I Married An Alien (20 page)

The Chancellor looked thoughtful instead of trying to throw another red herring into the mix.

"You know it might just work," Derek mused after a minute or two.

"Perhaps your ability to think like a Human might be a good thing after all," the Chancellor said at last.

"I'm waaaiiiiting," Ian Rembrandt called out from the hologram.

I couldn't help myself; I threw the notepad in front of me at his image. Of course it achieved nothing, sailing right through him, but it made me feel a tad less tense watching his ugly head divide into two before returning to its original shape.

The Chancellor gave me a hard look. I shrugged, but said nothing.

"That means taking a trip into space, Anita," Jordan said, returning me attention to him.

"What? Me?" I gasped.

"They need to be able to see you're on board. Just like we need to be able to see them. It needs to look completely genuine."

"But the spaceport got blown up," I reminded him.

"We have other spaceports and fighter craft at the army bases," Derek said.

"All right, if you think it will work." The Chancellor returned to his seat in front of the hologram. "All right, Rembrandt. Here is what we are going to do."

As I listened, I was surprised that Rembrandt agreed to our proposal. But I didn't like the idea of taking off into space to get a good look at him. I liked the idea of getting blown to pieces even less, but reasoned that if we died, then so would the two most evil men I'd ever had the misfortune to come across. I just hoped the adventure would be over quickly, with no time to feel the pain of our demise.

Once the Chancellor terminated his conversation with Rembrandt, he placed Derek in charge of the mission, since he had the most experience and was the best pilot. Jordan would be his second in command and Logan backing up the technical support.

"Dana will have to come, of course," Derek said after thanking the Chancellor for his confidence in him. "We will be too far from Terron, and should I start Aging up there, I will become next to useless."

"She would age too, since you have been married for, what is it? Forty odd years?" Mark remarked.

"Forty-three," Derek said proudly. "And I dare say Anita would welcome her company."

I had to agree that the company of the other female would definitely keep my mind off the upcoming confrontation. I did like Dana, and we got on well. It was nice to have a friend at last, since I had never really had a good, close confidante before. The only negative was that out friendship would be short lived if we failed. At least I would die knowing what it felt like to finally experience passion and fall in love. Jordan and I would die together if the spindles terminated us along with the Rembrandts.

Chapter
Sixteen

The military spaceport was actually located near the army barracks where Derek had dismissed those two traitorous Terron troopers. The entire base was shielded from prying eyes – permanently. Obviously the Terrons had decided not to trust the Earthlings quite as implicitly as they had claimed.

I was quite glad for that fact, as we stepped through the shield. What had previously looked like a large lagoon was actually a bustling port crammed with small, sleek atmospheric craft, larger drop ships and shuttles, and several freighters undergoing repairs.

Soldiers in heavy-duty combat armor were standing by with their weapons at the ready, awaiting further orders. They probably all expected to be sent up to combat the threat that had suddenly descended upon the planet. I supposed because it had been Jordan's idea in the first place, and possibly also because the Chancellor thought us expendable, that we had been chosen to go instead. Why send fully trained troops who might be required for future, possibly bigger conflicts, when between us Jordan and I had enough reason to hate the Rembrants to embark on what now looked like a foolhardy mission? We were to fly a completely unarmed ship, relying on fire-power from the bowels of Terron half a galaxy away.

Our small group; Derek, Jordan, Logan, Dana and myself, were all that stood in the way of a full-scale interplanetary war. It still boggled my brain how someone as diabolical as Ian Rembrandt had managed to gain so much power. He must have been a formidable businessman and tycoon, with his dirty fingers in many horrible, secret pies. Every time I recalled that evil face on the holographic monitor and my com-pad, I shuddered and felt sick.

“
Are you alright, Anita?” Jordan asked, giving my hand a comforting squeeze as we progressed through the complex.

“
Yes, I’ll be fine,” I managed. “I just hope the computer controlling your spindles have a really good aim.”

He smiled at that. “They are very powerful devices, from a darker, more paranoid age when the war between the Galactic Order and the Etiran Empire threatened to include us. Consider yourself fortunate we decided to maintain rather than decommission them.”

“
Over here!” Derek motioned us over to a military shuttle much like the one Rembrandt’s men had tried to steal. Logan was already hurrying up the ramp as fast as his elderly legs allowed. He appeared quite spritely now that he had a purpose, and soon disappeared into the belly of the sleek, silver craft. Two soldiers standing off to one side saluted as we boarded, and wished us good luck on our life-or-death mission. I wondered if I detected sarcasm in their manner and tone, but then decided there was no point in worrying about it. If we didn't make it back, we certainly wouldn't have to concern ourselves with their opinions. And if we did, there would be two less evil men in the universe and a chance at peace between Earth and Terron. As it now stood Earth was risking annihilation if the Terrons decided to aim every spindle they owned onto my home planet.

The craft was big enough to carry a whole company of shock troops. Normally it bristled with weapons, but all had been removed for our mission of ‘peaceful exchange’. It could travel both in a planet’s atmosphere and outer space. It was also equipped with the Infinity-Squared system for wormhole travel, and carried several months' worth of supplies. Our destination was the bridge, where there were enough seats for a crew of eight. Logan was already bustling about the consoles, powering up and making sure everything was running at peak efficiency. Derek took his place in the plush pilot’s chair, and beckoned Jordan over.

“
I’ll be right over there, Anita,” Jordan promised me. He gave me a kiss on the cheek, then joined Derek in the co-pilot’s seat beside him. Dana took another chair opposite Logan, at a console that also looked far too complicated for me. I took a chair in the middle, that wasn’t near any computer banks. I felt a bit like a fifth wheel. Everyone seemed to have a job except me.

“
All spindles are primed and ready, the coordinates programmed in,” called Logan. “We’re good to go.”

“
Right. Shields are up. Everyone buckle up for takeoff.” Derek began pushing buttons. I felt the deep hum of powerful thrusters starting. Doors and airlocks hissed closed. I felt around for my seat belt and pulled on my buckle.

“
Are you settled in, Anita?” Jordan called over his shoulder.

“
Yes!”

The ship’s rumbling increased and I was pushed back into my chair. Through the wide row of windows in front I could see the military base drop away. We flew up through the fallout cloud from Rembrandt’s
Hytana
bomb, and then into the clear purple sky above. Slowly it darkened to black and stars began to appear.

I began to feel myself rise from my seat, the belt the only thing keeping me in place as I watched in bemusement as my legs lifted of their own accord.

“
Brace yourselves - activating artificial gravity now!” called Derek.

I flopped back into my seat with a gasp, suddenly realizing what had been happening and how it had been stopped. Damn, I thought. I really would have enjoyed a quick float around the cabin.

Dana swiveled in her chair. “How are you going, Anita?”

“
Space flight is still taking some getting used to! This is only my second trip up!”

She gave me a smile “I’ve only been into space a couple of times myself.”

“
Initiating Infinity Squared!” called Derek.

This time I could see what was going on through the large front windows. I gaped as a large, swirling hole opened up right in front of us. Oh my God, I was staring right into the mouth of a giant wormhole! Strange colors and lights whirled around inside. “Holy sh-“

We flew inside. There was a jolt that threw me back into my seat again. I caught a glimpse of more lights and colors; weird shades I couldn’t even begin to name. When I closed my eyes I felt like we weren’t moving at all, but in front of us the walls of that psychedelic tunnel shot past at incredible speed. I could feel my breakfast coming up for a second visit. I closed my eyes again.

Ah, perfect, silent stillness.

“
Anita? Are you feeling okay?” Jordan called.

“
Fine, so long as I don’t look outside!”

“
Ah, yes – moving through the wormhole can be disconcerting. Didn’t you take a look out of a window on your trip here?”

“
No. I wasn’t near any windows. And besides, I was too busy giving myself a crash-course on my I-pad com-link thingy. How long is this going to take?”

“
Not long. We’re meeting about half-way between Terron and Earth.”

I opened my eyes. I was okay so long as I didn’t look out the front. Dana left her seat at the medical console and came to sit by me. “You really
didn’t
know the spindles were weapons?” I asked her.

She gave a wan smile. “I assure you I really didn’t know. I should have suspected they were used for
something
, and not just an architectural design feature.”

"Deadly weapon disguised as an architectural design feature," I snorted. "I like that."

Jordan appeared on my other side. He was also wearing a sheepish expression on his handsome face. He took one of my hands and squeezed it. “I have to admit I did know about them, because when Logan and I worked for the Administration, we were involved in a complete reconfiguration of the Spindle control systems. And because I thought too much like a Human, I convinced our chancellors to never reveal their existence to Earth’s government. It’s fortunate the Earthlings also assumed the spindles were just 'architectural design features' and never asked any questions.”

“
I thought you guys said you didn't keep secrets!” I gasped.

“
Just omissions. And precautions. The Humans were happy to assume we're completely peaceful. It really is the way we prefer to be, but it's better to be prepared in case situations like this crop up, don't you think?”

“
Jordan, we’re coming up on the rendezvous point!” called Derek from the pilot’s chair. “You’re needed on sensors!”

“
Right.” Jordan gave me another kiss on the cheek, and hurried across the cockpit to his seat.

“
Spindles at full power and ready to fire,” called Logan.

“
Brace yourselves! Deactivating Infinity Squared –
now!”
shouted Derek.

There was another jolt that threw me back in my seat, and finally I dared to look back out of the front windows. Silent, normal space dotted with stars greeted me. It was beautiful, and I was smack bang in the middle of it.

“
We’re about a thousand kilometers from the agreed site – just out of the spindle blast radius. Rembrandt hasn’t arrived yet." Scarcely had Derek spoken when another portal swirled open in front of us, and what looked like an entire
battle fleet
flew out; one large fighter surrounded by numerous smaller ones to protect it.

“
Looks like he brought friends,” Derek growled.

“
I should have known he wouldn’t play fair!” snarled Jordan.

“
Dear God, will the spindle get all of them?” I gasped.

“
Only one way to find out," he answered grimly. "Let’s get this over and done with. Derek?”

“
Uncloaking.” Derek’s hands flickered over the console. “We’re visible now, and our gun ports are open and empty, showing that we’re unarmed. We should be sufficiently non-threatening.”

“
Incoming transmission,” Jordan announced.

“
Keep your head,” Derek growled at Jordan. “We don’t want any of those trigger-happy idiots letting fly too early!”

“
Yes sir.” Jordan actually saluted.

A small section of the window darkened, and the horribly familiar face of Ian Rembrandt appeared, looking supremely pleased with himself.

“
Just one piddly little ship?" he snorted. "I find that hard to believe. I know you people have cloaking technology. Reveal yourselves.”

“
It’s just us,” Derek assurred. “You have my word. We Terrons have trouble lying, you know that. And we have Anita DeBurgh here.”

“
Bring her forward,” Rembrandt barked.

Jordan turned and beckoned me out of my seat. On shaky legs I rose to my feet. Up on screen there was a shuffling, and then another face appeared beside Ian’s; the brutish face of his son, Oliver. He gave a wide, nasty smile at the sight of me.