Page 41 of The Bully Alien

It still takes another two hours before I think it's actually a somewhat decent signal, capable o reaching two solar systems away. Not a big reach at all, not compared to Grollian standards, but for Earthlings, this is massive.

I keep making tweaks and then listening to the frequencies, even sending out a few messages just to see if anyone can hears me.

It's not until around eleven in the morning that I receive a message back.

"Wyatt? Is that you?"

My heart skips a beat. "Franx!"

"No frackling! It is you, Wyatt! What the frackling are you doing way out there?"

"Where are you?" I ask.

"Beyond light years away from you."

"How soon can you pick me up?" I demand. "I have to get off of this rock. I need to get to Grixulara ASAP."

"ASAP?"

"As soon as possible."

He laughs. "Where did you learn that?"

It is so damn good to hear Xular, our language. I didn't have to learn English or Spanish or any language here on Earth. I have a chip that enables me to speak and understand other languages. I'm surprised Delana hasn't asked me about that, but maybe she thinks I learned from all of my years here.

"I'm on Earth."

"That backwater hole?"

"Yes," I say impatiently. "How soon can you come here?"

"I can't."

"You can't?"

"I'm grounded."

"What? Why?"

"I'm on Halio."

"Halio? Why?"

He says nothing.

"Why aren't you on Grixulara?" I ask, my heart sinking.

"You don't know."

"I don't know what? Don't tell me those fucking Xarillians took over our planet," I growl.

"No." He pauses. "Not them."

"Then who?"

"The Grots."

A ringing sound starts in my ears. I don't need to hear more to already know that this is the worst possible outcome that could have ever happened to the Grollas.