by G. E. Stills
A smile of pride stretched his lips. So we now have a carrier in service.
The transmission went dead. A short time later the night sky lit up nearly as bright as day.
“What’s that?” La’lani asked him, pointing to the rapidly decaying brightness.
“That, I’m certain, was the Am’lot being destroyed.”
“Aaron. I have established contact. There is someone who wishes to speak to you. He’ll be speaking through one of the spaceship’s computers. I will relay.”
“Thank you, Shelly.”
“This is Admiral Keita Zumera. Are you there, Aaron?”
“Dad! I mean, yes sir, Admiral, sir, I’m here on the planet.”
“Dad will do fine. It’s such a relief to hear you. Your mother will be so relieved when my message reaches her. We’ve both been worried sick. Why didn’t you contact us further through your implant?”
“It was damaged in the crash. Dad, there is intelligent life here. They call themselves Sutani. They have befriended me. There are also many Men-gar down here. They’ve subjugated the Sutani race.”
“Our instruments are detecting a number of large camps. We will destroy them from up here.”
“It won’t be that easy. Each camp may have Sutani prisoners in it.”
“I see,” the admiral replied. “Then we’ll do it the hard way. I’m being informed we have a fix on your location. A shuttle will be down to get you soon. I have other things to do right now. I can hardly wait to see you son. Until then.”
“Until then, Dad.”
La’lani shook his shoulder gently. “Aaron, you’ve been silent for some time. You have a distant look in your eyes.”
Smiling, he cupped her cheeks and kissed her. “I’ve been talking to my people up there.” He pointed to the heavens. “More specifically, to my dad.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “How?”
“I have an implant. A device that lets me communicate with them.”
La’lani cocked her head. “An ability you haven’t told me about?”
“Not an ability, a communication device implanted under my skin.”
“You still choose not to tell her about me?” Shelly asked.
“Not yet. I haven’t figured out how to inform her about you. How do I tell her that I have an AI in me? One that enjoys our lovemaking almost as much as I do?”
A warm fuzzy feeling spread through him.
“You’re right, I do enjoy it immensely. It is certainly different than our previous sexual encounters. More emotional.”
“Shelly,” he admonished.
More warm fuzzies and a feeling of satisfaction grew along with a mental giggle.
“There is a shuttle coming down to greet us,” he said, while desperately trying to ignore what Shelly was doing to him inside. “We need to inform the others.”
***
The group gathered in the clearing standing among short plum and lilac colored grasses. Around them grew tall conifer-like trees in various shades of blue and purple. Aaron was in contact with the shuttle descending on their location.
“The shuttle will be arriving soon. I need to shift to my human form.”
La’lani squeezed his hand for a second and let go. He shifted. His tattered flight suit had been discarded long ago. Reaching down he tightened the loincloth around his waist to prevent it from falling from his human form. She took up his hand again.
A shiny object appeared in the sky above them. It quickly resolved into the shuttle which settled soundlessly into the clearing a few yards in front of them. A ramp lowered to the ground and two people wearing grey and black flight suits came to meet them. He recognized one of them, Captain Stevens, as one of his father’s aides.
Aaron was taken aback momentarily when the two greeted him in the Sutani language. He sensed the work of his AI. “Shelly,” he inquired.
“I took the liberty of uploading the Sutani language. I’m certain their communicator implants have been furnished with it.”
“Very good, Shelly. That will make communication between our species easier.”
“I thought so too. I trust you’re not angry at me for doing this without your knowledge.”
“I’m not.”
He introduced both men to the gathered Sutani.
With the introductions complete, Captain Stevens said, “Your father sends his regards and apologizes for not coming down himself. He would like it if you came up to the ship and extends an invitation to all that wish to join you.” He gazed around at the assembly.
More than one head glanced up in the sky and at last Me’kon spoke for all. “I appreciate the invitation, but for now, I will have to decline. The thought of going up in space is rather frightening.”
Sutani heads nodded in agreement.
“Aaron,” La’lani rubbed his arm and continued in a barely audible voice. “I will go up to the ship with you if you promise to hold my hand. To be honest I’m scared half to death at the thought.”
He put his arm around her and grinned. “I promise I’ll hold your hand as long as you wish.”
La’lani gazed at herself. “There is one problem. I have nothing fancy to put on. I only have more of these rags to wear.”
So typical a woman. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and gazed into her eyes. “La’lani you look fine. More than fine. You look beautiful.”
Her eyes twinkled and her black lips stretched wide. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“You are beautiful.” Tilting his head slightly he kissed her briefly before addressing the Captain. “I accept my father’s invitation and La’lani will be joining me.” Turning he addressed the rest. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.” Taking La’lani’s hand they followed the Captain and the other man and boarded the shuttle.
He continued to hold her hand when they took seats beside each other. The two men stepped into the pilot’s cabin leaving them alone.
“Aaron,” La’lani said in a whisper. “I don’t care what form you’re in, I think you are extremely handsome.”
“Thank you.”
“Aaron…” Her words blurted out obviously without her conscious thought. “I love you.” Her cheeks turned deep blue.
Twisting in his seat he peered in her eyes for a moment and then kissed her.
I love you too, La’lani.
“Then why don’t you tell her you love her?” Shelly asked.
“It’s just that she will be staying here on Youkana and I will be going home. I can’t ask her to go with me and yet I can’t stay here. Besides, she would be better off with a Sutani lover.”
“How do you know she would be better off?”
He ignored Shelly question. I love tasting those lips of hers.
“There’s two other black things of hers you like to taste,” Shelly teased.
His cheeks heated to near burning. “Shut-up, Shelly!”
“I’m just saying…”
“You’ve said ample and remember we’re going home. I can have you reprogrammed.”
“But you won’t. Damnit, Aaron, you love her. Tell her. You don’t know, maybe she would even go with you,” Shelly’s swearing took him by surprise.
“Do you really think she would consider going to Earth and Teelan?”
“Silly boy. She said she loves you. She has said in the past that she would like to meet your family. If you tell her you love her I have little doubt she would go anywhere with you. You will never know if you keep talking to me and not to her.”
The shuttle lifted into the air. La’lani’s hand tightened around his.
“Don’t be frightened, La’lani. You’ve been on a shuttle before.”
“I’m not scared about riding the shuttle. I’m terrified about where we’re going.” With her other hand she pointed toward the ceiling. “Up
there. In space. On a space ship. Meeting your dad. I think I’m going to be sick.”
“You’ll be fine, La’lani.” He swallowed and then said the words, “La’lani, I love you.”
Her head jerked to face him. Tears filled her eyes. “And now I’m hearing things.”
“I love you,” he repeated.
“You’re making my heart skip beats. I think maybe I’m dead.”
“You’re not dead. I said I love you.” Leaning to the side he kissed her.
“About damn time,” Shelly chuckled.
“Shut-up, Shelly.”
CHAPTER NINE
La’lani gulped. Her heart beat so fast she was certain it would burst from her chest at any moment. The thrill of going into space for the first time. Seeing the giant spaceships Aaron had described and meeting his father faded to nothingness compared to the intense excitement hearing him say those three little words had caused.
I love you, he said I love you, flashed through her mind repeatedly.
Even though the shuttle rose into the sky quickly, it lagged far below her soaring emotions. A large screen dropped down in front of their seats.
“La’lani, La’lani,” Aaron said shaking her to get her attention.
“Yes,” she stammered, dragging her focus away from her thoughts.
“I thought maybe you’d like to see the ship we’ll be landing on soon.”
The screen flickered briefly, then the picture stabilized. Blackness of space with many white points of light filled the screen. She noted that unlike viewing the stars from Youkana, they did not twinkle. The view shifted slightly and suddenly the screen became filled by the image of a ship that dwarfed the shuttle. The spaceship was much larger than the small town she grew up in as a little girl. And to think this huge thing is mobile.
Proudly, Aaron described the ship. “What you’re seeing is the PD Maria. PD stands for planetary defense. The Maria is over a kilometer long and has a crew of a thousand. It’s hard to grasp her true scale without viewing her from afar. Let’s just say that the shuttle we are on, in comparison, is like a leaf to a tree. The Maria is one of twenty ships like her that we have produced so far. My people have also made many smaller ships.”
The Maria grew larger as Aaron described her and soon La’lani could only view a small part of her. A huge door opened and they flew inside. Shortly after that she felt a slight bump when the shuttle settled to the deck. The door opened and the ramp extended. Aaron helped her to her feet and together they walked down the ramp.
“This is a landing bay,” Aaron explained.
She gazed around in wonder. The landing bay was many times larger than the cave where she had lived. She decided that as many as a hundred of her caves would fit inside.
“The Admiral is waiting for you in the command center,” Stevens said from behind them. “Cabins have been prepared for you and Miss La’lani.” He handed Aaron a slip of paper with numbers written on it along with a small earbug. “There is a flight suit for you to change into if you desire. The earbug is for La’lani. It’s a translator and will allow her to understand English.”
He glanced at her and she could sense he was aware of her discomfort because she had nothing to change into.
“Thanks, Captain. We’ll go as we are and visit our cabins later.”
“As you will, sir.” Stevens walked away.
He held out the earbug. “Put this in your ear. It will permit you to understand our language.”
She put the small item in her ear and felt her eyebrows quirk upward when he spoke to her in his language and it transformed into hers nearly instantly.
“I see by your expression that you understand my words. That’s good. Well, La’lani hon, are you ready for a tour and to meet my father?”
“Thanks, Aaron. You can change you know.”
He winked at her. “Why, do I look bad in my loincloth?”
“You know better.” She licked her lips. “I think you look delicious.”
He laced his fingers in hers and led toward a door. On the other side was a transport system consisting of small vehicles. “Cars,” he called them. Taking seats, he safety belted La’lani, punched in some numbers in a control panel and the car surged into motion. The walls surrounding them became a blur and a short time later the car came to a halt. Going through another door, they entered a huge room filled with bank after bank of machines and many people.
Though none of the glances she got were rude, they were many. She was certain it was either because of her attire, or her blue skin. La’lani in turn gazed back in awe. Aaron never mentioned the people of his species did not all have the same tan skin and blue eyes as he. Aaron hadn’t told her that their hair coloring was in every shade she could imagine. With his fingers still laced in hers, Aaron came to a halt in front of a tall man with ebony skin.
“Admiral, sir.”
The man smiled. “Father would be much better, my son.”
“Father, I would like you to meet La’lani. La’lani, this is my father, Keita.”
She was aghast. Aaron’s father was ebony in color. Suddenly she wasn’t as self conscious about her blue skin.
“La’lani. It’s very nice to meet you. I must say, son, if you had to get stranded on a planet for all these months, you couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful woman to spend your time with.”
Her cheeks heated and she knew they were turning deep blue.
“Thank you, sir. It’s nice to meet you too. Your son has told me much about you.”
Although he failed to tell me you were a different color.
“Not all bad I trust.” Keita grinned.
“Nothing bad. Aaron thinks highly of you.”
Their conversation continued in light-hearted banter until Keita informed them that he must get back to operating the ship. “I would be honored if the two of you would join me later for dinner.”
She glanced around and then looked down at her brief top and even shorter hide skirt. Everyone around her wore flight suits or jumpsuits as Aaron called them. On Youkana she had not even thought of her apparel. The other Sutani women that lived with them were dressed the same. The Sutani men only wore loincloths too, but up here among the humans she felt almost naked. Modesty consumed her. “Um, sir, I seemed to be greatly underdressed for the occasion. I don’t have anything less revealing.”
Keita burst out in laughter. “My dear, La’lani, you look lovely, that blue skin of yours is positively fantastic to look at, but I understand. Would you feel more comfortable wearing a jumpsuit like ours?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll have stores deliver one to your room. I’m certain we have some in your size.”
They left the command center and after another ride in a car, entered a door. When they stepped through, they were in a long hallway with multiple doors on one side. Hand-in-hand they strode down the hall until Aaron pulled up short in front of a door. “This is your room,” he explained. When he punched in numbers on the keypad next to the door it slid open.
He was still explaining the room to her, particularly how to use and set the temperature of the water in the shower, when the door computer announced there was a person waiting in the hall. Aaron answered the door and a woman handed him two items. When they opened the packages, they found a pair jumpsuits and some shoes.
“The shoes will conform to your size when you put them on. I’m in the room next door. If you need anything, just come over and knock. I’ll show you how to use the communication system later. I’ll come get you in a couple hours so we can go to dinner.”
Aaron left her standing in the middle of her room, gazing around in wonder. Stripping, she removed the ties holding her ponytail and shook her long hair free. She slipped into the shower. After washing, she turned the air jets on letting them run until her hair dried completely. Leavi
ng the bath, she wandered around the room, touching, feeling and grazing her hands over the furnishings. She sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her hand over it. She had no idea what it was composed of, just that it felt wonderfully soft.
She stepped into the leg openings and slid on the arms of her jumpsuit. When she closed the zipper. The suit molded to her like a second skin. At first the inner lining was slightly cold, but quickly the built-in temperature controls brought it to optimal temperature. She slipped on the shoes and watched in awe while they configured to her feet. She was still looking around in amazement when the door announced Aaron’s presence. Aaron wore a jumpsuit when she opened the door to greet him.
They spent the evening in conversation with Keita and six other officers. She supplied answers to their numerous questions to the best of her ability. With dinner finished and their interrogation gradually tapering, the other officers one-by-one took their leave until only she, Aaron and Keita remained.
“This has been an eventful day, especially for you, La’lani. I hope we’ve made you feel welcome.” Keita turned his attention to Aaron and rolled his eyes. ”Aaron, please call your mother so she’ll stop hounding me. I’ve told her you were fine in my messages to her, but I’m certain she’ll want to hear your voice. Keep in mind, even with the ships communication system there’s a one week delay so she won’t be able to answer right away.”
“Thanks, Father, I’ll send her a message tonight.”
***
La’lani stood in the remains of her town gazing around. So much had transpired over the past few days her head was still spinning. Their new human allies were amazing. Their capabilities seemed to be without limits. The burned out ruins of the Men-gar camp had been quickly cleared and replaced with newly constructed buildings.
Lovingly she traced her hand over the necklace that circled her and the small box suspended from it. The computer there allowed instant communication and translation with anyone having a similar computer or implant. A pistol was strapped to her hip. In many ways she enjoyed the climate controlled jumpsuit. But she missed the feel of openness and exposure of her skin to the elements her native apparel provided.
