Free Lokians 1: Beyond the End of the World by Aaron Dennis Page A

covered their eyes momentarily and a deep,
droning sound rumbled for a second. A large panel opened from
beneath the ship. A loading platform slid out until the edge
touched the ground. A strange vehicle rolled out, something like a
bulky all-terrain with tracks covering six wheels.
    The enormous rover was shiny chrome with
several, blue windows. It calmly pulled up a few yards from the
crew. Shapes of men showed through the windows, and the windows
themselves were the oddest part of the vehicle.
    They weren’t made of glass. They weren’t made
of any material. They were a force field with a light, blue tint.
When doors opened upwards from both sides, like an old DeLorean,
O’Hara about wet his britches. The vehicle hummed monotonously, and
the strangest beings imaginable stepped out.
    First, a tall figure worked its way off a
seat. One leg clad in black armor then another protruded. A hand
grabbed the side of the doorway, and a creature, this Thewl, pulled
itself free. It had two arms, two legs, and a head, and it
certainly moved like a bipedal being, but one, major difference in
the legs was the extra joint; they were more akin to cat legs or
frog legs with, long stocky toes, and the heel of the foot extended
at an angle towards the calf.
    After exiting, the Thewl extended a massive
hand to help out more from the vehicle. Five in total gathered
around the rover, looking towards the Humans and their vessel.
That’s when O’Hara noticed another, bizarre difference; their
skin.
    At a distance, Thewls looked to be red, or
mishmashed shades of red. Fitzpatrick had a better look through her
binos, though; she saw their skin was actually translucent, like
jellyfish men. It was their structure beneath the skin that was all
shades of red, pink, purple, and orange, and she saw their faces
quite clearly.
    Their heads were similar to Human heads
except they swelled out behind the face. They didn’t have eyelids,
either; the eyes were completely covered by the thick membrane,
which presumably covered their whole bodies, allowing slits for
nostrils, and one for the mouth. Other than their hands and heads,
they were all clad in black, armor plated suits, and were all very
tall, perhaps eight feet.
    As they started marching for the captain, who
was flanked by Swain and Martinez, he raised his right hand in
peace, before taking a step. The remaining crewmembers were on
their guard, awe stricken though they were. Once everyone was
within speaking range, O’Hara figured the ambassador was the one in
red and black garb. His suit—for lack of a better term—was the only
one with any color other than black. It had fewer, armor plates and
seemed more comfortable, lighter than the others’.
    “ Ambassador Weh? I am Captain Riley
O’Hara. Admiral Lay has asked us to receive you under a banner of
peace. We welcome you,” he said, slowly.
    The ambassador raised his right hand as well.
The fingers were long, there were five, but with an extra joint.
His skeletal structure was evident among a plethora of ligaments,
tendons, and muscles. Their veins were shades of purple, pulsating
beneath translucent skin. The tendons and ligaments were orange,
and the muscles were shades of pink and red, and everything moved
with an eerie fashion, not that it was any different from the way
Human bodies moved, but no one ever caught a glimpse off the
operating table.
    “ I am Weh, and it is a great honor to
meet the men capable of securing their future through travels in
space. There is much to discuss,” Weh proclaimed.
    O’Hara and the others were taken aback by the
guttural droning of his voice. It was monotone, but somehow musical
and gurgling like the warble of a bird that sang only one note.
During the greeting, several, other beings came walking out of the
alien craft.
    They carried chairs, and tables, and other
objects. The Humans and Thewls worked together. Soon, an outdoor
conference was in session.
    The crew was shocked to see the size of