An Alien Rescue

by Gordon Mackay

  His whole persona had just taken on a new meaning. His body straightened upright with legs slightly apart and his eyes squinting in concentration as he listened. His erect figure looked very military as he removed his hands from hers and placed them behind his back, clenched tightly. He was standing at ease while waiting for his briefing. If his dreams were indeed reality and the six-foot beauty actually existed, then she was definitely worth fighting for, especially if they were lovers. Hell, he added to his thoughts, she was worth dying for!

  “Tell me everything,” he commanded. “And I mean absolutely everything.”

  She was again taken by surprise. Belinda had seen Scott as a legendry lover and had fantasised his presence while she slept. The stories of his sexual exploits with Frell had made him desirable to many, but especially to her as she had previously met him and was able to envisage the love scene better than most. She was aware the males and the females of their small population were trying to re-enact the sensations many had felt on board the Mothership, but never spoke of it in open conversation. It had become known as, Scott’s Time and many wanted to experience it. Now, though, she saw him as a warrior as well as a great lover. A sensual man who was capable of waging war on a foe who had stolen his lover. I think this is called romance, she thought, and a great romantic battle is about to take place.

  She began her explanation of Frell and Drang’s unaccountable disappearance, intending to tell him absolutely everything, as demanded.

  “They were posted as missing one of your Earth years ago. We know your return was a success, you are the living evidence for that part of the mission, but Frell’s craft never returned to the Mothership. There has never been any other contact with her or Drang from the moment you were deposited back on Earth.”

  He listened carefully, trying to link what he remembered to what he was hearing.

  “How did you know I had been returned? I’m aware I’m standing in front of you, but how did you know I was back on Earth?” He was wizening to the implications there were might be methods of tracking him and wondered what they might be.

  Oh dear, she thought. It had crossed her mind it might occur to him there were methods of knowing where he was and the troubled possibility he might ask.

  With a slight hesitation in her voice, and a hint of visual nervousness shown by her blinking eyes and her unsteady body language, she began her explanation. “There is an implant within your brain.” She had said it quietly, but with caution. She was unsure how he would react. It had been known for other humans to be told the same with them going quite mad at the news, eventually taking their own life. Some people can handle the information and accept it without too much fuss, whereupon others… just couldn’t.

  “When was it inserted?” he asked with a very large measure of uncertainty as to whether he really wanted to know.

  “When you were young, during the time you were initially picked-up and tested for potential gene viability. It’s a simple process and doesn’t interfere with your normal functions.”

  This reply gave him a lot to think about, things he had never considered before. “How were you able to know when I would be on the Isle of Skye? I mean to say, it seems you were already in position to pick me up. Come to think of it, you were ready to pick me up!. You were here waiting for me!”

  Belinda’s orders included the knowledge that this amount of realisation might happen as circumstances began to unfold and she should be as truthful, open and as honest as possible. There was to be no hiding any details, for if truths were to be hidden or twisted and he found out he would never trust their kind again and an extremely valuable donor would be lost forever.

  “The implant can be used to exert small influences upon you too. For instance, the feeling you wanted to return to the Isle of Skye was influenced. We couldn’t initiate when you would go, just the need. You would work out the time to visit and we would ensure a collection would be on standby. We’ve tracked you for all your adult life.”

  “You’re kidding me, aren’t you? You’ve gotta be telling me porky-pies!”

  Belinda’s mouth dropped open with a gasp. Porky-pies? What was Scott saying? Had his mind finally given up and started to shut down with gibberish for language? Was he undergoing some kind of mental seizure? Was she now facing a man whose mental grasp on the current situation had deteriorated into the uttering of strange words and nonsensical meanings?

  “You’re telling me,” Scott continued – a little bit louder, “that I’ve been followed, or tracked, as you termed it, for most of my life? Huh? You’re making me feel like I’m some kind of remote-control toy.”

  “Scott,” Belinda replied with feeling, “you’re an extremely valuable asset to my kind, someone we need rather badly. We have never manipulated you or your decisions to such an extent where you would do anything you did not wish to, but we have been aware of your position on your planet, wherever you were.

  “Wherever I was?”

  “Yes, even when you were situated in the Falklands, the small and most insignificant group of troubled islands in the South Atlantic. We would have liked to have contacted you there but it just wasn’t possible.”

  “Did you know I was writing a science fiction book about a blonde woman from another planet?”

  “In a way, yes, we did know, but it wasn’t clear why or how. I know now.”

  Scott looked around the Control deck, but only briefly before he asked, “Do I have another daughter, or is that my imagination?” He really wanted to hear her say, yes, and hoped she would.

  “Yes. You do.”

  “Blimey, that’s fantastic. I honestly believed that was only part of the dream. I think I’ve seen a picture of her. Frell showed it to me. Does she have a name?”

  With a smile, Belinda proudly replied, “Her name is … Skye.”

  “My god, it’s perfect. What a lovely name and so meaningful. I would never have guessed. Who chose the name?”

  “Frell did, but it wasn’t easy for her,” added Belinda while recalling the bureaucratic struggle that took place.

  “Why wasn’t it easy? You make it sound as if there was something wrong with the name,” he said with confusion.

  “To make a link with the island, and of course the connection with yourself, is not found to be readily acceptable in our population. We prefer ancestry to be anonymous as much as possible. You see, we are a holistic society, where we are as one. We respond to events as one unit and not as separate individuals. We all share each other’s feelings and rejoice in the happiness we all have. To connect with an Earthly event can go against the group’s policy of being unique and separate from the destructive tendencies of Earth-bound humans. However, Frell did make it known her daughter was quite unique too and should be allowed a name of her choosing.”

  Scott found this little bit of information difficult to fully comprehend, but decided their population was much different to his own and he should accept what he was listening to.

  “Skye." He sighed. “What a lovely name to give her.” Then his eyes opened wide as he asked, “Why unique? Why is, Skye, classed as unique? Is there something wrong with her?”

  He waited with baited breath for the reply to this question, hoping he wasn’t going to hear something he didn’t want to know.

  Belinda reached forward, taking him once more by the hand. Caressing it gently, she replied, “Your daughter is unique because your genes are the best we’ve ever had from any donor. Your extraordinary level of intelligence, combined with the highest ever rating for aptitude and adaptability to most or any kind of situation or environment makes you second to none. Your daughter is destined to become one of our leaders, someone who will understand and appreciate all there is to know when decisions are made concerning what is best for any given situation… but now we need another… another like… Skye. And this is where the problem begins, because your lover has not been contactable since you were last together, and until she is located the second child canno
t be. Do you understand what I have said, Scott.”

  Belinda had to boldly ask him because his demure had turned a whiter shade of pale, to the point of appearing like plastic. His blood had evidently drained from his brain and his complexion now looked waxy and drawn. She felt real concern for him now. With his past comment concerning porky-pies and now this she was extremely worried. Had everything she said affected his mind, she wondered, hoping it was only tiredness that was affecting him.

  He stood still for a moment, looking like a slumped mannequin. His broad shoulders had sagged slovenly and his eyelids seemed half-closed. He slowly regained his composure, loudly inhaling a breath of air. “It never really made any sense, at first; the reason why Frell and I were together. The child, or Skye, as I should now refer to her, was a plot I would never have really known about except for the intervention of the Greys. Oh yes, Belinda, I remember them too, before you ask; and now there should be a second child. I don’t suppose you have any more information than what you have already told me, do you?”

  She pulled Scott closer to her, giving him a comforting hug. His muscles were tightening and she could feel how vexed he was and tried to understand how he felt. She wished there was some better news to give him, anything to give him hope; but there was none. “There is nothing to add to what I’ve already said. I’m so sorry.”

  Scott pulled himself away from her warmth, saying in a low deep voice, “This makes everything personal. It’s not just Frell and Drang, but there’s a child involved too; and not just any child, it’s our child.”

  Raising his hands, he ran fingers through his hair, sweeping the short military-style strands backwards, sensing they needed washing. “So what do we do now?” he quietly asked.

  Chapter four

  “We’re on our way to the Mothership, where you will be fully and officially informed of all I’ve said. There are also a few tests we must carry out.”

  “Whatever it takes to get them back, I just hope they’re alive and well. I remember the alien shithead who abducted us. He was tall, brown and really skinny, like an old bag of bones he was, with skin… like... wrinkled leather. I wish I had ripped his sodding head off!” Scott smiled as he said this, but underneath the external humour he was deadly serious.

  Belinda hadn’t read into his thoughts, she deliberately allowed him to recall the past events privately without any psychological spying from her. She was becoming aware of his personality, a caring and sensitive man with a will to help others whenever possible. There was an even greater inner strength too, all of which were united to create an exceptional individual. She could easily understand why Scott was deemed so valuable to her kind. If anyone could save the abducted crew it was him.

  “What else can you tell me? There must be some background info’ that I know nothing of. For instance, tell me more about the Grey Empire. There has to something there worth mentioning.” He had asked while trying to think of anything from his previous encounter with the evil Grey menace.

  “They are the species responsible for removing humans from Earth over many centuries. The numbers are quite unknown to us, but we suspect many tens of thousands. Perhaps, even more. We will never know the full extent. The Grey Empire has always had the opinion that space is their personal property, with other species viewed as a temporary problem that needs eradicating. They believe their species have always been present in the cosmos and are an integral part of everything that exists. It’s in their religion, where their own holy scriptures dictates it was their ancestors who formed everything from the darkness, void and silence that permeated space.”

  Scott interrupted with a loud sarcastic laugh. “If they formed everything from nothing, where the heck did they spring from?” He smirked at the question knowing the Grey’s doctrine was no different from Earth’s own stupid and bigoted religions, complete with their hoards of brainwashed and easily led happy-clapping, tambourine-tapping, bell-ringing fanatics. If the remembered brown alien could have stood in front of Scott at that moment in time there would have been blue-murder going on with plenty of red to throw around, or should it be brown? Scott was beginning to understand the selfish and ridiculous beliefs which the Grey species have by comparing it with those he already knew from Earth. Belinda knew what he thought of Earth’s religions, she had learned it from his thoughts. It was so obvious what he believed about the hypocrisy and the selfishness within some of the oldest and most common holy orders. As far as he was concerned, each and every person on earth was related to each other from a common albeit distant ancestor. He wasn’t sure if he always believed this as much as he did now; but following the previous explanation he received from Frell, where human life first appeared on the African continent and groups spreading outwards to populate the planet, he knew it was absolutely true. How he missed her, and yet, until a short period before then he thought of her only as a figment of his imagination and nothing greater. He released another quiet sigh. Recovering his thoughts back to the present, he added, “Anyway, Belinda, the Greys, you were saying?”

  She stood quite still with a blank expression on her face.

  Scott felt nervous. “Is there something wrong?” he asked nervously. “Perhaps I’ve said something I shouldn’t have.”

  Scott almost jumped out of his pants and coveralls with shock when a voice behind him said, “Hello, Scott.”

  “Bloody-hell!” he cried out in utter surprise as he appeared to turn around and land after lifting-off the floor in shock. He was looking at another female as he gripped his chest, giving the impression he’d had a shock. His breathing was heavy and erratic as he tried to pull his thoughts together. It wasn’t often he suffered from being surprised, but in these circumstances he felt vulnerable to the extreme.

  Belinda spoke softly while trying to hide a grin. She didn’t think about the impact another person entering the Control Deck would have on Scott, especially when they were unannounced.

  Scott saw the smirk, saying, “Flaming-heck Belinda, give me a break. You could have killed me with that!”

  “Could I?” she asked in alarm. “Are you susceptible to death when surprised in this way? I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. Please forgive me. I have never been informed there is a flaw in human health where death can result from someone speaking to you unexpectedly from behind.”

  Her answer was so apologetic and honest, Scott wondered if she might be teasing him, before deciding she wasn’t because her concerned appearance dictated otherwise. He moved closer and placed an arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Hey,” he said, “I’m only kidding. I’m nowhere near death and never was. It was just a small fright and I can’t help but be dramatic. There’s no problem with me. Hey, c’mon, cheer-up and smile.”

  She did and almost gave a little laugh. She was relieved to hear him say the consoling words he had. Turning, she introduced the other female, who by this time had backed off towards the opposite end of the Flight Deck. She had herself jumped in fright as Scott had launched himself into the air. She never expected anything like that to happen. Saying, hello, will never be the same for her again!

  “Scott, may I introduce this ship’s pilot,” said Belinda as another kind of introduction.

  Scott smiled and gave a slight nod, saying, “Hi,” as he pretended his chest was going to give up on him by clasping his hands over his heart. The pilot stepped backwards a little more and her eyes went wide. She was unsure if his antics were for real or not. Scott saw the dilemma and laughed a little as he said he was only kidding. The pilot’s shoulders dropped with relief while releasing a suppressed sigh. She looked at Belinda for another introduction, especially as the last one had quite literally taken her breath away.

  Belinda continued with her introduction, “Scott, this is Phyllis.”

  “Phyllis? You’ve got to be kidding me! Go on, you’re pulling my leg?” exclaimed an immensely amused Scott.

  Phyllis looked startled and turned to face Belinda, stating, “I
never touched him. I have not touched either of his legs.”

  Scott burst into loud rapturous laughter, adding, “You never touched my leg! Brilliant! You two should be on the stage. What a pair of comedians!”

  Belinda returned Phyllis’s look with a shrug of her shoulders. Scott’s humour was baffling them.

  He was almost falling over in fits of laughter. He felt as if his belly was going to burst wide open with the hilarity of the situation.

  Phyllis returned her gaze to Scott, and said, “I haven’t touched you, Scott. I think you are mistaken.”

  The tears were running down his cheeks as he gripped his tummy. The humour was becoming far too much for him to handle

  “And I fail to see the humour in my name,” Phyllis added with a frown.

  Scott was beside himself with laughter. There were painful stitches in his side and the pressure of laughing was becoming unbearable.

  “Phyllis, pull the other leg, it’s got bells on it.” Scott felt like collapsing as he struggled to get the words out.

  “Bells? One of your legs has bells on it?”

  His laughter reached new heights as high-pitched yells of almost hysterical hoots filled the ship’s confines. He was on the verge of losing control of himself. It was all he could do not to empty his bladder as his laughter was so intense. He hadn’t come across such humour before, or what he mistakenly thought was humour. Belinda and Phyllis stood still and silent, watching the man who was a legend to their kind. They waited patiently while Scott laughed himself out of the supposedly funny situation, trying to understand and recognise the cause of such comedy. Phyllis sneaked a questionable look to Belinda, making a face as if to say she was baffled by Scott’s crazy antics, which indeed she was. Belinda returned the look because she felt the same way. Scott’s tears gave way to exhaustion and his laughter faded. He still found it difficult to look at Phyllis in the face without releasing another scoff, but managed to contain himself long enough as the puzzled stares of the women began to sink in. He thought he could hear voices within his mind. Their voices!