Keeper

by Jessica L. Randall

  “Are you all right?” he asked, concern in his eyes again.

  I exhaled slowly. As I stared as him I remembered at least one of the reasons I was such a willing victim.

  “Do you really travel across galaxies this way?”

  “When we reach a certain speed we remove them, although we won’t bother this time. It will be a short trip.”

  “That’s good. I feel like I’m in a medieval torture device.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “We’re going to be going faster than human-kind could even dream about.”

  “Because we are but simple life-forms. Keep reminding me.”

  His brow furrowed. At least a lowly creature such as myself could somehow succeed in frustrating him every now and again.

  “I already told you,” he said. “The human mind is capable of more than you could imagine.”

  “But not as much as the alien mind, right? I mean, we haven’t figured out how to travel across galaxies, assuming that’s what you did. So what is it, exactly, that you want from us? Are you just trying to help us reach our potential?”

  Micah settled into his own seat without saying a word. There was a good chance he’d missed my sarcasm, but I knew I’d upset him.

  His silence was beginning to get to me. The answer to my question must be bad. What had I expected, to come up here for a party and then go back home? “I guess that’s not information the test subjects get.”

  “We want to reach our potential,” he said.

  “I get that,” I said. “And if a bunch of birds whack into the windows and dogs run wild into the street that’s just an unfortunate side effect.”

  Micah turned so he was looking into my face. “That’s what you are concerned about?” There was a dark tone in his voice.

  I swallowed. “Well, that’s kind of what I am, right? Whatever happens to me, that’s just an unfortunate but necessary cost.”

  His features hardened as he looked at me. “Nothing happens to you.” He looked forward again. “I have made a decision. As long as I am here to stop it, no harm comes to you.”

  “Does that mean you’re setting me free?”

  “I’ll do whatever is within my power to make that happen.”

  Relief flooded over me, along with a pang of grief. If he found a way to set me free I might never see him again. Or would I still see him at school every day until his work was done, but no longer be his. Maybe I really was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

  Micah strapped himself in and swiped his fingers over a screen in front of him. He tapped it several times, filling in the required information. Then there was a click, and my heart beat frantically as we drifted forward.

  “Be prepared to feel a little sick,” Micah said, his voice weak. He said something else too, but it faded into the background when I felt my stomach lurch. I was pretty sure that all those straps couldn’t keep it from getting tossed up onto the floor.

  I swallowed, hoping to keep the cookies I’d eaten an eternity ago in my stomach. I couldn’t make out much of anything through the windows of the pod. I’d catch sight of a wisp of moonlit clouds now and again, and sparks of light that disappeared a fraction of a second after I spotted them.

  As I clung to the armrests, I felt the touch of warm fingertips. Then, when I didn’t pull away, Micah’s hand wrapped around mine. I wondered if Micah was doing this because he’d studied up on how to comfort humans. I tried to turn my head to look at him, hoping to get a hint from his expression, but it wouldn’t budge. My eyes darted to the side. Micah stared straight ahead, his face as still as stone.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be there soon.”

  In France? We couldn’t have been moving for more than five minutes. The horizon paled, then glowed orange. I squinted my eyes at the bright morning rays. I worried about Kaela and Austin, and about Mom and Cody. What would they do when they found out I was missing? Then I realized I’d just travelled to where the sun was up and shining, and it was still the middle of the night back in Idaho.

  “We’ll be slowing down now.”

  The change of speed made my insides heave all over again. Then something caught my eye. Blue. Spreading out before us was blue water, brightening in color by the second, and glinting brilliant gold in the morning light. I gasped.

  “What is it?” Micah asked, his voice tight.

  “The sea. I’ve never seen it before.”

  Micah tapped at the screen again and the pod slowed even more.

  “Can we take these things off?” I asked frantically.

  Micah scrambled to remove his restraints, then turned quickly to help me with mine. I took in a gulp of air, wishing it was salty and fresh, as I imagined it would be outside. Then I leaned forward, drinking in the sight of the endless blue.

  When I looked at Micah he was staring at me.

  “Sorry.” I felt myself blushing. “It’s just so amazing. There are so many things I’ve never seen.”

  He smiled, puffing up a little like he was pleased to be the giver of the gift. Then he nodded toward the windows.

  “France,” he said.

  “Did you find the house?” I asked eagerly.

  He nodded.

  “What about the pod? I couldn’t see it before, but it was night. Will people be able to ...”

  “No. They can’t see it.”

  “There it is,” I said, pointing. We were facing a cluster of terra-cotta-hued bubbles, with little round windows that looked like eyes. It sat on a green cliff-side that cascaded down toward the ocean. “The bubble palace! It looks like something your people might have made,” I said.

  “And how would you know anything about the architecture of my people?” he said, bristling. “No, only a human would make something that strange.”

  I held back a laugh. “You’re probably right. Are your buildings super boring?”

  He tipped his head. “Creativity is not our strong point. But the beauty of our planet makes up for it.”

  “What’s it like?”

  “I will tell you all about it some time.”

  “Promise? That would be better than any episode of Weird Human Habitats ever made.” I turned again, placing my hand on the window. “Can we go down and see it?”

  “Of course.”

  “And can we just park this thing on the ground?”

  “I thought you weren’t afraid.”

  “Well, the floating down thing just seems ... unnecessary.”

  He smiled. “Sorry. I’m not allowed to do that. But we can go down together.”

  “Okay,” I said quietly, not sure what that would entail. “But won’t it freak people out to see us floating through the air? I don’t even think we’re supposed to be here without permission. We’re kind of breaking in.”

  “We’ll be cloaked as well as the ship—at least until we’re on the ground.” Micah turned to me. “Ready?”

  I nodded and inhaled deeply, wondering if my shortness of breath was due to the fact that we were about to descend hundreds of feet, or that we were going to do it together.

  The pod was small, but there was enough room for the seats to slide outward, leaving a space in the middle. Micah took my hand and helped me out of my seat. We stood facing each other in the small space.

  Micah held his hands out. They hovered on either side of me. “We could hold on to one another if you would like. It may make it easier.”

  I nodded, slowly wrapping my hands around his waist, my fingers pressing into his grey tee. My lip twitched in a nervous smile. With the flutter in my stomach, it all reminded me a lot of my first dance, but without the cheesy music.

  As Micah looked down at me, I detected a trace of tension in his smooth skin. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him.

  Then we began to sink.

  Chapter 16

  I’d never admit it out loud, but holding on to Micah as we descended was almost as calming as being mind-drugged. With my cheek against his shirt, I breathed in hi
s scent as inconspicuously as I could, letting it relax me. His arms around me, and the bond we shared, made me feel secure.

  When my feet hit the ground I looked down in disbelief. I was standing in France. I looked up at Micah, no doubt with a dopey grin on my face, and my nose grazed his cheek. I released his shirt from the grasp of all ten fingers, and shuffled backwards, heat creeping up my neck.

  “Was it so bad?” he asked. If I didn’t know better I’d have thought he looked disappointed.

  I shook my head, turning quickly to look at the bubble palace. My eyes darted around the property. I didn’t see anyone, and there wasn’t a sound aside from trickling water and a few birds chirping.

  “Let’s go check it out,” I said, a smile spreading across my face. “Kaela would die to see this.” I climbed up into one of the circular alcoves. “You know Pierre Cardin owned this once?”

  He looked at me, one eyebrow lowered in confusion.

  “A famous fashion designer. It’s crazy to think about how many celebrities have partied here. Kaela loves that kind of thing.” I paused, looking around in disbelief. “Why did you do this, anyway? Will this really help in your quest for truth or whatever it is you’re doing? Is it worth the risk?”

  “You are worth the risk. I know I have a long way to go, but I began the search because of you. I have turned your life upside down.”

  “You saved my life.”

  “You are alive, but at what cost?” Micah looked me in the eye. “I wanted to do something for you.” He sauntered over to a crystalline blue pool, then rolled up his pants and sat, letting his legs dangle in the water. Then he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and pushed the off button.

  “Did you just turn that off? Seems rebellious. Also, a cell phone? I thought you guys were light years ahead of us.”

  “Miriam’s creation. It is supposed to help us blend in.”

  I smiled.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing.” I followed, sitting next to him and wiggling my toes in the cool water. “I’ve just never seen you look so chill before.”

  “Sometimes I forget myself when you’re around,” he said.

  “Me too, only you have the opposite effect on me. I end up making a scene in the middle of speech class.” I gave him a cocky smile. “Anyway, have you ever thought that it’s the other way around? Maybe you’re remembering yourself.”

  He stared at the water. “I think perhaps I am. I know I seem cold and calculated to you—”

  “Maybe compared to a full-blooded human. But that’s not all I see.”

  “At home, I was told I was too soft. Miriam said it as if she was afraid for me. My father said it with shame and anger. Remember when I told you I once had a singing caretaker?”

  I nodded.

  “I told you she was dismissed.” He swallowed. “That’s not exactly the truth. She stole something from our dwelling. I knew she had a sick child and needed the money. I didn’t report her.”

  “That’s not so bad.”

  His fingers twitched, finally gripping mine. “My father thought so. When it was discovered, he had her put to death. He told me if I’d done the proper thing, and reported her, perhaps he would have let her live.”

  Micah’s eyes were watery.

  “That’s—” I couldn’t find a strong enough word.

  He nodded. “I suspect he would have done it regardless. But ...”

  “I’m sorry.” My fingers rested on his.

  “I have spent my life trying to prove that I am strong. But when I see people on Earth, I ask myself why. It seems the most joy comes to humans who are sensitive, who don’t fear emotion.”

  “And the most grief sometimes,” I said. “But it’s worth it, I think.”

  “Why do you grieve?” His eyes searched mine.

  I shrugged one shoulder, trying to look casual. “I’ll never understand why my father left us. I mean, people say he was crazy. Maybe it really wasn’t his fault. But it still hurts, you know? I know he loved us. How could he forget that?”

  “I cannot image he ever forgot it.” He looked at me intently, his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to say something more. Then he turned his head and gazed out at the water, sparkling with morning light. “I’m sorry. I meant for this to be a pleasant experience. Tell me, why did you choose this place, of all the places on Earth? No offense intended, but you don’t seem fashion obsessed.”

  “It’s just so weird.” I twisted back to stare at the house. “I guess I’m fascinated with strange places people live, because, you know, it gets a little boring on old Rosewood Street.”

  His lips turned down. “Is that why you said yes tonight? Out of boredom?”

  I took a long, slow breath. “Partly.” Surely Micah could only monitor my heart rate on the ship.

  I wondered if he knew I’d tried to run back to the house. As much as I wanted to break out of the mold, I wasn’t sure I was brave enough for the adventure that had found me. In my defense, I might end up maimed or killed by aliens. Looking at Micah, I couldn’t help thinking this one might be worth the risk, too.

  I swallowed, tucking my hair back as I worked up the courage to admit something to him that I hadn’t even really admitted to myself. “Micah, that bond you created the first time we met, is that all there is between us? I mean, is that why I feel so ...”

  “It is not uncommon for a human to become attached to her researcher,” he said stiffening slightly.

  “You mean her abductor.” Mortification found its mark in the middle of my chest. But I wasn’t going to give up that easily. “I know how that works. But I don’t think it’s just me.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

  I glared at him. “Right. I’m just a lab rat to you.”

  “It’s not that. I have told you there are some emotions I cannot feel.”

  Before I could think it through I leaned forward. He didn’t turn away, but his eyes widened as I pressed my lips against his.

  Wherever it was, Micah’s monitoring system was probably freaking out, because my heart rate had to be off the charts now. Heat rushed into my cheeks as he sat there, frozen. It was stupid of me to think he would react favorably to kissing his lab rat.

  Then, without losing the shocked expression, Micah leaned forward and kissed me back. Tentatively at first, as if it was completely new. Then one hand wrapped around my head, and he pulled me in closer. His lips tasted mine like I was an enticing new Earth-food.

  I’d been wrong when I’d assessed his passion potential. I could have sworn I saw sparks of light. I pulled away, taking in a deep breath of air to clear my head.

  “Was that one of your moments?” Micah had a dazed look, but maybe that was because his pupils looked like pin-pricks in his large, pale-blue eyes.

  “Maybe. I figured it was my turn to conduct an experiment,” I said. “You lied.”

  “About what?”

  “Don’t fake innocence. There’s nothing about you that’s inhibited—well, not nothing—but as far as hormones and emotions go, you might as well be full-blooded human. Miriam said she disabled an inhibitor. I think I just figured out what that meant.”

  He looked down, sighing. “She convinced me that we had to have a real human experience, and that it would be beneficial to our research. I was certain it would not be a problem. But the first time I saw you running at the canyon—You looked so free and independent. Everything I was not.”

  “The first time? How long were you watching me?”

  “For a while. As a potential test subject—sorry—at first. Then I didn’t want to take you. Even though we had never so much as spoken, I could not do that to you.” The words were weights, piling on Micah until he was hunched over. “But then you had to fall off a cliff.”

  I remembered Micah’s words It wasn’t supposed to be you.

  His fair skin so quickly betrayed him when he was embarrassed. “You have to understand,” he said quietly. “I’ve never fel
t these things before. Ever.” He traced my fingertips with his with a look of wonder on his face. “I have been in the program since I was ten, mostly away from home, always inhibited or manipulated in some way. It had never occurred to me to resent that, until I heard you say all those things at school.”

  “About school. Was that just part of the human experience?”

  “Yes. It was Miriam’s idea. It was cleared, but I’m not sure how.”

  “Yeah, seems problematic to show up in class with someone you’ve just abducted. Were you trying to mess with my mind or what?”

  “Miriam and I wanted to get closer, and see what it was really like on Earth. We thought we could learn so much more, about Earth as well as the humans we were studying. We were able to convince Teavers that it would be a worthwhile experiment. I don’t suppose it’s one that will ever be repeated.”

  He took my hand, intertwining my fingers with his. “But there’s one experiment I wouldn’t mind repeating.”

  He leaned toward me again.

  “Vous n'êtes pas censé être là,” a deep voice shouted.

  I jerked back, searching the shadows surrounding a small grove of palm trees nearby. A man in a black uniform emerged. He quickly walked down a stained concrete path toward us. I didn’t speak French, but I was sure that he’d more or less said we were in trouble, not that I couldn’t tell by the way he looked.

  Micah jumped up, pulling me along, and we ran up a curved, narrow staircase.

  “Can’t you just use your powers to throw something at him?” I asked. “Or float us out of here?”

  He pulled the cell phone out of his pocket, scowling as he fumbled to turn it on. “Not quickly enough. Thanks to Miriam, I have to use this to access the ship.”

  I glanced back. The guard was too close for us to stop to mess with a phone. Micah hoisted me up onto one of the bubbles before scrambling up after me. The guard grabbed for Micah’s heel, barely missing him. We heard him grunt as he struggled to follow us.

  “Arrêt!”

  “Sorry, we don’t speak French,” I said.

  I watched my feet, trying to keep my balance on the rounded rooftop, and hoping we could find a place to duck out of the guard’s sight long enough for Micah to get his ship to beam us up.