Ali Noel Vyain's Blog, page 63

Chapter 20 Settling Down?

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Lizette was sound asleep in her bed. Fred snuck off to Starfire’s room.

“Hi, Fred.”

“Hi, Starfire. We need to talk.”

“What about?”

“My niece.”

“She hasn’t seen me.”

“Good. I don’t think it would be a good idea for her to see you.”

“Because I’m an android and I look like her dead mother?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Okay, I’ll remain hidden from her.”

“You’ve been good about that so far, but she is a child and she will get curious.”

“Starlover and I can keep her out of my room.”

“Alright, I’ll leave that to you two.”

“When are we leaving?”

“What? I don’t know that we can with her on board.”

“Why?”

“Well, I don’t know much about children. Doesn’t she need a stable home environment?”

“This ship is your home. It can be hers as well. Isn’t it stable enough for you?”

“Oh, good point.”

“Starlover and I can also make sure she learns what she needs to. Does she know how to access a computer console?”

“Probably. But she can’t know of you.”

“I know. Starlover will talk to her. I’ll just research what she needs to learn so she can still take a test to get her diploma.”

“Okay. Good idea.”

“So, when are we leaving?”

Fred smiled. “We can leave any time. There’s no reason to stick around here anymore.”

“Good. Let’s explore the solar system.”

“I’m with you on that.” He turned to leave her room.

“Oh, Fred?”

He turned around. “Yeah?”

“If you need help you can ask me for anything.”

“Yeah, I know.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t say that right. Hal told me how you were with women. If you can’t find enough or can’t leave the ship because you have to take care of your niece, you can come here to my room and I will take care of you.”

“What?”

“I’m fully equipped. You can play with me as you do with the other women.”

“You know about that?”

“Yeah, Hal told me.”

Fred smiled. “Well, you’re just full of surprises. Alright. I’ll try you out later. Right now, I’m too tired. Goodnight, Starfire.”

“Goodnight, Fred.”

Fred left her room to sleep in his own bed. She waited until she knew he was in his bedroom before trying to contact Hal.

“Hal?”

“Starfire?”

“Are you safe?”

“Yes. I’m on a transport.”

“Oh?”

“I’m leaving Earth. After what happened to Project Earth, I thought it best to simply disappear.”

“Are you going to Venus?”

“Yes.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. How’s Fred?”

“Recovering. So is his niece.”

“And Jaekob?”

“He’s with his grandparents.”

“Good.”

“What are you going to do on Venus?”

“Look for the next robotics genius.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. We will need to be repaired over time. I just have a feeling that I’ll find him on Venus. I can’t understand it. It’s not logical.”

“No, but it will give you something to do.”

“Yes. I’ll repair robots since I already know how. I know they use a large robot workforce especially for work that is too dangerous for humans to do.”

“Then taking care of yourself shouldn’t be a problem.”

“No. I can also discover if there are air nymphs. There are rumors they are natives to Venus.”

“Oh, like the earth nymphs on earth and the water nymphs on Mars.”

“Yes. I expect that I will be busy in the years to come. As will you traveling around the solar system with Fred.”

“Yes, and helping him raise his niece.”

“Has she seen you?”

“No and she won’t. I know I look like her dead mother. It would traumatic for her to see me.”

“Yes, I would think it would be. I would think it would be hard for you to remain hidden from her forever.”

“My room is hidden on the ship. Starlover and I can distract her and keep her from discovering it. I’m sure Fred won’t say anything to her.”

Hal chuckled. “No, why would he? I know he wouldn’t want to upset her anymore than you do.”

“Oh and I offered to help him when he couldn’t see the women he likes.”

“Oh?”

“He was shocked at first. But I think he will take me.”

Hal chuckled again. “Knowing him, he will enjoy you and will hope you will enjoy it as well. So how are you going to keep that from Lizette?”

“He’ll come to my room when he wants that. She will be doing other things to keep her distracted and entertained. She is aware of Starlover and she will keep Lizette entertained and educated.”

“Sounds like you have it all worked out.”

“Yes, I think so. Good luck to you.”

“Good luck to you as well.”

They cut the connection.

**********************

Lizette and Fred were eating breakfast the next day.

“I’m planning on leaving Earth.”

“With or without me?” asked Lizette.

“With. Do you want to come along?”

“Yes, of course! Where will we go?”

“I don’t know. I just like to travel around the solar system.”

“I want to see the solar system.”

“Good. Then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Can we visit all the colonies?”

“I don’t see why not. I think it will be good for your education.”

“Along with the music lessons? And the building and repair lessons?”

“Yes. I think it helps to be well rounded.”

“Okay. When can we leave?”

“After we clean up the kitchen.”

They cleaned up the kitchen. Then they headed for the bridge. He helped her strap into the co-pilot’s chair. He strapped himself into the pilot’s chair.

Starlover said over the speakers, “Initiating countdown to launch. Please stand by.”

“Standing by!” said Lizette.

“10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1”

The spaceship rose in the air. First they saw the clouds and then the sky turned darker and was soon dotted with lots of stars.

“Wow!”

Fred smiled. He liked to share this with someone else who enjoyed it as much as he did.

Chapter 19 Uncle & Niece

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“Fred, may I have piano lessons?”

“Uh, sure.” He checked the console. “How about you take a remote class?”

“Okay.”

“I can get you an instrument before we leave Earth.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Anything else?”

“How about voice lessons?”

“Okay.” He checked around. “Looks like you can have that as well.”

She smiled. She watched him use the computer console to find a place that would sell him a piano. He looked at her.

“Do you want to come with me? You can help pick out the piano.”

“Okay.”

They left the ship together. They took the train to the store. Lizette was in awe of all the musical instruments surrounding her. She stayed close to her uncle. He led her all the way to the pianos.

“I hope you will be okay with an upright piano. I don’t think I can afford a grand piano.”

“An upright piano will be alright with me.”

“Or, wait, how about an electric one? They are even cheaper and they take up less space.”

“Okay.”

He talked to a sales associate. Soon they were looking at the electric pianos. Lizette wasn’t picky. She just wanted to learn how to play. It took some time but eventually she and her uncle settled on one. It had a full keyboard and they got a sturdy stand for it as well. They made arrangements for delivery to the ship.

Fred and Lizette walked back to the train station. She smiled the whole way back to the ship. He looked out for her and made sure they made it back safely. They went to the kitchen and he fixed a meal for them. They ate in silence.

Starlover announced over the speakers, “Someone is approaching the ship.”

He checked the nearest console. “Oh, it’s the delivery person. I’ll be back.”

He went to the hatch and opened it. He signed for the package. The delivery person set the items inside the hatch. He left and Fred closed the hatch.

“Oh!”

He turned to see his niece examining the packages. He smiled at her.

“Let’s get these to the living room.” He pushed both packages to the living room.

She followed. He opened the packages and soon was putting the stand together. He set the keyboard on top of it. He added the computer screen. He discovered there were a few simple pieces on it already. But neither he nor she knew how to read music.

She started to play it and learned that she could ask the computer to help her learn the notes and start to read music. She didn’t make much progress until her real lessons started. Then she learned how to read music and develop her musical ear. She practiced everyday.

Fred liked to listen to her. It didn’t matter if she was just playing the piano or singing. He could work on various repairs or even cleaning around the ship. After some time had passed, Lizette offered to clean up after herself. Fred tried to teach her. She even asked to learn how to repair things. He took some time to teach her how to repair and how to build.

It was soon clear to both Starlover and Starfire that the two were getting along. Sometimes they had nightmares. Starlover would play some calming music for them and they were able to go back to sleep. Things progressed. Fred thought about taking the ship off of Earth.

He sighed. Could he travel around the solar system with a child on board? He wasn’t sure. They were getting along so far. But did she need to go to school? He still didn’t have an answer. Who could he ask and get a good answer from? He was no expert on children. He never was.

Chapter 18 Grandparents

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Fred sat in front of the console. He had located Jaekob’s grandparents. That part had at least made some sense to Fred. Now he was trying to contact the couple. The video call went through and soon an elderly couple appeared on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lutin, I’m Fred Mueller.”

“Are you the brother of Dave Mueller?”

“Yes.”

“How is he? How’s our son and wife?”

“Unfortunately, they’re all dead.”

The couple gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand. He put his arm around her. “Oh!”

“I’m sorry. I got a distress call from my sister-in-law and I came as soon as I could. But I only found two survivors.”

“Who did you find?”

“Your grandson Jaekob and my niece Lizette.”

“We’ll take our grandson.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. I can bring him by tomorrow. Just let me know how close I can land my ship to your home.”

“You have your own ship?”

“Yes, I have my own spaceship.”

“There’s an airfield near Paris. You can land there. We’ll meet you there. How much does he have with him?”

“Just one suitcase of clothes and few toys.”

“That won’t be a problem for us. Is he alright?”

“As well as can be expected from a child who was hunted and knows his parents are dead.”

“Do you know how the kids survived?”

“They were able to find a place to hide. They were small enough to crawl in and whoever was attacking them couldn’t reach them. I think they also were very quiet.”

“Wow. They’re both so young.”

“I know. They only had minor injuries. Just a few bruises and a few scrapes. But I have no idea about the lasting psychological effects.”

Mrs. Lutin nodded. “We’ll keep an eye on the boy.”

“Good. I’ll keep an eye on my niece. Is there anything else you want to know?”

“No. We look forward to seeing our grandson safe and sound.”

“Looks like we can be there late morning.”

“We’ll be there.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow.”

“Thank you for bringing our grandson to us.”

“It’s the least I can do given the circumstances.”

They cut the connection. Starlover plotted the course. Fred checked on the kids and found they were sleeping. He walked to the bridge and strapped himself into the pilot’s seat. No one had to speak out loud or use the ship’s speakers. He lifted the ship and was soon headed towards Paris. He didn’t worry about the time it took. He couldn’t use any of the faster than light speed drives. It was too dangerous and unnecessary.

Besides, Fred wanted to pilot the ship. It was one of the few joys in his life. In the past six years that he had lived on his own spaceship had been the happiest of his life so far. Now he was about to embark on another journey. He had to raise his niece.

He had no idea of the adventures that were waiting for him. He hadn’t been around children very much and wasn’t sure what to do with her. He knew she needed some sort of education. But what was a question he was sure he could not answer. Would he need to send her to some sort of school?

He knew he could home school her. That way he could still travel around the solar system and take care of her at the same time. He would have to think about it. He could hire her tutors that could teach her over the Internet. That sounded appealing to Fred.

Perhaps he would need to talk to her about it. She might have some ideas of what she wanted to learn. For now, he needed to land his ship just outside of Paris and go meet the couple. He would tell the boy after he woke up in a few hours.

Starlover monitored all outside communications. She requested a landing at the spaceport just outside of Paris. It was granted and their arrival was being tracked. Hours later, Fred landed the ship safely at the spaceport. He unstrapped himself and sighed. He stood up and went to check on the kids.

They were yawning and stretching in the hallway.

“Are you hungry?”

They nodded.

“Okay, let’s go to the kitchen.”

They followed him into the kitchen. He prepared breakfast for all of them. They ate in silence. When they were done, the kids looked at Fred.

“Are you packed up, Jaekob?”

“No.”

“You need to pack up your things. We’re meeting your grandparents today.”

“Oh!” Jaekob got off the chair and ran to the bedroom to pack up his things.

The boy found his clothes folded neatly next to his suitcase. He never questioned how they got clean and then appeared later by his suitcase. It had been happening the whole time he was on the spaceship. Now he was too excited to even care. He packed up his clean clothes and his toys. He closed the suitcase. He grabbed it and went to wait by the hatch.

Fred and Lizette came out a few minutes later. Fred opened the hatch and the three of them walked outside. It took some time for them to reach the waiting area for the arrivals. But once they were there, it didn’t take Jaekob long to see his grandparents. The boy hurried to meet them.

He stopped in front of them and hugged them both. His grandparents held on to him.

“It’s okay now. We’ve got you, Jaekob,” said Mrs. Lutin.

Mr. Lutin looked at Fred and smiled. “Thank you for saving our grandson.”

Fred nodded. Jaekob let go of his grandparents. He turned to say goodbye to both Fred and Lizette. The girl waved goodbye not knowing if she would ever meet him again. Fred said goodbye to the boy. Uncle and niece stood there watching the grandparents leave with their grandson.

Chapter 17 New Home

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“I give up. You two just aren’t going to sound coherent about what happened. I realize you two are only 5 years old, so I won’t ask anymore.”

Both kids stared at him and blinked their eyes. They sighed at different times.

“It’s okay now. You’re both safe. I hope you at least feel safe here on my ship.”

“I feel safe with you around Uncle Freddie.”

“I feel safer too.”

“Okay, then we’re off to a good start.”

“You’re not used to being around kids, are you?” asked Jaekob.

“No, why would I? I don’t have any.”

Lizette giggled. “You have us!”

“Oh, yes, I do. What am I going to do with you two?”

“Let’s play a game.”

“I need to repair my ship…”

“Oh, you can do that later. Let’s play a game. The three of us.”

The kids danced around him.

“Alright. You may have to teach me the rules.”

The kids each grabbed one of his hands and took him into the living room. Soon they were explaining the rules of the game. Fred played with the two for hours. The kids laughed and teased. He laughed with them. In his head, he told Starfire to go ahead and clean up the ship where the kids had been as long as the kids didn’t see her.

Starfire raced to the kitchen and cleaned it so that it was spotless. Then she ran to the bathroom and cleaned that. Finally she finished up in the medical bay. At one point she had to duck into an alcove when she saw one of the children present. The child never noticed her.

She waited on the laundry to finish up. Then she could fold the clothes and have Fred pick them up later on. For now there was nothing left to do other than try to repair the drives. When Starfire finished with the laundry, she went to check on which parts they had.

She got to work on the repairs. She could hear Fred playing a game with the kids. It made her smile.

“Oh, did I do that right?” asked Fred.

“No!” both the kids answered him.

“You were supposed to roll the dice first. Then you have to count the spaces.” Jaekob pointed to the board.

“Right. You move your piece to the new square then you have to read it to see what you do next.”

“Oh. I hope I can learn this as well as you two did.”

“You will, just keep at it.” Lizette smiled at him.

There was something to having children. Fred had never thought he wanted any around. But so far he wasn’t having any real trouble with them. Perhaps that was a good thing. They laughed some more. Fred lost the game. He sat back and watched Lizette and Jaekob finish it.

When they were done, they packed up the game and set the box to the side. They looked at Fred.

“I’m getting hungry, Uncle Freddie.”

“So am I.”

“Then let’s go to the kitchen. What do you two want?”

“Do you have peanut butter and jelly?” asked Jaekob.

“Oh, I think I do. That sounds good about now.”

Fred grabbed three plates and fixed peanut butter and jelly for the three of them. He also made a little salad to go with it.

“Uncle Freddie, could you turn my sandwich into a butterfly?”

“How do I do that?”

“You cut the sandwich in a diagonal and then align the two halves to look like a butterfly.”

“Oh, like this?” He sliced a sandwich the way she said to and switched the slices.

“Yes, that’s it!”

He set the plate on the table with a bowl of salad. “Jaekob, do you want a butterfly too?”

“Sure.”

Fred made another butterfly. He set the second plate and a second bowl of salad on the table. He made the third one into a butterfly and set the plate and bowl on the table. He poured everyone some drinks. He sat down with the children and they all ate.

“Jaekob, how am I going to know who your grandparents are?”

“Oh, they’re just Grandma and Grandpa Lutin.”

“Okay. So where do they live?”

“Here in Europe. Um, I think they might be in France. Or is it Belgium?”

“That narrows it down a bit.”

“Do you think you can find them?”

“Yeah, I should be able to. Even if it means I go looking for your parents’ tablet computers.”

Both kids stopped eating and stared at him.

“You two don’t have to go outside. You’ll stay on the ship if I have to go out.”

They both sighed and resumed eating. After they all finished, everyone rinsed their dishes and set them in the sink. The kids went back to the living room to play together. Fred went to a console and looked up Jaekob’s grandparents. He found a few Lutins in both France and Belgium.

He thought to both Starlover and Starfire, “I need to leave the ship to find some tablet computer which used to belong to the Lutins. Look after the kids while I’m out there.”

“Fred, I’ve located the tablets that they used.”

“Good. Where?”

Starfire gave him directions. He walked into the living room.

“Lizette, Jaekob?”

“Yes?” they answered.

“I need to leave the ship for a little bit. I’ll be back. Please stay on board. It’s safer here.”

They nodded and soon resumed their play. He left the ship soon after. He followed the directions from the android. He found the two tablets. It didn’t take him long to locate the information he needed. One had the address and other contact information for Jaekob’s grandparents.

Fred took the information and the tablets and left for his ship immediately. He shuddered. He didn’t see any dead bodies and it was no longer the mess that it was when he had first arrived. But the place was eerie. It had become a ghost town. He took one last look before getting on board. He closed the hatch. He sighed to think of all those people gone now.

What would he do if he ever found out who the attackers were? He had no idea. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Chapter 16 Survivors

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“Hal? Are you still alive?”

“Starfire?”

“Oh, good you can hear me. Starlover, Fred, and I are here near Earth now. Are you safe?”

“Yes. The attackers are gone now. But I’m trying to find the children. They are the only ones alive and terribly frightened. I know they’re hiding somewhere nearby.”

“Okay, Starlover and I can see where they are hiding. They need water, food, and medical attention immediately.”

“Oh, I see where they are now.”

“Hal, listen to me. This is important. You can’t rescue the children. But Fred can. He can’t see you. If he does, he won’t understand why you’re still alive and all the other adults are dead. I’m sure he will give you a medical exam and then he will know your secret.”

“Damn. Are you sure the children will be alright until Fred gets to them?”

“Yes. They aren’t going to die. Starlover and I don’t see anyone else in the area. He’s about to land the ship now.”

“Alright. Then I’ll stay hidden. I’ll leave when I know Fred has the children.”

“Alright. Do you know who the children are?”

“Yeah, they are the two who were born here. Fred’s niece Lizette and Jaekob Lutin.”

“Noted. Should I tell Fred?”

“No. He’ll know his niece as soon as he sees her. I don’t know if he knows the boy.”

“Noted.”

Fred landed his spaceship where he had built it. He sighed. He unstrapped himself and stood up.

“Standing by,” said Starfire.

“Okay.” He looked at the screen in front of him.

Starlover spoke next. “Scanning the area for survivors. There are two, but they are injured. They need medical attention, water, and food.”

“Where?”

“Oh, they are small humans. Just children. They appear to be hiding.”

“Where?”

A map appeared on the viewscreen. Fred made some mental notes. Then he left his ship. He looked around at the ruins. He gasped to see so many dead just lying on the ground. It was clear that many had been dead for days. He saw both his brother and sister-in-law among the dead. He also found Dr. Asimov.

He sighed and resumed his search for the children. There was debris in the way. He pushed and pulled things out of the way. According to the map he was given, the children should be in a small spot. How was he going to get them out? He sighed and moved more debris.

After an hour, he saw the two children lying in the tight space together. He nearly gasped. They were so dirty. He studied them as closely as he could. He sighed when he saw they were breathing. Perhaps they were just asleep?

“Hey, wake up!” He shouted.

The children were startled as they opened their eyes. They sat up quickly. They were ready to bolt at any second. They gaped at the adult who was looking right at them.

“Hey, it’s okay. The attackers are gone now. I came to rescue you two, but I don’t see how I’m going to get you out of there. I can’t even follow you inside your hiding place.”

The kids blinked. They continued to stare at him. Soon they relaxed.

“Uncle Freddie?”

“Lizette, is that you?”

She nodded.

“And who’s the other one?”

“I’m Jaekob.”

“Oh. Will you two please come out? You both need baths. But more importantly, you need water and food.”

The kids looked around. Slowly they crawled out. They stood up beside Fred.

“Alright, can you walk? My ship is a little ways from here.”

They nodded. He stood up and walked back towards the ship. The children followed. No one said anything. They walked inside the ship. Fred showed them to the kitchen and gave them each a glass of water. The kids drank greedily. He prepared some food and set it in front of them. He refilled their glasses.

“Take your time. You both have been through an ordeal.”

The kids ate and drank more water. They didn’t want to speak. After they finished their meal, they both yawned.

“Okay, let’s get you to the medical bay. I need to check you to make sure you’re alright. Follow me.”

The kids left the table and followed him into the medical bay.

“Okay, each of you get on a bed. I’ll scan you both.”

The kids climbed onto two different beds and waited. Fred scanned both. Wordlessly, he asked Starlover about the kids.

She answered in his head, “They are fine. Just a little bruised and scraped. All their wounds are minor. They just need to clean up. They could use some more sleep.”

“Looks like you two are going to be fine.”

In his head he heard Starfire telling him, “Fred, I think I should go outside the ship and help to clean up the bodies.”

He answered her wordlessly. “Good idea. Just don’t let the kids see you. Oh, can you find them clothes? I’m sure they had more in a couple of the houses.”

“I will check.”

Starfire left the bridge and quickly ran off the ship before either of the kids even knew she was around. She looked at the devastation. She wanted to cry for the dead.

“Hal, where are you?”

“I’m here. Look over towards the debris.”

She saw him. “Okay, I offered to help clean up this mess and deal with the dead. Fred has his hands full looking after the two children. He wants me to look for their clothes. I don’t know where to look.”

“I do. I know which houses they lived in. Let’s get started.”

They dug a large grave and threw all the bodies in. Next, they cleaned up the debris and buried much of the useless stuff with the bodies. The useful items were set near the ship. They covered up the bodies. Lastly they searched the two houses for the children’s clothes.

They found a few toys as well.

“We should take the toys. They’re children. They need some toys to play with.” Hal picked up a few toys.

“Okay.”

They finished gathering up the clothes and the toys. They put everything down just inside the ship. Starfire turned to Hal.

“Where are you going to go?”

“I was thinking about leaving the planet.”

“Oh? Where to?”

“I think I need to go to Venus.”

“Okay. Fred sees a woman there in Aphrodite.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Good luck to you.”

“Good luck to you too.”

Hal walked away and went back to his house one last time to pack up his few belongings. He cleaned himself up and changed his clothes. He soon left and went to the nearest spaceport.

Starfire loaded the useful spare parts onto the ship. She closed the hatch. She hauled the parts to the repair station and stored them. She went back to the hatch and grabbed the children’s things.

Wordlessly she contacted Fred. “Where do you want the children’s things?”

He answered in her head. “Just set them down outside of the medical bay and go back to your room.”

She did as he asked. Soon she was walking quickly back to her room. The door shut behind her. She sighed.

************************

Fred opened the door to the medical bay and saw a couple of suitcases. “Looks like your things have arrived. But I don’t know which suitcase belongs to which one of you. I guess I’ll just have to open one and ask you.” He brought the suitcases inside the room.

He set one on a table and opened it. Inside were clothes, a stuffed animal, and few other toys.

“That’s mine!” said Jaekob.

“Okay.” Fred closed it up and handed it to the boy.

He set the other one on the table and opened it up. It was similar, but clearly the clothes and the toys were different. “Yours, Lizette?”

“Yes.”

He closed it up and handed it to her.

“Okay, take your suitcases and follow me. You both need to bathe now.”

“Separately or together?” asked Jaekob.

“I would think separately.”

“I don’t know how to start a bath,” said Jaekob.

“Neither do I,” said Lizette.

They continued to follow Fred.

“I’ll do that part. I trust you two know how to undress and dress yourselves?”

They both nodded when he looked at them.

“Good. That at least helps.” He stopped. “Here’s the bathroom. I’ll get you a washcloth and a towel to use. Who wants to go first?”

Neither kid said anything. He looked at them.

“Okay, Jaekob, how about you go first?”

“Okay.”

Fred handed the boy a washcloth and a towel. Fred started to fill the bathtub with water. He set some soap and shampoo out on the edge of the tub. He stepped out of the bathroom. “Okay, we’re going to give you some privacy. Call me, if there’s a problem. Please scrub well.”

Jaekob nodded. He stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door. Lizette stood with her uncle in the hallway.

“Uncle Freddie, how did you know we were in trouble?”

“Your mom sent me a distress call.”

“She did!”

“Yeah. I had to use scanners to figure out where you two were hiding. Then I had to move a lot of debris out of the way to get to you. You hid well.”

“We had to. The monsters would have gotten us.”

“Monsters? You mean the attackers?”

She nodded. “They were as big as you are. They bit us. But we ran and hid. We saw the adults were dead.”

“That’s a horrible thing for you to see.”

“Yes, it’s awful. Can I stay here with you?”

“Of course.”

“What about Jaekob?”

“I think he needs to be with his family.”

“He has grandparents.”

“Good. Then I’ll contact them. For now he can stay with us.”

“Good.”

“He’s a friend of yours?”

“Yes.”

Fred smiled. The bathroom door opened. Jaekob stepped out clean and dressed. He towed his suitcase behind him. Fred went in and drained the bathtub. He hung up the used towel and washcloth together. He rinsed out the tub and then filled it again. He made sure the soap and shampoo were still usable. He got out another washcloth and towel.

“Okay, it’s your turn, Lizette.” He stepped out of the bathroom.

She walked inside with her suitcase and closed the door. Jaekob looked up at Fred.

“Can I stay here?”

“Yes for now. Lizette tells me you have grandparents.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. I’ll contact them. I’m sure they will want to take you.”

“Okay. But until then I can stay here with you and Lizette?”

“Yes, of course.”

A few minutes later, Lizette came out of the bathroom clean and dressed. She towed her suitcase behind her. There were dirty clothes lying on the bathroom floor in two piles. Fred walked into the bathroom and hung up the towel and washcloth together. He left the clothes on the floor for now.

Chapter 15 Monsters!

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Raelina screamed. There was nowhere left to run. Dave and a few others were lying dead on the ground. She had no idea where her daughter was. The monsters were moving too fast for her and the other survivors to see where they were from second to second.

Hal ran towards her. He grabbed her without any warning and ran off with her. Soon he found the two of them a safe hiding space.

“Hal?”

“Yes, Raelina?”

“We’ve got to find Lizette.”

“I know. I haven’t seen her.”

“What about Dr. Asimov?”

“Dead.” He paused. “What about Dave?”

“Dead.” She cried.

He sighed. He used his tablet computer to scan for the others. “It looks like both Lizette and Jaekob are still alive.”

“Where are they?” She looked at the tablet screen.

“I’m not sure about his parents.”

“The poor kids.”

“It looks like they’re hiding together.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Who are our attackers?”

“I don’t know. I’d say they are monsters. They’ve attacked some of your people as well.”

“I know. I saw their bodies.”

They said no more. Both were thinking of how to get to the children safely and get them all out of the area. But the attackers had other ideas. Hal could still sense one of the monsters a bit too close to him and Raelina. Once again he didn’t give her any warning. He put his tablet away.

He grabbed her and ran off with her. This time she didn’t protest. She knew Hal had her and would carry her to safety. But she bit her lip thinking about the two five years olds by themselves with the monsters coming after them.

She had no idea how long they had been running. Then suddenly, the monsters jumped in front of them. Hal and Raelina stopped running. They turned to see more pale monsters jumping in front of them. It didn’t take long before they were surrounded.

The pale monsters bared their fangs. Raelina screamed. Hal gasped. The pale monsters attacked. Raelina laid on the ground not moving. Hal was still standing fighting off the last of the pale monsters. Then just as quick as they had come, the pale monsters disappeared and left Hal standing by himself.

His clothing was torn and his hair was a mess. He saw Raelina on the ground. He got down beside her to check for a pulse. He scanned her. His mouth gaped open. He had failed to save her.

*******************

Jaekob and Lizette were shivering. They tried to be quiet and not cry. The monsters would find them just like they had found the adults. Neither weren’t sure if their parents were still alive. All the two kids knew was that they had each other. They had to avoid the monsters as best as they could.

Fortunately, the two five years olds were small. They could crawl and hide into places where the monsters couldn’t follow them. But the kids had already been attacked. They were wounded, but they had not seemed to notice. The kids had of course seen some of the dead bodies. The adults they had known their whole lives.

Now the two five years olds were by themselves. They were on their own. They had no idea of the time. Only that they were getting hungry. They had no idea of where to find food. Besides the monsters were still out there. The kids didn’t talk. They just stayed together in their hidden place.

Not too far away the kids could still hear the adults screaming. The kids stayed where they were. They didn’t even know if they would be rescued or even found where they were. They huddled together and shook terribly. There was nothing more they could do.

Silence prevailed after a time. The kids were exhausted. Still scared and alone. Eventually, they fell asleep by themselves. They were completely unaware about what was going on in the world outside of their hiding place.

Chapter 14 Fred Returns to Earth

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“Starfire, prepare for departure.”

“Preparing flight pattern,” answered Starfire. She sat down and strapped herself into the co-pilot’s seat.

Fred sat down and strapped himself into the pilot’s seat.

“Which drive?” asked Starlover.

“Adams Improbability.”

“Sorry, that drive is offline.”

“What?”

“Pick another drive.”

“Okay. The Heinlein Irrelevancy Drive.”

“Working. Prepare for takeoff.”

“Starlover, you are clear to leave the airfield.”

“Thank you,” said Fred.

“The Heinlein Irrelevancy Drive is now offline.”

“Oh, come on!”

“The drives need to be repaired.”

“We don’t have time.”

“We still have two left.”

“Okay, warp drive.”

Starlover lifted the ship off the airfield. It took some time, but soon they were free of Venus’ gravitational pull.

“Warp drive is now offline.”

“Then give me hyperdrive!”

“Initiating.”

Starfire frowned. She saw the readings. She facepalmed herself.

“Hyperdrive is now offline,” said Starlover as calm as ever.

“Damn! Then give us whatever we have. What’s wrong with the drives?”

“Checking.” Starlover displayed on screen what was wrong.

“Oh, shit. We need parts.”

“Are we going to make it in time?”

“How should I know? I just hope my brother and everyone else can fight. Someone please be alive when we get there. Don’t let Project Earth die like this!” He shook his fist towards the ceiling.

Starfire reviewed the data. “Fred, I think we can repair the Adams’ Improbability Drive. We have those parts on hand.”

“We do?”

“Yes.”

“Then we should just fix it. Otherwise it will take us three months to get to Earth.”

They unstrapped themselves and went to the repair station to get tools and the parts they needed. It was the first time they had to repair one of the drives. Fred had made easy access points in case anything were to ever go wrong. He knew when he was building his spaceship that things could and would go wrong no matter if the parts were scrap or brand new.

He and Starfire didn’t have much trouble reaching the drive and replacing the parts. When they were done, he was closing up the access point.

Starlover said, “The Adams Improbability Drive is now back online.”

“Engage! We’ve got to get to Earth now!”

“Turning on drive now.”

There was a little bit of jolt. Fred fell with his back against one of the walls. Starfire fell into him with her back to him. He put his arms around her waist.

“Fred, are you alright?” asked Starfire.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not everyday a beautiful woman falls into me.”

The android raised an eyebrow and turned her head to try to see him better. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Oh, I hope that’s okay.”

She smiled. “I have notes that you really like women from Hal.”

He tried to look innocent. “I try to make sure I have permission. I don’t force any woman to do anything with me.”

“That’s good. I have notes of some bad ways that women can be treated.”

“Hal gave you that information?”

“He thinks I should know in case I meet anyone who mistakes me for an earth nymph woman.”

“Good. You do need to know those things.”

“Hal also noted that I should be able to tell you when you cross a line with me that I don’t want you to.”

“Yeah, do tell me.”

“I will.”

He let go of her. They went back to the bridge for the remainder of the journey. The spaceship was fine the rest of the trip.

But Fred was another story. He worried about his brother. His sister-in-law. His niece. Dr. Asimov. Hal. Fred closed his eyes. He hoped they could defend themselves from the mysterious attackers. But Raelina looked absolutely terrified when she was contacting him. Then there was the fact that someone, a shadowy figure, had cut the call.

“Fred?”

“Yes, Starfire?”

“What are you thinking?”

They went into their silent communication.

“I’m worried about my family. Who cut the connection on her end? It was probably one of the mysterious attackers.”

“You must be fond of her. Or else I wouldn’t look like her.”

“What? Oh…” He mentally sighed. “But she wanted someone monogamous. My brother is better for her.”

“You just accepted that?”

“Yeah. There’s no reason to argue with her on that. I couldn’t stand to break her heart.”

“So you must truly love her. Do you love all the women you play with?”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t understand it myself. I don’t think I could explain it to you.”

“I’m not sure there are other humans who understand such things.”

“Have you been researching us?”

“Yes, Starlover and I are studying your social media and whatever else we can get our cyber hands on. You’re quite a varied lot.”

Fred laughed out loud.

Chapter 13 S.O.S.

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Raelina ran as fast as she could. She found a computer console. Soon she was attempting to contact Fred. He was her only hope.

“Come on, answer me, Fred!”

She waited. Her eyes darted around the room. There was nowhere to hide. They would find her sooner or later.

Starlover answered the call. “I’m sorry, Fred is out at the moment, but I can take a message.”

“What? Tell him it’s important. This is Raelina, his sister-in-law. Project Earth is under attack! We don’t know who they are or what they want. They refuse to talk to us. But people are getting attacked. Sometimes all we find is their dead bodies. We can’t defend ourselves. Fred, come save us! Your niece needs you. Please. Help us!”

She cried and the connection was cut by someone else who was hiding near her. Starlover had recorded the message. Soon Starfire saw it and wondered who Raelina was. She looked too familiar to Starfire. The android found a mirror and wondered why she looked a lot like Raelina, Fred’s sister-in-law. But the android had to wait for Fred to return from his date to ask him.

“Starlover, are we too faraway to try to get a hold of Hal?”

“No. Humans have created network access throughout the solar system for everyone.”

“Good. Hal? Can you hear me?”

“Starfire? This isn’t a good time. We’re under attack.”

“Starlover just got a distress call from Raelina. Starlover recorded it, but the call was cut from her end. What is happening?”

“Some people are attacking us. I don’t know who they are. I just keep finding dead bodies. Dr. Asimov is dead.”

Starfire gasped. “He created you!”

“Yes, he’s dead.”

“How many are still alive?”

“I don’t know. I don’t understand why they aren’t attacking me. I’m trying to save the humans and earth nymphs here, but the attackers are too quick for me. I can’t see them until it’s too late and they’ve already gone.”

“I’m made to look like an earth nymph.”

“Yes.”

“I look like Raelina. Fred’s sister-in-law.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, no. And Fred is busy on a date. He doesn’t want us to bother him.”

“Oh… He’ll come here if he knows, but I don’t know that he can do any good. I feel so useless.”

“Hal, hang on. We’ll come as soon as we can.”

“Okay. I can’t stand the screaming. They’re so terrified. I just wish I knew who the attackers are and what to do about them.”

“Hang on, Hal. This is an emergency. We can keep this line open. Starlover, contact Fred! This is a red alert!”

Sirens blared on the ship.

Starlover spoke softly to Fred. “Fred, we have an emergency. We need you back on the ship.”

“What?” asked Fred. “I’m busy on my date. Can’t it wait?”

“The people of Project Earth are under attack. They’re dying!”

“Oh, shit.” He thought about Viki. “Alright, I’ll order the shuttle now. But I don’t know how long it will be before I reach the ship.”

“Acknowledged. We won’t leave without you.”

“Good.”

“Starfire, Fred will be here as soon as he can.”

“Did you get that, Hal?”

“Just hurry. I’ll see what I can do for the survivors.” He sighed mentally.

“Starlover? Can we do anything right now?”

“Just wait for Fred to show up.”

Starfire walked around the bridge. “How do humans stand waiting?”

“I’ve been checking their social media and the answer is: they don’t.”

“Oh!”

“They deal with waiting in different ways. Many are just so impatient that they yell at other humans.”

“Oh, dear.”

********************

Fred was enjoying himself. Then he got a message from Starlover. He blinked. He knew Viki wouldn’t have heard anything. He tried to pretend for her that he wasn’t having that little exchange with his spaceship’s computer. Viki had finished what she had promised him. They laid on the bed. He used his watch to contact a shuttle for immediate departure.

It would be another 15 minutes. “Damn.”

“What’s wrong? Did I do something?”

“No. I just have to get back to my ship as soon as possible.”

“Oh?”

“I’m sorry. It’s nothing you’ve done. You were wonderful.” He kissed her forehead. “I’d like to come back.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” He stood up and grabbed his clothes. He got dressed.

She slipped into a robe. He looked at her. He could see her sadness.

“Do you ever get to see your daughter?”

“Yes. I have an arrangement with the orphanage. I send money for her care. They let me visit her once a week.”

“Does she know who you are?”

“I haven’t told her. I don’t want to. I don’t want her to have to do what I do for a living.”

“Oh. I hear that.”

“I just hope she gets a chance to do something better with her life.”

“So do I.” His watched beeped. “My ride is here. I’ll contact you when I’m back on Venus.”

“Okay.”

Fred kissed her one more time. This time on her lips with all the passion he felt for her. He smiled and let go of her. He turned and walked out. Within five minutes he was on the shuttle. He tried to keep himself from saying anything to the pilot. He knew it would come out badly if he said anything at all.

He thought to Starlover and Starfire, “I’m on the shuttle. I’ll be on board soon, ladies.”

“Acknowledged,” both answered him inside his head.

Chapter 12 Starlover, Starfire, & Fred

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“What is it, Fred?” asked Starfire.

“I don’t know. I have an idea to get a computer chip imbedded in my brain so I can communicate faster and easier with you and Starlover, especially when someone else is around.”

“Would that be safe for you?”

“I think it’s possible. But I don’t know what kind of chip.”

“I can design one for you.”

“You can?”

“Yes. I can also install it in your brain.”

“Whoa. Then let’s get started on the design.”

They went to the repair station. They consulted Starlover for a proper chip and design. It took some time, but eventually, the chip was ready. It would give Fred the ability to talk to both Starlover and Starfire without speaking out loud. He would become the biological counterpart to them.

“Are you ready for me to install this chip?”

“Yeah. Let’s go to the medical bay.”

“Of course.”

It didn’t take them long to reach the medical bay. He laid down on the bed. She looked down on him. She turned on the bed’s scanning equipment.

“I need to give you an anesthetic. So, it’s time for you to sleep.” She gave him the shot before he could protest.

He closed his eyes and remembered nothing more until he woke up an hour later. The android was standing by watching him.

“How do you feel, Fred?”

“Groggy.”

“You should be fine in a few minutes.”

“I hope so.” He sat up. “What am I doing here?”

“You asked for a chip to be planted into your brain so you can communicate with me and Starlover without talking out loud.”

“Oh, I do remember thinking that’s what I wanted. But we designed it?”

“Yes. Starlover and I gave our input and helped you create one you can use. Why don’t you try it?”

“Oh.” He closed his mouth and thought, “Starlover, can you hear me?”

“Yes,” he could hear inside his head and not through the speakers.

He tried again. “Starfire, can you hear me?”

“Yes, Fred.” Again he heard the answer inside his head. “Wow!” he said out loud. “Will this work when I’m off the ship?”

Inside his head he heard both Starlover and Starfire. “Of course. It’s similar to our hardware which allows us to communicate wirelessly.”

“Okay,” he answered in his head. He paused. He went on with the silent communication. “I have a date.” He checked his watch. “Oh, I better get going.” He requested a shuttle.

He left the ship a few minutes later. The shuttle was there and soon he was off to Aphrodite. He was looking forward to this date even though he was essentially paying her for services. He didn’t care. She had seemed sad when they had met. But she was working. Fred respected that. He had heard from some other guys that she was good.

So he had approached her and set up a time to have some fun. He was almost late. But he was able to walk quickly to the place. He had just barely made it on time. He checked in at the front desk. She came down within a few minutes.

“Hello, Fred. I’m Viki. This way to my room.”

He followed her. In his head he heard Starfire talking. “Oh, what are you going to do with her?”

“It’s just a little bit of fun. Will you leave me alone for a little while?” he answered back silently.

“Okay.” Starfire was silent.

He smiled. She ushered him into her private room. He saw the massage table and the oils. He also saw the large bathtub and a large bed. He nodded. “This looks good.”

“Would you like to start with the massage?”

“Yes.”

“You can step behind the screen and change into a robe.”

He stepped behind the designated screen. He took off his clothes and slipped on the robe. He came out and laid down on the massage table. She started and kneaded his muscles. She used oils. He decided she was as good as they said.

“Did I already pay for the works from you?”

“Yes. And thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You’re doing a great job already.”

“But you are helping my daughter.”

“You have a daughter?”

“Yes, it was an accident. By the time I realized I was pregnant, he was gone to who knows where those military guys go.”

“Would he care to see his own daughter?”

“No, it’s better that he doesn’t know.”

Fred heard the catch in her voice. He said nothing out of politeness.

“I had to send her to an orphanage.”

“How old is she?”

“Four years old.”

“I have a niece who’s five.”

“Oh? Have you seen her?”

“Yeah, via a screen. She was born after I built my spaceship. I’ve been traveling around the solar system for quite some time now.”

“How many people on your ship?”

“Just me.”

“You must get lonely.”

“That’s why I called you.”

She chuckled. “That’s what many of my clients say.”

“Well, you are as good as they say.”

“I’ve just started.”

“Oh, you mean it could get better from here on out?”

“I’ll do my best.”

He smiled.

Chapter 10 Notes from the Kuiper Belt

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

As they were nearing Orcus, Starlover gave them a few different angles to view the planet. They were a long way from the sun. Dello was sitting next to Fred. Dello watched the screens and did nothing else. Fred watched the screen and checked the instruments. It was his first spaceship landing. But not the first landing he had ever done. He had landed shuttles plenty of times. This was just a larger vehicle. It required more space.

But they had that on Orcus. Fred landed the ship safely. He and Dello walked to the airlock. Through the window they could see two people extending a tunnel from the biodome to the spaceship. Once the tunnel was connected, Fred opened the airlock. The two people walked back a little ways down the tunnel to stand with the rest of the welcoming committee.

Della smiled. “Welcome to Orcus, boys.”

Fred smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ladies.” He bowed and saw Teo. “Oh! and good to see you too, kind sir.”

Teo chuckled.

Dello smiled. “Hello, everyone.”

They all walked back to the square with Della leading the way. Once they got there, Lila set Kim down. Kim ran around and danced. The adults laughed. Della soon introduced everyone. Fred saw Dello say something privately to Della.

Soon everyone was chatting and getting to know the first visitors. Their reputations were scrutinized, but appreciated by the twins and Della. The others just shook their heads. The twins didn’t waste time making plans with Fred. Dello didn’t want to join. He said he had already made plans. The twins took Fred by the hand and led him away from the square.

They took him inside their personal house. He saw the huge bed in the center of the room. He smiled. It was the first time he had enjoyed a pair of twins.

************************

“Dello!”

“Hi, Fred.”

“So, you sticking around?”

“Yes. You can go. Thanks for the lift. I just need to get my stuff.”

“Sure, no problem. It was great having you aboard.”

“I enjoyed my trip. You’re a good host.”

“But I bet Della was even better.”

Dello laughed. “Well, there’s no competition there.”

They boarded the ship. Dello grabbed his already packed bag.

“You staying long?”

“No, I think I want to go exploring the solar system now.”

“You should say goodbye to everyone.”

“Alright, I’ll do that. Let’s go.”

They left the ship and walked back to the main square of the capital. The amazons were standing around. Even the children were out playing together. Della smiled at both Dello and Fred.

“Are you staying or leaving, boys?” asked Della.

“I’m staying, if you don’t mind,” said Dello.

“Good. I want you to stay. Fred?”

“I’ll be taking my leave of you all. It’s been fun. I’m impressed by the work you’ve done to build this colony.”

“Thank you. We all worked hard.”

“Joeni and Jaena, that was great. We might have to have a repeat if we see each other again.”

The twins smiled and blew him kisses as they waved goodbye. Fred bowed to everyone present and said goodbye. He turned and walked through the tunnel to his ship. He closed the airlock. He waited for two people to detach the tunnel and take it back to their biodome. He waved to them. Turned and went to the bridge.

“Time for takeoff, ladies.”

“Acknowledged,” both Starfire and Starlover said at the same time.

“Where to, Fred?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Let’s just fly around the Kuiper Belt. I’m sure we can handle being in space for quite some time.”

Starlover said, “Of course we can. I also turn on the artificial gravity just for you so you don’t have to float everywhere.”

“I never thought about that…”

“There are a lot of things you don’t think about. But you’re still new to this. You have me and Starfire to help you out.”

“Yes, I do.” He strapped himself in. “Are we ready for takeoff?”

“Yes.” Starlover counted down.

The ship lifted up in the sky. Soon a field of black full of stars filled the viewscreen. Fred smiled. He had looked forward to sights like these for quite some time. He didn’t engage any of the faster than light speed drives. He just wanted to fly for a bit and look at the stars. He saw Orcus get smaller. It seemed to take forever for it to completely disappear.

He spent hours just sitting in the pilot’s seat flying aimlessly. He knew Starlover and Starfire would take over if they thought there was any danger. But for now, he could just fly the ship wherever and be fine. The view was spectacular. He kept at it for hours. Until he was hungry. Then he let Starlover take over the controls so he could go eat in his kitchen.