by Enid Titan
“Cellphone.”
“A primitive communications device? They can use this to track us, right?”
“Yes.”
“My implant may be able to redirect the signal somewhere else. That should throw them off our trail for a while.”
He stared at the phone and a thin beam of red light projected from his eyeball. I gasped in awe. Vidar ignored my childlike fascination with technology that to him was quite normal.
“I’ve projected the signal about fifty miles South. That should put them off the trail for a while.”
Vidar snapped my phone in half. A pang of pain surged through my chest. That phone was my last chance at contacting my parents, my friends, or anyone. I’d have to disappear now, completely. On the run from the United States, I’d never be able to live in peace again. If Vidar detected my uncertainty, he said nothing about it.
He snuck his hand in mine and then pulled me in close for a hug. I barely came up to his chest, but I could rest my head just beneath his rib cage as he held me.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered, “In a few hours, we’ll be safe and tomorrow, we’ll find a way back to my ship.”
“Okay.”
“Trust me, little earthling.”
I wrapped my arms around him, clutching the broad muscles on his back and feeling safer. The sun went down and the temperature dropped. I started to shiver as Vidar remained impervious to the shift in weather. From our experimental data, I recalled that he could withstand both extreme heat and extreme cold better than most humans.
Vidar kept me in his arms until it was time for us to leave. His body generated more than enough heat to keep both of us well insulated from the chill.
I hadn’t expected Maryland to get that cold at night. My nerves might have had some effect on me. Every time I shifted my arms or legs outside of his grasp, I became immeasurably cold. Finally, Vidar whispered, “Are you ready?”
“Yes. I’ll give you his address, but I can’t give you coordinates.”
“That’ll do.”
I told him John’s address. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking through his route. I bit down on my lip, not wanting to interrupt him. Then, with his arms wrapped around me and skin pressed against mine, we teleported the first five miles.
Again, I had the wind knocked out of me as I landed on another patch of forest near the highway. Sure enough, we were five miles closer. I could hear sirens from the city as we approached.
“Georgetown, here we come,” Vidar murmured.
“One moment,” I begged, gasping for air.
Television and books made teleportation seem ultra-appealing but in real life, I hated that total loss of control and how the instant of teleportation seemed to slow down to an excruciating rate where I was all too aware of where my molecules were being sent.
I caught my breath and nodded, indicating to Vidar that I was ready for another round. My legs swept out from under me and we landed even closer to the city, on one of the sidewalks. People are so attuned to their environments, so focused on their commutes, or their dinners, or their Tinder dates, that no one seemed to notice us appearing out of thin air. At least this time, I didn’t have the wind knocked out of me.
I was getting used to this. Vidar grabbed my hand and asked, “Ready?”
“Yes.”
We’d just gone fifteen miles in a matter of three minutes. The third time was the charm and I was beginning to lose that sense of imbalance. One more round and then we’d have to walk for five miles, attempting to go undetected in the dark.
“Last one,” Vidar warned.
He pulled me through again and we were spat out on the Northwest end of the city, a little over five miles away from the Georgetown row house John inherited from his father’s passing.
The two of us stood on the relatively empty residential street. A five foot four inch woman and a seven foot tall alien with a height difference that made me look like his kid, and made him look like a real freak of nature. Vidar and his long inhuman tail had gone unnoticed earlier, but how many “strange guy doing cosplay” incidents could crop up before someone realized that his tail was real and not just a sci-fi movie costume.
“How will we avoid detection?” Vidar asked.
His voice was slow, and deep. I could sense his exhaustion and given the last deep sleep he’d fallen into, I worried.
“I don’t know. I would go back to my apartment to get clothes but that’s the first place they would look for me.”
“True. They may even have observers watching and waiting for you.”
I hadn’t thought of that, but Vidar was right.
“I’ll try to find a clothing store but until then, you’d better stay out of sight. Most people don’t exactly walk around naked here,” I explained.
“Most people don’t have tails either,” he joked.
I wished that I could have shared his sense of humor and his cool demeanor. If he could detect my terror, he didn’t point it out to me. He was right not to do so. We both needed to focus on avoiding detection and fixating on my fears wouldn’t help one bit.
While I enjoyed the close up view of Vidar’s chiseled abs and chest, every part of his body would definitely attract attention. I kept my head down and left Vidar in an alley behind a row of houses and hoped I could come across a drug store or a corner store that would sell sweatshirts at least. The first glass-windowed store I came across had a television playing the evening news.
“Shoot out at National Security Facility draws attention of conspiracy theorists,” the headline read.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and hurried past. Most folks who were working this late wouldn’t have seen the news yet. It was clear that I had to act quickly. I found a shop that sold cheap clothing on the side of the road and luckily, had enough cash to pay for a scarf I could wrap around my head and an extra large hoodie that would hopefully fit Vidar. I got a pair of sweatpants too, but I wasn’t sure they were long enough for his legs.
I hurried back down toward the alley where I’d left him, blood pumping so hard through my chest that my terror drowned out the city noise. Vidar took the clothing from me once I returned and as he dressed he asked if I was alright.
“No. I saw reports on TV… nothing specific but I don’t think we’ll be safe here for long.”
“Has your government admitted that there’s alien life on earth?” He asked curiously.
Just as I’d been researching him, I couldn’t forget that Vidar’s entire purpose was to do research on us. Establishing the viability of a first contact mission was a part of his reason for coming to earth.
“No, they haven’t admitted it.”
“Interesting.”
The sweatpants only came up to his calf, but at least his ass was covered and his tail obscured. He wasn’t comfortable tucking his tail into his pants, but I insisted on at least that. The sweatshirt was a little small on him too, but fit much better than the pants.
“I look ridiculous,” Vidar complained.
“You look fine.”
“We can cover five miles much faster if you let me carry you,” he insisted.
“Won’t that tire you out?”
“Not at all.”
“I don’t see how that will help us avoid detection.”
“Little earthling, that’s only because you don’t know how fast I can go.”
Six
The Arrival
Vidar
I was surprised she trusted me to carry her after everything. I hadn’t meant to kill that man, even if I considered him vile for trying to harm her. Death wasn’t the solution. My planet hadn’t had a murder since the Artificial Intelligence wars and I loathed myself for playing a part in the man’s death. What would the imperium think of my reports? Or the Alliance? None of this had been a part of the plan.
I’d planned to scare him or stun him, but death? I’d never considered taking a life, especially not the life of a civilian or a scientist.
>
I clutched Minerva to my chest and ran like I was in the Polluxian wilderness again. The air on her planet was thick with water, and nearly too difficult for me to breathe but I maintained a steady pace and it was only fifteen minutes before we arrived outside the Georgetown home where her friend John Billings lived.
There was one light on downstairs in his dwelling. I set Minerva on the ground and she snaked her hand through mine.
“You’re sure that we can trust Dr. Billings?”
“We’ve had our awkward moments but John cares for me. I know he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”
“We shouldn’t stay here very long. We need to get to Vermont.”
“We will.”
“You go knock on the door.”
Using my implant and my instincts, I scanned the street for any soldiers or weapons. While their primitive bullets bounced off my skin, Minerva didn’t have that blessing and I hated the thought of her being so vulnerable.
She approached John’s front door and planted three tepid knocks. I heard shuffling about the floorboards and John murmuring to himself. He opened the door and dropped his dinner on the ground.
“Minerva,” he breathed, “You’re alive.”
“Johnny, I need your help. I have the alien.”
“What do you mean you have the alien?”
“Please, don’t call anyone. I’m safe. He’s safe. If you let us in, I’ll explain everything.”
“I was interviewed for three hours by special forces today about the escape,” John huffed.
Perhaps he wouldn’t help us the way Minerva said he would, I thought.
“It wasn’t an escape.”
“You set him loose then?”
“Johnny, please. Trust me. Let me in…”
“Alright then. Where is he? Come in. But I’m warning you, this house is armed.”
His threat didn’t sound convincing to me. But it made him feel better so I did not contradict the little man by telling him that I could crunch his bones in my left hand.
I stepped behind Minerva, keeping my head bowed low. John gasped when he saw me. I could see his heart rate going up, even if he attempted to keep his cool so as not to make me aware of his terror. He had no idea about the implant and I appreciated that Minerva could keep my secret safe for me.
John ushered us inside, fidgeting nervously with his thumbs.
“You could get me into deep shit, Minerva.”
“I know John, I’m sorry. I didn’t know who else to trust. I didn’t want to make it worse.”
“Make it worse?” John hissed, “There’s a manhunt all over Maryland and Washington for you. They’re saying you leaked government secrets and that you’re some kind of crazy murderer.”
“That’s not true.”
“Of course I know it’s not true! But Minnie, Dr. Trout is dead. How did he…” John trailed off.
“Vidar didn’t kill him,” Minnie insisted before I could explain myself.
“There was glass everywhere. Blood. A recovered bullet and a gun.”
“The bullet bounced off Vidar’s skin.”
“This alien has a name? How can you know its name when none of us have ever heard him speak.”
“I can speak,” I uttered words for the first time to another one of my captors. John Billings scared me the least. He was frightened and despite his best efforts to impress Minerva with his tough face, he was more frightened than she was.
John thrust his hands into his pocket, looking me up and down in the ridiculous earth clothing I’d put on. His expression softened once he took a closer look at me. Hearing my voice apparently humanized me to him — made me seem like less of a monster despite the fact I towered over him about as much as I towered over Minerva.
“You two sit. I’ll make some tea for you both and we’ll discuss what happens next.”
“He needs to rest a day or two before we get on our way.”
“You’ll have to get on your way quickly. We’ll all be brought in for more questioning tomorrow and if anyone finds out that I’ve spoken to you, I’m toast.”
“No one will find out.”
“Sit,” John replied with a sigh, “I’ll have your tea soon.”
Minerva sat, but I couldn’t. His house was small, cramped compared to Polluxian dwellings. Even a large house for a large human was inadequate for me.
My ship would be better, but the hunk of metal sat deep in a Vermont forest, obscured by my camouflage devices. Only my implant could drop the camouflage enough to reveal it.
“Vidar, your pacing is making me nervous,” Minnie confessed.
I’d been so lost in thought that I hadn’t thought of her in a few moments. She was still worried, but it was only natural.
“Sorry. I worry that we are not safe here,” I murmured.
“John is cooperating. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Your country’s military might be primitive, but they believe there’s an alien on the loose. They’ll throw everything they have at this and more.”
“Don’t worry,” she insisted.
Her friend, Dr. Billings, returned with the tea. Although she trusted him, I wasn’t sure if I could. Still, I sat for tea and tried to ignore his stares. He was a scientist, I told myself, and that meant he had a natural desire to sate his curiosity about how alien I was. Once Minerva explained our situation, he asked me questions about my home planet.
“How far away is your home world?”
“Why did you decide to come to earth?”
“Is this an alien invasion?”
I avoided revealing the true nature of my mission. While the situation had expanded beyond my control, there was no need to risk the lives of the other two who had come here.
I tried to answer him honestly. I told him about Pollux, and how far away it was. I talked about the twin stars and the twin planets and I explained the war with the artificial lifeforms that our ancestors had created.
The Castoreans, a race of metallic robots, had risen up from their servitude and as they attempted to escape and forge their own home world, my people slaughtered them. When the artificial intelligence fought back, a long and bloody war that lasted five hundred years ensued. Now, we were at relative peace, but the tension between our races could break at any minute.
I even had to explain that yes, I was 200 years old. Minerva hung onto every word and so did John. She wanted these questions answered as much as he did. She rested her hand on my shoulder. Her closeness eased my mind.
Once we were finished our tea, John announced that he was exhausted and needed rest. My implants could sense he was honest about his tiredness. He sent us to his guest bedroom and Minerva shut the door behind us, sighing.
“You are worried,” I murmured, holding her close to me again.
“Yes. I am. We’re putting John at risk. I want to contact my family but I know it’s not safe.”
“You’re doing the right thing,” I whispered, “You’re protecting them.”
“How did this all get so far out of control?”
“It was my fault. I wanted to defend you. I needed to keep you safe.”
She looked up at me, tiptoeing, and still unable to reach my lips.
“I like that you want to protect me.”
Staring at her round face and her pretty brown eyes, I couldn’t help but want to touch her again, the way we had before. I lifted her off the ground. She didn’t fight my grasp. I pressed her against John’s wall, ducking my head so I wouldn’t hit it on his light fixtures.
I leaned in and kissed her. I expected resistance from her, especially considering the day we had. My implants and the feeling of her warm body in my grasp told me that she had other desires that she was unwilling to express. How interesting, I thought. These earthling aliens are unable to suppress their desires the way that our females do. In that sense, they are more like male Polluxians and well suited to our hunger.
I pushed her up against the wall, kissing her h
arder and more passionately than before. I used my hips to pin her against the wall and took her hands, pinning them over her head and pressing her there with enough force that she couldn’t move. Minerva wriggled her hips, testing my grip strength and I pressed her against the wall even harder.
She kissed me back, thrusting her tongue into my mouth. The suction cups on my tongue tasted every inch of her lips. She was sweet, like melted candy, and her puffy pink lips tussled with mine so eagerly that all three of my tentacles rose to stiff attention in my overly tight sweatpants.
Minerva giggled.
“I can feel them squirming,” she whispered.
It was nice to see her smile again, to find a moment in all the mess where she could carve out some happiness. Minerva reached her small hands down my sweatpants and I flinched as her cold palm struggled to wrap around one of my tentacles. She could barely fit her hand all the way around.
“You’re eager, little earthling,” I murmured, kissing her neck and my suction cups tasted the pheromones on her neck, arousing me even further.
Her skin heated to my touch and I let her hand explore my tentacles as she touched me to arousal. When she was ready for me, her ankles gripped the waistband of my sweatpants and shifted them over my tail.
It probably helped that she kept my tail covered around John, but in the privacy of the bedroom, I craved freedom. I released my three tentacles, ready for them to find their way inside her. Minerva unfortunately was still dressed, a problem I had every intention of amending. I wriggled her out of her dress and my palms touched her bare hips for the first time.
She was neither thin nor plump, around average size for a woman with curves in all the right places and a soft tummy, that aroused me each time I touched it. I sucked at her neck as I slipped her underwear around her thighs and discarded it.
“When we’re finished, will you go to sleep again?” She whispered.
“Yes. I will. But John will give us as long as we need so long as you ask it. He cares for you, Minerva…”
She squealed, unwilling to put a stop to the direction our lustful encounter was taking. I eased my first tentacle from my pants and spread her pussy lips apart with it to find they were already slick. As my suction cups began to work the pink flesh between her legs, she moaned and erupted in an instant climax.