Humans and other Aliens: Book 1

by Winzer, Alexander

  Ezrah felt that Anil was quite proud of his living situation. “That sounds great. One doesn’t need a lot of space when living alone.”

  Anil looked unsure. “No sir, my family lives there as well. I have a wife and five children. The youngest is three years old, a boy.”

  Now Ezrah felt stupid. Why had he assumed that Anil lived alone? His investigative mind was tuned to a New York-style society whereas Indian values and culture seemed to work on a very different scale. He had to be more careful. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

  Anil smiled. “No problem, sir. I tell the same story to most guests from overseas and more than half believe one has to be living by himself if there is only one living room that also doubles up as a bedroom.”

  Anil’s explanation didn’t make Ezrah feel much better. “Any other advice on obvious traps that I should be aware of?”

  Anil looked unperturbed. “Yes, sir, many. Maybe too many to remember them all. I will try to help you… if you hear me clearing my throat like this… hmmmhrrrm… then you should be careful about what you say next. Better to change the subject or remain quiet.”

  Ezrah was not sure if this would be of any help, but he smiled and accepted Anil’s offer.

  The travel pod had reached the closest exit point of Mumbai’s Spiral Highway and now moved twenty meters lower, where the manual traffic took place. Anil pressed a button and the pod’s high-speed protective coating dissolved revealing a view that Ezrah could only describe as a rainbow of utter chaos. A blur of colorful travel pods, every single one unique in its creative and decorative display of Indian symbolism moved in every direction possible. He couldn’t make out any rules of traffic nor a conclusive system of airways that the pods were following. He thought that NYC air traffic was mad, but this took it to a completely different level. “How can you drive in this… chaos?”

  Anil looked at Ezrah, taking his eyes off the traffic that zoomed past at an amazing speed. “Ahh…”

  Ezrah felt that it had been a stupid idea to talk to Anil while he was navigating the pod manually. He broke into a sweat, his hands clasped together tightly, but Anil was perfectly relaxed. “You must know, sir, that here in India we fly our pods like bees in a swarm. They do not crash into each other, do they? It is the same with us. We know even if we don’t watch all the time.”

  Ezrah didn’t understand. Was Anil making fun of him? A swarm of bees… what nonsense. Anil was obviously amused by his nervous passenger, but he now kept quiet while observing the traffic as if it were a pristine mountain lake.

  “We are here, sir. This is the Dahisar River. Mr. Dosh lives in the apartment complex over there. It is an old complex. There are no docks for travel pods. We will have to park in a public space and walk a few hundred meters.”

  Ezrah was not sure he liked the idea of swapping the air-conditioned comfort of his pod for a walk in Mumbai’s humid, late-midday heat. Anil led the way while Ezrah cursed the dark grey suit he was wearing. There’s a good reason why these guys wear white linen dresses, he thought, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead.

  “That one, over there. I hope the lifts are working; otherwise… we will have to climb the stairs. At least Mr. Dosh does not live too high up. I think it’s only the thirteenth floor.”

  Ezrah felt relieved when Anil announced that the lifts were functional, but once he saw the state the machinery was in he started to sweat even more. “Are you sure this will work? I can see the cellar through the holes in the floor and the cables up there…” He was horrified to see rusty wires through a hole in the roof, held together by a weak-looking clamp made of cheap metal.

  Anil was unperturbed. “Nothing to worry about, sir. Mr. Dosh let me know that the lift has only recently been serviced after a cable broke a few weeks ago. Now it is safe again.”

  Ezrah would have prayed to God if he had known which one to choose. All he could muster was a brief, “OK, if you say so,” as he tried to keep his eyes straight ahead, avoiding looking through the gaping holes in the floor and ceiling.

  “This is it. Apartment 1365.” Anil knocked on the wooden door that Ezrah thought had seen better days, some hundred and fifty years ago. Nothing happened for a minute or two.

  “Maybe he’s not home.” Ezrah was ready to leave when the door opened.

  “Hello, Mr. Dosh. My name is Anil and this is Detective Hill. I talked to you yesterday. I’m sure you remember.”

  Kal looked at Anil, then at Ezrah, stepped to the side, and waved them in. “Would you like some tea? Please, I have just made a fresh pot of Masala Chai.”

  Anil accepted, smiling happily while Ezrah was less impressed. He didn’t like the chai tea that many people drank in New York instead of coffee, but this was India, the place of tea. “Thank you, Mr. Dosh. I would love a nice cup of Chai tea. After all we are in India.”

  Kal smiled at Ezrah. “Nice to make your acquaintance, Detective Hill. I would offer coffee, I know you prefer it in America, but I could not find the time to buy any before you arrived. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

  Ezrah looked at Kal in disbelief. Had this little man just read his mind or was it coincidence, a logical conclusion based on his knowledge of American culture?

  Kal led them to a small sitting area, which was nothing more than a few cushions laid out on a rug on the floor, surrounding a metal plate on a wobbly timber tripod.

  Ezrah felt uncomfortable sitting on the floor. He was not used to folding up his legs and holding his back straight without using the backrest of a comfortably padded seat. Anil shook his head in agreement when Kal offered shortbread biscuits. Kal sat down and at last slowly poured himself a cup of Chai.

  It smells delicious, thought Ezrah as he noticed its buttery gloss and took his first sip of the milky brew. “Wow, that’s truly amazing. It’s very different from the tea we have in New York.”

  Kal smiled at Ezrah with his piercing grey-green eyes. “You have come a long way. Anil has informed me of the reason for your visit, but I am not sure I can help.”

  Ezrah was surprised at the sudden change. Kal now looked very somber, the smile he had been wearing before gone. “I have a message for you. From… from an unusual being.” Ezrah handed Delta’s note to Kal who read it attentively. “…join us and help the ones that do not know. Do this for the sake of all beings that live with the taint of ignorance. There will be no reward, no promise of glory, just what needs to be done…”

  Kal smiled and took another sip of his tea. “I’ll come.”

  Ezrah looked shocked. He wasn’t sure if Kal truly knew what this entailed. “OK… so you’re coming with me? You know we’ll be leaving for San Francisco in three days and… we don’t know when you’ll return.”

  Kal seemed to be unfazed. “It doesn’t matter where I am. One place is not better than any other. When life calls the echo answers.”

  “OK, but…”

  Anil cleared his throat.

  “… but … nothing really. I’m glad that you’ll be joining us. We’ll pick you up Friday at 10 a.m.”

  Kal only nodded. He was done talking. Ezrah felt uncomfortable sitting in silence drinking tea and eating biscuits, but after a few minutes he felt a profound sense of peace manifesting inside of him. I have never felt this relaxed before, he thought. Is the man over there responsible for that?

  Kal suddenly looked up. “I have to attend to a few things before I leave. I’m sure you will find your way out when you are ready. It was a pleasure to meet you.” Kal got up and left the room closing the door to another room behind him.

  That was strange, thought Ezrah. He just left us sitting here… But again Anil seemed to have no problem with Kal’s behavior. He simply kept on enjoying his tea.

  “Where would you like to go next?” Anil smiled at Ezrah who took a few seconds collecting his wits.

  “Ms. Indrani Sodhi, BJ Road, Bandra.”

  Anil nodded. “This will be very different. It is a rich area.”

  Ezr
ah’s legs felt like jelly. He had to get up and stretch out his muscles “Good! Let’s go!”

  Ezrah climbed into their strangely somber-looking CATI travel pod; its shiny, silvery surface stood in stark contrast to most other pods, which were painted in colors reflecting Indian life and culture.

  “Anil, can you please bring up the details for Ms. Sodhi? I’d like to have a look before meeting her.”

  Anil quickly programmed her address into the navigation system before connecting the display with Ezrah’s device that held the required data.

  “Oh my God, look at her face!” Ezrah was shocked. “The poor woman…” He stared at the face of a woman who must have suffered severe chemical burns to her face and upper body.

  “There are more photos. This one is a few years old.” Anil brought up a more recent photo.

  “Are you sure this is the same person?” Ezrah was stunned. She looked beautiful.

  “Yes, it is Indrani. Her parents own a few chemical factories. She was injured in one of their labs about eight years ago. Her face and most of her upper body were exposed to a substantial amount of sulfuric acid. It basically dissolved…”

  Ezrah felt sick. “I can see what it has done to her. But look at her now.”

  Anil nodded. “Her parents are very rich. They paid for the best surgeons. It took about three years, in total, but now she is even more beautiful than before.”

  Ezrah took a big sip of the water sitting in the pod’s drinks chiller.

  “She quit her job with the chemical company and purchased a lot of land outside of Mumbai where she operates organic farms run by local families. The lion’s share of the profit is for the benefit of the families. She only takes a small cut to run the business. Indrani normally lives at one of the farms, but she has agreed to meet us at her old apartment in Mumbai. She thought it would be easier for us.”

  Anil exited the highway and navigated the pod to a spacious docking station on top of a massive glass tower overlooking the Arabian Sea.

  “Good afternoon! I am Janaki. Please, sirs, follow me to the sitting room.”

  Ezrah was amazed at how different the rich and the poor conducted their lives. Everyone was aware of the social difference, but nobody seemed to have a problem with it. Everyone was happy, smiling, and perfectly welcoming; no matter their social standing. He thought about New York where poor people did their best to make you feel bad about their difficulties while rich people on the other hand were keen to impress you with their status symbols. India was different; it was not that people didn’t display their amazingly expensive property, but it was done in a way that wasn’t pretentious. It was natural to be either rich or poor; it wasn’t the basis of one’s happiness, it simply was as it was, no reason to complain.

  “May I offer you a drink? Maybe some tea, coffee, or something cold?”

  Ezrah was surprised. They did have coffee here after all. “I would love a coffee, strong and black with one sugar. Thank you, Janaki.”

  The Indian woman smiled, folded her hands, and lowered her head.

  “See Anil, there is coffee in India after all. I knew it.”

  Anil seemed to be happy about his enthusiasm. “Yes, Ezrah, but it is not as good for you as our tea.”

  “Please, take a seat while I prepare your refreshments. Ms. Sodhi will be with you in a few minutes.”

  Ezrah was glad to find a comfortable lounge chair where he could rest his tired back and stretch out his long legs in a position that didn’t make him feel like one of these Indian fakirs lying on their bed of nails. Anil settled down on a slightly less impressive wooden chair, sitting with his back straight, not touching the backrest.

  “Hello, Detective, Anil, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. Please call me Indrani.” Ezrah got up from his seat, greeting the slim, beautiful woman who looked like she had jumped out of a Bollywood movie.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Anil simply folded his hands and lowered his head as Ezrah continued, “I guess Anil has told you why we’re here?”

  Indrani nodded. “He has told me about your quest. You’re trying to build some kind of army to fight the alien beings that are attacking us globally. While this sounds like a noble undertaking I’m not sure how I can be of service. Why are you talking to me and not to people that have been trained in the arts of defending themselves?”

  Ezrah considered handing her Delta’s note, but he thought it best to first explain a few things. “Unfortunately the alien ghosts cannot be dealt with in the conventional way. They aren’t affected by any of our weapons. But there are people that are immune to the alien attacks and they can again protect others; so far we have found only two people that have this special gift. I have personally survived an alien attack only because of my friends Chris and Suki who were able to deflect the alien aggressor. I would not be here without them. We believe you may have the same gift. I’d like to ask you to join us in San Francisco and help us save more people. To save the world from the alien invasion.”

  “Sir, your coffee, black, one sugar.” Janaki carefully placed his coffee on the table in front of him.

  This really does look like a good cup of coffee, thought Ezrah, while fetching Delta’s note from the pocket of his jacket.

  “I have this message for you. It was written by Delta, our… spiritual leader.”

  Now Indrani looked surprised. Ezrah was sure she hadn’t expected an American police officer to have anything to do with spirituality.

  Indrani studied the note while slowly walking over to the chair opposite of Ezrah and Anil.

  “…this message is delivered as a reminder, a reminder that when a decision has to be made the heart should be followed… …if this message touches your core you will know what to do.”

  Her eyes glittered with moisture. “I experienced much pain and suffering a few years ago. It changed me. Now I even consider this accident that melted away the skin of my face as a form of grace. It has changed my perspective. It was a catalyst… I recognize the one that wrote these words.”

  She looked down at the floor, weighing up her options. “I feel a responsibility towards my family, not to my physical family, they do not need me, but to my family that live on all the farms. I’ll have to organize a few things, but I see that your endeavor is more pressing. You have asked for my help… I will give it.”

  Ezrah was truly amazed at how easy this was. He was starting to appreciate Delta’s letter. Who knew if these people would have agreed to help if not for his cryptic message. “Thank you, Indrani! I’m glad you decided to join us.” Ezrah thought he could spot sadness in Indrani’s eyes, a sadness that made her look even more beautiful.

  “Anil, please take me to the hotel. I think two visits is enough for today.”

  Anil nodded. “Yes, sir, your hotel is very close by, the Taj Land’s End is a very nice place.”

  Ezrah was glad he would have some time to recover; the last few days had been intense. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow, 8 a.m., for another six visits.”

  Anil folded his hands in the usual way and jumped back into his travel pod leaving Ezrah at the entrance of the impressive hotel.

  Twenty-Nine

  Peter

  “I wish you all the best. I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time.” Professor Dvorak smiled at Peter who was just about to leave the university lab, a place that had become more familiar than the apartment he had been living in since starting his studies in Vienna some seven years ago.

  Peter was looking forward to this new adventure, but he was also nervous and even a little bit afraid. What would it be like to work in a world-acclaimed institution with a team of scientists so much more experienced than him?

  It’ll all be OK, they’re also just human, thought Peter while he made his way down the corridor and past the canteen, a place where he had been having a quick lunch since… since I was in my first year of studies… seems like yesterday.

  Peter walked down the stairs towards the exit. H
e turned around one more time, looking back at the university building, just before stepping onto the travelator that took him down to the subway station. I’ll miss you Vienna. You’ve given me much joy. I hope I’ll see you again soon. Auf Wiedersehen!

  * * *

  “Today’s Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna nonstop to San Francisco will take three hours and forty-five minutes.”

  “Mr. Steiner?” A blonde air hostess dressed in a red and white uniform smiled at Peter. “I have a message for you.”

  Peter took the transparent piece of data-foil and put it in his jacket pocket. “Thank you. Do you know who sent it?”

  “No, sir, this is a private message. We’re not allowed to know. It’s for your eyes only.”

  Now Peter was becoming nervous; this trip seemed to be more important than he initially thought.

  Peter waited for the stewardess to turn around and attend to the next passenger before he took out his holo tablet and placed the data-foil on the glass surface that doubled up as a scanning device.

  An ARC welcome message appeared informing him about the upcoming journey as well as his first day at his new workplace. Ms. Venetti, a CATI agent, would be picking him up from the airport and delivering him to ARC where he would be allocated a room directly at the research facility.

  Sounds just like living at the campus at MIT, thought Peter. He had fond memories of his semester as an exchange student overseas. There was just as much time for partying as there was for studying; it was an essential part of student life. I guess there won’t be any partying this time, thought Peter, forcing his attention back to his afternoon agenda which was already jam-packed with work meetings. Dr. Iris Bell, Dr. Jon Adams, Dr. Eva Ouspensky, and some guy called Delta, no last name. This was the official part, which was followed by a three-hour technical meeting with a man called Ivan Kuznetsov.

  Why are they so secretive about this agenda? Doesn’t look like classified information to me… Peter felt that he was missing something. Maybe this was a test. Maybe there was more to be found in this little data-foil than just his first-day agenda. Peter put down his tablet and had another close look at the card.