Stars Fell on Alabama

by M. Alan Marr

  MISSION TIME: TWO WEEKS

  1730 HOURS

  Dev is walking back to the hotel after meeting Chaz for a quick coffee before he had to report for a three-day work trip. Dev did get to see Chaz in uniform for the first time. First Officer Chaz has three stripes on his epaulettes, which made Dev smile, because his own uniform bears similar three-striped shoulder boards as well. Before leaving for work, Chaz told Dev he had a special dinner in mind for when he gets back.

  Dev already finds himself missing Chaz’s company. This past five days have been both a welcome diversion and very enjoyable. In Dev’s experience, very few people in his life have ever captured his attention the way Chaz Ronaldi has. Damn the luck, Dev thinks. On the other hand, he is here for an entire year, and contact with the local residents is essential. So why not enjoy himself? The fact that Chaz is a pilot gives them a lot in common, despite the fact that Dev can’t reveal his own piloting skills to him. There’s no way Dev could bluff his way around Earthly aircraft. It would raise too many questions he is unprepared to answer. Best to keep that information to himself.

  Dev’s smile fades when he considers he has a serious job to do. Personal diversions aside, he needs to report in before too much more time passes. His dispatches to the Admiralty would normally be transmitted by the relay buoy he was to leave in orbit—the relay buoy he was never able to set in place, due to the sudden appearance of the International Space Station. That unforeseen circumstance effectively cut off Dev’s link home, and his handheld device doesn’t have the necessary range. Certainly his ship is capable of transmitting messages, but at this point, the land (and lake) where the ship is hidden still belongs to someone else. Trespass aside, transmitting from the ship under water, or anywhere inside the atmosphere for that matter, would surely attract attention. Dev would have to surface the ship, lift off, climb to orbit, and deploy his relay buoy. That kind of exposure contains inherent risks, no matter how careful he is, and must therefore be a last resort. No, an alternate means of communication must be found, and soon. Fortunately, there is a less risky option, but only just. Whether it still works is the question . . .

  Dev has three days to execute his plan before his dinner date with Chaz. Returning to his hotel suite, Dev grabs the Exquisite Atlanta magazine and pages through the upscale advertisements to one he saw for private aircraft charter. Dev calls the phone number and tells the travel specialist he needs to charter a flight as soon as possible. They are all too happy to help, and take the opportunity to discuss various packages and agreements available in the world of on-demand aircraft. Pricing is based on aircraft type, lead time, and contingencies should the primary aircraft be unavailable. Reading off his credit card numbers to the travel planner, Dev just became a full-fledged member of the jet-set. Aircraft, hotel, menus, special requests, and transportation on both ends are expertly handled by the travel planner. Wheels up is at 0700.

  Dev checks that he has his passport and fetches his off-world electronic device and belt out of the hotel room safe. With just a few keystrokes, he downloads all of his dispatches from his laptop. The weather will be warm, so he puts on a button-down short-sleeved shirt covering his off-world belt, and packs an overnight bag for his trip. Tropical changes of clothes and a very nontropical set of black clothing, including the black boots and pants Dev wore his first day on Earth.

  CHICHEN-ITZA INTL AIRPORT

  YUCATAN PENINSULA,

  MEXICO

  0830 HRS

  The private jet delivers Dev to Mexico in supreme luxury. There was some initial fawning over by the crew to welcome Dev aboard, but it was fairly obvious he didn’t crave that kind of validation. The crew, in turn, was delighted that Dev presents as appreciative, kind, and respectful; traits many of their snobbish former passengers conspicuously lack.

  The weather is clear and warm. But it is not the sunny fun-filled beaches of the Yucatan Dev is after. What he seeks is something a little closer to home . . .

  An old Jeep Defender drives Dev into the jungle to a hotel adjacent to an archeological site. After hotel check-in, Dev tours the ruins on foot, along with scores of other people. Only difference being, Dev is not there to sightsee. Like the rest of the tourists, Dev gazes up at the immense Mayan pyramid. He is surprised to see that the pyramid itself is chained off to visitors, preventing anyone from actually climbing the great stairs to the top. But Dev is not a man easily deterred. Hotel literature indicated the archaeological park closes at 1700 hours. No matter, he is planning on waiting until nightfall anyway. Dev spends the rest of the day looking around at the various structures, both ancient and recent, paying particular attention to the location of the security guard outpost stationed at the entry to the park. He also takes note of the installed lighting systems and discreetly searches for hidden cameras. The pyramid is intact. The nearby observatory is a wreck, along with just about everything else. Time has taken its toll on the ancient structures, but the pyramid looks sound.

  Clandestine operations are called for. At 0200 hours, the evening vacation crowd at the hotel is winding down to a trickle. The bar has closed so just about everyone is headed to, or had already gone to their rooms. Using his interlink device, Dev is able to see all activity within the hotel complex. By 0230 his device indicates most of the guests are now in for the night. Only a few hotel employees are still working, most of whom seem to be cleaning up the bar and social areas. He can’t afford to wait any longer. He has to complete his mission within a mission before the dawn starts to break up the dark night sky. Dev programs a short sequence into his device and kills power to the entire hotel complex. He is surprised when some sort of emergency lighting system activates outside in the common areas. Surprised, but undefeated, he kills power to that system as well.

  Dressed fully in black, Dev slips out of his hotel room and secrets himself into the jungle foliage while the power is out. The nearby pyramid and archeological sites are all still lit up by floodlights, but a few additional commands on the interlink device shutters all power to the park as well. Dev’s eyes quickly adjust. The moon is just a sliver tonight, but the star-filled sky provides just enough light to make out the dark profile of the giant ziggurat.

  Under the cover of darkness, Dev hurries across the park, crosses the chain barrier, and bounds up the massive stairs to the so-called temple at the top of the pyramid. Once inside, he pulls his interlink device off his belt and runs a detection scan of the area. Two people, presumably park security guards, are located near the main entrance to the park. Aside from that, no one else is present.

  Dev turns his device around and uses the soft illumination of the screen to see the stone blocks lining the interior of the room. He studies the petroglyphs on the interior walls and locates a particular grouping among the many carved into the blocks; an ancient analog to present-day screen icons. Dev inputs a few commands in his device and then watches the wall. Drawing power from the device, one of the petroglyphs slowly begins illuminating slightly blue, the color originating from within the crystalline structure of the rock itself. Several more slowly follow. Dev programs a series of commands into his interlink device and watches as barely illuminated lines form in the rock, connecting the glyphs to three stone blocks below. Symbols in the first and third blocks haphazardly illuminate, but the blue glow on the set of figures nearest the middle block slowly turn amber and then eventually dirty red. The middle block is completely unresponsive, breaking the complete sequence. Dev looks at the softly illuminated petroglyphs and shakes his head. He runs his hand over the block and realizes the surface of the rock feels slightly different. The middle block, and several others, are not indigenous to the structure. They must have been damaged and replaced by preservationists. Dev shakes his head and issues a muted, “Damnation.”

  Trying to do a work around of the damaged blocks, Dev enters several sequences into his device and on the stone surface itself. Various symbols slightly illuminate in color combinations of faded blues, greens, ambers
, and reds. He is unsuccessfully trying to program an operational sequence to bypass the missing pieces and transmit his reports to the Admiralty. Several of the colors change to soft white to form a visual context of a pathway, but all to no avail. Many of the blocks have chunks missing and show evidence of more repair. Nothing he tries works. Dev reaches the inevitable conclusion that this pyramid will never transmit again. Well, it was a long shot anyway. But this structure can do more than just transmit. Dev presses an icon on his interlink device, causing a new symbol to illuminate on a functional block. Dev’s interlink device begins registering a massive amount of data downloading into the unit. Weather, celestial, numerical, chemical, biological. Apparently, at some point, this pyramid harbored Human sacrifices. Dev scoffs as he reads the data coming in. “Unbelievable. That’s not what this was built for.” He continues shaking his head in disbelief. “Human sacrifice to the gods,” he whispers to himself. “How’d that work out for you?”

  Download complete, Dev is frustrated. Granted, archeologists couldn’t have had any idea what they were dealing with; one stone block looks like another, after all. Too bad for them, but the secrets behind this Mayan ziggurat disappeared long, long ago. At least he was able to retrieve data from the structure, so it isn’t a total loss. Dev enters a final sequence in his device, and the petroglyphs power down, once again leaving him standing in just another dark and ancient ruin.

  The Ninja-like Dev leaves the temple and sees two security guards with flashlights roaming around the front of the pyramid. Dev negotiates his way around the other side of the uppermost level and quickly descends the opposite side stairs and surreptitiously returns to the hotel grounds a few thousand yards away. He makes it back to his room unseen and restores power and lights to the entire area.

  Dev sleeps for about two hours, then cleans up and is driven back to the airport. The same aircraft and crew flies Dev home well before Chaz returns from his own flight assignment, and in plenty of time for their dinner date. Although it was good to see one of the ancient structures firsthand, it didn’t solve Dev’s immediate problem of sending his dispatches to the Admiralty.

  Chapter 8

  Star, Eclipsed

  The parameters of Dev’s mission are simple: Observe and Evaluate the Overall Status and Condition of Planet Earth. How he does so is largely up to him. The data will be scrutinized by scores of sociologists and technical specialists, who will form their own subjective opinions, but the command evaluation is all Dev, which is why the Admiralty sends a Commander for that task. The command evaluation can and will have serious repercussions for everyone on Earth.

  The two-hour flight from Cancun has Dev back in Atlanta by 1100 hours. Standing at the windows in his hotel suite, Dev stares outside for twenty minutes. He finds himself consumed, not with his mission at hand, but Chaz’s return tonight. The realization that Dev has allowed himself to become distracted from his duty is a concept foreign to him. Yet here he stands, counting the hours until Chaz returns. He never would have thought his mind could be so easily distracted. Not like this. It is enough to cause Dev to pause and rethink his priorities: Duty. Mission. Chaz. Responsibility. Chaz again. This is maddening. Dev knows his priorities. He forces himself to consider his mission to date. In the short time he’s been in Midtown, his life has taken on the quality of casual ease. Good trappings, excellent food, and the kind of courtesies that come from being a paying guest. Dev had to secure lodgings for the next year, and be able to travel, but watching the daily news programs, it quickly becomes clear this sweet life, or rather, suite life, is not at all the norm for most residents of this world. He needs to be able to observe what life is like for the general population. Easier in theory than in practice. On a world as diverse as Earth, how does one man complete a task that can, and will, have far-reaching consequences for every person on the planet?

  Talents matter. And Dev is a combat pilot by training, not an Extra-Planetary Sociologist. He is accustomed to a very cut-and-dried set of variables: defend against and destroy the enemy. Dev’s rank and military expertise qualified him for this mission, and when he volunteered, his approval came from some of the highest levels at the Admiralty. Dev knows he is being groomed for greater things, and perhaps one day his own flag will fly at the Admiralty. But not today. Earth is not a combat billet, much as it seems like it should be. This is altogether quite different. Gone is the adrenaline rush of combat. Dev’s skill set making quick, life-saving decisions does not seem to apply in his present assignment. The pace of life on Earth pales by comparison. And a sedate lifestyle can be unwittingly addictive. Observers typically train for months before embarking on a mission, but a combat situation delayed Dev’s training for many weeks. Rather than postponing this mission, his Admiral allowed for special dispensation since Dev is one of his most promising officers. Adaptation to change is what one in a command situation simply has to contend with. Dev covered the basics, but will have to draw from his own experience to complete the task at hand and write the conclusions of his findings.

  News of another bombing in the Middle East is being talked about on the television. Disease, wars, violence, and the constant back and forth bickering in the US political arena are on every news channel. Dev shakes his head in disgust at the level of violence visited daily upon this planet—by its own people. He turns off the TV and stares back out the windows and considers that since his arrival, he’s hired people and engaged services but has yet to really dive right in and experience the outside world. Now is as good a time as any to get out and observe, away from a fawning staff and the familiar surroundings of Midtown. Chaz won’t be back until later tonight, so why not go out and explore?

  Dev boards a train and heads into Downtown Atlanta. As he walks around, he notes that in many regards, cities are similar by nature to any other city. There is infrastructure, varying as it is in capability, there are businesses and eateries, hygienic facilities of some sort or another, sanitation (or lack thereof), public services, professional structures, and residential enclaves. Dev walks around the nicer parts of downtown and presses onward, making a mental note at the subtle changes along the way, as he ventures from the polished to the more weathered parts of the city. Dev is aware of all the crime on this world, and today is the day it makes its sinister appearance.

  Walking around what he will later learn is a sketchy part of town, a man notices Dev’s shiny and expensive watch and jumps him at gunpoint. Bad idea. Dev’s lightning-quick reflexes kick in—he grabs the attacker’s gun hand behind the wrist and pushes the muzzle of the weapon away. The gunman manages to fire off a single round, causing someone somewhere to start screaming. Dev clamps down hard on the attacker’s wrist to the point of hearing bones snap, and the gun falls to the ground. The attacker realizes Dev just broke his wrist and throws a punch with his free hand, hitting Dev in the face. Again, bad idea. Dev delivers an almost inhuman blow to the attacker square in the chest, launching the man off his feet and sending him crashing into the side of the building, then to the ground. Dev, forgetting his own strength on this world, almost feels bad for the guy. Almost.

  The disarmed gunman is crumpled on the ground and thoroughly unconscious. On full guard now, Dev looks around tactically and assesses the situation. No other attackers visible. Other passersby quickly divert and avoid the area altogether. Despite the fact he was just attacked, Dev checks the man’s pulse and then calls 9-1-1 on his iPhone to request assistance. For a moment he thinks about fleeing the area, but can’t, in good conscience, leave a dangerous weapon unattended with a man who may wake right up and use that weapon again. Dev hears a police siren less than a minute later. Apparently, his 9-1-1 call was not the only one made at the time of the shooting. The police car careens in and grinds to a halt. Doors fly open, and two officers get out, training their own guns on Dev.

  “Get on the ground!”

  “I called you,” Dev says with his hands halfway up.

  “On the ground!” the cop yells lo
uder. “Keep your hands where I can see them!”

  Dev spreads his hands out and motions to the downed attacker. “That man needs medical attention.”

  “I’m not gonna tell you again! ON THE GROUND!”

  Dev complies without making any sudden movements. The cops come around from the protection of their car doors. One has his weapon trained on Dev, the other on the unconscious guy.

  “Hands behind your back!”

  “Me?” Dev says with some confusion.

  “Yes, you! Hands behind your back, dip-shit!”

  Dev complies and is handcuffed. It is not very pleasant.

  “Any weapons on you?”

  “No,” Dev replies. “His weapon is over there.”

  The other cop checks the unconscious guy. “This guy’s out cold.” Cautiously, the cop backs up with his weapon still drawn and moves over and carefully picks up the dropped handgun. He can smell that it has been recently fired. The other cop who cuffed Dev pushes against his hands and says, “Don’t. You. Move.” The cop stands up and pauses to read Dev’s body language to see if he’s about to try to bolt. Satisfied Dev is compliant, the cop looks at the downed attacker. “He doesn’t look shot.”

  “He isn’t shot,” Dev says.

  “Quiet!”

  The second cop leans the unconscious man forward to confirm there is no wound in his back. He leans him back again and calls for paramedics on his mobile radio. The first cop takes Dev’s arm and helps him to his feet, then leads him to the side of the police car, where he leans him over the hood and frisks him. “Do you have anything sharp in your pockets?”

  “Sir?”

  “Needles, knives, razors. Anything sharp.”

  “No.”

  “Any drugs?”

  “No.”

  The cop goes through Dev’s pockets. He has an iPhone in his front pocket and wallet in his back. “Where’s the cash?”