“You hid it from me. Why?”
He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. She stopped walking and turned to face him with a look that was more demand than request.
“Are secrets so bad?” he asked.
“No, of course not. But this is central to everything we’ve talked about.”
“Not to me.”
“You know what I mean, Greg.”
He started to roll his eyes, then he changed his mind and looked directly into her eyes. “I like you, Arlynn,” he said softly. “We’re aliens who live light-years apart, so nothing can ever come of it, but still, I like you. And I like liking a person just for who they are. I don’t want to drive you away, and now I probably have.”
She reached up and touched a hand to his face. “Then I haven’t been reading you wrong. What other secrets are you withholding?” she asked.
“Lots of things, just as you are.”
“I have been far more open with you than I should have. There’s more to tell, but it will have to wait until I return.” Still looking into his eyes, she added, “Greg, I’m not sure how to deal with this warrior issue, this willingness of yours to kill. It’s something about you I will never understand.”
“You think I kill willingly?”
“Well . . . yes. That’s what soldiers do.”
He shook his head. “You couldn’t be more wrong, Arlynn. I don’t personally know any soldiers who feel that way, at least not any who have seen the true horror of war. I suppose they’re out there, and in some cases they were the enemy I was fighting, but most of my time was spent building relationships with the locals and training them, then fighting alongside them. I spent far more time teaching than I did fighting. I haven’t held a weapon in my hands since I left the military, and I hope I never will. That’s not to say I won’t. If the need arises, I’ll do my duty, just as your members of the Exploration Service are doing theirs. Just as you did against the Harbok.”
She closed her eyes and swayed on her feet. Greg slid a hand under her uninjured armpit, but that was not enough support. He reached a thumb under the opposite waistline of her pants and pulled, an action that put pressure on her burns but kept her from collapsing. Her eyes opened wide in pain, then her arms went tightly around him and he was able to release the pressure. She pressed her head into his chest and held to him as if to a lifeline.
He wanted to put his arms around her, but her burns precluded that. Instead, he pressed her head against his chest. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
“Better now,” she replied softly into his shirt. “Just give me a minute.”
“Take all the minutes you want, whenever you want.”
Her arms tightened further, and they stayed that way for a while. When she eventually leaned away, she looked into his eyes from inches away and said, “Thank you, Greg Hamilton. I needed that.” She raised up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. She then pressed her head into his chest again and said into his shirt, “I should fear you, but for some reason I don’t. We are aliens to each other, but I, too, like being your friend.”
* * * * *
When Jim returned, he buzzed the camp, then gracefully swung out over the lake before turning back toward them for the landing. He settled expertly into the water and glided quickly to shore, the bearer of unwelcome news. Bad weather would arrive in the vicinity of Arlynn’s ship by the next night.
Greg frowned while he considered, not happy with the choices available to him, then he turned to Arlynn. “We either leave now, or we wait three or four days for the weather to clear.”
“Can we get there tonight?”
“No. We can make it to our second fuel stop by dark, but no farther. I don’t want to risk a water landing in the dark. We’d get to your ship first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I can’t risk the wait. I’m well enough to travel now.”
He looked around their small circle, then he made up his mind. “Okay, let’s go.”
“One moment please, Greg. May I have my gray bag?”
“Of course.”
When he returned, she rummaged through it and removed a shiny sphere. “May I take your picture?” she inquired with a smile.
“Oh, yes! Please do,” Nancy said, jumping up and running her hands through her hair.
“Place this on that rock over there please.” She held the camera out to Nancy who looked at it with a peculiar expression.
“What do I do with it?”
“Just place it on the rock. The rest is automatic.”
“Where do we stand?”
“I want all of us in the picture. Stand behind my cot.” The three of them grouped together behind Arlynn with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Moments later Arlynn announced, “It’s done. Bring me the camera, Nancy.”
Arlynn removed a small cube from the camera and placed it in Nancy’s hand. The cube proceeded to unfold itself into a thin square, much like the chart she had given them. True to her word, it was a wide-angle shot of the whole setting, including the tent, the lake, the planes, and the four of them, everything in perfect focus and 3-dimensional. In color, of course. She demonstrated how Nancy could touch various parts of the picture to rotate and zoom in on it, then she gave the picture to her, saying, “I stored a copy for myself in the camera, so please keep this one as a reminder.” She turned to Greg. “We can go now.”
Nancy had tears in her eyes as she bent down to hug Arlynn. “Please hurry back,” she whispered.
“Come on, Jim. Let’s get loaded up,” Greg said with a lump in his throat.
Greg and Jim removed the passenger seat and back seat of Greg’s plane, then they forced a cot into position next to the pilot’s seat. Arlynn could stretch out on her sleeping bag beside Greg. She rode the floater up to the level of the door and managed the transfer to the cot with only a little assistance.
She gave Jim a quick kiss as he tucked her in, saying with her crooked grin, “That’s one custom we both have in common.” He returned the kiss and wished her good luck, then he climbed down from the plane for a few last words with Greg.
“She’s quite a lady,” he said hoarsely.
“She is. I think I’ll be sorry to have this whole thing end.”
“Just be careful and don’t dally. If you’re not back in 48 hours, I’m coming after you.”
Chapter Eight
Greg paid close attention to his navigation. If ever there was a time for not getting lost, this was it. Lakes abounded. Ordinarily they made excellent landmarks, but in this part of Canada, there were so many lakes that it was impossible to use them for navigation. The GPS was a life-saver.
Arlynn’s chart was fun to use. Though very different from aviation charts, it was accurate, clear, and after Arlynn showed him how to keep it from folding up on itself, easy to handle. Their first stop was four hours away, but he only needed to use visual navigation until they came within range of the airport’s homing beacon. After that, even without the help of the GPS, it would be easy.
Arlynn was in good spirits. From her reclined position beneath the windows, she could not see outside, but she did roll to her side from time to time to check on him. Each of them wore noise-attenuating headsets with microphones, so they could converse easily over the sound of the engine.
“Feel like talking?” he asked after he was all settled down and on course.
“If it’s not too distracting for you.”
“It’s not distracting at all. I’m just holding this heading for the next few hours and checking our position on the chart as we go. It’s simple. This chart is great! Do I get to keep it?” he asked, knowing the answer in advance.
She surprised him. She thought about it, then half smiled and half grimaced. “Sure!” she responded. “I’m leaving a whole crashed ship behind. One map will not make a difference.”
“Hey, thanks! I’m sorry about the ship. Who was Jarl?”
Tears sprang to her eyes and she sank back into the pillows.
>
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, but the damage was done. “We’ll talk about something else, okay?” he tried feebly.
Arlynn remained quiet. Looking down he saw she had buried her head in the pillow. Eventually, though, he discovered her staring at him. He leaned over and reached out a hand to wipe her tears away. She took his hand and closed her eyes, holding to that hand as if to a lifeline.
“Shouldn’t you be flying the plane?” she murmured into her microphone.
“The plane is okay,” he said gently. “I’m really sorry. Can I help?”
“You are.” Tears sprang again to her eyes, and she lowered herself back to the pillow. He returned his attention to the plane, feeling her grief and wishing there was something he could do.
“Jarl is a . . . was an experienced explorer,” she said after a time. “He captained an exploration vessel until the fighting started. He was the sole survivor of an encounter with the Harbok, and because of that experience, he was assigned to lead our defense group here. He brought a recently-organized fighter group to protect us, as well as more powerful weapons for our defense. We had no intention of engaging the Harbok, but if they discovered us, his job was to protect us.”
“Is there any possibility he’s still alive? Could we try to rescue him?”
“No. I saw . . . he’s dead, Greg,” she said with finality. “There is no rescue for him.”
“But why were you, a scientist, sent to Earth instead of someone trained as he was? And what happened?”
“We were both scientists. Jarl knew the Harbok as well as any of my people, particularly their fighter craft since he had already fought them, but he was relatively new to your star system and was not yet qualified to visit Earth on his own. I was to be his guide if anything went wrong and we had to assimilate ourselves into your population. As for what happened, that explanation is well outside the boundaries of what I can tell you, yet . . .” She seemed unsure of herself and turned an inquiring look on him. Puzzled, he returned her stare.
“You ask many pointed questions,” she said. “Why?”
“I’m just curious, Arlynn. I have no ulterior motives, if that’s what you mean. My part in all this will soon be over. I like you, and I’d like to learn as much about you as I can in the time we have left. Is that so unreasonable?”
“No, quite the opposite. I believe you have dealt honestly with me so far. I find myself wanting to trust you despite your being from Earth.”
He liked the feeling her words gave him. “I only want to help. I hope you can trust me, I wish you could trust me completely, but that’s asking too much. Besides, it’s not necessary. We have our agreement, and as much as I’d like to, I won’t press you for more. I just hope it’s weeks rather than years before you return.”
“So do I. I’m looking forward to that day. You will then see me as I really am, instead of helpless and disfigured as I am now.”
He chuckled and said, “You’re joking, right?”
“I am not joking,” she said with fire in her eyes. “How is my condition a joke?”
“Oh, sorry!” he said, holding out a hand to her in conciliation. Clearly, she had misinterpreted his meaning. Once again, he remembered that she was an alien. How could he have forgotten? How strange! She was so normal and so comfortable to be around. Her conversation was a little stilted, but considering it was not her first language, and considering that English was not the only language in use on Earth, she spoke fluently. Still, he needed to do a better job of remembering that she might interpret things from a perspective completely foreign to his own. Had he offended her?
“Your situation is not at all humorous. I apologize. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re possibly the least helpless person I’ve ever met.”
“You have not met the real Arlynn. Exploration Service people are normally quite self-sufficient. I find my present helplessness distasteful.”
“That part I believe!” he said, shaking his head in awe. “I don’t know what went on during this mission of yours before I ran into you, but since then I’ve seen you’ve been shot down on an alien planet, horribly injured, yet you’ve manipulated everything and everyone around you in such a way that you’re not only going to survive, but your mission is still on track to succeed. You even managed to keep your bag of stolen Harbok parts. You call that helpless?”
“I have you to thank for most of that,” she replied guardedly.
“If I were in your position, I’d be flat on my back moaning and groaning. I hope your people will appreciate what you’ve gone through. You’re a bona-fide hero, Arlynn.”
“Not among my people, Greg. I come with history that you are not aware of. As for this mission, I’ve broken too many rules. I’ll be held accountable for bringing you and your family into this and for letting our existence be known to you, but I intend to give credit where it’s due. I want my people to appreciate what you’ve done for us. If I can convince them that, at least in some cases, we have misjudged you, it might speed my return.”
She studied him for a long time while he divided his attention between flying the plane and navigating. When he next looked down at her, she said, “You asked what happened to me and Jarl. I am breaking more rules, but I feel like you deserve to know. It’s a long story. May I?”
“I’d like to know, but is it worth your getting into more trouble?”
“I . . . I need to tell this,” she said. “What I did is so far outside my understanding of who I am that my life has become a horror. Maybe I can discover a way to live with the horror through the telling.” She settled herself into a more comfortable position and began her story.
“Harbok ships have the ability to remain invisible until moments before they attack. We do not have this ability. We have been at a terrible disadvantage because of it. We desperately need to learn how they do it.”
“Wait a minute! We’re talking about Harbok here, not Klingons, right?”
Her eyes took on a faraway look, as if she was searching her memory. She must not have made a connection, because she shook her head and said, “I beg your pardon?”
“Klingons, Star Trek, have you heard of them?”
“No. What are they, and what do they have to do with the Harbok?”
“Star Trek is a figment of someone’s imagination. At least I always assumed it was,” he said as his brow furrowed in thought. He shrugged it off and said, “It was a television series. A few movies were made. It’s pure fantasy about the future. Klingons are the bad guys. They have a cloaking device that keeps their ships invisible. When they want to be seen, or if they want to attack, they turn it off. The ship shimmers for a few seconds, then it’s just right there. It’s a pretty ominous feeling, actually. Their cloaking device sounds a lot like what you’re talking about.”
His words astonished her. “Someone has a remarkable imagination, Greg. I have not personally seen it in use, but I have been briefed. What you describe is not fantasy, though I’m not aware of any shimmering when they turn it off. The cloaking device, as you so aptly call it, does indeed exist, and Jarl and I came here to discover its secret. We planned to steal a Harbok ship . . .”
Chapter Nine
The long crossing to Earth was almost over. Arlynn entered the silent bridge, checked the communications console for messages, then she sat down in the forward command seat. She lightly fingered the controls without activating anything, allowing the ship to continue on automatic toward the blue, white, and brown gem of a planet swelling in the forward screen. The ship did not need her help – it knew what to do. The planet ahead and her mission were the real focus of her thoughts. She shifted uneasily in the seat, sorely missing the sense of excitement she had felt during every previous trip to this world.
Earth. The sole focus of her life for years, she knew the planet and its people well, and with good reason. She had come from a long line of explorers and scientists who enjoyed a proud heritage rich with success, at least until recently.
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Unwelcome thoughts drifted once again to an image of her parents setting forth so full of excitement on their final mission. They had tried so hard and had failed so tragically. Now, burdened not only with the loss of parents sorely missed but with the stigma of their failure, she faced the threat of extinction. So did the rest of her people. They needed resolution, and soon. They needed a breakthrough. Desire to produce that breakthrough burned within her like a beacon. For the sake of her people and for the memory of her parents, she would get it right this time.
But this whole mission had been rushed, not their usual way of doing things. Rzwiks fluttered in her stomach, reminding her that she was not in control. Worse, a gnawing sense of doom engulfed her, threatening to destroy her focus.
Jarl awaited her on the planet below. No one had ever undertaken such a desperate and impossible job, and neither of them was even remotely qualified. Jarl wasn’t even fully indoctrinated. He had been selected for the mission because he was the only one among them who had fought the Harbok and survived. That made him something of an expert on them, but it did not qualify him to mingle with the inhabitants of Earth. That was her job. She would hide them among the local population if the mission went poorly.
She shuddered as rzwiks fluttered again. Her people desperately needed this mission to succeed.
The forward screen took on a rose-colored hue as the ship bit into the upper atmosphere, but there was no buffeting or shrieking of air against the hull. Arlynn would have been shocked had there been. She idly checked a few parameters, found nothing out of the ordinary, then focused her thoughts back on the mission.
The Harbok. Did they know of her presence? Were they watching even now as she closed on the planet below with as much stealth as possible? She had placed her ship in its lowest energy state, but some energy reflected even so. No one really knew how watchful they were. A Harbok welcoming committee could pounce on her without warning. She had good reason to hope they would not: Jarl had been here for days and had not been accosted.
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