Free Dar's Adventures in Space 1: Space Crazy by K. Rowe

to reach him. The ship bucked and bounced a few more times before sailing into empty space. He climbed over and dropped next to his fallen friend. “Rokit?” he said softly, grabbing the Gundin’s huge ear and moving it off his face. Blood ran from a wound on his head and from his mouth.
    “Dar! How is he?” Jartis yelled, trying to get down as quickly as he could.
    Dar moved his hand around his friend’s neck, he could feel nothing. He bent down, putting his face close to Rokit’s, he felt no breath. “I’m afraid he might be dead.”
    “Oh no!” Jartis moved as fast as his tired old body would allow. It took a few minutes, but he finally reached Dar. Lowering himself to his knees, Jartis checked over Rokit. “I think you’re right, he’s dead.”
    “I wonder what happened? We should’ve had clear sailing.” Dar collapsed back against the support column. “Gwog’s gonna be pissed.”
    “Accidents happen. This is space. We all knew it could be dangerous when we signed on.”
    “You just never think…” he said softly, reaching over to flip Rokit’s ear back over his face. Dar had never seen someone dead before, his emotions were confused. He wanted his friend to come back to life, he was learning so much. And he loved watching him fly around the engine room. Now he was gone—in the blink of an eye.
    Jartis stood and went over to the communications panel. “Jartis to Gwog.”
    “Go ahead.”
    “What in Carfidius just happened?”
    “Hit an asteroid storm; came outta nowhere,” Gwog replied.
    “Rokit’s dead.”
    “What?! What happened?”
    “He was gliding down to get a wrench and when the ship was hit, he got slammed head first into a beam…Pretty sure he died instantly.”
    “Have Karnis help you prepare the body for burial.”
    “Yes, sir.” Jartis pushed the button, ending the transmission.
    “I’ll help you,” Dar said. “He was my friend too.”
    “You don’t have to, Dar, it’s okay. I’ve seen my share of death on this ship.”
    He fought back the lump forming in his throat. “It’s part of my life now, too.” Pausing for a few moments, he took a deep breath, and began to help Jartis. “Are we going to take him back to Gundis?”
    “No, he’ll be buried in space.”
    “Why?”
    Jartis laid Rokit on his back and began to furl his ears up so he could be wrapped in a shroud. “Because it was his wish to be buried in space.”
    “Oh…If I died, Gwog said he would’ve taken me home to my mother.”
    “Because you’re still kind of a youngling. He’ll always take you home.” He went and got a sheet out of a cabinet, laying it on the floor next to Rokit. “You’ll reach a time when Gwog will ask you…As it is now, you’re not a youngling, and not really an adult.”
    “How long must I live in this ‘in between’ life?” Dar asked. He helped lift Rokit onto the sheet.
    “Until Gwog feels you are ready.” He carefully folded the sheet over, and took some straps to secure it. “Come, help me get him to the weapons bay.”
    “Yes, sir,” he said softly, grabbing Rokit around the waist. The Gundin’s hollow bones made him lightweight and not much to carry; Dar could’ve managed on his own.
     

    Twenty minutes later, the entire crew of the Cunik was in the weapons bay. They stood around the shrouded body of Rokit. Gwog stepped forward. “My friends and crew, we all know space is a dangerous place…And there are times we’ll go out and not come back…This is what has happened to our friend Rokit…He died doing what he loved…So, we will follow his wishes and send his body into space.” He motioned to Ethoic and Pthoic to place the body on the torpedo loading ramp. They gently lay Rokit down and slid him inside the large tube, closing the breech. Everyone was silent while Gwog pushed the button, sending Rokit into space.
    After, they went back to work. Gwog walked along with Dar. “Are you okay, little one?”
    “Yes, sir, I’m fine.”
    “Have you