by Nick Braker
“Famished, of course.”
“Approximately six months ago, when Father told Grandmother that he was extremely hungry. Remember? It was at our Christmas dinner.”
She hopped up into her favorite chair next to where her mother usually sat. Father worked outside in the fields but she knew he would show up any minute. He never missed Mother’s cooking. They always ate breakfast together on Saturday mornings. Josephina looked up at the clock, making sure she had plenty of time to eat before her cartoons started.
“Mother, do you think I could try some of Father’s coffee? Just a sip? I am five years old now and you said I could try it someday.” Josephina beamed her best smile, knowing it would melt her mother’s heart. “Pretty please?”
“What’s gotten into you this morning?” her mother replied, astonished.
Her mother paused but then smiled back at her.
“Okay, just a sip. Would you like some sugar in it?”
Josephina clapped her hands excitedly.
“Yes, please,” she said, her eyes darting to the doorway as her father walked through it.
“Well, good morning, my little drop of sunshine. How are you today?” he asked.
She jumped down from her chair, ran and leaped into his arms, giving him a big kiss and the hardest bear hug she could muster.
“I am doing just fine today, Father,” she said, excitedly. “Are you ready for Mother’s breakfast?”
“You betcha, Sunshine,” he said with a grin in his voice.
He set her down then turned to walk toward the kitchen sink. She loved both of them so much. Father wore his blue jean overalls which were covered with just a hint of dust and dirt which made him smell like the earth when he came home. Father grew several varieties of vegetables that he sold to the local markets. He always seemed to be working but he also always made time for her.
“Let me get a little cleaned up or your mother will tar and feather me if I sit down with these dirty hands.”
He winked at her as she returned to her chair. Mother had already set her cup of coffee on the table. She lifted it in her hands and peered inside. It smelled wonderful as she inhaled the steamy, rich aroma. Steeling herself, she took a sip of the coffee Mother had poured her. It was hot, of course, but it tasted sweet and… odd. It was odd in a good way though. They liked it, so she resolved herself to like it as well. She scrunched her eyes and smiled at her mother, who had just sat down next to her.
“I like it,” she said.
“Well, I hope you don’t like it too much, it can be pretty addicting. Do you remember what I told you about that?”
“Yes, Mother,” she replied.
Father finished washing up and sat down to join them.
“Joe, your daughter used the word famished and approximately this morning and have you noticed she’s calling us Mother and Father? Honey, she’s also pronouncing her words correctly.”
“Uh, yeah, I guess I did. Sunshine, what happened to Mommy and Daddy?” he asked.
“Would you prefer I call you Mommy and Daddy?”
“Uh, well, I guess that is up to you, Sunshine.”
Her father grabbed hold of her mother’s hand reassuringly.
“Father, what is wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing little one, nothing. Let’s pray, okay?”
Father exchanged glances with her Mother but he began praying as he always did. He thanked God for the food given to them and an ‘amen’ later they were eating breakfast quietly.
The day passed and night came all too quickly. Josephina was tired when she heard Mother call from downstairs asking her to get ready for bed. She started to complain out of habit but decided Mother was right. She was tired and needed to get some rest. She put away her toys, changed into her favorite pajamas and climbed into bed.
Mother came up the stairs and nearly walked past her room. Her mother did a double-take and an expression of shock formed on her face. She had counted twenty-two times her mother had done that today, this one was twenty-three.
“I am tired, so I thought I would just hop in bed and be ready for our story time.”
Mother continued to look at her, confused.
“Josephina, are you really feeling okay?” Mother asked, picking up her book.
“Of course, Mother,” she said. “I had a big day and I am simply exhausted. It is nothing to worry about,” she smiled reassuringly. “Oh, Mother, I was thinking. Father is an example of someone with wisdom and honor, correct?”
Josephina’s mother dropped the book. She stared at her daughter for several seconds before Josephina smiled sweetly and said, “Now, tell me again, what happened to the Princess of Pallani?”
Chapter 1
BETH’S LIFE
Earth - Evansville, IN
Friday, December 5, 1986 - 6:57pm
Asher opened the door and hopped into the passenger seat of Beth’s car. He smiled inwardly as she had once again picked him up early. The word late was not in her vocabulary when it came to anything, especially him. Asher loved that about Beth. Her infectious, high energy outlook on life electrified him. She had her auburn hair tied back into a single ponytail using a mint green band. The band matched her long sleeve shirt which modestly covered her curves, along with a pair of blue jeans that hugged her hips. The arctic cold air outside was replaced by the warmth inside. She had the car’s heater running full blast, so he took off his coat, throwing it into the back seat.
He looked forward to every moment he could spend with her and she felt the same. Their young, whirlwind romance had surprised both their parents, and with the announcement of their engagement, it was doubly so. They were both only twenty years old but he knew beyond any shadow of doubt that Beth was the one for him.
The car creaked as he shifted his weight preparing to slam the car door hard, knowing from experience it wouldn’t close if he didn’t. She owned an old, red Volkswagen beetle that fit her style perfectly. Dirt and rust covered it externally, and books, school papers and even clothing covered it internally.
“Hi,” she said, gazing at him for several seconds.
She put her hand behind his neck, pulling him gently to her. She stopped just before their lips touched, teasing him gently. She pressed them softly into his, sending her all too familiar tingle through him. She liked the playful control she had over him but she never used it on him like he’d seen other women do with some of his friends. Her openness and honesty were as transparent as crystal.
He opened his eyes as she pulled back just enough to look at him up close. Her cerulean eyes pierced through him. Her smile generated an intenseness in her gaze that penetrated him to his soul, electrifying him. Her presence always sent his heart racing.
“Hello, Lizabeth,” he said, teasing.
She punched him playfully.
“Thou shalt refer to me as Beth as thou dost already knowest.”
She always corrected him in horribly broken, old English prose. Her forced accent failed miserably, but when she talked to him that way, it was the cutest thing he’d ever heard. He simply could not get enough of her.
“As you wish, milady,” he said, replying in kind.
She punched him harder, both of them laughing.
Several cars passed them by on the four lane road as she gained speed. He would normally feel cramped in such a small car but sitting in it with her made it feel cozy. It sputtered and nearly stalled as she accelerated. The roads were clear tonight though a layer of snow still covered the sidewalks and grass.
“So, it’s your turn to take me out tonight. Where we going?” he asked.
He had met Beth several months ago while riding his bike through Wesselman’s Park. For him, it was love at first sight and he later learned it had been the same for her.
“I’m in the mood for Mexican. I’m feeling kinda hot and spicy tonight, if you know what I mean,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.
He laughed, knowing exactly what she meant. They played these g
ames with each other constantly. She kept him on his toes in their relationship and the back and forth jockeying endeared her to him more and more. Not that he kept score but he did seem to work hard to keep up with her and, while he would never admit it aloud, she could be in the lead.
“What ya thinking, ya big lug?” she asked, noticing his grin.
“I want some Mexican too, amiga. Extra spicy,” he said.
She laughed but it cut off abruptly. She stared straight ahead, her eyes wide in shock.
“You should abandon,” she said.
“Beth?” he asked, surprised at her comment.
She screamed.
“Get out of my head! Get out of my head!” she yelled.
Beth let go of the steering wheel, burying her face in her hands. The road curved right but the car continued straight into the oncoming lanes. Asher panicked, hearing her shriek in agony. He grabbed the wheel, yanking it hard right, trying to regain control. He over-steered, forcing it to slide left. Instead of returning to the right side lane, the car continued in its slide. Their speed took them across the lane, onto the shoulder and then continuing to slide across a snow covered field. Asher tried steering the vehicle left and right but nothing he did made a difference.
“Who are you?” she said, screaming the question.
“What?” he replied frantically.
She dropped her hands from her face and calmly turned to stare at him. No emotion existed in her eyes and her usual infectious smile was gone. She turned her head left to look in the direction of their slide just before the car flipped on its side, hitting a tree.
Asher braced himself, his instincts telling him it was over.
The crunch of metal lasted only an instant.
Kron - Mental Infusion Complex
December 5, 1986 - 6:59pm
“I am ready,” Satirra said.
Her genetically flawless, naked body gently floated within the confines of the blue column of energy. The vertical pillar of light emanated from a large opening in the ceiling straight down into an identical version in the floor several feet below her. It encased Satirra even with her arms spread wide out from her sides. A soft, low frequency hum, from the energy emitters above her, permeated the room. The machine allowed her to ignore the pull of their planet’s gravity. Five of Kron’s scientists surrounded her at various stations within the room, preparing her for transmission to a planet the inhabitants called Earth.
She couldn’t see the scientists from within the azure-colored energy although their holographic display stations, to various degrees, were visible to her. They worked from these stations to operate the mental infusion system housed within this complex, controlling every aspect of the process.
The first station, the closest to her, monitored her vital signs. The readings indicated heart, breathing and other key health indicators. Hers were all within normal ranges. The physician that monitored Satirra gave no impression of anything out of the ordinary. Why should there be? She had been through this process dozens of times with other worlds with a 100% success rate.
The second station generated and controlled the intergalactic transmission conduit. The conduit created a microscopic hole through space that would channel the mental link between the host and the subject. No known energy or matter could affect the hole externally. Even after nearly 500 years of research, their scientists could find no other use for it. In their effort to never give another alien race the chance to destroy them, the conduit had been created with the hope it could be used to deliver a variety of pandemic substances. The conduit, however, would not let any atomic material pass through it and the technology had almost been abandoned as a result.
The third station controlled the gravity well generator and the containment field. Both were necessary components to the mental infusion process to prevent the host’s body from being damaged when the mental link switched the consciousness of both parties. Stray neuron activity from the Omarii host or the alien’s presence within it could cause bodily damage due to uncontrolled movement. Satirra likened it to their sleep periods when dreaming could cause one to physically move in bed.
“Omarii Satirra, prepare yourself. Infusion in 60 seconds.”
Satirra nodded, knowing they could easily see her. She still had another 45 seconds of waiting before they would require anything else of her. Certainly, the preparations were necessary and this would allow her time to work through a mental checklist during the last 15 seconds. Commander Agneta had spoken last. She monitored the mental link station that would map the neural pathways of host and target, swapping the consciousness of both. This would place Satirra on Earth and the target here on Kron. The mental energy would be safely transmitted through the conduit and then back again, allowing her to instantly take control of the being.
Lastly, the fifth station locked onto the target. Without this system, the link could be lost and the two could potentially never swap back. With so many lifeforms on any given planet, the odds were poor of successfully re-establishing a connection. This system maintained a permanent lock so they could return again and again to the same target.
The mental infusion process was always dangerous but the first connection to any species was especially so. She would not completely understand their language, culture or any other species-dependent attributes. While every species had numerous similarities, their differences were always a variable that had to be dynamically considered in real time. She would have to think on her feet.
Where had that idiom come from? Her target?
She must be within the 30 second window of infusion. The mapping had already begun and the link must have leaked the thought between the two. At this point, rare overlaps of consciousness could occur, usually strongest when both species shared close physical and mental similarities.
Never this strong, though.
Could these humans be similar to Kron?
“Twenty seconds remaining,” Agneta said.
She was hungry, desiring a spicy food item that she could not name. She could see it in her mind but the name escaped her. She wanted it and she wanted him. His strength of mind and his body inside her.
Him? Who? What is spicy? This sensation, it is strong - very strong.
Satirra wanted to eat and she wanted to mate but only with him. She wanted both and she wanted them now. Her lower abdomen tingled. She recognized it immediately but this feeling only occurred during their transformed state of Ryikoda, a Kron form that only females could use when they wanted to mate. How was this possible?
“Satirra, report. You’re temperature, breathing and heart rate are increasing. Abandon?” Agneta asked.
“No,” Satirra said, barely managing to calm herself.
She had almost screamed it at Agneta. She did not want to abandon this connection. It felt incredible. Her intense interest in this male consumed her.
“Proceed,” Satirra continued, swallowing.
“Ten seconds to infusion,” Agneta said, starting a countdown.
“Nine,”
Satirra could see him in her mind. His name was Asher.
“Eight,”
He had black hair and dark, penetrating eyes. His large muscles were completely unlike any Kron male, they were full of strength. Satirra could sense this human was taller than her too, which was completely impossible for males on Kron.
“Seven,”
Kron males were weak, mere servants. Asher was magnificent and virile. Satirra knew this infusion would not be normal. This should not be happening.
“Six,”
I should abandon, but the hunger....
“Five,
You should abandon. No, do NOT abandon.
“Four... Three... Two...”
Get out of my head. Get out of my head.
“Initiating mental infusion,” Commander Agneta said.
The world around her collapsed into a single, tiny point of light in front of her eyes. Her existence merged and then thinned into the blackness as
it streaked across hundreds of light years of space. Stars and planets whisked by, ebbing and flowing around her. Entire nebulae and even a black hole flew past. The light from a star ahead of her grew, brightened and then exploded into billions of photons as she passed through it. A brief thought came to mind as she watched these celestial objects. Apparently, the phenomena of seeing and understanding during infusion had no real scientific explanation, with the inventor herself being unable to explain it.
The infusion process had already begun.
A planet appeared as a tiny dot in front of her. It grew instantly, enveloping her view. A blue planet covered in wispy, white clouds appeared and then was gone. She had arrived.
Satirra sat in a vehicle, driving down a road on an entirely different planet, hundreds of light years from hers. It was night here on Earth and the atmosphere around her was clean, devoid of the deadly black ash that continuously rained down on Kron. She calmly turned to face the human male next to her, memories of her strong desire for him and food having faded. His strained and confused look perplexed her. Was that fear? Panic? Was that what those emotions looked like on a human?
He tried to control the vehicle they used to move through their world. Were they in danger? She turned her head left, looking into the direction they traveled.
A tree. High speed. Imminent impact. Yes, they were in danger.
She tried to raise her arms. She needed to signal her team to extract her.
The crunch of metal lasted only an instant.
Earth - Evansville, IN
December 5, 1986 - 7:11pm
Asher watched the stars above him. They were beautiful, some twinkling, as if they were watching him from light years away. Sometimes smoke obscured them as it crossed his field of vision. It brought the clinging scent of burnt motor oil to him, stinging his eyes and nose. Where was the smoke coming from? The cold nipped at him but he didn’t mind. Part of him was alarmed by this, yet he continued to ignore it, focusing on the beauty in the sky. Perhaps Beth would like to come here sometime and watch them with him? The smoke thickened, spreading through the air, causing him to cough and gag.