How to Date an Alien (19 page)

"This little beauty is what I like to call
the ice box, specially designed to withstand the cool temperatures
present on any Caltian ship. Lightweight and deadly." He smiled,
tossing the gun back and forth in his hands.

Jen stared at the screen. "How is a gun going
to destroy an ice queen?"

Justin shook his head, wagging his finger at
the screen. "Such little faith."

He set the gun down and picked up two little
red balls that looked like marbles on fire. "These are volcanic
fireballs. Filled with liquid hot magma and able to penetrate the
thickest, coldest objects we could come up with in the lab."

"Do you think it can take down a Caltian
army?" I stared at the glowing red light.

"Well if it doesn't, we do have some other
weapons that will knock them out of commission for awhile." He
grinned and picked up a small silver object that looked like a
whistle. "This little girl is what I like to call the Carrie. One
little squeeze and your enemy is instantly covered in burning red
syrup."

He leaned in toward the screen. "Aim for the
eyes and they'll be temporarily blinded."

I nodded, watching the way Justin handled the
weapons like they really were nothing more than toys.

"And if all else fails—" He reached over and
pulled a small blue flashlight-looking object infront of the
screen. "—we have the freezeray, which does exactly what it sounds
like it does, freezes your enemy for no less than three minutes so
you can either get away, or if you're really ambitious, break them
apart like an ice cube."

I stared at the objects Justin had placed in
front of him. Each one looked so complicated and intricate that I
didn't know if I'd ever be able to use them. "Do you think this is
actually going to work, Justin?"

His eyes locked right on mine as he stared
into the screen. "I wouldn't trust anyone else but you to find
out."

I watched out the window, the same window
where not long before Ace had leapt through and taken me out for
the ride that changed everything. I watched as a few Circe ships
disappeared into the Arizona sunset. I hoped they might actually
stop the Caltians before I had to risk my life.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jen put
her hand on my shoulder, sliding in next to me at the window.

I looked over at her, putting on my bravest
face and pulling my shoulders back. "I'm sure."

"You know it takes a lot of balls to do what
you're about to do. I don't know if it's to prove that David can
stand up to Goliath, or if it's the ultimate gesture of romance."
She put her hand on mine, not taking her eyes off the mountains
ahead. "But whatever it is, I hope you and Ace both come out of
this alive."

I took in a deep breath, slowly letting it
out. "Me too, Jen."

"And I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about
Ace earlier. I can see how much you really do care for each other
and I'm sorry for doubting that."

"Well," I started, my shoulders falling as I
let out a deep breath, "as long as Ace and I can survive
kidnapping, breaking and entering, and whatever other laws I'm
about to break, then I'm sure our relationship can last through
anything else."

"I'm still wondering how the meet-the-parents
scenario is going to go." Jen coughed, clearing her throat. "Sorry,
I realized what I said after I had already said it. That was kind
of a bad word vomit there."

"Yeah, I'm sure all girls have to worry about
the fact that their boyfriend's mom may kill them when they first
meet her."

"I'm sure it happens all the time, so we'd
better get you prepared." She put her arm around me and led me to
the doorway.

Most of the residents of Circe were either
down at briefing or hunkered in underground shelters waiting for it
all to be over. Jen and I looked in either direction before we made
our way down the hallway toward the hangar.

"Have you thought of an excuse to tell my dad
to explain why I'm missing?" I whispered.

Jen shrugged. "I hadn't thought that far
yet."

As we turned the corner, I gasped when I saw
dad talking to a guard standing a few doors down from us. I ducked
back around the wall and pulled Jen with me.

"How are we going to get past my dad?" I
whispered, looking at Jen as she poked her head around me.

"You're the master of espionage, not me. I'm
just a scientist," she whispered back.

I looked to either side of us, when I spotted
a supply closet. "In there!" I pointed to the closet. We ducked
inside and shut the door before dad could make his way in front of
it.

"Are you planning on dressing up like a Circe
guard?" Jen asked, fingering a white leather-like suit, hanging in
the closet where we hid.

"I was planning to just stay in here until my
dad was out of the way, but your plan works too." I beamed and
pulled a suit down from the rack for myself and one for Jen.

It was difficult for us to get into the
suits. We were boxed into a very small space together, and Jen's
Amazon arms kept bumping into me. Eventually we were able to put
the guard suits on and found some blacked-out flight helmets so
that no one would recognize us.

When we emerged back into the hallway, the
chaos had really started to unfold. Guards were directing people to
go either underground or to the battleships. All around me were
familiar faces that I had seen so many times around Circe, and I
wondered if this was the last time I would see some of them.

I choked back that fear and kept walking in
stride with Jen. This wasn't the time to fall apart, and no matter
how much I wanted to run and hide in the bunker, I knew I was the
one that got everyone into this mess, and it was up to me to get us
all out.

"Well, that's a new look for you." Malcolm
laughed. Jen and I pulled off our helmets as soon as we were safely
in the hangar.

I rolled my eyes, tossing the helmet to the
side. "We had to improvise."

"Well, you can't fly in that thing." Malcolm
tossed me a black jumpsuit. "Duck behind something and get your
flight suit on."

"Aye, aye." I mock saluted him, grabbing the
suit and jumping behind a ship to change.

"Aren't you guys getting ready to go, too?" I
poked my head from around the ship.

Jen and Malcolm looked at each other, then
back to me.

"Interns really aren't supposed to go on
these kinds of missions. They wouldn't exactly know how to explain
to our parents or colleges if something were to happen to us." Jen
bit down on her lip and looked to the ground.

I zipped up the front of my far-too-tight
suit, stepping out from around the ship. "So you're trying to tell
me that I'm doing this solo."

Justin popped out of nowhere and came
sauntering toward us like he didn't have a care in the world. "Not
completely solo."

I beamed, looking over at him. "So, you're
coming with me?"

Justin held up his hands. "Oh definitely not.
I'm just here to equip you with weapons and your communicator."

Justin held up what looked like a black work
belt. “This front pocket—” He tapped the small pouch in the front.
“—holds your volcanic fire balls, and I’ve slipped your gun and
other weapons in the back." He turned the belt around to show where
the gun stuck out and two bulges that flanked both sides of it. I
took the belt from Justin and secured it around my waist.

“And this—” He held up what looked like a
wristwatch with an oversized screen. "—is your communicator. Lose
this, and we may lose you."

I took the watch from Justin and fastened it
around my wrist. “So what you’re trying to tell me is, no pressure,
right?”

Justin cracked a nervous smile before he
looked out into the horizon. “I just hope this works out for all of
us.” He looked down, whispering something that I couldn’t hear.

“What was that?" I leaned toward him.

He turned back around. “Oh nothing. It’s
stupid.”

“No, I want to hear what you had to say."
Justin’s eyes widened at my look of defiance.

He looked over at Malcolm and Jen who nodded
their heads before he turned back to me. “I know it seems kind of
silly, at a time when you don’t really know everything that’s out
there in the universe, but I was just saying a small prayer." He
unzipped the top of his suit showing a small cross necklace. “No
matter how many things I’ve learned about this universe and beyond,
I’ve realized that sometimes you still gotta have faith.”

I nodded, looking down at the cross and
remembering going to Mass with my dad as a little girl. The way
that he would hold my hand as we stood in our pew, telling me that
God would always be watching, just like he said he would always be
looking out for me when he left that day for Circe. I was only a
little girl and couldn’t understand why my dad would have to leave
me. Now, years later I finally understood why and gained that bit
of strength I needed to do the same.

“Well, with that I think it’s time that
Malcolm teaches me how to get this bird up in the air." I hit the
side of the plane in front of me.

Malcolm glanced around. “It looks like most
people have taken off, so you should be clear." He walked over to
the plane, letting down the step. “Have you ever actually flown one
before? I know you don’t have the best eyesight.” His voice drifted
as he secured the step.

I shrugged, putting my foot down on the first
rung of the step. “I've gone up once or twice with my dad, and I
figure that I’m a fast learner. If I turn my head quick enough I
can see to the right and left.”

Malcolm forced a smile, but from the way he
was sweating I could tell that he was pretty nervous that I
wouldn’t be coming back. “Alright, climb in and we’ll test out the
communicator so I can give you directions.”

I nodded in Malcolm’s direction, then looked
over at Jen and Justin. “I will see you all when I’m back on the
ground, hopefully with my alien sitting co-pilot.”

Jen and Justin waved. I could tell that they
were fighting back the tears and were unsure if I would make it
back. I sucked in my breath, waving one last time before climbing
into the plane. When I was younger we lived on base for awhile and
I remembered sitting in the cockpit with my dad and playing with
all the buttons while the plane was turned off. This was a little
bit different and all those buttons were intimidating. I shrugged
off my fears the best that I could and hopped into my seat, letting
the overhead canopy close down over me.

“This is Big Poppa to Juliet, can you hear
me?" Malcolm’s voice called over my wrist communicator.

“My code name is Juliet? Really,
Malcolm?"

“Well, Jen said you didn’t like Helen of Troy
and Big Poppa was already taken, so Juliet it is.” He laughed.

“Okay then, Big Poppa, let’s get Juliet up in
the air so she can save her Romeo.” I fastened my seatbelt, yelling
into the communicator.

“Okay, the first thing you’re going to want
to look for is the master switch, which should be in the upper
right of the armrest.”

I looked down at the armrest. “Do you mean
the big red thing that says master switch?”

He laughed. “Yeah, smart ass, now flip
it.”

I flipped the switch and all of the lights
came on around me. It looked like a glowing Christmas display with
bright colors and words popping along different screens.

“Alright, now you should see the switch for
the lights, navigation and oxygen there, so switch them all on as
well,” Malcolm called.

I turned on all the other switches, watching
each display as it lit up.

“We have made contact with the Caltian
mothership at 120,000 feet,” a voice called over the plane's
radio.

“Do you hear that?" I whispered into my
communicator.

Before Malcolm could speak the same voice
came over the radio. “The drones are out! I repeat, the drones are
out!”

A lot of static came on the speaker. “I’ve
been hit! Number 247 has been hit!" More static came on the air
before the line went dead.

I sat in silence, trying to catch my breath
before Malcolm spoke over my communicator. “Are you sure you still
want to do this, Alex? Your dad just sent out an announcement
looking for you and it’s not too late to go back.”

I fought back the tears as I slid on my
helmet and oxygen mask. I couldn't deny that I was scared out of my
mind. I never stood up to the popular girl in school and never
dreamed that I would actually be standing up to anyone even more
powerful than the leader of a high school clique. But I had to
shake off my fears as I thought of Ace sitting up there and facing
who knows what kind of torture. He saved my life the first day at
Circe and had been there for me no matter what others thought of
our relationship. Now it was my turn to be the one to save him.

“I’m more than ready, Big Poppa, let’s do
this.”

“You’re either the bravest chick I’ve met, or
the stupidest, but God's speed to you." His voice shook as he gave
his last commands.

“Now I want you to add fuel to the throttle
and once the fuel is up to fifteen percent you will see it light
up,” he called.

I revved up the fuel and felt the plane come
to life under my feet. “Got it. What’s next?" I yelled over the
rumble of the engine.

“Okay now, gently release the parking brake
and you’ll throttle up on that stick to your left.”

I released the parking brake, grabbing the
throttle in the process. Suddenly the plane started inching
forward. “What do I do now?" I shook, looking down at the
plane.

“Don’t get nervous on me now; you’re doing
great. We’re going to follow you out to the runway and help you get
in the air." I looked down to see Malcolm pointing me toward the
white outlined path that would usually be full of planes waiting to
take off, but now it was just me.