by TM Toombs
“No. I swore an oath on my life to protect the Emissary. To take your life would be to end my own. My point was to tell you that I will find it difficult to look at you and not contemplate your demise.”
Eshan nodded slowly, “I understand.” Behind him, the internal hatch whisked open. Bax stepped past him and entered the HAB. Eshan sheepishly followed.
“Bax,” Kolass rose to his feet where he’d been kneeling next to the completely wrapped body of Ne-Paw. “Are you well?”
“No, but I am able to fly the ship to Earth.” Bax removed his helmet but stayed rooted by the hatchway. His eyes darted from Kolass to the shrouded body on the sofa and back. “I will go retrieve the ship and land nearby. That will allow me to test the repairs without putting you both in danger.”
Before anyone could respond, Bax replaced his helmet and disappeared into the HAB access hall, the inside hatch closed behind him. Eshan removed his helmet and looked at Kolass. “I guess we wait?”
“Yes. I would suggest packing up whatever belongings you wish to take with you in the interim.”
“Good idea. I should probably crate up Princess, too.”
* * * *
A steady droning noise accompanied the shallow vibrations in the ground, causing Eshan to look up from his packing and leave his bedroom.
“Sounds like Bax is here.” Eshan found Kolass sitting in a chair next to the sofa, shoulders slumped.
“Have you completed your packing then?” Kolass stood up and Eshan could see the grief in his features.
“Yes, I just need to bring my case out here and get Princess into her life support pod. It shouldn’t take me very long.”
“I’ll assist you with your belongings if you wish to care for your Princess.” Before Eshan could argue, Kolass left the living room and disappeared into Eshan’s bedroom. Eshan watched him leave before he began his search for his kitten.
“Princess?” Eshan stood in the kitchen, shaking a cup full of kibble. “Here kitty, kitty!”
A muffled meow answered him. Oh crap, I forgot I locked her in the COMM room! Eshan dashed to the Comm room door and cracked it open just enough get his hand inside. He bent down and grabbed Princess by the scruff of her neck and lifted her up.
“We’re going for a little ride, sweetheart, and you know what that means.” He carried her across the room and unceremoniously plopped her in her life support pod. He closed the lid before she could turn around and attempt an escape. Returning to the Comm room, he hastily grabbed her food dish and litter pan then packed them in a box in the living room. Kolass was waiting for him when he returned to the living room, with Eshan’s crate of personal belongings in hand.
“Where would you like me to place these, Emissary?”
Eshan blinked. Emissary. Guess that's one more thing to get used to. “By the hatch, please.” Eshan rolled the life support pod over to the door and parked it next to the box Kolass set down. Eshan retrieved the kitten supply box and placed it on top of his crate.
“Well,” Eshan looked around the HAB, searching for anything else he needed to take, “I guess I’m about as ready to go as I can get.”
Behind him, the inside hatchway opened and Bax entered. He looked at Kolass and then at Eshan. “Emissary, the ship functions. With your permission, I will stow your gear in your quarters.”
“Thank you, Bax. Kolass and I will be right behind you.”
Bax lifted the crate and box, then placed them on top of the life support pod and wheeled them through the inside hatch. Once the hatch closed, Eshan turned to Kolass.
“You better get suited up. Do you want me to help you carry Ne-Paw?”
Kolass startled and Eshan immediately realized his mistake, "I mean help carry Emissary. Sorry." He knew so little about their culture or customs and he was messing up what little he did know. How in the hell did they expect him to conduct business for them with anyone when he knew so little about them?
Kolass relaxed but Eshan saw the hurt of his faux-pas. “No, Emissary. It is my honor to escort her.” Kolass turned and gathered his suit. As Eshan looked on, he dressed quickly and returned to Ne-Paw's side. With great care, Kolass scooped Ne-Paw up into his arms and joined Eshan.
Bax was waiting for them when they reached the outside hatch. With outstretched arms, he motioned for Kolass to pass Ne-Paw to him. Cradling her against his chest, Bax turned and led the way into the ship. Once inside, he headed down the long hallway to the left where Eshan had first encountered the Emissary Ne-Paw. Eshan turned to follow but was grabbed by his arm. Kolass pointed to their left and motioned to Eshan to follow him. Eshan nodded and fell into step behind Kolass.
Moments later, they came to the door leading into the bridge. Kolass waved his hand and the door silently slid open. They stepped inside and the door closed behind them.
Kolass pointed at a large chair attached to the floor in the middle of the room as he stood in front of a smaller chair off to the side. “Your seat, Emissary.”
Once Eshan was seated, Kolass took his seat. Moments later, Bax swept into the bridge and took his seat in front of a long bank of monitors and controls directly in front of Eshan. Bax swiveled around in his chair to face Eshan.
“With your permission, Emissary, we are ready to leave this moon.”
“Yes, please, let’s blow this Popsicle stand.” Eshan sat back in his chair and griped the armrests.
“I’m afraid I’m not familiar with that reference.” Bax stared blankly at him through his visor.
“Skip it. Yes, let’s leave this place as soon as possible.”
“Affirmative.” Bax returned his chair to face forward. His hands danced across the controls as the sounds of the engine began to rise in pitch. A jarring vibration began in the soles of Eshan’s feet and quickly climbed up his legs until his whole chair was shaking.
“Are all Annunakan ships this rough during takeoff?” Eshan asked through clattering teeth.
“We lost our inertial dampeners in the crash, Emissary,” Kolass explained, his voice choppy from the increasing vibrations.
As the ship began to rise, the violent tremors rattling the ship began to taper off and become barely noticeable after they cleared Charon’s gravity.
“Well,” Eshan panted, slowly loosening his death grip on his chair’s arm rests. “I can’t say I’ve experienced a worse take off than that. No reflection on your piloting skills, Bax.”
“I’m working with the best that I have,” Bax pursed his lips and stared intently at the warning flashing across his screen. Eshan and Kolass both noticed his distraction at the same time a klaxon went off, filling the cockpit with its ear-splitting alarm.
“That can’t be good,” Eshan leaned forward, attempting to look over Bax’s shoulder.
“I’m afraid it isn’t, Emissary.”
Chapter 11
“Another ship approaches?” Kolass asked.
“Oh no. That has to be the supply ship.” Eshan tightened his grip again.
“Confirmed. An inbound vessel coming from the direction of Earth. We have approximately seven minutes until it notices us.” Bax’s hands moved swiftly across several glowing panels.
“I’m not as worried about the supply ship as I am about his asshole escort, Travis Rodgers.” As if summoned by Eshan mentioning his name, the ship’s communications system filled the cockpit with his nasally voice.
“This is Lieutenant Travis Rodgers of the Earth Space Command. You have entered restricted space. You are trespassing in our space and have committed an act of war. Surrender or be fired upon.”
“Bax, seriously? We have no weapons whatsoever?”
“We are a peaceful delegation.” Kolass glanced sideways at him and spoke slowly, as if speaking to an exceedingly slow student.
“I bet you’re wishing you weren’t so peaceful about now, huh?”
“Hysteria doesn’t suit an Emissary.”
“Neither does death, Kolass.” Eshan gritted his teeth. And I thought flying
sucked.
“Emissary, you should respond to Lieutenant Travis Rodgers before he fires upon us.” Bax looked up from his dashboard and over at Eshan. “We won’t withstand one shot from his fighter. We have no shields.”
“How do I talk to him?” He shook his head. How the hell did I get myself into this?
“Press the third white button on your right armrest. After you are finished speaking, push it again.” Kolass pointed towards Eshan’s chair. Finding it, Eshan pushed it then cleared his throat.
“Rodgers, this is Eshan Wallace. I’d appreciate it if you’d stand down and not shoot the alien space craft.”
“Wallace?! Get off this frequency, you idiot!”
“Rodgers, I’m ON that alien craft and I don’t want you getting all gung ho and shooting at me.” Eshan shook his head again. He’s not going to believe this.
“I repeat, surrender or be fired upon.”
“Rodgers, you fucking moron! Listen to me! This is a peaceful delegation attempting to make a diplomatic gesture to Space Command. The Zeta Greys aren’t our friends. They are going to annihilate the human race unless you let us get to Earth,” Eshan snapped. He leaned forward in his chair, his face flushed.
“Alien craft. This is your final warning. If you don’t surrender, I will open fire.” The speakers crackled ominously.
“I hate that asshole,” Eshan slumped back in his chair. “Can we fly faster than he can?”
“Not without tearing apart the hull patches, Emissary.” Bax looked at him with what Eshan saw as an exasperatingly blank expression. Bax might have sworn to protect Eshan but that didn't mean he had to be pleased about it. Or work too hard at it.
“Kolass, what would Emissary have done in this situation?” Eshan looked at his assistant. Just as he was about to answer, another volley of alarms began blaring.
“We have a breech in the engine room,” Bax shouted over the screaming sirens. Miscellaneous panels on the dashboard began to flash on and off before finally going dark. The overhead lights began to flicker. Another alarm joined the chorus of pandemonium. Eshan looked at Bax who stared back at him with defiance in his eyes. Kolass stoic look and lack of response didn't help. Then the assistant nodded slowly at him.
Right. The ball is in my court.
Eshan keyed his mic and took a deep breath, “Rodgers, I know about your sealed record and the reason you got this shit job flying escort. If you don’t stand down, I’ll broadcast everything to my contacts back on Earth. They’ll make sure every news agency on the planet plasters your face on the 6 o’clock news. You’ll never fly again. And probably spend the rest of your miserable life in military prison. I can only imagine what the other inmates will do to you when they find out what you did. Stand down.”
Eshan keyed his mic again and noticed Kolass and Bax staring at him. “What?”
“You have contacts back on Earth?” Kolass asked with a look of something Eshan couldn’t read.
“Well,” Eshan coughed, “No. But he doesn’t know that.”
“A bluff,” Bax nodded and turned back to his flickering displays.
“Just trying to buy us some time until I can figure out how the hell to get us out of this mess.”
The speaker began to crackle with static, then Rodgers, spoke. “How the hell did you find out about that?”
“I wouldn’t be a very good Emissary if I didn’t have any dirt on someone I was negotiating with, now would I?” Eshan sat back, a wide grin on his face.
“It doesn’t matter. That just gives me one more reason to blast your treasonous ass out of existence.” The speakers crackled louder with the venom Lieutenant Rodgers spit at Eshan.
“Shit,” Eshan hissed.
In the canopy above their heads, the faint glow of the sun reflecting off Pluto began to fill the cockpit. Rodgers’ small fighter drifted into view, steadily growing larger until it blocked out the small planet. It halted several meters away. Behind it, Eshan could make out the familiar shape of the supply ship.
A small flash came from Rodger’s ship. A moment later, Eshan saw a missile coming straight for their ship.
“Bax! He fired at us! Do something!” Eshan shouted.
All the lights blinked out. A moment passed before faint red emergency lighting blinked on.
“We have lost engines, power and all other systems, Emissary.” Eshan thought Bax sounded like he was reading the ingredients on a soup can.
“Thank you, Bax.” It was all he could think of to say.
Eshan and Kolass watched as the missile missed the front of the ship by inches.
“How the hell did he miss?” Eshan asked, eyes wide.
“We are drifting. The small gravitational pull from Charon was enough to move us out of the missile’s path.” Bax said flatly.
“I’ll never say another bad thing about that little moon, ever again,” Eshan whispered.
Kolass suddenly sucked in air and pointed up at the canopy, off to the right of the Space Command ship. Eshan squinted, “What is that?”
“It is our command ship,” Kolass almost shouted.
“Great!" Then it hit him. "Wait. What are they doing here?” Eshan felt butterflies beginning to stretch their wings in his gut. They'd said just the three of them had been sent on a mission of peace. Now the massive bulk of the command ship's hull loomed larger with every moment. Had everything been a lie? Were the Annunaks really invading Earth after all?
Kolass looked at him then at his feet. “Before Emissary passed, we were able to recalibrate your equipment and send a message to her mother explaining that she was transferring her duties and title to you. I suspect her mother has come to finalize the transfer of power and take possession of the body.”
“You and I are going to have a little talk about sharing information when this is all over, Kolass. Bax, send a message to the mother ship. Tell them--”
“I’m afraid not, Emissary. Our ship's communicators are down now. And they are too far out of range to reach them with the communicators in our suits.”
“All we can do is wait,” Kolass said as he watched out the window as Rodgers’ ship turned away from them and headed for the much larger Annunakan ship. Flashes traveled from each ship, impacting on the other with small explosions. A large explosion briefly filled the cockpit with a blinding light. All three inhabitants threw up their hands to block out the sudden flash. When the light blinked out, they lowered their arms and found the supply ship leaving. A splattering of debris drifted where the fighter had been only moments before.
The Annunak command ship continued its steady course, approaching them. A large bay door slowly began to open in its side as their ship lurched forward. Pulled as if by a powerful magnet, Eshan felt himself pushed back against his seat. Their ship began to glide inside the black gapping mouth of the much larger vessel, like Jonah being swallowed by a whale. Their ship stopped abruptly with a jolt that knocked Eshan forward. He grabbed the arms of his chair to keep from being thrown to the floor.
Kolass regained his feet, stood stiffly and turned to look at Eshan. “Prepare yourself to meet Matriarch Ne-Lin.” Bax was already on his feet and heading to the rear of the cockpit. Eshan took a deep breath and pushed himself out of his seat. He’d never been so nervous meeting someone’s mother before.
Bax lead the way down the corridor to the exit. He lifted his hand to open the hatch, looked at Eshan. “Kolass will go first, then you. I will follow behind. Walk to Mother and bow. Do not look up or straighten until you are instructed. Be honest and humble. Ready?”
“No. I’m not. Not in the least.”
Bax pressed the panel and the hatch slid open to reveal a dozen heavily armed warriors in matted crimson armor, their spiked helmets fully masking their faces, blocking their exit. Every one of them as big and broad as Bax. A barked order and they lowered their stocky, black weapons that looked like rifles to Eshan. The warriors moved as one and parted to create a pathway.
Standing at the other end
of the opening was a being that looked like a much older Ne-Paw. Her dark fuchsia pink eyes studied the open hatch through heavy wrinkles. The muted rainbow colors churned in small tornados under her translucent skin. A mane of pale purple cascaded like a turbulent waterfall over her shoulders. She wiped her hands on her forest-green pantlegs and took a deep breath.
Kolass stepped out and was down the steps before Eshan could change his mind. Bax gently nudged him towards the opening. He stepped out, took a quick look around, noting that a hawk-faced older woman standing next to Mother was studying him intently, then hurried to fall in behind Kolass.
He passed by rows of rigid guards, none even giving him a passing glance. Eshan examined them, wondering if they were all identical twins or some genetically engineered army of soldiers. He turned his focus back to where he was going and realized Kolass had stepped to the side and he came abruptly to the Amazonian figure of Matriarch Ne-Lin. She’s even more beautiful than Emissary. She was taller than her daughter by at least six inches. And thinner. He realized he was holding his breath and let it out slowly.
“You are Eshan Wallace.” It was a statement, not a question.
“I am.” He bowed as he’d been instructed. Leaning over, his back exposed to the rows of silent warriors, he felt his neck tingle. Maybe Bax had been tasked to protect him, but this was the mother of the Emissary who he'd killed. How did she feel about that? He was in the perfect position to be executed for the crime on the spot. He didn't move a muscle.
“I am sure Assistant has told you who I am.”
Eshan nodded but kept his head bowed and his eyes focused on the ground at his feet.
“Come,” she ordered, turning in a swirl of blue silks and walked towards the door at the end of the bay. Eshan inhaled, suddenly aware he'd been hold his breath. He rose and rushed after her, Kolass falling in beside him, expressionless as always. She led them down a massive corridor before turning left and then left again, arriving at an ornately carved double door that looked like mahogany. It separated in the middle with each side swinging silently to the inside. Eshan reached out to touch it. Kolass grabbed him by his elbow and steered him into the comfortable room. Every inch of the room was upholstered or buried under large pillows.
