Escape 1: Escape From Aliens

by T. Jackson King

  “Very carefully,” Bill said. “Was my fault he caught you like that. I didn’t buy his recording bag thing. Was fighting my instincts. Kept telling myself he was just an Alien, different from us. Don’t prejudge.”

  “Different, yes,” Jane said as she held up a red cube and opened the airlock door. “But just as deadly as a human. Bill, follow your instincts in the future. I’ll accept any needed apologies.”

  He grunted as the leg pain hit him, then followed her through the airlock room, out its exit door and into the wide hallway beyond. She gestured left at an eight foot high oval door whose outline showed in the gray metal. “Med Hall.” The door opened to her cube. “Inside you go! And you damned well better be able to take off your own pants and shirt. Ripped they are, but I don’t wish to tempt myself.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” Bill said as he walked into the large room and headed for a white clamshell like device that sat atop a metal bench. With trembling fingers he pulled his green t-shirt over his head, wincing at the pain, then unbuckled his holster, then his belt. Dropping his jeans and underpants, he walked slowly toward the clamshell. Which was already opening as Jane tapped the control panel at one end. She looked his way, her eyes scanning over his bare body.

  “Well, bloody you are, but functional too. Hands, arms and legs work. So climb in, Senior Crewman Bill MacCarthy!”

  He took a deep breath, stopped the chattering of his teeth that came with the shock, and grabbed the clamshell lid that was closest to him. He pulled on it and slid over the lid and down into the softness of the clamshell’s interior. Looking up, he saw Jane looking down at him with concern in her face.

  “Sleep tight. Heal fast, me boy,” she said as the clamshells rose up to enclose him. She gave him a half-smile. “And yeah, you got a nice bod for a man who just wrestled a walking cougar!”

  Darkness enclosed him, then it brightened as interior function lights came on. Things touched him at his calves, biceps, shoulders and belly. The pain eased. He relaxed. Then, faster than he expected, he was out like a switched off light.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Back in the Containment Cell Chamber, Bill stood opposite Jane as they made ready to resume their questioning of captive Aliens and possible release into the rest of the ship. It was four Aliens down and 12 more to go of the 16 held captive. On the one hand the two of them had been held captive and hated it, once they realized they were in a metal walled globe measuring twenty feet across and eleven feet high. Cardboard food slabs and fake holos did not make for any semblance of home. On the other hand, Aliens were Aliens and, like humans, they could be unpredictable. Even dangerous. Like the Mok Sharp Claw. Earlier, after his exit from the clamshell healer unit, they’d gone back to the Mok’s cell, waited for the eyeless cougar to grab a food slab from the back of his cell, then they’d opened the door and red beam zapped him. That allowed them to move him into the clamshell, which hours later released him with fully repaired eyes and neck. Another taser zap allowed them to return him to his cell. While Bill was pissed at the Mok for lying to them, still, he agreed with Jane that the critter should be in normal shape when they returned him and Hungry Heart to their home world. But that attack was why neither he nor Jane stood at the intersection of the central walkway with the side walkways that led to white cell globes. Instead, they stood just beyond that intersection and faced the white globe cell on their left. With white taser tubes aimed at the oval door outline of the cell.

  “Star Traveler,” Jane called, “What species is present in the two cells near us?”

  “The Winglo occupy the two nearest cells,” the AI said.

  She looked to Bill. “Ready?”

  Bill cradled the taser tube in one arm while holding the red cube door opener with the other. As before they both wore holsters with their semi-auto pistols in them. After he’d been healed, released and eaten an Alien version of beef and pasta noodles with Jane, they’d discussed how to proceed. Not allowing fellow captives the freedom of the Blue Sky was not an option. How to do it safely was the issue. He met her gaze. “Ready, Captain. We keep our taser tubes on the first Alien, then I cover the second. Neither of us looks elsewhere until you make the freedom or jail call.”

  She gave him a command nod, her expression darkly serious. “Star Traveler, open an audio channel to both Winglo cells.”

  “Channel opened,” the AI said.

  “Winglo captives, I am Captain Jane Yamaguchi, of the human species. We are now in transit to the Ludeen home star. As you heard me say earlier, my ally and I will return you both to your home star. My fellow human and I wish to see you directly, visit, and perhaps allow you the freedom to roam this ship until we arrive at your home world. Do you wish to come out and visit with us?”

  “Visit yes!” came a croaking voice.

  “The sky! I need true sky,” said a second croaking voice with a high tone.

  “One by one,” Jane said. “Bill?”

  He pointed the tiny red cube at the cell to their left and pressed. The white cell door whooshed upward. Like the other cells, yellow sunlight came from within. The holo inside showed a image of a rocky cliffside atop which lay a single toadstool-like platform. The view was soon blocked by a giant critter with leathery brown wings, bipedal body, small fingers on the front edge of each wing, a narrow head, a dagger-like beak and deep red eyes. The Winglo looked at them, then up at the high ceiling. “Open air!”

  Jane kept her taser tube aimed at the Winglo. “I am Captain Jane Yamaguchi, a human female. Who are you?”

  The Winglo’s gaze lingered on the yellow-lighted ceiling. “My flock knows me as Far Wing.” Its folded leather wings moved forward so one set of wing-fingers could touch its brown-furred chest. “I am the senior male of my family. Which must be wondering where I disappeared to,” he said in a low, croaking voice that the ship mind translated into the English they heard over their ear buds. “May I come out further? Confinement in that horrible cell was like keeping an adult Winglo inside their birth egg!”

  “Yes,” Jane said, gesturing with her free hand. “Come out, but stop on the side walkway. In my hand I hold a white tube. It shoots out a red beam like the one that knocked you unconscious. It is for our protection.”

  Bill let go the Open spot on the red cube. The door zipped shut behind the Winglo. Who glanced back, then forward.

  Far Wing looked over Jane, then Bill, then returned to her. “Without wings or claws or a sharp beak like mine, you ground-runners must surely need protection,” he croaked low. “We have creatures like you on our world, but they have never grown as large as you two. Are there many Humans like you on your world?”

  Jane chuckled softly. “Yes, there are. The human population of our world Earth is more than seven billion. We farm crops, catch fish in the seas and use technology to preserve food so all humans may eat.”

  The Winglo shook his bony head, which was topped by a yellow crest that seemed solid. “So many! Your world must be very large to accommodate so many!”

  “It is large enough,” Jane said, her manner turning formal. “Far Wing, can you Winglo be peaceful to other people who do not resemble you? We have already been attacked by two Mok predators who lied to us. My ally, whose name is Bill, and I do not forget or forgive lies told to us.”

  Far Wing slowly spread his leathery brown wings. They stretched out to five feet on either side. He lifted his long yellow beak and croaked a reply. “Yes, I will be peaceful! For the chance to spread my wings often, to soar through the rooms of this sky traveling craft, I and my fellow captive will be forever in your debt!” The red eyes blinked. “If you release us to roam this sky ship, we will defend you against any who try to harm you!”

  Jane gave Bill a nod, then fixed back on the giant winged Alien. “Far Wing, I hear you and accept your assurance. Remain there while my ally opens the door to the other cell. Bill?”

  He turned away from Jane and Far Wing and aimed his taser tube at the opposite cell. With his free hand he p
ointed the red cube and pressed Open. The cell door zipped upward. Yellow light and the holo of a cliff showed inside.

  “Winglo inside the cell, come out and meet us,” Jane said as she kept her eyes and taser on Far Wing.

  A yellow beak appeared from one side of the open door. That was followed by a long head with two red eyes and a yellow head crest. The beak opened.

  “Open sky is out there?” the Winglo croaked in a high tone.

  “Yes,” Jane said. “I am Captain Jane Yamaguchi. How are you called by your flock?”

  The Winglo moved so its entire body filled the open doorway. Like the first it looked outside and then up. “Ahhhhh. Free air! Enclosed but so open.” The Alien looked to Jane. “May I leave this miserable egg?”

  “Yes, but do so slowly,” Jane said, still not looking back. “My ally Bill, a male human, holds a white tube that can make you unaware if you attempt violence.”

  “My flock knows me as Wind Dancer. I am female.” The Winglo hopped over the door sill and onto the side walkway. Bill let go the Open spot on the red cube. Immediately the cell door shut. Which made the Winglo shiver. Her red eyes fixed on Bill. “Do not shoot me with the red beam! Please. One moment I was standing on my roost platform in our high mountain country, enjoying the coolness of the night air, when the next moment a white glow swept up and shot me with that beam!”

  Bill gave the Alien a closed mouth smile. “Understood, Wind Dancer. I am Bill. Next to me is Captain Jane. Who commands our human flock on this ship. Can you be peaceful to us and to others who will look very strange to you?”

  Wind Dancer fluttered her wings. “What do these other captives look like?”

  “Captain?”

  Jane kept her back to him. “Star Traveler, project a holo image of the two Ludeen captives into the intersection of these walkways. Also show a holo of the Mok captives.”

  “Projecting,” the AI said.

  “Oh!” croaked Far Wing.

  “Wingless!” cried Wind Dancer, who looked away from the holos to Bill. “Do you not have winged people on your world of Earth?”

  Bill kept his taser aimed at the female Winglo, though his gut told him these flying pterosaurs were indeed peaceful. “No, we do not. We humans, like the Ludeen, evolved from tree-dwelling, four-limbed mammals. We give live birth to our young.”

  “Messy,” Wind Dancer said, stepping further out on the side walkway as she folded her leathery wings against the short brown fur of her bipedal body. “Eggs work best for us Winglo. When can we meet these Ludeen?”

  “Captain?” He kept his attention and his taser fixed on the female Winglo.

  “We accept their promise of peaceful behavior,” she said firmly. “Step back with me on the walkway so these two can meet in the middle.”

  As soon as they did so, the two Winglo bounded forward, flared wings at each other, then laid their long yellow beaks alongside each other. Then, with a jump of their short legs and a loud flap, they were airborne.

  Looking up, Bill admired how the two Winglo flew in formation, side by side, wing tips close but not touching. In seconds the two avians had flown to both ends of the chamber and then landed at the intersection of the central walkway and the side walkways.

  “Are there other rooms this large on this craft that travels the deep blackness beyond our sky?” Far Wing croaked.

  “Yes,” Jane said, lowering her taser tube so it did not point at the two avians. “There are two large hallways that connect each side of this starship. Doors lead from the hallways to chambers smaller than this, like the Food Chamber, the Water Pool and the Greenery Chamber. As you saw, the Ludeen now move about this ship. Be peaceful to them!”

  Bill couldn’t resist. “Far Wing, Wind Dancer, this starship does not seem to shock you. Do your own people also travel in space?”

  The two Winglo tapped beaks with each other. The female spoke. “Of course we do. Our star system has seven planets in it, but only our world of Bright Skies has life like us. We began travels to the other worlds just recently.” She hooted something that did not translate. “But our history balls say we were planted on Bright Skies by other Winglo. Long, long ago.”

  Damn! These Winglo were a colony world. And well advanced too. He looked to Jane. Who seemed thoughtful.

  “Winglo people, we welcome you to flight freedom,” Jane said firmly. “With the history you relate, you understand how it takes time to travel from star to star. Be assured, we will return you to your world of Bright Skies once we have returned the Ludeen and Mok to their home worlds.”

  “Long flights do take time,” Far Wing said. “We understand. Where may we find food? We eat both green vegetation and small creatures that travel on the ground. Though on our world, that food is provided to us in frozen form.”

  Jane gave them a smile. “We do the same on Earth.” She paused, then pulled out a red cube and tossed it to Wind Dancer. “The red cube, when pressed, allows you to open most doors on this ship.”

  “Freedom!” cried the female avian.

  “You are generous,” Far Wing croaked, his tone warm and friendly-sounding.

  Jane nodded to the two avians. “Star Traveler, send a hover bot to show our Winglo friends the hallways and chambers of the ship. And show them habitats for residence. They are free to visit all ship chambers except the Command Bridge, Engine, Weapons, Fusion, Collector Pod and Transport chambers.”

  A distant whirring sounded. Bill saw the hover bot approaching from the upship direction. “A hover bot arrives,” the AI said. “However, use of the access hallway on this side of the ship will be limited due to its passage through the Transport Exit Chamber.”

  Jane frowned. “Modify my access limits to allow travel through the Transport chamber. But no bioform other than me and Bill are allowed access to the two transport ships in that chamber.”

  “Instructions modified and limitations understood,” the ship mind said.

  The silvery pod of the hover bot came to a stop between them and the Winglo. Jane gestured to it.

  “Follow this device out of here and into the hallway beyond. Speak to it your questions and the ship mind whose name is Star Traveler will respond. Enjoy your roaming!”

  “Yes!” croaked Far Wing. He flapped and rose into the air to follow the hover bot as it sped toward the nearby airlock door.

  “Life is flying!” cried Wind Dancer.

  Bill watched the two avians flap excitedly down to the airlock door, open it, pass inside and then disappear as the eight foot high pressure door closed. He looked to Jane. “Well, Captain, that went well.”

  She gave him a nod, her look serious. “It was. But until we meet, talk to and get promises of peace from the remaining Alien captives, I’m keeping my taser tube aimed and my other hand resting on the butt of my Browning Hi-Power!”

  Bill agreed totally. He looked around the chamber, fixing on the two white cells next in line from the Winglo cells. “I’m ready. You?”

  “Of course I am,” she said, her tone tense. “Star Traveler, I believe the next two captives belong to the Doman species. Are they in the two cells just up from here?”

  “They are.”

  Jane gestured to Bill to follow her. “Good. Provide me an audio link to both Doman cells.” She then proceeded to repeat her introduction, offer and peace question as she came to a stop just above the intersection of the side walkways with the central walkway. Bill stepped past Jane and, like her, aimed his white tube at the cell on the left. “What is your name? And do you wish to leave your cell?”

  “No!” came a hoarse squeak. “Oh no, your outside is too strange!” came a voice that sounded deeply frightened.

  No words came from the other cell. Just a squeak.

  “Star Traveler,” Jane called. “Show us a holo of the two Doman inside their cells. And project to them holos of me and Bill.”

  Two holos appeared in the intersection. They showed two mole-like creatures with armored skin who resembled an armadillo
with no tail. Each Doman stood on four feet, its pink snout uplifted as if to smell something. The front feet had toes that looked finger-like. The images showed them hunkering down just outside a structure that resembled a small hill with a dark hole leading into it. Their daylight was very red. And dark. As if it were close to sunset.

  “Doman,” she called, “what are your names?”

  “Fast Runner,” squeaked the one on the left.

  “Old Mother!” cried the one on the right who had said nothing.

  “Tell me,” Jane said calmly, “why you do not wish to leave your cells? You are people of a world with land, mountains, rivers, and perhaps forests. Surely you like moving about?”

  “We do,” squeaked Old Mother. “But you are a Sky Bird! We do not come out when such roam our skies.”

  Bill wondered if they had finally found a species so low-tech that it regarded visitors from space as gods. Or worse. He looked to Jane, his expression questioning.

  She shrugged at him, her look equally puzzled. “Old Mother, Fast Runner, we humans used to live in caves for protection from the hungry predators of our world. No longer. We move about as we wish, thanks to tools that convey us and protect us from rain, wind and predators. Do your people have similar tools?”

  “We make fire,” Fast Runner said. “We have wooden digging tools. We find food wherever we can, usually at night. Our daytime skies have many Sky Birds who will grab us and eat us! You will eat us!”

  Jane shook her head slowly, her expression one of sympathy. “No, we will not eat you, my Doman friends. So. Do you wish to stay in your cells until we fly back to your world?”

  “Yes!” squeaked Old Mother. “There is food and water aplenty in here. No one hunts me. I miss my young ones, but my sisters will care for them. I stay here until you Sky Beings return us home.”

  “Safety!” squeaked Fast Runner. “This cell is as she says. Let me stay inside it until you Sky Beings take us home.”

  Jane gave a sigh. “We will do as you wish. However, if you need something, speak aloud in your chamber. I will hear you. Or a friend of mine will hear you. We will make sure you are safe and fed well until we reach your home.”