Worlds Apart
Zorb of Klig was late…..again. Billa of Arachnia his wife of ten years on this day was losing what little of her patience that remained. Zorb was a three-eared, odd-tentacled cephalopod and Billa was an even-footed arachnid as were all of her species but all of this we have heard before.
They were to celebrate this special day, first at the holograph arena to watch the opening night performance of a new drama by that famous author and playwright X. Rattlesword from the planet Earth, then they had reservations at a fine restaurant specializing in seafood and edible plants at which they each could each enjoy their favorite dishes.
But Zorb was late…..again.
Their children, seven males and two females, the result of only two broods, had been packed off for an overnight stay with friends. The children were both a disappointment and a joy to Billa, the males, all cephalopods of course, had all been blessed with numbers of tentacles that made them clearly members of the aristocratic class, their oldest Glug had no less than seventeen and all seven had more than the thirteen of their father, this gave Arachnia great comfort and a certain pride that these large numbers were due in part to her abundance of legs. The females however were a bitter disappointment to Billa, arachnids both, but neither had her abundance of legs, in fact Cilla (the elder) had a scant 814 and Dilla (the younger) less than that. Billa could not help thinking with some anger that this was somehow due to Zorb’s almost complete lack of extremities.
Zorb … who was late….. again.
Billa felt rather than heard a deep pulsating vibration in the air almost as if the house was being shaken by a tremor, the door opened and Zorb entered, sliding across the floor on three of his tentacles and waving five or seven others. Three headphones were clamped to his ears and the room pulsated with an alien racket. In recent years Zorb had become fascinated by a new and raucous group of cephalopods called “The Glutinous Five” their multiple appendages allowing each of them to play several very noisy instruments simultaneously. The result was a high decibel affront to the senses even beyond the wearer’s headphones. Recorded in a new form called “Tstereo” which was specifically designed for the enjoyment of those with three ears, the third channel carried a pounding low frequency bass theme normally heard only by whales, dolphins and other sonar equipped sea creatures. It now filled the room and instantly triggered Billa’s migraine. Zorb was oblivious, he rocked, and he rolled his tentacles to the pounding sound and flopped wetly into his hydration puddle in the corner, swaying vigorously, a foolish grin fixed on his face. When annoyed as she was right now Billa instantly broke out in a flush of alternating red and orange. “Peel those headphone off at once and listen to me” She yelled at Zorb, he reluctantly complied and the resulting increase in noise volume caused Billa to alternate her colours at an increasing rate, “Shut it off” she yelled above the din, Zorb flicked the off button and replied calmly “You don’t like it? It’s the Gluties latest track called Viscid Vibrations, everyone has downloaded it”. “I haven’t” she replied “and you need to hydrate quickly or we shall be late for the play”
“That thing is tonight?” responded Zorb, annoying Billa even more “and we have to sit for three hours watching some alien claptrap, before we can eat?” “Yes and no” retorted Billa hotly “It is tonight, and it is not alien claptrap but a cultural event, words which perhaps are alien to you alone.”
A long silence ensued which lasted until Zorb was fully hydrated, it lasted throughout their transponder trip to the RSC (The Rattlesword Scenic Company) theatre in the hub of the city, it lasted while the lights dimmed and the curtain was raised and the actors in Act One, Scene One spoke their first word to break it.
For although Billa and Zorb sat side-by-side in the darkness of the stalls they were in fact, Worlds Apart.
Boadicea's Chariot 
What on earth do you think you’re doing, LW? Are you trying to turn this into a competition? 😉
(Thank you. 🙂 )
Oh dear, apart from the obvious fact that anything dolphin or whale related is shamelessly pandering to emotions of the judge of this competition, it’s delightful, LW.
In fact, it may well be a winner. 😉
LW – if I was a publisher I would hook you in. Creativity wise, 10/10.
What can I say, that hasn’t already been said?