by CJ CADE
"Maybe." But he didn't take his gaze off of Reva and Van. "But these two have plenty of size and strength, even if she is slender enough that a good wind could blow her over. They're both over six feet."
The veterinarian moved to stand at Van's other side. "I'll be careful," she told Reva.
To Reva's surprise, instead of summoning a med-unit to her side, the veterinarian held out her bare hands, a few inches above Van's body and waved them over him from his head to his feet and back again. Perhaps the woman was using a small med-scanner hidden in her sleeve?
"He's fine," Lacey murmured, holding her palms over Van's bruised temple. "I'm just going to help him heal a little. Just nudge it along."
"How will you do this?" Anxiety and suspicion knotted in Reva's middle. Van stirred, a groan rumbling from his chest, and she put her hand on his shoulder. To her surprise, he felt much warmer.
Lacey smiled. "Already finished. Now, let's see about you."
Reva crowded against Van's cot. "Do not—" she began, but then a soothing feeling swept through her, and settled warmly in her chest. She blinked at the other woman. "Oh! Thankyou."
Lacey dropped one eyelid in what appeared to be a friendly facial expression. "You bet, hon. Now, let's find somewhere for the two of you to stay while you're in town."
"But, you do not know us," Reva said, astonished by this offer. She had expected...well, she didn't know what she'd expected, but not such open-handed generosity. Did these beings trust everyone?
Lacey gave her a twinkling look over her shoulder. "You don't think I know you?"
The doctor shook his head. "Lacey, even with your powers, you can't just take them in. They're not tourists from Topeka. They're..." he frowned at Reva. "What are you?"
"They are Aurelians," stated a new voice from the doorway beyond Lacey.
The speaker was a tall, lean man with startling, blue eyes that held an icy chill so powerful that Reva felt it pierce clear through her and hold her breathless. "A warlike race intent on conquering their entire quadrant of the galaxy... in the twenty-fifth century."
Lacey and the doctor gaped at Reva, and then switched their gazes over her shoulder.
She felt movement and warmth at her back, and Van's deep voice ruffled her hair. His voice was hoarse, but he was awake.
"Why do you look so shocked by our identity?" he asked the others.
Lacey's gaze softened with what looked like pity. "It's not your identity. There are other travelers here from just as far away. It's that... here on Earth, this is an earlier time."
Van stiffened, his tension vibrating through Reva. "Earth? You call this planet Earth? But, Earth I and II are both polluted, over-crowded and embattled. Have we reached the parallel galaxy? Is this a third Earth you've settled here?"
Lacey shook her head. "No. I guess I didn't speak plainly enough. You are still in the Milky Way Galaxy. This is the only planet in our system known as Earth. And here, it's the twenty-first century. Our present year is 2017."
CHAPTER THREE
Van held his body erect and his face impassive only with a supreme effort of will.
The human woman's words reverberated in his ears. So, he and Reva were still in their own galaxy... but centuries in the past? His thoughts tumbled over each other like holo-dice.
His and his team's target had been light years from here, and he didn't even know it was possible to travel in time. In fact, he still didn't believe it was true. They couldn’t have jumped not only in the wrong direction, but back several centuries in time!
Van scanned the faces of the three beings across the small room, and found nothing but apparent sincerity. Which could mean the other beings were all deluded, or part of some larger scheme. A plot by some nefarious mastermind—possibly even the Octiron Media Corporation, using their jump device to play mind-games. If that was so, they'd soon discover they'd chosen the wrong race of beings for this experiment. He'd learn the truth, even if it meant exerting force.
But first he had to find one of the perpetrators.
"It can't be true!" Reva looked up at him over her shoulder, her face pale with distress. "It can't be. We can't have traveled back in time. And if we're in the wrong place... how will we ever get home?"
Van's hand had already found its way to her waist. He squeezed gently. "I will get to the truth, don't worry," he muttered so only she could hear. An Aurelian commander played the dupe for no one.
She nodded, but to his displeasure, she did not look reassured. In fact, she trembled as she leaned back against him. And while he easily bore her slight weight against his brawny strength, he recognized the latent signs of shock.
He'd have time to be furious with her, later.
"I request your help in finding food and water," he told the two humans, and the other being. "She must eat and rest."
"Sure," Lacey said. She walked to a small wall unit and opened it, pulling out two clear bottles of what appeared to be water. She handed a chilled bottle to each of them.
Holding both bottles, Van pressed a small device on his wrist unit, which vibrated as it worked. ‘Contains purified H2O,” said his com in his ear.
He nodded to Reva, and she opened her bottle and drank thirstily.
"It’s late afternoon, so we must find you a place to stay, at least for the night," Lacey said. “Frost? Do you think the bed-and-breakfast at the lake, or the motel?"
"Neither," said the icy-eyed Frost. "They can occupy the guest-house on your aunt Topper's property." His look said he wanted them where he could watch them.
"We should remain here," Van said. If any Aurelians were looking for him—for them—he wanted to be right where they could be found.
"You can't," Frost stated. "This is a pet hospital, and you are not pets." Van eyed the being, not sure if he was trying to be humorous.
"The guest-house will be perfect for you," Lacey told them. "It's not far away, and you'll be much more comfortable there. Come along. Oh, and what do we call you?"
Van made a swift decision. He would not reveal his military status yet. "I am T'Van A'Ralle."
"I'm Reva'la A'Qen," Reva said, her voice low but clear.
"What... lovely names. We'll do our best to pronounce them correctly."
"Call us Van and Reva," Van advised. This would remove the glottal stops, making it easier for their inferior human tongues to decipher.
Frost narrowed his eyes in a way that made Van wonder if the other being could divine thoughts, but the tall male merely stepped back, opening the doorway. "Come. We will convey you to your quarters."
Van scooped his and Reva's duffels from the floor and slung them over his left shoulder. With her tucked into his left arm, leaving his right free, he followed the others. This was just another expedition into unknown territory, with questionable allies. And yes, he had a civilian to protect, but he could do that and reconnoiter.
Outside the building, Van stared in unabashed fascination.
The landscape was bathed in hot sunlight, but the light was bright and diffuse, instead of brutal as on Hamor, and what he recalled of Aurellon. Puffy clouds gathered on low mountains to the west, and the air was soft in a way that was quite pleasant. The air smelled more pleasant out here, too, like drying grasses and forbs in the field nearby.
They now stood on a paved roadway, with a raised band of lighter pavement on both sides. Machines just large enough to hold two or more humans rolled past on soft wheels. One emitted a cloud of gray smoke which irritated Van's olfactory senses.
The occupants of these vehicles nodded or waved to Lacey and the doctor, while staring openly at the Aurelians. Their gazes were mostly open and friendly, as if strangers here were pleasant diversions, rather than threats. And judging by the lack of fortification and armed patrols, the area was at peace... or made to appear so.
Of course, it was—this was all part of a hoax.
"This way." Lacey led them around the corner of the building to a paved area holding several of the groun
d vehicles. "We'll take my SUV over to Topper's. It's only a few blocks, but I don't think your Reva should walk that far just yet."
"I am not his." Reva pushed at hishand on her waist.
Van drew her against him. "You are my responsibility. I will protect you."
Also, it was best if the males here thought she was spoken for. She was not only very attractive with her flowing locks of reddish-blonde hair and her big, green eyes, she was impulsive. She might find herself entangled with some male here, unless Van kept her close.
He was doing so only to protect her. It wasn't because he found her nearness reassuring. Aurelian warriors did not require reassurance.
Then she dug her nails into the back of his hand and elbowedhim in the ribs with her other arm, yanking free of his grip. Startled, his hand stinging, he let her go. She glared up at him fiercely as any warrior, her eyes shooting green sparks in her pale face.
"I. Am. Not. Your responsibility!" she spat. "I can stand on my own, and speak for myself, commander. So mind your own affairs, and I will mind mine."
The three locals waited beside one of the land vehicles. The two humans looked amused. The doctor, whatever he was, looked bored.
Heat crawled up Van's cheeks. To cover his embarrassment that she had rejected his protection before strangers, he waved for Reva to precede him. "Then by all means, carry on."
But he followed her to the vehicle, close enough that if she faltered again, he would catch her. He glared at the doctor when Reva accepted the man's hand to step into the vehicle.
The doctor smirked. "Call me if they have any problems," he said to Lacey, and walked back to the building.
Van made sure he was the one who stepped in beside Reva. He scanned the vehicle's inner fastenings for suspicious locks, but once he saw that passengers controlled their own hatch, he closed his and checked Reva’s. Then he nodded to Frost, who had assumed the pilot's seat, to proceed.
The journey to their lodging was fascinating in its own way.They passed commerce buildings, the origin of which Van learned by accessing his com. One was a 'bank', where humans kept credits in actual physical form, one a coffee shop and one a small store which sold curios to travelers, called 'tourists'. This store's glassed-in front featured a statue of a strange little being with slanted eyes and a swollen green head. The thing was hideous, and he couldn't imagine why anyone would want one around.
"Welcome to Magic, New Mexico," Lacey said from the front seat. "Not very big, but we have most of what we need. Anything more, we travel to Roswell."
"The beings here seem very... friendly," Reva said, as yet another human waved at them in passing. This one walked along the sidewalk with two small, fluffy animals on leashes trotting before her. "Oh! Are those canines?" She craned her neck to watch the creatures and their handler disappear.
Lacey laughed. "Yes, dogs. Cock-a-poos, to be more exact. They're a sweet breed, although yappy. You must meet my goldens, you'll love them."
Van wondered what 'yap-pee' meant, then discarded the term as unworthy of translation.
They had turned onto another road, lined with dwellings. Each had silly little railings, too low to protect from any creature he knew of, around patches of bright green grass and flowering plants. Strange trees with luxuriant leaves shaded some of the dwellings.
Others had arrangements of rocks and strange tall shapes with sharp spines.
"What are those?" He was uncertain why any being would want these so close to their dwellings. They were placed too far apart for a protective barrier, and he found them ugly.
"A native plant called cactus." Lacey smiled over the back of the seat. "Many people use them as yard decor here. They grow wild, but no one may dig those up. These are from nurseries, or were planted before the laws to conserve them.They live for a long time."
An aircraft buzzed overhead, low to the horizon. Van recognized the craft from historical archives. Humans had called them air-planes, in honor of the way air moved over the flat, blocky wings thrusting straight out from the vehicle's sides.
The airplane added to the sinking feeling cratering in his gut, that the quaint peacefulness of this place was no ruse. But it must be—it had to be.
Time travel was not real.
CHAPTER FOUR
The travelers soon reached a large dwelling and turned onto a lane beside it. A smaller version of the dwelling sat at the back of more green lawns, with another silly fence edging the area. Lacey led the way from the vehicle to the front hatch of this building.
"Here's my aunt's guest-house," she said, ushering them inside. "Topper's on a cruise, but she keeps this place open to family friends and, erm, guests such as yourselves."
They entered a cool, yet bright room with polished floors of some dark wood, and walls of a warm russet. Padded furniture of dark green invited one to sit or sprawl and take leisure. There was, however, a cupboard along one wall opposite the sofa that was large enough to hide an enemy.
"Sit," Van said to Reva, who was looking paler than before. He prowled across the room and placed his hand on the cabinet.
'Contains tech,' his com unit informed him. 'No life forms.'
'Weapons?'
'No weapons discernible.'
Van jerked open the doors of the cupboard, sliding to one side, keeping himself between the contents of the cabinet and Reva, who had refused to sit—when had she gotten so stubborn?
Inside the cabinet rose a large, smooth black screen with a red light blinking in a lower corner. "What is this?" he demanded of Frost. "Disarm it."
"It is not dangerous," Frost informed him, holding up a small black box with many buttons. "It is a television, used to view many Earth programs, such as travel, food preparation and even fictional tales."
"I'm taking Reva into the kitchen," Lacey said. "She needs a cool drink. You guys come when you're done playing with the remote."
Van looked around. "Wait. I will go before you, and make sure the entire place is safe."
"No need," Frost said. "I scanned it upon entry. We are the only sentient beings here, except for Lacey's aunt's feline on the back step. Also, all entry points are secure. I will show you the security system before we leave."
Van's estimation of the tall male went up a notch. Van backed up a few steps, so he could see into the galley area, where Reva now sat at a small table while Lacey opened a cold storage unit. Satisfied that the women were safe, he turned back to Frost, and the fascinating, if old-fashioned device.
"From where does the holovid emanate?" he asked, peering at the screen.
"No holovid," Frost said. "In this time, such tech is only experimental. The video and audio appear on the flat screen. I will show you."
He pressed two buttons, and the flat screen flooded with color and motion. Sound flowed from speakers set into the unit.
Van stared aghast as humans dressed in strange, bright costumes jumped about a lit-up stage, shrieking with excitement while lights flashed around them, and other humans applauded.
"Why do they do this? Are they insane?" And if so, why would their behavior be offered as entertainment?
For the first time, Frost allowed himself a deep, pleasant chuckle. "I wonder that myself at times. They are playing a game. Other humans enjoy watching them attempt to win prizes."
He flicked another button, causing the screen to display a tranquil, oceanic scene with a calm voice narrating the flight of large, white birds over water. "This is a nature show. There are also many sports."
Van perked up at this. "Do they display quasi-ball?"
"No. It is not played on Earth. I miss a good quasi-ball match. We have no air-cycles here, and of course no simulated black holes for goals."
"The Flamers are set to win the championships this season," Van told him. "I had hoped to be back on base before the match."
"Perhaps you will be." Frost's gaze said if he had anything to do with it, Van and Reva would be gone tomorrow.
Van stiffened. "We are on a miss
ion of exploration only. We mean no harm to anyone here."
"We will discuss your purpose here later. Now, it is time to eat."
With that, he turned and strode to the front hatch of the dwelling. He opened it to reveal a short, skinny youth in tight pants and tee, one hand upraised to knock, the other holding a large, insulated bag.
The boy grinned and shook his head. "Dunno how you do that, Mr Frost," he said. "But one of these days, I'm gonna get to knock before you hear me coming."
"Not in your lifetime," Frost said, and exchanged the bag for a small, folded paper. He closed the door and carried the bag into the galley. Van followed, drawn by the tantalizing aroma of grilled meat.
"Cheese-burgers," Lacey told Van and Reva. "They're a favorite of our visitors. And don't miss the fried potatoes, they're delicious with ketchup."
Van watched to see that Reva was eating before he gave into the growling of his own stomach, and unwrapped the plump bundle on his plate. He saw roasted meat, melted cheese and green veg between two hunks of brown-glazed bread. He took a bite, and then sighed with pleasure as flavors and textures burst on his tongue.
He and Reva exchanged a look of astonished pleasure, and took second, larger bites.
Lacey watched them with a pleased smile. "Like I said, everyone likes cheese-burgers. That's why I ordered extra."
The room was quiet as everyone ate.
Van liked the crisp, salty fried veg almost as much as the burgers, of which he consumed three.
Reva drank a dark, bubbly beverage from a paper cup, and the way she wrinkled her nose at the bubbles made him want to chuckle. He drank water.
But when he grinned at her, she looked away and down. He frowned. Why was she angry with him? It was hardly his fault she was here. In fact, as soon as he had more intel from the two locals, he intended to tell her so. And if she thought she'd get off easy because she was a civilian, she was in for a rude awakening.
She might have grown up on the Hamor base, but she was a civilian who'd intruded on a military mission, now she'd follow orders... or else.
* * *