An interstellar planet hopper dropped out of orbit and slid into the rolling clouds of Elysian. Lower levels of the planet were an uninhabitable wasteland but the peaks of the eastern mountain range were high enough to sustain life.

The transport surfed the puffy purple clouds and delighted its passengers with a panoramic lightning storm over obscured volcanos ringing the equator. Automated announcements and spectacular electric flashes woke even the most medicated of passengers. It was time to disembark.

Pippalotti blinked, stretched, and looked around the cabin. She was belted into a fold-down recliner and next to her, Sister Murphy snored away. Murphy was wearing leggings, booties, and an oversized hoodie that said, "Had a Hell of a Trip on Elipso" in bubble letters.

"You're telling me."

Pippa looked at her clothing; she was wearing her leather spacer pants, fitted jacket, and the Go-Go boots she'd bought on the party moon.

"The verdict is in; Elipso is dangerous. Murph, wake up." She nudged her cabin mate with her toe.

"What?"

She pulled her hood up over her orange hair and stared out into the clouds. She smiled, slid out of her seat belts, and wrapped her arms around Pippa.

"You're alive. We've traveled beyond the heavens."

This was confirmed by the classical looking city built along the pointed mountains jutting above the cloud line. Pippa accessed the cabin's network interface. They had no luggage but were booked at the Olympia hotel.

"I think someone stole our stuff."

Murphy pulled at her tourist clothing, frantically rummaged around the cabin, and not finding anything flopped down in disgust.

"It's not the first time I've had nothing but the clothes on my back."

"We have reservations and my credit is solid. Stick with me, Sister." Pippa opened the cabin door and headed toward the exit ports.

Murphy stood up, did a forward fold, planted both hands firmly on the floor, stretched one leg straight in the air, and cracked her back. She lifted her other leg into a handstand, flipped her legs over and flung her torso up landing on her feet, then she followed Pippa.

The sublime mountain tops in the hearty upper atmosphere had none of the altitude thin air conditions one would expect. The majestic green summits were the prize possession of Elysian.

Small local populations were the only survivors of the greenhouse death of their planet; descendants of a band of Sherpas that made their way into the once snow-capped mountains to escape environmental disaster. They were attractive tan skinned people with black hair, flat noses, thin heavy-lidded eyes, and hospitable dispositions.

"Welcome to the Elysian Peaks. We hope your spirits learn to soar during your time with us," said a charming little customs agent.

She scanned them at the minimal security checkpoint and registered Murphy officially as Mrs. John Murphy from the planet Cherrycoke without question nor proof of identification.

They took the agent's advice and walked twenty minutes across the thick grass of the undulating landscape to their hotel. Purple cumulus clouds drifted below them in the upsidedown world and the air smelled sweet and tasted metallic. Sparsely spaced white marble buildings dotted the limited landmass in aesthetic perfection.

"Are these people mountain dwarves?" asked Murphy.

"No, they're survivors of a planetary apocalypse. They're extremely endangered. Though I have to say they seem to live a charmed existence. Let's go shopping."

They approached a small set of shops and a cafe before reaching the hotel which jutted ten stories into the sky. Winged people flew around in the heavy air above.

"More angels," pointed Murphy.

"Yeah, bird people love this place." She narrowed her eyes at them. "Maybe food first?"

They gorged themselves on sugary cakes and spicy mutton curry. They were the only two customers on the little outside patio and a short man making deliveries to the cafe made a beeline to Pippa.

"Welcome back." He grinned at her golden teeth, then walked away.

"Have you been here before?" asked Murphy.

"They believe in reincarnation. They think everyone has been here at some time or another in a past life."

"I like that idea. Heaven didn't turn out to be all it's cracked up to be."

"Hell did." They laughed and sipped sweet chai tea.

The shops sold stylish yet primitive high-quality handmade garments. Lightweight cottons were sown into a muted rainbow of earthy colors. They bought new sturdy boots, uniquely striped pants, and weatherproof wind jackets.

"Don't forget to go to the wing store, you simply must spend time suspended in our lovely warm air," suggested the woman who owned the shop and cafe.

They checked into the hotel and were shown to their top floor suite. The view was divine, soft light in a clear sky with the dim sparkle of stars high above the rolling violet and mauve clouds. Tourists sailed through the air on gliders alongside winged beings and giant insects.

"What are those, monster hornets?"

"Galactic Space Wasps. There are floating gardens and hives out among the clouds. Here I bought you some new underwear." Pippa tossed the matching set to Murphy.

Murph looked at the sports bra like she had no idea what to do with it.

"She seems to know clothing is for weaker species," said a voice in Pippa's head.

Pippalotti had a neural transmitter implanted in her brain which gave her a kind of technological telepathy but she didn't see anyone in the designer white room. A large black and white lizard undid her camouflage and appeared on a swivel chair sitting comfortably like she'd been there all along. Her black scales coming into focus revealed she was Varan.

"She doesn't have a transmitter?" her mental voice continued.

"No, she doesn't," Pippa said aloud to the lizard woman causing Murphy to jump with fright when she noticed her.

"A dragon!" Murphy prepared for a fight.

"I mean you no harm," hissed the colorless human-sized monitor lizard. "My name is Taegu. I've been asked to check in on you, unofficially, of course."

"She's a Varan, Murph. A friend. If she wanted to hurt us, she wouldn't be talking to us. However, you didn't have to sneak into our room. What do you want? Did the royal family send you?" Pippa finished pulling on her new pants.

"No, though they're pursuing you on their own. They've not asked the Varan government for help in this matter."

"What matter?"

"There is a missing brain matrix of an Ibi-Ero Makina soldier unit and they are searching for it intently. The #71EEB8 clones are also interested, as well as Grandor, and from a more scientific curiosity perspective the Varan Government."

"What does that have to do with me?" asked Pippalotti.

"Not you. Her."

Murphy looked down at the white shag carpet and ran her bruised little toes through it.

"Do you have it?" asked Taegu.

"I do not. Melock and I faced many on the mechanical world. Challenging foes."

Murphy spoke in an accent beyond the range of Varan knowledge, which was saying something as their species had traveled to every part of the galaxy that was known to have a humanoid species. Taegu raised an eyebrow trying to place the dialect.

"I had some of their armor but it was stolen," Murphy added.

"Yes, by a technician on Elipso who tried to sell it to the #71s and got himself and them vaporized by a Makina assault ship. This Melock is the one they're after."

"We're looking for him too." Murphy took a less defensive stance.

"Very few organic species have ever set foot on Ibi-Ero and lived."

Taegu stood up and pulled what looked like a baseball bat in a carrying case out from under her chair. She leaned her body weight on it for a second like a cane, flipped it up in the air in front of her, caught it, and chucked it sailing across the room at Murphy's head. In a flash, she adjusted her footing and caught it in both hands.

Murphy smirked, unzipped the end of the tubular case, slid out a thick golden bat, and proceeded to swing it around, twirling it like a baton.

"A finely balanced weapon." Murphy sliced the air of the room.

"I've seen footage of you in action. The electro-bat is effective against Makina ballistics. Consider it a gift of friendship from the Varan."

"Eleck-toe-bat." She admired the shiny gold rod. "Thank you, dragon, I will use it well."

"Excellent. We'd like to take you under our protection until we locate Melock. And, if possible, do a full interview of your experiences on the robot world."

"Wait a minute. No one knows we're here, no one knows who she is, she's an unknown entity." Pippa finally had a chance to speak her mind.

"I found you easily enough. Though you did put forth a challenge locating the planet Cherrycoke; it's in the Tycho Supernova Remnant." She walked across the room and out onto the balcony. "I recommend we leave immediately."

Pippa and Murphy pulled on their new boots and jackets and followed her outside. Two golden-winged gliders were parked just over the balcony's edge.

"Can you fly a Robo-Glider?" asked Taegu.

"We have Ursa Minor technology on Grandor you know. I'm not a pilot, but I know the basics." Pippa threw a leg over the railing and stepped onto the small two-seater skybike.

Murphy started to follow her.

"You should ride with me." Taegu put a stark black and white claw on Murphy's shoulder.

"Then who will protect Pippa?" She climbed onto the back of her glider.

"At least wear the helmets, your mammal brains are so easily smooshed. Plus you do enjoy breathing all the time." Taegu jumped onto the other Robo-Glider and tore off toward the horizon.

Pippa put on a golden helmet and helped Murphy pull her jacket hood tight before clamping down her face shield.

"Just breathe normally. Our jackets will keep us warm. Your helmet has a communication system so you can talk to me when we're flying."

"I'm not worried, our rings will protect us." Murphy held up her hand with a thin blown glass ring on it.

Pippa had forgotten about the rainbow ring on her finger.

"I thought that was Virtual Reality?"

"What?"

"Nevermind."

She activated the drive and pulled away into a vast open sky above a sea of clouds. She had to admit it did kind of make her spirit soar to glide effortlessly over the beautiful atmosphere.

Taegu flew up alongside them and pointed towards the hotel fading rapidly into the distance. They looked back and saw the entire top floor of the building burst into flames. With their steadily increasing speed, the sound of the explosion never reached them.

The twin gliders raced along the cumuli until they came upon a floating hydroponics platform covered in an opulent green hanging garden. They swung wide, slowed down, and approached the landing deck. Standing beside a parked crystalline ship made entirely out of asteroid diamond was a slender ultramarine lizard woman and the golden-skinned, slick suited, white-feathered birdman, and Dark Lord of the Underworld, himself: Abaddon St. Baal.