continue ...
There was silence; complete and utter quiet.
Helena could not believe the temerity of the man ... or alien .. or creature. Whatever it was he was very sure of himself. And, unlike John Koenig, he did not mind displaying blatant, arrogant superiority.
Then Kano, struck still like the others, heard the insistent clicking of Computer. He looked down at his console. "We are registering a tremendous surge of energy from the alien spaceship. It's breaking free from the craft and heading to Alpha!"
All eyes, including a perplexed alien-Koenig, looked up at the screen.
Indeed, a ball of swirling light was jettisoned from the craft and was moving in their direction.
"An attack?" Morrow asked, snapping once again into their Controller.
"No." Kano hesitated, "Computer detects no weapons."
But that did not mean they were not hidden. Helena looked at Victor and read his mind.
"Go to Yellow Alert." Professor Bergman called.
"I am receiving a communication." Sandra said, tapping fingers over her keypad. "It is requesting permission to enter. They say they want to ..." she looked over to Paul, "... arrest a criminal."
There was a hesitation then all eyes fell on alien-Koenig.
He nearly chuckled. "My people - those in power - do not have a sense of humor." He then glanced at Helena and the other women near him, "But then again, neither do you."
The light rippled and twisted and appeared between the large double doors that separated the Commander's office and Main Mission.
Instinctively, the Alphans drew back, Victor taking Helena's arm and pulling her a bit behind him.
Tanya and Angela retreated once again, their backs to the far office wall as Boulder held Maria in his arms. No one knew what it really meant but suspected another rush of panic from the women. This alien energy appeared to have a bad effect on certain Alphans and Victor nearly asked the women to leave when he sensed Helena moving forward to stand unwavering beside him. She did not appear at all ill or harmed by the new presence. None of them did.
As before, the alien swirled and pulsated and even in its undefined state they sensed curiosity rather than evil or ill thoughts.
Victor moved forward, "You are trying to communicate?" he asked it.
"Of course it is." The alien-Koenig folded his arms in front of him, seeming peeved. "His name is Dre and he's asking you if he can take you over, as I have Koenig, to explain our situation."
"Victor, no." Helena grasped his arm. "You can't. We don't know what damage such a thing could do to your mechanical heart."
Then Boulder, releasing Maria, stepped forward. "Let it come into me." he said, courageously.
"Jim, I don't think you should either."
"Professor, I'm sorry but we need answers and, well, I am younger. Dr. Russell can tell you that I am in perfect shape." He glanced at Maria who appeared frightened for him. He said to her, "We need to know what exactly is going on here and I'm willing to do this." He gently reached up and touched her cheek and spoke softly, "Maria, you need to know."
She nodded, understanding but not liking his volunteerism any more now than when he first offered himself.
Jim Boulder walked to the alien form and everyone watched as he was enveloped. Boulder then turned about, walked two meters to his left, looking at them. As with John Koenig, the Alphans noted a small essence of light particles where Jim had originally been standing, the pure essence of a man who probably thought he was still waiting to be taken over.
"I am Dre." Alien-Boulder said. He looked at Koenig, "His name is Dyl and as I am sure you already know he is not your Commander."
Bergman said, "He said you were people in search of women - or females - to mate with and produce offspring."
"This is true. However, it was never our intent to take females, in this case, your women by force. Dyl belongs to a faction of our people who feels this is the only way to assure our survival ... but it is not our law!"
"Laws were meant to be changed!" the alien in Koenig's body barked, "We tried it your way and we were met with negativity. The only females who agree with our terms are from dying planets; desperate, gravely ill creatures who have no choice. Is that what we want? Or ..." He now looked at Helena. His vision then took in Angela, Tanya and Maria. "... do we want beautiful, strong, and healthy women ... Females who can give birth to warriors, strong perfect beings with intelligence and ..."
"Of course that is what we want." Dre's voice rose to met Dyl's, "But it must be voluntary or we will turn into our ancestors, vile degenerate beasts who mated not for love or purpose but because they had an agenda that was far less nobel than anything we imagine in the cosmos."
"He raped me." Maria said, her tone strong but tinged with dread. "There was no asking for permission." she told Dre. "He simply took me ... and I cried for him to stop!"
Dre nodded, "We suspected as much."
"Your cries were from passion, not fear or pain, my dear. Admit it." Alien-Koenig's voice had grown deep and sarcastic.
Stop it." Helena's voice was firm and angry. Yet, she remained in control of her fury. She spoke to Dre. "This body he has inhabited belongs to our Commander. He violated him too, taking him without permission. Dyl is neither charming or misunderstood. He is common and evil." she summed up. Helena looked steadfast but deep inside she harbored an appalling secret. When she thought Dyl was John Koenig, the man who physically needed her, she nearly felt an entitlement, despite the circumstances. In the past John had always been so guarded and for a brief time Helena began to wonder if they truly did have a future together.
But then he came to her quarters and he wanted her ...
What angered Helena most was Dyl's arrogant actions and words, the fact he had said he could easily go to another woman without her. His attention was not just for her but any other woman who might please him. That had seemed so unlike the man she had come to know and feel affection for. He was a man who would never attack her or any other woman. Yet, if the alien had approached her differently, had used gentle words of love ... would she have submitted?
When Helena had heard of Maria's rape and who she was accusing of the vile act her world shattered around her. She not only felt truly alone but injured and guilty. If she had only reported what John did to her that night instead of thinking it a personal problem between she and the Commander, Maria might not have ever been attacked.
Helena's mind was a jumble. She remained angry with herself for thinking the alien was truly John Koenig. She had already told John she should have known better and that foolishness on her part, that selfish pride, vanity, and a willingness to be deceived would stay with Dr. Russell for a long time to come. Strangely, the realization that John was invaded by an alien was nearly a relief and, even in that, Helena felt guilty. She had no business feeling relieved when so many others were in danger.
"You've come to take him back with you?" Victor asked.
"Yes."
"Will he be punished?"
Dre looked at alien-Koenig, at the haute expression on his face. "He is a mutineer and a traitor. Yes, he will be dealt with." He added, "Severely."
The arrogance left Dyl momentarily.
"I don't understand something." Paul Morrow came up the stairs. "How did he hope to get these women off of Alpha and on your ship without anyone noticing?"
"Dyl and his colleagues, we discovered, have done this a countless amount of times." Dre appeared to be searching for words, "We have never come across this behavior before. We did not understand it. For eons our people were good and at one with life forms in the galaxy. We did not see our people changing back into the beasts that were once our ancestors. It is a reverse evolution of sorts." He suddenly looked embarrassed, "That is our plight unless we can set it right for the next generation of our people. We are deeply sorry, Alphans."
"People without corruption?" Professor Robinson approached, leaving the wall she and Tanya were standing near. She appeared fascinated. "And faced with it you did not know what you were seeing?"
"We knew about such things from a nearly unspoken-of past but, when approached by Dyl and his people ... we merely thought it a knew way of thinking. Not corruption. We did not agree with it but did not understand that the thoughts had become loathsome actions." Dre replied. "We are a gullible people."
There was silence as what he said was digested.
"But now we will leave your people in peace." he said. Dre looked at alien-Koenig, "Come here." he demanded.
The smirk returned once again, "You will take me back, even punish me, but there are more of us than you. One day we will take control and there will be no stopping us in our very important mission." He paused as he started to pass Helena and, in a lower voice whispered: "You would have been my favorite." near her ear.
Helena flinched away from him as he proceeded.
"Now that we know what we are up against we will fight you to the end." Dre lifted a hand and placed it on Dyl's shoulder. He once again looked at Bergman, Helena and all the others. "Forgive us. Have peace in knowing this will never happen again ..."
"Not here, at least." Dyl's voice parted menacingly as the aliens faded away.
The transition was quick and painless.
Both Koenig's and Boulder's essences moved to their bodies just as that which was Dre and Dyl moved up and out, disappearing from the office and all in front of the other Alphans.
"Look!" Kano called, indicating the Big Screen. The same swirl of energy was departing Moonbase Alpha and returning to the odd spaceship. Koenig and Boulder came completely back to themselves as the Alphans watched the alien craft move off and away from them, quickly departing into the deepest reached of the galaxy.
Boulder hadn't realized his hand was still on Koenig's shoulder and he removed it.
"Are you all right?" Koenig asked him.
"Yes Commander ... you?"
Koenig nodded. Jim Boulder's own experience seemed to have made him understand the situation better than before. He also appeared as puzzled as Koenig. Neither truly understood what had happened but the others would soon fill them in.
Maria came to Jim and he held her. "He's gone." she whispered, "Gone." The hope in her voice was nearly childlike.
Dr. Mathias came to them, escorted the couple from the office, and dispensed some much-needed therapy.
The others left as well, the Main Mission staff going back to work, leaving Victor and Helena with John Koenig.
The Commander looked down at his hands and seemed disturbed for a moment.
"All's well that ends well." Victor summed up and gently slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Let's find a planet, a wonderful world to live on, and leave all of this ugliness behind, John."
Koenig nodded and tried to smile as he watched Professor Bergman trot down the Main Mission steps. He felt strange and not quite whole, yet not really angry either. He was numb. Their mission was the same and his people needed a strong, competent Commander, someone to show them the way. Yet lately he had been weak. Perhaps this was how the alien had so easily invaded him. Koenig decided he needed to put a stop to that. No more weakness. Only strength and resolve.
Helena continued to look at John, sensing something she was not sure she understood. It was understandable that he should be troubled and confused but their Commander and her friend seemed to also be withdrawing. "Is there something I can help you with, John? Do you need to talk?" she asked.
"No." his voice was suddenly firm.
"John?"
"Doctor," he looked away from her and walked back to his desk, "you can return to Medical Center. I am sure you are needed there."
She was a little stunned by his use of her title. They had been beyond that for sometime. Helena used her most persuasive voice, "Honestly, John. If you would like to talk in private we can. I would be more than happy to ..."
"No." he said again, making himself busy at his desk. "It's over and we have work to do."
Helena nodded slowly and a little sadly. She walked from his office, exiting out of the back door.
He was the Commander.
She was Alpha's Chief Medical Officer.
Whatever might have been there was over.
The concluding chapter will appear soon.
Thank you for all who have read and are commenting. Special thanks to those who have read my story in advance and dispensed helpful advice.