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Chapter 6
Coach led them into a large metal hallway, where they headed towards a door at the end. He waved his springy hand in front of it, and it slid open. He walked in and looked back. "Well, come on in. Everyone's here."
It looked like a living room area, with plenty of chairs and a thing that might have been a futuristic television situated in the middle. Two other aliens, almost identical to Coach, lounged around the TV. They sat up a bit straighter and stared at Jessie and Ryder, the same way the boys stared at them. Another man, one who looked human, sat in the corner of the room, but Jessie didn't pay him much mind.
"These are my friends, and your new teammates. Like my name, theirs would be too much for you, so call them Rake and Stretch. Our final team member gave them their nicknames."
Before they could figure out which was Rake and which was Stretch, they turned to look at the man in the corner. Ryder gasped. Jessie frowned, looked over at Ryder, and back at the man. Then it hit him. That was Mickey Martell! He didn't know how he'd not made the connection right away. He'd seen the posters often enough.
"Mickey Martell," Ryder said, a look of reverence on his face.
"You got it, kid," Mickey Martell said as he stood up. "Now if you'll all excuse me, it's time for my beauty sleep." Without looking back, he walked to another door and left.
"Likes to keep to himself," one of the aliens, either Stretch or Rake, said.
"Fine by me," said the other. "All that matters is that he's the best player in the tournament."
"What tournament?" Ryder asked.
"The Intergalactic Over the Line Tournament. Didn't Coach fill you in?"
"Not yet," Coach said. "Wanted to get them situated first."
"An Over the Line tournament? You're kidding, right? You dragged us out into space for that?"
Either Stretch or Rake grunted. Jessie stared over at them to see if he could tell them apart. He noticed one had a bit rounder head and a more blue-green skin color. The other was the green color of fresh grass.
"It's only the most important event each galactic year, kid."
"Patience, Rake," Coach said. "I said I haven't explained anything yet."
That solved that mystery. Rake was the one with the blue-green skin.
"But why Over the Line?" Ryder asked. "Why not real baseball?"
"We mix the best of both," Coach said. "You'll understand when you see how the field is set up."
"But why us?" Jessie's voice squeaked when he spoke, but he continued. "Especially if pros like Mickey Martell are playing. We're just kids."
"There are special rules for children. You'll learn them later. We think Ryder is good enough to exploit those rules and give us a leg up on the competition. You're just here for the ride, Jessie. We needed to leave, so we couldn't wait another night to get Ryder alone. But don't worry, you'll have a good time."
"So what rules do you guys use?" Ryder asked. "How does this tournament work? When do we start?"
Coach laughed. Rake and Stretch had gone back to the television thing, though Jessie couldn't quite see what was on it, and he heard no sounds. "No need to rush these things. Even with the wormhole, we have a couple of days ahead of us. When you wake up, we'll go over everything. I'll even let you both in the simulator to get a feel for the game."
"But I'm not tired," Ryder said. "Can't we do it all now?"
"Later," Coach said. "You might not be tired, but I am."
Jessie looked over at Coach. "Do you sleep like we do?" His voice cracked a bit. He still couldn't get over that he was on a spaceship talking to an alien.
"We do. Our planets share a similar rotation and day-night cycle. We keep to it on the ship. Out here that little bit of normalcy is a great help in staying alert. And sane."
Coach led them out the same door Mickey Martell left from and down another short hallway. Numerous doors lined both walls. Coach pointed to a couple of doors that faced each other across the hall. "These are your rooms. They're a bit small, but the beds are comfortable. You'll find everything you need in there--extra clothes, things for hygiene, and so forth. Don't be alarmed, but I'm locking you in tonight. Until you have a full tour of the ship, I'm afraid I won't feel you're safe enough to wander alone. We'll take care of that tomorrow."
The two doors opened. Jessie looked at Ryder, who shrugged and went into his room. Jessie took a deep breath and did the same. As soon as he was in, the door slid shut behind him.
As Coach said, the room was tiny, with just a bed in it. There was another door in the back wall that opened into a small bathroom. Inside, a closet held clothes that looked like they'd fit him perfectly. He also saw a pair of pajamas, which he figured he might as well put on.
The bed felt quite comfortable. He climbed in. Had this all really happened? He'd wake up any minute now and find himself on the air mattress in Ryder's room, just below the Mickey Martell posters. Right?
He shook his head. With everything that was going on, he didn't feel tired at all, but once his head hit the pillow, he zonked out.
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