A Time to Heal

By Scott C. Anderson

Alone on an alien world, Rik Holly had recently lost the love of his life. Events have consequences. Before her passing, Jen’s last communication to the Taman homeworld would be detected and traced to the blue-water world known as Earth.
Two offworld races, working as one, will push the lone Taman archeologist into protecting the people that he and Jen loved so much. This is a story of pain and conflict, but also one of honor and responsibility.
Rik will learn to deal with his loneliness, though the man was never truly alone.
A woman from Earth, Celia Duran, will be introduced to an offworld culture that will push her limits, and expose her to new elements of danger and adventure.
Involvement has consequences, which is something Celia will learn, and something that Rik will remember from a time gone by. This is a complicated tale, written for all age groups.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9780359043989

Book preview

A Time to Heal

A Time to Heal

By Scott C. Anderson

This is a book of fiction. Characters, places, names, theories, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, alive or dead, along with their events or locations is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer:  These stories are written in a conversational style.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Second Edition

© 2018 by Scott C. Anderson. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-359-04398-9

Alone in a small town

Rik Holly was all of five feet, nine inches, and almost a hundred and sixty-two pounds.  The most memorable days of his life were spent at the window table of a small restaurant in the agricultural town of Santa Paula, California.  Rik was alone.

The small business was operated by a divorced father of two and popular with the locals.  The young man had become successful simply by offering something different and appetizing.  Rik sat with his cup of house coffee and ate his second serving of toast.  Looking around, Rik noticed that everyone was enjoying their morning breakfast and talking.  The patrons in this restaurant always seemed to enjoy talking and eating, eating and talking.

Normally, Rik would have enjoyed a birthday celebration, but those times were no more.  His partner and best friend, Jen, had passed away the year before.  Fiercely independent, Jen was a woman who knew the direction her life would take her.  Now alone in the world, Rik was not lonely, at least not yet anyway.  He intellectually thought about the path his life would take, but the actual day to day workings of loneliness was something altogether different. 

Jen had been the love of his life for almost three hundred and fifty-seven years.  Today would be his four hundred and ninth birthday, and he seemed to feel each day of it.  This should have been quite an achievement, but somehow he didn’t feel like celebrating. 

Rik finished his toast with jam and began buttering one of two biscuits.  Admonishing himself, Rik understood that this earth food would eventually kill him.  Then he reminded himself that the standard lifespan for the average Taman, for his people, was three-hundred and eighty to four-hundred years. 

Both Rik and Jen had lived a long and wonderful life filled with love and the support of good friends.  This alone meant that he still felt that he was a lucky man. 

During their time on earth, Rik and Jen frequently visited the little restaurant located near the center of town.  Rik had known Celia Duran for almost ten years.  She was one of Rik’s newer earth friends and a very attentive server.   

Are you doing okay today Rik?  Celia carried a tray of dirty dishes with practiced ease.

Oh I’m just thinking too much.

Well, can I bring you some more coffee?

Thank you.  That would be very nice.

At a forever thirty-two years old, Celia was also the single mother of a beautiful eight-year old girl.  Celia also worked part-time for her mother, who ran one of the most successful barber shops in town.  Celia would also cut and style hair, by appointment only, when she wasn’t working at the restaurant.  The younger woman only knew Rik as a pleasant man, who had recently lost his wife, paid with cash, and always treated her with respect.  These things alone made him one of her best regular customers. 

Small-town life held its own set of challenges.  The pace at the restaurant would speed up for tourists or out-of-towners, but for the most part, the day to day operations moved as a planned design.  The sudden radio noise in the background filled the small restaurant with distractions.  The breaking news report would forever silence the peace and serenity of this small town.

Ricky Aceves would never allow a television in his place of business.  He wasn’t against television, but found the noise and images too distracting.  The radio announcer, an old familiar voice, spoke of a landing and the arrival of some sort of spacecraft.

Ricky and Celia paused to listen to the report, waiting to see if it was actually some sort of hoax or advertisement.  Rik listened to the words carefully.  The descriptions and tone of the announcer was convincing as he spoke of tensions mounting in the area.  Rik also noticed that the traffic outside seemed to quiet during the normally busy morning.

A sight unprecedented in modern times, stated the announcer.  The mile-long cylinder in the sky is just coming into view.  Folks, this thing is cooling and the steam and fog are beginning to lift. 

Most of the patrons had turned to their phones and devices for confirmation of the sighting.  Apparently occurring over Los Angeles, the news and images were transmitted around the world.  Rik remained in his seat and waited. 

Celia stood with Ricky and both looked for something to explain the news report.  Celia found a live feed and shared her phone with Ricky and one of the men at the counter.  This was strange and exciting, and something that didn’t initially instill fear. 

Rik activated a portion of his wristwatch.  The offworld device projected a small popup screen that was only visible to him.  This screen presented a detection that had been delayed.  Rik quietly asked for details as to the delay, and then waited for a response.  The screen did provide details of design origin, power signatures, and known communications.  This was an unusual event, but not really a surprise.

With practiced ease, Celia returned to her duties and began to fill coffee cups.  She left Ricky to view the effects of the event as she gauged the mood of the room.  Celia knew most everyone in town and these were her people.  She wanted to know how others felt.

Celia filled Rik’s cup but couldn’t see the images and wording on the popup screen.  The offworld device presented images and information that were intentionally kept from the human woman.  Celia would not have been able to understand the wording, even if she were able to see it.  Rik thanked Celia and then returned to his report.

In the beginning, there was toast

With distractions and confusion, Rik left the restaurant unnoticed.  People and their devices were busy at the moment, something that Rik found both interesting and amusing. 

The wooden structure that Jen and Rik had bought so many years ago sat on the edge of town.  Parking the car in the driveway, Rik unlocked the door and sat in the living room.  Jen’s ashes were kept in a container within a bookcase near the south-facing living room window.

Rik felt old.  Most of the time the conditions on earth were favorable, but today he felt old.  He and Jen had been together for over three hundred and fifty-seven years; a long time for any couple.  There was nothing for him to say, though most people who visited his home always seemed to want to talk about the departed.  Rik felt different.   He knew that Jen was gone.  With his memories of their life together, he was never really alone.  Looking around the tidy house and manicured grounds, he also understood his responsibilities.  Without thinking, Rik picked up the container filled with ashes, on the chance that he may never see this world again.

Driving their car to the ship was now a necessary act.  Rik believed that the actions of one person, one citizen, could change the future.  He believed in responsibility and his Taman ways.  Had Jen been here, things would be better; different but better.  The drive into the foothills that bordered Santa Paula to the north was a welcome distraction.  This was a beautiful part of the valley, devoid of life and clutter, and silent as the scenery slowly passed by.

The familiar cave entrance seemed cold without Jen at his side.  Rik paused for a moment to fully realize the feeling of loneliness.  This was his town and his people, but occasionally he would still feel like an offworlder.

The ancient rock formations opened to a cavern that seemed to go nowhere.  Pausing for a moment, he allowed his onboard systems to fully detect his presence.

The holographic image of solid rock and stone included a structured field that would deter anyone from accidently finding the ship.  As the rock-wall image faded, the brilliant white hull became visible.

During his life with Jen, Rik found it necessary to move around the country.  Living among the humans of this planet wasn’t difficult, but the age differences caused a few problems.  Both Jen and Rik would look eternally young, and outlive both friends and acquaintances. 

Jen was always the one to choose the landing site.  New York City was her first choice, only because it appeared to be the most inhabited.  Rik couldn’t believe it had been over two hundred years since their arrival on this planet.  The bustling town of New York City, in 1816, held wonders for the offworld couple. 

Jen found the ways of the local inhabitants charming and interesting, and worked to correct as many social problems as she could muster.  Rik read, observed, and also worked towards change, all the while keeping a low profile.

The next move to Boston in 1871 offered new experiences and a chance to view human politics.  The couple was ever-aware of their slow change in appearance.  Outliving new and old friends became an earth condition, and something that saddened Jen.  Moving west in 1923 to the very small town of Prescott, Arizona, allowed the near-native couple to experience a beautiful small town in transition.

But Santa Paula, California, and its central location on the west coast, offered Jen the ability to experience the art and culture of the entire western hemisphere. 

Expected as a natural cause, even with her Taman lineage, Jen’s heart would finally fail her.  The onboard medical systems could begin to replace organs and allow extended life, but that was not Jen’s way.  The vibrant woman would not become, what she considered to be, a robot.  She would leave this world first, and with Rik by her side.  That event was a year ago, shortly after her last communication to her homeworld.

Rik pressed the door key on the exterior pad and the lower left pressure door swung out on massive hinges.  The interior lights came on as the door slowed to a stop.  A bot, floating in the hallway, acknowledged Rik as he entered his saucer.

The Peahman bots were Rik’s only homeworld friends.  Floating a foot above the deck, these members of a machine race appeared to be of a similar physical size to any Taman citizen.  Two arms could articulate in any direction, and a face with two sensor eyes offered a focus or reference for interaction.  There were no legs, as none were needed.

The first of eleven bots met Rik at the doorway.  Rik walked with his old friend, as the bot provided floating screens filled with images, information, and current details.  The Por Dynasty had arrived. 

The Peahman-designed bot known as One presented findings with no emotion.  A year ago, the long-term relay station on the earth’s moon transmitted Jen’s final communication to the Taman homeworld.  One did not blame, but presented findings that concluded that the final communication may have alerted the Por Dynasty.  This conclusion was drawn using the distances involved, the travel time of the average Por Dynasty ship, and the heavily-encoded messages from the Por.  The non-verbal interaction between Rik and the Peahman bots was exactly why he chose the machine race to accompany the Taman pair on this trip. 

This would not be the first time that a Taman message had been detected by an aggressive race.  One also indicated that it appeared that the Por were unable to translate the message, but the obvious Taman signature would point directly to a human homeworld with Taman ties. 

Rik sat in the forward lounge of his saucer.  The large front panoramic window was tinted to the closed setting, as the saucer was mostly encased in dirt and rock.  Dormant since the 1970’s, the saucer could easily remove itself and encounter the Por.

An additional bot, Three, stood close and provided a floating popup viewscreen.  Celia Duran had parked near Rik’s wheeled vehicle.  The young woman was currently following his tracks to the cave entrance. 

Somehow Rik wasn’t surprised.  The young earth woman was a good friend to Jen during their years in Santa Paula, which set well with Rik. 

Thinking of his life with Jen on earth, Rik couldn’t classify their time as research or true archeology.  The people of earth had treated the two offworld visitors as family, even to the extent of being included in their personal gatherings.  Rik would say that this was an experience, a welcome change, and an involvement in living within an alien culture.

Celia was now close enough that, in a few moments, she would see the hull of the saucer.  Both One and Three asked for direction.  Rik decided not to cloak the ship.

Walking from Rik’s parked car, Celia was curious.  She stumbled across, and then followed Rik, only because he had driven onto a rarely used road on private property.  The hills were undeveloped, and orange orchards encircled the flat farmland that surrounded the foothills of Santa Paula.  The access road was not gated and only used on rare occasions by anyone other than the owners of the property.

Out of breath and feeling her thirty-two years, Celia swore that she needed to exercise more often.  The cave entrance appeared ancient, making Rik’s footprints just that much easier to track.  Celia had lived in this valley her entire life.  She knew the streets of the town like the back of her hand, but some of the more rural parts were completely unknown.

The absolute silence of the cave is exactly what Celia expected.  The dark initial passageway then turned bright with artificial lighting.  The lighting was unexpected, as was the smooth brilliant white skin of the wall before her.

Celia could see the barely-visible seams in the door as it pulled out and away from the smoothness of the wall.  The door then pivoted to the right.  Rik stood in the doorway and greeted the woman.

Hello.  Rik could see that Celia was surprised by the hidden room.

Rik, Mr. Holly, what is this?  Celia believed this to be a hidden storeroom or storage facility. 

Rik had already decided to tell Celia about his origins.  Pausing, Rik had never divulged this much information, and was a little hesitant.

Hovering in the air over Los Angeles, the elaborately decorated Por Dynasty ship was lowering to the surface of the earth planet, but still a thousand feet in the air.  Fortunately, this would answer the question of whether the people of earth were alone in the galaxy.  The unfortunate part was that their first open contact would be with the Por.

Celia, why don’t you come in?  We can talk inside.  Rik turned to allow Celia to follow him.

Expecting to see a row of storage lockers, or the rollup doors of a storage facility, Celia saw only a small hallway.  She turned to her right to follow Rik.  Her friend stopped at a half circle outlined on the flooring with small lights.  An open half circle of the same dimension was in the ceiling.

Rik said, Take this slow, and do as I do.  He then stepped into the half circle and kicked with his right foot.

Slowly, Rik lifted to the upper floor with no support and no noise.  Rik then stepped onto the upper deck.  For whatever reason, Celia calmly stepped into the half circle.  She then kicked with her right foot. 

Floating to the upper floor, Celia calmed her racing heart.  This was exciting but she felt nothing out of the ordinary.  There was no pressure, no fingers or pincers, and no solid structure beneath her feet.  She floated and trusted her old friend.  Rik reached out and took her hand.  Celia stepped onto the upper deck. 

Celia said, I don’t know where you got that, but it’s great!  She thought she sounded corny, but with all that had happened recently, that is exactly how she felt.  She looked around and held her breath.

Four of the Peahman bots were floating several feet away.  Soft lighting only highlighted sensor eyes as the machines made no noise whatsoever.  Rik said, This is a machine race.  They are here to help and serve.  They will not harm you.

Celia exhaled, maybe a little too loudly.  Rik was careful not to laugh, as he wanted to be respectful to his friend.  Acting on his request, the bots moved several feet back and hugged the wall.  This also caused Celia to stare in disbelief, as the robots appeared to be floating in midair. 

Celia?  Rik gained her attention.  These are bots created by a race known as the Peahman.  They are numbered, as you can see on their casings.  Each bot displayed a number from one to eleven.  The soft red numeral was provided for Celia’s benefit.  They are here to help me.  They will also help us with the Por Dynasty.

Celia was fully capable of moving, but she continued to stand and stare at the bots.  She spoke to Rik, all the while staring at the machine race.  Are you talking about the spaceship that was sighted over Los Angeles?

Yes.  I’ve sent a translated message to the Por Dynasty, asking for details.

You?  You’re asking them for details?  Celia didn’t want to sound insulting, but she couldn’t help herself.  What makes you so important?  She instantly regretted the harsh comment.

To the Taman, language imagery is the ability for two races, unable to communicate, to see mental images without translation.  Rik could tell by her language imagery that she was having trouble putting this ship and his origins in context.  For Celia, Rik had always been a good customer and husband to a long-term acquaintance.  Nothing in her conversations with Jen or Rik ever spoke of anything like this.

Celia finally stopped staring at the floating bots and