Teardrops In The Night Sky (Steven Gordon series) (3 page)

Chapter 5

T
hey had hid beneath the veil of the Moon for many years, but time meant little to them, for they had no heart to tell them different.  Watching, waiting and gathering data beamed into space from the blue planet below. 

They had watched the launch of many satellites and small craft that would orbit the planet a few times then return.  A few had ventured as far as the Moon only to return almost immediately. 

They found their behaviour strange.  There was evidence that man had already landed on the small Moon, yet none seemed to have returned.  For a while they had been worried that the race below had no desire to explore deep space. However once they found how to decode some of the signals coming from below, they found the race indeed had a deep desire to leave their planet.

It had been very confusing.  The inhabitants of their own planet had been as one.  One culture, one language one colour, but they surmised their world was completely different.  There were no great oceans dividing con
tinents as below and the seasons barely differed.

What frightened them most was the level of violence displayed by all of the creatures on the blue planet.  There's had been a planet of herbivores.  No two species competed for the same food source and farming had been the earliest discovery.

As the years passed they were able to distinguish between fact and fiction and what the humans regarded as history and entertainment.

They had come across other alien races in their travels.  Most were as peace loving as their hearts, but one species had proved as violent as the one below and for the first time their hearts had been forced to consider using the weapons they had installed in case of such an emergency.

It was the same species that had chased them into the great barrier where the strange radiation had at first crippled every member of their crew then killed them.  What was even more surprising was that radiation was very common in this part of the galaxy and the planet below was bombarded by it daily with no ill effect to the occupants.

The discovery had started many months of discussions about the possibility of re-crossing the deadly belt and returning home.  If there was one thing they readily agreed on was the fact that the race below would easily stand up to the race of villains who had pursued their crews to their death.  It gave them a strange sense of ease.

It was the level of violence and the reaction to their appearance that had kept them in a quandary for years.  In the end they realised they had little choice.  The only question left was where.  In that to they soon realised they were left with little choice.  The one thing they both decided readily on was to land at a civilian base not a military one.

Finally there was nothing left to discuss and in an instant they left the sheltering Moon.  It only took them a few minutes at a relatively slow speed to reach the waiting planet.

They could have descended straight to their target, but had decided on a long approach to alert as many of the civil population as possible.  In this they hoped salvation lay.

As they came into land she suddenly became aware of the running figure below.  Fear jolted her.  Would her first ac
t be to squash one of the human race? 

‘Watch out,’ he warned.

‘I see it.’  She braked harder.  As her mate came to rest on the planet Earth she was able to hover just above the figures head.  She was surprised as she immediately felt the man’s fear.  He stumbled to a walk as she began to transmit what she hoped was a soothing signal.

She was mesmerised by the small figure.  ‘The thought waves of these humans are strong.’

‘Have you touched him?’

‘No.’

‘Really and you can still feel his thoughts?’

‘Yes.’

‘We were not prepared for that.’

‘It is too late now.’

‘Better than not being able to read their thought waves I suppose.  If they become intrusive we can always tune them out.’

‘Yes.’

She shied away as he reached up, ‘he has much courage this one.’  Then she heard his apology and something touched her deep inside.  They had studied this language intensively.  As yet they had no way of communicating directly, but they could understand.

She felt a longing and lowered herself just enough.  The connection was immediate and the longing became an indescribable yearning. 

‘I have found a new heart,’ she cried.

‘Caution,’ he warned, ‘you have been without a heart too long.  We have discussed this.  The hierarchy of this world will not allow us to pick our own hearts.’

‘Oh so much pain, how can he endure it?’

‘Cut the connection.’

‘I cannot.’

‘You must.’

‘No never, this one will be my new heart.  I can feel it.’

He was becoming angry, ‘don’t be stupid, break the connection.’

She ignored him and was talking to the small figure that stood with his hands against her hull, ‘do not worry little one, I will take the pain away.’  She knew he could not hear her words but believed she transmitted her feelings, but contact was lost as events began to overtake them.

Chapter 6

F
ear leapt into Buzz’s throat as two very tuff looking air force men backed by a tank waved him down.  This was the third checkpoint in a mile.  What the hell was going on?  His ID was checked again against a list.  This time another Air force man got in beside him and directed him to the back of the institute but not before Buzz caught a glimpse of the two large silver objects in the main building car park.

‘What the hell is that?’

‘Don’t ask.’  The man growled.

Fighter jets roared overhead and Buzz realised even the air above them had been cordoned off.  He was guided into the building through one of the emergency fire exits. 

A hard bitten Army Colonel in a jet black uniform and armed to the teeth met him there, ‘are you Buzz Anderson?’

‘Yeah, what's going on?’

His question was ignored, ‘You got a man by the name of Steven Gordon working for you.’  It was more of a statement than a question.

Buzz felt a stroke of panic, ‘where is he?’

The Colonel turned away, ‘this way.’

‘Is he ok?’

‘Yeah he’s fine.’

He followed the Colonel down familiar corridors.  As they entered the nerve centre of the institute, more uniforms became evident.  They entered a large conference room to find high-ranking officers of every branch of the US Armed Forces, arguing with scientists and politicians about jurisdiction.

An Army General saw them first, ‘what the hell do you want Colonel Howe?’

‘This is Buzz Anderson
sir.  You wanted him taken straight up.’

The General seemed to relax a bit, ‘about time, now we might begin to make some progress.’

A small figure detached itself from the group and ran over.  There was grey in her hair now but Buzz thought Mary Gordon was still one of the most beautiful women he had ever met.

‘Oh Buzz I’m so glad you here.’

‘What the hell’s going on Mary, what's Stevie got himself into now?’

A small smile played across her lips and elevated a lot of Buzz’s concern, ‘you are not going to believe this.’  She looked across the room to the senior Army General.

He nodded, ‘Yes show him, it’s probably better he knows all the facts before he goes in there.’

The other men around the table nodded their accent and Mary dragged him from the room by his hand.

She took him up to the roof and without saying a word led him over to the edge.  His mouth dropped open at the sight.

‘My God, what are they?’

She shrugged, ‘space ships, alien visitors.’

‘Who are they, where are they from?’

‘We don’t know they haven’t tried to contact us yet.  They’re just sitting there.’

He scratched his head in wonder, ‘and they came here, not the Whitehouse.’

Mary frowned, ‘yes, that’s something that’s been puzzling us to.  This is the foremost centre for space research on the whole planet.  It has to be why they chose this spot to land.  So it’s obvious they have been watching us, but if they wished to make contact properly, why not the Whitehouse.’

‘Maybe they think all politicians are crooks and wanted to talk to honest people first.’

Mary laughed and a trooper who was hovering close by turned to hide a smile.  It took her a moment to compose herself.  ‘That’s a thought that had already crossed my mind, but I’ve never had the guts to say it out loud.  However I don’t think it’s that.’

‘So what do you think it is?’

‘I’m not sure, but I think they may have a problem only scientists can help them with.’

‘But we won’t know until a little green man pops out and tells us so, right?’

She smiled at his understanding, ‘right.’

‘Now what’s it all got to do with Stevie and me?’

Mary’s eyes shone, ‘Stevie touched one of the ships.’

‘What!’  Buzz exploded.

Mary laughed at his expression, ‘he’s ok, it’s just that he refuses to talk to anyone without you there.’

‘Why not?’

Mary shrugged again, ‘who knows Buzz, you know him as well as I do.  He can get some notion into his head and that’s it.’

‘Where is he?’ 

‘In one of the labs in an isolation chamber.’

‘I’ll bet that’s really what's pissed him off.’

‘No, it was necessary and I think he knows that.  Those people you met down stairs want to know if you’ll help.’

Buzz nodded, ‘of course I will.’
             

She took him by the arm, ‘let’s go then.’

Things moved quickly after that.  Buzz found himself standing inside one of those strictly no entry labs.  At the other end was a glass room.  Buzz could see Stevie sitting on a sterile cot with nothing on but a towel, the hundreds of scars he bore were now thin white lines that crossed his torso like a road map of the spaghetti junction.  Stevie’s face broke into a wild grin and he waved.  Buzz waved back.

A host of scientists and military men were laying out tables and recording devices.  He was held back until they were finished.

Finally they sat him at one of the tables.  A scientist depressed a button on a console and spoke into a mike.  ‘Can you hear us Mr. Gordon?’

‘Aye, hey Buzz, h
ow’s it going buddy.  Did they let you see it?’

Buzz suddenly realised why Stevie had insisted he come, ‘yeah bud, it’s cool.’  He hadn’t wanted his friend to miss out on the biggest thing that would probably ever happen to them.

‘I think they look like teardrops.’

Buzz nodded, ‘yeah I think that’s a pretty good description.  So what happened?’

Stevie laughed, ‘shit happened.’  Buzz found himself laughing too.  ‘It was just great.  I was out patrolling the car park.  Stopped for a moment to look up at the stars, you know as I do.’

Buzz nodded, ‘yep.’

‘Well then they just appeared.  Well not out of thin air like.  I thought it was a shooting star at first, then a meteorite; all burning up as it came through the atmosphere, but then it turned towards me and split in two.  Then they stopped burning and turned into a very bright light.

Then all of a sudden I realised they really were heading right for me, and I thought; I’d better get to hell out of here and started running.  I never made it.

One came down to the right of me and landed, then just as I thought I was going to be squashed flat the one above me stopped.’

Steven stood up and demonstrated, ‘it was just this high above me, and I thought to myself, hey I could touch it and I tried but it jerked right up out of reach…’

A scientist interrupted him, ‘excuse me Mr. Gordon, but why did you want to touch it?’

Stevie shrugged, ‘it was there.’

Buzz burst out laughing and the scientist took a deep breath, ‘I mean did you feel a great compulsion, to touch it.  A strange compulsion, an unearthly compulsion.’

Steven frowned for a second, ‘no it was like when you go to look at a new car and you see one you like.  You just want to touch it sort of thing.’

‘A normal compulsion then Mr. Gordon?’

Steven shrugged, ‘yeah, I suppose.’

The silence drew out as Steven waited for another question.  It never came.  Suddenly the scientist realised what he was waiting for and shifted uncomfortably, ‘please go on Mr. Gordon.’

  However Steven had completely lost track of what was going on, ‘what?’

Buzz realised what was happening and intervened, ‘wait a second Stevie.’  He turned to the scientist, ‘don’t interrupt him again.  Wait until he’s finished his story and then ask him questions.  You’re just going to get him confused, ok?’

The scientist flushed a little, ‘sorry.’

He turned back to Stevie, ‘go on with your story Stevie, it jerked up out of the way when you tried to touch it.’

The light rekindled in Stevens eyes, ‘aye that’s right, it shoot up a couple of feet, just out of reach.  I thought like, oops, I had offended it.  So I said I was sorry and it did the damndest thing.  It came right back down to me.  I think I only startled it.’

Buzz saw a dozen heads come up bursting with questions, but a cutting look stifled them.

Steve went on not noticing the byplay, ‘so I tried again and this time it let me touch it. 
It was amazing Buzz, I think it understood me.  It felt a bit like glass, but warm, and I got this really strange feeling …’

Stevie faltered and Buzz realised he was struggling to find the right words and decided to prompt him.  ‘What kind of feeling Stevie?’

Steven’s legs swung idly and his brow knotted with concentration as he tried to bring up a comparison, ‘remember when you told me about the time you met Jenny?’

‘Yeah I remember.’

‘You told me that the first time you touched her it felt so right.’

Buzz flushed a little, ‘yeah that’s right, like it was always meant to be.’

Steven smiled strangely, ‘That’s how it felt man, real special.  Like it was right, you know?’

Buzz nodded his understanding, ‘Yeah Stevie I know.  Then what happened?’

‘Not too much, I walked out from underneath it and it landed proper.  Then the shit really hit the fan.  That new guy appeared, Sandiman.  He pulled his pistol at me and was screaming for me to back off from it.  Then Greg and Rex arrived on the scene and started screaming to.

Greg sent Rex after me to try and drag me away but Rex took out Sandiman instead.  Sandiman was then going to shoot Rex and Greg was going to shoot Sandiman if he tried it, I decided I had better try and stop it all before it got out of hand.

So I went over and punched out Sandiman.  He fell over in front of Rex who decided he still didn’t like him much and took a chunk out of his ass.  Then everyone seemed to arrive at once.  I was dragged off and by some of the scientists who had shoved those contamination suits on and slung me in here, and that’s about it.’

Buzz sat stunned but was able to take a mental note to fire Sandiman if he ever tried to come back.  He looked to the scientist opposite for inspiration.

‘I think that’s all we’ll need you for at the moment Mr. Anderson, thank you.’

Stevie shot up off the cot, ‘you're not going are you Buzz?’

‘I thought I might just go and get a coffee buddy, try and get my head round all of this.’

There was real fear in his eyes, ‘you won’t let them drag me away somewhere else will you?’

Buzz placed a hand against the glass, ‘they try and take you anywhere; they’ll have to go through me first.  I promise.’

Stevens face relaxed, ‘thanks, and don’t let them damag
e those ships either Buzz, they’re friendly.’

Buzz frowned, ‘you sure about that Amigo?’

‘That ship could have squashed me like a bug, it didn’t.  I know it’s friendly.’

Buzz nodded, ‘that’s good enough for me, but that’s well out of my hands.  I’ll try and do what I can though.’

The simple look of trust in Stevie’s eyes almost broke his heart.