Shattered nerves combined with despair caused Mona to break down and sob uncontrollably. This was the worst position she’d ever been in. She was frightened beyond belief. She felt that no other human in the world knew what she was up against and that nobody had ever suffered through this before. Even worse, if she had someone to talk to, there was nothing she could tell them. They wouldn’t believe her. For a few minutes, she continued a silent tirade, wallowing in self-pity. Suddenly, an idea came into her mind, which changed her way of thinking.
She was strictly on her own. This was a challenge for her to come up with unknown resources. She’d had problems before and had always worked them out. Why should she let this get the best of her? Problems were things to be solved. Acknowledging that somehow reassured her.
Back to normal with a positive attitude, Mona got up, brushed the tears aside, and vowed to overcome whatever obstacles were put in her path. It was as if the future of all the world depended on how she handled this crisis. A rejuvenated Mona felt that she would do what she had to do. At that moment, rising to the occasion was more important than her own well-being. She anticipated that if she failed, the whole world might come to an end. She couldn’t let herself fail. She pushed on.
Common sense basics took over. How do you get anywhere? Mona asked herself. Then she answered. Well, you just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you’re bound to go forward. So that’s what she did until she found herself at the back of Tim O’Hara’s house.
Seeing that house was such a relief that Mona said a silent prayer of thanks. As she drew closer, she heard loud voices drifting out of the bedroom window. What was being said, she could not tell, but there was no mistaking the fact that a big fight was in progress.
Just as she sneaked up behind the outhouse, Mona saw Tim O’Hara jump into his pickup truck. He wheeled out, leaving the dust flying behind him.
Mrs. O’Hara was right on his heels. She tore out of the house, left the back door flung wide open, and chased after Tim in her car.
That was a lucky break for Mona. She looked around to see if the howling dog lived here, but she saw no animal nearby at all. She reasoned that the couple must have been the only people in the house because she’d heard only two voices. The argument certainly was too loud for anyone else to sleep through. Anyway, she had to take a chance.
But as she entered the back door, she had second thoughts. Suppose someone is inside, she wondered. What am I going to do? As it turned out, her concern was totally unnecessary. Mona was alone with free access to whatever she chose to take. As she emptied the kitchen by filling plastic bags with staples and canned goods, Mona had no interference. The O’Haras were too busy racing down the road to care about their house being burglarized.
Loaded down with a bag under each arm, Mona left the house just as she’d found it — except for missing food — with the back door flung open. Since the cupboard was so full, Mona suspected that it might be a while before the theft was discovered. It was a consolation that at least she wasn’t stealing from anybody in need. It was also encouraging that finding the way back shouldn’t be nearly as hard as difficult as the trip there had been. This time, she knew where she headed and what she looked for, and she had paid close attention to the route. She headed due south and hoped her bearings were correct. With any luck, she should be back at the ship in no time at all. But she did not know what would lie ahead.
Back at the landing site, unfamiliar sounds were emitting from the ship’s radio. At first, Eric thought it was the Aliens trying to cause interference, but soon he realized that the noises were different. These sounds came from far away. Listening closely, he tried to determine what they were.
Lydia and Marcus noticed the difference, too. All three sat around the radio, hoping to receive some clue as to what was happening. Marcus expressed a suspicion none of them wanted to admit.
“The last time I heard such a transmission was in communication with one of our ships to another from Svar.”
Lydia nodded agreement, and Eric remained thoughtfully silent.
“If this is the case,” continued Marcus, “then we may be in for trouble because it means that our other ships have been confiscated and activated by the Aliens. And unless they mean to cause trouble, they would not come to Earth.”
“But let’s not assume too much,” Eric cautioned. “We have been gone from Svar so long that these could be sounds we have forgotten or new ones that we are just unfamiliar with. We must not be too hasty. That could make a problem where none exists.”
“Why would the others come here, Eric? They know no way to survive.” Asked Lydia, more or less convinced that her husband was right.
“Oh, it’s not unreasonable to assume that they discovered a way to survive just as we did, Lydia. In fact, they may have found a way that is more effective than ours. Perhaps they have reversed their bodily appearance, too. If so, they could live here on Earth with no questions asked. All they would have to do was land and abandon ship. Melting into society would be a simple matter.”
When Marcus started to protest, saying, “We haven’t been gone that long,” Eric held up his hand.
“If they have been successful, it is true that they worked much faster than we did. But if they discovered the hiding place for our scientific experiments and took over from there, then it is entirely possible that they worked out the rest of the solution. We were fairly close, you know.”
Lydia did not like what she heard. She did not want to believe that was so. She left the radio and distracted herself by counting out the pills. Not many were left, and if Mona did not return soon — well, that was another problem. But if those suppositions about the approaching space vehicles were true, none of them might ever have to worry about anything again.
From the radio came a loud screeching noise. Eric tuned frantically, but no voices could be heard. The jumble coming through told them that somewhere behind all that static, someone attempted to communicate. Finally, the air cleared, and Eric heard a discernible sound. Much to his surprise the voice with a country twang said, “Hey there, good buddy. I’m shore surprised to find anybody out there. ’Cept for a few o’ us die-hards, ain’t heard nobody on this here C.B. lately. Guess they all taken to usin’ them cell phones. So — what’s yoah handle? And what do ya think about this hear Hurricane Dennis comin’ our way?”
Since the craze on Citizen’s Band radios had long since gone out of vogue, Eric did not really understand what the man wanted to know. Instead of replying, he tuned to a different frequency. The strangeness of the air waves brought something unexpected, he was certain of one thing: the voice on the air was not that of a citizen of Svar.
Just then another voice spoke, “Eric, if this is your idea of a way to thwart us, you are badly mistaken. Why do you think we would fear a man on your ship with a handle? You are being ridiculous. I must assume that this is good news for us. Because if you are deteriorating from lack of adequate nourishment, it means you are running out of pills. Since we have plenty,” Torpi lied, “just let us know when you wish to surrender. Agree to give us all of your secrets and we will do what we can for you.”
It was the longest speech Torpi ever made, and it may well have been the most important. Eric thought that Torpi bluffed. If Torpi brought up pills, that meant they were on his mind. If so, there was a reason. Eric suspected that the reason was that they were short of pills, too.
Good, thought Eric. That evens the score. He thought that his own group really had the edge. Mona had gone for food. He had no way of knowing that they had forced Rob to do the same thing. Both groups were in identical positions. Mona had gone willingly, and Rob had gone because his life was at stake. It was highly probable that both would return.
Over in the corner, Lydia was thinking. The Aliens exhibited boldness, but do they really have any way to back up their threats? Did her husband really believe they would be so brutal as to destroy humanity? Was there a real reason to prophesy doo
m? Eric’s concern baffled her. These were all people who escaped Earth years ago and banded together to search for another land. Torpi was one of them. Could these peace-loving people change so radically? That was difficult to believe. Still, history proved that it had happened before.
What bothered Lydia most was Eric’s doubt of the loyalty of those he left behind on Svar. Oh, he had not said that exactly, but she detected that he feared that they might join forces with the Aliens and come to Earth with the intention of overthrowing him.
As if reading her mind, Eric walked over to his wife and said, “Our danger is twofold. We may be attacked by the Aliens or by our own cohorts. While we were gone, Torpi may have persuaded our people to join his group.”
Taking Lydia’s hand, he added, “I have not told you this before, but I know there is a hidden cache of weapons on Svar that I fear Torpi knows about. By weapons, I do not mean handguns or the like. These are more powerful than any atomic bomb. They were kept to defend Svar should the need ever arise. But if this arsenal falls into the wrong hands, or if anyone on Svar, on either side, chooses to use them, all of our efforts to return to Earth will have been in vain.”
Marcus heard his words, too. Eric lowered his head and allowed them time to absorb the full meaning of what he said. He continued. “So, even if Torpi and his men do not have the technology necessary to destroy humanity, other means are available to them.”
Visibly disturbed, he continued in apology. “I have been so stupid. I do not deserve to be your leader. I brought nothing, not one weapon or even a plan for designing one powerful enough to combat an enemy. All we have are the guns Mona gave us. If we are attacked and destroyed, then I am to blame.”
Lydia put her arm around her husband’s shoulder. “Eric, Eric, do not blame yourself. Whatever will be is fate. We were all unhappy on Svar. Perfection is not satisfaction. Even death will be better than a dull, nonexistent existence.”
But the knowledge that so many lives were in danger hung over Eric like a cloud. He could not accept the consolation his wife offered.
Marcus’s mind wandered elsewhere. It was strange. Just a short time ago, they were all on another planet, bored and frustrated, even though all their needs were provided for. They had searched until the found a way — a dangerous way — to escape. In their hope of finding a challenging, rewarding life, they also found the possibility of death. When death seemed out of reach on Svar, it was desirable. Now that it threatened, it became unwanted. The will to live still inhabited their bodies.
Marcus put the feeling into words. “I can see that you all feel as I do. On Svar, when we could not die, or we had no way to be assured of a reasonable time of death, then we all wanted to” — he struggled for the right words — “to terminate our lives when the proper time came. We had no desire to be immortal, especially in the face of a do-nothing existence. Now, we suddenly feel differently. The possibility of losing our lives seems imminent, so we have changed our minds — we do not want to die. We must decide what we can do to prevent its happening.” He turned to his leader. “Eric, do you have any ideas?”
Eric replied, “Of course, you all realize that although the possibility that the arsenal has been discovered is great, we do not know that for a fact. However, we must acknowledge that whatever weapons the enemy has may make us more susceptible to wounds — more so here on Earth than on Svar.” He looked grim. “Yes, we are in great danger. This is a precarious position to be in. And if Mona does not return soon, we may have to lift off without food.”
All of them realized the gravity of the situation. Problems seemed to be multiplying. If they were going to leave, it would have to be soon. Marcus opened his mouth to speak just as another sound blared out of the radio. Once again, the static prevented any clear communication. Marcus kept silent.
Although it was against his nature, Eric was frightened. More than ever, that sounded like one of their ships. Something had to be done. To the others, he offered this suggestion. “Assuming that this ship — or those ships — are from Svar, we have three alternatives. We must decide immediately what to do, as any delayed action will give Torpi’s group just the edge they need.
“We can stay right here in the ship and hope the newcomers are on our side and that they have come to help, not harm, us. Secondly, we can lift off and try to get back to Svar before them. If our own troops are still siding with us, by now they may have found a way to help. I have many weapons hidden in different places. It is unlikely that all were found by the Aliens. The last choice would be to deplane and try to meld in this earthly society. If we split up and passed ourselves off as freaks of nature, there is a slim chance that we would be believed. If so, perhaps someday the change in our appearances that we so hope for would come about.”
A squawking interrupted their conversation. It was Torpi again. “Quit playing, Eric,” he shouted. “I have no patience with your infantile attempts to frighten us.”
Torpi heard the noise on the radio, too. Pursing his lips, Eric surveyed the situation. Obviously Torpi did not know what was happening either. That meant that the other ships could be on either side. It gave some hope. Still, Eric knew he must not assume anything. Complacency could be fatal.
“Is your shadow frightening you, Torpi?” he countered.
That statement produced the expected results. “Nothing frightens us,” Torpi steamed back. “We have the advantage. I told you before that we are not scrupulous about using what we have. We will also use our prisoner any way we need to. And we will carry out our other threats, too. Do not underestimate us, Eric.”
Angrily realizing that he had been provoked into making a statement, Torpi hastily added, “But we have no need to do anything yet. However, if we do, we will not hesitate.”
Already clued in, Eric called the bluff. If Parker had been sent out, he needed to know. “Let me talk to Parker, Torpi. I have a question to ask him.”
“He is sleeping. But even if he were awake, I would not let you talk to him. In fact, we may dispose of him as soon as his usefulness ends.”
Torpi was drawn into a trap. By baiting him, Eric found out what he wanted to know. He felt sure that Rob Parker was not in their ship and he bet that Parker, too, had been sent for food. That put a completely different complexion on the picture. If anything happened and the ships had to lift off, at least they would not be taking Mona and Rob along. Somehow, it did not seem right to jeopardize their lives, too.
But Eric couldn’t dwell on such things. His sharp hearing told him there was no longer any doubt. A call coming over the radio was decisive. The noises they had been hearing were definitely from Svar. The only remaining problem was deciding which side they were on.
Chapter 8
BEFORE MONA COULD SCRAMBLE to her feet, she knew it was too late. She’d lingered a little too long near the roadway. That rest had gotten her caught.
A tan and brown County Sheriff’s car pulled up beside her. “What are you doing out after dark all by yourself, young lady?” asked the bearded deputy in a husky voice. He leaned his head out of the window and looked her over good. She was a little older than he first thought. Still, she was a good looker. He was not sorry he stopped.
Mona thought fast. “I just came from my cousin’s house down the road — the O’Hara’s.” Glad she’d remembered the name on the mailbox, she faked a country accent as best she could. Now, if the deputy just hadn’t noticed that no cars were at the O’Hara’s, maybe he’d let her go.
The man was so intent on keeping the conversation going that he didn’t mention cars. “Well,” he said, “it’s just not safe for a young girl to wander out here in these woods at night, you know. Say, those bags look heavy. Where ya headed?”
“Oh, nowheres, really. I’m spending the weekend there.” She pointed to the house. “They had a fight, so I jus’ stuffed my things in these bags and got outta there.” The tops of the bags were turned down, so he couldn’t see what was in them and didn’t know that Mona
told him a lie. “Anyways, if I didn’t take my things, they wouldn’t think I wuz gone. I’m goin’ back. I jus’ thought I’d rest a spell — let things cool down. Might scare ’em a little if they think they can’t find me.”
He bought her story. Maybe she was just a kid after all. He decided not to disillusion her with facts. From the experience he’d had with the O’Hara’s over the years, he knew that couple lived fighting and they’d die fighting. Tipping his hat in dismissal he said, “I know you’ve heard that a hurricane’s on its way. You better get back to the house now,” and drove on down the road.
As soon as she was out of sight of his rear view mirror, Mona turned into the woods, vowing to take no more rests until she reached her destination. That was a close call.
A screeching owl went, “Who, Who,” and Mona looked up to see his eyes glaring down at her from a tree. Somehow, the woods didn’t seem so formidable any more. She’d become accustomed to the various animals’ and insects’ auditory expressions. She was no longer afraid of them because so many other things were much more frightening.
Everything is relative, she thought. A month ago, the prospect of being alone in the woods would have terrified me. Hell, just a few hours ago, it did, too. Now, all I care about is getting back to the space ship — she laughed at the ludicrousness of the idea — and saving my friends. My friends? As a matter of fact, they were.
Time Will Tell Page 10