Hello again everyone.
Apologies for the late update, things have been a bit hectic at the moment in my life. Still, got there in the end!
Although, I'm not completely happy with this chapter. It's a bit of a slow one for me. I think I meant for it to simply act as a filler so that the rest of the story may progress a bit more smoothly.
Either way, I hope you enjoy it.
A considerable amount of time had passed before Mum's bout of vertigo finally began to soften. Riyo and I were seated either side of her at the kitchen table, taking it in turns to fetch her a fresh glass of water. Not that keeping her hydrated seemed to be making all that much of a difference, but I wasn't taking any chances. Her head was resting in her hands, leaving her face covered as she refused to lift her gaze up to either of us. It seemed as though she was trying to block out her surroundings, refusing to accept that what she was experiencing was real. It was as if she hoped that this was nothing more than a dream.
"So this isn't a joke? You're really trying to tell me that this girl is an alien? By some ludicrous chance, she discovered Earth, crashed down in England, and has now taken up residence in our home," she said in a muffled voice, her face still covered. "Or have I gone completely insane?"
"I've always disliked the word 'Alien', Mrs. Walker. It sounds so . . . brash," Riyo said softly.
A hard stare from me quickly reminded her of the delicacy of the situation. She straightened her posture and cleared her throat. It was easy to spot the mannerisms of a politician through the way she presented herself. "Excuse me, I nearly went off track. If that's the term you're familiar with, then, yes, I am a being of what you speak . . ."
"Then how can you possibly be here?" Mum snapped. "And how on Earth can you speak English?"
Her reaction caused Riyo to jump slightly. "I, um, well . . ."
"They speak English where she comes from, mum," I quickly interjected.
I frowned and leant back in my chair, staring straight at Mum with the hope of maybe catching her eye.
"Look, I realise this must feel unbelievable. But I swear that everything we've told you is the truth. Even I'm still trying to get my head around what's happened. The fact is, mum, that you and I are likely to be the only people in the history of humanity who have spoken to or been this close to an alien. There's probably a lot of people across the world who have dreamt of something like this. It just happens that, by some chance, Riyo landed where she did."
Mum was quivering as she gave a shake of her head. "I can't handle this, Sam! I . . . I just can't . . . This is too much!"
I was too busy trying to comfort her to notice Riyo's concern. She looked simply horrified to apparently be causing my mother to suffer a near breakdown.
"I know what it feels like to be frightened; trust me . . . And I can't blame you for reacting the way you did. You've never seen anyone like me before!"
Hearing her voice seemed to trigger something inside Mum. She suddenly lifted her head from her hands to stare Riyo straight in the eyes. They were now face to face. "How can I trust you? You claim to be an alien from some faraway galaxy, and my son impulsively invited you to stay in my house. You're sitting at my kitchen table, for goodness sake! This is just . . . uh, I can't even find the words!"
"I didn't impulsively invite her in, mum. We sort of met by accident, didn't we, Riyo?"
"Oh, yes, absolutely," she nodded.
Mum looked at me suspiciously. "Is there something you haven't told me, Sam?"
I went on to explain the events that had unfolded that night. How I'd heard Riyo's ship crash, come face to face with her in the darkness, and how I'd also managed to trip and injure my head. Although I refrained from yet informing her about our trip out into Hereford, I didn't want to cause her further worry. There was, however, one part of the story that she was particularly interested in. How Riyo hadn't hesitated to rush to my aid after I'd banged my head and had done her best to ensure my comfort afterwards.
"It was all my fault; I didn't realise he'd be so frightened of me," Riyo insisted.
Mum scoffed. "You let yourself into somebody's house in the middle of the night! How else were you expecting him to react?"
"I don't know! My head was still fuzzy from the crash . . . I . . . there was just no way I was going to leave him like that, especially after seeing he'd been knocked unconscious. I would never have forgiven myself!"
To me, the level of overwhelming emotion in Riyo's voice was enough to convince anyone that her words were sincere. It even seemed to be having something of a noticeable effect on Mum, although she managed to uphold her reservation.
"Well, I should at least say thank you, if that's true. My son is all I really have, and if anything had happened to him, I don't know what I'd have done!"
"I understand, Mrs. Walker. That's why I can appreciate your distrust of me. After what both of you have already been through, it's understandable for a mother to be that protective of her son, as any parent should be."
"What'd you mean?"
"I've already told her about what happened to dad," I revealed. "We got talking the night she arrived here. It was something that just happened to slip out."
"Sam!" she hissed, clearly annoyed that I had shared that piece of information.
"Don't be annoyed with him, please, Mrs. Walker. I'm just so sorry that you both had to go through such a terrible loss! I guess what we're trying to say is that you have every right to feel distrustful of me. I know that you only wish to keep your family safe. And while I regret letting myself into your home like I did, I swear on my life that I would never do anything to harm you or Sam. I was just so scared at the time; I didn't know what else to do."
Chuchi's kind words seemed to ease Mum's guard a little. Nevertheless, I could tell that something else was bothering her. It was after she let out a short sigh that we both found out what was on her mind.
"By the way the pair of you have stuck to this story, I can only conclude that there must be some truth in it. If you'll pardon me saying so . . . um, what was your name again?"
"Riyo Chuchi. But, please, just call me Riyo."
"Yes, uh, Riyo. If you'll pardon me for saying so, while your, uh, appearance did take me by surprise, I really do appreciate what you did for my son. However, I'm a bit stumped as to where things should go from here."
"How do you mean?" I asked.
"What I'm trying to say is that there's only so much more that Sam and myself can possibly do for you. If you genuinely are trapped on Earth, then you'll need help from those who can actually provide you with a much better chance of contacting your people," she said. "Gosh, I can't believe I just said that!" she chuckled in what looked like disbelief.
Riyo's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Are you suggesting what I think you might be?"
"Um . . . probably. I think the wisest option would be for you to be brave and approach the authorities while this whole situation is still in the early stages . . . Before this goes too deep!"
"What!" I exclaimed. "Mum, that'd be crazy! . . ."
All of a sudden, and very much to my surprise, Riyo quickly raised a finger and politely shushed me.
"Shh, please, Sam. I think it's only fair that we listen to what she has to say."
I was at a momentary loss for words. How could Riyo seriously be interested in listening to Mum? She was, after all, in the process of trying to persuade her to turn herself in. That was the primary consequence we'd been working so hard to avoid these past couple of days. Yet I guess I should also have taken one aspect into account. That being said, it is generally customary practice in politics to listen to what your opponent has to say before delivering a careful response. And with the stories she'd told me during the short time we'd known each other, it was safe to assume that this was a routine she was all too familiar with in her profession.
Even Mum seemed quite surprised by Riyo's unexpected defence. "Well, um, what I mean is that surely the authorities would be willing to listen if you came forward. I mean, communication shouldn't be a problem since you already speak English, and you're clearly an intelligent girl! What I'm trying to say is that the longer we keep you under our roof, the worse it will make things look if someone eventually discovers you. It's not as if it would take much!"
She momentarily paused for breath. "I'm not saying this because I see you as the dangerous threat I did when I first met you, Riyo. I just believe that our government will be able to do a lot more for you than we possibly can."
Riyo interlocked her hands and rested them on the table. I could tell from her frown that she was inclined to disagree with Mum. "What you're saying is worth merit, Mrs. Walker. However, I'm afraid that I must contradict your idea. The authorities on Earth seem very paranoid over matters such as the existence of aliens. From what I've witnessed or been told, I don't believe that the police would be particularly interested in whether or not I turned myself in peacefully. The government would likely see me as an object that could be locked away for experiments or interrogations. I doubt I would ever see the light of day again after being taken into custody."
Mum shook her head. "How can you know . . ."
I took this as a chance to interject. "Mum, humanity has speculated about the existence of aliens for centuries. It's one of mankind's biggest questions as to whether there might be life on other planets. And we just so happen to have the proof sitting at our kitchen table. I'm telling you now that if anyone finds out about her, the worldwide uproar that'd follow would be . . . astronomical! And you know that the government would be willing to do anything to prevent that from happening. Hence, I'm pretty certain that we'd disappear along with Riyo were we to come forward. In their eyes, she's another discovery that must be kept buried."
"How can either of you be so sure of that?"
"We obviously can't foresee the government's response, Mrs. Walker. But you can't deny that what he says is logical. Who knows how humanity might react to finding out about me?" Riyo's voice was slightly raised, though retaining a softness about it.
"Try to think about this rationally, Mum," I said, giving what felt like one final effort of persuasion. While I admit that we've both only known her for a short amount of time, I think it's fair to say that we're already at a point of no return. The authorities would only see us as a liability that needs to be swiftly dealt with. I'd say that all three of us are in this together by now."
"Don't try and mix me up in your mistakes!" Mum suddenly snapped. I noticed Riyo's eyes widen as the sharp tone of her voice caused her to jump a little. "I didn't ask to get involved in this! . . ."
She paused momentarily when she realised what she had impulsively blurted out. "I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't mean to snap. It's not your fault. It's just . . . Oh, god! What the hell are we going to do?"
Before I had the chance to say anything, Riyo made what I perceived as a risky move. She reached forward and placed a hand on Mum's forearm. Mum flinched when she felt the touch, yet, much to my surprise, she allowed Riyo's hand to stay there.
"All three of us can work our way through this; believe me, Mrs. Walker," Riyo said with a pleading look in her eyes. "Look, I had to escape my planet after watching a barbaric alliance of criminals slaughter thousands of innocent lives and knowing there was nothing my government could do to save them! The pilots who were escorting me to seek outside help gave their lives so that I might escape and alert our allies of the invasion. I was pursued, but by some miracle, I managed to get away. However, my ship took damage, and the hyperdrive, which is the system that allows our crafts to travel at lightspeed, sent me somewhere completely different. That was how I discovered Earth, and that is why I was forced to land here. All I've thought about since I got here is the promise I made to those pilots. I swore that their sacrifices wouldn't be in vain. That's why I simply cannot allow anyone else to find out about me. The sooner I get off this planet, the sooner I can return to my duty in the Senate. I realise the enormity of what I'm asking, and I'm not proud to say it. But I implore you to keep my presence a secret for just a while longer . . ."
It was evident from the glazed look in her eyes that Riyo's story had hit Mum hard. Looking down, she slowly tapped her fingers against the table. She may have been silent, yet I could tell she was playing every possibility of her eventual decision back over in her head.
"I . . . I don't know if I can. You can't ask me to lie like that . . . How can you know how much longer you'll be stuck on Earth? It could be ages yet!"
Riyo retracted her hand before responding. "You're right; I can't be sure how long I may be stuck here. However, I do have one advantage that may help speed up the process."
"How do you mean?"
"The ship that I escaped in was carrying a portable distress beacon for a scenario such as this. The range they can transmit is really quite impressive! They've helped save so many lives before! I guess it's just fortunate that their signal is not limited solely to my people; most of our allies should be able to detect it."
"You never mentioned that before, Riyo!" I said.
"Didn't I? Oh, well, then please forgive me. It hadn't really crossed my mind," she replied.
"So . . . you can activate that, and they'll come for you? How soon?" Mum asked.
"That I don't know the answer to. It all depends on how long it takes for the signal to reach anyone. However, there is a slight problem with it. Only after I retrieved it from my burning ship did I realise it had taken a good pounding in the crash." Riyo explained nervously, knowing that Mum was not going to like that information. "I've already begun repairs, but it may take some time," she continued. "Nevertheless, with the time it may take, I haven't forgotten that I am still a stranger in your home, Mrs. Walker. If you don't want me here, then I shall leave straight away and take my chances elsewhere."
"Don't say that!" I said. "You can't . . ."
"That's not a decision for you to make, Sam. This is my house, and I'll say who can stay in it!" snapped Mum.
"Come on. Alien or not, you can see that she's not lying about what she's been through. I know that I've only known her a short time, but I can tell that she's a good person, and it wouldn't be right for us to throw her out where she could get caught, or even worse, die!"
Mum sighed and closed her eyes. There was a nauseating sensation of butterflies in my stomach as I feared what she was going to say next.
"I'm probably going to regret making a decision as stupid as this. I don't think this is the choice I would have liked to have made, but I can tell that my hand is forced this time! If everything she's told us is true, then I don't think I could live with the guilt if something did happen to her."
"What're you trying to say, mum?"
She sighed. "I'm saying she can stay, Sam. I don't think you've left me with any other choice to make."
"Seriously?" I exclaimed.
Without opening her eyes, Mum nodded. "Yeah, seriously. We'll make her a bed up in the spare room, and she can stay here until she finishes repairing that transmitter."
"Oh, uh, there's no need, Mrs. Walker. Sam's already sorted that out. That's where I've been sleeping since I got here," Riyo nervously confessed.
Mum smirked sarcastically. "My, you two haven't hung around! Well, I guess it doesn't matter. It's not as though we ever have visitors anyway!"
While she clearly appreciated my Mum's decision, I could tell that Riyo remained aware that there was still a long way to go before even the fragments of trust could be established.
She smiled faintly. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Walker. You won't regret this, I swear. For whatever time I'm staying here, I promise I'll do everything I can to pull my weight. Obviously, I have no money to offer, but I can be very useful around the house. I'll clean, and I can cook . . ."
"Don't worry about all that yet," Mum said. "We'll go over things like contributions later."
A great weight had been lifted from my shoulders now that we had finally gotten the introductions out of the way. I hoped that we could now focus on the most important task at hand. Getting Riyo's transmitter up and running. Nevertheless, the truth was that none of us could be entirely certain how this arrangement might unfold. All I could hope was that Riyo would keep her wits about her and that Mum would stay true to her word by not grassing her up. The only thing that each of us could do was to be patient and prepare ourselves for what the following days might bring.
Well, that's a wrap.
I hope I can have the next update up before another two months pass. It all depends on how much spare time I get.
Thank you for all your kind reviews so far. It really helps me maintain my morale in continuing this story!
Until next time.