Hi everyone!
Well, here it is, Chapter 3! I must say, it was a lot more work than I'd anticipated to get this done.
Sorry if it's taken a while, life gets very busy!
Hope you enjoy!
(Present Time)
The first thing I noticed when my consciousness began to return was a cold sensation on the back of my head. My limbs felt numb, but the weightless sensation below me indicated that I was lying on the sofa. There was also something soft propping my head up like someone had placed a cushion beneath it.
I then gradually began to force my eyes open again. Although, I only managed to get them about halfway when I took notice of the blurriness clouding my eyesight. I could barely even make out the side of the sofa when I tried to turn my head.
With a groan, I tried to sit myself up. That was when the sharp pain returned to the back of my head. For a moment, I'd forgotten about banging it on the table earlier. Suddenly though, that was when something returned to my muddled memory. What had happened to that girl who'd let herself into my house?
Once I'd succeeded in raising my upper body sufficiently, I leant my weight on my elbow. My head was now hung over the side of the sofa, and I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to regain my impaired vision.
However, it was the sound of approaching footsteps that abruptly made me freeze on the spot. And before I could react in any shape or form, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly spoke out.
"Oh my! What're you doing?"
I tried to speak in response. But I wasn't yet awake enough to muster up the strength to use my voice box.
The footsteps moved across the room and stopped right next to me. Then the feeling of a gentle hand placing itself on my shoulder caused me to jump in shock. With a little added force, the intruder carefully pressed me back down to the initial position I'd woken up in. Before my head rested on the pillow, however, I felt the same cold sensation being reapplied to my skull.
"It's good to see you're awake. But you need to try and relax. Please, don't try and move. You've banged your head badly! I've made up a cold compress and put it on the wound. It'll help to ease the pain . . . although I'm not sure yet if you've suffered any sort of concussion . . ."
"Who, what the? . . ." I groaned, resting my head back on the cushion.
My vision was still fuzzy, yet, I could make out the shape of this girl kneeling next to me. Her hand was positioned near my head, holding whatever she'd substituted for a compress against my skull.
"What's going on? Who the hell are you?" I managed to mumble with my limited speech abilities.
The girl appeared to retract ever so slightly when she heard me speak. At the same time, I could make out her other hand reach behind her neck and start to rub circles in an almost nervous sort of manner. Yet, it was still strange as my eyesight gradually began to recover. I couldn't help but believe there was something unorthodox about this girl. Despite the fact she so far came across perfectly harmless and that she only wanted to help me. Maybe she was sincere about making a mistake after all? After all, how many intruders would stick around to help an injured victim? But I decided I wouldn't trust her, not yet anyway.
"Oh, um, I must apologise. Where are my manners? I guess I probably owe you an explanation. Especially after what I've caused! Do you feel well enough to listen? Can I get you anything?"
"I'm fine," I grumbled softly. "I can listen. Just tell me, slowly, who you are and what you want from me!"
"Okay. Well, if you're sure you feel up to it! Um, where should I start? Oh my, I don't often cover introductions under such circumstances. I suppose, first of all, you should at least know who I am. My name is Riyo Chuchi, Senator of Pantora for the assembly of the Galactic Senate."
I'd closed my eyes before she'd started speaking, feeling too tired to logically respond to the utter lunacy of this entire situation. A mysterious intruder formally introducing herself in a conduct you'd associate with a politician.
"Riyo . . . Chuchi?" I managed to repeat back to her. "I've never heard a name like that!"
"No?" she said. Even in my weakened state, I was sure that she sounded genuinely surprised. "Surely you've heard of Pantora? Doesn't your planet hold any sort of membership within the Republic? You know, the galaxy's peacekeeping assembly? . . ."
When she'd finished, I took a few moments to evaluate everything she'd said so far. I remained silent for a few seconds until I found the strength to speak again.
"What sort of fairy tale are you trying to tell me? First, you let yourself into my house, and then you start spoon-feeding me that nonsense! I can tell you right now that I don't find it funny!"
"What? No, I'm telling you the truth, I swear! The moon of Pantora is my home. It's located in the outer rims of the galaxy. We have one of the strongest diplomatic ties with the Galactic Republic, the federal union that upholds the strength of democracy among countless other worlds."
"That's a brilliant little story," I chuckled. "But . . . What's your catch? I'm sure that's not the only reason you're still in my house."
Finally, I discovered that my strength had returned sufficiently enough for me to sit myself up. Resting on my elbows again, I lifted my chest before gripping the back of the sofa to manoeuvre myself into a sitting position.
I heard the girl's voice interject once again as I did so.
"Oh, no, please, you really shouldn't move. Don't forget that you're still hurt. You could cause yourself further harm . . ."
I felt her place a hand on my shoulder like before. A familiar pressure was applied to gently force me back down. However, this time, I reached up and pushed the hand away.
"Let me sit up!" I snapped. "I'm fine!"
I heard a gasp when my temper pierced through my so initially calm demeanour. I noticed her hand retract through my still hazy peripheral vision. She didn't utter another word. Yet I could see that she never moved herself away and was still kneeling beside me.
At last, I placed my feet on the carpet and sat up straight. However, I abruptly was met with a sickening dizzy spell which forced me to rest my head in my hands. My elbows rested on my knees. I began to feel disorientated and rubbed my face a few times to regain my scattered senses. Before I lifted my head I spent a few seconds rubbing my eyes with the hope that I may clear my distorted vision.
Reopening my eyes carefully, I, at last, got the answer as to whether my eyesight was back to normal. That answer came with a clear glance at this mysterious intruder. It was a sight that made my blood run cold.
She had the body of a human; nothing was usual there. However, what I at first believed to be a trick of the low light I quickly understood to be nothing of the sort. Instead, the reality met before me was very real. The girl was wearing a dark red jacket with a matching skirt, and knee-high black boots. Furthermore, I saw that her skin was a pale shade of blue, with the addition of a pair of yellow tattoo lines on each cheek. And her hair, which was tied back while still allowing the excess length to hang down behind each shoulder, had a pinkish tinge to it. The irises of her eyes also had a piercing glow of gold to them as our eye contact remained locked.
Despite my instinctive fear, I did have to admit that she really was quite pretty. Although, that observation didn't prevent me from shifting up to the other end of the sofa to keep away from her.
"What the . . ." I gasped. "What are you? Are you pulling some kind of joke?"
An expression of genuine confusion took over her face.
"What do you mean 'joke'?" she said. "I can assure you that I'm not undertaking anything of the sort . . . You look as though you've never seen a Pantoran before?"
"Well, maybe that's because I haven't!" I answered in a raised voice. "Didn't you get any hint that that might have been the case earlier?"
"Well, I wasn't to know," she said quietly, glancing down at her interlocked fingers resting against her thighs before regaining eye contact with me. "I thought all the different species throughout the galaxy were familiar with one another. We've been living beside one another for long enough. . ."
I took a deep breath before deciding to ask the important question. "I'm being serious. Please just tell me if this is some sort of prank you're trying to take me for a fool with?"
The girl then looked annoyed. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth curled downwards into something of a scowl.
"I've already told you. I'm not making any of this up. I'm really in trouble! I was forced to land on this planet after my ship died. I swear to you on the lives of my people that I'm being completely honest! I would never want to mislead you about a situation like this. My only concerns are for you, my home, and being able to contact anyone for help. Actually, that reminds me, what planet is this that I've ended up on?"
I didn't bother to answer that question for the moment. Instead, I had one of my own ask. Although, the answer would be an obvious one if everything about this situation were real. But I wanted the confirmation to come from her mouth.
"Does this mean you're an alien? For real?" I said.
Her expression softened slightly upon noticing that her presence was still unnerving me.
"To you, I am, I guess," she replied.
I didn't respond. I could feel my grip tightening on the sofa when I heard her speak the obvious answer. The question was, though, what to do next? If she truly was in trouble and had come from a world that Earth likely has no knowledge of, then the troubles were only just beginning to develop. I knew very well that if the authorities discovered her in my home and that I'd made direct contact with her, then the consequences for both of us frankly didn't bear thinking about!
Her gentle voice suddenly broke my train of thought.
"Are you okay?" she said. "Is the wound getting any worse?"
I felt myself relax ever so slightly. Nevertheless, though, I still kept my distance from her.
"I'm fine, thanks. The pain's going slowly," I answered. "It's just that, well, how am I supposed to take this in? I mean, I'm likely now the only person in this planet's history who has made conversation with an alien. Thinking of that, how come you're speaking English?"
"English? You mean Galactic Basic?"
"No, I mean English. It came from this country after all! Jeez, meeting an alien is one thing. But one that speaks your language. This night couldn't get any weirder!"
She frowned. "Look, I understand this situation must be very weird for you if you've never seen anyone like me before. But I want you to know that I don't wish to make you uncomfortable with my presence in the safety of your own home if it really is too much. If you wish me to leave, then I shall go, and I promise you won't lay eyes on me again . . . I'm sure there'll be some way I can send out a distress call. All I ask is for the chance to wait out this weather . . ."
I shook my head. "That's not what I meant. I just . . . oh, I don't know. Ah, this is all just so much!"
Rubbing my forehead, I looked up at the girl again. "I guess we've both got some explaining to do. Though I don't think it'll be a quick process."
Feeling my wound throb, I reached for the compress she'd made earlier and pressed it against my skull.
With my awareness having now fully recovered, we spent the next twenty minutes locked in conversation. I still didn't trust her one hundred per cent, but if this situation was real, then I guessed I at least owed her a listen.
Beforehand, I'd asked the girl if she'd ever tried tea, and to my surprise she told me it was one of her favourite beverages. After I'd managed to regain my balance, I carefully made my way into the kitchen. I brewed us both a cup of Earl Grey before we settled back in the living room. Both of us sat on the sofa, something which I had to admit felt a little weird. Well, who could blame me? It's not exactly a common occurrence to have an alien sitting about a foot away from you drinking tea.
The one thing I did request we cover again was introductions. I told her my name. And she in return, reminded me of hers since my thought process had been a bit scattered after my injury. Initially, I stuck to calling her Senator. However, she insisted that I needn't address her in any formal way, just Chuchi or Riyo.
To start with, I told her that she'd landed on planet Earth and that this galaxy we knew as the Milky Way. This seemed to concern her since the galaxy she informed me she came from was called Skyriver. She also seemed shocked when I informed her of how little distance humanity had covered out in the unwelcoming environment of space. Furthermore, I told her about all the different countries of the world, all the different leaders, and more specifically, that she'd landed in England. I spent a little while telling her all about the UK, its culture, history, everything I could think of. All of this seemed fascinating to her. She claimed it was mostly the fact that one small planet could have so many differences: like a variety of worlds situated in each country.
Eventually, though, it was her turn to start talking. And her story was an incredible one; her home, all the planets she'd visited, the war between the Republic and the Separatists, the Jedi and Sith, why she'd had to flee Pantora, and how she'd found Earth by mistake. Yet I could see that the longer she carried on, the harder it was for her to talk about what she had been through over the past few hours. So, deciding not to pry, I stayed quiet and let her finish the topic whenever she felt like it.
"That's quite a story!" I said, taking another sip of my tea. "Do you think your people will be able to hold them off?"
Riyo sighed sadly. "I hope so, Sam. I just don't know what to do! Who knows how far away I am from it all! I'm just afraid that nobody will yet have come to Pantora's aid. Who knows what the Separatists have already done and still have in plan . . ."
"I'm sure they'll be okay," I said in a what I knew to be a feeble attempt to reassure her. I had never seen what the Separatists were capable of, so who was I to offer comfort? "Trust me, the willpower of those who might first appear to be cornered can be remarkable! I mean, humanity can speak from experience itself!"
"You mean your world has been attacked before?" Chuchi asked.
Realising I hadn't made myself particularly clear, I decided it would be wise to elaborate. I'd almost forgotten for a moment that she wasn't from Earth, hence why she obviously wouldn't have a clue about the many wars humanity had fought against itself over the past centuries. Especially both World Wars.
"Well, not exactly," I said. "It's more that after having so many world leaders in our history that it only takes the rise of one madman to cause untold misery to so many others. And Earth's seen plenty of people like that, believe me!"
I took another sip of my drink. "Although, the one thing I will say for definite, Riyo. Good almost always triumphs over evil! Although just over eighty years ago we were in a position when we'd never have thought that. But, we were stubborn and persistent, and we eventually managed to stomp it out."
"I know what you're saying, and I wish I could share your way of thinking," Riyo said. "It's just that this war has been going on for so long in my galaxy that the dream of it one-day ending is becoming more of a delusion than anything else . . ."
"Have faith Riyo, that's all I can say. You may say it only appears as a delusion. But let me ask you, have you seen any sign of faltering in the Republic's fight?"
"Well, no, we're still strong. All we can do is keep going . . ."
"Then, as long as you keep going, the end of the war stands as an upcoming reality, never a delusion!"
Riyo didn't respond to my statement. The only reaction I saw from her was the corners of her mouth curling upwards into a soft smile.
She then placed her cup back on the table. "I, um, wanted to ask you something Sam. Do you know who would be the best person to go to for someone like me? After all, I can't exactly stick around on Earth forever. I need to try and contact the Republic."
That question left me feeling quite awkward. I hadn't yet told Riyo about Earth's likely hostility towards extra-terrestrials. Furthermore, were she discovered, then I knew for certain she would never be able to leave Earth. I would then probably disappear, locked away somewhere until the day I died. I knew the British government, especially with its deep relationship with the US, would do anything to keep the existence of aliens top secret.
"Well, um . . . we might have hit a small snag there," I said.
"Oh, what do you mean?"
"How can I put this? I'm not exactly sure that the government would take too kindly to learning about your existence. They'd likely take you away to some sort of facility, and then who knows? It could be for experimental purposes, or you'll spend the rest of your life being interrogated, day after day."
A flush of fear seemed to appear on Chuchi's face. "That can't be right, surely! I mean, I come in peace and pose no threat to anyone on your planet . . ."
"I'm not sure they'd see it that way," I said. "There're already too many alien theories roaming around the world. If anyone outside of this house found out about you, then that could trigger all kinds of trouble. And my guess is that the government isn't willing to let that happen. I guess that they'd see you more as an asset than a person."
"But, surely, if I spoke to them as a fellow politician . . ."
"Riyo, trust me, it would end disastrously for both of us. I just know that they would never listen. I won't do anything to stop you by force, but are you willing to take the chance?"
She sighed. "If that's the outcome awaiting us, I'll have to take your word for it. Especially on a planet, I know nothing about. I can't be naïve or impulsive."
I nodded and looked away from her. And it was then that something caught my attention. All this time we'd been sat down I'd failed to notice the bag she'd brought with her. It was resting on the nearby armchair.
I pointed towards it. "Hey, um, Riyo. I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'll take it that's yours?"
"Yes, it is. It's nothing special, just a few things that Pantora insisted politicians started carrying after the Separatist threat began to grow. I think that was the only step they took after I issued my warnings about the potential invasion."
Reaching over, she picked it up and undid the clip. She then began to show me each of the items she'd brought with her.
The first thing she removed was a small, round, and very basic-looking gadget with a single button on top.
"This is an electromagnetic grenade," she said. "Because of the mass of androids that the Separatist army is made up of, the Republic started supplying these small but nevertheless effective weapons to us. The fuse lasts for about ten seconds after you press the button, and the pulse it releases has the capability to knock out anything electric within a fifty-foot radius."
"Blimey! Fifty feet! That's useful!" I said. "But weren't you ever armed with a gun or anything like that?"
"I'm a politician Sam, not a fighter. I prefer less . . . direct means of defence."
Placing the grenade back in her satchel, she rummaged further. The next item she retrieved, I thought, looked very similar to an Apple Watch.
"What's that?" I said.
"Camouflage projector," she answered, attaching it to her wrist.
"A what now? . . ."
I didn't have to wait long for her to give details on that title. With the press of a button on the side of the device, I stared in awe as Chuchi's body begin to seemingly ripple through the layer of reality. And in a matter of seconds, she'd transformed from her alien form into an attractive, blonde-haired, human girl. Her clothes also changed from her previous attire to a red roll-neck jumper, black jeans and dark grey trainers.
"Don't look frightened. It's merely an image," Riyo said with a chuckle. "This device is coded to generate an interpretation of the nearest living creature whose form resembles mine closely enough. It's to help blend into a crowd were I being pursued. That's the best example, I guess."
With a second press of the button, she turned back to her real body.
I didn't have any words for what I'd just seen. I was speechless! It was beyond any technology I'd ever seen produced by humanity.
"Are you okay, Sam?" Riyo suddenly asked. "Your eyes have gone a little wide."
I nodded my head softly. "Fine," I said. "I guess you just took me by surprise there. I've never seen someone morph into somebody else right in front of me!"
She let out an unexpected giggle. "Yes, a lot of people have reacted similarly when they see what this thing can do for the first time . . ."
After placing the watch-like gadget back in the bag, she retrieved what appeared to be the final item she'd brought. It had a design similar to a walkie-talkie. The only visible controls on it were a single button on the top and a small dial on the side.
"It looks basic, I know," Riyo said, holding the device for me to see. "And it's true that this isn't anything special. There's nothing unique about it. This is just a simple distress beacon."
"Distress beacon?" I repeated.
Riyo nodded. "I know it looks small. But trust me. Its range isn't to be underestimated. Once activated, it'll transmit a signal for twenty-four hours before the battery runs out."
Sam was surprised when he heard her sigh and saw her place the device back in her satchel.
"However, it's currently useless," she said. "I tried activating it already. Just after I'd crashed, but it wouldn't transmit. It's either somehow been damaged or it's just out of signal. I turned it off to preserve the battery life in case I can get it working again later."
"I'm going to assume that means you're stranded for the time being?" I said, feeling unbearably sheepish over making such a statement.
"Unfortunately, it would appear so," she replied. That time when she spoke, I could hear her voice crack a little on her last word.
I then saw her eyes begin to glaze over. Immediately, she raised an arm and wiped away the developing tears. I could see she was desperately trying to uphold a formal presentation of herself. My best guess was that as a politician, she didn't want to display anything she'd deem as a weakness. Nevertheless, despite her best attempts to cover up her breakdown, the audible squeaks she let out as her emotions began to take over were the sign she was losing that internal battle. Eventually, she gave up trying to hide it and allowed herself to place her face in her hands and weep.
I've always liked to believe myself to be a compassionate person. But it's not very often that I'd find myself in a situation where my support was so obviously needed.
Carefully, I reached a hand up and started rubbing her shoulder gently. I decided on a not-too-physical approach while attempting to comfort her since we'd only just gotten to know each other.
"I'm just afraid, Sam!" Riyo managed to blurt out in between whimpers. "I had a duty to keep my people safe, and I failed them! Who knows how many of them the Separatists have murdered by now! All of this because I was naïve enough to agree to accompany a badly armed task force."
"Don't speak about yourself like that!" I said sharply. "It was like you told me, Riyo. Your government had to do something whilst they still could. And you weren't naïve to agree . . . you were incredibly brave! You took the risk of being killed yourself so that you could escape the invasion to get help! It sounds as though your government were the naïve ones for failing to listen to you in the first place!"
Despite my efforts, it didn't help reduce Riyo's tears.
"I appreciate your words, Sam. But after everything that I saw happening on Pantora, I can't rid myself of the feeling that I should have done more. I let my people down!"
I sighed as I continued rubbing her shoulder.
"Riyo, as I said before . . ."
At that very moment, however, a strange sound stopped my words dead in their tracks. Over my alien intruder's breakdown, I was sure I heard the very noise to which I'd been dreading. And that sound was the wail of sirens. Standing up from the sofa, I quickly hurried over to the curtains and peeked through a small gap out into the night. For a moment, I saw nothing but pitch-black darkness and the rain rolling down the window. Suddenly, however, a pulse of blue light began to quiver through the crystal-like texture of the rain that smashed against the glass.
I knew straight away that the police were approaching. My neighbours must have called them about the crash.
"What's wrong? Did you hear something?" I heard Riyo choke out through restrained emotions behind me.
My heart began to race as I quickly closed the curtains and rushed over to the nearby table lamp to switch it off.
"What's going on?" Riyo said. There was a noticeable tone of worry in her voice.
"Police. They're coming!" I said, turning back to face Riyo. "We need to hide you in case they decide to come into the house. They might wonder why I didn't call them after you crashed in the field."
Standing up, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head again as I approached Riyo. Remembering my injury, I groaned and reached behind my skull to begin rubbing it. I could tell that Riyo was debating whether or not to voice concerns about my health. She eventually decided, however, to remain silent about it.
"Are you positive that I couldn't try speaking to them?" Riyo said, looking anxious.
"Absolutely," I answered. "They really wouldn't listen. Please, believe me!"
Riyo's expression read defeat. She decided then to focus on the bigger problem at hand.
"If you're sure about that, then where shall I go? This doesn't look like an especially big house."
I pondered for a moment as I continued to rub my wound. My nerves, nevertheless, weren't feeling so calm. The louder the sirens wailed, the more sweat I could feel oozing from my pores. I could only stand there and wrack my brains as I tried to think of the best place to conceal Riyo.
All that I could process in my thoughts was that the longer I took to come up with an idea, the closer the police were getting. It wouldn't be long now.
Cliffhanger!
Well, that's another chapter done for now. I'll get the next one up as soon as I get chance!
Please leave a review, and I hope you enjoyed it.
Until next time!