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Chapter 41

ET Phone Home

Adrien was just a little bit on edge that he hadn't heard from Katja. He had already found something significant the moment she decided to run off.

Because of what had happened in the last few hours, Adrien had directed Blue to keep a thermal-vision eye on her in the shadows, but told him to keep his distance. Problem was, the oaf was supposed to have brought her back by now.

They were still in a major time crunch. They needed to end this yesterday.

Currently, Adrien was in a Weyland mobile deployable base, which was essentially a bunch of shipping containers welded together. Situated right in the middle of the camp, the structure housed the jammer master controls. They would get comms back at least.

Adrien was supervising Alexei as he inspected the jammer system. The kid was spending a lot more time adjusting his glasses and rocking on his heels than on actually working.

Adrien was about to call him out on it when Katja and Blue walked through the door. Katja looked… a little less faint, a little less haunted.

"You have something?" she asked. Her tone sounded stronger, less despondent, and more focused.

"Uh, yeah. You good?" Adrien asked, very confused now. What had happened out there between them?

"Yeah. I think so," Katja nodded slowly. Actually, it didn't matter. She seemed a lot better; or at the very least, had found a way to temporarily repress her grief. If Blue told her something she wanted to hear, he wasn't going to question it. And frankly, he didn't want to know, either.

"Well?" Katja prompted.

"Huh? Oh, the mission. Right, right, right. Well, Alexei is working his magic. Few minutes, we will have comms back," Adrien grunted, then added, "For what that's worth."

"Excellent. Where are we with Vai's parts?" Katja asked.

"Who, what?" Adrien asked. What was a 'Vai'?

"Blue, where are we with Blue's parts?" Katja spoke faster to cover up… whatever that was.

Adrien grimaced. "Harder answer. We do have a powerful enough transmitter. At least, I think that's what Alexei was trying to tell me. But it's not as easy as just gutting the equipment and shoving it into Blue's computer."

"I guess that makes sense. Maybe we can hook him up to the transmitter, somehow?" Katja suggested. Alexei started babbling incoherently and angrily at that, even though Katja had just punched him a few minutes ago.

"I'm not rushing or overworking you. I'm just asking," Katja said to Alexei, calmly yet sternly.

Little bastard. So lazy.

Backing up a few paces, Adrien stood next to the big guy.

"What did you say to her?" he whispered to Blue. "She seems a lot better."

"Only stated facts. Am not sure what I said," Blue answered back via text only on his wrist gauntlet.

Strange. Even Blue didn't know what he did, apparently; but it worked. Now Adrien sorta wanted to know, but for now, maybe it was best to just let it go. Ask after this was all over, perhaps.

"Alexei got it. Jammer shut down. Should we test comms?" Katja suddenly broke in. All three of them tore out their radios and plugged in.

Sure enough, the test broadcasts worked. Blue was even able to patch himself in, though it was unlikely in the heat of battle he'd be able to type out anything to transmit. They stuck to his words for 'yes' and 'no'. Generally, more than that wasn't needed anyway.

"Ok; now for Blue," Katja told Alexei. As per the norm, the kid grumbled, but began hooking up cables to the human parts of the alien computer.

Once Blue was plugged in, they all waited with bated breath as the hunter worked on his wrist device.

Well, almost all of them. Alexei was disrespectfully bored out of his mind, because he was no longer the center of attention.

Finally, Blue turned to the humans. "Not enough signal strength to contact clan."

"Shit," Adrien slapped his thighs. Now what?

"Enough signal strength to call my ship down," Blue suddenly continued. "Ship has needed communications uplink."

Adrien blinked, hoping he'd heard correctly. "You sonvabitch! You better not be messin' with me!" he shouted happily. Finally, something was going their way.

"My kind does not lie," Blue affirmed. Adrien sat down on a nearby chair in stunned silence. Vaguely, he could hear Alexei celebrating (probably more smug that his tinkering had worked, than anything) and Katja quietly came over and placed a hand on his shoulder, fingers lightly pressing into him in a message of silent excitement.

They had done it. However, their attack on the Queen ended, whatever Blue's clan did to them afterwards, it didn't matter. His people would come to contain and eradicate. Earth had been saved, one way or another.

"C'mon Adrien. I want to see his ship," Katja said softly, and began pulling at his arm. There was a spark of… the old Katja there. He let her drag him out of the Weyland command center, and into a clearing past the camp, with Blue and Alexei following them.

They all looked to the sky, but saw and heard nothing.

It was only after a few taps of the wrist computer that a very alien-looking ship materialized in front of them. Already landed and parked, no less. Of course, their crafts would have cloaking. But what was more of a marvel was how quietly it had landed. He hadn't heard the engines at all.

Meanwhile the best humanity could currently offer was a slightly less noisy helicopter that warranted its own hanger at Area 51.

The ramp to the alien craft dropped, and Blue stalked inside. Meanwhile, the three humans stood awkwardly outside, watching him. Alexei directed a question to Katja.

"We weren't invited inside, Alexei. It would be impolite to just assume and enter," Katja explained, looking up the ramp in awe. Adrien could tell just how badly she wanted to get onboard and check it out.

Even if it was Blue and they were invited, though, it did not seem wise to willingly walk into an alien spacecraft. Adrien was beginning to realize that so-called alien abductees may not be so crazy after all, and their stories could be at least grounded in truth.

Not to mention, hunters killed humans. Walking into a lion's cage like that just seemed stupid.

Suddenly, there was a clicking noise. When Adrien looked up, Blue was at the entrance of his ship, beckoning them to come. Surprisingly, everyone stayed put at first. But, ever the leader, Katja bravely stepped forward and went up the ramp.

Alexei looked at Adrien and spoke. He could assume what the kid had asked. "Guess we will find out," Adrien replied.

With that, he strolled after Katja, finding her inside and removing her shoes. For a moment, he stared blankly at her.

"What? I don't want to track muddy snow all over his ship," Katja said.

Adrien shrugged in agreement and began removing his shoes. Monkey see, monkey do – aka, Alexei – also joined in. Ominously, the ramp closed behind them, sealing them in.

Blue was standing a ways away in some open-floor plan room, fiddling with his device. Waiting for them disinterestedly, no doubt.

The first thing Adrien noticed while he removed his shoes were the aesthetics of the ship's interior. Spartan grays, whites, and blacks. It almost reminded him of Alexander's suite. Unlike the suite, though, Blue did not have an interior decorator; at least from what he could see. Lots of plants growing from the walls, though, giving it a pseudo-jungle look.

The second thing he noticed was how warm and humid it was inside the ship. After his shoes, he began shedding layers of clothing, just so he didn't feel like he was suffocating. And he wasn't the only one. Katja and Alexei were tearing layers off, too.

The hunter's home planet must've been a friggin' sauna. Nice change of pace from the cold though.

The third and final thing of interest was the lighting. The ship wasn't flat-out dark, but it was certainly dim. Of course, Blue and his kind saw in infrared, so lighting might not have been very important to them for that reason.

The hunter called out in his language again, wanting them to join him. Adrien stepped into the circular room. Seating, maybe curved couches by the looks of them, lined the half walls. A table of sorts was in the middle.

Blue directed them to sit, which they all did, but awkwardly; feeling out of place, or like they might violate the etiquette or rules of the ship unwittingly.

The seats were designed for larger beings, and Alexei and Katja's legs dangled far above the floor, like children's. Even Adrien's toes were about a foot from touching.

Next, Blue reached up to a plant that was suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the room and plucked something off of it. He tossed whatever it was into his mouth, making sure they all could see him eat it.

He made a motion for them to do the same. Reaching up, Adrien and Alexei grabbed the mysterious edible off the vines of the plant. Tentatively, Adrien bit into it and was immediately rewarded with a unique citrus flavor. Fruit! Alien, but recognizable.

"Eat, relax. Will contact others and report back," Blue said before walking out of the room. Likely to the cockpit.

"Don't you want any?" Adrien asked, picking more fruit and holding it out to Katja.

She tried to smile at him, though it felt wrong on her face. She had to momentarily close her eyes. Blue's people are coming now. They are. We will stop the serpents. He won't have died for nothing. He won't have…"

Katja opened her eyes, smile still in place. "I'm… not really hungry right now." Her stomach was still churning, and she was afraid she would vomit again if she tried any food.

Alexei was stuffing his face. "Are you crazy? This is like, your one chance to try food from an actual alien planet, and you're passing?" He grinned as juice dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

Katja sighed. "Do I have to get you a bib? Eat neatly, Alexei. No telling what he'll do if you spill in his ship."

"This is good fruit," he replied, ignoring her comment. "Yes, it's definitely delicious. Tart. Not as strong as lime or lemon, but more sour than an orange. Citrus. Probably means his planet is hot and humid."

He rattled off the facts with a full mouth, and Katja stared at him. "You're still doing research, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

"You're not telling anyone anything about Blue at the end of this, Alexei. Not the government, not your lab, nobody." Katja warned – borderline threatened, really.

The government would get no reward for what they'd attempted here. And that was beside the point. Blue had shown loyalty and deserved such in return.

Remembering the Russian flag patch on her shoulder, she peeled it off and looked at it.

"It's no Stars and Stripes, but it is red, white, and blue," Adrien interjected into her thoughts with a joke.

"Adrien…" Katja began before putting a hand over her face and rubbing it.

"Go on," the American Captain encouraged. He didn't sound like he was joking any more.

"This is bigger than flags or nations," Katja began.

"Hmm," Adrien said aloud, and he tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "I agree, but what do you want to do about it? You're saying you want to defect after this? Like, live off the grid in hiding?"

"No, I mean I am no longer on my government's side. I'm not… on any government's side," Katja continued.

Adrien began peeling the velcro US flag patch off his shoulder. He looked at it long and hard before speaking.

"Then who's side are we on?"

"Currently, I'm on Blue's side. That may mean, that at least for the duration of this mission, his government is my… well, let's say, ally. Doesn't mean I trust them either, but… After all of this, I want to make damn sure he and his kind escape. Even to the detriment of my future. The hunters and their tech cannot fall into the wrong hands, and Earth as a whole, is the wrong hands," Katja explained.

"What did he tell you out there?" Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"It's not just what he told me, it's also what Maksim… what Petrov said," Katja responded.

Adrien gestured for her to continue. "The Yautja–" Katja began.

"Excuse me, the 'whatja'?" Adrien cut in.

"The Yautja. Blue's kind, it's what their species is named. They aren't as bad as you might think," Katja explained.

"Every one of them would rip your spine out within minutes of seeing you. Blue is one in a trillion," Adrien scoffed.

"He's not, though. I don't doubt what you've seen and what you've been through. They do hunt us for sport, they sacrifice us to create serpents; you have only seen them in this state. The hunter state. And I'm not excusing what they've done. It's wrong. But understand, the alternative is much worse. Understand, currently they are more our advocates than adversaries," Katja said and grabbed Adrien's hand for emphasis. "Understand they aren't the worst thing out there. Understand that the serpents may not be the worst thing out there."

"Alright, I'm trusting you on this. Youtcha–,"Adrien mispronounced.

"Yautja," Katja corrected. He couldn't say her full name and couldn't pronounce Blue's species, either. Well, her brother always said marines were idiots. Katja herself found it a bit amusing.

"Right, the alien hunter species are on our side, despite atrocities committed against us. The math doesn't make sense, but I trust you, and I trust there's more to this than I know. What is your point?" Adrien summarized questioningly.

"My point is, Maksim didn't think anyone, government, company, whatever, should have the serpents, the Yautja, or their technology. I stand with that, and I am putting what little that's worth behind Blue," Katja answered.

"What you're talking about will be considered treason, for both of us," Adrien pointed out, his eyes seeking hers. He didn't look afraid or doubtful, just contemplative.

"Yes. I know. I also know you have a daughter and a wife. I have no right to ask for your help, but do you really want that world for them, either?" Katja posed.

Adrien looked down at his flag patch before ultimately tossing it on the table in front of them, instead of returning it to his shoulder. Katja barely hesitated before throwing hers on top of his.

"I think you are both nuts. I am certainly not committing treason," Alexei sneered. Katja sighed in response. He was so tiresome.

"What did he say?" Adrien asked wearily. He probably already knew, but Katja repeated nevertheless.

"You will be charged with treason simply for knowing us, Alexei. So, you better hope we succeed, and you may consider helping to make sure we do," Adrien retorted.

Katja had to give the American Captain credit. That had certainly given Alexei pause.

"I really hate you people," the boy finally muttered.

Adrien didn't ask for a translation on that one. Instead, he plucked another fruit and held it out to Katja. The fruit was blue, with yellow speckles, and about the size and shape of a grape tomato. "Now, will you please try one? Just so you don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"

Taking it, she plopped it in her mouth and bit down. It was delicious, and she was glad not to have passed on trying an alien fruit. But that was all her stomach would tolerate.

With his guests currently tended to, Vai'dqouulth hastily took a seat at the helm. They had succeeded in one of their goals, after so many setbacks. Fate favored the determined, he supposed.

He did, however, pause before contacting the clan or the warship on station. He'd need to consider exactly how and what he was going to say. After all, he had broken many laws and guidelines – starting when he acquainted himself with Katja.

Not to mention the fact he'd allowed them aboard his yacht. That was very forbidden, but he wasn't about to leave his diminutive Earth clan out in the harsh environment. There would also be no way around it, as he had to transport them all to the nest. It would be ridiculous to use their terrestrial vehicle and sleep in those portable shelters again, losing time, when a simple flight into the mountains would be enough to arrive before clan Weyland.

Deciding he'd try to avoid the specifics over communication and instead explain in person, Vai'dqouulth hailed the quick response force first. The warship.

He didn't have to wait long before one of his people answered the hail. "This is the Yautja Warship, Drums of Victory. Honored Elite Vai'dqouulth, how is your impromptu human hunt coming? We have not heard from you in some time," the ship's communication's officer asked.

"There has been no human hunt. The hard meats have infected the region I was sent to investigate. I require immediate assistance in containment or the planet will be lost," Vai'dqouulth explained shortly.

There was a moment's pause, and then a new voice joined the communication. "This is shipmaster U'jaal. Why have you not contacted us sooner about this matter, Elite?" the shipmaster cut in.

"My wrist computer was destroyed during my investigation. I have only recently been able to get it functioning enough to call my ship down from orbit," Vai'dqouulth stated with impatience. That was hardly the priority of the situation.

"That is very troubling news. The accursed parasite has been given ample time to spread," the shipmaster mused.

"We know where the nest is," Vai'dqouulth interrupted, wanting to move the conversation along.

"…'We', brother? You have the assistance of others?" the shipmaster called out his flub. Vai'dqouulth dug his claws into his palm, causing a cut. How foolish of him to say that one simple word.

"I would like to explain the situation in person, and when time is not our greatest enemy," Vai'dqouulth evaded.

Thankfully, the shipmaster finally decided to focus on the issue at hand. "Very well. You say the nest location is known; that is good. However, we are currently cleaning up a smuggling operation that was attempting to acquire local human specimens."

Not surprising. Humans were considered very exotic as they had yet to travel well beyond their cradle planet and the Yautja did not allow others into their territory of the universe. They were even so territorial, Arbitrators were known to hunt down those who smuggled captured humans off planet and kill the offender as well as the human they took, just to make an example of them.

Vai'dqouulth mentally frowned at the information. "What is your distance from the planet?"

"We're at the edge of the territory. It will take two Earth rotations until we are in a position to assist," the shipmaster finished.

Not ideal, but perhaps they could manage to keep the Queen occupied another two Earth days. "Hone in on my ship's beacon. I will be very close to the nest. I understand it is a human military complex within the mountains of this region," Vai'dqouulth shared.

"You intend to go after the queen with your allies, elite?" the shipmaster asked.

Vai'dqouulth could read no praise or condemnation in the question. "Perhaps we can keep their attention on us and not expansion," he replied.

"Then I pray for the gods to be with you. Hunt well, die honorably, brother," the shipmaster parted. And with that, he was gone.

With the immediate help on the way, Vai'dqouulth next switched over to the clan ship frequency.

"Honored Elite Vai'dqouulth. It has been some time since we have heard from you, brother," the clan ship's communications officer greeted.

"Put me through to the clan leader and the council," Vai'dqouulth requested, dispensing with the pleasantries. He did not want to waste any more time.

"They are currently gathered–" the officer began.

"Then interrupt them. The matter is urgent," Vai'dqouulth snarled shortly. The younger Yautja was only fulfilling his clan assignment, but now was not the time for politeness. Thankfully, he was put through with no further delay.

"Vai'dqouulth, we have not heard from you for some time. Did you finally decide to take a human hunt after concluding your investigation?" Clan Leader Aku asked.

Feeling as though he was beginning the same conversation over again, Vai'dqouulth said, "No, I have been marooned on Earth this entire time. My wrist computer was destroyed in battle. Only by salvaging parts have I been able to gain enough functionality to call my ship down from orbit."

"Battle?" an Elder Council member questioned.

"The hard meats have overrun the region. The local human population as well as the fauna have all been used to incubate an army for the queen," Vai'dqouulth answered, deciding to give the Elders a bit more information.

"The local warship must be mobilized!" a different elder roared.

"I have already contacted them, but their current location renders them unable to assist for some time. I am going after the nest in hopes of delaying the queen until reinforcements are in place," Vai'dqouulth assured.

"Then the clan will also mobilize. The contamination must have grown exponentially already. If we leave immediately, we should arrive in conjunction with the warship," Aku said.

"I will turn on my beacon. Track my ship. The nest is in a human military complex that resides within the mountains of this region," Vai'dqouulth advised again.

"Troubling…" an elder Vai'dqouulth didn't recognize mumbled.

"What is?" Vai'dqouulth interrogated, his curiosity overcoming his impatience.

"This is not the first time, Vai'dqouulth, that hard meats have landed in that region by space debris. The first time it happened, two other clans cleansed the area. They were convinced a human military base was in play, but one was never discovered. To hear you confirm its existence is… troubling. It means they were invisible to us," Aku clarified. "That should not be possible. Are you sure your information is correct?"

Vai'dqouulth knew Alexei was a coward, but unlikely to be lying about this matter. Besides, it was completely irrelevant at that moment, in Vai'dqouulth's opinion. "We can investigate the matter once the hard meat infestation has been dealt with. But I assure you, my source is reliable."

"Understood. I will contact the clan's Arbitrator – Thell-Thwua'sou. He will lead that investigation. Perhaps we can have some unblooded receive their mark, no?" the clan leader said with a chuckle.

"Perhaps, yes," Vai'dqouulth agreed without humor in his tone, wanting to end the conversation. He was not particularly thrilled to hear Arbitrator Thell-Thwua'sou would be coming given his history with that particular Yautja.

"Hunt well, die honorably, Vai'dqouulth," Aku stated, followed by the rest of the clan. Vai'dqouulth nodded and ended the transmission.

Taking off his mask, he flexed his tusks wide in frustration. Their reinforcements would come, yes. The question was, would it be too late?

2/3 of the story done!