Borne On Wings of Steel Page 10

  Elise's eyes brightened as her glowing pink hair grew a shade darker. “Do you think I can have a glass too?"

  “We'll see. I'm not sure if eighteen is the drinking age here on RahajMr."

  They made their way inside, only to find the crowds more tightly packed than back at the shopping complex.

  They finally found three open spots at a small table against the far wall. Krinia activated the small console on the table and began looking at the list of wines while Elise and Jysar glanced down their own tiny consoles and reviewed the list of food and drink offered.

  “I could use a bit of lunch myself,” Jysar said.

  “Me too. I'm famished from all this walking.” Elise smiled at the others.

  “Well, well, don't I know you? I think we met back at Alexxa Four last week? Ah, one could never forget such beauty."

  The deep, confident voice seemed to come out of nowhere—unseen from behind them. Elise froze, afraid to turn.

  Krinia replied for her.

  “That's got to be the oldest line in the galaxy, fella.” Krinia glanced at the orange-skinned humanoid alien with a bored expression. “And we've never been to Alexxa Four. So, keep moving, pal."

  The young alien wore his jet-black hair slicked back over his head. The dapper alien sported a red jacket over a lavender shirt with a myriad of thick gold chains around his neck. His large, leaf-like ears were pierced with several golden earrings.

  He stood out from the other aliens crowded in the room.

  “But everyone needs a new friend, especially beautiful aliens such as yourselves.” The alien Romeo sat down with a flash of teeth from a shark-like smile.

  Krinia almost laughed out loud, but she held herself back—for the moment.

  “Listen, we're...” Krinia began.

  “You don't mind if I sit here and get to know you better?” The alien smiled from Jysar to Elise and back to Krinia, whose expression grew rock-hard.

  “Listen...” Krinia began again, a forcefulness now in her voice.

  “Ah, your hair is so lovely, my young beauty.” The alien smiled wolfishly at Elise, who blushed in return. “That color becomes you."

  “Thank you.” Elise smiled innocently. Her pink hair turned reddish.

  Krinia groaned.

  “And you,” he said to Krinia. “You are like a goddess. Actually both of you are.” His eyes flashed from Krinia back to Elise. “Ah yes, one is the goddess of youth and love.” He picked up Elise's hand and kissed it passionately. He turned to Krinia. “And you, you are like the goddess of fertility and..."

  “Could you shut-up!” Krinia's exasperated shout drew a flurry of attention. She rolled her eyes and leaned over the table toward Elise to speak to her alone, but she was loud enough so the aliens at the next table could hear.

  “This is the kind of alien your mother warned us about.” Krinia jerked her thumb towards Romeo.

  “Oh no, but you misunderstand. Allow me to introduce myself.” He rose with a great air and bowed. “I am Lamall dex Fronato Presanntos of the planet Kinallias. I am eldest of my father's house, and the favorite.” He flashed his toothy smile once again.

  Krinia opened her mouth but he continued before she could speak.

  “And let me assure you that I, Lamall dex Fronato Presanntos of Kinallias, am the kind of alien that you ‘take home to Mother.'” He stroked his perfect hair with an air of aloofness.

  “I sincerely doubt that,” Krinia said with conviction.

  “But...” Elise began.

  “And what kind of technical knowledge do you possess, my dear Lamall de Frompus Presentus?” The Hrono smiled wryly as he carefully mispronounced the alien's name. As the silence grew, Jysar carefully stroked the upright scales across his head as his green complexion deepened with emotion

  Lamall eyed him carefully without answering.

  Finally, after a lengthy silence, Lamall shook his head. “You do me a disservice, sir. I am a friendly kind of alien, I only want to get to know all of you much better ... and what does technology have to do with love or friendship anyway?"

  “Why, a lot of things!” Jysar said with shocked amazement.

  Lamall, Krinia and Elise each turned with puzzled expressions to Jysar, who looked back at them with surprise.

  “Well, you've lost me on that, my green, scaly friend. But these lovely, wonderful female creatures, surely they know..."

  “Yeah, we know.” Krinia sighed. But the sharp, angry flicks of her head-tail gave away the emotions that boiled inside of her.

  “Ah, but I love this. It is so wonderful.” And before Krinia realized what he was doing, Lamall reached behind her neck and caressed her head-tail.

  A low growl emanated ominously from Krinia's throat.

  “But I love this, it is so soft and yet so firm. This...” His caress changed to a gentle grip.

  “Uh-oh,” Jysar quickly moved his chair back from the table, knowing what would happen next. “You shouldn't have done that, Lamall de Dumbest Dunderhead."

  With a flash of movement, Krinia knocked his arm away.

  “Owww!” Lamall groaned. “But you have hurt me..."

  With a deadly earnestness on her face, Krinia rose to face him.

  Her fierce gaze caused Lamall to stumble backward in surprise.

  Krinia slowly lowered herself into a battle stance. In the next instant, she launched herself into the hapless alien.

  Lamall shouted for help as he waved his arms wildly in a vain effort to fend off her determined assault.

  But Krinia meant business.

  With two rapid blows to his mid-section, she knocked the breath from him as he doubled up with pain. He raised his hands again, panting for air, but Krinia knocked them away as if they were nothing.

  She sent him reeling with a solid blow to his chin. He fell to the ground in a heap and lay still a moment. With a painful groan, he tried to crawl away.

  But Krinia planted her foot firmly on his back.

  Lamall's body tensed, waiting for the next blow.

  “A word of advice,” Krinia said in a hushed voice.

  Lamall groaned again as her foot pressed harder against his back.

  “Never touch a Mewiis’ head-tail—unless she wants you to touch it."

  A muffled groan answered.

  Krinia took her foot off and then looked around at the faces staring at her and her handiwork.

  “Anybody got a problem with this?” Krinia asked them all.

  Everyone turned back to their companions and began talking as if nothing had happened. Within seconds, the room filled with the normal crowd noise.

  Nobody paid attention to Lamall as he crawled painfully toward the back door.

  Elise's eyes were the size of saucers as Krinia sat back down.

  “And I don't think Mother needs to know about this little incident.” Krinia smiled conspiratorially at them. “We'll just keep this to ourselves, right?"

  “But, what happened? He seemed so nice.” Elise's hair now glowed with an electric purple sheen.

  “He was too nice. I'll explain more to you later, when it's just us girls. Now, let's get back to the food and wine. And I sure need that glass of wine now.” Krinia peered at her tiny console.

  “He had motives,” Jysar added with a knowing glance.

  “Motives?” Elise asked with surprise. “Is that like negotiations?"

  “A whole different subject. Any way, let's eat.” Krinia said forcefully, changing the subject. “And afterward, we need to make our way back to Mother. I think we've had enough excitement for one day."

  “But let's check my queries first on the way back!” Elise said eagerly.

  As their food arrived, the three eagerly dove into it with smiles and murmurs of appreciation.

  The trio never noticed the two muscular Harg as they sat down at a table directly across from them. Nor the secretive glances they cast in their direction.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  * * *

/>   Chapter Eight

  “DOESN'T SEEM TO be a very happy place, eh?” Jaric confided to Kyle and Rok as they walked down the main thoroughfare.

  “It looks like a typical residential section—like back at RahajMr.” Kyle glanced at the entrances to the single-family enclaves that lined the walls and upper levels above them. But unlike RahajMr, small groups of aliens sat outside many of the doors. As the trio walked past, they felt the suspicious looks following them.

  “But it seems like everyone stays at home over here. And you're right, they're not smiling very much."

  “I assume they do not have work, so most of the family groups stay close to their homes,” Rok surmised. “These are aliens on hard times, remember. They are all refugees, looking for a new home, a new life."

  “Well, they could at least be friendly.” Jaric smiled at another group they were passing, but the aliens simply stared back in return, their scale-covered faces devoid of emotion.

  “Oh well,” Kyle whispered to Jaric. “Let's just find the Ialliaz—or humans."

  “Look, there's a Mrad security officer.” Kyle pointed ahead to a uniformed Mrad. “Let's see if he can direct us to the Ialliaz. I'm not sure if this is the right street or it's the next one over."

  “Excuse me, Officer,” he called out as they approached.

  Kyle waited as the Mrad turned to face him.

  “Can you tell us if this is the block that houses the families of Ialliaz who recently arrived?"

  His black eyes surveyed Kyle and the other two carefully before he answered. After a moment, he seemed satisfied. “No, it's the next one up. Then go down three blocks. They live in the enclaves all along the right side from there to the end of the street.” He paused a moment. “I don't suppose you're here to accept them as immigrants to your planet?"

  Kyle was taken aback. “Well, not exactly. I mean, we're just here to talk with them."

  The officer nodded apologetically. “Well, I was just hoping. They're a sad bunch, more so than the rest. I don't meant to butt in, but I like to know what's going on with the residents under my jurisdiction.” His eyes became far off. “I'm always happy when some of them find a new home. It's what they all want—a new home."

  “Yeah,” Jaric agreed. “We understand all too well."

  Jaric and Kyle exchanged knowing glances.

  “Looks like most of them are pretty forlorn,” Kyle said with a sigh.

  “Well, they're all refugees. They have no homeworld anymore. And most have experienced things we can't even imagine.” A deep sadness etched the Mrad officer's face. “By the way, my name is Aje Veeio.

  “Officer Veeio, nice to meet you,” Kyle mumbled, still lost in his own troubled thoughts.

  “Actually, we can imagine. We're refugees ourselves,” Jaric added.

  “Then you know.” Officer Veeio raised his arm toward the street where the Ialliaz lived. “They were conquered by a heartless race called the T'kaan. But everyone has a story here—some lost their homeworlds to natural disasters, or disasters they brought on themselves, and now their planet is uninhabitable. For others it was disease, unimaginable plagues. But for most, war and persecution drove them here.” A great sadness swept the Mrad's face.

  Rok's eyes narrowed. “There is tragedy here, I can feel it too. You can see it in the faces and the eyes of these aliens.” Rok turned his head as he looked at the haunted expressions. “There is pain here, terrible pain."

  “Yeah, this isn't an assignment most Mrad relish. But I like it."

  “Why?” Kyle asked.

  “Our government provides these aliens with housing, food and clothing. We get them registered in our computer system and allow them to search for other worlds that are accepting immigrants. And with the high volume of traffic to our cities, there is ample opportunity for the refugees to find a place where they can find work, find a place where they can start over.” Aje Veeio paused. “But the reason I volunteer for this assignment is that these people need protection—from con artists and other criminal elements, sometimes from each other if there's trouble because of different ethnic attitudes or other historic animosity."

  “It burns my heart to know that the weak and helpless can be treated this way.” Rok sighed.

  The Mrad's eyes widened with approval. “Yes, these people have been through a lot. They've seen a lot of pain, a lot of death, you name it. But they're in my jurisdiction here, and I look after them, protect them."

  Rok looked deep into the Mrad's eyes. “An honorable task. You have my respect, Officer."

  “Thank you,” Aje said simply. “But sometimes it's a thankless job, and even the refugees themselves give me trouble."

  “They should know who is taking care of them,” Rok said. “And respect them for that."

  “And sometimes there is worse.” The officer's eyes became hard.

  “Worse?"

  “The refugees are supposed to check in when they find a new home, or before they leave. So we know when their homes are going to be empty and we can give them to new families. And to ration the food and other articles appropriately.” Officer Veeio stared at Rok. “But the last year or so a good number of them just seem to disappear from the face of the universe—individuals mostly. But sometimes whole groups. I don't like it when they just disappear."

  “Maybe they forget to check out before they leave?” Rok countered.

  “Maybe. Maybe not."

  An ominous silence settled upon them.

  “Do a lot of worlds offer immigration?” Jaric asked.

  “Not in this Sector right now,” Aje replied. “Most planets are overflowing with their own peoples. And work is fairly scarce with the recession in the Quadrant. But some Sectors are still accepting refugees."

  “Well, maybe the Ialliaz will be finding a new home soon,” Kyle said. “And us too!"

  Jaric smiled with anticipation, but his smile faded as the Mrad spoke.

  “Right now, only the Argias and the Cends are accepting. And the Paum Sector.” The uniformed Mrad grew silent after he uttered the last word. “But they're just a little too eager in their offers, if you know what I mean.” His voice took a serious tone. “Most of the refugees only take them up as a last resort—if everything else falls through.” He drew a deep breath and held it a moment. “But the Paum are always accepting refugees."

  “You said that last sentence with hesitation,” Kyle commented.

  The Mrad officer nodded. “The Paum have a reputation. They're a secretive kind of people, nobody knows a lot about them outside their own systems.” The Mrad's eyes narrowed; his face grew hard as granite. “It's whispered that they're a strict and severe society. Anything one does must be in harmony with the High Paum, or you do it in fear of your life. Everything is controlled by the Paum."

  The Mrad's eyes gazed far off. “They like to say, ‘Life must be guided by Paum, or else it is evil. And all that is evil must die.’”

  This time the silence wrapped them in an icy embrace. Their hearts beat faster with a feeling of dread, almost as if something evil reached out to them that very moment.

  Officer Aje Veeio looked intently at the trio. “Not the kind of lifestyle one would run to join, in my opinion."

  “Well, I don't think I'd want to go there either,” Kyle agreed.

  They thanked the officer for his directions and headed toward the Ialliaz. As they found the street and made their way toward the block indicated, Kyle and Jaric felt their hearts begin to beat faster with their rising hope.

  “I think we're really going to find them this time,” Kyle said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “I feel it too,” Jaric agreed. “Their description fits, and they were conquered by the T'kaan. That's us too."

  “Be patient,” Rok warned them. “Do not arouse your hopes until what you seek is within your grasp. Or else you risk disappointment."

  “But everything fits,” Kyle argued. “And this is a place full of refugees. I mean, if you're a re
fugee, this is the place to come to, sooner or later. And now we're here!"

  “You have sought this life-altering moment for a long time now—that of finding other humans. But such momentous events are rare in life.” Rok gripped each of them by the shoulder. “You must not expect great things but accept what each day gives you—great or small. It is my experience that many things do not live up to their hype—and there is a terrible let-down afterward."

  Kyle stared silently at the Kraaqi.

  Jaric's expression changed too as he pressed his lips together as his eyes reflected a deep sadness.

  Rok shook his head slowly. “Perhaps you expect that finding other humans will change everything for you—that it, and only it, will bring you some kind of happiness or joy that is missing from your life today.” Rok looked deeply at both of the young men. “But even if you find other humans, you will still be you. It may not change your life the way you expect or want it to. It may not change anything—inside you.” The Kraaqi pressed Kyle's and Jaric's shoulders harder.

  “It will change everything,” Kyle growled.

  The air became electric between them.

  Kyle's piercing blue eyes stared into Rok's steady gaze. Without warning, he shook Rok's hand from off his shoulder with a violent jerk. “You don't understand, Rok! Even after all these months with us, you don't understand."

  The Kraaqi warrior watched Kyle with a wary surprise. There was a look in Kyle's eyes now, a flash of intensity as if he were going into battle. Rok's eyes narrowed as he waited for Kyle to continue.

  “This is all I want, Rok. Understand?” Kyle shook his head from side to side. “It's my only dream, my only hope. It's all I really want."

  Rok grunted with a noncommittal sound in his throat.

  Kyle rolled his eyes as if in total disbelief. He looked at Rok as if he were seeing him for the first time.

  “If you wanted to, you could go home tomorrow."

  Rok's eyes glimmered with the beginning of understanding.

  Kyle saw it, but he didn't feel any satisfaction. Instead, his anger rose like a storm inside his heart.

  “You see, I can't go home. I've got no homeworld, no hometown. I don't even have a village, or a single street, that I can call home. I've got no people. No one.” Kyle's eyes moistened. “I can't go home. No matter how bad I want to, I can't go home. It doesn't exist for me."