New Friends, New Steps

Brian’s spectator tap shoes, usually so bold and black and white against the dusty red of Mars, now seemed to gleam with a whole new kind of sparkle. They had landed him, quite unceremoniously, in a place that was anything but red and dusty. It was a riot of color! Swings, painted in sunshine yellow and sky blue, soared into the air. A slide, a glorious rainbow of red, orange, and green, curved invitingly downwards. And the ground! It wasn’t gritty Martian soil, but a soft, springy carpet of emerald grass. Brian, still nestled in his clear glass jar, felt his little alien brain fizz with a delightful curiosity.

His friends, Zorp and Gleep, had watched from the edge of the shimmering portal, their thoughts a jumble of worried whispers and excited squeaks. “Be careful, Brian!” Zorp had managed to project, his usual amusement tinged with a distinct tremor of concern. Gleep, on the other hand, had practically vibrated with anticipation. “Go, Brian, go! Show them your fancy footwork!”

And show them he did. The moment Brian tumbled through, his jar landed with a surprisingly gentle *thump* on the soft grass. The sound, so utterly unlike the clatter of Martian rocks, echoed slightly in the unfamiliar air. He blinked his tiny, unseen eyes, taking in the sheer, overwhelming *greenness* of it all. Then, a sound. Not the whirring of Martian machinery or the gentle gurgle of his own life support system, but a bright, clear voice.