Moondust - Chapter 5

 

Chapter 5

 

            Whenever an abduction made headlines, it was considered a botched operation. In fact, most disappearances never even made the media. It was better that the humans didn’t know what was going on. That was precisely why Jam didn’t use Earth-based media. He had other methods of investigation.  When ships landed or even moved around in the atmosphere, they left traces and patterns. He and Phina were investigating just such a site. The arid desert looked untouched. Jam held up a scanner and looked at the readout as he passed it over a large swath of land. Somewhere fifty feet out, blue and deep green markers showed up on the screen overlaying the natural landscape. 

            “It touched down there.” He told Phina, pointing to the spot. She went in for a closer look. Humans wouldn’t notice, but Phina could see the residue of oil splattered across the brush and dirt. It wasn’t any substance from Earth. Phina still couldn’t tell where exactly it had come from. 

            “Anything close by?”

            “There’s a city a few miles from here, but no files of missing persons.”

            “Then we check the obvious places.”

            “They’re getting smarter. Only the arrogant or stupid take people from their homes these days.”

            “What about arrogant and stupid?” Phina smiled slyly. 

            “Yeah, let’s get going.” 

 

 

Iris could hardly wait to show Jam what she had found. She rushed back home after leaving Matt’s house. She pulled out the device Jam gave her and called him. While she waitied, she saw magazines on her dresser. She would go through them after she told Jam about the weird metal. She promised her mother that she would. There was no answer on the phone. Instead, a message popped up that said: “Safekey.” What’s safekey? Iris pressed her lips together. There was the safe in the cabin. It was actually a doorway. Myabe there was a key to the door! She was outside the next moment and riding towards the cabin. 

 

Matt had known Iris for almost their whole lives. He knew something was up. She left in a hurry after eating. It was too suspicious. He rode over to her house to ask her about it, but as he came around the corner, he saw her leaving on her bike. The way he saw it, he had two choices. He could catch up to her and ask her what was going on, or he could hang back and follow her. If she didn’t tell him before, then maybe she couldn’t’ tell him. Maybe she was in trouble. He doubted she would tell him now. So, he made his choice. He waited with his bike around the corner. When she was far enough away, he followed. If she was in trouble, he needed to know. That was far more important than worrying if she would be mad that he had tracked her the way he did deer in the forest. He liked to practice tracking like his father. He usually tracked animals. One time he and Iris tracked Ms. Johnson’s cat across the neighborhood until they ended up in her back yard. She came out the back door and yelled at them for trespassing. Matt was mortified, but Iris giggled as they ran away. Matt had never actually followed a person before, let alone his best friend. She was riding towards the forest road where they investigated the old cabin the other day. Why would she go there? He kept his distance, knowing his bike would be noisier on the dirt and rocks than on the main road. 

Matt dismounted and crept up behind a tree. Iris parked her bike up near the porch as if she weren’t even trying to hide her presence. Had she found someone who lived there?Once she reached the front door she suddenly turned around, scanning the small clearing. Matt quickly ducked back behind the tree. When he looked back, she was gone. He heard the click of the door closing. Cautiously, he took a step forward. He wanted to see what Iris was up to in the old cabin. Suddenly, he heard another sound coming from the path behind him. Matt hid back behind his tree. Someone else was coming. 

 

Iris looked for a key all around the cabin but found nothing. Bast sat watching her, not moving from its perch on the sofa. Iris remembered Jam’s instructions about not returning so soon, but he didn’t know she had found evidence. That had to be important. She went into the back room and held her phone up to call again. The safe clicked and then opened. It was the phone all along. She looked down at it. Well, it wasn’t really a phone if it was from an alien, was it? It was her alien phone, and apparently it could open the door to the portal. She hurried though the door to the back room of the Moondust. 

Iris didn’t see Jam. She peered out at the dining area. There were strange-looking creatures at several of the tables. She saw Phina brining a glowing drink to one of the customers. She had her sly, inviting smile on and the creature handed her something. Iris waited in the back room until Phina was finished. 

“Hello there, sweetie.” Phina greeted, ruffling Iris’s hair.

“Hi Phina.” Iris felt instantly at ease. Phina had that effect. Maybe it was some sort of alien ability, but Iris felt that Phina was just easy to be around, like an instant best friend. 

“You’re back so soon. Did you miss me?” Phina winked.

“No… I mean, yeah, but I came because I found something. Is Jam here?” 

“Oh, sorry. He’s looking up on another case.”

“Someone else was abducted?”

“Just a few hours ago. The frequency is increasing.” 

Iris sighed. 

“Don’t worry. Jam is very thorough. He’s Folumack.” 

“What?” Iris was sure that sounded familiar.

“He’s from the planet Folum. They’re a pretty old race, not as old as the Raiari, but they can be detail-oriented when they want to be.”

Folum. That’s what Chris had said. The metal was from a Folum ship. Did Jam know this? 

“Hey there, don’t go all space-slag on me.” Phina waved a hand in front of Iris’s eyes. 

“Oh sorry. I was just thinking. Where are you from?”

“I’m a Vullaix. My home is mostly sisters.” Iris thought that Phina felt like a sister. How wonderful would it be to have an older sister that sat and talked to her like Phina did. Iris felt the slightest prick of guilt in the back of her mind because she already had a sister. She couldn’t just replace her, even if they didn’t get along. Petra was mature, studious, and always busy. Phina was different. She liked Iris. Maybe it’s because I’m a human. Maybe I’m like a pet to her. Iris sighed.  

“Hey, it’s alright. I’ve got something that’ll help you feel better.” Phina went to one of the shelves. This particular shelf was stocked with food Iris had never seen. It was packaged in black and gray containers with strange symbols on them. Phina pulled out a bottle of liquid. She went to the counter and put the whole bottle under a machine. When it came out, there was frost on it. Phina popped the top off and added a straw. She handed it to Iris.

“There ya go.” Iris took the chilled drink. It was a sea-green liquid with lots of bubbles and a swirl of deeper blue near the bottom.

“What is it?” Iris asked, sniffing the opening at the top.

“Raiari Fizz. Don’t worry, it’s a kid’s drink.” Phina reassured her.

 

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