Star Matters

by David John West

  “My god, it’s unbelievable,” agreed Daniel. “You are just amazing.”

  “My favourite place is to be all wrapped around you my love. We will be like this forever. Into our nineties we will be even better, I promise you!”

  Daniel laughed, “If you say so, my little sweet one. That’s a long way ahead and we don’t have to think that far ahead for a looooong long time! Right now, you’ve exhausted your poor Daniel and he needs to stretch out and recover.”

  Anya spread her left hand across the broad span of Daniel’s pectoral muscle slab. She twitched her nostrils against the tiny bud of his left nipple, “I love the smell of you after our lovemaking, Daniel. Lovely natural smell mixed with clean, it’s amazing chemistry.”

  They grew silent and relaxed in the afterglow. Daniel asked about her day.

  “I worry for Professor Kitteridge. He is so brave and yet I think he is bit scared he is so sick. He wants to do so much, just not fair he worries about the time to get all his work done. I try make best for him as best I can do.”

  “In that case he could not be better looked after, darling,” Daniel suggested with feeling. “I love it when you look after me so well!”

  Anya slapped the bowed plane of his hard chest muscle, “Not like you and me, you big lump,” she chortled. “I was being serious. He is very nice man and I want him to be well.”

  “I think he will not be well ever again,” said Daniel, turning solemn. “But I hope he has the time left to him to do whatever he wants. He will be a great loss when eventually he passes through.”

  “‘Passes through’, Daniel, what you mean, ‘passes through’?”

  Daniel glossed over his small slip, “Oh I meant ‘passes away’, darling. Hopefully not for some time yet.” Daniel changed tack as if he were uncomfortable with discussing Professor Kitteridge’s serious condition. “I have some interesting news. Joe has invited me and Charlotte to the field study site to help with his pet bees data collection this weekend.”

  Something clicked a record involuntarily in Anya’s mind at his comment and she explored further committing the conversation to a special memory. “When are you going, Daniel? I should like to come also.”

  “We thought about that, my little sweet one. We are going out on Friday, camping out at the site and returning on Sunday. I know you have shifts at Professor Kitteridge’s house and we only have three seats spare in Stephen Hadley’s car. Besides you would be too much of a distraction for me. We would be in the tent the whole time annoying Joe and Charlotte and we would get no work done!”

  Anya laughed at that, “You are right there, Daniel. But what fun it would be!” A memory fixed in her subconscious mind that three of the most suspect followers of Professor Kitteridge would be isolated in intriguing circumstances out in the forest near Thetford this coming weekend. She had no conscious awareness but it was the kind of opportunity to take the three Gayans out of the picture entirely that Omeyn MuneMei had been waiting for.

  Charlotte and Joe packed light rucksacks for the weekend’s camping trip and met Stephen at the car all ready to go in the small parking area alongside Queens’ College Porters’ Lodge. It was a bright and breezy early summer’s day that promised well for good weather over the weekend. They were each wearing jeans, brightly coloured polo shirts and sunglasses. Joe wore retro Wayfarers and Charlotte huge lenses with round brown frames that dwarfed her nose and cheeks, part glamorous, part comical. Stephen was buoyed by their wide grins and high spirits. “It’s a work trip, you know, you two are having too much fun already!” he remarked.

  Charlotte and Joe slung their rucksacks on top of the survey and camping gear in the hatchback. Charlotte took the front passenger seat and Joe slipped in behind her. They had agreed to pick Daniel up at Jesus College Porters’ Lodge a short drive across town. It was later than rush hour but still busy along the leafy avenue of Queens’ Road before the crawl over Magdalene Bridge and along Jesus Lane, where Daniel was standing ready to meet them. There was little space outside Jesus College so Daniel opened the hatch and added his bag to the pile before folding up into the seat behind Stephen. It was getting full in the back of the small car now and Stephen ratcheted forward a little to give Daniel slightly more space. Stephen said, “At least it’s not far for you guys in the back. But we do have to stop and load some shopping for you on your laps, no space left in the boot.”

  “I will take pity on them, Stephen,” offered Charlotte. “I should be able to get a few bags round my legs in the front.”

  They pulled in to a big supermarket on the Newmarket road where Charlotte took control of ensuring they bought the right food items to cover them for the weekend and removed most of the wine and beer Daniel kept adding to their cart. Less than an hour later they were pulling off the road down a track to the small parking lot near the field study site. From there it was a few hundred yards past the end of the trees out on to the open meadow site of the ancient flint mines. The underground workings had subsided since prehistoric times making the otherwise flat ground much more interesting. A complex network of high paths surrounded very many large shallow craters, the centre of each would have been the old mine works in ancient times.

  Charlotte led the three heavily laden men across the field study site, around the labyrinth of paths to the centre of the meadow where the largest craters were to be found. The men were protesting that they did not need to go right to the middle to set up camp and that it was much easier for Charlotte, just carrying a rucksack and the lighter shopping. Eventually Charlotte was satisfied they were in the epicentre of the whole area and led them down a narrow path to the bottom of the largest bowl which in fairness had a broad clear area at the bottom that would be ideal for camping, on dry days like these at least. Stephen dropped his bags and took them through the data recording surveys for the weekend, which, he reminded them, was the purpose of their trip and then he set off back to the car for the drive back to Cambridge, somewhat deflated he was not supposed to be included in the weekend’s adventure.

  The three Gayans waited until Stephen had definitely driven away before surveying the whole area from a completely different standpoint. They were happy with Charlotte’s choice of campsite as it was the bait in the centre of the plan and needed to be vulnerable and quiet to attract the attentions of their adversaries. The wide meadows around the largest crater meant there would be plenty of space for them to make their preparations. All three were purposeful now, but still took their time to enjoy the small pleasures of setting up their camp and preparing a fine meal al fresco. They had no intention of doing any of the detailed survey work that Stephen had so painstakingly explained before he left. They were enjoying the company of the bee colonies though, which were the supposed reason for their visit.

  TWENTY-NINE

  The following day Christopher had persuaded Stephen that they should return to the field study site and check up on the three students in the guise of joining them for beers and barbeque on the fine Saturday evening. In fairness this was an entirely justifiable fun thing to do but Christopher was convinced that the other three were up to something completely beyond field study work and Stephen had been easily convinced of that too.

  Stephen pulled his car off the country road in the pine woodland close to the ancient flint mines field study site to allow Christopher and himself to walk through the pines the final hundred yards or so to the open meadows of the field study site. Christopher glanced at his watch. Nearly 10pm with the everlasting half-light of the approaching summer solstice in England. Under the pines was half dark and the mood between the two men was anticipatory. They walked in silence over the cushioned floor of ancient pine straw towards the margins of the trees where the woods opened into the meadowland bordering the field site, dimpled as it was with the mysterious shallow craters of the ancient flint mines.

  It was difficult to find their path on the pitted ground below the tre
e canopy in near darkness. They were soon surprised as the floor under the trees started to glow raked by mottled overhead lights coming from behind them moving slowly a few yards higher than the tops of the trees. Two lights to begin with, not far apart. Each light flickered through the pines with complex shades of pink and crimson filtering down to the ground through the canopy. The two men on the ground and the approaching lights were almost silent. Perhaps there was a low level hissing or maybe Stephen and Christopher were now so stationary and aware that they were listening to their own hearing pressing in on their consciousness in the otherwise total quiet. Both men craned their heads up to follow the lights as they passed overhead. They felt a momentary sense of relief that the lights were not concerned with them then they realised they were headed out towards the field study site. Their concerned faces were painted with the flitting rose colours passing overhead. Stephen and Christopher exchanged glances and moved swiftly through to the last line of trees dropping to their knees on the springy turf hummocks concealed by low bushes where the empty floor under the pines merged into bracken and scrub margins of the meadow.

  Christopher and Stephen could see the top half of the figures of Joe, Charlotte and Daniel above the rim of the main field study crater some way off in the middle of the open meadow. They were looking towards the lights as they progressed from the trees to the centre of the meadow and came to a slow halt directly over the study group. Joe, Daniel and Charlotte hustled out of view, down into the crater to get out of the way of the lowering lights. The sky between the lights became more opaque and revealed the fat cigar shape of a flying saucer in profile slightly larger in diameter than the crater itself. The lights now defined the perimeter of the long oval disk that had been cloaked as it was moving along the treetops and out over the meadow. The disk lowered towards the ground and people, aliens, whatever was on board, could be seen disembarking and spreading out from the craft like a dark oil stain around the rim of the crater that sheltered their friends.

  Stephen and Christopher stared at each other in alarm. Stephen’s world suddenly flipped upside down and his concerns for these undergraduates’ welfare changed immediately from normal tutorial worries to primeval fears beyond his imagination. Christopher was shocked too but his personal fears were overwhelmed by the thought his love was in great peril, “Charlotte is out there, Stephen. I have to go out there!” Christopher exclaimed. He looked at Stephen in alarm, urgent pleading in his eyes.

  Stephen’s demeanour was a paroxysm of indecision. “I can’t do it, Chris. I just can’t go out there. What can we do against that?! It is too crazy.” Having made up his mind he hunkered down in the low scrub hoping that he was undetectable, at least trying to be unremarkable until he could control the fear of the crazy risk to his life.

  Christopher looked again at Stephen squatting close to the ground and realised there was no time for discussion. Stephen had clearly shut off from doing anything while he processed the threats of all that was occurring. Christopher set off and ran the looping route round the rims of the craters from the trees to the one where the hulking spacecraft hovered close above his friends. Stephen stayed, immobile, watching Christopher run as if he were under fire, hunched down and scooting away from the side where the aliens were emerging purposefully from one side of the spacecraft, then he dipped down over the rim into the crater and disappeared after his friends. Stephen could only watch. The time for action was gone and he had not followed Christopher. He was in an awed state of watching, senses overwhelmed. He had no thought of running away though that would be a logical response. He needed to record these events and wait for his friends, despite the anxiety. A thought crossed his mind that he would be ready to act if only he could decide if his contribution would be effective. The situation was beyond his contemplation and appallingly risky. He stayed and watched, hidden by the scrub in front and the tree line at his back.

  In the crater bottom Charlotte was shocked to see Christopher scurry over the lip of the crater beyond the spreading phalanx of the Zarnha agents descending from the ship. This made an already tricky situation perilous indeed. She pointed him out to Joe and Daniel who had been regarding the advancing Zarnha. Christopher’s dashing form scrambled down to land next to the three Gayans in the base of the bowl, the shaft of the ancient flint mine. He hunched down between the three. “Some kind of ship coming after you,” he said breathlessly, and unnecessarily. “I had to come. To help,” he added lamely.

  “You weren’t invited to this party, Chris!” said Joe matter-of-factly, exerting his authority. He looked up again to see the encircling Zarnha troops. “But too late now so get down on the ground and don’t move.”

  Charlotte took charge from Joe, seeing more explanation was required. “That’s good, Chris.” She regarded him calmly trying to instil the same into him after his mad dash to help. Joe and Daniel moved closer to Christopher, still watching the surrounding dark figures, in no hurry to approach them. The lights from the edges of the craft overhead washed sporadically across their faces from all sides, highlighting their sudden other-worldly stillness to Christopher who was expecting to see horror riven in their faces. Christopher realised that he was witnessing who they really were; why he had never fully understood the attitude of his friends.

  “Thanks for your help, Chris,” said Charlotte. “We know who these people are and what to do and what we need you to do now is to stay down between us and only do what we tell you. Do you understand?” Charlotte turned from the unfolding scene to say the last three words straight into Christopher’s tense face. He calmed at the instructions, nodded and the three Gayans formed a triangle around his prone form facing the invaders gathering on all sides.

  Christopher was still petrified. Like a cat scraping its talons into the tarmac in the face of approaching headlights his feet were curling against the insole of his trainers as he tried to claw his footing into the familiar sod of solid ground. The Zarnha craft was stationary overhead with beams circulating and strobing through the dust raised up by its hovering at the edge of the circular depression containing himself, Charlotte, Daniel and Joe. He was surprised to find his mind transported to his teenage years and those times that Joe had been there yet had not stopped Christopher being bullied. He desperately needed Joe’s strength to preserve him now but he feared Joe would leave him to his own devices again. He did not understand how the other three seemed unafraid. He wished he were braver but their measured defence seemed way inappropriate to the terror of the scene unfolding around him. He was completely unaware the Pointers of Dawn were trained and hardened over generations for these moments and knew they were physically superior to their assailants. They also knew of course that they would be reincarnated if they failed today and passed through these bodies but Christopher knew nothing of this. If they were overcome by the Zarnha numbers and this came to pass then it would be a very poor outcome indeed for three Pointers, and certainly for Christopher.

  Around the rim of the depression, Zarnha troops, massed in full protective suits, were slender aliens with threatening triangular heads swollen and bulging at the top. These were actually their protective headgear with the large eye goggles and breathers so familiar from human reports of alien abductions. The Zarnha figures seemed to blend together, waver and grow in height as Christopher watched with faltering senses. He was unaware that this was the effect of the powerful narcotic the Zarnha craft was releasing to render their human victims insensate, drunk and wobbly, unable to defend themselves. In the early dusk light augmented by the rotating rays from the ship above, the Zarnha were overwhelmingly more terrifying. They were moving menacingly down towards Christopher and the three Gayan colleagues in the base of the depression. Each suited Zarnha was carrying a black weapon trained on the four friends and some held various steely items that seemed threateningly medical in origin. In his mind Christopher imagined these would be used on them as part of an abduction process. Lastly Omeyn MuneMei deplane
d the Zarnha craft in stately procession with Haruka and stepped over the top of the depression rim to oversee the capture of the Gayans. Omeyn MuneMei was cloaked in black as usual, she and Haruka both wore the broad domed hazmat helmets of the Zarnha with the multifaceted eye guards adding to their ominous mien. The Zarnha craft closed up once Omeyn MuneMei was clear and moved away slowly to leave the first stars of late dusk barely visible through the dust and drugs cloud.

  “Stay still, Christopher,” Joe said quietly. Christopher heard him clearly despite the menacing events unfolding around him that threatened to overpower his senses. Christopher found himself nodding to Joe but unable to trust himself to speak. Charlotte and Daniel faced out to offer a protective screen around Christopher. He was thankful for that but his mind told him they would soon be swept away by the far superior Zarnha numbers and he would be exposed to whatever they had in store for him. He was conscious that Joe was crowding closer to him in a protective fashion. Grateful but unreassured he cast glances between the braced legs of his friends as the black figures descended towards them. They were clearly wary of the Gayans though Christopher could not really understand that as they were in far superior numbers, carrying advanced weaponry and had them completely surrounded. At some level of analysis he thought they were just cautious not to damage their victims or wary of some capability the four had that Christopher was unaware of. There were so many things that Christopher was unaware of in this situation he was becoming overwhelmed. One thing he was completely ignorant of was that there were actually four Gayans in the tight group facing the Zarnha invaders; Duncan was also among them in the centre of their tight knot, manifested solely-soul.

  Duncan’s spirit shielded the space between the three Gayans and above Christopher’s prone form on the ground. He communicated directly with the three souls of the Gayans and literally protected their back. In earthly humans this rudimentary sense was sometimes called ‘sixth sense’; in Gayans this was very much more highly developed and allowed a soul guardian to operate the body of the Gayan at the same time as its soul consciousness. In extremis, this sixth sense could subconsciously provoke the body to protective action whatever the conscious mind was directing. Duncan may not be able to counter the Zarnha attack physically but by enabling the sixth sense to the three physically active Pointers he could magnify their combat skills considerably.