Belinda ushered Scott to his quarters, the same apartment he had shared with Frell. His eyes were wide and searching for recognisable features as he entered. He recalled the picture on the far shelf, a movie type photo of his newest offspring. Alas, the shelf was empty as he recalled the scene. He felt like asking if it was possible to see the picture again, but decided not to as his logic suggested it might be a bad idea. If he was meant to see the picture again, he considered, or to know that the child even existed, the picture would have been left for him to see. The furniture and the sparse decoration of his new surroundings captured his attention. The past memory kicked-in with the sounds of Frell making clattering sounds from within the supposed kitchen while he spotted the picture of the infant. His mind shot back to reality and his latest objective - the mission to rescue his absent lover and Drang, her pilot.
“Belinda,” he asked. “Do you think they’re still alive?”
She couldn’t help looking forlorn as she searched her face for an answer, making Scott think bad news was about to unfold.
“Scott,” she eventually replied, smiling. “If we didn’t believe they were still alive we wouldn’t have brought you here.”
He looked down while shuffling his feet, feeling both sorry and ashamed he’d asked the question. He was unable to fully understand and appreciate the implications involved; where two members of this off-world colony could possibly be kidnapped and stolen away to some ungodly place. He felt tiredness creeping up on him again, even though his senses assured him he had already slept for a substantial period of time. However, his eyes felt heavy and tiredness was pressing on his mind like an anvil might. With reddened eyes he looked to Belinda.
“If I don’t rescue the pair of them I’ll be damned!”
She turned her eyes to meet his, noticing how really blue/green they were. She recognised his senses were strained as his mind was running wild with all that was happening, knowing he needed her help as much as Frell needed his. There would come a time when he would be confronted with a technology he had no idea of and that was when she would need to take charge. Until then, she would provide Scott with as much assistance and information as she could.
A bed was made and Scott lay down. He had many questions to ask, but before a single word could be uttered his eyes glazed over and closed. He only meant to close them for the briefest of moments but tiredness and fatigue overtook him. With a slow exhalation of breath his dreams went back to a time where he was with Frell. Her voice whispered in his ear, asking him to help her. He wasn’t on Earth anymore, he was with her and she needed him so much. The memory of a blackened exploding spacecraft ripping itself apart before plummeting into the Earth’s atmosphere with sparks and streaks of lightning shooting across the heavens literally took his breath away. The concerned words of Frell calling his name resounded in his ears, over and over again; until the voice didn’t sound like that of Frell any longer. He stirred and opened his eyes. It was Belinda, hovering over him like a worried hen caring for its chick.
“Scott, are you awake?” she asked, giving him a gentle shake.
“M-hmm, I am now, Frell.” Opening his eyes wider with a start, realising he had used the wrong name, he apologised.
“That’s all right,” Belinda assured him. “I’m pleased you dreamt of her. The sight of her in your mind will no doubt give you added strength and the memories you shared will accompany you.
“I’m sure they will, Belinda. If the vision I’ve just seen really was that of Frell, I can’t help but feel sorry for the Greys. And this goddamned time I am going to rip their bloody heads off for what they’ve done, with no exceptions.”
Belinda looked at him. He had said the words in as cool a way as if he was describing what he needed to wear, instead of destroying those who desired to intervene between him and his love. Somehow, she thought, the Greys hadn’t taken on board the idea or the concern they might be in for a whole lot of trouble. He had already caused the destruction of a galactic ship, something that had never happened before, and now his attention was drawn towards them again.
Scott reached over and took hold of a wrist. The glint in his eyes was different, they shouted cold vengeance and Grey revenge. “Belinda? He asked. “What would you say if I gave you a kiss?”
Her cheeks went bright red with embarrassment, a feeling she’d never experienced before. She couldn’t answer as her emotions were in turmoil. As much as she wanted to feel his lips upon hers, she just couldn’t bring herself to let him know.
“A warm kiss to share the emotions of two special friends who are about to do battle; a small flutter of beating hearts to draw the minds and courage of two individuals together, both combining their different strengths and courage into one glorious body.”
“You are very poetic with your words, Scott. I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”
Her eyes glistened with the prospect of kissing him, but not as a lover, only as an ally. They could share their feelings of going into battle against a foe so terrible and evil they would need to rely upon each other as much as possible. A chance to join with him in a kiss would seal their pact to victory… or death. She was aware of his unblinking eyes watching her, waiting for a response and any kind of an answer; but whatever it was, she would fight beside him in any way she could.
Her eyes closed as she bent over, her lips meeting his. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, a Frell kiss, as she came to think of it. His thoughts and memories of kissing Frell had been felt by all, including herself. She could feel the difference, and so could others on-board. Her feelings were running away, slipping through walls to the other women.
Patricia had managed to pull the coveralls on and now felt the latest sensations of Scott’s influence. Sitting down in her study chair she realised Scott would need to leave the ship soonest. It wasn’t just for sake of the other women on board. Oh no, it was for hers.
Having washed in the shower that was, Made on Earth, as moulded into the cubicle door, he was fed with a crunchy cereal that gave him a rocket’s worth of energy. Feeling fully refreshed and refuelled, he climbed back on board the small ship that would carry him and Belinda toward Earth. Phyllis rushed out from a side door while still closing the front of her overalls. Scott thought he saw her bouncing breasts as the material magically closed towards the base of her chin, but wasn’t sure.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Phyllis apologised.
“It’s okay,” Scott assured her. “We couldn’t take off without our pilot so you wouldn’t have been left behind.”
He noticed her overalls sported the type of badge he recalled Drang wearing. A luminous triangle with a very colourful snake; as eye-catching a badge as any could ever be.
“Aha, the fairest lady of the land comes forth to carry me away from this most dreaded of dungeons,” he said, trying to sound like Shakespeare on a good day. What he didn’t realise was he sounded like he was gibbering a load of garbage to Phyllis, who immediately stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t convinced Scott’s mind was as it should be. There was a possibility, she considered, that his brain had suffered some sort of seizure or collapse with the pressure inflicted upon it. She stood at the bottom of the gangway with an immense look of doubt written across her face in big bold capital letters.
Belinda telepathically asked her if anything was wrong. Phyllis replied with the worry that Scott was perhaps not well enough to go on this mission. The words of concern reached Scott’s own mind. They were crystal-clear and their meaning wasn’t lost in translation. He replied by telepathy, to everyone’s astonishment. He assured her the words he spoke were said in a humorous and romantic way to relieve them all of any anxiety they might have had. Belinda stood her ground wanting to believe him, needing to believe him. She had been fully briefed in almost every detail concerning Scott and their rescue mission, including his sometimes-awkward turns of phrase. Belinda said nothing, not a word. She waited to see what Phyllis would do or say following his explanation.
<
br /> Scott carefully stepped back down the gangway and approached the silent wide-eyed pilot. Her blue eyes watched him as he approached, observing the body she thought she had enjoyed as his thoughts passed over to all in a physical way during his debrief. He raised a hand to one of her cheeks, brushing it softly with his fingertips.
“Phyllis,” he said. “You’re absolutely drop-dead gorgeous and you fly a UFO. What more could any man want in a woman?” he joked.
Phyllis thought this through, reciting his words within her head. She was still slightly confused by everything he said, unable to work out if he was sane or otherwise. Her logical mind shouted loudly he wouldn’t be on this mission unless he was fit.
Scott leaned forward and quickly planted a peck on one cheek. Belinda seemed to snap out of her daze with a start and a gasp.
“Was that a kiss?” she asked.
He placed a hand either side of her head and forced a big juicy smacker on her lips. It lasted about ten seconds, with his eyes closed and hers wide-open as his tongue touched hers. She appeared to struggle with the suddenness of it with her arms flapping wildly in the air.
He released her and said, “No, but that was!”
He licked his lips while she wiped her mouth with the back of one hand. He beamed a smile that lit up her face. Belinda felt a curious feeling having watched the drama. Is this jealously, she wondered?
Phyllis was stunned, swaying slightly on her feet and blinking her eyes as she tried to come to terms with what had just happened.
“Right,” she said, grinning like a loony. “That was a kiss. I always wondered.”
Scott saw the light in her eyes, a brilliance that wasn’t there before.
“C’mon,” he beckoned. “We’ve got somewhere to go.”
Phyllis smiled, understanding the reasons why Scott said the things he said. She could see he was as anxious as she was, but was able to dismiss it in ways that were strange to her. But now, she thought, it is time.
“Let's go and get Frell and Drang, they’ll be waiting for us to bring them home!”
Phyllis walked past Scott, almost marching up the gangway towards the door. When she was about half way, she stopped and turned around.
“Hey, General, pick up your feet and get a grip. We have a job to do!”
Scott’s reaction was to release a loud laugh, saying, “That’s my girl. Let’s go and kick some Grey butt!”
She may have been confused and as baffled as ever by this latest statement, but it really sounded good, she thought, turning around to enter the ship with a look of butt-kicking confidence.
He rushed up and placed an arm around her shoulders, entering the ship as a team that was about to give someone a bloody good kicking they’ll never forget.
Chapter nine
The Mothership and its crew were left far behind in the fading distance of stars and distant nebulae, too small and dark to be seen by visual methods. Communication was still an option and the best wishes of all on board was despatched personally by Patricia. She would always remember Scott for the feelings she experienced, doubting if any other man could fulfil the sensations she enjoyed. Lucky Frell, she thought quietly.
Phyllis hovered over the controls, making occasional adjustments where and when required, although not very often. While the pre-programmed destination determined what speed and direction the ship travelled, Phyllis would monitor their progress and check all was well. Her main task was the environment surrounding the organic and living computer that ran all things. It was likened to a brain, living organic cells that could operate and control most of the ship’s functions. It’s survival was largely dependent upon its own intellect, except for one flaw. The cells were incapable of pain, which meant it couldn’t adjust its own environment to ensure its own safety and survival. This was the responsibility of the ship’s pilot. Sensors surrounding, Brian, an anagram of brain, would trigger an alarm if a dangerous or detrimental situation occurred. The crew were at great risk if anything should befall, Brian’s brain.
Scott was shown to his quarter’s, a room that appeared exactly like the one Frell and Belinda had escorted him to, although Frell’s had been a whole lot more fun, he recalled. Belinda had mentioned it would be some considerable time before they would arrive at their solar system destination and he should rest as much as possible. Scott would be informed of their impending arrival before they entered the outer limits so he wouldn’t miss anything of importance. Until then, she assured him, there wasn’t anything to see or do.
Scott recollected the events both he and Frell shared when there wasn’t anything to see or do, wondering what Belinda would be like as a lover. However, he thought, Frell was absolutely gorgeous and he loved her deeply. There wasn’t anything or anyone who could entice him away from her. He would die to save her; he would also die to save Belinda and Phyllis too, he added to his determination. He knew there would be some kind of fight involved with the rescue, and he didn’t have any weapons. He hadn’t asked for any, always hoping something like a ray gun or miniature nuke would be presented to him at some point in time. He still hoped.
Belinda communicated with her base, getting an update of their situation. A greater increase in communication traffic had been detected among the Grey Empire, a possible sign that their departure was known. It was envisaged there might be a trap set for their return to Earth’s system and all precautions were to be taken.
The small asteroid close to Pluto’s orbit was the chosen setting for an ambush. It was perfectly situated for observing the outermost boundary and all craft that might enter from outside. It consisted mainly of iron and nickel, interspersed with basaltic lava and carbon crystals; all frozen solid and as hard as any material could possibly be. The system’s solitary sun was so far away the temperature was at its lowest point. Even water would freeze harder than that of a diamond on Earth.
The ship slowed as it approached the border where communications would cease. Their approach stopped short of the boundary as a final communiqué was despatched. With the last message of departure the small ship gingerly entered into a system of silence, save for the confused signals from Earth and that of interstellar noise. Pulsars kept them on a true course, natural beacons derived from collapsed stars that rotated so quickly with unique frequencies. They were the lighthouses of space whose signals were able to enter the system.
A black ship monitored the approach of the smaller craft that carried the rescue team, waiting for the right moment to catch them. The Grey ship’s commander had been ordered to detain them without harm, especially as their soft endo-skeletal bodies were fragile and needed careful treatment to prevent injury. The male human was the most important of the crew and was to be protected as much as possible, until he was delivered to the Martian base. His body parts were to be saved for the hybrid project. The others could be used for whatever purpose the base could think of.
Belinda had already called Scott to the Control Deck, where his suspicious nature made his concerns audible.
“Belinda, Phyllis,” he said. “If I was to set a trap I would wait for the enemy or prey to approach me before I sprang it. Surprise is a great advantage for attack and capture.”
Belinda stopped the craft, considering Scott’s feelings and advice.
“What would you suggest we do?” she asked.
Scott ran his fingers through his hair while considering their predicament.
“How much trouble would it be if we turned around and left the system?”
Phyllis turned around to look towards Scott, wondering why he would ask such a question.
Belinda picked up her questioning thought and asked, “Why?”
“Because, if I was after a ship, just like this, and in these circumstances, I would plan to intercept it as it entered an area where I would expect it to be; just exactly like this. And as it happens, I’m on board this ship and I’m trained to think ahead, to prepare for any possibility of an ambush or a trap. Therefore, to avoid capt
ure, or worse, you must think like the enemy and how they might plan to spring such a trap.”
“Yes, you have a valid point, Scott. I see what you mean and agree that there is a chance there might be an unseen ship poised to strike. I don’t suppose Frell or Drang had any opportunity to see their abductor so what you say makes perfect sense.”
Belinda began to understand Scott even more since the chances of being attacked or abducted was possible. He was seeing things she could never have envisaged. Belonging to such a peaceful nation she would never have imagined there might be danger in their midst.
“What do you suggest as an alternative then?” she enquired, wondering if there might be another battle in the making.
Before Scott could answer, Phyllis interrupted.
“We could leave and circumnavigate the system, entering from another direction, somewhere completely out of the ordinary, somewhere totally different and well away from the normal point of entry.”
“Bloody-hell, Phyllis, you’re a surprise package you are. A bit of a dark horse too.”
Phyllis had no idea what Scott was referring to. It seemed to her that he now saw her as some kind of a package and a dark four-legged creature called a horse. Her doubts concerning Scott were returning tenfold kiss or no kiss.
Scott recognised her dilemma, realising he’d made another mistake with his earthly references and talk.
“I’m sorry, Phyllis,” he said with a comforting smile. “I’m saying strange things again, aren’t I? You must forgive me. An Earth human wouldn’t have any difficulty in understanding what I’m saying, but you’re not from Earth are you? What I’m trying to say is, you are, or your ancestors were, and you’re not…” Scott paused while realising he was digging a proverbial hole for himself instead of digging himself out of one, as he hoped he might.
An Alien Rescue Page 12