Chapter Ten
The glowing atmosphere of the gigantic exo-planet we were slowly approaching shone brilliantly. It was golden in color. The planet was orbiting a bright golden sun far larger than our sun. The golden sun was encircled by something that kind of looked like an asteroid belt. Our probe slowly descended into the planet's misty golden water vapor atmosphere.
'This planet has a slightly elevated amount of oxygen compared to carbon dioxide.' Eel said as we descended passing thick layers of what appeared like golden clouds. Big golden ice chunks spread for thousands of kilometers across suspended in midair covering the world below.
‘These solid clouds are made up of oxygen and hydrogen.' Eel explained further. I on the other hand, remained with eyes fixed on these strange blocks of floating ice.
'This planet supports life,' he continued, but like I said, has more oxygen composition than carbon dioxide simply because unlike humans, the inhabitants here, the Xayans, breathe Carbon dioxide exhaling Oxygen instead.’
‘Who are the Xayans?’Uncle Henry asked. He too transfixed by the golden scenery outside.
‘Our hosts.'
As the world below came into view, all I could see was the color of gold everywhere. Rows upon rows of golden skyscrapers littered the ground below. Strange looking disks flew in all directions and thousands upon thousands of beings all in gold apparels walking about.
Eel brought our probe to a grinding halt on a rectangular golden marble pad in front of a tall glittering golden sky rise building.
'Gentlemen, lady, welcome to the planet Goldie.' He said, 'Right before us is the congress building where all matters of importance are deliberated and passed. Come. There is someone here I want you meet.'
'Don Xayaniz fails to address a very important aspect of Xayan nature,' a golden man with a golden beard was speaking as we silently strode into the packed golden hall.
‘This thing we call jealousy and greed.' He was tall and lean. 'Xayans who own jets are envious and jealous of Xayans who get to use space shuttles. Unless we can give everyone enough gold, we cannot eliminate this aspect of Xayan nature. However, since we all know gold on this planet has now become a scarce resource, let's all use the little left sparingly and equitably. Say the social standard of beauty is to have gold plated on your furniture and houses, we certainly cannot afford to give everyone gold to plate their houses, because there simply is not enough gold. Another example is the houses near coastal regions. All Xayans clearly prefer a house with a great ocean view than a house that is surrounded by a bunch of other houses that look exactly the same as the house itself. But how many Xayans get to live near the coast? Not that many, because, there aren’t enough coastal regions for all Xayans to build houses.'
I was in shock and so were Uncle Henry and Doctor Lynn hearing these aliens speak English.
'Sensational Speech Don Xhiz,' another golden man seated next to the speaker spoke in a loud voice. ‘Although remember Don Xhiz, we have no new knowledge about finding more gold elsewhere. When I hear your speech, in it, nothing has changed. You are still dragging us in the dark. I hope the DNA of this society changes in the coming decade or else we will all eventually starve due to lack of gold in our systems. You all know our lives and our economy all depend on gold to function.'
Everyone inside this hall looked identical to the other. The only difference was, the men wore shorter golden locks but both sexes had bulging busts and wore long golden robes.
The hall seemed to burst into a flurry of loud dissenting voices, until Eel yelled out aloud.
'My travelling companions and I know where you can find all the gold you and all the citizens of Goldie need but first, we need your cooperation!'
'And who might you strange looking creatures be?' The man with a golden beard asked, his golden eyes glaring at us. He, it seems had been deeply engrossed in his speech and the heated argument that ensued that he hadn't noticed our presence.
'I am Eel. Right next to me is Professor Henry Bradford, Doctor Diana Lynn and Daniel Snow.' pointing at each one of us. 'We come in peace and seek your help. We will pay for your help in gold.'
Every golden eye in the hall turned to stare at us.
'Never heard of you.' said the bearded golden man looking irritated. 'Councilors, may we proceed with the matter at hand.'
'Excuse me Don Zsalohah.' Eel interrupted again.
The golden man turned to face us again, his golden eyes wide.
'No one calls me by that name. Who are you creature?'
'I also go by more familiar names, Eelxsis ougo.' replied Eel.
'Impossible! Eelxsis? Is it you?'
'Yes, it is me.'
'But you look different, hideous to say the least. What happened to you my old friend?'
'It’s a long story dear friend, but my companions and I have travelled a long distance across the universe seeking your help. Do not shun our humble request for we have no one else to turn to.'
'What request does the legendary Eelxsis seek from us humble Xayans?'
'My own kind, Xuyrae, has stolen a white dwarf star from a primitive race called humanoids six hundred million light years away in a galaxy called the Milky Way, and he has exiled their tiny planet earth, in a hostile constellation Eridanus. These three standing before you are that planet's only survivors.'
'You should say four,' someone in the crowd loudly interrupted, 'because you creature that speaks, looks exactly like the three you are pointing at.'
The hall vibrated from a few chuckles.
Eel turned to face the man in the crowds.
'Will you stop calling me a creature? I have a name and you have no idea who it is you address Xayan!' transforming before the stunned audience.
'Councilors! Please!' Don Zsalohah said raising his voice. 'Eelxsis here saved our planet once, although some of you were too young or simply too stupid to remember this. Our planet's star then, was dying and he sold us Goldie, the sun we now so cherish. So please, show him some respect!'
'Forgive our incivilities dear Eelxsis. Please continue.'
'Thank you.' Eel said turning back into human form. 'We are in possession of two of three rocks that can stop Xuyae. However, we also need manpower, firepower, for he has an army two million strong.'
'Correct me if am wrong, but did you say he has already stolen the star?' Don Zsalohah asked a curious expression on his golden face.
'That's right.'
'Are we then to pursue him to God knows where to retrieve this star?'
'No.'
'Enlighten me then.'
'Like I said, we are in possession of two of the three rocks but first, help us pinpoint the location of the third rock.'
‘Why?’
'We intend to use all three rocks to go back in time and stop him before he can take the star.'
'Go back in time?'
'Yes that’s right.'
'And how do you suppose you can do that?'
'Like I just mentioned, with all three rocks in our possession, Don Zsalohah, we are be able to do just about anything.'
'And the gold?'
'The planet from which my companions come has all the gold you need to keep your planet and its entire system functioning for another two millennia.'
'He speaks lies, do not believe him.' another man protested loudly.
‘Silence!’ Don Zsalohah shouted at the one who had made the objection. The noise in the hall only grew louder. One man stood up, then another, and before we knew it, the entire hall was filled with loud shouts, everyone trying to stress a point. I looked on in horror as one man jumped over a sit in a fit of rage flinging himself at Don Zsalohah who stood on a raised pedestal. The man was thrown back violently by Don Zsalohah with such force that he flew back wards past his stunned colleagues smashing through the glass doors and falling out onto the street.
‘I said Silence!’ Don Zsalohah's golden eyes were burning with anger. This time around, every one remained muted.
‘These people need o
ur help, is this how we treat them?' He asked angrily scanning the faces inside the hall. 'Bickering like toddlers and fighting amongst ourselves? I call for a vote.’
We were escorted out of the hall by two mean faced golden guards and the golden glass doors shut loudly behind us.
‘So, what are they up to now?' Uncle Henry turned facing Eel.
‘You heard the man, voting.’
‘On what?’
‘They are voting on whether to help us fight Xuryae or not.’
‘But you said Don Zsalohah was your friend and that he would help us.’
‘A true friend he is but, the citizens of Goldie live in a democracy, every decision here is voted on.’
Glancing at Doctor Lynn, she seemed still in awe of all the gold smeared everywhere. I returned my stare at Eel. ‘Do they all feed on gold? Everything here is made of gold.'
'They may possess human shapes,' he told me, 'but their blood is pure liquid gold.’
'At least,' Uncle Henry shot in, 'these guys didn’t ask us like we were asked in Babylon, 'The King is asking whether you are the entertainers he is expecting from Mesopotamia.’
Just then, the glass doors flew Open.
‘Come back in, a decision has been reached.’ A tall guard beckoned.
‘My dear Eelxsis, the congress has voted.' Don Zsalohah announced as soon as we walked back into the crowded hall.
'On the issue of helping pinpoint the location of the third rock, the congress agrees. It's on planet earth; a place humanoids call Berlin, the year nineteen forty two.'
On the issue of us committing lives to fight Xuryae, the congress flatly rejects. I’m terribly sorry old friend.’