Connection (4 page)

He quit talking and just walked over to me and started really inspecting me. He laughed and pointed at my pants and said something that I’m sure was as crude as it was witty. He had me hold out my hands and held them for inspection. He shook his head and let me know four fingers was one too many. He opened the trunk again and pulled out something just like adhesive tape. He taped my little finger to my next finger on each hand…wouldn’t look really weird to the locals that way. We drove a little further and came to some gas station/tavern. LeSlur filled up and we pulled around the back. We got out and went in. LeSlur indicated he’d pay for everything and do the talking. I figured that was a plan and followed right behind.

                                                                      ****

The inside was pretty dim and nobody paid them any attention except the waitress. She zeroed in on tall one of the pair. Robert seemed to pass the test after her thorough scrutiny. They took a seat in a back corner booth and the waitress hustled over. LeSlur thought she wasn’t bad looking and had a nice figure – though a little tall and slim for his taste.

The waitress asked if they wanted anything and LeSlur ordered, realizing that his problem/opportunity/headache couldn’t talk for some reason. The waitress took the order and left with a definite wiggle of the hips as she walked away.

Robert was worn out but the female was very attractive in an exotic way. She was short – wouldn’t come up to his shoulder and had nice, firm, little upturned breasts but her hips were really wide. Her skin was interesting – it had large brown and tan splotches like birthmarks all over. It didn’t look bad – just different and she smelled a little different too…good different.

The waitress came back with the food and Robert smiled at her. She lit up like a Christmas tree. LeSlur kicked him under the table and said something to her and she stomped off. He said something to Robert but Robert didn’t understand so he just tucked into his food.

I thought the food was pretty good but I, desperately, needed to find the bathroom – I started looking around and LeSlur pointed in the back. I saw a male come out and noted the symbols on the door…figured I’d need that knowledge in the future. I noticed stalls in the bathroom just like on Earth. Guess form does follow function… everywhere. I sat down on a recognizable toilet and the seat rim felt soft, and got warm in a few seconds. I finished, saw a button to the side, and decided to press it…since there wasn’t any toilet paper. The toilet flushed first; then…similar to a bidet… it sprayed warm water on my ass. It even gently blow dried my butt. Damn… could get used to these things. I washed my hands as others were doing and walked back to LeSlur.

LeSlur pantomimed and I finally got the idea that we’d get a couple of rooms at this place. Think he meant his friends would meet us tomorrow. I was beat so I agreed – at least, I think he realized I agreed. LeSlur paid for two rooms, went into a communication booth, and made a call. He motioned me up to the room that matched the symbol on the key and I went in. It had a large bed with fresh sheets. I could smell myself – I tend to get a little rank under stress so I went to the bathroom in my room. It had a recognizable shower and I figured everything was backwards – yep – hot was on the right and I tried to turn to putty in the glorious hot water. There was also some not bad-smelling soap. I crashed on the bed.

                                                                      ****

Quite a few hours later, I woke up when I heard the door open. I was instantly alert – though nude. The light from the hall was dim but I thought it might be the waitress from earlier…yep. She had a nightrobe on and not much else. She climbed into bed with me and I pulled her close. “Robert,” I said.

She touched her beautiful little chest and said “Thwai.” I kissed her and that was just like on Earth. She responded similar to an Earth girl and I caressed her all over and enjoyed a nice long foreplay. It was revving me up and she was definitely getting fired up. I started kissing her lower and lower and she didn’t seem to know what I was doing. When I got to her sensitive region – she started to push me away but I insisted. She soon was moaning and arching in multiple orgasms. When she recovered, I shared my Earthy treasure with her. My endowment was evidently larger than the locals and she appreciated it with squeals and downright screams of pleasure. We spooned ‘til I fell asleep, but when I awoke in the morning, she was gone.

                                                                      ****

LeSlur was talking with some superior. “No. This guy isn’t from another country. He’s not from the colony. I was shot. The government knew about us somehow. Don’t know who he is. He has four fingers and a thumb. He is tall and handsome…no…no…I’m not into that. This guy is straight. He gave me a box of some stuff that will blow the top of your head off. Biggest haul we’ve ever made. Remember I told you I was shot. This guy pulls two little packs and slaps ‘em on my entry and exit wound. Really! My shoulder is all healed up. This guy isn’t from anywhere around here. Yes. Yes. Come and bring me a new car. Yes. …You’ll send me a little muscle. This guy won’t be a problem. See them after breakfast – sure…see you then.” LeSlur disconnected.

LeSlur collected Robert and they went down to get something to eat. Robert looked a little tired but LeSlur figured he just didn’t sleep very well – he did smell better. They sat down in the same booth from the day before and the waitress practically floated over to the table. “Thwai,” Robert said with a smile and the waitress positively beamed. LeSlur ordered and the food arrived quickly. LeSlur could see the two waitresses talking and smiling at Robert. He didn’t like extra attention but this wasn’t the bad type of attention. They had just finished breakfast when four heavies rolled in…big guys. LeSlur looked relieved and walked over to them. He talked with them a moment while motioning for Robert to come over. Robert walked outside with them and they moved the two boxes from their old car to the second one of the two.

Robert started walking toward the newly arrived cars when he realized he didn’t want to leave his flight suit in the trunk of their old car. He started walking back to the original car when one of the heavies grabbed his arm. He did a little aikido move, flicked the guy’s hands off, and kept walking. The guy looked bewildered for a second and then ran to grab him again. Robert heard him running up and ran his stiffened fingers back into the guy’s throat. The guy stood there choking while Robert calmly opened the trunk – grabbed his suit and walked back to the new car. He opened the door and sat down in the back seat.

LeSlur said to his men, “Look. He doesn’t say much but he seems to be really competent. He is not some pushover. Don’t think you can jerk him around. He seemed pretty solid when those troops were shooting at us.”

Two of the men got in the car that held LeSlur and Robert – one to the driver’s seat and one in the back on the side opposite Robert. They drove for a while until the one in the back spoke up – “He didn’t have to up and poke me. I wasn’t ready. I can take him anytime boss –when I’m ready.”

LeSlur kinda’ snorted and didn’t say anything…he thought that guy attacking Robert would be entertaining – but short lived. “What did you hear happened yesterday?” LeSlur asked his minions.

They talked at some length between themselves – ignoring Robert in the back.

Assessor LeXant had the ship hoisted onto the huge transport trailer. This oversized load would be hauled to the confiscation yard near the LsPlay Enforcement Center. The ship didn’t appear as big as a small freighter but it did look fast. LeXant couldn’t see any fuel ports, antennas, or holes even for the rocket exhaust. It looked like it was cut from a dull black crystal or something – it looked sleek and creepy…Zhast…he quit speculating. His job was just to get it moved – not anything else. He’d let the inventory people get to it. This wasn’t his job. His teammate, Assessor LeRoc, got to interrogate the prisoner…he had all the luck. LeXant called the property section when he got within range and told them to expect this thing. Then he gave them the dimensions, “Yes…I know it’s big. We can’t leave it here. It is coming to your facility…deal with it,” he said and hung up the new ‘mobile’ telephone. LeXant thought it was pretty ‘high-brow’ to be able to call from his car – one of the perks for being in the government.

                                                                      ****

Robert heard the subcutaneous incoming call – a sound he thought he’d never hear again. He answered without saying anything.

“This is Cassandra,” said the scratchy voice from the poor reception. “Do not try to say anything. I am being moved into the nearby city and they have a rudimentary telephone system that is newly installed. You are coming to another moderately sized city up the coast. I am able to understand a few words now. The government troops that assaulted us last night are called the ‘Prath’. They are a law enforcement/interdiction group designated to stop smuggling from the Jovian sized planet’s habitable moon – called
Xale
but pronounced ‘Sale’ with a lisp… the city you are approaching is called ‘
Bumweet’
. I will continue to learn their language and may have learned a few words – since I don’t forget – it is easier for me to compile a vocabulary. I will teach you any words that approach 95% assurance. The word for ‘yes’ is ‘
la
’ and the word for ‘no’ is ‘
pa
’ with emphasis on the ‘p’. Toilet or whatever they use for the word is ‘
boosh
.’ Thank you is a very British ‘
ta
’ and ‘you’re welcome’ I haven’t figured out yet. Think ‘food,’ or ‘meal,’ or ‘eat’ is…‘
mata
’.

Right at that time in Robert’s one-sided conversation, LeSlur reached back and handed Robert something that looked like a chew bar to eat. Robert looked back at him and said “
Ta LeSlur
”…at which point – LeSlur jerked and started a tirade of sentences at him.

Robert held up both palms and said “
Pa
” for ‘no’ – then Cassandra suggested he say… ‘
Covo…woot’
. Think it means ‘learn or learned’, she said… not sure of the verb tense. ‘
Woot
’ means ‘some’ – broad usage like English. Robert said, “
Covo woot
.”

There was silence in the car as they regarded this revelation. LeSlur started saying that they shouldn’t talk too much around Robert if he could understand anything they were saying.

Robert just smiled. Robert’s language lesson proceeded another thirty minutes until the car pulled up to guard house of a large mansion. The large metal gates were opened and the two cars proceeded through. Everyone got out and stretched. Robert went up to LeSlur and touched him. Robert pinched his shirt and pulled it out and said, “
LeSlur…ta…ta mata
,” Robert said and pointed to the house, “
Boosh
?”

LeSlur thought this was hilarious for some reason and said something – that was ‘you’re welcome’ Cassandra said. Robert tried to repeat it and LeSlur caught his meaning and repeated it more clearly. Robert parroted that back with the right pronunciation and LeSlur lit up. He stopped, undid his shirt, and pointed to the skin on his shoulder. He turned to his men and said something explaining that he had been shot through and through. Now his shoulder was a little sore but the skin was healed over the entrance and exit wounds. He pointed to Robert and gave a little talk. LeSlur’s men came over and marveled at the healed wound. LeSlur turned to Robert and said, “
Robert. Ta
,” and pointed at his shoulder.

Robert repeated the ‘you’re welcome’ phrase and then Robert pointed to each man and then the house, “
Boosh? La?
”

At this – the men all cracked up, slapped him on the back and started walking toward the house. LeSlur walked with Robert.

                                                                      ****

The inventory specialist walked around the strange ship. He tried to find the entrance but couldn’t find any break in the surface of the craft. He went to the confiscation yard superintendent and asked him where the entrance was located. The supervisor walked around the ship while looking at the report.

“The report says that there was a door with a ladder like thing right here as they ran up to ship and then it closed. I’ll call one of the engineers from the flight company – they’ll know how to get in.”

                                                                      ****

An hour later, the perplexed flight engineer called a crew of his people over with cutting equipment and saws. The welding torch did nothing. The thermal lance would not even scorch the surface of the graphene-ceramic composite. The truck carrying the heavy laser pulled up. The bright pulses from the laser didn’t even warm the surface. The saws and drills wouldn’t scratch the surface. The demolition team brought cutting charges similar to det-cord and it did nothing. A technician placed a large demolition charge with a standoff cone – Cassandra realized that this shaped-charge would damage her hull if they tamped the charge. Cassandra noticed the bomb technician coming toward the ship with a sandbag. Cassandra dissolved the door, deployed the little ladder, and turned on the interior lights.

The bomb squad tech carrying the sandbag – set it down and walked over to the ladder. He looked inside and the inventory guy came up close behind him. Those two crept up the ladder and stepped into the cockpit of the craft. The bright interior lights suddenly went out and the pressure door resolidified just as quickly as the ladder disappeared. They were trapped inside. As they reached the front console, there was a mild electric shock if they touched any metal. The air started pumping out of the cabin and they were both soon gasping for air. The inventory man’s knees crumpled and he fell down into one of the odd chairs. The pressure door suddenly opened and the demolition specialist stumbled out the cabin’s open portal and down the ladder. The inventory specialist was a bit slower recovering and the door shut again… but the lights stayed on this time and the air pressure stayed normal.

The confiscation yard superintendent called the Prath Chief Superintendent and explained what happened. The Chief Superintendent called his superiors and that continued up the chain of command. The Assistant Chief Commandant of the entire Prath force, LeBeeb, called a contact at the local university. He sent an emergency crew to the university to load up a famous scientist and get him to come over to give an opinion.

The university scientist was rapidly driven over to the confiscation yard. The scientist listened to the excited gabble from several people at once and then separated everyone. It soon became clear that the yard superintendent was the most cogent and observant.

“Tell me what happened,” said Professor LeEck asking the yard super.

“It had no hull openings so I called the flight engineers.”

“If it had no openings – how did the two people get inside?” asked Professor LeEck.

“It had no openings at first – later it opened up and two went inside. Only one came out,” explained the superintendent. “I think there’s someone in there. There are little people in there.”

“Hum…yes…could be. Now just tell me – from the beginning what happened. Don’t leave anything out and tell me in the exact order,” said LeEck.

“The inventory guy said there weren’t any openings. He called me and we looked around. We saw there were no hull openings at all. We walked all the way around and looked under it…nothing. I went into my office and called for a flight engineer. He spent an hour and then he went and called his team to come over with equipment. We tried everything and nothing worked.”

“Explain to me what they tried and the results.”

“Nothing worked I said,” the superintendent said tiredly.

“Fine…what did they try and in what order,” the professor asked another way.

“They tried a gas welding torch and the surface never got hot. We tried a thermal oxygen lance and again the surface never got warm,” the superintendent said.

“Really…not even warm?” the scientist was getting excited. “Sorry – you were saying…after the thermal lance.”

“…after the lance, we got a really powerful anti-aircraft laser – with the right focus and nothing happened.”

“The laser didn’t work?”

“No – no. The laser was working fine but it wouldn’t even warm the surface of that zhast thing. We then tried a diamond saw – not even a scratch…drills of all types and not a scratch. We got frustrated and called a demolition team. They laid coils of detonation cord like the military uses to cut trees or poles…nothing doing – not even scorched. Then the guy placed a big explosive against the ship.”

“Where did he put it on the ship and how much explosive? Was there anything unusual about the explosive?” the professor asked.

“Come to think of it – it was a lot – hard for him to lift and that explosive wasn’t just set up against the hull – it was shaped like a cone – just off the surface with a stand. Then, just when that bomb guy was carrying a sandbag to put on top of the explosives – the door opened just as slick as you please and the interior lights came on.”

“You say the door opened just when the demolition expert was carrying a sandbag toward the ship.”

“Yes…yes. That’s what I said,” grumbled the superintendent.

“Go on.”

“Well…the bomb expert and the inventory guy decided to go inside.”

“Did they see anyone inside? Were they forced?”

“No…no…nothing like that. It looked all lit up inside and it had opened. They could see there was nobody inside…the demolition guy said it went all dark as soon as they got inside.”

“Thank you superintendent. You’ve helped a lot. Would you send the demolition expert over here?” the professor asked. “That was very helpful superintendent.”

“Really? …I’ll get him,” the superintendent said and started to go get the other guy. He turned back to the professor. “Do you think you can get the inventory guy out? I don’t even know his name.”

“Maybe…we’ll see.”

The demolition expert was still pretty shook up and that didn’t happen very often to these guys. He started right in. “That was spooky as zhast… What do you want to know?”

“Just tell me what happened but tell me in the order it happened and don’t leave anything out. Start after the detonation cord…”

“I had placed this large breeching charge midway down the hull. Had a good standoff and was just about to put on a sandbag when the door opened.”

“You were tamping the explosive – correct? How big a charge?”

“Yes professor. You guys know about that? You don’t put a charge directly against the surface – nothing happens. You have to put the charge a little off the surface and then put a heavy weight on the backside to direct the force downward. It was about ten rheuls of military grade compound. The door came open and the lights came on inside the cabin.”

“Tell me exactly what you saw inside – describe it. You didn’t see any people?”

“No professor. Just these seats and kind of a desk or dash inside, covered with a few weird symbols.”

“Did you recognize any of the symbols? Do you think they were controls for the craft?”