13
Lalac and Malic continued their analysis. The chimp seemed to be comforted by Lalac’s presence and they could carry out their work in the lab without too much trouble. From time-to-time, she would pick up the little creature and it would settle into her arms. It had been several hours since the chimp had been exposed to their atmosphere, to them, to their micro-organisms. Both were encouraged there were no ill-effects. Perhaps no environmental suits would be needed for a first encounter with humans. Perhaps there would be no biological danger at all.
Their species did not look much different from humans, except for pale blue skin and somewhat larger eyes and somewhat smaller ears. Their body frame was slenderer and slightly shorter in general, but they were certainly not like the “little green men” or “greys” depicted by humans who claimed to have been abducted by aliens. A human might even describe one of them as beautiful, especially by the standards of certain artists of the 1960s. Their species would never “abduct” a person from another sentient species, unless, of course, they felt obligated to offer aid or otherwise protect them from harm. Chimpanzees were the limit of their abduction inclinations.
After 24 Earth hours, Lalac noticed a change in her little pet. “She doesn’t look well, Malic.”
“Is she eating?”
“Up until now, she ate the food we brought from her environment.”
“Malic! She may be dying! I’m running a scan now. Why didn’t this show up on our other scans?”
“Maybe we didn’t want to see it, my love. We were so pre-occupied with her emotional reaction, perhaps we missed some physical symptoms.”
“I don’t think so. Whatever is happening is happening rapidly. I don’t think we can stop it.” Lalac was on the verge of tears.
“I’m administering broad-range antibiotics. I can only assume she has fallen victim to one of our diseases.”
“No effect, Malic. We are losing her,” Lalac sighed after several long minutes.
“I’m sorry, my love.”
“No, I’m sorry. I insisted on contact with her. I’m sorry, little friend. This is all my fault.”
The chimp drew her last breath and died in Lalac’s arms.
14
“General Robertson, we are confident it was a one-off glitch. We installed a patch just to be safe, but we don’t anticipate any serious problems. Ms. McCann was able to maintain control, and future drop-outs, if they occur at all, are likely to be much shorter.”
“They better be. There isn’t much margin for error at 25,000 miles per hour.”
“With your permission, Sir, we will resume testing tomorrow.”
“Granted. Your orders are to abort and take control from the ground at the first sign of trouble. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Martin was concerned. He didn’t like the idea that a vision could end their lives. “Liz, you must do something to let me know you are in trouble. If we are supposed to work together on this, we must trust each other. I’m serious,” he whispered as they climbed into the space plane.
“I’ll do what I can, but last time the sensation was pretty powerful.”
The flight went well. Liz maintained control. No visions. No glitches visible from the ground. Morris gave Liz the green light to fly to the edge of space, over 13 miles up. As the SP-421 approached that altitude, Liz saw the vision again. Two pilots. Holding hands. Farewell, my love. We must do this. Self-destruct. Fire. Explosion. It took less than a second but seemed to take a minute. The SP-421 looked a lot like the vehicle in the vision, except the latter was much larger. The Thinking Cap looked a lot like the helmets the two pilots were wearing as well. Liz squeezed Martin’s arm. Morris didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary on his screen. At this speed and altitude brief signal losses were normal. Yet, Liz saw more details. The pilots had decided to destroy their own ship. And, they didn’t look human.
15
“Are you certain, Malic?”
“Yes, Lalac. The antibiotics and antivirals were working. An infection from our world was not the cause of death. There is no sign of microbial damage.”
“What was caused her death, then?”
“I need to run more tests. I don’t want to speculate at this point.”
“It’s me, Malic. Please speculate.”
“There was massive damage to the creature’s genetic material. If I had to speculate and judging by the way you are looking at me, I do, I would say our species’ genetic material was in the process of overwriting the Earth creature’s genetic code.”
“That is not good.”
“Indeed not. I will know more soon.”
16
Liz mentioned nothing about her visions in the post-flight briefing. Everyone was so elated she had flown the SP-421 to the edge of space she did not want to burst their bubble. She also didn’t want to disclose she suspected the space plane was not a human invention. She would need to talk with Martin later, alone, to reveal this little tidbit. Liz wasn’t sure what to make of it and she certainly didn’t want the General to think she was not in her right mind. He was suspicious enough of “artist types” as it was. Another flight was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. This time, a single Earth orbit with some brief maneuvers on either end. It would be the first time in history a plane took off, flew around an air field, went into space, and came back to the same place where it left. Too bad the whole thing was top secret. It could instantly go viral on YouTube.
“Martin, I had another vision. It was like the first one, but with more details. The big three are that the pilots self-destructed, the ship was a super-sized SP-421, and the pilots were not human.”
“Are you sure? How clearly did you see all this?”
“It was as if I had a high-definition screen in my head. The events I saw took place over no more than a minute…”
“But Morris said the data stream dropped out for less than a second.”
“I know. That’s almost inconceivable. But I saw what I saw.”
“I believe you. You have no reason to make this up,” Martin sounded sympathetic, but he was becoming anxious. And while he hated the feeling of undefined anxiety, that didn’t mean there weren’t multiple things to cause concern. “OK…let’s sum up what we know. Two pilots, who were apparently more than that to each other, decided to self-destruct their own ship. This ship and its control interface resembled the SP-421. And, the pilots were not human. Does that cover it?”
“Not quite. They were blue. At least their faces were.”
“Alrighty, then. Two blue let’s say alien, pilots who were lovers, destroyed their version of the SP-421. The question is why?”
“Oh, I have many more questions. Here are a few. Why am I seeing this? What haven’t they told us about the SP-421? How did they reverse-engineer a crashed alien ship? What is the danger in this project? Where is the danger in this project? What are we supposed to do about it?”
“Good questions. We know why the Space Force did this. Because they could. But if we take your mentor’s words seriously, and I’m taking them more seriously by the minute, they must have overlooked some hidden danger we are destined to deal with. We need to find out what it is.”
“Obviously. How?”
“I have an idea. Is there a way we can get a Thinking Cap for me, except with the output disabled, so I might be able to see what you are seeing?”
“What if I told them I thought I saw some strange readouts from the SP-421 in my head and wanted you to confirm this, as an observer. I maintain control, you just watch.”
“When you put it that way, it sounds kinky.”
“You know what I mean,” Liz smiled. “I suppose I deserved that remark.”
“Do you think we can finesse this with Morris? If they did reverse-engineer an alien spaceship…there I said it…won’t they get suspicious?”
“I don’t think so. There is no way they could anticipate how specific my visions would be. They could just be strange readouts for all they know. All we have to do is what they used to do on Fox News. Tell them the parts of the truth they want to hear. Leave out the parts that reveal the bigger picture. The General has an interest in making this thing work right, and pilots seeing strange readouts would not be good. He needs to know if you see what I see.”
“Let’s hope I do. More strange readouts that happen to show us more about your alien lovers and what really went into the building of the SP-421.”
“They’re not my lovers. They’re our lovers.”
“Now, you’re making us sound like a couple of voyeurs, and we haven’t even gotten a second interface.”
After much discussion, and lawyerly wording from Liz and Martin, General Robertson and Morris agreed to provide Martin with a “passive” version of the Thinking Cap, basically one that had no output connections. Morris confirmed that anything Ms. McCann might “see,” Mr. Wagner would likely also see. So far, Liz admitted only to seeing the pertinent aspects of the SP-421’s flight path and cockpit readings, such as altitude, velocity vector, attitude, GPS location, and so on, much like a head’s up display, except inside her head. Martin was told what to look for in terms of strange readouts and Liz was ordered to report any anomalies in the numbers in future debriefings, rather than saying they just seemed “off.” If the General suspected they were up to something, he didn’t show it. As Liz predicted, he had no way of knowing the alien technology he had appropriated could deliver glimpses of past in-flight recordings to the current pilot.
17
“This is very bad, Lalac. My speculation seems to be correct. The creature we brought on board had no serious damage from our pathogens. What her immune system could not handle, the medicines I administered immediately destroyed, in fact, even faster than these agents would typically work in one of us. The problem was our genetic code. My initial tests show our DNA, to use human terminology, attaching itself to the primate’s DNA and breaking it down. We have no agent to stop this effect. The moment our genetic material contacted your little friend, the process began. Our species must therefore remain isolated from their world until we can find another way to prevent…”
“Potentially killing every lifeform on Earth,” Lalac sighed.
“I am sorry. We must report our findings immediately,” Malic sighed as well.
Both had high hopes for being part of their species’ “first contact” with humans within a few months. Now, within approximately 22 minutes, their Commander would learn about the “problem” and issue a “no contact until further notice” order. The last thing their people wanted was to annihilate another sentient life form, let alone an entire system of genetic sequencing.
“It is a beautiful planet, Malic. I hope they treat it well until we can find a way to protect them from…us.”
18
It was time for the SP-421 to orbit the Earth. Liz and Martin had strict instructions to execute one orbit, with one circle around the airfield before and after. No improvising. No extra orbits. No leaving Earth orbit. There was enough oxygen for these maneuvers, but not enough to risk any more for now. This was one of those times when military-style discipline was called for.
Morris had explained everything, repeatedly. He even admitted, “Look, I want you both to return safely, and not just because it’s my ass on the line if you don’t.”
“How sweet of you,” Liz returned. “We wouldn’t want to get you fired or anything.”
“You do realize,” Martin interjected, “if we don’t come back it won’t matter to us what happens to this project.”
“Just be careful, Ms. McCann,” Morris fixed his eyes on hers.
It seemed to Martin that Morris had at least grown fond of Liz. “Don’t worry, Morris, we’ll see you again in say, 110 minutes or less,” Martin declared.
“I see you were paying attention in the briefing, Mr. Wagner.”
“I pay attention to more than you know, Captain Morris.”
“Let’s get on with it, then,” Morris directed.
The first part of the mission went, as before, without incident. Liz had just begun to think she might have seen the last of the visions, when somewhere over Australia both Liz and Martin “saw” the same images and “heard” the same sounds. This time the data proceeded to Morris at the control center without interruption. Yet, it was a good thing there was half an orbit left.
There were indeed two alien pilots present in their vision. It seemed they treated each other as a loving couple. Their ship was very much like the SP-421. They had determined it was necessary to isolate their species from all life on Earth, a reverse quarantine of sorts. This message had been sent to their Commander on the mother ship, somewhere in the asteroid belt. They maintained Earth orbit, as instructed, while they awaited a reply. A Space Force ship neared their position. A man named Morris attempted radio contact. The Space Force ship moved closer. The alien ship could have moved away, given what Liz and Martin knew of their technology, but did not. They attempted to warn the Earth ship that contact with their species would be lethal. Their message was misunderstood. The Earth ship must have assumed it was under threat. A cluster of missiles were fired. The alien ship was a research vessel and had no defensive measures. It took evasive action, but one missile damaged the alien 421. As it began to lose altitude, they received a message from their Commander, “Absolutely no contact under any circumstances.”
The two pilots held hands and did what they felt had to be done. Rather than risk contact with humans, they destroyed their ship and themselves with it. But somehow the AI computer module survived, as did the partial record Liz and Martin were experiencing. They could only assume enough of the ship survived that the Space Force could reverse-engineer the version of it known as the SP-421 from the wreckage. Perhaps the computer module contained all they needed to know to build a replica of the alien ship as well as the images they were experiencing.
Morris broke their dream-like state, “Status report, Ms. McCann.”
“All is well, Captain Morris,” she shook off the vision and looked at the clock. “Time to prepare for re-entry.”
“Let me know if you need any assistance. We can land the SP-421 automatically if we have to.”
“Not necessary. I intend to see this through.”
Martin spoke up, “Don’t worry, Morris, she’s doing just fine.”
“Another country heard from,” Morris replied. “Thanks for your…input.”
“And for the vote of confidence,” Liz echoed.
19
Lalac and Malic submitted their report. It would be nearly 45 minutes until they could receive a reply. They prepared to leave Earth orbit. The data they transmitted contained everything they knew about the Earth; its flora and fauna, bacteria, viruses, technology, rudimentary linguistics, customs and traditions (as much as they could know from intercepting Earth radio and television transmissions), military capabilities, governance, and all other relevant observations they had made. They felt confident they had done good work and provided a good foundation for others to build upon. Their understanding of Earth languages was still extremely basic, though. Neither thought they were ready for first contact, regardless of the recent findings which prohibited them from risking it.
“There is a vessel approaching. Apparently, the launch we observed earlier was not for a satellite, but is possibly a piloted ship,” Lalac declared.
“Shouldn’t we move to a higher orbit, or just leave Earth orbit?” Malic asked.
“No. The Commander told us to maintain our position until we receive further instructions. We are to avoid appearing aggressive or hostile. Remember, our assessment is that Earth governments have agreed not to place weapons in orbit. If they attempt to communicate, we will attempt to be friendly.”
“Not that we could fire on them, anyhow. We have no weapons. But we do have a one of the best labs on any scout ship!”
“That, we do, my love. And the very best science officer.”
“And the best pilot, my love. I’ll trust you to be friendly if someone on the approaching vessel tries to talk to us.”
20
Aboard the US Space Force Eagle One, the crew had confirmed this was the same ship that had landed in Cameroon four days earlier. They had been attempting to track it for several months but had only recently activated their satellite system. It was clearly not from Earth.
“OK. What we have here is an alien spacecraft,” the Captain began. “This is the first time we’ve had an opportunity to meet and greet someone from another planet. So, let’s try not to eff this up. Everyone on their toes. Have the missiles ready, just in case. But do not, repeat, do not fire until I give the order. If everyone’s ready, let’s give them a call.”
“Ready, Captain. We are transmitting on likely frequencies…now.”
“Greetings, unknown vessel. This is Captain Morris of the US Space Force Eagle One. Please identify yourself.”
After the Captain repeated the message twice more, a tentative-sounding woman’s voice replied, “Lalac, pilot. Scout ship, Seeker.”
“We are pleased to meet you, Lalac,” the Captain replied. “Please state the reason you are in Earth orbit.”
“Awaiting Commander instructions.”
“Very well. Please explain why you landed on the African continent four days ago.”
“Required subject biological threat assessment.”
“What subject was that? What kind of threat?”
“Primate. Earth and Riucarian pathogens. Evaluation danger Riucarian and Earth lifeforms.”
“Where is the primate now?”
“Primate dead. Remains destroyed.”
“What happened to the primate?”
“Genetic cross-coding failure.”
“What is that?”
“Genetic code destroyed.”
“May we come aboard your vessel?”
“Not permitted.”
“Why?”
“Danger.”
“What kind of danger?”
“Lethal.”
“Are you saying we will be killed if we board your vessel?”
“Yes.”
“Then, will you follow us and land your vessel on Earth?”
“Not permitted.”
“Why?”
“Danger.”
“What kind of danger?”
“Lethal.”
“Are you saying we will be killed if you land on our planet?”
“Yes.”
“Are you saying we should stay away from you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a threat to Earth?”
“Yes.”
The Captain mouthed “cut the radio” at this point.
“Now what?” the communication specialist asked.
“This is not the way I expected this to play out,” the Captain replied. This Lalac admitted they are a threat to Earth. They are awaiting instructions from their Commander. They must have a mother ship stashed somewhere if this is just a scout ship. And what about the biological danger? She said they were investigating pathogens. What does this mean? Doc, what do you think?”
“I’ll show you what I think,” the weapons specialist broke in. “There’s no damn way I’ll just sit here and let them invade Earth.” Immediately he fired all six of Eagle One’s missiles at the target. The Seeker was able to evade all but one of them. The last one appeared to damage the ship enough that it was entering Earth’s atmosphere.
“Dammit, Baker, what the hell…?” the Captain stopped short. The crew watched in disbelief as the first alien ship anyone had ever contacted fell to Earth.
21
“Malic, we cannot regain power. Either we land on the Earth and risk capture and eventual death to billions, or…”
“We must self-destruct, my love.”
Just then, they received a message from the Commander. “Absolutely no contact under any circumstances.”
Lalac sent a return message that they had received and understood their instructions, also that they had been fired upon and had no choice but to destroy the Seeker.
Together, they held hands and initiated the self-destruct sequence.
22
“The man’s name was Morris, Liz. Could that be our Captain Morris?”
“Could be. If they built the SP-421 based on what was left of the ship we saw, I’d say it’s pretty likely.”
“Well, I think we should confront Morris. It seems to me he knows the rest of this story. Like, why did he fire on the aliens? What was the misunderstanding? How did the Space Force really build the SP-421? And just what is its real purpose? Is this thing a weapon?”
“If it’s a weapon, I want no part of it,” Liz declared.
“We need to get him alone and off the record, as soon as we can.”
“What about General Robertson?”
“We can only leverage a man named, Morris.”
The next chance to confront Morris did not come until the next night. He had spent a day and a half going over telemetry data from the SP-421. There was a noticeable gap that occurred near Australia, but Liz and Martin had not reported anything unusual, so he figured it was within mission parameters. After dinner, Liz pulled him aside and asked him if they could have a word, “in private.” He gladly escorted her to her quarters but was surprised to find Martin waiting for them.
“Alright, what is this?” Morris was annoyed.
“We have a few questions,” Liz spoke up.
Liz and Martin took turns recounting the story of her visions, their shared vision, and what happened to the crew and the “prototype” of the SP-421. A man named Morris stood out in their recollection. It seems he was the Captain of an armed mission to intercept the alien ship.
“That’s a pretty wild story. Even if it’s true, what makes you think the Morris you heard about is me?” Morris deflected.
“Come on, Captain. Space Force. A Captain Morris who now clearly fills a subordinate role. That only happens when someone screws up. And it seems to us that someone was you!” Martin tried to force the issue. “So, are you the guy who was dumb enough to shoot down the first alien ship to ever visit Earth? No wonder General Robertson treats you like…”
“It was Baker. Baker disobeyed orders and fired the missiles, not me.” Morris blurted out.
It seemed to Liz and Martin that he had been holding this in for a long time and just had to tell someone.
Morris went on, “Look, it wasn’t supposed to go the way it did. Baker was court martialed. I was officially reprimanded. No more space missions for me. This is all top secret, but you two are taking all the risks here and I owe it to you to come clean. We just didn’t understand what the alien, Lalac, was trying to tell us. I didn’t understand. Not until this moment. She and her…partner…were trying to tell us that contact with them meant death for us, something like the way contact with Europeans decimated the Aztec population.”
“Only it would have been far worse than that. Apparently, there is something in their DNA that could destroy our DNA. Their Commander declared Earth off-limits. The exact words were, Absolutely no contact under any circumstances. Obviously, they feared their presence could be lethal to all life on Earth. That was the threat.” Liz added.
“You say, obviously now, but it wasn’t so obvious to me and my crew six years ago. Baker thought there would be an invasion. God, knowing this makes me regret that day even more. The crew of the Seeker gave their lives so everyone on Earth could live.” Morris was shaking.
“I’m sorry things turned out the way they did,” Martin offered. “It was a mistake. I’m sure the Riucarians understood that. I didn’t get any sense of anger or blame from the vision. Just a sense of loss and sorrow. They seemed so dedicated to their mission, and to each other.”
“Yes. They died while holding hands with love for each other, and with the honor of completing their mission. How many of us could say the same?” Liz chimed in.
“Not many.” Morris admitted. “They were called by something more than duty, if I could put it that way.”
“Listen, Captain. Are we to understand that the SP-421 was essentially reverse-engineered from parts obtained at the crash site?”
“Fortunately, the alien ship went down in the Outback of Australia,” Morris offered. “The Australian government was kind enough to let the US Space Force recover the parts and remains. The most important part was a computer module. After two years of tinkering, our techs were able to extract the plans to the ship and the most important part – the Thinking Cap. The computer module is also part of the SP-421, which might explain how you were able to experience your visions, Ms. McCann.”
“Wait. Did you say remains?” Martin jumped in.
“Yes, there were biological materials found at the site. The team assumed they were the remains of the pilot or pilots. Recovered them in hazmat suits.” Morris replied.
“Did anyone come into contact with them?” Martin continued his line of questioning.
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Where are they now?”
“On this base. Why?”
“Can’t you see?” Liz spoke up. “They must be destroyed. This is what the Riucarians were trying to tell us. If by some chance someone touches them or breathes in a molecule or two, or there is accidental contact with any living thing and the contact goes unchecked, DNA could start breaking down all over the continent, and possibly the whole world.”
“There is one more thing you should know.” Morris hesitated. “When the team arrived at the crash site, small animals were dead and dying, and vegetation was withered. Our biologist suggested that biological contamination from the wreckage was the cause, so we sterilized the entire area with fire, and kept the biological materials in strict quarantine.”
“That’s a relief,” Martin signed.
“There’s more. In addition to commissioning research into building the SP-421, the General has a team tasked with weaponizing the biological materials we found.”
“Mother of…” Martin began.
“Yeah. What could possibly go wrong?” Liz snapped.
23
“The question is, how can we stop the Space Force from weaponizing what is left of the aliens?” Martin put forward.
“Easy. We steal the materials, take the SP-421 and jettison them into space.” Liz answered.
“Easy, huh?” We don’t even know where they are. They are probably locked up like Fort Knox, and the SP-421 is guarded 24/7. No problem, Liz.”
“Maybe I can help,” Morris offered. “I know where they are. And I can get you into the lab and aboard the SP-421.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” Liz shot back.
“Because I have a lot to make amends for. Even though Baker pushed the button, I picked Baker. The fact that our friends, the Riucarians, were shot down was ultimately my fault. And I don’t want the death of humanity to be on me as well.”
“What about taking this to the General?” Martin enquired.
“No use.” Morris cut in. “There’s no way he’s going to stop the bio project now.”
“What about burning up the samples in the lab?” Martin asked.
“You’ve watched too many movies. The lab isn’t built that way. It can be locked down, but there is no provision to destroy materials by fire. We would need to risk too many lives. Ms. McCann’s idea is better for all concerned. I’ll probably be court martialed, but it’s better than everyone being dead.”
After a brief pause, Liz asked the question on all three minds, “So, when do we do this thing?”
“Tomorrow night, during dinner. 1830 hours. Only one or two techs will be in the lab, and I can keep them occupied while you two take the samples.”
Morris went on to explain how he thought the plan would play out. There would be four sealed containers, each with a separate access code. Liz and Martin memorized the codes. If need be Morris would hold the techs at bay with his sidearm, but he had a little story about transporting the samples to Atlanta for further study he thought might do the trick. He was the General’s adjutant after all, and he rarely called in favors. He was prepared to expend all the trust he had earned in five years to see to it Liz and Martin succeeded. After that, he really didn’t care.
Absconding with top secret biological samples was easier than Martin had thought. The techs seemed to trust Morris, and because he and Liz acted like they knew what they were doing, there were no questions about them Morris couldn’t deflect. It was in the hangar that their troubles began. The guards did not believe Morris’ story about a night flight to Atlanta and asked too many questions about the four containers. He felt he had no choice but to hold them at gunpoint until Liz and Martin were able to take off in the SP-421. By that time, Morris was in custody and jets were scrambled.
The F-22 Raptors were no match for the climbing speed of the alien-inspired SP-421. In three minutes, Liz had the space plane on the edge of space. It was the approaching missiles that presented a greater problem.
“Well, Martin. I think it’s time to leave Earth orbit.”
“If you say so. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“What happened to your confidence in me?”
“Oh, I’ve still got it, but I’m trying to get over the shock of seeing missiles headed in our general direction. I can’t believe the General wants to shoot down a multi-billion-dollar investment.”
“He just wants his precious weapons-grade high-school biology experiment.”
“Robertson to SP-421. Please land immediately and hand over the samples, or we will be forced to shoot you down.”
“Then, you’ll get nothing. How about we get rid of the samples and then land?” Liz shot back.
“How about you start to land, and I’ll disarm the missiles? You’ve stolen a 30-billion-dollar piece of hardware, top-secret research materials, and by the way, committed treason. If you land now, I’ll go easy on you.”
“Sorry, General. We know the DNA in these samples could wipe out all life forms on Earth. There is no way they should be weaponized. Period. Morris can explain everything. We must get rid of them.”
The General was ready. “While we were talking, my team prepared to take control of the SP-421 from the ground. You now have no choice Ms. McCann.”
“I’m losing control, Martin.”
“What can I do, Liz?”
“Only one thing. I’ll switch on the output of your Thinking Cap and you can try to help me.”
“Are you sure that will work?”
“Hell, no! But it’s our only choice, unless we want to be forced to land and stand trial for treason.”
“Alright. Flip the switch.”
24
The SP-421 lurched violently towards Earth. Martin struggled to maintain his composure. He had watched as Liz went through her training and marveled at how well she directed her thoughts. Now they had three problems. First, to regain control of the ship in time to not die. Second, to deal with the linkage of their minds through their Thinking Caps. Such a thing had never been done by anyone from Earth. And third, they were receiving another vison, more like a detailed impression of the alien pilots.
Lalac and Malic piloted their vessel with their minds linked by their Thinking Caps through the ship’s AI. They were committed life-partners, trusted each other implicitly, and loved each other deeply. Each would naturally think of ways to fill in the gaps of the other’s thinking – their thoughts complimented each other both as partners and pilots. Together, they were an impressive team. Liz and Martin now had minutes to learn to trust each other enough to regain control before they were totally disconnected from the system.
Lalac was the better pilot, but she depended on Malic perhaps more than he knew. The key was interdependency, not subordination. As new impressions flooded their minds, Liz and Martin got a sense of what they must do – yield their thoughts to one another, let go of their egos, and be of one mind. This is difficult, even for people who have known each other for decades, much less for less than two months. Lalac and Malic showed them the way. Much like some images of heaven, in which self-consciousness, regret, doubt, and ridiculous personal prejudices must be left behind, Liz and Martin discovered their own quirks and secrets had no place now. What would have sparked shame or embarrassment in other circumstances simply had to be accepted. Nothing hidden. Nothing but flying the SP-421 mattered. In an instant, they knew everything about each other, and none of it made any difference.
Martin broke the dream-like spell of the vision. “I’d like a nap-kin, please.”
“A napkin?”
“Yes. A nap-kin.”
“Martin! We’re flying this thing, aren’t we?”
“Yes. We are, Liz. Out of Earth orbit, then.”
“As we agreed.”
Soon after Liz and Martin regained control, the missiles resumed their previous course. The SP-421 took an evasive path, but there were too many.
“This is it,” Liz sighed.
“We…are happy to assist,” an unidentified voice declared over their comm system.
The remaining missiles were deflected away from their ship and exploded when out of range. A much larger version of the SP-421 appeared.
“Who are you?” Liz and Martin thought in tandem.
“Friends.”
“We have a request. Please help us with the remains of…your people.”
“Yes.”
“What should we do?”
“Follow. Toward star.”
Liz and Martin piloted the space plane towards the sun. The Riucarian vessel led the way. After a million miles or so, it held position. The next step will be difficult. There’s no airlock on this thing, Liz and Martin thought. The space around the SP-421 shimmered, and they saw the stars and the Earth as though a vibrating plastic sheet. Maybe it’s a force field, both concluded.
“Trust us.” The voice declared.
Liz and Martin opened the hatch, somehow instinctively knowing it would be safe. The SP-421 was oriented so the hatch opened towards the sun. Martin threw the four containers towards the sun and they heard a little “zip,” like the sound of a bug zapper as each exited the space plane. When all four were clear, the Riucarians recovered them.
“Thank you,” Liz and Martin said, out loud this time.
“Honor is important.”
25
The Riucarians then transmitted this message on all relevant wavelengths:
“Earth people. Do not harm pilots SP-421. Pilots under Riucarian protection. Danger ended. Lalac and Malic honored. No further contact before genetic safety. We will observe and assist.”
“It seems we have backup,” Martin remarked.
“Put Morris on,” Liz demanded.
“He’s in custody.” General Robertson snapped back.
“For saving the world?” Liz returned. “You have no idea what your little biological weapons program could have done, do you?” The material you collected is lethal just the way it is. The pilots of the alien ship your Space Force shot down self-destructed to save us from them. Morris is a hero, for God’s sake. Let us speak with him or we’ll ram the SP-421 down your throat.”
“Your disrespect is showing, Ms. McCann,” Morris replied, “but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Good to hear your voice, Captain Morris,” Liz returned. “I’m going to let Martin tell you how we have agreed the rest of this program will go.”
Martin picked up the thought, “I’m sure you’re listening, General Robertson. Here’s what’s going to happen. You will put Captain Morris in charge of the SP-421 program. Liz and I will return and continue to assist him with it. Your space plane will become a vehicle for space exploration and rescue, not a weapon. You will work to secure an international treaty to keep weapons out of space. Liz will train additional pilots with my assistance. I feel confident our new friends will see to it we all keep our part of the bargain. Honor is important to them. If you do not agree to our terms, we will land the SP-421 in the most conspicuous, but hard-to-reach place possible and abandon it to the news media. We’re sure they would love to report on your baby. After all, who, other than Liz, can fly it? So, what do you say, General? Shall we work together or go through a painful breakup? It’s up to you.”
“You’ve got me, Mr. Wagner. Well played, Ms. McCann. I agree to your terms.”
Morris smiled.
“I’m glad you asked for that nap-kin,” Liz said, as she held Martin’s hand.
MurrayWorks 