by Russell Fine
The following morning everything went as planned, and by 10:30 the shuttle was back onboard.
Fifteen minutes later, the Star Rover started the return trip to Earth. After the ship’s journey started Debbie moved her things into Jeffery’s quarters, so now the relationship was obvious to all aboard.
***
The trip back to Earth went exactly as planned. Every day the two ships stopped within one hundred miles of each other. Jeffery checked to be sure his guests were okay, and during the entire trip, there was only one minor problem: one of the guests had a severe migraine headache and had left his medication on the Star Rover. Apparently, that was something the alien doctor had never encountered before. To resolve the problem the alien ship moved to a distance of only three miles from the Star Rover and used the transporter to move the medication from the Star Rover to the alien ship.
At the stop on the day before they were scheduled to arrive near Earth, Jeffery called Garlut and asked him to time his arrival near Earth eight hours after he arrived so he could make sure the appearance of the alien ship would not cause any panic. Garlut agreed.
On the following day, May 6, 2120, the Star Rover exited the wormhole fifty thousand miles from Earth. Jeffery immediately called Max. The timing was good because it was 1:30 in the afternoon in Florida where Max’s office was located. Max wasn’t in his office, but Jeffery spoke to his assistant, who was surprised to hear from Jeffery but immediately promised to find Max when Jeffery told him it was urgent. A minute later Jeffery heard Max say, “Why are you back so soon? Is there a problem?”
“No, there isn’t a problem, but there is a situation I need to make you aware of immediately.”
“It must be important for you to cut short a mission that cost slightly more than a trillion dollars,” Max said rather dryly.
“It’s that important.” Jeffery spent the next several minutes telling Max about the meeting with the aliens, and that Garlut wanted to meet with the World Council.
Jeffery stopped speaking and it was several seconds later that Max finally began to speak. “I don’t know what to say. We were hoping you would meet with the aliens, but we didn’t expect you to bring them home for dinner. I think this is really good news. I’ll call President Winters and let him know about this immediately. Where are you now?”
“About fifty thousand miles from Earth.”
“Did the ship function correctly? Is there anything else I should be aware of?”
“The answer to both questions is, ‘Yes.’ The ship functioned perfectly. The other thing you should be aware of is that Debbie and I are going to be married as soon as we get back to Earth.”
“I knew there was something going on between you two. But you obviously work together very well so you have my blessing. I’m not sure how some of the other people at NASA will feel about it, but don’t be concerned about it. I’ll handle any problem that comes up. I hope you’ll invite me to the wedding.”
“Max, you’ll be the first person we invite.”
“You and Debbie did a terrific job. I’m sure the president will want to congratulate you too. I have to call him now and will talk to you again after I’ve spoken to him.”
Debbie was on the bridge next to Jeffery and she heard his half of the conversation. As soon as Jeffery ended the call to Max she looked him with a worried look on her face. Jeffery smiled at her and said, “Max wants to be invited to the wedding and said we did a terrific job. He promised that if there are any objections to our marriage he’ll handle them.”
She threw her arms around him and they kissed. The crew on the bridge applauded.
Fifteen minutes later, Max called Jeffery. “I just spoke to President Winters,” Max told him. “He’s going to call an emergency meeting of the World Council on Thursday, three days from today. The meeting will be at the Council Headquarters in New York. We would like Garlut, and any of his crew that he would like to bring with him to the meeting, to stay on the space station until Thursday morning. Then we’d like you, Debbie, and a few security people to escort him to the meeting. We also want you and Debbie to stay close to him while he’s on the space station in case there are any problems. Is this okay with you?”
“Yes sir, I realize how important this is and I appreciate the trust you’re placing in us.”
“Make sure Garlut gets anything he needs while he’s on the space station. My assistant has already contacted the station and they’ll have two suites ready for him.”
“Okay, I’m expecting him to be here in a few minutes. I’ll let him know the schedule and
if there are any problems I’ll let you know.”
“Jeffery, please call me after you speak with him. Even if there are no problems I want to be aware of what’s happening.”
“Yes sir, I’ll do that.”
Max said, “Thank you,” and ended the call.
Several hours later, the alien ship materialized three miles from the Star Rover. Garlut contacted Jeffery and said, “It is nice to be back by Earth and not have to hide. Did you arrange for a meeting with your World Council?”
“Yes, the meeting will be in three days. It will be at the World Council Headquarters in New York City. While you’re waiting, they’d like you and any of your crew you’d like to accompany you to the meeting to be our guests at the hotel in the space station. It will give all of you an opportunity to experience Earth culture firsthand. You won’t have to observe us from a distance anymore. Debbie and I will also be staying at the station to help you with anything you may need. We’ll also escort you to the meeting.”
“Thank you. Only Brealak and I will be attending the meeting. The rest of my crew will remain on our ship. However, I would like for them to have an opportunity to spend some time on the space station, if only for a few hours.”
“That would be okay. I’ll make all the arrangements with the manager of the station. Just let me know when you would like to schedule the visits. I’m sure you realize they’ll have to speak English.” Jeffery said.
“I will make sure there is an English-speaking person in every group.”
“That will be perfect. Please move your ship two miles from the space station. I’m moving the Star Rover as well. Once we’re both ready we’ll use our shuttle to transport you and Brealak to the space station.”
“Understood. I will move our ship after you move the Star Rover.”
“Please contact me when you and Brealak are ready to be picked up.”
“I will do that.”
A few minutes later, Jeffery moved the Star Rover near the space station and the alien ship appeared a mile off their port side. Garlut contacted the Star Rover to let them know they were ready. Jeffery, Debbie, and Mike went to the shuttle. Mike was going to take them to the space station and then return to the Star Rover.
As the shuttle approached the alien ship, the docking bay door appeared and Mike flew the shuttle inside and landed. Just a few seconds after the area was pressurized, there was a knock on the shuttle door. Mike opened it and Garlut and Brealak stepped inside, each carrying a small case. Mike closed the door and when the door opened opening appeared again, he flew out and took them to the space station.
Garlut said to Jeffery, “I am pleased you and Debbie will be with us. It is always easier to get adjusted to new civilizations when we have somebody with us that we know and trust.”
“Thank you. Debbie and I are very familiar with the station, and we’ll make every effort to keep you comfortable there. I’ve been meaning to ask you a question for a while now. It’s not important, but I was wondering if your ship has a name?”
“It does, but it is not pronounceable in English. I know you have been calling it the ‘alien ship’ and that is fine with me. Since I expect we will be making frequent trips here in the future, I will give the ship a name that humans can pronounce.”
“You could keep it simple and call it Garlut’s ship.”
“I could, but I will try to think up
something a little better.”
When they were three hundred feet from the station, Mike stopped the shuttle, waiting for a docking bay to open. A few seconds later a bay opened and Mike flew inside and landed the shuttle. When the bay was pressurized, Mike opened the shuttle door and the four passengers got out and walked to the door to enter the station. They could see through the glass in the door that a small crowd had gathered, including Bruce Mann, who was in charge of station operations.
Jeffery turned to Garlut and asked, “As you can see there are a bunch of people waiting to see you. Is that okay or do you want me to have them dispersed?”
“Jeffery, I expect crowds everywhere I will go. It is not a problem.”
Jeffery said, “Okay then,” and he opened the door.
Brealak went through first, followed by Garlut and Debbie. Then Jeffery stepped inside.
Bruce Mann was in the front of the group. He stared at Garlut, slowly walked to within two feet of him and stammering said, “M-my name is Bruce. I’m the operations m-manager for this station. If there’s anything I . . . I can do to make your stay here more comfortable, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Bruce. My name is Garlut. This is my daughter, Brealak. It is my understanding that Captain Whitestone and Commander Murphy will be helping us get accustomed to this space station.”
“Of course. I was simply offering my service in addition to theirs should you need anything. Please allow me to show you to your rooms.”
“Thank you, Bruce, but Brealak and I will be sharing a room if that is all right with you.”
“That’s no problem at all.”
“Do you have a room for Jeffery and Debbie as well?”
“They have rooms in the crew area of the station. If you would prefer I can give them rooms next to yours.”
“Thank you. That would be my preference.”
“Please follow me. May I carry your bags?”
“That is not necessary. They are very light.”
Someone from NASA was making a video of Garlut’s arrival, and he followed them through the station to the hotel area. Everybody, including the NASA videographer, followed Bruce to the suite. Bruce opened the door into a very large living area. There were two sofas and two large reclining chairs. A large window was opposite the door and through it was a fantastic view of Earth. The room also had a fully stocked bar and an eighty-five-inch video screen. Midway down each of the side walls of the room were doors. Bruce walked over to one and opened it. Inside was a lavishly furnished bedroom that was a little smaller than the living area. There was an enormous bed, a dresser, a video screen, and a recliner identical to the ones in the living room. There was a large area to hang clothes and an open door that led to a massive bathroom. Bruce said, “I hope you like your accommodations. There’s an identical bedroom on the other side of the living room. I’ll leave you alone now, but as I said before if you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Bruce. The accommodations are excellent. The only thing we need is a supply of water.”
“I’ll have that brought over immediately. Also, Jeffery and Debbie will be in the room right next to yours. You’re in room 110; they’ll be in room 111.”
“Thank you again, Bruce. You are an excellent host.” Then Garlut turned to Jeffery and Debbie and asked, “Would you two mind staying here for a few minutes?”
“Of course not,” Jeffery replied and then motioned everybody else to leave.
After everybody else had left, Garlut said, “I noticed there was a man following us around with a camera. Is that a usual practice?”
“No, but you are the first aliens they’ve ever seen, so that makes your arrival important news. I suspect he’ll be following you around while the two of you are on the station. When you’re on Earth, there’ll probably be a lot of people following you around with cameras. Is it a problem for you?” Jeffery asked.
“No, I suppose that is all right. I did not ask you to suppress the information about our visit to Earth so I really cannot object. Are there dining rooms on the station?”
“I think you mean restaurants and there are several on the station. The best one is part of this hotel.”
“Do they not all serve the same food?”
“No, they all serve different kinds of foods. Some are more expensive than others.”
“You mean you have to pay to eat?”
“Yes, except in your case NASA is paying all of your expenses.”
“Is NASA paying for this room too?”
“Yes. Is it unusual to pay for things on other planets?”
“On most of them, it is not customary to charge guests for rooms or food. However, most of the planets do not have hotels and restaurants. Typically, when I visit other planets I stay at the home of the person I am visiting and they provide me with food.”
“That happens on Earth too. If I travel to visit friends, I often stay with them. If staying in a hotel makes you uncomfortable I’m sure I can find somebody from NASA who’d be happy to have you as a guest.”
“That is not necessary.” Garlut seemed to think for a moment. “Do you have a home on Earth?”
“Not really. When I’m on Earth I either stay at NASA facilities or with my parents. They have a home in Boca Raton. That’s a city in Florida. However, Debbie and I are going to be married and I’m sure after the next mission we’ll find a home on Earth so we can live together.”
“Perhaps on my next visit I can stay with you. Would that be possible?”
“It would be okay with me, but I suspect the World Council would prefer you stayed at a more secure location.”
“Yes, I understand that. I noticed Bruce had a problem with Brealak and me sharing a room. Is that a violation of some Earth custom?”
“No, not really. Parents and young children always share rooms. It’s less common with parents and adult children.”
“Would you two like to have dinner with Brealak and me?”
Jeffery looked at Debbie, who simply nodded in agreeance, and said, “We’d like that very much. We’ll come back in an hour. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that will be fine.”
Jeffery and Debbie smiled at Garlut and Brealak. Then they left and went to their room. It was identical to the room Garlut and Brealak had. Jeffery asked, with a small laugh, “So which bedroom do you want?”
“You do know that sometimes you act like an idiot, but if you really want to sleep in separate rooms please let me know now,” Debbie replied with a note of sarcasm.
“You don’t have to take me seriously all the time, you know.”
“I’m beginning to think that unless we’re on the ship I should never take you seriously. Anyway, we should go get our stuff and bring it here. This is much nicer than our rooms in the crew quarters.”
They were back in their room a few minutes later. The first thing Jeffery did was call Max and let him know how things were going with Garlut. Max was pleased with Jeffery’s report and he asked him to call him back after dinner.
At the appropriate time, Jeffery and Debbie knocked on the door to Garlut’s room. He opened the door a few seconds later and said, “You’re right on time.” Then Garlut asked, “Are Brealak and I dressed correctly for dinner?”
They were both dressed in the same style uniforms they had been wearing before, except they were light brown. Debbie said, “You both look fine.”
“Let’s go,” Jeffery said. The four of them left the room and walked to the hotel restaurant.
Jeffery had called earlier and made a reservation, so they were seated immediately at a table next to a large window. Each of them was given a menu and the hostess asked if they wanted anything to drink. They all ordered water. After the hostess left, they opened their menus. Jeffery immediately noticed there were no prices, and that made him happy. He didn’t want to explain why some items cost more than others. Jeffery noticed a confused look on the faces of his guests. He asked, “
Is there a problem with the menu?”
“Do we order all of these items? It seems like it would be too much to eat.”
Jeffery did his best not to laugh. “No, you pick one item from each group. So, from the group ‘Soups and Salads’ you pick something you would like. Then you pick one item in the ‘Entrée’ group, and two items from the ‘Sides’ group. If you don’t know what something is, please ask.”
“Jeffery, I have no idea what I want, and I am sure Brealak does not know what she wants either. Please order for us. I am sure anything you select will be good.”
Debbie asked, “How about if we start with a Caesar salad, followed by a bowl of lobster bisque. Then for the entrée veal cordon bleu, French fries, and the broccoli cheese casserole?”
Jeffery said, “That sounds wonderful. I think we should all have that.”
Garlut said, “I thought English was the language used on the station, but part of that was in French. Anyway, I have no idea what any of it is, but I am sure it will be good.”
“The food here is excellent. It’ll be better than good,” Debbie said with a smile.
After a few minutes, the waiter came over to the table to take their order. Jeffery ordered for everybody. The waiter complimented them on their food selection and left. He returned to the table a few moments later with a basket full of small cinnamon rolls.
Garlut looked at the rolls and asked, “Did we order these? They smell wonderful.”
Debbie replied, “No, we didn’t order them. They give them to everybody who comes here to eat. They actually taste better than they smell. Try one.”
Garlut and Brealak both picked up a cinnamon roll and began to eat them. Almost instantly they looked at each other and smiled. Brealak said, “These are wonderful. I do not think I have ever tasted anything this good.” Then, looking at her father, she asked, “Do you like them too?”