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Chapter 25
Zelda
Truth
Sleep had been difficult last night and this morning the news seemed like a rewind of last night. Only it was different and no one wanted to talk about the difference. Zelda turns around and looks at the patrons sitting there drinking their coffee and eating pastries or sandwiches. None acted like the newscast last night had been real, rather they believe the terrorist attack story. Last night it was the Kristine person and this morning an older woman today spoke for the Visitors. When she asks their thoughts on all of this, they believe what they heard this morning. When she looks up she sees a tall young man with sandy blond hair smiling over to her and she nods her head. Then it comes to her, first he is standing at the entrance to the kitchen and second he looks just like George. Her head jerks up and she stares at him, it is George, he is not wearing a red uniform, he is dressed in jeans and a dark gray shirt. Looking down she can see he is wearing his boots, but no one seems to notice. Looking again at the jeans there is something off. It is only because she is looking for it that she realizes that the inside seam on the lower leg is different. Smiling as she walks over to him, Zelda realizes this is almost like velcro that is holding the cloth together and not stitching.
George reaches out and takes the dirty dishes from her and they walk towards the kitchen sink. Smiling he asks, "Do you mind if we visit for a moment." Then he gently places the dishes in the sink, "Hope this is where they go."
Nodding her head Zelda finds she could care less if there is food on the dishes. It astounds her that George isn't dressed as expected. Leaning over she tells Fred that she needs to leave for a moment and she can tell he recognizes George as well. Fred is leaving in a few days and she is going to miss him, but he needs to go back to his farm as the ones caring for it are leaving. Zelda doesn't blame him, he stayed for her while they first put together the cafe and then DO. It is time for him to go back home, but he is someone who is part of DO and supports the aliens idea of taking two ships and fleeing, or just leaving as Brian and his friends call it. Fred has offered to hide items or individuals from the ships if needed and this may be needed one day.
Then she follows George out the door to the porch and then into the other side of the building. As they enter the room behind the shop her words come out in a rough tone. "Why are you dressed this way?" Looking up she sees; Brian, Aloohula and Aria. They are all dressed in what looks like jeans and long sleeved shirts. They are also wearing their military boots, it amazes her how human they look. Funny seeing in them in their red uniforms she knows that they have green skin and not what they are portraying now. The civilian clothes really are throwing her off, when in the red suits they are aliens to her and now she thinks of them as humans and the only difference is the clothes.
George smiles, "Brian, Gordon and myself we were thinking it be best not to have people knowing you have us red suits, as you like to call us; coming all of the time. We wanted to protect our friends of Beautiful Smoke, we never want people turning against you because you worked with us. I sure hope you like the look." Smacking his hands together and with a chuckle he says, "It was Gordon who thought of the way to get dressed quickly and. . ." Suddenly he stops speaking and a sad look comes to his face. Zelda also notices that the others share the same sadness.
"Something happened to him, didn't it?"
"Your resistance killed him." Brian says this flatly, but his hard gaze shows his anger. "We came to ensure that we may still do what is needed to finish our mission to; just leave." Then he turns to his friends before speaking again, "Or will you be turning us into your resistance. In fact, maybe they our on their way already. As you can see, we brought no weapons. We are an easy target, just like our friends were."
Nick walks in, "I just put the, Closed, sign up. We saw the disturbing news from last night and the one from this morning. I just heard you say that Gordon was killed. We are sorry, we liked him."
This time it's Aria who speaks up harshly, "Hototer was burned alive by your resistance. Beytlo may die before the night ends. One of our people turned the weapons off and the resistance had our weapons. The weapons the resistance had worked just fine. Our ranking officers act like all of this was done by the resistance, but we know it was one of our people. So I guess, be happy Hototer could do nothing, but die."
Zelda is not sure what to say, she had only met Hototer once and really didn't know him. However, she liked Beytlo and as for Gordon, she will miss the grumpy looking Youth Leader. Gordon was actually a nice guy, unlike Brian you didn't feel like he was trying to use you. With a deep sigh, "I am sorry about your friends. I like to think that they counted me as a friend as well. As for Beytlo, my prayers are with him. However," She turns to Nick and then to Javier who has just walked into the room, "We need to discuss what has happened at the hospital. That is last night and today."
"We just told you about our friends," Brian says flatly. "It sounds like you saw at least one of the broadcasts."
George steps up and then talks about what he knew of the resistance and the morning broadcast and that it was not pleasant for the humans forced to remain. Shaking his head he also told them about the signs that were held up by the troopers that had written on them: APPLAUSE. Everyone listens and no one says anything, and Zelda does not interrupt with any questions. Finishing he steps back to stand with his friends.
There is a very long silence and finally Zelda cannot wait any longer. Did her people, did any humans die in this, she feels for those aliens that are part of the DO. However, humans are at the mercy of the aliens. "So not one person died, I don't mean inside the hospital, but during their escape."
Brian steps forward until he is face to face with her, looking down at her, his tone frightens her as he speaks. "You mean, human. If one human dies, then that is bad. However, burn one of my people alive and that is just fine. It is okay to kill Gordon, if it keeps a human from dying. Our lives mean nothing to you!"
Javier steps up and grabs Brian by the arm and pulls him back and with raw anger, "You back off! Or I will show you how much I care about you and your people. You will never hurt the one I love." Then he turns to Zelda for a moment before he spits out, "Ever!"
Zelda knows that she must not show any reaction to any of this or it won't be good for any of them. "I am fine, they have lost their friends. What they haven't really said is why they are here instead of on their ship healing from their grief."
George steps forward and pulls Brian back. After giving both Brian and Aria a stern look he turns back to Zelda. "Because of that news, we need to know if you still support us. Because of what happened with the resistance." George pauses for a moment and frowns. "Well, you may be ready to join them to get rid of us nightcrawlers."
"We know what you look like. We know that you are also different people or species on your ship, this is something I doubt the resistance knows." She turns her head to both Javier and Nick, "We discussed this already. We will support you. You will do more harm than any resistance group, doesn't matter if it is human or a resistance group by your people. Although, in my mind you're a resistance group, but you keep saying no."
"We didn't know about Gordon or any of them until you told us," Nick says gently. "I feel for you, I know this is hard. You must act as committed, but you have your own agenda. Then to lose your friends and people that we have come to know as friends is hard on all of us. I understand about losing those you care about. You haven't had time to digest this, but I understand why you are here."
"I understand as well," Javier is nodding in agreement. "You had to ensure that you could still come and that we would not betray you." Then he looks directly at Brian, "Been nice if you hadn't come on so violent like. It's not like you to be this way. Your someone who is always on top of this kind of stuff, but grief and anger are something that can change that. You should try to take time off and get your feelings straightened out, that's not a bad thing. Grief hurts."
George sort of sputters before speaking, "Except for Aloohula who got some time out thing. Well, the rest of us must stay on duty. Going to be rough and we have fears of what you will think of us. Because as you know we must act committed, we have almost a year before we can leave." Biting his lip for a moment, "It means unless it is any of you we must act as ordered. We won't hurt you, you all mean so much to us. You and any of those in the different cities on this planet who support what we hope to accomplish."
"That doesn't mean killing any human," Zelda is appalled at what is being said. This is like they are being prepared for the next moment of truth. A truth, that they know will not be accepted. "You wouldn't kill, just because you were ordered."
Brian sneers, "That's exactly what he is saying. Didn't make it easier watching our friends die, but we will never harm you. This means if we must accept our own execution for protecting you when ordered not to do so. Well, hopefully a friend can find a way to kill us before interrogation reveals what we are truly trying to accomplish. So yes, we must do as ordered by our ranking officers if Doing Our Own Thing is to continue."
"You didn't," Zelda mutters as she feels the cold shiver running down her spine. "You didn't do it."
None of the four say anything and she walks up to Brian, "It was you. It was you. You killed a human and you just did this today. Didn't you!"
"How, did you know?" There is a shocked look on Aria's face as he knows he just made a mistake.
Aloohula who has said nothing leans over to Aria, "It is best it come out now instead of later."
"You weren't going to tell us were you!" Zelda snaps, this hurts her. This Youth Leader who has helped with getting Javier's life back on track, helping Ethan with his school work, and pushed Nick to make the needed changes to his shop; Brian has killed a human. She can't let go of the anger she feels for him, no matter the good he has done for them.
"Not today, I was going to wait it felt to soon." Brian says quietly, "But I was going too. We promised to tell you everything if you would keep it to yourselves until we left. You know so much about us, things we have been told by ranking officers will get your scientists to work on things that will kill our people. There are families and children on our planet and they await their loved ones return. However, there was a promise of no secrets between those of the safe zone, meaning your people and ours of Doing Our Own Thing and we have done that. Trust is important and that is why we try to keep everything open between all in the safe zone. So yes, I was going to tell you. Just not today."
"We hope that this means you will not keep secrets from us as well." George says quietly.
Brian gives George a slight smile and then he turns back to Zelda. "I guess we hope that it is not just us expected to not keep secrets from you, but you will do the same for us. I know how difficult it is, times are not easy for you and it now appears for us as well. If you think about it, we didn't have to tell you about our friends dead or dying. I could keep what I did secret, lots of secrets. However, this was a promise I wanted to keep. Now it is as Aloohula has said, it is all out in the open. If you wish to betray us I understand, but then we will either be killed by the resistance and as you know they have no issue killing us. If that is not the end result, then a betrayal will likely get us arrested and executed by our Regime. To our people we will be the traitors."
"I guess we aren't perfect and never will be," Aloohula says as he looks at the wall and then turns his back on everyone. Aria turns and stands next to him.
"We understand if you wish for us to leave and never come back. Please," George points to the door that leads outside, "Go and talk and let us know. Then we will leave and not come back, but if you say that all is good and we can continue to come back, we will give you one more time to discuss this in more detail. The next time we come to Do Our Own Thing and you say we are good to continue using this as our safe place we will be more than happy, as we need this place. However, you don't want us here again we will not return." George once again points to the door to indicate the conversation should be private and not include him and his people.
Javier looks to George, then to the door and then looks around the room. As he does this he has an uncomfortable look. Nick and Zelda are frowning.
"I will repeat what George has said." Brian has a sad look as he speaks and seems almost unaware of where he is. "Once you talk this through and say we may come again, then we will be so happy. However, after we leave you have further discussion and decide you can't have us here, then we understand and will never return."
Looking at each of the humans George gives them a solemn stare, "Please do not betray us to your resistance. We have know their need to seek vengeance is strong and our lives will end, even if they tell you they won't hurt us. You know they will, we will be the ones to pay for everything our people have done to your people."
Nick points to the door and waves for Javier and Zelda to follow him out the door. However, Zelda can't help herself. "Who?"
Brian shrugs, he seems to know what she is asking for, "The counterfeiter that created the passes. He gave us the location of the resistance headquarters, but it was actually a ruse to lure us to our death. Explosives were set and many were killed or wounded. I was ordered to execute him if this very thing was to happen. I did, I did, I. . ." Then he stops and just looks down at the floor.
Zelda then follows Nick and Javier out the door. Her head feels like it is flat and darkness is a shroud surrounding her. All she can do is ask, "Do we trust them? Truth was supposed to be important between us and them."
"I do," Nick says with a shrug. "Not good what has happened, but they lost a lot of friends as well. We know who we are working with. They told us in the beginning that they had to do as ordered so not to be caught. We can't say its okay for the resistance and not for them. It makes us complicit to the aliens, but they are, our aliens. We work together."
Javier is looking out towards the fence, "I say we keep doing this. They told us right off as Nick said. They have to do as commanded if they are to rise in the ranks as well. Two ships will leave and we will have the information to disrupt the Visitors. I guess as Brian said trust is everything."
"They said the truth was important as well." Sighing dryly, Zelda finds herself still feeling confused. Glancing at both Nick and Javier she can see that although they say let's continue, they still appear to be very concerned about who they are trusting. What they are doing with DO is not a spy mission for the resistance. A spy mission that isn't giving them much, those aliens will be in trouble with their superiors if caught and she can't do that to them. Just leaving is not something that would be approved of and doing this with DO may bring her more satisfaction than being in a resistance group. This is difficult, very difficult. It is likely she will have more information than any of the resistance groups, but it will be a year before she can give that information over to a resistance group. What will happen to humans before this can happen. Brian and his friends need much more time in order to learn everything that is essential to taking the two ships.
Also, it is possible they can't leave when they want and will have to wait for the very scary alien race called the Banteen to leave in the area they need to setup their black hole. Who would ever thought she would be thinking of black holes as something created in order to travel. As for the Banteen, if Brian is telling the truth these aliens like to kill sentient life forms from different planets. If the Banteen decide to just hang out as apparently they have done from time to time, then they will make it difficult for them take the two ships. However, if things get rough for the human race, then betrayal may need to be done as she must save her own species. Another thought that frightens her is when they take those two ships, humans will be taken away. Brian said this has been discussed with those on Avena and the humans in the pods will be new colonists and not slaves. Zelda hopes this is true, it makes her feel guilty.
Javier and Nick are staring at her as she has not said if she agrees or not with their continuing to work with the aliens. For now she simply says, "Okay, for now."
The three of them go inside and find the four Visitors still standing exactly where they had left them. Nick nods his head, "Okay. Let's keep doing what we are doing. Try, please try not to kill our people."
"Thanks, I mean this." George smiles, "We will still give you a few days to think about this. We will send someone to verify that we are still good. Then we need to find one of your hacker people."
"Oh, Shy was here with a young woman. One of your people and they think they have someone. They gave me the information and I am to go and do some spy work and then have Kelly try to do his thing." Javier says with a grin.
Zelda finds herself humming under her breath, there is no true song, it is just her humming trying to restrain her anger. Then she levels a look at Brian, "All are welcome here. All are welcome, but one." Taking a step forward in Brian's direction. "Everyone is welcome, but you. I don't ever want to see your face again."
Brian nods his head to her and then to the other two and promptly leaves walking out the back door.
Slowly, and with some hesitation the other three turn and leave. Except Aloohula. he returns and walks up to Zelda and leaning down, "When it is your day to watch your friend die in front of you. You let me know. He was ordered to do so if the information was a setup and then he unknowingly sent so many of our people to their deaths in a building filled with explosives. It must be good to be a perfect human. Brian would die for you, all of us would. Now, I doubt very much if you would for us as we aren't as good as you humans." Standing straight once again and still restraining the anger in his voice, "What I would give to be so perfect like a human and not some stupid lizard who is only aggressive and non-feeling. Oh, wait, I am not a non-feeling lizard, in fact I am not even a lizard. I am an alien with feelings." Then he turns stiffly and walks away.
Javier comes up to her and wraps his arms around her, "If you think we are making a mistake. Just let us know. We will end this little alien, human conspiracy."
Nick places his arms around her as well. Zelda is able to push them away and mutters, "We are to deep inside this arrangement. Besides maybe it is something meant to be."
"Meant to be?" Nick gives her a questioning look. "Don't understand how it could be meant to be."
"Think about it." Biting her lip for a moment, "Brian's roommate takes his herb as he calls it, which is really weed. He needs more, so he hooks up with Javier. From there we get financially involved and then after that they need a safe zone as they call it so they can leave the dictatorship they are forced to live under. We aren't the only humans involved in this. From what I have heard there are safe zones all over this planet of ours. If they fall, other humans will fall as well. It is like being stuck in quicksand. They go down, then so do the humans helping them."
Zelda also wonders about what Aloohula had recently said when he came back from Canada. He said that humans and his people are meant to work together in the universe. It seems like an odd thing, but is it. The more she gets to know this odd group of people, the more things are non-Earth so to speak. The universe is more than just Earth or the sirian home world or the planet called Avena.
Do any of the resistance groups know that there are some really bad aliens out there. If it is true, they kill sentient beings on every world they find. Aloohula had told her before that he wonders if it is some strange religion they have, it is the only thing that makes sense, but he really doesn't know. So strange religion it is, or these Banteen have some plan of their own to keep sentient beings from leaving their own planets. Because the Visitors used some sort of black hole technology to move from their world to this one and then to a colony planet. They need to make the stops, as the black holes do not remain stable. The galaxy that Earth is in has always been one of the Visitors stopping places and because of this these really bad aliens keep their distance. What happens if the Visitors finally leave and no longer use their galaxy as the safe place to stop before creating the next black hole. Will these Banteen come again and will this literally put an to the end of humans or is this a lie that Aloohula has told her. Doesn't seem to suit his personality to lie, but she doesn't really know him. Truth is now a big word for her.
It hurts that Brian made her feel so angry that the very thought of him near her or her friends is something she won't have. Everything she has heard today should not have been a surprise. They told them what they had to do and why. However, hearing it could happen was far different than when it actually happens.
Sitting down and running her hands through her hair, she begins scratching her head. Once she finishes scratching her head, she begins scratching her face and then her arms, it is something she can't seem to help herself from doing. It is only when Javier walks up to her and gently pulls her up and embraces her gently that she stops her persistent scratching. They say nothing, but rock back and forth for some time.
"It's hard Zelda, because we did become friends with them. It hurts." Javier holds her tightly for a moment, "I know Aloohula said something that hurt you."
"No, not Aloohula." Staring up at him she sighs deeply, "Is this a war? A strange war. A war, where there are so, so many groups branching off to do their own thing." Zelda laughs at what she just said. "Really how did they come up with that name?"
"Doing Our Own Thing, gotta love that name," Javier laughs with her, "We have to go back to work."
Together they go back to the cafe, but she can't get it out of her head. So many resistance groups and she isn't involved with the one that she should be with, a true human resistance group. No, she's with the one that is filled with young crazy aliens and on top of that hackers, both human and alien that can get into anything. Youth Leaders who are rising in rank, but who really aren't as mature as they should be for the jobs they are being promoted too. Then troopers who at times seem to care less about being in the military or any military and seem more interested in being farmers and such. Other staff that seem to range from just fixing things to one being an aide to Diana of all people and who knows what other things these immature aliens are into. As far as she is concerned they are very immature, it is one thing she has found to be consistent. Brian in fact seemed like he would rather play games on the TV and listen to music and he was one of the Leaders of DO.
Then humans, what skills are they bringing to DO and are there any humans that are much older then the aliens. There is a feeling that there isn't one individual either human or alien that knows what it is like to be thirty in this messed up group. If only they could work with a resistance group, people who are far more mature. From what little time she spent in that one resistance group they have members who are so much better for the job of leading any kind of resistance. She remembers some of them had true military training not just given a gun and told your a trooper now and not a farmer. Now it sounds like the resistance may have increased their military personnel in the resistance. Other resistance members she knows were or are police, real doctors and nurses. Maybe, the resistance is lacking in computer nerds that the DO seems so dedicated to having, but she is sure there are technical people in the resistance. This little army the DO has, could really mess up everything up for the Visitors by joining the human resistance, why can't Brian and his screwed up friends see that.