Alcantaran 1: Alien Abduction

by Terry Compton

  Ron asked, "What do you mean?"

  "When she looks like that, with her tail straight up and her ears laid back, she is in full fight mode. Those chumps over there won't even have a chance to move before she'll have pieces of them flying. Remember the Bug arms she had in her bag? She looked just like that and she was so sick she could hardly move and the Bug had a stingerray in his hand."

  The thugs had just started to swagger forward and Tik was set to launch an attack, when out of nowhere, Dolores came flying with a broom in one hand and a mop in the other. The handles on both were telescoped to full length and she was holding them close to the broom and mop head. She was moving so swiftly and silently that the thugs had no idea anybody was even close. She whacked both handles right across both sides of the middle ones head. He dropped like a rock, screaming in pain. In almost the same motion, she whacked the thugs' arms that were holding the guns. They screamed in pain and surprise as they dropped the weapons. She started whacking them across the back with the handles and the thugs shrieked in agony and started running. The middle one that had hit the ground stirred and started to get up. She lit into him with both handles and he started shrieking as he was trying to crawl away. It was more than Tik could handle to stand back and just watch. She rushed in and bit the thug right on the rear while grabbing him with open claws. She bit hard enough to draw blood and tear his trousers, while her claws had left bloody gouges and more slashes. It was amazing! The thug had been struggling to get up under Dolores's whacks but now leaped to his feet and quickly overtook the other two as they ran away. Dolores and Tik were right on his heels. Tik's claws took small bloody chunks out of the backside of the other two thugs as she ran behind them. All of the thugs were shrieking like teeny-boppers on a scary roller coaster ride. Tik slowed after she mangled all of them a bit more but Dolores kept after them. She switched to just the broom with the broom head to the outside. She was pounding away on all three of them. Ron thought it looked like the farmer's wife chasing three rats out of the house. He and Gus hurried the driver and Fu to the vehicle and got it started. Tik stopped to grab the weapons and leaped into the vehicle as it was heading out of the parking lot to follow Dolores. The driver sped down the street in the direction Dolores and the thugs had taken. They spotted her about six blocks ahead with the thugs still running at top speed as they were shrieking at the top of their lungs. One of the thugs tried to duck down an alley but Dolores turned her full fury on him and he quickly decided to pass his companions.

  They had run three more blocks when Fu shouted, "There's a police station three blocks to the right." They didn't know if Dolores heard or already knew of the police station but she turned the thugs down the street and kept them moving at high speed. People were leaping off the sidewalk to get out of their way as they ran shrieking and screaming. The driver kept just a little behind them and everyone inside had a good view of the happenings. The police station was in the middle of the block and Dolores herded the thugs into it just like a cutting horse herding cattle. Her broom was flailing with every step the thugs took. They ran up the steps and crashed through the door. Dolores didn't even slow down. Her broom didn't stop until they were inside and several policemen came around to see what the ruckus was. The thugs were so out of breath that they couldn't even talk.

  Dolores calmly announced, "These young thugs threatened to use stingerrays on my owners and their friends. I have escorted them here for appropriate official action. I simply can not tolerate such rude behavior."

  The thug who had been hit first was wheezing, "She tried to kill us. We wusn't doin' nothin'!"

  Fu, Ron, Tik, Gus and the driver rushed in just at that moment. Tik held up the stingerrays and handed them to one of the policemen. She declared loudly, "These gentlemen dropped these when Dolores kept them from using them on us." The policeman took the weapons and handled them like they were snakes. The weapons were banned because of the atrocities the Bugs had committed with them. The other thugs were starting to whine now about being attacked for no reason and those things didn't belong to them. Ron and Tik started to disagree and bedlam broke out. Dolores rolled forward and raised her broom. The thugs fell silent and one of the policemen who had recognized Fu asked what had happened.

  Fu conveyed the answer in a very official voice, "My friends and I have been shopping all day and had stopped for a bite to eat. As we were leaving, these young thugs leaped from behind a parked vehicle and demanded all of our valuables. They were carrying those weapons and I feel they were just about to use them on us. My friends, Ron and Gus, stepped between them and the two of us. Their new robot chef came flying to their rescue. She disarmed all three of them and then proceeded to chase them down the street right here to your station. I must say that I have never heard such shrieking and screaming in all my life. When the tables are turned, those three showed their true, very cowardly character."

  The policemen all laughed at the story and the thugs hung their head in embarrassment. The policeman turned to the thugs and told them to tell their side of the story. They maintained their innocence. They claimed that they had never seen the weapons and the crazy robot attacked for no reason. The policeman believed Fu but still hesitated to arrest the three.

  Ron suddenly suggested, "If they are so innocent, you should turn them loose. Dolores would be happy to escort them home to make sure they get there safely."

  Dolores piped right up, "Oh yes. It would be my delight to escort these gentlemen all the way home."

  The thugs turned pale and their eyes got very big. They looked from Ron, to Dolores, to the policemen. Suddenly they confessed to the attempted robbery, carrying the weapons and even started confessing other crimes. Three of the policemen led them away and took their confessions. The policeman who knew Fu exclaimed with a big grin, "Would you like to sell that robot? We could use her to get a few more confessions and make the crime rate drop considerably around here."

  Ron declined the offer and said they needed her around the space ship too much. He said rats and other vermin were afraid to even come close to their space ship now. Everybody laughed and the policeman said they were free to go. If they had any questions, he would get in touch with Fu. Fu continued to talk as the others started out the door. Fu quietly said, "I think those thugs are very lucky. The three star travelers were getting ready to go into action when that robot attacked. I overheard the biggest one saying that the little one was ready to fight and he had seen her tear arms off of someone. I know Ron and Gus stood between me and those thugs. They were protecting us but they were also reaching for weapons. I think you would have been picking up body parts if they had defended themselves." The policeman had a thoughtful look in his eye as Fu turned to catch up with the rest of the group.

  Fu and the driver were very thoughtful on the way back to the space port. They both realized there was a lot more to these space travelers than met the eye. Honest citizens like themselves were very safe with them but law breakers accosted them at their own risk.

  Chapter 11

  The next morning the trio woke to rain. Everything outside was wet and when they looked at the view screens in the living room, they saw the clouds looked like they would continue to rain all day.

  Ron was muttering about rain and goods being delivered when Gus piped up, "This might not be so bad after all. We haven't wanted to show anyone here that we can open all the doors on Auntie. Why don't we activate the shield and extend it out the back a little. We could put all of the goods coming in under it and if it was opaque, we could open any doors we want."

  "That's right. That would be a great idea. We'll just have to watch and make sure the doors are closed when the goods arrive," Ron brightened.

  Tik came strolling in and glanced at the view screens. She said, "It looks a little damp out there. I'm glad I bit those thugs last night instead of today. They tasted bad enough dry; but if they were wet, they would've been terrible. I washed my mouth out twice last night and again this morning an
d I can still taste them."

  Gus chuckled as he said, "Maybe that'll teach you to hold your temper and control your killer instincts. If you feel bad, what do you think those thugs are feeling right now with all of the parts and pieces they're missing?"

  They all laughed and went to see what Dolores had cooked up for breakfast. When they walked in, they could smell the delicious aroma. Dolores rolled out holding her broom and mop. Both of the handles were bent and twisted to uselessness.

  "Boss, I seem to have wrecked my broom and mop last night. I'm sorry…" Dolores started to say.

  Tik jumped right in, "Wrecked your broom and mop! After saving us last night, we'll buy you 10 more if you use them like that. We can keep a supply in your kitchen and when you wreck one, just toss it in the recycler and grab a new one."

  Ron and Gus laughed and agreed with Tik. They both assured Dolores that they weren't upset. Dolores seemed very happy and her gibberish was less that day but she picked up another habit. As she worked, she was humming a tuneless ditty that soon grated on your nerves. Ron told Tik to find some music and program her to hum the music. Tik programmed enough music in her that it took several days to repeat. Tik told Auntie to order a supply of brooms and mop handles, which she did that afternoon.

  Right after breakfast, the trio practiced with the weapons for a while and then got the shield set up. Tik set the Ag workers to work, cleaning a spot to set the plants and seeds that were coming. She had them carefully take samples of the dead plants in the conservatory into a sealable storage room. Ron had checked with Auntie and went to get the chipper that she said was on the lower level. He brought it back for the Ag workers to use on the rest of the material in the conservatory. Ron looked at the damaged catwalk and made a note of what they needed. He knew they were going to be very busy the next two or three days just stowing what they had bought. He would send Fu to get what he needed for repairs.

  Gus was getting things ready when Auntie alerted him to the fact that the first set of robots had arrived. Gus went outside and directed the truck to the edge of the shield to unload. They could only haul five robots at a time, so they would be making several trips throughout the day. Once the robots were unloaded, Gus took them inside to refuel. Tik had the Ag workers going, so she came up to help check out the robots and to reprogram them to whatever they needed. One of the first five robots was the one Gus wanted for refueling and stowing goods, so Tik programmed it first to be able to help with all of the supplies being delivered. Since this was to be his primary helper, Gus decided to call it Tamu. He said it reminded him of a boyhood friend. As Tik was finishing with Tamu, the next load of five robots rolled in. Gus took Tamu and the two of them started bringing the others into Auntie to be refueled.

  Ron came up from the lower level as the cloth arrived. He took three of the robots that Tik had already programmed and started unloading the cloth and other material. As soon as the delivery truck left, Ron set the robots to hauling goods inside. He showed them the room to store it in. By the time the robots were through, the room was almost full. Ron was excited and ready to get some new clothes made. He already had some patterns picked out, so he took some of the cloth and other items that would be needed into the sewing room. He loaded the cloth into the slot that Auntie directed and then turned and moved in front of the scanner as she measured him. Ron then loaded the thread, buttons and velcro material into the other slots and left the rest to Auntie. He returned to the upper cargo bay to tell the others to go pick material and to get measured but they were both busy. The robot dealer had just pulled up with a load of parts, so Ron helped find places to store everything. He had the robots run each item in front of a camera so Auntie could add it into their inventory. She tracked where everything was stored, so later, they could go right to the spot for that particular part.

  It was lunch time before they knew it, so the trio stopped for a bite to eat. Dolores brought sandwiches and drinks to them where they were working. They ate and then waited for the Fu family to arrive. Gus kept supervising the last of the robot arrivals but Tamu was doing most of the actual work. Tik had Auntie make note of the robots that needed programming and she would do it later. Tamu found the robot that was to be his assistant, refueled it and programmed it to help securely stow all of the other robots that had been delivered.

  The Fu family arrived and the trio took them on the grand tour of the upper level. They were still very cautious about letting anyone know that they had opened all of the levels of Auntie. The entire Fu family was happy just to see the upper level and didn't even ask questions about any of the rest of the ship. Mrs. Fu and the boys were excited and impressed with the rows of robots sitting in the cargo bay. The boys had to sit in the fliter and hear tales of using it to move cargo from space ship to space ship. The trio took the family to the cockpit and had Auntie bring up the flight simulator. The entire family jumped at the chance to fly Auntie. The boys were better at it than their parents. Tik had Auntie show some pictures of galaxies that she had visited. The Fu's were awed and couldn't get over how clear and life-like the images were. Finally, Fu declared it was time to head for home. They boys weren't ready but they obeyed their father. As they got ready to leave, Ron paid Fu his consulting fee. He told him they wouldn't need him for the next two days because they were going to be very busy stowing the food supplies they had bought.

  Ron gave Fu a list of material for the catwalk and asked him, "Could you find this material and a price? Also, could you find someone who could make different sizes of wooden bases? I would prefer someone who had access to different types of wood and could complete a project in a short time."

  Fu asked, "Will you be leaving soon?"

  Ron replied with a chuckle, "Everyday we sit in the space port costs us money. Not only what we are spending but in lost revenue from trading. We have really enjoyed our time here and I'm sure we'll be back but for now we need to concentrate on getting loaded and finish shopping for trade items."

  Fu quietly looked at him as he asked, "Does the space ship coming to our planet have anything to do with your rapid departure?"

  Ron was surprised and almost caught off guard. He replied, "Not unless they are our competitors. Then we definitely want to beat them to the next planet. If they have a lot of silver to trade here, they may drop the price but we already have bought most of what we need. By the way, do you know who the incoming ship is or where they are from?"

  "I don't know but I'll find out and let you know. My staff just let me know as I came through the terminal that another ship was on the way in. It has been good working with you and I thank you for the consulting fee. I especially thank you for being so gracious to my family."

  Intuition prompted Ron to say, "We were glad to have your family come for the tour and we really appreciate your help. I just wanted to let you know that we actually did mine that silver off an asteroid. We have done nothing illegal or immoral but we do have some people we would just as soon not meet right now. We have a feud with them and we don't want to involve your planet. We are not firing you right now and we may need your help again but we do not want to put you or your family in danger because of our feud. We would like nothing better than to bring our families here to meet you once we have settled this. We value the driver's and your friendship and hope we can leave you feeling the same way."

  "Thank you for being honest. I can understand a feud, because that is what this war is all about. The Bugs just agitated and stirred up what had been simmering for quite a few years. We might have avoided the war if they had stayed out of it. My family and I consider you to be valuable friends and we will be praying for you to find a way to end this feud. We would be delighted to meet your families. Tomorrow, I will find these things that you need and let you know."

  "Thank you, friend," Ron said as he escorted Fu to the door to catch up to his family. They waved as they left and Ron went to help Gus finish loading the accessories and parts for the robots. Tik had returned to her task
of programming the rest of the robots. Ron broadcast his conversation that he had with Fu and they discussed the implications.

  A short while later, Fu called Auntie on the radio and asked for Ron. Auntie relayed it to Ron. "Ron, the incoming ship is from Nodac-Liujia and they are known to be allies with the Bugs. Their stated intentions are to trade."

  Ron asked, "Have they ever traded here before?"

  Fu said, "Yes. They didn’t stop very often but did come for trade occasionally. It has been over a year since they had been here last."

  Ron gathered that Fu didn't care much for the incoming visitors. He thanked Fu for the information and told him to have a good evening with his family.

  Ron asked if Gus and Tik had heard and they replied that Auntie had included them. He and Gus were through with loading, so they decided to go see what the Ag workers had done in the conservatory. Tik couldn't take the pressure so she joined them. The workers had finished with the samples going into the sealed storage and were starting on the rest of the dead material. They were running it through the chipper and then spreading it on top of the soil. The trio noticed that there was a lot more water running through the stream and that it was still muddy from the increased flow.

  They were happy with the progress in the conservatory, so they decided to practice with the edged weapons. They needed to pick up the pace on their training with them. There were times when a gun was not the weapon to use. Gus knew how to use the hammer/ax he carried but even he needed to know how to defend himself. They still felt that the Bugs would be chasing them as soon as they had a lead and this incoming space ship held Bug allies.

  As they ate that evening, they talked of what it would take to be ready for a quick take off. Ron checked with Auntie and found out that the ship was still four days out. He asked her to pull up any information about Nodac-Liujia. He told her to set it up on a 3-D viewer for them there in the dining hall. The information had come from the Bug's database and didn't cover a lot of things that the trio would like to see. They saw some video of the inhabitants and the planet itself. The planet was dark and dreary with garbage scattered everywhere. When the wind would blow in the video, garbage could be seen racing before the wind. None of the inhabitants inspired confidence or made the trio want to try to develop a friendship with them. What facts they had found, made them think that their driver had given good advice to put up a shield if they parked anywhere near.