by K. L. Wallen
“Give Carlie and her brother translators. Let me know the results of the physical when you have completed them. I’ll be most interested in the brain scan. Let’s see if their brain operates differently than a normal human.” Commander Dorn Gharm returned to the bridge.
Favian worked with Tyce to change Justin’s clothing first. Favian then went to Carlie with the garment Blaize offered. “Adal, I’ll hold her up while you change her clothes.”
“No, I’ll hold her up,” Tyce all but shouted. He pushed Favian aside and gently lifted Carlie up. Her head rolled to the side and he wished he had another arm.
“Close your eyes,” Adal instructed. She grinned at how tightly Tyce closed his eyes once he made sure the other male warrior’s eyes were closed. She proceeded to give him instructions as she went along and was impressed at how he didn’t once look. “As soon as I adjust her dress,” her sentence drifted off. “I’m done. Tyce, you may open your eyes. Favian, you can come back over here.”
Favian finished inserting the translator, tracker combination into Justin, then inserted the same into Carlie’s ear canal. “We’ll have to move them to medical for the brain scan. Might as well finish their physicals there as well.” He injected each of them with a sedative to keep them under while he completed the exams. “Adal, I want you in the room when Carlie wakes. I’ll com you when it’s time.” Favian picked up Justin, while Tyce carried Carlie.
Chapter 14
“Varun, put the monitors Blaize set up at his meeting place on the screen.” Commander Gharm wondered if he should increase his bet before it were too late. Now that Carlie and Justin were aboard and resting, he allowed Blaize to transport to his prearranged luncheon with Gabriella Mendez-Powers.
Adal rushed to the bridge so she could watch also. Ivanoff, Rort, and Maxon also joined the growing crowd. Adal took out her data pad and verified everyone’s bets. She was the lone bet in favor of a successful meeting.
*.*
“Hey, you can’t put those in there. They haven’t been banded,” ordered the manager of the posh Beverly Hills restaurant.
“Well I just did,” replied the deliveryman as he finished dumping both crabs and lobsters into the tank.
“You’re fired.”
“I don’t work for you,” challenged the delivery person.
Gabriella wished she could set the crabs and lobsters free. She watched as the delivery person held up his middle finger to the manager on his way out, and the manager take a far too small net for the unbanded crustaceans off the wall. He tried unsuccessfully to remove one of the new additions. He then tried another one to no avail. Gabriella diverted her attention when she heard her name being spoken.
“Ms. Powers.” Blaize announced his presence in a low, deep, seductive voice that Gabriella appreciated. He maintained eye contact with her as he reached out and took Gabriella’s hand, but before he could get more than a quick feel of her soft skin, he was swatting away the crab that the portly manager lost control of.
Blaize swung the back of his hand a little too heartily, expecting another unprovoked attack like the horned lizards.
Gabriella stood still and watched in amazement as her client’s hand hit the fish tank. She knew that had to hurt.
The tank wobbled and then toppled. Gabriella was surprised, given the weight that the tank moved at all; much less, that it fell towards their direction and not backwards. Gabriella took a big step back to avoid being hit by the falling tank. Clair, she mentally chagrined.
Water soaked hers and Mr. Pulten’s lower legs. The manager and hostess attempted to jump out of the way. The manager wasn’t as quick as the hostess was, and fell on his ass. He let go of a high-pitched squeal when one of the lobsters pinched his chest. The entire event was worthy of its own YouTube video.
Water, crabs, and lobsters sloshed around Gabriella’s feet. Not surprisingly to her, not even one of them attacked her exposed toes or legs. However, they did go after her new client with gusto. This also was not surprising, given her two, attached at the hip, supernatural teammates.
“Reschedule for Monday?” she offered.
“Very well, I’ll send you a message with the time and place,” Blaize conceded. He didn’t wait for the eager assistant manager to pluck the few sea critters that insisted on attaching themselves like ornaments off of his pants legs. With as much dignity as he could muster, he turned and walked out. At the last minute, he turned and watched Gabriella.
Gabriella squatted down and scooped an un-banded crab into her right hand and an un-banded lobster into her left hand. “I’ll just take these as payment for my destroyed shoes,” she told the manager.
“But, but,” the manager exasperatedly choked out.
Gabriella interrupted, “You’re right. These are expensive shoes. I’ll take a couple more.” She signaled for the assistant manager to pick up two more. Together, they walked out. When she reached her car, she set the prized crab and three lobsters on the floorboard and then drove straight to the pier. “Clair, clear the way for me and keep them breathing,” she mumbled.
*.*
“That was quick,” Adal moaned as she calculated her losses. “Are you going to try one more time?” She held in her laugh when Blaize nodded and returned the transporter to the hidden cabinet on the bridge.
“That’s probably all I’ll get before Kodiak arrives,” he grumbled back.
The others weren’t as kind as Adal with their remarks.
Before the lift door closed, Varun called out, “You won’t have to wait until Monday. I’ve confirmed lunch with Gabriella tomorrow. She’s available. Choose the place and I’ll set it up.”
*.*
“Rort, I’ve spoken with Conall MacKenna and know where this Gatorland, Lazey-ana is!” Ivanoff was smiling. “Gatorland is a reference to alligators. Lazey-ana is Louisiana. Conall said the females at the psychic fair were cruelly making fun of where your potential honored guest lives.” Ivanoff was now frowning.
Rort looked quizzically at his father. “What are alligators? Is this Louisiana far?”
Ivanoff flashed back to Phataz and Traven’s trip to the Amazon Rainforest. “If Conall is correct, you will be going to a dangerous place. Louisiana is not far. There will be much to prepare.” He blew out a breath.
Chapter 15
Favian ushered his commander and Adal into medical room 1 where Carlie and Justin rested. “Before I wake them up, I wanted to tell you their physicals came back normal. Their brain scans came back normal also. Perhaps when we have more honored guests I’ll be able to spot an anomaly that I’m just not seeing now.”
Dorn walked over to the machine and scanned through the medical computer readouts. “Nothing in here to indicate an anomaly?” He stopped scanning when Favian confirmed that the machine didn’t designate any abnormal readings. “Wake Honored Guest Carlie Longwood first.”
Adal and Tyce took up positions next to her bed while Favian injected the sedative’s counter agent. “Don’t panic,” Adal softly reassured the human female as her eyes fluttered. “You are safe Carlie.”
Carlie turned her head to the nice woman’s voice and blinked several times before leaving her eyes open. “Where am I? Is Justin okay?” Her tone clearly vocalized panic and confusion.
“You are both fine,” Adal reassured her. “Justin is in the bed next to you. My name is Adal Lucia. I am very pleased to meet you.” She gave Carlie a comforting smile.
Carlie moved her head quickly to the other side, seeking out her brother. “Justin?”
“He’s still asleep,” Tyce informed her. “We’ll bring him around soon. We thought you might like to speak with us first.”
She watched the handsome alien from the psychic fair and in her dreams talk to her. “The movements of your mouth don’t match the words I’m hearing.”
Tyce switched to Pzianian and spoke to her. “I’ll speak in my own language so you are not confused. Can you understand me?” He smiled when she nodded. “My name is Tyc
e Owynn. I am the Interspecies Relations Officer for the Guardian Spaceship.” He intentionally substituted the word warship on Ivanoff’s advice.
Carlie brought both of her hands up and ran them through her hair on top of her head. “We didn’t escape you.” She lowered her arms and asked, “Did you harm my brother?”
Commander Gharm stepped up to the end of the bed. “Honored Guest Carlie Longwood, I am Commander Dorn Gharm. I assure you we did not harm your brother and will not harm either of you. The two of you are here as guests of the Pzianian Empire.” He searched her face for acceptance and didn’t find what he had hoped. “I hope that you will give us a chance to explain. If, after we explain, you wish to return, we will return you. We will erase memories of your time here but that is all we will erase. You have my word as an officer of the Pzianian Fleet.” He gave her a few long seconds to absorb his words before asking, “Will you please give us a chance to explain?”
Tyce let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding when she nodded her agreement. “Ms. Longwood, would you like us to bring your brother out of his sleep now?”
Carlie’s expression softened. “Yes. And please call me Carlie. Ms. Longwood makes me sound old. My brother’s name is Justin.” She turned her head and watched as one of the aliens went to her brother and pressed something against his shoulder. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I should be with him,” she remarked as she lowered herself.
“Let me help you,” Tyce all but pleaded. He moved to the opposite side of the bed and steadied Carlie as she set her feet on the floor and walked the two steps to her brother.
“Where are my clothes?” Carlie cautiously asked. She was relieved when the woman alien explained that she was the one who changed her clothes so their healer could perform a physical examination. “Thank you for being there,” Carlie politely replied after her explanation.
Justin saw Carlie first. He shook his head as if trying to rid himself of cobwebs. “Carlie? Were we in an accident? All I remember are those fuckin’ aliens.”
“They took us,” she replied. “We’re with them. They are here.” She brushed his hair off his forehead just like she had done nearly every day of his life. “Are you okay?”
Justin pulled himself up and looked around the room. “Now what? Are they going to experiment on us like those little green men do?”
His statement caught the Commander’s attention. Dorn would follow up with Ivanoff and see where his research into Illock movement was once he left medical. “Have the little green aliens taken you before?”
“Huh? No, of course not,” Carlie responded then added, “but there have been many reports over the years of them taking others. So are you saying they’re real?”
“That would be really,” Justin stopped when he felt Carlie squeeze his arm.
Dorn confirmed that the Illocks, known by humans as the Little Green Men, do exist. He further informed Carlie and Justin that he assigned them each a guest quarter and that Tyce would answer their questions. Dorn answered yes when Justin asked if that meant he got his own bed and wouldn’t have to sleep on a pullout.
Adal also excused herself and assured Carlie that she would see the both of them later on.
*.*
“Hey Carlie, this is Rort. He’s a warrior and geologist. Rort this is my sister Carlie,” he said without missing a beat in the interactive simulator.
“I see you found my brother’s weakness,” Carlie mumbled. “Justin,” she called out a little louder. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah. Can you bring it to me?” He kept going with his game. “Damn, this is better than anything we have on Earth.”
Rather than make some smart-alec big sister remark, Carlie looked to Tyce and raised her eyebrows. “That’s amazing. Justin is actually part of the virtual reality game. It’s so sci-fi.”
“Let’s go get Justin some food. Rort, what would you like us to bring you?” Tyce took his order and led Carlie out of the training room.
He and Carlie returned within minutes with the orders and then left to get some food for themselves. Before the training room door closed, Carlie saw Rort suspend the game and take their trays to a weight bench that was a large boulder just a few seconds ago. Carlie shook her head.
After eating, Rort promised to restart the simulation in the training room and teach young Justin how to use the virtual reality boulders, trees, and shrubs as cover while firing a practice laser gun at two and four legged creatures.
Tyce helped Carlie for a second consecutive time at the food dispensaries. He carried their trays to a table for two and waited for her to take a seat. He waited until she had a chance to eat to begin his spiel about what their mission is, how Carlie and her brother fit into that mission, and their choices.
“So, you are only interested in me, and my brother, because we are capable of psychometry?” she sounded so disappointed.
Tyce reached across the table and picked up her small hand. He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. “I will always only be honest with you Carlie. The first time I became aware of you and your brother was at the psychic fair. I only heard your voices and knew the two of you were gifted. The two of you were what we were looking for.”
He waited until her downcast eyes looked up at him. “Then I saw you. No female in that place matched your beauty or your wit. You captured me before you ever left the building. I have dreamed of you nightly since that first day.”
He stilled his hand and asked, “Are you able to infiltrate my dreams?”
Carlie let out a half-hearted laugh. “No. I thought you were invading my dreams,” she admitted. She then blushed and looked back down. Carlie couldn’t ever recall being so forward.
“Please look at me,” he softly requested. He waited until he once again held her gaze. “I think of you daily. I dream of you nightly. I have never had these feelings for a female before. It’s confusing.”
Carlie let out a small puff of air. “Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend or are you promised to anyone else?”
“No. None of that. On my planet a small portion of the population life-mates. I have never entered into such an arrangement.” He went on and explained their societal structure when she asked. He felt as if he made a mistake when he felt the warmth leave her face.
“Are we free to go home now?” she asked.
Tyce was devastated. “What have I done wrong?”
Carlie smiled and tugged on her hand. “You’ve done nothing but be honest. So I’m going to be honest with you. Our life is on Earth. We have no place on your world.”
“You do have a place. Did I not explain our mission well?”
Carlie looked towards the door as if willing her brother to come through and rescue her. She blew out a breath and tucked her hair behind her ears. “You did explain it well. I know you are interested in me and Justin for what we can do,” she stopped when he interrupted her.
“Not just for that Carlie. That started my interest but my interest runs far deeper now. Will you give me a chance to prove this to you?”
She was having a problem meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry. I think it best if we go home.”
Ivanoff walked into the cafeteria and picked up the last part of their conversation. He sent a message to Favian asking him to bring Stacy immediately to the cafeteria and explained the reason why. He then walked over to their table and introduced himself.
Until Favian and Stacy arrived, Ivanoff filled in the minutes with funny stories that included honored guests that have already gone on to Pzianian.
“So we are not the first?” Carlie asked. She turned her head when she heard a very bubbly Dr. Stacy Randall approach.
At Tyce’s invitation, Stacy and Favian took seats across from Tyce and Carlie. Stacy stuck out her hand and introduced herself. “I just saw your brother in the training facility. He’s having a great time in that simulator with Rort. In fact, I’m tempted to join them!”
Carlie wasn’t
sure what to say. Yes, I’d like to join them too? No, I don’t want to join them because these aliens are only interested in me and my brother because of the gifts we inherited? Carlie warred with herself before deciding to go with honest. She scratched her neck, moved the patch of her medium length dark blonde hair that had fallen over the outer edge of her right eye behind her ear, and replied after an uncomfortable silence, “Justin is having fun. In fact, I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time. I know I’ll hear about it when we return home.”
Dr. Randall expected this type of reaction. She had already been prepped by Favian on Carlie and Justin’s circumstance. She would not embarrass Carlie by bringing up the way Carlie struggles to make ends meet, or how she is in a custody battle with social services to keep her brother. Instead, she pretended she knew nothing about the pair of them. “I understand. Coming up here was a difficult decision for me, at first. I had a good career and a nice home. I didn’t have many friends because my career took up so much of my time. Then, when I got to know Favian, I realized that those things I prized so much on Earth were just things that can be replaced. Rather upgraded.”
Stacy smiled and continued, “I looked into my heart and couldn’t pass up the opportunity at a new life on an advanced planet, and a bit of adventure. Has Tyce shown you pictures or video yet of their planet? I can’t wait to get there.”
“No, he hasn’t.”
Tyce took this opportunity. “Carlie, I have many photographs and videos of our planet. It is clean, larger than Earth, similar in weather patterns, landmasses, and oceans. We have one Leader who oversees one central government for the entire planet. If you are concerned about employment or having a place for you and Justin to live, you needn’t worry.
Why don’t we give you and Justin a presentation in about an hour? I can gather even more pictures and videos from the others. All of us will be happy to tell you about the benefits of living on Pzianian.” He wanted to tell her that he wanted nothing more than to protect and care for her, but they just officially met and he was worried she wouldn’t believe him.