"How many times do you suppose we've been in space at this point?" Andy asked as he gazed out of the window into the blackness outside the ship.

Calvin, who was spinning around in a swivel chair beside him, tapped his chin in thought. "I'd have to think about that to be honest. It's been a hot second since I've really thought about it."

"We've been up here more than most astronauts at this point, I would assume," Socrates added. "We have been known to come out here when we're bored."

"Hey, we've found some pretty awesome planets when we've came up here on the slow days," Andy said. "Provided I think we could have come up with some better names for some of them…"

"Groom Frungla is my proudest work, in my opinion," Calvin interjected.

Suddenly a small bell began chiming throughout the room, causing everyone to look up, a screen beside Calvin's chair lit up and Rumple's face appeared over it, with the foreground of several operations consoles and flashing lights.

"We have just entered your solar system," he said, authoritatively. "We will be arriving at Earth in approximately four minutes. We seem to have a problem though."

"Hm, do tell." Calvin said.

"We've been tracking the satellites around your planet, and within the last hour they have multiplied by an incredible rate," Rumple noted. "We fear the extra objects are Zokian in origin."

"Hmm," Calvin considered. "What purpose would Rupert have to do that, I wonder?"

"Better TV signal?" Hobbes suggested.

"They could be any range of things," Rumple said. "From mind control devices to a communication barrier to prevent Earth from calling out for help. Either way, we need to be aware of them when we arrive."

"Roger that," Calvin said, giving the alien a small salute.

Rumple nodded and the screen died.

"What is the plan anyway when we get there?" Sherman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm still working on that bit, but the fact that Rupert is going to tunnel vision at me is going to be a major advantage on our part," Calvin said. "We just have to find a way to exploit that."

"But we don't know how he's going to react to anything at this point," Hobbes pointed out. "Even Earl didn't seem to know what he'd do."

"An unpredictable soldier is not a skilled soldier. The emotional weakness of someone is always their downfall. Just trust me on this guys."

There was a moment of silence as everyone considered that.

"I don't know what's worse," Sherman said. "The fact that you sounded so much like a supervillain right there, or the fact that you're right…"

Calvin shrugged, as he continued spinning in his chair.

The minutes passed slowly as the group stared out of their respective windows into space. As they watched, they finally began to see the familiar globe coming into view. As they approached, however, their expressions quickly changed from that of readiness to that of unease. Surrounding the entire planet was an intricate network of bright red satellites. Each one connected to the other via what appeared to be an electrical current. As the ship began slowing down, the crew heard the doors behind them open, and they all turned to see Rumple and two other smaller aliens walking into the room.

"Well hello," Calvin said, still spinning in the chair, slightly. "I assume we're here to talk engineering?"

"I'm guessing those satellites weren't here when you left?" Rumple said, ignoring Calvin and approaching the window.

"I mean, I've been told I'm unobservant, but I think I would have picked that bit up."

"It's a Zokian defense system. It's designed to prevent entrance or departure from the planet. Rupert would only use it in cases that the race on the planet he was taking over had any means of interplanetary escape."

"But… we really don't," Andy said. "I mean we do… kind of… But we're nowhere near the level of evacuating the entire planet..."

"Rupert would know this," Sherman considered. "The human race hasn't even been recorded stepping on another planet yet."

There was a pause as they all considered more ideas.

"He's doing it to keep me out," Calvin said, finally.

"That… is quite possibly why…," Rumple admitted.

"Is there any way to get past them?" Socrates asked.

"Not unless we shut the entire network down. And to do that we would need to send some engineers down to the hub satellite, assuming we even knew which one that was. And even then, I don't know if we have the proper equipment to shut this type of system down."

Calvin tapped his chin in thought. "Perhaps, but I'm pretty sure I do."

Everyone turned and looked over at Calvin as he pulled the MTM out of his pocket. "What do you think, MTM? You been around Zokian technology enough, I'm sure you've adapted to some of it."

"A bit, yes," MTM replied. "It's not like they bother to try and encrypt any of it."

"Do you think you can get the satellites deactivated?" Rumple asked the machine.

"Probably. Only thing is, like you said, I gotta find the hub... aaaaaaand I found it."

Rumple stared at the MTM in shock. "That was… You just scanned over a hundred thousand satellites just now and found it?"

"Nah, it was the third one I scanned. Got a bit lucky there, I will admit."

Calvin rolled his eyes. "Regardless, what are the chances you can deactivate it remotely?"

"What are the chances you can defeat Rupert remotely?"

"I figured as much. All right, Rumple, MTM and I are going out there to fix this."

"Whoa, whoa, that's not going to happen!" Rumple objected stepping forward. "You are vital to this mission, and I'm not about to put you in any harm's way something like this. I will transfer your machine to our best technicians, to have them deactivate the system!"

"Well that's just fine and dandy," MTM said. "Only problem with that is my controls are entirely bio-linked to Calvin and his green list of people. Namely, the rest of the guys that follow him around everywhere."

"That's fine, just add the technicians to the green list." Rumple said. "I can get their biological signature."

"That's a no go as well." MTM said. "The green list has been permanently locked off, and no one is capable of being added to it or removed from it."

"Oh dear lord, why?!" Rumple groaned.

"This thing has the ability to destroy entire planets and civilizations, if in the wrong hands," Calvin said, holding the MTM up. "In fact, it's really a marvel in itself that we have conflict to begin with, considering how powerful you are..."

"I try to stay humble," MTM said.

"Entire planets and civilizations? Isn't that being a little hyperbolic?" Sherman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I haven't showed off everything this guy can do," Calvin sniffed, patting MTM proudly.

"Anyway…," Rumple sighed. "If I haven't got a choice I'm afraid I'm going to have to relent. I insist you take someone with you, though."

"Oh, don't worry, that's what Hobbes is for," Calvin nodded.

Hobbes looked up from his coloring book. "What?" he asked, as if just now becoming aware of the conversation.

Minutes later, Calvin and Hobbes were both sitting in a small red space pod, with Calvin gripping the MTM with a determined look on his face. The two were dressed in bright orange space suits with other aliens handing them helmets.

"I don't recall agreeing to this," Hobbes moaned as he took his own respective helmet.

"Ah come on, this'll be fun!" Calvin grinned. "Maybe after we've actually saved the world and people know it was us this time, we'll actually get you that National Geographic issue you've been trying to get on for who knows how long at this point?"

"Promises of fame are not helping."

PLEASE ACTIVATE PES.

Calvin and Hobbes jumped at the unexpected computer voice that suddenly filled the cockpit of the pod as the glass dome closed on top of them.

"It's your suit," one of the aliens said. "It automatically tells you to put your helmet on if you don't do it after a few minutes."

"Good to know it cares about our health," Hobbes muttered, taking his own helmet and fixing it to his face.

Calvin did the same, as the ship slowly began lowering into the ground as though a submarine was descending into the ocean.

The two heard the unmistakable sound of an airlock closing and decompressing, before their ship was plunged into darkness.

Calvin peered up as he watched themselves slowly float away from the alien ship above them, before the sound of the pod's engine kicked in and he and Hobbes felt themselves being turned around towards the Earth.

"All right, MTM, are you ready for your moment to shine?" Calvin chuckled.

"Only my fifth time today, but I suppose," MTM said, boredly.

"Why am I here, again?" Hobbes asked.

"Because you have just as much plot protection as I do, and you know it," Calvin replied.

There was a moment of silence.

"Why do we keep doing that?" Hobbes asked.

"Doing what?"

"Talking about our situations like we're in a movie or a TV show?"

Calvin opened his mouth to reply, only to stop finding himself unable to come up with an answer. "Erm... You know, I've never really thought about it," he admitted.

"Is it like some kind of subtle indication that we are in a movie or TV show?" Hobbes asked. "Cuz if so, that means there's at least a better chance we're going to win."

"I mean, that also depends on whether we're in one of those movies that have happy endings," Calvin pointed out. "But it's also worth noting that anybody's reality could technically be nothing but a movie in an alternate reality. It's entirely possible that events and history from alternate universes could be leaking through tiny cracks in the universe, and only picked up by a select few individuals who would then turn those events into records of film or novelization. Perhaps what is a movie to us could be one's true struggles to another. And perhaps those same movies could just be written adaptations in another universe."

They paused to consider this.

"We talk about strange things," Hobbes said.

"Yeah well, we're strange people," Calvin shrugged.

"Arriving at the hub," MTM suddenly chimed in through the speakers in Calvin's helmet.

Calvin and Hobbes looked up to see one of the satellites not twenty feet from their position. It was obviously full metal, but painted crimson red with two ray gun sentries placed on either side. They rotated around the satellite, not paying any attention to the small pod that had approached it.

"Thank tuna for cloaking devices," Hobbes muttered.

Calvin pushed a button on the console, and the sound of air hissing out of the pod sounded as the glass dome lifted up, and the two felt themselves being lifted out of their seats.

"Something to note," MTM said. "I'm picking something up on my scanners. It's still far away but it's gaining speed, fast. It seems to be approaching the Earth."

"More ships?" Hobbes asked.

"Can't be sure," MTM replied. "Could be reinforcements for Rupert. Regardless, we should probably try and pick the pace up."

"Roger that," Calvin said, as he unbuckled his seat belt, and pushed off towards the satellite.

As he floated towards it, several wires extended out from the MTM, as Calvin pushed off of the satellite and stabilized himself, before looking for some kind of input. Upon finding it, he opened the metal casing and held the CD player up to it. The wires extended out like tendrils and probed the inner console until it found the proper input to connect to. A tiny surge of electrical current flicked from the wires as they latched on and the MTM began humming.

There was a moment of silence as Calvin and Hobbes watched the CD player in anticipation.

"So, um… any news?" Calvin asked.

"Yeah, I can get it. It's gonna take a hot second though. They actually have a firewall on this. By the looks of it, a fairly decent one too. I might have to actually try, here. Hang about."

There was a moment as the machine continued vibrating in Calvin's hand. The two watched, expectantly, waiting for an update.

"Ooh, this is a tricky one," MTM said, almost sounding giddy from the challenge. "But I think I got it. System should be down in one minute thirty-four seconds."

Calvin nodded, and proceeded to look up at the Earth. Through the electric wiring surrounding it, it seemed surprisingly untouched. Things looked fairly normal and it was a relief to Calvin knowing that no one had resorted to nuclear attacks on the aliens yet. As he continued admiring the planet, he suddenly began to hear the speakers in his helmet come on with a blast of static.

"Calvin, you need to abandon the mission and return to the ship right now!" Rumple's voice announced through the ear piece.

"Ack... Why? And can you tone it down a bit? I can hear you just fine!" Calvin gRumpled.

"There is a horde of Shadowfax approaching from outside the solar system!" Rumple replied. "They're not too far out and will be passing over this area any moment! Get yourself back to the pod!"

Calvin growled and looked back down to the MTM. "How much time do we have left, MTM?!" He asked.

"About forty five seconds," MTM said. "Nearly there."

Calvin looked back to Hobbes, who looked back up to Calvin with an expectant look on his face.

"We're gonna do the smart, safe thing and leave, right?" Hobbes asked.

Calvin considered for a moment. "No… No, we're not."

"I figured."

"MTM is almost there!" Calvin said into the mic. "We'll be back on the ship momentarily!"

"Calvin, I order you get yourself back to safety this instant!" Rumple commanded.

"Yeah my mom says that to me all time, I still don't do it. Now hush. Don't want to disturb scientific progress."

"Calvin!"

"I really think we should do what the alien commander is telling us to do…," Hobbes moaned.

"We usually don't listen to them, so why start now?" Calvin said.

"Twenty five seconds," MTM chimed in.

"There, see? We got this," Calvin said. "Just gotta wait a liiiiiitle bit longer and..."

Suddenly, something very disheartening began occurring which caused both of their hearts to sink a little bit. It was getting darker. As the two turned their heads towards the direction of the sun, they saw nothing but an ominous mass of black partially blocking the light. It was only distinguishable from the rest of space from the lack of stars, and faint signs of movement as it roared closer to them. It wasn't long before Calvin began making out thousands of dark purple eyes blinking and flickering in the mass, and although no sound was heard in space, Calvin could only assume that they didn't have pleasant sounds to make.

"Okay, change of plans, let's leave," Calvin said, taking the wires from the MTM, and pulling them out with a yank.

"Aww…," MTM sighed. "And I was almost there…"

With a mighty shove, Calvin pushed his way back to the space pod and secured himself in his seat, as Hobbes did the same. The pod turned and slowly closed up as it switched directions back towards the ship.

"I was so close, man." MTM protested. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had a challenge like that?"

"I'll let you hack the national security computers when we get home, MTM!" Calvin said, pushing every button he could to try and make things go faster.

"Are you kidding? I do that every day you go to school when I'm bored. They don't secure that stuff at all. Do you want to know our nuclear launch codes?"

Before Calvin could consider a proper reply to that, the sound of flesh colliding with metal sounded throughout the cockpit, and the realization hit them both that the Shadowfax were now above their home planet.