Alone in Paradise (The Chronicles of Anna Foster Book 2) Read online

  “That is correct.”

  The blonde cocked an eyebrow. “Focus on the pyramid and take the sensors log back to a couple of minutes before it appeared.”

  Within an instant, the image changed to a zoomed display of the area. A smaller signature replaced the larger one, positioned near the edge of where it had appeared on the holographic panel.

  “Play back the logs at normal speed.”

  Kate complied with no visible effort, and the sensors displayed two smaller signatures separating from the larger one and moving toward the location of the pyramid.

  Anna’s jaw dropped open as she observed the two converge on the aging structure. Several seconds passed by before the energy spike appeared and blotted out the multiple signals.

  Anna dashed to the back part of the ship. “Tell Seventeen to meet me up top.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going back to the pyramid.”

  “Again?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  Anna emerged through the door, tool belt hanging over her shoulder. “Somebody’s there.”

  * * * * *

  Anna jogged along the river bank toward the ruins, resisting the urge to break out into a full run. She had instructed Seventeen to drop her off about a kilometer downstream from the pyramid to give her a chance to sneak in and discover the mysterious visitors without giving her presence away. Her clothes, still wet from being cleaned, clung to her body like a second layer of skin, even though the flight had dried them a little. She’d only had time to throw on the T-shirt and pants before the drone arrived to pick her up, so she’d had to wait until they landed to put her boots on her bare feet. The wind during the flight chilled her skin, despite the warm sunlight filtering through the trees.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Kate had asked. “We do not know what they are capable of.”

  Anna had shouted over the wind. “I don’t believe they’re going to hurt me.”

  “They could, Anna. We do not know what happened to you during that month you were gone. Who is to say that they will not do it again.”

  “I have to take that chance, Kate. I have to take this opportunity to at least see who they are, so I know a little bit about who I’m dealing with.”

  “Still, I am not so sure that boldly charging in to meet an unknown being is a wise course of action.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Let us look at what we do know about them. During your survey of the moon, you found no signs of civilization on the surface. You have been here for over two Earth months and you have found no other signs of any kind of civilization except the pyramid. The mining station where you lived before had been in the star system for over one hundred years and received regular space traffic during that time, and not once was any kind of message or form of contact received from them during that time.”

  “What are you implying, Kate?”

  “They do not want to be contacted.”

  Anna thought about it. Her evidence was correct, and all of it pointed to that conclusion. If these are indeed the native species to this moon and they are truly xenophobic, then she may be running into a hostile situation and putting her life in jeopardy once again. Besides, the pictures she’d seen inside the pyramid did show them with spears and other lethal weapons. But, why would they have healed her, when she almost died in the caves? They could have left her to die without a second thought. That is, if they were the ones who’d found and helped her.

  “I understand, Kate. But, I have to know. I promise I won’t make any contact until I know it’s safe.”

  “Please be careful. Shall I continue to watch you, just in case?”

  “Yes, I would appreciate that.”

  Seventeen had touched down at Anna’s predetermined location at that point.

  Several minutes later, Anna slowed her pace and steadied her breathing as she drew closer. Reaching the bank by the site, she paused for a few seconds and stepped into the woods, making sure to not make any extra noise.

  Reaching the wall, Anna dropped prone. She pulled out the binoculars she’d grabbed from the ship’s locker and spied the area.

  The first and most obvious thing she found was a vehicle parked a half-dozen meters away from the bottom of the pyramid’s stairs. Made from what looked to be a shiny, silver metal, the transport was no more than six or seven meters long, with a two-seat cockpit at the very front and a large, enclosed cargo area in the back. The cockpit was different from anything Anna had seen before, as the seats were nothing more than stools. The wall behind the stools hosted a number of monitors and controls.

  “What an odd place to put those,” Anna muttered.

  Several minutes passed with her waiting just outside the compound for any sign of the visitors. She grew more impatient with each passing, and found it difficult to just lie and wait. She wanted to rush in and look over the vehicle; its mere presence tantalized her curiosity. Her eyes darted between various locations, searching for any sign of the craft’s missing owners. She could wait no longer. Surveying the area again, and confirming the coast was clear, she planted her feet underneath her and prepared to sprint for the transport.

  At that second, movement at the top of the pyramid caught her attention. She dropped back to the dirt and aimed her binoculars at the visitors exiting the rooftop chamber. The two beings at first glance fit into what Anna knew about the moon’s ecosystem, their most noticeable feature being their three arms and three legs positioned equally around their barrel-like body. The head, if it could be called that, appeared to be not much more than a large lump on top of the torso. She could see an eye facing the direction they moved, and maybe part of another over or between what would be their shoulders. What looked to be a mouth was at the very top of their heads, and they moved as if they were communicating.

  They each wore utilitarian clothing. The first one, which appeared to be a bit more physically fit than the other, wore khaki-colored pants and a thick harness that held an assortment of gadgets. The other one, draped in a faded blue robe of some sort, followed a few steps behind, gesturing with its hand.

  With her eyes glued to the pair as they reached the ground and stepped toward their vehicle, Anna knew these must be of the species that had built the pyramid. She dared not move for fear of giving herself away.

  The pair strode to the vehicle, pulled some handheld item from the back storage area, and returned to the top of the pyramid, disappearing into the dark room.

  Anna watched them enter the old building. Once they were out of sight, she counted to ten under her breath and, as soon as she said the last number, lunged forward and raced toward the alien conveyance. Her footfalls pounded in her ears, seeming to grow louder as she approached her target. Visions of the other two walking out and discovering her flooded her mind and fueled her fears, enticing her to turn tail and run back into the woods. Fighting against the natural urge to flee, she pushed on.

  Seconds later Anna screeched to a halt, almost stumbling into the cockpit. She glanced at the top of the pyramid for a brief second before directing her eyes toward the dashboard. The occupancy on what would be the port side hosted a control wheel and a myriad of screens, readouts, and meters, both in front of and behind the seat, showing information in a language she couldn’t begin to fathom. The area on the starboard side featured fewer items. The only ones that were at least recognizable were a small mirror embedded in the wall behind the seat and a button that she believed would open a small compartment in the forward panel.

  The sound of voices reached her ears, alerting her they were returning. Knowing she had stayed out of hiding for too long, Anna rapidly looked around her for somewhere to hide. Under the transport? No. In the back of the vehicle? No. Maybe one of the buildings? There. She needed to move only a few meters. Anna sprinted toward the building.

  Ducking through the doorway, she flattened herself against the wall to the side and held her breath. She
listened for the voices, but couldn’t hear them. In fact, she didn’t hear anything but the wind and birds far in the distance.

  Did they hear my retreat? Are they sneaking up on me now? She knew she would risk giving her position away by looking.

  Despite her misgivings, Anna slowly turned her body and peered around the corner.

  Chapter 18

  Anna saw the being wearing the blue robe first, standing next to the side of the vehicle closest to her. She couldn’t see the one wearing the harness, but figured it wouldn’t be very far away. She assumed she hadn’t been seen until the robed one waved one of its three hands at her. It was then she realized one of its eyes was staring straight at her.

  Cursing herself, she cringed, but stayed behind the wall. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she poked her head out a little more and glanced around, locating the larger one on the other side of the vehicle, staring at her through the openings. On instinct, she ducked back behind the wall.

  “Wan!” The one wearing the robe called to her with a melodic voice, which unnerved Anna. Sounds of running elevated her fears, and she drew her pistol. Her heart raced. She wanted to make a break for the woods, but she would have no cover.

  Despite the pounding of her heart in her ears, Anna heard whispering, barely audible over the breeze blowing through the building in which she stood. From what she could hear, the larger being’s voice was deeper and gruffer than the smaller one’s lyrical voice.

  Several seconds passed with neither Anna nor the others making any kind of move. The whispering had ceased, and she heard no movement outside. She gripped her pistol tighter and prayed for a miracle.

  “Gatal?” The smaller being’s voice sounded more like that of an older child than a non-human. Its tone was more curious than hostile, and she wondered if they were going to attack.

  “Gatal?”

  Perhaps at least one of them doesn’t want to kill me. Then again, they could just be trying to lure me out. She had no choice; she would have to look. She craned her neck and peeked through the doorway. Both now stood by the vehicle’s cockpit, the larger one next to the one wearing the robe. She breathed a sigh of relief and stared at the pair as they stared back.

  The shorter one waved its hand toward her. “Gatal! Ta monshamos va.”

  Anna hesitated before standing in the doorway. “H…hello.”

  “Tanso fretick.” It placed its hand on its torso, then on its partner. “A tansa bron.”

  It pointed at her. “Tansas?”

  The way it spoke to her put her at ease, and she lowered her hand. She still wasn’t sure of the taller one. Perhaps it waited for some word from the other to attack. Then again, wouldn’t they have attacked by now if they wanted her dead?

  At that second, Anna realized she still held her pistol aimed toward them. With slow and precise movements, she held her free hand in front of her and moved her other arm back, intending to holster the gun. The larger being reached for something on its harness. Anna, reacting on instinct, whipped the weapon back into position again and took a step backwards. Both natives raised each of their three empty hands into the air as if on instinct.

  “Bron,” the shorter one said in a low volume. “Crav el hartan vas. Ta kamas salan mars.”

  The taller one grunted, but made no other moves.

  The one in the robe, who Anna now believed to be the leader, said, “Malas, avo el hartan. Ta monshamos va.”

  She studied them for several seconds before returning her pistol to its pouch. Once she let go of the handle, they appeared to relax.

  The leader said, “Dranta. Argontamos. Ta monshamos va, en welemos ama va. Tansas?”

  Anna frowned. Considering its first words, she surmised it was asking for her name. She placed her hand on her chest. “Anna. My name is Anna.”

  “An, na.”

  She nodded and noticed its mouth stretched tight.

  Again, it placed a three-fingered, two-thumbed hand on its torso below its shoulder. “Freh, tick. Fretick.”

  Anna pointed at the shorter one. “Fretick.”

  “Set!”

  The leader, whose name she figured to be Fretick, placed its hand on the other’s chest torso between two of its arms. “Bron.”

  She pointed at the larger one. “Bron.”

  “Set! Set!”

  Anna affirmed what she had just learned and pointed at each one in turn. “Fretick and Bron.”

  Fretick pointed back. “Anna.”

  “Yes.” She smiled, and Fretick’s mouth became tight-lipped again.

  Anna extended her hand, and took a few cautious steps toward them. Fretick and Bron raised their hands in the air again. Her smile disappeared, until she realized her action resembled what she did while holding her pistol.

  “Oh, no!” She laughed, holding up her hands to show they were empty. “This is a greeting.”

  She held both of her hands in front of her and grabbed them, demonstrating what she was trying to accomplish. Then, she pointed to Fretick’s hand and held hers out again. It blinked a couple of times before closing the gap between them, reaching out with its hand as well. With a gentle touch, Anna grasped its hand and moved their clasped hands up and down in a slow handshake, smiling as she did. Bron stepped forward and thrust its hand toward Anna with a soft grunt. Anna stared at the hand, unsure whether to follow through.

  “Ta monsha Bron va.”

  Hoping Fretick said Bron would not hurt her, she stretched her hand toward the larger one, whose hand engulfed hers and moved her whole arm up and down. After a few pumps, Anna wriggled her hand free from its grip, prompting something that sounded like laughter from Fretick.

  “Argonto,” Fretick stated. “Hamano Bronsa mars.”

  Anna massaged her hand, attempting to dissipate the pins-and-needles, and gave an awkward smile. Judging from Fretick’s response, she figured its partner didn’t intend any harm. Perhaps Bron doesn’t know its own strength.

  Suddenly, an authoritative voice came from within the cockpit of the vehicle. Their radio. But, the sound quality was so clear that it sounded like the person was sitting right there.

  “Fretick, shol cavan vad?”

  Fretick’s eyes narrowed, and it breathed…sighed? It turned its feet toward their vehicle and walked to it. From her angle, Anna could see Fretick had three eyes around its head, much like the other creatures she had encountered.

  Fretick touched something on the dashboard. “Gatal lipshin. Ta rolamos. Argontamos. Welamos ama el sagadul.”

  “Sharan vasa ama el sagadul! Nelamos.”

  “Thal krit?”

  “Bik nathal.”

  A soft bleep told Anna the other being ended the call. Fretick sighed and pressed the switch on the dashboard.

  “Maras, Anna. Doras avir.” Fretick sounded anxious or stressed.

  Recognizing her name, Anna blinked and cocked her head. “What? I’m sorry. I don’t understand…”

  Bron intervened by pointing to the pyramid. “Maras! Maras!”

  Anna, believing she understood, ran toward the pyramid and up the stairs. Reaching the top, she stopped and turned to look at the two on the ground below. Bron handed one of the devices from its harness to its partner, who pointed it at the pyramid and pressed a button. A second later, she heard a soft pop on either side of her. She looked around for the source of the noise, but found nothing. Suspecting the obelisks had just activated again, she stepped toward one of them to examine it further.

  “Anna!” Glancing toward the vehicle, she saw Fretick wave her toward the doorway. “Maras!”

  Leaving the obelisk behind, Anna ducked into the chamber and sat against the back wall, waiting in silence.

  A short time later she heard a soft, high-pitched whine that grew louder over the next several seconds. Peeking outside, she saw another vehicle land several meters beyond where Fretick and Bron stood behind their transport. Two more beings stepped out of the cockpit and moved toward the pyramid. Fretick interc
epted them, waving its arms and yelling something. Bron rushed to keep up.

  The conversation that ensued between the four creatures sounded much like an argument to Anna. The newcomers, wearing a harness and pants similar to Bron’s, yelled a lot and pointed fingers at Anna’s new friends and the pyramid. Fretick and Bron sounded as if they were doing everything in their power to keep the others away from the structure. A few minutes later the newcomers returned to their craft, while Fretick and Bron returned to theirs. Within seconds, they lifted off and sped in a direction away from Anna’s ship.

  Waiting a few moments after the sounds of the crafts had faded, Anna peered out and surveyed the area. She was alone. She felt bad for Fretick and Bron, as it appeared they’d been ordered to leave.

  With a visual sweep of the area, Anna descended the stairs and stepped clear of the pyramid, just in case the energy field was active. She pulled up the holographic screen of her wristcomp and, finding it in proper working order, called Kate.

  “Send Seventeen to pick me up. I have some interesting news for you when I get back.”

  * * * * *

  “Are you serious?” Kate slapped her hand to her forehead and stared at Anna with widened eyes.

  Anna nodded emphatically. “Yep! I actually got to talk with them…sort of.”

  “Can you describe how they looked?”

  “Well, they were taller than me, probably standing about two meters tall, and that was the smaller of the two. The bigger one was probably another half-meter taller. They were barrel-shaped, and had three arms and three legs. They had eyes all around, like the animals, and their mouths were on top of their head…well, what you could conceivably call a head. It was more like a large lump on top of their torso. They had pinkish skin that looked a lot like a human’s.”

  Kate, looking lost in thought as she listened, stood with her arms crossed, while Anna spoke. She waited a few seconds after Anna had finished, then asked, “Did they look anything like this?”

  Another hologram appeared in the middle of the bridge that looked strikingly similar to Bron, but with gray skin and not wearing any clothing.