by Craig Allen
“It isn’t. Our forefathers spoke of losing contact with them during their voyage.” She rested her hands in her lap, trying to hide the moistness that had developed. Nerves. It had to be. “That would indicate they were in contact with them at one point.”
“I would be interested in seeing these records. If that’s permissible, of course.”
“Of course,” Sasha said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Jester nodded thanks. She pressed her hands face down, hoping he wouldn’t notice.
He did. “Are you well?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Why?”
“It’s just that you seem apprehensive.”
She shook her head vigorously. “No, I—”
The door klaxon echoed off the walls. She jumped, almost falling out of her chair. He rose and went to her to catch her in case she did fall.
The soldiers didn’t hesitate. They reached for their rifles and switched off the safeties. Before Sasha could tell them to stop, a loud voice did it for her. “At ease.”
The soldiers put their weapons away as an officer she didn’t recognize strode directly toward her. She flinched inwardly, not knowing what he wanted. He leaned over and whispered to her. She heard him even though the klaxon sounded as the door closed behind him.
When he finished, she was livid. She needed to have a long talk with the colonel. “Mr. Gold, I must take my leave.”
Jester raised his eyebrows. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” She quickly added, “At least, nothing I can’t handle. If you would excuse me.”
He stood. The soldiers once again reached for the rifles, but Jester ignored them. “Will I see you again?”
She wiped her hands on her dress, again pretending to smooth it out. “I’m sure you will.” She turned before he could respond and stormed from the room. “Good day, Mr. Gold.”
She thought she heard him respond, but the door klaxon drowned him out. She passed by a young private carrying a tray with a pitcher of water and a glass. Well, they finally got around to giving him water, she thought. She stood just around the corner as the door closed, out of Jester’s sight. After the klaxon ceased blaring, she took a deep breath.
The corporal who accompanied her stood next to her, ready to help. “Ma’am, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answered. “I need to speak to the man in charge.”
“That would be me,” a voice behind her said.
The corporal jerked to attention as an officer approached. Sasha couldn’t quite make out his rank.
“I’m Major Carson,” he said, as if sensing her confusion. “I’m in charge while the colonel is away.” He raised an eyebrow. “And I think you know why he’s away.”
It took her a moment to realize he must have sent the officer to inform her of the colonel’s activities. “Yes, Major, thank you. And Major, would you please move Ambassador Gold to more suitable quarters? Further, please provide him with adequate food and water.”
“Ambassador, the colonel made it clear—”
“Major, this gentleman has come here in good faith, and we’re treating him like a criminal.”
The major frowned. “The colonel believed it was safer to keep him under strict security. You saw the technology of that vessel. Who knows what sort of threat he could be?”
“I did see his technology, Major, which makes me wonder why you believe he is not here of his own free will.”
He thought about it for a moment. “I see your point, Ms. Merigole. Colonel Lambear won’t like it.”
“I will handle the colonel, Major.”
The major gave a grunt that passed for a laugh. “I’d like to see that.”
~~~~
The car slid to a stop not far from where Jester’s ship landed. Sasha reached for the door handle, but Mr. Greyson opened it for her. She sighed. She’d have to get used to that.
“We’re here.” Greyson held out his hand. She took it to avoid an argument.
“Thank you, Mr. Greyson.” Jester’s space vessel gleamed in the sun, oblivious to the myriad of people milling around it. Some even stood on top of it. At that distance, she couldn’t make out any faces, but she knew Colonel Lambear was among them.
She took a deep breath. There were only a few dozen people present. It was nothing like the crowd from much earlier. She could handle this. “Mr. Greyson, I shouldn’t be long.”
Greyson tipped the corner of his hat as she crossed the park toward the people. By the time she reached the craft, her feet ached. The colonel stood facing the craft, his back to her. He didn’t acknowledge her as she approached, but she had no doubt he knew she was there. She stood next to him, staring at the craft with him.
Finally, he spoke. “Ms. Merigole. Something on your mind?”
The sight of so many prodding at Jester’s ship infuriated her. “What are you doing?”
The colonel pointed at the craft before him. “He exited here. I saw it.”
“And?”
“I can’t find a crack. It’s like the door was never there.” He gestured toward the top of the craft. “Secretary Ross said the visitor mentioned grasers, but we can’t find a single gun port.” He frowned. “I’d love to get inside this thing.”
Sasha tried to calm the fury building in her. This was his ship, his property. “Colonel, I want you to cease all attempts to enter the craft.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“This craft belongs to an ambassador, and you are trying to violate it?”
He opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it and just nodded. “I see your point, Ms. Merigole. Please understand I’m just doing my job.”
Which he was, she thought. Everyone wanted to understand this technology. It traveled at incredible velocities across a vast distance. The engineering was beyond anything they could achieve. His actions were understandable, but it still angered her.
“I do understand, Colonel.” When the colonel glanced at her hands she put them to her side, palms away from him. She didn’t want him to see the moisture they had collected. “I simply think we shouldn’t provoke our guest, if at all possible.”
He regarded her a moment, glancing at her hands. “Very well, Ms. Merigole.” He kept his voice level. “What’s he like?”
“Friendly, even honest.”
“You believe he really just wants to say hello?”
“Yes, I do.” She hesitated. “I’ll send you a full report when it is completed.”
“I appreciate that, Ms. Merigole.” He gestured at the craft. “If you don’t mind, I’d still like to do some scans. We’ll make every effort to avoid damaging the vehicle.”
“I will confirm with Ambassador Gold, but I’m sure that is acceptable.”
“Very good.” He glanced at her hands. “There is a lotion for that.”
She raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. He gestured at her hands.
“Oh, it’s not that. It’s…”
When she didn’t finish, he pursed his lips. “Ms. Merigole, we know nothing about him. It may be unwise to—”
“No, it’s not that. It’s…”
The colonel waited for her to finish. For a second, he seemed remorseful.
“I must contact the prime minister,” she said. “If you will excuse me, Colonel.”
“Of course, Ms. Merigole. I look forward to your report.”
She felt his eyes on her as she walked back to the car.
~~~~
“I have my own car.”
Sasha sat in the back seat, holding her tablet in front of her. The image of Uncle Jon’s frowning face filled her tablet screen. She rubbed her shoulders out of habit, then realized it wasn’t necessary. She felt much warmer than before.
“Use the car assigned to you. It’s a standard security measure for an ambassador.”
She put her hand in front of one of the vents. No air came through. So why was it warmer? “Uncle, can’t you release him? Keeping him a prisoner doesn’t make us look goo
d.”
“I’m sorry, Sasha,” he said. “The doctors have determined he is indeed human, but they want to be certain he presents no biological threat to us.”
“They should have thought of that before. We were all exposed to him when he exited his vehicle.” Sasha pulled the tablet closer to her face, as if that might help convince him. “And I’m sure he understands that better than we do. If he is a biological threat to us, then our biosphere is probably a threat to him.”
Uncle Jon’s body shook as he laughed. “And you said you weren’t qualified.”
“Don’t change the subject, Uncle. We can’t keep him prisoner like this.”
“I agree, my dear, but I still want to hear from our doctors…” He leaned closer into his own viewer. “Sasha, are you all right?”
She shrugged. “Of course.”
“You look flush. I…” His grew wide. “Oh goodness.”
“No, uncle, it’s not that.”
“Oh my dear, you’re not… Over him?”
“Oh God, no.” She put her hand to her cheek. It felt warm. “Uncle, I just need to take my pill. That’s all.”
He nodded, but she could see he didn’t quite believe her. His lips curled upward slightly. He found this amusing? First the colonel, and then her uncle. Why did they think that she was…? She couldn’t possibly…
“Go home, Sasha,” he said after a moment. “I’ll have more details tomorrow.” He hung up.
Sasha set her tablet down. The car made a sudden right turn, sending the tablet sliding across the seat.
“Sorry about that, ma’am,” the driver, Greyson, said as another car honked at him. “Traffic’s awful this time of day.”
“It’s all right, Mr. Greyson. Just try to get us there in one piece, if you don’t mind.”
“That’s the plan.”
She smiled at his reflection in the rearview mirror. The tablet teetered on the edge of the seat. She leaned over and retrieved it before it fell to the floor of the car.
She started to pull up pictures of Andrew. His image calmed her—at first, anyway. After a while, they only made her feel worse. She knew that, but she couldn’t stop herself. The result was invariably an empty bottle of wine and many tears.
Six years and two, almost three blisses. It didn’t feel that long.
Mr. Greyson glanced at her. “I didn’t know.”
“Excuse me?”
“That the PM’s your uncle.”
“Oh.” She fumbled with the tablet, trying to bring up a different image, anything. The last thing she wanted was to burst into tears in front of her talkative driver. “I assure you I’m not here due to—”
“No, I get it,” he said. “I read your paper.”
“What? How did you know?”
“It’s all over the net.”
“Oh Lord.” Sasha almost let the tablet slide out of her grasp. “Has everyone read it?”
“Probably.” The driver made another turn, and they were on the main highway that bisected the Capella. From there they could go to any point in the city. “Where to, Ms. Merigole?”
Sasha didn’t hear him. She stared at her tablet, baffled at the image of Jester, from when he’d left his craft. Why had she brought up that image?
“Ma’am?”
Sasha looked up from her tablet. She’d pulled it off a news feed without realizing.
Chance, she thought. It was just chance.
“Home, Mr. Greyson,” she said. “Please take me home.”
~~~~
The news did nothing but discuss Mr. Gold. Most of the commentary focused on the origins of his name, his appearance, how handsome he was… They spoke of everything about him except anything serious, such as what his intentions were or what his people were like or a dozen other things she could think of. Some discussed the impact on their culture, but most only cared about the mundane.
Sasha shut off all news feeds in a huff and took a sip of tea. For the third time, she nearly dropped the glass. Carefully, she set it down and looked at her hands. Moisture still collected at her fingertips and her palms. She wiped them on her nightgown once more. She frowned. This hadn’t happened since…
She rubbed her fingers together. The moisture had already reappeared. She got out of bed and went to the medicine cabinet. The lotion sat on a top shelf. She dabbed a small amount on her hands and rubbed them together. The bottle had sat unused for six years, almost three blisses. But the lotion still worked, putting the moisture at bay.
She slammed the medicine cabinet door, knocking over other medications inside. She rubbed her hands together, feeling the lotion do its work. She frowned. It didn’t make sense that the moisture would return. She hadn’t seen it since she last successfully blissed six years ago. It must have been a side effect of missing so many blisses, she thought. Yes, that had to be it.
~~~~
The next day, Mr. Greyson waited outside her apartment building with the car door open. She smiled at him, hiding her hands behind her back. She ran her hand along her waist. The dress felt snug, more than it had when she last wore it. She didn’t think she had gained weight.
Jester’s comment about her size made her flush with momentary anger. She did her best to push the thought aside. He didn’t know their taboos. And she wasn’t fat, no matter how tight her dress felt.
She stepped in the car and put lotion on her hands before Greyson got in.
He pulled away, and in minutes, they had left her neighborhood. “I hear they let him outside now.”
“Oh?” She looked over the seat at him. “Where did you hear this?”
“It’s all over the net, ma’am. They didn’t tell you, huh?”
She started to say no, then looked at her tablet. She had five messages. One was from her uncle, telling her what Greyson had said. The other four were from Kay: Why won’t you get back to me?
Sasha took a deep breath. “Yes, I see that now.” From the creases in his eyes in the rearview mirror, he was smiling at her.
He turned his gaze forward again while she typed out a message. Sorry, I’ve been busy. I’m on my way to the base now.
Sasha set the tablet down without waiting for a response. She sat, staring at her hands, wondering when she would have to put lotion on them again. She still hadn’t asked her doctor about her symptoms. They must have been side effects from the pills. They couldn’t be pre-bliss symptoms. Without Andrew, she could never bliss.
“Here we are.”
She looked up, startled. Had they gone through the checkpoint already?
“Hey, there he is.” Greyson pointed off to their left. Jester stood in the grass, his hands clasped behind his back. Soldiers surrounded him, their weapons hanging on their shoulder. As the car approached, he smiled.
Sasha felt her blood race faster. She wanted to tell Mr. Greyson—Drew—to turn around and take her home. She could say she forgot something. From there, she could run. She could lose herself in the park. She and Andrew had camped there overnight. They once spoke of spending the bliss there, but he was gone before they had the chance.
Thoughts of Andrew made her ache. But as the car pulled up to the curb and she saw Jester standing there, smiling, the pain disappeared. She had no idea what that meant.
~~~~
Jester stood in the large, grassy area just inside the fence that surrounded the base. The structure itself was utilitarian, containing only that which was necessary for its function. It was similar to military installations on his world. Human conflict seemed axiomatic. This world probably has similar conflicts to every other world.
The prime minister, in a speech on the net, had said everyone should come together to welcome Jester on the eve of the bliss, whatever that was. That could suggest some sort of differences between governments that necessitated a military. He thought of asking others, but most seemed to keep their distance from him. It was understandable. They didn’t know his intentions.
The many ironies of these people fascinated
him. Their clothes seemed dull with unimaginative colors while appearing elegant at the same time. Much of their news consisted of commentary, and yet they still strove for the truth. Their music… he wasn’t sure he could describe it. Almost all of it seemed based on simple percussion, but the complexity of the melodies was astonishing. All in all, this world delighted him. Especially her, and for reasons he couldn’t fathom, he was eager to see her again.
Soon, her car pulled up. This was the only civilized world he’d visited, but he’d read reports about other such worlds from voyagers just like himself. It seemed personal transportation and extensive road systems were a staple on all technologically advanced worlds. The driver stepped out and nodded at him. Jester nodded in return, as was the custom on that world.
The driver opened the rear door, as if the lady could not do so herself. Sasha exited the car with grace. She smoothed out her dress and muttered what was probably thanks to the driver. The driver tipped his hat and stood next to the car as Sasha approached.
Jester couldn’t help but smile at her. Her dress seemed to hide the features of her slender body, while at the same time enhancing it. She’d tied most of her brown hair into a sort of bun. A few strands had escaped to hang artfully around her shoulders. She wore very little makeup, far less than even the most humble woman on his world would wear. By all accounts, she was plain. No, he thought. Not plain, just—reserved. The few affectations in which she indulged enhanced her beauty beyond measure.
Perhaps that was it. Her minimalist approach made her look more natural, and therefore more alluring.
His thoughts clouded as she stopped a short distance away. Her facial features remained relaxed, but he could see the tension in her shoulders. Still apprehensive, he thought. Everyone was. Again, it was understandable, but with her it was different. She seemed almost upset, as if she’d rather be elsewhere. The thought bothered him.
He kept smiling, but she didn’t return it.
“That’s a nice dress.” A compliment might… smooth things over, as the expression went.
“It doesn’t make me look larger, like the last one?”
It was an accusation, not a question. He’d insulted her somehow, probably when commenting on her dress. Downloading and memorizing language and culture was one thing. Internalizing it was another. She would understand, but he should make amends.