By the time Sharon announced that we were approaching planet Earth, my body felt like one large, swelled bruise.

The flight was a two-hour, amusement-park-ride nightmare. Henry and I spent most of the journey being thrown around inside of our cages. The oxygenator masks helped to protect our faces, otherwise we would have been sporting black eyes and broken noses as well.

Worst of all, Henry and I still didn't have a plan for what we would say or do when we arrived at the offices of Vicchady International. Someone at the company was profiting off Azodii blood, and Lady Denebola and Premier Oato expected us to find the responsible party.

"All-righty, passengers!" Sharon's musical voice floated through the cabin as the spaceship's speed slowed, throwing Henry and I against the front bars of the cage for the hundredth time. "In five minutes we'll be entering the atmosphere of Planet Earth. See you on the ground!"

The re-entry into earth's atmosphere was surprisingly gentle, with only some light rocking back and forth and an occasional falling feeling. After one final thud, the cruiser settled on what felt like solid ground.

Doctor Sylk unfastened his harness and walked to our cages in the back of the spacecraft. He was carrying a small box and a metal tool that resembled a screwdriver, but with a sharp bend in the middle.

"It's safe for you two to come out now," Sylk said as he pressed buttons on the digital locks and opened the kennel door, first for Henry and then myself. We crawled out of the cages and stretched, painfully.

"Mr. Marshall, may I see your wrist?" Sylk thrust the small box in front of me, there was a round opening on one end to insert my hand. Sylk looked at me expectantly.

I shoved my hand into the box, expecting something painful. Instead, Sylk turned a knob using the screwdriver, and I felt a tightening around my wrist that was firm but not uncomfortable. The box whirred and started to heat up, my hand quickly went from warm to hot to almost burning. Just when until I began to worry that it wouldn't stop - that the box would keep heating until my hand burned to a crisp - the temperature subsided and began to cool again.

Doctor Sylk pulled the box away and I looked at the metal band that was now affixed my wrist: polished gunmetal, a crust of glowing pave diamonds, crown logo at the center.

It was Henry's Rolex.

"Oh, actually, this isn't mine -" I reached to unclasp the band, but Sylk's six-fingered hand grabbed my arm.

"Wait! We made some modifications to Mr. Todd's watch," Sylk said.

"What kind of modifications?" Henry sounded like he was more concerned about the integrity of the watch than our personal safety. Oato and Lady Denebola unbuckled themselves and made their way down the aisle, followed my Major Kale.

"The watch has been outfitted with a tracking device," Parksnip Oato said. "As well as a camera micro-transmitter. So we can keep eyes and ears on you at all times."

"Just wear it normally," Major Kale added. "We have your location pinpointed, down to the millimeter. If we feel it's necessary, we will step in and initiate an attack."

"I hope we can avoid that," I said. "But since this is actually Henry's watch, maybe he should wear it?"

"We also added a small charge of Azodii core-energy to the platinum band," Oato said loudly as I reached for the watch clasp a second time. I dropped my hand. "As a security measure, you understand. Just in case you and Mr. Todd decide to try to escape while you're on your home planet."

"We wouldn't do that," Henry said as he brushed the dust from the kennel off his clothes.

"I hope not," said Oato. "Because if we lose track of you, or if the watch is tampered with, then charge is activated. It will set off a thermonuclear blast - a tiny one - but powerful enough to incinerate everything within a five-meter radius."

"Parksnip, did you turn my Rolex into a nuclear bomb?" Henry smiled through grinding teeth.

"Not me, personally," Oato replied calmly. "And, like I said, the blast is only large enough to destroy Mr. Marshall and whoever is nearby. Presumably you, Mr. Todd."

"So I shouldn't try to remove it?" I said dryly.

"No," Oato said. "Not a good idea."

"We're about a half-kilometer from our target, the Vicchady International headquarters," Kale said as she handed white short-barreled rifles to her six infantrymen. "The Klargung Cruiser is partially cloaked, but we're mostly obscured by overgrown native fauna." I glanced out the side window of the cruiser and saw only tree branches and vines.

"The area appears to be sparsely populated," Kale continued. "So I don't think the ship will attract any unwanted attention. We will stay hidden and on board, unless there is an emergency."

Lady Denebola stepped close to Henry and looked up at him, leaning on the tips of her toes. "Bring my husband's killer back to the ship, Henry Todd," she said. "I want to deal with that human personally."

In a swift movement, Lady Denebola reached upward and tore the oxygenator mask off Henry's face. Henry fumbled and stumbled backward, holding his breath, and I reached to help him before I realized that Oato and Kale were laughing.

"We're in Earth's atmosphere, Mr. Todd," Major Kale said in-between chuckles. "Surely, you can breathe the air of your own planet?" Lady Denebola guffawed.

"Yes, of course," Henry said, his face reddening. "Marsh, you better take yours off, too."

A side door opened, and a translucent ramp led down from the cruiser onto a patch of green grass below us. A breeze of fresh air blew through the cabin. I removed my oxygenator mask, and for a moment felt the relief of being back on Planet Earth, surrounded by natural, breathable oxygen.

"Find Zerk's killers," Oato said, snapping me back to the reality of the situation. "Find his body. Find us proof of whoever at this… Vicchady company is responsible for this heinous butchery!"

"What is your plan, earth attorneys?" Kale demanded. "How will you infiltrate the Vicchady headquarters?"

"Do you need anything else from us?" Doctor Sylk asked.

"We didn't really get a chance to-"

"I have a plan, Marsh," Henry cut me off and straightened his tie. "And yes, Doctor Sylk, I do need one more thing. I'm sorry to ask, but I'll need a few drops of Azodii blood."

We stepped out of the Klargung Cruiser a few minutes later, and I resisted the impulse to kiss the ground beneath my feet.

Henry inhaled deeply. "It does feel good to have that mask off," he switched his briefcase to his other hand and rubbed the red marks left on his face from the mask.

We were in an industrial part of town, right on the edge of a large stretch of open countryside. Before us were a series of domed hangar-like buildings, factories of some kind. Aside from a few signs in Italian, there was no other indication that we were in Milan. It could have been a manufacturing district in any city in the world.

The sun beat down on us hard as we crossed the street and approached the buildings, I figured it must have been mid-afternoon. "Do you know what time it is?" I asked Henry.

"No, I don't know Marsh," Henry's voice was staccato, with a thick layer of sarcasm. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Sorry," I mumbled as I rolled up my sleeve. "Well, according to your Rolex, it's currently seven-fifteen a.m. in Los Angeles. Do you know the time difference in Milan?"

"Yes, I think it's seven or eight hours ahead," Henry said, surprising me. "So it's afternoon."

"Well, let's get on with it," I said, starting across the street toward the offices. "Hopefully, they're all back from lunch."