Part I
It must have been at least a hundred plus if one went by the sweat that was pouring from beneath his tan fur covered exterior. He'd long since removed the black leather vest and red scarf he usually tied around his neck. Earth summers were always a challenge trying to keep cool. Adding insult to injury he'd hit a huge pothole at just the right or wrong angle, depending on how you looked at it. In any case his bike had sprung a leak and overheated not about to move another inch. As with everything else in his life it was all complicated by the radio being knocked out as well. So the only thing left was either to walk back to the nearest public phone, which was at least 15 miles or continue on to his special place, which was barley a mile ahead of him. The heat of the afternoon made the decision for him. Continue on, rest for a while, and get in touch with Charley at the garage after sunset.
His one-man nature trek normally went off with out incident and had become something of a ritual. At least once a month he'd pack his gear and take off to get a break from everything his life was filled with, at least for a couple of days. That included his beloved bros and Charley girl too. He just need time to be alone and not think. Not think about Mars, Plutark, Limburger and Carbine. Not that thinking about her was going to bring her flying down to Earth. But that was ancient history better left in the past.
When he finally pushed the bike to the tree covered area he was almost totally exhausted. But he wasn't too tired to appreciate the incredible natural beauty of what had become his sanctuary.
"There you go, Darlin'. You can cool off outta the sun while I cool this rugged Martian hind with a swim." The bike beeped agreeably and shut down completely allowing it's inner mechanisms to rest.
The rather large pond situated in the center of all the over hanging trees was as clear, blue, and inviting. He striped off the rest of his gear, except for his boxer shorts and carefully removed his shades hanging them on the bikes handle bars. Walking bare foot to the edge of the water he bent down and scooped a handful of the cool azure liquid and splashed it on his face before walking far enough out to drive under the water.
Feeling it surround him was what he longed for. It was as if the entire world had disappeared and he was left floating in a cool void suspended in a wonderful nothingness. No decisions, no heartaches, nothing but he and the blissful silence. He swam under until his lung yearned for air then with one push propelled himself upward breaking through the waters surface. Shaking his wet mass of hair from his face he swim slowly back to the shore. Climbing out of the water he walked over to his bike and retrieved a couple of towels from his pack. He didn't attempt to dry himself, but spread one towel out on the ground and one over his bottom half laying back and letting the warmth of the day dry him. He closed his eyes and basked in the perfection of the moment allowing the gentle warm breeze lull him to sleep.
After some time he began to stir. Raising one arm over his head blocking out some of the descending sunlight. He looked up through the trees and whimsically smiled thinking, "life should always be this good." He must have slept at least three hours judging by the angle the light was coming through the trees, but he didn't care. This was his time and he would take each moment as it came.
.
Suddenly his daydreaming ended by the sound of footsteps walking toward him. He jumped up immediately grabbing his shades and putting them back in place. Snatching the towels off the ground he threw them over the bike and pulled the machine deeper into a thicket and crouched down waiting to see who the intruder was. Silently he took his blaster out of the holster that draped across the bike's seat and continued to watch in the direction of the approaching footsteps. He could tell it was only one person and a small one at that.
He watched as a young woman stepped out of a slightly hidden path that he never realized was there before. She looked around almost as if she had lost something or was looking for something. Walking over to the pond she knelt down and touched the ground and then turned in his direction. She looked at the ground once again and then looked almost directly at him or rather his hiding place.
"You don't have to be afraid I won't hurt you," a sweet voice called out.
Throttle looked up and had to smile at the thought of this small female encouraging him not to fear her. But he didn't reveal himself right away you never know if something or someone was a trap.
"You can trust me. I know you are there and I promise I'm alone," she carefully stepped closer to him.
He couldn't stay crouching there forever so the tan Martian stood and walked out but not before draping one of the towels around his waist, "How'd you know I was here?"
"My, you're taller than you looked laying down! I watched you for about an hour while you were sleeping. What are you anyway?" she tilted her head slightly giving him a curious look.
Throttle looked around once more to make sure she was really alone and turned to put his weapon backing its holster, "I'm a Martian Mouse," he said over his shoulder. When he turned back around she was looking at him puzzled.
"What's the matter?"
"I'm sorry I didn't hear if you answered me. You have to face me when you speak?" she said simply.
Throttle thought that was odd, but maybe it was the custom for Earther from this area. Maybe people in the country had different traditions then the city dwellers, "Oh I'm sorry, and I didn't mean to be rude. I'm from the planet Mars. I crash landed on your planet a few years ago."
She smiled, "You weren't being rude. I can't hear very well and I have to watch your mouth to read your lips and you have to face me so the sound of your words come directly at me. It gets on peoples nerves when they have to talk to me like that, but it's the only way I can hear what's being said to me."
"Why? I think that having to look at such a pretty face would be a pleasure. Tell me why aren't you afraid of me. Or why didn't you run to tell anyone what you discovered. Lots of people would have cashed in on finding the resident alien."
The young woman blushed not excepting him to give her such a nice compliment, "Well the first time you came here I was a bit frighten but I stayed hidden and just watched you. Something bad must have happened because I saw you were very upset. I hid until you left and then I came back every day hoping to see you again. When you did come back I still wasn't sure if I should let you know I was around so I stayed in my hiding place. Then I figured you would come once every month on the same day and I'd still just watch you. I was waiting when you pulled your bike in and waited until you had your swim and sleep. Oh and I would never tell anyone, they would probably try and put you in a cage or something worse."
"Why did you leave?" Throttle continued to look at her.
"I figured that food would be as good a peace offering as anything, so I went home to fix you something to eat," she reached behind to remover the rather large backpack the was hanging off her small shoulders and it hit the ground with a thud. She knelt down beside it and removed a nice size blue blanket and spread it on the ground. Then crawling on top of it she began taking little plastic container out of the pack and a large thermos.
" I didn't know what to fix you so….."
He interrupted her with a distasteful look on his face, "….you thought I'd like cheese."
His sour expression got a slight giggle from her, "why would I bring you just cheese? I mean there is some on the sandwiches I fixed, but I'll get more if that's all you eat?"
"No, I just … never mind what ever you brought will be fine, thanks."
She smiled giving him a puzzled look and continued to set out everything she'd brought with her. Surprisingly she didn't have those plastic plates like Charley always brought when they ate out of doors but she set beautiful fine blue and white china in front of him. Along with white cloth napkins, delicate crystal glass wear and silver eating utensils.
Throttle's mouth dropped open not excepting such fine-looking things to be put before him. She popped the tops off of the plastic container and there was an assortment of wonderful looking and smelling kinds of food. Some he recognized and others he didn't.
When she had finished she sat back, "I hope there is something you find to your liking, please help yourself. But don't you want to get your pants back on first."
He looked down at the towel draped around his waist and a slight blush appeared through the tan fur of his cheeks, "Oh sorry, yeah. I guess I should, excuse me a second." He snatched his clothes off the bike and disappeared back into the heavier foliage and got dressed.
Everything back in place except for his boots, vest, neck kerchief, he stepped out and took a seat on the blanket directly across from the young lady with the face as sweet and innocent as any he'd seen, "Everything looks so good why don't you just choose something for me."
His smile was dazzling and this time it was her turn to blush thinking how much she was enchanted by it. She opened the containers and filled his plate with a little sampling of everything. He took the plated from her hand and nodded thankfully.
The young woman didn't fix anything for herself but reached over into another satchel and pulled out a sketchpad and pencil, "you mind?" She asked. Throttle thought a moment, he really wasn't sure if he should let his image be copied, no telling who might see it.
"My, you are suspicious. I told you I wouldn't tell anyone about you. I could have done that a long time ago, remember," she reassured him.
"It's kind of an automatic response. We have to be careful you, Earthers aren't really ready to know there is anybody out there, yet. Go ahead let me see what you can do." He relaxed down on the blanket leaning on his elbow. Will this bother you? I'm kind a hungry and this looks wonderful." He made sure to look directly at her.
"Nope, enjoy your lunch." She settled back and her hands began floating over the paper.
It was comfortably quiet as he ate and she drew. He was surprised by the fact that he could enjoy being with someone without any really talking. He could study her as she looked from him back to her sketchpad. She was pretty in a soft gentle way, like a fairy tale creature that had slipped into the real world to brighten it for too short a time.
"Buy the way, you never told me your name." The young woman didn't answer since her eyes were focusing on the paper. He smiled and reached over to lift her chin so see could look at him, "What's your name?"
She giggled lightly surprised, but delighted by the touch of his soft fur-covered fingers on her face, "Oh, you can call me Stormy, and yours?"
He leaned back in the position he was in so she could continue with her drawing, "Throttle and I've never seen a calmer storm or a prettier one, Why Stormy?"
"My mom said from the day I was born my eyes always looked like I was going to cry so she named me Stormy." She answered not stopping from her work.
After a few more moments she turned her creation toward him, "What do you think?"
He took it from her hand and closely examines what she had done. He looked up at her smiling in approval, "Wow, you are good, can I keep this?"
"Sure I have plenty of others."
He looked up in surprise and concern," You do?"
"Throttle you have to trust me. What do you think I did the other times I came to watch you? Like I said if I told any one about you, other then my mom, they'd probably try and catch you and put you in a cage for people to stare at you because you 're different. I know what that feels like," her voice dropped to a sad tone and she looked away.
He saw her sadden expression and reached over to once again take her face in his hand, " If anyone stared at you, it had to be because they couldn't believe there could be a face this sweet." His thumb rubbed her cheek gently.
"Thank you," she said shyly.
He nodded and slowly released her face; I guess, "I'd better get started back to civilization."
"Why so soon don't you normally stay a few days?" She questioned while packing up the things from their meal looking up at him between packing.
"Yeah I know, but my bike sprung a leak and I need to contact my friends to get back to where I'm staying."
"If you had the tools could you fix it yourself?" She asked hopefully.
"Sure but…"
"Get your stuff and follow me. I have a few things at my place. I'm kind of isolated but I have a small garage that my uncle use to use. He left some tools that you might help and if not then you can call your friends."
He still debate for a second but agreed. Like she said, she had more then one opportunity to turn him in so he felt he could trust her, "Okay let me pack up."
After collecting everything they walked the almost hidden path toward Stormy's little cottage. She could tell by the way he was built he had to be strong but was still amazed when he effortlessly lifted the bike over the thicker bushes and ground covering that covered the path in some spots. They reached her place and he smiled seeing the neat little house covered with ivy and the beautiful array of flowers that grew along the walkway up to her door. Even the tiny garage attached to the side of the house had ivy covering it.
He vaguely remembered Mars having such beauty. When he was a very young boy the days he'd spent with his grandparents at their house in the outlands past the first mountain range. The flowers and trees looked different but there was that same kind of green and splashes of color. His heart ached knowing what Mars had been and what the Plutarkians had reduced it to.
"What wrong, Throttle?" Stormy asked seeing the furloughed look on his face.
"Nothin' just a little homesick I guess. Your place is really nice and it just made me think of home."
"I guess Mars must be a beautiful place, for you to miss it so." She tried to comfort him.
"It was, but no more," he quietly said still gazing at her house.
"Why not put the bike in the garage and you can work on it later. Come in and I'll brew us up some tea and we can talk. Just pull your bike around to the garage door it's on the side. There is a door that will bring you right in the house after you settled her in. How does that sound girl" Stormy smoothed her hand over the shiny chrome handlebars knowing from the times she'd watch them that his bike was more than a mere machine. Whatever the technology, he and the amazing motorcycle had a close personal attachment.
He looked at the young woman and shook his head. "Doesn't anything shake you? It's not like you find an alien in your back yard every day or do you?"
She giggled, " No, it's just I've always thought that there was more to the universe than just us and I figured one day they'd find. Go put her away and I'll get the tea ready."
Throttle could only wonder in delight at the insight and depth of understanding the young Earth woman showed. If only the universe could learn to be like her what great place it could be. He watched her go in the house and pulled his bike around to the side. The garage door had been painted the same forest green as all the doors and window frames around the house. There was no electronic door opener so he grabbed hold of the brass handle located in the door's center and pulled it up.
The room was fairly well equipped even though most of it was covered in dust. He looked around and found a light bulb hanging from a chain in the ceiling and turned it on, then pulled the door back down. He walked around the room and check to see if there was what he needed to repair his bike. Nodding his head he was pleased to see most of what was necessary, anything else he could improvise.
"Well the lady was right, Darlin. You mind if I hold up on the repairs so I can get to know the lady a little better. She's not like any woman I've ever met, other then Charley girl?" He knelt down next to his faithful friend and rubbed her leather-covered seat. The bike blinked agreeably, giving him a knowing blast on her horn and shut quietly down.
"Thanks babe, I owe you," he smiled patting the seat one more time and walking to the door that lead inside the house.
To be continued…
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