‘Ours ships of the same class.’ Noah immediately identified once they boarded the ship of Tondor and sat in a comfortable chairs in front of the central screen. ‘Yours in my opinion is even better. Of course you could not build the ship themselves. Where did you get it?’
‘Tondor gave it to us. He’s the alien. So he introduced himself to us. I do not know if you know him or not.’ Jennifer explained, realizing that it makes no sense to hide the truth. In the end Tondor did not forbid them to tell anybody about him and about his ship. And that they could meet during their travels beings similar to humans he could know.
‘Tondor?’ Noah and Noahya looked at each other. ‘We heard about him. But we didn’t come across in person. Representatives of its civilization live apart from the rest doing the mysterious and incomprehensible to us the activities. We prefer not to stand in their way and do all to avoid any contact with him. It is strange that he has paid attention to you.’
‘We agreed. He said that they place the bases. One is on Pluto. Pluto is one of the planets of our system.’ Max explained Max.
‘We know both about the Pluto and about the bases of Constructors, as we call them. Their bases are used for the correction of the space and control of the planets. After all, it is they who create the planet.’ Noah looked at the control board of the ship held his hand over it. At that moment the space in which they were increased in several times. One touch and the ship had been already in the open space.
Max and Jennifer exclaimed in surprise. They had no idea that it is possible to increase the size of the room in which they were sitting.
‘You’ll give us a lift to our mother ship. Then our paths diverge. But we are certainly will see each other again.’ Noahya looked at Jennifer. It looks like she was up to something, but not yet taken a final decision.
'Of course, if you like. The main thing is that our ship will find the way to yours.’
‘It will find. ... Already found.’ Noah pointed to the screen. In the center hangs a huge space ship. The size of the ship of their new friends was more than their own. By its forms differed even more. It looked like cut in half an ellipse both parts of which were connected with the six glowing scarlet platforms. The semi ellipse itself was of black color and only occasionally on the surface flashed the green flashes.
‘So quick!’ Jennifer exclaimed didn’t believe her own eye. She was afraid that their new friends now will leave them and they again will be along. Until they met creatures so much similar to humans, especially when compared to Tondor and plarms, Jennifer had no idea that she misses her fellows. They both were exactly like on an uninhabited island in a complete isolation. Lack of communication made itself felt.
Noahya suddenly reached out her hand touched the hair of Jennifer. Her touch on the girl's body ran goose from.
‘I’ve got once such hair too.’ Noahya said quietly.
‘Got? But you still have the beautiful hair.’
‘Yes, but they are not quite what I had had before. If I turned off the protective plasser we would in no way different from each other.’
‘Plasser?’ Jennifer puzzled looked at Noahya.
‘Plasser protects our bodies from the effect of time. It’s a kind of protective layer’
Meanwhile, the both ships got closer and unfortunately it was time to say goodbye. Max wanted to go on board of the alien’s ship, but they were not invited, and he did not ask for it.
Perhaps Noah and Noahya felt his mood.
‘We invite you to visit our planet.’ Noah said.
Max's eyes flashed with joy, but then he shook his head in annoyance. He remembered about the time. There remained little time. It was time to return to base of Tondor.
‘Not now. Sorry.’ He said and shook his head.
‘Then the next time.’ Noahya calmed him down. ‘When you have more free time.’
Max sighed with frustration.
“God knows when will be this “next time”. Probably never!” Max thought and then asked. ‘How will we find you?’
‘We’ll meet each other on this planet. Then we’ll fly on our ship.’ Noahya got up looked at Jennifer. ‘I want to give you something as a souvenir. So you won’t forget me.’
Jennifer stood up too. Curiously she was waiting for a gift which prepared Noahya for her. Noah’s companion raised her hand to her face. On the top of her forefinger was lighting small dot.
‘This is for you from me.’ A light touch to left Jennifer’s cheek, and a small point from Noahya’s finger moved to the skin of the earth’s girl. Jennifer winced inwardly cringed, but did not reject her head. Calmly took an unexpected gift.
‘Now we're like sisters.’ Noahya said pleasantly. ‘Now all roads are open to you in our world.’
They stood side by side, looked lovingly at each other in the eye. On the left cheek of Jennifer, sparkled and floated inside the skin, specks of light. At than moment she really looked like Noahya.
‘Thank you.’ Jennifer whispered. ‘And I have nothing to give you back. Can I kiss you? Or is it not accepted for you?’
‘Yes. Do not accept. But you can do it.’ Noahya allowed.
Jennifer gratefully kissed her cheek:
‘Thanks again. I will cherish your gift.’
‘It will not be lost. And in the future may come in handy.’
‘We have to go. It is a pity that we have to leave you so fast. Thanks again. See you soon.’ Noah shook hands with Max covered with a barely noticeable radiance then entered into a solved before him wall of the ship. Noahya followed him.
“I’d like to move as they do. It would be cool!” Max thought with a slight envy. “How long yet we’ll be walk on our foot!’
It took a moment and ship of their new friends vanished in the vast expanses of the Universe. Max and Jennifer were alone again. But at heart they were warm and easy. Now they knew. They are not alone in the Universe any more. They have somewhere to go. They have somebody who helps them.
‘Good people.’ Max said after a pause. ‘Yes, very good.’ He added more firmly. ‘I liked them.’
‘Not quite the human beings, but they’re good. Well we also from their point of view too as we say not the birds of the same feather.’
‘Agreed.’ Jennifer gently touched her cheek. Dust of light responded to her touch. Dance quickened. ‘By the way, Max, I saw how you stared at her. I did not say anything because they are aliens. If in her place was the earth girl, I hope you understand me?’
Max in amazement snorted.
‘Do you jealous? To that prehistoric old woman? Do not make me laugh!’
‘Here, now when you called her “prehistoric old woman” that is quite true, I don’t jealous no more. She really preserved and looked great, but still, next time, do not you dare stare at her so intently. I'll be offended.’
Max sighed, rolled his eyes. Women! In the mind of the same, no matter what part of the Universe you are with her, all the same.
‘Promise I'll be just looking at you.’
Jennifer smiled with satisfaction.
‘Look, I'll remember it. By the way, how do you like her present? Does it fit me?’
‘It’s unusual and originally.’ Max glanced at her cheek. In his head spun one thought. ‘But we’ll be sleep from now separately. Who knows, all of a sudden you’ll turn into a mutant, and infect me? Okay, I'm kidding. You are wonderful. One thing I was only confused by. Seriously will you all the time now shine like a Christmas tree? Can it somehow be turn off?’
They needn’t to turn off anything. The dust of light went out by itself. Jennifer’s left cheek again was no different from the right cheek.
‘Telling the truth, I was not thrilled with such a gift. But I could not refuse. You understand me. It was the first people whom we met during our travels.’
‘You did the right thing. Well? Let’s take a fly?’ Max could not wait to check out one his idea. He decided to tell nothing Jennifer before the right time. She’ll torment him with questions.
Even during a conversation with Noah, Max as he thought himself got in his mind a great idea. But to realize it, they’ll have to go back to the planet, where they fought with the Arlits. His idea had nothing to do with their new friends Noah and Noahya.
Jennifer sighed.
‘Yes we have to fly. Tondor probably has been waiting for us. Do you think that after our returning he will send us home?’
‘I think so. But honestly, I do not understand what we’ll be doing on Earth after our return but we’ll talk about it later. Jenny if you do not mind before we’ll go back to Pluto let's visit the planet where we met our new friends. I've got some business there.’ Max finished evasively and looked away.
‘Business? There?’ Jennifer carefully and suspiciously looked at Max. She knew he planned something but didn’t want to tell her yet. ‘I wonder what kind of business you can have there. Did you loose a button of your shirts during the fight? Or do you want to leave a love note for that girl? Max I do not like your tone. I’ll not regret then about my consent?’
Max before answering took a deep breath.
‘Jenny, come on what a note. It is quite another not what you could possible thought about. You’ll see all yourself. Maybe I want make a surprise to you.’
‘Wow! Surprise? Here? I can’t believe my ears.’ Jennifer raised her eyebrows a bit up. ‘Max maybe it’s enough surprises for today? Maybe we just go home without any surprises?’
Max was silent not knowing what to say.
Jennifer almost a minute studied his face. Max felt that he begins to redden.
“Looks like scanner!” Flashed through his mind.
‘Do you feel sorry? Am I right? Do you think I do not understand? Do you think that I didn’t guess it?’ Jennifer suddenly asked.
Max startled. His face got long of a surprise.
“Had she guessed? But how? How?” Max’s look fell on the left Jennifer’s cheek. Guess lit him through like a lightning. Its Noahya’s present began to act! Had it made of Jennifer a clairvoyant! If he is right it’s not good for him rather it’s bad! Just reading other’s minds Jennifer he lacked for a full happiness!” Max felt sweaty.
‘What are you talking about?’ He asked cautiously trying in any case to control his thoughts.
Jennifer's face broke into a smile of superiority.
‘Do you think I had not figured out that you want to see what had happened to the alien whom you nearly beat to death? Feel sorry that you possibly killed the poor alien? Does it pull you at the crime scene?’
‘I… I protected you!’ Max said.
‘You’re right. You should always defend me. I’m ...’ She almost said, “Though an FBI agent”, but caught herself in time. ‘I am a girl... your girlfriend’ Jennifer deliberately emphasized the word “girlfriend”. ‘However, I agree!’ “I wonder how Max will react if and when he finds out that I'm an FBI agent, and all the time hid it from him? Well, he probably won’t kill me for that but he’ll be sulk for a year!” Jennifer decided that she’ll tell him nothing yet. In the end they are not husband and wife.
‘Seriously?’ Now Max in his turn had a suspicion that Jennifer is also something designed.
He was not wrong. Jennifer wanted to collect samples of the exploded ship, take pictures of destroyed aliens, and battle’s place. Perhaps even as a trophy to take a sample of their weapons. About their return to that planet, before their conversation she even didn’t think but Max’s desire sent her thoughts in another direction.
Now she again was an FBI agent.

* * *

Once their ship landed on the planet's surface, where they fought with Arlits, Max, accompanied by Jennifer, immediately went to the spot where he had left the defeated enemy. Max got an obsession to drag the Arlits on board the ship and try to establish contact with him. If of course he’s still alive. Max had no doubt that the alien was alive. Something tells him about it, some feeling. Yes, he beat him, but not hard enough to knock him out of the whole spirit. The alien could just lose its consciousness or pretend that he was unconscious.
At the same time Max admitted the possibility that in their absence the battle’s place had been visited already by the other Arlits, and they evacuated all their killed and wounded during the action colleagues.
But something inside told Max that at least “their” alien, as he in his mind christened him, he will find in the same place. What for he wanted to get him Max did not know for sure. At first he wanted to examine the alien. Try to establish a contact with him. If he’ll fail to make the contact, well, in this case he will keep it as a prisoner or …a home pet! Yes, as a pet. Community solely only with Jennifer, sometimes bored him. Max wanted that on board the ship was at least one more living being. Even if it not a human being. Even if it the alien.
Even if it hostile and aggressive. As the saying goes “When you’re fishing its better get at least crayfish then noting.” Max thought that it would not happen anything terrible if he drag one alien on the ship, or even bring to Pluto.
Carefully they made their way among the rocks, sinkholes and cracks.
That's the place where Jennifer was grabbed be the alien. And there he is! It was lying in the same place. The protective suit was opened and inside still was immovable and mysterious alien’s white body.
Max stopped. Warningly he stretched out his hand. Flashed protective suits glow. It became obvious – the alien was alive and suit felt it.
‘He’s alive.’ Max said quietly with satisfied tone.
‘He’s moving. What are you going to do with it? To apologize? Give him a brotherly hug? Take a drink with him? Jennifer from a safe distance was studying the odd creature. “Burr! What's an abomination!” She thought with disgust.
‘I want to take it with us on the ship.’ Max explained simply explained.
‘What?’ Jennifer's eyes widened. ‘Are you mad? I’m completely against it! Do you hear me? I'm not going to fly with him in the same ship! Do not even ask!’
‘Jenny, think about how much he knows. It’s a bottomless fount of invaluable information. And most importantly we as a trophy will get a real alien!’ Max’s breathe for a moment was caught by such idea. It was hard even to think about such possibility. He’ll get in his possession the real alien whom he personally captured. This trophy is worth a lot!
Jennifer bit her lower lip. She thought. Inside of her again spoke the FBI agent. Max was right the alien was useful as evidence, if and when they return home. Surely she would have to meet with her authorities and give them some explanations about her long absence. The only thing that still kept Jennifer unrest was that she could not remember what case she performed before the fateful meeting with Tondor. The fact that she was the agent she finally remembered. But the essence of her case was covered with a complete darkness. It was a failure in her memory.
‘Agreed but under one condition. At night you will be on duty. I could not sleep easy knowing that beside me is some extraterrestrial being. Maybe it’ll tell us what's going on in the Universe. Tell who is who. If of course we will be able to make a contact with him. While I’m personally have no idea how to communicate with him. Will we carry him on our ship? I’ll not touch him. You can drag it yourself if you like! We know absolutely nothing of anybody. Max what if he shows aggression on the ship? What then shall we do?’
‘Though him to hell in the open space! That's all business!’ Max answered.
Max leaned over the alien. He had to take the alien by his legs and drag, but Max could not bring himself to touch to it. He realized that in fact there will not be any direct contact. The alien and he will always be separate by the protective layer of suit. Still, it wasn’t easy to touch it.
Jennifer, meanwhile, kept filming. She felt herself as if she had been called to the crime scene and she is investigating. She had begun to like it all.
When Max ventured to take the alien on the front limb the body of the alien shuddered convulsively. One of his eyes brightened. It began to fall down his face. Max winced with disgust as if was dragging a huge snake although the alien did not look like a snake.
‘Max, be careful!’ Jennifer warningly said in a loud whisper.
‘I see. His eyes began to move. If he’ll try to attack me just shoot!’
Jennifer affirmatively nodded. She no longer photographed. Instead of the phone she clutched in her hands the weapons.
Max kept dragging the alien. He did not react to such mistreatment at all.
‘Heavy?’ Jennifer asked in a tense voice. She was walking next to Max and all time was waiting that something bad will happen. Or the alien will regain its consciousness or somebody will come to rescue him. But the alien did not regain his consciousness and nobody was in a hurry to rescue him too.
‘What I can tell you... I do not know. It’s depends…Maybe heavy but maybe not. I did not think. I can not determine.’ Max looked ahead. There was no more then one hundred yards left to the ship. Thanks God!
The alien seemed also felt that they were approaching to the foreign to him ship. From his suit began slowly emerged the limbs…two… three and again two!
‘Max, Max. Look!’ Jennifer exclaimed warningly. ‘Maybe better drop him? She did not care any more if she presenting to her chief as a proof the living alien or for him will have enough pictures and her own evidences. Private security was more important for her.
‘I keep dragging till he becomes bit me but you watch him. If he tries to ensnare me with his limbs shoot it all off! Do you understand me?’
‘I’ve got it.’
When to the ship left about twenty meters the alien began to emit some sounds and resisted. Max in his turn only more tightly clutched in his hands the limb of the alien for which he kept pulling him to the ship. But he couldn’t drag Arlits on board the ship. When Max approached the ship for a few meters more the yellow stages which all that time were hanging in the air drawn into the hull. The opening was closed. The ship refused to let them on board with a dangerous burden.
Max puzzled looked at Jennifer.
‘Max there is nothing surprising in this. This is to be expected. We'll have to give up your trophy.’ Jennifer said.
‘It’s okay but apparently you're right.’ Max released the alien’s limb. He lay there a moment motionlessly then began to move and quickly crawl away from the ship.
‘Look!’ Max exclaimed in a big surprise. ‘He’s got alive!’ Max to be honest was glad that the ship doesn’t allow them to go on board with the alien. The idea to take a prisoner has ceased to seem for Max successful. It was a spare problem.
The alien rose to his feet, staggered, looked at Max and Jennifer. Both of his eyes were unblinking. The hole which looked like a mouth disappeared. No sounds came out of it. The suit merged, completely hiding his whitish body. Max and Jennifer, in turn, looked at him.
‘What are looking ... Bob?’ Max asked unexpectedly for him almost friendly. ‘You should be glad that you stay alive. So come on, get lost till I don’t change my mind. Come on, move your limbs. You’ve got them very much!’
The alien as if he really understood what Max told him began slowly retreated towards his blow up ship.
‘Jenny, really, what for we need him? He’ll probable attack us at night. I’m right? Would you like to take picture with him?’ Max asked suddenly.
‘Yes, I want to!’ Jennifer agreed which was too unexpectedly for Max.
‘Seriously?’ He looked at her. ‘I'm just asking.’
‘Yes, I’m quite serious.’
‘Well as you wish .... Hey, Bob!’ Max called loudly, waving his hand. ‘Come back. Jenny wants to take a picture with you. In memory! She wants to see you no more in her life. Come, come or I’ll shoot you!’
‘Max, why do you call him Bob?’ Jennifer surprised keeping her smile. ‘And why do you call such name?’
‘I do not know. It’s an ordinary name. It’s happened itself. Bob like Bob or you have something against it? In my opinion he is very similar to the ordinary Bob. Look, he’s really coming back. You're actually going to be photographed with him, or we’ll say that it’s such a joke? If you changed your mind I can send him back. Actually we can do with him all we want!’ ‘Max felt his clear superiority over the alien.
Jennifer carefully examined the horizon. She had a feeling of approaching danger. Perhaps to help wounded Arlits flew his fellows. They had very little time for the photo shoot.
‘Max we have to hurry. We perhaps have not too much time.’
‘I see.’ Max took out from his pocket his phone. Bob a few photos as a souvenir. Do you mind?’
The alien if he had any objections did not show it in any way. Photo session took less than a minute. Closer than a meter Jennifer did not dare to approach the alien though he did not show any sign of aggression. Photo shoot with the real alien looked like an unreal dream. As if all did not happen with Jennifer but with someone else. Arlits dutifully posed. Max with his gestures showed him how to stand, how to turn. From the outside, perhaps, it looked odd and funny. But there were not any outsiders in this world. There were only three of them Max, Jennifer and the alien who recently has pulled Jennifer to his ship, and Max beat rescued her. Now they peacefully took pictures together. Whatever you say life is a strange and unpredictable thing. Nobody knows what to expect in the next moment.
When the photo shoot was over, Max thanked the alien.
‘Thank you, Bob. You can go now. It is a pity that some misunderstanding happened between us. It’s your fault. Maybe you're a good guy. I do not know. You shouldn’t touch Jennifer. But we have not offended you. I’m I right Jenny?’
Jennifer did not answer. She did not know what she has to day in such unusual for her situation.
‘Good bye, Bob! I hope we’ll never see each other any more!’ Max loudly cried at the alien’s back. ‘We only wasted our time flying here but maybe not.’
The alien silently move away. Then he disappeared. Max and Jennifer turned to their ship. The steps and the hole were in the same place. Crowded by the variety of experiences they boarded the ship.
Their way laid to Pluto.
 

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