Dot's transformation into a human took less time than Nate expected. Kay was brutally efficient at her work, a master at the makeover craft. The little green alien that had appeared in Nate's room was nowhere to be found. Instead, a convincing facsimile of a preteen girl stood before the two children. A long skirt and loose-fitting blouse covered much of Dot's body. Tall socks beneath Kay's old shoes further hid the alien's green hue. A large hat tamed Dot's peculiar coif of hair. In addition, it managed to cover Dot's Gem as well. Makeup managed to do the trick for the parts of Dot's body left exposed. The end result was an average looking, if a little overdressed, girl. Kay was immensely proud of her handiwork. Even Nate had to admit that he was impressed. Dot looked like she would fit right in with his classmates. For the first time all day, Nate had a good feeling about something.
Dot was not amused by her new disguise. Tromping around Kay's cramped living room, she made her displeasure loudly known. "These clothes are hideous. I look like one of you primitives." Kay smirked at this.
"That's sort of the idea, Dot." A grumble escaped Dot's throat at Kay's comment. Crossing her arms, she flopped down on the black leather couch in the center of the room. Running her hands across its surface, Dot shot a dirty look towards the children.
"I am aware of the concept of a disguise. Nonetheless, this is demeaning. This fabric is ill-fitting and scratchy. I am experiencing untold suffering." Dot did not appreciate the snickering that followed. Looking away from the children, her eyes fell on a large black box across from the couch. "What purpose does that device serve?" To Dot's dismay, this elicited another snicker.
"That's the television. It's for watching movies and stuff." Dot smiled in clear understanding, nodding her head.
"I see. An entertainment device, of sorts. Is it voice-activated, or should I simply touch the screen?" Dot began to grow impatient with the laughter of the primitives. It seemed that each of her questions was met with another sound of amusement. Kay saw the displeasure in Dot's face and stifled her laughter. Ducking to reach beneath the couch, Kay started to dig. After a moment, she emerged victorious. In her hand was the television's remote. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it to Dot.
"Knock yourself out." Dot stared in wonder at the black bar she held in her hands. Cautiously, she pressed a finger down on one of the remote's buttons. After a brief flicker, the TV sprung to life. The image of an older gentleman appeared on the screen and began to rattle off national news. Dot was perplexed by the moving picture displayed before her. She cocked her head towards Kay.
"Such an archaic device. Still, I am impressed that it functions." Kay smiled at what she perceived as a compliment. Settling on the couch next to Dot, she took the remote. Nate followed her lead and sat down as well. Kay began flicking through the channels, eventually stopping on one showing an old science fiction film. Flying saucers were hovering above a government building as soldiers marched on the ground. Dot's eyes widened with excitement. "My ship! It is on that device. Other Gems must have located it. We must go at once primitives. Take me there." Dot was confused when the children did not exhibit the same enthusiasm. Nate sighed and attempted to explain.
"It's just a movie, Dot. Those flying saucers aren't real. Everything on the screen is pretend." Dot sunk lower in her seat. She continued to stare at the screen angrily. The soldiers on the television raised their weapons, aiming at the ships in the sky. A brilliant emerald beam shot from one of the craft and vaporized several of the humans. Dot's eyes lit up again.
"The ship fired on those primitives. Those pitiful creatures don't stand a chance." Dot began to bounce in place as the film continued. The saucers began blasting at everything onscreen. The soldiers were completely wiped out. Soon, the ships had reduced the government facility to rubble as well. Dot leapt up from the couch and began to scream at the television. "Yes! Destroy them! Destroy everything!" Nate glanced to Kay in concern, but she simply smiled back at him. She found Dot's enthusiasm for the carnage quite amusing. Dot practically pressed her face up against the screen, watching with glee as the alien ships began to destroy a large city. She remained that way up until the film's climax, when a clever human scientist deployed a virus to wipe out the invaders. As the credits rolled, Dot fell to the floor in disappointment. "It's not fair. The creatures in the saucers deserved to be victorious. They clearly had superior technology and military might. Those primitives all should have perished." Dot turned over to rest on her back. Kay got up and tapped her with her foot.
"That wouldn't have been a very happy ending. Don't get so bent out of shape. It's only a movie, after all." Dot jumped up and grabbed Kay by the shoulders.
"It wasn't fair, though. That primitive scientist cheated." Kay smiled and attempted to pry Dot's fingers off. It was a far more difficult task than she had anticipated. Eventually, Dot relented and flung herself onto the couch. Nate quickly scrambled up to avoid getting hit by Dot's head. Letting out a sigh, she ran her hand across the top of the couch. Kay noticed that Dot's fingers were leaving makeup residue on the leather service. She bit her lip, unsure of how to fix that particular problem. Frowning, Dot narrowed her eyes. "Putting the movie aside, an issue remains. You have promised to help me, primitives. When do we locate my ship?" Nate rubbed his hands together nervously. His lips parted, but only air escaped. He had no idea where to begin. All he knew was that two shady men in suits took it somewhere. That wasn't a lead—it was barely even a clue. Nate groaned in dismay.
"I don't know where your ship is. Two men took it. They might work for the government. I've never seen them before. They might not even be from here. Your ship could be anywhere." Nate had begun walking laps around the couch as he spoke. To everyone's surprise, Dot seemed to take the news well. She remained sprawled across the couch, her face hidden by her sunhat. In a calm voice, she spoke.
"Two primitives have taken my ship? That is no concern. What is a concern is the fact that we have no means of locating it or them." Slowly, Dot rose to her feet. Each footstep thudded as she wandered over to the television set. "I need that ship. I cannot be trapped on this planet any longer." Her fingers curled around the plastic frame of the television as she lifted it from its stand. She raised it above her head, the plug still attached to the wall. "I want my ship!" Nate and Kay rushed to snatch the TV from Dot before she managed to toss it. They were successful, but only just. Not to be deterred, Dot wandered through an arch into the kitchen. She eyed the flowery counter with a lethal stare. One hand reached out to grab one of the white wooden kitchen chairs. Too preoccupied with setting down the television, the children were unable to stop Dot from swinging the chair over her head and smashing it down onto the hard countertop. Splintering wooden shrapnel shot everywhere as the chair exploded on impact. Dot let out a scream as she attempted to wrap her hand around another chair. Thankfully, Nate was faster this time. In desperation, he wrapped himself around the angry Gem. He realized his mistake as soon as he felt himself lifted into the air. Dot held him over her head with both hands. Kay stared on in terror. Taking a hesitant step towards them, Kay pleaded with Dot.
"You need to put him down. We will try to find your ship. I promise. I just need you to stop breaking stuff. We can't help you if anyone figures out you're here." For a moment, it appeared as though Dot was going to throw Nate through the kitchen table. To his relief, she instead collapsed to the floor. Nate scrambled away from her, just to be safe. With a whimper, she let her head fall into her hands as she sat on the floor.
"I just want to leave this place."
After they cleaned up the mess made by Dot, the children took her to the brief resting place of her ship. All that remained of its presence was a large divot in the earth. A small handful of people mingled on the beach, but none paid any attention to the children or the disturbed ground. Bending down, Dot scooped up a handful of the beach sand. Letting it fall through her fingers, she sighed. Kay smiled gently and walked over to her downtrodden new friend. "Don't worry, Dot. I'm sure we can find your ship." Dot awkwardly parted her lips in an attempt to reciprocate Kay's kindness.
"I know. It's not that. I just—I really hate sand." Kay simply laughed, but Nate was surprisingly taken aback by the alien's words.
"I'm sorry, but why? What makes you hate sand?" Dot was unprepared to be questioned about her stance.
"I just don't like it, okay? It's gritty and rough. I don't like how it feels. I hate deserts. I hate beaches. I hate sand. Just a matter of preference." Nate struggled to hide his amusement, resulting in a puzzled glance from Dot. He couldn't help but laugh, even after her bewilderment turned into something fiercer.
Striding towards Nate, Dot asked, "What is so humorous about my suffering, primitive?" Nate choked back his giggles after she caught his gaze. He could see a familiar violent intent twinkling in her eyes.
With a hesitant glance towards Kay, Nate explained. "I wasn't laughing at that. I guess I just didn't expect that kind of reaction from you. It was just so human." Dot scoffed and began to walk around towards the other side of the sandy crater.
"And now it degrades me," the Gem grumbled. Kay bounced after her, a smile still plastered on her face. She gently tapped her hand on Dot's hat, and Nate was surprised that she didn't get hissed at. In fact, Dot didn't seem to mind at all. He watched the two as they walked away, still processing the recent series of events.
After some erratic blinking, Nate started after his friends. "Wait up! How come you're not mad at Kay too? She laughed. I wasn't the only one!" The pair let him catch up, but Dot never bothered answering his question.
After a bit of digging around in the sand, the children realized that they weren't getting anywhere. Nothing was left of Dot's spacecraft. Not a single loose piece or footprint remained. There was no means of knowing where the ship went. If Nate hadn't remembered the previous night in such detail, he would have been convinced that it was just a dream. The idea made his body go cold. What if all of this was just him going crazy? After all, the entire situation was right out of a science fiction film. Nate shook the thoughts out of his head. He knew he wasn't crazy. Besides, Dot was standing right in front of him. She was all the evidence he needed to believe. Brushing the dirt from his hands, Nate proposed a new course of action. "Maybe we should search the city. We might get lucky and spot those two men. If not, at least Dot gets exposed to some more Earth culture." Kay and Dot were both in agreement. Not bothering to check in with Nate's parents, the trio took off towards Diamond Harbor proper.
Diamond Harbor's downtown was a sprawling collection of resorts, casinos, and tourist traps. Colorful lights danced and ear-catching sounds blared as out-of-towners marched up and down the streets in search of places to thin their wallets. Even though Nate had lived his entire life beneath the shadow of the city, some of its magic still touched him. He loved everything Diamond Harbor had to offer. The lights, the sights, and the feel of it all resonated with Nate. To him, there was no better place to live. The city was both nostalgic and unpredictable at the same time. Buildings cemented in the memories from Nate's childhood stood side by side with new and exciting places to visit and explore. Even today, Nate noticed a new surf shop that had sprung up next to the Rent-A-Sail. It was almost enough to make Nate forget about all the empty rooms back home. It the heart of the city, Diamond Harbor felt very much alive.
Dot appeared to be enjoying her walk through the city. Each new building or sight would elicit a small sound of acknowledgement. Her eyes often drifted upwards to the tops of the surrounding structures. Kay noticed the Gem's interest in her surroundings and decided to probe for the alien's perspective. "So, what do you think of our city, Dot? How does it compare to home?" Dot smirked at Kay's inquiry.
"Nothing you primitives could ever conceive would compare to the magnificence of Homeworld. Regardless, your structures impress me. Before my crash, this place was an uncivilized ball of dirt. It has come quite a long way." Kay opened her mouth to respond with something clever, but stopped short. Just ahead, she spotted a tall figure in white striding towards them. Her hair was dark and unkempt, contrasting with her blindingly bright dress, which danced with artificial gemstones. Lowering her sunglasses, the woman stared at the children intently. With a smile, she hastened her pace and approached them. Kay stood tall in an attempt to offset her nerves. Once the woman had stopped, Kay spoke.
"Hi Mom." Kay's voice cracked at the end of her brief sentence. She had not been prepared to see her mother on the street. Mrs. Jones didn't seem to notice the quiver in her daughter's voice. There was a lot she didn't notice. With a slow smile, she surveyed the three before her. Her eyes first settled on Nate.
"Little Duggar boy, you look more like a man every time I see you. The ladies must absolutely love you." Nate's gaze fell to the ground as color filled his cheeks. He was always really nervous around Mrs. Jones. Apparently satisfied, Kay's mother moved her gaze to Dot. "Well. Who is this girl? I don't believe I've met you before." Before Dot could say anything, Kay spoke.
"That's Dot. She's a new friend, Mom." Her voice came out stronger this time. Mrs. Jones stared down at Dot, idly nibbling at the nail on her thumb with smiling teeth.
"A new little playmate for my little Kaitlyn. How delightful. Simply divine, really." Bending down close to Dot's face, Mrs. Jones continued to beam. "Maybe this one can teach her some manners. She can be quite the animal, sometimes." Mrs. Jones gave Dot a conspiratorial glance and added, "Not the cute kind, either." Dot stared blankly back at her. Kay joined Nate in admiring the sidewalk. Oblivious, Mrs. Jones rose back to her full height and motioned for the children to move out of her way. "I'm afraid I can't chat any longer, dears. You're going to make me late for a little rendezvous." With that, she spun around and took a few gliding steps away. Before she got to far, she stopped abruptly and addressed Kay directly for the first time. "I'll be late, Kaitlyn. You know how it is. Try to clean up after yourself, child. Last time I was in, the place was just filthy. A mother can only do so much." Not pausing for a reply, Mrs. Jones rounded the street corner and disappeared.