Aliens in Godzone

by Cotterell, Genesis

  But as the years passed and it became known that Earth had been infiltrated by aliens, things changed. Now there was no need to hide their existence. Ryxins wanted to mate with each other. Ryxin leaders therefore vehemently opposed the law. This brought about the harsh penalty of an immediate twenty-year prison sentence without trial for breaking the reproduction laws. Soon the prisons were full of alien men and women who had foolishly flouted the Flim-Flam law, making Ryxins more cautious and forcing them to find other, secret ways to breed with their own kind.

  Curtis drove carefully around to the western side of Muritai. The road narrowed as he grew closer to Chamonix Beach where Janux lived, and he felt jumpy after what the barman, Harry had said about Sly Onyx. Curtis was apprehensive about the party and what he had to do there. And he guessed he’d be watched closely to make sure he fulfilled his manly duty for the betterment of the Ryxin race.

  Though Chamonix Beach was one of the prettiest beaches it was sparsely populated. Was Janux safe now that she was alone? Times were changing due to the repressive nature of Human law, designed to keep the Ryxins a lower-class minority. Even wages offered to Ryxins were usually the minimum allowed by law.

  Meanwhile prejudice by Humans was often rife but not in all parts of the country. Some Ryxins were turning nasty and seeing all single Ryxin women as breeding machines who should bear children for the sake of their race. Most Humans liked Ryxins and many sought them out as partners, their differences seen as sexy and appealing. But there were also Humans, like Marzy’s mother, who despised Ryxins, even feared them, and some were so Ryxin-phobic they would have nothing at all to do with them.

  “We must watch each other’s backs at the party,” Curtis warned Janux as they drove down the coast road. He thought she was looking prettier than ever in purple tights under a white cotton shirt with a pattern of tiny flowers on it. “I’ll likely be separated from you for a while but don’t worry - just make sure you’re not alone with Sly. I don’t trust him.”

  “Neither do I, but I’ll let you know where I am from time to time… if you’re not too busy,” she said, looking out the car window.

  Curtis reddened knowing what he had to do, and that he’d have to leave Janux alone while he did it. “Look, I don’t like this set-up at all. It sickens me. But I was pushed into a corner.”

  “That’s what that bugger’s like. Always trying to control others and thinking of nothing else but women, sex and babies all the time. He’d like nothing more than to have me to himself too. But that’s not going to happen. I have my pride and my self-respect.”

  “I’m sorry, Janux, but it might help me solve this case. And I promise you I will. I also have a young boy to find. Do you know the mayor - Siegfried Plante?”

  “I’ve seen him a few times. Why?”

  “His grandson, Jack, has been kidnapped. Plante suspects Sly Onyx too. Sly and Mistle had been sending him invitations that he kept ignoring.”

  “Sly Onyx is an evil bastard and his wife is like a puppet. He pulls her strings and keeps her like a slave while he goes out and beds young Ryxin women. It’s well known.”

  “What was his connection with Roscoe?”

  “There wasn’t one, really. Sly and others from that group kept asking Roscoe to join their drinking parties but he always refused.”

  “So you reckon one of them wanted revenge?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. I didn’t think they’d stoop that low. After all, it’s not a crime to refuse to go to a party, is it?”

  “So if not that, what then?”

  “Roscoe knew what was going to happen at today’s party. He didn’t tell me exactly what, just that they were up to something illegal. He was told to shut up about it.”

  “So did he keep quiet?”

  “Roscoe liked to get drunk on Friday nights. Sometimes he’d annoy their crowd by making jokes about Ryxin powerlessness and how alcohol wasn’t going to help them. He came home a few times with cuts and bruises.”

  “Fighting?”

  “They didn’t like him making fun of their plight, even though he was Ryxin too. He told me he could only cope by joking about it, and did it to annoy them when he’d had a few beers.”

  There were cars lining both sides of Ngahere Road but he found a space and edged the car into it. There were two large marquees set up on the left of the house in the adjoining paddocks. The first was obviously where the main party was being held as a large colourful entrance sign was displayed there and on each side of the entrance stood two large men.

  “Names,” one of them grunted, scowling at them.

  “I’m Curtis McCoy and this is my partner, Janux Lennan.”

  The doorman scanned a long list of names and marked theirs off with a pencil. But he held his huge right hand up for them to wait. Then he handed Curtis a tag with two numbers on it - 35/17 - and the time 7 p.m. at the same time explaining that at 7 p.m. Curtis, number 35, was to go to the second marquee and find booth 17. There he would find the woman who’d been allotted to him and he was to remain there for no more than one hour.

  “Don’t forget,” the doorman barked at Curtis, then gave a leering smile. “Enjoy the party, you two. Eat and drink whatever you want. But remember your appointment, sir.”

  “I won’t forget,” Curtis assured him. He was shown how to wear his tag around his neck so that everyone there would know his number, time, and the numbered woman he had been assigned. He felt like a guinea pig - or more likely a male stud. So, he thought, this is what the Ryxin world is turning into. We’re a series of numbers and being used for our breeding capacity.

  By now it was just after six so Curtis headed for the nearest bar, Janux following. On the way a pamphlet was thrust into his hand. A cursory glance showed him that this was a potted history of his people since their arrival on Earth in 1905. Janux was close behind him.

  “Do you drink wine?” he asked her.

  “Yes, I’ll have a dry white, please.”

  The bar was attended by two scantily clad women, both heavily made up. As one leaned over to pass the glasses of wine she said, “You’re very handsome, number 35. Good luck.”

  Curtis wondered why he needed good luck but didn’t reply. He grabbed the two glasses and motioned for Janux to follow him. There was a table nearby on which were laid out various kinds of savoury nibbles and small packets of cheeses, which they began to eat with their wine. There was loud Ryxin-type music playing. This consisted of a slow drum-beat accompanied by the Irish tin whistle, and a female singing some background Gaelic songs.

  Because the first Ryxins had settled in Ireland, the music they’d known back in Ryxin had been adapted and come to incorporate a very Gaelic flavour. All the original immigrants had learnt Gaelic as their first Earth language combined with some of their own words, but this had diminished over the years and now most Ryxin descendants spoke English as their first tongue. But there were still some who held fast to the learning of both Gaelic and Ryxin.

  Janux knew that as women could not communicate telepathically, her ability to do so was an anomaly and so she never advertised that she had this trait. If a high-ranking Ryxin were to find out she had this gift she would almost certainly be done away with.

  As they sat there drinking their wine Curtis kept checking his watch. Soon he must go the second marquee and find booth 17. Eventually the time came.

  While Curtis was gone, Janux stayed at the table and ordered another glass of wine. She thought about Roscoe and the life they’d had together. Those years had been the happiest of her life.

  Her father had known from when she was a baby that she had telepathic powers. This delighted him but he dared not tell anyone. From the day he could make her understand he’d taught her never to let a single soul find out about the gift she had. He told her over and over what the dangers were. That she would be considered an aberration by the Ryxin hierarchy and would be silently got rid of. This is how they dealt with any of their kind who was not true to Ryxin f
orm.

  Her father told her about a female baby born with glowing bones, another exclusively male trait. In every other way she was a normal female child, but a Ryxin authority declared that she would corrupt their race, so the baby vanished from its pram one day when the mother was shopping. No trace was ever found of the infant but rumours went round that she’d been seen floating over the sea, a long way out, before dropping to a watery death. The child’s parents moved away from the area and were never heard of again.

  The police were powerless to act. As if being told not to interfere in Ryxin affairs were not enough to contend with, they knew they couldn’t have prosecuted anyone anyway - especially not on mere hearsay or rumour. In such cases - and there’d been a few over the years - there was never any evidence, and there was always more than one rumour about what had really happened.

  Janux’s father drummed it into her that if this kind of thing happened to her, then no one would report her missing or even try to find her. And no one would ever mention her name again. That is what happened to those they called aberrations.

  He taught his daughter well. Even Janux’s mother, a Human, was never to know that Janux had this power. Most Human partners were only aware of the physical attributes of their children and Janux’s mother was no exception. She was proud of Janux’s extra fingers, knowing they made her desirable to Ryxin males who were seeking a wife.

  Not being allowed to have children with a Ryxin husband was naturally a drawback. Janux hated the Human law and this had kept her single a lot longer than most Ryxin females. The thought of marrying a Human just to produce offspring was something she’d made up her mind not to do. Then once her parents had gone back to Ireland to retire Janux moved to Muritai, having heard about the beautiful beaches and alternate lifestyles. It seemed that on Muritai she could have a peaceful single life.

  Then she met Roscoe Chamonix. He was kind and gentle and seemed to her to live an idyllic life in his bach beside Chamonix Beach - named after his maternal grandparents, who’d been the first Humans to live there. Only three weeks after meeting Roscoe she moved in with him. Then she went straight onto the special annual contraceptive injection that was freely available to all Ryxin women, married or not, but compulsory once they married or were in a de facto relationship if their partner was Ryxin. Much as she would have loved a child and Roscoe too, they both feared the harshness of Human punishment.

  Janux had only ever used her telepathic powers with her father and then Roscoe. She had only decided to tell Curtis because she had enlisted him to find Roscoe’s killer. Also, she didn’t care so much now. After Roscoe’s death she’d stopped caring about a lot of things.

  Curtis entered booth 17 not knowing what to expect. The lights were low in the tent-like room and the first thing he noticed was a sign telling him to shower and leave his clothes on a nearby chair. He saw no one and no one spoke so he obeyed the written command and entered a cubicle in which there was a makeshift camp shower. Soap and a soft towel were at hand. The water was barely warm and began to run out before he was finished.

  Once dry, Curtis emerged and a woman appeared naked before him. She looked twenty-something and was petite. Her hair was short - brown and curly. Without saying anything she beckoned him to follow her. Curtis dropped his towel to the floor and went after her into a dimly lit, curtained-off area.

  “I am number 17,” she said. “Welcome, 35.”

  She sat on the edge of a large bed that was covered by a white sheet. There were no coverlets.

  “We don’t have to go through with this, you know,” Curtis said quietly to her. “If you don’t want to, of course.”

  She smiled at him. “Don’t worry about me. I came into this programme of my own free will. They are looking after me well.”

  “But you are trapped now. You won’t be allowed to leave until you can no longer breed,” he said and then remembered Harry, the barman, warning him to watch his back.

  “I know that but I am willing for the great Ryxin race, of which I am one. So are you, 35.”

  “Of course, you are right,” he said, deciding it was safer to go along with the status quo.

  “You must obey, 35 or you will be punished. I am available for you today and perhaps in the future too. I have been instructed to choose a breeding mate today.”

  “You mean a permanent mate to have children with?”

  “You are not to know the details, 35. That is for us women to know.”

  “I’ve always wanted a child, but this way I will never see or know my child,” he said.

  “That is the way it must be because of the Flim-Flam law. Within the hour you are here you must fulfil your duty. If not I will be compelled to report you and they will come for you.”

  Curtis put his arms around her. She watched him closely and murmured Ryxin words he didn’t understand. He felt aggressive because of his anger at being told to do this, but excited too - and hungry for her young body, supple and yielding.

  She was his first sexual partner since Marzy left him. Ironically he could be making this woman pregnant, something he’d been forbidden to do with Marzy. He also knew that even if 17 became pregnant with his child he would never know. But he told himself that none of that mattered now and compared to Marzy, this woman gave herself more freely and without restraint. Finally they both lay back and after a few minutes she spoke.

  “You have done well, 35. I will report how it went. If I ask for you again are you willing to see me?”

  Curtis felt irritated. He didn’t want this to go on. The whole situation was wrong. But then wasn’t that the fault of the Human authorities? It was they who had banned inter-Ryxin breeding. “Did you know a man called Roscoe Chamonix?” he asked instead.

  “I heard about his accident but no, I never met him. Was he a friend of yours?”

  “Yes,” Curtis lied. “He was a fine man but somebody wanted him dead.”

  “And you think I may know who that was? I don’t. You only have ten minutes left, 35. Please prepare to leave. I will report your uncertainty about returning.”

  “Will I be punished for that?”

  “No, 35, it is not compulsory, but I desire you to return. Would you please me by returning?”

  “What about a young man called Jack Garvey?”

  “Garvey? That’s one of The Ten, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, you know your history well.” The names of The Ten were learnt by rote at Ryxin schools.

  Number 17 started rattling off the names, only missing three which Curtis helped her with.

  “Well done. So do you know young Jack Garvey?”

  She looked away. “There is a young man in our breeding group. He is to perform his duty before being freed. We only go by numbers here and I’ve heard he is 72.”

  “Have you seen him?”

  “No, but I am told he’s a 15-year- old boy.”

  “And what is his duty?”

  “To be the sexual partner of a chosen woman and stay with her until she is pregnant. She’s a special woman about his age. He must stay until that happens.”

  “Is that usual, to capture a young man against his will?”

  She looked indignant. “No, of course not, but this young man - number 72 - must be special. Perhaps his name is Jack Garvey, descended from one of The Ten.”

  “Perhaps.So where can I find him?”

  “You won’t find 72. Our lives here are very private - we have no visitors except like you, to help us in our cause. It is because of the Flim-Flam law. We must hide always. So when are you coming back to see me, 35?”

  “You’re a fine woman, 17, but that is a big commitment. Here is my card. If you hear anything about Roscoe Chamonix or Jack Garvey, will you contact me?”

  “If I do will you come back?”

  “We’ll see.”

  Curtis dressed hurriedly and was out the door within the hour. He wondered who her next partner would be.

  It was late when Curtis drove Janux back to
her home at Chamonix Beach. “I don’t like to leave you alone here,” he said, “on a night such as this.”

  “Don’t worry, I can reach you telepathically if I need to.”

  Curtis felt uneasy. He waited until she was in the house and the lights were on before leaving.

  “Goodbye, Janux. I’ll be in touch soon,” he telepathised.

  CHAPTER 10

  It was just after midnight when Curtis woke with a jolt. He was clammy with sweat and felt panicky. What was it? Then he knew. He was receiving an urgent message from Janux.

  “Come quickly to Chamonix Beach. Hurry - Sly Onyx is here.”

  He hurriedly sent a message back as he pulled on his clothes. “I’m on my way.”

  Curtis had never driven so fast, his little Fiat slid around the narrow bends, gravel spraying up from its wheels. At last he was near the bach. He could see the lights on so he parked a way back and crept silently towards it. Everything was quiet.