Floating on the Sun Ocean

Anna Jane opened her eyes. “Did work?”

“Did what work?” Vivian asked. The little girl turned her head.

“We’re still alive?” she asked.

“Yeah,” the geisha said. Anna Jane pumped her fists in the arm.

“It worked!” she shouted.

“What are you talking about?” Vivian asked. Anna Jane put her hands on her hips and grinned.

“I saved us from getting shot down!” she said. Vivian wrinkled her nose.

“No, you didn’t,” she said.

“I did!” Anna Jane shouted. Vivian snorted.

“How childish,” she muttered. Anna Jane frowned. The girls turned when they heard groaning. Sgt. Ripley sat up, rubbing her forehead.

“Ugh. What happened?” she asked. The sergeant looked up.

“Oh,” she said. “You made it. You girls okay?”

“Yes,” Anna Jane and Vivian said.

“Good, good,” Sgt. Ripley said. “Where is everyone else?” More groans filled George’s belly. The boys and bears sat up.

“What happened?” Logan asked.

“Everyone okay?” Sgt. Patel asked.

“Yes,” the girls said. Anna Jane looked up.

“George?” she asked. There was a pause. Her stomach dropped.

“George?” the girl asked again.

“Meep,” the creature whimpered. Anna Jane breathed out.

“Thank goodness,” she said.

“Now what?” Vivian asked. The sergeants looked at each other.

“We float along for now,” Sgt. Patel said.

“Where are we?” Logan asked. The two adults had no answer.

“Meep,” George said.

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The captain left the tower.

“Hold your fire!” he yelled. All of the firing stopped. Everything went quiet. The captain pulled out his telescope. He couldn’t see a thing in the sky. This wasn’t enough.

“Sent the boats!” he commanded.

“Sir!” the troops shouted.

“About face!” the captain yelled. The army turned around.

“Forward, march!” he yelled. The troops marched out of the base. The captain pulled out his radio.

“We’re looking for them now,” he said. “We will have them soon.” The monkey captain clicked off his radio and grinned. Chronus would soon be theirs.

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George floated on the water. Inside, Anna Jane stared at her radio. She had so many questions now. The child reached out for one of the knobs. Static came through the air. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for. More static filled the air.

“Can you turn it down?” Sgt. Patel asked. Anna Jane turned her head.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. The child turned down her radio.

“Thank you,” the sergeant said. Anna Jane tilted her head.

“I have a question,” she said. The sergeant raised his eyebrow.

“What?” he asked.

“Can my radio channel other worlds?” Anna Jane asked.

“What do you mean?” he asked. The child shrugged. “It’s kind of hard to explain.” She went back to playing with the dials.

“Do you hear the voices?” Sgt. Patel asked. Anna Jane turned her head.

“You too?” she asked. The sergeant crawled over to her.

“We get them all the time on the base,” he said. Anna Jane’s eyes widened.

“Really?” she asked. The sergeant nodded.

“What do they say?” Anna Jane asked.

“We can’t tell,” Sgt. Patel said. “It comes out jumbled up.”

“Why is that?” the girl asked.

“We don’t know,” he said. Suddenly, Anna Jane’s radio crackled on. Everyone turned their heads. The little girl crawled over to the radio. A voice came through the speaker.

“Hello?” Anna Jane asked.

“Hello? Can anybody hear me?” a voice asked over the air. “Hello? Hello?”

“We’re here!” Anna Jane said. She reached for her radio.

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Meanwhile, the panda army crossed the desert. The monkey army floated across the ocean. She had to try and stop them before it was too late. She had to at least try.

React Out to the Sea