Darala Starr, Tau Ceti Superwoman - Earth Chronicles Season 1

CHAPTER 13 - "The 'Key' To A Mystery"

Jason and Tina were silent and stunned. Darala dropped the crushed metal cylinder to the ground where it clattered a moment.

Tina asked, "How do you know it's not real?"

Darala said, "The frequency is wrong and the signal strength woefully inadequate to be the interstellar transponder."

"What does this mean, Darala?" Jason asked.

Darala said, "It means the real transponder is still out there... somewhere, and I'm running out of time to find it."

Darala placed hands on her hips, lightly resting them on the band of her satin shorts. She drew in a deep breath and sighed.

Tina said, "But, Darala, how did you know it was here? I don't understand."

Darala looked at Tina thoughtfully for a moment.

"Tina," she said, "I'm so sorry, but I haven't told you everything. Last night I left your guesthouse and came here. I suspected I might find something and... I did."

Jason asked, "What was it?"

"Not what... who," Darala said. "Deputy Brown was here. I caught him leaving this shop in the dark. He had a flashlight and a set of key he used to lock the door."

Tina was shocked. "Deputy Brown? That's impossible, he doesn't have keys to this store—no one does but me, and my employees would never share their keys!"

"Well," Darala said, "I don't know how he might have gotten access, but he did. And he's the one who planted this fake transponder."

A dawning realization hit Jason and he said, "Which means he knows more about you than he's admitted."

"It also means he's connected with another creature that's here in town. A Torellian," Darala said.

"A what?" Tina asked.

"A being from a world in the Andromeda galaxy," Darala said. "They are notorious shape shifters which means they can imitate other life forms, at least to some degree. But the eyes always give them away. When I first arrived, he's the one that captured me."

Tina felt overwhelmed and then realized something. "Yes, I remember those eyes of his... like they were electric or...."

Her thoughts began to connect and she worked it over in her mind.

Jason said, "It sounds like he and the deputy have some sort of working relationship."

Darala nodded. "It would appear so. No doubt the Torellian has told him everything about me."

"Which means finding the transponder quickly and getting you safely back home is vital," Jason added.

He planted determined fists on his hips and said, "Okay, Darala. What's our next move?"

Darala smiled warmly at him, feeling evermore affection for Jason. The thought of leaving Earth and not seeing him again was beginning to weigh heavy on her.

"Well," Darala said, "The last place I left the Torellian was locked in that holding cell. I placed him in there myself and closed the bars on him so he couldn't escape."

Tina asked, "So he's not strong like you?"

"No," Darala said. "Torellian's have very average physical abilities. Come to think of it, he did have a large ring of keys in his hand when he first captured me. He must have had one for the cell door."