826 National

Earnestly Grumpy
by Gabriela Tiscareño
Gabriela Tiscareño is a seventeen year old student at 826LA.

     The atmosphere on the planet was heavy with the hustle and bustle generated by the concerns of its citizens, who ran to and fro between things they sought to delve deeper into—their latest discoveries, newest theories, and sudden epiphanies. Space cars hummed above like worker bees trying to find the biggest hive with the most honey. On the streets walked the younger generation, resentful for being restricted from the air for their competitive and reckless behavior.
     Amid the crowd of walking youth ran an especially peculiar little alien who believed he had come upon a theory twenty billion times more fantastic than the leading scientist of their time. The alien dodged power-walking teens and jumped over benches, growing ever eager to reach the laboratory. He hoped it would be open so he could test his latest experiment. With growing anticipation, he came upon the sight of Martianstein, a slightly smaller alien, entering the building like a puppy running to get fed. Earnest paid the bike rental man, picked up an asteroid bike, and took off at impressive speed. Jumping off at the lab entrance, Earnest ran in after Martianstein and managed to catch a glimpse of the back of Martianstein’s head just as the elevator doors closed after him.
     Eagerly, Earnest waited for the next one. As he entered a crowded elevator, Earnest saw the fresh new faces he assumed were the new apprentices to the prestigious League of Scientists. He saw the anxiety on the young faces, and he entertained the idea of tormenting them for just a little while.
     “Are you the new elite team? Wow! Congratulations! Good luck discovering new galaxies!”
     They looked at each other in surprise, looking for a sign of confirmation from their fellow apprentices, who were also evidently unaware of this requisite.
     Earnest turned to look at a martian whose eyes were opened wide in terror, scared by Earnest’s lie. The martian farthest from Earnest just looked straight ahead, although Earnest noticed his fingers shaking slightly and a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. Amused, Earnest said, “Oh, don’t worry too much now! Rumor has it it’s not so hard!” As the elevator came to a stop, Earnest said goodbye, stepped out, and, with a quick glance over his shoulder, waved goodbye to the panic-stricken faces. He walked back around in the direction he was originally headed with a wide smirk.
     Oh, those naive scientists, they’ll believe anything! Shows how little they know! Surely I would never have been fooled, thought Earnest with a chuckle.
     Turning right, he saw little Martianstein running down a corridor. Earnest sped up, knocking over the dazed Martianstein. “Hey Marty! Where are ya headin’ in such a hurry?”
     Martianstein got up, rubbing his head and looking very annoyed. He picked up his glasses and looked up at Earnest. “Greetings, Earnest. To what do I owe this…pleasant surprise?”
     “Well, I noticed you were in a hurry, so I just wanted to know what the big deal is.”
     Martianstein, while cleaning his glasses, raised his head slightly and looked at Earnest dubiously. “Well, what a fine observation. I’m sure that’s not the only reason why you saw the need for such a formal greeting. Anyway, I don’t have much time to explain.”
     “Are we feeling too important this morning? Ha!” laughed Earnest. “You’ve gotta tell me, Marty. Don’t think I’ll let you leave until you do.”
     Martianstein looked down at his watch, clearly not sharing Earnest’s sense of humor. “If you must know, I received a rather important call from the…Planet Agency…and they are seeking my help in determining whether a certain…uh…portal…is functional. OKAY! I’ll be on my way now!”
     “Aw, come on Marty! Don’t be short with me; tell me…what portal? Where is it? What for?”
     Martianstein looked around as if he had quite little interest in their conversation. “Earth.”
     “HA! Are you serious? I would’ve never expected such a brainiac like you to ever believe that myth! Earth does not exist! I’da thought you knew better!” said Earnest, shaking his head in disbelief.
     Martianstein looked down at Earnest’s seven-year-old medal and realized the possible reason for Earnest’s enthusiastic interest in his affairs. Oh, that Participation Medal, Martianstein thought to himself. Perhaps one day he’ll figure it out. Martianstein rolled his eyes and heaved a deep sigh. Looking up at Earnest, he shook his head in defeat.
     “Yes, well, silly me. If you don’t have any further inquiries, I’ll be on my way now. Have a nice day, Earnest.” Earnest was completely bewildered by Martianstein’s terse reply. “That Marty is a funny fellow. He must be hiding something from me…doesn’t he know I am not easily fooled? Like I’d actually believe that Earth nonsense! But why would he lie to me?”
     Suddenly something occurred to him, and he gasped. “What if it is true? What if Marty wasn’t lying? Earth! Why, that would be fascinating to see, and if I were the first to arrive, I could return with my discoveries and become world-renowned!” Earnest looked at the medal around his neck and was filled with pride. This medal was his most prized possession. He had won it at the Young Scientist Convention when he was just eight years old. He could still remember the day he received it. He was so proud of his accomplishment, yet memories of his mother’s reaction the morning he set off to the convention disappointed him. He remembered it as if it were yesterday.
     Earnest, in his excitement, had jumped off the last three steps of the staircase in a hurry, scuttling past his mother, who stood in the doorway. The green walls were a blur as he headed out the door toward the gate.
     “Wait a minute! And just where do you think you’re going?”
     Earnest came to a sudden stop, his wide smile reversing into a frown. He slowly turned around to face his mother, disappointed by the delay. He tried to sound respectful.
     “Yes, mother?”
     “You heard me. Where are you going?”
     There was that look again, the one she always gave him. His mother wore it when he left the house, suspicious of mischief from her only son. It was the look she gave him after he had shattered the glass in the fish exhibit, when he had lost his great grandfather’s relic, and when he had damaged a fellow classmate’s “genius” invention two years prior. To Earnest, she seemed almost incapable of any other facial expression. Before, when her face displayed such a warning, Earnest would leave home, fearful of having upset her. But now, since this was the only face he ever saw on his mother, it implanted only a sense of aggravation…or, on rare occasions, amusement.
     Earnest looked up at his mother modestly, trying to contain his frustration. Today was not a day to be amused by her assumptions. It was a special day.
     “To the Science Fair!” he said quite innocently, and he threw his arms up into the air with a hint of frustration. He had told his mom about the Science Fair at least ten times the week before, and now there she was, questioning him in a scolding tone.
     His mother released her arms, which were folded across her chest, and softened her angry expression.
     “Oh…that’s right. Well…good luck then…”
     She attempted an encouraging smile and remained standing, her eyes conveying a sudden wish for him to not respond and be on his way. Earnest was taken back by her response. He had half expected her to apologize for her attitude and then ask about how his invention functioned. Looking at her suspiciously, he slowly turned around toward his initial direction. As he walked away, he pondered his mother’s reaction.
     Just like that? No “Oh, great! Good luck! I know you’ll do well!”? No sincere words of encouragement? I worked so hard on my project. Doesn’t she think it has the potential to win first place? I have to win! I bet no one comes close to my invention! I mean, I would expect it from Director Folley, but my mom? Director Folley has always been so skeptical of my inventions. This is the year to prove him wrong! Apparently, now I have to prove myself to two people. I have to leave with a medal. I just have to.
     And he did. He had to admit, he was confused when the judges failed to distribute first-, second-, and third-place medals, but he felt gratified receiving a medal. Since winning the medal at the Science Fair, Earnest was most anxious for another opportunity to show the planet his potential to lead the way into a more advanced future. Apparently, he still yearned to be recognized for the potential no one but him seemed to acknowledge.
     Earnest decided to follow Marty. From a distance he saw Martianstein turn a corner into another corridor. He ascended four flights of stairs, made a left turn into a hallway, and entered an elevator on the fifth floor. Turning right into a tunnel, he disappeared into the darkness.
     Walking through the tunnel with trepidation, Earnest suddenly doubted whether following Martianstein was a good idea. He proceeded carefully, anxious to discover Martianstein’s secret.
     At the end of the tunnel was a large, round, white door, and through that door was a hallway with several doors lining both sides. The hallway seemed to extend hundreds of feet. He knew the doors would be locked, unlike the entrance. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his cousin’s genius invention, the one Earnest called “The Unlocker.” He was so grateful that his cousin left it unattended at their last family demonstration. Earnest felt it was not unlawful to steal his cousin’s invention when his cousin had stolen his idea, after all.
     Looking at each door carefully, Earnest found a door numbered “51.” He heard small footsteps approaching and concluded it was Martianstein. Earnest skidded back out the white door and stood behind it. Seconds later, Martianstein ran out in a hurry, clueless as to Earnest’s presence.
     Assuming it was safe, Earnest sped back into the hallway, placing the Unlocker against the door. Allowing it some time to identify the code, he waited for the door to open.
     Stepping inside the laboratory, he immediately saw where Martianstein had previously been. It was a large cylindrical object that was capable of fitting four average-sized martians inside it. The door was slightly ajar, and papers were spread across the table sitting parallel to the oddly shaped object. Observing that the code had already been inserted, Earnest concluded that Martianstein had left in such a hurry that he did not bother to erase the code or close the door. With mounting curiosity, Earnest stepped inside the cylinder, closed the door, and pressed the biggest button.
     Feeling a sudden lurch in his stomach, Earnest felt his feet touch new ground and felt the strange air of an unfamiliar place smoothly whip his face. Fearfully, Earnest mustered up the courage to open his eyes. Blinking repeatedly, with his head held upward, he saw a murky gray sky. Against it were ugly, distastefully-designed pillars overlooking the region like a monster menacingly protecting his territory, pronouncing his control over all that roamed the area. He smelled something foul, very much unlike anything he had ever smelled. He surveyed his surroundings and realized that he was in some sort of dingy, gray alley. There were odd-shaped drawings that curved in and around each other, creating a labyrinth of symbols that, presumably, were in place to advise inhabitants of the structure’s purpose. Earnest could not determine any other reason for its existence. In his opinion, it could hardly be considered art.
     He heard a loud, obnoxious noise that prompted a woman somewhere to yell, “It’s an alien!”
     Looking down, Earnest saw a furry creature wagging its tentacle pathetically. It appeared eager to serve him. Earnest looked around for the old female creature and saw her running down the alley, her heavy white bags strewn on the floor in disarray.
     Attempting to make the smell more tolerable, Earnest raised his finger toward the sky, commanding his powers to filter the air. Oddly, his powers were ineffective. At that moment, Earnest realized that he should not be there.
     That’s odd! My powers don’t seem to work… Maybe they’ll work where the atmosphere is cleaner. I must leave this human dwelling. This has to be a mistake! There seems to be no life here. No, I cannot make an assumption from what I’ve just seen. I need to go to the nearest place with a concentrated population. I do hope that’s possible. I almost don’t know what to expect. Creatures on Earth are so peculiar.
     Earnest beckoned to the little creature, apparently named Alien. “Come on, Alien. Let’s go.”
     Turning around the corner, big buildings came into view. Earnest was not impressed. Ha! I’m sure they’re proud of these. Is this all they have to show? For their sake, I hope not.
     Attempting a second time to use his powers, he punched in the coordinates for his desired destination on the command system wrapped around his wrist and waited for the latitude and longitude to appear. When they did, Earnest wrapped his hands around the underside of the little creature and pressed the bright red letters reading “enter” on his wrist.
     Earnest and Alien landed in what seemed to be another deserted location. Earnest was about to yell in frustration. It seemed nothing was going according to plan.
     “Well, I didn’t plan this trip, but it is upsetting that my brilliant ideas keep failing. This sight is so disappointing, wouldn’t you say so Alien? …Alien?”
     Looking around for Alien, he saw the furry creature crouched behind a gray cylinder, shaking with fright and with what Earnest finally decided was a tail tucked between its legs.
     “Oh, how could I forget? You’re human…or…some sort of sub-human or something! You wouldn’t know anything about the wonders of transporting. Aw come on, shake it off! We need to get going.”
     Alien stood trembling and remained staring at Earnest.
     “I said LET’S GO!”
     The creature bolted from its position and took off at amazing speed.
     Earnest rolled his eyes. “Eh, go ahead. You’re useless anyways.”
     Turning a corner, Earnest saw humans of all sizes walking in large groups. The majority of their skin was covered, and to make it worse, they wore annoyingly brightly- colored clothing and hats. Some of the humans were holding miniature humans in their arms or holding onto their hands. Some large-sized humans were embracing each other. The sight of all of this was sickening.
     One couple in particular passed right in front of him. The male spoke to him directly: “Hey kiddo, nice costume.” He smiled down at Earnest. Earnest was outraged.
     Why, they’re acting as if I were an inhabitant of their planet. How dare he associate me with an inferior race! How dare he even speak to me! What is a kid doe? And why is he patronizing me? Humans are despicable!
     “Cute costume. I take it you’re lost too?”
     Earnest turned around, startled. “Huh? Are you speaking to me?”
     “No silly, I was talking to the wall behind you. Of course you!”
     The creature speaking to him was small and female. She had light brown hair, piercing green eyes, and small pink lips. She had a big, bright, round, colorful object in her hands. Earnest stepped a few feet away from her, but when he realized she would not cause him any harm, he got closer and looked into her eyes. “Who are you? And what is it that you possibly think I can do for you?”
     The little girl grinned. “You talk funny. How old are you?”
     “That is no business of yours. Now walk away, human; do not disturb me.”
     “Aw, I know you’re scared. Disneyland is a safe place though. No one here will hurt you. Just come with me to the lost-and-found. I know where it is. This happened last time, and the time before.”
     “What did you say this place was called?” “Disneyland?”
     “Disneyland…is this the home of Disney people?”
     “No, I wouldn’t call it that. The Disney characters aren’t real. Didn’t your mommy tell you?”
     “Who are these people you keep referring to?”
     “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I don’t feel like playing. So just come with me, and you’ll be all right.”
     Earnest was bewildered. Why does this creature insist on remaining by my side? Why does she think I need her help? What does she want from me, and why does she not fear me? She looks so powerless. If only my powers worked I could send her away. Far away.
     “Have you seen Monsters, Inc.?”
     “What? What are you babbling about now, and why are you still here?”
     “Monsters, Inc. Have you seen it?”
     “I have not seen a monster’s ink! I do see several monsters, though,” Earnest said in hushed tones.
     “What did you say?”
     “I said monsters stink. Listen! Uh…creature?”
     “Lily.”
     “What?”
     “My name is Lily.”
     Earnest stared at the creature, bewildered as to why she thought he would care for how she was regarded on this planet. He had no interest in familiarizing himself with any individual. His main goal was quite simple: figure out the nature of these odd beings, return home with his findings, and begin a campaign for the destruction of an incompetent society and the remodeling of a dual society.
     “Okay, creature. How about you wander off now?”
     “Oh look!” Lily interrupted. “It’s Princess Belle!”
     “Yes, run off to your…Princess?” Looking at this Princess Belle creature, Earnest stood transfixed. This creature was truly beautiful. She was wearing possibly the oddest clothing and the brightest shade of yellow he had ever seen. Despite her peculiarity, her beauty still emanated.
     “Come on!” Lily said, pulling his arm and stopping in front of Princess Belle. “Umm…Belle? Can I have your autograph?”
     “Well hello! My, what a cute dress you have on! Who is your friend?”
     “He won’t tell me his name. Just call him Grumpy.”
     “Like the Seven Dwarves?”
     “Oh no, he’s worse.”
     “Well Grumpy, I love your costume. I think my friends at Toy Story would love it!”
     “Uh…toy…uh…wait, what?”
     “Oh, children! Where are your parents?”
     “Mommy is waiting in front of the restroom. She knows I’m here.”
     “Why won’t she come?”
     “She’s waiting for my little brother to come out of the restroom, and Grumpy here hasn’t seen much of Disneyland.”
     The two females continued conversing, and after the smaller one used her evil ways of insisting, the creature Belle stopped waiting for “Mommy” to appear and allowed them to go on their way.
     After getting Belle’s autograph, Lily tugged Earnest, shaking him into consciousness.
     “What’s up with you, Grumpy?”
     Earnest could not explain what he was feeling. He had never been so captivated by anything other than inventions at science fairs. All he knew was that he wouldn’t mind having Princess Belle live on his planet. Although she served no purpose, she was certainly something he’d like to take back home.
     As Earnest continued walking with Lily, he continued thinking. He was wondering what had compelled him so about the beautiful creature. He was afraid of succumbing to humanlike temptations. More determined than ever to abandon this annoying child who took it upon herself to torture him, Earnest looked around and around as if in a daze, staring at all the brightly-colored hats and smiling faces. Looking at the high, white mountain and the large contraptions moving the earthlings who were squealing in delight, Earnest was disgusted by the sight of them.
     These beings are a disgrace to the universal race! Could there possibly be a better example of their low intelligence? Is this any way to live? Don’t they fear for their future? These humans don’t seem to be taking the necessary precautions to ensure a stable future for the next generation. Their lives are so unfulfilling. Yes, clearly. Clearly they are unintelligent. Now, the question is, how have they managed to be in existence for so long?
     He began contemplating how he could destroy this planet and return home. It would give me so much pleasure, thought Earnest, to wipe those ignorant smiles off their faces and to muffle that loud, irritable laughter. There is no space for this species in this universe. I can already imagine all the glory I’ll receive when my beloved planet discovers that I have found an inhabitable region where more technology can thrive. After all…Earth is just an insignificant speck in this entire universe, and these humans are worth far less.
     Awakening from his blissful daydream into this horrid reality, his thoughts filled with mischief. Looking at Lily, Earnest realized he needed to find a way to distract her if he was going to put his ideas into action.
     Just then he found his answer. Suddenly he heard a loud groan from dozens of people standing near each other in a long line. They were pointing up at the object stuck on a mountainous edge. He smiled wide and thought, I can fool this deficient child.
     Suddenly Earnest pulled on her arm, like she had done to him earlier.
     “Oh, looook Earthling!”
     “Huh? What? Look at what?”
     “Humans. Up there! What’s happening?”
     “Oh no! They’re stuck!”
     “Stuck? As in permanently? Yes…too bad…what a tragedy…do you think I can get up there?”
     “You? But you’re little! Maybe someone else can help them. I don’t think you can.”
     “He—help?” Now why would I want to do that, Earnest thought. “Well…maybe I can. Just sit here.”
     Lily was surprised to see Earnest act so deliberately determined. She couldn’t help but trust his word. Her curiosity prompted her to do as he had suggested, so she sat on a bench and continued to lick her lollipop.
     Earnest strode over to the line that was hundreds of feet below the stuck humans. He held his head high, wearing a wide grin. His brisk step amazed the people standing in line. They had never seen a child behave in such a manner, especially when lost in a place like Disneyland. Some adults stared down at Earnest in amusement; others, in concern. Children broke into bits of giggles. As Earnest approached the fence, he attempted to hop over it with a boost from his powers. He jumped up but came straight back down, and the crowd began to laugh.
     “Need a hand there, son?” said a man as he turned to his wife with a chuckle. She frowned, her husband’s smile faded, and she said, “Are your parents stuck up there?”
     Earnest reflected on her question. Ah, you pathetic creatures! Don’t you realize I am going to release the greatest terror your planet has ever seen?
     He balled his fists and pushed the swinging gate open. He raised his hands and waved them swiftly, attempting to demonstrate his powers by lifting the contraption and sending it flying.
     Children broke out laughing at his public display.
     “Mommy, he thinks his costume gives him powers!”
     The adults thought it was adorable.
     “Oh honey, look, he wants to summon down his parents!”
     Humiliated, Earnest was perplexed as to why he was powerless on this planet. Panicked, he tried again, but again he failed. The children broke out into laughter once more, and the adults were embarrassed for the little child.
     As Earnest stood in concentration, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Earnest lifted his head and gazed into the face of an older man. The older man wore a kind smile. He was the only person not laughing, and his smile did not seem to contain ridicule. It seemed to suggest that he sympathized with Earnest. He extended his hand to Earnest, who, grateful for an escape, held onto the man’s hand and followed him into a cave. He was disappointed in himself for having accepted refuge from a human and was eager to redeem his dignity.
     Once inside the cave, Earnest finally lifted his head and saw the tracks to his right. He noticed they were climbing up steps into an unknown area, which he assumed led to the tracks where the humans were stuck. The man looked behind him to see if Earnest was still following him.
     “Come on son, we’ll get your mommy and daddy down from there. Just follow me. Watch your step there.” Leading him into a room with several control systems, he sat Earnest down in a chair.
     “Just sit tight. Lisa will watch after you. You can see on this surveillance video that everyone is still okay and that we will get them down real soon. You’ll see.”
     The man closed the door behind him. The Lisa woman was sitting in her own chair with an object, similar to a book with several pictures, held up to her face. She quickly glanced at Earnest and went back to the article she was reading. From behind the magazine she said, “Cute costume, kid, you’re the first I’ve seen with it.” Earnest stayed silent and walked closer to the object that projected an image of the occurrences outside. He wanted to reach the humans, but he wasn’t sure how he would do it. He turned his attention to his miniature command system, calculated the altitude levels where the humans were located, and punched in new coordinates. Pressing “enter,” he braced himself for the transporting.
     Once again, he felt his feet touch solid ground. He was at the edge of the cave, many feet higher than he was before. He climbed the few more steps that led out of the cave and walked onto the tracks where the stuck object was situated. He heard a loud gasp from a woman inside. The male sitting beside her quickly spoke. “Hey buddy, what’re you doing up here on the tracks? It’s dangerous!”
     The woman sitting next to him said, “Oh, someone should get him down from here! Or at least into the roller coaster car!”
     “Relax.” The man looked around, as if carefully choosing his words. “Hey bud, that’s a nice medal you got there. What’s it for?”
     The man’s question caught Earnest off guard.
     “Huh? Oh…I won it at a science fair.”
     “What? No way! That’s awesome! What did you invent?”
     “Spotless. It cleans up after messes.”
     “Wow, that’s great! I never won anything in all the science fairs I’ve been in.”
     “You’ve been in science fairs?”
     “Yup. Plenty. I always wanted to be a scientist. I always thought it would be amazing to invent something that others could really use and admire me for, but boy, pleasing people is hard. Especially in that field. You always need to be better than the next guy. Man, it’s tough.”
     “So what did you do instead?”
     “Art. I just found the beauty in simple things. I wanted to share that with others. It doesn’t make their lives easier or anything, but people need distractions. That’s why I came to Disneyland today.”
     “You mean this isn’t what you do every day?”
     “No! Wow, I wish! The last time I came was like six years ago.”
     “Why would you waste a day of your life?”
     “Waste? I don’t consider this a waste of time.”
     “So you take breaks from improving your life?”
     “No, of course not. It’s not like that. Listen. I kind of thought the same way you do, but then I realized if I live every day in preparation for the next, my work is never-ending. Until my death, of course. I don’t want to prepare for my death. I want to enjoy the life I’ve been given. There are a lot of things worth living for in the world, not just advancement. If I spend all my time focused on how I will fix the next day, I won’t enjoy the present day. If you really think about it, you’ll never enjoy any day. You need to take breaks and start living your life.”
     “So…you never bothered to work on that project from your science fair.”
     “Nah. It took me a while to realize I’m not meant for that kind of stuff, and I’m glad I eventually learned that and, well, accepted it too. Otherwise, I would’ve truly wasted my time. You know what else is a waste of time?”
     “What?”
     “Being stuck up here.”
     Earnest grinned. Earnest was not offended by this man. He surprised Earnest by proving to him that he did indeed use the brain nature had given him, and put it to some use as well. Earnest looked down at all the people on the ground staring up at him in horror.
     So these people attempt to enjoy every day of their lives? They’re all so different. It doesn’t bother them? They have time to choose to spend a whole day to dedicate to laughter and amusement? Earnest thought about the way earthlings interacted with each other. They were neither competitive nor judgmental. They accepted him the minute they saw him. Granted, they didn’t know he was a martian from another planet, but despite how foreign he was to their lifestyle, they accepted him. All they had to offer him were smiles. The kind old man, the worried woman, the furry creature, and even Lily.
     Earnest looked down at his wrist and saw a little light signaling the temporary return of his powers. He wiggled his fingers and felt strength in them. He placed his hands against the cart and mustered up all his power to push the cart down the tracks.
     The cart started with a jolt, and the passengers sat up in surprise and relief to see that the ride was fixed. They turned back to look at Earnest, still worried about his well-being.
     He smiled and waved at them, making his descent down the stairs and back into the cave.
     When he finally reached the ground, Earnest dodged the humans who rushed to check whether he had been hurt. He scuttled past the crowd to a remote area where he hoped not to be seen. He still needed to collect his thoughts and determine what he was going to do next.
     “Grumpy!”
     Earnest turned around, looking for that voice he had heard all day. It was Lily.
     “That was amazing!”
     “What was?”
     “How you tried to help them! I didn’t believe you at first, but wow!”
     Earnest smiled at Lily. She kept grinning, apparently astonished that he was capable of showing delight after having been bitter for so long. Then Earnest heard another familiar voice.
     “EARNEST! Wh—what are you doing here?”
     “Martianstein?”
     “You can NOT be here!”
     “Why not?”
     “The portal! It’s defective! Our powers don’t work here. It’s dangerous to come ill-equipped!”
     “Who’s he? Is he your little brother?” asked Lily. Earnest and Marty ignored her.
     “No, I’m sorry Marty, I can’t leave. There are a couple of things I need to do.”
     “No, you must come back. The committee has found out, and they ordered me to bring you back immediately! Let’s go! You have no idea what’s in store for you if you stay any longer. Or us, I should say!
     “Uh—Marty, not to change the subject, but uh—how’d you get here?”
     “No time for that now. I’ll explain later. You’re in major trouble right now, and we need to plead your case at home.”
     “You don’t need to do that for me, Marty, honestly.”
     “Huh? Why not?”
     “Listen, I take full responsibility for my actions. I’m sorry for breaking into your experiment site. I’ll plead my own case, but I’m not too worried about what they say, or of what punishment they’ll find suitable.”
     “You do realize you’ll probably be banned from all laboratories and from scientific research, right?” Earnest smiled. “Yeah, I figured. But that doesn’t worry me too much. What’s more important is that they learn about Earth. Before they decide to do something drastic, that is.”
     Martianstein, staring at Earnest in disbelief, half expected him to take off a mask and reveal someone else. He could not believe that Earnest was sincerely indifferent to being banned from science. Science was the reason that Earnest considered Martianstein his rival for so long. He eyed Lily, who was listening intently to their conversation.
     Earnest also looked at Lily and grinned. “Oh, Marty. We have a lot to talk about. And do me a favor: don’t worry too much about it.”
     Martianstein walked him to the space car and opened up the doors. They both got inside, put on their glasses, and prepared for flight.
     “Bye, Grumpy!” yelled Lily, waving enthusiastically.
     “Earnest,” said Earnest.
     “What?” asked Lily.
     “My name is Earnest.”

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