by Beth Sadler
Chapter 8
Darial shut down the engines, then, swung the pilot chair around. Bracing her shoulders as she turned, she got ready to face Joe’s anger. Was he going to hate her now? He must have realised that she hadn’t told him the truth about herself. Darial fought the feeling of despair that threatened to take hold. She spoke quietly, looking Joe steadily in the eye.
“I’m sorry I lied to you. I have no excuse because I would do it all over again if Halli asked me to. Now, I know you must have dozens of questions but, I would appreciate your waiting until we are on Seeker 5.”
Joe looked thoughtfully at Darial for several seconds without saying anything, then, asked one simple question. “Tell me truthfully Darial; is Halli safe and well?
Darial laughed in relief. This was one question she could answer honestly. “You have my word that your sister is alive and well, and loved more than his life by Callem. Also, many of my people consider her their friend as do I.”
Rising she led the way to the exit. “Please come with me there is someone who wishes to meet you.”
Joe was stunned by what met him when he reached the hanger deck. Two other planes, or transporters, as Darial called them, were parked alongside theirs. The hanger was dome shaped, huge and gleamed like it was made of stainless steel. Darial led the way through a door in the side that opened up into a long corridor running both left and right. This whole area too, was made of the same material as the hanger. Darial pressed a panel on the smooth, wall, a quiet shoosh sounded then a door opened to reveal a lift. Stepping inside she gave him a tentative smile as she indicated he should join her.
Joe was pretty sure this wasn’t an airport, and he wasn’t really sure he wanted to know what it was. His mind seemed to be stuck on the fact that Darial had promised that Halli was fine. Everything else could wait.
The lift opened to reveal a large room that looked a lot like the command deck of the Starship Enterprise. Several people were bustling about, busily pressing buttons and speaking into headsets.
When Darial and Joe entered they all turned to smile and wave. Several of the crew shouted out, “Hi Joe” and “Well done Darial.” Joe felt like he was in a movie. Obviously everyone here knew all about him and just as obviously this was no damn airport.
“Where the hell is this Darial?” Joe had just run out of patience and hypnotic command. “Either tell me where I am and what’s going on or, I’ll start breaking things in here.” After being overawed for so long it felt good to let off steam. The old Joe was reasserting himself. “I want answers now damn it.”
A voice Joe recognised, answered from across the room next to a newly open lift. “Good to see you again brother,” said Callem with a laugh. “I think I’m the one to answer all your questions.” Joe swung around and spotted Callem moving towards him.
“So help me Callem if you don’t tell me what’s going on I’m going to scar up your handsome mug.” Joe was sure steam must be coming out of his ears by now.
“Calm down,” laughed Callem, backing away, his hands raised in surrender. “I promise you I’ll explain everything, just as soon as you take a seat and strap in. We’re ready for take-off, now that you’re here.” As he spoke Callem waved his hand towards a group of seats arranged in the same configuration as the ones in the transporter. “Please take the seat in the middle.”
Joe didn’t move; his face hardened with determination as his eyes bored into Callem’s.
“Speak now or you and I are going to do some heavy wrestling all over this room. I don’t think all this delicate equipment would tolerate that too well. Do you?”
Callem sighed, as he sat down in the nearest chair, “Tell me Joe, where do you think you are? Come on give me your best guess.” Joe took a careful look around the room.
“Well I don’t think this is an airport and you just asked me to strap-in, so, I have to believe we’re in another, bigger plane. It must be some kind of secret government set-up, and that makes you a spy. So, what I want to know is, what have you gotten Halli mixed up in and where is she?”
Joe paced across the room and stood menacingly over Callem. “So help me God, if she’s hurt you’ll wish you’d never gotten mixed up with my family.” Callem frowned up at Joe.
“You have my word Halli is perfectly safe and happy. Right at this moment she is busily organising the first stage of building our home. In fact, she is driving the other contractors mad with her demands for more speed. Your sister is a demon on a building site.” He laughed uproariously as he remembered his last sight of her, up a ladder and trying to tell the carpenter how to join the beams.
The tension in Joe visibly eased at Callem’s words. “Yeah, that sounds like Halli alright. Okay, so she’s fine, now, tell me the rest. Where are we and what is this set-up?”
Callem gave Joe a cheeky grin as he answered. “You’ve been captured by aliens, how does that sound?”
“Come on, get real before I pop you one.” Callem sobered up quickly, sitting up straight in his seat.
“I’m pleased to tell you that, I am being serious. We all work for ‘The Science Co-operative’ on the planet Teeron. At this point in time you are on our Interplanetary Pod Seeker 5, which has been hidden in the Gold Coast Hinterland. It hovers over the ground and is hidden by a cloaking device.”
Callem paused at that point to check Joe’s reaction. Joe didn’t speak or show any fear so Callem continued.
“We use the smaller transporters to get to our individual missions once we arrive on a planet. Our mission’s take us all over the galaxy, where, we study how other planets are evolving. We don’t interfere but, the co-op does stand ready to help, if asked for it.”
Still no reaction from Joe, Callem was starting to worry; he really didn’t want to fight his brother-in-law.
“The bald facts are, we are from the planet Teeron and have been conducting research on Earth for several years.”
He threw in his ace in the hole. “I’m madly in love with your sister who happily feels the same way about me.” Sitting back in his chair, he waited with bated breath, for Joe to speak.
“Okay, that’s all right then. How long will it take to get to Teeron, because I’ve only got six weeks before my next job starts?”
The atmosphere on board the pod exploded with relief as Callem doubled over laughing, as did several of the others.
“Hail Hera, You Grants are amazing. When I told Halli the truth that was all she said too. Oh, and she wanted to know who Hera was.”
Callem waved Joe to his seat and once again asked him to strap in. “But, that is a story that will have to wait till later, now I must take-off immediately.” The other members of the team were all quickly taking their seats. “We must make the scheduled jump into the time warp channel without delay. Teeron and Halli are waiting for us.”
Joe’s eyes searched the seats looking for Darial. Now that his worries about Halli had been allayed, he needed to concentrate on her. Damn it! Did she think he had forgotten all about her? Time to correct that little misunderstanding; he was prepared to have the cutest little green kids that ever flew the galaxies with her. Spotting Darial busily strapping herself in, he made his way swiftly to the seat beside her.
“Hi honey, I’m home.” he joked as he swiftly tightened his seat belt.
“I’m sorry Joe,” Darial whispered miserably, she was sure Joe must hate her for her part in the deception. “But, you must use your assigned seat, that one belongs to Heral.” Callem looked up from his place in the pilot’s seat.
“That will be fine Joe.”
Callem smiled reassuringly at Darial before speaking, “Joe will feel more secure sitting next to you.”
Joe gave Darial a triumphant grin then, squeezing her hand he leant over and gave her a swift, but, thorough kiss. Still holding her hand he leant back and settled in for the ride of his life.