Angelika Queen Of Mars

Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Another Kagor Run

It wasn't long before everyone had settled down for another run to earth. Kha'Mak was flying, with Robarik's son Jarnak sitting in from tine to time as co-Pilot. I had to admit, Robarik Draaka certainly had a couple of good-looking children. Jarnak was devilishly handsome, and would no doubt get Carman's attention once we landed. He was also very interested in Kagor discussing at length the possibility of taking some sort of "grand tour," of my home.

"Mokora told me all about your planet or what she saw of it anyway, one of the first books I read was my ancestor's account of coming to Falth and her life on Kagor. I've re-read it two or three times since discovering things I had missed before. Anyway, I called in a lot of favors to get time off to come on this trip."

He told me that he had enrolled in the Kagorian studies program at the University taking what was the Falthian equivalent of an on-line studies program, learning as much as he could about earth.

"Right now, my weakness is your language however with your help I hope to improve on that.

"Well keep in mind that what I speak is called English, people on my world speak many languages all of them different." Apparently he hadn't realized this and it seemed to put a damper on his plans a little bit but I cheered him by telling him,

"English is spoken all over the world and it has many dialects and ways of speaking it so don't worry about it Jarnak, we'll certainly try and get you a little "sight-seeing" time in."

Eventually Jarnak, his father and I would find whatever we could sit on near Kha'Mak and just talk about all sorts of things, still being new to the idea of other races living in the universe I would marvel in the discussions we would have concerning the universe as they knew it as opposed to what I as an "earthling," knew of it. These weren't the sort of conversations astronomers might have but just the plain and simple facts as well as the realities this space-faring race knew as fact. The only thing that bothered me about these discussions was something never spoken but subtly implied, and that was Falthian wonder at why we "Earthling's" weren't traveling all over space by now. I learned concepts and theories totally unlike anything I'd ever read or heard of in school or in any of the reading I had done. I also felt pangs of guilt for the experience I was receiving, an experience many on earth would give their right arm for, the mere idea of riding in a starship and actually chatting with members of an alien race as we traveled to earth.

In a private moment Jarnak asked me,

"My ancestor wrote of a place near a place called…Pizz, Burq."

"You mean Pittsburgh Jarnak," I replied, "I've read Holly's account as well if that's what you're referring to."

"It is," he replied, "I believe it was her Uncle's home where they would land to harvest this Wort as well as the walnuts, would it be possible to visit this place?

I shrugged, "I asked one of the Bickford descendants about that old farm and he told me the house is still there renters live it now but the barn and the other out buildings are long gone, however the land is as it was but there might be a problem landing there as it's right in a landing path for the airport couldn't very well cross paths with an airliner as we were landing."

"Well we'll just have to see what Kha'Mak has to say about that," chuckled Jarnak, I find him to be a remarkable pilot I don't think he'll have any problems." I then asked him,

"What are your thoughts on Kha'Mak being an android?" Jarnak gave me a quizzical look,

"I'm not sure I follow your meaning," he asked.

"Maybe it's simply because we as Kagorians are just beginning to develop androids. Right now we've got some pretty sophisticated robots but 'droid technology is still a long way off yet, you seem comfortable with them, maybe I'm just over-reacting."

"Listen," replied Jarnak with an air of confidence,

"We've had 'droids for a long time now, you should see some of the current ones you just can't tell , Kha'Mak is tenth generation they're developing the twentieth as we speak. But as to your original question, no…I have no problem with them Kha'Mak is the best you'll find I'd hang on to him treat him right."

"Thanks, Jarnak," I replied, "I guess I just needed to hear that from someone like you."

As time went by and I was able to spend more time around Kha'Mak I began to think of him as truly human all the old stereotypes formed from sci-fi stories and films faded I wonder what Asimov would think of someone like Kha'Mak? As for the android, he and Rek seemed to have a strong relationship. Rek was all about engineering and the Giuffrida was his ship. I asked him about Kha'Mak piloting the ship and he too gave me a strange look,

"You earthling's certainly concern yourselves with the strangest things sometimes, Kha'Mak is the pilot a damn good one from what I can tell, so he's a droid big deal, if he's going to be the regular pilot on this craft so much the better. Oh by the way, I hope there's something for me to do when we get to your home I get bored easily Tarf isn't around to keep me amused anymore."

So now I was expected to be Rek's activities director even though I knew He was joking with me, then suddenly an idea popped into my head.

"At the risk of violating the prime directive what if I were to take you on a tour of what we call hardware stores maybe a computer store or two you look everything over think of something high-tech and see if you can build it from the things locally available ." Rek frowned as he considered this then replied,

"Now that sounds like a challenge but only on one condition, and that is that Kha'Mak and Jarnak go as well." Now Rek had just raised the ante three aliens running loose in the Black Hills what if we were caught?

"Man I don't know," I replied with hesitation, "What if we were stopped at least you and Kha'Mak don't have Nuelian eyes but Jarnak…" Rek laughed,

"He can wear sun shades…No problem."

"Maybe you can make something for the house," I said, "A long time ago my great great grandfather Moreck had a hot water heater as well as a heating unit built by the Andara techs that came here to fix the Draaka ship. Eventually they just wore out, but I think they units are still sitting in a corner of the basement or out in the old barn." I also realized that there might be a language problem as well but I guess we'd cross that bridge when we came to it.

I spent a lot of time with Dori as well except when she and Sharla were hanging out.

Sharla was OK, but she enjoyed describing her love life which was rather lusty,

It got rather embarrassing at time to be around the both of them.

We had a device on board that alerted Carman to our imminent arrival so she was ready when we set down around eleven at night. I was glad to see that most of the snow was gone and the air felt much warmer. Carman as well as Kaitlan were standing nearby as we emerged from what seemed to them as a hole in space as the ship was cloaked.

I greeted Carman then pointed to Kaitlan, asking,

"What's she doing here? Kaitlan jumped to her own defense announcing,

"I work at the store on Saturday mornings; mom dropped me off so I can ride in with Carman."

"Oh, sorry Kaitlan, excuse me, well as you can see we've got a full ship I think you've met most of the people here That's Robarik's son Jarnak over there." Both she and Carman giggled,

"He's cute," said Kaitlan, Carman mumbled something as well then both went over to introduce themselves.

Everybody gathered in the kitchen where Carman had thoughtfully made coffee, we sat around for another hour talking as Carman, Kaitlan, Sharla and Dori formed their own little group. Kaitlan sat there amazed as she conversed with the alien women, Dori told me that Kaitlan wants to shave her head and tattoo it emulating Dori's hairstyle but doubted that her parents would let her. The next morning after breakfast I got Temmik set up in Moreck's old study on the computer looking up ancestors as well as contacting the Nez Perce tribe. When I returned to the kitchen I learned that everyone with the exception of Rek and Kha'Mak were going into town to hang around the office and possibly watch Kagorians as they went about their business.

I wasn't sure this was such a good idea but Carman laughed it off with,

"Everything will be fine Jarnak and his dad can wear sunglasses, I think we've got stuff lying around here they can wear." I had to agree,

"All that black leather, and boots someone might think our office is a biker bar!" I replied.

Kha'Mak was more interested in reading, as well as exploring the property along with Rek, Robarik wanted to start contacting the Bickford family as well as the Blessings concerning children interested in studying on Falth. We took Carman's car into town listening to Sharla and Jarnak comment on the passing scene, maybe I was too nervous, but what if we got into an accident or something and our alien friends were taken to the hospital? Carman was a good driver but I still did the backseat driver thing until we got to the office. Our business office was a converted gas station, one of the bay doors was sealed and the windows in each of the two were covered over. The other door could still roll up so when trucks delivered shipments of coffee or bags of peanuts we could just roll the skids they came on right inside with a pallet jack. The lifts were still in the ground, but their racks had long since been removed. The back of the garage had a workbench where we made repairs on equipment, the two garage bays had been well cleaned including the floor. The station office was now Carman's office containing her desk, a computer, files, a phone, along with a small refrigerator and sink. There was also a counter where a special coffee machine held four pots of various coffees for customers to sample.

Kaitlan left to pick up a selection of doughnuts and pastries from a bakery in town while Carman and I went to work. She showed me the "books" as well as the billing information while Sharla and Jarnak peered out the window watching the world go by.

Around ten-thirty we had a terrible scare, I just happened to look up over the counter when I spotted a sheriff's car pulling in,

"Sharla! Get in the bathroom now! I called, "Jarnak stay where you are but put on your sunglasses and bury your face in that magazine." Carman, Kaitlan and Dori quickly appeared just at the two deputies came in. I greeted them as one of them said,

"We heard that a new coffee shop had opened a while back so we thought we'd check you folks out."

"Well I'm glad you stopped," I replied, "However we are more of a coffee service, selling to companies looking for something a little different in the coffee they buy for their employees. We don't get involved in latte's iced mocha's or stuff like that, but help yourself to the coffee brewing over there it's on the house, sorry there isn't any decaf." While the deputies drank their coffee Carman and Kaitlan chatted with them, keeping them occupied by bombarding them with facts and information about our company minus anything concerning Moreck and Tarsig. I couldn't help wondering what these two would think were they to know that they were standing next to aliens. I was glad that Jarnak realized what was going on and played it accordingly staying quiet pretending to read his magazine.

Finally the deputies left causing Carman to remark,

"I meant to tell you I had a city cop stop by a couple months ago when Tarsig was here the guy saw her but never said a word." She then went and got Sharla from the restroom,

"Why did you make me hide?" asked Sharla,

"Well for starters" explained Carman.

"Those men were police officers, they would have been awfully curious about you, you've got to admit those cat eyes of yours as well as that skin color aren't exactly common here on earth." On the trip into town we had the Averlander wear sunglasses, a hat and jacket. For lunch Carman and Kaitlan went to Pizza hut and picked up a couple large pizzas, our alien friends seemed to enjoy them along with the Mountain Dew that went with it. We had two local customers come in to place orders, again Sharla made herself scarce but Jarnak puttered around in the storage area while Carman and I dealt with them. Later that afternoon Kaitlan's mother stopped by and ended up spending the rest of the afternoon chatting with Sharla as well as Jarnak whom she seemed enamored with.

Told that Robarik was here as well, and wanting to talk to any young people interested in studying on Falth Belinda said,

"Colin Blessing's son Robert has expressed a lot of interest but he's only sixteen like Kaitlan, they've still got a couple years of High school left." Somehow Jarnak ended up riding back to my house with Kaitlan and Belinda while the rest of us returned with Carman. Back at the house Belinda asked me if we were going to be staying through the weekend.

"As far as I know," I replied,

"Would it be OK if some of the family came by?" she asked,

"To gawk at the aliens," I thought, "I suppose so Belinda, but you know the rules, no phones or cameras, we don't want some snoopy NSA flunky spotting pictures of Jarnak or Sharla appearing on someone's face book page." She assured me that wouldn't happen but Carman and I were going to have to be vigilant that was for certain.