Chapter 4

Connie

My screams echoed in the open room but were met with sideways glances from the beings. I took several deep breaths to try to calm myself and waited.

The aliens returned their masks to their faces and slid their fingers along the edges. They hissed closed, and the beings dropped their hands.

“Are you afraid?” I heard a voice ask.

My eyes darted between the two masks, unsure of who spoke.

“Are you afraid?” the voice repeated.

I nodded quickly and gripped the sheet tighter around me.

The two tall beings moved toward me. “You do not need to fear us. We only wish to study you.”

My drunk, childish, and irrational mind instantly flashed images of the kinds of “studies” aliens did to humans in Hollywood films.

~I woke up naked after all, it’s not a stretch for my mind to take me there.~

“We have no need to conduct studies of that nature. Our curiosity is of the emotions your race experiences and how you react to them,” the voice said.

I still had no idea which one of them was speaking.

~And, hold the damn phone, did they just read my mind! How did they know the kinds of experiments I was thinking of?~

“Can you read my mind?”

“No. We are able to decipher what you are thinking by the look in your eyes and the extensive research we have done regarding your planet.

“We have also studied the reaction of your race in relation to perceived alien contact. You do not hold a high opinion of outsiders.”

“What are you going to do to me?” I asked, barely able to keep the tears at bay.

“We wish to watch you. To experience your…human nature, firsthand.”

That voice was different. Huskier, and deeper, but only by a fraction.

“So, what are you going to do with me? And where are my clothes? My handbag? I want my stuff back!”

I made this demand with a burst of confidence sparked by the tequila still swimming in my blood.

The sheet-giver, who I had begun thinking of as Bob, stepped closer to me.

“It needed decontaminating. As did you. That is why you are without your outer lining. The fabric that was on you was burnt.

“Your electric device is ready for you in your room. As are your other items. There is a suit for you to wear when you are ready to leave.”

“You burnt my dress! That thing cost me an entire paycheck.”

~How was that the only thing I took away from what he said?~

“It was too contaminated. We could not salvage it. We can make a replacement if you desire?” The other being, whose name in my head was now Billy, said.

I shook my head. “No, that dress wasn’t all that comfortable, anyway,” I mumbled, stealing glances of the room as I spoke.

Bob inched closer to me. “Then why did you wear it?” he asked.

~These two are full of questions. I should start asking my own soon.~

“I was on a date. Didn’t turn out so well.” My tone shifted to one of disdain.

Billy came forward and stopped on the other side of the table. “What emotion is this?” he asked, all business.

I rolled my eyes and let out a short sigh. “Anger, I guess. A bit of loathing, with a dash of self-pity.”

Billy and Bob looked at each other, and I heard their judgment in their silent conversation.

“Okay, if this is going to work, you two need to start speaking. No more silent discussions. I want to know what’s going on,” I demanded, stepping back to catch my balance.

They both faced me again, and tilted their heads to the side. “You are willing to come with us?” Bob asked.

The only reason I knew it was Bob was because of where he was standing.

Other than that, there was nothing to tell them apart, except when they spoke, but as I didn’t know which voice came from which being, that was pointless.

I let this creature’s question tumble around in my mind for a moment.

~If they are telling the truth, and I go with them, at least I won’t have to go to work on Monday.~

~My job sucks!~

~It’s not like I have a lot going for me here. And a break from my boring life won’t be the worst thing. Besides, what an EPIC adventure this could turn out to be.~

~First, I need to know more.~

“Go where? For how long, and what will happen to me while we are together?” I asked.

This was nuts. How could I even consider something like this? For all I know, these two were about to kidnap me and do unspeakable things to me.

“You will travel with us for the duration of our experiment. It is unclear how long it will take us to understand human emotions.

“You will live on this ship with us and teach us the complexities of your species. In return, we will show you the universe.

“This is something no one in your race has done before. Is this an acceptable bargain for you?” Bob asked.

I bit my lip and swayed slightly as I considered this.

~What do I have to lose?~

My mother would miss me, but she has her own life.

~As long as she knows I’m okay, she will be fine.~

~Samson, though. My only true, loyal friend.~

~What would happen to him?~

~I hope Mrs. Hickman isn’t giving him too much milk again. He always barfs all over the carpet after she takes care of him.~

“I have a cat,” I said as a hiccup tore through my body, making me stumble back a step.

Billy looked at Bob and turned his head to the side again. They were doing that silent conversation thing again.

“Hey, I said no more mind talking. If you want a deal, that’s one of my conditions.”

“What are your other conditions?” Billy asked.

~I take it that’s a no to the cat coming along. Poor Samson.~

“I want my phone back. I want your word that you won’t hurt me or perform any weird experiments on me or any of that bullshit.

“I will teach you whatever I can about Human emotions, but I won’t be a slave or a pet. I want to be treated like a guest on this ship.

“I want my own room, my own bathroom, with a toilet, and a shower, and I want to have at least some say in the places we go.”

~What the hell am I saying? I have no idea what is out there, or where to go, or not to go for that matter, and yet here I am, making these demands.~

“Your conditions are acceptable. A room is ready for you. Your…phone will be decontaminated soon, and it will be returned to you.

“We have no desire to harm you. That is not our intention. We have no need for a slave. Our ship performs most tasks for us, and a pet has no function on this vessel.

“A bathroom will need to be equipped for your room. This should be complete by the time we are finished speaking here.

“We can allow you to have an opinion as to where we go, but as you do not know the complexity of the Universes, we will make the final decision.”

“How do I know you won’t hurt me?” I asked quietly as I started to sober up a little.

“If that was our intention, we would not be speaking about terms with you,” Bob said.

~That’s a fair point.~

I thought about it for a moment, and as insane as it was, they offered a fair deal.

“Your terms are acceptable. How long will I be gone?”

A short pause from them both and Bob spoke.

“It is unclear. Learning about something as complex as emotions could take time. My calculations show between three to nine Earth years. But this may change.”

~Three to nine years. So, worst-case scenario, I will be forty when I get back. I can live with that, considering all the things I will see.~

“I want a trade of information. I will teach you, and you teach me. About everything. The stars, this ship, the planets, all of it. Deal?”

“We are a learning species, not a teaching one. But I believe that will be possible. The ship contains our species’ collective knowledge and is capable of teaching you anything we cannot.”

They both waited, looking at me through their masks, waiting for my decision. I chewed on my lip for a moment and pulled the sheet up higher.

“What the hell. You have a deal. Let’s hit the road,” I said, waving my hand in the air in a whip-like motion.

My still-drunk mind was reeling at what I was about to do. But if you had the same choice in front of you, you would already be thinking of exploring new planets, like I was.

Billy and Bob, who now knew that those were their assigned names, led me to what would be my quarters.

It was a simple white room, with a bed in the center and a table to the side that held my precious phone.

A strange-looking contraption stood in one corner. It had a half circle at the top, and four smaller half circles below it on thick metal rods.

“What is that thing?” I gestured to it. Bob touched it and the contraption came to life and moved, forming the shape of a person.

“This is the body form machine. It will customize your physical form to what you desire.”

~Did I just hear that right?~

“Body form? As in…?” I waited.

“This machine will sculpt your body to your desired form.”

I stared at Billy and Bob with my mouth wide open.

“Will it hurt?” I eventually asked.

“No. All procedures on this ship are painless,” Billy said. Or was it Bob? I had no idea.

“All procedures? I thought there wasn’t going to be any weird experiments.” My heart was racing now.

~What the hell did I get myself into?~

“Two are required before we can leave your planet. Your lungs must be adapted to the air we breathe, and you will need a communication device implanted into your ear.

“It will allow you to hear our…silent conversations. This was your request.”

I swallowed hard then.

~I jumped into this pool, may as well start swimming.~

“Okay, but if it hurts, the deal is off. Got it?”

Billy and Bob nodded and went to the five-pronged machine in my room.

“You will need to lay down in this,” one said.

I considered it for a moment, wondering how to get in. But as I got close, the prongs moved to meet my body. I jerked back at the movement and looked at them.

“You feel fear again. This emotion we can recognize now. You have nothing to fear from this. It is only a support for your form.”

I nodded without a word, and as my heart raced in my chest, I stepped closer to it again. The prongs moved and came around my neck, my wrists, and my ankles.

I felt it lift me up and turn me to face the ceiling. Another cold metal plate touched my back and supported my midsection. I looked between Billy and Bob, panic in my eyes.

“You will sleep now. Once you awake, the procedure will be complete, and we will be able to communicate easier.

“We will also breathe the same air, and no longer have a need for our masks. Do not have fear. You will not feel pain.”

From the ceiling, three thin metal arms with sharp spikes on the ends extended and came toward me.

“I change my mind! I don’t want to do this anymore!” I cried out as I watched the three shiny sharp tools move closer to my chest.

A rubbery, cold, three-fingered hand came over my face and, in an instant, I was fast asleep.