Collected (Selected Book 1) Read online

  After that, I don't think I slept, but I certainly lost all track of time.

  But then the dolphin came to the surface and slowly swam towards a beach. As we drew closer, I could see Doctor Gavins standing on the beach, waiting for me. And then the image faded to black. The chair withdrew around me, first my face and upper body, and I could see again.

  The doctor and Rita were standing on either side of the chair, watching me. I smiled at them.

  "Can I do that again sometime?"

  They both grinned. "I told you," Rita said. "The dolphins are best the first time, but I really like it when I'm an eagle."

  "Oh, that might have been too much," I said. I looked down. I was still heavily encased in the chair. "It's still eating me."

  The doctor nodded. "Some people come out of it a little distraught. We wanted to be sure." Then, slowly, the chair partially withdrew, and I felt a little said. It had felt nice. Comforting. I sighed.

  "I know," the doctor said. "I told you. Best place to sleep."

  "Still scared?" asked Rita.

  "No. Is this part done?"

  "All done. I'm going to sit you up and tell you what we've learned."

  And so I nodded. The chair straightened into an upright position. The doctor took her stool and Rita returned to her chair, but she reached over and took my hand again. That felt nice.

  But I glanced at her hand. "Is there bad news?"

  "No," the doctor said. "You already know about your vision. Your blood sugar is a little low, but I bet you didn't eat today?"

  "I was nervous."

  "Rita is going to take you for a bite," the doctor said. "You're in great shape, physically. You could afford to get a little more exercise."

  I looked down, a little embarrassed. "I know. I'm new in my career, and I want to excel. I've let other priorities slide."

  "I'm not here to tell you how to live your life," she replied. "But please think about your decisions. Decide what's important and then make room in your life for the things that matter." And so I nodded understanding, if not quite agreement.

  "How did you break your wrist?"

  "Skateboarding," I said.

  "You were in your early teens?"

  "Twelve."

  The doctor nodded. "It healed well, but barring improvements in modern medicine, you could find yourself subject to repetitive stress syndrome in your left wrist."

  "Was that a joke?" I asked, gesturing to the chair.

  She laughed. "No, but the federation is making us earn advances the hard way, through good, solid research, and I don't know how quickly we'll see these types of improvements."

  "They could just give us whatever we need."

  "They could, but they don't," she replied. "How would you like to be a medical researcher with no job? They help us to accelerate some of our learning, but they want us to know how to learn. So they only offer nudges and hints."

  "Except for dementia."

  "Yes. Except for dementia. Other than what I've said, you're in good condition. We refreshed your vaccines, so you're up to date on absolutely everything."

  "Even malaria?"

  She smiled. "If you decide to visit the tropics, you'll want to visit a doctor first."

  The chair still hadn't fully released me. My arms, legs, and waist were still encased, although my hands were free. I glanced down at my body then back at the doctor.

  "Is there more?"

  "Yes." She paused. "You may be genetically predisposed to breast cancer."

  I looked down then asked in a quiet voice. "Are you telling me I have cancer?"

  "No. Other than the things I've already mentioned, you're perfectly healthy. But your chance of breast cancer are somewhat higher than average. I can't say you will definitely get cancer, but you need to do monthly self-exams and annual physicals. At the first sign of a change, go see your normal doctor. Do you need someone to teach you how to perform your own exams?"

  "No. An aunt died of cancer, and my mother insisted on taking me to the doctor herself and wouldn't leave until she was sure I knew what to do."

  "I'm sorry for your loss," said Doctor Gavins, "but I'm glad you took the offered lesson."

  I looked down at the chair, still holding me. "It seems like if the aliens wanted to truly help us, they'd give a few of these chairs to every medical clinic. They let you sleep in it, but how many lives could be saved if they shared this with us."

  "It would seem like that," the doctor said gently. "I've talked to the director of this facility about that very thing. She expressed personal sorrow but was unyielding. She assured me they have their reasons for how they do what they do and strongly suggested I accept them."

  "She threatened to fire you?"

  "No, I don't think so. But the aliens can be exceedingly pragmatic. They don't necessarily think the same way we do." She paused. "I'll give you one reason, but I'm sure it's not the only one."

  "Oh?"

  "This chair is a perk of the job." She gestured at the chair. "Rita's eyes are another perk."

  "That's petty."

  "It's not the only reason they are withholding this from society at large. I'm sure of that."

  "So if someone wants a job?"

  "There's no application process. If they want to hire you, they offer you a job after your testing. You get one chance."

  "That seems cold."

  "Yes, it does," she agreed.

  I sighed. "Are you giving me more attention than anyone else gets?"

  "Some move through more quickly, but you haven't been singled out, Ms. Fletcher. If you ask your friends who have been through this process, you will see we don't rush you. We're told to take the time it takes."

  I nodded. "Thank you for explaining. Is there anything else?"

  "We'll forward the results of your exam to your regular clinic. They may call for a follow up, but as long as you see your physician regularly, they probably won't otherwise call. There's no reason at this time."

  I nodded once more.

  "Are you ready to be free of the chair?"

  "I wouldn't mind swimming with the dolphins some more, but if you're not offering, then I guess so."

  She smiled again, and Rita squeezed my hand. The doctor tapped her tablet, and the chair finished its withdrawal from the previously all-encompassing hug.

  * * * *

  Rita took my arm. We walked for several minutes. I was somewhat overwhelmed by everything. But finally we arrived at what appeared to be a deserted cafeteria.

  "Are there forty people in here?"

  She laughed. "Fifteen. Would you like to sit near the windows?"

  She gestured, and there was a wonderful view from the top of snow-covered mountains. I gaped at the view. Rita laughed again.

  "What do you see?"

  "A blank wall."

  "Too bad for you," I said. "It's beautiful."

  She tugged on my arm and led me to a small table, right next to the windows. I reached out and there was nothing there.

  "That's just so wrong," I said. I leaned my head this way and that, and the image was perfect, and my eyes were convinced I was only a foot from the windows with an amazing mountain scene before me. The wind was blowing -- I could see some of the snow blowing. And far below was a valley filled with pine trees and a tiny, picturesque village. Then from over our heads, someone in a hang glider flew past, and I almost fell out of the chair in surprise.

  Rita laughed again.

  "Not funny," I said. I watched as the hang glider moved into the wind. I expected him to descend down the mountain, but instead he rose higher into the air, turning back and forth to stay almost in one place, catching the rising currents.

  "Did you pick the mountain scene?" I asked.

  "Yeah. It's one of my favorites."

  "Thank you. It's beautiful."

  "You're welcome." She handed me a piece of paper, and I saw it was a simple menu. "We're not here for a full meal, just something light. A sandwich perhaps, or a sal
ad."

  "And so I'll pick what I want, and it will materialize before my eyes?"

  "If by materialize you mean will I take your order and then go retrieve it from the cooler? Yes. You'll stay here. If you promise to behave, I might let you have a bit of chocolate."

  "I'll behave." I reviewed the available choices. "Half sandwich and some fruit?"

  "We'll split something," she replied. We negotiated briefly, and then Rita climbed to her feet. I watched her walk away, but then she disappeared entirely. I took the hint and turned to look out the window.

  It grew dark outside, but then after a minute I could see again, and I was looking at a jungle scene. Then a tiger moved into view, took several steps straight towards me, and lifted his head to the air and roared.

  It would have been terribly frightening if I hadn't understood it was just some sort of computer-generated image.

  "Very funny, Rita!" I called out.

  The tiger moved forward, roared again, and then jumped up against the window. Again, I almost fell from my chair, but I held my place, barely. The cat and I stared into each other's eyes.

  And then it opened its mouth and stuck out its tongue, and I realized it wasn't an Earth tiger.

  Then the tiger made sounds, and I realized it was actually speaking. Words appeared in the air. "Greetings, Human."

  I stared. "Can you hear me?"

  The tiger lifted its head, roared briefly, then dropped its gaze back to mine. "Yes, and I can see you as well."

  "Are you-" I licked my lips. "Are you here in this room with me?"

  "No. I am on the ship near the planet you call Saturn."

  "This is an illusion. You're not really there."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Einstein would say something about faster than light communications."

  The tiger roared again, and I wondered if that was its equivalent of laughter. "Your Dr. Einstein was a brilliant, brilliant man, and even we have learned from him. But he didn't know everything."

  I cocked my head. "Can you read my mind?"

  "No. I am wearing a visor that is not all that different than the one you are wearing. It translates your words, and I read them just as you are reading my words."

  "Do you do this to everyone?"

  "The testing?"

  "Talking to them?"

  "No."

  "Why me?"

  "You responded well to the dolphins. I wanted to see how you would respond to me."

  "Is this what you really look like?"

  "Yes."

  "You're very beautiful."

  "Thank you. Do I frighten you?"

  "I believe I could be very frightened if you weren't two light hours away."

  "Not quite that far, but that's a fair point."

  "Are you as big as Amaryllis?"

  "I am about the size of your smilodons."

  "They're extinct."

  "I am not."

  "I have no idea how big they were."

  "My natural gait is on four feet, and in that way, I am about as tall as the tallest of your dogs, but far heavier. I weigh about what three or even four human men weigh. Tip to tail, I am nearly three meters long, if I stretch."

  I cocked my head. "What do you eat?"

  "Meat. Raw."

  "Can you eat the animals on Earth?"

  "Yes. But I would not hurt you, Sapphire Fletcher, even if we weren't so far apart."

  I stared for a while. I had so many questions. Finally I said, "No one else has mentioned meeting one of you."

  "It is rare, and I am going to ask a favor."

  "Oh?"

  "Don't tell."

  "Will you explain why not?"

  "I wish only for you to avoid the resulting jealousy."

  "Does Rita know you're talking to me?"

  "No. She only knows she's been delayed, but we can't talk all afternoon."

  "Oh." I sighed. "That's too bad."

  She offered another roar, then faced me again. "I might like that as well."

  "Do we have time for questions?"

  "I imagine you have many." She dropped from the window and paced back and forth for a moment then turned back to face me, her face appearing to be inches on the other side of the glass I knew wasn't even there. "I will offer something. I will grant you two answers. One may be personal and one impersonal. But in exchange, I wish something from you."

  "What?"

  "Agree to stay the second day."

  I stared for a moment. "I have a choice?"

  "You do."

  "You'll answer anything I ask?"

  "I may not answer completely, but yes."

  "Will you tell me why you want me to stay?"

  "You certainly have guessed we're studying you. We learn so much from each of you. I wish to study you more personally."

  "How do you do that from so far?"

  "The visor gives you experiences, and then we see your reactions." The words hung in the air for a minute, then fresh words appeared. "Some of the experiences are frightening, but the humans who work for us frequently ask to go through repeated testing. That should tell you something."

  "Will I come away with some sort of PTSD?"

  "That has happened, but it is rare, and I would not seek to hurt you, Sapphire Fletcher."

  I thought about it. "I'll do it."

  She offered a bow. "Thank you. Do you know what you wish to ask?"

  "You said something personal, so that means about you, and something impersonal. So that could be about science?"

  "Yes. I will tell you. I am a xenobiologist, not a physicist. But you are not a physicist, either, and I do not believe you would understand such advanced science."

  "Well then, I don't know what to ask about you. Can you tell me about yourself and maybe about your planet?"

  "Of course," she replied. "Let's start with my name." She offered a sort of growl. "Of course, you cannot produce such a sound, and you would not recognize my name against that of anyone else of my kind. But perhaps you could call me Moirai."

  "Moirai?"

  "Just so. It is from your ancient Greek mythology, a name for the Fates."

  I smiled. "A good name."

  She bowed her head briefly. "My species has, unlike yours, three genders. All three are required for procreation. We have a mechanism of eggs and sperm that is not dissimilar from yours, but the fertilized eggs are carried by the third gender until birth. But it is the egg-bearing gender that then nurses the young."

  "You are female?"

  "Yes. The females are the largest of the three genders; the males the smallest."

  "You're a xenobiologist."

  "Yes. I'm here to study humanity." She paused. "The visor will give you dreams tonight. That is when I will share more about my home."

  "I'll be one of you?"

  "Yes. Would you like that?"

  I smiled. "Yes. Very much."

  "I will tell you more then, but time is short now. For your second question?"

  I wasn't sure what to ask, but then a question just blurted out. "How stupid are we?"

  "Humans?" she asked. It was hard to tell, but I thought perhaps my question surprised her.

  "Yes. How stupid are humans?"

  "You aren't at all stupid," she said. "And individually, you can be quite mature. But as a species, you are incredibly immature. As a species, you do such terrible things to each other, such terrible things."

  I was immediately embarrassed for my species.

  "As individuals, you can be filled with such kindness and love, but fiercely protective of those who matter most to you. But look at what you were doing to your planet. Look at what you were doing to each other. There is such hate in your world, oftentimes for the most ridiculous of reasons, and just as often hate between people who should love each other above everything."

  She paced for a moment then turned back to the window. "We do not understand you. We do not understand how so many of you can know these things are wrong, but sti
ll you do so little to stop it. And we do not understand how you can be so short sighted much of the time. You were destroying your planet, and if we had not intervened, I do not know if anything would have been left alive a hundred of your years from now."

  "I'm sorry," I whispered. I felt tears welling inside the visor, but then one escaped and slipped down my cheek. I tried rubbing at my eyes, but the visor prevented it, not moving when I tried to remove it.

  Moirai said something, but my eyes were too blurry to read the words. But then I felt a soothing mist, and my vision cleared.

  "I'm sorry," said the words. "I was harsh."

  "You were honest," I said. "But I am ashamed."

  "There is hope," she said. "Mankind learns. Slowly."

  "Slowly."

  "We have prevented utter disaster. Your world grows cleaner. We removed all the radioactive material from Fukushima and cleansed the Pacific Ocean as much as we could. We have made an offer to clean some of the other disasters, but it will be some time before your short-sighted governments agree to our demands to do so."

  "Will you tell me of these demands?"

  "Maybe someday. Rita approaches. You will be my sister for a while tonight. Or perhaps you would prefer to experience the other genders."

  "I think your sister will be quite shocking enough. Thank you, Moirai."

  "Thank you, Sapphire Fletcher."

  And then the view out the window disappeared, to be replaced by the mountain scene. A moment later, Rita also appeared, carrying a tray of food. She appeared to not notice I'd just spent several minutes talking to one of the aliens.

  Moirai had asked me to say nothing, and so, I said nothing.

  * * * *

  Rita led me through the facility. We stopped outside a door, and she turned me to face her. "Where would you like to visit?"

  I laughed. "Mars."

  "Oh, pick something else," she said.

  "You can't do Mars?"

  "We can, but it's boring. Trust me."

  "Bora Bora?"

  "Oh, much better," she said. She held out her hand, and reflexively, I shook with her.

  "Are you leaving me?"

  "Yes. I've enjoyed spending time with you today, Sapphire."

  I glanced at the door behind her. "I'm supposed to go through that door."