March: A Tale of Salmon and Swedes (The Glothic Tales Book 4) by Derek Haines Read Free Book Online

choice for a moment. ‘Oh, this looks good,’ he said, as he selected a song, and turned up the volume a little.
    If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
    Honey I'm still free

Take a chance on me
     
    If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
    If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down
    If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown
    Honey I'm still free

Take a chance on me
    Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie
    If you put me to the test, if you let me try
     

Take a chance on me
    (That's all I ask of you honey)
    Take a chance on me.
    ‘They are fantastic! How did you discover them?’
    ‘By accident, really.’
    ‘Absolutely wonderful. I love the sound of their voices. Quite unique. And you say you’re going to meet them?’
    ‘Oh, no plans yet, but I’d very much like to.’
    ‘There’s just enough room on our shuttle for the four of them,’ Clikk said, with a wry smile.
    ‘Ah, yes, just!’ March agreed, as they both laughed.
    ‘This is meant to be my last flight to Earth on this mission, but if you manage to convince these four to come back with you, send me a message by Q’muniktor and I’ll apply happily for the round trip!’
    ‘And risk being blown up by missiles, yet again?’
    ‘Oh, it would be worth pressing my luck one more time to meet these people. Are you sure they’re human?’
    ‘No, I’m not sure about that at all. But they have something special about them, don’t they?’
    ‘Magical,’ Clikk said, finally and reluctantly handing THE back to March.
    The nearly two hours to teleporting passed quickly after March found a few karaoke versions of Abba songs, and he and Clikk took turns in singing along with Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid, as they orbited closer to Earth’s surface. If it hadn’t been for warning beeps and flashing lights from Clikk’s dashboard, in the middle of their enthusiastic duo rendition of Fernando , they may have missed their rendezvous coordinates completely.
    *****
    Clikk opened the small hatch in the floor in the aisle of the shuttle and waited, as March gathered his sack – and courage. ‘I guess it’s time then,’ he said, now standing nervously opposite Clikk, looking down at the hole in the floor.
    ‘Ready?’
    ‘I guess so.’
    ‘Have you turned your Q’muniktor onto geoping?’
    ‘Oh, ok,’ March said, and pulled it from his sack to make the adjustment.
    ‘Now your contact should be able to locate you when you land.’
    ‘Should be able to?’
    ‘Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.’
    March gave Clikk a less than convinced look.
    ‘Ok. Sit on the side of the hatch, with your legs down in the teleport, then, lower yourself to support your weight on your elbows.’
    March slung his sack over his shoulder and then did as Clikk said. He looked up at Clikk, and they exchanged uneasy smiles as Clikk checked his watch.
    ‘When I say go, relax, and let yourself fall.’
    ‘Relax huh? I doubt it.’
    ‘Ok, five, four, three, two, one … go!’
    March let his elbows go, and as he fell through into the teleport, he caught Clikk’s wave goodbye above him before he was enveloped in blackness. It felt as if he was in a water slide, except for the lack of water, but his fall was a little slower than he had expected. Not that he had known what to expect though, but he was pleased to discover that when he bounced from the sides of the teleport on his way down, they weren’t solid like a water slide. It felt more like he was bouncing to and from balloons, albeit with a course sandpaper like finish. Whatever the inside of the teleport was made of, it seemed to help slow his fall considerably.
    His landing came as a surprise though, as the end of teleport clearly didn’t quite reach to ground level.
    ‘Ouch!’ he yelped, as his legs hit the ground, hard, then slid immediately from beneath him, landing heavily on his backside, before falling painfully onto his back, and then due to his backward momentum, banged