by Gayle Keo
“Shit, he signed off, dumb ass,” Marcus muttered. Gillian licked her lips nervously. She did not like what she had heard. Marcus did not seem at all fazed by it.
“Are they going to be able to destroy you?” she asked. She was unable to keep the tremor out of her voice. She could feel he was startled at her words.
“Not at all,” he said with confidence getting up and coming over to her. He put an arm around her comfortably.
“No, they can’t. I did send out a report to my people immediately so they will be taking action soon, I am sure. We may want to go to another location before lunch. However, Earth First will be able to trace the communications, it will just take them awhile,” he assured her.
“What did he mean by the earth being a danger to the rest of the galaxy?” She had to ask. That part of the conversation had unnerved her as much as the idea that Marcus could be destroyed. Marcus was embarrassed.
“They are a pessimist bunch. Where your people are is no different than many different people in the galaxy at this stage of development. Slavery, bigotry and detrimental treatment of your heroes are normal for most species. Don’t worry, my people report to the council directly so it will not impede any progress earth may make in the future. I have a feeling I will be recalled. Of course, I was planning on retiring anyway so it is not a big surprise,” he said. Gillian felt a shiver at his words. Retire? She wondered.
“Retire? You are going to retire?” She asked.
“Yes, that was the main reason for the interview. I was going to retire and hopefully get to know you, my dear. After what had happened, there would be no way I could return now anyway. Everyone believes I am dead at this point. At least everyone on earth does,” he told her. She was touched that she was the one he wanted to finish his career talking too. After the night they had spent, she understood, but felt sad anyway.
“What about us, Marcus?” she asked, managing to keep her voice calm. He saw right through that, however.
“We can continue together, I believe. Whether here or someplace else we will have to decide. Although right now is not the best time to make those decisions. We will have to bug out from here soon and try and stay ahead of them until my backup shows up. Then, my darling, we can decide what we want to do then, how is that?” He asked reasonably. She had to agree.
“Makes sense, I never did understand characters in movies who decide to make serious life choices seconds before the shooting starts. As if there wasn’t a better time for that,” she said rolling her eyes. He laughed and she joined him.
They both finished eating and then they went and tried the blue transfer door. It led to another hut only this one was on an isolated beach somewhere in Africa. It was one of the most beautiful places she had ever been. They ended up playing in the water and having a great time together as the communications net was set up for this location. They had to keep everything separate so it would slow down tracing by the earth first group. As they played, she also interviewed him.
Marcus had come to earth and looked for a means of employment as well as a way to learn about us. He had decided on going to school. Faking the paperwork to make it happen had been easy for his computer systems. As he learned about earth through the humanities programs, he had excelled at football and followed his college time up by going pro in the game. That allowed him the obvious funds to travel during the off season and learn even more about earth. His logic made sense.
“Although I have to say, I considered just finding a good rock band to join. Travel the world and really experience things,” he said with a laugh. She joined him but knew he was serious.
Marcus had also spent considerable time and money in supporting many charities, helping those he considered less fortunate and most in need. His passion showed in everything it did and it was merely a confirmation of what she already had found out about him. He was a man… alien… who had a heart of gold.
“So how can I understand you, Marcus? I can see on the computers that you have a completely different language?” She asked.
“Translator, they are one of the greatest inventions in the last two thousand years,” he held up the small geometric pendant he always wore. It was something he was known for, reportedly wearing it under his jersey during games. Now she knew why.
“I believe that our languages are similar enough that you could learn it as I did yours,” he answered and offered her a beer with lunch.
“Thank you. Actually, talking about similarities, how is it that two species look so closely related?” she asked. She had so many questions she knew she would never get through them all anytime soon.
“That is due to the same gravity and energy requirements of the individual species. My home planet is not exactly like earth, but it is close enough to the things that allow a species to grow that we do look like we could be offshoot species even though we are not. There are many humanoid races and most of them have no connection at all,” he told her and they dug into the lunch that Kirkpatrick had served them.
*****
They had eaten and were sitting around a campfire on the beach. Gillian had never done that before and found it to be as fun as she would have thought. Marcus had heard from his people and they said they were getting close and trying to locate the Earth First people. Due to this, they were both quite surprised when they were embracing, beginning to enjoy each other’s company as they had the night before, when an alarm sounded from the hut and Kirkpatrick was yelling something about proximity alerts. Gillian felt like cold water had been dumped on her hot desires as Marcus took her hand and hey ran up the beach to the hut. Kirkpatrick was on the porch.
“Enemy is about twenty miles out and searching. I don’t know how they could have discovered us but they have, you need to transfer now,” he said. Marcus shook his head.
“It is too late damnit! As close as they are, the transfer will be noticed and possibly tracked. We need to go on foot and hope home base will find us soon. Shit, come on,” he said to both Gillian and Kirkpatrick.
“How did they find us Marcus?” Gillian asked as they ran through the hut to the back door that led into the jungle.
“I don’t know. We have everything set to passive. They shouldn’t have been able to discover anything until at least tomorrow morning. This is very frustrating,” he commented, sounding highly annoyed. Gillian was bordering on fear, remembering the destruction of his house and the place in India. The grabbed a pack off of the back door and ran out into the jungle. They had barely cleared the area when she heard a whine of what she guessed were engines from the other direction. They all hunkered down in the brush as they heard the whining change pitch with a whooshing sound. Kirkpatrick looked confused.
“They are landing,” Marcus told them. “They may be trying to find us instead of destroying us outright,” he whispered.
“That or since they can’t get us by bombing from overhead, they want to find us and make sure when they shoot us,” Kirkpatrick pointed out.
Gillian felt a coldness enter her with his words; she threw up a wall of sarcasm.
“Thanks, man. I am glad you are here to keep the mood light, jeez,” she said. He looked embarrassed and Marcus laughed softly, throwing her a look. Gillian felt a little bad but ran with the other two to keep ahead of the Earth First people.
“We should have some time. They will want to search the base completely before moving on,” Kirkpatrick said hopefully. Gillian reached out and squeezed his shoulder in appreciation of the change in tone.
“That is the hope. Unless they have enough people to split formations,” Marcus said and Gillian sighed. Great, if it is not one of them scaring her it is the other. Marcus obviously felt her fear.
“Sorry, I really do think we have some time so I wouldn’t worry too much,” he said.
“I would!” She heard an unfamiliar voice as they ran into a clearing. There were five aliens standing with large weapons pointed at them. Gillian felt a sudden wish that Surveyors were e
quipped with weapons. Marcus had explained that no surveyors had any weapons, beyond their own strength, since they were on peaceful missions. Gillian groaned and Marcus stepped up between her, Kirkpatrick and the Earth First squad.
“So you are going to kill two sentient earthlings? How can you justify your existence as a group promoting the best for all?” He asked with a rumbling fury in his voice. Only then could she feel the pure rage he must have been suppressing. She trembled to hear it, even though she knew it was in his friend’s defense.
“Hard decisions are sometimes necessary Surveyor. If the regrettable deaths of two earth people guarantee that Earth is closed down for future exploration then it will be worth it,” The leader said.
He was a tall alien, about Marcuse’s size without his bulk. They all wore red jumpsuits and boots but he stood in the center and had a strange badge on his chest. It looked like one of the letters she had seen as part of their alphabet. She assumed he was the leader anyway.
“So you are more concerned with your own agenda and not the lives you say you do. Interesting, you can call it a hard decision but I find most of those are nothing more than people trying to justify their actions. I imagine not your entire group is behind this raid you are leading,” Marcuse said. Gillian did not like how the Earth First guys were tightening their grip on their weapons.
She felt her chest tighten and tears come to her eyes. She felt she was about to die and realized death was a thing to be feared. Her usual defenses against fear were not applicable in this case. She could do nothing except stand there and wait. She trembled and Kirkpatrick moved closer to her side. She felt a comfort knowing he was there and Marcus was doing his best to defend her. She saw Marcus tense, as if he was about to do something drastic. She could actually feel his determination when there was roaring sound and her hair was whipped around by a sudden wind. She crouched with Kirkpatrick and Marcus turned and put his arms around them both as a voice on a loudspeaker boomed.
“Everyone hold positions! This is Fleet command! All earth First operatives throw down your weapons or we will act with extreme prejudice!” The booming voice said. The wind continued to howl and Marcus muttered curses, holding her tight in his protective arms. Some of his determination seeped into her and she lost her tears and her anger and strength came back to her as the wind finally calmed down. They looked up and saw the Earth First people on the ground with their hands over their heads. Light began building around the five people, forming a dome over their position.
“Well it’s about time,” Marcus said looking up. Gillian could not see anyone but he was answered.
“We wanted to wait until they stated their intentions. It will make it easier for a conviction. Earth First will lose all credibility over this incident and cease to be a problem. I don’t know what you were worried about Marcus. We had it under control,” This time it was Gillian who cursed softly under her breath.
They could have told them that! She pushed her hair out of her face. It had completely escaped the tie and she tried to twist it at the nape of her neck. Marcus glanced at her with a wink, her anxiety begin to ease and she grinned. Looking over at Kirkpatrick she saw that he wasn’t even ruffled. How did he do it, she wondered?
Then she heard a laugh. It was a maniacal thing that made her turn back to the Earth First prisoners. One of them was standing under the glimmering dome that covered them. He had a small piece of machinery in his hands and it was beginning to glow.
“Under control do you? You are no match for true determination and conviction,” the leader shouted and began laughing as the device he held began making a strange rumbling sound. Marcus turned to them with panic in his eyes and shoved both Gillian and his butler back the way they had originally come.
“Run! Run!” Shouted and they did. Gillian did not know what that device was but she ran as fast as she could. They had maybe made it halfway back towards the hut when there was an explosion behind her that felt like she was hit in the back with a hot club. She felt herself lift off the ground and fly through the air. She heard herself scream as her shoulder slammed into a tree and blackness took her.
As Gillian came to, she could hear a conversation. She felt pain through her right side, especially her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw she was lying in the bushes. She had leaves tangled in her hair and felt like she had been beaten up. She got to her feet. Her right shoulder was howling pain but she somehow managed to push that aside. Pain just means I am still alive, she told herself grimly. She moved as quietly to the sound of the voices. One of them was a weary-sounding Marcus.
“So kill me then. You have already killed what I love, why let me live? Get it over with, murderer,” he said. Peering through the bushes, she could see Marcus looking about how she felt. Barely keeping his feet and seeming like he had given up on hope. She could not see Kirkpatrick anywhere.
The big Earth First guy was not far from where she was and she felt herself crouch. She had a picture in her mind at how she would finish this. Gillian had no idea if it would work, but she had nothing else and she refused to just give up. She was ashamed at how she had just stood and waited to be shot earlier. Not this time, she told herself viciously.
As she thought it she saw Marcus seem to frown and then his lips twitched. She did not know if he had sensed her or not but she couldn’t wait for the bad guy to know she was there. Without thinking, she burst through the bushes bending low with her good shoulder leading the way, just like she had seen Marcus taking opposing team members down. She connected below the guy’s rear, hitting him with her full weight. It drove him to his knees and he went face first into the dirt.
Her shoulder screamed at her and she rolled to the side gasping and crying out in her pain. She forced herself to remain conscious and saw Marcus pick up the weapon the Earth First leader had held and pointed it down at him.
“If you move I will kill you and not think twice about it. You killed your own people and almost killed a representative of earth. You deserve to die,” he snarled, panting. He glanced over at Gillian and she gave him a weak smile through her pain. He nodded but she could see his concern as he looked back at the now prisoner. When re-enforcements arrived, Gillian let herself go, and everything faded to black again.
Gillian stood on the sand as the sun came up. She was still exhausted, despite the sleep she had got. Her right shoulder was in a mechanical brace that healed the longer she wore it. The rest of her felt bruised but not as bad as she might have been. Marcus was talking to several of his people down by the water where a submersible craft was parked. Kirkpatrick limped up next to her. His leg was in a brace like hers.
“Do you know what you are going to do Gillian?” He asked quietly.
“I don’t know. I know what I want to do but… it is a big decision,” she answered. “Do you?” She returned.
“Oh yes. I have known for years. Marcus made the offer when I decided to stay with him. I have no one here to miss me,” he said.
Gillian nodded thinking the same thing. They had learned that the world thought she had died at the ranch along with the star running back and his butler. It was a strange freedom and she wasn’t sure what to do with it. Marcus laughed at something the small man he was talking to said. She smiled, feeling his joy even from there. Her lover turned and walked back up the beach towards her and his butler. He was all smiles as if he had no care in the worlds. She could understand the feeling.
“They are ready for you Kirkpatrick. You can go on board now if you like. They will be staying here a few more days. The decision was that all movement on the planet should stop for a time, just in case anything was detected. No one believes it was, but better safe than sorry,” he said. Kirkpatrick had a big smile on his face.
“Thank you, my friend, I have been waiting for this for years. See you soon,” he told Marcus. He hugged Gillian and walked down to the craft floating on the water. Marcus didn’t watch him go, he had eyes for Gillian. Gillian watched her friend and b
utler go up the ramp and into the ship. Then she turned to her lover.
“I think I know what I want to do, but there is one thing I want more. Are you sure they can wait a day?” She asked concerned he had arranged it just for her.
“I am sure Gillian. I will support whatever you want to do. I meant what I said before. No matter what happens you have given me a great gift to hold to my breast for the rest of my days,” he told her and her eyes misted up. She felt the same and hugged him. After a wonderful moment holding each other, she broke the embrace.
“Then there is one thing I want more than to be with you for the rest of my life,” she said. He looked hesitant but smiled gamely.
“That is,” asked.
“One interrupted night with you on the beach before things start hopping again. Just one, then I will go anywhere with you!” His smile broadened and she giggled. He scooped her up in his arms and she squealed as he ran up the beach with her. She had a brief moment of reflection that it had been the strangest interview she had ever had.
THE END
Another bonus story is on the next page.
Bonus Story 26 of 36
Hearts of Dust
Her husband was buried beneath a pile of dust and rocks, and it was, by far, the most sensible thing that he had ever done. Lord William Tavers had, until very recently, been in possession of an adventurous spirit, one that he had often imposed upon his wife. His latest imposition had been to sell their very fine estate, and their Charleston townhome, pack their every belonging, and send it out west.
“West,” he had said, his eyes filled with that peculiar light he got, “was where life was really worth living. There are no comforts to soften the blow!”
Personally, Genevieve thought that life was worth living because of the comforts, not in spite of them.