by Mel Todd
Chapter 29 - Earth Stood Still
Word has slipped out that these aliens are expected to land in New York City. How this is known hasn't been revealed, but the city is reacting. Already people are leaving the city in droves, but a certain amount of people are coming in, wanting to see real aliens from space. Where they will land hasn't been released, if it is even known, but smart money is the harbor or Central Park. Where else could you land a ship? Though if a runway is needed, that means JFK or La Guardia. All that is known right now is that the level of government activity in the city is through the roof. TNN will have crews scattered throughout the city to report on everything that happens. ~ TNN News
McKenna didn't pay much attention to the trip to NYC. She and the others spent their time talking in the mindspace, reassuring the kids, discussing Carina's request to be changed, and asking Wefor if anyone other than commanders could transform people. The answer to that was no and yes. While only commanders had the ability, the Elentrin had the ability to inject specific nanobots and force people to change.
[Remember there is only the information in the databases to go off of. There is no way to know if something has changed or what might not be accurate.]
McKenna thought about that. ~Wefor, how long ago were you sent towards this planet?~
[Unknown. Awareness does not start until after you had shifted a few times. It took that long for enough command nanobots to replicate and start repairing the existing programming.]
~Huh. Okay. You two have any ideas?~ She poked Cass and Perc gently with the question.
~So if it is just nanobots, can you pre-program them? The way the ones you made us take to make sure all the programming had been replaced?~
[Yes and no. While those nanobots can be produced and provided, that programming can only be activated when in a host. Right now all nanobots have been deactivated by existing programming. Giving those bots to a non- Kaylid has to be via the blood stream and then activated while they are in a suitable host. Remember that not all forced shifts are successful.]
~Oh. I forgot that. Wefor, what is the failure rate?~
[Less than ten percent but given that she already has nanobots it should be less.]
~Wait, what? She does?~ Toni asked, her voice sharp enough to draw a wince from McKenna.
[Over time between living with other Kaylid, scratches from the children, and the original infection, yes.]
That sank in, and finally a general shrug rippled through everyone.
~It does make sense. But that's good, and I don't have an issue with her being changed, but is it ethical?~ Cass asked.
That dropped like a bomb in the room and McKenna opened her eyes, not looking at Cass but out the window as the plane headed in for landing. They didn't say anything else, but the idea bounced around her head trying to decide and realizing she had no idea if it was or wasn't.
The disembarking, getting slipped into dark town cars and being whisked through strange city streets all passed in a blur. No one really spoke and McKenna just felt like a piece of luggage getting moved about. But she didn't make any fuss. None of them did. The stress shone through all the agents; it reflected in the quiet streets of a city that never slept, and her stomach churned even more. They were ushered through a dark underground garage and escorted up through what McKenna assumed were the bowels of a hotel.
They were ushered into a room where Doug waited and a bunch of other people McKenna didn't recognize, but from the suits and attitudes they screamed politicians. She did notice, though, that most of them looked older, thin, and somehow unhealthy. If this was who they were going to send to meet with the Elentrin, it might work. Maybe.
"McKenna, Cass, Perc, glad you guys could make it. Come on in. I want to introduce you to the people who are heading our negotiations. Then maybe you can help us brainstorm a plan." With a smile on his face, though everyone in the room looked tense and like they needed a week of sleep, he pulled her over and Cass and Perc followed.
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce McKenna Largo. The person who's made sure we at least have a chance at surviving this." The people, one woman, two men, turned to look at her.
"McKenna this is Albert Larinson. He'll be our ambassador, if you will."
The man who looked like in his heyday he would have made a perfect extra on a movie about gangsters or the Italian Mafia, leaned on a cane and held out his hand. His body had slimmed to the point of gauntness, and hair that she suspected had been thick and lush like a poodle coat, looked tired and thin.
She took his hand and caught a whiff of his scent under tobacco and Old Spice.
"You're dying. Cancer?" The other two blinked at this, but he nodded.
"Yes. One of the reasons I agreed to do this. I'm terminal, so I don't really have much to lose." He tilted his head. "How could you tell?"
"You smell sick, dying." She didn't pull her punches.
His eyes narrowed. "Will they be able to smell that?"
Huh, good question.
"I don't know about the Elentrin. The Kaylid with them, yes, but will they know what it means? I have no idea." She paused, thinking. "But I'm not sure it matters. They may think we're more desperate because we're sending our dying to talk to them?" McKenna looked at them, trying to stay polite. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Albert nodded his head, a distant look in his eyes as he stepped back.
Doug glanced at her, his eyes thoughtful too, and McKenna bit her lip frustrated they kept asking things she couldn't answer.
~I swear didn't they read up on me? I figured since it took them a week to appear on my doorstep they had done a full background check. They would know about our sense of smell and the test I did for Waris.~ She kept her exasperation out of her face as she turned to look at the woman.
A tiny woman with skin the color of stained walnut, her hair so closely cropped the sliver curls gave her a halo effect, held out her hand.
"McKenna, this is Beatrice Laughton. She worked as an undersecretary for three different secretaries of state."
Beatrice smiled, her yellowed teeth giving away her status as a lifelong smoker, even though McKenna didn't smell any on her now.
"I retire this year. This sounded like an interesting way to go out, and no one ever takes me as a threat." She waved at herself, a wicked light in her eye. "At least not until after I've skewered them on policy."
McKenna matched her grin. That left the last person, a young man, thin, already prematurely balding and he couldn't be more than late twenties. Doug introduced him as Harold Weinmarst. He just sneered at her, even as he shook her hand with the limpest grip she'd ever felt.
"I still feel this is a waste of time. We can never negotiate with invaders." He took his hand back from her grip and looked like he wanted to wipe it on his slacks. "We should meet them with weapons and let them know we will not tolerate this invasion of our land and our people. The odds of them signing a treaty is nil." Somehow he managed to sneer the entire time he talked.
"And what if I'm wrong? If everything I've told you is incorrect and they're here to set up trade? Or if they're way more powerful than we are?" She kept her voice mild, but wanted to slap him. If they failed, millions would probably die.
He had the audacity to smirk at her. "Then they find out how dangerous humans are."
McKenna glanced at Doug who shrugged. "He's a good lawyer and can make contracts sing. Luckily he won't talk much." He shot an annoyed look at the young man then sighed. "Hell, maybe all this will get competent people into office." His voice was very low. The three greeters had already turned around and started to talk between themselves. McKenna figured she was the only one that heard him.
"It's an invasion. Not a miracle," she said dryly, and he choked out a laugh.
"True. So ready for the plan?"
"Go for it." By this point everyone else had arrived and Cass and Perc had drifted over. Doug got them all sitting, a few more people McKenna vaguely recognized from the first or s
econd meeting had also joined them.
The next six hours were spent going over plans, coming up with ideas and strategies. McKenna and Wefor spent a lot of time answering questions and saying they didn't know. Too much was unknown and by the time they finished even McKenna was exhausted.
Perc and Cass acted as her chaperones which felt odd as Cass looked so tiny between the two of them, her petite frame and build made her look like they should protect her. The hours disappeared between meetings that only ramped up the turmoil in her churning stomach and time at their hotel suite talking to the kids, Toni, and JD, and wishing they were here. But none of them ever let the words slip out. At least with them there they had the possibility someone might make it through this unscathed.
McKenna sat in her long t-shirt with Cass and Perc, in their suite drinking coffee, when someone pounded on the door.
She rose and answered it. Christopher stood there, his face gray. "They're coming. We can see the shuttle movement. It's show time."
The coffee threatened to come back up. "Thanks. Give us twenty." She shut the door and headed back towards Cass and Perc who were already dressing. Cass in a simple dress that made her look tiny and harmless. Perc would be staying way in the background already in Kaylid form. He'd change as soon as they landed, but stay far enough away that in the park, if they landed there, he wouldn't be visible. Caroline would be with him.
McKenna got dressed too, pulling on an ugly dress that made her look blocky. Her hair in a bun at the base of her skull and glasses she didn't need, but changed the shape of her face. Bland ballet flats that she could run in completed the outfit. No makeup, and her only accessory would be a large notepad and a pen. They hoped the Elentrin had bureaucracies and would dismiss her. She could communicate everything to Perc who would tell the people running the earpieces that everyone else would have. Cass was her backup.
Christopher waited for them as they opened the door. He was dressed in his normal dark brown suit, something to make him fade into the background.
"Ready?"
"No. I want to run and crawl under my bed again," Cass said, her voice flat. "But I have family that's depending on me." She'd sent Helena a message telling her she loved her before she walked out the door.
"Understood. But you're here. Trust me, that is more than you realize."
Cass shot him a look, then glanced at McKenna who shrugged. She had no idea what he was talking about. They were put in two different vehicles, Cass and McKenna in one, Perc in the other.
~Stay safe. Stay alive. I can't lose you.~ Her thought quiet as she sent that just to him even as she watched Cass zone out, likely talking to JD.
~Ditto. We can't die until I have a chance to ask you out on a date.~ McKenna blinked at Perc's private comment and felt her face heat.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Cass's voice pulled her out of her shocked pleasure. McKenna focused on her and realized Cass stared at her concern on her face.
"Nothing, I'm fine." She pushed it down. This wasn't the time. People could die, but the jolt of happiness gave her a boost she hadn't realized she needed. They pulled into the park and McKenna looked outside the vehicle. People were carrying signs, held back by police on horseback, in riot gear, and looking like they didn't know whose side they were on.
Half the signs said variations of 'Come in Peace' or 'We want to be friends.' The others were more along the lines of 'Leave our Planet Alone,' 'Go Away' and other much cruder statements.
"I can't decide if I hope they can or can't read English. Any word about how the other places are handling this?"
Christopher had left the sliding window down so he heard her question. "A little, in Istanbul, the city is on fire. News reports are that there was an explosion, but I don't know everything yet. In Shanghai there was a complete news blackout as we left. They were trying to re-establish connections when we left. So who knows what's going on there. Any insight as to why they chose those locations?"
"Population density, I think. But heck if I know. I could have been because they liked the temperature. I really don't know anything."
"Welcome to my world. No matter how much you plan or prepare, some idiot can come out of left field and blow it all to hell."
McKenna nodded then swallowed as she realized he had stopped. "We here?"
"Not quite. But we need to see where they land. The park is big, but we have spotters on most buildings so they should be able to see where they're going to land. Once we do, we'll head that direction."
There didn't seem to be much to say, so McKenna leaned back and tried to not think, not do anything. It didn't matter from this point on. All she could do would be listen and provide the information needed.
Cass reached out and squeezed her hand. McKenna squeezed back and tried not to notice how fast both of their hearts beat. Wefor didn't say anything and the mindspace sat quiet as they waited.
"Got it. Looks like the shuttle is landing in the Sheep Meadow. Let's go," Christopher said the words as they took off. It didn't mean anything to McKenna, but she held on as they raced through the park. The jostling over bumpy ground had both women grabbing onto the seats to make sure they weren't tossed to the floor. The vehicle slid to a halt, and Christopher took a deep breath. "We are here, ladies. It's game time."
He jumped out and before McKenna could get her head in the game, he pulled open her door. She and Cass climbed out and saw the others under a tent that seemed to have magically appeared in the last few seconds. They headed that way.
Tension radiated through everyone. She could smell the stress oozing out of people. More than one reeked of cigarette smoke from people she'd never smelled it on. The occasional whiff of alcohol hit her nose as the mixed group of people stood, silent, watching a shuttle from another world, land in Central Park.
"And so the Earth stood still."
Chapter 30 - Hero Worship
We are here live at the historic meeting in Central Park. Aliens are walking on Earth. While our reporters were not allowed close, our cameras are directed towards the space where our ambassadors for the United States, dare I say Earth, wait. This is a moment that will go down in history, but will we come away with friends or enemies? What do we know about the people who are waiting for our alien visitors? Are they the best representatives of our nation? Our planet? ~TNN News
McKenna didn't know who said it, but it felt right, and her stomach twisted as a ramp dropped from the ship. Her breath caught. She wished she had binoculars. The ship, shuttle she guessed, seemed about the same size as the Gulfstream in length, but there any comparison ended. Wide plane including the wings, it had a smooth shape that called to mind liquid mercury. The one vision containing a shuttle had not drawn her attention, but now with the silver black shape absorbing the sun, she examined it closely. The nose seemed more transparent, but there were no landing struts, it simply settled on the ground. The ramp seemed part of the ship, the same smooth, silvery black.
Her attention was ripped from the ship to the beings walking out of it. A tall Kaylid led the way, golden fur giving away what it was. She counted a total of five Kaylid. All of them slightly taller than she was in warrior form, but not as large as Perc or JD. They formed a wall around someone in the middle. All she could see was the occasional glimpse of dark hair and bright colors in the middle. They headed towards the group, an undercurrent of words and comments washed around her, but she ignored it. Wanting to see and understand. The Kaylid wore simple skirts that hit about mid-thigh and moved and flexed as they did. It looked more like spandex than anything else.
As they headed towards the group, she caught glimpses of tails, but she really wanted time to study these non-Earth Kaylid. The colors seemed more vibrant than any except the reds she'd seen on a fox or red panda. Their golds shimmered, blacks were almost blue, and she wanted to look at one she swore had dappled green marks across the fur. Even trying to figure out what they resembled didn't work. They moved too fast and their faces and coloring were
just different enough she couldn't grasp what creatures they might be created from.
They approached to about ten feet from the assembled group, and she focused on the leader, odds were this was the commander. It felt odd to watch the body maybe she had been riding. The leader stood, almost posing, as all eyes were drawn to him. At least McKenna thought it was a male, there were no breasts visible like on her form, but that might not mean anything.
He stood erect, eyes tracking across all of them, pointed ears twitching back and forth at the noise that surrounded them. His skull looked a bit like hers in that form, but longer, sharper than she in that form. His eyes were a vibrant blue that stood out against the golden fur. Arms and legs, but she realized his fingers had an extra joint that made them longer than hers.
"I bring Ambassador Scilita to discuss the rescue of your people from this horrible calamity. Are you the leaders of this area?" He spoke English the way she spoke Spanish. The mouth movements didn't match up exactly, and it came out heavy, thick, like someone with a heavy Russian accent.
Albert stepped forward, leaning on a cane he hadn't had the day before. "I am Albert Larinson. I speak for this country. "
"Then Ambassador Scilita will speak with you." Up until now the other Kaylid had surrounded the person in the middle like a living shield. With the leader's words, the others parted and moved in a fluid synchronized movement to reveal the person in the middle.
McKenna felt her knees buckle, and she fought to remain standing. Around her, soft moans and gasps rippled away as they took in the being looking at all of them.
Slim, almost petite as she couldn't have stood more than five-foot-four. Breasts and overall form implied female to McKenna. Long hair the color of rubies, or heart's blood, rippled down her back. A face with wide lavender eyes framed by lashes that matched the color of her hair sat in a face that had no flaws, everything perfectly symmetrical and heartbreakingly beautiful.