Transmission Lost

by Stefan Mazzara

  - 4 -

  The walk up to the front door of her family's expansive home was one of the longest walks Aria had thought she'd ever taken in all of her twenty-nine years. She barely noticed the tranquil beauty of the grounds, the soft rushing noise of the artificial stream down through the gardens of cultivated desert flowers and lush trees, with the pleasant heat of her home planet's sun, which was beginning to sink low in the sky. All she could think about was seeing her family again, none of whom she'd seen in nearly three months. Aria had been on her assignment for two months already when she'd first encountered Jack, and then there had been all the time she'd been lost on the planet they'd crashed upon. She had been very close with her family her entire life, especially her sister, Sami, and all the more since her mother's death. Not seeing them was the hardest part of her military service, and she was very eager for a reunion.

  Jack walked beside her, more attentive to his surroundings, taking everything in. He'd never been the kind of guy who frequented gardens or parks or places like that, but now he was struck by the beauty of the place he found himself in. He almost didn't mind the heat of the planet now, or the brightness of the light around him. The area around him was a sea of green, full of grasses, flowers, and trees. A lot of work must have gone into maintaining a place like this in a harsh desert environment, and the sandstone construction of the dwellings gave the place the feeling of an old, classic villa. Jack decided that if he had to spend a time as a slave, he'd much rather spend it here with Aria than as a prisoner on an Ailian ship, or in the dungeon of a slave market. He wondered if a lot of Ailian homes looked like this.

  “This place is gorgeous,” he said to Aria as they walked up the stone walkway leading to what seemed to be the main building, following Sami.

  “Yes,” Aria replied absently, only half paying attention to him. Her sharp feline eyes were locked on the front door, her heart aching. “Was mother's dream, to have home like this. Father build it for her.”

  Finally they came to the front entrance of the home. The doorway was tall, and the doors were heavy and made of a dark wood which had been sandblasted to be smooth as glass. Sami opened the door, and Aria fairly ran inside, leaving Jack a few steps behind her. She vanished from his sight, and he heard a strangled cry from inside that startled him. Ushered inside by Sami, he walked into a large foyer. Two columns ran from floor to ceiling, and the floor was a marble-like stone polished to a high gleam. Jack was relieved to learn that air conditioning was not a thing unknown to Ailians, as the inside of the home was markedly cooler than outside, though still much warmer than it would have been in a home designed for humans.

  His attention was drawn to the center of the entrance hall. There Aria stood, embracing another Ailian. This male was much older than she, his fur gray with traces of orange. This was clearly her father, and Jack could see Aria's shoulders shaking as she cried with happiness.

  Jack stood there awkwardly, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment, and he waited for the reunion to conclude. After a few moments, Aria stepped back from her father, and they exchanged a few words. Then he left her, exiting the foyer to another part of the house while Aria turned and came back to where Jack and Sami were standing.

  “I very happy see my father...,” Aria said, as though apologizing to Jack. She wiped moisture from her eyes.

  “It's alright,” Jack said. He smiled at her, though he also felt a pang of jealousy. He hadn't been that close with his own family for quite some time, and he was envious of her relationship with hers.

  “Sami, ma'ta lek a su'resh la, cha?” Aria said to her sister, who nodded in return. Aria clasped Sami's arm briefly, and then put a hand on Jack's shoulder. “Sami show you to spare bedroom. Could use wash, new clothes, yes? We maybe not have much that fit you...but find something. Father say we have dinner soon. I go speak with him, join you after, yes?”

  “Oh...Well...” Jack looked at Sami, who offered a friendly smile. He still felt uneasy around any Ailians who weren't Aria, but this was her family after all. “Alright, if you say so, Aria.”

  Perhaps seeing the wariness on his face, Aria leaned down and slid her hand around his back, hugging him to her for a moment. “Not worry,” she assured him. “You see me again soon. Safe here.” She squeezed him, then her voice became a bit stern. “You so brave when we meet. Not let that go. Need to be strong.”

  Jack laughed a little. “Brave. Right. I'll do my best.”

  Aria let him go, allowing her cheek to brush against his as she went. “Se le ch'aa ara,” she whispered, quiet enough for only him to hear. He recognized the phrase from before, when they'd been rescued on the alien planet. Though he couldn't understand the words, the way in which she said them filled him with warmth. The Ailian gripped his shoulder for a moment, and then she left him, tracing her father's steps through the door he'd left through.

  When her sister had gone, Sami put a hand on Jack's arm. “Follow,” she said. She spoke with a heavy accent since, as Aria had explained, she evidently did not know much English. She led Jack out of the entrance hall, in a different direction from the one Aria and her father had taken. He followed her, looking this way and that as they walked through the palatial home. The home was simply but elegantly decorated, with silvery trim laid into the sandy stone along the hallways. Pictures hung on the walls, some paintings of landscapes and still lifes while others were pictures of Ailians whom Jack assumed were family members. Some of the photographs seemed to be quite old, from what he could tell, looking as though they'd been taken with old-fashioned film or whatever Ailians had used in the past.

  Jack was taken out of the main building, through the gardens and up a set of steps to one of the other buildings. While smaller than the one he'd just been in, this one also seemed to contain living quarters. He wondered if Aria's family kept any slaves, but he hadn't seen any other humans around, or any Ailians that wore collars similar to the one he now wore. Jack considered that a good sign, and one that made him feel a little better, though he was still full of fear and uncertainty at the situation he found himself in. The knowledge had fully sunk in that he was on the Ailian homeworld, quite truly the last place any human would want to be.

  Sami showed him inside, where a hallway led to several rooms. She brought him to one, opening the door and ushering him in. Jack had been expecting sparse living conditions, befitting a slave, but he was pleasantly surprised. The room was furnished very well, with three dressers, a long armless couch, and a large, Ailian-sized bed. The human walked in, standing in the middle of the room, taking it all in.

  “So...ah...is this where I'll be staying?” Jack asked. He looked at Sami.

  The Ailian stared at him, seeming confused for a few seconds, but then her eyes flashed recognition and she nodded. “Cha...ah...Yes.” She fiddled with her fingers, seeming to be thinking very hard, apparently running through her sparse vocabulary of English. “Is...pek'ta le na...ah...guest room?” She looked towards the dressers, moving that way. “Clothes...”

  Jack watched her as she opened and closed drawers, rummaging through their contents. She looked over at him, her eyes traveling up and down his body, seeming to size him up. Before long she had pulled out a number of garments. She brought these over to Jack and presented them to him, and he took them and held them up. They were Ailian-style clothes, and while they seemed a little big for him they were definitely close enough to work. The garments looked as though they had been worn before, though they were quite clean. He supposed they might have belonged to family members who had since outgrown them.

  “Thank you,” Jack said gratefully. He was eager to get out of his borrowed, blood-stained black fatigues. He'd been wearing them for going on a week straight now, and they were growing decidedly uncomfortable.

  Sami nodded to him, smiling a little. “Zha la te'm ke...ah...” She shook her head, looking a little cross with herself. Switching from Ailian to English must have been difficult for her. “Bath. That way.”
She gestured to a second door that led from the guest room. “Clean.”

  Jack couldn't help chuckling. Aria's sister was trying hard to make herself understood in English, and she was also doing her best to demonstrate her friendliness to him. He knew Aria had told her all about their relationship, and it was nice to have at least one person's approval. “Thanks. I probably don't smell all that great right now. I haven't had a proper bath in a long time.”

  “I go...pah,” Sami cursed, growing frustrated. She searched for the proper words, closing her eyes as she calmed herself down. Jack thought he saw a little of Aria's temper present in her sister. “Go cook. I...le na...back later.” She gave him a little half bow, then took her leave.

  Jack looked after her as the door closed. He sighed, grateful for her consideration but relieved to be alone now. Without further delay he got out of his dirty clothes and made for the door that Sami had indicated led to the bath, hoping that he could figure out Ailian plumbing well enough to take a nice, hot soak before dinner. He had the desire to make a good first impression.

  Huh..., he said to himself. You know...This is the first time a girl has ever had me over for dinner with her family. Jack had a good laugh at that thought.

  ******

  Aria's father had told her to meet him in his study, so that was where she went when she left Jack and her sister. The room was towards the back of the main building of the family estate, and Aria remembered the way very well. As a young girl, she'd spent many afternoons on her father's lap, as he read to her from one of the many storybooks that had been her companions growing up.

  When Aria opened the door to the study, memories came flooding back to her. The room was massive, high-ceiling, and paneled in dark wood imported from one of the more heavily-forested colony worlds of the Ascendancy. Bookshelves lined the walls, and they in turn were full of hundreds of books. Her father had always preferred the feel of real paper in his hands, rather than reading from an electronic device. Looking around the room, she saw that her father was already sitting in one of the large, high-backed chairs that were scattered about the study. She made her way towards him, moving slower and less enthusiastically now. While she had been eager to see her father again before, now she knew that he wanted to have a conversation that she would rather avoid.

  Arn Me'lia watched as his eldest child took a chair near to him. The older Ailian looked at her, staring her down. He knew that his daughter was far more formidable than he ever had been, perhaps even than her mother had been, but he had always been able to discipline her with firmness and surety. Aria rarely questioned her father's judgment, and he rarely conceded defeat whenever she'd had the courage to oppose him. He had a feeling that this was to be one of the times she would question his judgment, but he was certain that this time he was not going to budge.

  Before Aria could say anything to him, Arn spoke. -It's very good to see you, my daughter,- he said, favoring her with a warm smile. -When your commander came to us and told you that you'd been lost, we all thought...Well, it was like with your mother all over again. Sami was quiet inconsolable. You can't imagine how overjoyed we all were when we heard you'd been rescued.-

  -Father, I...-

  -And then,- Arn continued, his smile turning to a frown as his ears flattened to the top of his head, -imagine how we felt when we heard you were being charged with treason. What would your mother say if she were alive today?-

  Aria's ears drew back, and her head drooped to stare at the floor. Arn felt guilt at hurting his daughter with his disapproval, but he felt that she needed to hear these words. He still mourned for his mate, dead for three years, and he knew that she would have been gravely disappointed to learn what their daughter was charged with.

  -And returning with a slave!- Arn hissed, spearing her with an intense, angry look. -You know how I feel about slavery, even when they're those humans. And you bring a slave into my home...-

  His daughter looked up at those words, her eyes blazing. -That's not...You don't understand, father! He's not a slave, he's...- She shut her mouth, looking away from her father. She'd almost said something that she hadn't meant to say.

  Arn eyed her curiously, puzzled by her outburst. -There's a lot of talk going about,- he said, changing the subject. -Even before you got back we heard rumors from soldiers in the city, from some of my customers...The news about you being charged with treason is spreading fast.- He reached over to one of the bookshelves next to his chair, selecting a book. The elder Ailian opened it, glancing at the page he opened to, and then he tossed it aside. -Aria, what happened while you were away? Some of these rumors...They're a little hard to believe, and yet...-

  -Oh, father...,- Aria whispered. She wasn't sure what rumors he might have heard, but she could certainly guess. Many of the soldiers who had been present for her rescue mission knew the exact nature of her charges, and of course some of them would have talked to their comrades back on Lirna. She was likewise not surprised that regular citizens were talking as well. Her family name was well-known in the Ascendancy, because of how prominent her mother had been when she still lived. But Aria didn't have the courage to come completely clean with her father. Not yet.

  She took a deep breath. -Father, when I was out on patrol last, I ran into a human ship. We got into a fight out there, and it ran from me. I had to follow it blind. Both of our ships were badly damaged, and we crashed on an uncharted planet.- Aria looked at her father again, sitting up straight in her chair. -I had to eject from my ship, and I was badly hurt in the crash. I needed treatment for my wounds and I drifted too far away from my ship to know where it was. I found the human ship first, and the pilot there was still alive. I captured him and forced him to help me.-

  She waited a moment before continuing. -His ship was ruined, and I couldn't use it to escape the planet. I decided I had to find the wreck of my own ship. I thought I'd be able to use the radio inside to call for help, so I made the human come with me. I knew I wouldn't be able to survive on my own.-

  Arn listened to his daughter carefully. He'd known that she wasn't going to react well to his words, but then he hadn't known the whole story of what had happened when she'd been lost. Now that he was hearing some details from her own mouth, he thought he might be beginning to understand a little bit about what had transpired while she was away. He nodded at her, gesturing with one hand for her to continue.

  -Well...There were a lot of things I didn't count on,- Aria continued. -That planet was dangerous. There was this species of pack predator that began stalking us as we traveled. One of them attacked the human one night, and I had to fight it off. Then the next night, a pack of them attacked us both. I nearly died, father. But the human...he fought them off.- She glanced down, then back up at her father. -I couldn't just leave him behind when they rescued me. He saved my life father, and they were going to turn him over to a slave dealer. I couldn't let them do that.-

  Arn shook his head, looking off into space. -So they charged you with treason because you allied yourself with a human. Because you didn't want to die on some lost planet.-

  -Well...- Aria hesitated. She didn't want to lie to her father, but she didn't feel comfortable telling him the whole truth just yet. Aria knew that her father had prejudices against humans, and had carried those prejudices ever since her mother had died in battle with human forces. She didn't know how he would react if he knew the full extent of what had happened to her on that alien planet. -Yes, father. That's why.-

  -And so now he's your slave because you're grateful to him for helping you. You felt a need to save him as well. It's not because you wanted a slave.-

  -No, father. Not at all.- That, at least, was the truth, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

  Arn stood up from his chair, walking over to his favorite bookshelf, the one that held volumes upon volumes of history books. The businessman loved history even more than he loved his career as a food merchant, and he'd read each book on this shelf countless times. He stared at them
now, and ran his fingers along a few of the leather bound spines. His tail waved behind him a few times as he mulled over the story that his eldest daughter had just told him.

  -So does this...human...have a name?-

  -His name is Jack Squier, father,- Aria replied. She gazed at her father's back, wondering what he would say next.

  -Jack Squier...,- Arn repeated thoughtfully. He rested his hand on the spine of a particularly thick book, newer than many of the rest. This one had been a gift from his mate, the last gift she had ever given him before she died. Losing her had devastated him just as much as it had his children. Even if he could tell that Aria wasn't giving him the whole truth, his relief that he didn't have to mourn another family member was enough that he could overlook her lies of omission. -Well, if this human is one of the reasons you've been brought back safe to me, I suppose...I'm grateful to him.- He turned back to her, and his daughter saw the tears in his eyes.

  -Father.- Aria stood up and went to him. He took her into his arms, hugging her quite tightly, feeling as though he would never let her go again.

  -I never wanted anything like this for you,- he said, his voice shaking. -I never wanted you to join the military. It was bad enough to have to worry about your mother. I wanted you to stay home, to take over the family business.-

  -I know, father. I know.-

  Arn let her go, holding her back from him at arm's length. He looked her up and down, taking in the sight of her beaten up uniform, of her fur in knots, and the faint bloodstains across her torso. -But your mother was so very proud of you when you joined. I couldn't help but be proud of you along with her.- And she could see the pride in his eyes, moreso for the fact that she had survived to come home. -I just don't want to lose you again...-