face and jet-black hair with tinges of white in it. Jake recognized some of his facial features in Robert, especially the eyes.
Robert squinted at Evaran. “Yeah. Now who …” His eyes popped out when he saw Jake. “Jake?”
Jake swallowed hard as he glanced at Evaran then at Robert. He nodded.
“Oh, god!” said Robert as he burst out the door and hugged Jake.
Jake hugged Robert back. They stood in the hallway for a moment. He was not sure how to react at first, but he knew this had to be his dad. His heartbeat was rampaging, and his eyes widened as he trembled. Nothing had to be said. It felt natural. This is where he needed to be.
After a few moments, Evaran cleared his throat. “May we come inside?”
Robert stood back and wiped his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Come in.”
Evaran and Jake stepped past Robert into the small apartment.
Robert gestured for them to sit on the couch. “Please, sit. Can I get you anything?”
Evaran raised a hand. “We are fine.” He sat on the couch with Jake to his right.
Robert hustled over to his recliner and sat on the edge of it. He studied Jake. “It’s … really you. How …”
Evaran scanned Robert with his ring, causing him to jump. “Do not be alarmed. I am confirming the match.” He looked around at his ARI. “My scan indicates you are Jake’s father.”
Robert looked at Jake then at Evaran. “You’re … you’re one of them?”
“Them?” asked Evaran, tilting his head.
Robert circled a hand. “You know … aliens.”
“I am not human, but you have nothing to fear from me,” said Evaran with a half smile. “The ones who took your wife and Jake will be dealt with soon enough. Can you describe what happened on the day they were abducted?”
Jake was relieved to have Evaran with him. He was trying to absorb everything, but his emotions were all over the place. Evaran was helping to stabilize the situation and make it less awkward, at least for Jake.
Robert eased back into his chair and sighed. He glanced at Jake. “Yeah. We were on our way back from visiting my parents. On a lone stretch of the highway, a set of lights appeared outside the car. One of the lights shot a beam or something at the car.” He motioned his hand out to the side. “Killed it dead. I told Susan to stay in the car with Jake, then got out. That’s when I saw it was a ship or something. There were several oddly dressed people, and one of them shot me with a beam that knocked me out. When I came to, I was in the car off to the side of the road.” His eyes watered. “Susan and Jake were gone.”
“I see,” said Evaran. He turned to Jake. “I am sure Robert would like to hear what happened next.”
Robert wiped his eyes as he stared at Jake. He scooted to the edge of his chair.
Jake gulped and then exhaled slowly from his mouth. “We awoke inside a high-tech cage. A human slaver known as Greecho walked between the cages and assigned us to various places we would be headed to. Mom was to go to a breeding camp, and I was to go to a caretaker. When we got to Dad’s space station, I mean, Jells’s, Greecho left me there for Jells to raise and took Mom to the breeding camps. She caused a ruckus, and … ,” he said with a wavering voice, “they sent her to Karakuus.”
“What’s that?” asked Robert, shaking his head.
Jake licked his lips and looked down. “It’s a place they send unruly slaves. They become food.”
“What!” said Robert, standing up. He grimaced as he squinted hard. “So she’s … she’s dead?”
Jake drew his lips down as a tear trickled onto his cheek. He sighed and nodded.
Robert rushed over to Jake and knelt to hug him.
Jake cried harder than he could ever recall crying, but it was comforting in the presence of Robert.
After a moment, Robert pulled back and put both hands on Jake’s shoulders. He blinked slowly. “I’m sorry you had to experience that, Son.”
“Jake is turning twenty-one soon,” said Evaran. “For any human
Robert squinted at Evaran. “Yeah. Now who …” His eyes popped out when he saw Jake. “Jake?”
Jake swallowed hard as he glanced at Evaran then at Robert. He nodded.
“Oh, god!” said Robert as he burst out the door and hugged Jake.
Jake hugged Robert back. They stood in the hallway for a moment. He was not sure how to react at first, but he knew this had to be his dad. His heartbeat was rampaging, and his eyes widened as he trembled. Nothing had to be said. It felt natural. This is where he needed to be.
After a few moments, Evaran cleared his throat. “May we come inside?”
Robert stood back and wiped his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Come in.”
Evaran and Jake stepped past Robert into the small apartment.
Robert gestured for them to sit on the couch. “Please, sit. Can I get you anything?”
Evaran raised a hand. “We are fine.” He sat on the couch with Jake to his right.
Robert hustled over to his recliner and sat on the edge of it. He studied Jake. “It’s … really you. How …”
Evaran scanned Robert with his ring, causing him to jump. “Do not be alarmed. I am confirming the match.” He looked around at his ARI. “My scan indicates you are Jake’s father.”
Robert looked at Jake then at Evaran. “You’re … you’re one of them?”
“Them?” asked Evaran, tilting his head.
Robert circled a hand. “You know … aliens.”
“I am not human, but you have nothing to fear from me,” said Evaran with a half smile. “The ones who took your wife and Jake will be dealt with soon enough. Can you describe what happened on the day they were abducted?”
Jake was relieved to have Evaran with him. He was trying to absorb everything, but his emotions were all over the place. Evaran was helping to stabilize the situation and make it less awkward, at least for Jake.
Robert eased back into his chair and sighed. He glanced at Jake. “Yeah. We were on our way back from visiting my parents. On a lone stretch of the highway, a set of lights appeared outside the car. One of the lights shot a beam or something at the car.” He motioned his hand out to the side. “Killed it dead. I told Susan to stay in the car with Jake, then got out. That’s when I saw it was a ship or something. There were several oddly dressed people, and one of them shot me with a beam that knocked me out. When I came to, I was in the car off to the side of the road.” His eyes watered. “Susan and Jake were gone.”
“I see,” said Evaran. He turned to Jake. “I am sure Robert would like to hear what happened next.”
Robert wiped his eyes as he stared at Jake. He scooted to the edge of his chair.
Jake gulped and then exhaled slowly from his mouth. “We awoke inside a high-tech cage. A human slaver known as Greecho walked between the cages and assigned us to various places we would be headed to. Mom was to go to a breeding camp, and I was to go to a caretaker. When we got to Dad’s space station, I mean, Jells’s, Greecho left me there for Jells to raise and took Mom to the breeding camps. She caused a ruckus, and … ,” he said with a wavering voice, “they sent her to Karakuus.”
“What’s that?” asked Robert, shaking his head.
Jake licked his lips and looked down. “It’s a place they send unruly slaves. They become food.”
“What!” said Robert, standing up. He grimaced as he squinted hard. “So she’s … she’s dead?”
Jake drew his lips down as a tear trickled onto his cheek. He sighed and nodded.
Robert rushed over to Jake and knelt to hug him.
Jake cried harder than he could ever recall crying, but it was comforting in the presence of Robert.
After a moment, Robert pulled back and put both hands on Jake’s shoulders. He blinked slowly. “I’m sorry you had to experience that, Son.”
“Jake is turning twenty-one soon,” said Evaran. “For any human
Similar Books
