by Beth Sadler
Chapter 6
Teril welcomed Tasha at the bus station in the same way as he had waited for her in Prague, adding a whirling spin to the embrace. Tasha clung tightly to his warm body and wished the world could stop, just for a minute, to let her savour this wonderful reunion.
With a sigh she pulled away and determinedly reached for her backpack, shrugging easily into it. It was going to be strange not having the extra weight on her back when she got home. It always took her a week or two to settle down after a trip away.
“Have you been to our accommodation yet?” She questioned a look of interest on her face.
“No, I wanted to meet you first. I did confirm our booking and time of arrival so our rooms should be secure.” He smiled boldly into her tired face.” You see, I listened when you told me how popular this particular small hotel is.”
“You bet. I stay at the Hotel Marginal every time I come to Paris. It’s only a five- minute walk to Notre Dame, the Luxembourg Gardens and the Latin Quarter. Added to that, the owners and staff are great to their guests. It’s like coming home every time I walk through the front door.”
Tasha finished her story just as they reached the Metro station. Taking out some money she fed it into the ticket machine and with a few quick stabs at the buttons secured ten tickets.
“I’ve bought the Dix Carnet option, it’s cheaper than buying ten tickets singularly and we’re bound to use them all, the Metro’s the best way to get around.”
“Fine by me, you’re the expert in this city. I’ve never been to Europe before so this is all new to me.” He grinned as he slung his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close as they boarded the train. “Luckily I have a brilliant linguist with me.”
Tasha laughed happily; it was good to know that Teril depended on her.
They made quick work of the walk through the Latin Quarter from the Metro and in only a few minutes, swung around the corner into the Rue du Sommerard and entered their hotel.
Tasha enjoyed the check-in process, as she caught up on the latest news with the friendly staff. Nothing seemed to have changed since her last visit, thank goodness. She was still chattering away over her shoulder, as, Teril pushed her in front of him up the spiral staircase to their rooms.
Tasha had managed to get them two rooms with a shared bathroom on the second floor, luxury, after the dorms they had been staying in so far.
She opened her door and stepped aside to let Teril in with her backpack. He’d played the gentleman and carried both packs up the stairs. Throwing her backpack on a bench near the door, he followed it in, checking the room’s facilities with a sweeping gaze. The beautiful mix of antique furnishings and modern conveniences really impressed him. Now he understood why this little hotel was so popular.
Their bathroom was reached by a door from each room. Teril wandered into the bathroom and, opening the door on the other side, entered his own room and threw his pack on the bed.
“I like this set-up my love. I can watch over you and still let you have some privacy.”
Tasha grinned, eyes sparkling, as she followed, watched him from her position in the doorway. Leaning casually against the door jam, she baited him with secret glee.
“How often must I tell you that I don’t need watching over?”
Teril grimaced at being caught out again as he flopped back on his bed. Dragging his pack towards himself, he pulled out a small ereader sized electronic device and started tapping out instructions on it.
“I promise to try harder from now on.” Yeah, like Hera he would, he thought.”Not while he drew breath would he stop trying to protect her.
“I’m going to be good and let you have the first shower because I’ve got to contact Triena on my com-pad. I need to check the co-ordinates, and give her our arrival time tomorrow. I’ll also need a map and instructions.”
He held up the electronic device he was using to show Tasha what he was talking about. “The important part of our work begins now, my love.” He stated in a serious tone, for the first time since she had met him Tasha detected strain in his voice. Obviously this was no simple mission for him.
“Ok. I’ll hit the shower and then it’s all yours.” Tasha was beginning to realise just how important her lost relatives were to the Teeronites. Teril obviously needed her full co-operation and silently vowed to give him all the help she could.
Teril tapped busily away on his com-pad for twenty minutes, totally engrossed in his work. When he heard the shower stop and the door to Tasha’s room open then close, he stowed his com-pad and went into the bathroom.
Shower finished, Teril quickly dressed then went out into the hall to knock on Tasha’s door. He wanted to reassure her that he would respect her privacy and not casually intrude through their bathroom. When Tasha answered his knock he was ready with a smile and an invitation.
“Are you ready to go to dinner my sweet? I’ll explain our next move over a nice glass of wine.”
“You bet. I’ll just grab my jacket,” she smiled in reply.
Tasha pulled her door closed seconds later and, walking ahead of him descended the stairs to the street.
They found a quiet restaurant just a few minutes walk away on the Boulevard St. Germaine, on the edge of the Latin Quarter. After ordering, Teril leaned forward and finally, finally explained what he knew. Tasha felt like she had been waiting years to hear what he had to tell her.
“We have to go to Chateau Thierry, that’s the nearest town to where your Teeron ancestor was last heard from, tomorrow. Triena has already taken the transporter to near there and is hovering, waiting for us.” he took a bite out of his breadstick, a thoughtful look on his face as he continued.”
“We know that the dates of his last contact with his Interplanetary Research Pod coincided with The Battle of The Marne. It’s possible his team got caught in that conflict and they all died. There were four men on the team and all of their life-chips stopped working within twenty four hours of each other.”
Teril kept working on his breadstick, deep in thought, as Tasha considered what he’d said.
“What’s a life-chip?” she finally asked.
“We all have a tracking micro chip inserted into the muscle of our shoulder before we leave on our first interplanetary mission. It also records and transmits our life signs. The science Co-Op needs to know where we are and if we are in good health. Back in your ancestor’s day the chips were crude and only transmitted life signs. Hence no idea what happened to the team or where they ended up.” He absentmindedly picked up another breadstick and started working on that one as he continued his explanation.
“The interplanetary pod that had brought the research teams to Earth sent out another transporter to search for them but, no signs of them could be found. As I said, our tracking devices were pretty primitive in those days.”
“Why couldn’t you find the transporter? It must be hard to hide a space ship, even in the middle of a war; there must have been some remains.”
“No, that was the strange thing and it worried our leaders at the time. We came to the conclusion that it must have been blown up over water, and sunk to the bottom. I hope, with your help, that we might find its last resting place.” Tasha was intrigued by his words, but confused as to how he thought she could find the transporter after all these years.
“How do you think I can find it?”
“I’ve requested digital vision, taken of the ship and its crew before they left Teeron, to be sent through to my com-pad. It should be ready by the time we arrive in Chateau Thierry. I’m hoping that when you examine them, it will trigger a kind of reverse experience to your precognitive abilities.”
He understood her confused look and tried to explain his thinking. “You see, time is on a kind of loop and can be distorted to enable us to see, or travel back, in time. Of course, nothing can be changed, or the future that we live in today might be affected.” He gave her a beseeching look.
“So far no one with your abili
ties has ever been born on Teeron so we haven’t been able to try this method ourselves. My superiors are very excited by the knowledge you could potentially contribute to our past. We use a similar kind of system to travel between Earth and Teeron, but, that involves worm holes and a science that I frankly don’t understand.”
He grimaced at the shock written on her face. “I know it’s frightening to think of, that’s why I’ve waited until now to explain your part in my plan. I promise though, you will never be in any danger. I wouldn’t allow that. I only want you to look back into the past and tell me what you see.”
Tasha shook her head, stunned by the simplicity of the idea and the thought of seeing actual vision of her ancestor.
“But, what will we do if nothing happens when I study the tapes?”
“Then I will just have to search the hard way---I’ll have to get DNA samples from everyone in the village without them knowing. Saliva is still the quickest and best way but, skin and sweat cells can always be used,” He gave Tasha a gloomy look. “Have you any idea how long that will take me?”
Tasha was about to offer her services for as long as he needed her when, their meal arrived and conversation was halted while they ate the best meal they’d tasted on the whole trip. One thing you could say for the French, they knew how to cook.
After dinner, Tasha and Teril wandered hand in hand through the Quarter, then, across the road to view Notre Dame in the evening light. Tasha sighed in contentment.
“I never get tired of just looking at this sight and the others in Paris. No matter where I travel in the world I always head back here to touch base. I wonder if that’s because my ancestors came from here.”
Teril looked down into her awe struck face and vowed to himself, that if he was lucky enough to win her as a life-mate, he would continue to bring her back to Paris. He wanted to keep this look on her face forever.
“Come on love, we need to get some sleep before our early start. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for both of us. By the way, I’m counting on you to get us to your ancestor’s village; I have no idea how to use the trains here. I’m just a dumb genetic scientist from Teeron.
Tasha laughed in surprise at his modesty.
“Well, dumb genetic scientist that you are, this dumb book translator will read the timetables and get us there. For now I’m going to use the free wi-fi at our hotel and check out which trains we need to take.”
With one last lingering look at Notre Dame’s serene glory, they turned and walked back to the hotel.
Arriving at Tasha’s room door Teril took her willing body into his arms and just held her close for a moment, breathing in her essence and burying his nose into her neck to nuzzle her silky, soft skin. This precious woman was everything he wanted, and just to hold her like this was a privilege beyond measure.
“I’m trying hard to be the man that you want to share your life with; even if I am an alien. I love you so much my sweet. I promise our courting time will come, I can’t wait much longer.”
His lips descended on hers with the lightest of touches, before licking them apart to plunder the depths of her moist, warm mouth. Tongues tangled in an eager dance as they strained to get even closer together. Tasha felt the friction of Teril’s jeans warming her thighs and sending erotic messages to her whole body. Groaning, lusty moans were coming from both throats but, they were deaf to the sounds, as they struggled to get closer.
The sounds of steps running down the stairs, coming from the upper floors, finally penetrated their foggy minds and reminded them where they were, pushing them apart.
“I’ll get to work on our schedule for tomorrow,” croaked a flushed and dishevelled Tasha, as she struggled to open her door. “I’ll see you at seven for breakfast in the dining room,” she managed to whisper before closing her door on a stunned and immobile Teril.
Phew, thought Teril. Now he knew why there could only be Tasha for him, no one else made the world stop spinning. He grinned happily and finally got moving towards his own door. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.
