The Thaon Factor

by Eugene Wilson

  All look at each other again. Suddenly, Sylvia develops the wildest notion as to the person behind that feminine voice.

  “Look, it’s okay,” David tells the others. “I have a feeling about these people.”

  “No way!” Tyrone objects again as he faces the sphere. “You told me to meet you on Thuan beginning on the third division at a different place. Why the change?”

  A brief silence passes before the voice returns. “Please identify yourselves.”

  “I am Tyrone Clark. This is my brother, Nathan and my sister, Sylvia.”

  “Please identify the individual in front of you.”

  “I am David Williams. I saw your probe outside my window.”

  Again, there is a brief silence. “Please follow our probe. You will shortly reach the area where we are located.”

  The probe begins moving ahead of them to the right. All four teenagers begin following the probe. The probe begins shining a bright guiding light on the ground. Despite the situation they have found themselves in, each is becoming fascinated as to what may lie ahead. Tyrone, though, still feels distrustful. He has not forgotten his last encounter with them. After eight minutes of walking, all four are led into a clearing in the forest. Their wait time is short. The light extinguishes. The probe initiates a fast ascent into the night sky and disappears from sight. Thirty seconds later, a bright light illuminates the area them. All look up and see an unnerving sight: a large, rectangular vessel is descending. Illuminating devices located near the top and bottom of the vessel also brighten the area.

  The teenagers are aghast as the alien craft descends lower. Surprisingly, very little noise emanates from the craft as it finally touches down on its support pods. Several minutes later, a ramp extends from the side toward the ground. A side hatch slides to the left. Although nervous, all four are surprised to see a lone individual standing in the exit. Seconds later, the individual begins walking down the ramp. She stops and begins scanning the immediate area. Standing five-foot-five, she has smooth, light green skin. Her black hair is styled neatly in a broad spiral. She is dressed in a two-piece, light blue uniform. The upper left part of the long-sleeved uniform has a yellow insignia in the shape of a triangle pointing upward.

  Nathan is stunned as he recognizes the symbol within the triangle, a symbol similar to the ancient Hebrew alphabet Yod (י). A wide, dark blue belt, with individual compartments, encircles her waist. Focusing on Nathan, she walks casually toward him. Coming within two yards of Nathan, she stops and with a tilt of her head, smiles. Nathan is stunned by her boldness and demeanor. Her hyacinth-blue eyes are a sight to behold. She and Nathan exchange a long and curious glance. From Nathan’s perspective, her appearance is unlike anything that he has ever seen. He also finds her quite attractive, despite certain unusual aspects of her physiology. “You do not appear to be dangerous,” Nathan tells her.

  In light of this bizarre situation, he dispenses with the street slang. The others decide to follow Nathan’s lead. Puzzled, the alien female tilts her head. From what she understands, Nathan’s language resembles the ancient language of Sumaen. Thus, she begins manipulating a rectangular device that is attached to her upper left arm. Nathan’s exact words re-emanate from the device in a language neither of the teenagers can understand.

  She hits another contact and speaks. “Are you disappointed?” Her voice, as it emanates from the arm-mounted device, sounds calm and appealing.

  “Well, not really,” Nathan replies. In stark surprise, the other teens glance at each other. Becoming bolder, Tyrone approaches her. She does not attempt to back away, although Tyrone discerns that she is mildly nervous. “Are you… a broad?”

  She is puzzled by Tyrone’s question. “A broad? What is a broad?”

  “A chick. You know, a dame. A female.”

  “A female, yes!” She replies. “I understand. I commend you on your perception.”

  The others decide not to spoil Tyrone’s second alien contact and remain silent for the time being. “You do not look like the others I have seen. You are green.”

  “Do you find that troublesome?”

  “Well…yes,” Tyrone admits, “I mean…I have never seen a green female before. What is your name and what are you?”

  “I am Ra’el Alacian Jendar. Like the others, as you have indicated, I am also of the biological species called selothian. My ethnic designation, as my skin color reveals, is Suani. You are Tyrone Clark? What species are you?”

  “I am a human. The ones with me are…”

  “David Williams, Nathan Clark and Sylvia Clark,” Ra’el interrupts. She begins approaching the others.

  “Suani? They have different ethnic races just like we do,” Sylvia thinks to herself.

  “If I may interrupt, what is your name again?” Nathan asks.

  “Ra’el Alacian Jendar.”

  “That is an unusually pretty name,” Nathan acknowledges. “Ra’el! You must understand that your presence here is confusing to us.”

  “In other words, why are you here?” David asks. He still feels uneasy, if not entirely distrustful. Ra’el now focuses her attention on David. Although Ra’el is nervous at meeting these individuals, she wants to present a more amiable side of her people to these alien humans. Her earlier suggestion to Commander Ularik produced the results she wanted. She is thrilled to have this rare opportunity to fulfill her fervent desire: to make first contact with inhabitants of another world.

  She also wanted to prove that younger females, as well as older males, could make substantial achievements in the field of science and deep space exploration. It was one of the principal reasons for her joining the Rostrean Space Academy. She walks closer to David and stops a few feet from him. David fights to appear calm as Ra’el stands before him. Sylvia discerns the fear in David.

  “That was a strategic move,” Ra’el begins. “We apologize if our probe had caused you any distress.”

  “Well, I was frightened to see your probe floating outside my window. Still, why are you here?” Sylvia is surprised and annoyed by David’s question. She feels that he should know why the selothians are here, complements of their last big argument.

  “My associates and I are searching for a missing member of our group. His name is Daljik Ra’as. We are most eager to know how you came into possession of his auvisuon.”

  “Auvisuon?”

  “Yes. The device in your possession is called an auvisuon.”

  Briefly looking at the others, David feels hesitant to reveal what he knows. He is hoping that the others would withhold what they know as well.

  He feels that it is too soon.

  “Tyrone found this auvisuon in a cave lying near a skeleton,” Nathan interrupts. He sees the sudden shock on Ra’el’s face.

  “Can you give me additional details regarding this skeleton?”

  “Various physical aspects of the skeleton were inconsistent with that of a human skeleton,” David breaks in. “It was one of your people.”

  “I understand,” Ra’el replies. She develops a look of deep sadness on her face. She hits a contact on her arm device.

  “What did you just do?” David asks fearfully.

  His question is answered as five other people exit the craft. First, two security officers exit the shuttle carrying side weapons on their hips. Upon walking down the ramp, they stand near the entrance of the shuttle.

  Three more individuals, two males and another female approach Ra’el from behind. “I knew this had to be a trick!” David states as he begins backing away.

  “This is no trick! I assure you,” a tall, burly male answers. Sylvia takes one look at the other selothian female and comes to a conclusion as to her identity. The taller male, however, arrests the other’s attention. Along with his height, muscular proportioned body and deep voice, he is dressed in a two-piece, dark olive green outfit.

  Two light green, wide vertical lines extend along the length of the top garment. His lush, crimson red hair, long sid
eburns and neatly trimmed beard stand in stark contrast to his light tan-colored skin.

  “Whoa! Each person is a different color,” Sylvia is thinking

  “Nathan! That big dude looks like André the Giant.” After motioning Tyrone to calm down, Nathan focuses his attention on the tall selothian. Courageously, he approaches the towering Herculean. “Why did you threaten to kill us if my brother did not cooperate with you?”

  “You are mistaken,” he counters in a deep voice. “I made no such threat!”

  “Then who are you?” Nathan takes two steps back.

  “I am Aarath Suris. The person beside me is—”

  “Quafeira Ta’ahnn Sibekk!” Sylvia shouts off with overwhelming joy. With total surprise, the selothian party looks over at Sylvia. More than the others, Quafeira is very surprised. “How is it that you know my name?”

  Sylvia becomes aware of the stares of disapproval from the others in her group. She realizes that she was too eager to prove herself. “It is a long story,” Sylvia continues. She walks closer to Quafeira despite the fact that two security officers begin moving toward her into a defensive position.

  “Please, I mean you no harm. I am so…thrilled to have finally met you! I am certain that both our parties have much to share! I love that outfit that you are wearing. Where did you buy it?” With increased interest, the selothians continues to look at Sylvia. How this alien female came to know the name of one of their members raises serious questions.

  Aarath figures on finding out. “As I was saying, the individual behind me is Thanor Somars. We—”

  “Thanor?” Tyrone interrupts, laughing. “Your name is Thanor?”

  “Yes,” Thanor replies with mild indignation. “Do you have an issue with my name?”

  “No offense,” Tyrone continues laughing. “But you people have some odd names.”

  “Tyrone! Please! This is no time for laughs,” David cuts in. Tyrone stops laughing and becomes serious again.

  “I agree. This is no time for jesting,” Quafeira remarks as she glances over at Sylvia again. “Now, who told you that they would kill you?”

  “Your friends!” Tyrone replies.

  “And whom are these friends of which you speak?” Aarath demands.

  “Slovas Larian,” Tyrone replies. “He was with some other broad.”

  “Broad?” Aarath asks with a seriously puzzled look.

  “A broad,” Ra’el interrupts, “is one of three human designations for a female including dame and chick.”

  “Her name is Ibris Ma’roth. She was pointing one of those weapons that you are wearing at me.”

  Thanor smiles approvingly. Aarath and Quafeira, though, react differently. “This verifies what Malkan had revealed,” Ra’el states.

  “Yet, why would Slovas threaten to harm these people?” Quafeira asks.

  “He thinks that we have the—”

  “Tyrone!” David yells, much to everyone’s surprise.

  “What?” Tyrone asks, irritated. He then gets the message.

  “Tyrone! Finish what you were going to say!” Aarath demands.

  “He claimed that we had the auvisuon as well as some information.”

  “Do not take us for fools!” Aarath threatens. “What were you going to say at first?”

  David becomes more fearful as he sees Thanor and one security officer approach him. Thanor has his hand on the butt of his weapon.

  “Thanor! No!” Ra’el protests.

  “The alien female, Sylvia, knows Professor Sibekk. I am certain that they possess other information as well!”

  “Thanor! Stop this! You are doing it again!” Ra’el yells. “We are not here to threaten them!”

  “Just like your friends threatened us the same way! Am I Right?” Tyrone angrily tells Thanor.

  “What is going on here?” Nathan asks, breaking in. “What is with the tensions all of a sudden?”

  “There will no threatening of anyone!” Quafeira exclaims.

  “David! We have been watching you at various times. Answer us truthfully. Why did Slovas threaten to harm all of you and where is the individual to whom the auvisuon belongs?” Ra’el fears telling Quafeira the heartbreaking news.

  David’s throat tightens. “I would rather have Sylvia tell you.” David replies, as he steps back.

  Sylvia appreciates his decision to allow her to answer Quafeira. She walks up to Quafeira and stops. Sylvia is in constant awe of Quafeira. In Sylvia’s eyes, Quafeira’s flawlessly smooth and beautiful dark amber skin seems closer to Sienna, a deep bronze color with warm undertones.

  Her deep indigo hair is neatly shaped toward the back and drops a few inches past her neck. Along with a gold headband, Quafeira is dressed in a full-length, long-sleeved, and richly embroidered turquoise dress. After calling to mind a few paintings of ancient Ethiopian queens at an Afrikan Art festival, Sylvia likens Quafeira to such a queen.

  Sylvia clears her throat. “My brothers and David had no idea of what they would find, along with two devices in a cave.”

  As Sylvia is talking, Ra’el approaches and takes Quafeira’s arm in hers. Quafeira senses the worst. Sylvia continues. “We have learned so much about your technology and long life span.”

  “Continue,” Quafeira responds, waiting for more pertinent information.

  “We know that you are looking for your father.” She pauses. “I am truly sorry to inform you that your father, Daljik Ra’as, died one hundred and fourteen of our years ago after his ship, the Illasius, crashed. My brothers and David discovered your father’s skeletal remains in a cave.”

  Closing her eyes briefly, Ra’el now expects the worst. Quafeira’s eyes widen in shock. Suddenly, she feels that all her strenuous efforts were all for nothing. Eager to see her beloved father, she dressed exceptionally well for this potentially momentous occasion.

  Sadly, her fondest, most anticipated hope of seeing her father alive, for the first time in her life, has been crushed.

  “No-o-o! Please,” are the only words that come from her quivering lips. Her voice trembles. Her expectations shattered, she screams out in grief as she shakes her head. Lowering her head in her hands, she begins weeping profusely.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—” Sylvia begins as she steps back in fear. Even as he becomes angry, Aarath feels helpless as he watches Quafeira.

  He rushes over and grabs her shoulders. “Quafeira! I am sorry that the situation ended this way,” he states. “It is over.”

  Lifting her head out of her hands, she pushes away from Aarath. “It is not over!” She yells. “They murdered him! Aarath! They murdered my father!” She nearly chokes as the tears stream down her face. “I swear! I swear that I will make them pay with their lives, especially Deros and his Tavus-Alverand corporate dogs!”

  “Who is Deros?” Tyrone quietly asks.

  “Tavus-Alverand? Then all this stuff is true!” Nathan says to himself. With amazement, the teens look at each other.

  Sylvia is on the verge of tears as she watches Quafeira. Unlike words, emotions need no translator device and are universally understood. Aarath approaches Quafeira again.

  She buries her head in Aarath’s chest again.

  The teenagers realize that the situation is more complicated than they had imagined.

  “David, tell them the rest before we all get killed.”

  “Nathan,” David objects, “I don’t think we should.”

  “Don’t tell me that!” Nathan yells. “You see what’s happening! Don’t start that crap with us again! I’m not going to let them hurt Tyrone!”

  “Do you think that I would?” David replies angrily.

  “Tell us what?” Ra’el asks.

  Though disappointed, David remains calm. He feels that it is over. He wants desperately to continue learning more about selothian culture and technology. He desperately wants to keep the auvisuon.

  “Other than the auvisuon,” he continues, “we have another one of your father’s devices in
our possession, the extraspatial otivicon.”

  Quafeira raises her head off Aarath. As she wipes the tears away with her hand, she is struggling to compose herself. “You must forgive me for my outburst. We have traveled great distances and have been through many difficulties.”

  “We understand,” Sylvia replies, wiping her own tears away.”

  “Slovas Larian and his associates,” David tells her, “forcibly adducted Tyrone some time ago. He threatened to kill us if we do not bring the extraspatial otivicon to him.”

  “Alverin was right,” Quafeira admits. “Now, there is another of those dreaded devices, which is in your possession.”

  “Who is Alverin?” Tyrone asks.

  “I am impressed. You have learned much about us,” Ra’el tells David.

  “Actually, my friends and I learned how to use the auvisuon to access various agencies on your home planet of Dabenar.”

  “I am amazed, as well as angry with you,” Aarath interrupts. “Your illegal probing of our agencies had many of us, including my wife-to-be thinking that her father was alive. You have caused us much distress.”

  “I did not know,” David replies fearfully. “I had no idea that I was causing of any of this. You have to believe me.”

  “Why are you blaming him?” Ra’el shouts angrily. “Was he also responsible for Daljik’s ship crashing? How do you think he and his friends found the devices?”

  “I should have left you back on Dabenar!” Aarath scolds her. At that moment, Aarath catches Thanor’s angry look.

  “Man! This is getting serious,” Tyrone remarks.