Planet of the Titans

Chapter 24

Mason Lewis flew the space plane through the inter-dimensional space warp that Leo had ripped open in the fabric of time and space, and saw Earth dead ahead. Their original destination had been Oahu, but considering the extraordinary circumstances, Mason decided to land at the space port in the Mojave desert. He brought the Thunderbolt into the atmosphere at a trajectory that would bring them East to West over Texas and down to south-eastern California.

When they glided in for a landing and the Thunderbolt pulled in to a stop on the runway, the first thing Mason did when he opened the door hatch was to ditch the tracking device that Melissa had planted to make sure they arrived on Earth safely.

"I don't want them to be able to pull this space plane back to Thanatar with this tracking device locked onto us!" said Mason.

The passengers disembarked, and they were met by a large group of workers who had assumed that the Thunderbolt had burned up in the atmosphere the day of the launch.

"What happened to you guys?" said one of the workers.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you!" said Mason.

"I'm worried they won't believe our story," said Tyler.

"Don't worry," said Brody, "I'm living proof that we were really there! Somewhere on this world there's another Brody Seger somewhere who didn't end up on Thanatar!"

Meanwhile, back on Thanatar, Melissa knew her capture was imminent, so she gave her captives to Morgan, who fled Melissa's condominium. The police found Leo at the lab, and tracked him to his owner, who was Melissa. They arrived at Melissa's condominium not too long afterwards, and they took Melissa in to the station and hooked her head up to a mind-control device. On a view screen they saw images from her mind of Adonis assisting her with opening the door of the lab at the University. Adonis was arrested a short time later.

Back at Zima's dorm, Nolan was still on the same scale as Zima when Zima found out about Adonis being arrested.

"They'll never find out I was involved because Adonis doesn't know how I switched you with Brody!" said Zima. "I'm taking you in to get you registered as my slave so we can get engaged! Come with me!" Zima held out her hand and Nolan took it.

"I already belong to you, though." said Nolan.

"You're registered as my game piece right now," said Zima. "When women on Thanatar marry a man from Earth and enlarge him, he is registered as her slave. You have more privileges than a game piece, though you are still my property!"

They went to a local government agency, and Nolan was introduced to a state worker who would process him.

"Things are a little different here on Thanatar," said the worker. "Now that you're going to be one of us, you're expected to follow our rules and laws, and forget about how things were on Earth. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all!" said Nolan.

"You're going to be the slave of Zima Zamora for the rest of your life," said the worker. "How do you feel about that?"

"I would truly have it no other way!" said Nolan enthusiastically.

The worker smiled. "I think you're going to fit in nicely here on Thanatar!"

Over the next few days, back on Earth, the escaped captives resumed their lives as best as they could after experiencing the stress of being held captive on a world of giants. A talk show host immediately booked all of them on his television show, and they were given airline tickets to Burbank. None of them chose to fly by point-to-point sub-orbital shuttle or space plane. In addition to Brody being invited, his counterpart was also invited.

The host introduced all of them to the audience, and began with Brody. "So you're not even from our world, are you Mr. Seger?"

"No, there are several historical differences between my world and yours. The people of Thanatar don't target planes and space vehicles from just one version of Earth, they target hundreds of thousands of different versions of Earth."

"What are some historical differences on your world that differ from our history?" the host asked.

"The main difference I was able to discern is the 2008 U.S. election. On your world, Obama won, but on my world, McCain won. Also, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on December 31st, 1999, rather than the date it happened on your world."

"And your counterpart," said the host, "he isn't your twin brother?"

"I don't have a twin," said Brody. "This version of Brody Seger is from this world, and he appears identical to me!"

Meanwhile, back on Thanatar, Zima was getting ready for her baptism.

"You're going to meet my family today!" said Zima. "They're going to be at my baptism!"

Zima held hands with Nolan wherever they went, and as they left the dorm for the tram that would take them to her parent's home, Zima clutched Nolan's hand tightly.

"When are we getting married?" Nolan asked.

"Soon!" said Zima. "I have to get baptized first!"

"Are you going to be able to quit swallowing captives?" Nolan asked. "I remember you saying you weren't supposed to eat them anymore once you got baptized."

"It's true!" said Zima. "That's why people don't get baptized until they're really old! But I want to marry you, and our law forbids the un-baptized from getting married!"

"So you're going to quit cold turkey?" Nolan asked.

"Cold what?" Zima asked, unfamiliar with that particular expression.

"I mean you're going to quit eating tiny people, just like that?" Nolan asked.

"I've already contacted a twelve-step program that deals with people who like to swallow captives, but want to stop!" said Zima.

Back on Earth, the talk show host continued with his interview. "So Natalie Red-Hawk, your half-brother Nolan Ward stayed on Thanatar! How do you feel about that?"

"He's in love with a giantess on that world, she was one of the titans who bossed us around. Her name is Zima. My brother is convinced they will get married some day! She even enlarged him to her size at one point!"

"So your brother became one of them?" the talk show host asked.

"He was our size when we left Thanatar, but after we left, she may have enlarged him back to giant-size. I'll probably never see my brother again, but I hope he's happy in the life he chose there on that planet of titans!"

"There was another member of your group who was forced to stay behind," said the talk show host.

"That was captain, Leo Tanner!" said Mason. "He had to work the space-warp cannon that allowed us to return to Earth, so he had to stay behind."

Back on Thanatar, Nolan was meeting Zima's parents for the first time. Though they were in their fifties, they appeared quite young, as was the case on Thanatar, where the aging process had been completely eliminated.

"It's an honor to meet you!" said Nolan to Zima's father and mother.

"So you're the man my daughter wants to marry?" the man asked.

"He's handsome!" said Zima's mother.

"It would've been better if she had married Adonis!" said Zima's father.

"Adonis is a felon!" said Zima's mother. "We don't want Zima marrying someone like that!"

"I guess you're right!" said Zima's father.

Zima's father flew their shuttle cruiser to the church, with Zima's parents in the front seats, and Zima and Nolan sat in the back seats. When they got to the church, they watched as Zima was baptized. When the ceremony was over, Nolan told Zima: "On Earth, they only baptize around Easter time, I guess it's different here on Thanatar."

"The population of Thanatar is too high to schedule baptisms for one time a year," said Zima's mom. "People can get baptized here within a day's notice."

"I was baptized Catholic on Earth," said Nolan, do I need any proof of my baptism to marry Zima?"

"It won't be a problem," said Zima's mother. "You're not a citizen, so the laws that apply to us don't necessarily apply to you, because you're Zima's slave. Even if you weren't baptized catholic, you could probably still marry her."

"A lot of people from Earth don't like the idea of being enslaved by a woman from Thanatar," said Zima's dad. "How do you feel about being my daughter's slave?"

"I'm looking forward to it!" said Nolan.

"Then you think like us!" said Zima's dad. "Our ancestors were genetically engineered so the men are submissive and the women enjoy being in control. I didn't know there were men like you on Earth!"

"Yes, there are some of us!" said Nolan.

Just then, Zima approached them, and hugged Nolan.

"As long as you make my daughter happy, that's what's important!" said Zima's dad.

"The wedding is tomorrow!" said Zima. "Aren't you excited, Nolan?"

Nolan held Zima close, and kissed her on the lips gently. "This is like a dream come true!"

The next day, the wedding was held at the same church where Zima had been baptized, and Zima's entire family was there. It was similar to a wedding on Earth, and the rings had been provided by Zima's parents, since Nolan had no income yet. After the wedding, they went to the reception, and Nolan and Zima danced with Zima's family.

Nolan walked up and decided to grab a beer at the reception, when he was stopped by Zima's father.

"Slaves aren't allowed to drink alcohol on Thanatar!"

"What?" said Nolan. "Are you serious?"

"I'm just kidding," said Zima's father, "but since Zima is still only eighteen and not old enough to drink, you should abstain from alcohol until she turns twenty-one!"

Nolan put the beer back. "I guess you're right!"

Zima's father handed Nolan a couple of tickets.

"What are these?" Nolan asked.

"Tickets to a cruise-ship that goes to Mars!" said Zima's father.

"That sounds like a cool honeymoon!" said Nolan.

Nolan showed his new bride the cruise tickets her father had given them, and when the reception was over, they took a taxi shuttle cruiser to the launch site of the cruise ship. Once they blasted off, they went to their private room and got ready for their first shot at sex as a married couple.

Zima came out of the bathroom after changing into a sexy outfit. She had her shrink-ray pistol in her hand.

"Do you want to have sex normal-sized, or do you want me to shrink you?"

Nolan smiled as he made up his mind.

THE END