Remus's Revelation

by Pearl Tate

I can feel my blush creep up my face as he talks me up. I’m still looking at the ground before I realize that there are others who’ve walked up.

  They didn’t make any sound when they arrived! But there are two Greys standing right next to Lisa when I raise my eyes from the ground.

  “Welcome, Jo-Anne from Earth.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  - Jo-Anne

  “Welcome, Jo-Anne from Earth.”

  My mouth opens and closes as I begin to shake. This is exactly what I’ve been dreading. My skin prickles as goose bumps pop up on my skin, and I begin to shake involuntarily.

  “Bill and Ted, you need to back up a few steps and let Jo-Anne have some room.” Swinging me into his arms, Remus takes off at a sprint, and before I know it, we’re on the other side of the pool.

  “Are you alright? I can feel your shock and fear, but I assure you, they won’t hurt us.” Remus looks at me seriously as I wrap my arms around him and shift to get a look at the Grey aliens that’ve haunted my dreams for my entire life.

  They look exactly the way I remember. Big, bald heads. No ears. They’re smaller than I remember. One is even shorter than me, but it makes sense that I’ve blown them out of proportion in my nightmares. “Could you… did you hear them too? I mean, did they even open their mouths?”

  They’re standing next to Lisa, and I realize that they’re inches shorter than her too. I don’t know if I ever remember them talking to me before? But they must’ve, right?

  “They speak directly into our minds but usually address us all when they come out. They can speak one on one, but we all heard them just now.” Squeezing me to get me to look back at him, he takes a few more steps away. “Do you want to go back to our room? I promise they just want to check on you.”

  I can feel myself relaxing now in Remus’s arms. He won’t let them hurt me. I know that. I can sense his resolve and concern.

  “No. No, this is good. I’m facing my demons.” Nodding at him, I try to communicate my decision without being too obvious.

  “Are you sure? We’ve time, and I don’t want you to feel pressured.” Lisa walks toward us around the pool, and I pat his shoulder lightly. I’m sure I look like a baby. I can handle this.

  “It’s okay. Put me down.” The longer they’re there, the better I feel. As long as there isn’t some strange influence they have over me, I’ll be good.

  As soon as my feet touch down, Lisa’s there grasping my arm. “Are you okay?” I’m relieved that she seems to be sincere and doesn’t consider me an idiot.

  As I nod, she continues explaining. “They freaked me out at first too, but they did rescue us from Earth where we’d been imprisoned in a government facility.”

  I gasp and she nods. “Yeah, there was a strange reptile-type alien species that Travek calls the Taxin working with them! They also saved Travek’s life twice since we’ve been here. That was kind of their fault since they locked us in one bungalow together without even explaining where we were and what the point was, but whatever.”

  “They aren’t known for explaining anything to anyone.” Remus huffs out as I look at him curiously. “It’s strange, because they appear to have a general idea of what will happen.”

  “Like the future?” I glance over at them again. It’s interesting, because even though I’m still wary, I am definitely starting to appreciate the situation I’m in. I owe them for that. For Remus.

  “Yeah.” Lisa’s voice is breathless as she cuts in. “When Travek ‘accidentally’ grabbed us all from school, they kept you, me and Karen here, but sent Jenny, Rachel, Shelly, Susan, and Beth off in Travek’s ship to their planet Dactyles.”

  “So, Karen’s here?” Lisa gets a funny look on her face but nods.

  “Yeah, but she’s still in stasis. I haven’t been told exactly why, but everything so far has had a reason that I never would’ve guessed. So, how can we argue with that?”

  I guess. But what does that mean? “What is stasis?”

  Lisa shrugs, but Remus crouches down. I realize he’s pulled over a chair to this side of the pool. “It’s an induced coma state where your bodily functions are slowed to such a rate that you age very little during the travel across space. Most spacecrafts have at least a few for the crew to rotate through depending on their duties. Sit here.” Pulling me into his lap, I see that the Grey aliens have moved closer again, still talking to Travek.

  I study their fluid movements as they draw closer. Suddenly, the air around brightens, and a flash erupts, forcing me to close my eyes. But nothing changed around me.

  Lisa is still moving towards Travek and the Greys who’re almost next to us… The greys…

  Wait.

  I remember everything. Every moment with them from the first time which was… a really long fucking time ago. In fact, the very first time I remember, I had to of been about three years old! I remember the nightgown I was wearing at the time. It was a gift to me for my third birthday.

  Grasping my head, I grapple with the new memories. Shock rolls through my body as memory after memory surfaces in my mind. Are they real? Did they really happen? Why do I remember now? What’s happening to me?

  “Jo-Anne? Is everything alright? I’m right here and nothing will happen.” Remus’s voice is right in my ear and his arms have tightened around me.

  Wiggling slightly, I turn in his embrace as shocking and unexplainable memories continues to roll through me. “I remember! I remember everything!”

  “What do you mean? What do you remember?” Remus strokes my face as he tries to comprehend what I’m trying unsuccessfully to explain.

  “She means she’s remembered her time with us.”

  Swinging around, I stare at the small alien in his tight suit that covers his totally hairless body. How do I even know that?

  “I do. You’re Ted!” He nods at my exclamation. With no facial expression, it’s often hard to tell what he’s thinking, but I know him! “Is Joan here?” I can’t help asking about the tiny, alien Grey who was always my contact as a child. She was my best friend and someone my mother considered an imaginary friend when I talked about her.

  “No. She’s not here now, but I suspect you’ll see her before you leave.”

  Turning to the other alien next to him, he waves his hand with their traditional flourish.

  “This is Bill, and we’re your liaisons and negotiation contacts. Now that you’ve mated with Remus, not only can we discuss the current Quasar contract, but the mating has locked your mind with his, making it impenetrable to our influence and removing any current blocks segregating your memories. I assume you now can remember back to our past dealings with you?”

  Damn. I say nothing as I reflect back to all the times they’ve met with me. Taught me. Shared with me. Prepared me.

  “Yes.” My voice is a whisper as emotion crashes down on me. Even my eyes are watering as the reality of the situation settles into my mind. “All this time…” My eyes are locked on Ted as he nods. “… I thought I was some fucking lab rat for you, but that wasn’t it at all.”

  “No. It’s a common misconception and there are many on Earth like you. Humans seem to want to believe the worst. It’s part of your DNA to fear the unknown.”

  “I don’t get it?” Lisa’s looking back and forth between us with confusion.

  “I think the point is, Jo-Anne’s remembering all the times that the Ashen dealt with her in the past and then she forgot, correct?” Travek waves between us as he goes on. “The Ashen are a lot more involved in every species development. Way more than we realized. On Quasar, we’re told they’re watchers, but that’s not completely true. Is it?.”

  “Yes. Due to our influence on those we come into contact with, there are many species that fear us and have developed stories both in folklore and legend, regarding our interactions and intentions.”

  My mind reels as I think back to the time I spent with them. Some memories are harder than others to remember, especially the ones from when I was you
ng. But the one thing that stands out, is that they never hurt me. Never probed me. In fact, I remember one time being very sick and them making me feel better!

  “We’re sorry for the way our interactions affected you over the years, Jo-Anne. But we felt you were important and that the short-term torment would be worth the long-term benefits. Can you forgive us for this so we can move forward?”

  What do you say to that? Of course, I’ll forgive them—eventually. It’s been a lot of years and I can’t help thinking back to the disorientation and ridicule. Then, the shrink visits and even drugs they tried to prescribe me over the years. I’m so thankful my mother never bought into the diagnoses and bullshit evaluations. Sure, some of it may have been lack of funds, but it still would have only made things worse.

  “Yes.” My voice comes out as a whisper, so I straighten up against Remus and lean forward slightly. “Yes. I don’t understand everything I’m remembering right now, but I will trust that the new adventure that I’m walking into will have it all making sense here… eventually?”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  - Remus

  I shift Jo-Anne slightly on my lap. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the large stone given to me by the Sacred Mother. Holding it out in front of us, I remind Bill and Ted about our agreement. “Yes. Let’s start with this.”

  “What is it?” Travek leans over us and plucks the stone out of my fingers. Holding it up to the sun, he has it catching the surrounding light. Prisms dance in the air, reflecting off our clothing and faces.

  “If we’re going to do this now, then let’s make it more comfortable. You’ll be able to read the crystal better in here.”

  Pointing behind us, Travek turns first and almost stumbles back a step. “Where did that come from?” His exclamation has us all twisting quickly to see what he’s referring to.

  Where previously there was a flat, empty surface with green grass, there’s now a small building. It’s a dome-shaped similar to the crystal I produced with no discernible windows or doors. It looks like the size of a sleeping room, but without any visible windows.

  “Remus was sent with an Accord crystal contract, and this’ll make the viewing easier.”

  Without another word, they walk to the building that opens with the same disappearing technology of the dwelling we’ve been staying in. The surface in the side of the dome—just disappears as if it was never there.

  “I’ll never get used to them doing that.” Lisa’s voice is flat as she follows them in without another word. Travek is right behind her as I turn to Jo-Anne to make sure she’s finding this acceptable.

  “Are you alright with this?” She’s already standing as I swing my legs over to straighten up beside her. Her hands smooth back her hair as I take in her breasts jutting out at me at eye level. As much as I want to find out exactly what our ancestors agreed to and know, I can’t help being distracted by her body.

  “Yes. It’s so strange the way I keep remembering things. It’s as though all I have to do is think about a certain instance or moment in time and memories keep flooding back.” Taking a step away, she blows out a puff of air and shakes her arms. “It’s disorienting.”

  “Should I carry you?”

  “No, no.” She pats my chest lightly before grabbing my hand and moving towards the entrance. “This should be interesting.”

  She wasn’t wrong. Interesting was too simple of a word for how strange it is to walk inside the dome. The interior is entirely different from the exterior.

  From the outside, the dome only looked a few lengths across, but the inside feels as though we’ve stepped onto a spacecraft. A large, round table that has to be bigger than the entire dome exterior, sits in the middle of the room. Everyone is already sitting by the time I pull out a chair for Jo-Anne and settle in beside her.

  “Place the Accord into the table.”

  Travek leans forward to slide the crystal into a holder with the same faceted shape as the stone. Immediately, the room around us changes as a three-dimensional hologram projects into the air in front of us, hovering above the table.

  Lines connect the projection above us. As we all gaze at it in wonder, I can see Travek’s mouth is hanging open. It’s beautiful and terrifying as rays of light project from the center and slowly work their way towards us.

  Creeping out slowly, they pulse in a rainbow of color. “Uh, guys… what exactly is this? And why is it coming at us again?”

  “It’s loading the memory. When the feed reaches you, you’ll receive the full download of past information. Please be patient. This particular crystal has never been accessed, and it’s collating the information based on the number of receivers.”

  I see Lisa shift again through the haze of color in front of me. “That didn’t really tell me anything.” Lisa’s mumble to Travek echoes my own feelings.

  Pulling Jo-Anne’s hand closest to me towards my lap, I brace when the feed is inches from my face. Instead of shooting into me like I expect, it stops when it almost touches my forehead. Spreading into a haze of color, it pours over my body.

  Everything turns bright, and my vision fades even though I can clearly feel Jo-Anne squeezing my hand. Squeezing back, I brace, but being prepared physically can’t adequately prepare you for what happens next. It’s total immersion.

  As if I’m there, I watch in fascination as the original discussions and negotiations play out. There are twelve Quasar females along with twelve Ashen sitting around a large table. From the beginning statements, I’m stunned.

  The meeting begins by discussing their petition to utilize any means necessary to stop the matings between males and females! Every female testifies of their separation anxiety. A large portion of the male population had been enticed into a paid war by the Koluka. They’re off-planet, even though I’ve never heard of them or the war they’re fighting.

  All the Ashen agreed that what they’re requesting can be done, pointing to Humans as an example. But the Quasar females were adamant that they didn’t want to interbreed with the primitive species. They’re totally aware that Earth is cloaked by the Ashen at their request to keep any matings from occurring!

  The entire negotiation wound down amicably, but with many warnings by the Ashen representatives. They explained how the mating was an integral part of the male development, tied to their growth spurts and hormones. No matter what entreaties are tried, the females were adamant.

  They want the mating to end immediately. They want the freedom to choose who they’re with and committed to. Even when they’re warned that they would likely have fertility rates drop, they held fast in their resolve.

  When the Ashen pointed out that they’d be severing the chemical mate bond and opening themselves up to their control, they wanted to rewrite the agreement with separation and no contact status with the Ashen if they came across an unmated individual. This clearly would isolate any unmated populations from ever realizing what had occurred.

  The longer the visual playback continues, the more agitated my thoughts become. Jo-Anne lightly squeezed my hand periodically, reminding me that I wasn’t there alone and nothing I’m experiencing can be changed. It was done.

  By the time it’s over, I’m in shock. The flickering withdrawal of the feed dims my vision back to the low light level around the table in the dome. Everyone’s faces reflect the same shock I feel.

  Furious, I turn to Bill and Ted. “Why? Why would they do this to us all?” Their placid faces infuriate me as they answer with no inflection.

  “So often, it’s in all species’ nature to want what they don’t possess. There’s a Human saying, ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.’ Your women wanted their males back in their lives, but on their own terms. Every caution we advised them of, they had a plan for. Your society had reached a state where they didn’t need us any longer. It was their choice to make. If we hadn’t helped them, they’d have worked on doing it themselves and potentially made the issue worse. By giving t
hem what they wanted, we let our creation go with a clear conscience.”

  Travek stands on the other side of the table, leaning his body on his upper arms. “That’s easy for you to both say now. You haven’t lived it. Dozens of us share one female and some—like Remus, never enjoy sex or procreation because the drugs only work for eighty percent of the population.”

  A sharp intake of air has me looking over at Jo-Anne. Her eyes are locked on Travek as she asks, “You all are having to share women? It’s that bad?”

  Travek’s gaze turns to me, clearly unsure of how to respond, but Lisa answers for him. “Yeah. Travek would have been her ninth husband if he’d gone back for the commitment ceremony. I take it Remus didn’t mention he was one of eight guys in his harem?”

  Jo-Anne’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t look at me or respond. Instead, she squeezes my hand tighter and settles back in her chair. I can feel her sorrow—pity for me. Just as I’m about to speak, she hops to her feet.

  “I need some fresh air.” She’s left the dome before I can stop her. I want to follow her immediately and find out what she’s thinking. Surely, she doesn’t blame me?

  “Travek and I need to discuss this further and put together a list of additional questions for clarification.” There’s so much we learned that between Jo-Anne leaving the room and my swirling thoughts, I try to end the discussion.

  Travek’s face is as dark as a thundercloud across from me. Lisa strokes his upper arm before linking her fingers with his as he begins to speak. “I know it’s impossible for Sol and Gilip to be involved with you—the Ashen—at this point, but we all need to talk about what we’ll be doing moving forward. Do you have anything to add? A proposal moving forward for us to consider?”

  “We’ve just added what we propose to the main menu for you to review as a group. You’ll be able to find written transcripts and signed copies of everything available inside as well.”

  I stand, ready to leave and find Jo-Anne, but Travek stops me with a hand on my arm. “How’re we supposed to view this? See it again? We don’t have one of these domes or viewer things handy to pull out like you do.” I can’t believe I didn’t think of that?