After a long and tiring train voyage, Jenny and the Nordgrens found themselves at the gate of a modest-sized metallic building architected out of curvilinear forms. The grounds were filled with Earth vegetation and flowers, and a large engraving on the building's front wall read, in English, French, German, and Russian, EARTH EMBASSY OF ORELOB.
"The building's design was inspired by Frank Gehry's works," Jenny told the moose family.
"Really," marveled Mrs. Nordgren as she followed the Kressidan guide through the swinging metal gates. "I wonder if he knows aliens have been watching him."
"If I told you how extensively the Alliance surveys affairs on Earth," Jenny cautioned her, "you wouldn't sleep for a month. It's more than tripled since the Dark Augusta disaster."
George and Sal paused to sniff some roses while their parents conversed with Jenny. "Just how much damage did Dark Augusta cause?" asked Mr. Nordgren curiously.
The alien girl's tone became dark. "She wiped out a total of seventy-six planets, forty-nine of which were Alliance members. That's not even a tenth of the Alliance, but some of those worlds had major commercial or strategic significance. It'll take years for the interglobal economy to recover. It's estimated that more than half of the Alliance population lost family members or loved ones." Her yellow eyes welled up with emotion. "I lost my brother."
"I'm so sorry," said Mrs. Nordgren sympathetically.
"He was vacationing on the resort planet Chakoni," Jenny recalled. "Dark Augusta transformed the planet's atmosphere into mustard gas. Every living thing suffocated."
They passed through a sliding door into a reception area whose walls were adorned by paintings of various types—some modern and abstract, some depicting landscapes or romantic scenes, even a few Baroque and Renaissance prints. To their utter surprise, a smiling human (or rather, humanoid aardvark) female welcomed them at the main desk. "Welcome to the Earth embassy," said the blond-haired girl. "How may I assist you?"
Mr. Nordgren was about to speak, but Jenny motioned for him to wait. "This is the Elwood—that is, Nordgren—family. They were brought here from Earth by the Provision Theta administration, under what they suspect to be false pretenses. They would like passage back to Earth as quickly as possible."
"Passage to Earth?" The receptionist, whose badge displayed the name Simone, sighed with discouragement. "I'm afraid that's impossible at the moment."
"Impossible?" said Mrs. Nordgren in outrage. "What do you mean?"
"If you've been watching the news," said Simone, "you're aware that the Alliance Grand Council has banned all communication and transportation to and from Earth until the Holcombe murder investigation is complete."
All the Nordgrens gasped in shock. "But I really, really need to pee," Sal complained.
"Down the hall, to the left," Simone instructed her.
"How long will the investigation take?" Mr. Nordgren demanded to know. "We can't stay on this planet forever. We don't belong here."
"Please be patient, sir," said the receptionist. "We at the embassy are as dismayed about this as you are, but all we can do is wait."
The Nordgren parents turned to Jenny, as if hoping for her to pull a solution out of one of her orifices. The Kressidan girl shrugged. "If that's the Council's decision, then my hands are tied," she stated.
"Fine," said Mr. Nordgren grudgingly. "We can stick it out a few more days if we have to. Now, could you guide us to a decent restaurant and a hotel?"
"Excuse me, sir," Simone interrupted the exchange. "Before you leave, I must insist on seeing your identification documents."
The moose man muttered curse words to himself as he and his wife emptied their pockets. To the receptionist they presented two cards, which featured their photographs and the assumed name Elwood. "Thank you," said Simone, who then flipped open a device that resembled a very slim cell phone.
On a space station many worlds away, the Thrag lieutenant T'l'p'g'r stepped into the holding cell which Hank and Daisy Armstrong called home, and which April Murphy called a desolate hellhole. All three were present, playing a game of gin rummy that was civil, if not exactly friendly.
"I have news," said the sphere-headed officer. "The Nordgren family has reached the Earth embassy."
The Armstrongs nodded with satisfaction. "You can ensure that they don't leave, I trust," said Hank calmly.
"I have matters well in hand," stated T'l'p'g'r.
April leaped to her feet, red-faced with indignation. "You leave George and his family alone!" she shouted.
"That is precisely what I intend to do," said the Thrag, who then turned and left the cell.
to be continued