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Em and I made our way back to the common area and over to Flow.
“Flow, Em and I have something to ask you,” I said.
“Go ahead,” Flow replied.
“We would like to invite you to accompany us on our space travels. We think you would make a great addition to the crew. The journey should be filled with adventure. And if you don’t like it, we will return you here. You just have to say the word.”
“What word?” Flow asked.
“Sorry, it’s more Earth slang. We will return you here whenever you want.”
Flow stared at us for a moment while she considered our offer.
“I have been on Manifold for a long time. It would be interesting to experience more of the Universe. And I am eager to learn more about humans. But I will need to consult with the other Metallums before I can give you my answer.
“Of course,” I replied.
Flow walked over to the center of the common area, made a hammering sound, and sent out thin tubes of metallum in every direction that connected with the other Metallum “beings.” They all stopped moving. Everything was completely still for several minutes. Finally, Flow retracted the tubes and reshaped into her human form. She walked back over to Em and me.
“I accept your offer,” Flow said.
“Yes!” Em shouted and did a little dance.
“Great. We are excited to have you as part of the crew,” I added.
“I will only be able to take a small portion of Metallum to inhabit. Roughly the mass of one human,” Flow said.
“Perfect,” I replied.
“Do you need to pack or do anything else?” Em asked.
“No. I am ready to go.”
“Let’s do it,” I said.
Em smiled and looked genuinely happy.
When we got to Rustbucket, Em gave Flow a tour of the ship. Fortunately, Rustbucket was equipped with four seats on the flight deck. Although, I think Flow could have simply shape-shifted into something secure. But it was nice to have her keep her human shape.
“What is our destination?” Flow asked as we strapped in for take-off.
“Unexplored space,” I replied.
“How curious. Please explain.”
“Em selects an uncharted sector of the Universe on the nav panel. When we arrive, we scan for planets with a breathable atmosphere and go see what we can find there.”
“That is how we found Manifold. By pure chance.” Em added.
“Remarkable,” Flow said.
“Would you like to pick our destination?” Em asked.
“I would, indeed,” Flow replied.
Flow choose a sector, and off we flew.
When we arrived, Em started the habitable scan. Flow watched diligently. We found a planet and set a course. Upon arrival, it appeared to be an all-brown desert with an incredibly vast canyon running the entire length of the planet. Essentially dividing the planet in half.
“That canyon looks like the only interesting thing on the planet. Let’s land near it and have a look,” I said.
We landed a few meters from the canyon's edge. When we left the ship, we discovered that the planet was not desert; it was all rock. As smooth as a bowling ball.
“This is quite unusual,” Flow said.
“It looks unnatural,” Em added.
“Amazing. Em, be sure to get some video,” I said.
We started walking toward the canyon edge when we heard a sound growing louder. Then we started feeling wind. It grew increasingly stronger and louder.
“Lay down!” Flow shouted.
Without thinking, Em and I fell to the ground. Flow shifted into a dome that covered us. The wind grew louder and louder, and we covered our ears. A few minutes later, the sound was gone, and Flow shifted back to her human form.
“Now we know what caused the planet to become smooth rock,” Flow said.
“Thank you, Flow. You saved our lives. That wind would have thrown us like rag dolls into the canyon,” I said after getting back up.
“You are welcome. Fortunately, I was with you,” Flow replied.
“Understatement of the century,” Em added.
“Rustbucket!” I said and looked behind me to see if it was still there. Fortunately, Rustbucket was facing into the wind, and its ultra-streamlined shape cut right through the wind. And its supergravity parking brake kept it firmly anchored to the planet's surface.
“Should we return to the ship?” Flow asked me.
“Hopefully, that wind will take a while to circle the planet. And with you here, I think we are safe to take a look at the canyon. It is only a few meters away, and I am curious to see what’s down there.”
We walked over to the canyon edge and took a look. I couldn’t believe my eyes.