Passage to Paradise

by J. J. Green

  Carrie recalled her own struggle with the decision, and was glad Dave couldn’t see the flush that she felt creeping over her face.

  “They edged me away from you and started on the spiel,” continued her friend. “The second I began to laugh in their faces they gagged and trussed me and threw me in that cubicle. Where you jumped on me.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you did. But I wish we could get down from here. Did you tell it to go down? Why isn’t it landing?”

  “I told it to go to the library.”

  “What? Why? Let’s just land and call your manager so we can go home.”

  “I have to find something to show her about what the dandrobians are doing first.”

  “No, you don’t. Just confess what happened with Apate and Notos. You’ll probably get the sack, but, honestly Carrie, this isn’t worth it. Get home so you can go and get Rogue.”

  “I can’t, Dave, I just can’t. I have to tell Errruorerrrrrh about the dandrobian plot, and I have to find proof. If I don’t convince her there’s more to it than Apate and Notos, the others might return to invading and tyrannising other worlds. They might all come to Earth. And it would be my fault.”

  Soon they were flying over the ocean and heading towards the sun, which was lowering. As they came in sight of land, Carrie realised that flying into the complex would expose them to view and place them right back in the hands of the dandrobians. They would need to approach the library from outside and on foot to reduce their chances of being seen.

  They flew over the white shore. In the distance was the complex, with the library and meeting hall building a little way outside. Carrie leaned forward to speak into the pegasus’ ear once more. “Land.” The animal spread its wings and began a gliding descent. In a few minutes its hooves were brushing the grass and wildflowers of the hillside. As it landed it galloped, then cantered, trotted and finally walked to a stop.

  Almost before the pegasus halted Dave slid off its back, the look of relief on his face was so pronounced Carrie thought he might actually kiss the ground. She also jumped down. She rubbed the pegasus’ nose and tore handfuls of grass to feed to it. The animal snorted and pawed the ground.

  “Let’s go,” said Dave. “It’ll be dusk soon.” The two humans set off uphill towards the library. “I still think you should call your manager. I mean, you don’t even know if the evidence is in the library, and you said it was locked. How are you going to get in there? If we’re seen in the attempt, who knows what the dandrobians will do to us? Do you think the ones back at the engineering lab have sent a message here?”

  “I don’t know if they can,” replied Carrie. “I think communication systems were probably removed from the planet along with whatever else of their technology the Council could find. But the dandrobians will know something’s up if they see us because we’re back ahead of the others.” How were they going to get into the locked room? Like the meeting room, the library had high windows. If they were open, maybe they could jump up to them?

  They were nearing a dip in the hillside. In a few minutes they were over its lip and looking into the dark, open mouth of a cave. The sight struck a bell in Carrie’s mind. What had Notos told her? Just in time she remembered. “Watch out!” She pushed Dave to the side as he was about to step on a squashpump in the grass. Notos had said the squashpump spaceship not far from the complex, underground where the squashpumps liked to sleep.

  “Urgh,” said Dave. “It’s those slugs again.”

  “Don’t say that.” Carrie clutched her bag to her side and moved away from her friend, checking the grass for squashpumps and hoping Dave hadn’t been close enough to the translator for it to communicate what he’d said.

  “Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Officer Hatchett,” said the squashpump, “thank goodness y came tae find us. Did ye ken yon message we showed ye? We couldna get tae speak with ye alone afore then. Yon dandrobians kept us apart.”

  “Yes, I saw it. So you’ve been forced into all of this? You never wanted to attack Dandrobia? What about what happened to the Foreign Secretary?”

  “I dinna know aboot that fer sure, but we think they did a-purpose. They can control the wind, y’know. But I hafta tell something ye afore they see ye. There’s some other aliens, some mechanical ones, holding hostages on our home planet. They said they’ll kill’em if we dinna do wut they tell us.”

  Mechanical aliens? There was only one kind of mechanical alien Carrie knew: placktoids. The dandrobian plot reached farther than she’d thought. Right across the galaxy. If the dandrobians were in league with the placktoids, it was more important than ever that she find out what they were up to.

  She dropped to her knees by the rainbow-tentacled squashpump. “I’ll do everything I can to free the hostages, but I need to do something, and I think you can help us.”

  Chapter Thirty-One – Deceptive Appearances

  The squashpump Carrie and Dave had stumbled across was not as proud as the Foreign Secretary, and consented to be carried to the library to save time. The meeting room door was open, but the internal door was, as she’d expected, locked. It was a simple lock, however, as the dandrobians would be expected to have under the Unity’s sanctions. There was a small keyhole in the door.

  “Are you sure it can fit in there?” asked Dave as Carrie placed the squashpump next to the hole.

  “Of course it can. You saw the gaps they squeezed through in the party room.”

  “I’ll see wut I can do,” said the alien as it slid inside. It must have negotiated the lock quickly because part of it was still protruding when there was a click. Her heart in her mouth, Carrie pushed the door and it swung open. At last they were going to find out what the dandrobian’s plan was.

  “I canna stay long,” said the squashpump as it slithered down the open door. “I mustna be found. Yon mechanical aliens have three and half thousand of ma bairns hostage.”

  Carrie stepped into the room. It was dim. The rays of the setting sun through the high windows were the only source of light. But the lack of light didn’t matter. She could see what she needed to see. The large room was completely bare. There were no books, files, plans or any other documents. For a moment she could not speak.

  “Looks like you’re out of luck,” said Dave. “Sorry.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would they lock the door if there’s nothing here?” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t believe it.”

  “Maybe there was something here, but they moved everything out when you said you wanted to look inside.”

  “Damn.” Why hadn’t she kept her big mouth shut? Why had she expressed interest in the library? She’d been acting like she was on holiday, and now she was paying the price. She groaned. “What am I going to do?”

  “You’ll never find anything now. You’re just going to have to call your manager and go home.”

  “I can’t. I won’t. There has to be something I can show her.” Carrie looked around the bare walls again and frowned.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Something’s wrong with this room.”

  Dave also looked about. “It seems pretty ordinary to me. Looks like any other ancient Greek architecture.”

  She touched the plain, unadorned surface. Carrie’s eyes widened. “No, it doesn’t. Or rather, yes it does. It looks like the two- or three-thousand-year-old buildings we see on Earth today. The buildings that the elements and time have worn to plain marble. But they weren’t like that when they were new. They were bright and colourful, like all the other buildings here. The dandrobians love colour. But look at this place. It’s plain. Why did they make it like this?”

  Dave shrugged. “Maybe because it’s only for storing documents. There’s no point in decorating it.”

  But Carrie knew the dandrobians better than her friend. Pragmatism was not one of their stronger traits. “No, there’s a reason.”

  “There’s a wee dip he
re,” said the squashpump, making Carrie jump a little. She had forgotten it was still there. It had climbed up the wall while they were talking. As the creature moved away from the dip it had mentioned, she could make out its shape. It was shell-like, and grooved...and familiar. In a flash she had it. One of the first things she’d noticed when she arrived in Dandrobia. And what had Notos said when she asked to borrow one at the beach? That only dandrobians could wear them.

  “What is it? Spit it out,” said Dave, watching her expression.

  “This.” She touched the dip. “It’s in the shape of the clasp they all use to fasten their clothes. Notos wouldn’t let me have one, and that depression would fit one exactly. Why’s it there? Maybe something happens if you put a dandrobian clasp in it.”

  “You mean those golden brooches Apate and Notos were wearing?”

  “Yes, but...oh damn.” Her elation faded. “We don’t have one.”

  “Well...” Dave gave a little cough and his face turned pink. He reached into his pocket.

  “You haven’t...?”

  There it was. In her friend’s hand lay a dandrobian clasp.

  “I...er...” muttered Dave, “Apate left it on the table when she—” His breath was knocked out of his lungs as Carrie threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely.

  “My lovely kleptomaniac friend,” she exclaimed as she let go and grabbed the clasp from his hand. “Let’s see what it does.” She placed it in the depression, and it remained there when she took her hand away. She held her breath.

  At first, nothing happened. Then the change was almost too imperceptible to see. The wall, floor and ceiling seemed to sparkle faintly in the last rays of the sun. Then the glimmers took shape, and delicate lines appeared, tracing over the room’s interior, linking star shapes that were surrounded by tiny, vividly coloured dots. Carrie’s hand went to her mouth as she walked to the centre of the room. She slowly revolved, taking in the web of lines traced over the entire interior. As she completed her circle, she said to her friend, “It’s something, but what?”

  “Tis a galactic map.” The squashpump’s voice piped in her mind. “And a plan. Look o’er there. That’s where the lines begin.” One of the creature’s tentacles was straight and pointed towards a nearby area of wall.

  Carrie and Dave went over and peered at the spot. It seemed the squashpump was correct. Many of the lines led to a blue-green dot, the third of eight circling the small star. Carrie gasped. “It’s Earth.” She turned wide eyes to Dave. “It’s an invasion plan, starting with us.”

  She fumbled in her bag, and drew out the translator. “Errruorerrrrrh. Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Manager Errruorerrrrrh.” Silence. “Oh for goodness sake. Errruorerrrrrh, come in, come in. Answer me. Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Manager Errruorerrrrrh.” She shook the translator. She felt like banging it on the wall, but restrained herself. “Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Manager ErrruorerrrrrhCH.” A spray of saliva shot from her mouth.

  “Carrie?”

  She nearly dropped the translator in surprise. The voice that came from it was not that of her female Transgalactic Manager, but it was a familiar one. It was the voice of the only manager at the Transgalactic Council who called her by her first name. “G—Gavin?”

  Chapter Thirty-Two – Surprise Arrival

  “It is indeed I, Carrie. I apologise for any confusion this may cause you. I am now receiving communications from you to your previous manager.”

  “Gavin, it’s great to hear your voice.”

  “It is also pleasant to resume contact with you. My superiors have assigned me to oversee further developments in the reconciliation process you are facilitating because certain matters came to light during my investigations of the placktoids that indicated the involvement of the dandrobians.”

  “That’s right,” exclaimed Carrie. “The placktoids are in league with them. They’re holding squashpumps hostage on their home planet and are forcing them to pretend to attack the dandrobians.”

  A clicking sound came through the translator. “That is interesting and extremely useful information. Is there anything else you have to report?”

  “Well, can you see through my translator?”

  “Point it towards whatever you wish me to see. I am recording.”

  Carrie and Dave moved to the doorway, and Carrie pointed the translator into the room, scanning slowly across the floor, walls and ceiling, which shimmered with translucent silvery lines. The sound of Gavin clicking came from the device. “Extremely interesting,” said the Transglactic Council Manager. “It appears to be—”

  “It’s an invasion plan, right?” said Carrie. “Starting with Earth.”

  “Your conclusion is somewhat premature. We must complete a thorough analysis, but it is certainly highly suspicious. How did you come across this map?”

  After quickly explaining about the locked but apparently empty room, she said, “I’m so glad you’re back as my manager, Gavin. Errruorerrrrrh wasn’t easy to work with.”

  “Oh...ah...em.” For once Carrie’s insectoid boss seemed to be lost for words.

  “Gavin?”

  “If my colleague’s behaviour towards you failed to meet the expected standard of professionalism, I should apologise, perhaps. Her attitude may have been influenced by...well...she may have allowed her personal feelings to intrude upon...”

  Carrie turned puzzled eyes to Dave. She hadn’t particularly associated Gavin or Errruorerrrrrhch with strong emotions, and Errruorerrrrrhch had only met her recently. “Why would Errruorerrrrrh feel anything about me? She’s only known me a few days.”

  “Errruorerrrrrhch’s feelings are not concerned with you, Carrie.”

  “Then who?” Her eyebrows lifted. “You?”

  “Your former manager has expressed a high level of displeasure with me...in certain personal matters...certain relationship matters...that I would rather not discuss.”

  Carrie’s eyebrows lifted higher. “Were you two together? Did you...did you dump her?”

  Gavin didn’t answer for a moment, then, “Perhaps it would have been better if I had. Unfortunately, in matters of the cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, amygdala and other central nervous system structures...”

  Carrie stifled a giggle. “Don’t tell me you cheated on her.” This was a side of Gavin she had not expected to see. Was her manager a philanderer? His stories of being constantly moved on from previous Transgalactic Council jobs, which he’d always refused to explain, was starting to make sense. “So she hated me because you’d been my manager, and my revealing the placktoid threat had made you look good...”

  “If she was a little exacting and harsh towards you, that may have been the cause.”

  Carrie wondered if Errruorerrrrrhch had withheld information from her about the squashpumps and other important facts in order to make her, and by extension, Gavin, look stupid.

  Her relief at finding herself once more working with a manager who had faith in her abilities gave Carrie courage to explain about Apate and Notos’ escape to Earth. Gavin whirred and clicked as he considered the situation. “That is extremely unfortunate. Two escaped dandrobians are an imminent threat to the Unity and the civilised regions of the galaxy. I have noted the information, and the Council will dispatch officers to locate and return the fugitives at the earliest opportunity.

  “But, Carrie, your continuing service is required on this case. The placktoid’s reach stretches farther than we had imagined. I assume I can rely on your continued commitment?”

  Her heart rose. Continue working with the Transgalactic Council to fight the placktoid threat to the galaxy? “Yes, absolutely!”

  “Ye seem to have everything you needed, so I’m off,” said the squashpump, startling Carrie again. The creature began sliding away. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks for your help,” said Carrie. “Hold on, wait a minute,” She closed the door to the ‘library’. “Please lo
ck this before you go, so the dandrobians don’t know their plan’s been revealed.”

  After doing as Carrie requested, the squashpump glided towards the exit. “Please, will ye do something soon tae help us. I canna sleep for worry aboot ma bairns.”

  “Yes, of course. The Council and the Unity will do everything they can.” As the creature disappeared through the door, Carrie spoke into the translator. “Gavin, can you open a gateway to take us home? I’m worried sick about Rogue. He ran into the street just before I left. I know he’ll probably come straight back, but I have to go home and make—”

  “Get oot noo, they’re coming!” The squashpump had returned. Dandrobian voices could be heard from outside.

  “Quickly, please, Gavin,” said Carrie.

  “I am opening a gateway now, though I note you said ‘us’ and not ‘I’. May I remind you—” Green mist began to swirl in the corner of the room. “—that your friend, whom I assume has accompanied you once more, is not authorised—” The dandrobians’ voices grew louder. “—to travel via—”

  “I know, Gavin, I know. Oh, please get us home.” The mist had thickened and began to swirl. Surely the Transgalactic Council could invent a faster transportation method? Carrie pushed Dave towards the green spiral. It sounded as though the dandrobians were nearly at the door. Dave disappeared headfirst, and Carrie dived after him, hoping the aliens entering the room wouldn’t see her vanishing feet.

  On the other side, she crashed into Dave and immediately grabbed her nose. There was a dreadful stink. “Dave, did you...” Her words faded. She was not in her familiar kitchen at home. She was in a small steel cubicle, which was shuddering and rocking.

  “Get off me,” said Dave, pushing at her. “Where the hell has Gavin sent us?”

  Carrie stood, grabbing a steel bar on the wall as the room lurched. All around was the sound of rushing motion. They were in the cramped, smelly toilet of a fast-moving train.