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Authors: T C Southwell
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line of gold that edged his collar and ran down the
middle of his chest, separating into two at his waist to continue
down the front of his trousers. Gold also trimmed his cuffs and ran
up the outside of his sleeves to form swirling patterns on his
shoulders.
He smiled
without showing his teeth. "Hello. I am Tallyn." He spoke with less
of an accent than the disembodied voice had. "I am the commander of
this ship."
She nodded,
stepping back. "Hi." It sounded pathetic, even to her, and she
searched her vacant mind for something more suitable to say. While
she did, he spoke again.
"Do not be
afraid. I wish you no harm."
Rayne took
another step back. "I - I'll call my brother."
"No." He held
up a hand. "Please, I wish to speak to you, alone."
"Why?"
"The weapon."
He indicated her gun. "Please give it to me."
Rayne looked
at it. He did not seem afraid of it, and she did not think she
could use it on him anyway. Rawn might, though, but what good would
that do? They were at this man's mercy. Shooting him, or trying to,
would not improve their situation. The gun was useless, and she let
it sink to her side.
She looked at
the alien again. "Will you give me your word that you mean us no
harm?" Again, it sounded silly, but the alien placed his hand on
his chest and smiled.
"I do. We
never had any intention of harming you, but if your brother uses
that weapon we'll have to restrain him. As you pointed out to him
earlier, there is very little you can do to us."
She nodded and
stepped towards him, intending to hand over the weapon. He raised
his hand again.
"Do not
approach the screen."
Rayne stopped,
sensing a faint tingle on her skin. So there was a screen between
them. He had not trusted her completely. He turned and gestured to
someone. The tingle vanished, and the alien stepped into the cell,
holding out his hand. With a shiver of trepidation, she handed the
.44 to him. Another man, dressed in a white uniform, appeared
behind him and took the weapon when he held it out.
He smiled at
her again. "Good. I know you are confused, alarmed, and perhaps a
little angry. The tranquilliser will wear off soon. Do you require
a further dose?"
"No, I'm
fine." She found his alien features fascinating.
His smile
broadened. "I see that I intrigue you. That's understandable. I
don't mind."
Warmth
suffused her cheeks. "You're not human."
"No. I am
Atlantean. I come from a planet very far from here. However, as
aliens go, I'm not that different from you."
She frowned,
realising that she should be asking more intelligent questions.
"Why did you kidnap us?"
"Ah. Perhaps
we should wait for your brother. It's a long explanation."
She nodded.
"You killed the mutants, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And the store
guards?"
His smile,
which had become something of a fixture, faded. "No. Your account
of the black-clad man interests me. I would like to hear more about
it."
"Like
what?"
"Was he
wearing a mask?"
She shrugged.
"He was too far away to see. How do you speak English so well?"
His smile
returned. "I have studied your language for this event.
Unfortunately, very few Atlanteans speak it, so you'll have to
learn our tongue."
A frisson of
alarm went through her. "But surely we won't be here long enough to
need to, will we?"
"I'm afraid
you will. You cannot be returned to Earth."
"Why not?"
"Your planet
is dying, as I'm sure you know. Within the next five years your
entire race will be wiped out. Surely you don't want to share their
fate?"
Rayne glanced
around, wishing Rawn would hurry up. "Can't you do something about
it?"
His brows rose
a fraction. "We're not that powerful, I'm afraid. It's far too late
to undo the damage your people have done to the ozone layer and
oceans. We can save you and your brother, though."
"What about
the rest of the people?"
"No. We didn't
come here to rescue humanity."
"So why
us?"
Tallyn glanced
past her as the sound of water stopped. "You're special. Talk to
your brother, and let me know when he's
middle of his chest, separating into two at his waist to continue
down the front of his trousers. Gold also trimmed his cuffs and ran
up the outside of his sleeves to form swirling patterns on his
shoulders.
He smiled
without showing his teeth. "Hello. I am Tallyn." He spoke with less
of an accent than the disembodied voice had. "I am the commander of
this ship."
She nodded,
stepping back. "Hi." It sounded pathetic, even to her, and she
searched her vacant mind for something more suitable to say. While
she did, he spoke again.
"Do not be
afraid. I wish you no harm."
Rayne took
another step back. "I - I'll call my brother."
"No." He held
up a hand. "Please, I wish to speak to you, alone."
"Why?"
"The weapon."
He indicated her gun. "Please give it to me."
Rayne looked
at it. He did not seem afraid of it, and she did not think she
could use it on him anyway. Rawn might, though, but what good would
that do? They were at this man's mercy. Shooting him, or trying to,
would not improve their situation. The gun was useless, and she let
it sink to her side.
She looked at
the alien again. "Will you give me your word that you mean us no
harm?" Again, it sounded silly, but the alien placed his hand on
his chest and smiled.
"I do. We
never had any intention of harming you, but if your brother uses
that weapon we'll have to restrain him. As you pointed out to him
earlier, there is very little you can do to us."
She nodded and
stepped towards him, intending to hand over the weapon. He raised
his hand again.
"Do not
approach the screen."
Rayne stopped,
sensing a faint tingle on her skin. So there was a screen between
them. He had not trusted her completely. He turned and gestured to
someone. The tingle vanished, and the alien stepped into the cell,
holding out his hand. With a shiver of trepidation, she handed the
.44 to him. Another man, dressed in a white uniform, appeared
behind him and took the weapon when he held it out.
He smiled at
her again. "Good. I know you are confused, alarmed, and perhaps a
little angry. The tranquilliser will wear off soon. Do you require
a further dose?"
"No, I'm
fine." She found his alien features fascinating.
His smile
broadened. "I see that I intrigue you. That's understandable. I
don't mind."
Warmth
suffused her cheeks. "You're not human."
"No. I am
Atlantean. I come from a planet very far from here. However, as
aliens go, I'm not that different from you."
She frowned,
realising that she should be asking more intelligent questions.
"Why did you kidnap us?"
"Ah. Perhaps
we should wait for your brother. It's a long explanation."
She nodded.
"You killed the mutants, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And the store
guards?"
His smile,
which had become something of a fixture, faded. "No. Your account
of the black-clad man interests me. I would like to hear more about
it."
"Like
what?"
"Was he
wearing a mask?"
She shrugged.
"He was too far away to see. How do you speak English so well?"
His smile
returned. "I have studied your language for this event.
Unfortunately, very few Atlanteans speak it, so you'll have to
learn our tongue."
A frisson of
alarm went through her. "But surely we won't be here long enough to
need to, will we?"
"I'm afraid
you will. You cannot be returned to Earth."
"Why not?"
"Your planet
is dying, as I'm sure you know. Within the next five years your
entire race will be wiped out. Surely you don't want to share their
fate?"
Rayne glanced
around, wishing Rawn would hurry up. "Can't you do something about
it?"
His brows rose
a fraction. "We're not that powerful, I'm afraid. It's far too late
to undo the damage your people have done to the ozone layer and
oceans. We can save you and your brother, though."
"What about
the rest of the people?"
"No. We didn't
come here to rescue humanity."
"So why
us?"
Tallyn glanced
past her as the sound of water stopped. "You're special. Talk to
your brother, and let me know when he's
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