The Chronicles of Syra Omnibus

by Carolyn Davidson Hicks

  Brandi was on the news smiling bigger than life because she had gotten a $1,000 tip for two free cups of coffee! The Federal Bureau of Investigations was called to the scene, but Brandi had spent that tip money so fast the FBI never got a chance to run the numbers on the bill!

  Brandi stated on the news, “I never heard anybody with a name like Zee10! He was a good-looking man but to perfect to be human in my opinion!” She also said, “He never even drank that free coffee I gave him.”

  When asked if she thought they were Aliens from another planet she said, “If they were aliens, they were driving an ordinary old RV as far as I am concerned. Don’t know how they pulled that fancy trick with the RV though.”

  It was stated on the news that the video of the street view from one of the local stores showed the RV switch from end to end at the blink of an eye and that footage was being played on every channel asking folks to identify the driver or drivers and to get a tag number if possible.

  This certainly concerned both Syra and Zee10. Their faces were now all over the news because one of the security cameras was pointed right at the front door of that dinner. Still, photographs of them were on the front page of every newspaper.

  “They’ll be searching every RV on the road that looks like us!” Syra said.

  Zee10 replied, “I’ve already changed our appearance!”

  Meanwhile, James Caldiron from Nevada was on a trip to Florida and was following the news of Syra and Zee10. He was determined to find them, and he questioned everyone those two had talked too.

  James was a wealthy ranch owner back in Nevada and his best guess was, those two were in deep trouble if they were found. He did not know what their story was, but he knew it had to be really good!

  The best he could figure was that they changed their vehicle from end to end in less than 5 seconds and that was technology not developed yet!

  One thing for certain though, if they could turn their vehicle the way they did on that security film, they could not have been of this world!

  James was determined to find them and protect them. He knew his ranch was private enough and located out in no man’s land. But his biggest concern was if he can find them so can the FBI and others.

  Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone, a man from a secret organization was hot on Syra and Zee10’s trail. When he pulled up at the Greasy Spoon Diner off I-10, Brandi figured that man out right away.

  Brandi was a good reader of people and she knew Zee10 and Syra was not of this earth with the way they were acting. But that man in the black van, black suit and dark sunglasses gave her the creeps. She called him the man in black to everybody she spoke too.

  When he left the Greasy Spoon, she nearly tossed her cookies! He was all over that diner asking everybody questions and had the coldest dead expression on his face, he looked like he had been dug up out of a grave recently! And that is exactly what Brandi told the FBI when they paid a second visit to the diner.

  It was no time at all that Brandi started to feel bad about running her mouth so much but darn it she thought to herself she never got any attention from anybody ever until now.

  Zee10 suggested they make a stop by an old grocery store down the road and make some minor adjustments to the RV’s appearance and to get Syra’s opinion on the new look of the vehicle.

  This little town had no security cameras anywhere that his system could detect, and this would give them a place to analyze the information coming in on the news.

  Syra took a liking to the Florida Panhandle and was looking forward to meeting new folks. But even she knew it was time to come up with a new game plan. If they need to return to the Zhian Sphere, they could do so in a matter of minutes unnoticed by anyone.

  Mr. Smallwood, the proprietor of the old grocery store stepped outside as soon as he heard the clanging and banging the old diesel engine produced when the RV pulled up next to the store. His store had been handed down from his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and had become the go-to place for gossip in the last 50 years.

  “My goodness young man, that old RV of yours sounds like it is about to keel over,” Smallwood concluded, “That engine needs some serious work done on it!”

  Mrs. Smallwood had a heart for every stranger she ever met, and these two kids needed help.

  “Now you two just pull that old thang behind the store where we got a lil campground. You can work for your rent in my store!” Mrs. Smallwood said.

  Zee10 got the RV parked into its space but it was a tight squeeze, this time he backed it into place, so they could pull straight out when they left.

  That evening Zee10 and Syra had a meeting with the council over the core com systems with visuals. Once everything was explained to the council, they would need to discuss the matter further and they would contact Zee10 and Syra once they decided.

  Meanwhile, it was decided that Zee10 would now be called Zee when introduced to new folks and they would drop the 10. Obviously, Earthlings did not approve of a person having such a name and since they had no bots as a reference, they were most definitely confused on the matter.

  When the call came in from the council, it was then decided that Zee10 and Syra needed to get out of the area they were in right away!

  Ohtron had scanned the area and there were no street cameras of any kind, this gave Zee10 and Syra the go-ahead to blink out and they did right away!

  The next morning when Mr. Smallwood got up to unlock the gate to the campground, the kids were gone!

  That was impossible to move that RV that way Mr. Smallwood thought to himself. The gates are still locked. It was as if those kids had disappeared into thin air and that is what he told everybody he talk to about it.

  Never had Mr. Smallwood got so much attention and his store was getting more business than ever now.

  Word made it all the way to the FBI that an old camper had flat out disappeared.

  When the local police came, Mr. Smallwood showed them the lot they were on and it was clear the tire tracks showed they were there, but none showed them pulling out.

  “That ole Florida sand is proof I’m not lying!” Mr. Smallwood said. “Tire tracks in and no tire tracks out!”

  Every day, folks came from all around wanting to see the campground that had the disappearing camper! Folks started to make reservations a year in advance and business was never so good thought Mr. Smallwood!

  Zee10 and Syra had to change the appearance of their RV once again. The council had agreed that they should continue their explorations of the humans on a lower level. Under no circumstances should they seek conversation with top officials and to avoid it at any costs.

  This time Syra made the decision to what appearance their vehicle should look like and it would not be one to draw so much attention.

  Meanwhile, Mr. Caldiron was getting closer and was excited to stop in at the old Smallwood store. The more information he gathered he was able to figure out they could shapeshift or had some sort of shield that made their vehicle look different at command.

  James Caldiron figured if it was the last thing he did, he would find those aliens and give them safety on his ranch. But time was running out.

  He was a wealthy man but a hard worker and a good man. James Caldiron had friends in high places and could pretty much find those two, one way or the other. His concerns now, as it may be too late if he couldn’t do it soon.

  Besides, James was thinking he had never seen a woman as lovely as Syra and he felt the stars had aligned in such a way, they were bound to meet each other.

  Zee10 and Syra quickly set up the vehicle and this time it appeared as a horse trailer being pulled by a beat-up old Ford pickup truck.

  Well, Syra had no idea why she wanted to do that, but she wanted something different, and different it was.

  Ohtron was not too happy about the smell of horse manure they had to mimic! His sensors were constantly going off and his ride at the back end of that horse trailer had to have been the worst experience in
his existence according to him and the messages he was sending Syra via the com.

  James Caldiron suddenly noticed there were a truck and an old horse trailer just ahead of him. He was thinking that if those two thinks this is what a good disguise is, they have an even bigger problem than he first thought! No one in their right mind travels with horses and not lock at the back of it.

  Following in hot pursuit, he was on their backside in no time. James had smelled so much horse and cattle manure in his lifetime, this wasn’t any worse than any other, but the odors were awfully strong. He saw only two horses in the trailer, but it smelled like they had at least 10 of them in there.

  The closer James would get, Zee10 and Syra sped up even faster. Zee10 was trying not to get a ticket for speeding or bring any more attention to those seeking to track them down. But James was relentless!

  Syra looked at Zee10 and told him to pull over at the next rest stop and she would confront their chaser face to face! She was not ready to blink back to the Zhian Sphere any time soon.

  Meanwhile, James is in hot pursuit kept blinking his lights and blowing his horn not caring if it was Zee10 and Syra or not. He just couldn’t see horses falling out of a trailer like that.

  Zee10 and Syra pulled in to one of the older rest stops that had only spaces to park and no facilities. It would be the perfect place to confront that person and shift the vehicle once again if need be.

  They were ready to confront their chaser if need be. The last thing Syra wanted was to have to return to the Zhian Sphere this soon.

  Syra jumped out of the vehicle with fire in her eyes! Never before had she felt anger. This was a new emotion for her. It was not necessary on the planet Zhian to feel anger. That was an emotion as antiquated as manual labor was.

  “Howdy folks!” James said.

  “Same to you too sir, how can we help you?” Syra asked.

  “Mam, your horse trailer isn’t locked! You gonna kill those horses if you don’t lock em in!” James said.

  “What?” Syra replied.

  James took Syra to the back of the trailer and showed her there was no lock.

  “See, no lock. You have a mighty fine pair of horses there, but you are about to lose em no doubt!” James warned Syra.

  It was that moment that everything changed for Syra! She had met a man and saw something she had never seen before, it was an attraction. She was stunned.

  James was trying everything he could not too spook her, but Syra had a side to her that trusted no one on this strange new world she was on.

  All James could do was feel overwhelmed. In the back of his mind, all he could think about was a woman he had chased and missed at every opportunity in the last few weeks. He had fallen in love with a woman that very well could be from another planet.

  He had followed her from northwest Florida down the panhandle and the Florida coast. He had been thinking if he couldn’t land this filly, he was gonna be a lonesome man for the rest of his life, he thought to himself.

  Syra agreed there was a problem with the horse trailer but she didn’t have a lock.

  “Mam, I don’t believe we have been introduced!” James went on to say, “I’ll start first, my name is James Caldiron and you?”

  Without thinking, Syra replied, “My name is Syra and it is nice to meet you.” Then she realized she had given her real name and he knew exactly who she was.

  “I suppose that is Zee10 over there checking on the vehicle then?” James asked.

  “Yes, it is. I just can’t lie and now I am going to be in a lot of trouble, aren’t I?” Syra replied.

  “Oh no, not at all. I chased you down to protect you,” he also warned her “if you don’t have a human escort, you are going to end up in the custody of the military.”

  James explained that they were bringing unnecessary attention to themselves because they are not familiar with Earth and its customs.

  Syra listened carefully and analyzed James words, voice, body language and eye pupils. He was, in fact, telling her the truth and she could trust him.

  She was unaware that Zee10 was listening in. The council was notified immediately by Zee10 and asked for orders from them. They replied he should report back to the Zhian Sphere immediately and leave Ohtron with Syra as their eyes and ears.

  The council agreed, Zee10 was the cause of most of the attention Syra was getting and she would be discovered if he continued to travel with her. A human escort that could be trusted was needed and the timing was right.

  Zee10 approached both Syra and James and explained everything to them. He would await a pod to escort him back to the Zhian Sphere immediately.

  James suggested they use the image of his RV he owns that is back at his ranch in Nevada because he had his registration, ID, and insurance with him. This way if they get pulled over, none would be the wiser.

  Within moments their RV was now James’ RV in the eyes of the law. It not only looked like it, but it also had his VIN or vehicle identification number and tag number too. They would need a towing system to tow his Hummer with and that was arranged at the blink of an eye.

  James was in total shock at the technology those two had on them. A travel pod suddenly appeared out of nowhere and Zee10 boarded it. Within seconds it disappeared and was gone from sight.

  Syra and James boarded the RV and he was overwhelmed at what he saw once they got inside.

  “What is this place?” James asked, adding, “This is not an RV at all on the inside!”

  “I’m not sure what it is, it was specifically designed so that I could travel on Earth and learn of its people,” Syra stated.

  That’s when Syra showed him everything the RV could do, and James was almost overwhelmed.

  It was stunning how much it appeared like his 2018 Provost 42 feet in length with four slide outs. With his Hummer matching the Prevost in color and design, it was the perfect disguise, James thought.

  It was at that moment, Syra realized she had forgotten about Ohtron and called James to meet her outside.

  When they got to the back of the vehicle, Syra called Ohtron to make himself seen and he did momentarily.

  “Oh my God in heaven, is that some sort of drone?” James asked.

  “He is, but he also operates independently or can follow orders I give him from my com systems,” Syra replied.

  “Was that him that landed on the white oak tree on the White House lawn?” James asked.

  “Yes, it was,” Syra replied.

  And so, the two got back inside the vehicle and sped away on a whole new journey. The journey Syra had hoped for. But a journey with a human escort she could finally learn the ways of humans. She had made contact!

  book one

  chapter five

  The RV and hummer sped down the coast of Florida with ease and with James sitting at the wheel pretending to be driving were hilarious.

  The vehicle could detect the other driver's next move and James was constantly amazed and giddy about that!

  Syra realized that she was not only learning the ways of humans, but she was also observing and learning James too.

  James called ahead and started making reservations so showing up would be expected. He explained to Syra that, that was one of the problems she and Zee10 had. If you are going to pretend to be campers, you must know how it’s done.

  The first place they stopped at as a couple was at a campground on the west coast in Florida. It was a little town with a fish camp and good ole locals who sat around a firepit every night no matter what the weather was like. This place had a small bar and a gorgeous sunset every evening.

  Once they pulled up, James got out and checked them in at the small camp office. He gave the names James and Sarah and as Mr. and Mrs. to keep it looking normal and not to bring attention by anyone.

  It was time to eat and James was starving.

  “So, what do you eat when you are hungry?” James asked

  “Oh, I get a nutritional charge to eat that lasts for abo
ut six of your Earth hours,” Syra said.

  “Okay I would like to try your food sometime but tonight I’d like the food I am accustomed to,” James replied.

  “Then I will try yours then, after all, it is what I will be eating all the time now,” Syra also said, “I might as well start getting used to it.”

  Well, it didn’t matter what James told the machine to produce, none of it had the smell he longed for. It’s what attracted him to food in the first place. Smell looks and then taste.

  This is when Syra got a lesson on human food consumption. So, they agreed they would eat at the diner next door but Syra was under strict instructions to say nothing, play like she was shy and let James do everything.

  Syra had gotten in the habit of wearing tourist hats and sunglasses and always pinning her hair under the hat. It gave her a whole new look and was hard to recognize her against the old grainy stills that were made from those security film of her and Zee10.

  Syra was also getting very used to wearing clothing that Earth women enjoyed, and she was loving it. Her replicator had made an entire wardrobe in minutes after James showed her what she should be wearing.

  When James had to help Syra close the back of her blouse, he noticed an unusual suit similar to spandex and pulled back.

  “What is that you are wearing under your clothing?” James asked inquisitively.

  “My second skin!” Syra replied.

  “Second skin?” James asked.

  “Oh, not skin as the outer layer you are born with, but a form-fitting safety suit that has amazing capabilities!” Syra went on to say, “It is removed when I step inside the Cleanser and then refitted when I leave it.”

  “Oh, sort of like a shower!” James remarked.

  “Yes, but Zhians never had water to waste so we designed an alternative to cleaning ourselves,” Syra explained.

  “I’m almost ready to go outside and sit on the bench by the water, you should step inside the Cleanser too you know,” Syra suggested.

  “Oh, you are right I haven’t had a shower today!” James exclaimed.

  When James removed his clothing and stepped into the Cleanser, it spoke to him and that is when he nearly fainted.