Rescue

The Rescue

Gordon stood there looking at Alara, for some reason feeling nervous, unsure of himself. She smiled and took his hand, a bit nervous herself. When they held each other's hand, they both felt calmer. They walked back to the ship, still holding hands.

Nobody commented on it when they came in the ship. They let go of each other's hand and joined the group. Now they were all gathered.

Gordon realized that everybody was waiting for him to speak, so he outlined the plan. Isaac was to visit the Calivon zoo and ask for Ed and Kelly, saying they were stolen from another zoo or something if he has to. If that doesn't work, then he offers them something in exchange for Ed and Kelly. The Calivon considered anybody not at their technology level to be inferior, so they needed Isaac to talk to them.

Aboard ship he showed everyone what he proposed to offer in exchange for Ed and Kelly if it came to that. There were a few raised eyebrows, but everyone agreed this was probably the best chance they had.

Isaac, however, was unable to evaluate the desirability of what they were offering in exchange. Gordon realized someone had to go with him who could sell it, talk it up.

"But will they even listen to anyone they consider inferior?" one of the men asked.

Gordon pondered that question. "Well..."

Alara piped up, picking up on Gordon's thinking, "I think if Isaac asks them to, they'll listen."

They all agreed to that.

The felt that Gordon should go, he knows the material.

Gordon was hesitant, "That's true, but I look like warmed over shit. I'd be like a mangy mutt in their eyes."

Gordon and Alara looked at each other. "Do you think you could sell it?" Gordon asked.

"You've exposed me to enough silly stuff on the Orville to..." Alara started to say, then tensed a bit.

Gordon clapped her on her shoulder and said, "That's true. Okay it's you!" He smiled.

"Yeah, but how do we get there?" someone asked.

"Uh, John mentioned something that gave me this idea in the first place. Some way of disguising the ship to..." Gordon paused, trying to remember. He looked at Isaac and asked, "do you know?"

Isaac replied, "I believe you are referring to the fact that I have synthesized a holographic generator based on my analysis of the debris of the Calivon device that enticed the captain and commander. It will disguise this ship as a Calivon freighter. This generator," he indicated the container he was carrying, "and the holoemitters will have to be installed and also the control panel which I will operate."

"Right! That was it! Well," Gordon took a deep breathe, then slowly exhaled. "What are we waiting for?"

Gordon and Isaac, as well as a couple of the others on the ship installed the necessary devices. Alara reflected that it was lucky they had engineering skills among their other skillsets. It took a few hours, but the components were installed and tested. Now they were ready to go.

Alara sat in the cockpit with Gordon while they flew to the Calivon system. He told the group he needed to go over the strategy with her. A few snickers and some shrugs was the response.

Alara stared at Gordon. "Gordon, you're practically emaciated! Are you sick?"

"I was, but I'm getting better."

Alara was still concerned, but let it go.

"I can't believe I didn't see you all this time," Gordon said.