The Children of Time (The Children of Time Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

He continued to laugh for a few seconds and said:

“You have a very fertile imagination. Imagine if aliens were
ourselves, the human beings? This is crazy.”

He returned to reality, grabbed his broom and continued to clean the
lab. Deep inside he wondered:

“A few days ago I would agree with you. This is good, the secret of
my friends are safe.”

At one night, everyone was watching television. The Anchor of the TV
news was talking about the episode that happened at the Multinational Space
Station:

“A few days ago, the radar of the Multinational Space Station
recorded the presence of an UFO near our planet. Later another unknown ship
also invaded our airspace leaving all countries on alert. The worldwide intelligence
agencies are investigating the case.”

“That episode occurred with the detection of our presence. We must
avoid any situation that may expose us.” Sivoc declared.

Zara spoke again about the episode in the park:

“Commander, I’m still afraid about that day when Nicolas and I were
walking in the Central Park and the gang attacked us. Don’t you think that the
event will draw attention? Maybe someone saw what happened.”

“Not even on our planet, with all the psychic evolution is easy to
find someone who has the ability to use telekinesis. They say that only the
commander Merko owns such power. It seems that his mind can emit
electromagnetic waves capable of modifying the gravitational field around the
objects and even to manipulate the energies contained in the molecules of the
environment.” Sivoc affirmed. “What happened can put our mission at risk. In
this case, you acted in self-defense. This power, maybe it was caused because
of the implantation of the chip we performed in the boy. However, this
situation is fantastic. You are right this can attract agents that capture
aliens in this planet. Imagine if they put their hands in our ship, laser guns,
sunglasses, transformation and teleportation watches... Logically, they will
use reverse engineering to advance technologically.”

***

But it was too late. The Alpha-Omega government team, specialized in
extraterrestrial affairs, had moved to the center of space control. A couple of
agents were in charge of the case, Collin Netil and Ann Soliver.

They talked about the fact that was leaked to the entire press:

“Agent Netil, some aspects surprise me in this case. Why two ships
would appear in the space within a few days? Are they still here on Earth?”

“We’ll request a report of all occurrences to the FBI and ask for
information from the governments of other countries. Ann, I believe we have a
great case of alien presence to investigate. Imagine if we can put our hands on
these extraterrestrials equipment and capture some specimens to study?”

The team members decided to make a report about what had happened.
Besides studying the cases of extraterrestrial appearances on the planet, one
of the major purposes of the organization was to capture the visitors, make
biological researches on them and possibly analyze and assimilate their
technologies with the intention of acquiring scientific and military knowledge.

“Where are their ships? Are they already infiltrated among us? We
need to map the entire planet and use all available radar systems to locate
them. We have so many doubts about this case.” Agent Soliver said.

As soon as they requested the police reports, which showed abnormal happenings,
they received information about the incident in Central Park and the unusual
way his tormentors hanged them on a tree. The men reported in testimony that a
couple made them levitate as well as their weapons and escaped. When the Agent Collin
Netil received the email, he immediately ordered:

“Get the experts to make a total scan at the scene. We’ll record all
the testimonies and make a throughout survey. Check if there were cameras in
the area. Our chief will love this case.”

When they reached the place, a team of the federal police
investigators was already working on the case. Thompson, from the FBI, went to Agent
Netil and to Agent Soliver and said:

“Who are you and how did you enter into a restricted area of
investigation?”

Collin showed his badge:

NETIL, COLLIN

FEDERAL AGENT – LEVEL 1

ALPHA OMEGA TEAM – PENTAGON

“Never heard of such agents in our government! I’ll call the Federal
Bureau of investigation. Wait a minute, please.”

Immediately he called and confirmed that this organization was
directly tied to the General Staff of the National Security Forces, of course
he allowed their presence onto their investigations.

The agents finished the report and took it to the chief who was
anxiously waiting for some relevant information. He was an old man, about 67
years old, with a mustache and gray hair, calm and with a rough voice. He was already
retired, but still worked and was passionate about such issues. Because of his
experience, the government allowed him to continue accompanying this type of
case. It was a strategic advantage. His name was Ronald Steighen. He was intimately
familiar with issues related to his agency, he had already captured and studied
several alien specimens and to work there was his greatest pleasure.

“Sir, here is the report with our primary conclusions about the
case.” Collin said.

“This ET wants to become a warrior of justice to confront criminals.
If we’re lucky, he’ll appear again. And his will to do justice will be its
Achilles’ heel, the weakness which will make us catch him.” Ann pronounced.

Ronald looked at the report and analyzed each sentence:

“This is not a specimen easy to be caught. It is well trained and
knows how to use his weapons. He raised his victims into the air with ease. Create
a profile of our ET. Let’s wait for his movements and identify him; we need to
study his area of expertise, physical space,
modus operandi
,
relationships and weaknesses. We know that they can turn into human beings like
us. I already found one of them more than twenty years ago. He had this power
to move objects. Is he back?”

“Chief, I’d like you to tell us this story. It may be relevant in
this case.”

“I’ll tell it at another time. He nearly destroyed an entire
military base and even managed to escape. I don’t like to talk about it. You’ll
have to use intelligence and surprise factor. They are made of flesh and blood.
We’ve already managed to capture and take some of them to the military base in
Arizona. In another occasion I’ll tell all the details, but now we don’t have
time. We need to capture them. I want a report about the investigations.”

“Chief, there were no cameras in the crime scene. We only have
testimonies of people who saw the action and they are defending the alien.”
Colin reported.

Make a sketch and place it in all the police stations as national
security priority. Surely we’ll catch him.” Ronald spoke, punching the table.

“Agent Soliver, scan the blocks near the place and put undercover
agents at strategic points. I want to know every detail related to this case, did
you hear? Anything! One more thing: Use these special infrared glasses, because
when they are transmuted into terrestrial form, they emit radiation that can be
perceived with the use of these optical devices.”

***

The building of the newspaper “The Los Angeles’ Voice was located
only two blocks ahead from where the Alfa-Omega was based. The chief editor,
Albert Dither, was walking from one side to the other, waiting for his best
journalist to return from the reporting about the case of the gang in New York,
who had been levitated in a tree by an unknown couple.

“Would he be a Special Forces soldier, who coincidentally was in that
place?”

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of reporter Andrew
Thomas.

“Sir, I got some information about the case. It’s not much more than
what was published in the newspapers. It seems that they used a special kind of
antigravity technology.”

“Look for this kid and the woman who was with him. Come on, I need
more information about this event. I see a great headline!” Dither said.

“Chief, you must be joking. If we announce the presence of aliens,
the credibility of our newspaper will drop to zero.”

“But if we get the evidences, the effect can be better than
expected. Have you ever thought of the possibility that we can prove the alien
presence here on Earth?”

“Yes, sir. Now I understand why you managed to become the chief. To
go after unprecedented and fantastic news has always been your ideal. I’ll look
for evidences with my team. Soon I’ll return with the results.”

When they discovered the location of the Science II, Merko and his
team teleported themselves to their ship in Alaska and go directly to the deep
of the oceans.

During the trip the commander Merko sat in a chair on the ship and
began to remember his last mission on Earth, exactly twenty-three years ago on
the Earth calendar. He came to the planet with his friend Silion to test the
space folds and the possibility of time travel.

They were flying over Canada and the United States, before landing
on the secret base in Alaska. During this flight, they were intercepted by the
U.S. Air Force, which captured his friend in order to make experiments and
study. That memory made him sad. He could still hear in his mind, repeatedly, a
conversation with his friend shortly before the incident.

“Merko, when we return to our planet I intend to live in peace with
my wife and my two sons. This life keeps me away from the people I love most.
It’s time to stop.”

“I can’t believe you’re willing to retire, Silion.” Merko replied
smiling.

He felt his heart aching, and tears came to his eyes. The memories
made him miss his friend from the bottom of his heart. There was a self-destruct
mechanism created by the scientists of the planet Vida. All the time travelers were
equipped with a heart and brain paralyzing substance, activated by electrical
and hormonal waves of thought. In a situation of imminent threat they needed to
focus their thoughts in death for three minutes and it would occur. Everyone who
traveled to the past, especially to the planet Earth, received an implant with
a chip that released this substance, so, when captured they weren’t used in
experiments or delivered their military, technological or scientific knowledge.
The discovery of such knowledge could provide harmful consequences for human
beings, altering the story by changing the Earth’s past.

***

Every night, Nicolas loved to walk with Zara around the streets of
New York, such as the 5th and Madison Avenue. They walked arm in arm, like an
ordinary couple. She hadn’t mentioned anything about with him on Earth again, and
he preferred to let everything happen naturally, although, sometimes he felt
anxious for her decision.

On a Friday night, they stopped and sat on a bench to talk. Zara
looked at the stars and said:

“Nicolas, do you like to look at the stars?”

“I like it, but when we went up with the ship, I could see the Earth
from above and this was one of the most beautiful things I had seen. It’s all
so magnificent and I thought how small we are.” He said, very close to her. He was
so happy around her and talking about something he loved.

“And to think that although the Milky Way has thousands of stars,
planet Earth is placed in a solar system, located right in the “Arm of Orion”.
The Sun is a star considered of fifth magnitude. The Alnilam star is six times
greater than the Sun. The Antares star is three hundred and eight times larger
than the Sun, and the Betelgeuse star is five hundred ninety-one times larger
than the Earth’s Sun.” Zara said, with her face looking up. Her eyes were
shining.

“Do you have astronauts?”

“The word ‘astronaut’ means traveler of the stars, but the moon is
the farthest place to which man traveled in your time, so far. All of us, on our
planet, are trained since youth in the astronomical sciences, because space and
time travels are needed.”

“And what about the black holes, do you have knowledge of them?”
Nicolas asked, hugging her.

“In the midst of our galaxies, and many others, there is probably a
black hole, with approximately four million solar masses. That is what keeps
the galaxy uniform. We aren’t sucked into them because of the rotation of the
galaxy, as we are not sucked into the sun, because the translation of the Earth.
The rotation of the solar system around the core of the Milky Way has a period
of two hundred million years. It is believed that the black hole is a very
dense body mass with large gravitational energy, and that not even light is
able to escape it. That’s why he is black, because it has no light. It’s sucked
to its gravity.”

They remained silence for some time, watching the sky, feeling the
sensation that the beautiful night was offering. The wind blew gently on their
faces.

“That’s how galaxies and planets work. Everyone needs to be on the
move to keep their orbits and avoid being sucked by their suns, black holes and
translational centers.” The doctor explained. “This galaxy, the Milky Way,
performs rotational movements around itself, bringing the small galaxies into
its orbit, while it rotates around its own core.”

“This knowledge about outer space makes it so beautiful, that is
easy to feel humble looking at it. A thousand years ago, the human being would
find it impossible to use computers, cell phones, aircrafts, submarines and
many other appliances and machines, which are routine in the present time. So
when you get to planet Vida, you’ll see how we have are evolved. But for you,
Nicolas, who studies physics, everything will be wonderful, especially our
relationship with the environment and the new forms of energy.”

They continued to look at the stars in the sky and tears flowed from
Zara’s eyes. She missed her family and her home, which was so distant in her
galaxy. Nicolas promptly wiped her tears with a handkerchief and asked her:

“What is it, dear? What makes you cry?”

“I’m remembering of my loved ones, in my planet.” Answered her, willing
to disguise how much she missed them.

This made Nicolas thought how painful would it be for her to have to
move away from her world to live her life beside him. Trying not to be sad by
her memories, she continued to talk about the stars:

“Here in the northern hemisphere sky, we can clearly see my galaxy,
M31, in the Andromeda constellation. You can also see the Ursa Major constellation,
with seven major stars, that one with a square and a tail to the left side. Watch
it.” She said looking up with attention, snuggling in the arms of Nicolas. She
could feel the heart of her beloved pounding and knew that, deep inside, one
day they could be happy, if it wasn’t for the difference between their worlds.

“How beautiful is the immensity of the sky, especially on a night
like this.” Added the boy.

“That’s the constellation Ursa Minor, with a square, a tail facing
up, and the star Polaris in the top, indicating north. But, in the southern
hemisphere, there are also very beautiful stars.”

“We could synchronize our watches and go to some country of the South
America and to enjoy the night.” He suggested.

His young and wild spirit together with the curiosity of knowing his
own world better, really appreciated everything together with Zara.

She was thinking about the dangers of moving away from the rest of
the group, but thought about the moment she was living and soon agreed.

“And where will we go?” She asked.

“Let’s go to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Corcovado, where the Christ the
Redeemer is. The view from there is amazing. They say that the landscapes of mountains
mingle with the beauty of the sea creating an ecological paradise.”

They synchronized their watches to the correct latitude and
longitude and, in an instant, they were in the desired location. They
materialized at the top of the stairs of the Christ the Redeemer, contemplating
the beautiful landscape of the city of Rio de Janeiro. It didn’t take too long
and they were already fixing their eyes in the southern sky. A couple who was
kissing and drinking something sitting at the restaurant table, on that place
during the evening, saw them appear out of nowhere, and the woman said:

“Did you see what I saw? That couple came out of nowhere.”

“Are they spirits or real people? Is there something wrong with our
drinks?” Asked the man throwing away the beer that was in his glass.

“We’d better get out of here.” Said the woman.

Zara ignored the couple because she heard them say they would leave.
Besides, she didn’t intend to stay there for too long. Then she began to
describe the constellations of the heavens of the South American continent:

“That constellation of four star in the shape of a cross is the Crux.
There’s a fifth star called
Intrometida
, which means Intrusive in
Portuguese.”

“The names of the stars are Acrux, Gacrux, Mimosa, Pálida and Intrometida,
which is the smaller one. The biggest part of the cross points to south and was
widely used by mariners in the past.”

“That’s why the Crux is part of the flags of several countries in
the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea and New
Zealand.” Nick commented.

“Up above, we see the Three Mary’s, which are those stars aligned.
They are part of Orion’s belt. The names of the stars are Mintaka, Alnilam and
Alnitaka. They have a very strong light. To the North of the Three Mary’s, you
can see the Betelgeuse star, and to the south, the Sirius star.”

“Yeah, you know the sky of our planet very well!” He said,
surprised.

“It couldn’t be different, because for a traveler, to know the ways
is an obligation.” Zara replied. “Besides, astronomy is a required subject in
our schools.”

Nicolas, in fact, was really enjoying everything he heard, while he
stood staring at Zara’s blue eyes... That was the heaven he most admired.

Then, slowly he began to approach his lips and kissed her deeply, at
that moment, he forgot everything. He again felt the scent of jasmine that
pleased him so much, and he finally decided to ask:

“Zara, why do you always smell like jasmine?”

“In the future, I researched a lot about you and I knew that your
favorite scent was jasmine. So, I decided to use it to please you, which has
always my biggest purpose.”

Nicolas returned his lips toward hers. Then she put her finger on Nicolas’
lips and said:

“We have to get out of here and return to New York. Our friends will
be worried if we lose the contact. Let’s go, please, Nick.”

Although he was happy in the company of Zara and observing the
celestial firmament he admired so much, he knew it was necessary to go back.
Always thinking about his mother Loraine and his beloved sister Sophia, he
imagined how would they be, but he was oriented by Sivoc not to get in touch with
anyone. At least for now, he couldn’t leave clues for Merko’s team.

Besides, they also promised to bring Nicolas back to nearest time of
his encounter with Zara in the past, when they returned from the Planet Vida. In
other words, when he returned his disappearance wouldn’t be noticed by anyone.

So, they synchronized their watches to return to New York.

They met their friends in the apartment, where they gathered,
customarily, to talk about the latest events in safety.

Some drinks and food couldn’t be found on the planet Vida, which had
a restricted diet of pre-made food and lots of pills. There wasn’t the same flavor
provided by our foods. So, Nicolas ordered a delicious pizza, which would be
accompanied by a special wine. An explosion of flavor that all aliens began to love.

With each passing day, the boy introduced to his new friends all the
diverse cuisine that was in the city where they were hidden. The aliens were
pleased with the food and dishes of all kinds, with the gastronomy from nearly
every country in the world. Those were unparalleled flavors that their palates
weren’t accustomed to feel. In addition, tours to cinemas, theaters, bowling
alleys and other entertainments made their visit to our planet very pleasant.
This pleasure was completely new. They only knew the history of their
ancestors.

***

On a Sunday, Nicolas invited his friends to go to a huge amusement
park that was in the city. The rollercoaster was kilometric. The boy challenged
them to the adventure and everyone looked at each other nervous. Tibor said:

“This is easy for me. I’ll buy five tickets.” So he ran to the box
office.

Zara was afraid, but decided to let the adrenaline rush. They all
went to the rollercoaster and returned disheveled and agitated.

Nicolas invited Zara to ride a Ferris wheel and when they were up
there, he showed the beauty of the city to her, what ended up creating a
romantic mood. When they stopped, they kissed with passion. It was amazing to notice
the adrenaline of his lover, and also introducing her the good things of his
world. He felt complete beside her and wished immensely that such moment didn’t
come to an end.

***

On another occasion, Nicolas took Zara to watch a movie that she enjoyed
a lot. It was a novel and the meeting was very nice, with popcorn and soda,
while they played and talked about nothing important. When he discovered that
she liked the cinema and that her favorite movies were the romances, the boy
decided he would take her to enjoy that kind of entertainment whenever
possible.