Mothership

A Story by Sac

A trio of young women are tasked to investigate a mysterious ship that has landed. Searching the ship only leads to more questions than answers.

Mothership

Everytime I come into this room I get a feeling I shouldn’t be in it. Of course, I don’t have a choice; if The Lady wants you, you come, no questions asked. Unless you do ask questions, which in my case usually leads to a pretty s****y answer.

“Look at me, Prayer,” says The Lady.

Ugh. So direct. Reluctantly, I do as I’m told, starting at the base of her jet-black work desk, a chrome nameplate reading ‘The Lady’ sitting on top of it. I then move to her, jacket matching the desk, hair matching the nameplate. Finally, I meet her eyes, a familiar place now. The meeting is brief but intense as it always is.

“Sit down Prayer,” says The Lady.

I do as I’m told again and sit in the chair that has grown grooves accustomed to my hips. Making me look at her before I sit down… I already know what this is about, why does she have to belittle me like this?

“Look, I know you think�"”

“Save it Prayer. You’re late to almost every meeting, showing up out of uniform, and treating your upper seniority like children your age. This is not about what you haven’t done lately. This meeting is more serious than that,” says The Lady.

It’s been awhile since she cut off my list of excuses. This really must be serious.

“You’ve been staying informed I hope?” asks The Lady.

“Yes ma’am,” I say.

She gives me the look she always gives me, squinting her eyes and clenching her jaw.

“Yes m’lady” I say.

“So you should already know how serious this is. This is a dynamic situation that’s keeping us on our toes. Two million people are already gone, and we’ve found no cause, or any way to stop it. It is our duty not only to protect this city, but also the world. Do you realize the scale of this Prayer? This is what you’ve been training for. If you got your head out of your behind, you’d actually be a pretty good agent. You fight well, and when you’re not being an idiot, you think smart. I need you to not be an idiot right now.”

“Yes m’lady,” I say. Of course I’ve seen the news, but I didn’t know two million people were gone.

“There is a third ship that has recently landed just near the outskirts of the city. It’s the same as the other two, and we don’t know what’s inside them. Still, we need to investigate the ship for any information we can. This is why you’re here Prayer, you’re to investigate the ship with two peers of your choosing. Despite your attitude, I believe you are well-suited to lead this mission.”

This is unprecedented. I’m being told to lead a mission? Out of every other agent? I mean, it’s about time, but it still feels a little weird.

“M’lady, I don’t even know what to look for,” I say.

“Me either,” says The Lady.

For The Lady to not know is completely out of character. She knows everything.

“This isn’t a typical mission, Prayer. We can’t even see these things. There was a time when people weren’t 100% sure if E.T. 's existed. When that first ship landed it was like something out of a movie. How frequently they happen now is just beyond me,” says The Lady, letting out a heavy sigh, breathing out the pain of old memories.

Her near hopeless demeanor is so out of the ordinary, building a fear driven motivation within me.

“Put the coordinates in my gps and I’ll take Hope and Trinity with me in the morning,” I say.

“Hope and Trinity? Prayer, we are throwing darts in the dark here. I don’t want to lose any agents due to a lack of awareness. You three have a connection that always gets in the way of work.”

“This is my mission, isn’t it m’lady?” I ask.

She gives me that look again but it’s softer this time.

“Fine. But please be careful, Prayer, this is an unidentified threat.”

“I understand M’lady.” I say.

She gives a nod, and at that, I am dismissed.

I didn’t walk so much as float out of the agency, trying to declutter all this information. I think the best thing for this is a drink. Hopping on my Hoverbike (which everyone swears was a terrible investment) I push the button in the center between the handlebars. The bike slowly lifts my body about three feet off the ground. With a slight nudge of the handles, I zoom off into the nighttime lights, into the city invaded with three ships.

The Solar Plexus, its name jumping out at me in neon flashes of yellow and red. Only bar in town that will give out free drinks after midnight. Profits must be soaring.

Stepping inside reveals a stark contrast between the lights outside, a pervasive dimness resting in the faces of the people sitting at the bar. Headlines of ships and disappearances have dominated the news, leaving the public on edge. I’m greeted with side-eyes and looks of disdain, still wearing my uniform, which I usually never wear.

“How’s it going 007?” asks the bartender, Eight.

He always calls me 007 but I have no idea where it’s from. I shine a smile into his black eyes and we perform our ceremonious handshake. Five low fives, two high fives, and a fist bump later. I tell him to pour me up the usual. Crossing his two arms, while the other six get to work, my drink is ready in a flash. I swear I love Eight and his weird tentacle arms.

“Rough day today?” he asks.

“Rough week,” I say.

“Yeah I know. People been going real crazy around here. Getting paranoid and isolating themselves. Hell for all I know, it’s one of my people pulling a prank on me.”

I almost spit out my drink at this but other people around us don’t share in our amusement. I mean, it was a good one.

“We’re trying our best, but it’s hard to stop what you can’t see. Not even The Lady seems to know anything about this,” I say.

“If the people who are supposed to protect me don’t know how to, are we all just going to disappear?” asks a stranger, a woman sitting next to me. Eavesdroppers look over at me, awaiting my answer.

“As long as you’re here, that’s where we want to keep you. My job is to find out how to protect you. This hasn’t been easy and believe me we have been trying our hardest,” I say.

“Getting drinks at the bar is trying your hardest? Please. With people like you in that uniform, we’re all screwed,” says the woman.

This b***h.

She’s probably never stepped foot on a spacecraft, definitely has never risked her life investigating one. And I can’t get a drink?

I stood up, but the suction of one of Eights tentacles grips my shoulder.

“Cut the girl some slack alright? She works harder than most of us here, and her work is important. The lady deserves a drink once in a while. Now if you’ve got anything more to say about it, you can say it outside the bar, alone,” he says.

The woman recoils at Eight’s words and nods her head. Don’t want to get on the tentacle man's bad side.

“Now, I believe you owe her an apology,” says Eight.

With a quick glance and with great effort, the woman huffs out a ‘sorry.’

I just give her a nod and finish my drink. Lizards Spit on the rocks. I think the venom is starting to get to me.

“Thanks Eight. I should probably get out of here, I got to call Hope and Trinity,” I say.

“Yea, no worries. Watch yourself out there, alright?”

“Always”

We do the handshake and I look back at the room once more before leaving. Can’t say I blame her. Wouldn’t exactly blame myself either.

The air sits heavier when I step outside. I check the time on my watch, and it’s late. Hope would definitely be in bed, but I phone her anyway. After ringing for about a minute, I’m greeted with Hope’s unenthused face, laying on her side.

“You better hope this is good,” she says.

“It is girl, trust me,” I say.

Hope rolls her eyes and shakes her head, something she does at least 15 times a day.

“Let’s hear it then,” she says

“It’s the ships. The Lady finally let me lead a mission investigating the third ship. I think you already know who my cavalry is going to be.”

“Wait a second. Isn’t it the first day of April?” she says.

“What? C’mon now this is serious. I need to know you’ll be ready tomorrow.”

“Ughh, why couldn't you call me earlier? I was dreaming about sleeping.”

“I know, I know. Just help me out this one time.”

“One time?”

“Yeah, just this once.”

She looks off at something, the weight of a decision reflecting through her eyes.

“Fine. But what you’ll owe me is gonna be much more than this,” says Hope.

“Thank you, you know I love you!”

“I know”

“Tell Trinity for me pleeeaase?” I ask.

“Yeah, alright, just digging a deeper hole.”

I give her a parting smile, and her image flickers away from my wrist.

>Sigh<

What are we going to find tomorrow? Two million gone, no one on the ship. Guess I just have to wait and see.

I hop on my hoverbike and float into the night, damning myself for not drinking enough to forget.

I wake up the next day hungover, my mind clouded with the stress that today will bring. There’s no telling what’s going to be on that ship, and I can’t say I’m ready to find out. We’ll be the first group of agents to actually go inside the ship. I wonder if Hope and Trinity are as nervous as I am.

I get a ping on my watch, the interface emanating rapid flashes of green. Hope. I answer it to see her and Trinity in full uniform, looking like complete doofuses.

“Heey, are you ready sleepy head? You were supposed to call me! Look who I’ve got here,” says Hope, giving Trinity a close-up.

“Time to take down some aliens!” she exclaims, swinging karate chops into the air. I can’t help but laugh at their foolishness. I love these two.

“Look, you guys need to be serious, this is a very important mission. Plus, I’m the lead, I don’t want you to make me look bad,” I say.

“Pfft, make you look bad? How is that even possible?” asks Trinity.

“It is. But if you look bad, we all look bad, c’mon now,” says Hope. “Now come outside, we’re waiting on you.”

I smile at them and shake my head. Maybe The Lady was right. I tell them to give me a second while I try to wash away this hangover. My teeth minty, my hair combed, I throw on my uniform and walk out the front door.

“Well it’s about time. The ships probably took off by now,” says Hope.

“Shut up,” I say. “Are you guys ready?”

“Are we ready? Uh, yeah I think so,” says Hope.

“You know where we’re going right?” asks Trinity.

I swear these two are so annoying. I walk past them and hop on my Hoverbike, the two squeezing on, sitting behind me. This causes the bike to lift up a bit more slowly, but once we get to height, I turn the handlebars and we speed off to the location of the third ship. There’s not much traffic, and buildings whisk by in a blur. I feel the tug of Hope’s hand on my shoulder as the force of the wind tries to take her away. Hope Trinitys doing good back there. It takes about ten minutes to reach the outskirts, the third ship appearing on the horizon.

I lower the bike underneath the ship, it’s entrance standing at least fifty feet above our head. It is a huge, trapezoid-like structure standing on three legs, coated with a sleek gray material that reflects light like a metal, but textured like a stone.

“How are we going to get up there?” asks Trinity.

“I'm not sure,” I say. My hoverbike only goes so high, I don’t know if it will make it all the way.

“Great, so we can go home then. I’ve gotta catch up on “My Intergalactic Baby”, they just started season two,” says Hope.

“Hope c’mon. Be for real. I’m going to get back on the bike, see how high up it goes,” I say.

The ground around the ship is barren, nothing but dust, probably killing everything when it landed. In the few minutes we’ve been here, my bike is already coated in a layer of the stuff. I ignore it and get back on, powering it up and switching it to ‘levitation mode’. Five feet, ten feet, twenty feet, I am risen higher and higher off the ground. The bottom of the ship gets closer and closer, and I could start to make out some of the texture, very runic in appearance. The bike keeps rising until it beeps at me, reaching its limit. Surprisingly, I’m about close enough to jump, the entrance barely out of our reach.

“I’m going to jump!” I yell down to Hope and Trinity, the two finally showing a look of urgency.

“Don’t miss!” yells Hope. Trinity pushes her, and they start bickering. Maybe not so urgent.

I roll my eyes and steel myself to jump. It’ll have to be quick since I’ll still have to lower the bike back down to them. Now I’m thinking about missing, damn you Hope. I switch my bike back to normal, and immediately start losing height. With no time to think, I leap from the bike, clutching the bottom of the entrance with both hands, dangling. I hear Trinity scream below me as I pull myself up, standing right on at the edge of the entrance. I wave at them and give them a thumbs up. Eazy-peezy.

“One of you is next!” I yell down. Hope shrugs and motions to her ears. Guess she can’t hear. I sigh and can see my breath in front of me. My body shudders as I realize how cold it is on the ship. I suddenly don’t feel so confident anymore.

“Hurry up!” I yell.

Peering over the edge I see Hope climbing onto the bike, fumbling with the settings. She looks nervous and that's good. There’s no telling what may be behind me. I watch her the whole time as she’s rising, the concern in her eyes becoming more clear as she gets closer to me.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch you,” I say.

“Don’t drop me,” says Hope, forcing out a smile. I smile back at her and get into position to help.

She adjusts the settings on the bike, and jumps off, clutching onto my arms as I pull her over the edge. She dusts off her uniform and nods at me.

“Knew I could make it,” she says. She crosses her arms and hugs herself, registering the temperature in here. She looks at me in confusion and I mirror her look.

“Should’ve brought a coat,” she says. Hope always knows how to make me smile.

We look down to see Trinity get on the bike, looking at us with a big smile, strangely confident. She seems to be determined, ready to unite with us.

“You gotta leave the bike on levitation mode so we can get back down,” I say.

“Got it,” says Trinity.

Once the bike beeps, Trinity prepares to jump. Seemingly doing a mental countdown, she springs off the bike, almost missing the edge. Me and Hope both grab her and pull her up.

“Whooo that was scary,” says Trinity. She hugs me, and Hope joins in, making it a group hug. The cold disappears for a moment, and we just stand there in each others embrace.

“Ready?” I say as we leave each others arms. The two nod and pull out their flashlights, not saying a word. I take out mine, and turn it on, casting a light into the darkness.

The flashlight creates our path, Hope and Trinity following close behind me. They shine their lights on the wall, revealing the same runic texture that’s outside the ship. A lot of E.T. 's come with their own language, but these look strangely familiar.

“Don’t these remind you of something?” I ask.

“Like what?” asks Trinity.

“Something boring we learned at the agency. You remember all the alien languages we had to study right? I think its pointless seeing as there’s more and more we constantly have to add. They all kinda look the same though, little squiggles and whatnot. These look like your run of the mill runes to me,” says Hope.

“I don’t know it’s something about them,” I say. I face my watch towards the wall and take several pictures, making sure to get the details of the runes. I can’t quite put my tongue on it but I’m sure I’ve seen these before, not from some lesson from the agency.

We continue waiting around the ship, seemingly just a big metal box. Usually you see some type of control panel, or interface, something to see where you’re going. This ship has none of these and it almost feels like it’s getting colder.

“This isn’t like any other ship I’ve ever seen,” I say.

“It might not be one,” says Hope. Me and Trinity stop, looking at her confused.

“But they landed here. There’s eyewitnesses confirming that,” says Trinity.

“That is true, but how’d they get it here? Maybe something dropped these off. E.T. ‘s leave structures on the Earth all the time. The Pyramids, The Gardens of Babylon, The White House. This might be the latest tourist attraction,” says Hope.

“You do have a point. But all those structures mean something. What’s the meaning of this? And I thought the White House was man made,” I say.

“That's what they want you to believe. Who knows what was going on back then,” says Hope.

I can’t help but smile at her wild conspiracies. She makes a lot of sense though, maybe this isn’t a ship. But if it’s not a ship, then what is it? The question ponders in my head as we continue to search the ship for anything worthwhile. Just runes and walls until we reach a dead end. Empty. Now I have more questions than answers.

“Let’s get out of here,” I say. I lead us to the entrance, not before taking a few more photos with my watch. My bike is still hovering, waiting on us to take a seat. We’ll have to jump again, and there’s much more room to miss.

“Didn’t think about getting down did you?” asks Hope

“Don’t start,” I say.

“It is a loooong way down,” says Trinity, peeking over the edge.

I take a few steps back for a running start. Without a second thought, I float over the edge, landing right on the seat of the bike, grasping the handlebars to support me.

“It’s not so long if you aim for the bike,” I say, a confident smile tearing through my face. Hope and Trinity look shocked and I don’t know why. They should already know I’m a badass.

“Um, we’re not doing that. Go get some help or something, we’ll wait here,” says Hope.

“In that ice box? C’mon, it’s not so bad,” I say.

“Seriously Prayer, we’ll stay here. Just call The Lady , she’ll come,” says Trinity.

“Alright, alright but I’m not leaving you guys,” I say.

“Better not,” says Trinity.

I pull up my watch, and dial The Agency. One of our secretaries answers, and upon seeing my face, she rolls her eyes.

“What is it this time, Prayer?” she asks.

“Me, Hope and Trinity are on the third ship, and we’re stuck. We need help getting down.” I say.

“How’d you get up there in the first place?” she asks.

“Long story. Just send help O.K?” I say.

She sighs and hangs up. I guess that’s a yes. After about fifteen minutes my answer is confirmed when I see the huge Agency ship rushing towards us. Before long, they’re right over us, sending down ropes for us to climb up. Hope goes first, then Trinity. I tie the rope around my bike and am hoisted up into the interior of the ship, a latch opening up on the bottom.

“The Lady would like to see you,” says an agent, a newbie by the sound of it. No need to be so formal. The agent escorts us through the ship, which also serves as a mobile agency whenever needed. The Lady seldom gets on the ship, usually staying posted at The Agency. Hopefully she’s ready to be disappointed.

We are shown through The Lady’s temporary office, and the three of us bow in her presence.

“Sit,” she says.

We all sit in the three chairs arranged in front of her desk. Something about The Lady scares the s**t out of everybody. Not me though.

“Well?” she asks.

All of us hesitate to speak, and I swear I hear a gulp from Trinity, swallowing whatever words she doesn’t want to say.

“The ship was empty, M'lady. It didn’t even look like there was anything to pilot it. The walls were covered in runes, and it was freezing. I’ve got some pictures here,” I say, showing her my watch. She stares at the display as I scroll through, her face expressionless. I hate it when she doesn’t say anything.

She crosses her arms and scans the three of us. One by one she sends a look of fury into us, her infamous scowl.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” asks The Lady. We look at her like a group of idiots, dumbfounded.

“Answer me!” exclaims The Lady, banging her fist on the table.

“I-I don’t know M’lady. Hope had a pretty interesting theory you might want to hear,” I say, looking at Hope with ‘save me’ eyes. The Lady glares at Hope, waiting for her to speak.

“Yeah, well, I suggested that maybe it isn’t a ship. It could be a structure left here, like The Pyramids or something,” says Hope. The Lady taps a pen onto her desk, considering what Hope said.

“Hope, Trinity, leave. I need to talk to Prayer alone,” says The Lady.

Damnit. I knew this would happen. Hope and Trinity get up, their eyes telling me sorry as they leave the room. The air of silence sits heavy between me and The Lady, her anger giving off a humidity that makes me uncomfortable.

“You know the position this puts me in don’t you?” asks The Lady.

“No m’lady,” I say, shaking my head at her. She messages the middle of her brow with her thumb and index finger, stressed.

“I thought there would be more on the ship, some kind of clue, anything that could help us stop all this. Now we have some work to do, and no answers,” says The Lady.

“What about what Hope said? It makes a lot of sense,” I say.

“That's the thing. If it isn't a ship it could be any number of things. We’ll have to go back again and run some field tests on it, check for traps, hidden rooms, and anything of the sort. Your team was brave Prayer, this is just a mystery that keeps growing,” says The Lady.

“Thank you M’lady,” I say. Whatever’s going on is showing me a side of The Lady I never thought was possible. Human. I’ve never seen her so uncertain, so confused. All I can do is try to be a good agent, and help her solve this mystery.

“Once we dock at The Agency I’ll have a meeting with all the agents. Until then, find Hope and Trinity and get them ready. We will solve this thing if its the last thing I do,” says The Lady.

“Yes M’lady,” I say as I get up from my chair, and leave her office.

Hope and Trinity are waiting outside like news reporters hungry for details.

“Are we fired?” asks Hope.

“You wish. There’s gonna be a meeting once we get to The Agency. We gotta be ready.” I say.

“The last time we had a meeting was years ago when we were invaded by a colony of alien scientists who discovered life on Earth. This really must be serious,” says Hope.

“Yea, The Lady’s really losing it. This whole thing just get weirder and weirder,” I say.

“We’ll figure it out, I hope,” says Trinity. I shrug my shoulders at her. Hope might not be enough.

It takes around ten minutes for us to dock at The Agency. No one gets off until The Lady comes out of her office, leading us inside to The Meeting Room, a large auditorium fit with a podium at the center. There are rows upon rows of chairs, and me and the rest of the agents fill them up, watching as The Lady gets ready to speak. Hope and Trinity sit next to me, their anxiety beating out of their chests. The Lady adjusts the microphone and begins to speak.

“Two weeks ago, the first of three ships landed in our city. Our first response team investigated the ship, not going inside due to potential hazards. No lifeforms were found around the ship. A few days later, missing persons reports skyrocket one hundred and fifty percent, more people disappearing everyday. Then another ship lands. The same story, no lifeforms and a jump in disappearances. By the time the third of these ships landed just a few days ago, the number of missing people soared past two million, something unprecedented, a tragic history being made. A team of your fellow agents have taken the step of looking inside one of these ships, finding nothing but a cold hull covered in runes. As protectors of this Earth, we have been failing her, and the people in it. This situation has had us running in circles, and now is the time to stop that. There will be three teams arranged, each assigned to investigate the interior and exterior of these ships. You will be equipped with weaponry, and tools to test the ship for anything out of the ordinary. I ask you to be careful, and to be smart. Come to my office to know where you are assigned. You are dismissed,” says The Lady, stepping off the podium. Everyone gets up from their seat, some talking about what we just heard. Before we leave The Meeting Room, The Lady stops us.

“You three, come with me,” she says, pointing out me, Hope and Trinity. We follow her, away from the crowd and into a hallway that leads to her office.

“I’m going with you back to the site of the third ship. I have to see for myself what it looks like inside. Hope might be right,” says The Lady.

I’ve never seen The Lady in the field. This might be the best day in The Agency.

“That sounds like a great idea,” says Trinity.

“The Lady working with us? I never thought I’d see the day,” says Hope.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve worked alongside agents. Maybe I should stretch my legs a little bit,” says The Lady.

“Working with you would be an honor M’lady,” I say. The Lady smiles at us, her eyes lit with excitement. She seems younger somehow, the dust of being cooped up in that office finally shaken off.

“I have to assign the other agents. Meet me at the third ship location in three hours. I’ll be waiting for you,” says The Lady. She leaves us in the hallway, speechless, and goes into her office.

“That was The Lady right?” asks Hope.

“I think so. Hard to tell,” I say.

“Well if it was, I’ve never seen her so excited. Seeing her smile like that both surprises me and scares me at the same time,” says Hope.

“This should be interesting at least. We’ve got three hours to kill so I’m going to the Solar Plexus. I’ll see you at the third ship,” I say.

“Seriously? Don’t get too messed up,” says Trinity. I smile at her and wave goodbye, heading for the loading dock to grab my bike. I don’t know how it will be working with The Lady, but if it’s anything like working for her, it should definitely be an experience. I turn my bike to hover mode and slowly float out of The Agency, stalling any way I can for the next three hours.

…

When I arrive at the third ship, Hope, Trinity and The Lady are already there. It’s just us four and the hovercraft The Lady brought from The Agency, a Model X900, its chrome finish almost blinding in the sunlight.

“You’re late,” says The Lady.

“I’m sorry, Eight wouldn’t stop talking to me about the investigation,” I say. The Lady gives me the look and crosses her arms.

“Nevermind that. Take these. This tool is designed to detect any form of metal up to fifteen feet under the ground. I’ll need you three to scan the area while I go on the ship to investigate,” says The Lady as she hands us a small box, no bigger than a pack of cigarettes with an interface covering one side of it. I power it on and start scanning the ground, a consistent ping confirming it’s working. We’re standing right underneath the ship, passing right by each other searching for hidden clues. Trinity’s scanner beeps and we all stop. She pulls out a drill, a small cylindrical object the size of a pen. She sticks it in the ground and it whirs, creating a bigger and bigger hole in the ground until we hear a resounding >klink<.

We gather around Trinity, curious about what she might have discovered. Whatever it is, it’s shiny, gold-like. We watch as she digs around the object, revealing it to be about the size of a shoebox, covered in the same runes as inside the ship.

“What is this?” asks Trinity.

“Something gold and shiny,” says Hope. We both look at her sideways.

“It looks like it came from the ship. Dig it all the way out,” I say.

She takes the drill and digs deeper, showing the object to be much larger than it appeared. After a few minutes the whole thing is unearthed, reminiscent of a gravestone. The runes cover the whole thing, probably some type of message. I pull up my watch and snap a picture of it.

“This looks cool,” says Hope.

“Yea it looks like pure gold. So close to the surface too,” says Trinity.

I look over the object, it’s presence standing out of place. It was clearly buried, or covered with dirt. The only question is was this here before or after the ship landed?

We continue to scan the ground for a while, coming up with nothing. I go a bit beyond the ship to cover more ground and still come up empty. I guess that golden thingamabob is the only thing out here. We’re going to have to get somebody out here to decipher this message. It could say anything, a path to treasure, a warning of our imminent doom, or somebody’s errand list. Whatever it is, it could be the key to figuring out what's going on here.

“The Lady’s been up there for a while, hasn’t she?” asks Trinity.

“She should be fine. It’s The Lady,” I say.

“She’s probably a popsicle by now. We weren’t up there that long and I was freezing. Maybe you should call her,” says Hope.

I pull up my watch and call The Agency. You can’t reach The LAdy directly. I ask the secretary to connect me, and a few seconds later, I see The Lady’s silhouetted face, looking at something in the distance.

“What is it, Prayer?” asks The Lady.

“We’re just checking on you, you’ve been up there for a while. Chilly right?” I say.

“It is. I’m almost done with my tests, though it’s nothing extraordinary. Have you three found anything?” asks The Lady.

“We actually have,” I say, turning my watch towards the golden gravestone we’ve unearthed.

“What is that?” asks The Lady.

“We’re not sure. It looks like a headstone to me, but it could be any number of things. There’s writing on it, the same as on the ship,” I say.

“Curious. I’ll be down there in a few minutes,” says The Lady, and ends the transmission.

In the meantime, we gather around and study the object. It’s nothing like a lot of other structures on the planet, but it’s just so shiny, it’s hard to take your eyes off it. Our brief moment of admiration is interrupted however by a flash of blue light coming from the ship. We rush towards the entrance of the ship to see what’s going on. The Lady appears in the entrance, unscathed and climbs in the Model X900, hovering right by the entrance. She lowers herself down, taking inventory of all her tools and walks over to us. Her attention is immediately drawn to the object, transfixed by it.

“Was there anything else you found?” says The Lady, eyes stuck on the object, the reflection of the gold gleaming off them.

“No this is it. Are you ok? We saw a flash up there, what happened?” asks Hope.

“I’m fine. I was testing the material of the ship, checking for anything hiding in plain sight. I didn’t notice any flash,” says The Lady.

“Well, we saw one. Are you sure you’re ok?” I ask.

“I’m fine, Prayer. I don’t know what you saw but I’m ok,” says The Lady. I share a worried look with Hope and Trinity. I thought she’d come down with some explanation. She seems okay though, so I won’t question it.

“Alright well, we’ve gotta get someone out here to translate this. It must be important,” I say.

“Definitely. You’ve taken pictures I presume?” asks The Lady.

I nod my head.

“Well, I’d say we’ve done enough for the day. Take those pictures and I’ll meet you back at The Agency. I’ve got to check on the other agents,” says The Lady. She gets back on the ModelX900 and leaves without saying a word.

“That was strange,” I say.

“Definitely. How could she not notice that?” says Hope.

“I don’t know. Whatever happened she seems normal. I wouldn’t worry about it right now, let's just get back to The Agency,” I say. Before we leave, I take one last look at the golden object, pondering on what’s written. It’s probably the exact thing we need to figure out this whole mess. I hop on my Hoverbike and we all float off to look over this information.

After floating around the agency for a little over an hour, we finally see The Lady coming back from the field. There’s a strange radiance about her, either something I never realized or something new about her. She doesn’t seem to notice us, so I stop her.

“Did you find anything on the other ships?” I ask. She nods her head at me and motions us to follow her. Once again, we are ushered into her office, taking seats in front of the table.

“Two more golden headstones were found, one at each location. A team decided to see what was underneath it, but there was nothing there. There’s now linguistic teams trying to decipher the runes on the ships. All we can really do now is wait,” says The Lady.

“Were they always here? Or did they appear after the ships landed?” I ask. Instead of answering my question, The Lady stares at me, but not at me.

“Uh, M’lady?” I ask.

“They were always here, Prayer. Always and forever,” says The Lady, eyes glossed, entranced. Me and Hope share a look of bewilderment.

“Was the metal age tested? It seemed like it was buried recently,” says Hope.

“The metal has no age. It has always been and it will always be. There are no questions with no answers, Hope, if you look then you shall see,” says The Lady.

“What does that mean?” asks Trinity.

“It means to close your eyes. The truth is inside you and it always has been,” says The Lady. I scratch my head in confusion, trying to take in what she just said.

“I don’t get it. Are you saying you know what the ships are here for?” I ask.

“They are here for you and me. Time reveals all things. We must be patient,” says The Lady.

We are speechless. What is this? Certainly not The Lady. Whatever happened at the ship must’ve rattled her brain.

“M’lady if I may, you’re sounding a little weird right now,” I say.

“I agree. Are you sure you didn’t see that flash? You’re acting like The Riddler right now,” says Hope.

The Lady looks like The Lady again and gives her the look, daggers piercing through Hope's sarcastic character. This startles Hope, making her jump in her seat.

“I’m sorry M’lady,” she says. The Lady keeps staring at her with the look, a good sign she’s back in her normal state of consciousness.

“We cannot look at these ships as separate. They are smaller parts to a whole. We have to wait for the connecting piece,” says The Lady.

“Like a mothership,” says Trinity.

“Exactly. There’s still no explanation for the disappearances, no real way to stop them. My plan is to set up a post at the third ship and look out for the mothership's arrival. The best I can say for disappearances is to keep count of people and keep them in our sights. Perhaps all of this will be explained when the runes get deciphered on the ships and the headstone. In the meantime I need three to be on a patrol between the three ships. You can figure out who’s going where on your own. You’re dismissed,” says The Lady.

We get up and leave the office. I’m still confused about what she said, closing your eyes and whatnot. We walk around The Agency in silence for a bit, our ability to speak leached by the thoughts in our head. It’s Trinity who finally breaks the silence.

“Who’s The Riddler?” she asks.

“Some old character from centuries ago. He was a villain who always spoke in riddles, as the name suggests,” says Hope.

“Was he real?” asks Trinity.

“I don’t think so, but you never know. It doesn’t really matter though, what was up with The Lady?” asks Hope.

“Hard to say. It seems like she figured out a lot of things though. I still don’t get all that other stuff she was saying,” says Trinity.

“Hmmmm, it sounds kind of familiar. Just like the runes on the ship look familiar. It’s right on the tip of my tongue, I just can’t piece it together,” I say.

Other agents walk past us on our way to the exit, our countenance probably reflecting our puzzlement, some staring at us as we pass. It’s when we’re right at the door that I find a moment of clarity.

“Religion!” I exclaim.

“Religion? What about it?” asks Hope.

“This all reminds me of some ancient religion. I’m not quite sure which one,” I say.

“There’s been hundreds of thousands of religions throughout the expanse of time. Since the first E.T.’s landed, everybody kind of believes in everything now,” says Hope.

“True, but we still don’t know where we come from,” I say

“I guess we don’t. I think everybody stopped caring after a while. You think these ships have something to do with that?” asks Hope.

“Maybe. It’s all going to come down to what those headstones say. The Lady might have sounded crazy but it might be crazy enough to be true,” I say.

“The truth is inside you. I wonder what that means?” asks Trinity.

“I don’t know. It’s definitely a lot to think about. Like a whole other mystery,” I say. Hope shrugs her shoulders in defeat, The Lady’s words looming over our heads as we leave The Agency for patrol.

…

It’s been three days since The Lady has assigned us on patrol, three days since The Lady has been camped out at the third ship. We started calling them units, in light of The Lady’s explanation. No one has seen her at The Agency since she set her post. What with that flash of light and her cryptic words the other day, Me, Hope and Trinity are starting to get worried. We all decided to go check on her, hopefully bring her back.

She’s set up a chair right in front of the headstone, staring into the distance, motionless. It looks like she hasn't moved from that spot at all. We approach carefully so as not to startle her. I speak first.

“M’lady?” I say. She doesn’t turn to acknowledge me, just keeps her eyes fixed on the sky.

“Prayer,” she says.

“Have you been sleeping out here? People at The Agency are starting to get worried about you,” I say.

“I have been. My dedication to this mission should not be a cause for worry,” says The Lady. We stand silent in response. It’s hard to give The Lady an intervention.

“We need you at The Agency M’lady. We need our leader. Everybody’s just running around and doesn’t know what to do,” says Trinity.

“Wait,” says The Lady.

I let out a heavy sigh. It’s clear The Lady’s not budging from this spot.

“Did we get any information on the runes in the units or the headstone?” I ask.

“Time is the keeper of all things. The keeper of lies and the keeper of truth. The keeper of evil and the keeper of good. Time is all there ever was, and all that ever will be. The ending is an illusion because time has no end. It is eternal. It is the truth,” says The Lady.

Wow.

That’s the only thing I’m able to think, my confusion encapsulated in a single word. She still hasn't looked back at us, making her words seem to come from another world.

“Was that on the headstones?” asks Hope. The Lady nods her head. We stand indifferently behind her, unsure of what to say. We came here to bring her back, now I want to wait with her.

“If you’re trying to bring me back, save it. This is where I will remain until the mothership arrives. Someone has to keep watch and I’ve taken that duty. Go back on patrol or wait for my call. I’m not leaving,” says The Lady.

“I’ll stay with you M’lady,” I say. Hope and Trinity gasp at this. Admittedly, I can’t believe I’m saying it.

The Lady finally looks back, with a raised eyebrow and a smile on her face.

“Change of heart?” she asks.

“I don’t want to leave you behind M’lady,” I say.

“You’re a good agent Prayer. I won’t stop you if you want to stay,” she says.

“I’m staying too. Can’t let you take all the spotlight,” says Hope.

“Me too. We’re all in this together,” says Trinity.

“All in this together huh? Right you are Trinity, right you are,” says The Lady. She turns back around and relaxes in her seat. She looks unworried, a pillar of calm. We sit crossed legged on the ground next to her, hoping some of that would rub off on us. There’s no telling when the mothership will arrive, but when it does, we’ll be ready.

…

We’ve been waiting with The Lady for two days. The other two have gone back for food and things like that, but I’ve been here the whole time. The Lady has been a complete stoic, barely saying anything or even moving very much, like a lion stalking its prey. Her words have left an imprint in my brain, and I look at her in a completely different light. All this talk of time has made me consider my own, and what I’m doing with it.

“If you don’t mind me asking M’lady, what was your last mission as an agent?” I ask. This catches The Lady by surprise, her stoic countenance replaced with a look of nostalgia.

“Oh, that was years ago Prayer, my memory’s a bit hazy. Missions were a lot more hands on back then,” says The Lady.

“Tell me what you can remember. I’m listening,” I say. The Lady seems hesitant but she eventually sighs, and starts to recount her story.

“It was 3250. Back then, E.T.’s were fresh on the scene and scaring the hell out of everybody. The Agency had different objectives in those times and E.T.’s kind of threw a wrench in the whole operation. One of my last missions was to investigate a landing sight at some local farm. E.T.’s never landed in the open back then. I remember the ship, the classic saucer shape. I was so scared, it had only been my second or third time dealing with E.T.’s. The form was abandoned and I was by myself, anything could have happened to me. The air was cold and it was evening, all I had to protect me was an Agency issued Laser Pistol, creeping around looking for some loose entity. I remember the awe I felt when something jumped out at me, attaching itself to my leg. I shot that pistol wildy, not caring if I shot off my own leg. I’m lucky I didn’t, medicine wasn’t as instant as it is now. When I look down however, I'm in shock. This E.T. is quite literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, even to this day. It looked so innocent and harmless. Of course it was dead, but it was that day I started fighting for E.T.’s to have human rights. At that time it was shoot first and ask questions later. I wanted to reverse that, and get to know our intergalactic visitors. There intentions, their interests. People hated me for that but I kept fighting until eventually, E.T.’s had a place on the Earth,” says The Lady.

I look at her in astonishment. I didn’t know she was responsible for practically changing our whole society. Our whole planet. This woman is a legend, how can anyone have hated her?

“Hazy memory huh? How could you forget a story like that?” I ask.

“Ahh it’s a story I don’t like to tell. People tend to put me on a pedestal, but I feel like I did what had to be done,” says The Lady.

After she says this, Hope and Trinity return with a basket of food. Sandwiches, fruits, and cheeses, it all makes for a very good picnic. Neither I or The Lady mention anything about the story, eating in silence while we watch for the mothership. The afternoon drifts into evening as we sit there for hours, growing tired from the boredom of idleness. My eyes grow heavy and I start to dose off until I hear a yelp.

I look back to see Trinity, mouth wide, pointing at The Lady. Hope is also looking, an expression I can’t quite interpret. When I turn back to see, I’m almost blinded by a bright radiance emitting out The Lady’s eyes. They are shining a light blue, engulfing her pupils, making them look like two flashlights have been embedded in her skull. I scramble backwards out of fear, bumping into Hopes leg with my head. The Lady stands up and points to the sky.

“It’s here,” she says.

The second she says this the ground begins to rumble, shaking loose dirt into the air. The third ship, or unit begins to make a humming sound, rising in volume the longer it goes. A burst of blue light booms out of the entrance of the unit, flooding the area with an ominous glow. The blue light trickles like water along the sides of the unit, rising up and tracing the exterior, the line connecting itself when it circles around the top. There’s a slight delay, two seconds at most when the light shoots out of the top of the unit, turning it into a beacon. It all seems to happen so fast, my mind can barely keep up with it all. In the midst of all this, The Lady rises, quite literally rises into the air, her arms outstretched as if ready for an embrace. In the distance I can make out a spec of light, growing bigger and bigger the closer it gets. The mothership.

“M’lady!” I shout over the hum of the unit. She slowly turns her body, facing us and this scene of chaos.

“The time is now Prayer,” says The Lady, floating her body closer to the unit.

Hope and Trinity back away but I stand still. Beyond The Lady is a sky full of bodies, lighting it up with their translucent eyes. They look like moving stars, floating in a direction that appears aimless. I don’t understand whats happening, but I understand this: It’s insane.

A few people float towards the unit, disappearing into the blue light, as if their entire essence is being absorbed by it. I look back at my friends, who stand petrified clutching each others arms. I rush over to them, not wanting to leave them alone.

“Prayer, what’s happening?!” Trinity exclaims.

“It’s the end of the world!” shouts Hope, in between sobs, my first time ever seeing her cry.

“It’s not the end of anything, ok? We’re still here, we shouldn’t have to worry about anything,” I say.

“Look at the sky Prayer! How could you tell me not to worry?! I don’t want to die like this!” says Hope. She squeezes me and repeats those words over and over again, beating her fist against my chest. I don’t know what else to tell her, so I just squeeze her back, while we wait for whats next. More and more people funnel into the ships, and the blue light in the distance becomes an object, something similar to a blimp, a large flying mode of transportation used thousands of years ago. It’s the largest ship I’ve ever seen, bigger than probably any structure on the Earth. It’s impossible size grows even larger as just the tip stops over our heads, casting a shadow on the whole area, snuffing out some of the light that surrounds us. The Lady touches down to the ground, walking towards us, each step she takes creating a blue light underneath her feet. I feel Hope and Trinity trembling but I hold them tight, standing our ground together.

“You have no reason to fear. It’s time to free yourself,” says The Lady. She reaches out her hand, waiting for me to grab it. I think about all the things she’s said in the past few days, about time. I’m tempted to grab her hand, but when I start to reach for it, Hope stops me.

“Don’t leave me Prayer. Please,” says Hope. Her face is streaked with tears, as she looks me in my eyes, a look of yearning and desperation. How could I leave my friends behind? But The Lady….

“Come with me. You remember what The Lady said, time is eternal. This could be the start of something new!” I say. Hope gulps and clutches my hand, teardrops falling on top of it, She looks back at Trinity, in no better a state. When she looks back at me, her eyes are different.

“We’re in this together. Right Trinity?” she says

“Right,” says Trinity, wiping away the tears from her eyes.

Hope gives me a nod, and with our arms linked, I take The Lady's hand. A surge of energy rushes through my body, like The Lady’s passing her life into mine. I feel a connectedness between her and between everyone. I feel lighter, the gravity of Earth not strong enough to hold me down. I’m tugged in the direction of the unit, feeling Hope and Trinity’s presence near me. The closer we get to the light, the lighter I feel, like I’m breaking out of my body. The transition is seamless, and I wonder why we were ever worried. The Lady was right. The ending is an illusion.