Ben Archer

by Rae Knightly

  Laura stared at the window to an imaginary landscape outside. It was too dark to see anything, only the light from the kitchen and her own reflection on the windowpane. “Mesmo has to leave within four months,” she said in a haunted voice.

  Thomas frowned. “Why?”

  “He said he must return to a place called Enceladus. If he doesn’t make it there within four months, he’ll be stuck here. He won’t be able to go home, ever.”

  “Enceladus, Enceladus…” Thomas repeated as if trying to remember something. He grabbed his iPad from the kitchen table and Googled ENCELADUS.

  Laura watched over his shoulder as the results appeared on the screen. She scanned the articles, one which mentioned an Enceladus from Greek mythology. But what caught their attention were images on the right of the screen. They belonged to a ghostly, grey-white moon which, the description said, belonged to Saturn, the sixth planet of the solar system.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Northern Lights

  After insisting that Thomas head up to bed, Laura finished putting things back in place. She switched off the kitchen lights, then sipped on her wine, enjoying a calm moment to herself. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she began making out the landscape through the window. To her surprise, she could see quite far, and it wasn’t until she bent over the counter that she realized the full moon was shining, illuminating the snow-white hillsides. The glimmering globe rested on top of the distant mountain range, ready to dip behind them and leave Canmore in complete darkness. As she observed the tranquil scenery, she noticed movement on top of the nearest hill. She squinted and stuck her forehead to the frosty windowpane to get a better look.

  Two figures were silhouetted against the skyline.

  Laura grabbed some dusty binoculars from the top of the fridge and glued them to her eyes. Soon, Mesmo came into view, tall and straight, while before him stood a much shorter woman with a thick parka, snow boots and snow trousers. Although her head was covered by a warm fur-lined cap, her long, black braids flowed from both sides of her neck to her waist. She had a long, straight nose, high cheekbones and slanted eyes. Her skin was creased from being out in the weather for many years.

  The pair looked sufficiently uncommon to catch Laura’s attention. She observed them for a long moment, attracted by their curious silhouettes and mysterious conversation.

  Suddenly, both figures turned their faces in her direction and she was convinced they were looking straight at her. She shrank back, her heart beating fast. But then she straightened and frowned. Why am I hiding? She purposefully opened the kitchen door and glanced in their direction.

  The woman bent and placed something on the snow, then turned and walked away in the opposite direction from the town. Mesmo remained where he was, standing still as a statue.

  Laura went inside again, grabbed her jacket and snow boots, then headed out the back door. The cold was so intense she almost turned back. Yet Mesmo’s simple brown jacket and relaxed stance played tricks on her mind, convincing her maybe it wasn’t that cold after all. She plodded forward, struggling to put one foot before the other as she sank knee-deep in the snow.

  She was half-way there when Mesmo bent and placed his hand above the snow. A soft, blue light emanated from it, seeping through the surface to Laura’s feet. The snow melted before her eyes, forming a solid path all the way up the hill. She joined him easily, finding that it wasn’t as cold as she had expected. They stood next to each other, taking in the rolling white landscape covered by the starlit sky.

  Laura glanced at her feet and found what looked like a deformed treble clef from a music partition. She picked it up: smaller than the palm of her hand, made from a heavy metal she couldn’t identify.

  She held it up to Mesmo quizzically.

  “Will you keep that safe for me?” he asked.

  She stared at the object again. “What is it?”

  “Information,” he said.

  She frowned. “Who was that? The old woman you were talking to just now?”

  “She is Angakkuq[5], the Wise One from the North.”

  As usual, his answer left her with more questions, but something clicked in her mind. “From the North?” her mind whirled. “Did Thomas fly her over?”

  Mesmo nodded. “Yes. I could not travel to meet her for obvious reasons, so she agreed to come. Thomas picked her up at my request.”

  “Why?” Laura asked, bursting with curiosity. “Why did you need to meet with her? Why do you need this object? Does it have to do with your mission?”

  Mesmo stared at her. “Yes.”

  Laura waited in vain for more, but since he remained silent, she insisted, “Will you tell me why you came to Earth?”

  He gazed away and she thought he might not answer. But then he said, “I came to assess the planet. My people have been doing so since before the beginning of the Human era, every two hundred Earth years. Seven Wise Ones report to us from different parts of the planet, from places you currently call Bolivia, Australia, Kenya, Polynesia, Norway, China and Northern Canada. I have met with six of them now. My last stop after Bolivia was going to be China, but then I came back here instead and was waylaid…”

  Laura’s eyes widened in amazement. “You’ve been to all those places?”

  Mesmo nodded. “I have.”

  Laura needed a moment to let this revelation sink in. An uneasy feeling seeped into her mind. He had said something about assessing the planet, and, even though his people had supposedly been visiting the Earth for millions of years, she had to ask, “Are you going to…invade us?” She had seen enough science-fiction movies to nourish her imagination.

  He took in the view again with his head turned, so she wasn’t sure he had heard her. But then she thought she heard him mutter, “We cannot invade what is already ours.”

  “Excuse m…?” she began, her voice freezing as she caught a movement in the sky out of the corner of her eye. Her head shot up in surprise.

  The moon had dipped behind the mountains, leaving only the stars to light the white surroundings. But then the movement came again. It was a river of bluish-green light that illuminated the night sky, swaying in total silence like a kaleidoscope from one end of the firmament to the other. It transformed from a small stream to a wide mantle that covered them, flowing and twirling smoothly over their heads.

  “Aurora borealis,” Mesmo whispered.

  Laura’s voice was lost in her throat. When she found it again, she echoed his words. “Yes. It’s the Northern Lights!”

  They watched in awe as the solar wind, which hit the Earth’s atmosphere, transformed into a swirling display of colours, ranging from green, to blue, to purple. Its magnificence left Laura speechless. She had never seen the Earth put on such an overwhelming show. She felt tiny before such celestial power. They stood side by side as though they were the only beings alive in this quiet world, and the sky celebrated their existence.

  Her eyes slid back to Mesmo. “You know I love you, don’t you?” she breathed, the words leaving her mouth in such a natural way, she did not even try to stop them.

  He turned to face her. Although covered with shadows, his brows knit together slightly. Was it from sadness? Or disappointment? He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted before he could.

  “Don’t!” she said. Then, more gently, “You don’t have to say anything. I’ve been fighting this feeling for the longest time. There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s the simple truth and I have to learn to live with it.”

  She studied his handsome face. “I don’t expect anything from you, Mesmo. I know your people won’t allow you to love again...” She sucked in air. “…which is something I will never understand…but I know you have to leave. And I promise I will do everything in my power to help you get back home.” Her eyes clouded. She breathed deeply and turned to face the landscape so he wouldn’t see her tears.

  The Northern Lights faded away slowly, leaving place for the stars and distant, incoming
clouds. A freezing wind picked up around them, seeping through their invisible cocoon.

  “Laura,” he said.

  She struggled to look at him, not wanting him to see her so vulnerable. When she faced him, she noticed that his eyes were sparkling. Was he crying, too?

  He stated in a clear voice, “I cannot love you.”

  They held each other’s gaze for the longest moment, like an invisible bond drawing them together. Then, without warning, he closed his tired eyes and disappeared.

  Laura gasped at the sudden, cold void before her. The wind whipped at her face, freezing her ears and nose. With a heavy heart, she abandoned the hilltop and trudged back to the house, holding the alien object tightly. And all the while, she pondered the hidden meaning behind Mesmo’s words, when he had purposefully said, “I cannot love you,” instead of “I do not love you.”

  ***

  In a high-rise of Phoenix City, sprawled in the Arizona desert, a stocky man typed a password on his laptop. The screen wavered before revealing black-and-white images. The camera that filmed the images was placed in the top corner of a bare room. A hospital bed was the only furniture. A tall man lay on it.

  The man adjusted his Gucci glasses before using the mouse on his laptop to zoom in on the sleeping man’s face, then waited expectantly. Soon, the man’s eyes fluttered open. He remained lying still for some time before pushing himself up into a sitting position with difficulty. Even on the black-and-white image, his white hair contrasted with his darker tan and eyes. After remaining that way for several minutes, the subject being watched so intently got off the bed, then took a few paces around the room, rubbing his face with his hands.

  He seemed to notice a food tray that had been shoved under the only door in the room and stared at it for some time, before reaching down to pick it up. He placed the tray on the bed and poked unenthusiastically at its contents. Finally, he picked up the hamburger and took a small bite.

  A distant voice came through the computer. “Boss, are you watching this?”

  The stocky man knitted his thick black and grey eyebrows, unhappy at the interruption. “Of course, I am!” he said icily. “The question is, what am I to make of it?”

  The voice said neutrally, “He’s getting better. Whatever it is he’s doing during his blackouts is working. We held off the feeding tube as long as we could. The invasive procedure could have set his heart racing again. So this is a good sign.”

  “Is it?” The green-eyed man asked as the air conditioning started blowing through his curly black and grey hair. “I don’t trust him,” he stated. “For all we know, these blackouts could be his way of reaching out for help. We don’t know what he’s capable of.”

  There was a silence at the other end, then the contact said, “There’s not much we can do except monitor him until you return.” There was a pause, then the voice asked, “How’s it going on your end, Boss?”

  The man sitting in the Phoenix office stretched out the fingers of his left hand which held a golden ring on the index finger. “We’re good for now,” he said. “Our partners will hold off. But I must get answers when I return or things will get ugly.”

  The far away contact asked carefully, “What if he doesn’t have answers?”

  The stocky man snapped, “Of course he has answers! You don’t cross half the universe without that type of knowledge! Mark my words: that alien has the information I need, and he will give it to me!”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Dakhona

  Wes and Tyler ambushed them on a Monday afternoon in early February. By the time Christmas break had come and gone, Ben and Kimi had forged a strong friendship and he had long since grown accustomed to walking home with her instead of taking the bus. Sometimes she would drop by Thomas’ house so they could do their homework together, or they would take Tike for a long walk. Ben knew he was clinging on to Kimi, first and foremost because he enjoyed her company, but also because she kept both his feet on the ground. With her, Ben remembered to be a student, a friend, and, basically, an ordinary boy going about his normal teen business.

  It happened just as they reached the school field bordered by a group of pine trees.

  “Aargh!” Ben yelled when a freezing snowball smacked him in the back of his neck. He barely had time to turn to search for the culprit, when Kimi’s backpack was struck by another snowball. They heard laughter and spotted Wes and Tyler peeking out from behind the trees.

  “Take cover!” Kimi shouted as they were pelted by another batch of snowballs.

  They searched for safety but found none, so they scooped up snow themselves and aimed at the two hidden boys. But their efforts were useless; Wes and Tyler had the advantage of cover and a stack of ammunition.

  Kimi howled at the top of her voice and charged towards the attackers. The two boys threw their remaining snowballs at her until she fell headfirst into the snow. They hooted with laughter.

  “Whoa!” Tyler shouted when he saw Kimi getting up again.

  “She’s crazy! Run for it!” Wes yelled.

  The boys made their escape, laughing loudly.

  Ben caught up with Kimi. “Are you ok?” he asked, unable to wipe a big grin from his face when he saw her snow-covered face.

  “What?” she retorted. “I scared them off, didn’t I?” She grinned at him as he reached for her hand to pull her upright. She brushed the snow from her flushed cheeks.

  They headed off again, checking their surroundings for another attack. Once they had made it safely to the street, Ben invited Kimi over for some hot chocolate, which she accepted gladly. She was much more at ease in Thomas’ house since Ben’s birthday dinner three months earlier, and clearly enjoyed his and Tike’s company. She did not seem in a hurry to go home anymore.

  They sipped on the hot liquid in Ben’s room. He tapped a pen on his notebook, trying to figure out a math problem, while Kimi lay on her stomach, scratching Tike’s head.

  “Ben,” she said. “How come Tike can’t bark?”

  Stiffening slightly, Ben answered, “He was in an accident. I think the shock damaged his vocal chords.”

  “Really?” Kimi exclaimed, placing her weight on her elbows to look at him better. “I wonder what type of accident it was. I’ve never heard of anything like it before.”

  Ben pretended to concentrate very hard on his math book. Staring at the numbers, he said deftly, “How come your mom calls you Kimimela?”

  Kimi rolled on her back, staring at the ceiling. She blew the side bangs out of her eyes, then said, resigned, “It’s a Native name. It means ‘butterfly.’” After a pause, she added, “My mother’s name is Magaskawee. She is of Dakhona First Nation. She left the reservation when she married my dad.”

  Ben considered her reply. “So you’re First Nation, too?”

  Kimi lifted her eyes in annoyance. “Only half.”

  “That’s really cool!”

  Kimi stood up suddenly. “No, it’s not!” she burst out, startling him. “Why does everybody always say that? I hate being First Nation! It sucks!” She grabbed her backpack and stormed out of the room, leaving Ben gaping.

  ***

  Kimi was absent the following two days. Ben found himself deeply worried. He wondered how he had managed to upset her; for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what had set her off. He walked home, lost in thought, completely forgetting about Wes and Tyler until it was too late.

  Cries of war surrounded him. He ducked with a yelp just as the two boys appeared out of nowhere and pounded him with snow bullets.

  Not this time!

  He plunged his hands in the snow and shoved it at them as fast as he could. Soon the three of them were flopping around like fish out of water, their arms flailing as they urgently reached for more ammunition to defend themselves. By the time they were finished, Ben lay flat on his back, laughing and hurting at the same time.

  “Ah, this is no fun!” Wes said, grinning. “Two against one! Where’s that scardycat girlfriend of your
s, Ben?”

  Ben launched a handful of snow at him but Wes avoided it as he laughed.

  “See ya!” Tyler yelled, and the two boys scampered away, pushing at each other playfully.

  Ben remained on his back, catching his breath. A shadow hovered above his face and Mesmo came into view.

  “Did those boys hurt you?” he asked.

  “Nah,” Ben replied as he got himself off the ground and brushed snow away from his jacket. “I just wish I could get back at them, is all.”

  They watched as the two boys walked away. Mesmo bent suddenly and placed his hands in the snow. A flash of blue emanated from them, shooting through the white ground towards a pine tree next to the boys. Ben swore the tree shivered. A mound of snow released from the branches right on to the boys’ heads. They yelled in shock as they were buried under a small heap.

  Ben’s eyes bulged at the sight. He glanced in disbelief at Mesmo, then at the boys, then back at Mesmo.

  You’ve got to be kidding me!

  He fell over in a guffaw of laughter.

  Wes and Tyler shouted at him angrily, their honour in shambles, as they struggled to get out of the mess. They hurried away, leaning on to each other, while Ben laughed his heart out.

  “Did you see that?” he gasped, trying to catch his breath. “That was awesome!”

  Mesmo stared at him quizzically. “You’re doing that thing again,” he noted.

  Ben wiped his eyes. “What thing?”

  “You’re laughing and crying at the same time.”

  That only set Ben off again. “Oh boy, you have a lot to learn! Remind me to teach you about jokes some time.” He bent to pick up his backpack, which he had dropped on the field before the attack happened. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He peeked over his shoulder to make sure Mesmo was heading off with his back turned. He straightened, holding a huge snowball in his hands. “Timber!” he yelled, throwing the big snowball at Mesmo. But it went right through the alien and landed in a useless heap on the other side.