“Good job, Jillian,” he told her. She liked his praise even though she didn’t normally require much in everyday life. It was respectful, not condescending, and the words were sincere. Jillian got the impression Buffy didn’t give many compliments, so the positive reinforcement meant all that much more.
“Everything is clear,” Nyxulla told them through the earpieces. “Sclurp and I took care of all the soldiers on this side of the fence. Come straight into the jungle and you’ll find the ship. We’re just about there already.”
The trees surrounded them as they dashed down a thin trail. Buffy guided the teens while Jillian covered their retreat. It was exciting and adrenaline flowed throughout her body. She felt invincible while invisible. A minute later, the ship’s door opened for them and the ramp slid out.
***
Once inside, Sclurp took the ship up with the explanation that he was moving someplace safer to find snails. Nyxulla had the teens sit down so she could finish administering medical care while Buffy took Jillian’s equipment to be put away. She felt sad at losing such amazing devices. Part of her wasn’t ready to be done with the adventure now that the adrenaline was flowing.
“You don’t have a choice,” Nyxulla was telling the teens with hands on hips. “Your ship was disintegrated per orders, so you get to take a snail home. You’re lucky we were able to rescue you in time.” She leaned forward threateningly. “You’re not allowed to tell anyone we’re here either. I’m pretty sure you know how much trouble you’ll get into for being on a forbidden planet, so making a big deal out of anything will not go well for you or your parents.”
Both teens shrank back at the threat. They nodded and held onto each other while Nyxulla came back to the table where Jillian had taken a seat. Her face showed concern. “None of this went the way it was supposed to. Are you alright, Jillian?”
“Oh yes. I’m wonderful. Thank you so much for bringing me with.” Jillian grinned hugely, still high on the adrenaline rush.
Nyxulla looked surprised then smiled in return. “You were amazing. I’m glad we brought you with too. Things would’ve gone much worse without you.”
“I’ve landed us in a safe location,” Sclurp told them over the intercom. Jillian jumped and looked around. The voice sounded so close and the advanced technology surprised her once again. Nyxulla raised a questioning eyebrow and Jillian just shrugged in embarrassment. Having known such things all her life made the alien woman take it for granted. It would be like taking someone from medieval times and putting them in front of a TV or radio.
Jillian followed everyone outside into a field of dark green bushes covered with white flowers. The powerful aroma brought to mind sweet jasmine tinged with the scent of coffee. She inhaled deeply and felt slightly intoxicated.
Nyxulla used a long device with three wands at the end to find the nearest snail. Everyone stood back a ways while she manipulated a screen on the main body of the device. The wands began to glow, as did the snail they were aimed at. With a loud pop, a snail shaped ship appeared much like the one the group had used to travel there. Nyxulla turned to the despondent teens and pointed at the new ship. “There you are. You’ll be tracked the entire way, so go straight home.”
“But we didn’t get any coffee,” the boy whined.
“I think that’s for the best at this point. You’re already in enough trouble,” Buffy told them. “Go on, get out of here.”
They glared at Buffy and Nyxulla, but got on board without another word. A minute later, the ship rose into the air before turning invisible. Jillian assumed they were flying off toward home. “What sort of drive does it use? Does it travel faster than the speed of light?” she asked.
The three aliens exchanged glances. “Light has nothing to do with travel nor does its speed,” Nyxulla told her hesitantly.
“And it’s a high crime to tell you how travel does work, so please don’t ask,” Buffy chastised gently before turning to Sclurp. “I see you landed us in a coffee field. It’s a waste of time considering they’re flowering and haven’t developed berries yet.”
Sclurp looked around in dismay. “Oh, dude . . . that sucks.”
“I’m not a dude,” Buffy informed him. “Jillian has more than enough coffee already. Let’s go.”
“Berries? I thought coffee came from beans,” Jillian responded in curiosity. She had never really thought about how the beans were grown.
“Yeah, the beans are inside the berries. We’ll just stop and get another sack instead,” Sclurp told her.
“No. We will not stop. She already has a sack,” Buffy disagreed.
It looked as though the two would get into a bigger argument when Nyxulla stepped between them. “Buffy’s right on this one. Jillian has a bag already and we need to get back so I can file the report, which I’m not looking forward to.”
She led the way back to the ship. Sclurp sulked, but went to the cockpit and flew while Nyxulla and Buffy began their reports at the table with Jillian sitting in her original seat. Nyxulla brought her another cup of the quxoma juice. During the journey back, Jillian stared out the window and reflected on the events of the previous few hours while sipping the juice.
***
The air of the hangar was only slightly cooler than the jungle they had come from. Jillian suspected all three of her new friends came from warmer and more humid climates. Upon reaching the sitting room, the aliens stopped suddenly and Jillian ran into Buffy who was just in front of her.
Sitting quietly on one of the benches with hands in his lap was a well-dressed, blue-skinned alien with a large, round head and milky purple eyes. “Congratulations on rescuing the teens. The boy’s father is very powerful and will be thrilled they didn’t die.” The imposing alien’s voice was deep and sonorous, like a soothing narrator. However, there was an underlying tone that made it seem somewhat threatening.
“Thank you, Mister Fizziggle,” Nyxulla responded deferentially. Her voice was trembling, while Buffy and Sclurp were backing up a few steps forcing Jillian to step back too.
“No. Thank you. You truly did a wonderful job . . . except for the part where you turned half the captors into emo bunnies, a species not native to Earth.” Mister Fizziggle thoughtfully rubbed his chin between a thumb and two of his six fingers. “And something else . . . what was it . . . ah yes, the part where you brought a human with you on the rescue mission, gave her invisibility equipment and a transformer ray gun and then let her help you zap other humans into said emo bunnies, putting her life and the security of this station at extreme risk.” He crossed a leg over the other and clasped his hands on the knee. “Other than that, you did excellent work.”
Jillian got the impression that Mister Fizziggle wasn’t actually paying anyone a compliment. It seemed as though her new friends were in a great deal of trouble and the fact that all three were visibly shaking gave credence to that belief. None of them responded.
“I believe the human’s name is Jillian?” Mister Fizziggle asked. At Nyxulla’s nod, he patted the seat next to him. “Please sit by me, Jillian. I’d like to talk to you about everything.” When Jillian remained where she was, he encouraged her in a non-threatening voice. “I promise I don’t bite. Please sit.” He patted the seat once again.
Nyxulla and Buffy both nodded that it was alright, so she went over and sat next to the imposing alien. She noticed that he smelled like almonds, one of her favorite scents.
“That’s wonderful, Jillian. I’m certain we’ll get along fine,” he reassured her with a winning smile. “Now please tell me how you came to meet these fine beings.” Mister Fizziggle gestured toward Jillian’s new friends.
She didn’t answer. They were in trouble and everything they told her indicated that all of them were going to suffer badly. It was hard to keep tears from welling up in her eyes, but she desperately wanted to avoid crying.
Mister Fizziggle took her hand and patted it. His skin was very warm and even softer than Nyxulla’s. Jillian wondered if h
e used some sort of exotic lotion from another planet. “Here now. You need to tell me everything you can. If you don’t, then I have to take all of you to the Hub in order to sit before a council. That’s not a good idea because they record all the details and dole out official punishments.” He smiled again. “This station is unofficial and it’s best if we kept things that way.”
“Go ahead and tell him everything,” Nyxulla said with a reassuring nod. “They’ll find out anyway and it’s always best to cooperate with the whole truth.” She smiled sadly.
Jillian nodded and took a deep breath. Mister Fizziggle’s solid purple eyes were entrancing and looked like they had mist in them. She began with coffee, which is where everything had started. “For quite a while now, my coffee has been disappearing and I’ve known that I haven’t been the one drinking it.”
“Coffee?” Mister Fizziggle asked, his expression brightening. “You have coffee? It’s been so very long since I’ve had a cup.”
“Jillian makes the best coffee ever,” Sclurp said suddenly and hopefully. “She has a roaster and a big bag of beans to roast too.”
Buffy threw arms in the air. “This is just ridiculous.”
“She really does brew the best,” Nyxulla agreed.
“That sounds wonderful,” Mister Fizziggle stated dreamily. “I would very much love to have a cup of coffee, Jillian. Would you be willing to make me one?”
“Umm . . . yes?” It was more of a question than an answer. She wasn’t sure how to handle the sudden twist of events. “I have everything at my house down the hill. Roasting takes a while, but I have some bags of roasted beans from the store I can grind if you like that.”
Mister Fizziggle rose to his feet, gently pulling Jillian up with him. “Yes, that would be wonderful. Let’s take a walk. It’s a beautiful day on this planet. I love the smell of the forest and relish listening to the sounds of wildlife.” Without hesitation, he led them all to the door and into the woods. “Tell me the story as we walk, Jillian.”
The walk down the hill didn’t take long. Mister Fizziggle was in excellent shape, more so than Jillian. She told him about the events with Sclurp and going to the station. Mister Fizziggle asked a couple of questions and Sclurp added details that made him appear less guilty.
Jillian was sweating a little when she led them into her kitchen. At least it wasn’t as bad as the heat and humidity of the jungle. Nyxulla and Buffy sat around the table with Mister Fizziggle while Sclurp squatted near the end of the counter.
“You should make the crazy monkey coffee,” Nyxulla suggested eagerly. “It’s really good.”
“That sounds very interesting,” Mister Fizziggle stated happily. He crossed a leg over the other and leaned back in the chair. “So what happened when you and Sclurp reached the station?”
Jillian ground the coffee and set it to brew. She made enough in case Buffy wanted some too. In the meantime, she talked about the events in the station and the call to save the teens. After serving everyone coffee, she lifted herself up onto the counter and talked about the trip to the jungle and the adventure of rescuing the teens. It was impossible to keep the excitement out of her voice and she grinned madly while talking about the escape.
She had truly enjoyed herself. Meeting all the aliens and fighting the drug lord’s soldiers had been the most thrilling events of her life. She wanted to get into a spaceship and go to new worlds, learn new things and experience adventures like in books she had read and in movies she had watched.
“And then we got back to the station and met you,” Jillian finished the story. She had just finished brewing a second pot and was pouring their cups. Buffy abstained from coffee but accepted a cup of tea, which was legal in the Amalgamation.
“What a wonderful story,” Mister Fizziggle told her. He breathed deeply of the aromatic coffee, the third different flavor Jillian had made for them. “I’ve lost count of all the legal violations committed by everyone involved. It sounds fun though.” No one responded other than to exchange nervous glances. He took another sip of his coffee and sighed pleasurably.
Jillian looked at the clock. “It’s getting about time for Raymond to get home. I’m not sure how he’s going to react to everyone being here.”
Mister Fizziggle waved off the concern. “We’re just about to leave. Are you going to tell your husband about us, Jillian?”
She shook her head vigorously. “He wouldn’t believe me. Raymond doesn’t believe in extraterrestrial life. I love him with all my heart, but we have our differences. We’re happy together.”
“That’s wonderful,” Mister Fizziggle stated. Wonderful seemed to be his favorite word and he used it even more than Sclurp used dude. “I like you, Jillian. We’re not going to take any action against you. You already gave your word not to tell anyone and I believe you mean it.” He gestured at the others. “They’re not in trouble either. Their mission is entirely confidential and much more valuable to the Amalgamation than reporting any violations. In addition, you all rescued those two little fools that crashed in the jungle. That grants everyone some goodwill.”
Mister Fizziggle stood and downed the last of his coffee. “Have a nice life, Jillian. Officially, we’ve never met. None of this ever happened and you’re a nice human woman living blissfully ignorant of the presence of an observation station a short distance away.” He moved to the door and gestured for the others to follow him. “Unofficially, I’m not paying attention to whether or not you visit the station or if your new friends, as you call them, stop in for a bit of coffee or tea. I expect everyone to mind their secrecy though.”
“We will,” Jillian responded immediately. She was thrilled at not having her mind wiped, being turned into an emo bunny or anything scary like that. The fact that she would get to keep seeing them made it even better. “You’re welcome to stop by for coffee anytime you like too.”
He paused at the door. “. . . Perhaps. We’ll see.” With that, he stepped outside.
Nyxulla came over and gave Jillian a fierce hug, which Jillian returned just as tightly. “I’m so glad we’re friends.” She stepped back and held Jillian’s hands in hers. “Can we come back to visit?”
Jillian nodded vigorously. “I’ll be hurt if you don’t.” They hugged each other tightly again.
Sclurp came up with front arms outstretched. Jillian held up a hand defensively. “I’m happy to meet you, but I don’t quite trust you enough for a hug.”
He looked sad and his shoulders slumped. “Do I get to come back for coffee too?”
Jillian smiled. “Yes, of course. Just don’t steal from my cup. You can use the one with OMG on it. I’ll keep it clean for you.”
“Thank you! I love you, Jillian,” Sclurp did a spin and headed out the door after Mr. Fizziggle.
Buffy came forward and bowed. “I would like to visit you for a cup of tea now and then.”
“You’re welcome anytime,” Jillian told the BEM. “I’d like to come to the station occasionally too and try some new juices.”
“I have some in mind that I think you’ll love,” Buffy told her.
“As do I,” Nyxulla agreed. “Come by anytime day or night.” She gave Jillian another hug then they followed the others out.
Jillian sat down at the table after closing the door. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. None of it seemed real, but at the same time, it seemed more real than the rest of her life. Everything was dreamlike.
A short while later, Raymond came home and found her sitting at the table. She apologized for not having dinner ready like she normally did. She enjoyed cooking and loved that he enjoyed eating her meals. He smiled and took her out to dinner instead.
She didn’t fall asleep until late that night. The events of the day raced through her mind over and over and she was afraid it would all be lost if she did.
When Jillian woke up the next morning, she did remember everything. Best of all, her new friends showed up for coffee and tea shortly after Raymond left for work.
She listened contentedly while they told her of their worlds and all the amazing things in them.
###
Near the beginning of the story, I mentioned an Indie Band called Letters From The Fire. They’re worth checking out. You can find them here: http://www.lettersfromthefire.net
***
About the Author
John H. Carroll was the youngest of seven children and was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1970 where he was kept in a dresser drawer with the clean socks. Luckily, he wasn’t kept with the dirty socks or else he might have grown up to become slightly warped.
As a child, John spent most of his time wandering through the Mojave Desert in an attempt to avoid people. He would stare at the sky, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. One of his favorite memories is watching his dad build the fuselage of Evel Kneivel’s skycycle in their garage. One of his least favorite moments was watching that skycycle fall into the Snake River. (Not his dad’s fault and he has documentation to prove it, so nyah)
As a teenager, John spent most of his time driving wherever he could in an attempt to avoid people. He would stare at the road, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. He was the captain of the chess team, lettered in golf and band while in high school, and wasn’t beaten up anywhere near as much as one might imagine.
As an adult, John spends most of his time staring at a computer screen in an attempt to avoid people. He stares at the monitor for hours, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. He has been married to his wonderful wife for sixteen years and they have three obnoxio . . . wonderful children who always behave . . . when they’re asleep.
Emo bunny minions surround John at most times. He is their imaginary friend and they look to him for guidance. At one point, they took over the world. No one noticed because they left everything exactly as it was. They gave the world back after a week because it was depressing.
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