Beach Day ... Saved!
Tivk huddled under a poncho. It was amazing how compact he could make himself. The tall lanky frame collapsing under its own weight to all appearances.
"C'mon Tivk! It's a perfect day for a swim!" the Chief said waving for him to join them.
"The water is contaminated," Tivk replied.
"Your dustball planet has seas way more brackish than this!"
Tivk glared from under his hood and over his sunglasses. It was a complex maneuver he'd mastered.
"His homeworld's seas have potassium chloride in them. Sodium chloride irritates his skin," Doc answered not looking up from his book.
"Hey Mr. Tivk, come out from under that tent and get some sun. I thought you were always cold. It's great weather for a tan," Jenn said from lookout. She was on guard for any local animals dumb enough to poison themselves with a mouthful of offworlder.
"It is still too cold, and the sun is too energetic. And it would not tan me, it would burn the skin off me."
Note: I first posted this on the SF Flash Fic Community. But Tivk got his start here on this blog s why not repost?
"Slight exaggeration," Doc muttered. "Why don't you at least take your shoes off and enjoy the sand? I thought you liked sand. Don't you call your planet 'Sand'?"
"The sand has sodium chloride in it and it is too coarse. Thank you for thinking of me ... if belatedly.
Tivk's kind did not mope. left in an unpleasant situation they did their best to ignore it until it passed, even though humans pestered then with questions. He didn't notice the wind picking up and clouds rolling in under a darkening sky. He was thinking of an orange desert far away with dunes you could wander around for ever.
The first raindrop plopped on his left ear which hung out of the hood to kepp himself cool and it jolted him awake. More drops fell, he stopped counting after 72. The rest of the beachgoers were evacuating.
"Where's my sunglasses?
"On your head!"
"Where's the cooler!"
"Get the towels!"
Tivk snorted and stood up impossibly tall and skinny next to the humans and doffed his robes as they hurried to the shuttle and the floaters. Fat raindrops were falling now but he stood still arms spread out and letting the water hit his face and run down his ears. It was a little cold but he endured it.
"TIvk! Let's go, run for the shuttle!"
Tivk, born to red sands and bone dry cliffs snorted again. He spared a short look at the humans and said, "... and miss the rain? Are you MAD?"
"C'mon Tivk! It's a perfect day for a swim!" the Chief said waving for him to join them.
"The water is contaminated," Tivk replied.
"Your dustball planet has seas way more brackish than this!"
Tivk glared from under his hood and over his sunglasses. It was a complex maneuver he'd mastered.
"His homeworld's seas have potassium chloride in them. Sodium chloride irritates his skin," Doc answered not looking up from his book.
"Hey Mr. Tivk, come out from under that tent and get some sun. I thought you were always cold. It's great weather for a tan," Jenn said from lookout. She was on guard for any local animals dumb enough to poison themselves with a mouthful of offworlder.
"It is still too cold, and the sun is too energetic. And it would not tan me, it would burn the skin off me."
Note: I first posted this on the SF Flash Fic Community. But Tivk got his start here on this blog s why not repost?
"Slight exaggeration," Doc muttered. "Why don't you at least take your shoes off and enjoy the sand? I thought you liked sand. Don't you call your planet 'Sand'?"
"The sand has sodium chloride in it and it is too coarse. Thank you for thinking of me ... if belatedly.
Tivk's kind did not mope. left in an unpleasant situation they did their best to ignore it until it passed, even though humans pestered then with questions. He didn't notice the wind picking up and clouds rolling in under a darkening sky. He was thinking of an orange desert far away with dunes you could wander around for ever.
The first raindrop plopped on his left ear which hung out of the hood to kepp himself cool and it jolted him awake. More drops fell, he stopped counting after 72. The rest of the beachgoers were evacuating.
"Where's my sunglasses?
"On your head!"
"Where's the cooler!"
"Get the towels!"
Tivk snorted and stood up impossibly tall and skinny next to the humans and doffed his robes as they hurried to the shuttle and the floaters. Fat raindrops were falling now but he stood still arms spread out and letting the water hit his face and run down his ears. It was a little cold but he endured it.
"TIvk! Let's go, run for the shuttle!"
Tivk, born to red sands and bone dry cliffs snorted again. He spared a short look at the humans and said, "... and miss the rain? Are you MAD?"
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