The show’s climax came with the ships clustering beneath the platform, in a huge bright dancing group. They went still, and the kids peered over the edge. Then, in a choreographed maneuver, the ships exploded upwards and outwards, skywriting the word ‘Welcome’ in many different languages.
The group cheered and applauded loudly. Fireworks started exploding in the sky below them, and from the city they could hear the faint cheers of a large crowd, lost in the distance.
Around the platform, lights came on slowly, and as the sky-written words faded away, the center of the ring turned opaque, and a boy walked out onto it. He looked to be about fourteen, and wore a dark gray uniform with three red stripes on his right arm.
“A force field?” Zack wondered out loud. Ayako shushed him.
“Welcome to Area 51,” the uniformed boy said, smiling enthusiastically.
The silence broken, some students began to applaud. Some even cheered. Quickly the area became a cacophony of noise as the students cheered for the display that they’d just seen, and the secret world that they knew they would be a part of.
“On behalf of the Area 51 flight school, we want to welcome all our new students,” he said in a rehearsed manner. “You’ve come from many different countries and cultures, but together, here, we are all the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind.”
Another cheer went up, this one much louder than the first. Fintan felt Zack grab his hand and hold it high cheering with all his lungs.
When it subsided, he continued. “Before we begin our welcome meal, the principal of the school would like to meet you. Do you want to meet her?”
They answered as one “Yes!”
A small figure in a silver, hooded robe walked out of the crowd. Fintan couldn’t make out if it was a man or a woman. It reached the microphone, faced them and lowered its hood.
Its skin was gray in color and hairless. Its head was much larger than Fintan would have expected on an equivalent sized human body.
It had a small mouth, filled with tiny white teeth, and large, almond-shaped black eyes.
The principal was an alien.
Chapter 7. Nizhoni
We’ve been looking, but haven’t found any hard evidence that they’re here yet.
That’s good news.
Yes, but let’s stay vigilant. Things will deteriorate quickly if they find us.
I understand.
On another note, the new crop of kids is promising.
Evolution at work again, providing the best genes at the time we need them most.
The principal raised its hand in greeting, and all fell silent. It wasn’t far from Fintan, but there were some taller kids in front of him so he had to strain to look. It moved its head smoothly, looking around the room, and as it breathed he could hear a soft rasp. What looked like an air bladder on the side of its head inflated and deflated as it breathed. This made sense to Fintan – its body was so slender that it wouldn’t be able to hold large lungs. It would probably be more efficient for the lungs to be close to the brain too.
It’s voice as it spoke was mesmerizing. It had a beautiful quality to it, like a rushing wind, or flowing waters.
“Welcome,” it said, “I understand you have many questions, and I assure you, they will be answered in time. For now I will cover the basics. My name is Trichallik, and I am what you would call, an alien. Before you ask, I am female.”
Her little mouth smiled, and then she paused, surveying the room again. She gazed directly at Fintan and he felt strange in his stomach.
“In time you will drop that title and learn that despite our differences, we are just like you and you will call my people your brothers and sisters from the stars. We have been working with your people for some time, with a single goal in mind. To protect your species from extinction by helping them go to the stars.”
“You see,” she said, “a few decades ago, your people, in this nation, discovered and used the deadliest weapons your world has ever seen. Nuclear weapons. You already used these weapons once in a war. We could not allow that to happen again. Using them on a wide scale would destroy all life on this planet. You were spiraling downwards towards self-destruction. So we acted.”
She paused. The room was silent, rapt.
“We unveiled ourselves to your leaders and told them of the dangerous path that they were on. Your leaders were wise, and chose to hide our existence. They chose to work with us, in secret, to build a new future. On one planet, your species was vulnerable to extinction, but should you go to the stars and colonize them, this could never happen.”
“Thus our project was born. Since then, every year we take the best and brightest from your children and teach them the skills that they will need to reach the stars, and handle what you find there.”
“This is why you are here. This is what you will learn. This is who we are.”
She ended, and left the stage.
“You got your aliens,” said Fintan on seeing Zack’s stunned face.
“I never guessed,” said Zack, trailing off, “I never guessed.”
Mister Jones then took the podium. He gestured towards large doors on the right hand side.
“I’m sure everyone must be hungry for food as well as answers,” he smiled. “Refreshments are available through here. At each seat you’ll see a small device that looks like a bracelet. Please put it on and follow the instructions it gives you.”
“Food,” said Zack. “Perfect, I’m starving!”
“We’ve just seen aliens,” said Fintan, “and all you can think about is food?”
“Yep,” said Zack. “Squeet!”
Ayako cocked her head in confusion. “Squeet?”
“Squeet,” said Zack. “Let’s go eat. Say it quickly. Squeet.”
“Ah,” said Fintan. “Squeet.”
Ayako looked confused but complied. “Squeet,” she said.
They followed the crowd into a large hall, laid out with a welcome banquet. Zack was grinning ear to ear.
They grabbed three chairs and inspected the bracelets. While the two boys started wolfing into the waiting food, she tried her bracelet on.
She winced. “It scratched me,” she said.
The bracelet came to life and a clear voice came from a tiny speaker on its side. “Ayako Katsuragi,” it said, “Red Squadron.”
A jewel placed in the center turned from white to red and the bracelet went silent.
Fintan took his bracelet and slipped it on. It scratched him too, and he was ashamed to react with a bigger jump than Ayako had. “Ouch,” he yelled while the bracelet said, “Fintan Reilly, Red Squadron.”
Ayako smiled. At least they’d each have a friend in their new squadron.
They saw other kids trying theirs on, and the jewels turning different colors. Some were red, but others were blue, yellow or green.
“The same colors as the ships we saw,” said Zack through a mouthful of sausages. His bracelet still lay on the table.
“It’s taking a DNA sample,” said Ayako. “That’s how it identifies us.”
“Here goes nothing,” said Zack. He picked up his bracelet and looked at it gingerly.
“Zack Adams,” it said, “Red Squadron.”
He had been holding his breath and let it out. “Thank goodness,” he said. “I didn’t want to go looking for new friends!”
Now they were able to relax and discuss the events of the day over food. The conversation went from the light show to Trichallik and the aliens.
“I wonder how many of them there are,” said Ayako. “We’ve only seen one.”
“So far,” said Zack. “But we only just got here.”
“So much information in such a short time,” added Fintan. “Makes me feel I’ve been here a lot longer.”
Ayako smiled. Zack laughed. “You nailed it buddy.”
As the meal wound down, Mister Jones directed them to another elevator lobby that led them down to a train station, where
they boarded color-coded trains to take them to their squadron barracks.
The barracks were designed with a large central dorm containing a common area for eating and general gatherings. Two smaller domes, one for the boys and one for the girls were connected to this, and the sleeping areas were small two-person rooms connected to these. They’d be mixing in with the older kids in the rest of the squadron, but enough rooms had been reserved so the newcomers could find a place to stay. Ayako went off towards the girl’s dorms while Zack and Fintan claimed their sleeping quarters.
The first order of business for the newcomers was getting their uniforms made up. This was a simple process – they stood in a glass chamber that took pictures of their bodies from several angles. When Zack and Fintan had claimed their sleeping room and signed into their provided terminals, the uniforms were delivered. There were two different uniforms for them to wear – ‘day’ uniforms that were to be worn at school and on duty, and ‘casual’ wear which was suitable for other times.
They tried on the uniforms and admired how smart they looked. The uniforms looked familiar – the boy that had welcomed them earlier had been wearing one. They were shale gray, with a red stripe that ran up each arm and across the shoulders. Around their right arm was a single red band, beneath which was the flag of their country of citizenship. Zack had the stars and stripes of the USA, Fintan the Irish tricolor.
On their breast was a patch with their name on it. Fintan liked the look of it. “Fintan Reilly,” he said, reading it out.
Zack looked at the band around his arm. “I guess it’s because we are first years,” he said. “Next year we’ll have two, the following year three.”
Both terminals beeped. Fintan signed into his to see an e-mail waiting from Ayako.
“She figured it out quick enough,” said Zack “didn’t she?”
“She’s not here just because of her looks,” said Fintan, smiling.
Zack nodded. He smiled. “So what do you think?”
“About what?”
“You know. A girl like her and a guy like me?”
“I think you’re crazy,” said Fintan, smiling.
Zack returned the smile and nodded towards the terminal, “What does she want?”
“Go down to the common area and meet her new roommate before rack time.”
“Oh,” said Zack. “What’s rack time?”
“Sleep,” said Fintan. “I guess she’s picking up the military terminology.”
They went down to the common area, which was already a bustle of activity. Many older students were remaking acquaintances and new students like Fintan and Zack were staring around, wide-eyed.
Zack was grinning.
Fintan looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “What?”
“Look at the girls!”
The girls were also in uniform, which was similar to the boys’, except they wore skirts and leggings instead of the trousers that they guys had. They looked good. They looked good.
Fintan elbowed Zack who was staring. “You’re drooling,” he said.
“I know, but I don’t care,” said Zack. “This just isn’t fair, there’s no way I’ll be able to concentrate with all this,” he stopped as an older blonde girl walked past and flashed him a smile.
Fintan smiled too. He elbowed Zack again. At a table on the far side of the room sat Ayako and another girl, who were sipping tea and quietly taking in the surroundings.
As they approached, Ayako’s face lit up as she waved towards the boys to join her.
Fintan and Zack sat opposite the two girls.
“Nice uniforms,” said Zack.
Ayako’s face flushed a little. She smiled and said ‘thank you’ quietly.
The other girl scowled.
Zack, ignoring her expression turned to face the other girl. “Who is this lovely lady?”
Ayako answered. “It’s my roommate, Nizhoni.”
Fintan read ‘Nizhoni Benally’ on her name tag.
“Wow,” said Zack, “you Japs all have such beautiful names. Ayako, Nizhoni. It is very nice to meet you.” He stretched out his hand.
Nizhoni looked at him emotionlessly. She didn’t take his hand.
Finally she spoke, with a quiet, but powerful voice.
“I’m not Japanese,” she said. “And it’s pronounced Nee-shaw-Nee.”
The silence lingered. Zack looked at her, and looked at his outstretched hand, embarrassment spreading across his face.
“I’m not a Jap,” said Ayako coldly.
Silence spread around the table like an icy blanket.
Fintan spoke up, hoping to break the mood.
“Navajo,” he said, and Nizhoni broke eye contact with Zack and stared at him in surprise. “Nizhoni is Navajo,” said Fintan. “Isn’t that right? You’re-”
Zack interrupted “You’re native American! An Indian! Oh wow! I’m so sorry, you just look so much like you are-”
Nizhoni interrupted, but she didn’t take her gaze off Fintan. “We prefer to be called Diné, or First Nation. We’re not Indian, despite what the early European explorers thought.” She showed the flag on her sleeve. It was yellow and had some map-like shapes on it, with a red and green rainbow covering them.
Zack stopped talking again. Embarrassed, he looked around and gulped. “Where’d you guys find the tea?”
Ayako pointed, so Zack got up to go and get some, escaping the awkwardness.
Ayako looked at Fintan. Fintan looked at Nizhoni. Nizhoni looked at Ayako. They all looked at Zack fumbling a teapot at the tea counter. They looked at one another again. This time they couldn’t help themselves, and they all broke out laughing.
Nizhoni reached her hand out to Fintan. “You must be Fintan,” she said. “It’s good to meet you.”
“You too,” said Fintan. “It’s really great to meet you.”
“He’s coming back,” said Ayako. “Look serious.”
Somehow they straightened their faces, looking upset and hurt. Fintan could feel tears in his eyes from trying not to laugh.
Zack placed a teacup on the table for Fintan, and started sipping his own.
He sat, started to speak, stopped and started again. “Ayako, Nizhoni. I’m sorry, I think I just got too excited, and when that happens, I run my mouth off. I’m really sorry.”
Fintan snorted and nearly choked on his tea.
Confused, Zack blurted out “What now?”
Fintan started to giggle.
“Hey,” said Zack. “C’mon Fintan, help a brother out here!”
Ayako and Nizhoni cracked up too. Zack looked at each of them.
“Oh,” he said. “I get it.”
Ayako and Nizhoni looked at each other. Ayako winked, and both girls turned to him. “Boys!”
Ayako stuck her tongue out at him.
Chapter 8. Hazing
He’s making healthy friendships.
He needs them. They’ll help bond him into our family.
Yes, but families always have a cost.
A price we’ll have to pay.
“Classes begin tomorrow?” said Zack, reading from his terminal. “They don’t give us time to settle in do they?”
“It’s been a long day,” said Fintan. “I’ll worry about classes in the morning.”
***
All his life he’d had dreams, and this night he had a nightmare. He dreamed that he was swimming upwards to the surface of the ocean. When he reached the surface he tried to breathe, but something felt different. He couldn’t figure out what it was. He looked at his body, but it wasn’t human. He was an insect, a grasshopper or a locust with a grayish body and dry hard skin. He could feel the exoskeleton clicking as he moved his legs in the water. He looked all around, but there was water in all directions. Then he saw a disturbance in the water, waves began to fan out from the disturbance and bubbles began to rise. At first they were tiny, but they got bigger and bigger as something was approaching form underneath. The water bro
ke with a roar and a great, ugly creature surfaced. It had a large maw with sharp teeth, but its eyes were intelligent. It made him think of a Chinese dragon as it turned towards him. Its eyes met his as it closed on him. Its maw opened, revealing row after row of sharp teeth, ready to consume him, closing fast. He could smell sulfur, like there was fire within it.
He woke up, cold sweat clinging to his skin. The clock read 6:00. Time to wake up.
“You all right?” said Zack from the other side of the room.
“Nightmare,” said Fintan. “Sorry.”
“Scary huh?” he asked as he sloped off towards the shower.
“You have no idea.”
***
The first class of the day was Cosmic History. Fintan was excited at first, thinking he’d be looking into aliens and other civilizations around the galaxy, but it turned out to be a lot more boring. It was the ‘real’ history of the world over the last few decades, starting with the crash of an alien ship in Roswell, New Mexico, and going up to the present day.
The teacher, Mister Sinclair, was the classic, clichéd English man. He was formerly of the Royal Air Force, tall, thin and gangly, with a superior air that had him looking down his long nose at the students.
Those that he liked he would speak to with some likeness of respect, and to the others his voice dripped with sarcasm.
His style was to read from the textbook in his boring, monotone voice. He’d stop at random, and ask someone in the class a question. If they got it right, the reward was a gruff acknowledgment; otherwise it was a withering look.
“Who was the President of the United States at the time of the Roswell crash?” he asked out loud, scanning the classroom. His eyes rested on Fintan’s and he pointed.
“Reilly, isn’t it? I can spot an Irishman anywhere,” he said dryly.
Fintan gulped. He had no idea about American presidents.
“We’re waiting, Mister Reilly. You can answer that simple question, can you not?”
Time for a wild guess thought Fintan. “Truman?”
“Hmm,” said Sinclair. “Lucky guess, I’m sure.”
Zack whispered from behind his hand “Was that a snarl?”
As the class ended and they left, Fintan strode ahead of the others.
Zack ran to catch up with him. “What’s up buddy?”
“Darn it, he hates me already,” said Fintan.