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When Russ awoke, he was confused at first. This wasn't the slightly cluttered bedroom he had been sleeping in for the past three months. This room was much smaller with only enough space for a bed and a few small pieces of furniture. The walls were a ghastly white, the dark bedsheets and desk the only spots of color in the room. Then his memory came back to him. He would never see his old bedroom again; he had been rescued by a Solarian barracks ship, and this was one of their living quarters.

After a quick shower, they had allowed him to take a much needed rest in one of the rooms. Checking the time on the borrowed tablet he was allowed to use, it appeared he had slept for a solid five hours. It seemed he had really needed the sleep.

Laying on his stomach, Russ opened the Holovision app and navigated through the night sky interface. It took him a minute to find, but he soon found planet L-GAIA 774, aka Earth. He zoomed in to get a larger view of the blue planet.

I wonder what Tyler's doing right now?

_ _ Why did he keep thinking about him? That was over now; Russ would never have to deal with him again. He hoped the Mooney family would be okay after he had left. He sort of regretted just leaving suddenly like that, but Russ knew he had made the right choice. He knew where home really was.

Russ was broken out of his reverie by a sharp knock on the door.

"Just a moment!" The husky called. He set down his tablet and crawled out of bed. Patting down his fur to appear at least a little presentable, Russ made his way to the door. He pressed a button to the side and the door slid open.

"Arc?!"

The white wolf on the other side gawked before a huge grin spread across his muzzle. "Russ!"

The wolf rushed forward and caught him in a tight embrace. The husky's heart beat wildly in excitement at seeing his best friend for the first time in what seemed like ages. Russ eagerly returned the hug, his tail wagging a storm behind him. When he heard the wolf sniffle, he frowned.

"Arc? What -"

"I missed you!" The wolf sobbed on his shoulder. His chest heaved with each shaky breath. "I th-thought you were d-dead!"

Russ' eyes widened as his heart swelled at the confession. He tightened his arms around the wolf, giving him a few pats on the back to try and calm him down. The two friends united held their embrace for a while, just enjoying the heartfelt moment between them. Russ even let a few tears of his down fall down his muzzle. Seeing another familiar face further drove home that fact that he was actually home.

Russ had to dislodge the wolf's arms from around him to loosen his hold. Arc reluctantly let go of him and struggled to get ahold of himself.

"I'm s-sorry," Arc sniffed, muzzle wet and eyes a little red from his tears. He wiped his nose. "I just haven't s-seen you and..."

"No, no, it's alright!" Russ said. He stepped aside for the wolf to enter. "Please, come in!"

Russ let him in, his friend making himself at home at the small table in the corner. Russ sat down at the end of his bed, the warm sheets once again feeling strangely foreign. It had been so long since he had felt their comfort in quite the same context. The husky and wolf sat there, just staring awkwardly unsure of what to do. After all, what did one say to a friend after being trapped on a foreign planet for months?

"So, um..." Arc stammered, still wiping his eyes. He blinked and tried to continue. "What...how have things been?"

Russ couldn't help but chuckle at the strangely casual question. "It's been alright. I guess."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Russ fiddled with his paws. "Could've been worse."

"But what were they like? What happened?" Arc said rapidly. "Did they hurt you? How do they -"

"One question at a time, jeez," Russ beamed. It felt so good to finally have a relaxed conversation with a true friend. "What do you want to know first?"

"Were you hurt?"

"No," Russ replied. "They're actually pretty friendly. They're just like us."

Arc frowned. "What do you mean... 'just like us?'"

"Exactly that. They're just like us!" Russ said, eyes gleaming with renewed energy. "From their fur - okay, maybe not so much their fur - but they _have_fur, and the way they talk, their diversity...it's all the same!"

Arc's golden eyes widened in shocked understanding. "Wait...you mean they look exactly like us?"

"Yeah! They're exactly the same as us except for a few minor differences..." Russ trailed off, remembering just what made the Solarians different from them, including a faster healing rate and their extreme intolerance of alcohol.

"That's...weird!" The white wolf's face twisted in perplexity. It reminded Russ of a child first learning how to spell. "How do you think that happened? They're lightyears away from us, right? So how would a species that similar inhabit a planet that far away?"

That brought Russ' mind to a grinding halt. "I...I've never really thought about that to be honest." His frown matched the wolf's as he regarded him curiously. "You'd think they would've taught us that in class or something."

"I know, right?" Arc sat back a little, leaning backward on the wall behind him while splaying his legs comfortably, only his heels touching the floor. "So, what else happened? If they didn't hurt you or anything, how did they treat you?"

Russ took a deep breath before speaking. What a loaded question. "Well, they were kind of confused about me at first..." He went on to explain what had happened that first day he had crash landed in the water. He explained everything from his experience at the hospital, to his incorporation into the Mooney household, to the happenings at the school - he opted to omit the whole bullying part, doing his best to downplay the extent of Tyler's antics. Throughout his tale, Arc listened interestedly, his tail flicking idly back and forth on his lap. Occasionally, he would interject with a question or a polite request for clarification, to which Russ happily obliged.

Once Russ had finished, Arc let out a breath that puffed up his cheeks and whistled appreciatively. "Damn. If it weren't for the circumstances, I'd say that was quite a vacation. That Tyler guy is a bit of a jerk though."

Russ gave an ironic chuckle. "That's putting it lightly." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. It was his turn. "Speaking of circumstances, fill me in. What's been going on back at home?"

Arc's eyes widened, and his gaze shifted to a nonspecific point on the wall. "Jeez, um, where do I start? It's chaos! People at the Academy are really worried about the Tilodon threat -"

"Wait a minute. That's right! School's started by now, hasn't it?" Russ frowned. "But you're here. Shouldn't you be at the Academy?"

"Yeah. But I'm skipping so I could see you. I wasn't about to pass that up," Arc said with a grin. Then he continued. "Anyway, people are really scared. It's been forever since we've seen the Tilodons at all, and their appearance now is causing a ruckus in the government. Not to mention the people who didn't survive the ambush itself -"

"Wait, who didn't make it?!" Russ interjected again, unable to help himself. "Sorry," he said at Arc's slightly aggravated expression. "I saw on the broadcast my dad sent out that some people didn't make it. Are the others okay?"

Arc blinked. "Others? Oh!" He exclaimed when he understood the husky's meaning. "You mean Tyr and Norran and Silva? They're all fine! Only..."

Russ' heart sank. "What?"

Arc gulped. "Silva lost his parents. Both of them."

The husky gaped. "Oh my god!"

"Yeah."

"How is he doing?"

Arc shook his head, lips pressed together. "Not good. Just really depressed. He kind of tries to act hard, but anyone can tell. He's broken. He even said he's not going to college next year 'cause he can't afford it anymore."

"Even with all his savings?"

"Nope. Doesn't want to risk it. Without two extra sources of income, he's really watching his money. He works retail to try and rake in some more cash, but he knows it's not enough."

"Fuck's sake. That's terrible," Russ said in disbelief. "Where's he staying?"

"With his godfather."

"Well, at least he's got someone watching over him." Russ shook his head. It was clear he wasn't the only one who had suffered some pretty dire repercussions from the attack. "I'm really sorry to hear that. I'll talk to him when we get home."

Arc nodded in agreement. "I'm sure he'll like that. He'll be really happy to see you. They all will. We can call them later if you want. I think they're in school right now."

Russ smiled. "I'd like that."

A heavy knock sounded behind the door. Holding up a paw in a "stay" fashion, Arc got up before Russ could move and answered it. The door slid open to reveal Krendor Talvek in his military uniform. The larger husky looked a little surprised to see Arc there, and peered inside to see Russ.

"Hello Arc," he said. "It seems you two are busy. I can come back later..."

"No, it's okay. I should probably leave anyway." Arc made to leave the room.

"You can stay!" Russ insisted. "We don't mind."

"No, no, I should go. I don't want to get in the way of a father-son talk." Arc moved in and gave him another bone-crushing hug, which Russ gladly returned. "It's great to have you back, Rusty."

The nickname brought a smile to his lips. Patting the wolf's back, Russ released him and stepped back. "It's good to be back. See you later tonight?"

"You betcha!"

Krendor stood aside for the wolf to leave, then stepped through the threshold. Russ had only a moment to react before he was pulled into yet another hug, this time from his father. Strong arms wrapped tightly around his frame, nearly squeezing the air out of his lungs. Russ returned the hug enthusiastically, but tapped his father's shoulder when the embrace lasted too long.

"Um...Dad?"

"Huh?"

"I can't breathe."

"Oh!"

Krendor retracted his arms and took a step back. "I know you've probably heard this enough from Arc already," he said with a smile. "But it is good to see you again."

Russ took a breather and a grinned back. "It really is good to be back. I missed you all a lot." He gestured toward the now empty chair at the table. "You can sit if you'd like."

Krendor sat down and Russ found himself in a similar situation, this time with his own father staring back at him instead of a long-time friend.

"I'm so proud of you," said Krendor. The wide grin on his muzzle said it all. "When I send out that message, I was worried you wouldn't see it or you couldn't find a way to get back..."

"I thought I wouldn't make it either at first," Russ replied, thinking back to when he had first seen that message. His entire outlook on the situation had changed that night. "But I managed."

Krendor regarded him curiously. "How did you figure out how to build that ship, by the way?"

Encouraged, Russ launched into a detailed description about how he had found the junkyard, and then the car he had used to build the small spacecraft. He told him how he had repurposed the automobile for space travel, and installed a GPS system in order to navigate a short way to the pickup point. As he progressed, Krendor appeared more and more impressed at his son's abilities.

Once he finished, Krendor's proud grin was stretched wide across his muzzle. "Wow, I'm impressed! I mean, I knew you were a good engineer, but repurposing a model you've never seen before into something almost like what we have at home? That's skill right there."

Russ blushed slightly. "Thanks." This reminded him of that time all those months ago, when he was being complimented on his ability by the founder of TriNexus. Before the attack.

Speaking of the attack... "Hey Dad? How did you escape the Tilodon attack exactly?"

Krendor grimaced as his gaze drifted downward to a spot on the floor. "Russ...do you really want to talk about that now? You only just got back..."

"Yes, I do," Russ insisted. "If only a majority of the passengers survived, then I want to know how you managed to get the ship back home."

Krendor appeared rather uncomfortable. "It's a rather long story."

"We've got time," Russ said slowly.

Krendor nodded, and began. "Well, after I sent you off, I was cornered by the Tilodons..."

...............................

Krendor Talvek tried to keep his composure as he heard Russ' shouts from behind the glass of the pod. His heart broke when the pod was ejected, a void forming in his chest as he could practically feel the distance between him and his son increasing rapidly. He allowed a single tear to roll down his face.

Ahead of him, six Tilodons spread out in an arc and stared right at him, effectively cornering him with nowhere to escape. They seemed to be calculating his stance, trying to decide whether or not he would try to run. Krendor knew better. He would have to fight.

One of the lizards lunged at him suddenly, jaws wide and claws outstretched. Out of reflex, Krendor pulled the trigger on his phaser gun, the ray of plasma hitting the creature square in the chest and rendering it dead. Its momentum kept it moving however, and the creature collided heavily with him, taking him down to the floor and knocking the handgun out of his grasp. It skittered across the floor several meters out of reach. Krendor grunted under its weight as he shoved the downed lizard off of him. He scrambled for the gun on the floor, but another Tilodon kicked it farther away and attacked.

Seeing those fearsome jaws aimed straight at his neck, he grabbed its lower jaw and the top of its muzzle in both paws, doing his best to keep its mouth open and away from his face. The lizard snarled and lashed its tongue, pressing harder against the husky's paws. It brought both claws hands to the husky's shoulders and dragged down, creating long bloody gashes down his arms. Krendor screamed both in pain and adrenaline fueled rage, bringing up his legs and kneeing it in the stomach over and over again until the lizard was weakened enough for him to shift his weight and smash its head into the wall. The creature slumped to the floor unconscious.

Krendor whirled around to see the other four Tilodons closing in on him. He still had no gun; it was at the feet of one of the lizards. And he was still bleeding from both his arms. He was once again trapped in a corner with no weapon, and nothing he could just pick up. All he had was a formation of tables and chairs in the area behind the lizards, the gun at their feet, some gadgets hanging from the walls -

Bingo.

A Tilodon lunged at him again, Krendor barely able to dodge in time. The other three closed in, but Krendor dove in between their feet and grabbed the gun. He swiftly rolled over on his back, shooting two of the lizards "pew, pew!" straight in the chest. He then aimed to the side and fired at a red fire extinguisher on the wall.

BANG!

There was a loud metallic bang as the plasma tore a hole in the fire extinguisher, releasing huge cloud of white that enveloped the remaining Tilodons. He could hear them yelping and snarling as they were suddenly blinded. Krendor used the distraction as a chance to scramble to his feet and dash for the exit. A loud hiss told him one had seen him. He would need to move fast.

He burst out into the corridor and immediately took a left. Right. Another left. Where am I going? He could still hear those things chasing after him; his little stunt with the fire extinguisher had been but a momentary reprieve.

"Damn lizards can probably smell me," Krendor muttered, searching frantically for a solution. Where could he possibly go? The rooms weren't safe, and the escape pods were being guarded by much more of them than he could handle. If only he could - there!

Krendor aimed at the ceiling and shot four times. The vent cover that had been fastened to the ceiling was easily shot down, the metal making loud clanging sounds as it fell. The hisses behind him grew louder, and he knew he had only a moment before they caught up with him. Krendor threw his gun up into the vent first, then jumped as high as he could toward the hole. Missed. His paws made it in, but he wasn't able to grab a hold fast enough.

"No, come on," Krendor grumbled, his desperation increasing as the sound of heavy clawed footfalls was heard just around the corner. He bent his knees and launched himself into the air again, this time getting a good grip on the edge and pulling himself up. Once he got the upper half of his body through the opening, he was able to use the brunt of his strength to lift himself the rest of the way. His pursuers were directly below him now, and he felt one claw rake through the fur of his leg just as he managed to escape into the air vent. That had been way too close.

Krendor rolled over and panted on his back, taking a well-deserved rest. They couldn't chase him up here. They wouldn't fit; their bodies were simply too large. He was safe for now.

It was only then that he realized that he was still bleeding. Krendor wiggled out of his shirt - as best as he could with the very limited space he had - and tore it in half, using the cloth to mop up the blood in his fur. The cuts weren't too deep luckily, but they would need to be bandaged properly. This would do for now.

So now what?

Where would he go? Those lizards were everywhere; there wasn't a single place he'd be safe as far as he knew. And he didn't think there was anyone else on the ship that could help -

Wait. That was it. Help. If he could just get to the bridge of the ship...then he could contact the air traffic control tower back home and request help!

With renewed determination, Krendor flipped onto his stomach and began crawling. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, but he knew enough about the general layout of these ships that he could take a good guess. So off he went, crawling through the cramped air vent, glancing downwards whenever he came across another opening. Sometimes he found himself far away from where he wanted to be, and he had to backtrack and try to figure out another route. Most of the crawlspace was dark due to lack of light from some areas of the ship, so that made it even more difficult to navigate. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic, he thought.

It took him a good while, but he finally found it. Peering down through the vent, he saw several chairs arranged at tables and along the walls. At the stations were many switches and panels that he knew to control the functionalities of the ship. But that wasn't all he saw. From his vantage point, he could see three Tilodons inside the room; two down near the steering controls and one on the elevated platform near the back. If he dropped down, he should be able to take them out fairly easily. But he would have to do it quickly before they had a chance to react.

Krendor closed his eyes and counted. 3...2...1...

Krendor quickly shot the vent cover down and dropped to the floor. The Tilodons yelped in surprise and had no chance to move before he took the first two out with two well aimed shots to the chest. When he turned to shoot the last one, however, the gun only clicked without firing. Damn it. Out of fuel.

Krendor growled and threw the gun aside. "Come on!" He shouted at the lizard. "Show me what you've got!"

The Tilodon snarled and bounded toward him, launching itself forward with claws outstretched. Krendor sidestepped the attack, causing the lizard to instead crash into the panel behind him. He grabbed the Tilodon's head and pulled down, repeatedly smashing its head into the surface of the panel. The lizard was too dazed to react properly, eventually slumping onto the floor unconscious.

"Not so tough," Krendor panted. Shifting his attention to the panel, he checked the settings on the navigation system. They were still on course to the Solarian galaxy. Good.

He went to another panel to the side and began pushing buttons and turning dials. "Come on," he muttered, heart racing as he held on to a desperate hope. "Those relays must be in range...they have to be..."

Krendor gasped in relief when a monotone beep sounded from the console.

"Air traffic control station Bolorod. Please relay your message. Over."

Krendor grabbed the mouthpiece and held it to his lips. "This is Second Commander Talvek aboard cargo ship Rec-B 241. We are in a state of emergency. Over."

The male voice on the other side answered immediately. "Please state your emergency. Over."

"The ship is under attack. Many passengers have perished at the hand of opposing aliens. There are still hostiles onboard. Requesting assistance. Over."

There was a moment's silence from the operator before he answered. "I have pinged your location. A rescue party will be dispatched to your location with an ETA of approximately one Solarian hour. Please remain close to a communication device in case of changing circumstances. Do you copy? Over."

"I copy. Over and out."

Krendor hung up and slumped down, resting in a sitting position leaning back against the wall. Relief washed over him now that he knew he was going to be saved. He thought back to that small blue planet where his son had likely landed by now.

"I'll come back for you, Russ. I will bring you home," he muttered. His eyes held a spark of determination before they closed, finally giving in to his exhaustion.

"If it's the last thing I do..."

...................................................

His father finished his tale, and Russ' ears remained perked in interest. "And they got you back? What happened to the ship?"

"The ship was destroyed," Krendor replied. "Had to be done. We couldn't risk any of the Tilodons getting back to their planet and reporting our whereabouts. The rescue team took me home. Everyone else left on the ship was pronounced dead."

Russ' heart sank. "Wait...so does that mean...did Mom...?"

Krendor's expression saddened as he shook his head with deep regret. "I'm sorry Russ. She's gone."

Russ' eyes filled with tears as his father got up and settled next to him, bringing him in for another heartfelt embrace. His head rested against his father's chest as he let the tears fall down his muzzle. The latter was silent for the most part, though he too felt the terrible loss.

They didn't get time to mourn for long, because the moment was interrupted by a buzzing noise from the communicator device attached to Krendor's hip. "Commander Talvek, you are required at the bridge immediately."

Krendor sighed and pulled away, reaching for the device. He spoke into the mic, "Lieutenant, I'm busy at the moment. What's wrong?"

"Sir, we have spotted a Tilodon spacecraft moving towards planet L-GAIA 774."

Krendor and Russ shared a worried glance before the former responded to the call. "Elaborate, Lieutenant."

"They appear to be following a signal originating from somewhere on the planet."

"But that doesn't make sense," Krendor thought aloud. His brows furrowed as he contemplated. "The only piece of Solarian technology that's been there is that communicator device I sent with Russ."

"But the battery's dead," Russ said. "It shouldn't be sending out a signal."

"It could be the GPS," Krendor responded. "Even if the battery is dead, there's a second small battery that holds just enough power to keep the data safe. That includes parts of the GPS system. But I mean, even then, it's shouldn't be a problem. You're safe with us now - what?"

Russ had just jumped up off the bed, his eyes wide with terror. "They must be tracking the GPS signal from their ship," he muttered. He looked at Krendor in fright. "We need to go back!"

Krendor stared at him as if he had just grown a second head. "What? Russ, you're safe. They can't track you, the device is still back on Gaia -"

"No, it's not that!" Russ slammed his paw on the button next to the door and raced out into the hallway. "We need to go back! Tyler's in trouble!"

"Russ, wait! Who's Tyler?!"

...........................................

Tyler walked into the kitchen in shorts and a t-shirt. He had come downstairs for a snack before bed; an athlete had to eat after all! His parents were asleep upstairs as it was nearly midnight. Nevertheless, the wolf felt the need to get a little bit of food anyway and watch some YouTube before he called it a night.

Bryan and Abigail Mooney had been horrified when they found out that Russ was missing. They had questioned Tyler repeatedly whether or not he knew the husky's whereabouts, and of course the wolf couldn't say. He truly did not know where that strange husky had gone, but he sure as hell wasn't going to say "he went home." Even Tyler wasn't that cruel.

But that note. The message on Bryan's computer that had clearly been written by the husky himself, his last goodbye before he disappeared forever. Abigail had burst into tears as Bryan read the letter aloud, each word twisting the knife even further. They had called the police immediately after finding the note, and had put out a notice requesting any possible information regarding Russ' location. The ordeal had truly torn them apart.

Tyler couldn't help but feel a bit of regret as well when he heard the letter. He himself had stood and watched as the husky had flown into the sky in his...spaceship or whatever. Tyler didn't believe a word of the whole "alien from another planet" business, but Russ had still managed to go to space somehow - presumably. Aliens weren't real. Right?

Tyler shook these thoughts out of his head and opted to focus on a far simpler question.

Doritos or banana?

The banana held more nutritional value, while on the other paw, Doritos were far tastier. Tyler shrugged and grabbed the bag of chips out of the pantry. One salty snack couldn't hurt.

Tyler jumped when he heard a strange noise from the top of the stairs. It sounded like an odd hissing noise, like a reptile. He stepped out of the kitchen and looked up into the dark hallway upstairs. His heart skipped a beat when he thought he saw a shadow move into his room.

"Hello?"

There was a scuffling noise coming from inside the room. And more weird hisses. Maybe his mother had gotten up to check on him or something. But that still didn't explain the noises...

"Mom?" Tyler called cautiously with one foot on the stair. "Is that you?"

The near silence of the house was interrupted by a loud rattling coming from the front door, followed by some shouts. Tyler slowly approached the door warily. Were they being robbed?

His thoughts were diminished by several bangs and a deafening crash as the front door was blown off its hinges, the wood seared at the edges. About ten unfamiliar figures with odd fur patterns crowded into the living room wearing militaristic uniforms and body armor. One shorter figure stood out especially from the rest.

Tyler's eyes widened in recognition. "You!"

"Tyler! Thank god!" Russ exclaimed in relief. He placed his paws on the wolf's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I need you to tell me. Where's that watch I told you to keep?"

"I - what -" Tyler stuttered in bewilderment.

"Tell me!"

"It's upstairs!" Tyler said rapidly. "What's the fuck's going -"

"Russ." One of the officers laid a paw on Russ' shoulder. He looked similar enough to be his father. "Is this him?"

"Yes, this is him," said Russ.

"Good. Officers, stay alert!" Krendor said in a raised voice.

"Russ, what the fuck is going on?!"

"Shhh!" Russ said with a finger to his lips. "We'll explain everything later, I promise. Right now, we need to -"

"Tilodons! Upstairs!" One of the officers yelled.

A swarm of Tilodons, ten to twelve of them, came barreling down the stairs, snarling and leaping into their mass. This time they wore metal bands around their forearms and tough body armor that still allowed them plenty of mobility. Many of them brought up one arm across their chests, and a circular purple plasma shield would appear, effectively absorbing shots from the Solarians. Tyler in the meantime was pressed against the wall away from the fray, his eyes wide in terror.

A loud and particularly blood chilling screech sounded from one of the Tilodons and everyone - including the other lizards - looked over. The Tilodon reached to its hip and dislodged a small metal ball. He pressed a tiny button on its surface and sent it rolling to the center of the crowd, emitting a high pitched beeping noise.

"Grenade!" Everyone ran for cover as the ball finished with one shrill tone and promptly exploded, sending out a wave of bright purple energy radiating out from its position. Russ toppled over onto the floor, the carpet doing little to cushion his fall. The grenade had done surprisingly little to the environment, save for a few small objects knocked over here and there. Rather, his mind became scrambled and disoriented, causing him to even forget where he was for a short moment.

Tyler had been effected as well, now sitting against the wall completely dazed. His vision blurred and he wasn't able to think straight. His mind only cleared when he felt a heavy weight knock him over and pin him to the floor, rendering him immobile. He looked up to see one of the lizards hovering over him threateningly.

"AHHHH! NOOO!" Tyler wailed, struggling to get free. The lizard's hold was too strong. "GET OFF -"

The wolf's voice faltered when he felt the barrel of a gun press against his neck. A jolt of electricity coursed through his body before he promptly blacked out.

Russ recovered from his daze just in time to see the Tilodons...fleeing? They were running out the door as fast as they could, no longer engaging in combat. The husky took a quick glance around the room and noticed with a pang of fear that Tyler was missing. The momentary distraction had been just enough for them to grab Tyler and leave.

Krendor noticed this, too. "EVERYONE AFTER THEM! GO, GO, GO!"

Russ and the rest of the officers made a beeline for the doorway, emerging back out into the night air. The Tilodons were gathering at one spot on the lawn close to the sidewalk. Russ could see one of them carrying an unconscious Tyler over one shoulder. The Tilodon may have even grinned slightly as he sent out one last deafening call.

A column of bright light descended from the sky over the group of lizards. Their image began to distort and stretch upwards, reaching high into the heavens. Then like a rubber band, the Tilodons - and Tyler - were lifted off the ground and into the night sky. The column of light vanished, and all was silent.

They had just been beamed back up to their ship.

They had Tyler.

"Shit!"

To be continued...