This passage sets the tone for the sudden and lethal danger plaguing Earth:
“A quick, red pulse of light descends upon him. There is a crack, and the man disappears. On the pavement, there is a brown charred spot where the man was standing.”
The Planetary Officials explain the terrifying, indiscriminate nature of the Strategic Defense Initiative (S.D.I.) satellite:
“The Strategic Defense Initiative, S.D.I. for short. The satellite has gone haywire. It is attacking everything… It will attack anything it deems a threat. Everything is deemed a threat.”
Blue reflects on the loss of his old job and the failure of his life’s work:
“We were finally so close to building a livable space station. It could have housed thousands. They pulled us off too soon.”
Blue realizes his extraordinary new ability for the first time:
“Blue thinks about a big bucket of KFC chicken and a large Pepsi. A shimmering green light appears next to the tree and a large bucket of KFC chicken with a large Pepsi appear. Blue stares at the food and his mouth drops open.”
Blue offers a simple, yet stunning, explanation for Kim’s sudden appearance:
“Blue smiles, ‘I must have conjured her too. I think I conjured my ex-girlfriend, Kim.'”
The Orange Humanoid, soon to be nicknamed Bob, warns Blue about the native antagonists:
“The orange humanoid says quickly in a native tongue, ‘Silver, bad! They hunt.’ Blue nods and says, ‘Silver, bad, got it… Hey, I’m going to call you Bob.'”
The leader of the Silver Creatures fears Blue’s power, which mirrors a primal force on the planet:
“The Chief yells in his native tongue, ‘You must be stopped. He is too strong. He is The One Who Won’t Leave The Trees, and we must stop this newcomer from reaching him.'”
The powerful, maroon colored creature Odin reveals his control over the planet:
“I am the reason you cannot leave… The planet does not let anyone leave, especially if I can still control you. I am beneath the earth, and you are mine.”
