he held his teddy bear, in the other a fistful of toys. Sadly, these were his only worldly possessions, but as Tikki watched him, she was just happy they were no longer on Earth. No longer in imminent danger. Although when the space station loomed closer, she realised that was not exactly true.
Okil kissed her on the lips and then pressed his head against hers. Forehead to forehead, she could almost feel his thoughts. “I love you and no matter what, even if it means taking a cruiser and going to find a new life somewhere else, we will get through this.”
“I love you, Okil,” she said, kissing him lightly, oblivious to Reja beside her with tears streaming down her cheeks. “But I know how much you love Karal. I would never ask you to leave.”
“My home is where you are now, Tikki.” Then he added, “You and Charlie.”
Tikki turned and the little boy smiled and said, “Look after Tikki Mommy.”
“Yes, Charlie. We will.” He stood up. “Now we dock and we hope no one sees Charlie. Do you understand what you have to do, Charlie?”
Charlie put his fingers to his lips. “Shh. Be very quiet, Charlie, so they don’t see you.” The words were so sad when his young voice said them. To Tikki it was obvious that in his short life, he had been told to be quiet more times than any child should have to.
The cruiser banged against the space station, and Okil went to lock it into place and then pull the door open. Charlie hid behind the seat and Tikki placed her purse on it, trying to make a barricade to hide the little boy. But the cruiser had no real hiding places: if anyone came on board, they would undoubtedly see him. They just had to hope.
Darl came towards them from the control deck. “Reja, if you are ready, we should go. If we wait too long, they may come on board to check if there is a problem.”
“OK.” Reja got up and took Darl’s hand, and Tikki saw the flash of recognition spark between them. She had worried how Reja would feel, having left Earth with only the clothes on her back, without saying goodbye to her friends. But seeing her face light up when Darl touched her left Tikki with a sense of peace. It was one less thing to worry about.
Okil stood at the threshold of the space station, watching Darl take Reja to a decon’ room. Tikki could see two Karalians on the space station, but had no idea how big the thing was or whether there were other aliens elsewhere. Silently she prayed that Darl would manage to distract them long enough.
“Ready,” Okil said. “Darl is coming back. Now he is leading them away. Damn it, he’s leading them to the decon’ rooms.”
Okil went forward, peering round to see what was happening. Then he suddenly waved Tikki and Charlie forward and they went quickly onto the station, Okil putting his big body in front of Tikki, with Charlie behind. If anyone came towards them they wouldn’t see him; if they came from behind, they were sunk.
Darl had used his head, taking the two Karalians into the farthest decon’, they could hear voices. He had told them it was broken. They were running through the controls to see if they could repair it.
“In here,” Okil said. “Listen, you are supposed to strip. But I am going to get you some loose gowns. If you wear one and then wrap Charlie in another, we might be able to make it almost impossible to see him even if someone glanced in. Stay here.”
Tikki nodded, and moved Charlie to the side of the room, hoping that no one came in while Okil was gone. Several long minutes passed and then she heard footsteps coming towards them. She shielded Charlie with her body and nearly cried out in panic, but then Okil appeared.
“Right. You undress over there, Tikki. I will help Charlie and then we can get you settled.” He began to lift Charlie’s arms and take his sweater off. Then he put the robe over him and said, “Can you take the rest of your clothes off, Charlie? I know it’s a bit strange, but we need to make
Okil kissed her on the lips and then pressed his head against hers. Forehead to forehead, she could almost feel his thoughts. “I love you and no matter what, even if it means taking a cruiser and going to find a new life somewhere else, we will get through this.”
“I love you, Okil,” she said, kissing him lightly, oblivious to Reja beside her with tears streaming down her cheeks. “But I know how much you love Karal. I would never ask you to leave.”
“My home is where you are now, Tikki.” Then he added, “You and Charlie.”
Tikki turned and the little boy smiled and said, “Look after Tikki Mommy.”
“Yes, Charlie. We will.” He stood up. “Now we dock and we hope no one sees Charlie. Do you understand what you have to do, Charlie?”
Charlie put his fingers to his lips. “Shh. Be very quiet, Charlie, so they don’t see you.” The words were so sad when his young voice said them. To Tikki it was obvious that in his short life, he had been told to be quiet more times than any child should have to.
The cruiser banged against the space station, and Okil went to lock it into place and then pull the door open. Charlie hid behind the seat and Tikki placed her purse on it, trying to make a barricade to hide the little boy. But the cruiser had no real hiding places: if anyone came on board, they would undoubtedly see him. They just had to hope.
Darl came towards them from the control deck. “Reja, if you are ready, we should go. If we wait too long, they may come on board to check if there is a problem.”
“OK.” Reja got up and took Darl’s hand, and Tikki saw the flash of recognition spark between them. She had worried how Reja would feel, having left Earth with only the clothes on her back, without saying goodbye to her friends. But seeing her face light up when Darl touched her left Tikki with a sense of peace. It was one less thing to worry about.
Okil stood at the threshold of the space station, watching Darl take Reja to a decon’ room. Tikki could see two Karalians on the space station, but had no idea how big the thing was or whether there were other aliens elsewhere. Silently she prayed that Darl would manage to distract them long enough.
“Ready,” Okil said. “Darl is coming back. Now he is leading them away. Damn it, he’s leading them to the decon’ rooms.”
Okil went forward, peering round to see what was happening. Then he suddenly waved Tikki and Charlie forward and they went quickly onto the station, Okil putting his big body in front of Tikki, with Charlie behind. If anyone came towards them they wouldn’t see him; if they came from behind, they were sunk.
Darl had used his head, taking the two Karalians into the farthest decon’, they could hear voices. He had told them it was broken. They were running through the controls to see if they could repair it.
“In here,” Okil said. “Listen, you are supposed to strip. But I am going to get you some loose gowns. If you wear one and then wrap Charlie in another, we might be able to make it almost impossible to see him even if someone glanced in. Stay here.”
Tikki nodded, and moved Charlie to the side of the room, hoping that no one came in while Okil was gone. Several long minutes passed and then she heard footsteps coming towards them. She shielded Charlie with her body and nearly cried out in panic, but then Okil appeared.
“Right. You undress over there, Tikki. I will help Charlie and then we can get you settled.” He began to lift Charlie’s arms and take his sweater off. Then he put the robe over him and said, “Can you take the rest of your clothes off, Charlie? I know it’s a bit strange, but we need to make
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