Author: Milady Dragon
Disclaimer: still not mine, despite my best efforts!
Author's note: Okay, I'm taking a poll: would you like to see House actually meet an alien, or not? I have some ideas for either scenario; so just let me know how you all feel about it. And thanks again for reading!
Chapter Seventeen
Cameron actually got in some quality sleep time before being roused by Elena at about 5:30am.
She pushed the comforter away, sitting up as she answered the call. "What's going on?"
"They've come for me. I'm hoping this means all my demands to meet whoever is in charge have finally been paid attention to! And, let me tell you, it's about time!"
"Do you want me to come up there?" She got out of bed, padding into the bathroom.
"In a bit. I'm fairly certain the Sharrion don't know about my powers, or else they would have had some sort of shielding on my cell. So I want to feel them out before actually bringing you in."
"Sounds fine to me. Gives me time to get dressed."
"Oh, God, Allison! I keep forgetting the time difference!"
"Don't worry about it. It's time for me to get up anyway. Just let me know when you're ready."
"I will. You know, having you in my head is actually making this a lot less nerve wracking."
The really good thing about telepathy, Cameron mused, was the fact that one could carry on a conversation while brushing one's teeth. "This is something you've done before, isn't it?"
"Not really. I've been mostly on Earth since I've broken out. Not much opportunity for diplomacy."
"Well, then we're both new at this. We'll just have to play it by ear. And if it makes you feel any better, John apparently has faith in both of us."
"Actually, it does." There was a pause. "Hmm. Nice spaceship. Lots of windows. I can see the planet from here. Looks like we're in orbit over America. I guess that would make sense."
"Can't wait to see it."
"It's ergonomic, in a Sharrion-centric way of course. Oh, this must be their leader…" Elena faded out.
Cameron got dressed while she waited for the other woman to resume communication. She grimaced slightly as she tugged on the fancy robes Tim had provided; the computer had decided that she needed to look the part of a negotiator, and had insisted Cameron wear something suitably Federation. The dark blue gown fell to her ankles, and had plenty of doodads attached. It truly was hideous.
She changed her mind, pulled the outfit off, and settled for a black business suit.
"This is interesting."
"What do you mean?" she asked, slipping on some sensible shoes. There was no telling how long she'd be on her feet.
"The Sharrion leader – he's called Ur'harup, by the way – is insisting that the technology was stolen from their homeworld by humans."
"That's not possible."
"I know. I've explained that the Saps have only just reached the Moon, but he's not buying it."
"It could be any number of humanoid races in this galaxy."
"I'm trying to tell him that, but since they traced it to Earth…blah blah blah."
Cameron rolled her eyes. "It was the womb technology, wasn't it?"
"I haven't had a chance to ask. He's quite busy ranting."
"I'm sure he is."
"Maybe it's time you come up, if just to interrupt?"
"I'm on my way." She slid on her jaunting belt, buttoning the suit jacket over it. "Tim, you have the coordinates?"
"Of course, Allison." The computer sounded slightly affronted.
She grinned. "Then can you please jaunt me there?"
Tim didn't answer; instead, her bedroom faded out, to be replaced by an immense, circular room that ended in a high dome over Cameron's head. Control panels filled with blinking lights and screens followed the curve of the walls, over which were large banks of space-hardened transparent material that revealed a breath-taking view of Earth. Idly she noticed that there seemed to be a hurricane brewing in the Pacific…
The Sharrion didn't disappoint. Up close, they did resemble amphibians more than lizards, with large liquid eyes and thick-lipped mobile mouths. Arms ended in four webbed fingers. They were tall, and all dressed in some form of the armor that they'd been wearing the night before, at the Intellex complex.
And, after their initial shock at seeing a stranger teleport onto their bridge, were all pointing guns at her.
Cameron pretended to ignore the show of force, even though her heart was hammering so hard she was positive everyone in the room could hear it. Elena stepped forward to stand next to her, giving the Sharrion a united front. "May I ask what you're doing here, orbiting a closed world?" she asked, glad that her voice didn't squeak.
The Sharrion in front of her waved off the various guns trained on the pair of Tomorrow People. He stared down at her, her face reflecting in his huge dark eyes. "I am not impressed by your Federation parlor tricks, woman," he answered, his deep voice gurgling slightly.
"You don't have to be," Cameron answered, grateful that the Sharrion appeared to be one of the races that her telepathic skills let her interpret the pattern of their brainwaves, and therefore understand what they were saying. She hadn't needed a translator this time. "But you haven't answered my question: why are you orbiting a closed world? Without the permission of the Galactic Federation?"
"These barbarians have stolen from us," he answered grudgingly.
"Yes, I'm aware of the Sharrion technology that's currently present on Earth."
"Then you acknowledge that these people are thieves!"
"No, I don't, Commander Ur'harup," she answered, with Elena prompting her silently on the leader's title. "The humans are primitive, without even the most basic hyperdrive. There's no way they could have come to your world and stolen anything."
"Then explain it, Feder!" Ur'harup crowed in triumph. He thought he had her, and wasn't above exulting in his apparent victory.
"My name is Dr. Allison Cameron, and I'd appreciate you use my own title when addressing me." She was nettled by his dismissive remark. She drew herself up as tall as she could, looking the alien right in the eye. "And I will do the same with you."
"As I've been trying to explain," Elena chimed in, "we're investigating the presence of alien technology on Earth. We don't know how it got there, but we're trying to find out."
"And now that we know some of this technology belongs to you," Cameron added, " we can locate its remains and return it to you. The humans aren't ready to have access to anything that advanced."
"We want you to have what's yours," the other woman went on. "Whoever did take it didn't have the right. We want to help you, Commander. Please let us try."
Ur'harup looked at them in turn. Cameron projected confidence and helpfulness, hoping the alien would pick up on the broadcasted emotions.
"If it makes any difference," Elena said, "I could have left my cell at any time; yet I chose to stay as a sign of good faith." To demonstrate, she jaunted across the room. "So you see, we only really want to help you get your property back."
Despite his earlier words, Ur'harup did indeed seem flustered by the casual way that Elena moved about the place. "You say you will bring our technology back to us."
"We'll try." Cameron held up a hand to forestall the comment the commander was about to make. "I say that, because the building where your technology was being stored was destroyed in an explosion. Chances are there isn't much of it left."
"You do not understand, Dr. Allison Cameron," Ur'harup answered. "What we lost to these humans would not have been much harmed by that puny explosion. It is still there, and still intact I am sure."
Cameron chewed her lip at that. "That makes this a lot more complicated," she 'pathed to Elena.
"You're not kidding," came the surprised reply. "I thought Tim read in the Intellex mainframe that it had all been destroyed?"
She didn't have an answer to that. "Then we'll find it and get it back to you," the doctor said. "It can't be allowed to stay on Earth."
Ur'harup was silent for a few seconds. "Very well. We shall give you the chance to return to us what is ours. However, there is a codicil."
"Of course there would be," Cameron snarked.
"And what would that be?" Elena asked, ignoring the mental comment.
"We also want the thief, to take back to our world for trial," the commander answered. "If you agree to that, then you shall have the time you require to do what needs to be done."
Cameron and Elena both looked at each other. "I don't see a problem with that."
"I agree, Allison. It's only right that they be able to punish whoever's responsible. Besides, whoever it is, isn't human and won't be culpable by Sap justice, if you know what I mean."
"I do. How do you try an alien for stealing from another alien race? I'd like to see that come up on Court TV!"
Elena chuckled silently, even as she was turning back to the Sharrion commander. "We agree. If this person is still on Earth, and if we can capture them, then you can take them back for trial by your own justice system."
Ur'harup glanced at both women, as if trying to judge their veracity. Finally, he nodded his large head. "Do I have your word, Feders?"
"You do, Commander Ur'harup." Elena nodded.
"Can we ask you some questions before we start?" Cameron inquired.
"You may have whatever information I have, Dr. Allison Cameron."
"Thank you, commander. First off, how did you know your technology had been brought here, to Earth?"
The Sharrion leader cocked his head. "We were told."
Cameron's breath stopped for a second. "What do you mean?" she managed to ask.
"We received a communication from an unknown source that our technology had been stolen, and that it was on the planet below. The coordinates were included in the transmission."
"Do you know who sent it?" Elena pressed.
"No, we do not. We were told to come here, and wait for another signal. When we received that, we knew where to begin looking."
"And was it the explosion?"
"Yes, Dr. Allison Cameron."
"Do you have a copy of the original message your people received?" Elena asked.
"We do. I shall make you a copy, if that is what you desire."
"It is. Thank you."
"You are most welcome…I am sorry, but I do not know your name."
"Please call me Elena."
"You are most welcome, Lady Elena."
Cameron snickered slightly. "You get to be a lady?"
"He obviously recognizes quality when he sees it," came the snooty reply.
"We can contact you as soon as we know anything," the doctor said, stifling her laughter.
"We shall be waiting. However, please know that if we do not hear from you within six rotations of this world, then we shall continue or own search."
"We…understand, Commander Ur'harup," Cameron answered, hoping no one heard the hesitation in her voice. "Please be patient and we'll do all we can, I promise you."
The Sharrion nodded. "Then I bid you farewell in your search."
At that obvious dismissal, both Elena and Cameron jaunted off the ship.