Chapter One

“Devon Blake, seat call for Devon Blake,” the speaker on Devon’s WristVid said cheerfully. He looked around, startled that it was already time to depart the shuttle and board the starship.

Devon pressed the button on his WristVid, letting the steward know that he was on his way. Devon’s luggage trundled after him automatically as he walked toward the large, round hatch that led from the shuttle to the space station. Despite the dozens of small, robotic legs frantically stepping underneath the bottom of the trunk, he had to wait for a moment before it caught up.

“Hurry up, Sammy,” he uttered. “If you weren’t lucky I’d have replaced you long ago. What’s the use of automatic luggage if it slows you down?” The people passing by glanced at Devon, wondering why he was talking to his luggage. Devon swallowed a smile as he saw their reaction. Not many people could afford automatic luggage that responded to voice commands. Most people just had the kind that followed you around.

Devon stared out the large, PlexiSteel window as he approached the hatch. A silvery tube stretched out into space, attached to the starship he was about to board. The Boadicea was a class V interplanetary cruiser equipped with the latest ion pulse engines. Devon could see the blue glow surrounding the rear of the ship off in the distance.

The hatch whispered open as he approached. A tall, pretty flight attendant was waiting for him with a smile. “Right this way, Mister Blake.” She gestured for him to enter the boarding tube to the starship. “We are so pleased to have you aboard. All of the arrangements have been made for your trip to Forrestal.”

“Are there many other kids onboard this trip?” Devon politely asked.

The attendant paused for a moment, “well….yes, I suppose.” She smiled at Devon, waiting for him to make his way down the walkway in the tube. Devon shrugged and entered, trying to imagine that this was the start of something great. Unfortunately he could not help but remember how boring all of those other trips had been that he had taken on ships just like this.

The attendant recovered from her momentary confusion, falling back into her rehearsed welcome speech. “You will have access to all of your exclusive gold-level amenities during your voyage. PulsarLines prides itself on providing our top clients with the highest level of luxury and privacy.”

“Are there any other kids traveling in the gold-level?” Devon asked hopefully.

The attendant looked puzzled, “You are the only gold-level passenger this trip, sir.”

Devon sighed, obviously dejected. He hated traveling alone and being the only gold-level passenger would just make it lonelier. Devon was used to being alone, but that did not mean he liked it. Before leaving, he had hoped that this time would be different. Sometimes he thought he must be the loneliest boy in the galaxy. He very rarely saw his parents, because of their busy schedules. They always made sure he had everything he wanted or needed, as long as it was not their attention. They were very busy running the family business, Blake Industries.

Blake Industries made the best hovercars anywhere. Devon’s great-grandfather had started the company with a little money and a lot of determination. His first hovercar was a true breakthrough. Until Hugh Blake had invented the HippoGriff many people on the frontier had not been able to travel long distances without using gyrocopters or ultralights. Devon was proud of the company and knew that millions of people had easier lives because of it. His parents had important work to do, but that did not make being alone any easier.

Devon was lost in his thoughts as he followed the attendant toward the starship. Before he knew it, he was at the entrance of the Boadicea. The attendant smiled sweetly at Devon and ushered him through the hatch. A steward with an equally pleasant smile was waiting for Devon.

“Hello, Mr. Blake. We have your suite nearly ready for you; we just need to know how you want the holographic simulation today. What environment are you in the mood for?”

“A Yukloth mud-pit sounds nice,” Devon quipped.

“A mud-pit, sir?” The steward sounded unsure.

“Yup, with extra squid-worms, if you please.”

The steward hesitated for a moment, obviously wondering what to do next. The equipment used to simulate any environment in the expensive suites was easily capable of producing such a place, but why would anyone want it to?

Devon let her suffer for a moment and then added, “Wait, I changed my mind. Set it for Camelot instead. That should be fun.”

Relief washed over the steward’s face at the change to a much more conventional choice. She made a few entries on her WristVid and then looked up at Devon, completely recovered from her momentary panic.

“ Mr. Blake, if you would follow me I can show you to your rooms.” She stepped on to a quickly moving pedway, making sure that Devon followed. It took only a few minutes for the efficient people-mover to get them to the most exclusive gold-deck and drop them at his room. The attendant wordlessly passed the key over the lock and waited for the door to swish open. With a few muttered pleasantries, the steward handed Devon his key and excused herself. She glanced back with a relieved look as she was whisked away by the pedway, obviously glad to be done with greeting Devon.

Devon’s face turned a bit red, embarrassed that he had teased the woman. He supposed making sure someone with his means was satisfied was normally not very easy, but had not made her job any easier by being difficult on purpose. He sighed and walked through the door into his suite. The holographic equipment built into the suite had transformed the normally plain walls into the inside of an opulent castle. Torches guttered in sconces along the back wall and the sound of a harp could be heard coming from the next room. Swords, shields, and axes hung on the walls, lending the place a rustic, medieval feeling. One wall was taken up by the mounted head of a ferocious looking dragon. Devon smiled when he saw that. He often day dreamed about rescuing fair maids and slaying dragons.

With another sigh, Devon flopped down into one of the overstuffed chairs in the living area. He looked over as his luggage struggled over a particularly thick rug, its motor whirring loudly.

“Well, Sammy, I guess this is going to be just you and me.” Devon addressed the trunk, not expecting a response.

“Not necessarily,” someone said in a strange voice. Devon nearly flew from his chair at the sound. He whirled around, facing the door to the sleeping area and beheld one of the strangest sights he had ever laid eyes on. A boy stood in the doorway, but not quite a boy. He had a larger than normal head, which was covered in thick, white hair. There was also something strange about his eyes, but Devon could not quite put his finger on what it was. The strangest thing, however, was the boy’s skin. It was bright orange, almost so bright it nearly glowed.

Devon realized that he had been holding his breath. He let it out slowly and took another moment to study this intruder. He was wearing tight, grey overalls and some sort of black slippers that fit closely on his feet, almost like socks. The boy was not making any threatening moves, but that did not change the fact that he should not be here.

“Who the heck are you?” Devon asked cautiously.

“Flimitpoytrotilmas….Flim for short.” He answered.

“So, what are you doing in my room?”

Flim looked embarrassed for a moment, “Sneakin’,” he answered, “it’s kind of my specialty.”

Devon thought for a moment. He could have this boy tossed off the ship in a matter of minutes for being in his room. But that would leave him alone again.

“Sneaking, huh? Well, that sounds like fun. My name is Devon, and it’s gonna be a long trip. I could always use somebody to hang-out with. Did you find anything fun when you were doing it?”

A huge grin split Flim’s face, “Lots of fun stuff.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to the fun.”

Flim laughed and Devon joined in as they ran down the corridor, ready to explore every cranny of the huge ship.