Eden (6 page)

Jenny copied them, becoming tangled in the strange terminology. The alien man looked pleased at her attempt at his language. He yawned again, and closed his eyes.

He looked peaceful, and Jenny watched as his huge chest rose and fell in a gentle motion.

She wondered whether she should leave. But it was so warm here and she was so comfortable. She couldn’t bear to go back the confines of the buggy, not yet.

She told him about her mother, and of her famous father;
the
Zack Bodie, the astronaut who successfully mined for lunar water - pockets of water left over from billions of years ago on the moon, and whose footsteps she was walking in.

She knew he couldn’t understand a word she was saying, even if he was listening but it was a comfort to talk about her parents, and to think back to the days where she was invincible. She almost laughed at that.

After a while, with her belly full of food and with the warmth of the fire close by, her eyes began to grow heavy. The alien was clearly asleep, and unable to resist the temptation she lay down and closed her eyes.

*

He opened his eyes, wondering why she had stopped talking. She was asleep, laying on her side, with her hands a cushion for her head. She looked so childlike and vulnerable he knew it would be easy to crush her.

He had been taking things slow, and gently forcing her into accepting his presence. It had been a challenge on his character but he was pleased with himself so far.

He hadn’t understood much of her chatter for she had spoken too fast for him to catch many of the alien words. But he’d understood she’d spoken of home, and of her childhood. This pleased him for it made him
realiz
e all the studying he was doing of the human
’s
language was working.

When she woke she felt confused by her surroundings. For a moment she thought she was back home in England and in her bed. She sat up blinking, and visibly jumped when she saw the alien. He was leaning against a boulder sharpening an already lethal looking spear.

From his position Jenny saw a variety of scars on his shoulders. They stretched down his back and disappeared into the waistband of his raggy trousers.

The fire had burnt down to ash, and Jenny shivered.

The alien turned and looked at her. He drove the spear into the hard ground beside him, causing Jenny gasp. As if remembering he was supposed to act gentle, the alien held up his hands and attempted another smile.

Jenny wasn’t sure she liked his smiles.

She stood up, feeling flustered. “Thank you for the food a-and company,” she said almost automatically.

The alien reached for the computer.

“I
’ll
, er, go and leave you to it, then,” Jenny said, and pointed to the spear. Cheerfully she added, “You know, lots to do, and all that.

Fires to make, spears to sharpen.”

The alien looked at the spear, and then back at her. He seemed confused. He spoke into the small computer, “Come tomorrow at dawn, and I will share my kill with you again. “

Jenny licked her parched lips. “Share your, er, k-kill?”

The big alien man consulted his computer. “Eat with me tomorrow,” he said. “Sun rise.”

Jenny nodded,
realiz
ing she’d been summoned.

EIGHT

As she drove the short distance to the spaceship, Bodie came on air. When she heard his voice she knew he wouldn’t understand this new and dangerous friendship she had with the alien, so she deliberately kept her talk about Taurus and the problems they had with it.

Come tomorrow at dawn, he had said. She couldn’t get the alien
’s
words out of her mind.

She had fallen into a restless sleep as the sky brightened whilst wondering if the alien had made his kill or, and the thought plagued her constantly, whether he had fallen victim to the wolves” wide jaws and snarling teeth, and now dawn had long changed into daytime.

She stopped the buggy at the top of the decline, and looked across at the spaceship. Its size still sent a thrill through her veins, even though the sight of it was becoming familiar.

She climbed out and began to walk and slide down the slope. She was afraid she was too late and had missed him. She wondered what his name was, and what he was doing here. Had his race simply been exploring too?

The door to the spaceship was closed. Hesitating, she knocked and stood back primly.

Feeling his presence, rather than hearing it, Jenny turned. The alien was standing at the top of the hill looking down. His long hair was taken by the wind and whipped across his face; he brushed it away as he continued his appraisal of her in silence.

The animal skins he wore hung loose from his upper body, but they didn’t conceal the weapons hanging from a twine belt around his waist. They were crudely made; probably from bone and wood. The vision, he portrayed for Jenny at that moment, was one that made her want to bolt away and as fast as she possibly could, and hide.

But she couldn’t. He was standing beside her only transport and shelter, and without his help she would die.

Or die at his hands?

She shivered, but found her legs moving towards him.

As she reached the top, he turned around and began to walk towards the dense forest.

Soon they were inside the wood, and enveloped within its green surround. The alien turned a few times to see if Jenny was still behind, but he didn’t slow his pace. She tripped and fell twice in the tangle of foliage, and cursing beneath her breath, had to hurry after his quickly disappearing figure.

“Not so considerate now, eh,
Mr.
Alien?” she muttered crossly, after she’d slipped up to her knees a cold marsh. She pulled her legs free, holding her boots on to her feet as the bog tried to claim them, and trying to look which way the alien was heading at the same time.

Just three or four paces in front and she would quickly lose him among underbrush and find herself alone beneath the canopy of dark, dank towering trees.

Or not alone; the lone howl amongst the chattering creatures above in the trees made the threat to her safety a very real one. She scurried after the alien.

She passed many of the giant killer-flower, and was careful to avoid them. She was interested to notice the alien was also as wary.

Soon they came to a clearing with a wide view of a lake, which, at first glance, she thought was an ocean. In the distance, a truculent flood of water gushed over a high wall of rock with such force it left her breathless. And even from where she stood its spray dampened her hair. Tall feather like reeds in oranges and reds grew from the bottom of the lake like some kind of alien giant water flower.

The trees weren’t as dense here, and sunlight fell on her cool skin and warmed her. She noticed most of the dry, spiny bush was covered with tiny buds and wondered what type of flower or fruit would follow. She looked around. It really was a beautiful place, almost tranquil.

She looked across at the alien; he was crouching beside an unlit fire. He lit it, and carefully began to build the fire up. An animal, already prepared, was on a spit above.

A spot on the ground by her feet startled her and broke the spell she was under. She was standing in a puddle of dark blood. She moved away, crossed her arms tightly around herself, and watched as the alien settled himself beside the fire.

He didn’t look once at her, but continued to stare into the flames. Jenny moved nearer to its warmth, but made sure the fire was between them before she knelt on the cold ground. As if hot, the alien removed the top half of his clothes, and Jenny had a delicious view of his chest and abdomen again. She scowled. He was doing it on purpose, the trollop!

She giggled to herself, wondering if the air was addling her brain. She sobered when she found his strange stare on her, and turned to watch the fire.

They sat in silence, watching the flames lick at the carcass on the spit. Soon the meat began to cook, and the smell made Jenny
’s
mouth water.

Moving towards the fire the alien unleashed claws from his fingertips and hacked out a chunk of meat. He pushed the almost raw meat into his mouth, and while the fire spat as fat dripped down onto it, a trickle of blood ran down his chin; he brushed it away. He turned the meat, and sat back on his haunches.

At that moment, she would’ve given in to her fear and ran, but looking in the direction they had travelled she wondered which she feared more: the forest and its hidden dangers, or the alien.

Taking control of her breathing, she forced herself to relax. He wasn’t out to harm her, she told herself. He has claws, so what? So do Labradors.

The alien took out the computer. He spoke into it in his one- syllable, clipped voice. The machine played-back his alien words in English: “Have you tried the transmitter from your vehicle?”

Jenny glanced over at the computer cum translator he held. She had no option but to move closer so she could speak into it. She did so reluctantly and spoke deliberately into the device: “Yes.”

“They are not coming back for you?”

Jenny cleared her throat. “Our craft is having technical problems.”

The alien seemed intrigued although his face remained blank and unmoving as Jenny explained as simply as she could what had had happened.

“The asteroids brought our craft down,” he said.

She looked up in surprise. “Were you exploring the planet,
too?”

He ignored her question. “Can your craft be repaired?” He was definitely interested.

“I hope so, if only for those left onboard.” Of course he was interested, the thought thundered in her brain. How could she have been so dim? He wouldn’t allow her rescue, all he wanted was Taurus for himself.

“Why only for those left onboard?” he asked. “I do not understand the reason. “

“I could survive here, they can’t if their provisions and air run
dry.”

“You have concern for them?”

“Of course.”

She saw something flash in his eyes. It could have been surprise, but she wasn’t certain.

Without replying, he checked the meat again. This time, with a knife. When she looked closer, she saw the knife was made from antler, like the spear yesterday, and shaped and sharpened to its deadly appearance.

There was a box on the ground, which she hadn’t noticed until he moved towards it and carried it over to the fire. Reaching in, he took out a tall, spouted white canister, which he held it out to her.

“Fill, water,” he instructed.

After she had done as he’d asked he took the filled canister from her and emptied in a powder. Then he replaced the lid and put it in the
center
of the fire beneath the spit. After a while, when Jenny was almost drooling, he brought out a flattened, cleaned stone as before, and sliced off several pieces of meat onto it and handed it over to her. She tucked in with a hunger that frightened her. Her stone plate was empty all too soon, and as she waited in silence, she was rewarded with more meat.

“This is delicious,” she said, and watched the alien shift his plate to his other thigh, so he could use the computer. “Were you the ship
’s
chef?”

She waited while her voice was translated, he cocked his head as he listened, and then spoke into the voice box. It said:

“I was an electrical engineer. My cooking expertise is limited to throwing an animal on an open fire. Anyone who is hungry could do that.”

“I couldn’t.”

He looked at her with his usual expressionless face, and spoke without the need of the voice box. “Did you evolve or de-evolve?”

She grimaced. “It sounds that way, doesn’t it? We’ve become so used to technology that we’ve forgotten our basic existence.” She paused,
realiz
ing what had been disturbing her. “You don’t seem surprised at my presence here. I think you knew about the Human

Race, already?”

“We have known of human existence from.” he studied the small computer, “Homo Erectus. But were not able to visit until your early species of Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, made their appearance.”

Jenny gasped. “Visit?”

A slight movement of his upper lip revealed startling white teeth, and the snarl was more pronounced. “That was our first and last voyage, but we continued to study you over the years from probes left embedded in the ground. But it was not a successful study.”

“Why?”

Wind carried hair to his mouth, and he brushed it away absently. “According to research you still live in mud huts, and make fires from rubbing flints. But we were correct knowing you would succeed the Neanderthals. You evolved with a rate that has probably left us behind,” he continued.

“We don’t even know you exist!” Jenny looked at him, mentally hugging herself. They were having a conversation! Because of the computer translation, it was long and drawn out, but a proper conversation all the same. It was amazing.

“What
’s
your name?” she asked.

“Flitespinter.”

Or that
’s
what she thought he had said. They were sounds her tongue failed to move round. Jenny tried to repeat the unfamiliar words, but her pronunciation came out all wrong. All she could seem to manage was “Fly”, and that
’s
what she decided she would call him.

“You are a long way from Earth to explore one planet,” the computer said after he had spoken into it.

“We’ve been studying this planet for years. Actually, this is our first manned mission away from our solar system. Is your planet near? Surely, they are looking for you?”

“The mission failed.” His words were even more clipped than usual. “To come for one is wasteful.”

Jenny felt a chill.

He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, and put his plate on the ground.

“More?” he asked, without the need of the computer.

It had been the second time he had spoken in English without it, and Jenny admired him in his ability for picking up her language so quickly. She declined his offer of more food, eagerly asking, “Tell me about your world?”

Fly looked at her askance as he sat up on his knees. “Reporting back to Earth?”

Jenny flushed. “I’ve told you, your presence hasn’t been revealed.”

“Why?”

The sudden question threw her. “Because Bodie
’s
embarrassed about leaving me here - in fact my absence from Taurus hasn’t been reported, either.”

His stare was penetrating. “I do not understand. You are
jeopardizing
your life to ease somebody else
’s
discomfort?”

“What good would it do? I’d still be stuck here.”

He abruptly lurched forward on his knees, and Jenny shrank back in alarm, reminding herself how nervous she was of him. But he had only moved towards the fire, and using a stick and his knife, he lifted the canister out of the flames. It was as white as when it was first placed in the blaze.

Digging into the box once more, he brought out two large synthetic looking cartons, the sort that had contained the dry food. They were empty and clean and, smoothing the ground, he placed them down and poured a reddish brown liquid into each from the canister. He gave a carton to her.

She sniffed appreciatively. It was a beverage of some kind. She drank half without taking a breath. It was hot, not lukewarm like her coffee, and had a strong, rich
flavor
. When she took it from her lips Fly was watching her. His eyes flickered to her hand. The cut, from the thrown bottle, was still visible.

“I have caused you many injuries,” he said with the aid of the computer.

Jenny looked across at him, licking her lips of the liquid. “The bruises are nothing considering you saved my life.”

He raised the translator towards his mouth and said, “You are a strange species. You are not blaming your companions for abandoning you, and although I sense fear, I cannot feel any animosity from you towards me.”

“Why should I feel animosity?”

“If our roles were reversed I would set out to destroy you.”

Her hands shook around the carton she was holding. She lowered it to the floor.

“I was speaking indirectly,” he said to her obvious fear. “I only meant that I would not trust someone like myself. “

“What makes you believe I won’t kill you?”

There was a silence after her words were played back, which made Jenny wish she could retract them. A low rumble of laughter amazed her, and as she watched he threw back his head and laughed.

Jenny wasn’t certain if she should feel glad she hadn’t offended him, or insulted that he obviously found the idea of her killing him so amusing.