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Oliver and Misha checked into the Petit Palace hotel in Barcelona. located mid-way down the Ramblas promenade. After a quick change of clothes, they headed to the street. Misha had perfected the use of her new implant. She could talk to the other crew members with implants sub-vocalizing in Galactic and it would come out in her voice in English. Everyone else got broken English or had to listen to the translator. She was chatting away with Oliver in this way until they passed into the street. Earth blew her away.
The entourage strolled down the promenade with Misha hanging onto Oliver’s arm. She was enchanted with everything. Tamaroa and two of the Motu boys discretely trailed them. As discretely as one hundred and fifty kilos of Polynesian muscle could. But they blended in just fine since there was a good number of fat German tourists around.
“I just realized this is the first time you set foot on Earth,” Oliver said.
“Yes, and I am a mess of emotions. This is humanity as it should be. No damn Centaurs ready to kick us. Old, young, and everything in between. I love Earth,” Misha replied.
“I cannot imagine what is going through your mind right now.”
“Don’t try because it truly is a mess.”
“Did you want to get some clothes? This is not the best shopping district but that shop with the blue front looks nice.”
“Yes please. I would like something of my own. It has been five years since I have bought a new outfit,” Misha gushed.
They entered a hip young person’s store that specialized in Retro which was the latest thing. A shop girl of about twenty came and asked in English what sort of items the lady would like.
“I want two complete outfits. One for now and one for dinner tonight,” Misha replied.
“Any decade you like best?” she asked.
Misha looked at Oliver completely mystified.
“We are completely in your hands, but I personally liked those funky clothes of the sixties. Try to use silk or natural fabrics if you can. Misha, do you want bright colors or more subdued?” Oliver said.
“Bright, I am happy now,” Misha replied with a big smile.
“Sizes?” the girl asked.
“I have no idea,” Misha responded.
The salesgirl looked at Oliver quizzically.
“Her first day on Earth.”
The girl started to giggle and stopped.
“You are Oliver Eversole.”
“Yes, and this is Misha recently from Atlantis. Please, she needs some new clothes after five years of slavery. So, find things that will match her happy mood.”
The girl was tongue tied for a few moments then she snapped out of it.
“I know just the thing as long as you are not modest,” the girl finally said.
“Oh, I am very not modest. I paraded in front of him nude for two days when he freed me. Well, except for the work boots... Do your worst.”
The girl hopped to it doing a good job of guessing sizes. An hour later they walked out with Misha wearing bell bottom slacks and a colorful silk scarf shirt that played peek-a-boo with her side boobs. She was bouncing like a teenager.
“You know one thing I hate?” Misha asked and not waiting for an answer, “Babs gets to tell people she was a sex slave and I tell people I was a slave who wore work boots.”
Oliver couldn’t help himself and burst out laughing.
“What?” Misha asked bewildered.
“You need to tell that line to Babs,” he replied and sub-vocalized, “Al don’t spoil it.”
As they strolled along, her energy and positive vibes was infectious to all they passed.
Street performers were out in full strength and seemed to synchronize their next act for when Oliver and Misha passed. They were synchronizing too well.
“Al, are you talking to the street artists?” Oliver queried.
“Yes.”
“Keep it up.”
All was going very nicely but bit by bit people were recognizing Oliver and some even started to follow. The dodgy ones were warned off by Tamaroa’s team. They were able to reach the statue of Christopher Columbus before a crowd had gathered and took a table at La Cava Universal. They ordered red wine and tapas. While they took their time, Oliver explained who Columbus was and the consequences of an old-world going to a new world with the good and bad. It was a conversation that could have lasted days. During the second glass of wine, a girl of about eight showed up at the edge of their table and stared at Oliver.
“Hello,” Misha said to the girl.
“My daddy says you’re an arsehole,” the girl said in a lower-class London accent still staring at Oliver.
“Well. You know what they say about arseholes?” Misha asked.
The little girl shook her head.
“Everybody got one.”
That made the girl smile and giggle a little. Then she did the unexpected and crawled up in Misha’s lap.
“How old are you?” the girl asked.
“I’m one hundred and eighty, how old are you?”
“Eight, but you can’t be that old. No one on Earth is that old.”
“Oh...Well, now I know but this is my first day on Earth and no one told me about that rule.”
The girl giggled again, “My granny is eighty and you don’t look like her.”
“That’s because I am one hundred... and eighty. We don’t believe in growing old or in gravity on my planet.”
“Hey!” Oliver spoke up, “Do you have any chalk?”
“Of course, how else could I play hop-scotch?” the girl replied.
“How about a bouncy house? Go just there and chalk out a house. Misha will show you magic from her planet.”
The little girl looked dubious but went and started marking it out. Oliver called Al to bring a grav cycle overhead. “Understand what I had in mind Al?”
“I got it. This is going to be great,” he replied.
The girl had finished and was looking back at Misha.
“Well jump,” Misha called.
She did and went up about two meters then slowly floated back to the ground with a stunned look. Then she jumped again squealing with absolute delight. This got her mother’s attention who rushed over and stopped short with her mouth hanging open. The squealing caught the attention of the other children who were sitting bored at their parent’s tables. Soon, ten kids were having the time of their lives.
A man in a white Armada Española uniform sat down at their table.
“Is that your doing?” he asked.
“Umm... Yes, it was a spur of the moment thing,” Oliver replied.
“My name is Capitan Núñez. My office is just across the street and my window faces this plaza. I would like to have a conversation if you could spare some moments. I am sorry to disturb your evening out with such a beautiful senorita but like you, I had a spur of the moment impulse when I saw your gift to the children.”
“We can spare a few minutes, and this looks like a good time to escape. We were drawing a crowd. My men will follow us so don’t be alarmed.” Oliver said.
“Ah yes, the Motu boys.”
“You know about them?”
“I have a friend in the French Navy, stationed in Tahiti.” The Capitan admitted.
“Lead the way,” Oliver said.
The children made an excellent distraction and they escaped without any hangers on. Capitan Núñez led them into the central courtyard of the Barcelona command building. About twenty-five low and middle ranked officers were gathered.
Capitan spoke in a loud voice so everyone could hear, “Mr. Eversole, an associate of yours, Captain Queiroz visited a French Navy base in Tahiti and essentially asked for volunteers to form a transnational force to protect Earth. True?”
“Yes, that is true. We are organizing a space navy to not only protect Earth but also to assist in the freeing of humanity from over three thousand years of slavery.”
“That is much more than a rumor of a possibility there were others out there,” the Capitan responded with surprise.
“It is. The commitment will be very similar to the one you have currently with the Spanish Navy. The difference will be that your loyalty will be to Earth, not Spain. That part is important gentlemen. The heads of state around the world will start a movement soon for Earth unity. You are privileged to be the first to know. Now I am going to punch you in the face with a new reality. Everyone... pull out your phones. Al, show them the abbreviated Atlantis video and the space battle we just had,” Oliver said.
“Space battle?” a few asked.
“Just look at your phones,” Oliver repeated.
They watched with fascination. Everyone jumped when Ariel went face to face with the Centaur and shot it under the chin. Then everyone was doing double takes, looking up at Misha, when she showed up naked except for work boots. They leaned in during the space battle, chuckling when Lt. Worf appeared, and then it was over.
“That space battle was two weeks ago. If you are still interested, walk by me and state your rank and name. We will be in touch,” Oliver said.
Every single officer walked by to volunteer.
“Capitan Núñez, this is Misha’s first day on Earth and I have a lot more to show her.”
“I understand. Welcome to Earth, Senorita Misha. Mr. Eversole, thank you for this opportunity. Spaniards are with you. Ate breve,” he replied.
Three grav cycles had descended to the courtyard. The fourth was still a bouncy house.
“Let’s order food to the room,” Misha sub-vocalized as she wrapped her arms around Oliver’s waist.
“Great idea,” he replied the same way. “Guys, take the rest of the night off.”
Tamaroa just smiled thinking, ‘not going to happen’.
∞
Al waited the next morning for Oliver and Misha to finish their first round of lovemaking before disturbing them.
“I have a project I want to do. It is both fun for me and I think an excellent way to kick off the unity campaign with soft power.” Al said to them.
“Soft power?” Oliver asked.
The television came on to the local news. The bouncy house was all over it. The bouncy house had gone on until nearly midnight with the Guardia Civil keeping order and giving only children access. A mysterious Alfonso had been coordinating with them and shut down the fun slowly and gently when it was time for Spanish children to go to bed. Social media had picked up on it and there was clamoring for more.
“I want to have a contest among all the world’s children ages six to eleven organized by their classrooms. They will have to write two things. One, ‘How all the nations could unite’? Two, ‘What would be a good name for a new planet?’ I would include a few stills of one of the new planets we found with a human compatible atmosphere,” Al said. “The reward will be two hours of bouncy house for the class. I want to build about twenty special barges. It could be ongoing for as long as needed. New winners every week.”
“That is an incredibly good idea Al. Project approved,” Oliver said as Misha began getting him ready to go again.
