The Alien Consciousness 2-14
CHAPTER 14
They sat in the soft, comfortable high-backed chairs, and curiously looked around. There were yellow-red walls and overhead white, low ceiling. The floor also was white color, but single without layers as it was on the ship of Tondor. Max and Jennifer, both were well aware that in fact the internal structure of their space ship probably on real looked completely different.
It was obvious that Tondor specially created the space ship so that it had the least resembles with something familiar to them, with common shapes, colors, contours. Tondor himself needed no chairs, no remote control, and no buttons. But they people was in need of it all. Yes, and needed in it very much! It was necessary to sit on something. It was necessary to click or push on something. It was human’s habits learned from infancy. It was their lifestyle, the way of thinking and perception of the world. In another way they couldn’t act. They did not understand. They could not for now. They didn’t understand for now. But everything could and would change in any minute. Indeed, in front of them it was a real remote control board of a space ship. It was flat and oval with the multiple luminescent bands that hovered a few millimeters from the surface of the panel. Max feeling almost navigator from the series Star Wars, carefully raised his hands over the remote control, but did dare to touch any of the shining bands of light. He knew that most likely nothing wrong with him will happen. But he did not hurry. ‘Jenny.’ He said. ‘Here it is. The solemn moment came. We have our own space ship. Can you imagine? We can do what we want. Fly where you wish. Free to do anything. I see your smile. It would be naive to believe that Tondor not control us even now. I know he does. But so want to feel free at last. I have the impression as if we were with you basic training. I would even say for “space” fighter. Now the training was over and we moved on to practical training. How we will lead ourselves, what we’ll do in a given situation. Am I correct in stating the essence?’ ‘If I was Tondor’s personal secretary, I could give a comprehensive answer to your question. But I'm just your girlfriend and nothing more. I don’t know what he thinks’ ‘Okay, with that. Go home?’ Max turned his face to Jennifer. Yellow control board poured with thick light, while the bands of light: red, white, blue and gold got brightened, then darkened. It all was happening very slowly but noticeably. ‘I do not know, however, where the Earth and how to send the ship to It.’ Max admitted and scratched his head. ‘Perhaps the ship is managed by voice. It should say “Earth” and we are already at home. Maybe mentally? What did you decide? Going home?’ Jennifer fell in thoughts. It was strange, but she did not want to go home. It may indeed, in the words of Max; they passed a kind of course in survival on an alien ship and in the earthly home as such they have no longer need? She did not know. She did not want to think so. But at the same time perfectly understood the former girl named Jennifer, unwittingly died. No more Jennifer. She has become different person, completely different. Her forehead wrinkled. Some thoughts from time to time would not let her rest. It was as if she was trying to remember something important, but she could not. She could not to do it this time too. ‘No. Not to home.’ She said slowly, looking tenderly at Max. Jennifer suddenly thought that now the two of them, as if on a desert island. They were completely alone. It is not known where. They were immeasurably far away from all the usual and familiar to them. Was it some kind a mission? They have the unknown to them yet the mission? ‘M31.’ She said strictly with some pride in her voice. Max knew what the galaxy M31 mean. In a surprise he shook his head: ‘Do not you going too far? Maybe for the beginning we’ll fly on the moons of Jupiter? They say Europe and Io are the real gift for the space’s tourists. Imagine you are sitting on Europe and before you a giant Jupiter with all of its rings. And we'll be the first who will be there and who will do so.’ ‘Who says? Do you mean the space station Pioneer and Voyager? We'll be there first of all people at any case, but a little later. First, we’re going to the galaxy M31.’ ‘So, Andromeda? I’ve got one question Jenny. Why there? Did you have there your favorite tree, the hill or the sea shore?’ Max interested. ‘Do you mock at me? Besides Andromeda and the Milky Way I do not remember anything else of astronomy. It's simple.’ She explained with a smile. Max realized that their conversations are specifically delayed the moment when they have to really do something, go somewhere. In his mind Max hoped that the space ship will not fly at all. What if they’ll get lost somewhere and never return back? Maybe it was the aim of Tondor? That they get lost in the endless vastness of the Universe? But what for they might need to him? No, he will not treat them in such a way. Max’s heart was pounding in his chest. Very gently and carefully he touched the glowing white strip. For a moment, nothing was happening. But then the picture on the screen gradually went away and was replaced by another one. On a full screen stretched the endless white plain, on which in different places, but in a certain order, could be seen the same size buildings of blue color. The form of the buildings had the resemblance with the cylinders separated by half. Inside of each, in the center had been seen a green flickering bar of light. No trees, no living creatures in the common sense of the word was not seen. Max and Jennifer with curiosity and suspicion looked at unfamiliar world. To believe that they are already in place where they wanted to go was not easy. ‘We have already arrived?’ In the eyes of Jennifer looking at Max was read undisguised mistrust. Max nodded: ‘Sure, without any doubt. Just do not know where exactly. When I pressed the button, just in case in my mind was repeating: “Andromeda. We’re ahead to Andromeda!” I do not know, helped it or not, but the result is on the screen.’ ‘It’s too plain here.’ Jennifer hesitated. ‘It was hard to believe that in no time they covered a distance of billions of light-years. ‘Maybe.’ Max agreed. ‘But we have seen no too much. Maybe this is the local desert. Mega cities are located on the opposite side of the planet. It’s strange to me that we got somewhere at any case. So, the ship really obeys us. But, you know, to be honest, I have no desire to meet with the local aborigines. I filled up with the communication with Tondor and still didn’t rest of it.’ ‘Agreed. Maybe it’s better for us that there is no one is here. It would be good to go out and take a walk around. We recently were nowhere. All our times we spend on board the ship.’ ‘But who built the pyramid on Mars? Did you forget?’ ‘On Mars was uncomfortable and gloomy. But here is light and nice.’ Jennifer argued. ‘Let us go out?’ ‘Okay. Let’s go out. But usually in movies from this point begins the problems for the main characters, which they later regret about. ‘We’ve got protective suits. Weapons. Tondor said that we have nothing to fear.’ ‘Jenny you’re begun to scare me. Maybe you shouldn’t be so keen on the alien weapon?’ ‘I wonder myself. But something tells me that...’ She nodded to the screen. ‘We have nothing to fear there. But we’ll be built nothing any more. Okay Max? No pyramids or circles or any other geometric figures. I'm serious. Marks or signs we will not leave, too because when the people get here all our signs will turn into dust.’ ‘Jenny, actually, it should be me who would try to persuade you to go outside, but not you. You on the contrary have to dissuade me, to talk about the possible danger. Okay, let's go. Do not forget your phone.’ ‘Phone? You mean weapons?’ ‘Sorry, slip of the tongue ... Weapons, too. Well, and phone. You’ll take snaps of local views. You love it.’ Armed with weapons of Tondor that as under the order emerged from the wall next to the control panel, Max and Jennifer with understandable excitement approached the yellow filled with the inner light wall. No more jokes; they would face a completely unknown and alien to them the world. The main reason for their anxiety was the fact that they were alone without the support of Tondor. Previously, they were accompanied by Tondor, and they knew they had nothing to fear. He will correct all their errors. Now they were alone, and could rely only on themselves. Max suddenly embraced Jennifer by the shoulders, pulled her to him, and buried his face for a moment in her brown hair. ‘Do not worry. Everything will be fine.’ He said. Jennifer in answer only nodded quietly her head. There were no touches or passwords said aloud. The yellow wall in the place where they stood, darkened almost to black coal, and then, when all the shades were used, a little away from the dark spot appeared the bright yellow dot that quickly spread in all directions from a black spot like a burnt out ragged hole in the hull. At the top it looked like a triangle with a truncated top, at the bottom it was a hexagon with a non-existent three angles. There were the yellow steps. In total there were six steps. All six still hung in the air. The way out was opened. Feeling understandable excitement, Max and Jennifer stepped onto the surface of another planet. But seemed they had nothing to fear. The white surface was completely deserted and has been viewed by tens of kilometers in all directions. If there would existed any threat they would have certainly noticed it. The only threat could conceal the strange blue constructions. The nearest one was about half a kilometer away from Max and Jennifer, maybe a little less. Frankly speaking after all that had happened to them after their acquaintance with Tondor at least Max did not feel much fear to strangers’ worlds. Plarms, yes he did not want to meet them without the support of Tondor. But he hoped that plarms were far away. ‘How’s quiet here.’ Jennifer said clinging to Max. He immediately felt the warmth of her body. ‘Even blow of air is not felt. Let's go, take a look at it?’ She suggested. ‘Maybe we’ll find something interesting. What if its local ruins?’ Max looked into the distance. Then he turned back. Yellow steps continued to hang motionless in the air. The opening through which they had left the ship not closed. So, the planet was safe. ‘Okay. But to the nearest and then we’ll go back and back. Agreed?’ ‘You explained so clear.’ Jennifer joked. ‘But I understood.’ Getting closer to incomprehensible, blue constructions or “ruins” Max and Jennifer did not have time. High in the sky above the ridge of purple clouds there was a tiny point of light. It grew rapidly and quickly approached the planet's surface. Max realized that this was some kind of spacecraft and judging by its high speed at any moment something bad was about to happen. He quickly figured the place of possible falling of a strange spacecraft. It was far enough from Jennifer and him. They could feel themselves in safe. ‘Max, Look! The ship!’ Jennifer lifted up her head, watching the flight path. ‘I see. It’s falling.’ ‘You think so?’ ‘I don’t sure but for my part the alien’s ships don’t land at such a high speed. You know it yourself. It looks like it was shot down. We themselves as usual slowly pops up out of the vacuum in the orbit of one or the other planet. But never fall like a rock.’ ‘Max, Max! Look, look! There is one more!’ Jennifer cried out grabbing Max's sleeve. Where the second space ship came from was unknown. But judging by it trajectory, it was clearly directed to the over cutting the first one. In the sky behind the first space ship appeared the white glow. From the place where were Max and Jennifer, glow looked pretty far away from the first space ship and could cause harm to it. However, the ship split apart, and fragments of it raced even faster toward the planet. ‘It got it!’ Max breathed out. ‘Now it’ll crash into the ground!’ Fragments of an unknown space ship fell slightly closer than supposed Max. Last piece of shot down space ship landed straight into the blue “ruins”, which they intended to explore. ‘That’s all. It’s done.’ Max involuntarily clenched his fists, with tense following the second space ship. The space ship which attacked, circled in the sky above the place of falling fragments. On the ship of Max and Jennifer it did not pay attention yet. White glow, no longer appear. Max, not without the reason came to the conclusions that they witnessed some other’s conflict. And from the unwanted witnesses, as one know, usually gets rid of. It was at least common practice in the human beings’ world. Without any action, the second space ship continued to circle over the place of accident until the moment when from the wreckage of the shot down space ship crawled out the two tiny figures which in the distance, had a striking resemblance to humans beings. ‘Max, Max, look people!’ Jennifer exclaimed in excitement and surprised. Really. Shipwrecked, but, nevertheless, survived beings really in appearance reminded the people. The distance did not allow Max and Jennifer to look them well. Max, squinting and straining his eyes, took a few steps forward. Jennifer followed him. Both wanted to rush to assist the first aid to the creatures, but something still restrained them from it. Hovering in the white sky space ship rushed down. The wreckage of shot down ship began to flash with white glow. Before the hearing of Max and Jennifer had come the heavy rubble of explosions. The ship also noticed survived during the crash beings. It seemed that the ship circled for so long, that it was waiting for someone to appear or not from the pile of wreckage. Will they really stand and watch as the space ship is killing so amazingly similar to human beings creatures? No, Jennifer could not allow that. ‘Max. We have to help them.’ She said firmly. Her body was covered with the exciting trembling. Jennifer’s hand firmly was clutching the weapons of Tondor. Before her eyes flashed a picture of the battle on Phobos. Combat’s experience they had. They were ready to fight the new threat. At least, she, Jennifer was ready to it. In this tense, the decisive moment, it seemed lightning lit up her memory. She's an FBI agent! That's what she always tried to remember. That is the thought that didn’t give her peace of mind. It tormented her day and night. Remembering who she was, she instantly remembered all her proficiency of a trained federal agent. With new eyes, Jennifer looked at the situation. With new eyes, she appreciated the balance of power and the possible threat for unknown creatures, amazingly similar to humans, and for Max and her. A shiver passed. The excitement subsided. Hand of girl kept clutching the hilt of weapons. But she did it now not in the same way as a minute before the illumination. She did it firmly and calmly with knowledge and a professional experience, as a real professional. Jennifer in her common life was a sharp shooter; freely used the various types of weapons. She didn’t like the knives but she adored the firearms. Max, who watched the alien’s ship, didn’t notice the changes in the Jennifer. And if he saw he did not pay attention to it as to something important. She has changed, because the situation required. So he himself would explain the determination which appeared on the girl's face. The wreckages of crashed ship, covered with the white luminous flame burned quickly and without a trace. Strange glow was close to the figure of beings who, dodging and hiding behind the blue buildings, were trying to avoid the terrible end. ‘Who said that we going to stand and do nothing?’ Max said. ‘We assessed the situation. Who knows maybe the owner of this planet came back at home. Now we convinced of the opposite. I care about only one question – why whenever we meet with the aliens, we fight them? And where the universal love, understanding and fraternization with the brothers in mind? I understand for the discussion is not the time ... Run! ‘I'm going ahead you cover me!’ Max not waiting for an answer of Jennifer, involuntarily ducking, rushed to the wreckage of the ship. At the same moment before him appeared a purple glow. He flinched, ducked to the side. Then he realized. It activated the protection of his suit. But he was already thought that the alien’s ship fired at him! Called himself “a fool” Max ran on. Place of the tragedy was approaching. The alien’s space ship sank even lower. It was no longer then the ship of Tondor, about two hundred meters in diameter. All black, with a few glowing stripes along the ship’s hull. It form resembled an ellipse truncated rear, pierced by two flat rectangular platform on which there was no add-ons. Fell on the white, like the artificial surface of the planet, the ship thrown out of its womb a few black creatures with lots of legs in which they squeezed some incomprehensible things. Max decided that these were the weapons. The intentions of aliens, too, were quite apparent. To destroy the creatures who were so similar to humans. Max did not know whether Jennifer and he have the right to interfere with somebody else’s business. Whether Tondor will approve their actions but at that moment such thoughts didn’t care him. Max, slowing his pace, took up his weapons. But he had surpassed. The white surface of the planet just two meters in front of him suddenly flashed up and with a dull hiss deepened formed a crater of several meters deep. Dodged aside at the last moment Max fired back. Missed! Yellow beam fired by the weapons of Tondor passed too high up over the strange black creatures. Max swore. At the same time he did not understand why the creatures to which he tried to help wouldn’t cover him? Now, within a few kilometers around one couldn’t find the best target than he was. Maybe they were unarmed? Max did not know. He hadn’t enough time for reflection. White surface again exploded, forming another funnel with jagged edges. There were clubs of gray smoke. Rounding the funnel from the left, Max shot several times in a row. Scarlet, yellow, blue and purple rays pierced the thick of aliens. He got them! The creature, which was in charge of the persecution, was thrown by a scarlet beam high in the air and it turning around and twisted by its numerous limbs fell apart. Before Max hearing had come the muffled sounds of wet slapping, accompanied the fall of the body of the dead being. At the same moment two things had happened. Two of his pursuers, ran straight to him but behind his back appeared the red beam and hit the alien’s ship. Do not causing any harm to it the ray was absorbed by the black surface of the alien’s space ship. Without turning, Max realized. It was Jennifer who shot. In the heat of battle, he had forgotten about her. Max turned his head quickly. Surrounded by the green glow of the protective suit, Jennifer herself resembled the alien from some distant worlds, although, in fact, so it was on real. ‘Jenny stays back! Don’t put out!’ Max shouted did not explain what he meant. Quickly pawing with their numerous limbs the creatures were running to Max and Jennifer. In the protective sphere of the protective suit of Max began to hit the thin needles of red rays. Strangers fired! Max dropped to one knee, and, in turn, opened heavy fire in response. A weapon of Tondor was much more powerful, and not without pleasure, Max looked how the thick many colored rays were cutting the strangers into pieces. They were burned, leaving a handful of gray ash. Shooting, Max tried to look better the creatures which were hiding behind the blue rocks. They had been seen nowhere. Perhaps they were no longer alive. But Max had no choice but to continue to fight. Through the rumble, the hiss and crackle of gunfire and explosions, his ears suddenly heard a piercing scream of Jennifer. He turned around and froze. Jennifer – clinging to her with several limbs – was pulling off the alien who somehow quietly crept up to her from the left flank. To her the alien could not get to, but in some way he stuck to the protective sphere of her suit and literally dragged her away on the white surface of the planet. ‘Beast!’ Max shouted getting into a rage. ‘Come! Let her go. What did I say?’ The alien kept to drag Jennifer to its own space ship bypass not using the straight way. Max could not shoot. He could wound Jennifer. She will not be hurt, but in the alien he won’t get either. Cursing, Max ran to her for help. Jennifer saw him, and tried to turn around and shoot the alien who dragged her. But for some unknown to her reason, she could not turn around in a protective sphere of the suit, as though she was held in the same position by some invisible and mysterious power. Max panicked. The alien ran more quickly then he did. Is this possible that the creature, which arrived from nowhere, really will drag Jennifer away from him? The decision came up by itself. Powerful rays issued of his weapons began to cut burn and melt the huge craters and ditches on the way of retreat alien. Running up to the first one the alien stopped. He could easily overcome it on the bottom of the funnel, but there still kept boil and melt the molten substance. At the moment when the alien stopped Jennifer guessed raise her weapons above her head, and shot behind her back, without aiming. Scarlet beam cut off the several limbs of the alien, and it, turning the others, had fallen on its back. Jennifer was free. At this point, Max jumped. He ran like a hurricane and forgetting about the weapons jumped on the alien and begun furiously beat him with his fists, trying to get into the gray head. The limbs of the alien twisted frantically trying to get rid of Max, but the protective suit did not allow him to do so. Max beat the alien until he finally ran out of his breath. Heavily breathing kept sitting on top of a stranger, he stopped, took a breath. Alien gave no signs of life. Limbs somehow drawn into the body, and then there were only four. From the wounds of cut off limbs oozed a thick, white substance. Then the skin of the alien on the chest and abdomen cracked, opened, and Max realized that all this time he beat on the protective suit of the alien, but not on its body. In fact, the alien has got only four limbs. The rest of it was the additional manipulators of the suit. Inside the suit lied the white alien with the head, narrow body and thin legs. Two clouded eyes, placed on a narrow face, as well as two small holes. For a minute, Max eagerly examined the defeated enemy, and then remembered about Jennifer. Hell, what for he sat on that beast and staring at it? He’ll have enough time for it later but not now. When all will be over! He quickly jumped to his feet, turned to Jennifer. She was behind him, and silently was snapping everything that happened on her phone. Max was taken aback. He was surprised by her sudden coolness. ‘Are you here? Shooting? Could you find better time for this?’ Max only now felt pain in his fingers. ‘It does not move. It looks like I did it. Are you all right?’ ‘Yes. I’m fine.’ Jennifer nodded, hid the phone, looked at him with love and proud. You are brave. You didn’t scare him.’ ‘We themselves become frightful when the situation demands. Why did you left behind I told you to keep up with me? Max chided her. ‘You did not tell me. You just ran forward. I do not even know from where did that being appeared. Yes, I was frightened, but only at first. Do you think the creatures that look like human beings still alive?’ Max shrugged. In the heat of the fight, he had forgotten all about them. ‘Why did you all record and take pictures?’ He suddenly asked. Jennifer shrugged in her turn: ‘I always dreamed of becoming a photographer.’ ‘Do you have yet any more nerves to joke? Well, well…’ A point in the battle put their space ship. Cutting a deep furrow in the thick white surface, with a deafening roar and a crash – the flash was so bright that Max was almost blinded – to alien’s ship swept something sparkling and with viscous mass stuck to it hull. The space ship immediately began to melt, but still managed to take off from the surface and to make a return volley. The first target was Max and Jennifer. The beam with a width of two meters, hit in the head of Max, threw him far away and with force pressed to artificial surface. His protective suit lit with a deep purple light. His head was buzzing. His thoughts confused. As in his sleep, Max rolled onto his stomach, and a moment was lying motionless. Then he struggled to his knees and looked around. He had a feeling as if he ran head-on with the running at full speed train. Where at this point was Jennifer, he did not know. He only heard her cry. Then it’s gone. Nothing understood, Max found with his hand the weapons, and relying on it, he struggled to his feet. He staggered, but the balance withheld. The picture which appears to his eyes shook Max deeply. The alien’s ship was floating and swimming in the lake of melted, swelled the white substance, which burned around the edges of the white glow. On all sides of the artificial lakes of molten substance stretched the ugly like the giant snakes the furrows and cracks of different depths and widths. Their ship had survived in this great duel of titans. She escaped with a few brown spots on its scarlet hull. However, it soon faded and melted by the yellow-scarlet protective substance. Max gratefully looked at the ship. At this moment the ship seemed to him as a huge, intelligent and kind creature, which is very timely intervening in the battle. ‘Fellow, I owe you.’ He said quietly and gratefully. Then he turned, intending to find Jennifer. She was close. She sat amid the shipwrecks and it seemed wasn’t hurt at all not at all. Max held out his hand, helped her got up. ‘Now it’s for sure all over. How are you, Jenny? Are you all right? Did you see what our ship did to them?’ Jennifer in answer only nodded. She couldn’t talk yet. In her ears still were the roars of the last volleys. ‘Don’t you want to take pictures any more do you? Max joked. ‘No offense. Come on, let's see how there are our brothers in mind. Do they alive or not? Give me your hand.’ The battle was over. There was relative calmness. High in the sky glowed apathetic to everything the huge local Sun. There were no birds, no wind, nothing. It was the absolute, global emptiness. Together they began making their way carefully among the wreckages, sinkholes and cracks to the center of the battle. Protective suits continued to glow, warning of possible danger. When to the crushed by the shipwrecks blue construction was left no more than a few steps to meet them came out the creatures that were surprisingly similar to human beings.
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