Alien Exodus

4. The Collaborators

Dr. Althea and Professor Egan had returned to Realta-Gorm 4. They were there when information began trickling in about the renewed abductions of sapien-hybrids. Oprit Robia’s Covert Operations and Intelligence Services had groomed a large cadre of informants and assets among their sympathizers on Ghrain-3.

“In an undecim, we’ll begin putting together strike forces,” Major Anso announced out of the blue one evening while eating dinner at Egan’s and Althea’s cottage.

The couple stared at the man with whom they’d become good friends since the Port Authority battle. The setting sun’s light streamed in through the kitchen window and reflected off the light grey lens implants in Anso’s eyes.

He had not expected an enthusiastic response, but the couple’s silence surprised him. “Now look, I know you have family on Ghrain-3, and I understand you’re not combatants by nature or training. But I also know you understand the immorality of the slave trade.”

Egan drew in and blew out a deep breath.

Anso continued, “And the fact is, we’re gonna need you.”

Taken by surprise, Althea asked, “What can we possibly have to offer?”

“Your knowledge of the Beag-Liath – or perhaps more importantly, their knowledge of you,” Anso answered,

Egan reacted, “So, you believe after a decade of failed attempts by Oprit Robia, somehow our involvement will result in a Beag-Oprit alliance?”

Anso took a bite of his fruit salad and chewed thoughtfully. “Maybe, maybe not. For all we know, their history is littered with alliances that failed spectacularly.”

“Sooo,” Althea drawled, “What are you thinking?”

“We’re thinking the only time we had a successful collaboration with the Beag-Liath was when you were present. You showed up on Ghrain-3, and they showed up on Ghrain-3.”

Althea and Egan exchanged a knowing look. Althea said, “That’s probably not exactly true. They were already there. They likely just turned off their cloaking devices when they saw us.”

“Yeah, that’s likely,” Anso agreed. “Now look, we’ll do what we can to avoid combat. But Oprit Robia is not going to allow a resumption of Grandmaster Elyon’s slave trade to go unchallenged. For obvious reasons, we need to ally with the Beag-Liath. As you said, we’ve been unable to make contact for several annum. You two are our only real hope for ending that hiatus.”

“And what happens to Kadeya and Ramuell if the Serefim learn of our collaboration?” Althea asked warily.

Anso studied Althea for a moment and though her face was lined with worry, Anso could not help but think that with her chiseled features and bright teal-colored eyes, she remained a striking beauty. He pushed back from the table and said, “Okay, I’m going to tell you something, but you didn’t hear it from me. Kadeya has announced her retirement. She plans to return to Domhan-Siol.”

“What! Why didn’t she tell us?”

Egan reached over and took his wife’s hand. “Sweetheart, she couldn’t tell us. There’s no way she could have sent a message to us without alerting the Serefim Presidium that we’re on Realta-Gorm.”

“Egan’s right.” Anso folded his napkin and set it on the cream-colored dinette table. “It’s my understanding the reboot of the slave trade finally just broke her spirit. With Ramuell working on the surface and Lector, Evander, and Durela deported, your mother has been pretty much all alone on the orbiter. She’s had enough. For her mental health, she needs to walk away.”

“And abandon Ramuell to what?!” Althea exclaimed.

Holding up a finger Anso said, “Althea, Ramuell is not a boy anymore. He’s a young man in charge of a major project. He’s supervising a score of people charged with remediating one of the biggest scientific blunders in the history of Domhanian space exploration.”

Kindness showed in Anso’s eyes as he looked at Althea. She acknowledged the truth of his statement with a half nod.

“At any rate,” Anso continued, “it’s my understanding Kadeya has done anything but abandon Ramuell and the others on the planet’s surface. They devised some kind of scheme to lay in supplies to last the Nefilim Project staff for well over a decade. Now we don’t know the details of how they’ve managed to do that, but we’ve been told they’ve hidden several metric tons of medical supplies, power packs, surface vehicles, and other consumables somewhere in SWA-7.”

“That’s kind of a good news/bad news story,” Egan observed. Althea and Anso looked at him inquisitively. “Good news – they have the supplies to last a good long time on the surface; bad news – they anticipate being abandoned by the Presidium.”

“Abandoned or worse,” Anso added.

Althea stiffened momentarily then said, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” With an almost smile, she added, “You know, someday one of those sapiens will likely give words to that notion.”

Egan chuckled, reached over and rubbed Althea’s forearm affectionately. “And someday in a far more distant future, some sapien galactic explorer will use the quote for no other reason than to seem ever so erudite.”