Alien People

by John Coon

  “Where is this probe right now?”

  “On the outer edge of our solar system. Our telescopes detected it almost two days ago.”

  Xttra walked into his bedroom. He slid open a closet door and drew out a long-sleeved shirt. Xttra jammed an arm into each sleeve and stretched the flexible fabric over his taut chest.

  “I wonder which lucky master pilot will be sent to retrieve the probe,” he said. “Sounds like it could be a fun mission.”

  Calandra's lips twisted into a smile again as Xttra rejoined her in his living room. She trailed her fingertips down his left arm and clasped his hand.

  “I'm hoping you can go. Our chief sovereign left it in my hands to find an available master pilot.”

  A slight frown washed over his lips.

  “I am technically available but there's a little snag …”

  “What do you mean?” Concern arose in her voice as Calandra picked up where he left off. “What sort of snag?”

  “I imagine you have a short window for this probe retrieval, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Here's the snag: my scout ship is undergoing a mandatory hull repair and refurbishing. I don't know if it will be flight-ready in time.”

  Her face fell at that news.

  “You need to find a way to do this. Who else I can trust to retrieve the probe?”

  Xttra folded his arms and tilted his head. An amused smile crept across his lips.

  “What do you mean by that? I'm flattered, but I'm not the only qualified pilot in the Stellar Guard.”

  This was not the response Calandra wanted to hear. Xttra had a point. Qualified master pilots were not in short supply in the Stellar Guard. But she did not go to the trouble to set up this mission only to hand it off to a stranger. She did not share the same special bond with other pilots she shared with Xttra. He had to know how much this meant to her.

  Another pilot would not understand.

  “It has to be you,” Calandra insisted. “You have to find some way of getting yourself up in space before the window on this discovery closes.”

  Xttra arched a brow at her and narrowed his eyes to a half-slit. Then, at once, he nodded and smiled. A light flickered on inside his head, and he read the message hidden between the lines.

  “You want me to fly, so you don't get excluded from this project. Is my slotball closing in on the slot?”

  Calandra answered with a sheepish grin.

  “Is it that obvious?”

  Xttra nodded again.

  “Just a little.”

  “Can you find a way to do it?”

  “I'll sweet talk Ian in the morning. Maybe he can spare a loaner ship.”

  She wrapped her arms around Xttra a second time and kissed him on the cheek.

  “That would be wonderful!”

  He trailed an index finger over a lock of her hair.

  “I ought to bring you with me to speed things along. You are pretty persuasive.”

  Calandra answered him with a small laugh.

  “You bet I am.”

  She peered at Xttra through her eyelashes and invited his lips to connect with hers again. He leaned in for another kiss. They lingered for a few seconds within this state of bliss.

  “This might be a perfect mission for Lance to get back on his feet,” Xttra said, once their kiss ended. “It can help him regain his confidence.”

  Calandra pulled back and gave him a bewildered look. She heard the Stellar Guard grounded Lance indefinitely after his tragic crash on the asteroid.

  “Your friend Lance?” Calandra repeated his name, thinking she misunderstood Xttra.

  He answered with a slight nod.

  “How many Lances do I know?”

  “I thought the Stellar Guard suspended him from all missions last month,” she said, brushing off Xttra's sarcasm. “Did they change their minds?”

  “I changed their minds.”

  “Do you think that's wise? I understand he's your friend Xttra, but his negligence ultimately cost four people their lives.”

  Xttra sighed. He turned away from her and approached a small table near his couch. A thin trique lay on the tabletop. Xttra grabbed the triangular device and pressed a clear panel lit with a green light near the bottom. It projected a small holoscreen from the middle.

  “Do you want to see the report?” he said, raising the trique above his head. “Lance was not the one at fault. A glitch in the ship’s navigation system set that whole collision in motion.”

  “I heard nothing about any glitch. The official word on it —”

  “The official word is dead wrong. Lance and I went through the academy together. He's like a second brother to me. I know Lance would never crash a scout ship deliberately or through negligence.”

  Calandra looked down and away from him. A worried frown graced her lips. His implication troubled her. Why would the Stellar Guard bury actual reasons behind the crash and let Lance shoulder the blame alone? Their actions made no sense to her.

  What they did made perfect sense to Xttra.

  “Admitting a scout ship has any defective components can lead to shipbuilders losing a small fortune on contracts,” he said. “It also opens a door for the courts to get involved. They would rather let one pilot take an undeserved fall, so they can save their own skins.”

  Calandra raised her head again and gazed into his eyes. She fiddled with the end of a shirt sleeve.

  “I never considered that. How awful for Lance. I'm happy you didn't give up on him.”

  “I'll always stand by him. Lance is a good man. I'm confident he would do the same for me.”

  Calandra's eyes trailed over to a fraxa tree bark shelf. Mounted against a shared wall between Xttra's bedroom and his living room, the shelf displayed a small sculpture of a maniogo venturing out onto a branch of a senosa tree. The little maniogo raised its pointed muzzle slightly, while its long, slender tail enveloped the narrow branch to help support balance. The thick light brown shelf also held a small worn copy of the Book of Ahm. Her gaze stopped on a symbol of the Luma temple gracing the front cover.

  She could not help wondering if Lance had the right state of mind to return into space so soon. The crash must have taken an enormous toll on his mind and soul, mirroring the one it took on his body.

  “Is he ready for this?” Calandra said, facing Xttra again. “Is he ready to go into space again?”

  “Are any of us ever ready?” Xttra said. “Space is organized chaos. You always teeter on the edge of a cliff, ready to tumble down it at a moment's notice.”

  Calandra cracked a grin.

  “When you put it that way, why bother to leave Lathos at all?”

  “You know why Lance and I — or any other pilot — does this. You can't enjoy the spectacular views waiting at the end of a trail if you decide to turn back at the trailhead.”

  Xttra summed up for Calandra what made her so envious of his position. She longed to become a part of his crew, even as a one-time special occasion. How amazing would it feel to escape the boundaries of the atmosphere? To soar amid countless stars and galaxies shimmering at impossible distances against the blackened curtains of space and time?

  Calandra could only imagine the actual answers. She yearned to experience those things for herself. For now, teaming with Xttra on this probe retrieval allowed her to experience those thrills vicariously. Everything hinged on obtaining another scout ship on short notice.

  5

  Xttra wore a broad grin as he arrived at Calandra's apartment building. She would absolutely love his restored aerorover. Everything in the updated design appeared state-of-the-art now.

  He chose a smaller, classic model and already loved everything about it. His aerorover featured a sleek cylindrical body, splashed with crimson paint. It had two bucket seats spacious enough to hold one adult person. Windows formed a half-circle on both doors. A thin metal strip separated each window from a square windshield. The aerorover housed a small but powerf
ul electric engine directly behind the rear cargo space. Retractable wings were fixed to each side and folded down when the vehicle was not airborne. Small retractable magnetic wheels in each corner locked the aerorover in place on the ground when not in operation.

  This same model caught Calandra's eye when Xttra showed it to her two weeks earlier before the restoration process was complete. He could not wait to surprise her with the finished product. His wish came to fruition. Calandra gasped after emerging through the main doors of her building.

  “Wow! That looks incredible.”

  She circled the parked aerorover. Her piercing green eyes traced every inch from the rear engine to the running lights below the edge of the hood. When Calandra looked at Xttra again, she matched his happy smile with one of her own.

  “You went with a classic design. Every detail is so breathtaking.”

  “Wait until you ride in it. The speed is unmatched. You can reach maximum velocity in less than a minute.”

  Every muscle belonging to Calandra tensed up when he made his boast. She froze in place and her eyes locked on him like twin lasers.

  “I'll take your word for it. And I insist we leave it there. You know how traveling at super-fast speeds makes me feel.”

  “Faster speeds make for more exciting drives.”

  “I don't want to experience that variety of excitement today — or any other day.”

  Xttra sauntered around to the passenger door and gave her a reassuring hug. They shared a little kiss before she set down an engraved metal plate behind the seat and stepped inside the vehicle.

  “You'll be as safe as a baby mokai inside its mother's nest. I promise.”

  He sealed the door behind Calandra and climbed into the driver's seat. Xttra let his eyes linger on her teal split-neck tunic and matching pants for a few seconds. She looked much more breathtaking to him than his aerorover did to her.

  Calandra glanced down at her clothes and flashed a little smile at him. Xttra could not see his own cheeks, but he did feel a slight warmth emerging beneath his olive-toned skin.

  “You like my tunic, don't you?”

  “You look pretty in it.”

  His first response felt lame, but Xttra became so awestruck he could not think of anything else to say. Calandra did not seem to mind.

  “Thank you.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Wait till you see what I plan to wear for our next date at Ariel's.”

  His mind flashed back to a lovely scarlet dress she wore on their first date at that social club. Xttra wondered if the future outfit she teased would be anything like that one. He had no doubt he would love whatever she decided to wear. No article of clothing existed anywhere on Lathos, or on any other planet, which did not look amazing on Calandra.

  Xttra pressed a large button to start the engine. He pushed down on a knob atop a narrow console dividing the bucket seats. An electrical whoosh rushed through the interior. Both wings raised until they extended out on a horizontal line level with the roof. Xttra pulled the knob back toward him and all four magnetic wheels retracted against the belly of the vehicle. The aerorover now floated above the ground with the ease of a feather.

  He threw the knob forward again and his vehicle climbed above a row of treetops laden with red leaves. It shot forward with a sudden burst. The aerorover zipped past innumerable trees and buildings while soaring above a broad street leading to the Stellar Guard shipyard. Other aerorovers dotted the same sky lane and Xttra weaved around a couple of slower ones. Calandra shifted her gaze from the window and zeroed in on the instrument panel. Her knuckles turned white while both hands clamped onto her seat and door handle.

  "You promised."

  Xttra glanced down at the panel and back up at her. He shrugged. They had not yet reached the halfway point of the vehicle's top speed.

  "This isn't as fast as you think it is."

  Despite his protest, Xttra heeded her desire to slow down. He saw nervousness gathering in Calandra's face. If reaching the shipyard a few minutes later than usual was the price required to assure her comfort, Xttra considered it reasonable enough to pay.

  Once they entered the shipyard, he steered the aerorover toward a series of rectangular hangars. These hangars were built on top of one another to form stacks. Each stack climbed high like a giant tower. A series of stacks stretched along the shipyard's entire eastern end. Individual hangars within a stack featured three walls and an open entrance in place of a fourth wall. Thick support beams connected flat roofs and stone floors of individual hangars to form stacks. Each hangar had enough floor space to house multiple scout ships, short-range fighters, or other smaller vessels at any given time. A single hangar also had enough height clearance to comfortably hold a single larger ship, such as a civilian stellar transport or a supply cruiser.

  Calandra's eyes widened and her mouth hung open a little as she beheld the full scope of the sprawling facility. Xttra smiled a bit when he observed her soaking in what lay before them.

  "First time here?"

  Calandra turned away from the passenger side window and answered with a slight nod.

  "I've seen images. Doesn't compare to real life. Always dreamed of coming here and boarding a ship to a distant planet or moon. Even taking a short orbital tour around Lathos would be thrilling."

  Xttra responded with a guilty smile. They only dated for a few days before he became aware of the restrictions against space travel placed on her. What he took for granted, Calandra embraced with an almost innocent sense of wonder. It made him, at that moment, see those gathered ships inside the hangars with new eyes.

  Xttra zeroed in on a stack near the northeast corner of the shipyard. He guided the aerorover to a hangar four levels above the ground and parked on a small platform. It jutted out from a bay occupied by a much larger ship.

  "What brings you here?” a voice called out to Xttra as he opened his door. “I told you the outer hull wouldn't be ready for a few more days."

  He climbed out of the aerorover and turned to a bald man approaching from the opposite side of the vehicle. Dust and grease splashed across the front of his gray uniform in equal proportions. Sweat beaded near the crown of his head and crept down his cheeks.

  "No need to tell me twice, Ian." Xttra's tone matched his expression in how much annoyance it conveyed. "But I can't afford to stay grounded until next week either."

  Ian chuckled and shook his head.

  "What makes you think you got a choice? You pilots are all cut from the same fabric. Always eager to fly instead of keeping your feet on the ground."

  Xttra cast his eyes over at Calandra as she opened her door and stepped out into the hangar. He shot her a half-frown. Calandra took it as her cue to intervene. She reached back into the aerorover cargo space and retrieved the metal plate.

  "We need a ship. I'm organizing a probe retrieval mission under the authority of our chief sovereign."

  Calandra held it out to give Ian an unobstructed view of the words written on the plate. He reached out to pluck it from her hands. Her fingers kept a firm grasp on the plate. Calandra showed no intention of allowing him to take it from her possession. Ian finally withdrew his hand and gave the words a quick once-over. Once finished, he cast a suspicious glance at Calandra.

  "Who are you?" he asked, rubbing his hand across his chin. "Why aren't these orders coming through the usual Stellar Guard channels?"

  Her eyes narrowed. Xttra cracked a small smile at him. He knew Ian purchased himself some trouble.

  "I am not some anonymous person! I have a decree from our chief sovereign himself to organize this mission."

  Ian rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

  "So you do. And plenty of other qualified pilots with available ships are here."

  "That’s irrelevant to me." Calandra's voice grew colder and firmer. "Xttra is the designated master pilot for this mission. Give him a different ship and let's get on with it."

  Ian glanced over at Xttra. He f
olded his arms and flashed a larger, defiant smirk at the mechanic.

  “I know you can dig up a scout ship for me,” Xttra said. “There's always at least one in reserve around here. And you're a resourceful man.”

  Ian lowered his head and mumbled a few words under his breath. Xttra could not figure out what he said. The mechanic's demeanor told him those intelligible words were not pleasant.

  “What did you say?”

  Added sharpness coated Calandra's question.

  Ian cast his eyes upward again and sighed.

  “I can probably dig up an older model with rebuilt thrusters. You'll need to baby it while you're up there.”

  Xttra gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder.

  “As long as the ship can fly, and possesses sufficient cargo space, I can make it work.”

  Ian glared at him and shook his head.

  “Can you now?”

  The mechanic turned and marched off toward the other side of the hangar before anyone said another word. Xttra glanced over at Calandra again. She dropped the hand clasping the metal plate to her side and promptly shook her head.

  “Is he always this combative?”

  Xttra laughed.

  “Just on his good days.”

  They crossed the hangar in long-legged strides to catch up to Ian. Their destination ended up being a mid-sized scout ship. Three cylindrical antimatter thrusters jutting out from the back end instantly drew Xttra’s attention. His eyes trailed over each thruster. All three appeared in good working condition from the outside. Of course, Xttra had no firm idea how that translated to actual engine performance until he took the helm.

  He cast his eyes over at Ian.

  “You rebuilt these thrusters yourself, right?”

  Ian answered with a brisk nod.

  “Of course. When antimatter is involved, I don't trust anyone else. Let the wrong person tinker with it and soon we have an incinerated shipyard.”

  Relief splashed over Xttra like a cool waterfall when he heard those words. No one in this entire place had a better handle on repairing the inner workings of a scout ship. He wished Ian had supervised the original manufacturing process for the ship that failed Lance at a critical time. His involvement might have spared lives and saved his friend's conscience and reputation.