Your Truth is Out There (Find Your Truth Book 1)
Page 33
Gruleg paused and looked around, eerily meeting each one of them eye-to-eye. Henry felt a surge of something when Gruleg’s eyes met his. It felt like amusement.
“In the meantime, it’s important for you to know that I’ll be watching,” said Gruleg, his gaze fixed on Henry.
The image disappeared.
“He’s here,” said Henry, looking around. “He’s somewhere close by, I can feel him.”
Without warning, laughter filled the hangar with a force that nearly knocked them all to the ground.
“Well done, Henry!” Gruleg’s voice came out of the laughter from every direction. “Well done, indeed! Remember, I’ll be watching!”
Chapter 65
My Home is Where My Friends Are
Gsefx sat next to Lhvunsa on a makeshift bench they pulled together from some old, leftover engine parts that had clearly seen better days. Nearly a sar had passed since they’d found Gruleg's message and were nearly knocked off their feet by his maniacal laughter. The GCP had arrived and were busy scurrying around the hangar, doing all the various things GCP officers do, completely ignoring Gsefx, Lhvunsa and the rest of their party. Gsefx leaned over to kiss his wife.
“It occurs to me, my darling,” he said, “that I owe you a vacation to that resort on Alnost. Once we’re finished up here, why don’t we slip away for a while? I think we deserve it, don’t you?”
“I can’t think of anything I would enjoy better, my love,” said Lhvunsa, returning her husband’s kiss.
“Ahem,” said Qilzar, coming up from behind them. “I do hate to interrupt this pleasant reunion, but you cannot go to Alnost, because you cannot take a break. Gsefx, my dear boy, the Pigawitts audit is not going away just because of our little adventure here, and now that we know of Planvc’s malfeasance, we’ll essentially have to start over …”
Lhvunsa silenced the Dremin with a single hand over his mouth.
“Qilzar,” she said, getting to her feet, “if you think Gsefx is going straight back to work after all of this, you have lost your mind.”
At this, Qilzar raised his hand, not to defend himself but to point, indicating that Lhvunsa and Gsefx should look behind them.
Gsefx and his wife turned around to see Henry, General Alcorn, his wife Janny, and Theo all laughing at what was, presumably, a joke on them.
“Just kidding,” said Qilzar, when Lhvunsa released him. “Well, not about how much work we have to do, but about you returning right away. Please take as much time as you need.”
Gsefx and Lhvunsa joined the laughter, enjoying this peaceful moment with their friends.
At that moment, the GCP Officer in Charge approached the group and addressed Gsefx.
“Et Gsefx,” he said, “the GCP is wrapping things up here and you’re all free to go.”
“Excellent,” said Gsefx. “Thank you, officer.” He watched the officer return to his troops, then turned back to his friends.
“Well then, I suppose it’s time for us to say our goodbyes and return to our homes. I will miss you all terribly, but, I suspect our absence from one another will be short, for we are bound together now and we will see each other again, soon.”
“Gsefx,” said Henry, smiling, “if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay, that is, if you’ll help me figure out how to live out here amongst the stars.”
Gsefx was taken aback, but was also relieved at not having to part with his friend.
“Yes, of course, Henry, if you’re certain that’s what you want.”
“My home is where my friends are,” said Henry, “and while some of them are returning to Earth, my best friend lives on Clangdor. There is nothing for me on Earth. But out here … out here, there is a galaxy to conquer.”
Gsefx smiled and nodded, then looked at Lhvunsa.
“What do you think, my dear? Do you think we can handle a visitor for a while?”
“We can, right after we get back from Alnost,” she said, holding up a slender green hand to ward off any protest. “In the meantime, I’m sure Henry will be quite comfortable in our home while we’re away.”
“It’s settled then,” said Gsefx, leaning in to give his wife another kiss. “You’ll stay with us.”
“Thank you, both,” said Henry. “I promise I won’t be an unwelcome guest, and that I’ll only stay long enough to sell a few of my paintings. Then I’ll find a place of my own.”
Gsefx looked around to ensure he would not be overheard by the GCP.
“Have you sensed any sign that our friend has returned?” He asked Henry.
Henry closed his eyes and lowered his head for a moment.
“No,” he said, finally. “I haven’t felt anything from Gruleg since that awful laugh of his. He’s gone, for now at least.”
“That’s good news,” said Gsefx. He turned to the Alcorns.
“I guess this is farewell, my Earth-bound friends,” he said.
“It looks that way,” said the General. “These GCP fellas look like they’re ready for us to clear out of here. I have to admit, I’m ready for a good night’s sleep in my own bed.”
Gsefx stepped closer to the General. He tried to speak, but Alcorn beat him to it.
“Gsefx, please, no words,” said the General, speaking in a low voice. “We are both leaders, and we both know that with this Gruleg in the picture, we’ll need to be in touch again soon enough. In the meantime, keep an eye on Henry and make sure he gets into a little bit of trouble, but not too much.”
Gsefx smiled and nodded, but said nothing.
They said the rest of their goodbyes, then Gsefx, Lhvunsa and Henry boarded their ship. As they did, Gsefx overheard the General make a comment about how he was fortunate that Janny and Lhvunsa didn’t have time to get better acquainted, or he would be in real trouble. He mentioned it to Lhvunsa, who smiled sadly and said she’d explain it to him later.
Once aboard, Gsefx looked out the window to see the Alcorns boarding a GCP ship and wondered aloud when he would see them again.
“Don’t worry, my friend,” said Henry, a mischievous grin on his face. “Something tells me it won’t be long.”
Gsefx smiled back and began working the console in preparation for their return trip.
“Henry,” said Lhvunsa, “what about Lucy? You were going to reconcile things with her when you went back to Earth. Now that you’re not returning, you won’t be able to make things right with her.”
Gsefx turned away from the console to look at his friend. The mischievousness was gone from Henry’s face, but in its place was a look of contentment.
“I’ve asked General Alcorn to contact her. He will see to it that she gets what she wants and she will be content. It’s not the way I wanted to handle it, but it won’t really matter to Lucy.”
“You’re a good soul, Henry Backus,” said Lhvunsa. “I’m glad you are Gsefx’s friend.”
“As am I,” said Henry.
“Me too,” said Gsefx.
“Okay, enough with the mushy stuff,” said Henry. “How about a little traveling music?”
“As you wish, my friend,” said Gsefx.
“Oh, by the Gods, not that noise you call rock and roll,” said Lhvunsa, but it was too late. Gsefx had already pressed play.
Night is day and day is night
Don’t say I won’t ‘cause you know I might.
You are wrong and I am right
Don’t cross my path ‘less ya wanna fight.
Rock on my children!
Rock on my love!
Rock all day and rock all night,
Roll in the sounds from heaven above.
Appendix A
Proper Names of Non-Terrestrials
As one might imagine with the dizzying variation of planets, languages, and naming conventions represented by the approximately 1.2 million member worlds that currently make up the Galactic Community (GC), proper names can pose a particularly difficult challenge across all spectrums of everyday life. The following guide is offered in an e
ffort to assist with pronunciation.
Gsefx: Pronounced “Zef”
Lhvunsa: Pronounced “Loon-sa”
Qilzar: Pronounced “Kill-zar”
Xtlar: Pronounced “Ex-lar”
Planvc: Pronounced “Plank”
Tsedle: Pronounced “Teedle”
Ricnor: Pronounced “Rick-nor”
Klarnus: Pronounced “Klar-nus”
Dilnch: Pronounced “Diln-cha”
Gruleg: Pronounced “Groo-leg”
Appendix B
Time Measurements
Each planet in the Galactic Community (GC) has their own way of measuring time, usually based upon their planet’s movement around their system’s sun. As representatives from planets across the GC sought to standardize time measurements across all populated systems, they ultimately devised a system that divides time into units with a standard length, rather than a length based upon an individual planet’s rotation around a particular sun. The base unit of this system is a “byt,” with all other units being multiples of 10 of that unit. The following chart provides the Standard terminology and its functional equivalency in Earth time.
Galactine Standard = Functional Earth Equivalent
byt = second
ebyt = minute (100 byts)
sar = hour (100 ebyts)
rotation = day (10 sars)
multi-rotation or “multi-rot” = week (10 rotations)
grouping = month (10 multi-rots)
Semi-Turn = 6 months (5 groupings)
Turn = Year (10 groupings or 2 semi-turns)
About the Author
David Allen Kimmel is the only member of his family born in Oregon after the family escaped to the state’s central Willamette Valley from the rapidly advancing urban sprawl that began enveloping the Concord, California area in the early sixties. Raised on a farm, but never one for the outdoors, Kimmel spent much of his youth traveling to the distant (and often magical) lands he found in his books. Among his favorite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffery, Robert Silverberg, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Stephen R. Donaldson and Douglas Adams. Kimmel currently makes his home in the less wide open spaces of Yukon, Oklahoma with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. Kimmel is still trying to convince his daughter and granddaughter that Star Trek doesn’t suck. Kimmel loves to hear from his readers and can be followed and/or reached via the following:
Web/Blog: www.davidallenkimmel.com
e-mail: davidallenkimmel@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/davidallenkimmel
Twitter: @dak1963
Google+: google.com/+davidallenkimmel
Table of Contents
PART ONE: ENEMIES & FRIENDS Chapter 1 I Lost My Job Today
Chapter 2 A Slow, Tedious Affair
Chapter 3 Do Your Worst
Chapter 4 What Could Happen?
Chapter 5 It’s Personal Now
Chapter 6 Zaras 7
Chapter 7 Get Me on the Ground
Chapter 8 A Happy Ending
Chapter 9 This Was a Bad Idea
Chapter 10 Not From Anywhere on Earth
Chapter 11 A Single Irtling
Chapter 12 Something to Live For
Chapter 13 The Irtling
Chapter 14 The Alien
Chapter 15 Bang!
Chapter 16 “Night is Day and Day is Night”
Chapter 17 A Man of Action
Chapter 18 Have You Lost Your Mind?
Chapter 19 I Will Never Be Helpless Again
Chapter 20 Rokandrole
Chapter 21 Sunset Over An Empty Life
Chapter 22 Secure the Human
Chapter 23 Take the Gun
Chapter 24 The Hostage Alternative
Chapter 25 I’ve Got to Get Out of Here
Chapter 26 Don’t Come Any Closer
Chapter 27 I Said Hold On!
Chapter 28 A Klurdine Glakton
Chapter 29 Romeo Alpha! Romeo Alpha!
Chapter 30 He Saved My Life
PART TWO: FRIENDS & ENEMIES Chapter 31 I Need to Go Back
Chapter 32 You Like Being the Hero, Right?
Chapter 33 My Name is Henry Backus
Chapter 34 The Ricnor Gang
Chapter 35 Are You Going to Talk Tonight?
Chapter 36 I Want to Hear Her Voice
Chapter 37 An Urge to Scream
Chapter 38 Don’t Call me “Accountant”
Chapter 39 Zef Isn’t Coming Back
Chapter 40 It’s All Your Fault
Chapter 41 Don’t Go Away Mad
Chapter 42 I’m Ricnor, By the Gods!
Chapter 43 Thanks Dad … I Think
Chapter 44 Only One Way to Fix This
Chapter 45 What is Your Mission, Zef?
Chapter 46 Where’s Henree?
Chapter 47 A Prisoner In My Own Vehicle
Chapter 48 That’s Not What Ricnor Wants
Chapter 49 I Should Be Happy
Chapter 50 By the Gods, You Are Entertaining
Chapter 51 All of This Over My Art?
Chapter 52 I Was Just Doing My Job
Chapter 53 We’re Under Attack
Chapter 54 You’re Going to Have to Trust Me
Chapter 55 Our Enemy Waits for Us Above
Chapter 56 I Speak Your Language
Chapter 57 This Isn’t Earth, You Know
Chapter 58 Stop Looking At Me Like That
Chapter 59 All This Time, It’s Been You!
Chapter 60 Cover You With What?
Chapter 61 We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet
Chapter 62 Our Business is Unfinished
Chapter 63 I’ve Made a Mess of Things
Chapter 64 What Were You Thinking?
Chapter 65 My Home is Where My Friends Are
Appendix A Proper Names of Non-Terrestrials
Appendix B Time Measurements
About the Author