Quickly catching up to him, she was led from the ship to a hanger area. Lanie could see her ship; the enormous room and the expansive ship she had just exited dwarfed it. Her eyes couldn't take enough in all at once and she stumbled several times while trying to keep up with him.
He shooed her into a room and said, "You will stay here until your ship is ready."
She watched him leave, disappearing again as he passed through the door. She went to the door, and although like the other door it had no handle, she thought if she had something, she could pry it open. Scanning the room, she looked for a tool. There was a chair with legs that were thin and flat. Lanie picked up the chair and shoved the thin leg into the small slit between the door and the wall. Using it as a lever, she pushed until she felt it give a little, then she gave it everything she had. It opened a few inches. Holding her breath and pushing hard she opened it enough to slip through the opening.
Glancing both ways, she looked for an exit. Either way she was taking a chance, she had no idea where to go. Luck was with her, however, and as she opened the door at the left end of the hall, she appeared to be in a common area where the people of this planet moved through it to other areas. Lanie stood in awe, unable to move, as she viewed these people so different looking, yet very much the same as her. No one had noticed she was there as she was in the shadow of an overhang of architecture. She watched them freely for several minutes, and then she saw her.
She saw what appeared to be a little girl with long flowing blond hair and slightly bluish skin. Lanie's breath caught in her throat. The little girl looked out of place. A blue female hurried the girl across the large room, in a hurry to be somewhere else. Lanie knew she wasn't the only earth woman to be visited by a male from this world, but could this be her child? There was no way for her to know. Finding Azano would be the only way to know for sure. The little girl had disappeared from view, Lanie felt helpless, not knowing what to do.
Gathering her courage, she pulled away from the wall behind her and walked into the light. As she walked closer to the people nearest her, they began to stop and turn to look at her. She called out to those closest to her, "I'm looking for Azano, do you know him?" Some looked at her in fear and others were curious. It became clear none of them could understand her. The only ones she had ever had a conversation with had touched her. It must allow some kind of a connection for understanding each other. As she reached out to them, they hurried out of her reach. Defeated, she turned around to find her ship and leave this place. She was met with several weapons being pointed at her. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed, and then she displayed what she hoped was a universal movement of raising her hands above her head. It seemed to work and they motioned for her to follow them.
Lanie numbly stepped forwards; some of her escorts fell in behind her. They led her back to the hanger where the being that originally had found her stood scowling in her direction.
"You are so inferior!" He spat at her.
Anger seethed within her, Lanie wanted to yell back at him. Who had landed on whose planet first? Keeping silent, she looked at the floor.
He took her by the arm and pulled her over to her ship, "Take this flimsy piece of machinery home."
Glaring in his direction, she stumbled up the stairs of her ship. When she about to enter the ship and close the door, she turned to face him. "I don't know anything about you or your planet." she paused, "But on my planet most mothers feel intense love for their children. I want to find Azano because I have reason to believe he has my child. I won't go home."
"Then you will die in space, we won't rescue you again." He said, and then turned and walked away, ending their conversation.
Lanie watched him for a moment, and then entered her ship, sealing the door behind her. Moments later the hanger doors opened, beckoning her to leave. Using the start-up procedures, the engines spring to life and she taxied to the opening. Passing through the air lock, she was space borne again. The emptiness of space... it took on new meaning.
With the knowledge that she was the only earthling that knew for sure that there were other worlds, other beings, she should have been elated. Lanie knew more than that. She was sure, after seeing the hybrid girl among them, that there was breeding taking place. Seeing the little girl made it real to her. There was an ache in her heart, she not only looked for Azano, but now she looked for her own child.
Knowing she wasn't heading for Earth, but not knowing where she was going, scared her. Maybe she would die in space; apparently, she didn't belong on either planet. The conversation she had with the blue man who rescued her played repeatedly in her mind. He had said that there were other worlds that the males had visited. Lanie knew she didn't have much fuel to go anywhere.
Suddenly a realization hit her, and Lanie flew to the window of her ship looking out at the blackness, her hands spread out on the glass, her nose pressed hard against it. She was brought here through a wormhole, with no idea HOW to get back! Panicking, she picked up her communication device, and began to change frequencies, calling for help. She was sure they heard her, but the only one who would be able to understand her had sent her out here to die.
Lanie let the device slip out of her hand. It hit the control panel and if a retractable wire hadn't been attached it, it would have fallen to the floor. Instead, it dangled over the side, the channel still open.
He shooed her into a room and said, "You will stay here until your ship is ready."
She watched him leave, disappearing again as he passed through the door. She went to the door, and although like the other door it had no handle, she thought if she had something, she could pry it open. Scanning the room, she looked for a tool. There was a chair with legs that were thin and flat. Lanie picked up the chair and shoved the thin leg into the small slit between the door and the wall. Using it as a lever, she pushed until she felt it give a little, then she gave it everything she had. It opened a few inches. Holding her breath and pushing hard she opened it enough to slip through the opening.
Glancing both ways, she looked for an exit. Either way she was taking a chance, she had no idea where to go. Luck was with her, however, and as she opened the door at the left end of the hall, she appeared to be in a common area where the people of this planet moved through it to other areas. Lanie stood in awe, unable to move, as she viewed these people so different looking, yet very much the same as her. No one had noticed she was there as she was in the shadow of an overhang of architecture. She watched them freely for several minutes, and then she saw her.
She saw what appeared to be a little girl with long flowing blond hair and slightly bluish skin. Lanie's breath caught in her throat. The little girl looked out of place. A blue female hurried the girl across the large room, in a hurry to be somewhere else. Lanie knew she wasn't the only earth woman to be visited by a male from this world, but could this be her child? There was no way for her to know. Finding Azano would be the only way to know for sure. The little girl had disappeared from view, Lanie felt helpless, not knowing what to do.
Gathering her courage, she pulled away from the wall behind her and walked into the light. As she walked closer to the people nearest her, they began to stop and turn to look at her. She called out to those closest to her, "I'm looking for Azano, do you know him?" Some looked at her in fear and others were curious. It became clear none of them could understand her. The only ones she had ever had a conversation with had touched her. It must allow some kind of a connection for understanding each other. As she reached out to them, they hurried out of her reach. Defeated, she turned around to find her ship and leave this place. She was met with several weapons being pointed at her. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed, and then she displayed what she hoped was a universal movement of raising her hands above her head. It seemed to work and they motioned for her to follow them.
Lanie numbly stepped forwards; some of her escorts fell in behind her. They led her back to the hanger where the being that originally had found her stood scowling in her direction.
"You are so inferior!" He spat at her.
Anger seethed within her, Lanie wanted to yell back at him. Who had landed on whose planet first? Keeping silent, she looked at the floor.
He took her by the arm and pulled her over to her ship, "Take this flimsy piece of machinery home."
Glaring in his direction, she stumbled up the stairs of her ship. When she about to enter the ship and close the door, she turned to face him. "I don't know anything about you or your planet." she paused, "But on my planet most mothers feel intense love for their children. I want to find Azano because I have reason to believe he has my child. I won't go home."
"Then you will die in space, we won't rescue you again." He said, and then turned and walked away, ending their conversation.
Lanie watched him for a moment, and then entered her ship, sealing the door behind her. Moments later the hanger doors opened, beckoning her to leave. Using the start-up procedures, the engines spring to life and she taxied to the opening. Passing through the air lock, she was space borne again. The emptiness of space... it took on new meaning.
With the knowledge that she was the only earthling that knew for sure that there were other worlds, other beings, she should have been elated. Lanie knew more than that. She was sure, after seeing the hybrid girl among them, that there was breeding taking place. Seeing the little girl made it real to her. There was an ache in her heart, she not only looked for Azano, but now she looked for her own child.
Knowing she wasn't heading for Earth, but not knowing where she was going, scared her. Maybe she would die in space; apparently, she didn't belong on either planet. The conversation she had with the blue man who rescued her played repeatedly in her mind. He had said that there were other worlds that the males had visited. Lanie knew she didn't have much fuel to go anywhere.
Suddenly a realization hit her, and Lanie flew to the window of her ship looking out at the blackness, her hands spread out on the glass, her nose pressed hard against it. She was brought here through a wormhole, with no idea HOW to get back! Panicking, she picked up her communication device, and began to change frequencies, calling for help. She was sure they heard her, but the only one who would be able to understand her had sent her out here to die.
Lanie let the device slip out of her hand. It hit the control panel and if a retractable wire hadn't been attached it, it would have fallen to the floor. Instead, it dangled over the side, the channel still open.