by TM Toombs
“I’m Eshan. The big guy is Bax. And the skinny one is Kolass.” Eshan pointed at them over his shoulder.
Mandy nodded in their direction. “Nice to meet both of you.”
“This drink is wonderful,” Bax inhaled another whiff from the steam rising out of the drink hole in the cup’s lid.
“Wait til you taste it, it’s heaven in a cup,” Eshan smiled. “Just be careful, it’s really hot at first.”
They caught up to the tail end of the gaggle of the cosplay group and followed them as they slowly made their way towards the Capital.
“Do you know what this senator looks like, Eshan?” Kolass asked as he raised his cup to his lips.
“More or less,” Eshan said after he took a sip from his own cup. Mandy, walking next to him, gave him a questioning glance.
“Please explain,” Bax grumbled after burning his mouth on the coffee.
“Couldn’t wait, could ya, big guy?” Eshan’s laughter faded as Bax gave him a piercing scowl. “I’ve seen him on the television, but I’ve never met him in person.”
Kolass nodded. “As long as you have some idea, this won’t feel like a complete shot in the dark.”
“Are you always this optimistic, Kolass?”
“No, I usually leave it up to Bax to be the naysayer.” Kolass finally ventured a sip from his steaming coffee cup. “Ugh, this is awful! How can humans consume this?”
“I’ll take yours.” Bax reached for Kolass’ cup and threw his own now empty into a trash receptacle near a light pole as they passed by.
“Why would you be meeting a senator at a cosplay parade for your movie?” Mandy squinted at Eshan.
“I, we, well, you see…,” Eshan searched for an explanation as Mandy cocked an eyebrow. "Our lives are a bit complicated and—"
“Forget it." She waved it off, uttering a disgusted sigh. "I get it. I've been around too many guys with 'complicated' lives. See ya around, Eshan.” Mandy broke into an awkward fish-tailed jog to catch up with Pikachu.
Eshan shook his head. She had no idea what a complicated life looked like. Just then a familiar looking man approached. “Mr. Wallace?”
“Senator Hunter.” Eshan offered him his hand. The Senator accepted and steered Eshan out of the slow-moving group. They stopped in front of a large glass window of an antique store. Bax and Kolass joined them, standing behind Eshan and studying the senator carefully.
“Senator, this is Kolass and Bax.” Eshan indicated his companions by tilting his head back towards them.
Senator Hunter’s eyes grew wide at the bulky and oddly colored aliens. “I expected you to be alone. We should get going. I have a car down the alley. Follow me.”
Eshan frowned and gave Bax a quick questioning glance. His Protector scowled but gave a barely perceptible nod. Eshan turned to follow Hunter down an alleyway to a waiting car. Kolass hesitated but Bax stayed close behind Eshan's every step.
“How did you know what Eshan looked like, Senator?” Kolass asked, raising an eyebrow as he caught up to the others. Instantly Bax stopped, put his hand on Eshan's arm to halt him, and stared at the back of Hunter’s head. The senator slowed to a stop before turning around. His lips were pressed together in a slight grimace as a pensive expression flashed across his face.
“I…uh… you were the only one in that group not dressed up,” he stuttered then pointed at a large sedan. “Here’s my car. I have an apartment here in town while Congress is in session. It’s a short drive from here. Get in.”
He unlocked the car, opened his door and waited for the others to get in. Eshan and Bax walked around to the front passenger’s door. Eshan opened the passenger side door as Bax studied his movements. He reached out and mimicked Eshan. The back door opened. He nodded at Kolass who then walked behind Hunter and opened the door behind the driver’s door.
Bax lowered his head to peer inside the car. Then he stood, looked at Kolass and shrugged.
“It’s ok. Get in,” Eshan ordered as he sat down and closed his door. The others did as they were directed. A moment later, Hunter slid in behind the steering wheel and started up the car.
Senator Hunter pulled out of the alley and merged into traffic. Eshan pulled at his collar and looked over his shoulder at Kolass. Kolass nodded at him. Eshan shrugged and shook his head. What does an alien nod even mean, buddy? We should have figured out some signals.
Hunter noticed Eshan making faces at Kolass. “My secretary said you had some very important information for me, regarding the Greys and the Proximians. And I take it that these two aren’t really cosplayers?”
“We prefer to be called Annunaki or Annunakan,” Kolass corrected as he stared out his window.
“Annunaki? As in from ancient Egypt?” Hunter looked at Kolass in the rearview mirror. Eshan expected Hunter to be surprised, instead, he looked intrigued.
“No, Babylon,” Kolass corrected, turning his head to look at Eshan with what seemed to be disdain.
“Like in the creation story?” Hunter sounded surprised.
“I don’t see how a discussion about ancient history helps with the current problems with the Greys,” Eshan interrupted.
“You’re right.” Hunter nodded. “Let’s table that discussion and get to the real issue. The Greys. I take it that they aren’t all they are cracked up to be.”
“Far from it, Senator.” Eshan filled the Senator in on all he’d learned from Ne-Paw. The Senator's face first paled then reddened as the story took on its full dimension.
Hunter pulled the car over and parked at the curb. He stared ahead, blinking hard. A minute passed. Then two. Eshan was about to speak, when Hunter finally looked at him. His face was ashen.
“We’ve sent thousands of innocent humans to their deaths in exchange for a shortcut to medical cures and advanced technology.”
“Mostly for the benefit of the rich elitist.” Eshan grimaced. In the back seat, Bax and Kolass nodded in unison.
Senator Hunter looked around, stunned. “This is my building. Come up stairs. We need to get upstairs and talk this over. Now.”
They exited the car and followed Hunter up the stairs to his second-floor apartment. He swiftly opened the door and let them in.
“Have a seat on the sofa,” he pointed down the hall to the bright living room with two sofas facing each other. “I’ll be right there. I’m going to grab a recorder from my office and record all this information.”
Hunter disappeared into his office as Eshan headed into the spacious and luxury-appointed room and took a seat. Two massive Chinese vases, gilt-framed art and kidskin sofas brought the term "rich elitist" to Eshan's mind. It would be easy to get used to these trappings, to forget or overlook the suffering of others who allowed all politicians these comforts. Only Hunter had stood up, time and again, voicing doubts and willingly putting his comfortable life on the line. Hopefully he would be able to sway enough of the others to realize the human costs involved to afford such luxury to the few.
Bax sat across from him while Kolass took a chair in the corner. Hunter returned and set a small, digital recorder down on the coffee table between the two sofas. He hit the record button and then sat down at the other end of the sofa from Eshan.
“Start from the beginning and tell me everything you said in the car, please.” Hunter sat back and watched Eshan.
Eshan took a deep breath and recited everything he could remember. Whenever he left out a detail, Kolass or Bax would insert the missing information. After they were finished recapping their story, Hunter leaned over and pressed the stop button. He retrieved the device and fiddled with it before looking up and making eye contact with Eshan.
“This is dangerous information, Eshan,” Hunter finally said after leaning back. “And, frankly, it scares the crap out of me. But more than that, it pisses me right the hell off.”
“That’s why we brought it to you, Senator.” Eshan ran his hand through his hair. “I saw your interview on the TV a few months ago. If anyone can convince
the people that they are being lied to by the government and the Greys, it’s you.”
“No, Eshan,” Hunter leaned closer to Eshan. “It’s you that the people will believe. You, and Bax and Kolass.”
“Not me,” Eshan shook his head. “My job here is done. I only came here to warn you and then get back to Alaska and my life.”
“You can’t!” Hunter raised his voice. “You need to tell Congress and the world. The Greys need to be exposed for what they really are.”
“Senator, I’m home now. This isn’t my fight. I’m finally back on Earth. I just want to go home. Back to my family.” Eshan put up his hands and shook his head again.
“Emissary Eshan,” Kolass spoke softly, “you forget your promise to Emissary Ne-Paw.”
Bax smoldered, “And there are humans who must answer for their actions.”
Eshan looked down at his hands in his lap. People must answer for their actions. Eshan saw, again, the quivering face of the drunk who had taken the life of his Anna. Felt the impact of his blow on Ne-Paw's body, the impact that killed mankind's one hope. Some actions were stupid or accidental or ill-informed. But this ... purposefully shipping off millions of humans to die in the Grey's mines ... this had no excuses. The memory of Ne-Paw passing on the responsibilities of Emissary washed over him. Yeah, I do owe it to her.
“The Annunak made you their Emissary for a reason, Eshan,” Hunter started. “I’m just a junior senator from Podunk Arkansas. The emissary from another alien race would carry a lot more weight than that. Folks would sit up and take notice.”
Eshan quietly sighed and then nodded. “What do I do?”
Hunter stood up. “I need to make a few phone calls. Make yourselves at home. There’s food and beer in the fridge.”
Senator Hunter turned on the TV before returning to his office and closing the door. The TV hung above the white marble fireplace next to Kolass’ chair. It began to play breaking news of another alien transport filled with humans headed off to the far away mines. Eshan stood up, his eyes fixed on the images displayed on the large screen. He was pulled to the TV as he watched a woman holding a baby with two toddlers at her side all waving at the departing ship. His guts began to churn.
“This has to stop,” Eshan whispered. But I’m just a dumb truck driver from Alaska! How in the world am I gonna convince the governments of Earth that the Zeta Greys are lying to them?
Bax and Kolass joined him, standing on either side, and watched the scene unfold. Kolass shifted uneasily.
“What do we do now, Emissary?” Bax glared at the TV. Eshan looked up at the hulking alien and then at Kolass. The two aliens waited for his answer. Two aliens from a race far superior to humans. And they looked to him for the answers to save not just humankind but the Annunaks as well.
Eshan grinned. “Kick some ass, piss off the elites, and save the slaves, of course!”
A Brief Note from TM Toombs:
Holy shit! You read the whole damn thing?! Thank you (!!!) for taking a chance on my debut book. I can’t express how grateful I am that you read it. It’s been an interesting journey to get to this point. And I’m thrilled to get a chance to share the end product with you!
If you enjoyed this story, I hope you’ll tell me with a review. Not to stroke my ego, but to let other potential readers know they might like it. I would appreciate that!
If you DIDN’T like this story, please let me know what you didn’t like or could be improved upon in a review. I will take your comments and recommendation into consideration with the next book in the series. Unless you send me death threats. I’ll just add those to the ever growing pile from friends and family.
I look forward to sharing Eshan’s future adventures with you!