by Kylie Chan
‘Perfectly normal response. You’re not the first,’ Shiumo said.
Bailey pulled herself to her feet and nodded. ‘I’m okay.’
Shiumo’s voice became more brisk. ‘All right, people, are we ready to be celebrities? Marque.’
‘Shiumo?’
‘Twenty-four to twenty-six hours. Probably within a couple of hours of the end of the first sleep cycle.’
‘That soon?’
‘They’re very military. Look at this lot.’
‘What are you talking about?’ I said.
‘How much?’ Marque said.
‘Twenty.’
‘Done.’
‘Any time frame you’re willing to bet on?’ Shiumo said.
‘You’re gambling? What are you betting on?’ Bailey said.
‘Probably someone insulting them or –’ I stopped as I understood.
‘Assassination attempt,’ Shiumo said. ‘It happens every single time. Marque?’
‘You will be well protected, Shiumo, don’t be concerned,’ Commander Alto said.
Shiumo made another soft hissing sound and I realised she was laughing. ‘If any of you can hurt me, the Empress will surrender to you on the spot. No, while I have Marque nearby I am in no danger whatsoever. You can see how it manipulates energy fields and gravity.’
‘I think it will take longer than that. I give it three of their days,’ Marque said.
‘It’s a bet,’ Shiumo said, and tapped one of the gurneys. ‘All right, everybody, follow me and you’ll feel your first fold. If you think you’ll lose the contents of your stomach – vomit? Yes, that’s the word – let Marque know and it will control the situation for you.’
Shiumo guided us aft towards the plain black wall. An opening appeared in it, and we proceeded down a black-walled corridor that appeared to stretch the remaining length of the ship.
Shiumo pointed and the wall opened. ‘Inside. Marque will open it when you can come out.’
We entered a small square room with black walls, floor and ceiling. Rugs and cushions covered the floor, most of them a variety of shades of red with a few silver ones among them. The door closed as soon as we were all in, and soft lights switched on at the edge of the ceiling. I controlled my panic at being shut in a room with no way out, taking a couple of deep breaths and concentrating on Commander Alto as he checked the colonists. They were still in a very bad way, their breathing shallow and irregular.
‘Do we need to hold on, or anything?’ Commander Alto asked Marque.
‘No. Sit on the floor in case there’s a bump. Absolutely under no circumstances hold your breath. Open your mouth as if you were in space; there may be a pressure difference.’
We sat on the carpets. Bailey grabbed a pillow and clutched it in front of her, and I gave her a quick friendly pat on the arm, radiating reassurance.
Commander Alto nodded to me, then raised his eyebrows in a silent question.
Everything they’ve told us so far sounds like the truth, I said to him. It all seems genuine.
‘How advanced are your skills?’ he said.
I winced. ‘Like Shiumo said, I’m very underskilled. She may prefer a more trained psi as a companion when we reach the surface.’
‘No, she likes you, and she enjoys teaching people new skills. She doesn’t often have a chance to train talented young people,’ Marque said. ‘The pod’s clear of the ship, and she’s on top ready to fold. Don’t hold your breath.’
Ready? Shiumo said.
We nodded. Bailey clutched her cushion tighter.
I turned into spaghetti – stretched impossibly long and thin. Before I could do anything, I collided back together with a rush. The pod thumped against the ground.
First of your species to travel through four dimensions! Shiumo said, and the door opened.
‘Let’s move these patients first,’ Marque said, and the gurneys floated out into the sunlight. ‘Better follow me, Richard. The people meeting us may be nervous.’
Commander Alto pulled himself to his feet, straightened his collar, and strode out of the pod behind Marque. Bailey and I followed. The football field was deserted, but a number of rotocopters were audible not far away.
I turned back to look at the pod; it was a simple black cube, four metres to a side. Shiumo was sitting on top of it.
‘I’m parking the pod. I’ll be right back,’ she said, and they disappeared with an audible pop. Shiumo reappeared in the centre of the square of crushed turf. She moved next to Commander Alto, and gestured for me to join them. ‘Any tips on dealing with your people, guys? How aggressive are they likely to be? I don’t want to cause an incident.’
‘Just be your charming self, Shiumo, and tell them again what you’re offering,’ Commander Alto said.
‘I’m charming?’ she said, turning her startling silver eyes onto him.
‘Extremely,’ I said with amusement.
One of the rotocopters flew over the stands to land on the other side of the field, and half-a-dozen operatives in black civilian suits and sunglasses stepped out. The other rotocopters landed outside the stadium.
The operatives spread out, all talking into their headsets. They were carrying automatic rifles held at the ready, and secured the perimeter of the field.
‘Those people are wearing a large amount of equipment,’ Shiumo said with interest. ‘They have body armour and extra weapons under those suits. They’re military.’
‘Yes,’ Commander Alto said. ‘They’re out of uniform to make you feel less threatened, but they’re obviously very highly trained militia.’
‘Is your planet at peace or do factions bicker?’ she said.
‘Resources are scarce. “Bickering” occurs,’ Commander Alto said.
‘I see. Marque?’
‘Depends how tense they are. What are you reading off them, Shiumo?’
‘I’m reading extreme excitement. Is that what you see, Jian?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘They’re so excited a couple of them are about to wet themselves.’
‘Should I disable their weapons?’ Marque said.
‘Would that be a bad idea, Richard?’ Shiumo said. ‘I don’t want them to feel powerless. It could make them even more aggressive.’
‘What would happen if one were to fire at you?’ he said.
‘Oh, nothing, Marque would protect us. But they may hurt each other in their enthusiasm.’
‘Then let them have their toys if it makes them feel safe. Choumali, keep an eye on them and if any of them are ready to pop, warn Marque,’ Commander Alto said.
There was a clatter as the stadium gates opened to our left. A small group of suited dignitaries – men and women – walked across the field towards us. The operatives moved in a protective ring around them.
‘These people move like military as well,’ Shiumo said. ‘They’re ready to die to protect the planet from me.’ She cast around, her head moving on her long neck. ‘The only civilian I sense for a very great distance – the only one who doesn’t have her emotions locked down and her courage ramped up – is Bailey. Everybody else has that cold aura of people ready to either kill or die.’
‘Including us?’ Commander Alto said.
‘Especially you. It will take a while for you to trust me, but I understand.’
‘Are other species this paranoid when you meet them for the first time?’ he said.
‘I’ve had species try to shoot me on sight. This is a normal level of paranoia.’
The officials stopped three metres from us. A middle-aged woman wearing grey pants and jacket stepped forward and spoke with a British accent. ‘Welcome to Earth. My name is Charles Maxwell.’
I recognised her; she was a senior general in the Euroterre army. She was in her late fifties with close-cropped, greying blonde hair. She was nearly too short to enter the military, and had obviously gained weight with age, her stomach bulging over her grey trousers. Her eyes were full of cutting intelligence, and she eyed us critically
with a frown that made her severe features even more intimidating.
The rest of the people were also senior military, none of whom I recognised, and probably scientific and diplomatic advisors.
Shiumo sneezed loudly: a series of explosive bursts lasting nearly half a minute. She panted, then took a deep breath and said, ‘Please move three of these people away from me.’ She pointed at two of the suits. ‘Him and him. And him too.’ She pointed at one of the aides behind the general.
The general gestured and the men moved away, their faces a mixture of bewilderment and mortification.
‘You’re obviously allergic to something about them,’ the general said. ‘What is it? We’ll make sure it isn’t brought near you again.’
‘Not an allergy,’ Shiumo said. ‘Just a sensitivity. Thanks for moving them away. Oh! I’d better do the formal introduction things. Sorry.’ She bowed her head to General Maxwell and spoke as if reciting a speech. ‘I greet you in the name of my mother, the Empress Silver Enlightenment, ruler of the Intergalactic Dragon Empire.’
I shared a shocked look with Commander Alto: the Empress was Shiumo’s mother?
‘I come in the spirit of peace and friendship, searching for love throughout the galaxy,’ Shiumo continued. ‘I am alone except for my sentient aide, an AI called Marque. I believe I can help you in your colonisation efforts, and assist your people with technology more advanced than your own.’ She changed to a less formal tone. ‘These colonists from the Nippon Maru are in a bad way. Can you transport them to a medical facility in a hurry?’
The general nodded and waved to a couple of the security people.
‘The gurneys that the colonists are lying on are extensions of my aide,’ Shiumo added. ‘To preserve your security, I suggest you transfer the patients off the gurneys. They are alien artefacts.’
‘We understand,’ one of the black suits said. She moved to push the gurney and it shifted away from her. She raised her hands with shock.
‘Show us where to go and we’ll offload the colonists,’ the gurney said. ‘Point the way.’
The suit checked with General Maxwell, who nodded. She and her companion guided the gurneys towards the gate.
‘Will you come with us to our secure conference facility?’ the general said. ‘The leaders of all nations are ready to meet you.’
‘By all means, madam; lead the way. With your permission, I’d like to keep Jian and Richard by my side. They have been extremely helpful, and have agreed to act as my aides during this cultural acclimatisation.’
The general scowled so quickly it was almost imperceptible. ‘We would prefer you had assistants who are specifically trained for the role. I have some excellent people who would be outstanding.’
‘Nah, I think I’ll stick with these two. Richard’s hot and Jian’s super-smart,’ Shiumo said. ‘Lead on.’
One of the suits choked quietly with laughter as we followed General Maxwell and Shiumo across the field to the waiting rotocopters.
What was wrong with the three men? I asked Shiumo as we boarded the rotocopter. Are you allergic to something? I can discreetly tell the general.
I’m not allergic. It was the way they smelled. An incredibly unpleasant and pungent mixture of chemicals. My nose still burns!
But I haven’t bathed in ages, I said. The space elevator had minimal bathroom facilities. I must stink even worse.
Your smell is natural and rather pleasant, she said. I don’t know what they did to themselves, but their odour burns the back of my throat like a chemical gas attack. I’m going to need a big drink of water to flush this out.
I’ll make sure you get it, I said.
And that’s why I want to have you close by.
8
The government officials spent the trip in the rotocopter tapping out messages on their tablets, but General Maxwell and the suits that accompanied her watched Shiumo as if she was about to sprout two heads. The general was deeply suspicious of the alien and convinced she would turn on us at any moment.
Shiumo didn’t seem fazed; she radiated curiosity tinged with delight as she watched the countryside go past. We swooped over Old Geneva, its lake surrounded by terraces cut into the mountains and crammed with prefab houses and small plots of rice and sorghum.
One of the suits opened a locker and passed around portable oxygen masks with thirty-minute cylinders. We all slipped them over our faces.
I don’t need one, Shiumo said when the suit offered her one.
The suit looked to the general.
‘We’re approaching the top of the oxygen layer,’ the general shouted over the whine of the rotors. ‘You’ll need oxygen; there isn’t any in the atmosphere.’
I don’t need it. I can survive in a vacuum, Shiumo said.
‘Take it anyway, so you can use it if you need it,’ the general said.
Shiumo took the cylinder from the suit and held it out. Marque lifted it from her front claw and held it suspended beneath its sphere. The suits watched the oxygen cylinder float as if they were hypnotised.
I turned to see out the ’copter’s window. We rose above the oxygen layer and all life petered out, leaving bare high-altitude rocky ground with small patches of snow in shady places.
We landed on a barren hillside, where the only building was an ugly concrete box half-dug into the ground, and exited the ’copter still wearing the masks.
‘We need to quarantine you and everybody who’s been in contact with you,’ General Maxwell said at the entrance. ‘We have facilities to house everybody in this underground station. Is that acceptable? I’m sure you’re as concerned about pathogens as we are.’
‘We eradicated all disease millennia ago,’ Marque said. ‘This is unnecessary and a complete waste of our time.’
‘We understand that,’ the general said. ‘We still ask that you humour us.’
‘Of course,’ Shiumo said. ‘As I said, this is First Contact, and all about you. Whatever makes you feel the most comfortable.’
‘Thank you,’ the general said.
She guided us through an airlock, where we could remove the oxygen masks, and into the bunker. The other side of the airlock was a lift, and we went in with three of the guards silently following.
‘It’s underground? I wanted to see your planet,’ Shiumo said, sounding disappointed.
‘As soon as we have the –’ General Maxwell began.
‘No, no,’ Shiumo said. ‘This is normal. You need to ensure that I’m not a threat. Let’s get these foundation talks out of the way, and then I’ll do a tour. I’m sure your people will be excited to see the alien.’
‘I doubt they know of your existence yet,’ Commander Alto said. ‘The authorities will want to make a controlled announcement.’
General Maxwell nodded.
Everybody’s tablet pinged at the same time, and we all checked them.
‘Humph,’ Maxwell said when she saw what the urgent message was. A few of the Britannia’s crew members had surreptitiously taken videos of us visiting Shiumo’s ship and retrieving the Japanese colonists, and sold them to the network.
‘They’ll be out of a job when they come back down the elevator,’ I said to Commander Alto as we watched ourselves guide Shiumo through the Britannia.
‘They were probably paid so much that it doesn’t matter,’ he said.
Shiumo turned to General Maxwell. ‘A way to disrupt this is to get me out and about as publicly as possible so I become mundane.’
‘We will, Princess. But first we need to ensure you’re no biological threat, and that you are willing to negotiate peacefully with our people.’
Shiumo nodded. ‘I understand. Let’s hurry up and get this out of the way.’
The lift doors opened onto a rough concrete corridor that smelled of mud and mould.
‘Your allergy isn’t bothering you?’ the general asked Shiumo.
‘No, I’ll let you know if I have a problem,’ she said.
The general led us
down passages lined with more concrete and lit by bare, old-fashioned LED tubes, to a conference room with a table and large screen. The walls and floor were plain concrete, and the desks and chairs looked tired and worn. We were in an unused military bunker, possibly even one of the old nuclear bases.
Shiumo stopped just inside the door. ‘I can’t sit on your chairs. They’re too small.’
Maxwell turned to the guards. ‘Move the table out. Pull the chairs to the back. Find a sofa for the Princess to sit … lie … recline on.’
‘I’m happy to lie on the floor if you have some cushions,’ she said.
‘We’ll find you something suitable,’ the general said as five more guards appeared and stationed themselves in the hallway.
Shiumo had another sneezing fit.
‘Which ones?’ I said.
‘Gah!’ She choked, and pointed at the guards. ‘That one. And that one.’
The general led the two men out into the hallway and spoke softly to them, while two other guards lifted the table and removed it. The first two guards shook their heads, and the general made a gesture of exasperation and returned to the room.
‘One had a full shower yesterday, and the other had a shower four days ago and has been doing the usual sink wash since. Do you have any idea what’s causing this, Princess?’
‘I think it’s their deodorant,’ I said.
‘That is an enodorant, not a deodorant,’ Shiumo said.
The general’s face went blank, and she returned to the two guards in the hall. She spoke to them, and they shared a look, then nodded.
She came back to us. ‘I’ll make sure nobody else wears that particular brand around you.’ She huffed a short laugh. ‘It’s one of the cheaper ones.’
‘Thank you,’ Shiumo said.
She’d like a big glass of water – a container double human size would be suitable – to flush away the scent, I said to the general, and she nodded a reply and went out of the room again.
Two guards entered carrying a tired-looking couch that appeared to have come from a waiting room. They placed it in the middle of the room facing the screen, then positioned half-a-dozen chairs facing it. Shiumo hopped up onto the couch and turned to face the screen.