Dan Greenburg - Lost in Las Vegas

The closer Lek, Ploo, and Klatu got to Las Vegas, the brighter and the noisier it became. Then the city swallowed them up. They walked around a corner and came face to face with a monster.

Hide! shrieked Klatu, and ducked behind a car.

The monster was huge and round. It was covered with tubes of different-colored lights. The lighted tubes were turning off and on in speedy patterns. They seemed to be moving in an angry way. What kind of monster could it be?

Klatu figured hed better send peaceful thoughts to the monsters mind.

We come in peace, Klatu esped in the monsters direction. We hope you come in peace.

Klatu, I do not think that thing is alive, said Ploo in her own tiny voice. I think it is what humans call a neon sign. See how it is covered with words?

The sign said DRIVE-THROUGH WEDDING CHAPEL. OPEN 24 HOURS.

Well, it seems alive to me, said Klatu. Also angry.

Ahead of them now, on both sides of the street, were huge hotels with strange things going on in front of them. Like a volcano with flames shooting thirty feet into the air.

That small mountain is on fire! cried Klatu.

But nobody seems upset, said Ploo. Perhaps such things are normal here.

In front of another hotel was a pirate ship. Two bands of pirates fought each other on the deck of the ship. The ship was on fire!

There is another fire! cried Klatu.

Nobody seems upset by that one, either, said Ploo.

One hotel was built in the shape of a giant glass pyramid. Another hotel was in the shape of an enormous sinking ship. In front of some hotels were amazing neon signs, waterfalls, and more things on fire.

This is a strange, strange place, said Ploo. Even stranger than Mordoonk.

Look. Klatu pointed across the street. The Awful Tower!

Ploo and Lek looked.

You mean the Eiffel Tower? said Lek. The famous tower in Paris? I did not think that Paris was in Nevada. I thought it was in France.

And over there, said Klatu. The Umpire State Building!

The Empire State Building? said Lek. That is in New York City. I did not think that New York City was in Nevada, either.

They not only have whole cities here, said Klatu, impressed. They have entire planets.

Klatu pointed across the highway. A neon sign flashed the words PLANET HOLLYWOOD.

Planet Hollywood must be a very small planet, said Lek. Smaller than the one humans call Mercury.

The back end of a large car was sticking out of the wall of Planet Hollywood, right above the doorway.

How did a car crash into a building so high up? asked Klatu.

Humans must be really awful drivers, said Lek. Even worse than Klatu.

Hey! said Klatu. I am a great driver!

This is a very dangerous place, said Ploo. We must be careful here. And we must find Jo-Jo as soon as possible.

But we do not even know where to look for her, said Lek. We will never find her. Without Jo-Jo, we are finished! We are doomed!

Klatu ignored him. Ploo rolled her eyes. Lek worried way too much.

What is that over there? asked Klatu. The thing that looks like a sinking ship?

It says Titanic Hotel, said Ploo.

I like how it looks, said Klatu. Let us go there first to look for Jo-Jo.

We should morph into human shape first, said Lek.