"For one thing, the more we fly around Earth, the greater the chances our fellow humans will see the spaceship and try to shoot it down."
"But they wouldn't shoot it, if they knew we were on board, would they? We could talk to them," said Matilda.
"Please think this through," said Suki. "Personally, I am not sure I want to be known as the woman that was abducted by aliens."
"Suki is right," said Inga. "What if they treat us like aliens? What kind of life would that be? It would be horrible."
"That could be bad," agreed Nina. "Humans can be mean and they might never trust us when they know where we have been."
The others nodded.
It looked as if that idea had died, and that was good, thought Suki. She and Inga left the group to look for the ingredients for their next meal. Nina and Charles had taken care of dinner of the night before.
"Do you mind a question," asked Inga when they got to the storage room.
"No, go ahead."
"Why did you come with us?"
Suki looked at her.
"I mean we are all old and they promised us we go home at some point, but you are not old and you didn't get on board by threaten anyone like Enrico did."
"I was part of the Alone Project, have you heard about it?"
Inga shook her head and Suki explained it.
"But I saw you at the village."
"Yeah, apparently I shouldn't have been going there. I didn't know I was breaking their rules. Anyways, I was not as depressed as the other Subjects in the Alone Project so that made my brain interesting to them. They wanted to dissect it."
Inga's eyes got big. "Oh my. That would be disastrous for you."
"Yeah. Luckily my Overseer thought so as well."
"Wow," said Inga. "The others were saying things about you and the Overseer. They said that is why you were included."
"You mean Enrico was saying things."
"It was mostly him, that is why I didn't really pay attention to it. He is, excuse my language, an ass."
Suki smiled. Inga was more like her than the others. They selected some nice zucchini and butternut squash and decided to make a casserole.
It turned out that Suki picked a bad time to leave the others. When she returned they heard the end of what Enrico was saying.
"?Majority rules, just like home. Vote for yes?"
Suki saw everyone's hand go up.
"What is this?" she asked as she placed the vegetables on the counter.
"As you can see, the results are in," said Enrico "We are voting whether to contact Earth and let them know we are traveling on this space ship. We are concerned that they may try to shoot us down. Knowing we're on board will prevent that."
"And that also means the aliens can take their time and drop us off where we want," said Matilda.
"You took a vote without us?"
"Don't worry, we knew how both of you were going to vote," said Enrico. "We put you down as two 'No' votes, or were we wrong?"
"Absolutely a 'No' vote," said Suki. "I thought you agreed that it was better to be arrive without attracting attention.
"They will run tests on us," fretted Inga, "and I don't want that. I just want to have a peaceful retirement."
"Of course they will run tests on us, Inga, but that will be just at the beginning, and then it will stop," said Charles.
"We think most people on Earth will be excited to meet us," said Matilda. "Enrico said it and it makes sense. We can go on talk shows and tell them about our experiences. We'll make a little money for our troubles. Goodness knows we are going to need the money."
"A description of Planet Humex alone should get us a free drink," smiled Enrico, "and we might get famous."
"This decision not only affect us humans," said Suki. "It affects the aliens as well. You know what our fellow humans will do to the aliens if they catch them?"
"In all those years we have been gone, I am sure humanity has improved. I don't think they will dissect them like in those old movies," chuckled Charles.
"Don't be too sure. I am the most recent from Earth and I can tell you humans have not improved that much. These two aliens brought us back to Earth and they didn't need to. It seems like a bad way to repay them."
"They took us from our homes, Suki," said Enrico. "They took us from our lives. We don't owe them a damn thing."
"It wasn't these two aliens that took us, Enrico, you know that."
"Well, I guess they pay for what their race did. I think it's fair," said Enrico. "In any case we voted for this, unless you want this to be a dictatorship."
It made her angry. "I think you are very wrong. You can fix your own meals, I'm not hungry," she said and stormed to the front of the ship.
Suki plopped down in the seat behind the pilots. Mckcy glanced at Ickcy. "Ickcy, I'm going to make a shake. You want one?"
"Sure," said Ickcy.
"Take over the controls and you can talk to Suki," suggested Mckcy.
What was wrong with them, wondered Suki as they exchanged meaningful glances.
"Do you have more questions?" asked Ickcy.
"No. They took a vote and they want to tell Earth they are on board."
"I could communicate with Earth, but whom would I talk to?"
"Good question. There are many countries with a space program. My fellow passengers think that talking with someone will prevent Earth from shooting at us."
"I was thinking about that and it sounds reasonable. Maybe we should communicate with the strongest country that might try to shoot us down?"
"Frankly I don't know if talking to them will prevent it or encourage it. I think it is a bad idea and we should try to land unnoticed." She explained why.
Ickcy started to shake.
It went on for a time and Suki had to ask if he was all right.
"Yes, but I find it ironic that in saving your brain from being dissected, we might get dissected ourselves."
"I might be expecting the worst, but we should not risk it. Maybe there is another way."
Ickcy swayed, as they both thought about it.
Mckcy walked into the silence and looked at Ickcy.
"Suki is concerned," said Ickcy.
She handed him a shake and sat down. "Concerned about?"
Ickcy told her everything they had talked about.
"Humans are so primitive," said Mckcy. "Maybe we should leave them somewhere else and avoid the whole mess. The moon is pretty close."
Suki's mouth dropped open.
"I'm sure you are jesting," said Ickcy.
Suki hoped she was. They would not survive on the moon and no one from Earth would be able to get them from there. "Wait, I have an idea. How fast is this ship in Earth's atmosphere?"
"Earth is 1G, so 50 rams," said Mckcy.
"50 rams," repeated Suki. She didn't know what that was and couldn't even begin to do the conversion to Earth units. The F-15, an aircraft the US Air Force might use to track them down, went about 2,600 km/h. "Do you think that this space ship is faster than any of Earth's airplanes?"
"Yes," said Mckcy.
"Okay then," said Suki noticing she sounded very positive. "My plan could work. We have people on board from four different countries, Charles is from Canada, Nina is from India, and so on. We inform the governments of those countries that we are coming, but not where we will land. Then we pretend to land in one place and quickly change the location."
"What?" Ickcy did not understand.
"It's deception," said Mckcy.
"Yes and hopefully it will keep them away from you."
"Let me think about this," said Ickcy. "We will be able to communicate with Earth later today."
"Yeah, maybe you will think of something better before then," said Suki. "I'll go back to the lounge and see what new problem they give me."
After she had gone, Mckcy asked, "Did you resolve the feelings issue with her?"
"No."
"I left to give you a chance to talk."
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"I didn't have a chance. She told me what the humans were planning and we were just trying to fix that issue."
Mckcy looked at him. "I think you didn't even try."
"How was I supposed to ask something like that anyway?"
"It's easy, you ask, do you love me?"
"Just like that?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"I couldn't just say that in the middle of a conversation that included our dissection."
Mckcy sighed and took over the controls. "I think you like the idea she is infatuated with you."
When Suki got back to lounge only Inga was there, even Enrico was gone.
"Hi Inga, did everyone eat?"
"Yeah, whatever they could and with enormous complaining. Then they went to sleep."
"You didn't?"
"No. I told Enrico to take my bunk. I wanted to talk to you and I decided to bake a zucchini bread."
"It does smell nice."
"So you went and told the aliens about the vote?"
"Yeah. They thought it was a good idea."
"You know, I'm thinking it might be."
"You changed your mind?"
"Yes, the idea of humans shooting us down made me rethink my vote."
"Yeah, I guess I see your point."
Chapter 35
Ickcy came to talk to them. The lounge was divided by opinions and Inga and Suki sat at one table on one side while the others sat on the other.
"Suki told me about your vote," he said.
Several at the other table threw her a dirty glance.
"I agree with your vote," said Ickcy.
The ugly glances changed instantly.
"Since there are four countries represented here, this is what we will do." He explained how he would contact the government of Stockholm to coordinate with the other countries. Once they had representatives from each of the countries there, they would make the call.
"Ickcy, Stockholm is a city in Sweden, so you have to contact the country of Sweden," said Inga. She looked very pleased.
"Why Sweden?" asked Matilda. "Why not the United States? There are three of us from there."
"I am informing you what we are going to do," said Ickcy leaving no room for argument. "I will let you know when the representatives are assembled and ready to talk. Then each of you will have several minutes to talk to your representatives. We should be arriving to Earth later today."
At least Sweden did not have a space program, thought Suki.
"I bet you had something to do with Sweden being picked," said Enrico looking at her.
"No. I am still against this whole thing," said Suki. "I just want to be dropped off quietly and be done with it."
Ickcy called Sweden and then it took several hours to assemble representatives from Canada, India, and the United States. They selected the office of the Sweden's foreign minister. The Swedes had considered doing the meeting in the Prime Minister's office, but then that was thought too risky. One never knew what the aliens could be up to.
The representatives were introduced and that took several minutes.
Then it was their turn. Inga started. "Hello, my name is Inga and I was born in Stockholm in 1943. I was taken when I was twenty four."
The Swedish representative asked some questions to verify who she was. The questions seemed very reasonable.
"Okay," said Ickcy, "next is Nina from India."
She introduced herself and gave similar details as Inga. Charles followed and then it was Matilda's turn.
"I was born in New York in 1931," she said. "These aliens took me when I was twenty nine. You will not believe what I have seen and I have kept very good notes about it."
The American representative, Chad Grey, asked numerous questions going over the allotted time, but Ickcy allowed it. Matilda, on the other hand, started to get annoyed.
"I think it is enough questions. I am who I say I am," said Matilda. "Don't waste anymore time and just get me home."
Ickcy introduced Suki.
"Hi, my name is Suki and I was born in California in 1987. I was abducted from New York City where I had gone to work. That was in January of 2014." There was a buzz from the other side. She knew there would be interest since she had disappeared so recently.
"That was three months ago," said Chad Grey.
"I know."
"Are they still taking people?"
"No," she said.
"We don't know that for sure," said Enrico.
"Who is that?" asked Chad.
"My name is Enrico and I was born in 1973 in Rome, and I went to America as a child. I am thirty years old now because I was frozen for ten years."
That could explain much, thought Suki.
"Let me talk to Suki.
"Yes, Chad I am still here," said Suki.
"Where in California were you born?" asked Chad.
"I'm just saying you should be careful with what Suki says," interrupted Enrico. "She is with the aliens."
"Have they mistreated you?" asked Chad.
"No?," she said at the same time that Matilda said yes.
Suki glared at her.
"The showers on board do not work well," explained Matilda. "There is barely any water and I don't even want to talk about the meals. They are sufficient, but can you believe there is no beef on board?"
Suki bit her lip so she would not say anything she might regret. Sure the showers were mostly air, but this was not supposed to be a cruise and she had told Matilda so.
"I admit the vegetables have been good, but that is all," continued Matilda. "And then my suitcase?"
Ickcy interrupted. "I think that is enough conversation for now. We plan to drop off the humans in one place. We will let you know what place we pick. The reason we are allowing these conversations are to make sure you know we are coming in peace and you don't shoot us down."
"Well, we need to check their stories out first," said Chad.
"How much time to do you need for that?" asked Ickcy.
"How about one week?" said Chad.
"I don't think so. I believe your communications are better than that. We will give you two days."
"Two more days," said Charles when they returned to the lounge.
"That is too bad," said Nina. "I was hoping to be home tonight."
"We are so close to the Earth," said Inga looking out the window.
They glanced at Suki. If she were a certain type of person, she could have said, I told you so, but she wasn't. She looked out just as California spun under them. They were so close.
"I think you were right," she said. "We might have to wait two more days, but it will be safer."
"I knew we did the right thing," said Matilda.
Chapter 36
As promised, Earth got back to them in two days. They offered a different plan. Someone, who was not any of the representatives that had talked to previously, made the offer. This person sounded much more in charge.
"Do you see the space station circling the Earth?" he asked.
"A space station?" asked Ickcy. "You mean that thing that appears like a storage container with solar panels?"
"Yes." The reply was terse.
Maybe he shouldn't have insulted their primitive attempt to be in space, thought Ickcy. Mckcy was shaking. On the other hand he was getting tired of circling Planet Earth, just for their convenience.
"We have astronauts on that space station and we want them to check your space ship. That way we can be sure that there are real people on board and not just recordings."
"Excuse me, they are not recordings, you asked them questions and they answered."
"Yes, but you are an advanced race that could have figured what questions we would ask ahead of time and recorded those answers. It would not be hard to do."
"Okay, so you want us to let these astrobots on board? How many are coming?"
"Astronauts and there will be two. You need to get closer to the space station so they can get to your ship.
Do you have an air lock?"
"Yes, of course."
"Is the air in your space ship safe for humans?"
"Yes, the interior environment is configured for humans right now. I am wearing an space suit."
"All right then. Once the astronauts confirm there are real people on board we will let you land on Earth. We are preparing a site for you."
"Where would that be?"
"We will let you know afterwards," he said and signed off.
"What do you think, Ickcy?" asked Mckcy.
"I'm just glad to get this thing over. Let's slow the transport down next to their spaceship," he tried not to smile at the ridiculous name for the tin can container.
"You shouldn't make fun of them," said Mckcy noticing.
"I know, I guess I am tired. I have messed everything, especially for you."
"Your feelings were in the right place. You have saved these humans and made them happy."
"Really? Do you really think so? They don't seem happy."
"I guess, they are a bit worried. I would be too, going back to my home after so many years afterwards."
"I shouldn't have brought you along."
"I wanted to come," she said.
"And why is that, by the way?"
Mckcy was not able to answer as Suki made her usual entrance and sat down. "Hi, how are you guys?"
Ickcy told her about the latest conversation with Earth.
"Hmm," said Suki.
"What do you think?"
"I guess I can see their point of view. Having a couple of astronauts come and check things seems all right, but I don't like the idea of them telling you where to land. I am sure their 'preparations' of the landing site may mean something military."
"I agree with Suki," said Mckcy.
"Good," said Ickcy. "Because I was not going to land where they told me. I will pretend to, of course."
Suki smiled. "I am glad you learning to be sneaky."
"I am not sure that is a good trait," he said. "By the way, how is everyone doing back there?"
"They are the same. Complaining, complaining. They asked me to come find out the latest news, so I'll tell them. When are we expecting the astronauts?"
"Soon," said Mckcy. She pulled a lever and the transport stopped moving. The transport drifted down and the space station filled the view out the window.
"Nice job, Mckcy," said Ickcy. "I'll contact the astronauts to let them know we are ready."
"I'll go tell the others what is going on," said Suki.
When she reached the lounge, all of her fellow passengers were by the window.
"Did you see this?" asked Enrico. "What is that?"