Humans and other Aliens: Book 1

by Winzer, Alexander

  Zoe looked at Amber. “Are you afraid of being killed by the aliens?”

  Amber seemed unsure. “I don’t think so… I don’t worry about it, no…”

  Zoe sat there in silence and again sipped on her tea. “What do you think about this?” She handed Amber Delta’s note and she took some time digesting it. “Whoever wrote that knows that I cannot truly reject this request.”

  Amber looked sad. “I like my life, you know. I like what I’m doing and I’m good at it. Still… when flowers are only used to decorate people’s graves, not their living souls, then it’s time to change your business. Yes… I’ll help you.”

  Zoe felt her eyes start to fill with tears. She thought about Ezrah, or was it this woman who moved her in her loving wisdom and strength. “I’m very happy to hear that, Amber. Thank you!”

  Thirty-Seven

  Jon

  “I’m sorry, but we have to stay inside of this complex. I don’t think it’s wise to risk being attacked and leave the others to… fight the enemy alone.” Jon had cleverly set up a table for two, dimly lit with a couple of candles, in an unused lab, giving it a dreamlike quality, making it look like a scene out of a sci-fi movie from the nineteen-fifties. “I’ve ordered in dinner from a restaurant in ARC’s technology tower. They aren’t very busy since… you know…”

  Eva nodded and took the seat that Jon was holding for her. “This is beautiful.”

  Jon noticed that Eva had put on special makeup and she also wore a beautiful dress, showing off her slim but feminine outline.

  Jon looked concerned. “Maybe I’m a bit underdressed… sorry…” Jon hadn’t had a dinner like this with a woman since his wife died; obviously he was not used to date protocol anymore.

  Eva smiled. “Don’t worry, you look just fine in your fancy ARC uniform. What have you ordered for us?”

  Jon lifted the silver lid off a beautifully arranged dish of salmon sashimi on a salad bed of Thai herbs and sweet lime.

  “That looks divine!”

  “And Australian Semillon from the Hunter Valley.” He poured the light honey-colored wine into her glass. “Thank you for looking so beautiful. It has been a long time since…”

  Eva lifted her glass. “Nastrovje!” She took a big sip. “You know, you’re not the only one that hasn’t had a romantic dinner for a very long time. I can’t even remember…”

  Jon smiled and took Eva’s hand. “It feels strange… but knowing that we both feel the same makes it easier.” He was looking at her in silence when she suddenly laughed out loud. Jon was bewildered at the sudden outburst, but Eva’s laughter helped to dissolve something inside of Jon, something that had been holding his heart in a tight, uncomfortable grip for a long time. He felt a weight dropping from his shoulders as he joined her laughter.

  Eva suddenly looked very somber. “You know, the reason I’ve not had any dates is that I have a rare sickness.”

  Jon was shocked. His eyes twitched as Eva tried to defuse her previous statement. “I’m not really sick… I’m just a carrier of a disease that can be inherited by… my children. If I had any…”

  Jon felt a knot unraveling in his throat. “Oh … that’s great. The thought I could be … well … losing you… What kind of disease is it?”

  Eva told Jon all about the sickle cell trait and how it had prevented the alien DNA from attaching itself to the hemoglobin in her red blood cells.

  “That’s amazing. Have you found out why the alien DNA has been attaching itself to our blood cells?”

  Eva shook her head. “I’ve no idea. We know it’s there, but so far it hasn’t done any harm. I’m not sure if it’s meant as a curse or a blessing.”

  Jon picked up his glass and slowly sipped the fragrant wine. “A blessing… perhaps it is… maybe it’s a sign telling us the way. I think we should talk to Delta about that tomorrow morning. You know, tomorrow afternoon Zoe returns from London and Anil will arrive from Mumbai. They’ll have fourteen new arrivals in tow.” Jon felt sad for Chris. Ezrah had been a good friend and now a man named Anil was completing his job.

  Eva nodded. “I’m curious about these people. I wonder if they’ll be able to fight the aliens.”

  “The problem will not only be if they can fight them but how to find the monsters in the first place.” Jon knew very well that once an alien attacker materialized on one of Ivan’s scanners, no more than a couple of minutes passed before the first human casualties were recorded.

  Jon continued, “What about the portal gun? Let’s assume it works as expected and doesn’t blow up the whole planet… If we don’t travel in the dimension of time, but only in space… maybe…” He started tapping his fork on the table. “Maybe Ivan and Peter can develop a second version of their portal gun that only works as a portal in space, not in time… and maybe then…”

  Eva finished his sentence. “Yes… maybe then we can link it to Ivan’s scanner device and feed the coordinates into the gun. Sounds like a great task for Ivan. He’ll love it.”

  Jon smiled, thinking about the shrewd Russian scientist. “I’m sure he will. Once we have such a device our teams can be at any place in the world in no time… they would actually truly be able to protect us.”

  Jon suddenly felt confident. He sensed that Eva must have noticed the change in his voice. Her eyes glittered. He liked it when this special spark lit up her eyes.

  “See, it’s productive to have dinner with a beautiful lady from work.”

  Jon laughed out loud. “Come here, you beautiful lady.”

  He got up and took her hand, gently pulling her up from her chair. Eva’s face went red.

  “You’re … so beautiful.” He gently kissed her on the lips while his hand firmly supported her back.

  “Jon … I … don’t know if this…” Eva looked confused. Jon knew she had been trying to avoid such a situation for years, since she had been diagnosed with her disease, but now… she suddenly looked fearless; as if she didn’t care anymore about the future. Jon thought he knew very well how she felt. What kind of future did they have anyway? Humanity was slowly being erased from the planet while Eva was still worrying about potentially having children.

  Jon looked at her. “Don’t know…?”

  Eva’s eyes glittered. “No … I mean … yes!” She took Jon’s face in her hands and kissed him passionately.

  Jon felt his heart pumping faster as her breasts touched his chest. He felt her body, smelled her beautiful fragrance.

  Eva looked at Jon and smiled. “Should we eat or do you have other plans?” Jon was not hungry at all, at least not anymore. “I thought we could maybe eat a bit later … I have an aperitif in my room…”

  Eva giggled and led Jon out of the lab towards his room. They walked side by side, trying not to give away too much information to the few people who crossed their path, but Eva’s dress and Jon’s grin were pretty obvious. People smiled at them and started talking quietly once they passed. Jon didn’t care. Eva seemed to care even less and took Jon’s hand.

  So much for keeping it a secret, thought Jon as he opened the door to his room. “Now… where is this drink of yours?” Eva giggled as she dragged Jon into the bedroom.

  “I’m not sure… I think…”

  Eva looked at Jon and he knew the aperitif could wait. He pulled her closer and kissed her on her neck, slowly moving up to her ear while undoing the zipper on the back of her dress. Her skin smelled like lavender and roses, and it was so soft. He took off his shirt and embraced her as he slowly undid her bra.

  His body shivered as she moved her hands up his thighs. He hadn’t felt like this for a long time. It was just beautiful.

  Eva was breathing hard, resting her head on Jon’s chest. He felt relaxed, while at the same time his whole body was vividly alive. This is what he had been missing for so long. A woman whom he loved and who truly loved him. Eva stroked his lower abdomen, playing with the little wisp of hair that curled up from his belly button towards his chest.


  “Now I do feel hungry. Do you think we could have dinner at your lab and dessert … back here…?”

  Jon smiled. “I like the way you’re thinking. Sounds like a great plan.”

  * * *

  Delta was sitting at his usual spot using the holographic display that was built into his desk; he was reading another one of the poems he liked:

  Truth shines in its own death

  The machinery of thought rusting away

  All words just foam on the face of the sea

  Clear skies emerging after the rain

  The skin of a tree peeling in shreds

  Drowned in the conceptions of time

  Far away the horizons collapse

  Lines only crossed by ideas of beyond

  Do not describe this in words of truth

  As nothing will come from this effort of yours

  You suffer from being lost on the path

  Wandering in dreams of foreboding peace

  The wave over there, it looks just like you

  A being raised high by hope and belief

  Will the shore break your bones

  Or fuel your desire for more

  Lost hope is the seed of the end

  An end in blazing glory, embracing it all

  No one will know, for truth has no owner

  The owner has left and with him his deed

  The world is still round, it still has a moon

  Eyes still look and blood still flows

  A smile arises lighting up the void

  Ideas of galaxies collide

  Soon I get tired

  Sleep I must

  I get up and eat

  And again back to sleep

  Delta smiled at the text floating in front of him before facing Jon and Eva. “Good to see that both of you are looking so well.”

  Eva felt that Delta saw right through them. She thought that Jon had noticed it too, as he jumped to his question. ”Do you know about the alien DNA that has attached itself to the red blood cells of most humans?”

  Delta nodded. “Of course I do. Don’t you?”

  Jon was speechless. “No, actually I didn’t know until Eva told me last night.”

  Delta looked at Eva as if he was about to send her a secret message that only she would understand. “Well, so now you know, good… It is nice to take time off occasionally. You both work too hard. You have to reserve some time each day to relax and do something special together.”

  Eva fetched two glasses of water, hiding her face, which was now blushing.

  Jon continued, “Yes, now I do know. So… what is the reason for the DNA structure being there in the first place?”

  Delta looked surprised. “You don’t know that?”

  Eva felt that Jon was close to losing his patience. “Delta, we don’t have time for games. I have a lot to do and don’t really feel like playing hide and seek.”

  Delta shut down his holo display. “You don’t have to worry about the alien DNA inside of your body. It will do you no harm. It truly is a blessing. I have told you about truth, and I have shown it to you. I am sure you remember.”

  Jon now looked calm. He just nodded as Delta continued, “The alien DNA inside of you can do something very similar, it can be used to reveal truth. It works like a catalyst. It will allow the DNA structure I have shown you to override the compromised section. But to be effective and lasting we need the DNA implanted in the past. A plant has to take roots before it can grow. You do remember this task, right?”

  Eva handed a glass of water to Jon who patiently nodded his head while she felt somewhat confused. “What about me? I don’t carry the DNA because of a defect in the structure of my red blood cells.”

  Delta looked concerned. “It will be difficult to protect you, but I will do whatever is in my power to help.”

  Eva felt like a cold piece of metal had pierced her guts. She had never experienced Delta being worried about anything, but now he suddenly looked uncertain and it was her future that he seemed to be concerned about. “You’ll protect me? From what? I thought…”

  Delta took Eva’s hand. “You are safe for now and maybe there will be no need to worry. It depends on him.”

  Eva looked unsure. “On who?”

  “The one that will come once we have succeeded in removing most females from this dimension.”

  Eva thought she knew what Delta was referring to, but she could not help feeling slightly offended. “You want to remove me from this dimension? And all other women as well?”

  “No, Eva, you are not female, only your body is. I am talking about the alien attackers, as you call them. Until now we have only seen the female side of the one. It appears as all the alien ghosts that are giving humanity a hard time right now. We will continue working on removing these beings. We will send them back to where they came from. Ivan and Peter’s portal gun will be very useful for this task. But once a certain threshold is reached the male side will awaken. It’s him we have to worry about.”

  Eva felt sick. “So… the female monsters are not our true problem? There’s something worse to come?”

  Delta looked down at the table. “Yes, much worse.”

  Thirty-Eight

  Team

  Jon stood next to ARC’s public docking area. Zoe and Anil would be arriving any minute, bringing with them the fourteen strangers they had collected in London and Mumbai. Jon hoped that the price they had paid to bring these people to San Francisco was worth it. He knew that Ezrah would not have wanted to save his own life if giving it would result in saving hundreds, maybe thousands, but for now all of this was a remote future possibility.

  Eva was by his side; she looked worried. Delta’s revelations had visibly shaken her. Jon was wondering what could be worse than what humanity was facing already.

  At least Ivan seemed to be all excited when Eva told him about the modifications to the portal gun they had come up with. Ivan immediately ran off to discuss it with Peter who rapidly had become his new best buddy. Ivan needed to bounce ideas off an able and creative comrade and Peter fulfilled this requirement perfectly, plus much more. His mathematical talent bordered on genius and he visibly enjoyed working with someone who was so talented in transferring theoretical ideas into real-life toys. Jon thought they sometimes behaved as if they were two little children who had been given golden keys to a candy store.

  “Here they come.” Eva gently squeezed Jon’s hand as the dock’s locking systems silently clicked into place, securing the four pods that carried humanity’s last hope. Jon and Eva watched quietly while the group of people climbed out of the egg-shaped vehicles. At last Zoe got out of a pod and briskly walked over to Jon and Eva. She looks very sad, thought Jon when Zoe gave them both a big hug.

  “Thank God I’m back. When I heard about Ezrah all I wanted to do was come back… to talk to you… to people who knew him.”

  Chris and Suki now came rushing in as well. “Hello, Zoe, sorry we’re late.” Chris looked tired, but Suki seemed to glow with health.

  Zoe smiled at Suki and went back to the group of people who had attentively watched Zoe’s emotional greeting.

  “This is Anil, who has volunteered to finish Ezrah’s job in Mumbai. He insisted on accompanying his group to San Francisco. I guess he will want to return to his family as soon as possible, right, Anil?”

  Anil nodded and performed his usual Hindu greeting, smiling at Jon and the rest.

  Jon looked at the group. “Welcome to ARC. I’m Jon and I’m in charge of ARC’s efforts in countering the alien attacks that have caused so much grief and despair. I’ll show you to your rooms where you’ll find everything you need for now. We’ll meet again in an hour. This is when we can all get to know each other and I’ll also tell you more about the work we’re doing here.”

  Jon was scanning the group, checking if they had any questions, when a peculiar-looking woman raised her hand. She had piercing blue eyes, long white hair, and extremely pale skin contrasting with her fa
cial features, which revealed her Indian descent. Jon nodded at the young woman.

  “Hello, Jon, I am Anaya. I think I speak for all of us when extending our heartfelt condolences for the loss of your friend Ezrah. He died just before meeting me, so Anil was kind enough to take over. While we’re all very much looking forward to talking to you and your team we’d also like to meet the being that wrote the message that made it essential for us to join your efforts. Would it be possible to see Delta after we have finished our meeting?”

  Jon had expected that these people would be keen to meet the one who was at the core of this undertaking. “Of course. Delta’s looking forward to meeting you all. We will visit him after our meeting and I’m sure you’ll also have the opportunity to talk to him privately over the next few days.”

  Jon pointed to the glass sliding doors leading into ARC’s public reception area. “Please follow me.”

  “They’re a strange-looking bunch of people.” Chris felt like an outsider; he didn’t see any connection to these strangers, but Suki seemed unperturbed.

  “You just have to get to know them. You’ll see that they’re all lovely people, no matter what they seem like on the outside. I’m sure they feel uncertain about you too, considering all the tattoos that you have.”

  Chris remembered how he felt before he got his first tattoo. He was convinced that people wearing these symbols were rebels, maybe even threatening people. For him they carried an aura of danger, a bit like a snake’s red belly being an indication of its perilous nature. The aura of danger and mystery soon gave way to a new normal. He now considered it not much more important than what kind of clothes he was wearing; it was simply an expression of creativity, no ominous attitude attached to it.

  “I guess you’re right… it’s all in the eye of the beholder. I missed you last night.”

  Suki smiled and took Chris’s hand, letting the group of people take the lead, as they slowly walked down the corridor to his room.