December

by Karen Lofgren

  *

  The next morning, Ted woke early, the mattress not really helping his sleep. He’d always preferred hard mattresses, and had gotten used to even harder ones while living with the Drevi, so sleeping on a feathered cloud of a mattress hadn’t been particularly comfortable. In spite of how tired he was, he only lay there for a few minutes before getting up. Outside the window, the sun was rising over the horizon, bathing the sky pink.

  Ted opened his door just a crack and peeked out. There, in a neatly folded stack, were his clean clothes. He dressed and then ventured out into the main room of the house. He eyed the table and, slightly annoyed that Koleans didn’t use chairs, sat on the floor. It was awkward, but he could still reach the top of the table. Once he was seated, he looked around the house. There were two computers—an older-looking one on a desk in the corner and a new one, which was essentially a touch screen, integrated into the wall. In front of it was a mat of some sort to be stood upon while using the machine. The rest of the carpet was plushy and brought to Ted’s mind a mossy forest floor.

  A few minutes later, Trell came into the room. “I’m sorry,” he said, seeing Ted sitting on the floor. “Kolean bodies aren’t meant for sitting down, so we just don’t, but humans obviously do. I’ll have to ask Millika if there’s anything we can do.”

  “It’s okay, I’ll manage,” Ted responded. He figured they were a bit like ostriches—flightless birds who could stand, run, and squat, but not actually sit down in a human fashion. It was just something he would have to get used to.

  “So, um, would you like to talk?” Trell asked, sensing Ted’s need to speak.

  “I guess. I’m just really curious about your species,” Ted admitted. “If I’m going to be here for a while, I’m going to need to know a lot.”

  “What would you like to know?” Trell asked as he placed two steaming hot beverages in plain cups on the table.

  “Are Koleans hollow-boned?” Ted asked, sipping the beverage. It was good—some kind of Kolean tea, he assumed. It definitely had a leaf base to it.

  “No. We’re more, delicate, I guess is the word, than humans, but we’re not hollow-boned and we can’t fly. Though some Kolean scientists think we were able to fly thousands of years ago.”

  “Interesting. I suppose that makes sense, since humans clearly share a common ancestor with apes.”

  “Yes, you seem to,” Trell said. “I do wonder why humans, Koleans, and even Drevi are so similar.”

  “There’s a scientific theory that speculates the building blocks of life arrived on our planet from meteorites, and if that’s the case, it’s entirely possible that we all share a common ancestor in DNA, and simply evolved similarly because planets able to support our kind of life are similar,” Ted said. “I have no idea if that’s true or not, but it’s a theory.”

  Trell shrugged. “We have a similar theory, but we don’t know too much more than you do, it seems. Maybe the Koleans of three thousand years ago were right.”

  Ted looked at him quizzically.

  “Oh, our ancient religion,” Trell said. “I’m assuming humans have something of the sort as well.”

  “Oh yes, plenty of them. They’ve been falling out of favor for the last century and a half, but there are still a few groups of believers.”

  “No one earnestly believes in the old ways anymore, but it’s alive as part of our cultural heritage.”

  “What is the Kolean religion?”

  “Well, thousands of years ago different ethnic groups had their own faiths, but as we began to band together as a society thanks to the works of some very influential philosophers, those beliefs faded away and became one religion all Koleans believed, though it’s always been more of a spiritual philosophy than a religion. We have no gods. We believe that our sky is a mirror, reflecting the true image of our planet back at us. The stars are reflections of each Kolean’s soul, and when a Kolean dies, his or her star either falls or just fades away. And our sun is the soul of our spiritual leader, who now only exists for ceremonial purposes.”

  There was one major celestial body missing. “No moons?”

  “No. As a matter of fact, Alana and I were quite struck by yours.”

  Ted mulled this information over in his head. “Fascinating...” He opened his mouth to ask more questions, but was cut off as Millika came bursting into the room, wearing an odd shawl/scarf combination that flowed out behind her in her wake.

  “I received a message from the Parliament at an ungodly hour,” Millika growled. Alana came out of her room at that moment. She was dressed but looked like she’d just woken up. By the look on Trell’s face as he nonchalantly sipped his tea, this seemed to be normal.

  “Did they set a date for the hearing?” Trell asked.

  “Yes.” The annoyance in Millika’s voice was unmistakable. “Today.”

  Ted’s face visibly paled. “Today?”

  The news seemed to wake Alana up, too. “That’s... awfully short notice,” she commented flatly.

  Ted fought back panic. He needed to remain calm. If he just did that, and told the truth, everything would work out. But in spite of saying that to himself, he didn’t believe it, and it did little to calm his nerves.

  “When do they want us there?” Trell asked. “Can we even get a transport at such short notice?”

  “She wants us there as soon as possible. Tykiah Loar said she’d be providing a transport,” Millika said. She turned to Ted to explain. “She’s a member of Parliament and an old friend of Alana’s.”

  Ted felt a little better upon learning that the person he’d be talking to was a friend of Alana. He was stressed out enough, and dealing with a complete stranger would have only made matters worse.

  A weird, haunting tune that sounded like it belonged in a horror movie soundtrack came out of Millika’s bag. She said something in Kolean that Ted figured must have been profane and fished a device out of her bag. It looked a bit like a cell phone, only the screen was much larger. It was clearly some kind of video communication device, because a woman, whom Ted assumed was Tykiah, appeared on the screen, and wasted no time babbling in Kolean.

  “I’m sorry about the short notice, Millika, but you can understand how important and delicate this situation is. Our government should be the one to make first contact and formally welcome this human to our planet.”

  Millika let out a sound that seemed to be a mix between a chirp and a sigh. “I know, Tykiah. When are you going to get here?”

  The Kolean on the screen glanced to the side, then back to Millika. “A few minutes. We’re planning to land the transport in your backyard. It’s flat enough, wouldn’t you say?”

  “In my backyard, seriously?” Millika said, sounding both surprised and irritated. “All right, Tykiah, if you think the ship can handle it.” She hung up.

  “She’s going to land the transport in the backyard?” Alana said, giving her mother a look. “She must be crazy.” She then translated the conversation for Ted. He was surprised at the development too.

  Millika shrugged. “You know Tykiah. She’s always been a little... odd.”

  Alana snorted, as if that were a major understatement.

  Addressing Trell and Alana, Millika said, “You both have clothes and things at my place in the capital if we end up having to stay longer than today, right?”

  They nodded.

  “And Ted, we can get you things you might need in the capital.”

  Ted nodded too. It sounded good to him.

  Alana glanced out the window. “Well, it’s a nice day. We might as well go out there and wait for them.”

  The four of them stepped out the back door and into the green grass. Alana had been right, it was a nice day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. A moderate wind blew out of the southeast.

  Out of the eastern sky shot a large, straight transport. The hull was dark gray and there were two rows of windows along the sides. There was also a large thick window in front, where the vague si
lhouettes of two pilots could be seen inside.

  The transport came down vertically and fast, using air fans to soften the blow as it landed on the flat ground about a hundred meters away from Millika’s house.

  Ted had been imagining someone who was a little off her rocker, after hearing Millika describe Tykiah as “odd,” so when he saw a Kolean woman dressed in a modest light purple robe disembark the ship, he was mildly surprised. He had expected her to appear a little more eccentric.

  “Wow. You are just fascinating. I am Tykiah Loar,” she said to Ted, though she’d spoken in Kolean and he hadn’t understood. She seemed to be trying to figure out the best way to greet this alien, before she decided on a seemingly neutral quick bow.

  Millika leaned over and translated Tykiah’s words into English for Ted.

  Ted allowed a smile. “I’m Ted Anderson; please call me Ted.” He was infinitely grateful to have translators.

  It seemed Tykiah had figured out what he said even without Millika’s translation. “Welcome to Kolea, Ted. I’m glad Millika volunteered to host you, otherwise you would have ended up in a boarding house in the capital somewhere and that wouldn’t have been nearly as hospitable. I suppose my mother would have done it, but she’s so far away...”

  “Shouldn’t we get moving, Tykiah?” Alana said, clearly annoyed by the other woman’s motor mouth as she struggled to translate for Ted.

  Tykiah glanced at Alana, as though suddenly remembering the other woman was there. “Oh, hello, Alana. How was your trip?”

  “Oh, you know, potentially life threatening,” she replied.

  “You performed a great service for Kolea in the last few days, and I am personally grateful, as I’m sure Parliament is.”

  “And the humans.”

  “Of course, and the humans too.” Tykiah smiled. “Anyway, we really should be going. Come aboard, come aboard.” She ushered them inside the ship.

  The ship was rather narrow with shorter ceilings than would be aboard a human vessel, so Ted found himself needing to duck every now and then to avoid whacking his head on the bulkheads. Tykiah led them down an ovular hall lined with doors, the same gray color Ted had come to expect from Kolean vessels. Tykiah stopped at the fourth door on the left. There was something written on the wall next to the door, like at every other door, but Ted had no idea what it said. He assumed it might be a number of some sort. The door opened to reveal a nice parlor, adorned with red drapery and a nice, plush carpet in the center. Ted guessed this was their version of air travel, kind of like the way some trains on Earth had compartments. Just as the group was positioning themselves on the carpet, the ship lurched and lifted vertically from the ground, in much the same way a helicopter did. Ted flailed, trying to steady himself, while the Koleans seemed to allow their bodies gracefully to sway with the motions of the transport. Even if they couldn’t naturally fly anymore, Koleans seemed to be at home in the sky. His body tense, Ted managed to keep his balance as the ship shot through the crystal blue sky. He really regretted not obtaining his train legs when he’d been back on Earth.

  “So, Tykiah, could you please explain to Ted what he’s going to be doing?” Alana asked her. “I have a vague idea, but I didn’t want to give him the wrong information.”

  Tykiah looked at Ted. “It’s simple. The Parliament will ask you a few questions and get you to confirm or deny information and correct what they assume they know about your planet’s situation.”

  “Will I have a translator?” Ted asked, the foremost question in his mind.

  “Of course. Millika will provide that,” she said. “She is trusted by the Parliament. She’s the Vice President of the KIS, after all.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Knowing that Millika would be there helped lift his spirits a little. He knew Millika wanted him to be successful and would do her best to convey his true meaning. “Good. That eases my mind a little.”

  Tykiah smiled. “I thought it might. So, how much have Alana and Trell told you about Parliament?”

  “Not much at all,” Ted admitted.

  “All right then. They tell me ‘Parliament’ is the best translation there is for what we call our governing body, so I don’t know how different it might be from Parliaments on Earth.” Alana hurriedly translated as Tykiah got lost in her explanation. “Each State on Kolea elects three members to the Parliament. The Parliament has most of the decision-making capabilities, though the Head of Parliament, a woman named Macedr, has final say on any decision if any vote is a tie. Koleans vote for representation, and Parliament passes laws and makes decisions. It’s complicated and simple at the same time, I guess.”

  As Ted was nodding in comprehension and Alana finished explaining, Tykiah had already turned to Trell. “What about your parents, Trell? Have you contacted them to let them know you made it back safely? They called my office a couple days ago, wondering where you were.”

  Trell, who had been staring out the window, started at the question. “Oh right, I should do that.” He looked embarrassed as he pulled the same kind of communication device Millika had used earlier out of his bag. Ted tried not to look, but it was hard since Trell was standing next to him and Ted could see the entire screen easily.

  It rang for several seconds before another male Kolean picked up and appeared on the screen. He looked middle-aged, though younger than Millika. His feathers were the same color blue as Trell’s. “Trell!” the man exclaimed.

  “Hello, Father,” Trell said. “Look, I’m...” But before he could finish, the man started talking.

  “Are you all right? Are you back from Earth? How’s the situation over there? You didn’t lead the Drevi back here, did you?”

  “Jerum! Let him speak, for the sake of the Stars!” a female voice said from off camera. A few seconds later, a female Kolean squeezed her way into the frame. Ted guessed she was Trell’s mother. She was a slim, pretty little thing with scarlet red feathers and a look of concern on her face.

  “Mother,” Trell said, bobbing his head a bit.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “I’m fine, Mother,” he said. “It’s a long story, but I’m on my way to the capital now with Alana and Millika to testify before Parliament. The situation on Earth is... not good, but we’re going to do our best to fix that.”

  “Oh, those poor people...” his mother said. “Trell, I want you to make sure you do everything in your power to help them, all right?”

  “And please come home when you’re done. We haven’t seen you in months and we’re worried about you,” his father, Jerum, said.

  “I’ll come home as soon as I can, but things are a little... unpredictable right now, please try to understand that.”

  “Of course we do,” his mother said. “It’s first contact with another alien species. And I know we’re not important government officials or anything, but we’re proud of you.”

  “So don’t screw it up,” his dad said, mockingly serious.

  “Father!” Trell said, exasperated.

  “We’re landing,” Tykiah said a mere nanosecond before the ship began a descent. Ted dropped to his knees and gripped at the floor until his fingers turned white. The others nestled down to their knees, like mother birds resting atop a nest, but Millika remained standing without any problems. An image began to form in Ted’s head of Millika being some kind of really badass old lady.

  “We’re landing, and I need to go,” Trell told his parents. “I was just calling to check in.”

  “All right,” his mother said. “Come home when you can, and good luck, Trell. May the Stars light your way.” Trell nodded and ended the call.

  The building of Parliament looked old—much like most of the important government buildings on Earth still did, even though new, more energy-efficient buildings had been in use for years. It wasn’t tall, but it was very large and spread out, with a dome in the center that Ted guessed covered the chamber where most of the action took place. There was a private landing pad near the
building, and that’s where their transport aimed to touch down, which it did with a gentle thump a few moments later.

  Tykiah ushered them into the building and led them down a long hall until they got to the dome. Ted held his breath in awe and fear as he glanced in through the door. It seemed every member of Parliament was there—at least over seventy Koleans. The room was atwitter with noise as the Parliament members chattered with each other, all undoubtedly unsure of what would happen next. A female stood behind a low podium in front. She must be the Head of Parliament that Tykiah had mentioned earlier. Tykiah herself slid into the room and took her own spot—one near the aisle on the far right side.

  “Be honest and articulate,” Trell advised him. “And think about what you say. I’m sorry we didn’t have much time to coach you.”

  “Just go, Ted, you’ll be fine, I promise,” Alana said, gently nudging the human man into the huge hall.

  He strode in, trying to look more comfortable than he felt, to the front of the room, which felt like a stage. He guessed the Parliament members normally gave speeches on this floor, but today it seemed it would serve a different purpose.

  All eyes were on him, and his old stage fright from high school when he wanted to try out for the musical but couldn’t bring himself to do it came back to haunt him with a vengeance. His legs felt weak and wobbly beneath him. The only thing that kept him going was the knowledge that on his shoulders rested the fate of humanity.

  He made it to the center of the stage, stood tall, and faced those eyes.

  IV