Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall: (A boy with an alien power - Book 1 in the Alien Skill Series - a gripping sci-fi adventure story for middle graders and teens) (Volume 1)

by Rae Knightly

  Her face was pale and she swayed slightly. Susan held on to her arm.

  “All right!” The woman answered reluctantly, “All right! We’ll both go. But we have to be smart.” She frowned, thinking hard. “You go on to the boat,” She decided, “I’ll get jackets, your inhaler, the car keys and some other things. Do you think you can make it?”

  Laura nodded, though she seemed terribly frail.

  The two women split ways. Laura cautiously made her way to Susan’s second motorboat, following Tike, who was already waiting for her down at the pier.

  Before long, both women and the dog were speeding across the inlet towards Deep Cove.

  ***

  Sailboats were dotting the bay, their owners enjoying what was probably going to be one of the last mild days before the coming winter. Further out, huge container ships were anchored, waiting for their turn to unload their cargo at the Vancouver Harbor. Behind them were the shores of North Vancouver bordered by the North Shore Mountains. Following this coastline westward with his eyes, Ben spotted the lighthouse that he was heading for.

  Jeepers! It’s miles away!

  Somehow, looking out from the hull of the Haida Gwaii II a couple of hours ago, the distance from the lighthouse to Granville Island had seemed very short. But of course he had been on a powerful, fast-moving boat then. Now, he was a tiny speck on the bay with the City of Vancouver and Stanley Park slowly moving away from him as he paddled on furiously.

  He had been so eager to get away from Granville Island! He wasn't ready to admit yet that trying to reach the lighthouse was a big mistake.

  I won’t make it…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The Breach

  ONCE THEY HAD DOCKED THE MOTORBOAT AND recovered Susan’s car from the shed, both women and Tike drove off towards Deep Cove. Laura assumed Ben would have headed to their apartment. She clung to the faint hope that he might still be there. She wouldn’t hear of Susan contradicting her, even though she knew it was a dangerous decision to go there. Nothing would stop her from finding her son.

  Susan headed to the bridge that would take them into Burnaby, driving well over the speed limit. Suddenly, Tike went crazy in the back seat: he jumped frantically onto Laura’s lap in the passenger seat, almost causing Susan to crash.

  Susan yelled in surprise. “What’s wrong with that dog? Make him stop!”

  Laura replied quickly: “No! We should pay attention to him. I think he knows where Ben is. He’ll take us to him.” She held the terrier gently, urging him: “Go on, Tike, find Ben. Find him!”

  Tike pricked his ears. He was gazing determinedly out the window to Laura’s right.

  “Turn back! We need to head further west.” She ordered Susan.

  “But…” Susan began.

  “Susan! Please!” Laura begged.

  Susan stared at Laura and shook her head in disapproval, but did as she was told.

  ***

  Ben was only halfway across the bay by the time the sun had slowly descended on the horizon. When he realized he was almost at a standstill, he sat on the board, his head dropping, his legs dangling in the cold water. His arms were numb with the effort of constant paddling. He shut his eyes tight, shivering under the weight of the infinite firmament above and the cold water below. A small plane flew overhead. Ben forced himself to wave up at it - even though he knew it was futile; there was no way they would notice him from up there.

  Mesmo! Where are you?

  He wished the alien would magically appear to save him again, but Mesmo’s words echoed in his mind: “If you cross this inlet, I can’t guarantee that I will be there to help you.”

  Ben lay down on the paddleboard, exhausted. His dog’s absence from his side weighed heavily on his heart.

  Mom! Tike!

  Something thumped at the back of the paddleboard. He gasped in fear and pulled up his legs in a hurry as he turned around to see what had hit him.

  The head of a brown seal popped out of the water, observed him curiously, then disappeared again under the paddleboard. Before him, another seal appeared. Ben watched as both animals flipped and pirouetted around him at great speed.

  “You’re the ones from the harbour!” He exclaimed.

  Immediately he relaxed, realizing that they were not out to harm him. Rather, the big, black eyes of the good-natured mammals were inviting him to join them in their underwater game.

  Play! They seemed to say.

  Their whiskers glistening with droplets as they waited for him to react. But all Ben could do was shiver with cold.

  “Help me!” He begged through shivering lips.

  Immediately, one of the seals grabbed onto a rope that was tied to the front of the board, tugging at it briefly. The rope disappeared into the water, as did the seals, but a moment later, Ben felt another pull. The paddleboard moved forward slightly, and suddenly Ben found himself being pulled across the bay by the two seals who had come to help him.

  Ben was dumbfounded at his luck, though he had to lie down as he began to feel dizzy. Drops of water sprayed into his face. He had to close his eyes. He tried to stay awake, but the constant up-and-down movement of the board lulled him.

  The seals surfaced, then dove again in a kind of dance-like movement. Ben didn’t know whether he was awake or dreaming, but he felt as though he was dancing with them below the surface, twirling gracefully in a weightless world. He forgot about the heavy burden of the sky. He felt liberated, nothing could touch him, his mind was free to wander and whirl below the waves. His heart leapt with excitement as he tried to keep up with his playful companions.

  Then, suddenly, the marine mammals disappeared into the depths with one swift movement.

  “Play!” Ben heard himself plead, longing for the seals to keep him company. He blinked awake at hearing his own voice, and found himself floating under the shadow of the mountains, quite close to the shore. He could make out small beaches separated by big, grey boulders topped with fir trees and, a short distance to the left, the towering lighthouse. The friendly seals were gone.

  Ben tried to stand up on the paddleboard. His brain was strangely lightheaded, as if he were suffering from seasickness again. How long he had been unconscious, he could not tell, but the sky had become a soft pink reflecting on the calm waters. Gentle wisps of clouds were turning a brighter red while the mountains formed black shadows into the water.

  So close!

  He was only about ten yards from the shore. He knew he had to put all his mind and effort into reaching land, even though he was aching as if he had been swimming for hours. His soaking wet clothes stuck to his body under the life-saving jacket and he trembled uncontrollably.

  After trying unsuccessfully to put some weight into his paddling, he glanced up at the imposing rock formation from which his mother had almost slipped and fallen some nights before, where he could see the lighthouse, taunting him to come closer.

  That’s when Ben saw Mesmo.

  The alien man was standing tall and proud on the ledge, roughly at the same place where Ben and his mother had found him on the night of the downpour.

  The silhouette of a woman came running up beside him, followed by a small dog.

  Ben’s heart leapt in his throat. “Mom!” He yelled, exhilarated.

  She saw him, waved and yelled back: “Ben!”

  Tike was running back and forth before her.

  Ben’s energy came back in an instant. He paddled as fast as he could.

  Susan joined the others on the ledge. She and Laura searched for a way down to the small beach where Mesmo had helped Ben recover his memory. Laura was heading down when she realized Mesmo was not following. She followed his gaze out to sea - not towards Ben, but further away into the horizon.

  Ben saw Mesmo raise his arm to point into the distance. He turned around to see what had caught Mesmo’s attention. All he noticed was the dot of a ship far away.

  “Ben!” He heard his mother yell again, only this time the t
one of her voice had changed. She was desperate.

  He saw her point in the same direction as Mesmo. “Hurry!” She shouted.

  When Ben looked behind him again, he was startled to see how quickly the ship had turned from a dot on the horizon to a fast approaching speedboat heading straight towards him. Ben’s heart leapt in his throat.

  I know who’s on that boat!

  He wanted to get to shore and safety but his hands were frozen. He lost his grasp on the paddle in panic. It slipped into the water and began to drift away. Ben dropped to his stomach, frantically trying to reach for it. He could hear the motorboat roaring towards him. He spotted Mesmo, Laura, Susan and Tike disappearing into the trees as they began clambering down the hill to reach the beach. Ben gave up on the paddle, resorting to his hands to move forward in the water, like a surfer.

  But it was useless.

  In no time, the large motorboat passed him by, cutting off his path to the beach. Ben had to hang on to the paddleboard for dear life as it created waves that almost toppled him into the water. The motorboat went quiet after it maneuvered as close as possible to Ben. The boy’s fingers curled tightly around the paddleboard even after the surface of the water had gone still. The dark blue metal of the ship pinged with static while the paddleboard thumped against its side.

  After a moment, a rope ladder bounced down.

  Hao called out: “Benjamin Archer!”

  The boy lifted his head up. The inspector was staring down at him grimly. Next to him stood Bordock. Ben also spotted a couple of police officers on board. The white letters on the side of the boat confirmed that it belonged to the Vancouver Police.

  “Climb aboard!” Hao ordered.

  Ben searched around with his eyes, but his mother and Mesmo were nowhere to be seen. Overwhelmed with despair, he stood up slowly on the paddleboard and stared helplessly at the rope ladder.

  “We could wait here all night!” Hao said impatiently: “But you wouldn’t last long. The temperature is dropping fast. So make a wise choice, boy, and get up here now!”

  Ben bit his blue, shivering lips. He knew the inspector was right.

  I’ll freeze if I stay out here much longer!

  With a sinking heart, Ben grabbed onto the ladder, then put a foot on the first step.

  Don’t!

  He stopped. Something in his mind was urging him not to take another step upwards. He glanced down at the space between the paddleboard and motorboat. It was very dark. Eerily dark. He stared at the water, transfixed.

  Hao’s voice was icy cold: “Benjamin Archer… I know what you are… There’s no need to hide your true identity any more. Now get on up here!”

  What’s he talking about?

  Ben cast a look at Hao, then at Bordock, gritting his teeth. For a split second their eyes locked in a silent battle. Then Ben took his foot off the ladder and pushed himself away from the boat as hard as he could. Not that it mattered, as he only floated a couple of inches away. Hao lifted his arms up in frustration.

  Ben bent down on his knees, and slowly paddled away from the boat with his hands.

  Hao shouted: “What do you think you’re doing? Get back h…” but he broke off in mid-sentence, his mouth wide open.

  The massive humpback whale breached the surface between the paddleboard and the motorboat as if in slow motion, soaring like a huge mountain, reaching way up above their heads. For a split second it remained transfixed in time, towering over them, its gigantic grey body glimmering in gold and red in the setting sun, majestically poised like a statue. Then it plummeted back, shattering the illusion.

  Ben grabbed onto his paddleboard with all his might, bracing for impact.

  Hao yelled in shock.

  There was a colossal splash, the paddleboard summersaulted in the air before falling back into the water, ejecting Ben far below the surface, but closer to shore. For a moment he was lost in a silent, dark world of air bubbles and churning seawater, before his life-saving jacket pulled him back upwards. He spluttered, gasping for breath.

  There were cries for help as the motorboat groaned and tilted sideways dangerously. But already the whale was breaching for a second time, soaring above the ailing ship. A new shockwave sent them tumbling in all directions, submerging Ben again, while causing the motorboat to seriously take in water.

  Ben struggled to reach the surface. He had gulped in a good amount of water this time. His arms flailed around desperately, while he tried to find his bearings. His hand fell on something soft. He blinked, trying to make out what it was.

  It was Tike. The dog had come to his rescue.

  Ben grabbed onto his dog’s collar and let himself be pulled to the shore.

  Laura and Mesmo ran up to him as he was tossed by the waves against the beach. “Ben!” His mother yelled, wading into the water to pull him out. “Benji!”

  Susan joined them, then helped Laura drag Ben onto the shore. Laura was sobbing and kissing his forehead as he hugged her back weakly. In the distance the police motorboat lay on its side with half a dozen agents splashing around in the water.

  As Laura stroked her son’s hair, Ben stared out dazedly into the bay. He watched as the humpback whale slowly retreated into the distance, its tail sticking out of the water as if it were bidding farewell.

  Ben turned his attention to Mesmo, who was standing nearby, gazing at him intently. Just before losing consciousness, he saw the alien break into a discreet smile.

  He’s proud of me!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The Shapeshifter

  AFTER RESTING FOR TWO FULL DAYS FOLLOWING Ben’s escape at the lighthouse, both he and his mother made speedy recoveries in the cozy island cottage. Laura’s appetite returned, while Ben was thrilled to find Tike again. He covered his dog in praise after hearing how his faithful companion had made it all the way back to Laura with the asthma inhaler clamped in his mouth.

  That evening, Ben was heading out with a bucket and fishing rod, when he caught sight of Mesmo’s tall form on the pier. He had not seen the alien man since he had been pulled out of the water beneath the lighthouse. Ben ran over to him, Tike close at his heals.

  “Mesmo!” Ben gasped, catching his breath. “You’re back!”

  Mesmo smiled. “Yes.” He said. “And I see you are feeling better.”

  Ben nodded. “If it hadn’t been for that whale, I don’t know what would have happened. Did you see that? How could it have known I needed help?” He spoke in wonder.

  “Because you asked for help.” Mesmo said matter-of-factly.

  Ben frowned at his words. “Really?” He asked. “But how? I don’t remember doing that.”

  Mesmo smiled: “You do not realize your power yet. Your skill is barely beginning to take hold.”

  That smile again!

  Mesmo’s words made Ben feel deeply uncomfortable. “You’re proud of what happened, aren’t you?” The boy quizzed.

  “I am.” Mesmo answered.

  “Why?”

  “Because I wasn’t sure my daughter’s skill would survive. But clearly, it has.” He answered, still smiling.

  He seems to think this is a good thing.

  “What if…” Ben asked carefully, “…I don’t want it?”

  Mesmo’s smile faded. “That question is irrelevant.” He replied. “It is part of you, now. You should be happy.”

  But I’m not!

  Ben walked to the end of the pier to avoid Mesmo noticing that he did not share the alien’s enthusiasm. He attached the hook to the end of the fishing line while he carefully thought about his next question. “What if it’s making me sick?”

  Mesmo went to stand beside him with a look of confusion on his face. “Sick?”

  Ben shrugged, already regretting his question. He attached the bait to the hook, ignoring Mesmo who was staring at him. Then the boy leant back and threw the line far out into the dark water. “I didn’t know you could fish for trout in the dark, did you?” Ben commented casually.

/>   But Mesmo wasn’t letting him get away with a shrug as an answer. “Ben, what do you mean: the skill is making you sick?”

  Ben sat down at the edge of the pier and sighed.

  Stop hovering over me!

  “It’s nothing, really. I just felt really nauseous after encountering the whale. And there were seals, too.” He wound up the spool and threw the line into the water again. “It was strange, in my mind I was swimming with them under water. All I wanted to do was play with them. I forgot where I was and lost track of time. But when I came to, I felt so dizzy!”

  Mesmo was smiling again. His face relaxed. “Well, of course! You’d been floating on the ocean for hours! I’m not surprised you felt seasick!”

  Ben didn’t answer.

  I knew you’d say that!

  He anchored the fishing rod between two wooden planks so that he wouldn’t have to hold it and scratched Tike’s head as the dog lay down on his lap contentedly.

  What about the ants? I wasn’t on the ocean then!

  Ben didn’t want to talk about this supposedly fabulous skill any more. The alien obvisouly had no idea how uncomfortable the subject made him feel. While Mesmo was totally relaxed about it, Ben realized that the more he thought about it, the more afraid he was becoming. So he tried to push it to the back of his mind.

  They both gazed at the starry night until the fishing rod suddenly tensed. Ben grabbed at it and expertly caught a decent sized trout, which he placed in the bucket. He wasn’t smiling when he saw his prize, though. “I used to go fishing with Grampa.” He said softly.

  Mesmo observed the trout, then said: “Ryan was a good man.”

  “How can you know? You barely even met him!” Ben quizzed. He sat down on the edge of the pier again and pulled up the side of his jacket collar so that Mesmo wouldn’t notice he had closed his eyes tight. A part of him regretted having caught the fish.

  I don’t want to look at the trout any more.