by T. R. Harris
She raised her eyebrows. “What wasn’t?” she said. “Your time on Sylox is interesting enough, what with all your interactions with the Council and such, but it’s your time on Earth that I found so … so incongruous.”
“That’s a good word for it. So what you’re asking is how did an ex-Army Ranger turn out to be such an incredible real agent and entrepreneur?” I didn’t like to talk much about my time on Earth; that was a long time ago and in another reality, one that no longer had much meaning.
“Exactly, it did seem to be a rather strange career path you took.”
“I really didn’t have a choice, now did I?”
Miranda nodded. “We studied the early years just before and after First Contact, so I know what you mean. But you have to admit, the alien’s approach to the whole First Contact thing was pure genius.”
“Yeah, but it still caught a lot of us off guard.”
**********
It all began with a series of extremely popular science fiction books, followed by the movie trilogy. The story revolved around an alien race coming to Earth, and the reaction of the population to First Contact. The aliens came in peace, yet in typical Human fashion, we didn’t trust them and instead we fought. In the end the aliens left, taking with them all their advance medicine – including a cure for cancer – along with technology that would have provided free and clean energy for the entire planet. The aliens had indeed been benign, and the gifts they offered would have saved mankind from itself.
But we blew it. And that was the moral of the story.
The books and movies were extremely popular, with an estimated reader-and viewership of over half the population of the planet. So it really didn’t come as much of a shock when the aliens finally did arrive – for real – and they looked exactly like those depicted in the movies!
As the truth came out later, the aliens had been instrumental in the creation of the books and movies as a way of preparing the population for their eventual arrival. Just think: what if aliens had arrived on Earth a couple of decades before and they all looked like Mr. Spock? The shock of their existence would have been greatly reduced.
That’s what happened when the Amelians arrived. By then nearly everyone on Earth had already seen them – at least on the big screen or on their TV’s or the internet. And they came offering exactly the same gifts as in the movies and books; however this time mankind reacted differently – which had been the alien’s intention all along.
Of course, there were the skeptics. Yet as the years went by, and all the promises of the aliens came true, they became fewer and fewer. Now the Amelians, as well as all the alien species within the Galactic Union were accepted – not feared – by Humanity.
**********
“When the Amelians outlawed war among nations, that’s what basically ended my military career.”
“But that was a good thing, right?”
“Of course, Miranda, the last thing a professional soldier wants is war. However, there were still a few hot spots around the world, having mainly to do with terrorism. The aliens let us continue to defend ourselves against those threats for a while, yet when they stepped in to help with the effort, terrorist activities came to a screeching halt.”
“So what did you do then?”
I knew that the basic timeline of my so-called career path was contained in my file, yet there was still a lot of detail Miranda wasn’t aware of. She had leaned in closer to me by now and seemed genuinely interested in my story. So before the meal came, I decided to give her a little more insight into the life and times of one Jason King.
“I had been Special Forces – Rangers – in the Army and really enjoyed the work. It was challenging and I worked with a great group of guys. However, after mustering out, I found myself like thousands of others without a job.”
“But the economy was booming at the time, thanks to the Union.”
“You’re right. We’d never seen the economy so robust, but there also weren’t a lot of opportunities at the time for people with my particular skill set, especially with all the peace breaking out around the world.” I finished the last statement with a wide smile. I didn’t want Miranda to think I was some kind of crazed warmonger.
“Around that time, a former Ranger friend of mine got a job at a place in Nevada called Battlefield Vegas.” I saw the frown on Miranda’s smooth, tanned forehead. “It was a place in Las Vegas where civilians could fire a variety of assault and other weaponry. At the time, it was the number one tourist attraction in the city, if you didn’t consider gambling a tourist attraction.
“Anyway, I got a job there, too, and it was great at first. I knew the weapons and how to use them, and the management there was really great. My boss was a guy named Mario, who was ex-military as well as a former policeman. The dude was a genius when it came to weapons and tactics, and he pulled off a major coup when he got hold of some of the alien weapons. After that, business literally exploded. Everyone – and I mean everyone – wanted to fire the alien ray guns.”
“Ray guns, really?”
“Well, they don’t actually shoot rays, but concentrated balls of plasma that move so fast that they look like rays. The aliens call them flash weapons. But the point is we were the only place in the country that had them, and for a time we ran five thousand people or more per day through Battlefield Vegas.”
“What happened?” Miranda asked. “I’ve been to Vegas before and I’ve never heard of the place.”
“Well, that’s the tragic part of the story. The aliens suddenly put an end to us shooting their weapons, and that essentially killed the business overnight.”
“What about the other weapons you had?”
I laughed. “It seems that after the aliens came no one wanted to fire the primitive Human weapons anymore. They were just too heavy and loud. The place quickly went under.”
“So those poor guys who owned the company, what happened to them?”
“Oh, don’t feel too sorry for them. They all made out like bandits, pocketing millions from the two great years we had with the alien flash weapons.”
“But now you’re out of a job … again.”
“And that’s when my life took an unlikely turn for the better.”
I put my story on hold when our meals came. By that time the wine had kicked in and the seductive smells of the night, along with the warm breeze and sparkling lights of the city were really beginning to take effect.
We wolfed down our meals, which to my delight Miranda found to be delicious. I never did tell her what the main course was made of – that was best left to the imagination. And besides, the truth would have been a little hard to swallow, literally.
After dinner we had room for a decadent dessert, which we shared from a common plate. And then more alien wine.
“So finish your story, Jason.” Miranda scooted over closer to me in the booth until our knees were touching. And that’s when I leaned over and kissed her for the first time. She welcomed it with a passion enhanced by the alcohol. The evening was shaping up as perfectly as could be imagined, and it was several minutes before we came up for air.
“Damn you, Jason King, are you trying to distract me from hearing the rest of your story?”
“You’re the distraction here, my dear, especially in that dress!”
“Well, I’m terribly sorry if you find my dress distracting. Maybe I should just take it off.”
Miranda lifted her arms and reached behind her neck, searching for the clasp holding the sheer, silky outfit together. I reached out and took her hands.
“I’m afraid they have decency laws here, just like on Earth.”
She laughed; a wild and free expression that sent my heart aflutter. And then she leaned against the leather back of the booth. “Finish your damn story! If not, then I’m going to sit right here until you do.”
“I could take you back to your apartment and finish it there.”
She shook her head, sending her silky bl
ack cascades swishing back and forth across her face. “Nope, not until you tell me who you really are. Are you some kind of trained-killer, adept at all aspects of special ops, or just a money-grubbing real estate agent out to make a quick buck off my unsuspecting cousin?”
“What if I said I’m both?”
She leaned forward suddenly, bringing her face to within inches of mine and stroking it with both her hands. “Then I’d say that’s really, really hot.”
It was obvious my date was feeling the effects of the alien wine. I was, too, but not to such a degree. That was perfectly okay by me.
“Fine, I’ll finish the story, but after that I really do need to get you back to your apartment. I think you’re feeling the wine a little too much … and you need to get to bed.”
‘Ooh, bed. That’s sounds wonderful.” She leaned back in the booth, a sparkle in her eyes.
I looked at her for a long moment, taking in all her smoldering sultriness. Damn, she was beautiful. I hurried to finish my story.
“I had another ex-Army buddy who had gone to work for Pulte at one of their huge subdivisions outside Vegas; it’s actually Quint, Quint Valarie, my business partner here. As you said, the economy was booming at the time and the builders were going nuts. Quint was making a small fortune, so I got a real estate license and joined him.”
“So … you are a money-grubbing vulture!”
“That’s right, and soon I was their top money-grubbing vulture.”
“Seriously, how did that happen?”
“I don’t really know; I guess I’m just a natural at sales. But in reality, real estate isn’t selling per se. I consider myself more of a facilitator; people come to me saying they want to buy a home, and I simply help make it happen. I found a lot of satisfaction in the business. I was helping people make their dreams come true, and Pulte built a pretty good product.”
“But now you’re halfway across the galaxy. That’s quite a leap.” Miranda burst out laughing, finding what she had just said to be hilarious – if only to her.
I was finding her beauty and relaxed openness to be intoxicating – along with the wine.
“As you know, with more and more Humans beginning to populate the Union, we had to find places to live, and alien homes are not always that compatible for us. You’ve seen what they’re like! Well, the major home builders on Earth saw a great opportunity. I was still young and restless, and pretty excited about the prospect of leaving the planet and traveling to the stars. So I volunteered to help with the development teams that were opening up new markets on some on the nearby Union worlds.”
“But there aren’t that many close to Earth,” Miranda countered. I was surprised she knew that, until I remembered her college major.
“That’s right, and only so many with the proper environment for Humans to live on. I spent eight months on a planet called Elipsion-C before transferring to Sylox with the first group of developers to come here. That was seven years ago, and for the past five I’ve run my own brokerage and mortgage company.”
I leaned in closer to the sultry woman and locked my eyes on hers. “Now that we’re done with all the foreplay, maybe we can get down to some real business.”
Her mouth fell open slightly and I fixated on her sexy bottom lip. She flicked out her tongue and ran it over her lips, coating them with a shimmering, moist sheen. “Lead the way, Mr. King,” she breathed deeply. “I’m in no condition to drive.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got that handled.”
We left the restaurant in a rush; I’m not even sure if I paid the bill. If not, I’m sure Belgon would understand.
Chapter 9
The Embassy Compound was only a quick five minute drive from the restaurant. Everyone there knew me, so I was waved through the gate without much fanfare.
Since I had met Miranda at the restaurant, I didn’t know where within the Compound she was staying; Jennifer had said she was getting a small studio until the closing took place. Yet when she directed me to Executive Row, I was surprised.
Executive Row referred to the area reserved for those with Executive Service ranks or higher – higher being corporate CEO’s, congressmen or members of parliament, and all the way up to presidents, kings and even dictators. There were only sixteen units in the section, along with twelve apartments. She couldn’t possibly be in one of those, could she?
But sure enough, she directed me to the first of the two apartment buildings. Something in the back of mind said this wasn’t right, but at the time, my mind wasn’t doing the thinking. We took the elevator to the top floor. There were only two apartments on this level and she opened the first door we came to.
I inhaled sharply when we entered. You have to remember, I’m a seasoned real estate professional, so it takes a lot to impress me when I comes to housing. But this place was huge, with a spacious foyer that opened to an expansive great room with a massive picture window looking off the Compound and toward the lights of the city. Being on the top floor, the room also had cathedral ceilings over thirty feet high, and everywhere I looked I saw only the most-expensive furniture and other appointments.
“What the hell, Miranda?” I said. I could say no more.
She walked further into the apartment and kicked off her high heels. “Oh, didn’t I mention that my family is fabulously wealthy, too?”
“Even so this place is reserved for visiting presidents and movie stars.”
She turned to me, and before I knew it, had unclasped her gown and let it slip as gently as a snowflake to the floor. All she wore underneath was a white thong. That was it. Nothing more.
“And as I said earlier, Mr. King, I usually get what I want.”
And at that point in the evening I stopped being a real estate broker and became just a man – a very, very lucky man.
**********
The silk sheets felt fantastic against my skin the next morning, as a thin yellow light began to filter through the slats in the vertical blinds covering the sliding patio door of the bedroom. But then the sheets moaned, and I realized the silky smoothness was that of Miranda’s skin against mine and not the sheets. I became aware of her head on my chest and the black mass of fragrant hair only inches from my face. I ran a hand over her smooth shoulder and felt a return caress from a delicate hand on my side.
As the sleep left my brain, I fought to hold onto every ounce of memory from the night before. This was something I would never want to forget, and seriously doubted I could even if I wanted to. After all, one’s best night of lovemaking – ever – was something to be etched upon every synapse in the brain, if that was even possible. I didn’t really care if it was or not. I was in Heaven and that was all that mattered.
As a gentleman, I won’t go into detail about what happened over the next hour, once Miranda also regained consciousness. Rest assured we were both willing and physically-fit participants, surrendering to our primal needs as naturally as breathing – if breathing meant shouting out to a variety of deities over and over again, for whatever reason I’ve never understood.
Later I joined Miranda on the veranda, where she sat at a small table, wearing only a short white cotton robe.
“You’re dressed,” she said with a pout.
“I’m sorry, but I have a contract to write this morning for Mark and Jennifer. Besides, I want to get over to Belgon’s as soon as possible. I just checked my account and it seems I forgot to pay the restaurant last night.”
She tapped the table. “Sit, have some coffee first. I know you’re not meeting with Mark and Jennifer until noon, so you have lots of time.”
I sat down and began to make my coffee. The cup was already full of steaming black salvation, but I still needed to enhance it with non-sugar sweetener and cream. Miranda frowned as she watched me mix the concoction.
“I like mine black.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” I said, picking up on her unspoken joke. We both laughed.
“No disappointment at all, Jason.
In fact, I know now why they call you King.”
“Other than it being my name, you mean?”
“Relax stud, and accept the compliment.”
As I sipped my coffee, I looked past Miranda and into the great room of the apartment. I had sobered up by now, and my other needs had been satiated, at least for the moment. Yet my curiosity was still piqued.
“Seriously, Miranda, how did you score this apartment? Don’t take this wrong, but you’re just an intern.”
“I told you.”
“So why don’t you just stay here instead of moving in with Jennifer and Mark?”
“You know, these places are only temporary, although they have offered me an extension if….”
“Don’t tell me!” I suddenly grew very angry.
“No, that’s not it.” She smiled at me. “My hero, come to defend my honor.”
“It’s just that I wouldn’t put it past some of the guys I know here. So if not that, then what?”
“It’s complicated.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? What do you have to do?”
Her face suddenly turned serious. She took a deep breath before looking back at me. “I’ve been assigned to the intelligence department with the U.S. Consulate. They seem to think I have certain attributes that could be of value.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, truly confused at this point.
“Let me explain,” she began. “As you know, the Earth is still made up of hundreds of separate nations. Once the aliens came, we all thought the planet would unite as one race – the Human race – and stop being a bunch of bickering opponents divided by nationality, religion and skin color. Well that didn’t happen. Instead, the nations of Earth are even more competitive with each other than ever before, all vying for their piece of the alien economic and power pie.”
“And how does that apply to you staying in this apartment?”
“I’ve been told that if I can dig up any information that could be of value to American intelligence, regarding the activities of other Earth nations, and particularly of alien activity here on Sylox as it pertains to Earth, then I’ll be rewarded with an extension here.”
