14 History in the Making

Chapter Fourteen History in the Making On the long ride back to the Marlowe, the explorer pod shook and shuddered. Saphrite had definitely done some damage. But the ship would make it. The explorers would make it. And they would have one great story to tell. Elav was along for the ride. He didn't have a home planet anymore, but the kids couldn't just leave him on Saphrite. So they agreed to drop him off at their next stop. "Vale, you're out of your mind," said Finn. "What were you thinking?" "I'm sorry, guys," said Vale. "I don't know why I got so obsessed with being the hero of this trip. It's just that you guys all have these really cool things you do. And, you know, I want to be able to say I do cool things, too." Abigail shook her head.

"Vale, you're helping us all the time," she said. "Just because you don't always defeat the big bad guy doesn't mean you're not a hero." "I know that now," shrugged Vale. "What Foggy said really hit me. All his talk about being part of the team. I know it probably looked like I wasn't listening. And you probably thought I went back in to be a hero." "It did look like that," said Elias, "because you said, 'Nah,' and ran off." "True blue," laughed Vale. "But what you guys were saying about being a team really hit me. And it made me think of old Elav over there. He was all alone in that half-a-house. And he'd been that way for two thousand years!" Vale paused to look over at the four-armed alien. "I just couldn't imagine that," he said. "And I felt like we couldn't leave him behind." "That's really sweet, Vale," said Finn. "We should write this whole story down. They can teach it to future explorer troops. How Vale Gil risked his own life—" "And the lives of his friends," laughed Abigail.

"How Vale Gil risked everything," said Finn, "to save just one alien who was alone in the universe. That would make an amazing story." "Nah, that's okay," said Vale. "I don't care about that stuff anymore."

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"Really?!" said Elias. "I don't believe you. "Really," said Vale. He put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. "I don't need all that fame stuff. I'm a legend in my own mind." The troop all laughed. "We'll definitely tell everyone how you got covered in Saphrite's mucus," said Abigail. "You can leave that part out," said Vale. "Or how you made best friends with an armpit beetle," said Elias. "How dare you speak of Cool Franky like that!" shouted Vale. "Oh yeah, and we'll definitely tell everyone about how you scratched Saphrite's itchy, flaky, gross toe," said Finn. Vale's eyes opened, and he shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. "Never," he said. "Yeah, I think you still have some flakes on your forehead," laughed Abigail. "Eww!" cried Vale. "Get them off!" He slapped at his forehead, but there was nothing there. All his friends were laughing so hard, the little explorer pod shook.

"Very funny," said Vale. "We shall never speak of the toe again."