"I hope to use it to establish a telepathic link, through which I can teach him English." said Jahv.
"Can't you do that without the headband?" asked Davy. "You picked it up from us without one."
"Your minds were already civilized and organized." said Jahv. "His isn't. Besides, it's harder to implant information than retrieve it."
The alien boy had made his way over to Keith, who was trying not to back off or make any sudden moves. The youngster ran his finger along Keith's arm and came away with some of the gelatinous coolant. He stuck it into his mouth and spat it out. "Yeah, well, I kinda feel the same way." remarked Keith.
The boy crawled over to Davy next, and ran his hand along Davy's cheek, and then his own. His expression was one of confusion.
"I don't think he's used to seeing someone who looks more or less like him but is only one color." suggested Jahv. "Keith, pass the headband over here. He'll be getting to me in a moment if he keeps this up."
Keith did so. The alien boy was examining Niklas. He seemed to find the boy's blonde hair and rounded ears especially interesting. His gentle touch was ticklish, and Niklas was trying not to giggle. The alien boy was almost smiling.
Finally he came to Jahv. He fingered Jahv's feathery white hair, and started to examine Jahv's boots, which he'd ignored on the others for some reason. He started for each of Jahv's antennae, which made Jahv more than a little nervous, and he decided he'd better distract the youngster, so he brought out the headband. The boy glared at it, but made no move to run away.
Jahv gently brought it up to the boy's forehead and paused. Still the boy didn't move. Then Jahv placed it over the youngster's head and activated it, and pressed his own fingers to the visible circuitry.
Arcs of electricity sparked between the two alien youngsters. Niklas, Davy, and Keith backed off. "I just thought of something really unpleasant." said Keith. "What if that contraption is broken? If Jahv gets brain-fried, we don't get home!"
Niklas and Davy felt a sudden chill. Keith had a point, and none of them had thought of it.
Finally the two alien boys separated, and slumped to the ground. Niklas and the others quickly ran over to Jahv, who sat up instants later. "Are you okay?" begged Niklas.
Jahv shook his head to clear it. "Well, that was interesting. I'm having to dismiss this sudden urge to go swinging through the trees. But yes, I think I'm okay. What about him."
Clearly the alien wildchild had taken the worst of the shock. He moaned a couple of times and slowly sat up. He looked thoroughly confused, as if realizing something about himself he hadn't known. He opened his mouth and worked his jaw a few times before finally emitting sound. "What — what these words you give me?"
Niklas, Keith, and Davy looked towards the new boy with shock, their eyes wide. "Cripes, I think it actually worked." whispered Keith.
"It's called English." explained Jahv gently. "It's the language my friends and I speak."
The alien boy gazed at the others. "Where you come from? Why you do this?"
"We picked up on the distress beacon." said Jahv.
The boy frowned. "I think you're going a little too fast for him, Jahv." said Niklas.
"I think you're right." replied Jahv. He turned his attention to the boy. "What is your name?"
The alien boy scowled, deep in thought. Finally he spoke again, with a slight grin on his face. "Morik. Name is Morik."
"All right, Morik." said Jahv. "What do you remember about coming here?"
Morik pondered this question for a long time. "Two others like Morik. But bigger. Say we have to leave home. Home not there anymore. Come here but not supposed to. Not see bigger ones after that." Morik scowled again, trying to remember all he could. "Morik — did something with something, and put this around neck. Got hungry. Went into trees. Stayed there. Safe. Not go too far." Then he looked at the others. "You here because Morik did something?"
"Yes." said Jahv. "As you said, your home isn't there anymore. But we can offer you a new home, if you want to come with us."
"You from sky?" asked Morik.
"He remembers that?" asked Davy.
"Either the headband worked better than expected, or he's not as stupid as he's been acting up until now." answered Keith.
"Yes, but we're from — another part of the sky." said Jahv, trying to use words he hoped Morik would understand. "But it's your choice."
Morik frowned. "Morik alone for long time. Not see anyone like him. You sort of like Morik. More than like anyone else. Morik not want be alone now. Morik come."
"Is there anything you want from the ship?" asked Jahv.
Morik thought about this. "Morik remember — small animal. Not move. Soft. Friend."
"The gralnok." said Jahv.
"I'll get it." said Davy.
"Okay, hold it." said Keith. "Obviously we're pulling out. Well, I'm not going anywhere until I get this gunk off'a me."
"We could all use a bath." said Niklas. "And I don't recall a shower on the shuttle."
"Morik know place. Not far. Follow Morik."
Davy had emerged with the stuffed animal and handed it to Morik, who led the others through the jungle. The young Dorrian had astounding agility, and it was all the others could do to keep up with him. Finally they emerged in a clearing with a large lake.
"Wash here." said Morik.
"Like you'd know." remarked Keith, although the water looked inviting. Keith hoped it was enough to remove the sticky coolant.
"Not so." replied the boy. "Morik come here whenever trees turn color whether Morik need to wash or not."
"You're in no position to point fingers, Keith," grinned Jahv. "Besides, who's he gonna offend out here?" Seconds later, gratefully, the group was in the lake, washing off either recently acquired grime, a lengthy build-up of it, or an excess of coolant, which fortunately was water-soluable. Not long after, the activity had turned from washing to a lot of playful splashing. Morik seemed especially enthused. He'd been alone too long, and had almost forgotten how to play. But his childhood seemed to be gradually coming back to him.
"You know," said Keith, once he was clean, "this lake's not so bad. We don't have to be in that much of a hurry to return. And it is a nice day."
Suddenly bubbles formed at the far edge of the lake. Morik's eyes went wide. The others hadn't seen it, but before Morik could yell a warning, a huge, serpentine head and twenty feet of neck burst forth from the water and bellowed at the top of its lungs, then eyed the five boys hungrily.
"Get shore!" shrieked Morik, even as they all were doing just that. "That can't come on land!" Seconds later, the boys had made shore, grabbed their boots, Jahv's backpack, and Morik's stuffed animal, and had just kept running. "Boy, one word from you about having a good time on a nice day —!" joked Davy to Keith.
"And how is this MY fault!?" countered Keith, but he realized his friend was kidding.
Not long after, and breathing hard, they had reached their shuttle and were all strapped into their seats, Morik having been placed and strapped into one of the extras since the vessel had been designed to seat seven besides the pilot, and took off.
"What your world like?" asked Morik, who was clearly nervous about being on board a shuttle or apparently anywhere near machinery, but trying to stay calm for the sake of his new friends.
"Well, for starters, we don't always run around naked." remarked Keith, standing up once the shuttle had cleared the atmosphere. Jahv hadn't had time to program the return course to Earth, so they had a few minutes. Keith was trying to figure out how to program the fabricator to make new uniforms. Finally Jahv came over and did so.
"For another thing," said Keith, "our dinosaurs had the good sense to either die off or evolve into something a bit less hazardous."