone low but firm.
Christina spun around, her eyes shooting darts of displeasure. She glared at Rachael, but the latter seemed detached.
"You're going to pay for this, Rachael" she muttered.
Rachael lay down on the bed, ignoring Christina, her head buried in her pillow.
"I'm fucking going to kill you, bitch!" Christina insisted.
"I can hear you, captain," Rachael's voice echoed, muffled by her pillow.
Christina stomped toward the bed and threw herself onto it, disturbing Rachael's peaceful pose.
Rachael rose up and locked eyes with her. They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
*****
"Have you ensured that our scent can no longer be tracked?" Mike asked, his voice carrying through the dense fog as they continued their flight deeper into the unknown.
Miram abruptly halted mid-air, turning to face him. "Watch that!" she instructed, pointing toward the cave they had recently vacated.
As Mike spun around, the mountain erupted in a cataclysmic explosion, shaking the entire range. The deafening roar accompanied the destruction of the cave, tearing the Anthropter warriors apart and sending them tumbling through the air.
"Oh my God! You guys have bombs here?" Mike exclaimed.
Miram's expression turned puzzled. "What do you mean by 'bomb'?" she asked.
"I mean 'bombs.' They are objects that detonate, releasing immense energy," Mike explained.
But Miram's gaze lingered on him, unsure what he meant. "I'm unfamiliar with that term," she admitted. "However, what you just witnessed is the result of gastra."
"Gastra? Wow, you're incredibly skilled," Mike complimented.
Miram's cheeks flushed. She smiled but said nothing.
Mike's brow furrowed, struggling to recall Djuma's explanation of gastra. "What exactly is gastra, anyway?" he asked.
Miram tilted her head as she wondered if Mike genuinely didn't understand. "The power of the witch," she finally replied.
"Oh! That's true! We call it magic! Djuma told me about it!"
"What is 'magic'?"
"We're essentially saying the same thing. Magic, as we call it on my planet, is equivalent to gastra here. The terminology differs, but the concept remains the same."
Miram nodded and turned to face the collapsed mountain.
"Intriguing," Mike continued. "I guess what Djuma said was true after all; although we share a common language, certain words, and phrases vary. This is a perfect example."
Miram nodded again in agreement, her expression thoughtful. "May I ask, what is the name of your planet?" she inquired.
"Earth," Mike replied. "It's the third planet in our solar system."
"We have a different name for it here," Miram said. "We refer to all the planets in your system as 'Star Planets,' and specifically, your planet is known as 'Fog Planet'."
"And why is that?" Mike asked curiously.
"Because the planets in your system thrive on the energy emitted by the star. Additionally, your planet's atmospheric conditions resemble our fog here, hence the designation 'Fog Planet'."
Mike burst into laughter. "That's both astonishing and amusing," he said. "Our similarities are striking, aside from the obvious difference in our energy sources."
As he glanced through the fog, his super sight kicked in and he spotted the warriors gathering again.
"You even have creatures similar to our dogs here," he said
"What are dogs?" Miram asked.
"They're a type of domesticated pet, known for their distinctive barking sound."
"Barking sound?"
Mike let out a resigned sigh, but Miram's unwavering gaze persisted, her eyes locked onto his, anticipating a response.
"Bark is - Gboo! Gboo!! Gboo!!!" Mike mimicked the sound of a dog, attempting to clarify.
Miram's eyes expanded in comprehension, her face illuminated by the sudden understanding. "They're Bingos, that's precisely what we refer to them as," she explained. "Dahra's army employs them for hunting purposes, leveraging their extraordinary olfactory capabilities, which far surpass those of the Anthropters."
"Whoa! We coincidentally call them Bingos too. This is utterly fascinating!" Mike said and his face suddenly turned solemn as realization dawned on him. "Dahra's army had at least six of these creatures with them."
"Ahh! The explosion won't deter them from tracking us," Miram shouted. "They're relentless and troublesome. They will inevitably locate us, regardless of our efforts. We must depart immediately; they still possess our scents."
She swiftly spun around and sped away, with Mike following.
"How will they possibly catch up with us?" Mike inquired. "They don't have wings, after all."
Miram abruptly turned around and began to fly backward. "What!?" she squealed. "They run on air!"
"Are you kidding me?" Mike scoffed. He turned to verify, his gaze piercing through the fog once more.
As the bingos emerged from the mist, Mike's neck flushed. Witnessing the impossible, his eyes widened: creatures running on air as if pounding on an unseen surface.
"Holy shit!" he whispered, his voice trembling.
"Perebia's dogs can run in midair!?"
"Oh my God! This defies all logic!"