Read Online Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch - Free Book Online Page B

Ancients’ technology, too. And the cloaking technology hides more than just the physical presence. I could spend a couple of hours and give you a lecture in advanced alien science, but time’s wasting. We need to get to Home Base.”

CHAPTER 8
    TURNED OUT THE TWO BIG GATES were the ones calibrated for the Science Center and Home Base at all times. Gower went to have the dome opened for the vehicles with us to go through, while Martini and I waited.
    “If we weren’t detouring to, hopefully, meet up with my mother, where would the next stop have been?”
    “Science Center. It’s okay, we have gates at Home Base to Dulce. You’ll still get to see it.” He sighed. “This always takes forever.”
    “What?” Everything seemed to be moving fast to me.
    “Loading the cars through. They’re harder to send, especially with someone in them. Calibrations take longer, everyone goes slowly, just in case, that sort of thing.”
    “Do we have to go in them?” I didn’t like going through a drive-thru carwash. I had no desire to be in a drive-thru transporter.
    “Nah, I’ll take you through a regular one.” Martini looked down at me and cocked his head. “You need anything before we see your mother?”
    I thought about it. I knew I looked awful, and it didn’t take much imagination to come up with how my mother would react. “Yeah. A change of clothes would be great.”
    He nodded. “Stay right here.” Letting go of my hand, he walked over to where Gower was. I couldn’t hear them, but it was pretty clear they were arguing. Martini seemed to win, because he came back grinning as usual. “We’re all set. You and I are making a quick stop at your apartment before we meet the others back at Home Base.”
    This seemed awfully easy, considering the load of men who’d been with us so far. “What does Paul over there think we’re doing?”
    Martini shrugged. “Going to Home Base first. We’ll still probably beat the limo, let alone the rest of the cars.”
    He had a point. The gates were still being calibrated, and while I could see the cars, they weren’t moving. Reader wasn’t even in the limo; he was leaning against the door, still reading the file on my mother he’d somehow acquired.
    “Will we be safe?”
    “Sure. I’ll be with you.” He flashed me his largest grin. “You worried about not being able to control yourself once we’re alone?”
    “Hardly. I want to be sure all those superbeings you’ve been warning me about aren’t going to get me while we take an unauthorized side trip. Besides, I know who’ll get the brunt of the complaints if we do.”
    “Me, so what are you worried about?” He sighed. “Look, we can go ahead to Home Base and you can see your mother looking like we’ve spent the last hour or so having a wild time in the dirt, or we can get you changed. Your choice.”
    I was somewhat suspicious of his motives and what I was getting into, but in addition to changing clothes, I really wanted to know what Christopher had done during his time in my apartment. “Okay, let’s go.”
    “That’s my girl!” Martini grabbed my hand again and trotted us off to a gate at the opposite end of the dome from where the cars were. He shooed the security guard away, and I was interested to note there was no protest given.
    “Your security details always this lax?”
    “Nope. I’m just a popular guy. Now, hush, I need to pay attention while I do the calibrations.” He fiddled around with some knobs and buttons on the sides of the gate. His hands were a blur, and I had to stop watching. “Okay, all set,” he said less than a minute later.
    “I thought you said your reflexes were too fast for driving.”
    “These aren’t human-created.” He cocked his head. “You okay? That was a dumb question, for you.”
    “I think it’s all starting to blur into total insanity,” I admitted. “I feel like Alice, but you’re one weird white rabbit.”
    “I’m more like the Cheshire cat.”