Chapter 26
BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA
"I've been telling all the stories." Spencer said as he and Sin walked into work the next morning. "I should let you take a turn."
"I don't have any good stories to tell." Sin replied.
"You've been on other planets, how could you not have good stories to tell? How many planets have you been on?"
"Hmmm, do stations count?"
"Sure."
"Ummm, fourteen?"
"Fourteen planets and you don't have stories?"
"Well, if it wasn't a battle it was shore leave. Buy a book, fill your stomach, get drunk. Not that exciting. You deal with people, that's more interesting."
"But didn't you deal with other species? I mean, what are they like?"
"We mostly work with Mrr'tani. They're good people. Very smart, very kind."
"Yeah, but what about other species?"
Sin looked a little embarrassed. "Spencer, we're not the most popular species in the galaxy. Most of our other allies want a little to do with us as they can manage. We don't socialize. Most of us think they only saved us because the crown owns most of the technology patents in the galaxy."
"Why don't they like us?"
"They don't trust us."
"Why not?"
"That's classified."
"My team to the conference room." Emily called out, all business.
"And that would be a case. We can talk about this later?" Spencer asked.
"Sure."
Ten minutes later they were packing up. "Anything I should know about the care and feeding of aliens?" Luke asked.
Luke was joking, of course, but Sin gave him a serious look. "Two things. Number one, don't let their brain run out of fuel." He pulled a five pound bag of candy out of his bag and put it on Luke's desk.
Luke started at the thing. "Are you serious?" He asked.
"Yeah. Those, what do you call them, smoothies, are best because they have fruit and vegetables in them, so nutrition, and your milkshakes and pastry are really good as well, but this will do. Also, make sure he eats protein at least twice a day. Eggs are easiest on the system."
"At least breakfast is healthy. What else?"
"Stick close. They tend to wander off."
"Like a puppy?" Luke asked.
"Hey!" Spencer said.
By now the team had joined them. "He's right." JJ and Emily and Dave all said together.
Matt started laughing hard.
"Is there a way we can stay comm connected?" Sin asked.
"Do you have a phone yet?" Penelope asked. Sin shook his head. "We will take care of that before you all land."
"Are you still wearing translators?" Sin asked Spencer.
"Yeah, why?"
"The Ka'naesh can track them from orbit if you need to. Let me know and I'll contact them."
"Now I like you." Emily replied.
While the team was in flight Penelope set Sin up with a cell phone. It was a short learning curve, the technology between a phone, a tablet and what Sin called a comtab was all quite similar. "Can I take this reading material home?" Sin asked.
"Um yeah. No point in staying here, you're not on our payroll. Not this…or this…or this." Penelope pulled those files for him. "You can take the rest."
"Let me know how they do, yeah?"
"Will do."
Twenty minutes later Penelope's phone rang. "Oracle of all thinks known and unknown, how can I help you?"
"Actually I was going to ask you for a favor." Spencer replied.
"Sure, what can I do you for?"
"I've had a cat coming around my apartment."
"Awww, you got adopted and didn't tell me? I want to come meet him now."
"I was wondering if you could stop and put a can of food out for him, on the fire escape."
"Will do, it's on my way home. Does the kitty have a name?"
"Thank you. Tristan"
"Tristan. Got it. Later!"
Capitol Plaza Apartments
Unit #25
Washington DC
Good as her word Penelope stopped on the way home and left food and water out for Tristan. As she was doing so she thought she saw a bat flutter by overhead. "Ack!" She ducked with a squawk. But there was nothing up there, or if there was it had flown up to the roof. "Why he has to live in such an old building." She muttered. "Tristan! Tristan!" But no one came to her call. "Well, I am not going to leave the window open." She closed it and went on her way.
The next morning Luke rose at his usual early time. He never got a run in when they were out on a case, it was pretty much shower, dress and we'll eat while we go over the case again, but at least he could stay on schedule. And hey, last night he got to sleep, too. They were right about Spencer feeling better.
When he got out of bed he realized that a chunk of the room did not exist.
It was a standard hotel room. Two queen beds on one side as you walked in, and then at the far end a small table and chair In the left there was a dresser with a TV on it, a desk with a mirror over it, a lamp and a love seat.
Correction, there had been a lamp and a love seat. Now that corner had disappeared. It was just a wall of blackness.
Luke climbed over Spencer's bed to see if he could get around the wall of blackness. As it turned out he could. It kind of stuck out from the corner of the desk at an angle. On the other side Spencer was settled on the love seat, with the lamp on, reading and nibbling on some candy. "What the hell is that thing?" Luke asked as he looked at the large rectangle of, well, black in the room.
"Oh! Good morning. It's a portable room divider." Spencer reached behind him to a small device on the desk and pressed a button. Instantly the dark rectangle went away. "Sin loaned it to me, although I'm thinking of ordering one for myself. I believe it sets up a field that absorbs light. I couldn't sleep and I didn't want the light to wake you."
"Appreciate that." Luke said. He looked at the device and shook his head. "Alien travel knick knacks. What will they think of next. You done in the bathroom?"
"Yeah." Spencer's phone chimed an incoming e-mail.
To: SReid
From: SR .mp
Have you ever read the Bhagavad Gita?
"That's weird."
"Weird is not good on a case."
"It's from Mars."
"Of course it is. What do the Martian in-laws want?"
"It's from an SR. They want to know if I've ever read the Bhagavad Gita."
"Have you?"
"Years ago. I wonder who SR is."
"Not a clue."
To: SR .mp
From: SReid
Yes I have. Why do you ask?
Capitol Plaza Apartments
Unit #25
Washington DC
The next day Penelope stopped to check on Tristan again. As soon as she walked in, though, she stopped.
Then she pulled out her phone. "Will? It's Penelope. I'm at Spencer's. You need to come right away. Someone's been in his apartment."
