TMNT: Ricochet ▶ON HOLD (till gets more reads, votes and comments)◀

Chapter 13

As the massive ship shuttered into its landing, Mike had begun to fidget, his heart beating double time as the pilot's voice continued to give updates over the PA. Don had noticed about halfway through, giving his arm a squeeze with a reassuring smile that only took half the edge off.

Mikey always had the tendency of getting car sick. April won't even lend them her van anymore after he barfed in the back seat. And Mike has gotten space sick enough to know his affliction doesn't only go for cars. That's what really had him nervous. The way things have been lately, he couldn't trust himself.

Luckily the utrom ship nestled into port smoothly enough to leave him only with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that's really been there all along. It kind of ruins some of the fun of landing on an alien planet, but he can tell Don can barely curb his enthusiasm as they wait for the massive hatch doors to crack open into the light and fresh air of relative freedom.

"It's amazing," he gawks as Glurin leads them down the metal platform ramp, spinning around to take in the view with his good hand pressing against his forehead.

It's midday at the landing docks in the Utrom city of Kin'Kuran. Twin suns beam down hot and bright in the red-orange sky. The air smells spicy under the clean tang of metal and that familiar, sanguine smell of utrom techno-organics. All around them, rounded high rise towers in polished chrome jut from the ground like bullets, connected by delicate webs of veins and arteries of tissue. All around them, utroms swarm on hoverpads around the freshly landed ship like flies around a carcass. Far overhead, shuttles of all types pass like weird birds, casting strange shadows in the pale sun.

Further down from where they landed, another ship takes off with a sudden roar of engines that cuts off like a scream. And Donatello drinks it all in like a kid at Christmas. This is the Utrom Homeworld, home to some of the most brilliant minds in the universe. Thirty-six hours of pre-fight planning, getting beat to hell, worry, and insomnia can't even put a damper on his excitement.

Mike has more fun watching Don than taking in the sights, smiling shakily and still feeling a little off-kilter. But he has to admit, it's pretty cool, even compared to the other planets they've been on.

"Welcome to Kin'Kuran, capital city of the province Zexon al Jur," Glurin says with a proud fondness possessed by only those coming home after a long journey.

Earlier he had explained that their crew had been on an intelligence gathering mission on some hostile planets not far from Earth when they'd been flagged by the Professor's broken signal. It'd been months since he'd seen his homeworld, and after spending so long as one of the utroms trapped for centuries on Earth, any time away from his planet felt like eons.

"I'm sure you're both exhausted," Glurin begins again, "but I've been instructed to make sure you both eat before we check into the hospital where the remainder of your injured family members will be transferred. I know of a place that's not too far from here, if you'd like to follow me."

"Yes! I would kill for a cheeseburger and fries right now," Mike whines, struggling behind the pair on his crutches as they head off toward the crowded main street. Even if his stomach hasn't really been up to par, they've been through a lot, and he's been craving some serious comfort food.

"Oh, no," Glurin says, not stopping to talk or even slowing to let him catch up. "The utrom are strictly carnivorous. And dairy products are native only to Earth, from my experience. Though there are some other options to be had in places that cater to off-worlders. There are quite a few by the landing ports."

"The utrom only eat meat? It does make sense," Don says, mostly to himself. "They do share a lot of convergently evolved characteristics with Earth carnivores."