Catalyst

Chapter 5

Panting uncontrollably, Clara slammed the door behind her and ran over to her bed in the motel room.

Decorated with minimal embellishments, the room was dusty with no television and no duvet or pillow covers. Fitted with only a shower, a toilet and a tiny basin, the bathroom was very basic aswell.

Opening a newspaper that she bought from the supermarket, Clara gasped at the headlines:

"Extra-terrestrial object crash lands in UK town, Birmingham. No fatalities reported as of late"

Images of her friends and family who she had left behind in Birmingham collected in her mind. 'No fatalities as of late.' Does that hint that the crash land was serious and could have potentially killed people?

Her mother, Ilene, was correct, however. On their journey together to the airport in the UK, she mentioned that the object wouldn't have the potential to blow up the Earth...

Clara began changing into her pyjamas, staying up all night worrying about what might not be, won't help her leave this country. A good nights sleep just may.

Peaceful and mute, the darkness of the night engulfed the city and the light in Clara's room. Brief sounds of birds chittering nearby were the only thing that could be heard for miles; not even the people next door could be heard.

That was until a frightful explosion woke up the city. The sound was a sudden rumble, shaking every object in the room precariously. Clara shot up from her bed over to the window beside it- an orange gloom hung over the horizon, smoke escaping from the scene.

Without a seconds thought, Clara changed into a jeans and a simple top from the suitcase that she collected from Derek's car when she arrived at motel. Gingerly heaving on her trainers, Clara raced towards the door. As a result of recent activities, Clara did not trust anyone or anything at the moment, she had to get to that scene before anyone else.

Before leaving, she snatched the key from the table beside the door and fled.

Clara was surprised with the short amount of time it took her to arrive at the scene, she had to simply follow the smoke. However, what greeted her eyes was even more surprising.

A small circular shaped shuttle,made out of what seemed to be metal, lay on its side between tiny dunes of sand. Dents and scratches blanketed the object and a rectangular door lay open and split in half. All together, the whole object must have been no bigger than a study table.

With no warning, a metal sphere rolled out of the door and lay in front of Clara. Backing away nervously, Clara tried to not touch the object at all. Could this be the object, the one that everyone is concerned about? If so, what was the one in Birmingham?

Suddenly, mechanical arms and legs sprouted from the silver sphere and a head poked out of a hole in the top of the object. The blue laser eyes were shown in a black panel on the head.

Loud whirring came from the object, causing Clara to jump and look around her. She didn't want any one else to know about this.

'He-llo'

Returning her view to the sphere, Clara's eyes widened.

'H...Hello.' The sphere continued its monotone voice.

'Hi?' Clara felt ridiculous replying to it.

Before she knew it, hoards of investigators and police flooded the area with torches and helmets.

'M'am have you seen any extra-ordinary sightings around this area?' An officer proclaimed to Clara.

She look in direction of the larger circular object in front of herself and the officer.

'No?' she replied, questioning his sanity.

'Thank you for your time' he mumbled defeatedly, gesturing his group to return back to where they came from. Clara was now alone with the robot.

'Do not be frightened. For I am here to merely assist you.' The robot continued, clearly oblivious to what just happened.

'Do you realise they didn't see you?!' Clara cried, waving her arms in the air.

'Only certain people can see me. People can only see what they choose to see.'

'What, and I'm one of those 'certain people' am I?' she scoffed.

Silence.

'Are you...are you from space?' Clara said with stupidity.

'Myself and object within that shuttle have been travelling towards Earth for 304 years.'

'Then what was that object found in England?'

The robot's laser eyes squinted.

'That must have been a fake. A trickery.'

'Who would do such a thing?!'

'Perhaps organisations who want to divert the global world's attention. They will soon realise that the object in the UK is a fake. You and only a selected few of others in the world can see me and the object within the shuttle.'

' You mean you're not the object that people have been talking about?'

'I am just the messenger to deliver this fateful object to its worthy recipient. You must listen.'

'I'm all ears' She joked, although the joke wasn't accounted.

'This object is deactivated, but only temporarily, for a few weeks. When this expires, it has the potential to bring any planet it is on at its knees'

Clara laughed briefly at the robot's colloquialism.

'It is the finder's duty to dispose of this object immediately. My purpose is to inform, for soon I will self destruct and never to be found again.'

'Dispose? How?'

'That is your duty.' It repeated.

'3 minutes' The robot mentioned.

'Until what?'

'Until I destruct.' It replied.

'Now, you must pick up the object within the shuttle and leave.'

'Where did you come from?' Interrupted Clara.

'That information is not needed.'

Obeying its orders, Clara scrambled into the shuttle and found the object. It looked identical to the robot, although half the size. The interior of the place was bare with exception of various buttons on a control panel on one side of a wall.

Outside, the robot remained in the same position.

'Thank you.' Clara nodded towards the robot on her exit.

It made no movement.

Sighing deeply, it dawned on Clara the trouble she's got herself into.