The Simpleton: An Alien Encounter

by Mark Wayne McGinnis

  She pulled to the side of the road, letting the engine idle while she stared out the windshield, feeling numb within. In the distance, she saw the tall roofline of the Perkins’s barn. Hearing a distant voice speaking, she realized Brian was still on the phone and brought it up to her ear.

  “Damn it, Jackie! Are you there?”

  “Please stop screaming into the phone, Brian.”

  “Tell me where you are. I’m coming to you …”

  Without even looking at the phone, Jackie disconnected, letting her hand fall limply to her lap. She continued to stare blankly at the Perkins’ dilapidated old ranch house in the distance. They were all dead—she would never see them again. She would never see Cuddy again. Everything he was trying to do—for Tow—for a race of people, called the Pashier, was never going to happen. A single tear, rolling unconsciously down her cheek, led to uncontrollable sobbing. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she wrapped her arms around the old yellow Lab. Rufus licked her face—the tears on her cheeks.

  A thunderous sound suddenly roared just above her. Jackie jolted upright and Rufus barked. What she saw out the windshield didn’t make sense. Powerful thrusters were churning up dust all around. The Howsh spaceship! The Revenge was landing on the same exact spot it had taken off from. She quickly wiped her cheeks and studied her shocked reflection in the rearview mirror. Assholes.

  Jackie waited for the dust to settle a bit before climbing out from her car, then held the door open for Rufus to jump out. The now-landed alien ship rested twenty yards farther down the road, its gangway already descending. She leaned back against the car’s hood and waited, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest.

  The first one down the ramp was Tony Bone. He spotted her and confidently nodded. He wore a pompous expression that only made her want to slap it off his pimply face. Next, came Kyle, then Cuddy. Both looked most surprised to see her.

  “Jackie … what are you doing here?” Cuddy asked. “How did you know …”

  “You don’t think I fell for that obvious ruse about your ship disintegrating in space, do you? I knew you’d be coming back here, so Rufus and I cruised on over. And guess what, here you are.” Jackie avoided making eye contact—afraid Cuddy would pick up on her load of bullshit.

  She watched the AI orb emerge from the ship as the gangway began to retract upward, back into the ship. The three guys, looking highly satisfied with themselves, approached her.

  “So what now?” she asked. “It won’t be long before you have a combination of U.S. military forces here … and they’re not going to be happy.”

  Cuddy said, “That is why we have to go … take the Evermore back into space.”

  “We? Who’s we?” she asked, gazing from Cuddy to the other two.

  Tony said, “Me and Cuddy. Kyle’s a pussy and wants to stay home with his momma.”

  “Screw you, Bone,” Kyle said back.

  “No!” she said vehemently, as the three squinted at her in confusion.

  Cuddy asked, “No? What do you mean no?”

  “I mean not this time … you’re not leaving without me.”

  “We talked about that, Jackie. I’m sorry, but—”

  “But nothing! I’m part of this too and there’s nothing you, or anyone else, can say that’s going to make me change my mind. The sooner you three get that through your heads the better. And as far as your momma is concerned, Kyle, it seems she’s got herself a new boyfriend.”

  “What are you talking about? What new boyfriend?” Kyle asked, looking hostile.

  Cuddy, too, looked ready to pounce.

  “It’s my father. They’ve been making goo-goo eyes at each other ever since she collected him from the hospital and took him home.”

  “Really?” Cuddy exclaimed.

  “Your dad? I thought he died in the hospital … a heart attack, or something,” Tony said.

  “Believe me, he’s still very much alive,” Jackie said, glaring at Tony, who was really starting to annoy her big time.

  Both Jackie and Cuddy turned to Kyle, who seemed to be mulling the news about his mother over in his mind. He suddenly smiled. “Then there’s no reason for me to stay behind. I’m in.”

  “And I’m going too … right?” she asked.

  Cuddy smiled, then winked over at her. Jackie had never seen him do that—wink at her like that. It was so out of character, she laughed out loud.

  The hovering AI orb approached them then stopped. “There are vehicles approaching at a high rate of speed.”

  “From the sky?” Cuddy asked.

  “No, on this same road.”

  Then Jackie heard it, a car coming fast. She recognized it—it belonged to Dr. Horowitz. Dr. Brian Horowitz. Driving his pride and joy, a brand new red Mercedes 500 SL convertible, Brian was leaving a rooster tail of dust behind him as he sped toward them.

  “Oh crap!” she said.

  Chapter 38

  “Who’s that coming?” Tony asked.

  “That’s Brian,” Jackie said.

  Cuddy looked from the fast-approaching convertible over to Jackie, who seemed highly agitated. He heard her cursing under her breath. “Why’s he coming here?” he asked.

  Jackie shrugged, keeping her eyes on the car as it skidded to a stop behind her VW bug. Cuddy could see that Brian was older than the rest of them—maybe in his thirties—though he wasn’t all that good at guessing ages. He had curly black hair—probably longish—and it was bound up in some kind of a bun near the crown of his head. Wearing sunglasses, he sported a perfectly trimmed goatee. He exited his car, never taking his eyes off the spacecraft that loomed above them.

  “What are you doing here?” Jackie asked. “You can’t be here, Brian …”

  He continued to stare at the ship in awe, then said, “I had to see you … find you.”

  “Well, you’ve found me. But you have to go. Now!”

  Cuddy, deciding to introduce himself, held a hand out for Brian to shake, but he either didn’t see it or chose to ignore it. Cuddy wasn’t sure which one.

  “This is the spaceship the military think exploded on entering the atmosphere. Why is it here … What have you done?” Brian asked in an accusatory tone.

  “You mean beyond saving the planet, along with your sorry ass?” Tony threw in.

  For the first time, Cuddy watched Brian acknowledge Jackie, looking her over, from head to toe. Cuddy had silently been admiring the same spectacular vision. Wearing a yellow and black plaid shirt, and faded blue jeans that seemed to be painted onto her long slender legs, she wore only the slightest hint of makeup. Highlights in her long, straw-colored hair shimmered in the light as she moved. Cuddy was totally mesmerized by the sight of her, ever since walking down the ramp. He again questioned himself: Why hadn’t he truly appreciated her beauty long before now?

  “So what’s this guy to you anyway, Jackie? Is he like a boyfriend or something?” Kyle asked.

  Suddenly flustered, she snapped back, “What does it matter to you?” But her worried eyes defied her feigned anger. She glanced toward Cuddy, who only now was processing the deeper implications of her relationship with Brian.

  Could Jackie belong to someone else? Cuddy wondered. That hadn’t been something he’d considered before, but now it made complete sense. What had he ever been to her, but a pathetic man-boy? A simpleton—one who’d never leave the safety of his Momma’s ranch.

  The orb, which Cuddy had noticed was good at going undetected, if it chose to, was now rising higher into the air and hovering in place. “There are other vehicles approaching. We should hurry, Cuddy.”

  As much as the spaceship, then Jackie, captivated Brian’s attention, the orb’s sudden appearance did more so. “What … is … that?”

  Cuddy ignored him. “What other vehicles are coming, orb?”

  The orb, rising higher, reported after several moments, “Military vehicles … three … approaching fast.”

  Jackie spun on Brian, shouting, “What have you done?”

>   “I did what was necessary … what was right. With much reluctance, your mother told me what happened here. About the spaceship, and the battle with the aliens. I thought you might come back here.”

  “So … what … you called out the Army?”

  He nodded. “I thought you were in danger. Your little gang of misfits is in way over your heads. You have to know that, Jackie. You do have an education beyond the third grade. But these guys …”

  “Bite me, boy bun,” Tony said.

  Cuddy could now see the three olive-green Army trucks en-route to their location. One truck had a soldier seated up high behind a weapon.

  “Run!” Cuddy said. “Everyone get to the Evermore!” While they all rushed, including Brian, down the Perkins’s driveway, Cuddy suddenly halted, noticing the orb was unmoving where it hovered.

  “Cuddy, I must pilot the Revenge. The Evermore will be incapable of fending off the Howsh in space.”

  “Who will pilot the …”

  “You will, Cuddy. I will assist you,” the orb replied. “Now go … get to the Evermore’s cockpit.”

  Cuddy ran down the drive, Rufus loping along at his side. By the time he reached the barn, he heard the Revenge’s remaining drive power up and then its thrusters engage. Cuddy glanced back just in time to see the Howsh ship steadily rising into the air. He also noted the three military vehicles were maneuvering around the red sports car and also the VW bug. They were turning down the driveway as he sprinted into the barn.

  * * *

  Gasping for breath, Cuddy ran out of the woods and into the open clearing. The others were waiting for him next to the Evermore. He stared frantically at the closed hatchway and wondered how they would get inside?

  I am here with you, Cuddy. I will instruct you in how to open the hatchway, as well as accomplish other functions, simply through the employment of your mind.

  Cuddy was instantly relieved, feeling the orb’s presence within his consciousness. He mentally spotted the controls, situated right inside the hatchway on the bulkhead.

  “Use the Pashier part of your mind, Cuddy. Open the hatch now and extend the gangway.”

  The others stood by, staring up at him, waiting for him to do something. He mentally envisioned activating the controls and the Evermore’s hatch began to slide open and the gangway to descend. Tony Bone was the first to run up the ramp and into the ship, with Kyle quickly following on his heels.

  Jackie gestured for Cuddy to go past her, saying, “Go on … I need to talk to Brian for a minute.”

  Cuddy said, “Okay, but we have to leave … immediately.” Brian gave him a less than friendly look as he ran past them and up the gangway. Inside, Kyle and Tony were nervously waiting for him.

  “What’s happening with Jackie? Is she coming or not?” Tony asked.

  “Not sure. I need to get to the bridge.” Cuddy hurried forward, feeling strange being inside without Tow, or even the orb—almost like trespassing. Reaching the bridge, he took a seat at the forward console. The displays around him came alive and he caught the unique outline of the Revenge nearby—hovering just above the treetops.

  You must start the propulsion system, Cuddy. The two drives can be initialized via the controls, located on the far right of the panel.

  Cuddy’s eyes scanned the myriad of touch controls—all the strange symbols—and he felt an overwhelming urge to flee. Get off the ship and run as fast as his feet could take him—he was incapable of doing what the orb now told him to do.

  Then his worried gaze settled on the two elongated levers. But what was even stranger, he could now read the series of exotic symbols printed beneath them:

  Emersion Drive 1 | Emersion Drive 2

  Cuddy flipped the levers and immediately felt the vibration of the big drives coming up beneath his feet.

  Very good; now you need to secure the ship, Cuddy.

  Cuddy then remembered the hatch was open to the outside and the gangway still extended. Lifting off his console seat, he peered out the bridge starboard-side window. Jackie and Brian were still in the clearing, engaged in a heated discussion.

  You need to get the Evermore into space, Cuddy. Look at the Viewscape display … as you can see, the military forces—twelve humans, holding automatic weapons … have entered the woods and are headed your way. It is time to leave.

  Tony and Kyle entered the bridge, sitting nosily down in open seats.

  “What the hell are we waiting for?” Tony asked, his eyes locked onto the Viewscape display. “Are those soldiers the ones the orb mentioned?”

  Kyle said, “We’re going to have to leave her. I’m sorry, little brother, but—”

  “You were going to leave without me?”

  Hearing Jackie’s scolding voice, all three spun around to see her, standing at the entrance to the bridge. One hand rested on her hip, and she wore a defiant expression that flustered Cuddy. He looked out the window but could no longer see Brian.

  “Is he out there?” Kyle asked.

  Cuddy, resuming his seat, shook his head. “He’s gone.”

  “Actually … he’s not,” Jackie said. “He’s decided to come with us. Wants to stay with me. I couldn’t talk him out of it.”

  Cuddy looked past Jackie and saw the somewhat older man, now standing close behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

  “Shit!” Kyle yelled, pointing toward the tree line. “Troops!”

  Cuddy saw them too. The Army guys had arrived—some moving right, some left—as if to surround the ship. Three soldiers were moving forward—toward the still open hatch.

  Chapter 39

  Gunfire erupted from all around the ship. Cuddy was well aware the Evermore was practically impregnable—bullets would have zero effect. Then he stopped to listen to the sounds that were not gunfire. Barking. Rufus was barking. Cuddy hurried to the side window and peered out. He saw the end of the gangway below and Rufus there—noisily holding his ground against the approaching soldiers. Paralyzed with fear, Cuddy was unable to speak or move—he simply watched in horror as the old dog was getting more and more riled up.

  Cuddy heard both Kyle and Jackie screaming for Rufus to come back inside. Only then did Cuddy pull himself free from his frozen stupor. He ran out of the bridge and into the main open cabin. He pushed Tony and then Brian out of the way. Reaching the open hatch, he wedged himself between Jackie and Kyle standing there—where he saw three helmeted men closing in—all dressed in black with protective combat vests. All three had their automatic weapons raised. Instinctively, Cuddy flung his hands out toward them—while dispatching a tremendous wave of energy. All three attackers were sent up and backwards—as if an invisible cord had yanked each of them away—out of sight, deep into the trees.

  Only then did Cuddy see Rufus. He was lying on the gangway. There was blood at his midsection—obviously he’d been shot. No longer concerned with the other soldiers and sound of increased gunfire, he hurried down the ramp—slid his two arms beneath the injured dog and lifted him up. Turning back to the ship, bullets raked the gangway—he heard the zing of a supersonic round passing within an inch of his left ear.

  Even before clearing the hatch, Cuddy used his unique mental abilities to initiate closing it and to retract the gangway. As the hatch slid into place he heard multiple rounds colliding with the outer hull. He looked down at Rufus. His eyes were open and watery. He stood there for a moment not knowing what to do. He looked up to the see the shocked faces of the others. Mentally, he reached out to the orb. What do I do now? He’s dying … please help me.

  Jackie took a tentative step forward. “Cuddy … I’m so sorry.”

  Cuddy looked down at Rufus and saw what she saw. He was gone. Rufus was gone.

  He heard the orb’s words in his head.

  Cuddy … you need to get the Evermore into the air. Hurry now. Have someone put the dog down below … he’ll be safe and secure there. I’m very sorry.

  Cuddy found Kyle’s eyes. “Take him to the lower sub-deck
.” He carefully transferred the dog into Kyle’s now open arms.

  “Okay, Cuddy … I’ll take him right now.”

  Cuddy saw the tears in Kyle’s eyes and briefly wondered why he himself felt nothing but anger … an internal rage building to an almost uncontrollable level.

  He hurried forward—back to the bridge. Tony, right behind him, moved to the side windows. He said, “Sorry man … about Rufus.” He glanced out the window. “Um … those guys out there don’t look happy.”

  Cuddy listened to the orb in his head.

  Cuddy, you must energize the Evermore’s thrusters. Using the three, in-line slide controls, slowly bring the thrust levels up, in equal amounts, to the mid-way point. Do so now!

  Cuddy found the three sliders off to the left and quickly did as told, repositioning the controls at the mid-point. The Evermore lurched, both up and forward, throwing Kyle and Tony to the deck. Cuddy grabbed on to the console for support. Hearing someone else curse from the main cabin, Cuddy figured it must be Brian.

  Not only had he brought the thrust levels up too fast, he hadn’t done so evenly. As Cuddy readjusted the controls, equally lining them up at the mid-point, the ship leveled out and continued to ascend into air space above. He pushed any thoughts about Rufus aside. This was not the time to grieve.

  A flood of visual images suddenly filled Cuddy’s consciousness—vectors, coordinates, and calculations of spatial distances. He bent over, as if he’d been gut punched, feeling dizzy. His head hurt. Orb … stop! That’s too much information … I can’t process it all … I don’t understand everything …

  You will, Cuddy … the information is now there for you … and you will remember when the time is right.

  But how …

  Human DNA … 5.5 petabits of data … around 700 terabytes … in a single gram of DNA. The human brain has a remarkable untapped memory storage capacity. Where others, those who have not had multiple sessions within a wellness chamber, do not have the capability to sequence the DNA to retrieve this information … you do.