“Request denied,” Director Joseph-Louis Shapley said from his desk, fingers steepled.
“I see,” Sandage said, his expression devoid of emotion. It wasn’t like he hadn’t already seen this coming. “May I speak freely, sir?”
“Go ahead.”
“Have Doctor Gold and the other scientists reviewed Macauley’s proposal?”
“They have. They tell me it is too risky. It might kill the girl rather than help her. I can’t say I trust its source, either. An honest to god alien on my planet.” The director’s mouth hardened when he mentioned the word alien.
“True, she’s not exactly trustworthy, but we must explore every avenue to save Rose’s life.”
“I’m aware of that, Joe. We aren’t rejecting your idea out of paranoia of the unknown alien. But you must understand, Rose is too important an asset to risk needlessly.”
“Will you reconsider if a cure isn’t found in a week’s time?”
The edge of the director’s lips twisted into a smile. “As a last resort? One last-ditch effort to save the girl’s life?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s not unreasonable. I understand your position, Joe. You care for Rose. So do I. But I’m not making any unnecessary gambles unless forced to.”
“So much is at risk.” Sandage rubbed his hair, ruffling his mess of black curls. “What should we do about Macauley? Frankly, sir, I’m surprised you didn’t have me committed for what I wrote in my report.”
“These are strange times, Joe. Strange times.” Shapley leaned back in his chair, releasing a tired sigh. “I don’t appreciate these aliens butting into Earth’s business. Lord knows how long Macauley has been meddling on our planet. Humanity should solve its own problems.”
Sandage thought back to when Macauley named herself Earth’s guardian angel. “Her intentions for humanity seem benign, at the very least.”
“President Okona has ordered a full investigation into the matter. I’ve put some agents onto the case myself. Agents Maria and Edmond are searching through Stella Kilonova’s VOD archive for clues.”
It was odd hearing a vTuber’s name on the former FBI director’s lips. It earned a smile from Sandage. “The Herschel twins? Good idea.” The pair were efficient and effective, though he pitied them for having to watch through hundreds of hours of streams for their investigation.
“There might be hints of her involvement elsewhere. We just haven't noticed.”
“Project Blue Book might have something,” The project had been an Air Force-led investigation into extraterrestrial sightings and other unusual phenomena in the ’60s and ’70s. It’d been a dud, from what he understood. But Sandage couldn’t rule out they’d learned more than they'd reported.
“Indeed. That’s why I’m here!” Gamow entered the room with an exaggerated swagger.
“Oh, is that your next assignment, Gamow?” Sandage asked.
“UFOs have always interested me. I never expected we’d have an actual open investigation into aliens, though,” replied the hacker.
“Gamow will be working with someone involved with the original project,” the director said.
“Really? They must be in at least their late 80s by now.”
“True, but he’s a trustworthy man,” the director replied. “Major Wolf Blaauw.”
“The name is unfamiliar.” Sandage racked his brain but came up blank. Project Blue Book was well before his time.
“He’ll be in town tonight,” Shapley said. “Offer him any assistance you can. Dismissed.”
“Well?” Cecilia asked as he departed the director’s office. Had she been looming outside the entire time?
“It’s a no-go,” Sandage replied with a slight head shake. “It’s too risky.”
“Oh.” Cecilia visibly sagged, but Sandage threw an arm around her.
“Hey, it isn’t over yet. They’re still working hard to find a cure. It’s about more than just saving Rose’s life.” She wasn’t the Altair’s only victim. Many others depended on finding this cure.
“It’s just frustrating,” Cecilia replied, allowing herself to be led away. “At least with Macauley’s plan, we had something.”
“It is,” Sandage shared similar frustrations. He wanted to scream to the heavens how unfair it was for someone of Rose’s tender age to suffer.
“Let’s get some supper. And besides, you still haven’t finished your homework. Just because the world might end doesn’t excuse skipping your school work.”
“How do you know about that?” Cecilia peered at the LUVOLT agent with suspicion.
“Little escapes me. FBI, remember.” Sandage said, shaking a finger.
“Fine,” Cecilia said somewhat petulantly. Clone bio-engineered girl or not, she was approaching her adolescence, rebelliousness and all. Though, from her height, a person might assume she was already in high school.
The mess hall bustled with activity as they entered. Various techs and scientists commingled as they ate, their mood boisterous. But Sandage detected a hint of nervousness within the room—a forced cheer. They all knew Rose’s dire situation, doing their best to keep spirits up.
A portly woman in a hairnet waved at them as they approached, a broad smile appearing when she spotted Cecilia. “Hello, Cecilia. How are you today, dear?” The woman reminded Sandage of his wife—open and motherly.
“I’m fine, Ms. Harvey-Smith.” Though, Cecilia’s tone was sour.
“Worried about Rose, no doubt.” The lunch lady replied. “The girl’s got us scared too. I miss her. I’ve also enjoyed seeing you scamper about. Makes this stuffy government facility more lively.”
Sandage smiled at the absurdity of the statement. He never imagined they’d need to depend on a bunch of children, but life often had such odd turns. And he didn’t mind their scampering around, either. “What’s on the menu, Emma?”
“Fried chicken and potato soup.” The woman gave Cecilia a wink. “But in your case, I have a special treat, Cecilia. To help boost your spirit!”
“Oh?” This caught the girl’s attention.
“Some home-cooked brownies with chocolate chips, your favorite.” Harvey-Smith handed Cecilia a Tupperware container of the dark bars.
“Did you clear that with the director?” Sandage wouldn’t throw a fuss, but there were regulations.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Demanded to have the first of them, the greedy boy,” the lunch lady replied, earning a laugh from Sandage.
“Thank you,” Cecilia said sheepishly. “Do you want one, Sandage?”
“No, they’re your treat. Enjoy them.” The girl nodded, eagerly tearing open the container and biting into a brownie.
“After your supper, Cecilia,” Sandage said, his tone chiding.
“Right.” The girl’s cheeks flushed, placing aside the remainder of her treat for later. Together, they got their supper and sat down at an empty table.
Quiet passed between them as they ate. Since Cecilia wasn’t in any mood for conversation, Sandage didn’t press her. Still, they sat in companionable silence. It struck him how she’d never had this growing up, mostly eating alone in a room or cell. She’d had no family to share meals with. He pitied the girl.
“How would you like to come to my house for dinner sometime?” Sandage asked.
“Huh? Uh, well, I suppose,” Cecilia replied, unsure. “If that’s okay.”
“It’d be perfect! My wife, Jocelyn, would love having you over! She’s a marvelous cook! And you’d love my son, Johannes. You’re close in age.” The problem was timing. Both their jobs made scheduling difficult, but he’d find a way. Cecilia deserved some normalcy.
“Okay,” Cecilia said, warming to the idea.
“Wonderful!” Already, Sandage studied his mental calendar for the perfect date. Next week, Tuesday wouldn’t be a bad option. Luckily, his house was only a three-hour drive from the LUVOLT base. They could spend the night and return in the morning. Johannes would love to see him. Despite his demanding job, Sandage always found time when he could. And with the Altair situation, every second was precious.
“How about…” Sandage paused as he caught the vacant look on Cecilia’s face. “Is something the matter?”
Minutes passed with no change from the girl, but then Cecilia shook herself awake, her expression startled. She gripped the table hard to steady herself.
“Another vision?” Sandage asked.
“Yes.” Cecilia seemed lost for words. “In it, I met someone strange, right here in the LUVOLT base. He wore a mask—no, a helmet, and a sleek white bodysuit. His accent was odd. We were talking about Luyten V’s construction. The stranger was studying the robot with great interest. He asked if it was possible to make another Luyten V. That’s where it ended.”
“Interesting.” Sandage considered Cecilia’s words, which struck his imagination in different directions. “You said he had an accent?”
“Yes. It wasn’t like anything I’d heard before. He spoke with elongated Rs and Ts. His voice was listless, but not unemotional. Measured would be the better word, like he was considering each word before he spoke it.”
“Fascinating. I wonder if it’s connected to the aliens in your other vision?” And making another Luyten V? That was an exciting prospect. It might mean Rose wouldn’t hold the burden of protecting the Earth alone.
He paused as he caught Cecilia’s expression. “Is something the matter? This is good news.”
“No Rose in my vision. I couldn’t even tell if she still lived,” Cecilia said sourly. “I’ve had other visions, but Rose didn’t appear in those either.”
“Hey, that just confirms she isn’t dead for certain. It means her future is still unwritten,” Sandage said.
“Okay,” Cecilia said without much enthusiasm.
“Once you finish your brownies, we can have you sketch out our visitor.”
“After?”
“There’s no rush. Enjoy your treat. You deserve it.”
“You’re too nice, Mr. Sandage,” Cecilia said, somewhat self-conscious. “The scientists who created me wouldn’t have cared about such a trivial matter. They would have immediately interrogated me about every detail.”
“Well, I’m not them,” Sandage’s reply earned a blush from Cecilia, and she enjoyed each bite of Harvey-Smith’s gift. Unlike her creators, he never forgot she was only a child.
“A new Luyten V, huh?” He marveled at the possibility.
---
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know that Rose already had a guest,” Cecilia said as she entered, spotting the boy sitting across from her hibernating friend. Inside a glass tube, Rose slept with a serene expression, but it was impossible to ignore the ugly purple blight spreading across her middle.
The dark-haired boy stared up at her, his expression unreadable behind his dark green eyes. “It’s fine. You can join me.”
“Hans, right?” Cecilia asked. “I’m surprised they allowed someone who’s not family to visit Rose.”
“Mr. Sandage says that being around friends will help Rose recover,” her schoolmate replied. Cecilia waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. She’d seen him around school, and he wasn’t that talkative then, either.
The silence became awkward, forcing Cecilia to fill it. “Rose would be glad to know you visited. I will tell her when she wakes up.”
“If she wakes up,” a dark thought argued. But Hans only nodded. He was a silent sentinel, here to protect Rose from any danger.
“You’re a good friend, Hans,” Cecilia said, somewhat self-conscious. “You really care about her.”
“I do. I admire her. She’s the toughest person I know. She’s going to make it through this.” Hans spoke with conviction like Rose’s survival was a done deal.
“I hope so,” They sat in companionable silence. Finally, a question broke through. “Have you known Rose long?” Thinking about it, Rose barely talked about him. And when she did, it was rarely complimentary. It confused Cecilia why he was so loyal to her when her friend barely seemed to care about him.
“From the first grade. I remember the first time we met, though I suppose she probably doesn’t remember it.”
“Oh?” This got Cecilia more curious. She leaned in close, eager for more details.
“It happened in the first week of school. I bumped into her in the playground and forgot to apologize. Rose got angry with me and pushed me face-first into the sand. The teacher, Miss Shoemaker, was furious at both of us.”
“Huh. I suppose Rose does have a temper.”
“She does,” Hans replied, though his voice hid a slight smile.
But Han’s story left Cecilia even more confused. She was hoping for some cute story with a hint of romance. It didn’t explain at all why he liked Rose at all. She waited for Hans to elaborate further, but he didn’t.
“Does this guy never talk?” Cecilia thought. No wonder Rose liked to complain about him. Should she ask him more directly? But would that be prying? She straightened as the boy studied her with a thoughtful gaze.
“You seemed surprised to see me here. Why? It’s not like you’re family, either.” Hans asked out of the blue.
“Um, well.” Cecilia sputtered, realizing she didn’t have a good answer. Hans’s gaze seemed to pierce right through her. “We’re good friends, so Mr. Sandage made an exception for me too! It’s no big deal!”
Hans didn’t respond, and nervous sweat dripped down Cecilia’s back. That hadn’t actually answered his question. Finally, he spoke again. “You speak of Agent Sandage as you know him personally.”
“Yeah, he’s, uh, my guardian!” Cecilia said, trying to find the best excuse. She mentally slapped herself, realizing that the lie wouldn’t work. How had she allowed herself to talk herself into saying that? Doctor Burbidge was her legal guardian. They were even spotted together at school.
“Well, kinda,” Cecilia said, recovering. “Doctor Burbidge and Mr. Sandage are long time friends. He’s kinda like a father to me! They sometimes allow me on the base to visit him, so that’s why I’m here now!” Again, Hans said nothing, infuriating Cecilia no end. No wonder Rose got so short with him!
Thankfully, Sandage walked in, breaking the awkward moment. Behind him was a much older man, his dark skin weathered from many years.
“I see you’ve made a new friend, Cecilia,” Sandage said, smiling.
“Right,” Cecilia replied sourly. “Who’s the man with you?”
“Major Wolf Blaauw. He’s another specialist LUVOLT has recruited to help with the Altair situation,” Sandage replied.
“Ah, so this is Rose,” Blaauw said, waddling into the chamber with her sleeping friend. “Poor girl. She’s brave to fight the Altair all by herself. She deserves better than this.”
“Indeed,” Sandage said, his tone solemn. While he always kept up a brave face, Cecilia could tell Rose’s condition hurt him dearly. “Sorry, Hans, but I need to borrow Cecilia.”
“Okay,” Hans said, nodding. Instead of getting annoyed at such a terse reply, Sandage smiled and led Cecilia out of the room.
“So annoying,” Cecilia muttered under her breath as the door closed behind them. “No wonder Rose dislikes him.”
“Oh, I won’t say that,” Sandage said, wearing a secret smile. “I’m curious where they’ll be in a few years.”
“Ah, young love,” Blaauw said, amused.
“Love?” How’d they get that impression? Adults were so weird.
“Now, young lady, they tell me you have something important to show me,” Blaauw said, getting to business.
“What do you mean?” Cecilia asked, curious.
“We’ve already briefed the Major about your abilities. He used to be a member of Project: Blue Book. Have you heard of it, Cecilia?” Sandage asked.
“No.”
“The U.S. government set it up to investigate UFO phenomena,” Sandage replied.
“Got nowhere, though,” Blaauw said, his tone bitter. “People were too stubborn to admit the obvious truth! But this Altair situation shows what fools they were! Pity they didn’t listen. We might’ve been better prepared for this current invasion!”
“UFOs? Like aliens?” Cecilia asked. They entered into a conference room, Sandage closing the door tightly behind them. “Have we been visited before?”
“It’s possible. Back in ’59, a strange craft crash-landed on Earth. People thought it was Russian, but its script matched nothing ever seen on Earth!”
“’59? I’ve heard of the famous Roswell crash in ’47, but nothing about this one,” Sandage said.
“Because they covered it up! The Roswell incident wasn’t actually anything dealing with aliens. This, however, was the real deal! Saw the craft myself! We believe it was an unmanned probe.” Blaauw shook his head, forlorn. “The parts disappeared after various scientists took them. Tried searching for them, but each trail ended up cold.”
“Was it actually unmanned?” Cecilia said, musing out loud. “What if it had a non-organic crew?”
“Clever thinking. Good work, Cecilia,” Sandage said, impressed. “Perhaps that’s how Macauley came to this planet.”
“Ah, Macauley,” Blaauw said. “I read your report. Can’t say I really understand it. She’s a digital creature of sorts?”
“I suppose,” Sandage offered a slight shrug. “Your theory has merit, Cecilia. Now look at this, Major.” The LUVOLT agent pulled a piece of paper from a manila folder. It was a script Cecilia had seen in her vision.
“It can’t be. Where did you find this?” Blaauw stared at the alien writing with awe. “This matches what we discovered in the alien probe!”
“No way!” Cecilia said, getting excited.
Sandage smiled, pleased. “Now we are getting somewhere. Cecilia, please describe the ship in your future vision. I’m curious if its design matches the probe.”
“Sure,” Cecilia tried her best to describe the ship’s interior and the strange metal used in its design. The construction was oddly angular, the cockpit almost shaped like some eagle’s skull.
Blaauw pondered her description for several long minutes, recalling details from decades ago. He stroked his wispy goatee before nodding. “While the design is unfamiliar, I recognize the metal you describe.”
“Then it’s a distinct possibility these are the aliens from your vision,” Sandage said.
“Still, it’s disturbing that this race seems to have known about our species for a long time, yet they’ve done nothing to help us so far.” Cecilia said. The world hadn’t exactly been peaceful since the ’60s, maybe they’d decided it was too risky to make contact.
“I’m of two minds on that,” Sandage replied. “It means they likely want to leave us alone. Allow us to develop without their interference. Still, they would have been real helpful during, say, the AIDS crisis. That wasn’t a political or developmental problem, but a humanitarian one.”
“We best be careful. These people aren’t us. They are a completely new race with different values and beliefs. Don’t judge them by our limited human understanding,” Blaauw said.
“Point,” Sandage said, nodding.
“Is Macauley their agent?” Cecilia said, musing out loud.
“Best keep speculations to a minimum, like the Major said,” Sandage replied. “Our next point of action is trying to contact them. I’ll see if I can locate those probe parts. They might lead to contacting our new friends.”
“I might be a decrepit old fool, but I still have friends.” Blaauw gave a toothy grin. “I’ll see if I can help push that along.”
Cecilia watched as the two adults planned their next action with a grin on her face. It seemed they were finally getting somewhere.