Hunter, Prey
By Sapphire
Disclaimer in part 1
Chapter 12 – Close EncounterGordon ran down the beach to where he saw the two figures laying in the sand. Scott was running at his side, his face an emotionless mask. Neither was speaking. They were saving their breath in order to get to their father and brother as quickly as possible.
They had reached the boathouse only a few minutes after John. Gordon had hoped that his older brother would have had the sense to wait for them, but when they arrived, they saw John already jogging to where their father stood. From the distance it was impossible to hear what they were saying, when suddenly a bright light had shot out from a place in the water a couple of feet away from where the two men were standing.
The light had enveloped both of them for a second, then it was gone and John and Father fell over.
Gordon pulled to a full stop as soon as he reached John's motionless form. The blond astronaut lay half in half out of the water, so Gordon grabbed him and pulled him further onto dry land. Scott did the same with their father.
He quickly checked John's vital signs and was relieved when he found that his brother's pulse was beating strongly and that he didn't seem to have any problems breathing.
"John," he called, slapping his brother lightly on the cheeks.
But John didn't react.
Gordon looked over at Scott who was copying Gordon's actions. From the relief evident in his oldest brother's posture, he knew that father was also okay, though he, too, remained unconscious.
A sound pulled his attention to the water where the light had come from and he felt his mouth drop open.
When John had told him the first time that there were aliens on Earth and that in fact one of them had been inside of him, he had thought John was pulling his leg. Of course, the proof laid out to him pretty quickly convinced him that John was in fact telling the truth. When he had seen Hunter move back into John, his last doubts had been erased.
He also had understood – on a purely intellectual level – that there was another alien running loose on the island and that he might be living inside one of his friends or family. He hadn't had time yet to fully comprehend what that could mean.
But even knowing about aliens on the island had not prepared him for what he saw now.
From the ocean water rose a very strange object. Not much bigger than Thunderbird 4 it was shaped like a cluster of a dozen eggs seamlessly fused together into one large pile. Each egg was no bigger in diameter than a yard across. On the far side each egg had a square box. The alien ship – and Gordon had no doubt that it was indeed an alien space ship – gleamed in the midday sun as it floated a foot or so above the water. Gordon realized with a start that a single egg of it looked exactly like that thing they had found underwater ten days ago.
John had said that Hunter had told him that Earth had never been visited by his people and that any possible help for him would be thousands of light years away.
It looked like Hunter had been wrong.
Remaining very, very still where he knelt next to John he waited for what was to come next.
The metal surface of the cluster began to ripple at one point where two eggs were connected. A single egg moved slowly away pulling a strand of liquid metal behind itself that grew longer and thinner until is snapped off and the egg was floating free. The engineer in him wondered on the technical properties a material had to have in order to perform like this, but he suppressed it. There were more important things going on right now.
The egg floated closer until it was only an arm's length away from the group at the beach.
Gordon was very conscious that none of them carried any weapons, as they all had changed out of their uniforms before landing. Though what he hoped to achieve with a gun against that alien ship was beyond him. Besides, he wasn't really prepared to start an inter-stellar war. From what he had seen so far of the alien technology, he had the strong suspicion that Earth would draw the shorter straw.
Once again the surface of the egg rippled, but now dark spots appeared on the up to now unsullied material. With a start Gordon realized that those spots actually formed words.
YOUR PEOPLE ARE NOT HARMED
"What do you want?"
Gordon had to admire Scott who sounded pretty calm and in control. He didn't know if he would have been able to form understandable words right now. But Scott had always worked best under pressure.
WE MEAN NO HARM
"Why did you shoot at my friends? They weren't doing anything to you."
THEY ARE HOSTS UNWILLING
"We know. John told us. Can you get your people out? We didn't know how to get the other one out of father."
The egg bobbed softly up and down at eye level.
YES
Gordon closed his eyes in relief, letting out a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding. He had hoped that this would be the alien's answer. Here was the solution to all their problems.
From the corners of his eyes Gordon saw Virgil, Tin-Tin and Brains running up the beach towards them. He raised his hand, gesturing for them to stop.
A wide beam shot out from the alien ship, bathing John and father in a pale blue light. At first nothing happened, but then Gordon saw a thick, gelatine-like liquid form at John's right arm and father's left shoulder. The amount of liquid increased and it started to puddle in two depressions in the sand.
After a few minutes no more liquid – alien, Gordon reminded himself – came out of the two men.
The beam shut off and new words formed on the alien ship.
THEY ARE FREE NOW
YOU MAY REMOVE YOUR PEOPLE
"What's going to happen to your people?" Gordon heard himself asking. He hadn't intended to speak, but suddenly he wanted to know what was going to happen to Hunter. The alien had saved his and John's life after all and he owed him his thanks. Even if he did look pretty disgusting.
WE TAKE THEM HOME
THERE THEY WILL BE PUNISHED
"Not Hunter! He did nothing wrong."
HE BLENDED WITHOUT PERMISSION
"Only to save John's life," Gordon replied, gesturing at John who was beginning to stir. "John would have died without him. I was there. And he saved my life too."
There was a moment of hesitation.
HE BLENDED WITHOUT PERMISSION, the words projected on the alien ship were repeated.
"He had no choice. Ask John, he will tell you."
Gordon knelt down next to John and helped him up into the sitting position. John was looking around confused, but when he saw the ship floating close by and the larger cluster behind it, he woke up very quickly. Scott was kneeling next to their father, talking softly to him. After a moment, he also helped him to sit.
"What if I give him permission now?" John asked. Even though his voice sounded weak, there was no doubt that he meant it seriously.
YOU WOULD DO THAT
John looked up, his blue eyes firmly fixed on the alien ship. "Yes. He saved my life and that of my brother. I'll do anything to help him."
Gordon could see that his father wanted to say something, but Scott held him back with a raised hand.
WOULD YOU LET HIM STAY WITH YOU
"John," their father croaked out. "Don't"
Looking at his father, John shook his head. "Sorry, Dad, I made up my mind. It will be all right."
He turned back to the alien ship. "Yes, he is welcome to stay with me as long as he wants."
SO BE IT
tbc
Is John stuck with Hunter forever? Is that a good thing or not?
Next chapter there will be 'Choices'