Drako materialized inside Science ship. Pulsing lights illuminated the labyrinthine corridors, while machines sibilated around. He headed for a hangar full of underwater vehicles and chose a compact and fast amphibious transport spaceship, ideal for escaping in an emergency. With the vehicle in hand, Drako headed for an isolated warehouse on the outskirts of New York, a discreet place where he could keep the ship in security.

The next morning, Sanches was waiting for the bus to college, a heavy backpack on his back, and the mind rambling about Cosmology classes, when the roar of two motorcycles broke the calm of the street. The vehicles stopped before him and, with a sudden gesture, the first pilot lifted the helmet. Sanches felt a chill in the spine. It was Drako, his serious face and his eyes fixed on him. In the back, another man raised the visor, revealing the impassive countenance of Tibor. Sanches' legs were shaking, sweat dripped cold by his forehead and a knot formed in his throat. "A robbery?" He thought, terrified. But then a familiar voice called him from the second motorcycle.

"Sanches, it's me! Nick", with a smile on his face, he waved at him. "Get up here, quickly!"

Sanches' eyes widened in disbelief.

"Nick! But... Where were you? Who are these guys? The police are looking for you!" Sanches stammered, his voice shaking.

"We have no time for explanations now, friend!" Nick replied, an urgent tone. "I'll tell you everything when we're safe. Come on, get up here!"

"Sí, hermano."

The motorcycle engine roared, gaining power every second. Sanches clung hard to Nicholas, feeling the structure of the vehicle vibrating and squirming under their bodies. The wheels retreated as wings unfolded on the sides, thin and vibrant like those of an insect. The fairing stretched, turning the motorcycle into a slender aircraft, similar to a futuristic drone.

In a sudden jump, they cast themselves into the sky. Sanches held his breath, his heart hammering in his chest. The wind whipped his face, and the city stretched under his feet like a miniature map. Imposing buildings, winding rivers and tiny cars moved like ants below.

"Hombre, are you sure you know how to drive this thing?" Sanches shouted; the voice almost swallowed by the wind. "I never imagined you riding a motorcycle, let alone a... I don't know what stuff is this!"

"Relax, Sanches!" Nicholas answered, with a smile on his face and his eyes shining with adrenaline. "I'm learning things you would never believe!"

Sanches, with fear clinging to his throat, could barely appreciate the spectacular view. Suddenly, a wave of vertigo hit him. The world around was distorted in a whirlwind of colors and shapes, and a feeling of falling into emptiness dominated him. In a blink of an eye, the urban landscape gave way to the dark and dusty interior of a warehouse. They had teleported to New York.

When they got there, Sanches watched everything, looked at Zara and she greeted him. He saw the alien ship in a corner.

"Wow, hombre! So much technology... And that is Zara. Is the pretty gril from college with you? And that motorcycle that flies? I will want one of these for me. And these guys? And that ship? Is this a movie set? And why did you disappear? Your mother is crazy looking for you."

"Calm down, friend! I promised you that I was going to explain everything. Zara asked me a favor. And I had to stay out for a while."

"What?"

"It's just... Uh... My friends here are from another planet."

"Ha, ha, ha... Can you tell me another joke? That one was great. And what about Zara?

"She is also an alien."

"That's what I thought."

"So, do you believe me?"

"No, I think you've gone crazy. This studying too much thing can make one go mad, see? But I can help you. My mother knows a very good psychiatrist."

"You're wrong, Sanches."

"Let me help you, Nick."

Sanches felt like he had just entered a science fiction movie. The revelation that Zara and her friends were aliens, the spacecraft in the corner of the warehouse, the flying motorcycle... Everything seemed too surreal for his mind to process. He looked around with a mixture of astonishment and unbelief, trying to assimilate the avalanche of information.

Zara, with a determined look, raised her arm and touched the bracelet that sparkled on her wrist. A wave of energy ran through her body, making her squirm in a dance of pain and transformation. Her delicate features rearranged, the skin acquiring a grayish and translucent tone. The eyes expanded, becoming black and deep like the Cosmos. The nose and mouth withdrawn, while the head increased, assuming the characteristic form of humans of the future.

Sanches watched the scene with his mouth opened, his body paralyzed by the shock. The beautiful young woman he knew had become an alien creature before his eyes. The transformation was so drastic, so surreal, that he could barely believe what he saw.

Drako and Tibor also transformed, their bodies undergoing the same metamorphosis. The vision of the three aliens, with their strange features and their penetrating eyes, intensified the feeling of unreality that Sanches experienced.

Zara, now in her form similar to the Grey aliens, reached out to Sanches, her black eyes shining with a hypnotic intensity. A soft voice echoed in his mind, telepathic and comforting: "Don't be afraid, Sanches. We won't hurt you."

Sanches staggered back, terrified. He felt like he was on the brink of a nervous collapse. Nicholas held his arm firmly, offering support.

"It was better to show you the reality, Sanches," Nicholas said, his voice calm. "No word of mine could have the same impact."

Sanches, breathing with difficulty, tried to assimilate the situation. He looked at Zara, Drako, to Tibor, and finally at Nicholas.

"Hombre..." He managed to say, his voice shaking. "In college I thought you had finally got along with a woman and was going to date. But now I see that you are in a mess. And why did you bring me here? It is the last place I would like to be."

"Sanches, we'll travel to another planet," Nicholas announced, with a shine of enthusiasm in his eyes. "Just imagine! Know other civilizations, explore unknown worlds... It's the chance of a life!"

"Save a girl and perhaps the entire population on our planet," Zara added, with a hopeful smile. "And you, with your passion for Cosmology, will be there, in the center of everything!"

Sanches, still stunned by the revelations, faced the new friends with unbelief.

"Now who needs a psychiatrist is me! I think I'm delirious... Travel to space?" He stammered incredulously." "I? But... I thought you had come to recruit me for some secret fraternity or something. I never imagined that..."

"Actually," Nicholas interrupted, "it was Zara who had the idea. She discovered that I have special defense cells, something rare and extremely valuable."

"The daughter of the ruler of our planet is very sick, and Nicholas' cells can be the cure." Drako said, hopeful.

"And you'll have a chance to meet another world," he added with a contagious smile. "Learn things you never imagined, experience amazing adventures... Sanches, that's the opportunity to fulfill all your space explorer dreams!"

Sanches, divided between fear and curiosity, felt a twinge of excitement. The idea of traveling through space, getting to know other cultures and helping in an intergalactic adventure was tempting, although scary.

"Yeah... It looks amazing," Sanches admitted hesitantly. "But... What about my mother? She will kill me if I disappear like this without giving news."

"Sanches," Zara said with a serious tone. "This mission is secret. We can't tell anyone about that, not even your mother. It is very risky."

"But what if something happens to me?" Sanches asked, apprehensive. "She will be worried!"

"We'll come back, Sanches," Zara said. "And when we come back, we will make sure no one noticed our absence."

"What do you mean?" Sanches frowned, confused. "Are you going to mess with time?"

"We have technology for that," Drako replied, with a nod. "When we come back, we will return to a moment near this one. No one will notice the difference."

"Wow..." Sanches took a deep breath, trying to process all the information. "That's... A lot to take in."

"I know," Zara said. "But believe me, Sanches, you're making the right decision. This trip will change your life forever."

Seeing everyone wearing bracelets, including Nick, he asked him looking at his wrist:

"And this bracelet? It looks like everyone else's. Did you find out how you got it?"

"Not yet, friend. But I think this trip will be revealing."

"If it was your father's, did he take one of them? Your mother said he worked on those military bases of secret projects."

"Honestly, I don't know. Before you ask me, the aliens who accompany me also find this a mystery."

He once again thought of the adventure to which he had been invited.

"Madre mia..." Sanches murmured, feeling a mixture of fear and excitement. "I hope you're right about this trip."

Zara, back to her human form, approached and put her hand on his shoulder with a kind look.

"Sanches, I know it's a lot of information to digest at once. But believe me, all this is real. And we need your help."

"My help? But what kind of help can I give?" Sanches wondered, feeling completely lost.

"You're more important than you think, Sanches," Drako said, with his serious voice. "And your presence on this mission is crucial."

Nicholas, realizing his friend's confusion, tried to reassure him.

"Sanches, I know it sounds crazy, but trust us. This trip will be an amazing experience, you will see. And we will explain everything to you during the route."

Sanches took a deep breath, trying to calm down. The idea of traveling to another planet, of venturing into the unknown was scary and at the same time exciting. He has always been fascinated by space, the stars, the mysteries of the Universe. But he never imagined that one day he would see himself in a situation like this.

"Okay," Sanches said, with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. "I'll go with you. But promise me that you will explain everything to me, truthfully. And that you will bring me back safely."

"We promise, friend," Nicholas assured, with a comforting smile. "Let's board this adventure together."

In the warehouse that they hid the spaceship, Nicholas gave his all in his training with Tibor. Each day, he dedicated himself to martial arts, seeking physical and mental perfection. Sanches, in the crowd, followed everything closely, impressed by the speed with which his friend learned.

"Dude, you are a monster!" Sanches commented, his mouth gaping with the agility of his friend.

"If we're going to face aliens, I need to be ready for anything," Nick said, with a smile.

Tibor, master in the art of combat, was the ideal mentor. Not only did he teach blows and techniques, but also how to control the inner energy, fundamental to using the special powers of Nicholas.

"Brute force is nothing without the control of the mind," Tibor said, with the wisdom of a master.

In one of the training sessions, Tibor and Nick faced each other in an epic combat. Sanches and the others watched tense while the two fought like ninjas in an action movie. Tibor was a master, but Nicholas had a trick in his sleeve: he could predict the opponent's movements!

"Talk about having reflexes!" Sanches shouted, excited.

Nicholas took the opportunity, grabbed Tibor's arms and, using the strength of the master against him, knocked him with a spectacular blow.

"Wow!" Zara exclaimed, vibrating with Nick's victory.

Tibor, recognizing the defeat, hit the floor in a sign of surrender. Nicholas, humble, helped him get up.

"You're amazing, Nicholas!" Tibor praised. "You're ready for the next level!"

And the next level was radical: training in a deserted place in the middle of the Grand Canyon! Using teleportation, they went there every day, practicing with high-tech weapons that seemed to have come out of a video game. Sanches also learned some blows in case he had to defend himself from some enemy alien.

Tibor showed the weapons: a spear that fired laser rays, a superpowered laser gun, and a ring that emitted sound waves capable of unbalancing the enemy. After days of intense training, Tibor finally gave the verdict:

"Nick, you're ready for battle!"

Nicholas felt invincible, like a superhero. He could barely wait to use his new skills on a real mission.

On a Saturday, he and Zara decided to take a break from training and went to walk at Central Park. There, they saw a lot of famous people staging an outdoor play, written by Shakespeare.

"How about watching a classic?" Nicholas suggested.

"Good idea!" Zara said, curious.

They entered a huge line and, like a good nerd, he began to explain the story of the play, "Hamlet", to Zara.

"The character is like 'to be or not to be', you know?" Nicholas said, provoking a laugh from Zara.

Zara, who had already studied a little about the Earth, wondered how Hamlet's story looked like hers: divided between two worlds.

"To be or not be an ET, that is the question!" Zara thought, having fun with the comparison.

The play was amazing, with drama, romance and suspense. In the end, as they walked through the park, Zara and Nicholas were surprised by three thieves.

"This is a robbery!" Shouted one of the bad guys.

Zara was terrified, but Nicholas kept her calm. Suddenly the bandits' weapons began to float in the air, as if by magic. The guys were shocked as they were thrown up and got stuck in the trees.

"What did you do?" Zara asked, incredulous.

"I don't know!" Nicholas replied, equally surprised.

Zara realized that Nicholas had used telekinesis, a very rare power on her planet. She only knew one person with this skill: Merko, a superpowered and dangerous guy.

"You're amazing, Nick!" Zara exclaimed, admired.

They ran to the subway, using teleportation to return to the apartment. Zara was shocked by Nick's power.

"How did you do that?" Zara asked, curious.

"I don't know, it was instinctive!" He replied, still trying to understand what had happened.

Zara explained that telekinesis was a power that allowed to control gravity. She also talked about Merko, the guy after them and who also had that power.

"Merko is very dangerous, Nick," Zara said. "You need to learn to control your powers."

Nicholas was scared, but Zara promised to help him. He went to sleep, exhausted, while she was awake.

"Who are you really, Nick?" Zara whispered, looking at the sleeping boy.

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