Aldebar Home

By Teresa Howard

Looks can be deceiving. Kelli looks like a typical teen, but she is far from average. At seventeen, she is beautiful, a genius with computers, and a master criminal. What she isn’t, is human. Tortured by that fact, Kelli is willing to do anything to find out the truth about the father who abandoned her years ago. The father she knew and loved as a young child was an imposter. DNA had proven that he had been an alien. Not just someone from a foreign country, he was from another planet, and she was the result of his “first contact” with humans.
“Come Home!” The words pierced her dream like a javelin hurled across space and time, dragging her from a nightmare.
Following that summons, Kelli begins a quest to solve the mystery of who and what her father was. She joins the first interplanetary student exchange and travels to Aldebar, a planet with seven sentient species. Will she find answers there among the diverse peoples? Will she find a home? Her extraordinary journey will include a notorious info-raider, a sentient computer program with a deadly subroutine, and the honorable, ever truthful Degg. With their help, she will attempt to unlock the secret of who and what she is and find a home where it is okay not to be human.

• Language: English
• Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
• Release date: May 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781958336021

Teresa Howard

Teresa Howard makes her home in Hoover, Al, where shares her abode with Gracie Jane, her furry dachshund friend. She is a life-long fan of science fiction and fantasy and her dream since childhood has been to see her books in libraries and bookstores.In 2000 Teresa participated in a Writers Workshops taught by the late Ann Crispin and has been a regular at DragonCon’s Writers Track led by Nancy Knight for many years.Though she was employed for many years as a technology coordinator and computer lab instructor in the Birmingham School System, Teresa’s passions remained writing science fiction and fantasy and researching genealogy. Many of her stories have elements of both. Her work covers a wide range of speculative fiction and has been published in magazines, anthologies, webzines, and on iPhone aps in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

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Aldebar Home

by

Teresa Howard

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

WCP Logo 7

World Castle Publishing, LLC

Pensacola, Florida

Copyright © Teresa Howard 2022

Smashwords Edition

Paperback ISBN: 9781958336014

eBook ISBN: 9781958336021

First Edition World Castle Publishing, LLC, May 30, 2022

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com

Smashwords Licensing Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Cover: Olivia Pro Design

Editor: Maxine Bringenberg

PROLOGUE —Aldebar Prime—Nellari Homeland

People of Magic and Stones

Third among the Aldebarian peoples to sign the Peace Accords.

Porthiea’s house squatted like a toad at the end of the narrow forest path, almost hidden by trees and brush. Even the night crickets stilled as Galandra passed. Flickering yellow light shone through the windows, welcoming visitors to the healer’s home. A carpet of red and brown leaves led to the door, filling the air with the earthy smell of their decay. The wood was quiet except for the rustle of small creatures scurrying in the dark. Modern observers would deem the mud-brick walls and thatched roof centuries out of date. Tell those same people they were in the Nellari homeland, and they would nod in understanding.

The woodland animals grew still, focusing on the house as if something momentous was happening. Inside, the two women, friends of over fifty years, argued in front of a stone fireplace. The flames blazed brighter as their words flew across the room, illuminating the pale blue walls and simple furnishings. The argument went on.

Dangerous, yes, but there is no other way, Galandra insisted. I’m not getting any younger.

The crackle of more logs catching fire punctuated the silence. Her words hung there, waiting for a response.

Sixty-two is middling age. Nellari are a long-lived people, Porthiea countered. Besides, there is another way. The woman Galandra called Porthy was even older and had been her personal healer for thirty years. Turning her back on Galandra and rummaging through jars and tins that contained a wealth of herbs and powders hid her tears and anger. Finally, Porthiea held up a jar and shifted it toward the firelight, straining to read the label.

Galandra sighed. There was no way to hurry Porthiea’s search or her comments. Connection to the power-grids had been available for years, but she refused to abandon fires and oil lamps.

Finally, Porthiea seemed pleased with the selection and shifted back to the discussion. A ship will leave for Earth in three dawnings, and there will be a special envoy on board. For stones sake, Galandra, you are a member of the High Council. Send a message. Make inquiries!

Galandra tossed back heavy dark hair, a single band of silver shining in the firelight. Days of fasting had etched fine lines in her face, and her mirror had screamed her advancing years. There would be time for rest and feasting later. Determination straightened her tiny frame. I don’t trust spaceships, or envoys. I trust magic. The stones have power.

The stones have power, Porthiea echoed. She put a packet of thoil leaf, its sweet, sharp scent escaping the bag, into Galandra’s hands. She enclosed Galandra’s thin hands with her own. It was a liberty few dared take with the high priestess of the Nellari people. What if it breaks the stone?

Galandra flinched. It was surely an ill omen for Porthiea’s words to echo her own fears. There are reasons you don’t understand, Porthy.

Porthiea’s hands clung to hers as if she feared letting go would allow Galandra to be swallowed up in a dark sea. How much of it is revenge? You can’t bring him back.

I can call her home. She belongs here. Galandra turned away. She wanted to cry, but there was no time for tears or memories. She straightened her back, stretching tired muscles, and steeling herself behind the role of high priestess. If I am not back by breakfast, come to the Chamber of Stones. I will need a healer.

The corners of Porthiea’s mouth drooped. She took the hem of the apron tied around her ample waist and wiped her face. She sighed heavily, turned her back to Galandra, and tidied the kitchen.

Galandra wanted to reach out, embrace her old friend and explain, but she couldn’t. The moons were already high in the sky, and much depended on this night’s work.

The path to the Chamber of Stones led up a rocky slope behind Porthiea’s house. It wasn’t far, a short walk for a young woman, longer for one past her prime. Galandra stopped once, bracing her hands on her hips to catch her breath. She had made this climb many times, could have made it even without the moonlight. The night air soon chilled her skin and soothed her bruised spirit. She could forgive Porthiea’s harsh words. If this worked, she could forgive almost anything. Night creatures stilled their chatter in solemn respect as she passed. She straightened as her destination came into sight.

Once inside the Chamber of Stones, Galandra lit a fire upon the altar and laid out the tools of magic. She was ready, and yet she hesitated. Perhaps Porthiea was right; maybe this couldn’t or shouldn’t be done. She had never summoned this magic before. No one had taken such a risk. She would sacrifice Allia, a living stone, one of the stones of her ancestors. What if she pushed the magic too far, and it broke beyond the power of the other stones to save it?

The voice of her own sweet stone, Bajir, drew Galandra out of the cloud of dark thoughts. Allia knows the risk. She volunteered for this honor. She is not afraid. Hurry now, or there won’t be time before dawn.

Galandra bowed, offering each element of the sacrifice to the fire. First, powder like soft white snowflakes drifted over the flames. Next, the thoil leaves filled the air with fragrant smoke as they were added a handful at a time. Drawing a sharp blade from the pocket of her robes, Galandra made a quick cut across her palm. With her hand over the flames, the blood fell into the fire like crimson raindrops. Finally, she added the stone, Allia. Rising from her knees and settling cross-legged before the altar with her head bowed, the high priestess waited. Minutes, then an hour, she waited, her senses filled with the smoke of burning leaves and blood. The power of the stone began building, slowly at first but then faster. As the power increased, it overtook her, and she could feel the heat of the fire on her body. Her heart quickened and sweat began rolling down her back. Her body shook violently. The weeks of planning and sacrifice came to a shuddering climax in two simple words. "Come Home!"

CHAPTER ONE—Earth—An Undisclosed Location

Come Home!

The words pierced her dream like a javelin hurled across space and time, dragging her from the nightmare. Kelli woke with a start, the taste of smoke searing her throat. The summons echoed in her mind. She gasped for breath and tried to jump up, but the sheets had twisted around her body during the night. Wrapped like a cocoon, she fell and hit the floor. The impact sent a wave of agony through her shoulder. Pain doused the embers of the nightmare.

She lay panting and stared up at the ceiling in her room, willing her mind to clear. This had been the same dream; an often-replayed nightmare. The men, the fire, Poe’s jeering voice calling her a monster—those were the same. But the final command was new. A rush of thoughts filled her mind.

Come home? I have no home. It was just a dream, a crazy dream.

Kelli disentangled herself and tossed the cover back on the bed in a messy heap. No doubt the maid would wonder what had happened during the night. The hardwood floor felt cold and smooth through her thin nightgown. If this is any sign of how my day is going to turn out, maybe I’ll spend the day reading in bed.

She rolled her ankles and flexed her feet before leaning forward and stretching. Pent up energy sent jittery waves though her body. There was no point trying to go back to sleep. Belatedly, the house AI inquired, Do you require assistance? Unless there was an emergency, neither Eric nor the servants disturbed her privacy. If only nightmares and memories were as polite.

Everything is fine, she assured the unit.

Kelli rummaged in her closet and selected a trendy, metallic sweater that left one shoulder bare and tied at the waist. If she had to avoid the public, she could still follow the fashions. After a steaming shower, Kelli dressed and left the sanctuary of her room. At the end of the hall, the lights and sounds of the game room uttered their siren call. Not today, we have work to do.

The high-security computer center that she dubbed Eric’s Lair was in the subbasement. It was the center of her life, the one she had made for herself. Her stomach rumbled as she entered the elevator. There would be pastries in the lair, and something healthy too. The mirrored walls whirled in a funhouse effect, elongating her thin frame and distorting her face. On the other wall, she was a munchkin with curly hair. Eric thought this funny, but she found it mildly annoying. She didn’t want to see her reflection; it was no longer her. She tried to bring an image of the old Kelli to her mind, and failed. She couldn’t remember what she had looked like when she first came here.

Kelli left the elevator and palmed in at the panel that granted entrance to the workroom. The door beeped twice before sliding open. The aroma of coffee and fresh pastries wafted out through the widening gap. Her stomach did a happy dance. Eric sat studying a bank of screens, a mug of coffee and a half-eaten plate of food cluttering his workstation. His head never turned from the flowing stream of information. He looked like a normal middle-aged man, with curly red hair shot with gray. His nose was his only feature with a claim to beauty. It softened his heavy brow and widened his small, hazel eyes. Looks are often deceiving. He was brilliant, her surrogate father, and so much more. He was her savior, mentor, and friend. Has it been five years since he rescued me from Poe’s clinic?

Morning, Princess, you’re up early. Momma Rosa delivered a superb fruit salad with fresh mangos and bananas this morning to go with the pastries. Eric used his pet name for her, because her character in the game Wizard’s World was a princess. His eyes never turned from the bank of monitors in front of him, and his long fingers flew across the keyboard.

She walked up behind him and scanned the monitors. She frowned and reached out to tap the third one on the center row. We can’t do that.

Why not? It’s easy work, and they’ll pay out the nose.

She sighed. Eric wasn’t deterred by legal issues. How could she explain? Eighty percent of their work was legal in most countries, the other twenty percent was interesting. He liked the interesting. Unfortunately, interesting had several major corporations and a few governments hunting for him. He loved nothing more than taking down dishonest businesses and corrupt governments agencies. To those who benefited from his secret philanthropic endeavors, he was a hero.

It’s not good business, that’s why. You give Saunders Pharmaceutical inside information, and they’ll put other companies out of the market. She cleared her throat and added with emphasis, The cost of your heart medication would triple in a year’s time.

Then everyone’s medicine will triple in cost, Eric said, frowning as if surprised not to have foreseen how his actions affected others. He turned and caught her in a bear hug. That’s my Princess, always looking out for me. You always see the big picture and the consequences lurking down the road.

She bit back the urge to remind him she was seventeen, almost a woman, not a child.

Somebody has to think about consequences. All you think about is money, Kelli said, and with a gentle shove freed herself. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she knew they were false. Eric had a heart of gold and powerful sense of justice. He was the Robin Hood of the Cyber World, both criminal mastermind and vigilante for the oppressed. She planted a peck on his cheek. His face felt scratchy with morning stubble and his breath held the aroma of coffee and raspberry Danish. Kelli imagined that was how a father should feel and smell when you kissed him in the morning. If he wasn’t her actual father, he had done a good job filling in for the last five years.

She fixed a plate of fruit and cheese, poured a mug of coffee, and settled in for the day. It was 5 a.m. and she joined the world’s most wanted info-raider on the information super webs. Eric had taught her well.

Her senses hummed, ready to pounce on even the smallest scrap of profitable information as she scanned the monitors in front of her. After an hour Kelli stretched, stood, and paced around the room. Her body was tense, hyped up, waiting. The longer the day dragged on, the more she sensed something important. She wanted to distract her thoughts.

Got any information from those linker-chips? she inquired about one of their latest projects. That she had helped design the technology made her doubly curious.

It’s a work in progress, but I expect nice profits, Eric assured her. There was a smug smile on his face that told her profits would indeed be huge.

"How is the L-7 cognizant program doing?’ She fiddled with her keyboard, making conversation.

He turned toward her, ignoring his screens for a moment. His face took on a thoughtful expression. About ready for human trials.

Kelli nodded and quickly returned to her searches, unable to shake the feeling that something important was going to turn up.

It flittered across the screen like a hummingbird, almost too fast to be seen. She stopped her screen and backed up the tape to be sure she had read correctly. She had. The small one-sentence communications blurb read, Barringer’s Institute has been selected for the Aldebar Project.

What the hell does that mean? What does Barringer’s Institute have to do with the Unified Nations World League? And what, pray tell, is the Aldebar Project?

Kelli paused the screen and swiveled her chair toward Eric’s station. My old alma mater is on the UNWL net. You know anything about something called the Aldebar Project?

Are you wasting time keeping track of public propaganda pages again? Although he sounded gruff and sarcastic, his eyes betrayed more than a little interest. He flicked his station to auto-scan.

Can I do a little snooping?

Eric nodded. "Be careful. Don’t lead those government crazies here. The cost of relocating would be astronomical.

I know how to be careful.

That you do, Princess. You also have a lot more to lose if they catch us.

Kelli sighed. I know, Eric—believe me, I know.

He reached to place a hand protectively on her shoulder. You’re worth over ten of any of them, Princess, no matter who or what your father was. Start digging. I’ll bring down the entire government before I let those bastards get their hands on you again.

Kelli grabbed his hand and gave it a quick kiss before turning away to hide the tears in her eyes.

By mid-afternoon Kelli had discovered enough to know that the Aldebar Project involved members of the Space Agency, the Defense Department, and some high-level diplomats. This was all remarkably interesting, but not profitable. I can’t go much further without cracking a few security programs. What do you think I should do?

Eric popped a small disk into her terminal drive. Read this, he said, his tone smug.

While she had been trolling the waters of the low security information networks, he had been deep-sea fishing in more dangerous waters and had reeled in Moby Dick as proof. The memos told an unbelievable story.

June 26th, 2135...on this date members of a delegation from the Planet Aldebar in the Taurus Star System made first contact. On the advisement of the head of the Security Council, this information has been classified.

Jesus, that was five years ago. How did they keep a secret so long?

Keep reading.

April 29th, 2139…Ambassador Hamilton Davidson became the first interplanetary envoy when he visited Rishal, the Capital of the Degg Homeland, on the Planet Aldebar to establish official diplomatic ties.

Davidson’s visit was brief and only partially successful. The Aldebarians proposed an educational exchange involving small groups of teachers and students from both worlds. Barringer’s Institute had been selected to provide both.

Kelli’s world shrank inside her. The walls of the room seemed to spiral inward. So, it’s happened at last. They’ve established contact with a sentient alien race. Only it wasn’t the first contact. My mother made first contact twenty years ago or I wouldn’t be here. Dr. Poe proved that, damn him to hell.

Eric rubbed his hands together, flexing them as he stretched. "I’m going