ROGER'S FABULOUS VOYAGES, PART 1, CHAPTER 4. (standard:humor, 1866 words) [4/6] show all parts
Author: Danny Zil	Added: Jun 11 2012	Views/Reads: 1967/1493	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Roger meets Zog and Karob, two Albanian peasants on Border Patrol.

FOUR 

The Control Room was a shambles. Dirty dishes, half-eaten meals,
unwashed clothes and hastily discarded personalities littered the 
place. Everywhere the word ‘EARTH' cropped up on signs or notices it 
had been crossed out and ‘GREATER ALBANIA' crudely lettered above it in 
red paint. 

Depressed by the state of the place and that his dreams were in tatters
and that all his friends were gone, Roger slumped into the doldrums. 

“I thought you were going to slump into a chair,” Norman said
conversationally. 

Roger grunted. “So everybody's gone,” he moaned. 

“That's right,” Norman said. “They all left weeks ago. A Fleet Pilot
came back with news about the Black Cloud. He became the Hero of Earth 
for awhile and they gave him a medal. He had to give a speech to all 
his fellow Pilots.” 

Roger sank deeper into the doldrums. 

Norman pulled up a doldrum next to him. “There are a couple of messages
about your Mother and Amanda,” he said, trying to cheer him up. 

“Oh yes?” 

“They're both safe. Your Mother was already away at an old folk's trip
to Pluto and Amanda was at a work's outing to Titan.” 

Roger brightened. “Oh that's good. I'm glad they're safe.” 

“And a chap called Keith said to tell you he'd kept all the back copies
of ‘Astronomers Weekly' for you.” 

Roger grinned. 

“They're all eventually heading to a planet called New Earth,” Norman
told him. “The Space Co-ordinates are on this data stick.” 

“Thanks,” said Roger and slipped the small stick into one of his top
pockets. “Any news about a Mr Entwhistle?” he asked. 

“The Mr Entwhistle?” Norman queried, an eyebrow ascending above his
glasses. 

Roger nodded. 

“Bit of an accident there I'm afraid,” Norman said regretfully. 

“Don't tell me he was hurt?” 

Norman shook his head. “Not that kind of accident. He managed to get
himself onto a Ship full of teenage girls when they left Earth.” 

“Oh well that's alright,” Roger said, looking relieved. “He likes
teenagers.” 

Norman hesitated. “I don't think it's quite as healthy as that,” he said
tentatively. 

“Healthy? You don't have to worry about Mr Entwhistle. He's one of the
fittest chaps I know and he likes doing things with teenagers.” 

“Hmmm,” muttered Norman and was about to tap his teeth again but
remembered what happened last time with his dentures and desisted. 

“So that leaves you in charge of Earth does it, I mean Greater Albania?”
Roger asked. 

“That's right. Used to be called Earth. Now it's Greater Albania. Named
it after the mother country,” Norman said, beaming with pride. 

Roger considered this. “You named it after Greater? I've never heard of


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