“Will I be coming back?”
He smiled, and his eyes looked like molten gold. “That depends on you.”
“Uh…”
They continued to rise until they passed through the hatch and into the body of the saucer. The hatch closed like the aperture on a camera, and they were lowered down onto the metal deck plating. The alien turned to her and smiled again. She noticed with a start that his teeth were pointed.
“Come with me, please,” he said politely, gesturing toward a closed door.
She went where he indicated, and the door slid open automatically. He ushered her through, his hand on her elbow. He wasn’t gripping tightly, so she didn’t feel like she was being controlled or imprisoned, but she was certain that could change quickly if she started to flip out.
She didn’t feel like flipping out. She was too excited, too curious to even think about wasting a single moment of this experience on hysterics.
The door they entered led to an enclosed round chamber, and she felt it moving sideways, like an elevator on a moving sidewalk. A short moment later, it shifted direction and moved upward. She examined the chamber and saw no controls, buttons, or other ways to signal where the riders wanted to go. She guessed that this ride only went to one place, and she was eager to see where it was taking her.
The alien beside her smiled placidly as the chamber came to a stop and the door slid open to reveal another circular chamber, this one much larger than the first. The center of the room was dominated by a globe-shaped object that glowed softly, its blue light gleaming. The globe was studded with crystal spears of different lengths and girths, standing out at irregular intervals and irregular heights. A low railing surrounded the globe, and tiny consoles were embedded in the top of the circular barrier.
Standing beside the railing was another alien, one who was as silvery as the one who’d taken her was copper. The silver alien nodded to her.
“Welcome,” he said. His voice had a metallic undertone, and it made his word echo.
“Thank you.”
“Your things. You won’t need them.”
She tightened her grip on her telescope and purse. “I’d like to keep them.”
The aliens looked at one another, and the silvery one said, “As you wish.”
The copper alien walked over to stand beside his colleague. They spoke to one another in a sibilant tongue, then turned to face her again.
“I am Sipu,” the copper alien said.
“I am Kepi.” The silver smiled, and his teeth were pointed, too. “What is your appellation?”
“Carolyn Walker.”
They spoke in unison. “Greetings, Carolynwalker.”
Kepi turned to the globe and pushed one of the crystal spears further into the slot that held it. Another spear extended from a space where there had been no crystal, and the globe spun slowly. The crystals began to move in and out as it spun, and Kepi looked satisfied with the results.
“Where are you taking me?”
They looked at one another.
“Away,” Sipu said.
“To… to your home world?” she asked.
“No. To our mothership.”
“Mothership. Of course.” Carolyn shook her head. This is like some kind of UFO stereotype, or a sci-fi movie from the 1950s.
“What is a sci-fi movie?” Kepi asked.
She gaped at him. “Did you…”
“I heard your thoughts. Yes.”
“Don’t do that! It’s rude!”
Both aliens frowned. “But… is that not how humans communicate?”
“No! We keep our thoughts private. If we want you to know something, we’ll say it out loud.” She pulled her purse tighter. “I mean… Not everything we think is meant to be public knowledge.”
Sipu grimaced. “Our apologies. Our species communicates in sound and in thought. We will correct our interactions with you.”
She looked around. There were no seats anywhere, and no windows. She had expected at least a Star Trek style view screen, and she was disappointed that there wasn’t a panoramic view of a starfield. Instead, the walls were curved, featureless metal.
“So… this is your flying saucer?”
Kepi smiled. “This is our reconnaissance craft. We gather specimens and do scientific exploration.”
She felt uneasy for the first time since this episode had begun. “Is that what I am? A specimen?”
“Unless you want to be more,” Sipu nodded, “yes.”
“You make it sound like I have options.”
“You do.” Kepi gestured vaguely. “You can choose to be a specimen, or a guest, or something more.”
“Can I be a guest?” she asked hopefully. “That sounds more friendly and potentially less painful.”
Sipu frowned. “Why would any of the options be painful?”
“Are you going to do experiments on me? Probes? That sort of thing?”
The aliens looked at one another in confusion once again, then Kepi asked, “What do you think we are?”
“All I’ve ever heard is that aliens abduct humans, conduct experiments, probe us in rude places, and then drop us off again.”
“Is that what you want us to do?”
“No! I… I just need to know what’s happening. I’m completely out of my element.”
Sipu and Kepi looked at one another for a long moment. Kepi shrugged eloquently, and Sipu walked over to Carolyn.
“We are taking you to our mothership for evaluation.”
“Evaluation?”
“We need to confirm that you are strong enough for phase two.”
“What is phase two?”
He smiled. “You’ll see.”
“So this is phase one?”
“Not yet.”
“What is this, then?”
Kepi smiled. “This is the beginning.”
Chapter 2
Kepi shifted some of the crystals in the globe, and Carolyn could feel the saucer move to the side. A fluttering sensation filled her stomach, then passed, and Sipu looked at her with a solicitous smile.
“Are you all right? Any nausea?”
“No… should I?”
His smile broadened. “Some humans have trouble with the inversion process.”
“Inversion process?”
Kepi nodded. “We’ve reversed the ship’s polarity so we can dock in our slot.”
“Reversed the…”
“Our slot is on the upper plate of the deck,” Sipu explained. “We’re upside down.”
She knew that up and down were all relative in space, but it seemed to her that inside a ship, there should be some sort of orientation. “You said we’re in a slot. Is that, like, an opening in the ceiling or something?”
Kepi shrugged. “You’ll see.”
Sipu gestured toward the round chamber that had brought them to the bridge, indicating that she should step inside. She hesitated, nervous but excited, gripping her purse and telescope. Kepi stepped in first, probably to show her that it was safe. Carolyn followed him in, and Sipu joined them. The hatch slid shut, and the chamber hummed.
“We are reversing the polarity in the transfer pod,” Kepi explained. “We will no longer be upside down when we emerge.”
“Uh… that’s good, probably…” She looked at their placid faces and tried to follow their example.
Another fluttering feeling washed through her, and she put her hand over her stomach. Sipu asked solicitously, “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I just feel… funny.”
“Ah. The polarity reversal can be strange at first.”
There was a feeling of falling, and then the spherical chamber came to a stop. The hatch slid open, and Carolyn forgot to breathe.
They were on the deck of a massive mothership. The walls were studded with saucers like the one she’d just left, half embedded into docking stations, the lights on the rims of the craft blinking merrily. They reminded her of Christmas lights. All around her, aliens like
Kepi and Sipu bustled, and dozens of ball-shaped pods rolled, flew or levitated to and from the saucers.
“How many of you are there?” she asked, astounded.
Kepi and Sipu looked at one another, conferring in their language. Finally they looked back at her, and Sipu answered, “Many.”
She saw a few other humans being escorted by pairs of aliens. Some of them looked dazed, and a few looked frightened. Only one had the same look of eagerness and excitement that she knew she wore.
“Christmas came early,” she told her companions. “I feel like a kid getting the best present ever.”
They looked at one another again, frowning in confusion. Finally Sipu asked, “What is Christmas?”
“A holiday. A beloved holiday.” Carolyn looked at the way the multi-colored lights gleamed on their metallic skin. “You both look kind of like Christmas ornaments, actually.”
“Is that good?”
She laughed. “It’s very good.”
They took her to another spherical pod, and this one zipped upward faster than the one on the saucer. A soft chime filled the air, and Kepi spoke in their tongue. The pod slowed down, then moved sideways for what seemed like a very long time. Carolyn had just begun to fidget when the pod stopped and the hatch slid open.
Sipu led the way, and they walked down a tunnel-like corridor to a brightly-lit hatch that slid aside as soon as they approached. Beyond the door was a circular room - this particular species of alien was very big on roundness - that had multiple sets of chairs grouped around circular tables. Most of the chairs were occupied by aliens like her companions and various kinds of human beings. There were men, women, and even children, and it looked like every race was represented. There were women in hijabs, men in sweat suits, and little kids in pajamas. Some of them looked up at her as she was ushered past them, but most were in varying states of shock, staring at their alien hosts.
Sipu and Kepi took her to the circular table farthest from the main door, and as soon as they sat, crystals rose from the table top, similar to the crystals that Kepi had used to pilot the saucer. His nimble fingers danced over the sparkling tips, and a screen rose around them, rising up from the floor. She watched in rampant curiosity as she put her telescope and purse on the floor beside her.
“Privacy,” Sipu told her. “We have learned that for physical examinations, humans like to be secluded.”
Her palms began to sweat. “Physical examination of what kind?”
Kepi pressed another crystal. “Please don’t worry. This won’t hurt at all.”
A very tall crystal rose from the center of the conglomeration on the table top, and a red light shone from the side, about an inch below the top edge.
“Please stand up right here,” Sipu said, indicating a spot next to the screen.
Carolyn obeyed, although she was anxious about what was about to happen. The red light turned into a beam that scanned her from head to toe and back again. The tall crystal then descended back into the table, and Kepi manipulated the crystals that remained.
While he worked his partner explained. “We’ve spent many years encountering your species, and in that time, we’ve been able to ascertain what physical telemetry marks your kind as healthy.”
“Physical telemetry?” she repeated. “You mean vital signs, like blood pressure and temperature and things like that?”
“Yes! Vital signs. We have learned what vital signs are indicators of health for humans.” Kepi sat back with a smile. “And you, Carolynwalker, are very healthy.”
“So does that mean I’m cleared for whatever phase two is?”
“It does, if you’re willing to continue.”
“May I sit?”
“Please.”
She settled back down into one of the chairs. Most of the crystals retreated back into the tabletop, leaving only a cluster of three to stand beneath Kepi’s hands. He looked up at her with a smile.
“We have some questions for you, if you don’t mind.”
Sipu helpfully informed her, “Phase two is an interview.”
“An interview? For what?”
“To see if you’re a good candidate for phase three,” he answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.
“What are all these phases for?”
Kepi nodded to Sipu, and after they had a brief exchange in their language, Sipu turned to Carolyn. “Our people have been visiting your planet for centuries. We come once every one of your years, when conditions on the solar winds are correct and when the wormhole is open.”
“Wormhole,” she said, nodding. That would have made interstellar travel much more feasible, and it was good to know that such things were real and not just the province of science fiction.
“Yes. We have one wormhole that opens and closes at regular intervals. It allows us just enough time to come here, spend one week of your time in your vicinity, then return to our homeworld. We will bring willing humans with us, to share our civilization and exchange ideas, and when they wish to come home, we bring them. Some have wished to stay.”
She gaped at them, her mind racing forward. “Am I being asked to come with you?”
“Yes, if your interview goes well and if you’re willing.”
Her mind whirled. The pageant was in two days, and she had to have time to pack. “How long do we have until you have to leave?”
“Five Earth days,” Kepi answered. “Shall we continue with your interview?”
“Are you interested in joining the program?” Sipu asked.
“Of course! What an opportunity!”
“Excellent.” Kepi began to move his hands over the crystals. “You have said that your appellation is Carolynwalker.”
“Carolyn. Walker is my last name.”
“Two names?”
“Yes.”
“Ah. My apologies. We have only one.”
She was overcome with curiosity. “How do you tell each other apart? There can’t be that many names.”
The two aliens looked at one another and spoke briefly. Sipu was the one who answered. “We have other ways of identifying ourselves. We have our names, and we have scent markers. There may be another Sipu, but there is no other Sipu with my scent.”
She couldn’t smell a thing. “I see.”
Kepi continued. “Do you have employment?”
“I’m an elementary school teacher.”
“Ah! A teacher. Excellent.” He stroked the crystals, and they hummed. “Have you reproduced?”
“Uh… I have no children, no.”
“Very good. And do you share your dwelling with other creatures?”
She blinked. “You mean pets?”
They conferred, and Sipu answered, “Yes. Pets.”
“No, not anymore. I used to have a dog, but I had to put her to sleep this summer.”
Kepi looked up. “Is she still sleeping?”
Carolyn frowned. “Yes. She’s dead. ‘Put to sleep’ is a phrase that means to euthanize.”
“You killed your creature?” Sipu asked, appalled.
“She was ill. It was a kindness.”
“Ah. Mercy. I understand.” Kepi tapped the crystals again. “Do you have a Mate?”
“I’m not married.”
They conferred, then Sipu elaborated. “Do you have a regular sexual mating partner?”
Carolyn blushed. “Uh… no. No, I don’t.”
The two aliens exchanged a glance, and Kepi ran his fingers over the crystals again. She had no idea whether her answers were getting her closer to an invitation or pushing her farther away. When it came to poker faces, these two were champions.
“Your scan indicates that you are perfectly healthy with no chronic conditions. Do you agree?”
“Yes. I’m in good health.”
“Excellent.”
Sipu leaned his elbows on the table. “Are you interested in coming with us to see our world, and to teach us about yours?”
A thrill of excitement shot thr
ough her, and she nearly jumped out of her chair. “Yes! I would love to come with you! I just… have a few things I need to take care of before I can leave.”
They exchanged another look. Kepi asked. “What things?”
“I’d like to pack some clothes for the trip, and a camera, and maybe some things to write on. And.. I have to perform in a Christmas pageant in two days.”
“Christmas pageant?” Sipu echoed. “What is a Christmas pageant?”
She hesitated, uncertain how to answer. There were so many layers to what she needed to say that she wasn’t sure where to start. She took a breath.
“A Christmas pageant is a stage play based on a religious story about the birth of the son of God.” She gestured helplessly. “I suppose religion must seem very primitive to you, but it’s an important thing to humans.”
Kepi smiled kindly. “It’s not primitive at all. Belief in a higher power is a normal part of many societies. It helps to explain things for which the scientific explanation has not yet been found.”
“Do you have a religion on your homeworld?”
Sipu glanced at his partner, then said, “Not officially. But there are some who believe.”
“They’re fringe members of our society,” Kepi said, “but we tolerate their aberrant ideas.”
“Aberrant. I see.”
“I am not saying that your beliefs are aberrant,” he rushed to add. “Not at all. They are a quite normal part of the human experience, as we’ve come to understand. Please, tell us about this pageant.”
“Well... There are a bunch of us who’ve been cast to play roles from the Christmas story. The story says that the son of God was born to a virgin mother, and that when he was born, she put him in a manger. Then angels and shepherds and wise men came to worship him. The wise men followed a star that stood over the stable where they were staying.” She smiled. “It’s a lovely story, even if you don’t believe.”
Kepi frowned. “I’m confused.”
“So am I,” Sipu admitted. “How could a virgin give birth?”
A Very Alien Christmas: A Limited Edition Collection of Holiday Alien Romance Page 14
