by Adair Hart
“Them?” asked Evaran, tilting his head.
Robert circled a hand. “You know … aliens.”
“I am not human, but you have nothing to fear from me,” said Evaran with a half smile. “The ones who took your wife and Jake will be dealt with soon enough. Can you describe what happened on the day they were abducted?”
Jake was relieved to have Evaran with him. He was trying to absorb everything, but his emotions were all over the place. Evaran was helping to stabilize the situation and make it less awkward, at least for Jake.
Robert eased back into his chair and sighed. He glanced at Jake. “Yeah. We were on our way back from visiting my parents. On a lone stretch of the highway, a set of lights appeared outside the car. One of the lights shot a beam or something at the car.” He motioned his hand out to the side. “Killed it dead. I told Susan to stay in the car with Jake, then got out. That’s when I saw it was a ship or something. There were several oddly dressed people, and one of them shot me with a beam that knocked me out. When I came to, I was in the car off to the side of the road.” His eyes watered. “Susan and Jake were gone.”
“I see,” said Evaran. He turned to Jake. “I am sure Robert would like to hear what happened next.”
Robert wiped his eyes as he stared at Jake. He scooted to the edge of his chair.
Jake gulped and then exhaled slowly from his mouth. “We awoke inside a high-tech cage. A human slaver known as Greecho walked between the cages and assigned us to various places we would be headed to. Mom was to go to a breeding camp, and I was to go to a caretaker. When we got to Dad’s space station, I mean, Jells’s, Greecho left me there for Jells to raise and took Mom to the breeding camps. She caused a ruckus, and … ,” he said with a wavering voice, “they sent her to Karakuus.”
“What’s that?” asked Robert, shaking his head.
Jake licked his lips and looked down. “It’s a place they send unruly slaves. They become food.”
“What!” said Robert, standing up. He grimaced as he squinted hard. “So she’s … she’s dead?”
Jake drew his lips down as a tear trickled onto his cheek. He sighed and nodded.
Robert rushed over to Jake and knelt to hug him.
Jake cried harder than he could ever recall crying, but it was comforting in the presence of Robert.
After a moment, Robert pulled back and put both hands on Jake’s shoulders. He blinked slowly. “I’m sorry you had to experience that, Son.”
“Jake is turning twenty-one soon,” said Evaran. “For any human that crosses that age threshold, they go to either a breeding camp or into the Seceltor slavery system. He wanted to see you before he did, but it has been decided that it is best for him to stay here on Earth.”
Robert drew his lips flat and looked at Jake. “You can stay here as long as you want.”
Jake nodded and smiled as he wiped a tear off his cheek. “I’d like that.”
Robert looked at Evaran. “So this Greecho guy. What happened to him?”
Jake glanced at Evaran then at Robert. “He’s still around, and coming here in a few months. He wanted to take you back to make sure I didn’t run away or anything, but Evaran is going to deal with him.”
“Take me back? To be a slave?”
“Yeah.”
Robert stood up and looked at Evaran. “I’d like a piece of that asshole. I’ll show him what happens when he messes with a Melkins.”
Jake admired Robert’s courage, and the notion of standing up for the family and family name intrigued him. He wondered if he had it in himself.
“I understand your rage,” said Evaran. He shook his head. “However, Greecho is a dangerous threat with advanced technology.”
Robert snorted. “You think I’d be a liability.”
Jake wagged a finger. “Greecho is a lot smarter than he lets on. I’ve had to deal him all my life. There’s a reason he’s been around as long as he has. Evaran should be more than a match for him, but I think we’d be in the way.”
Robert tilted his head at Jake. “Maybe, but you’re a Melkins, just like me. We stand up for what we believe in.”
“I am curious, why did you choose to live here?” asked Evaran.
Robert sighed. “I didn’t on purpose. After the abduction, the police thought I was a murder suspect, can you believe that? My own son and wife. You can guess what that did to my career. I was fired on trumped-up charges, and no one would hire me. I went from a prestigious position at a bank to scrapping with others for a factory job. Been here ever since, and I can barely even afford the rent.”
“I see,” said Evaran. “I am sorry to hear that. I need to take care of some things. I think you and Jake have a lot of catching up to do.”
Robert looked at Jake. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Evaran shook Robert’s hand and then put a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Excellent. I will be back in three months to check up on you both.”
“You going after Greecho now?” asked Jake.
“No. I do not know where he is or what path he takes. I did a long-range scan, roughly ten light-years, and there are several thousand ships. It would take longer than three months to figure out which one is his. I also do not know if he stops off anywhere. I do know he will be here in a few months, though.”
“Couldn’t you intercept him in this solar system?”
“Perhaps, but there is an advanced group here on Earth. If Greecho has been coming here often, then they must know of it. The situation could escalate very quickly. In addition to that, the Torvatta has no weapons. There are not many options when it comes to intercepting a ship in space. I think it is best to let him come here, then I will assess the situation and go from there.”
Jake nodded. “I wouldn’t underestimate him.” He thought it was odd that the Torvatta did not have weapons. Then again, Evaran did not seem to carry any lethal weapons. Given how dangerous being in space could be, and how advanced Evaran’s technology was, there must be another reason Jake was missing for using nonlethal options. If it were up to him, he would blow up Greecho’s ship first chance he got.
“I have dealt with worse. I do not anticipate any issues.” Jake watched Evaran leave. Evaran was confident, maybe too much. Greecho was not to be taken lightly. Jake turned toward Robert, who rushed over and hugged him again. He did it. He found his dad and would hopefully build the relationship that was robbed from him by Greecho. What if Evaran failed and Greecho came looking for them? Jake pushed the thoughts from his mind as something to worry about later and enjoyed the moment with his dad.
Evaran spent the next thirteen weeks studying Earth culture and surveying the planet. The Torvatta was stealthed and hovering over a small village in southern Australia that he had been observing. He rubbed his chin as he examined the front right screen. Tapping at his right front console caused the screen to cycle through various data segments.
U4 turned around from the front console. “Analysis. Multiple energy signatures confirmed.”
Evaran studied the screen. “Interesting. This village has several Daedrould strains, along with others I am unfamiliar with. They are not Daedrould, though. Might be Outsiders.”
“Query. Why are there so many on this planet?”
Evaran half smiled. “I do not know, but this planet is potentially what I have been looking for.”
“Statement. You asked me last week to remind you again about visiting Jake and Kathy. It is now Saturday, September 18, nine days past three months.”
“I did. An extra week should not be a problem. Take us to Robert’s apartment.”
“Affirmative.”
The Torvatta ascended and, after an hour, arrived behind the same run-down apartment in east Denver it had landed at before.
Evaran stood and checked his belt and then walked toward the Torvatta entrance.
“Query. Will you require assistance?”
Evaran paused and faced U4. “I should be okay.”
“Affirmative.”
After twenty minutes, Evaran stood in front of Robert’s apartment building. He pressed the button corresponding to apartment 5G on the console to the right of the door. Silence. He pressed again. Silence. After verifying no one was around, he placed his UIC on the button console. A few taps at his ARI and the door opened. He grabbed his UIC and entered. After a few minutes, he arrived outside Robert’s apartment. There was no response when he knocked on the door. He paused, then knocked again to no avail.
A middle-aged, dark-skinned woman opened her apartment door next to Robert’s and poked her head out. “You a friend of Robert’s?”
Evaran tilted his head. “I am. It appears they are out.”
The woman smirked. “Yeah, they out all right.”
“Do you know where they went?”
“No, but it wasn’t by choice.”
Evaran placed his hands behind his back and clasped them. “How do you know this, and why are you telling me?”
“You’re white,” said the woman. “Ain’t no white people come here willingly, unless you’re stubborn like Robert. And you’re wearing a suit. Ain’t nobody wearing that around here unless they pimping, and you don’t look like a pimp.”
Evaran narrowed his eyes. “I see. Do you know when this occurred?”
“Yeah. Wednesday morning, around one. Woke me up and scared the crap outta me.”
“Did you call law enforcement?”
“The police? Down here at one in the morning?” said the woman, laughing. “They don’t come around here.”
“I see. I understand if you did not want to get involved. It could have been dangerous.”
“Try deadly. You gonna find ’em?”
Evaran nodded. “I am and will.”
The woman smiled and bobbed her head. “I hope you do. Robert was a good man, and Jake’s a good kid too. Had ’em over for dinner a few times.”
“Thank you. You have been helpful,” said Evaran, bowing his head.
“Mm-hmm,” said the woman.
Evaran wheeled around and exited the building, and after twenty minutes, he was back at the Torvatta, sitting in his command chair. “U4, take us back to Wednesday, around twelve thirty in the morning.”
“Query. Was there an error?”
Evaran shook his head. “Yes. It would appear they were abducted. I want to verify that and, assuming it is true, follow whoever did this when it occurred.”
“Analysis. If we had visited a week earlier and then dealt with Greecho, this situation would not have occurred.”
“I know … What is done is done. All we can do now is try to fix it.”
U4 interacted with the console. “Affirmative.”
The Torvatta lifted off and reached space after a few minutes. Everything around the Torvatta faded out to pure darkness, then eased back in.
Evaran put his fingers together at the fingertips. “Take us down and activate the scanners.”
“Affirmative.”
The Torvatta descended back down to the apartment complex. When it arrived, it hovered off to the side of the roof. U4 tapped at the console, and the view underneath the Torvatta appeared on the front right screen.
“Now, we wait.”
After thirty minutes had passed, green outlines appeared on a group of men. Robert and Jake were between them and being hustled out the front door. The men placed Robert and Jake into a sports utility vehicle, which screeched as it took off.
“Follow that vehicle.”
“Affirmative.”
The Torvatta flew silently over the vehicle. The vehicle drove to the western outskirts of town and then into a more rural setting. It pulled off onto a dirt road that went on for several miles. The vehicle came to a stop outside a run-down two-story wooden house. Robert and Jake were escorted out of the vehicle and into the house.
Evaran studied the house. “Take us one hour after we left in the present to this location.”
“Affirmative.”
The Torvatta flew back into space, jumped ahead to one hour after they had left originally on Saturday, then flew back down to the house. It landed in a clearing out front.
“U4, I will need you in orb mode to survey the surrounding environment where the Torvatta could not scan.”
“Affirmative,” said U4. She faced Evaran as her chest plates moved forward and off to the sides. An orb with an indented blue line around it flew out and hovered. “Orb mode activated.”
Evaran nodded at U4. He exited the Torvatta and scrutinized the environment. The clearing in front of the house was ringed by a forest, with a driveway leading out. It was nighttime, with moonlight filtering in through the trees. Creaking noises emanated from the house, and the sound of animals chattering filled the air.
U4 whooshed by Evaran and up into the air. A mixture of light-colored scanning beams radiated from her.
Crunchy noises echoed as Evaran walked on the gravel-covered ground toward the house. He scanned around with his ring. The sound of boots hitting a wooden floor thudded out from the house. He snapped his head toward the sound.
A pale-skinned man wearing black tactical padded body armor and a headset walked out with a medium-sized weapon trained on Evaran. “Halt!”
Evaran stopped scanning and examined the man.
“This is private property. You need to leave. Now,” said the man.
“I am looking for someone. They were brought here.”
The man shook his head. “You’re mistaken. Please leave.”
Evaran reached for his utility handle on his belt as another man rushed out and pushed the first man’s weapon down.
The second man walked up to Evaran and bowed. In a thick eastern-European accent, he said, “My name is Mikhail.” He glanced back at the first man. “We didn’t know it was you.”
Evaran tilted his head. “How do you know me?”
Mikhail nodded. “You’re Evaran. Lord Noskov is on his way up now.”
Evaran narrowed his eyes. “You are a Daedrould.”
Mikhail sucked in his lips and swayed his head. “Yes, but … you should really talk to Lord Noskov. He’ll be here momentarily.”
“Very well.”
After a few minutes, Lord Noskov arrived wearing black pants, black shoes, and a black vest with a white shirt underneath. A cape with a black exterior and red interior fluttered behind him. A collar extended up and out behind his head. He had short jet-black hair and pale skin, with blackened eyes that glistened in the moonlight. He walked up to Evaran and nodded. “Evaran.”
“I do not believe we have met,” said Evaran.
Lord Noskov placed his hands together and rested them on his lips. He studied Evaran for a moment. “This must be early in your personal time stream then.”
“You have met a future version of myself in Earth’s past if you know of me and I do not know of you.”
“Yes. I’ll need to be careful as to what I say, lest it influence your future. Even telling you that might have an impact.”
Evaran’s eyes narrowed. “You are a Daedrould, but I am unfamiliar with your strain. What name do the humans give you?”
Lord Noskov wrinkled his eyebrows. “Ohh … this is very early in your time stream then. Very interesting. They call us vampires, but we aren’t quite what they depict in human media.”
Evaran looked around. “I am curious, why do you hide from the humans?”
“They simply outnumber us,” said Lord Noskov. “We don’t replenish our ranks quickly, and humans are rapidly advancing technologically due to the efforts … of others,” he said, waving a hand dismissively in the air. “You will know all about that soon enough.” He glanced around the sky above Evaran. “Where’s V?”
“I do not know a V.”
Lord Noskov sighed and rubbed his forehead. “This is always rough. What unfortunate set of events has led you to my base?”
“Interesting,” said Evaran with narrowed eyes. “I am looking for two human males brought here.”
Lord Noskov snorted. “We don’t deal in human trafficking, if that’s what you’re claiming.”
Evaran tapped at his ARI and then gestured at U4, who had been out of range.
U4 flew a bit out and then projected a hologram of the group of men with Robert and Jake. She then flew forward with the projection under her, showing their eventual entry into the house. Once U4 got to the house, she flew back and hovered by Evaran.
Lord Noskov pointed at U4. “So … who’s that?”
“Statement. I am a utility artificial intelligence, version four. My shortened name is U4.”
Lord Noskov cocked his head at Evaran. “Exactly how long have you been on Earth?”
“About three months.”
Lord Noskov’s eyes widened. “Oh … I didn’t know it was that early. Great. I messed up. Forget you ever heard me mention V.” He shook his head and sighed. “Anyways, I’m not sure where U4 got those images, but I assure you that I have no idea of when that occurred.”
“Analysis. Wednesday at 1:14 a.m.”
“This last Wednesday?”
Evaran tilted his head. “Yes. I was stealthed in my ship and watched it occur.”
Lord Noskov rubbed his temples. “The Torvatta. Go figure.” He turned toward Mikhail. “Who was on guard duty that night?”
Mikhail pointed to the first man that had come out of the house. “Alexsei and Nikolai.”
Lord Noskov faced Alexsei. He gritted his teeth. “Explain.”
Alexsei swallowed hard. “It was just a small group of us. We took a black market bounty for some alien slaver named Greecho. You know, side money. We needed a ship to get them there, so … used one of our scout ships.”
“You know black market bounties are prohibited, especially ones dealing in humans, correct? And you used one of our ships as well?” said Lord Noskov.
Alexsei hunched his shoulders and nodded.
Lord Noskov shook his head. “New bloods. They will be dealt with later.” He faced Evaran. “Well, it seems they would be with this Greecho person now. I suppose you’re going to go after him.”
Evaran nodded. “Of course. Was the location logged?”