The others fell in all around them as they headed toward the ship. Melody was on Kaitlin’s other side.
“What are they like?” Kaitlin asked her. “These Krellians. Do they have tentacles?”
“No tentacles.”
“They’re big and blue,” Quinn said. “Though not as big and blue as the Bhaxians.”
“They’re okay,” Melody replied. “I’ve always thought of them as good guys. They’re a race of scientists. Very peaceable, which is probably why they came out on the losing side with the Bhaxians, who are a warrior race.”
“Scientists can be more dangerous than warriors,” Kane added.
“You’re right. The Krellians invented time travel and through that, a whole system was destroyed. And the cataclysm was only possible because of their technology. But their intentions are usually good. Presumably, they developed time travel so they could go back and rescue their DNA database from the ship before it blew. They weren’t aware that it was time travel that had caused the explosion in the first place.”
“So hopefully, they’re not going to try and kill us?” Jake said. “I’ve had enough of that for one night.”
“For one lifetime,” Kane muttered. “I’m going to settle down and grow cabbages.”
“Hah, not likely,” Kaitlin said. “I hate cabbage.”
They arrived at the side of the ship and peered up at the great hulk. Kane reached out a hand and stroked the smooth metal. He couldn’t see a door, but as he stared one formed in the side close to them, and he almost jumped back.
A moment later, the door slid open. A tall blue figure stood in the entrance. Blue skin, blue hair. But otherwise, he appeared humanoid.
Melody spoke in a language he didn’t understand. Complete gibberish.
The Krellian frowned. “You speak our language?”
“And you speak ours,” Melody said.
“We have already added your language to our translation matrix. But as far as we are aware, you do not have the technology here to do the same.”
“It’s a long story,” Melody said.
“And one we would love to hear when you are all rested.” He glanced around. “Who were you fighting? We watched and would have intervened, but the ship had gone into shutdown while the systems repaired themselves after the crash. We were unable to activate the doors until now.”
“They were a group paid by the Bhaxians to blow up your ship,” Melody said.
“I’m guessing that is part of your long story.”
“Yes. They came from the future. So did I.”
He frowned. “Time travel exists in the future?”
“Yes.”
“I would like to know more. But you have injured people in your group. Come inside, and we will see to your wounded. I am Krevil. Welcome. ”
He turned and a ramp appeared. Kane glanced around at the others. Jake shrugged. Kaitlin was already moving forward. Did she have no fear? No sense of self-preservation?
She turned and grinned. “Nope.”
At least life with Kaitlin would never be boring. Once again, he gave in to the inevitable and followed her.
The door led into a wide corridor, with silver walls and no obvious source of the warm yellow light. Krevil was already disappearing, and they hurried after him. He stopped by a door which opened onto a small empty room. Once they were all inside, the doors closed and he got a sense of movement, a little like an elevator, except not up or down, but sideways.
When the door opened, it was into another room. This one had seating all around. “If you would wait here,” Krevil said, “we will treat your friends, then we will talk.”
Kane wasn’t letting Kaitlin out of his sight. He’d done that before, and it never ended well. He kept a tight grip on her hand as Krevil ushered her and Rose through another door and into what was clearly a medical facility. He didn’t want themusing some sort of alien technology on her unless he understood exactly what it did.
