The rocket ship passed through the rough patch of lower-Earth atmosphere and began its smooth glide through the middle section. The one in between the black space above and the rocky surface below, where regular old airplanes travel at their normal cruising altitude.
“Now this here is more like it,” Cletus said, arching his back and stretching his arms into the air until the tips of his fingers tickled the ceiling of the rocket ship.
“I can't take much of them G-forces for too long,” Jimmy John said. “There's gotta be a limit to the G-force. Or else those G's will force your soul to leave your body real quick! Ain't never coming back when the G-force get in ya.”
“Don’tchu fret there, Jimmy John,” Billy Bob said. “That there’s the most turbulent section we gotta get through.”
“What's turbulent?” Cletus asked.
“Bumpy,” Billy Bob said.
“Why's that, Billy Bob?” Jimmy John asked.
“Well… you see,” Billy Bob said, touching the tips of his fingers together on each hand. The other crew members of the PATRIOT-17 grew quiet. “Space is a vacuum. Ain't no gravity, or G-force, or atmosphere, or nothing. Just the black emptiness of space and the occasional asteroid or dust particle whizzing by.”
“We don't gotta worry about no asteroid or dust particles do we, Billy Bob?” Cletus asked.
“There's always a small chance, Cletus. But they say space is so vast and infinite that the chances of getting hit by one'a them is less likely than your chance to win the Powerball or touch lightning or something,” Billy Bob said.
“Who's they?” Jimmy John asked.
“They? Well... they is them scientists and scholars. Those-“
“Astronauts and astrophysicists and astrologers,” Cletus added.
“Yes, those fellers. Thank yuh, Cletus,” Billy Bob said. “Those astronauts and astrophysicists and astrologers have mapped out most of them stars in the sky. And even found out that some'a them stars got their own Exoplanets.”
“By golly!” Cletus shouted. “That must be where Harold is from.”
“Watchu' talking about, Cletus?” Billy Bob said.
“Them Exoplanets,” Cletus said. “That must be where my baby boy Harold comes from.”
“Harold didn't come from no Exoplanet or any planet for that matter,” Jimmy John said. “You built him you old fool!”
“Yeah, Cletus. You's like Dr. Frankenstein and Harold is like your wretched green, monstrous abomination,” Billy Bob said.
“My God,” Cletus said. “You's right, fellers. You think them villagers will hunt me down if they find out about Harold?”
“You best keep Harold away from the villagers,” Jimmy John said.
“And you best keep Harold away from your wife, too,” Billy Bob said.
“No doubt,” Cletus said. “Betsy might just turn into a wretched green abomination if she finds out about Harold.”
“Just might,” Jimmy John said.
“She'd rip my Exo-Skeleton to pieces like she was some kind'a supervillain in a comic book cinema film. Ain't no coming back from the wrath of Betsy if she wants a piece'a ya,” Cletus said.
“Nope,” Billy Bob said. “That's a mighty fierce wrath.”
“Sure is,” Cletus said. “Now, how about'a piece of them sandwiches before we turn into a couple'a wretched green monsters ourselves?”