Zoo

by Phil Price

  “Yes, it was,” he said, also a little too quickly. He sensed that he sounded too keen. “I’m sure we’ll bump into each other soon.”

  “I hope so.” Damn that beer, she thought. She flushed before extending her hand. He took it, matching her grip, liking the cool firm feel of her skin.

  “Goodnight, Kyra,” he said.

  “Have a pleasant evening, Torben,” she demurred before turning and entering her cabin. Torben stood there for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He walked back slowly to his cabin, a warm smile on his usually serious face.

  Five

  They did indeed bump into each other over the next day and a half, although they both had company when the moment arrived. They mentally swore inside, wishing that their crew would evaporate into the air so they could converse some more. Kyra liked watching him fidget like a boy when they tried to exchange pleasantries. She thought about this as she lay in her quarters, a thin blanket draped over her long body. She let warm thoughts combine with the thrum of the ion drives to send her off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Torben checked in regularly with Rex to plot their progress through the solar system. They would be slowing down in a few hours and the Hominid told his captain to retire for the evening. Tomorrow was a big day. As Torben stood in the shower, letting the hot water pepper his torso, his mind was not on what it should have been. Here he was, a pilot. A badass. On the verge of the greatest moment of his life and the lives of his people. And yet as he stood under the torrent, his thoughts were of Kyra. Thoughts of far off civilisations were hidden under the warm, fuzzy thoughts of Officer Zakx. Was he getting feelings for her? Impossible. He hardly knew her. Yet she was always in his thoughts. He mentally made his brain move her to one side as he tried to focus on tomorrow’s tasks. Torben was still trying to think of the itinerary as he lay under the silk blanket. However, he was fighting a losing battle. A tall dark beauty kept knocking his flight plans to one side. Eventually, he relented as he drifted off to sleep. The last sound he heard was the throttle of the Ions falling away. By the time he woke, they would be in position.

  “Okay, Rex. Slight reverse thrust. Slow us down to a standstill.” The hominid deftly handled the controls of the ship. Hardly any inertia could be felt as they slowed from a few thousand miles per hour to just a crawl. Finally, they were drifting in deep space. Ahead of them, they could see the galactic core a few lights away. It had a faintly purple tinge. A large plume of blue light rose into the heavens on the horizon. They knew it was Pulsar. It was magnificent. But deadly. They were glad that they were several trillion miles away from its death grip. Would they see anything so spectacular in the next few days? Torben slapped Rex on the shoulder. “I’ll go and get us some graff and a few snacks to see us through the next few hours.” He looked down at his furry co-pilot. “Get her ready for the jump. Like we did in training. You, my friend, have the honour of taking us into the void.”

  Rex drew in a sharp breath. “Me! Really, Captain? This should be your moment.”

  “And it will be. Being captain of this ship is honour enough. You deserve this, Rex. I will be back in a bit.” As Torben left the cockpit the little green hominid sat gently coaxing the controls, salty blue tears streaking his face.

  “Torben,” Kyra called out as she spotted the captain heading back to the cockpit, laden with provisions.

  “Kyra. Hello. How is everything?” She was dressed in civilian clothing. A blue all-in-one with leather boots that fell just shy of her knees.

  “Fine. Although my captain is about to burn himself or spill food all over his ship. Here let me help.” She took a beaker of graff out of his hands and a long sandwich that was perched precariously in the crook of his arm. He could almost hear the crackle of static as they touched.

  “Thanks. I’m glad you came along. I can be quite clumsy.”

  She smiled evenly at him. “So, are we all set for departure?”

  “Yes. I was about to give a ten-minute warning to all personnel to strap in.” He looked at her, a plan forming in his mind. “Would you like to accompany me back to the bridge? We have a spare co-pilot’s chair. You could be with us when we make the jump.”

  “Really!” she exclaimed. “I’d love to. I don’t have anything else I need to do that is pressing. Thank you, Torben.” Before Kyra realised what she was doing, she kissed him on the cheek. Not a peck. Her lips lingered on his stubbly skin for what seemed like minutes. Her heart rate increased as she reluctantly pulled away.

  Torben blushed a deep crimson. “People will talk.”

  “About what?”

  “You and me.”

  “Is there a ‘you and me’ to talk about?”

  “I don’t know.” He hesitated, smiling. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

  She smiled, cocking her head to one side, a move that made her red lock glimmer in the under-lighters. “Maybe you should start thinking far ahead.”

  “Really!” he said as a voice crackled through the ship’s communication system, relaying a ten-minute warning.

  She took his free arm, guiding him to the bridge. “Really. You men only think as far as the next beer.”

  Rex looked up from the controls as Kyra and Torben entered. He was momentarily at a loss for words. He looked at their lunch.

  “Is there enough for three?”

  “We’ll make do.” Torben turned to Kyra. “Allow me to introduce Rex. The best pilot in the galaxy, and the worst graff maker. Rex, this is Kyra.”

  Rex stood up from the console and extended his furry arm. Kyra took it, matching his considerable grip.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Rex. Is your graff really that bad?”

  “Likewise, Kyra. Our Captain is far too fussy in his tastes. This little hominid likes his graff rough and ready.”

  She smiled, liking him instantly. They all settled into their respective seats. All food and drink in holders and trays. Rex turned to Torben.

  “All crew have been given their instructions.”

  “Okay, Rex, initiate heads up.”

  Rex punched a command into the display, his green fingers delicate and precise. Kyra almost gasped as the cockpit came alive. Above them was a miniature reconstruction of their position. She could see the galaxy slowly moving and pulsing in the dark confines. A moment later another galaxy appeared underneath. It was a spiral galaxy, beautifully rotating.

  “That sure is something,” Rex said, to no one in particular.

  “It sure is,” Torben added. “Zoom.”

  The little hominid drew his hands apart in front of his face in three quick movements until their position and destination were visible. Kyra sat slightly behind them, a wide-eyed expression on her face.

  “Position locked. Are we ready, skipper?”

  Torben nodded. “Just like we practised, Rex. Execute.”

  Rex reached across the control panel and pressed a red button that pulsed in unison with the rest of the cockpit. There was a shift in the ship’s position as if the space around them had been disturbed.

  “Hull camera on. Heads up,” Rex said. Another holographic image appeared next to their position that showed what was happening a few hundred feet under their ship. To Rex, it looked like a giant black whirlpool was forming. The stars seemed to start travelling in an anti-clockwise direction. The three of them were gently buffeted around in their seats as Shimmer050 started to turn from the unseen force below. Torben could see what looked like blue lightning around the cockpit. He was about to turn around to look at Kyra when he felt a cool, firm hand grip his. He turned his chair to see her, beautiful in the shimmering strobing light of the cockpit. She smiled at him, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. He smiled back, fighting to keep his own tears hidden.

  “Okay. Here we go,” said Rex, who was watching a holographic countdown display. The lightning seemed to intensify and grow brighter as the ship rotated faster. The hominid flicked his eyes to their position, captivated by the funnel that was making it
s way from the bottom galaxy towards them. They suddenly felt the inertia as they were pulled downwards, towards the great unknown.

  Six

  Earth, 2017: Belbroughton, UK

  “Have you seen my watch, babe?” The woman paced the kitchen, her stockinged feet making barely a noise as they glided over the quarry tiled floor.

  “Try next to the bread bin. In the coin mug,” a muted voice said as it filtered its way into the square kitchen. She walked over, picking up the large chipped mug. The woman smiled when she saw her retro wristwatch. She clipped it onto her wrist, liking the cool feeling of the wide leather strap on her skin. As she left the kitchen she paused to look in the large mirror, flicking her chestnut hair behind her ear. Satisfied that all was as it should be, the woman walked through the house, turning left into a small lounge. A man sat slouched in a leather recliner, his watery eyes watching the plasma television that sat perched in the corner of the cosy room. Two young boys lay together on a brown sofa, a blue blanket covering their bodies. Only their heads peeked out as they too watched television from watery eyes. “I’ll take them up for a bath in a minute, babe,” the man said, shifting in his seat.

  “I can stay here and take care of them,” she mildly protested.

  “No. You need to be at the fete. We’ll be okay. Once they’re in bed, I’ll watch a movie on the iPad.”

  “You sure? Helen would understand if I send her a text.”

  “Go, babe. You’ve put a lot of effort into this. You should be there. It’s a long time till the next Halloween. You don’t want to miss out.”

  She bent over the chair, kissing her husband on his thinning brown curls. He smelt of Olbas Oil, she thought absently as she crossed the lounge to her two sons. “Are you two going to be alright with Daddy?”

  “Yes, Mummy,” Finn replied.

  “Oscar. Time for a bath?”

  The two-year-old boy looked at his mother and smiled. “Baff baff,” he said, his eyes and nose red from the cold that had him its grip.

  She bent down and kissed them both. Finn reached around her neck, pulling her into him. “Have fun, Mummy. Love you.”

  Tears peppered the woman’s eyes at her son’s heartfelt words. She squeezed him tightly, drinking in his scent. The toddler climbed up and joined the cuddle, giggling as he hugged them both with all his strength. “I love you both too. To the Moon and back.”

  “Come on boys,” the man said. “Let’s let Mummy go to the fete. She will come and give you both a kiss when she gets home.”

  She gently relieved herself from the cloying limbs, straightening her long brown skirt, before turning to her husband. “Thanks, babe,” she said as she kissed him full on the lips. “I should be home just after ten. I hope.”

  “No rush. We’ll all be asleep. Go. Have fun with the pumpkins.” She smiled at his comment, knowing that there would be hundreds of the large orange vegetables lining the streets of the village where they lived.

  Gemma stepped out of the kitchen door at the side of the house. She pulled her dark coat around her, feeling the first nip of winter as she walked down the garden path that led to the main footpath of the village of Belbroughton. The sleepy settlement lay south-west of Birmingham, nestled between the Clent Hills to the east and Kidderminster to the west. As soon as her dark boots hit the concrete slabs, Gemma could see pumpkins all around her. The village held a Halloween fete every year, with people travelling from the neighbouring villages to join in the fun and games as autumn gently wound its way towards winter. This year Gemma was helping, running one of the stalls. Her friend, Helen, was the principal organiser of the event, relying on her villagers to chip in with as much support as possible. She smiled as she walked around a bend in the road towards an old public house called The Talbot Inn. All of its windows were adorned with pumpkins. Devilish glowing smiles shone out through the glass into darkening skies. This is going to be a memorable night, she thought, as she removed the glasses from her face. She stopped for a moment, wiping them with a handkerchief that she’d pulled from her leather shoulder bag, before setting them back in place. She looked at herself in the pub window, pushing her hair behind her ear before nodding at her reflection. Not too bad for thirty-two, she thought before continuing on her way towards the large field on the outskirts of the village.

  Seven

  Two days previously, Kyra, Torben and Rex had been sitting in the confines of the cockpit, staring in awe as the ship settled after its descent through the wormhole. They had sat in silence for several minutes, staring out into the black void of space. Millions of miles ahead of them, a yellow sun cast its light across the solar system. It was Torben who had broken the spell, gently coaxing the ship forward until they were skipping through the unknown system. After a while, a large red planet with a scar running along its width had appeared before them. Torben and Kyra had left Rex to man the ship as they went about their business with renewed vigour. They had dined together, a warm familiarity settling over their fledgling relationship. No kisses were exchanged in the two days it took to reach the shimmering blue planet. However, budding feelings were starting to blossom in the hostile vacuum of space.

  Torben and Rex sat in the cockpit, the craft stationary, gently moving with the planet’s orbit. “There it is again. A signal coming from our starboard bow. Some kind of electrical pulse or signal. Drop the cloak over us, Rex.”

  The little hominid flicked a switch above his head, his eyes scanning space through the cockpit window. “There, Captain. Look!”

  Torben looked past the pointing furry fingers, out through the glass into the black vacuum beyond. A large shape appeared above the blue planet below it. It was a concoction of white tubes, connected together in an unusual shape. “It looks like a station. If it’s manned it’s a good job we dropped the cloak. No one can see us here. If they got word of us to their kind, it may cause panic down there.”

  Rex looked at the planet Earth. He suddenly forgot about everything as his eyes focused on the beautiful white clouds that framed the planet. He could make out the oceans and the land. Strangely shaped landmasses stared back at him. I’m going down there. I am actually going down there, he thought. His captain’s words bounced off his deaf ears. He shook himself free of his trance, Torben’s words finally getting through. “Shall we start our descent, skipper?”

  “Yes. Enter the co-ordinates, be ready to start our descent in ten minutes. Let the crew know that it’s show time. The landing crew will need to move quickly. I just need to go and find Kyra. She should see this.”

  “I agree. She should,” Rex said as he punched numbers into the heads-up display.

  Torben knocked on Kyra’s cabin door. The corridor gently pulsed at the floor and ceiling, a purple light bathing the white walls. The partition hissed open, showing Kyra standing in the gentle glow. “It’s show time,” Torben said, smiling.

  “Come in,” Kyra said, walking back into her cabin, her hair bobbing on her bare shoulders. She walked over to a chair, slipping a jacket over her grey vest top and sitting down. Kyra pulled on her brown leather boots, clipping a buckle in place on the back of each calf. She looked at Torben, who was stood fidgeting. “What’s the plan when we get down there?”

  “We observe, taking imaging profiles of the land. The language they speak is called English. I will upload that through our neural links before we make contact. Once we have sent the pulse back to Valkash, we can make our move.”

  “This is a historic day,” she said embracing her captain. He returned the hold, drinking in her fragrance. To Torben, it smelt like flowers, mixed with anti-bacterial scrub. It mattered little to him. He was already starting to fall in love with her. As they pulled apart, Kyra kissed him, full on the lips. After the initial shock, Torben’s eyes closed as he let himself be kissed. It felt good, warm and fuzzy as he pulled her into him. She broke the kiss, her eyes momentarily out of focus. “We should do that again, Captain. And soon.”

  He laughed, extending
his hand towards her. “Yes, we should. Come. Let’s go and make history.”

  “You should have stayed at home,” Helen said, as she broke the hug with Gemma.

  “I didn’t want to let you down, hun. Besides, there is a decent turn out. How many do you think so far?”

  “At least a hundred. More will arrive I’m sure, even though it looks like rain tonight. Right. I’ll pop over to the village hall to grab the rest of the raffle tickets. Will you be okay here for five minutes?”

  “Sure. I’ll hold the fort. I’ll make sure the pumpkins behave themselves.”

  “Gemma Andrews, you are a star,” the older woman said as she walked off towards the lights of the village.

  Gemma stood, watching people milling around the field, slowly making their way around the perimeter, where dark trees stood silently against the oncoming night. Most of the visitors were looking at stalls at the entrance, leaving her free to watch the comings and goings. A noise in the sky like distant thunder made her look up. Thunder in October. That’s not right, she thought as she looked towards the horizon. It was then that she noticed a disturbance in the sky. Her eyes just about picked out a shimmer in the darkness. She stepped away from the stall, trying to focus on the area of sky where she’d seen movement. Nothing unusual presented itself to her. Hmm. Strange. I swear there was something there, she thought as she absently pulled at a pink elastic band on her wrist. She focused her attention on a young family, who were looking at the items on display at her stall. Gemma turned away from the sky, greeting the people with a warm smile. Behind her, hovering a few hundred feet above the trees, Shimmer050 sat silently. Taking it all in.