Destiny's Daughter - Alien Mysteries Investigations PT15

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© A Sunderland 2011

The droid lurched forward. Its right front wheel fell into a crevice. The lights and cameras swung down for the operator to view the problem. Dawn smiled and looked ahead to a ledge where an alien lay huddled, visibly frightened. The alien turned to her and Dawn felt a sudden intense stabbing pain. She looked compassionately at the creature and focused on its head and communicated telepathically. //I can feel your pain. You are so badly hur,.//
The droid’s other three wheels spun furiously. It rocked back and forward, dipped down then burst free. Dawn leapt away as it shot backwards towards her. The droid skidded on the treacherous floor and crashed into a boulder.
Dawn picked up three small rocks and threw the first one into a pool well away from the alien. The robot’s lights swung in the direction of the splash. Dawn threw the second against the roof. Several stalactites crashed to the ground and into the pool. The droid trundled slowly towards the activity and Dawn spotted her opportunity.
She rushed forward and grabbed the bottom edge of the chassis. She lifted the droid sideways, and it rolled over into a large pool. Its wheels spun uselessly. The lights fizzled and sparked several times before the electronics died.
Dawn dashed to the creature, and shuddered at the sight of its right leg twisted to the side, with a fragment of bone piercing the skin. The creature’s left hand clutched its broken right arm to its side as it looked up pitifully. Dawn sat down on the left and gently embraced it. The creature’s mental projection of its terrible pain stunned her. Dawn responded //They’ve captured your co-pilot and I’m afraid they’re not going to treat him well. I won’t let anybody hurt you I promise.//
She pulled the creature closer, wrapped her left arm around its head cradled the back of its skull in her hand. Dawn shook her head and cut the mental connection between the pair of them. She tried desperately to think of her mother ascending to the throne. But, the happy thoughts would not come. Only images of pain and death assailed her mind.
She kissed the creature’s forehead, and choked back tears. “I won’t let them harm you.” She tightened her grip on its skull then twisted sharply. Crack! Dawn burst into tears as the creature’s lifeless body slumped into her lap.
She sobbed and held it tightly, totally oblivious to the four Marines who burst into the cave. A hand pulled at her arm. “Ma’am? We need you to let go of the creature.”
“She’s dead,” Dawn sobbed. “She’s dead.” She felt a terrible nausea well up in her stomach.
One Marine gently prized her arms open and said, “you’re safe with us ma’am.”
The sergeant tugged the creature away from her. Dawn gagged, and raised her hand to her mouth. The Marine pulled her to her feet. Then she threw up all over him.
The Marine recoiled in horror as the wall of vomit covered him from his face to his boots, much to the amusement of the others. One called out, “Gibson, you always had that effect on women.” The other Marines laughed mercilessly at Gibson’s distress.
Dawn slumped next to the creature on the rock and sobbed, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She wiped the vomit from her mouth and bent down to rinse her face and hands.
The sergeant reached down to the corpse and said, “Let’s get this piece of dung out of here.”
Before he could touch the creature, Dawn leapt up and grabbed his throat. “Leave her alone!” she whispered menacingly then pushed him backwards. “Nobody touches her.” The sergeant fixed Dawn with a look of disgust as he wiped his neck. “What? You’re gonna take on all of us?”
“Leave her alone,” Dawn threatened.
“Leave her alone,” Dawn threatened.
The sergeant stepped forward. “So you’re the bird that put DeLaney on his ass, are you?”
“That’s enough,” yelled Langan from the cave entrance.
The Marines turned to face him.
Dawn scooped water from a puddle, her eyes fixed on the sergeant. Langan and his driver strode towards the group as Dawn washed her face. Dawn sat huddled over the creature. All eyes turned to her.
Langan looked across sympathetically at Dawn then said, calmly “It’s alright, sergeant. We’ll handle it from here.”
Chapter Five
The Call
Langan left a specialist A.V.I. team in control of the crash area. He had reassured Dawn that the alien would be treated well and the corpse would be handled with dignity. Dawn, now in a blue boiler suit and sturdy black shoes, was anxious to get back to the city. She was impatient at the Range Rover’s seemingly slow speed, but tried to remain calm and patient.
Finally, Langan stopped typing, looked up from his laptop, and said, “I still don’t understand why you were in that cave.”
“Zolti told me Jensu was there.”
“Zolti?” Langan looked quizzically, “Jen who?”
“Jensu,” her voice quivered with emotion. “The dead female in the cave.” Dawn wiped her eyes. “She was his co-pilot. Zolti wanted me to find her so that those animals wouldn’t get to her.”
“That creature didn’t say a word to you,” Langan commented.
“The same way he told me about the boy trapped in the ship, telepathically.”
“Then why didn’t anyone else hear him?” Langan asked.
“Maybe you’re not ready to open your minds just yet,” Dawn responded quietly.
Langan glared indignantly.
“I didn’t mean it to sound like that,” Dawn said.
“You’re far more forthright with your opinions than I remembered.”
Dawn cursed herself silently. Had she blown this opportunity after so much hard work to get to this stage?
Langan smiled. “Your report will make fascinating reading.”
“I take it that means I have got the job?”
“If you still want it after all the drama and chaos, but―”
“I did not apply for it,” Dawn rushed to point out. “You chased me. Remember?”
“That’s right,” he conceded. “And I think you’ve proven that you can handle yourself and the situation.”
“Thank you,” she said simply. I am look forward to meeting the team in the morning.”
“You don’t start till Monday,” Langan stated dryly.
“Surely this will count as my first assignment,” Dawn protested.
“Welcome to the team, then.” Langan shook her hand. “Take the morning off. You’ve had a very stressful first night on the job.”
The Range Rover stopped at a set of lights.
“You can let me out here, please,” Dawn said.
Langan looked out at the deserted streets. “But you’re nearly a mile away from your apartment.”
“I need to get some fresh air and just clear my mind.”
“We’ll drop you off closer to home,” Langan decided. “This neighborhood can be a bit frightening.”
“I will be fine,” Dawn replied, as she opened the door. “See you in the morning.”
“You don’t need to be in the office until one thirty,” Langan insisted. “Get some rest.”
Dawn turned her cell phone. She walked briskly for several blocks along side streets, taking care to be seen as little as possible. She approached a phone kiosk opposite a sleazy looking bar. As she opened the door, she sensed a couple of hookers standing in the shadows. After a cursory glance, she let go of the door and walked away to taunts of, “you won’t get much business dressed like that!”
The phone in the second kiosk had been vandalized. She walked straight past the next one, that was directly outside a busy all-night mini-mart. Aware that she was walking away from her home, but grimly determined, she found a kiosk in front of a row of dilapidated stores. The stench assaulted her nostrils as she opened the door and she winced at the puddle on the floor. She held her nose tightly, stood on tiptoes in a corner of the kiosk, and lifted the receiver.
“Hello?” A very faint woman’s voice answered.
“Mrs. Spencer?”
“Yes,” replied the voice. “Who’s calling?”