The three exchanged looks as though trying to decide how much to tell. It was Buffy who answered. “This is an observation station. We monitor deep space signals for the most part, but also gather data from your sun and solar system as general research. I am a data analyst, meaning I spend most of my time looking at numbers and filing reports.” He gestured toward Sclurp. “Your coffee addict friend is our maintenance technician. And Nyxulla is in charge as well as being a fine young deep space scientist.” He bowed toward the green-skinned alien respectfully.
“Earth is a perfect place to put an observation station, but as far as anyone is concerned, we don’t exist. Earth doesn’t officially exist,” Nyxulla said with a frown.
“What do you mean?” Jillian asked in curiosity.
“I mean this is an outlawed planet not on galactic charts,” Nyxulla answered, leaning over to inhale the aroma of a plant. “And it’s not just the fields of coffee. The reasons are so classified that we don’t know anything more. We’re never allowed to tell anyone we’re here or that this station is here.”
“I’m fairly certain even you aren’t allowed to know you’re here,” Buffy interjected with a light laugh that was neither masculine nor feminine. “That is part of the dilemma. We should report that you’ve seen us to the nearest hub, but they don’t want us to report anything if it can be avoided. Dealing with even the slightest problem without anyone noticing the outpost is a daunting task for them, so we’re under orders to handle situations ourselves wherever possible.”
“Which actually benefits you in this situation,” Nyxulla stated. “Normally we would have to report you, but that would cause numerous problems, so I don’t intend to. The question is what do we do?”
“Let’s not do anything,” Sclurp suggested hopefully. He stood and held up a suction cup finger. “She won’t tell anyone about us and we won’t tell anyone about her. It’ll work. I know it will.”
“That plan has some flaws in it,” Buffy observed.
“So does turning her into an emo bunny, reporting her or executing her,” Nyxulla pointed out.
“Executing?!” Jillian exclaimed in alarm. Her heart skipped a beat, but she was too shocked to notice.
“We’re not going to do that,” Buffy assured her quickly.
“No, definitely not,” Nyxulla agreed. She came over, sat next to Jillian and took her hands. She smelled faintly of lilac, a fitting scent that matched the color of her hair. “We’re not going to do anything to you. I ask that you not tell anyone about us though. Is that something you can do?”
“I can’t erase it from my mind, but I promise not to tell anyone,” Jillian agreed readily. It was better than the alternatives. “My word is good and I doubt anyone would believe me anyway.”
“Erasing it from your mind is a bad idea. Mind wipes have been known to turn human brains to mush,” Sclurp stated helpfully. “That’s why we transform humans into emo bunnies.” He patted the ray gun.
Jillian looked at him in horror and inched a little closer to Nyxulla who reassured her, “Don’t worry, we’re not going to do that.” She paused for a moment and Jillian turned to her. The pretty alien smiled. “Is there any chance we can still stop by for coffee occasionally?”
“What is it with you two? Can’t you control yourselves for even a moment?” Buffy chided in disgust. Jillian just stared at Nyxulla incredulously.
“The coffee helps deal with being on this planet,” Nyxulla explained in exasperation. She stood up to pace back and forth. “Jillian makes the best coffee I’ve ever tasted. I’m not as bad as Sclurp, but I need it every once in a while to stay sane.” Sclurp nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
“I’ll make you coffee if you promise not to drink out of my cup anymore. There are plenty of cups in the cabinet. Get your own,” Jillian said craftily. It would be wonderful if she could actually drink a full cup of her own coffee for once.
“Then it’s a deal,” Nyxulla agreed immediately. Sclurp nodded eagerly and did an odd sort of dance on his three legs.
“What wonderful quality control,” Buffy said dryly. “Give me my fix of coffee and you can get away with anything. If she didn’t seem like such a nice human, I might protest.” The BEM stood and walked out of the room.
“Don’t mind Buffy,” Sclurp said. “We all like you.”
“Yes, we do,” Nyxulla agreed. Her voice still had the seductive quality and Jillian made a decision not to introduce her to Raymond. It helped that she wasn’t allowed to talk about them. Her husband probably wouldn’t believe it anyway. The gorgeous alien took Jillian’s hand and led her to the wide hallway on the right. The fingers were long, but there were four of them and a thumb just like a human’s. “Would you like a tour of the station? You won’t be able to tell anyone about it of course.”
“Sure. Why not?” Jillian was already there and had never seen an alien observation station. Of course, she figured extremely few humans ever had. “Does the government know you’re here?” she asked suddenly.
“The government . . . you mean your human government? No,” Nyxulla assured her. They entered a chamber with a bed, desk, two padded chairs and a comfortable looking couch. It was decorated with odd items and had changing pictures of a world with blue grass and green skies. A couple of the pictures showed Nyxulla with others of her race. “This is my room. To answer your question, you’re the only person on Earth who knows we’re here.”
Jillian wasn’t certain how to feel about that. “There’re just all those stories of UFO sightings and secret government labs like Roswell. Some people say aliens run the scenes behind the government and have for centuries.”
There was an unreadable expression on Nyxulla’s face. “I’m just here to study deep space signals and advance my career. I’m not pulling the strings of human governments.” She led Jillian back into the metal hallway and through a large door without clarifying any further. “This is our hangar where we keep our ship and some of the bigger equipment.”
In the middle of the dimly lit area was a spaceship that looked oddly like a snail. It had a long front fuselage with antennae in the same place as a snail, and a curved shell in the back. Jillian stopped and frowned at it while Nyxulla moved to a screen on the wall and touched some symbols. Lights in the ceiling and along the wall turned on. “Why does your ship look like a snail?” Jillian asked.
“Actually, snails look like our ship not the other way around,” Nyxulla corrected her.
“What do you mean?”
“This is a fairly standard ship design throughout the Amalgamation, which is what our galactic civilization is called. They come in all different sizes and models, but the drive technology is the same.” She walked over to the craft that was five times as high as they were tall on the main body and ten times as high at the shell. The entire thing was about a hundred twenty feet long. “They don’t cost much to make, but they do break every once in a while. It’s a pain in the butt to be stranded, so spare ships have been scattered on planets throughout the galaxy.”
“That makes sense I suppose,” Jillian agreed. She tentatively reached out to touch the ship. When Nyxulla didn’t stop her, she ran fingers along the smooth cool metal. “Are there extra ships on Earth?”
“Yes. They are the snails you speak of.” Nyxulla grinned at Jillian’s look of incredulity. “A special device is needed, but they contain the basic building blocks and codes to transform into a perfectly functional ship just like this one.”
“Are you serious?” Jillian asked flatly. “Snails are really spaceships?”
“Snails aren’t spaceships exactly, they’re the biological coding for spaceships. A device is needed to transform them. The good news is that they reproduce quite well, which helps keep costs almost non-existent.” Nyxulla turned the main lights back off, leaving only the few that were on before they entered. “Every planet and moon in the galaxy has snails.”
“You mean the ones that can support life,” Jillian clarified, going ba
ck through the doorway into the hall with Nyxulla right behind.
“No. There are snails that can survive in the vacuum of space.” The alien took the lead again. “Each one adapts to its environment. The important thing is that there’s always one available in case anyone gets stranded.” They passed through the sitting area into the other hallway.
“That’s extraordinary. How slow are the spaceships?” Jillian asked. Everything was so intriguing and odd. It was an adventure more fascinating than many of the stories she edited.
The question puzzled Nyxulla. “Slow? Why would you think they’re slow?”
“Well . . . they’re snails . . . snails are slow, so it stands to reason that the ships are slow.” It made complete sense to Jillian. They entered a large control area with a bank of windows overlooking the cliff out onto the lakes. It was right where her favorite spot had been. Buffy was sitting at a desk protruding from the left wall in a u-shape with multiple screens and was tapping on them more rapidly than Jillian had ever seen anyone move.
Nyxulla walked over to the windows and leaned on a metal bar running along the length. “Space travel has nothing to do with speed and everything to do with the manipulation of space and energy while avoiding mass and time. I’m not going to tell you much more about it. It’s basic education in the Amalgamation, but would take quite a while to explain and you’re not technically supposed to know any of it.” She stretched, which emphasized each perfect curve in her body.
Buffy chimed in. “As far as snails being slow, if you crashed on a strange planet and had to find a new ship, would you want to have to chase it down?”
Jillian laughed at that. “I guess that makes sense. Why are you telling me all of this if I’m not supposed to know? Why are you giving me this tour?” It was making her nervous that they were telling her so much. A part of her wondered if they really would release her.
Nyxulla shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t have anything else to do at the moment. I’ve been on this planet for a year and there’s not a whole lot of work necessary for the studies. I’ve done as many classes as I can to further my education for now. It’s a pretty planet, but I need more than walks through the forest to steal a cup of coffee in order to stay entertained.”
“So you’re telling me all of this because you’re bored?” The concept stunned Jillian. They weren’t acting like aliens. They were acting like humans in a lot of ways. She came to the conclusion they must be terribly lonely on a planet far away from wherever they each called home. Jillian wondered if she could handle being on a planet far away from humanity for any length of time.
“And because I like you. You play interesting music and work hard when you could be goofing off. I like the sound of your voice too,” Nyxulla told her. “And you make the best coffee ever. I’ve never tasted any so wonderful.” The alien woman turned and leaned seductively against the bar and window. “I don’t suppose there’s any way I can talk you into a walk back down the hill for a cup? . . .”
Jillian wondered if Nyxulla was coming on to her. The squishy-lipped Sclurp was bad enough, but an exotic, green-skinned alien woman was much more than she could mentally handle.
“You should leave Jillian alone. She has a life to live and I seriously doubt she wants you or Sclurp invading her home all the time,” Buffy stated. “We also have a message coming in from the Hub. It has emergency status on it.”
Nyxulla quickly went to a similar desk on the right side wall. Sclurp chose that moment to enter. “Hey there, Jillian,” he said with a small wave of a hand as he sauntered over to the windows.
“Hi, Sclurp,” Jillian responded politely with a wave of her own. They were treating her well and she felt welcome. It was the oddest experience in her life, but instead of freaking out like a normal person might, she was enjoying their company and truly hoped they would come down for coffee every once in a while.
“Hub Command is ordering us to rescue some teenagers that crashed here on Earth,” Nyxulla said loudly. She looked closely at a message on the screen. Jillian didn’t know if there actually were alien teenagers or if that was just the word chosen by the translators. Sclurp and Buffy went over to stand behind Nyxulla while Jillian stayed back, figuring they would send her home.
“Can’t they just grab a snail, or are they hurt?” Sclurp asked. “This station isn’t supposed to be here and a rescue could compromise its secrecy, dude.” He looked genuinely worried. Jillian didn’t like the way they kept mentioning that they weren’t supposed to be on Earth and wondered what was so wrong with the planet.
“They’ve been captured. Nothing else matters. We have to rescue them and destroy their ship. I’ll go over details once we’re on our way.” She tapped the screen in a few places and it went dark. Buffy went over to turn off the screens at its workstation too. Sclurp was the first out and passed Jillian on his way to the ship.
Nyxulla stopped in front of Jillian who asked, “I’m guessing it’s time for me to go?” Her stomach clenched in a moment of panic, thinking they might change their minds about letting her go free. The stunning alien studied her for a moment, making Jillian worry all that much more.
Long lashes blinked over the emerald eyes. “Would you like to go with?”
“What?!” Buffy exclaimed in outrage. “We can’t take her with. That violates so many rules . . .” The sharp-toothed mouth moved up and down angrily as it sputtered at the suggestion.
“If you want to come with, you can, Jillian.” Nyxulla smiled at her. “I need a female friend. Buggy Eyes here and Mr. Kissy Lips just can’t have a decent conversation. Plus I really like you. You’re nice. I’m going to give you a hug like humans do.” She promptly fulfilled the pleasant threat.
Jillian stood there in shock for a moment before returning the hug. The alien woman smelled nice. “I like you too.” Jillian thought about the offer. It would be absolutely foolish to get in a spaceship and try to help rescue more aliens. “I’d love to go with if you’ll let me.”
What her husband didn’t know was that Jillian had spent many hours in the desert where she was raised just looking up at the stars, wishing she could explore the universe and meet fascinating beings. Suddenly she was meeting those beings even if she wasn’t exploring the universe in the process. There was no way she was going to turn down more of the adventure even if it was foolish.
“We’re not seriously going to take a human with?!” Buffy protested again, coming up behind her. “I like Jillian too, but taking her on a dangerous rescue mission is irrational.”
Nyxulla parted and looked at the BEM. “I don’t care. I want her to go with and she wants to come. I’ll keep her safe.” The tone of her voice was defiant and her stance challenging.
Buffy help up hands in surrender. “Very well, I won’t protest further, but your job is to rescue the teenagers. I will keep her safe.” At Nyxulla’s glare, he flexed the taloned parts of his hands. “You know I can protect her better than either of you.”
“True.” She nodded at that and then turned to Jillian. “Stay with Buffy and follow all instructions.”
“I will,” Jillian agreed readily. Nyxulla headed down the hall at a fast pace and Jillian turned to Buffy. It was hard to decide where to focus with all the facets in the large compound eyes.
“This is an absolutely terrible idea. I would report it if we wouldn’t all be reprimanded and sent for reconditioning. Follow me.” Buffy went down the hall, motioning her to follow. She noticed a faint earthy smell of pepper wafting from the alien. The BEM stopped in its room to grab something while she waited in the hall. From there they went to the hangar.
A ramp was extended from an entry portal into the shell part of the ship. It drew in and the door closed right after they walked inside. She followed Buffy through a thin passage toward the mid-section of the ship. Nyxulla was sitting at a group of screens near the front of the section. There were seats of different shapes and size to either side of the main walkway and a door at the end leading to wha
t Jillian guessed would be the cockpit, if the spaceship had such a thing.
“Have a seat here.” Buffy gestured to the right near the back of the section where Jillian wouldn’t be able to read the screens Nyxulla was working at. “There’s a window here you can look out while we travel.” The BEM pushed a lighted screen in the wall. A panel slid to the side and Jillian could see the interior of the hanger through clear glass, or whatever material it was.
Buffy went to sit across a small table from Nyxulla and they began discussing what was on the screens, making the translators stop communicating English. There was no sign of Sclurp and Jillian wondered if he was coming with them.
The hangar started moving by outside the window. Then the ground dropped away and the treetops right after. Jillian gripped the arms of the cushioned chair she sat in. Her stomach sank, but it was a mental sinking, not a physical one. There was no sensation of motion from the ship, which was more disconcerting in a way than it would have been otherwise. She guessed Sclurp was the pilot. It would make sense considering he was supposed to be the technician, although Jillian admitted to herself that she didn’t know if a technician would be able to fly.
Through the window she watched the forest, lakes and mountains fall away below as the ship rose. The rate of ascent was faster than any plane she had ever been on, but there was still no physical sense of motion. Her eyes were the only sense telling her they were zipping through the air. It was fascinating to watch the scenery fly by so rapidly and she wondered where they were going.
Jillian pinched herself again, hard. It hurt, but she didn’t wake up. Either she wasn’t dreaming, or pinching oneself was a worthless way to wake up and she was going through unnecessary suffering for nothing. The whole situation was surreal. In an instant Jillian had gone from a pleasant, quiet life to one filled with aliens, snail spaceships, coffee as a drug and emo bunny ray guns. Is this all real?
“Would you come over here, Jillian?” Nyxulla said from where she and Buffy were sitting. Jillian looked at them and blinked a few times. Their alien appearances where strikingly odd, like something a person would see in a movie, yet they were three dimensional, vibrant and alive. “Jillian?” Nyxulla said, drawing Jillian out of her reverie. “Are you alright?”
Alien Coffee Page 3
