FORTUNATELY, I’d experienced something like this in Bizarro World, so the feeling of this metal stuff going all over me wasn’t too bad. It coated my purse, but as a separate thing from me somehow, so I could move it around and even take it off. Hoped that it was coating any Poofs that happened to be On Board, too, but didn’t stop to look—the Poofs were from the Black Hole Universe and therefore probably immune to whatever. Jamie wasn’t.
A part of me figured Jeff and I were just overreacting. ACE hadn’t screamed a warning, Algar had seemed beyond calm and amused, and Chuckie clearly already felt things were safe. Wruck must have, too, since he hadn’t grabbed Jamie and run her back to the ship.
But we were still parents and, until I could verify that there was nothing threatening my child, I was going to do whatever I needed to in order to ensure that nothing could or would hurt her, including things she might do to herself.
Stiffened as the metal got to my face, but it really wasn’t all that bad. Managed not to panic as it went into my mouth, nostrils, and ears. Could feel it coat the inside of my nostrils, my mouth, teeth, and tongue, but it didn’t go down my throat—instead it created a kind of filter at the back of my mouth just behind my tongue. It was weird but I tried swallowing saliva—no issues. So I could both make saliva and swallow it.
The coating on my eyes was different. It didn’t hurt or blind me, even though I could feel it contour all around my eyelids and such. But it hooked onto my eyelashes, creating a bubble. If you closed your eyes, there was a little extra line of gold on your lashes—verified this by looking at Jeff. Open your eyes and the gold covered your eyeballs just like goggles, goggles that couldn’t slip.
“This is . . . odd,” Jeff said, as I did a fast check to see if I could open my purse—I could and things were coated and I saw no Poofs. “But not terrible.”
Noted that, even all golden, he was still amazingly handsome. Good to know my libido was doing its best to keep me calm.
“It’s like magic,” the Kristie-Bot said.
“Any advanced science always is,” Chuckie replied. “And yes, this appears to be scientific, or natural, based on how this world operates.”
“Is everyone covered?” Jeff asked. “We need to get to Jamie and Wruck.”
Everyone was, so Drax opened the airlock. Seemed to take forever before the outer doors opened, but they finally did. Jeff grabbed my hand and we ran down the newly formed hallway between our ship and the big building. His hand didn’t feel normal, but it didn’t feel bad, either. If I thought of this as a metallic bodysuit, it felt almost normal.
“If she’s alright, do we punish her?” Jeff asked as we ran along.
“Not sure, honestly. We’re not clanging, do you notice?”
“Yes. I have no idea why not. I’m a lot more focused on Jamie’s safety right now, baby.”
“I know. Me too. I just noticed the lack of noise. Maybe what’s in our ears is blocking the sound?”
“I can hear you perfectly, so I doubt it.”
We reached the end of the corridor. The filigree-over-wires person was waiting there. “I am Serion. I did not realize that you would all be coming out so quickly—John Wruck did not give us that indication.” The voice was midrange, could be male or female. Around here, went with it not mattering. Then again, maybe it mattered very much. Decided I had bigger things to stress over.
“Hi, Serion, I’m Kitty, this is Jeff. Sorry we surprised you, but I think our daughter is with Fathade.” I hoped, anyway.
“She was supposed to wait,” Jeff added, “but hasn’t and we’re a little worried about her.”
“Ah, young ones. Come with me.” Serion turned and led us to what looked like a solid wall. Serion waved a hand and the wall parted, as if it was the doorway to the Red Sea.
“That is a neat trick.” Was relieved to discover that the golden goggles acted like sunglasses. I didn’t even have to squint against the sun’s reflection on the moon.
Serion smiled at me. “It’s just how our world works.”
Even though Jeff and I were ready to go at hyperspeed, calmer heads prevailed, since we had no idea if we could go that fast here and we also had no idea if hyperspeed would make Serion sick. So, while we hustled off to find Jamie, Serion got introduced to the others. Chuckie point-blank asked Serion what pronoun to use. Serion identified as nonbinary, but said that for our language, it would be fine to go with him. Or her. Whichever we preferred, since Serion had no preference.
Decided I’d go with she, since I found Serion’s filigree quite pretty. Serion was flattered by my reasoning, so I had that going for me, which was nice. Since Serion appeared to like it, the others went with she as well.
Thusly pronouned up, we reached the others. Jamie was on Wruck’s shoulder looking around and apparently having the time of her sparkly gold life. She saw us coming and beamed, both literally and figuratively.
“Mommy! Daddy! The Cradi are so nice and isn’t Cradus just the prettiest place you’ve ever seen? I can’t wait to show Charlie, Lizzie, Wasim, and the other kids around!”
Jeff sighed. “Okay, can’t be mad at her, can I?” he asked me quietly.
“No, not really. I think we need to have a talk with her, but in private.”
Wruck lifted Jamie off his shoulder and handed her to Jeff. “I don’t know how she got out here, but her Moon Suit is on properly.”
“It’s not your fault, John,” Jeff said. He gave Jamie a stern look. “You know you should have waited, Jamie-Kat.”
She hugged him. “I’m sorry, Daddy. But we were hurting their feelings. And scaring them just a little.” She dropped her voice. “They’re still worried that we didn’t come here to be friends. And they’re so nice, I didn’t want them to be afraid any longer.”
Jeff and I looked at each other. “Oh?” Jeff asked. “I didn’t feel anything like that.”
“It’s harder for you to feel here, I think,” Jamie replied. “But it’s not for me and Fairy Godfather ACE.”
Realized that ACE had likely given me the unsettled feeling and Algar the musical cue to get us out here faster. Took Jamie from Jeff and gave her a hug and kiss. It felt weird but not in a bad way to kiss her with the Moon Suits on. “You scared us, Jamie. You know that you promised to stay with the others.”
“I know. But I had to. It was the right thing to do.”
Hugged her again. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, why don’t you introduce us to everyone?”
“Okay!” Jamie squirmed out of my arms and trotted over to who I was thinking of as Fathade. “This is Fathade.” Scored one for the guessing win column, go me. “She’s one of their leaders!” Jamie turned to her, put her palms together like she was going to pray, but put them forward, as you would if you were going to shake hands. “Fathade, these are my parents, King Jeffrey and Queen Katherine.”
So Wasim and Gadhavi hadn’t been wrong. Or else Jamie had felt that they were right. But, either way, Fathade seemed very pleased by our titles. She took Jamie’s hands in both of hers. “We are pleased to meet them, Princess Jamie.”
Went to her and offered the paws in the same way Jamie had, because I was really clear that our child was giving us the Hint For The Parentally Slow Of Wit.