**Meanwhile, elsewhere on the ship, a high-pitched scream shatters the silence. Sheen, Carl, and Libby dart out of a door and slam it behind them. Crashing sounds and growls emanate from within, and it takes all three of them to keep the door closed shut**
LIBBY: (panting, pressed against the door) What is Aurora thinkin’, keepin’ something like THAT on the ship?
SHEEN: I know! I’ve seen some ugly alien monsters in my day, but that one took the cake…and the main course…and pretty much anything else it could eat along the way!
CARL: (fanning himself) I’ve never been so scared in my whole life…except for that time when we walked in to the ladies’ room by mistake and saw Ms. Fowl without her…
SHEEN: AAAAHHHHH! Don’t remind me! I have enough scary images permanently burned into my brain already! And Jeez Carl, could you sound ANY more like a girl when you scream?
CARL: Sorry…
SHEEN: (counting on his fingers) Well, we found four bathrooms, six storage rooms, three armories, eight closets, one alien freak, and one bright red room with absolutely nothing in it. This place makes NO sense, and that’s saying something, coming from me.
LIBBY: Took the words right outta my mouth, Sheen.
CARL: Oh, where could the girls be?
**There is a crash in a distant room, followed by the unmistakable sound of Future Libby’s giggle**
LIBBY: I think that answers your question…
**The three kids follow the sounds down another corridor until they arrive at a large, arched doorway. The hallway opens into a huge gym that is roughly the same size as a football field. Blue mats cover the white, stained floor, and exercise equipment and various high-tech machines are packed into each of the four corners. A huge target is painted on the left wall, and black scorch marks are burned all around it**
SHEEN: Wow, check it out. I want to have gym class in here!
**He looks around, and his eye falls on a row of what appear to be bowling balls**
SHEEN: Hey, I bet this’d make one heck of a dodge ball! Heads up, Carl!
**He picks up a heavy black ball and staggers backward in a desperate struggle to maintain his grip on it. Future Libby appears from behind a row of barbells, and as soon as she sees the kids she gives a wave. Sheen takes one look at her, and his mouth drops open. He drops the black ball, and it bounces off the floor and crashes into some expensive looking machinery in the right corner. Future Libby shakes her head as she walks over to the kids. She has changed into a form-fitting white space suit, and has tied crimson and orange belts around her arms, her legs, loosely around her hips, and tight across her waist in a crisscrossing maze of color. Her golden earrings jingle as she stops in front of them, but except for the sparkling gold ring on her left hand, all her other jewelry is gone**
LIBBY: (looking her over) Sweet outfit, girl.
FUTURE LIBBY: I know! An’ I made it in like what…ten minutes flat? Sometimes I impress even myself.
SHEEN: (whistling) Phew. That is one tight outfit…
FUTURE LIBBY: (raising an eyebrow) Tight as in “cool” or tight as in “revealin’”?
SHEEN: Both…
LIBBY: (smacking him over the head) Get a grip Sheen!
AURORA: Hmph! He’s gonna get more than that when I’m through with him!
**Aurora appears behind him in the doorway, her green eyes blazing with anger. Little bits of emerald flame burn on the ends of her hair as she glares down at him**
AURORA: You threw my zero-grav exercise ball…you broke my radiation generator…AND you keep repeatedly hitting on my best friend. Do you have a death wish or are you just really stupid?
FUTURE LIBBY: Don’t worry about it, Aurora. We don’t really need a…what was it?…a radiation generator for hand-to-hand combat, do we? ‘Sides, I’m sure he didn’t mean it.
AURORA: (rubbing her forehead) What are you kids doing here anyway? Libby, I thought I told you to keep them out of my hair.
LIBBY: I…
APRIL: (appearing behind Aurora) All right, which one of you opened the door to Loof-loof’s room? He is very upset!
SHEEN: Loof-loof? Is that what you call that thing?
APRIL: So it was you? He is my pet! You should not have disturbed him!
SHEEN: Disturbed him? I think you’ve got it backwards! That freak almost swallowed me whole!
APRIL: (clenching her fist) Why, I ought to…
LIBBY: Look, before we get into a big ol’ fight here, you should know that these two wanted to watch you fight, and I know they aren’t gonna shut up until they get their way. So we’ll all just have to deal. They won’t cause too much trouble…OR ELSE!
**She grabs Sheen by the collar of his shirt**
LIBBY: We’ll be so quiet you won’t even notice us. See? Just pretend we’re not here.
AURORA: (rolling her eyes) I already am.
**Smiling excitedly, Sheen and Carl take a seat along the wall next to the doorway, and Libby plunks down next to them. She heaves an exasperated sigh**
SHEEN: Man, I wish I had some popcorn!
**Ignoring the expectant looks on the boys’ faces, the women head out into the center of the blue mats. Aurora tips her head from side to side and rolls her shoulders as April fastens a pair of cuffed brass knuckles over her forearms**
AURORA: Try to loosen up a bit, and then we’ll see how well your basic combat skills have been developed. You said the monks trained you?
FUTURE LIBBY: (touching her toes) Ya, but only a little. Much as I love ‘em, they’re kinda sexist…they weren’t real keen on a girl fightin’.
APRIL: (tipping straight into a backbend) It’s OK, Aurora and I are both experts in fourteen different types of martial arts. We will be able to help you improve your skills. Besides, if our plan works out, you will not need to do any hand-to-hand combat at all. Nevertheless, it never hurts to be prepared.
**April kicks her legs over her head and transfers into a handstand**
FUTURE LIBBY: (wide-eyed) Wow, I haven’t been able to do a handstand since I was a little kid. That’s amazin’.
AURORA: Ya, well she has years of training, and so do I. So don’t expect to instantly be able to do back flips or walk on your hands or anything else. OK, let’s start out with a simple blocking set. This’ll test your knowledge of basic self-defense.
**Aurora lifts two fingers, takes a deep breath, and then lunges at Future Libby. Instantly, as if pulled by a string, Future Libby’s arm lifts up and firmly blocks her attack. Aurora pulls her hand back, and then punches at Future Libby’s stomach. She blocks this as well, and as Aurora’s attacks grow faster and stronger, she stops each new one without even breaking a sweat. When Aurora finishes, Future Libby is grinning and doesn’t have a hair out of place**
AURORA: Excellent! Not bad at all! What a relief. I wasn’t looking forward to smacking you in the face. It’s going to be so much easier to teach you advanced moves when you’ve got your basics down so perfectly.
APRIL: How well do you know your leg blocks? Let us see.
**April breaks into a series of rather impressive high kicks, and Future Libby either blocks or dodges each one**
APRIL: Her defense is very solid, Aurora. But how is her offense?
FUTURE LIBBY: (looking sheepish) Not very good. The monks never taught me any of those kinda moves. I watched them sometimes, but I wasn’t really payin’ too much attention.
AURORA: Just give it a try anyway. I’ll go easy on you.
**Future Libby swings at her, and in one smooth movement Aurora grabs her arm, thrusts the elbow upward, and pulls her into a tight hold**
AURORA: Do you know how to escape from a simple hold like this one? Give it a shot.
**Future Libby squirms frantically, but Aurora holds her fast**
FUTURE LIBBY: (grimacing as she wriggles) Y’know, if you were a guy I could have gotten out by now. One good kick and I’d a won the fight before it even got started.
AURORA: For cryin’ out loud Libby, that’s not a gentlemanly way to fight!
FUTURE LIBBY: Do I look like a gentleman to you?
**Aurora releases her, then sighs**
AURORA: Well, you’re no Houdini, that’s for sure. Still, your defense is pretty darn tight. As long as your attacker doesn’t manage to wrestle you into a hold you should be able to stand your ground.
APRIL: (cracking her neck) Enough practice, Aurora. I am growing impatient. She is clearly not a match for either of us, and I want to scrap. Did we come here to sit and chat or are you planning on actually fighting me?
AURORA: You’d better go sit down, Libs. April and I’ll give you a demonstration of how pros get it done.
**Future Libby walks over and takes a seat next to the kids, and all four of them lean forward in anticipation for the fight. April and Aurora’s manner suddenly undergoes a frightening change. They crouch low and circle each other like caged animals, eyes focused and bright, tension thick in the air**
APRIL: (cracking every one over her clawed fingers) I am going to beat you into oblivion, Aurora. When I am done with you your own mother would not be able to recognize you.
AURORA: I’d like to see you try, ugly.
APRIL: Not as ugly as you, jelly-bag. If you were not so repulsive I would have skinned and eaten you already.
CARL: (covering his eyes) Oh, make them stop!
SHEEN: Haha, man, this is pretty good!
LIBBY: Sheen, how can you say that? I can’t believe they’re sayin’ such awful things to each other! They’re such good friends…
**April grabs a spiked club from a rack of weaponry behind her and bares her razor sharp fangs. Aurora strengthens her stance as waterfalls of light pour down her arms and pool around her clenched fists. With a sharp cry April charges at her and brings the club smashing down. Aurora catches it in one glowing hand and grins as the molten metal slithers down her arm. She lashes out at April with a bolt of green fire, and from that point on the fight moves so quickly that it is nearly impossible for the spectators to keep track of it. Both women move with deadly speed and agility, and their movements are so smooth that it looks more like a carefully choreographed dance than a fight**
CARL: I hope they don’t hurt each other! It looks really dangerous!
SHEEN: Sweet mother of Ultralord! Did you see that? Aurora almost got the club to the head that time!
FUTURE LIBBY: (shouting out) Oh, be careful you two! Please!
AURORA AND APRIL: (viciously) Shut up!
**Aurora turns a perfect back walkover and clips April in the mouth with her foot. April staggers back and wipes purple blood off from her lip, then dives at Aurora. Aurora rolls out of the way and swings her leg around, and April trips and lurches forward. She grabs both of April’s arms and pulls them behind her, and there is a brief burst of green light before April hops away, unable to pull her arms apart**
APRIL: (laughing) All right… hahaha! You win Aurora! You win! For goodness’ sake, get me free!
AURORA: (smiling hard) I couldn’t resist April. Those metal armbands of yours make perfect handcuffs when they’re fused together. Hold on, I’ll break them open.
**April strains against her bonds, and the cuffs pop off and shards of metal fly out all over the place**
APRIL: No need. I got them off myself.
AURORA: (punching her on the arm) Hey, nice moves! The back flip with that club of yours was pretty impressive. You almost got me that time.
APRIL: That green fire of yours was extremely irritating, as usual. Next time I fight you, I will not allow you to wear that suit.
AURORA: Well, have fun trying to get it off. The silver webbing is ingrained right into my skin.
APRIL: Oh well, I am sure that I will beat you anyway! You are faster, but I am stronger!
**April claps a hand around Aurora’s shoulder, and they both laugh in good-natured camaraderie**
SHEEN: (staring, mouth agape) Dude, what is WRONG with you two? One second you’re at each other’s throats and the next you’re chumming it up!
AURORA: (still smiling) Right, I probably should have warned you. In Gorlock culture it’s tradition to threaten and berate your opponent before your fight. If you don’t, it’s considered an insult. I mean, come on. I don’t really think April’s ugly.
APRIL: And clearly I am not planning to skin and eat her. It is merely combat etiquette to say such things.
SHEEN: Phew, this is one strange universe.
LIBBY: Speakin’ of stange universes…Aurora…did you say that suit is ingrained into your skin? You mean, ya can’t take it off?
AURORA: Well, the blue fabric is retractable, so I can wear other outfits over it, but the silver neural relays are imbedded in my skin. I don’t know how to get them out. I mean, I’m sure there’s a way, but I didn’t build the thing, so you can’t expect me to know what it is. And it’s not exactly like I can just phone up Jimmy and be like, “Hey Jim! So, you remember that suit I stole from you? How do you get the thing off anyway?” I guess being stuck like this is the price I pay for its power. It’s not too bad when you think about it.
APRIL: Perhaps next time you see him you can ask him to take it off?
AURORA: (glaring) April, are you really that clueless or are you just trying to tick me off?
SHEEN: Bwahahahahahahaha!
CARL: I don’t get it…
**Their conversation is interrupted by the sound of static pouring from the intercom. Cindy’s voice follows a moment later**
CINDY’S VOICE: Testing…one…two…three. Can anyone hear me? Hello…
AURORA: (sharply) Cindy, what are you doing? How did you get on the ship’s intercom?
CINDY: Cool your jets. Neutron was too darn lazy to go and find you himself, so I asked the ship to put me over the intercom…all the ship’s systems are voice activated, remember?
AURORA: What do you need?
CINDY: I’ve got good news. No, great news: the antidote’s finished. Meet us in the cockpit.
**Everyone is dead silent for a moment,
then in a flurry they all jump up and, pushing and shoving to get out
the door, make a mad break for the cockpit**
LOL again