Stranded on a Tiny Planet

It was an Accident...

When Merco was led back to the square there were carts of food waiting for him. He gently crouched down and sat nearby.

"Thank you very much. This looks delicious." He complimented but then glanced around, "Have...you all had some?"

"We have already eaten, yes." Elder Felreh assured him.

Merco still eyed the food guiltily, "I just...I just don't want to put a strain on your resources. My appetite is too big for you to keep doing this."

"As I said before, you are our guest, Merco and we will treat you as such. Please, eat."

The man still hesitated. Guest or not, he felt guilty.

He sighed and took a basket of what looked like that chewy bread they called Iti, "Thank you. Just please let me know if there's anything I can do for you and your people."

Elder Felreh nodded.

Merco ate quietly until Commander Madala asked, "I would like to know what are your plans, now that you are...stranded here?"

Merco paused mid-chew, thought a moment, then swallowed, "I'm...I'm not really sure. But I have been wondering if you have any communication networks? Or those who specialize in such areas?"

"We have communications between our settlements but it can be very spotty. There are those who work with such technology." She explained, "What are your intentions?"

The man looked skyward, "I'm not very good with most technologies...but I wonder if your network can broadcast a signal out beyond this planet."

"You wish to call your kind here." She conjectured.

Merco nodded, "Perhaps just enough to get a passing ship to notice." He frowned, "But I don't even know where your planet is...or if any ships pass by here."

"You...would leave?" Pixie asked.

He glanced at her still sitting on his shoulder, "You have been kind to me...but I don't belong here. I want to go home."

Pixie gave a sad look.

"We can see if our specialists know anything about what you speak." Elder Felreh offered.

"I would be grateful." Merco nodded.

In a few more bites he finished the meal. He thanked them again.

"Tell us, Merco, what is your planet Earth like?" Elder Felreh asked.

He smiled and replied, "My planet is blue and green. On clear days Earth's skies are mostly blue and our plants and trees are green. Most of it is covered by water; vast salty oceans cover most of it."

The Ansheetans listened, imagining what he spoke of.

"There are all kinds of terrain: deserts, mountains, grassy plains, forests and thick jungles. And we have huge cities scattered across it all. In our skies we fly ships and some of our ships go out into the reaches of space. We've even colonized some of the other moons and planets in our system beyond Earth." He explained.

"It sounds...pretty." Anu commented. "Blue skies?"

"As blue as your eyes." Merco nodded.

"Is it warm there?" Pixie asked.

"It changes depending on the planet's position and where on the Earth you live. Some places are very hot and stay hot. The poles are bitterly cold. And some places get both hot and cold. Why? Is it always warm here?"

Anu spoke up, "Mostly. We don't experience much cold here."

Merco tipped his head, "Huh. That's interesting. I came to this forest from a desert. Is most of your planet that way?"