"It doesn't take much zybium 7 to power a starship, a piece  the size of a bean will catalyze the power crystals," Captain Blor of the Bardol ship, the Explorer, said. "Since Third Engineer Alber stole our xybium and went joyriding on Earth, we've been orbiting the moon in stealth mode.

"Captain," asked Byef, "Has Alber come to his senses? Can he tell us where he hid the xybium?"

Blor shook his head. "He's nutty as ever, although the docs describe him as being 'out of touch with reality.'" Blor scratched his head. "If we don't find the xybium we could be stuck in this hick star system for a decade or more before the fleet finds us. Without xybium we can't power the subspace communications, either."

Byef's hearts sank in her chest.

"I order you to go to Earth and search for the xybium until you find it." He paused. "Or the fleet finds us."

Byef saluted by tapping her upper heart, then touching a forefinger to her ear, to confirm she had heard the order.

"When do I leave?"

"Have dinner, then report to Transport."

"Yes, Captain." Byef saluted and headed for the cafeteria. She'd take extra Nalf worm snacks with her. Maybe the docs could tell her what a gnome was and what planet they came from. She hoped she could find the right gnome and he, she, or they, knew what Alber's babbling meant.

Byef transported to Earth via submolecular ray just after darkness. Transport placed her in the park where Alber had been arrested for vagrancy. Ship's security caught him when he snuck out of the homeless shelter he was assigned to and returned to the park.

The park was dark and quiet but for a few rustlings and animal noises. Her comlink buzzed.  Alien Research had information on gnomes, goldfish, and hourglasses. Gnomes were an extinct species of humanoid, apparently born mature, bearded, fat, and usually a foot or so high. Small statues of them were popular as garden ornaments.

Goldfish were  often orange, or orange and white, popular as pets and kept in home aquariums and garden ponds. Maybe the gnomes raised goldfish before they went extinct.

Hourglasses were primitive timekeeping appliances, used to measure 60 minutes by means of two connected chambers, one above the other, with a narrow connecting neck that allowed sand to flow from the upper to the lower chamber.

She found a secluded spot and curled up to sleep.

In the morning she ate Nalf worms and began searching for the xybium. She located the spot Alber stayed before the Explorer retrieved him. It was behind a bench overlooking a small, man-made pond.

She sat on the bench and looked around. Fish swam in the pond. Goldfish, check. She walked around the pond and saw a dozen gnomes. She hopped with excitement. The gnome statues were in various poses, standing, pushing flower-filled wheelbarrows, or holding tools. Check. She hunted all morning but could find nothing resembling an hourglass.

Frustrated, she sat on the bench and ate more Nalf. She watched Earthlings go to the pond,  throw coins in and toss bits the goldfish ate. Exhausted, one day not even over, she returned to the gnome statuary and examined each statue. A statue of a gnome with a fishing pole holding a fish had a message from Alber. Success!

They're coming for me. I hid the xybium in the hourglass. Hahaha.

Not much help. Dejected, Belf sat on the rim of the pond, watching goldfish swim, eat, and not much else. She watched a dark-skinned child toss some food into the pond and giggle as the fish ate. His maternal unit watched him complacently.

On a whim, Belf asked the maternal unit, "Ma'am, do you know anything about an hourglass around here? It's very important."

The woman smiled. "Sure." Belf's hearts pounded in her chest. "A goldfish here is famous for an hourglass shape on its side. There it is now." The woman pointed at a mostly white fish with two orange balls that could resemble an houglass.

Belf stared at the fish openmouthed. She checked it with the scanner. The xybium bean was in the fish's stomach. She grabbed for it but the fish swam away and disappeared.

The woman said nervously, "It's unlawful to molest the fish. You'll be arrested."

Belf mindlinked with the hourglass fish. She made it swim to her. Another fish swam around her fish, making fish signs for 'Do you come here often?' A mating move. She urged the fish to her and scooped it in her cupped hands. Now to get the xybium out of the fish and go home. 

Her mindlink broke as someone tapped her on the shoulder. A husky man in uniform glared at her. A soldier? A policeman? "Put the fish back, lady."

"Not by the 79 moons of Jupiter." She stood up. "I'm going to get our xybium out of this fish and go home."

"Ah, no. Alber has a friend. OK, lady, you asked for it." The big man reached for Belf as she backed away. He grabbed her wrist. Desperate, she did the only thing she could.

Belf swallowed the goldfish.

She kicked the soldier/policeman in the knee. He howled. She broke free, running for the trees as she pulled out her comlink. When it beeped, she screamed, "GET ME BACK. I GOT THE XYBIUM BUT THE EARTHLINGS ARE GOING TO TAKE ME TO JAIL!"

The soldier/policeman tackled her. "Help! Help!" she screamed. "They GOT--"

She sprawled on the floor of Transport. She was back. She spat out the goldfish, which flopped and flapped on the floor.

Later, Belf sat on the bridge and watched the as the goldfish, relieved of the xybium, was transported back to its pond. She felt the ship shudder as the xybium powered up the crystals and then departed Earth's solar system. Earth and its moon shrank to dots and disappeared as the ship entered hyperspace.