Contact

We must have made a strange sight as we walked into the canyon, hands above our heads, alone. A Seeker, gun holster empty, eyes shining in the setting sun. And a boy, a human, keeping as close to me as he could. Bhaskar. My son.

I questioned myself for the thousandth time. Was I doing the right thing? But it was plain I could not keep him in the city forever. The older he grew, the more frightened they became. I could see that one day, with his dark soulless eyes, there would be an accident. But I could not have him implanted. My heart was pierced with pain at the thought. No, we could not live with the Souls.

So we had to seek out the humans.

I scanned the sides of the canyons. I thought about what Alex had said. How groups of people could not exist close to the cities, but how they would depend on them for supplies. I remember him laughing with saddened eyes about how, before settlement, they'd complained about National Parks being surrounded by cities. But now they made the perfect retreats.

It would have to be large though, larger than the forests that hid Alex, with no watchful suburbs pressed against its borders. So it had to be south. Bhaskar and I had travelled south, searching out likely places, listening for stories of missing food, disappearing souls, sightings. No one thought that strange of a Seeker. It was, after all, my job.

And now, here we were, walking into the lion's den.

"What if they're not here?" Bhaskar whispered to my back.

"They're here," I replied, "can't you feel them watching us?" We walked on deeper into the canyon.

"What if they won't talk to us? What if they let us keep walking?"

"They'll want to talk to you," I said, "We'll make them talk to us." Did I ask for too much? I wanted everything for him – love, security, happiness – what mother did not? But on this world, nothing could be taken for granted.

A shot rang out on the canyon walls, and a pile of rocks clattered to the ground near my head.

"Mum!" Bhaskar shouted, leaping into my arms, burying his face in my shoulder. I held him with one arm and kept the other in the air. I slowly turned around on the spot, holding my breath. I heard a gun click amongst the boulders of the canyon wall. I froze.

"Let the boy go," said a gruff, terse voice.

"Mum, no!" Bhaskar shouted, gripping my shoulders in a death grip. His breath came in sobs that shook his body. I shushed him softly, kissing his forehead.

"I'm afraid it's not as easy as that." I said, trying to keep the fear from my voice. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just want to talk." My words reminded me of Alex, and I smiled shortly at the memory.

"Put down your gun!" the voice commanded.

"I don't have it on me," I called to the blind rockface, "I left it in the car." I bit my lip. Was that a mistake? But I did not want weapons on me here. Not with Bhaskar around.

"Don't move," said the voice, sounding closer now. The dusk was deepening around me and I never saw the two people approaching until they had grabbed my wrists and secured them tight behind my back. Bhaskar was shrieking and grabbing at me as others tried to pull him away. I fought panic not to be able to comfort him.

"Bhask, honey, Bhask it's ok, Bhask please-" My breath caught in my throat as I felt a gun muzzle pressed into my back. Bhaskar bit one of the hands that caught at him and attached himself limpet-like to my waist. I ignored the gun and leant down to him, trying desperately to soothe him. A voice sighed impatiently behind me.

"Looks like you're coming with us," the gruff voice said with a grudging note of resignation.

I was surprised at the mix of roughness and sophistication at their camp. Solar panels powered a television, a GPS, a laptop, next to grubby half-naked children sprawling in the dust. Bhaskar refused to have anything to do with them, and would not let me out of his touch.

I had learned that the gruff voice belong to a man who was called Boss by the others. He sat in folding chair opposite me, frowning, running his fingers over my gun. Bhaskar slept curled beneath my feet. They had found the car hidden where I had told them, filled with supplies I thought they might need, and as the days passed their expectation of a full scale attack had dwindled. The knee jerk reaction phase was over. Now the future reared its ugly head.

"We don't have a problem with the boy," Boss grumbled, "But you..." he shook his head. "We cannot live with an alien amongst us." I could see the strain this conversation – this whole situation – was having on him.

"I must admit," I whispered, "I thought you might feel like that. I had… I had thought of leaving him," I stole a glance at the body at my feet, but it made no move, "But now…" I shook my head. My forehead felt permanently creased with worry. I shifted uncomfortable in my bonds. He sighed.

"What do you suggest."

"I could help you. That food in the truck, it's easy for me to get. Medicines, clothing…" I tried to keep my voice measured and reasonable.

"You mean go on raids," Boss said, shaking his head, thinning his lips, "We could not trust you."

"I have come here with only the truth – "

"You are a Seeker!" He spat.

"I have not tried to hide that fact," I stressed, wishing he'd meet my eyes, "I have not hidden anything from you…" But I knew it was a moot point. I could not talk them into trusting a Seeker.

"I would have all the reason in the world to keep you safe! My son, I couldn't endanger him, you must understand-"

"You would leave him here as collateral?"

I bit my lip, not having really thought this far.

"Well it would be too dangerous for him on raids-"

"No!" shouted a determined voice at my feet, and suddenly Bhaskar was clinging vice-like to me. "Don't leave me Mum, please don't leave me!" he whispered fiercely. I squeezed my eyes shut and looked away from Boss, longing to hold my boy in my arms. Boss threw up his arms in exasperation.

"May I suggest a trial period, a week," I said desperately, "Let everyone get used to the idea, talk about it..." including me I thought, doubt looming cavernous inside me. "You've got enough supplies for a little while," I guessed, "Just, just give it a week." My eyes pleaded with him over Bhaskar's shoulder. Boss let out a breath.

"Fine," he said, getting to his feet, "a week".

The week passed slowly. I was kept tied except for meals and washing, though Bhaskar was free to come and go. He didn't though, he stuck to me like glue.

"Why do we have to stay here, mum?" he asked me in a small voice.

"These are your people," I tried to reason with him, "It will be better here-"

"They are nothing like me!" he countered, "They're horrible! They don't even like us!" he turned away from me, and my heart broke again.

Most of the people were out planting when the news report came on. A wild human captured in the northern forests. The few humans in earshot gathered around, watching with dread. I crept as close as my rope would let me; the pictures showed forests looking like those around our old town. I shook my head unconsciously, scanning every picture on the screen. A familiar skyline. A recognisable mountain.

"Oh God," I whispered, stomach plummeting, "Alex!" A picture of him, bound and haggard, flashed onto the screen, and seared into my memory.

"Bhaskar!" I hissed, urgently, quietly, "Honey, we need to get out of here." His face was instantly alert and focused.

"I need you to find me something to cut these ropes with, ok?" He nodded and was gone. I eased back close to the canyon wall, slipping into the shadows to wait, thoughts racing through my mind. Bhask was back quickly, easing past people with his head down, hiding a knife in his sleeve. But everyone had eyes only for the television. I bit on my lips while he sawed at the ropes. Surely someone would look. Surely someone would notice. But in a week, I had become no more worthy of notice than a rock; something to avoid stubbing your toe on.

It seemed to take hours, but then, I was free. I grabbed Bhask's hand with aching arms and slipped through the shadows along the wall, watching every face one after the other in succession, praying against hope they wouldn't look. And they didn't look. And we were passed them. And then we were racing down the canyon, hearts beating in our throats.

And then we saw Boss. Our Glock loose in his hands, his eyes staring at us in shock. Setting my jaw, I dropped Bhaskar's hand and ran straight for Boss, running into him hard. He hit the ground with a grunt and I kicked the gun away from him and scooped it up. Exhilaration flooded my body, I was giddy with hope. I heard Boss roar and yelled over my shoulder.

"Sorry Boss, trial week is over, it wasn't working out," I gasped past inane giggles, "Thank you all for having us!" Bhaskar's eyes met mine, both alive with glee as we flew out of the canyon. The car was exactly where we had left it, and it started first time.

We had been driving north as fast as we dared for over a day, but we were both exhausted and finally pulled into a motel. I was happy for the first time in years to be with my own kind. Thunderheads reared over the town as I got out of the car and booked the room, but the sunlight still streamed between them. We collapsed onto our clean, soft, air-conditioned bed in our own private room. Bhaskar was asleep as soon as he was horizontal, his face so happy and relaxed I could cry. My own worries etched my face, but could not keep me from sleep. As I relaxed into the quilt, my thoughts drifted back to when I met Alex for the first time…