"Water balloon?" suggested Fabian quietly.
Jason shook his head. "Did that three weeks ago, remember? And his mom got upset about the damp sheets. What if we just yank the covers off?"
Fabian frowned. "Look at him. Dead to the world. I don't think he'd notice. Yank his shorts off?"
Jason giggled. "That'd be fun, but I'm not sure he'd notice THAT, either. What if we jumped on the bed?"
"We did that four weeks ago, and I didn't like the way the frame squeaked." said Fabian. "I don't want to have to explain a collapsed bed."
Jason looked serious. "You know, no one else is home. That does expand our options somewhat."
"I can't believe he hasn't woke up with us just standing here talking." remarked Fabian. "What's it going to take?"
"Okay, let's try part of one of your ideas." said Jason. "We yank his shorts off, and if that doesn't work, we pick him up, and if he's still not awake, we put him in the shower and hit the cold water."
"You're suggesting that we throw him in the shower, without his shorts but with his shirt, sound asleep, and nail him with a cold shower?" said Fabian. "That is a hideously evil concept. I love it. Now I hope he DOESN'T wake up."
The two boys carefully drew back the tangled covers. Niklas twitched but was still sound asleep, flat on his tummy and with his legs outstretched. "Well, step two should be easy enough." remarked Jason.
The boys each grabbed one leg of the lightweight shorts Niklas had worn to bed and pulled. The shorts slid off, but Niklas was still asleep. "I don't believe this!" whispered Fabian. "I've never seen him sleep like this!"
"What do we do if the shower doesn't work?" asked Jason.
"Check him for a pulse." replied Fabian.
"Bet he wakes up when we start to carry him." said Jason, who grabbed Niklas' legs. Fabian slipped his hands under Niklas' arms and lifted. Niklas remained asleep. The two boys carried Niklas into the bathroom, but the youngster gave no sign of waking up.
"Unbelievable." said Jason, as they gently leaned Niklas against the wall of the shower opposite the nozzle itself. "Well, this HAS to do it. Set that thing as far to cold as possible, and turn it on full blast at the count of three."
"Aye-aye, sir!" replied Fabian, adjusting the shower controls and making sure the nozzle was pointed directly at Niklas.
"Ready?" asked Jason. Fabian nodded. "One — two — thr…"
"Three!" yelled Niklas, instantly alert even as Fabian turned on the shower. Niklas grabbed his two friends by their shirt collars and dragged them into the shower, drenching all three of them in freezing cold water. Niklas was laughing and shrieking at the same time. Fabian and Jason were just shrieking. Fabian finally deactivated the shower, and the boys climbed out of the shower enclosure.
"All right, WHEN?!" asked Fabian, shaking water out of his hair and wringing out his shirt.
"I think it was when you said 'water balloon'." answered Niklas.
"You were awake ALL that time?!" exclaimed Jason.
Niklas grinned. "I just wanted to see what you guys would come up with."
Fabian rolled his eyes. "And I thought WE were being sneaky." The group headed back to Niklas' room, whereupon Niklas pulled on a T-shirt and some jeans.
"So, any ideas on how to spend the day?" asked Jason of no one in particular.
"Yeah, actually, I do." said Niklas. "There's something I need to show you guys out by that pond near where Davy lives."
Fabian raised an eyebrow. "You been keeping secrets, Niklas?"
Niklas sat down on his bed, and frowned. "Yeah, guys, I have, and I'm sorry. But the only reason I did was because you weren't out there when it happened, and what's out there is so weird that if too many people know about it, it could be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" asked Jason. "What do you mean? What's out there?"
"This is going to sound pretty crazy, guys." said Niklas.
"Tell us." said Fabian, more curious than angry at whatever Niklas had kept from them.
Niklas related the entire story. How he and Davy had been playing in the pond on one of the many insufferably hot days this summer had produced, and how there had been a bright light and a blast of sound, that had dropped a young alien boy whose name was best pronounced «Jahv» into their midst, and how later, a second, younger alien, Jahv's brother Keyro, had also arrived. Niklas told them about the hidden tent-dome, and everything Jahv and Keyro had been up to since then, mostly with Davy, Martin, and Keith.
"Keith and Martin know about these — aliens, too?" asked Fabian.
"Davy introduced them." said Niklas. "You know how tight those three are."
"It would explain some of the stuff you guys have been up to this summer." said Jason. "Fishing around for computer parts a while back. Keith getting more time away from his stepfather. And those military vehicles around here a while back."
"So why tell us now?" asked Fabian. "I mean, I'm glad you did, and I kinda understand why you couldn't before, but — why now?"
"They want to meet more people." said Niklas. "So you believe me?"
"Hey, we've promised to always tell each other the truth, right?" stated Jason.
"All right!" said Niklas. "Then let's go!"
It was a long bike ride out to the pond, but the three boys were there by late morning. They dropped their bikes, and Niklas started looking for where the tent-dome was. If you knew that it was out there, and had a general idea of where it was supposed to be, you could sort of find it.
Jason and Fabian held back. "What do you think?" asked Jason.
"I'm not sure what to think." replied Fabian. "Truth is one thing. Story-telling is something else. But there HAVE been some weird events around here recently. And why come all the way out here just to pull a prank?"
"I don't believe in aliens." said Jason. "I'm going to have to see this to believe it."
Niklas found the edge of the tent, and pulled the door aside. To Jason and Fabian, both suddenly astonished, it looked as thought Niklas had just ripped a hole in the open air, and there was something beyond it.
"Jahv!" called Niklas. "You in there? Got someone I want you and Keyro to meet."
Seconds later, Jahv and Keyro emerged, naked as usual. But that made their appearance that much more surprising to Jason and Fabian. A lot could be done with face paint and fancy uniforms, but here were two boys, one green, the other lavendar, with white, feathery hair, huge eyes, antennae on their heads, and no clothes.
"About that belief of yours…" said Fabian.
"Never mind." said Jason.
Niklas grinned, and made introductions all around. Jason and Fabian took distinct note that Jahv and Keyro only had four fingers per hand, instead of five. Jason seemed fascinated by their antennae. He reached up to Jahv, who flinched. Jason suddenly realized he was being impolite. "May I —?" he asked.
Jahv answered, "Please be careful. Those are what you would call ears, and they're very delicate." But he bowed his head and let Jason touch one of his antennae gently. Jason did so, and almost immediately withdrew his hand, looking more surprised than ever. "What?" asked Fabian.
"It — it was warm to the touch. And I could feel a pulse in it!" said Jason.
That seemed to be enough proof for Jason that Jahv and Keyro were the genuine article, and the boys were then given a tour of the two aliens' home, including the bizarre computer, and the shuttle that Jahv and Keyro had been working on, which was now nearly ready. Niklas looked forward to traveling in it. Jason and Fabian weren't nearly as convinced. Conversation then turned to who else it might be safe to tell about the presence of these two otherworldly youngsters. It was generally agreed that Sniv would be safe to tell. Jonathon was another matter.
"I hate to say this, but he's too often an accident waiting to happen." said Niklas. "I like him. He's a great kid. But he's reckless."
"If he finds out without one of us telling him, and then finds out that we knew and didn't tell him, he's going to be really upset." said Jason. "He's go
ing to feel betrayed by all of us and I wouldn't blame him. And he's had enough of that already. Look what his mom did to him."
"I didn't say we wouldn't tell him," said Niklas, "but I think we need to think about it. Maybe bring him out here with a group of us. Who else? Randy?"
"If we tell either Randy or Jonathon, we have to tell the other." said Fabian. "What about your sister, Niklas?"
Niklas scowled. "Over my dead body. That blabbermouth would have it all over the school come fall, as well as following us out here all the time and ruining our fun. She doesn't even know about this PLACE, never mind who's living here!"
Fabian grinned. "Easy, Niklas. I was just kidding. Who else do we know?"
"Jody?" offered Jason.
Niklas considered that. "Keith knows him better than any of us. It should be up to him. Didn't Sniv make a friend with a kid named Ricky, when he was tracking down Keith and Martin when Keith tried to run away a while back? And then there's Martin's new friend Chris."
Jason nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know if Sniv's seen much of Ricky since."
"I think Sniv should be next, and then later we should probably bring Randy and Jonathon out here together." suggested Niklas. "Telling Chris should probably be up to Martin. But we should get to all of them before summer vacation is over."
And so it had gone. Sniv was introduced to the two aliens, and was properly astonished. Martin, on his own, brought Chris out at one point, to not only meet the two aliens, but Davy as well. Davy and Chris got along well, even though Davy was a lot more outdoors-type and energetic, compared to the quieter Chris. Chris' reaction to the aliens was one of the more unusual. Of course, Chris spent a lot of time reading comic books and other fantasy material. He grinned widely and said, "I knew it had to be true. I knew there had to be people out there." Of course, he was a little nervous around them, but who wouldn't be at first?
Jason and Fabian later brought out Randy and Jonathon. Randy was also impressed, and Jahv seemed fascinated by Randy's long hair, which was longer than any of the other boys', but he didn't say anything about it except to stare a bit.
Jonathon was skeptical about the «aliens» until he had a chance to poke around the dome-tent. True to form, he started pounding on the computer until a horrendous squeal nearly deafened everyone in the room. "What'd I do?!" exclaimed Jonathon, suddenly frightened.
Jahv made a big show out of checking the computer. "Oh, very nice. When the invasion force shows up and enslaves the planet, I am NOT taking the blame for it."
"WHAT??!?!" shrieked Jonathon, suddenly terrified. Then Jahv started laughing, which in turn got everyone else laughing, including Jonathon, eventually. But it was a solid example to the accident-prone youngster about keeping the presence and location of these two aliens a definite secret, and Jonathon actually managed to keep quiet about it. He nearly slipped a couple of times in conversation, but a loud cough from someone else, one of the other boys, suddenly made him aware of what he was about to say, and he soon learned to say nothing.
Not long after, the shuttle Jahv and Keyro had been building was ready. Finding passengers was a little trickier. Talking about flying into space was one thing. The sudden realization of actually being able to do so caused a certain reluctance on the part of a lot of the boys. Eventually, Niklas, Davy, and Keith decided to go along with Jahv, while Martin and Keyro would keep track of them from the dome-tent. Niklas and Davy managed to overcome whatever fear they might have had about an actual space voyage with the sheer prospect of adventure. Keith figured he'd better go along to provide a reality check if one was needed, or so he said. He probably wanted the adventure as much as Niklas and Davy, but wasn't about to admit it aloud.
Their destination, explained Jahv, would be a planet orbiting a star roughly fifteen light years away. According to his people's records, the planet was habitable, but was uninhabited — at least as far as advanced sentient life was concerned. And yet Jahv had detected, through his radio telescope investigations, what sounded very much like a distress signal, in a language that was believed to be nearly extinct.
Jahv had outfitted Niklas, Davy, and Keith in spacesuits similar to his own, but with different color patterns. He explained that the trip to the planet would only take a couple of hours, since much of it would be spent in a form of interdimensional transit he described as «hyperwarp». Fortunately, the boys technically had all weekend. Niklas, Keith, and Martin had said they were going to spend the weekend at Davy's. Davy had told his parents that they all wanted to camp out in the woods nearby, and they had made a big production out of hauling a large tent and more than enough food out there with them, most of which would be parked in Jahv's dome-tent.
"What are these uniforms made out of?" asked Niklas, tugging at the sleeve of his outfit. "They feel kinda weird."
"It's an organic fabric made out of — " began Jahv.
"Never mind!" interrupted Keith. "Organic anything and I'd just as soon not know. How'd you get the fit so perfect?"
Jahv shrugged. "One size pretty much fits all. The suit is highly elastic. Now strap in. We're leaving momentarily."
Minutes later, the sleek shuttle shot out of the dome-hangar it had been built in. Not that anyone saw it or heard it. The grav-engines were utterly silent, and the ship had the same cloaking capability as the dome-tents Jahv and Keyro lived in.
However, the boys were able to watch the lift-off through huge windows in the passenger cabin. The Earth quickly diminished in size behind them. "Incredible!" whispered Davy. Niklas was equally impressed. Keith was trying to hold onto his lunch. The inertia compensators of the shuttle were such that there had been no real feeling of extra gravity during the launch, but Keith's stomach wasn't entirely convinced of that.
Before long the moon came into view. "This is incredible!" proclaimed Niklas. The shuttle had windows along its sides, and Niklas and Davy's faces were firmly pressed against them. Keith was allowing himself an occasional glimpse, but he was also realizing that whatever he was when he grew up, it would most likely be something decidedly earthbound.
"Hey, I think I just saw a comet go past on this side!" yelled Davy.
"I feel like I oughtta be up on the bow of the ship yelling 'I'm the king of the world' or something." giggled Niklas.
"You would have to quote that movie, wouldn't you?" remarked Keith. "The ship sank. Get over it."
Niklas ignored him. "Jahv, this is incredible! And you get to do this sort of thing all the time?"
Jahv grinned. "Believe it or not, it becomes routine after a while."
"I don't believe that." said Niklas, still staring out the window. "This could never become routine."
"Hey, any chance of stopping on Mars on the way to this planet you mentioned?" asked Davy.
"It's not on the itinerary." replied Jahv from the cockpit. "Why?"
Davy shrugged. "I just thought it'd be a blast to walk past Pathfinder's camera and freak out all of NASA."
"You're evil, you know that?" remarked Niklas, grinning. "Fortunately for NASA in this case, I think I read that Pathfinder's batteries have already drained. But maybe we could figure out what happened to that Polar Lander probe they lost."
"I've got a better idea." said Keith, finally recovered from his brief nausea. "We do this again, we should take a couple of soda cans with us and leave 'em on Mars. Wouldn't that drive the 'first' manned mission to Mars completely nuts?"
"Great, we've got a kid on board who wants to be the world's first interplanetary litterbug." commented Niklas.
"Yeah, right." said Keith. "I saw an old video with astronauts on the moon. How about that one that golfed? You think he bothered to track down and fetch the ball back?"
Niklas groaned. "Jahv, when do we enter this hyperwarp or whatever you called it?"
"In about ten seconds, fortunately." replied Jahv.
Ten seconds later, the stars around the shuttle seemed to shift into long, straight lines, spinning around the small vessel. This time, the i
nertia compensators couldn't quite keep up, and the boys felt a decided tug of gravity slam them into their seats.
Once it alleviated, they all breathed something of a sigh of relief. Niklas had alternately been paying attention to the scenery outside the window, which at this point looked like stars whipping past so fast it was honestly making him dizzy, and noticing the empty co-pilot's seat next to Jahv. He surmised that Jahv and Keyro had used some sort of standard design for shuttle building that included a two-person cockpit. Figuring the shuttle was stable enough for him to get up and walk around, Niklas unstrapped and headed over to the cockpit. "May I join you?"
Jahv smiled. "Certainly. But strap in and don't lean on anything, okay?"
Niklas sat down and buckled the harness, and took a look through the front window. That scene was even more bile-inducing than the stars shooting past sideways where he'd been. It looked like a tunnel of stars, moving impossibly fast. Niklas wasn't sure if he was getting hypnotized or was about to throw up. He decided it really didn't matter, and averted his eyes and looked at Jahv instead.
Jahv looked just a little nervous, but was hiding it well. His antennae were perked up higher than usual. Niklas found Jahv fascinating. A child from another planet. He assumed that he and Jahv were more or less the same age, but what was a year to Jahv? Did his people age at the same pace? Jahv tended to act much more mature than his appearance. That could either mean he was older, or it was just normal for his people to act that way.
Niklas had always wanted an older brother, but he didn't have one, and of course it was an impossibility as such. Jahv acted older even if he wasn't. Niklas started to think it would be pretty cool to have a brother who didn't look any older, but sort of acted like a big brother, to a point.
And Jahv's huge dark eyes, white, almost feathery hair, and green skin made him that much more interesting. It was the differences and the similarities Niklas noticed, which put together made an interesting package. Given that Jahv tended to spend most of his time naked, it was readily apparent to anyone that he was both humanoid and a boy. And yet, if one combined the eyes, the antennae, the hair, the green skin, and the fact that Jahv had only four fingers per hand and four toes per foot, it was equally clear that Jahv was something quite different from what most people defined as «human». Niklas couldn't help but stare and smile at this remarkable friend he had made, and he felt something special inside whenever he thought of him.
My Friend is an Alien (niklas and friends) Page 9