Homesick

From the shuttle bay camera monitor, the approaching pod first appeared as only a tiny speck on the horizon of the planet, but gradually grew larger, revealing its diamond shape. Ian stared dutifully at his control screen as he lined up the computer model of the shuttlepod with the guide-marks on the target display. Tiny jets of thrust were fired with each adjustment to orient the pod for capture. In preparation for its arrival, the gyro engine had been halted, causing the ship’s gravity to disappear. In the pilot’s cone the sensation was far less jarring, but they could feel the brakes engage. The room rocked briefly as the ship re-oriented itself and regained its inertia.

Scott scrutinized every move Ian made, barely blinking as the ship filled the bay view and the retrieval claws extended. All felt the metallic “clunk” as the pod was gripped and pulled inside.

“Don’t pressurize,” Sally said. “We’ll do that from down there.”

“But that’s what he’s supposed to do!” Scott protested in child-like innocence.

“Look, 4702, I got them here, didn’t I?”

He nodded.

“I won’t hurt them. I just want to finish this procedure from the departure deck. Okay?”

He eyed her suspiciously, seeming more confused than ever.

Sally turned to Ian. “Get the gyro turning, close the outer door, and meet me down there.”

Scott watched in bewilderment as Sally leaped away. Rather than walk the corridor or crawl the long ladder way from one end of the ship to the other, Sally took hold of the gyro rod like a fireman’s pole and pushed off from the pilot’s cone even as she could begin to feel it turn. She remained weightless, only touching to rod lightly as she glided to the opposite end of the ship. She broke her fall by grasping the end of the gyro housing and letting her body flip end-over-end, finally resting in a standing position on the hatch leading to the departure deck. Grasping its edges with her toes, she bent to unlock it and swing it open, propelling herself through in the same motion. Inside, she pushed herself down to the spinning floor and gripped one of the recessed handrails. This caused her to rejoin the spinning of the ship and gravity returned.

Only one of the floor hatches was red, and she managed to land right next to it. She peered down inside, inspecting the bay’s contents as if she were looking into a pit of serpents. Now the glowing red hatch and the vacuum between it and the shuttlepod were the only remaining barriers protecting them from their unwelcome guests. The ship had been fully retracted into the bay, looking smaller than usual without its legs and main motor. Sally reached down and opened the environmental panel, preparing to pressurize the bay.

Ian was next into the departure deck, carrying Scott in tow. Vlad appeared last, holding the wiry headsets.

Sally grabbed hers and fastened it. “Give them these right away. Don’t bother with Scott, he can understand them.” She then threw Ian a furtive glance and gestured at his belt, watching to see that Scott hadn’t noticed. Ian nodded.

She looked from Ian to Vlad, as if preparing to ask a question but not knowing who to ask. “Vlad,” she decided. “Watch him.” Ian gently pushed Scott over to him, though he first tried to step out of the way. He finally grabbed hold of him, trying not to look him in the face.

“I like what I see,” Poole commented, appearing in front of Sally. “He’s beginning to reason. His goals aren’t good, but his mind is starting to work. And it seems many of his memories are still intact.”

Sally worked the keypad, releasing air into the bay. There was a satisfying “beep” when the pressure was equalized. The red light illuminating the door went out.

“Do we bother to decontaminate?” Ian asked.

Sally thought for a moment. “The air’s scrubbed, we’ve been inoculated, and we survived our own trip to the planet. We’ll sponge off after they leave and work it out with the UN when we get back.” She turned back to the panel to check the final status of the pressurization cycle. Then the hatch unlocked and slid open.

Daaarrm climbed up onto the deck with an aristocratic air, mounting the ladder slowly and thoughtfully, as if to make it clear that he was not in a hurry. Only when he finally stood on the deck did he acknowledge them with his eyes. He looked around the room with mild interest, as if trying to place a value on the materials and workmanship of the strange new vessel.

Sally tried to keep her expression neutral, standing slightly closer to him than the other crewmembers. It was then that a strange irony struck her. This was a momentous occasion. It was the first meeting between the people of Earth and an alien society. In the larger sense, it was not about her, Scott, or any of the four humans who stood in the cramped metal room. Sally was now an ambassador. Her name would be remembered next to Neil Armstrong, Christopher Columbus, and countless other landmark figures throughout human history. She was doing something now that had never been done before. It didn’t matter, of course, that she hated it.

The Master stood before them now in full color and without the imperfections of camera technology. On the screen, the paint on his face had looked featureless. Now they could see the subtleties of the design. The mark was not black, but an intricate mixture of rainbow colors that shimmered like the holographic art so popular among some of the subcultures of youth back on Earth. It was set off by what looked like white paint surrounding each element of the design. The mark was also raised, as if surgically attached to his forehead rather than painted on. He noticed their interest, perhaps taking it for awe. He grinned in response, revealing his decorated teeth, which now looked to be carved rather than painted. Their reaction to this featured slightly more concern, which he also picked up on. His teeth were engraved with images of skulls. Some were depicted with long, flowing hair of different styles, while others had a variety of head coverings. There didn’t seem to be a pattern to the designs, however, and not all his teeth were so decorated. His clothing also looked more interesting in the ship’s lighting. He wore what appeared to be a solid leather shirt with a striped leather jacket and pants. The stripes were green, earth, black, and white in tiger-like patterns. These stripes weren’t painted on, but rather were an elaborate patchwork of different color leather. The material itself looked extremely smooth and shiny, unlike any leather Sally had ever seen.

“Mistress Obiiilion will be a moment getting up the ladder,” he said with an overly polite smile. He then faced Sally after donning the headset. “Well, Captain, aren’t you going to welcome me onboard your ship? Is that not your custom?”

“Not in this case, Darm. You’re here. That will have to do.”

Sally turned at the sound of Scott whimpering. At the sight of Daaarrm he had bowed down so low he had fallen over. His eyes were wet with tears and were tightly shut. His smile had also returned and was sickening. Daaarrm went to him, as if concerned. Sally backed up to maintain her distance from him and yet keep both him and Scott in her field of view.

“Well, 4702, this must be uncomfortable for you indeed! All this soft clothing they make you wear, and I’ll bet they haven’t let you do anything useful since they caught you.”

Scott seemed unable to form words through his grief, but moaned in agreement.

“Well, we’re going to try to change all that, 4702. I’ve come here to try to get you home!”

Scott then began to sob uncontrollably at his words. Sally’s face grew red and Ian glanced away, as if out of respect for the man Scott once was. He checked the hatch for signs of Obiiilion.

“4702, you may touch me if you like. Would that make you feel better? Here, go ahead.”

Scott wiggled helplessly.

“Oh, but your arms are tied. Touch me with your face.” He extended his leg on the floor near Scott. He caressed the man’s boot with his cheek. His tears revealed a layer of dust. Seeing this, Scott tried to brush it clean with his hair.

“That’s enough!” Sally said, moving forward like a referee seeing a fowl. “Get away from him.”

“It’s what he wants, Captain. I’m trying to make him feel more comfortable. Can’t you see how sick you’ve made him?”

Sally then rushed to Scott and pulled him away from Daaarrm. Scott protested with squirming and shouting like a child being taken from a favorite pet.

“He’d be more comfortable if you let him attend us, Captain,” Daaarrm said with a grin Sally wanted to smash.

“Hold him, Vlad!” she said, pushing him towards him like a medicine ball. She then turned back to Daaarrm. “If I have to lock him in his room and sedate him I will!”

Daaarrm shrugged. “As you wish, Captain. This is your ship. But, if you really were his friend you’d think of how he must feel.”

It was then that Obiiilion’s head emerged from the hatch, red and sweaty. Her bloated and stubby, three-fingered hands grasped the lip of the door.

“4702! Would you like to attend me?” she asked, out of breath.

He looked up with fresh tears forming in his eyes. “Yes!” He struggled and pulled at his suit, sending his body into a multiple somersault.

Sally looked to Obiiilion and then back at Scott’s pathetic dance with new disgust.

“Come now, Captain,” Daaarrm taunted. “Have pity on your crew member. Let him attend your guests.”

Poole looked Sally in the eye from behind the man’s shoulder and nodded. “You’re going to have to do it. Either that or sedate him heavily, because that’s what he’ll need.”

“Release him, Vlad,” Sally said, still looking at Poole for guidance.

“Are you mad?”

“Oh, for once, just do it!”

The buckles clinked as Vlad undid them. He then unzipped the suit from the front and Scott sprang from inside drenched with sweat. He gently took Obiiilion’s hand and began to tug at her, but to no avail. The hatch was too small!

“You there!” she called to Vlad. “Attend me!”

Vlad stared open-mouthed.

“Go for it, Vlad,” Sally said, hiding a genuine smile. “That’s an order!”

Grumbling, Vlad took the woman’s other hand and together they worked her bulk through the hatch like a child might work a water balloon through the lip of a bottle.

In the confusion, Poole moved closer to Sally. “I’m going to have to leave you,” she whispered. “Bandwidth issues. I’ll be monitoring, but I can’t project myself here all the time without becoming a distraction, especially now that the translator units are fully engaged.”

Sally nodded, hardly taking her eyes off their new spectacle. Obiiilion wore a bead necklace that rattled between her massive breasts as she undulated through the hatch, her bulk rippling in huge waves. Once guided to a standing position, she brushed out the wrinkles in her jacket and bounced up and down on her toes experimentally, smiling in amusement at the low gravity. She almost completely ignored Sally, as if leaving her for Daaarrm to manage.

Her clothing was even stranger than Daaarrm’s. She wore what appeared to be a patchwork fur and leather outfit. The fur was coarse and of many different colors and textures. Even her moccasins appeared to be made of this same material. Her forehead mark matched Daaarrm’s in every detail, but she didn’t have the tooth carvings he did. Her teeth did, however, appear to have been altered. They looked slightly shorter overall and her canines were exaggerated. It was as if her teeth had been sharpened to help her chew food better. She stank badly from pieces of vomit caught in the course fur and from other bodily odors. Sally tried not to react, more out of concern for provoking Scott than out of politeness.

Vlad let go of her hand and stepped hurriedly back to the exit hatch, taking deep breaths with his face angled towards the open access way. He looked accusatively at Sally, who might have laughed under different circumstances.

Scott had worked his way behind his two Masters, reaching out to them hesitantly but not touching them. Sally, Vlad, and Ian faced off the other trio. Sally then stepped forward, taking the floor. “You two are now guests onboard the UNSS Kelthy. Now that you’re on my ship, I expect you to follow the rules of this vessel.”

Daaarrm grinned, as if she had just told a stupid joke. “And what might those rules be?”

“You don’t harm my crewmembers, including 4702. You leave any weapons you may be carrying right here on this deck. You go with us at all times. And, when we feel this visit is concluded, the two of you will go willingly back into that shuttlepod and return to your planet without resistance. Agreed?”

“We come in peace, Captain,” he assured her. “We carry no weapons. We’d love a tour of this beautiful ship of yours and I assure you we won’t outstay our welcome. But, after we’ve talked for a while, you might be surprised at how much we grow on you.”

“Ian. The gun.”

Ian pulled the gun from his belt for display. Scott jumped in sudden surprise and fear, positioning his body carefully in front of Daaarrm, who would have been the closest target.

“Don’t worry, 4702,” Daaarrm said, petting his head. “They won’t harm us.”

“This is a tool,” Sally said as if she were a teacher scolding a troublesome student. “It puts holes in things. A piece of metal, a tree, a window.” She paused for emphasis. “Or your head.”

She watched for a reaction, but was disappointed by Daaarrm’s usual smug smile. Obiiilion, in contrast, seemed to be ignoring her completely, springing from her toes and looking about the room vacantly.

“You have my word,” Sally continued. “If you follow our rules you will not be hurt. I intend for you to return safely to your planet.” She motioned to the gun. “But, if you try to harm us, Ian has orders to put as many holes in you as he can.”

Scott still stared wildly at the gun, constantly repositioning himself in front of Daaarrm.

“And don’t count on using 4702 as a shield!” Sally added with disgust.

“That would be a waste of a good brother,” Daaarrm said with a laugh. Then he put on a betrayed expression. “But we didn’t come here to pick a fight with you, Captain. We’re here to bargain!”

“Where’s your food?” Obiiilion demanded. “I want to try your food!”

“Perhaps we can see more of your ship,” Daaarrm suggested, ignoring her.

“Let’s go where the food is!” Obiiilion repeated. “I need to eat!”

Sally looked at them coldly for a moment, trying to ignore her outburst. “We’ll go to the mess hall to talk. Vlad, you go first. Darm, you’ll be next.”

She looked to Daaarrm. “Vlad can show you to the room. Once there, Ian goes. And then 4702 and I will follow you.

“As for you . . . Obilion . . . ” She looked at her, mentally measuring whether or not she could actually fit through the hatch.

“You will call me Mistress Obiiilion!”

“Whatever,” she said, still contemplating. “Just go behind me. And, Vlad, once we’re all there, start getting their ship ready for departure. I don’t expect this to be a long visit.”