by Lakes, Lynde
“You won’t!” His look was stern, confident.
The more she tried to wriggle loose, the more he tightened his grip.
“Quit struggling!”
His determined tone made her shiver. She swallowed and willed herself to stay calm. If he was a nut, it wouldn’t be wise to upset him with hasty moves. Humor had always worked to get her out of tough spots before; she hoped the same was true this time.
“Okay,” Darli said. “I’ll play your little game. Assuming what you say is true, are you some kind of lizard under that skin?”
Cortz laughed without humor. “No. What you see is what I am minus some color. I’ve seen television programs where aliens are depicted as reptiles or animals but I am not like that.”
A chill slipped down her spine. If there was any chance he was telling the truth, her questions should be clinical, scientific. But she didn’t believe him. Did she? Who would? Her mouth tasted metallic and her hands turned icy. She tried to think rationally. She’d never been so indecisive in her life. She had to quit flip-flopping. Okay, there was no doubt—he was a nut. Could he see the fear in her eyes? She wanted to run, but he held her in an unrelenting grip. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t.
Cortz’s eyes softened as if he understood her overwhelming turmoil. His voice gentled, taking on a calming quality. “In fact, there’s no evidence of such civilizations.”
What civilizations? What was he talking about? Her mind was numb.
“Our scientists have only found a few human populated planets and of those, Earth is the civilization most like that of Uraticus. Our genealogists have determined that Uraticeans and Earthlings evolved from the same beginnings. The only physical difference between our two peoples is Uraticean’s lack of pigmentation. Before my pigment shots, I was colorless.”
Her mind began to work again. “Colorless? Really, Cortz, that’s ridiculous.” Now she knew he was a loony bird.
“Not so ridiculous. We have the same genetic inclination as your Earthlings who are sometimes referred to as Albinos.”
He had an answer for everything. He was a clever nut, she’d give him that. But she’d made up her mind. She didn’t believe any of this, but she had to keep him talking until she could wrench free. “How are our planets different?”
“The only meaningful difference between my planet and Earth is Uraticus’s advanced technology.”
“Why did you choose Hawaii?”
“The lava caves in the sea wall provided a perfect hiding place for my spaceship and the climate is ideal for easy infiltration.”
“Infiltration?” A shiver rippled down her spine. Half-belief returned and washed over her, pummeling her with an indescribable force.
“Blending in with the masses.”
“Blending in?” Her nerves grew taut as she thought of the next possibility. “Are there others from your planet here?”
Chapter Twenty
She watched him—and watched for a chance to escape.
He seemed to sense what she was thinking and tightened his hold. “I have no knowledge of others from my planet here. I came alone.”
“You don’t know, or you won’t tell me?” She hated the waver in her voice.
“If I knew, I would tell you. I’m trying to be completely honest.”
“Honest? How can you say that and tell me this wild story?” Before Cortz could answer, she asked, “Do you have magical abilities?”
“None…other than if you let me make love to you. I promise that will be magical.”
A small smile parted his lips and the ruby flecks in his eyes glowed like a hot crackling fire.
“While you’re telling jokes, tell me this whole dialogue is a joke!” She wanted to rub her aching head but he held her fast.
Cortz studied her for a moment. The smile on his lips faded, and the glow left his eyes. Was the fleeting expression on his face regret for the pain he’d caused her? Or merely an attempt to gain sympathy by feigning empathy? She tried again to pull loose.
His gaze shot to her face. He appeared calm, but his eyes pierced hers like a laser.
Tension crackled between them. An unsettling silence hung in the air.
“I can’t change what I am,” he said, his tone low, maybe a little sad.
Without releasing her, he bent to kiss her reddened wrists. She felt his warm breath, then his lips against one wrist and then the other. Unexpectedly and against her will, a longing intermingled with her fear. Confused by the dichotomy of emotions surging through her, her panic increased and she tried again to twist out of his hold.
“If I let go of your wrists will you sit here and let me finish?”
She nodded. But she didn’t feel committed to keep a promise to someone who might be unbalanced. The other possibility was equally frightening.
Without taking his gaze off her, he slowly released her wrists. “Now I’ll tell you once again. I’m from another planet, but I won’t hurt you.”
She rubbed the reddened skin where his grip had been. More questions swirled in her mind. Finally, she latched onto one. “Why did you come to Earth?”
Cortz scrutinized her face. “My mission was to station my spaceship centrally so the instruments can gather environmental data. My first step was to submerge the craft in the ocean beyond the sea wall where it wouldn’t be discovered. Next, I surface-skimmed my enerplane to the back of the floating deck, secured the handy gadget in my gear, and joined you. I was supposed to make immediate contact, but I was afraid I wasn’t ready.”
Was it possible? He did show up just after the silver streak went into the water.
He reached out and touched her hair, entwining his fingers in its length. She stiffened. He shook his head, and slowly dropped his hand from her hair. His eyes were sad. As crazy as his story was, she was beginning to believe him again. “What’s an enerplane?”
“It’s a nuclear powered disk that aids one in quickly moving through the water.” Cortz got up and strode to where his gear was lying on the floor and extracted a shiny metal article and handed it to her.
“It looks like a silver Frisbee with handles,” she said. With trembling hands, she turned the nearly weightless item over. The smooth metal seemed to gather light, and for a moment the reflection blinded her. When she could see again, she examined it carefully. She’d never seen anything like it before. It could be authentic. No! This couldn’t be happening. Yet, if it was true…the possibilities were limitless. She could learn so much from him. God, I’m thinking crazy. Anxiety sent an icy tremor through her. Her heart beat faster as he piled her lap with other things from his bag. She stared at the thing he called a retriever, a nuclear-battery powered computer no larger than a man’s shaving case, a stun gun, and the cloth pouch filled with large diamonds. Could everything he said be true? Oh, my God…it was!
“You have nothing to be afraid of, I assure you,” he said sitting down next to her again.
“I’m not afraid, Cortz.” As she said the words, she knew they were true. Now she was curious, excited, but no longer afraid. Her voice trembled with exhilaration. She wanted to know so much—about the planet, and his life there—everything.
“What are you going to do with the information?” She didn’t move away as he edged closer.
“With precise data our Uraticean scientists can work toward a solution to save not only Earth, but our whole solar system.”
“Save it from what?” She leaned toward him, concentrating on his eyes.
“Earthlings are polluting the solar system. The radiating effect of Earth’s atmospheric pollution is spreading. With accurate data we may be able to stop it before irreversible damage is done.”
“And if you can’t?”
“I prefer to be optimistic. So, you see my purpose for coming is vital and quite harmless.”
“Surely you don’t expect me to believe that your planet is in Earth’s solar system?”
“Of course. We’re at the very edge. Your astronomers ha
ven’t discovered it, yet.”
“That’s darned convenient.” She wasn’t satisfied with his answer but for now she’d let it go. “What about the diamonds?”
“I brought them for trade. Diamonds are as plentiful on Uraticus as grains of sand are here. Heavy storms chip at and wash them away from the diamond hillsides. I discovered the gems were considered a valuable resource on this planet, so I brought them for trade.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze. He lifted her limp hand and pressed it to his lips. Darli resisted an urge to recoil at his touch. If he just wouldn’t look at her like that, so caring, so full of love. Her emotions sank deeper into a sea of confusion. Why had she let him into her life and why had she allowed herself to grow so fond of him?
Still, if all he said was true, meeting him was the opportunity of a lifetime. But it also presented national security problems. Her insides twisted. It was too much to absorb.
She tried to concentrate. It was important to get information. Her mind raced in a maze full of questions. “What about language? Is English spoken on Uraticus?”
“No, my speech and the main body of knowledge adjustment were gleaned from the language and behavior modifier in my space ship. It works through brainwave transference.”
“Whose brainwaves?”
“The machine gathers brainwaves from the local atmosphere and feeds them into a computer. The computer analyzes and sorts them. When I attach the electrode nodes to my head, it transfers the screened body of knowledge to my brain.”
Unbelievable. She, a rational Doctor of Astronomy, was trapped in a bad sci-fi movie. “It sounds like science fiction.”
“Science, but not fiction.” His calm voice didn’t reassure her. “I didn’t rely just on the modifier. Two years before the trip I began a study of English speech and Earthling traits by monitoring Earth’s transmissions. Your television news, commercials and programs were most helpful. During the voyage here I continued the study.”
“When I asked you to tell me about yourself, this isn’t what I expected.” She’d feared criminal connections, but this was harder to swallow. And, yet, somewhere deep inside it was what she’d dreaded from the start.
“How do you feel about me now?” Cortz asked. His strong face radiated gentleness.
In spite of the way his look of adoration was touching her heart, she couldn’t risk saying something she’d regret. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Perhaps, if I propose a hypothesis, you might understand how I prefer to view our situation.”
“I’m not ready to hear it.” And yet she wanted to.
“Wait, don’t shut me down. Listening can’t hurt.” He gave her one of those heart stealing looks again. “Supposing souls never die, that they keep returning to their planet in different bodies over the centuries. Postulate a love so strong between two souls that they unknowingly are compelled to search until they find each other through time…over and over…a forever destined love.”
“A forever destined love,” she repeated softly, enchanted by the concept.
He smiled. “Exactly. And assume by mistake, in one lifetime, the lovers are placed on separate planets. But, the need to be together is so great, one travels through the universe to seek the other…suppose the two are us.”
She stared at him, captivated by his poetic, fanciful theory. But I’m a scientist…
“That’s the way I feel about you,” he said, leaning toward her. “No matter what the obstacle, time or space, we belong together—always.” His eyes implored her to feel the same way. “I thought because of our different worlds, our ideologies would be more diverse, but that isn’t the case. You care about the universe and mankind just as I do. Besides, you’ll have to admit there is a strong attraction between us. I know you felt it, too.”
“Perhaps. But I’m so stunned by this bombshell you’ve just dropped that I’m not ready to analyze or discuss my feelings. At this point, I don’t even know what they are.”
The romance of his words had moved her. But if what he said was true, he wasn’t the sweet, bright guy that she’d found so charming and disarming, but a space alien. She looked up at the ceiling. God! I had actually contemplated making love with this…this alien being. Why did that make a difference? He was human, so what was the problem? But there were problems, the most serious dealing with national security.
“The main consideration here,” he said, looking miserable, “is whether you love me or not. Who I am shouldn’t be an overwhelming factor.”
“How can you say that? It’s completely overwhelming!” This wasn’t a dream—the situation was real—and she didn’t know what to do about it. Somehow, she had to bring the illogical predicament into a rational perspective. If Cortz is really an alien, could he be a threat to Earth? No, if she knew anything, it was that this man was a gentle soul and no threat to anyone. It might be easier if he were mentally ill and this alien nonsense was all a figment of his imagination. Yet he had all those gadgets that appeared to be beyond Earth’s technology, and the story was too bizarre to be made up. Also, there was the silver object that plunged into the ocean. And he did appear shortly after. If it was all true, could she handle it?
“I took a tremendous risk telling you about me,” Cortz said, his voice deep and steady. “I’m placing my complete trust in your love for me. You will keep my secret, correct?” His gaze pierced hers, unsettling her clear to her toes.
“I wish I could promise you loyalty, but I’m confused. I need time to think.” Her voice sounded peculiar to her, like the words of an actress playing a part in a melodrama.
“If you tell anyone about me,” Cortz said, “they’ll lock me up and do terrible things to me, such as dissecting or even killing me out of unfounded fear.”
Darli thought about it for a moment. She doubted he would receive such severe treatment, but he had a point. At the very least he would be questioned, tested, and would surely lose his freedom.
“Even if they only lock me up, I won’t survive.”
His words, I won’t survive, echoed in her head. She believed it. If the authorities held him in captivity, it could be worse than death to a free spirit like him.
Darli stood and slowly walked to the window. She stared out into the blackness, seeing nothing. “I’ll keep your secret,” she said finally. Her voice trembled with emotion. “I doubt anyone would believe me anyway.”
“What do we do now?” He came up behind her.
She felt his breath stir her hair and his warm arms closing around her. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
He slid a kiss along her neck. She flinched and twisted out of his hold. She turned and looked at him. He was still the man who had really listened to her, a tender, loving man who had held her less than an hour ago. But God help her, he wasn’t the man she thought he was. Her attraction to Cortz was still strong and she didn’t want to deal with it. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t she have found out about him before he captured her heart? She didn’t fear him—her feeling was more one of bewilderment. And she was tremendously curious. And concerned. He was here to measure the effects of pollution in Earth’s atmosphere. What if his people decided to destroy Earth to stop the pollution? She may have just made a promise she couldn’t keep. No matter how she viewed herself, she was a traitor. She had to slow down before they both wound up on a collision course. “I need time,” she said softly, regretfully. “We both need time.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Worry churned Darli’s stomach, as she staunchly faced Cortz. With what was at stake, it was crucial to keep tabs on him until she could sort out the facts, and she had to find more about those Uraticeans. Were they a cold race who would blow the Earth away if they couldn’t stop the pollution by any other means? Cortz’s reply, that he preferred to be optimistic, wasn’t a satisfactory answer. He’d shown caring characteristics. But that was him. What about the others? As with any group of beings, there were the good and evil. Something this important coul
dn’t be decided using intuition. Even if he was as nice as he seemed, his government might have an entirely different and more dangerous agenda.
She raked her hair with her trembling fingers, too stunned to be certain she could come up with the right questions. She’d always found that after a night’s sleep problems were less overwhelming. But could she even sleep? And how could this be less overwhelming?
“Do you want me to leave?” Cortz asked.
“No!” she said in a voice louder than she’d intended. “We need to talk about this a great deal more.” Her knees were wobbly when she stood. “But not tonight. After some rest, it’ll be easier to unscramble my feelings.”
“Yes.” Cortz made a feeble attempt to smile. “Perhaps who I am won’t seem so disturbing to you tomorrow.” He stepped toward her. She backed away. “Don’t be afraid of me,” he said with pain in his eyes. “I couldn’t stand it if you were.”
“I’m not afraid. I told you that. It’s just that I can’t help my reaction. This is so bizarre. And it’s impossible to think with you close to me.”
Cortz stared at her for a moment, then sighing, he yanked a sleeping bag out of his gear and went to the dining area to lie down.
Darli converted her couch into a bed as though it was any other night. But Cortz’s confession and all the problems it brought spun in her mind. She rubbed the taut muscles at the back of her neck. Sleep would be impossible, especially with him in that sleeping bag only about twelve feet away. But to have a clear head in the morning, she needed rest. Only once before in her life had she resorted to a sleeping pill—when her parents died. Tonight would be the second exception.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cortz tossed and turned for several hours, his mind too troubled for sleep. He needed to get out of there for a while. And pre-dawn was a good time to check his spaceship.
He quickly dressed, rolled his sleeping bag around his gear, stuffed the bundle into the silver zippered sack, and placed everything inside Darli’s closet.