Alien Freak - Calista Skye Page 0,78
serious,” he assures me. “Only rumor.”
“Strange lights in the sky last night and this afternoon,” another monk says, chewing happily. “Reports from outside that unknown spaceships have been seen with their course towards this planet. Except we’re not expecting anyone. Our communications with the rest of space not working, all of a sudden. One of our brothers not returning from a trip to pick berries.”
“Yes, thank you, Brother Pepape,” the abbot says sourly. “Now our guest will worry.”
I finish my water and place the cup on the table. “Should I worry?”
The abbot hesitates for just a second too long before he replies. “Probably not, Averie. If there are sinister things afoot, then remember that you are among warriors. We shall protect you. But it will not be necessary. You know how rumors are, haha. One shooting star becomes twelve warships when a report is passed on through many mouths.”
Shit. A cold lump is back in my stomach, and my shoulders tense. “Warships, huh?”
“Only unconfirmed reports, received before our communications stopped working,” the abbot says, a little too lightly. “There’s almost certainly nothing to them. What would alien warships want in this system? There’s nothing of value here.” He gives me a curious little glance with his one eye.
Yeah. I may have brought the joint forces of the Bululg and the Gurandu down on these sweet, harmless monks.
“If there is someone coming, it may be me they are after,” I state. “Just so you know.”
“Yes, very probably,” the abbot agrees easily. “But that’s a big ‘if’. And I think there’s nothing to it. Have no fear, Averie. Many of our brothers are even now scouring the forest for anything unusual. And as I said, we are all highly trained warriors.”
Except you guys use your bare hands and sticks, while my enemies have seriously high-tech weapons and won’t hesitate to use them. “I’m sure you’re right,” I say out loud. “Even so, I think I should move away from the monastery tonight. I’ll walk into the woods, find a place to sleep far away. I don’t want to bring anything bad down on you.”
“What?” the abbot exclaims, horrified. “This monastery is the safest place on the planet! The woods can’t defend you like we can, Averie.”
“Just stay here,” says Pepape. “Be bait for the enemies, whoever they are. We haven’t fought for a long time. It will be good to use our skills again.”
“Precisely,” beams the abbot. “No, you will not be allowed to leave, Averie. Still, we have changed your quarters. We think that at this time, you would be more… comfortable with a cell a little higher up in the structure. Yes?”
- - -
My new room is so high up in the monastery that when I look down, I can see thin clouds between me and the woods far down there in the light from the setting sun.
I’m panting hard from climbing up the stairs, at least eighty floors up. So if there is some kind of attack, the enemies will either be exhausted and give up before they can climb up here, or I’ll be trapped like a rat. I think I’m only about halfway up the tower, too.
It’s very quiet up here – the sounds of the forest don’t reach this high.
Lying down on the bed, I twist the bracelet around my wrist. I still can’t control it. Back when I first tried, in Zaroc’s ship, I only melted a tiny part of a screw. Here, I can’t even do that. It’s like I’ve lost even the little bit of destructive power that I had. Of course, it could be that the bracelet is missing something, like a charge. But a piece of Elder technology that needs to be charged like a toothbrush would be pretty disappointing.
I take the phone out and turn on the camera.
What do I say? Nobody’s going to see this, anyway. The documentary idea was cool back when I was trapped in Zaroc’s ship, and it definitely helped me. Now, I’m not sure it does.
I turn the camera off without speaking, then find the video of the Elder. If there is some kind of attack, as a last resort I can maybe try to show the video and impress the enemy. If they hold the Elder species in as high regard as the Star Marshals do.
I gaze out the window, up at the darkening sky. The stars are coming out, but there’s no dirty, barely hanging together spaceship up there. And let’s be real: