Alien Affairs

The accommodations were comfortable, if militaristically minimal. Carrie’s team met in her room and Overton began. “It’s not a bad idea—”

“No way am I going stand by and watch Onath get tortured,” Carrie said with heat.

“These guys are some of the best in the world. They’ve had years of experience.”

“It’s out of the question.”

Paul interrupted. “If Deshler is unwilling, it may be our best hope.”

“Just don’t ask me to do it,” Eddy said shuddering.

“It’s not going to happen on my watch.”

“Look, Carrie,” Overton said, “you have a mission that can’t fail. The whole world is counting on the only person qualified to make this succeed. Your little gray pals were willing to wipe us out. Twisting Onath’s spindly little arms has to be on the table.”

“He’s right, Carrie, Overton may be a brain-twisting psychopath, but this is too important to worry about the wellbeing of an enemy combatant,” Paul said.

“If he were human would you consider torturing him?” she asked and knew the answer from the expression on the three faces. “Well, we’re going to give Deshler a chance.”

Overton said, “Fair enough. You proved Deshler has empathy. He’s even fond of you, not fond enough to betray his mission, but he may well be willing to betray his crewmate.”

“I just can’t believe that, but we’ll know soon. They are going to have a conference call and I’ll be able to listen.”

Eddy said, “It’s been a long time. Maybe the Very Large Array doesn’t know the area code here.”

“Eddy, it’s a satellite phone.”

“I knew that.”

Half an hour later Carrie called the director. “The Very Large Array should be forwarding a communication among the ships. Is there a glitch?”

“Call you right back.”

In minutes Turnbull called and said, “It’s not a conference call. They’re having a tête-à-tête. NASA says the three ships are approaching each other.”

“The bastard is keeping secrets from me.”

“Aliens are all alike, honey. How is everything else going?”

“Well, Onath isn’t as chatty as Deshler but he’s in good shape, although, I’m the only one here who doesn’t want to torture the information out of him.”

“You have to get those locations, no matter what. I’ll cover your ass from the alien rights faction.”

“We’re going to give Deshler a chance.”

“That’s fine. You’ve got two years to negotiate.”

“He offered me the key to cold fusion instead.”

“You should have taken it and then reneged.”

“That’s not negotiating in good faith.”

“Yeah, right. Well, just get the answers.”

Colonel Hidalgo-Gallegos gave permission for Carrie to interrogate his prisoner whenever she liked. She and her team returned to the cellblock after a sumptuous lunch at an off-base restaurant. Onath was nibbling a cake of plain bean curd.

Carrie said, “We could get you something to put on that with a little flavor in it.”

“This is fine for now,” Onath said. “If you keep me here much longer I will prepare a menu.”

Carrie laughed and again Onath twitched at the sound but calmed and appeared to understand it for what it was. “Deshler is not anxious to compromise for your release. Do the two of you have a problem?”

“If Deshler were here and I were there, I would do the same. What you are asking is too great.”

“So, that must mean you will not divulge the locations of the canisters in return for your release.”

“That is correct.”

“Do you understand the political divisions of our species?”

“To a certain degree.”

“The people who are holding you prisoner are not under my control. I have no power to prevent them from harming you. I can, however, secure your release if you or Deshler submit to my demands.”

“I understand my situation. The huge investment of time and expense precludes failure of our mission. Therefore, you must understand the consequences of refusing to compromise. Before we could concede failure, we would be compelled to destroy you immediately by physical force.”

“I realize that you are both technically and emotionally capable of that, but you naturally understand that we have no future.”

“Yes, Carrie Player, our divergent needs are as hopeless as the light trying to escape the singularity.”

Carrie translated and reported her conversation with Onath to her team and the director. Shortly afterwards, while trying to decide whether to call Deshler, Overton knocked on the jamb of her open door. He carried an open bottle of red wine. “Come on in,” she said.

The psych ops spook closed the door behind him, and without asking, poured two water glasses half full with the wine. Handing one to Carrie he sat on a straight-backed wooden chair next to the table where she sat and said, “Deshler’s offer of cold fusion and Onath’s hint at compromise are not insignificant.”

“How so?”

Overton made a small play of sipping wine and looking contemplative. “We’ve got to believe that one way or another we are going to beat this thing—underground breeding operations, cloning, reversing the effects of the virus—something has got to work eventually. So, finding a shortcut to something as important as cold fusion is no small spud even if the population is drastically reduced for the foreseeable future.”

“Okay.”

“The thing is, we’d have to give him something, and it sure as hell won’t be Onath.”

Carrie tried the wine. “What is this? And what have we got for Deshler?”

“It’s a cheeky little merlot. Argentinian wine is highly underrated at home. The only thing we might have to offer Deshler is you.”

“I keep telling you I’m not his type.”

“I’m not so sure he wouldn’t give it a try.”

“Well, he’s not my type.”

“Hey, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.”

“Overton,” she gave him a Turnbull scowl, “fuck you.”

“Work with me here. I’m just doing some brainstorming. Now, Onath’s remark about compromising with Deshler is significant because we know he wasn’t referring to himself—or itself—so, there has to be something that Onath knows Deshler wants.”

“And you’re trying to say that it’s me.”

“Not necessarily, but I can’t think of anything else.”

“Overton, you’ve shrunk your own head. This is nuts.”

“I won’t argue that. So think of something—you offered him a puppy—dangle something else and see if he bites.”

“Christ, Overton, if he wanted a puppy, he’d land and abduct one.”

“Well, this is the first time we seen any trace of weakness. We have to follow it and learn how to exploit it.”

“Agreed. Tell me how.”

“Get into his fat gray head and keep talking to Onath. Get him some soy sauce for his tofu.”

Carrie laughed and took a mouthful of the earthy merlot. She relaxed and felt more hopeful than she had in weeks. “Let’s get Paul and Eddy and find some place for dinner. Maybe the four of us can come up with something.”

After a large and heavy dinner Carrie went to talk to Onath alone. She took him the leftovers of her suckling pig and French fries. “Do you not eat animal protein?” she asked.

“Yes, but I am concerned about what kind of animal.”

She smiled but managed to suppress her laugh. “Try this if you like. It is the third most popular species in our diet and a starch vegetable.”

“Thank you, I will. I trust you, Carrie Player.”

“That’s nice. I hope you do not have to stay here very long. When you said I should compromise with Deshler, what did you mean?”

“Deshler prefers not to leave me here but he is not willing to jeopardize the mission. He is willing to offer you a great amount of information that you may find useful in your struggle to save yourselves, but not the actual virus dispersal devices.”

“How many of them are there really?”

“Three. The virus replicates rapidly in air. It spreads itself even without a host.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“I know where one is but I will never tell you.”

“Does Deshler know where all three are?”

“No.”

“Would the others tell him?”

“Not now that they know you are trying to force him to give you the locations.”

“Onath, you are in a bad situation. The people who control this place want to use force to make you tell me where the devices are.”

Onath opened the Styrofoam container and contemplated the pork. He picked a small piece and put it into his mouth. “Quite succulent. I am resigned to not surviving.”

“I don’t want to see you harmed. Tell me where the one canister is and I’ll prevent your captors from harming you while I continue to negotiate with Deshler.”

“I will tell you many things but not that.”

Carrie considered asking for cold fusion but realized that she could not remember the information completely, and therefore needed to have it in graphic form. “Well, then tell me about the universe. We believe that it had a starting point that we call the big bang, and that it will expand forever and that it has no boundaries.”

“You are a bright species. That is exactly so, and there are infinite other universes separated from ours by the wavelength of the electron. Within that set of universes are an infinite number of universes separated by the wavelength of the particles of the electron, and so on it goes for infinity.”

“Why can’t we detect these universes?”

“Because they can have no consequences in our universe. Just as nothing that occurred before the big bang—as you call it—can have any impact on our universe. It is as when you place two mirrors together. You are aware of an infinite number of reflections, but you cannot enter them.”

Carrie thought she vaguely understood. She grasped the concept but could not visualize it. “So even you cannot enter those other universes?”

“No, it can never be done, nor can we know the nature of them. We do not know whether the physical laws of our universe are true in other universes. There are a great many more things unknown than known.”

“Deshler seems to be remorseful about destroying us. How do you feel about it?”

Onath examined a French fry. “This is vegetable matter?”

“Yes, try it.”

He put it into his mouth and chewed before continuing. “Strangely appealing. As to the moral aspect of ending your species, I am ambivalent. Species evolve and become extinct all the time. Your demise was simply my assignment. If it had not been me, someone else would have done it.”

“So, it’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it.”

“Yes, that is strangely said, but true. Prior to now I had had no contact with a member of your species. It is a little disconcerting to find that you are sentient, emotional creatures who enjoy good food and are capable of feeling empathy for an alien being who has rendered you no longer viable. If our roles were reversed, I might not be so magnanimous.”

“Well, Onath, if I did not think that I can get something useful from you, I might not be so magnanimous either. In fact, I would not be here.”

“You are a complex species. May I speak to Deshler again?”

“Of course.” She touched the alien icon on her phone, put it on the speaker, and handed it to Onath. Carrie eavesdropped.

“Come, Deshler, have you located me?”

“Not specifically. We only know where you were captured.”

“Stop rutting with Ashwen and find me.”

Carrie stifled a chuckle.

Deshler said, “My coupling with Ashwen is not germane to your predicament.”

“Perhaps you should give Carrie Player what she wants. It is likely the triggers will activate while the humans are tampering with them.”

“Most likely, but the release of the secondary virus will be premature.”

“Do not be forthcoming. Carrie Player is listening.”

“She is adept at spying on our conversations.”

Onath said, “She is a remarkable member of her species. I enjoy her company despite the odor.”

Deshler said, “We have talked long enough. I have your coordinates.”

Carrie snatched the phone from Onath. She said, “Deshler, you wily bastard, you triangulated my signal.” She held the power button until the phone went dead and ran to the office of the provost marshal. The man was sleeping in his chair. “¡Despiértese!” she shouted. “Hay que mover el prisionero—inmediatamente. Vienen los hombres extraterrestres.” The prospect of the arrival of extraterrestrials had an enervating effect on the man. He grabbed his phone and called the colonel who arrived while half a dozen military police manhandled a handcuffed and shackled Onath into a Humvee.

A bleary-eyed Hidalgo-Gallegos addressed Carrie in trousers and undershirt with his hairy chest sprouting above the neckline. “What happened?”

“The aliens located this place. They are coming to rescue your prisoner. Scramble fighters. I’ll attempt to get some American jets in the air,” she said in one breath.

“¡Ay! This is a logistics base. Fighters are elsewhere.”

“Call for them,” she shouted.

Then she called the director who said, “Dammit, we should have thought of that. I’ll call Matranga. We’ve got planes at Fort Aguayo in Chile.”

“I’m getting Onath moved. Maybe I’ll let them torture him after all.” Carrie turned back to Hidalgo-Gallegos. “Drive him to a nearby airport. I’ll send my plane there and we will move him farther away to another base.”

The colonel glared at her. “We will put it in your plane and you will take that thing to the United States.”

“All right. I’ll take him to the United States, but you have to get him away from here faster than I can get the plane ready.”

“No, chiquita, we are putting it into your plane. You will depart immediately.”

MP’s appeared herding Carrie’s team and the pilots with handguns and rifles. A Mercedes van entered the quadrangle and braked sharply in front of them. It carried the Americans to the hangar on squealing tires where the Learjet had already been towed to the apron and was being fueled. The pilots grumbled about needing to do a pre-flight check. Carrie informed them that they were going to have to settle for an inflight check if they did not want a flying saucer on their tail.

As soon as the fuel truck withdrew the ground crew pulled the chocks from the wheels and guided the jet to the taxiway with their flashlights. Carrie sat next to Onath, who was still in chains, as the plane accelerated on the runway. As soon as she felt the landing gear retract she unhooked her seatbelt and went into the cockpit.

The copilot said, “What is that stink?”

“It’s our passenger. Take comfort in that we smell as bad to him as he does to us.”

“This is going to be one hell of a long flight,” the pilot said, then he gestured to the radar screen. “Or maybe it isn’t.”

On the screen Carrie saw several blips and three huge circles. “Somebody’s fighters are about to engage the alien ships and we’re right in the middle of it,” he said.

“Ours couldn’t be here yet. They must be Argentinian,” Carrie said. “Where are they?”

The copilot pointed to the right. “Over there and they’re crossing our route.”

“Let’s turn.”

“We’re under Córdoba air traffic control.”

“So, they hate us anyway. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“You’re the boss,” the pilot said and began a turn to the right. “Where shall we go?”

“Fort Aguayo. Chile is our closest ally down here and we can get our foul smelling passenger off the plane sooner.”

“I’m all for that. You had better go sit down. Crossing the Andes will get a little rough.”

In her seat, Carrie said to Onath, “How will Deshler attempt to rescue you with so few crewmen against the soldiers on the base?”

“He will be forced to use an offensive weapon to neutralize all opposition before leaving his craft to hunt for me. The other two craft will hover and prevent reinforcements from arriving. Will you release my hands and feet?”

Hidalgo-Gallegos had given her the keys to the restraints. She unlocked the handcuffs while saying, “You will behave yourself?”

“You can depend on it.”

Eddy occupied the single seat across the aisle. Carrie said to him, “Let me borrow your phone.” She dialed Director Turnbull’s number from memory as she looked past Onath and through the porthole. On the horizon she saw bright orange explosive blossoms of light and wondered if Argentine fighters were firing air-to-air missiles or were themselves being incinerated.

Turnbull answered. “What the hell is going on?”

Carrie said, “We’re in our own plane with Onath and we’re heading for Fort Aguayo. Hang up and when I call back let it go to voice mail. I’m going to record a message to Deshler. Can you get somebody to broadcast it on a frequency Deshler will hear?”

“Piece of cake. Call back twenty minutes after that to update me.”

Carrie recorded a message telling Deshler that Onath was no longer at Córdoba so he could stand down without killing anybody. She hoped he would hear it.

Twenty minutes later she called the director again. Turnbull said, “I can’t talk, but your message was sent and the Very Large Array received a transmission from your buddy back in orbit. Listen to it at 123.350 megahertz.”

Carrie went to the cockpit and told the copilot the frequency. He consulted a laminated card and said, “That’s NASA.” He fiddled with the control panel and gave her his headset.

Carrie heard the tail end of the message, and then it repeated. “Carrie Player, power on your communication device. I wish to congratulate your resourcefulness.”

“You won’t trick me twice, you little bastard,” she said aloud.

The pilot said, “What’s up?”

“The dogfight is over. The alien ships are back in orbit. We’re in the clear.”

The plane shook and dropped suddenly. Carrie felt weightless.

“Go sit down.”

Strapped in her seat, Carrie entered her phone number into Eddy’s contact list and showed Onath how to use it. She said, “Call me anytime you like and when you need to communicate with humans. I cannot stay with you any longer since you and Deshler know how to locate me. Maybe Deshler is right. You are more trouble than you are worth.”

“Carrie Player, now you make me feel bad.”