When we had finished most of our meals, Ka’thak pulled his tablet from a pocket and set it on the table. Alexandra reached into her briefcase and pulled out several manilla folders and a tablet of her own. Ka’thak borrowed her tablet for a moment to establish a remote data connection and handed it back to her.
“Now, please tell me what brings you to my ship, Doctor,” Ka’thak requested. “Surely you didn’t take the ride all the way from Earth simply to join us for lunch?”
“I’m afraid not.” She sighed. “I am here at the ‘request’ of President Wright.” Her voice took on a slight edge and I knew that her time with the new administration had been anything but pleasant. “The President would like me to formally request of you that you allow a small group of human engineers onto your ship for about a week so that they may shadow your engineers and mechanics. It would seem that in their haste to launch the human ship the people in charge neglected to develop training materials on Earth. While I am personally extremely loath to ask this of you, I would prefer to not be blown to pieces by a baby engineer who pushed the wrong button.”
Ka’thak looked at me for a translation of the overly wordy script. “The President wants our engineers to teach his engineers how to do their jobs.” I simplified.
“Ah. I should have foreseen this. I can’t find a reason why this would not be possible, as long as the humans go where they are supposed to go and nowhere else. I am sick of human interference with my plans and the last thing I need is to have one of them press the wrong button and blow a hole in the side of my ship. They’ll consent to a small security force and their movements will be tightly regulated,” Ka’thak stated. “Do you feel that this would be agreeable to your President?”
“Do you think that he has any other choice? I’ve got him by the…hair.” She laughed. I snorted a laugh myself. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it very, very clear to President Wright that you will require he send only his most intelligent humans who are interested in actually making it back to the human ship for their journey. If any of them steps out of line, please feel free to contact me directly. It would be my sincere joy to scare the crap out of a bunch of dweebs who don’t know better.”
I chuckled. Becoming accustomed to her command, indeed.
“In the meantime, please consider yourself an honored guest aboard my ship.” Ka’thak gestured around us.
“Thank you, Ka’thak, but I’m needed back on Earth,” Alex demurred, casting her eyes down. I went around the table to clasp her by the shoulders.
“Come on, Alex,” I said, squeezing her arms so hard she yelped. “Surely the old man can do without you for a little while, can’t he? It’s not like you can’t work remotely and we have a better data connection on this thing than anything you’ve ever seen on Earth. Not to mention that you owe me a hell of a lot of drinks, my friend.”
“I might add that the people love you, Doctor.” Ka’thak chimed in. “They would be thrilled to see you among our numbers, and when all this is said and done they may not have another chance to see you again. I know the children would be especially happy for your presence.” He slid a sly grin my way. I knew that he had hit the nail on the head. Alex was an absolute sucker for the alien children. She loved their inquisitiveness and simplicity. They loved her too, knowing that whenever she was near that they would be guaranteed a playmate who could sneak them extra food from the dining table. They were nigh inseparable from each other and she usually managed to send them on their way only when she put on a show of great reluctance that she had to return to her work.
“Oh, and send your guard back home,” I directed. “I appreciate that they came up with you but I think there is no place in the universe safer for you than with us. Toss the grunts and you’ll never have to hear another word about protocol as long as you’re up here. I don’t like that they tried to challenge your orders in the first place. Pack them up and send them off.”
“Fine, fine, you had me at the kids.” She shook her head. “Thank you, Ka’thak. I would be honored to spend whatever time I can with your people. I can’t promise that I won’t amass an army of kids to come and attack their elders, though.”
Ka’thak looked at me slightly alarmed and I shook my head. “She’s kidding…I think.”
“Gather your things and I’ll have Lt. Colonel Jackson escort you to your quarters. Don’t worry about clothing and supplies, I will send someone by shortly to take your measurements and we should have some printed up for you within the next hour or so.” Ka’thak gathered up the remaining chocolate chip cookies and passed them to her. “Take these to your room as well, I fear that I may eat the whole plate if left to my own devices.”
“Thank you, sir,” she replied. She reached across the table to shake his hand and Ka’thak left, leaving the two of us in the room alone.
“Can I join the kid army?” I asked, pouting.
She looked at me pityingly. “I suppose so…you’re practically a child as it is so it shouldn’t make that much of a difference!”
I held a hand to my chest in mock shock and then pretended to lunge for her. She moved aside deftly and walked out, holding the plate of cookies in front of her.
“Come on, Lt. Colonel David Jackson. It’s time you show me around your new home.”
5
President Wright
President Wright sat at his desk in the Oval Office and stretched his neck, feeling it crack as he settled in for his call with the social worker. Due to the orbit cycle of the alien ship it was only possible for her to call early in the morning today. He clutched his mug of coffee and wished this was over with already so he could get back to bed. The scotch he had last night was threatening to split his skull. Until his agenda was fulfilled, he was stuck at the mercy of niceties and protocols. He had asked the staff to keep the lights low and the office cool. No sense waking up fully for this. He could fake paying attention well enough.
The tablet on his desk rang and he tapped to connect the video call. He was greeted by a relaxed Dr. King, looking well-rested and groomed. He was tempted to make a comment about how alien life suited her but bit his tongue. No sense risking angering the woman when he still needed her.
“Good morning, Mr. President,” she said. “I do apologize for having to call you so early. The orbital schedule didn’t quite line up with getting in contact with you later in the day.”
“No trouble, Doctor,” Wright replied. He flexed his fingers against his coffee cup, out of view of the camera.
“I’ll cut right to it so you can get some more rest as soon as possible. Our offer is being considered by the aliens. Ka’thak understandably has to get the all-clear from his council, but things should be ready to go ahead within the next few days.” Good. He was sick of waiting on the aliens and their wretched council. A true leader was decisive, he didn’t go to seek the approval of his elders before making a move. Weak leadership made a weak country. That was what his father had taught him.
Wright forced a smile. “That’s fantastic news! When can we expect you back Earthside?” The faster she got back here, the faster he could rein her little rebellious streak back in. His predecessor had given her far too much freedom. God rest her soul.
Alex paused before continuing. “I’m actually going to stay up here for a while, sir. You can expect your guards on the ground sometime today. The alien commander has been pretty insistent on it and I’d rather not appear impolite when we’re asking yet more of them.”
Wright’s brows knitted and he glanced up to the general he had asked to accompany him for the call. The man shrugged and motioned the President back to the camera. Wright made sure to compose himself quickly before Alex noticed. Having the social worker out of his reach wasn’t inconvenient, it was dangerous. The farther away from him she was, the more difficult it would be to control her actions. Unfortunately, he was stuck. If he objected too strongly, she would think it strange and start wondering why. Not reacting at all would tip her off to something st
range too. Best to play along.
“Perish the thought, Doctor. We will certainly miss your company here on the surface but I completely understand. Plus, it gives you some time to catch up with your comrades, right?” Species traitor. He thought.
She laughed. “Yes, it’s been quite the adventure being reunited with the Lt. Colonel. He’s certainly settled into shipboard life well.”
Another terse smile. The President was not a fan of David Jackson. In his day if you defected from the military to join a foreign force they called it desertion, not heroism. The fact that the man wasn’t rotting in a prison at this very moment was something Wright would sorely like to correct. “I’m sure he has. You stay safe up there, Doctor. We’ll see you when you return.”
“Thank you, sir. They’re getting me set up with everything I need here so you should be able to reach me via video call and e-mail whenever you need something of me.” He nodded and tapped the screen to end the call. Wright raised the now lukewarm coffee to his mouth and cringed at the overpowering bitterness of the brew. Not only had the social worker woken him up at an ungodly hour, she had ruined his coffee as well.
“Sir, is the mission still a go?” the general asked.
“Of course it is,” Wright confirmed. After reading through his predecessor’s saccharine and overly emotional notes on the human ship, President Wright had decided that the effort needed a stronger approach. Saving a thousand humans was decent, but saving twice that was better. Little to the social worker’s knowledge the people that would be delivered to the aliens’ ship weren’t going to be engineers. In a couple of days, disguised soldiers would be unloaded onto the ship with the sole purpose of incapacitating the aliens aboard. They would each be carrying devices containing a gas that Wright’s scientists had developed. Each of these soldiers would plant their device in key areas of the ship where they would release the gas at a specified time. The gas wouldn’t kill the aliens—he wasn’t a monster—but it would put them into a paralytic sleep for twelve hours or so. Plenty of time for his team to bring more teams in and take the ship from the aliens.
He admired President Lee’s approach to things, he really did. It was great PR to work the peace and love angle; more effective yet was putting humanity first rather than sacrifice for the good of a civilization that they would never encounter again. He meant what he said in his speech after taking office. He would lead humanity to survival and prosperity, no matter the cost.
It was time to do whatever was necessary to fulfill that promise.
6
Jackson
I waited at the shuttle bay for the teams of engineers alongside Alex and sighed. For a bunch of nerds, they were already showing that they couldn’t keep a proper schedule. They were over an hour late. The officers on the bridge had received some communication about weather conditions for the shuttle launch but he didn’t buy it. Technology was advanced enough now that they should have seen any problems coming a mile away. The boys on the ground just probably didn’t care enough to run things like they were supposed to. After all, there was a significant chance that they were about to be left behind to die with the rest of humanity. They couldn’t really be blamed for a lack of motivation.
Ka’thak had asked me to welcome the teams personally. He didn’t want a repeat of the alien-led rescue from Proctor’s men. Can’t say I blamed him. It would be easier to have a fellow human meet them and orient them to the ship before they met the aliens they would be tagging along with anyway. Being in space could be quite a shock, especially for anyone who had never left the surface before. Alex volunteered to accompany me. She said it was so that the engineers could see a friendly face when they arrived. I elbowed her in the ribs for that. I could be friendly if I wanted to! Truthfully I think she wanted a woman there to soften the transition a bit. Given that we were about to receive a team of all all male engineers, she was probably right. A beautiful woman would keep their interest far better than I could.
The shuttle docked and a band of men emerged. I was surprised to see that they were dressed in semi-tactical gear; probably provided for their ride into space. It made more sense than wearing civvies up here. I stepped forward to introduce myself.
“Lt. Colonel David Jackson, formerly of the United States Air Force. It’s a pleasure to meet you, gentlemen.”
The leader of the group took my hand in a firm shake. “Charles Campbell,” he said. “Fantastic to meet you, Lt. Colonel. We’ve heard many stories, all of them good, I promise.” I smiled thinly while he continued. “Thank you for being here to greet our team. And I assume this is the famous Dr. Alexandra King?” He dipped his head to Alex and offered his hand to her. She took it and welcomed him to the ship. She knit her eyebrows for just a moment as she endured the man’s strong handshake. The guy had made me wince at his grip, I’m sure that hurt.
Charles turned to the rest of the group and asked them to step forward one by one to introduce themselves. Unlike their leader, the other engineers seemed disinterested in speaking with us—they were even a bit gruff. In a strange way, that was comforting. The old joke that engineers used their personalities as birth control certainly rang true with these guys! Here to do their jobs and nothing more. While I explained where the team would be staying and how they would be accompanied I felt a prickling on the back of my neck and turned to see two alien soldiers standing at a window above us. Come to see the new humans? Or come to make sure that the ones we were letting aboard checked out? I tossed my hand at them in a dismissive gesture. I know that these guys were strange, but engineers were nothing to fear. One of them cocked his head at me and narrowed his eyes before moving on with his patrol.
Alexandra and I took the engineering team to their temporary quarters. Thankfully they didn’t have a ton of gear with them, just a duffle bag each with what I assumed was a change of clothing and other necessities. The men followed their leader silently. Neither of us tried to make conversation with them. We thought it best to let them take in their new surroundings and assumed that the questions would come later. As we walked, Alex lightly elbowed me to get my attention.
“Hey Jackson, do you get the feeling that something’s a little weird with these guys? I mean, I get the engineering personalities but they’re all built like bricks! Plus, look at how they’re walking,” she whispered, exaggerating their swagger with her gait.
I turned to glance at the group. She was right. All of these men were under the age of fifty and in good shape. Some more than others—I saw a spare tire or two starting to form on some of their torsos. As they walked behind us I could see the stiff gait of men used to marching as we proceeded through the corridors. The whole thing seemed pretty normal to me. President Wright was a hardcore military supporter, being ex-military himself. It was logical to me that he would source soldiers or veterans for this team instead of sourcing civilians and training them up in government practices. I had a feeling that he was angling for a heavy military presence on the human ship but I hadn’t had the chance to really talk to Alex about it yet. Knowing that these men could understand and follow the rules of military life actually took the pressure off a lot. It would make it easier to keep them out of trouble. Or so I hoped.
We arrived at the engineers’ quarters to find a team of aliens ready and waiting. There would be one alien soldier to every two engineers and each pair got their own alien mentor. I laughed as the aliens gave each man a unique greeting, some shaking hands, some headbutting the new arrivals. The entire group managed to maintain their composure but I could tell they were confused, even nervous. Good. Aside from the pleasure the aliens got from messing with humans who didn’t know better, keeping them on their toes was a good way to ensure that none of them tried anything unwise. After giving the engineers a briefing on what not to do we left to join Ka’thak and report on the team’s arrival.
When we reached the bridge Alex giggled as she was caught up in a bear hug by several of the officers present. She stopped to catch up wit
h a few of them and then walked away, fascinated by the equipment. I heard one of the officers offer to tell her all about it and I knew she would be well looked after. I reached Ka’thak’s station and saluted.
“Jackson, you really will have to abandon that habit at some point, you know that, right?” The captain laughed.
I felt my cheeks heat. “Right. Sorry, sir. The engineers are here.”
“So I assumed, by the arrival of their shuttle,” Ka’thak joked. Since my arrival in orbit, the entire population of alien warriors had been trying to help me abandon some of the overly formal habits I had picked up in the human armed forces. I could see that they weren’t going to abandon that effort anytime soon.
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Alex and I have left them with their minders. They all seem to be fairly well behaved. I appreciate that you’ve sent a soldier with them in addition to our engineers. Alex noticed something while we were introducing them to their mentors, though. They’re all military types.” Ka’thak stiffened at that. “Military or ex-military,” I added, hastening to reassure him. “It makes sense to me. Wright is ex-military himself. I remember back when he ran for his position in Congress, he leaned pretty heavily on his time in the service.”
“Mm,” he rumbled. I had come to know this noise as a signal that Ka’thak wasn’t happy about something. It was his way of exercising restraint in his tone. “I’m fine with them being aboard, but your information redoubles my conviction to have a soldier attend them while they work. I know that most of the human soldiers are trustworthy, Jackson…”
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