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

dent in the side of the ship. “Well, that’s what I thought.”
    “That’s a huge dent!” Dar watched Jartis descend into the crater made by the asteroid.
    “Stay here, I’m gonna check the external flux intake—if I can find it.”
    Dar turned around. He didn’t realize it, but behind him was a large moon, probably Zerkin 3 that orbited around Uyoninis. In the distance, he could see the parent planet. An eerie purplish nebula stretched across that part of space. It was beautiful. He found a hefty bolt head to hang onto with his right hand, his left, he stretched toward the stars, Dar wanted so badly to touch them. In his dreams he’d touched the stars. They were shiny, warm, and tingly to the touch. But right now, they seemed to be just out of his reach.
    “Dar!”
    “Yes, sir?” He snapped out of his trance.
    “Can you come down here?”
    Dar peered into the sunken metal crater. “Uh, okay, I’m coming.” He carefully made his way down. “Yes?”
    “Look,” Jartis said, pointing inside a warped hatch. “See that?”
    “Sorry to be ignorant, but what am I looking at?”
    “That’s the external flux intake. And it’s not supposed to look like that.” Jartis shifted around, trying to get inside the hatch. “I got a spare, but I don’t think I can get in there to fix it.”
    “Do you want me to try?”
    Jartis looked up. “Think you can fit?”
    He moved closer. “Maybe.”
    “All right.” He moved aside. Dar worked his way carefully into the hatch. “Be careful, Dar, don’t let the jagged metal tear your suit.”
    “Okay,” he replied, feeling like he was climbing into the jaws of an Erotin sand snake. All around, jagged metal, torn apart by the violent impact of the asteroid waited to slice him.
    “Easy, easy now. Can you reach that long tube over there?”
    Dar strained. “Uh, er, ah, yes, I can barely reach it.”
    “Good. We need to get back and refill our air. Then we’ll return and see if you can get the part installed. If not, Cataris won’t be a three day journey; it’ll be a thirty day or more day journey on impulse power.”
    “Oh, that’s not good.”
    “Well, right now, you’re the only one small enough to squeeze in and fix it. You get us up and running, and Gwog’ll be quite proud of you.”

9

    “Well, how does that feel?” Gwog asked as Dar came from a dressing booth.
    “Nice, very nice,” he replied, running his hand over the smooth, black hide that covered his body from neck to ankles. “So soft.”
    “Very durable too…The Catarins breed some bovidis just for their hides, the rest of their parts end up on our dinner table.”
    Dar looked at the price tag on the jacket. “Two hundred drig.” Then he checked the tag on the trousers. “Three hundred and ten drig…I won’t have enough to get any boots.”
    “Find a pair you like, little one.”
    “Are you going to advance me some pay?”
    Gwog tapped his finger against his chin. “No, think of it as a gift. You’ve more than proven yourself a good crew member, and I certainly appreciate your help in getting the external flux intake fixed.”
    “Really? Thanks!” He began to look around. One pair in particular caught his eye. They were black, knee high boots with laces that ran up the outsides through shiny silver eyelets.
    “You like those?” Gwog asked.
    “Yeah.” He looked at the price tag. “Oh, but they’re really expensive.”
    “Lemme see.”
    Dar brought him the boots. He’d seen another pair that he’d be satisfied with, but this pair looked really cool. “There is another pair, ones not so expensive…”
    “Will these fit you?”
    “I dunno.”
    Gwog handed the boots back. “How about trying them on?”
    “Yes, sir.” He sat down on a bench and put the boots on, pulling the laces tight. “They fit like a glove.”
    “Stand up, let’s have a look at you.”
    Dar stood and slowly turned around. He couldn’t believe he was dressed in such wonderful clothes. His mother