The escape pod shot through space.
Ally kept trying to turn it around, but nothing worked.
Then suddenly things got worse.
low fuel," the computer said. "Warning:
"How low?" Ally snapped.
"Must land to refuel."
"Are you kidding me?" Ally groaned.
"Where's the closest planet to refuel—and get parts to fix the comm device?"
The computer whirred.
"Nearest planet with intelligent life is Earth.
Atmosphere:
oxygen. Dominant life-form
Temperament:
intelligent, creative, sometimes friendly but often dangerous.
Previous attempts to make contact with humans:
unsuccessful. Deemed too dangerous."
Ally gulped. "Dangerous?"
"Some humans are curious about visitors from other realms.
But most are suspicious and respond with aggression."
"Yikes!" Ally had never heard of a life-form that didn't treat Astralians with deep respect.
"Engage meld medallion to activate human-shaped camouflage for protection."
"Phew!" Ally said. "I can camouflage myself to look like a human.
Okay, Alpha, let's land on Earth."
Ally watched as the pod approached the pretty blue-and-green planet.
"Earth matches my outfit," she thought. "It can't be too bad."
The pod flew low over a deserted sandy area before touching down behind some trees in a park.
Ally slipped on her meld medallion, a necklace that contained special technology.
It allowed her to blend in with other life-forms.
She expected to feel different instantly, but instead she felt just like herself—until she looked in the mirror.
"Wow!" Her tentacles had been transformed into red, curly hair, and her nose was now sharp and pointy.
But the most surprising change was to her feet.
"Ugh . . . My feet look so small now."
"Small feet are the least of your problems," the computer said.
Ally ignored the comment and went outside.
She used her meld medallion to shrink the pod and camouflage it among the trees.
"Don't go anywhere, Alpha. I might need to escape quickly from this place!"
As she stepped out from behind the trees, Ally saw some posters about local attractions along the path.
Two humans—a mother and daughter—were looking at one of the posters.
Ally tried to read their minds but couldn't hear anything.
"Hmm," she thought. "Maybe my mind-reading ability doesn't work here."
She lifted her arms in a traditional Astralian greeting. "Hello!"
The little girl spun around. "An alien, Mommy! A real one!"
Ally froze.
But the mother smiled. "That's just a friendly teenager, honey. Wave and say hello!"
After the humans walked away, Ally went over to look at the posters.
One showed a picture of a large glass building—with a GrayZonian spaceship floating above it.
Intrigued, Ally held up her meld medallion to translate the poster.
It read, "Visit the World-Famous Sandville UFO Museum!"
"That sounds like the perfect place to find parts and fuel," Ally thought.
After walking around for thirty minutes, Ally still hadn't found the museum.
She'd been on hot planets before, but this one seemed particularly warm with a blazing sun and no clouds.
She felt hot and hungry.
Just then she caught a delicious scent.
"Food!" She jumped up and followed the scent to a busy street with a crowded restaurant.
A sign read, "Pepe's Diner. Grand Opening Today!"
Ally took a deep breath and went inside.
To her relief, nobody looked at her in surprise.
"Good!" she thought. "My meld medallion is working."
A waitress handed her a menu. "Only one seat is left at the counter."
Ally sat down and opened the menu.
She wanted to use her meld medallion to translate it, but the waitress was watching her closely.
"I'll just have one of everything!" Ally blurted out.
"You got enough money? That'll cost hundreds of dollars."
"Dollars?" Ally shook her head. "I don't have any of those."
The waitress took the menu back. "Sorry, no handouts."
Ally was confused. "I didn't ask you for a hand. I asked for food." handfood
"If you want anything in this world, honey, you've got to work for it."
"Oh!" Ally finally understood.
Unlike on other planets where food was free, Earthlings charged money for nourishment.
"I can pay for my meal with good deeds.
Do you have a war that you need stopped?
Natural resources that need protection?"
"Ha-ha," the waitress said, but she wasn't laughing.
"Like I said, you need to find a job."
"How?"
"Look for 'Help Wanted' signs."
Ally grinned. "No problem! Responding to cries for help is what we Astralians do best!"
She leaped up and darted out the door.