Chapter Three - Ross

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-3-

ROSS

With my transporter it only took a couple seconds to get from the kitchen to the scheduled meeting spot, a secluded park in Florida. Uncle Bob was already there, leaning against the arm of a bench. He watched me as I scrambled out of the bushes. It’s an awkward landing spot but there was less of a chance of someone seeing me materialize.

            I smiled at my uncle as I headed to him. “Uncle! You’re getting old! Even your human costume has grey hair.”

            He ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair. “I think it makes me look more distinct.” He glanced at the sun before continuing, “Taylor and Gary should be here any second now.”

            On cue we heard a rustle in the bushes then a female stumbled out. She was caught from falling by a man’s hand which pulled her to her feet. Taylor and Gary.

            All Red Sun People’s Earthling costumes are very similar. We all look like we could be related in one way or another. All the females have red hair, like Taylors. She wore hers long and it fell in waves around her face and past her shoulders. All male customers have dashing black hair, like mine. Few Sun People, like my uncle, could pull some strings and have a specially made costume, which explains his graying hair. Our eyes are usually a mousey brown color, which gets a nice red tent when we are mad. Eyes are difficult to disguise fully, especially when emotions run high.

            We also make it a point to learn the language and accents of the areas we are assigned to, for obvious reasons. I have learned a solid northern American accent with a slight New Yorker zing to it. Taylor has a nice Australian accent. Gary has always been based in London, England, so he had an overly smug British accent. When it’s only us together we try not to use too much of our area’s lingo but our accent itself stays. Habit.

            Taylor had been on earth just a few years longer than I had but she was several years older since I was unusually young for the position. She was finishing up her training when I was just starting to ask questions about space travel. She was supportive of my despite my age and was always willing to give advice. Even though her experience level wasn’t that much greater than my own, I’ve always appreciated it. We had a great working relationship.

            And then there was Gary. He was the other extreme of Taylor. Gary was a veteran of the field.  He had been on Earth for several Earth decades and wasn’t afraid to let everyone know about his seniority. The only thing that kept him from being my boss was my uncle. Gary was courteous to Taylor. She was just another rookie to him, someone who he could help. But me, I was a child with family in high places. In his opinion I was too young to be in the position and he resented me for it. It was people like him who have held me back most of my life so I resented him right back. Yes, it was safe to say that Gary and I didn’t get along.

            Taylor said a thanks to Gary as she brushed off the bottom of her jeans leg. When she looked up to notice me waiting with my uncle she promptly walked over to throw her arms around me. “Ross,” she said warmly, “Look at you! All grown up!”

            “Taylor,“ I gave her a quick hug back, “Look at you! You’re even short as a human.” I patted her on the head. She was short and stocky in every form I have seen her in.

            She stepped back and punched me in the shoulder before turning to speak with my uncle. I looked past her to Gary. When his eye met mine they flashed an awful rusty red color. He immediately bought his attention back to Uncle Bob, who was updating them on what I had seen the night before.

            “From what I can guess, the ship entered the Red Sun solar system cloaked. It entered Earth’s atmosphere where the Sun couldn’t track it but uncloaked itself. As careful as they were coming through the solar system, I don’t see why they would risk uncloaking and leaving themselves vulnerable to one of our Earth bound units seeing them. They only explanation is that something went wrong. I think what you saw, Ross, was a mistake. The cloaking system is always the first to fail. They either crashed or made an emergency landing. We tracked down landing point but the ship is covered in debris so we can’t make out any distinguishing characteristics. We don’t know where this thing came from or who was on it, so let’s approach with caution.” Uncle Bob issued out our orders and we were on our way.

            The plan was to close in on the landing site for four corners. I was coming up from the south. I wish I could tell you a story of daring heroics and adventure. I’d really like to, but I’d be lying. I walked carefully through the leaves, trying my best to not make too much noise just in case someone was still lingering. The sun was scorching hot and the Florida humidity was weighing down on my shoulders. It was glorious. Other than that, there was nothing to report.

            I heard a shout ahead of me, “Clear!” It was Taylor’s voice. Shortly after, I heard another. “Clear!” Gary. In front of me I saw several trees that were laying toppled over each other. All I could see was a big jumble of fallen branches, leaves and roots. I turned slowly, taking in everything around me. The birds were singing. Two squirrels ran up a tree, one chasing the other. I heard a rustle and I looked down at my feet. A snake slithered by. Nothing here but a bunch of happy critters. “Clear!”

            “Clear!” My uncle’s voice sounded out over the birds. “OK, meet on the north side.”

            It took some effort to make my way through the broken trees and brush. It was a relief to make it to an opening. The ship had created its own path by sliding against the forest floor. Looks like Taylor got the easy job, coming down from the north. As I stepped over the last fallen tree one thing came to my attention. There was no ship.

            “How could they do this?” Taylor was talking when I approached, “How is it possible to destroy an entire spaceship with no trace?”

            “It isn’t.” Gary told her, “Not on earth. Not in one night.”

            “It was here.” Uncle Bob sounded angry. “We know that much. We need that ship before we can figure out who was on it. I will not let the people of this world be in danger because we failed at our job. There has to be something they left, some kind of fragment. Now find it!”

            Gary promptly turned to the pile of fallen trees and started looking around on the ground. Taylor started from the edge of the clearing. Uncle Bob spoke into his communicator, ordering extra men and tools. I waited for him to finish. The instant he closed his communicator he shot me a look, his eyes were blazing red.  “Ross, get to work.”

            “Uncle, it is possible,” I told him as calmly as I could.

            Uncle Bob stared at me, “What is?”

            “What Taylor said. They destroyed all the evidence of the crash, including the ship.”

            “Ross, this better be good.”

            I narrowed my eyes at my uncle, “You know my passion. Space travel. I’ve been studying the art since I can remember. I’ve studied every ship that the Red Sun has come in contact with, every model, and everything theory. You’re the expert on Earth. One day I will be the expert on ships.”

            “You know of a ship that could be destroyed without a trace in nine earth hours?” He sounded skeptical.

            “No, but read about a theory that may be the answer. There is this medal that is found only on the first planet of the White Sun. When this medal is cooled it implodes. It completely collapses on itself. A block of metal the size of, let’s say a space ship, could be reduced to the side of your communicator. The White Sun has discovered that when they shape this metal into something hollow then put something inside. It cools and implodes itself and everything in it. Boom. Whatever that was in there is more or less gone. They have been using this for years to get rid of trash.”

            Uncle Bob’s eyes were a little larger now than they were when I had started talking, “How do you know this? I never thought you knew so much about the White Sun.”

            I shook my head. “I only know enough to past my tests in school, except when it comes to their space ships. They had trial run with using this metal to make war ships, spy ships to be exact. All they would have to do is cloak it, land on the planet of their choice then implode it. No one would ever know they’re there. Element of surprise. The idea was rejected because it was too dangerous and extremely wasteful. Imploding the ship would destroy everything inside it, included any poor soul that got trapped inside, and all sorts of expensive equipment that would have to make up the ship in the first place. Also, the ship would have to heated from the inside out to ensure it didn’t implode prematurely. That’s energy better used for just a really good cloaking system.”

            “It’s a thought. Seems every impractical though.”

            “Yes, but it would be a good way to destroy all evidence of landing. On a planet this cold this it would only take a couple of seconds to cool down once the heating system was turned off. Once it was a nice portable size all they would have to do is pick it up and leave.”

            “If this is the case, who ever came in the ship doesn’t intend on leaving any time soon. They would be trapped here until another ship came to get them. Could be anything from a spy to fugitive or even a simple rich runaway.”

            With a like thump six men suddenly appeared next to my Uncle, backups. All Gary needed was a wave from my uncle and he walked over to speak to the men, within a minute they were at work searching.

            “Gary. Taylor.” Uncle Bob walked us over to the edge of the tree line. “You two were listening right?” They both nodded. “Good. Now Ross, who else could know about this medal?”

            I shrugged. “Anyone that does the research. Heck, I found it when I was reading a book on possible future spacecrafts. It could be in hundreds of writings around the galaxy. The thing is not anyone could get to the actual metal. I don’t have to tell you the White Sun doesn’t allow outside visitors in its solar system.”

            “Exactly, but they let their planets go where they please. The only ones who could have access to White Sun and its planets and the one other sun who could get into their solar system without being completely destroyed, the Silver Sun.”

            “We can’t afford to make the assumption that this could be the way they pulled this off. There’s too much as stake. And even assuming anything Ross says is correct,” Gary shot me a look as he spoke, “that doesn’t narrow down our choices at all. The only people that have a cloaking device that will beat the Red Sun’s sensors are the Silver Sun, the White Sun, and its planets. This has got us nowhere.”

            “Yes it has,” I retorted. “Technology changes. Someone could develop a new cloaking system that could avoid our sensors. Just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean it’s someone from the Silver or White solar system.”

            “Ross it right,” My Uncle came to my defense. Thank you, uncle! “but so is Gary. We can’t assume that Ross’ theory about the spaceship it right.”

            Darn.

            “So we stick with what we know,” Taylor said thoughtfully. “We know they were trying to be sneaky. We know the Silver Sun can get by our sensors with no problem at all. The White Sun can also. The White Sun has two planets that also have the technology for such a thing. One planet has already went right under our nose to land on this very planet, but they were defeated shortly after arriving. They doesn’t stop them from trying. Repeatedly.”

            “And the Silver Sun are allies,” Gary pointed out, “They wouldn’t have cloaked to enter our solar system. They wouldn’t need to,” He hesitated before adding, “Even if they had hostile intentions.”

            “The White Sun is too lazy and too self absorbed to bother or risk crossing the Silver Sun to get to use. That leaves their planets.” Uncle Bob turned to me, offering me a chance for input.

            “Well,” I said, “the people of the Slayers would travel here only if they had a reason. They are hunters, only out for one thing… “

            Taylor interrupted with a single soft word, “Vampires.”

            “Vampires.” Uncle Bob confirmed. “The Vampire planet, the only planet left that has the technology to cloak a spaceship from our sensors.”

            “What a horrible species,” Gary’s voice was in a growl. “We don’t want another infestation on our hands.”

            Taylor shook her head, “So either we are dealing with Vampires returning to earth for another try, or we already have some Vampires and a Slayer came here to find them.”

            Uncle Bob nodded at her, “We can only assume that we got all the vampires off Earth in the first place. They have a horrible habit of showing up every couple hundred Earth years. Human blood is very nutritious and tasty apparently. This may be another coming.”

            Gary grumbled. “I’m getting tired of dealing with them.” He spoke directly to Bob, his hands were in clench, “We were sure we got rid of the reminding clans that have been hiding on Earth just so they wouldn’t show up against when they needed to feed again. I plan to be retired in two hundred years from now so let’s get rid of them during this feeding.”

            Uncle Bob nodded, “Agreed. Keep in mind, we aren’t sure the Vampires or the Slayers are the ones who’ve landed. So keep your eyes open for anything.” The rest of use nodded in agreement. Uncle Bob turned when one of our helpers started to approach us.

            “Sir,” He said, “We’ve cleared all the trees and searched the grounds. This is the only suspicious thing we found.” In his hand he held a small, white, metal sphere.

            My uncle took it from him and examined it closely. “It’s not from Earth. That’s all I know. I’ll take it back and get it examined.” He held it out for the rest of us to see. “Any opinions?”

            I spoke up before anyone else could, “Get someone who knows the White Sun solar system well to look at it. No doubt the ship was in several pieces by the time it landed. It’s highly possible this is part of the ship that they missed when picking up the pieces. I would bet my sister that this was once a big side panel of something like that.”

            Uncle Bob only nodded, “Dismissed. I’ll be in touch.” With that he turned to the other men, “OK! Let’s clean up!”