by Safa Shaqsy
I shook my head, “No,” I whispered.
“Nat, come on. They might find out about him if he stayed,” Andie begged. “No,” I said it this time louder. “I won’t leave Star alone in the wilds. Who knows what’ll happen to him there with the predators, alive and free to kill anything or anyone.”
Andie pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, “What option do we have?” he asked and rose his eyebrows.
“Option to what?” Kraig said aloud, making us flinch. He leaned on the kitchen counter, crossing his arms and listening to our conversation. “And who’s Star?” he asked.
Andie and I exchanged a worried look.
“No one?” I replied nervously.
Kraig nodded his head in interest, “That no one is called Star then, huh?”
“He’s a weird kind of no one,” Andie blurted out. I felt the urge to tell Kraig about Star. All I had to do was to say, hey I’m hiding an alien in my house. But I stopped myself from saying it. It wasn’t the right time for Kraig to find out about Star, we needed to find a place for Star to stay. And I had no idea where to put Star for the fact that he is still young and probably can’t fend for himself.
Kraig raised his palms in the air and announced, “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Andie looked at me for approval.
“No,” I warned him.
“Andie? Will you please tell me?” Kraig inquired. “Nat is hiding an alien,” Andie blurted out.
Kraig froze, his eyes wide and terrified. Then he laughed, “Good one,” he said, “Now I get it, you’re both are trying to get me with this joke. It’s a prank. Obviously, a prank, right?”
“No!” Andie yelled. “She is hiding an alien and I’m for real.”
Kraig looked at me with dread, “No, Nat. Tell me you didn’t,” he begged.
I licked my lips, “I kinda did,” He curled his hands into fists in the air, “No, no, no, nooo,” he cried. “Why?” “Star was young, I couldn’t kill him,” I replied. He finally calmed down and pressed his palm on his forehead, “Where is he?”
“In the garage,” I calmly answered. I walked to the garage and opened the door.
Star dashed to the kitchen and I ran behind him as he attacked Kraig’s shoe by chomping it with his teeth. Kraig yelled, “Ghaa! Get off me,” and shook his leg to release Star. “Be careful!” I told Kraig.
“He won’t harm you. Calm down!” Andie yelled.
Star got away from Kraig and hid behind my legs, peeping from between my calves.
Kraig’s chest was heaving as he pointed at Star, “That thing…you need to get rid of it!”
“Kraig, he won’t harm anyone,” I comforted. I picked up Star in my arms and handed him to Andie, “I need to see professor Suzanne to talk to her about the case,” I said. I needed to show professor the chip and the alien information I’ve found. But Dean and Gale shouldn’t know about that. Who knows what they would do with such information to protect Adkad City’s citizens from sympathizing with aliens. I was willing to do that for my parents, because they seemed to trust professor Suzanne.
Andie and Kraig calmly nodded.
“You need me to come with you?” Andie asked.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll just have a little chat with the professor,” I replied, “I’ll take a cab to the institute. Meanwhile you take care of Star.” He nodded and held Star’s body under his arm. I turned to Kraig who was horrified, with wide eyes, “And Kraig, hold yourself together and help Andie if he needs any assistance. I’ll explain everything later,” I ordered.
Kraig opened his mouth trying to say something, probably trying to stop me, but I interrupted him. “I’m going and it’s final.” I rubbed on Star’s head. “They’re going to take care of you for a while. You behave,” I said to Star. I headed to the door as it slid open and I entered the dark night and the floating lamps brightened the streets like flying fire flies. The neighborhood was silent and calm under the planet Farilia’s light. A planet that orbits around our planet Zelea. I walked on the sidewalk passing by a few pedestrians and signaled for a cab.
One cab stopped and I hopped in. “To the Alien Busters Institute,” I told the car screen. The car drove itself to the institute and I swiped my card on the screen and got out of the car. I climbed up the stairs to the institute’s large sliding door and passed the reception to the elevator upward to where professor Suzanne’s office was located. I walked to her office door and knocked a few times.
The door slid open and the professor was at the door. “Nathalie,” she said, “Come on in.”
I got inside her neat office and sat on a chair. She sat behind the desk and smiled, “Nathalie, what can I do for you?” she asked politely.
“Haven’t you watched the news?” I asked.
She nodded, “I had to watch, if it’s related to our safety.”
“Do you know what killed the man?” I asked to make sure if she knew.
“Yes, of course. An alien predator,” she said and fixed her glasses, “Do you know anything more?”
I glimpsed at the camera in the corner, “Can we talk somewhere private?” I suggested. “Sure,” she said, “I know just the place.” She indicated with her head to follow her as she pulled a small sculpture from the shelf and a secret door emerged revealing a secret hallway. We walked in the dim brick walled hallway to her secret lab. It looked just like the lab in the pictures on her desk.
The room was well lit and had many glass cages that were empty of any creature inside. “Your parents and I used to work here to experiment aliens that the president doesn’t know about,” she explained the room, “That’s why there’re no cameras here. That’s why Gale made this lab private during the time when he allowed us to experiment.”
“Gale knew about the experiments?” I asked. She nodded, “Of course. He ordered your parents to do further experiments on dead aliens. He thought any information about them was useful at the time,” she said.
“Dead aliens?” I said shockingly.
“We weren’t allowed to experiment on alive ones. For our safety, of course,” she replied. My parents hadn’t told me about that secret lab or the fact that Gale made that lab private for their
experiments. I didn’t know that Gale would allow such things. Maybe he asked my parents to do that, because they were the best in their field. They know more about aliens than anyone.
“But wasn’t it dangerous that there was the risk of Dean finding out about your secret lab?” I suspected. “I can assure you that we were very careful with our dealings with Dean,” she insisted. How did they trust Gale to keep their secret lab anyways, weren’t he and Dean close friends? The lab looked pretty empty. There were no scientists, or aliens to experiment on. I guessed that something went wrong with the experiments. Dean must have found out about that place and condemned them from further
experiments. “But Dean found out eventually,” I surmised.
She inhaled, “He did, and refused us experimenting anymore.” “I don’t get it,” I said, “why would he refuse, if he’s trying to find every way to defeat aliens. I mean, if he knew aliens’ weaknesses, that will be to his advantage.”
“You’re right Nathalie, but the way he perceived the world was different.” She explained, “He thought that we might find out something dangerous, and alter Adkad City’s citizens’ perspectives about aliens. He fears everyone will know the truth.”
I was reminded about the information I got from the chip I found in my parents’ bedroom. The Exos, the predators who attacked a farmer and might be willing to attack the city.
“I’ve found a chip in my mom’s jewelry,” I said. She tilted her head to the side and asked, “What kind of chip?” I pressed on my Inhab and got the chip out and showed it to her. I displayed it between my fingers, “The chip that has all the information about all the aliens in it. I’m talking about thousands of species of aliens.”
She smiled a crooked smile and her eyes glimmered with eagerness, �
�How on Zelea did you find it?” she asked.
“In one of my mom’s rings,” I responded.
“Can I see it?” she asked. I handed the chip to her and she examined it like a rare jewel, “Marvelous.”
Chapter Thirteen
Over trust can harm one. Doubt can lead to misleading answers. Balance is obligatory.
“Can I keep it?” she wondered,“For research purposes of course.” “Yes, you can keep it,” I confirmed. I was scared that she will damage the chip. Something inside me was unsettled to see someone else holding that chip. If my mom kept that chip safe in her ring that meant that she didn’t want anyone else knowing about it. But professor Suzanne was my only hope to know what to do about the information the chip holds.
She put the chip in her Inhab, secured and safe. And turned to look at me, giving me her full attention. “I want to show you something,” she said, “follow me” and she walked in another corridor as I followed her to another lab with operating table in the middle. The room was filled with every medical machines and
experimenting equipment. “This is where they were operating on dead aliens,” she explained.
I picked up a knife and examined it, “What have you discovered about them?” “Unfortunately, our tests weren’t complete. Dean stopped us and ordered Gale to give him all the files that had all our breakthroughs documented,” she stated. “We haven’t completed our tasks. We were about to discover something remarkable, Nathalie. But it was all taken. Right when we were about to discover something about the aliens we were studying.”
“But how did Mom have the files?” I wondered. “Not sure,” she said, “maybe she kept copies of the files.” If Dean had not approved their experiments and took the files they’ve kept, that meant that I should be careful with who knows about the files. I should keep it somewhere safe. With Suzanne is questionable. And if I kept it in my home and I got labeled guilty, the investigators will search my house for any illegal activity, so I should keep it somewhere no one knows about.
“Professor,” I called.
“Yes, Nathalie,” she replied.
“I want you to be careful with the chip. Who knows who’s spying on you, since you’re in a questionable position,” I warned, “This chip might be the last files my mom ever kept.”
Her lips cracked smile, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep it somewhere safe,” she promised, “And if you’re worried that I’ll tell someone about it, don’t. Because this file can hurt me as much as it can hurt you.”
And I believed her.
137
At home I tried to convince the guys to take me to the crime scene. But they wouldn’t allow me to go and investigate.
“It’s too dangerous out there,” Kraig scolded. “I’ll be careful,” I insisted, “And Andie will be there with me. Right Andie?”
He shrugged. “Ugh, come on!” I yelled. I had to go to the crime scene to get more information about the predator. I might find something there that the police didn’t find. But Kraig insisted that I stay home doing nothing and I refused to do that. Star walked up to where I stood and rubbed his head on my calf.
“I’m going and it’s final!” I announced, and turned to Andie, “And I’m not waiting for you to come with me,” and I hurried to the door. Then I heard Kraig calling me.
“Nat. Fine go, but at least take one of us with you.” I turned around, twisting my jaws and saw Andie rushing to the doorway. “Kraig take care of Star,” I recommended.
He nodded, “Take care you two.”
I glanced at Andie and walked with him to the sidewalk. “We’re taking my car,” Andie suggested and he got in his car. I got in the passenger’s seat and buckled up. As we drove on the streets I gazed at the modern houses in our neighborhood that we passed. The stars were shining in the dark sky, illuminated by the planet’s light. We eventually arrived at gate to the city.
The guard stopped Andie’s car from moving forward with a wave of his hand. He got closer and said, “You two again. What are you doing here? This is a restricted area. Aren’t you aware of the predators’ dangers?” The guard seemed shocked and confused why two young adults were traveling out of the city’s borders late at night.
“We’re doing some investigation about the crime,” Andie confessed, “It’s orders from Gale,” this time he lied.
The guard nodded in understanding and said, “I know Gale,” and pointed at us. “He’s the head of the Aliens Busters Institute, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” Andie answered.
The guard thought about it for a second and ordered to the other guards, “Let them out.” The gate creaked open and we moved forward into the foreign land. Andie gave a salute to the guard and continued driving on the dirt road. Moving away from the city’s borders, miles away from the city, we reached the wheat field with yellow danger signs everywhere to keep away people from the crime scene. Andie stopped the car on the side and we got out. We walked under the ribbons of danger signs and between the wheat straws and waved some out of our way to get to the area where the man was killed. The area still had dry bloodstains on the ground. And the smell of blood lingered in the air.
“Now what?” Andie asked as he stopped in the area in front of the blood stain.
“Look for evidence,” I informed.
He side glanced at me, “You seriously think the police didn’t get all the evidence?”
“Just look for anything,” I ordered. Andie went through the wheat and started looking. I walked the other way between the wheat and looked for any signs of the predator. I didn’t find anything, so I walked further and further. Nothing. Everything was clean. I was walking when I stumbled on a small rock on the ground, the size of my palm. The rock was weirdly shaped like a perfect circle and was cracked a bit from my stepping over it. The crack had a reddish glow coming out of it, lighting the ground with a tint of red. I bent down and grabbed the solid, cold rock in my palm and examined it. “What on Zelea” I said in a shock. I heard someone’s foot steps behind me.
“Nat, did you find anything?” Andie asked behind me.
I straightened up and showed Andie what I’ve got in my palms. A rock glowing from its cracks. “Look what I’ve found,” I said.
Andie stared at the rock with amazement, “What is that?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “Let’s find out, shall we?” I dug my nails into the cracks and opened it with all my strength. As the top was moving, it revealed a hologram screen of a weird nature. It didn’t look human made at all.
Andie’s face now was glowing with red from the hologram screen, “Do you think it’s one of the predator’s weapon of some kind?” Andie suspected.
I put the top back on, closing the screen. “We need to take this with us to find out what this thing is,” I informed Andie.
He nodded, and we walked back to the car and headed back to the city. When I got home, I showed Kraig the rock. His mouth gaped as he stared at the rock I was holding to his eye level.
“You have any idea what this thing is?” he asked, holding his breath from astonishment. “Obviously, it looks like a rock,” I concluded. “But it isn’t,” Andie completed behind me.
I felt his breath on my neck while he carefully watched the glowing rock.
“You think?” I seriously mocked.
Star purred while he sat on the floor and gazed at the rock. His hands tried to reach for it.
Kraig carefully looked at Star, “Maybe this thing would know what it is?”
“He’s not a thing. His name is Star,” I bashed. Kraig raised his palms in the air and protested, “Okay, Star. Just ask him.” That was crazy. Did Kraig seriously think that I was able to communicate with Star in his alien language? “Unbelievable,” I muttered and shook my head.
Andie snatched the rock from my hand and came closer to Star and patted him on his head, “Do you know what this is?” Andie asked Star about the object, showing him the rock.
Star opened his mouth ready to bite
the rock as a toy. “No, it’s not a toy,” Andie warned.
Star jumped and snatched the rock from Andie with his teeth and growled. He played with the rock on the floor and chewed the rock, then spit it out onto the floor. The rock split onto two pieces that revealed a hologram screen and a lot of red light reflected on Star’s body. Star shuddered and whimpered and hurried behind my legs to hide himself from the rock, afraid of it. But the rock had an unusual red light and casted on Star. Star got out from behind my legs and slowly walked to the rock again, like he was hypnotized by it.
“Star, be careful,” I warned.
With more light coming out of the rock, Star’s body became glowing in red and he started floating in the air. “Star!” I called and tried to pull him from the light, but it was like a magnetic field that pulled us forward. “Guys help us out!” I yelled.
Kraig pulled from my back and Andie pulled Kraig. But the powerful pull kept on pulling us forward. Then Star was shaking really bad in my hands. The red light exploded and pushed us to the floor. We landed on our backs on the floor and Star was done shaking. I got up and hurried to carry Star’s head in my arms as I sat on the floor. I was speechless. I felt that I couldn’t help him to get out of the rock’s effect. Whatever that was, it somehow affected Star. The shaking subsided and he put his clawed palms on my cheeks. His big black eyes looking at me.
“Star, are you okay?” I asked.
He opened his mouth and stared deeply into my eyes. “Star,” he said.
Star just talked? How could an alien talk? It’s impossible. I shook my head and blinked a few times, “Did you just…talk?” I asked Star.
“Star,” he called with his alien voice.
“Holy Zelea!” Andie shouted behind me.
I felt dizzy and my head hit the floor and I fell into the darkness. I woke up on the sofa to see Kraig and Andie arguing with each other. Kraig was facing Andie, his back on the wall and cursing at Star who was staring innocently at them.
“That thing is the devil!” Kraig shouted at Andie and pointed at Star. Andie raised his palms in the air to stop Kraig, “He’s not the devil, Kraig!” he yelled back, “Just freaking calm down!”