Devotion (Chosen by the Karal #5)(18)
“Yes, I’ve travelled this way lots of times. It’s very safe and very stable.”
“So that line you told the control tower was a lie?” Tikki asked, her nerves disappearing. “I thought for a moment we really were in trouble and were going to get stuck on Earth.”
“No. I made it up. Our technology makes the wormholes very stable. Although it is stretched almost to its limit to connect our planets.”
She looked out of the window, seeing the stars in the distance and great towering clouds of gasses. Charlie was mesmerised, his eyes big saucers of wonder. “I bet you are the youngest human to ever travel through here, Charlie.”
“Big clouds and bright stars,” he murmured.
“Wow, I wish I had a camera to take pictures of it all.” Reja was just as awestruck as Charlie.
“This is not how we thought we would be spending our evening, was it, Reja?”
“No way. I thought we were going to sit around while you cried your heart out at letting this alien slip through your fingers.” Trust Reja to tell all her secrets.
“I’m glad you are here, Tikki,” Okil said, reading her mind. And when he placed his hand on her cheek and she felt the colours crossing from his skin to hers, she was glad too. More than glad: she was happy and excited, although extremely afraid of what the outcome would be.
However, when they crossed a star nursery, which Okil pointed out to them, she knew that this was an experience she would never forget, or regret, even if she was about to get sent straight back to Earth. Tension filled her body, as up ahead the wormhole opened up into normal space.
“The space station,” Okil said. “We have a plan. Reja you will go with Darl on to the station. He will take you to decon’. Once you are in there, he will distract the guards. At that point I will escort Tikki to a decon’ room and hopefully get you in there without anyone seeing Charlie.”
“And then?” Tikki asked.
“Then Darl and I will go through decon’. Afterwards, I will ask the guards to check something on the controls. Darl will get you back on the cruiser.”
“Sounds so simple. So they will know we are both there, but not Charlie.”
“Yes. Don’t worry, there are only ever two, maybe three, Karalians stationed there. We should only be docked for an hour.” Okil smiled reassuringly. “Charlie, I will need you to be very quiet.”
“He’s good at that, aren’t you, Charlie?” Tikki asked.
He nodded, not taking his eyes off the stars. In one hand, he held his teddy bear, in the other a fistful of toys. Sadly, these were his only worldly possessions, but as Tikki watched him, she was just happy they were no longer on Earth. No longer in imminent danger. Although when the space station loomed closer, she realised that was not exactly true.
Okil kissed her on the lips and then pressed his head against hers. Forehead to forehead, she could almost feel his thoughts. “I love you and no matter what, even if it means taking a cruiser and going to find a new life somewhere else, we will get through this.”
“I love you, Okil,” she said, kissing him lightly, oblivious to Reja beside her with tears streaming down her cheeks. “But I know how much you love Karal. I would never ask you to leave.”
“My home is where you are now, Tikki.” Then he added, “You and Charlie.”
Tikki turned and the little boy smiled and said, “Look after Tikki Mommy.”
“Yes, Charlie. We will.” He stood up. “Now we dock and we hope no one sees Charlie. Do you understand what you have to do, Charlie?”
Charlie put his fingers to his lips. “Shh. Be very quiet, Charlie, so they don’t see you.” The words were so sad when his young voice said them. To Tikki it was obvious that in his short life, he had been told to be quiet more times than any child should have to.
The cruiser banged against the space station, and Okil went to lock it into place and then pull the door open. Charlie hid behind the seat and Tikki placed her purse on it, trying to make a barricade to hide the little boy. But the cruiser had no real hiding places: if anyone came on board, they would undoubtedly see him. They just had to hope.
Darl came towards them from the control deck. “Reja, if you are ready, we should go. If we wait too long, they may come on board to check if there is a problem.”
“OK.” Reja got up and took Darl’s hand, and Tikki saw the flash of recognition spark between them. She had worried how Reja would feel, having left Earth with only the clothes on her back, without saying goodbye to her friends. But seeing her face light up when Darl touched her left Tikki with a sense of peace. It was one less thing to worry about.
Okil stood at the threshold of the space station, watching Darl take Reja to a decon’ room. Tikki could see two Karalians on the space station, but had no idea how big the thing was or whether there were other aliens elsewhere. Silently she prayed that Darl would manage to distract them long enough.
“Ready,” Okil said. “Darl is coming back. Now he is leading them away. Damn it, he’s leading them to the decon’ rooms.”
Okil went forward, peering round to see what was happening. Then he suddenly waved Tikki and Charlie forward and they went quickly onto the station, Okil putting his big body in front of Tikki, with Charlie behind. If anyone came towards them they wouldn’t see him; if they came from behind, they were sunk.