“Calm down …” said Rolondo.
“Calm down?” Jupe yelled. “Are you telling me to calm down? Do you know what you could have done? Blown up the ship. How do you like that? Or damaged it so bad we all would be stuck here forever and a day. As for me, I couldn’t imagine more worse people to be stuck with, anywhere!”
“You’re just saying that because you’re scared,” observed Real.
“What?” Jupe yelled at him.
“Something out there really scared you,” said Real. “We can see that. The way your eyes are darting, and your voice is high pitched, ever since you came back. You got close to those things, didn’t you. Don’t lie to us. Tell us what you saw.”
“Did you make contact?” pressed Morgan.
“Is that where the goo came from?” asked Rolondo.
“What do you people want from me?” Jupe responded.
“We want you to tell us what happened out there,” said Morgan “You were brave for going out there, we know that, but now you have to tell us. What did you see?”
“They’re bugs, that’s all,” Jupe said, lying. “Big, slimy, downright scary bugs.”
“You saw them?” asked Rolondo.
“I saw them and I’ll do anything I can to forget them,” said Jupe. He saw that they expected more. “The first ones, they had shells and hair, they were gooey, all covered in slime, and they put it on me. They told me some stuff, I forget exactly what.” Jupe cringed at the memory.
“They talked to you,” Real repeated, not wanting to believe it.
“Just a bit,” said Jupe. “But they were scared of this other bug, that split in two. Its head came off, or something weird like that. It was very hairy, but the other half was this big round lump with legs. Many legs.” He shivered as he remembered.
“I don’t like this place,” said Rebbi.
“Are you saying,” Morgan asked slowly, “those things told you this was Ancia?”
“Ancia’s moon, yeah,” said Jupe.
“And you saw the people, the colonists?” asked Morgan.
“Didn’t see any people,” Jupe said like it was the end of the conversation. But then he thought about it and admitted, “I think they were talking about them. They wanted me to help.”
“Help with what?” asked Real, looking at the others like Jupe was crazy.
“Freeing them, or something,” said Jupe.
“They were really talking to you?” asked Real, becoming worried. “You understood them? How could you understand aliens? Bug-aliens?”
“We have to take stock of this situation, right now,” Morgan announced. “Before we rush off into anything, like blasting off out of here. We have to figure out what is going on.”
“If anyone is blasting out of here, it’s not us, not yet,” said Jupe. “I have to check those engines first, see if they’re damaged, and if they are, hope I can fix them. By chance, are any of you any good at fixing sub-range engines?”
“If this is Ancia,” Morgan continued, “then the colonists must be here somewhere. That’s only logical. This was their destination as much as it was ours. We, however, did not come through the usual channel, so perhaps that is why we have been spared their fate. Those things out there, those bugs, whatever they are, they must have brought the colonists here on purpose, to trap them.”
“What are you talking about, Morgan?” asked Rolondo. “All this is crazy. You know what it sounds like? Sounds like some bad movie. Take a walk back to the entertainment room and have a seat, watch your bad movie. This is real life, and that’s where I’m staying. There has to be a better explanation for this. We just need to think about it first, before we react wrong and do something we’ll regret. Can we do that? Can we think this through before we make our next move?”
“Everything that happens in real life would make a bad movie,” Real observed.
“What, are you a philosopher now?” Rolondo asked Real angrily. “Don’t give me that!”
“We can’t fight, not now, not with this happening,” Morgan scolded. “We have to be united if we’re going to figure this out. This is a very important moment in our lives, and we need to react with intelligence and wisdom. If we are truly where the colonists are, then we need to think carefully about our next move.”
“That’s what I just said,” said Rolondo.
“The only thing we’re going to figure out,” said Jupe, “is if the engines can fly us back to T Station.”
“Listen to Ro and Morgan,” Rebbi said to Jupe. “I agree, there could be hundreds of people down there. Those colonists—how many came out here?—we have to at least look.”
“You know where the safety suits are,” said Jupe. “Don’t forget your airpacks, and have fun. And say hi to my new friends while you’re at it. Me, I’m flying out of here as soon as the engines let me.”
* * * *
Morgan and Real had been gone an hour when Rebbi said their lifesuits were registering again on the monitors. They had been beyond the ship’s range for most of the time they were out there, and Jupe had to constantly turn down Rebbi’s pleas that he did something to help. He told her that there was nothing he could do, and it would be crazy to try. It had been a surprise to everyone that Real had gone out there at all, but at Morgan’s insistence he did. During the latter part of the voyage, the two had taken on an odd friendship, once they had discovered their common interest in all the ways of making money and getting rich. They had nothing else to talk about when money was not involved. The others assumed that by going to see what Jupe had seen, Morgan thought he was onto a way to make money, and for that reason Real wanted to stick with him.
When they safely arrived back inside the ship, their faces were pale and their eyes were fixed wide, still in shock over what they had seen.
“We saw the people,” was the first thing Morgan said. “The colonists. They’re wrapped up in some kind of yucked-out goo. And we saw your bugs, Jupe. The gooey ones, and the hairy ones, with the little ones falling off, and the one the hairy ones ride on, the fat lumps with all those little legs. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep again, with that memory. What we’ve got here are aliens and a lot of them. This is it, the real thing. Not quite what we were hoping, but there you go. Life’s kind of like that. But, at least we know the colonists are there.”
“And what are we supposed to do about it?” asked Jupe.
“What would your father have done?” Real asked him, his voice weak, despite feeling noble for going out there and seeing it all.
“TC would have cut and run,” said Jupe.
“Not Johnny Beggs,” said Real.
“Yes, Johnny Beggs,” said Jupe. “Cut and run faster than you can draw your next breath. And he wouldn’t care who was on the ship or off; as long as he was on, then that’s all he would care about.”
“Everyone knows the man’s not like that,” Real said indignantly. “He would have fought those things to get just one person out of there. You have no idea, what it’s like for them down there. By the looks of them, they’re still alive.”
“What, the same Johnny Beggs who tried to sell you all out?” responded Jupe. “Have the bugs made you forget that small part of the story?”
“That was more the Wilsons,” said Morgan. “And they were just following orders from Lars Best. I agree that Johnny would have wanted to help the colonists, and I think we should too.”
“The bugs you met,” Rebbi said to Morgan and Real, wanting to change the conversation, “can you tell us about them?”
“We didn’t get too close,” said Morgan.
“They weren’t chatty, like Jupe’s,” said Real. “But I did hear some bug talk.”
“Can we call them aliens, please?” asked Rolondo, too loudly, his voice breaking. “They’re aliens, not bugs.”
“Which ones talked to you?” Morgan asked Jupe.
“Just two of the gooeys,” he said.
“When they talked to you, what did they say?” asked Re
al.
“They may be able to help us,” said Morgan. “From what you said, they protected you from the other bugs, the hairy ones? Isn’t that what happened?”
“And I told you I don’t remember,” said Jupe.
“Do you think you can go back and find them again?” asked Morgan.
“I think no,” said Jupe.
Real was about to pronounce Jupe a liar, but instead, as one, looked in the direction of the ship’s airlock. It was the unmistakable sound of the airlock being opened. Something was coming inside the ship, using the door that required the operation of a set of outside controls. They looked at each other too shocked to move or say anything.
Morgan took the lead as they moved toward the airlock. Rebbi protested and thought that only one should go, but Rolondo said that they should all stick together. Jupe started laughing at the situation, as he thought the best explanation was that there was a fault on the door controls. He didn’t stop to reason that since the creatures had been able to talk to him, and he could understand, then operating a standard airlock would probably not be difficult.
“There’s no one else aboard, is there, Jupe?” Rolondo asked him hopefully.
Jupe gave him a shake of the head, not knowing if he should be insulted at the accusation that he was hiding yet another person. He wondered if they all thought he was just a younger version of TC. All the way they had travelled together, a vast distance through space, and they still did not trust him? He did not know how to respond to that, as the group moved to the door in silence
“Are we forgetting what we’re doing here?” Real asked, having second thoughts. “I don’t think this is a good idea. What if it’s the aliens? We need to find something to defend ourselves with.”
“They couldn’t get in,” said Jupe. “It’s probably a fault with the locking system.”
“If it’s a fault, then why are we all going to check it?” asked Rebbi.
“Because we’re all terrified of what’s out there,” said Morgan. “But it’s vitally important we confront them if any of them have come aboard.”
They entered the airlock room and froze. Just inside the airlock, inside the ship with them, the tall bug-like alien stood tall. Its long shiny head moved from side to side, like it was studying them. There was nothing to obscure it now that it was under the ship’s lighting, and its form was disgusting. From its large mouth dripped a steady stream of goo, and its antenna began to move toward them.
Rebbi shrieked and clung to Rolondo, who was also started yelling in terror. Morgan gestured for them all to stand their ground, and he clung to Real’s arm to stop him from running away. Jupe felt faint as he studied the alien, seeing more details to its hideous body and ugly face, thinking that he had actually been picked up and carried by it. Was this the thing that he had talked to, and actually befriended?
If any one of them had been alone, they would have ran away, but as a group they felt enough courage to stay where they were. In reality, the only reason they didn’t run, is that they were waiting for someone to take the lead, like they had no idea how to act in such a situation. Had one bolted, they all would have bolted.
“Greetings.”
They all heard the voice inside their heads, even though it wasn’t audible. Rebbi screamed at the thought of it and Rolondo held her close like he was protecting her. She was crying now.
“It talks?” Morgan remarked absently.
“Pardon my manners,” it said, “but the shock you are feeling towards me, know I feel the exact same way to you.”
“You’re the one who helped me,” Jupe said to it, recognising its voice. “How did you get in here?”
“I followed your example,” it said.
“This is First Contact,” Morgan hissed at Real, and then looked at the creature in fear that he had been overheard. The prospect of fame pushed back his fear.
“I think the colonists already met them,” said Real.
“Can you tell us why Ancia is not Ancia?” asked Jupe.
“The world you call Ancia,” it said, “is what we call bait.”
“How come you talk English?” Real asked, ignoring what it was saying.
“I am communicating,” it said, “on a level different from what you are accustomed. It is the way my people communicate, and to you it appears as if in your own language.”
“What do you call yourselves?” asked Morgan.
“We are the Living,” it said.
“We are humans, from Earth,” said Morgan.
“I’ve already told them that,” Jupe said to Morgan.
“You we call Also-living,” it said.
Morgan took a shaky step toward it and held up his right hand. The rest watched in stunned awe as the creature moved an antenna to his hand and lightly touched it. Unsure what to do, Morgan grasped it. The antenna was squishy, and Morgan stopped himself from crushing it. He then found that it had secreted smelly gooey gunk on his hand.
“What are you doing?” Rebbi asked him, cowering back further into Rolondo’s arms.
“What do you know about Earth?” Real asked it.
“I have no interest in your world,” it said. “Do you thank me?”
“Of course, you want to know about our world,” said Real.
“Don’t tell him about our world,” Rolondo said to Real. “They might want to invade it. Do you have any idea about these things?”
“Wait on,” said Jupe. “What was that you said about Ancia was bait? Can you further explain for us, please? Are you sure you used the right word?”
“The world of Ancia is an invention, to attract many of the Also-living, as would other species attract they prey. Gullible minds you have, and the notion of such a world, such a paradise, is reason enough for you to ignore problems and questions and accept such a world is real. As you have now discovered, it is not real, but merely reason to attract you here. Do you thank me?”
“You see now?” Jupe said to the others. “That horrible black moon we saw? That’s Ancia, the real Ancia. The charts were right, and I brought you to the right place. Everything else we know about it is false. It’s all lies.”
“What are you saying?” Rolondo asked him. “Ancia was never real? This alien told you it’s not real, and you believe him? Or it. Whatever it is, it looks like a filthy big bug I’d squash under my boot, back at home. I don’t know how it’s talking to us, but it must be some kind of trick.”
“Why are you not believing this?” Morgan asked Rolondo. “It’s true, I’ve seen what’s below the surface of this moon. From what our friend here is telling us, it must be the same on the main moon, but a thousandfold.”
“That would be the planet Morgan, if I’m not mistaken,” said Rolondo.
“What’s below the surface?” asked Rebbi.
“See this guy?” Real said as he indicated to the creature. “Millions of them. And others, different but still like him, if you get what I mean.”
“Yeah, I pretty much saw the same thing,” said Jupe.
“We need you to help,” said the alien.
“Help with what?” Morgan asked it.
“Our uprising,” said the alien. “Do you thank me?”
“That’s the thing,” said Real. “They’ve got humans, trapped, wrapped up, using their bodies for something. Our friend is trying to take control of these other kind of … aliens, that came along after the humans first arrived. I heard more, but I’ve forgotten it.”
“Will you help us?” it asked again, now almost pleading.
“Do something, Ro,” said Rebbi.
“I will, babe,” he said to her.
Jupe could see a look of panic in both Rebbi and Rolondo, and he realised that they were starting to lose their grip on reality.
“We need to discuss what you said, with ourselves,” Jupe said to the creature. “So if you could leave now, we can discuss it. If you could go now, the way you came, is that okay?”
The alien moved its antenna and said noth
ing for a short time, and then turned and moved toward the airlock. Jupe helped with the controls and he managed an awkward wave as it left.
“First Contact,” Morgan said, breathless and shaken, but somehow also elated at the thought.
* * * *
It was only when the creature left the ship that the real shock hit them, and it hit them hard. The only one not seemingly affected was Morgan, who walked around with his arms raised in apparent triumph, saying over and over, “First Contact.” Real curled up into a ball, foetal position, like he was trying to forget about his entire life.
Rolondo tried to help Rebbi stop screaming, but he felt faint and passed out for a few minutes. Then Rebbi couldn’t stop sobbing, and nor did she want to move out from Rolondo’s arms. When he came to his senses, he glared at Jupe like it was his fault.
Jupe knew that he was looking at him, but couldn’t return his stare, thinking that maybe he was right. Maybe he had been reckless and the alien thing had followed him back, and they were all in danger. As soon as he had returned, he should have risked the engines and just gotten out of there.
“Did you see that thing?” Rolondo yelled at Jupe.
“There are many more,” said Jupe. “Like that one but worse. You have no idea what was down there.”
“It was all gooey,” Morgan said as he looked at his hands. “I wanted to shout out and wipe it off, when I first touched it, but I didn’t want to be impolite to our alien guest. What do you think, should I have risked being impolite? Do you think that might have offended it?”
“Impolite?” Rolondo returned. “It was a bug. You said that yourself.”
“I thought you wanted to call them aliens,” said Morgan.
“Why are you so calm about this?” Rolondo yelled.
“Is this really happening?” Rebbi sobbed.
“Of course it’s happening,” Rolondo said, his voice raised at her even though she was in his arms. “Where’ve you been, woman?”
“Don’t shout at me,” she said as she pulled away from him. “I’m finding this very troubling, if you don’t mind.”
“Let’s just take a minute and think about what our strange new friend was saying,” said Jupe.
“Our what?” Real asked, peering up from the ball that he had turned himself into.
“Our friend, the alien,” said Jupe.