Invited

Fifty-Three - Timber

I wasn't sure what to expect when I stepped into the Achlivan portion of the ship. Obviously, they had to live somewhere. Duh, right? They were so good at secluding themselves from the humans that it was easy to forget they existed on the same machine. If I thought the Garden was huge, nothing prepared me for walking through back hallways of the apartments, and through the barrier that separated the two species.

An Achlivan guarded the gateway, much like down at the Pit. He scanned both of us before letting us through. I kept my eyes off of him, not wanting to insult the alien. Paul had told me several times before they didn't like to be gawked at. Made sense to me. I knew if I looked at the alien, I wouldn't be able to tear my eyes away, so I kept my gazing brief and polite, humble. This particular Achlivan had a teal tint to his skin and his large eyes were purple.

"Good evening, Pluto," Paul said with a nod, as if they were buddies.

Pluto nodded back and something about his eyes changed, like he was smiling with them. I returned the smile, giving a slight wave, as I followed Paul into another corridor. This one was massive.

While the hallway behind the apartment was the same size as any other normal building on Earth, the hallways on the Achlivan side were massive. The width was twice as long and twice as tall, allowing for the bigger aliens to move about. The lights were jazzier too. Small, LED-like in nature, but vibrant in colors. They decorated small patterns at the top and bottom of the walls similar to what one would find in a movie theater for guide lights. Only these lights produced more energy, making it easier to see by.

The carpet was thicker and plusher as well. So much so the fibers reached my ankles as I walked, making it more like grass than carpet. At the end of the hallway was a massive set of double, metallic doors. Paul pushed a button and they opened. What was on the other side made my jaw drop.

Above us was a beautiful evening sky. Not space, but a replicated evening sky – with two moons, both in crescent shape. There was a nebula of some kind as well. Absolutely breath-taking. The ground was paved with some kind of strange alien concrete. It sparkled red and purple under the lighting. I heard rushing water, and it took me a moment to realize that up ahead of us was a massive river, tumbling over a waterfall. There was a waterfall that fell into the Garden. It was nowhere near as large as this one was.

It billowed out underneath a bridge that Paul and I crossed. I couldn't see where it landed because the walls were significantly higher to compensate for the Achlivans' size. Man, did I ever need to come back and explore here some time.

Achlivans walked down the street, talking to one another, ignoring us completely – which was good because much like they didn't want to be stared at, neither did I. They did enough watching of me as it was back in the apartments.

Paul brought me down a side street. At the end was a fortress of sorts made from shimmering blue and green bricks. How big was this ship? I stared up at the mansion-like building, curious and amazed all at once. Paul pressed a small button, signaling a door chime, and then opened the door.

"Her name is Athena," Paul said. "She is the top of the food chain, the very top. For the most part, she is kind and gentle. She appreciates those who are similar spirits to her. It is why she chose you and the children. From the first day at the mall, she watched you and noticed how you cared for those around you before you took care of yourself. She found it admirable. You are already in good graces with her, so you don't need to be frightened. That being said, it would be unwise to disrespect her."

Duh. Pissing off the aliens was always a bad idea. "Okay," I said.

We walked inside. The interior was much like any other fancy mansion I'd seen back on Earth. Lots of marble like rock decorated the floor, more of the multicolored decorative lights were arranged in beautiful patterns all over the walls and ceiling, and lush emerald throw rugs were spread across the floor. We entered a study. A fire was in the fire place, a blue fire that put off an impressive amount of heat. Standing in front of the fire was an Achlivan female. I'd never seen any of the women before, only men. She was a foot shorter than the men and had a thin frame with minimal curves. Her long, navy hair cascaded down her back, straight and to her backside. Simple, yet...beautiful.

"Athena," Paul said in a soft voice. "We're here."

She faced us. Her skin was pale in comparison to the other Achlivans I'd seen. Something about her eyes broke my heart. I could sense sadness radiating from them, though nothing else about her face expressed any kind of emotion. Was that how Achlivans communicated their feelings? Through some strange vibes they sent out through their eyes? It sounded too weird in my head to be true.

I bit my lip, unsure of where to look. If I stared at her, she might get insulted. On the other hand, it was rude to not look at who you're talking to. So I took a risk and kept my gaze focused on her.

"Hi," I said weakly.

"Greetings," she said. "Thank you for coming. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I am Athena."

"T-Timber."

"Well met. I'm sure you are wondering why I have requested to see you."

"K-kind of." I swallowed, wiling myself to have more courage. "I figured it was part of standard protocol since we'll be working more closely together."

Once again, using only her eyes, she smiled at me. "Yes, that is part of the reason. I also wanted the honor of personally giving you the item that will be used for trade to bring home your beloved."

"You're not really giving them what they want," I said.

She handed me a small orb about the size of a ping-pong ball but at least five pounds in weight and made entirely out of metal. "No, I won't be giving them what they want, you are correct. They will still be receiving plans, just not for our solar technology."

"What is it? I mean, if I can ask that..."

"Of course you can ask." She laughed. "I am sending them with plans for how to form a new government. The Gorgachan are in need of some valuable education in that department. Eventually, it will get into the right hands."

"I hope so," I said, looking down at the small ball in my hands.

"These plans are encrypted a certain way so that initially, the Gorgachan will believe they have the solar plans. And of course, you will tell them you came about these plans in a deceitful manner. Your story and your plan are for you to decide, as it will be more believable if it comes from your heart rather than something I tell you to rehearse."

I wanted to point out I was an actor. Most of my career was done with things I'd rehearsed so many times I believed them down in my core. She was right to a point. Putting my heart in a performance made it more solid, but I could make myself fall into whatever she wanted me to think rather easily. Not giving me details made my job a bit harder because I had to go through and find all of the gaps to fill in my tale on my own. Gaps that might be things I wouldn't initially think of, and would be more difficult to remember.

She must have sensed my unease because something about her expression softened. "I wouldn't worry too much. The Gorgachan will be too excited with the plans to question you for a long time over the details. You will go to their ship and deliver it by hand tomorrow, at the same hour as when the destruction of Earth is scheduled to commence. It will make for a good cover for your leaving Salvation. Everyone will be so preoccupied with your home planet, that your departure will not be as well noticed. Then, you shall trade the plans for your beloved and make a quick exit during the preoccupation."

"Makes sense." I didn't particularly want to watch Earth be obliterated anyway, so to be occupied during the big event would be good for me. Though I'm sure seeing everything go down would be a good form of closure.

"Do you have any questions?" she asked.

I shook my head. Everything seemed to be in order from what I could tell. The plans for the trade would be relayed to Patriarch who would send them to the messenger on the Gorgachan ship. All I had left to do now was wait. I had solace in knowing things would be better soon.