Erin: Speaker of the Mihn’d

By Wayne Carey

Erin is not a typical seventeen-year-old. She’s sarcastic, independent, and trapped in a life taking care of her neurotic mother and substance-abusing brother. Her deadbeat father left them years ago and ended up being part of the Earth mission to the planet Rryllin, a colony world for the Yyrrlaar, an advanced humanoid species with whom Earth has started diplomatic relations.
When her father dies on Rryllin, the Yyrrlaar insist on honoring him in a ceremony which requires a family member in attendance. Erin intends to use the media popularity to gain fame and fortune and ultimate independence. But she gets more than she bargains for when she is kidnapped by humans who have been living on Rryllin for a hundred years. Soon she’s on the run from the Yyrrlaar, charged with terrorism, and finds herself adopted by the strange race of creatures called the Mihn’d.
Caught in the middle of a conflict between the Yrrlaar and the reptilian Draq, Erin learns an even greater threat exists. Could she become the key to saving Earth and other worlds from impending doom?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bold Venture Press
• Release date: Jun 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005606183

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Erin:

Speaker of the Mihn’d

Wayne Carey

Bold Venture Press

Copyright 2022 Wayne Carey

Published by Bold Venture Press at Smashwords

Copyright

Erin

By Wayne Carey

Copyright © 2022 Wayne Carey. All rights reserved.

Editor: Audrey Parente

Bold Venture Press, June 2022

Available in paperback and electronic edition

Publisher’s Note

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior express written consent of the publisher and the copyright holder.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Erin

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

About the author

To my loving wife Brenda and our amazing daughter Amanda, both inspiration for a unique character.

And to Teel James Glenn, Nancy Hansen, Lee Houston Jr., and Jaime Ramos, for their friendship and continuing encouragement.

1

Erin stood over the cryogenic cylinder and gazed down at her father’s dead face. The tube had been designed for suspended animation to preserve someone during a long space journey or until a cure was found for some fatal illness. Only he wasn’t looking forward to a cure and the only trip he was taking was back to Earth, to be buried in the family plot next to Saint Patrick’s in Dublin. They were never used for what they had been intended, but usually served as portable morgues. Like now.

Looking at him, Erin had to squint to see the man she had known as her father. The six years since he abandoned her, and her mother and brother, had not been kind to him. He lost weight and looked gaunt. Death didn’t help. The silly mustache was gone. So was most of his hair, which had turned gray. Nothing left of the red she had inherited. She didn’t remember all those lines and creases, either. Maybe she never noticed them as a child, she had idealized her memories. That’s a laugh. She never idealized anything about Harry O’Connor. He deserted his eleven-year-old daughter, walked out and never looked back without a word of explanation, leaving her to believe it had been her fault. She knew better now that she was seventeen. She had to come all the way to the planet Rryllin to claim his body. Not that she wanted it.

Her eyes burned, but she refused to rub them.

Neville Portière looked down at his polished shoes as though looking away would give her some privacy. He was a narrow man in his forties with perfectly trim brown hair, a pencil thin mustache, and a back as stiff as a board.

Perhaps you would like some time alone.

No, she said quickly. I’m good. What needs to be done?

The sooner she got this out of the way, the sooner she could start enjoying this trip like a proper tourist. It wasn’t every day a teenager from Pittsburgh got to travel to another planet. She didn’t agree to this just to represent her family in claiming the body. They could have saved the expense and left him here. She wanted to see some sights, take some pictures, meet some aliens, be the envy of everyone she knew back home.

You aren’t quite what we expected. A flash of disapproval briefly distorted Portière’s face as he glanced over her.

Okay, her short hair wasn’t as spiked as she liked it, but she had streaked in some blue to accent her natural red before the ship entered orbit. And the tee shirt, under her black pullover with the torn-out elbows, was new. Her jeans were clean, and the rips in the knees were wide enough and not too tattered. Her red sneakers were properly worn in. She was presentable.

His annoyance filter into his tone. This is an unusual situation. This is the first death to occur among our embassy staff on Rryllin. To make matters more complicated, your father’s death occurred outside the embassy grounds and in the company of Yyrrlaar. Under normal conditions, the remains would have been sent back to Earth without the need of any family member traveling all the way out here. But the Yyrrlaar have many peculiar beliefs. They wish to perform a ceremony, and part of that ceremony involves a representative from the family, someone very close to the deceased. We would have preferred your mother.

Yeah, Mom doesn’t do well traveling. Or meeting new people. Or interacting with anyone. Fortunately the medication helped, when she bothered to take them.

When the people in suits had come to their home in Pittsburgh, they had explained the request from the Yyrrlaar and they wanted to act fast in order to honor their beliefs, to promote good relations. Erin got the impression Earth would gain a great deal from this relationship, more than the aliens of Rryllin would get from Earth, though nothing was spelled out for her. Just vague good for the planet remarks. They weren’t very enthusiastic once they met her mother, even less when they saw Erin. She wasn’t a typical girl-next-store. Her brother was out of the picture since he was in rehab, again. But they didn’t seem to have much choice. Erin wasn’t willing to spend a month on a cramped spaceship just to get her lame father’s body, but when she thought about the other benefits, she became interested. Put up with the trip, deal with the body, and then get to see an alien planet. She didn’t know anyone who had gone into space, let alone traveled that far and met actual aliens. Yeah, she had to obey the rules of the expedition. She couldn’t interact with the aliens without an embassy staff member present, which was okay. She would have an escort wherever she went. Fine. This would be better than going to Europe, like the rich girls at school bragged about. Before she left Earth, she already had dozens of calls for interviews and media appearances, all of which she had to turn down because of instructions from the government flunkies. When she got back, that was a different story. She hadn’t even left Earth when she was on the verge of being the most famous teen since the latest Hollywood heartthrob.

Portière droned on and on about the importance of this ceremony to the Yyrrlaar and how it reflected on all of Earth, not just the United States. This embassy was actually a joint venture with many major countries. Portière himself was from Canada. So, Erin not only represented her family, which consisted of a neurotic mother and a substance-abusing brother, and not just the US, but everyone on Earth. The whole planet. Yeah, no pressure.

So, Erin said, hoping to stop the man from talking her to death, what did he die of?

Pardon? Portière blinked at her.

What did he die from? You know, the cause of death. Heart attack? Gun shot? Car crash? People don’t normally drop over for no reason, unless this is a really weird planet.

Portière opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. Instead, the answer came from someone who breezed through the doors in the middle of the conversation. He was a small Asian with wild hair, cargo shorts, and a Hawaiian shirt covered with bright parrots and pineapples. His sandals slapped against the floor as he shot through the clinic.

We don’t know. You must be Erin O’Connor. Nice to meet you, under the circumstances. Sorry for your loss. Dr. Yoshi, chief medical officer.

Erin grinned at him as she shook his hand. Yeah. Right. She liked him. He wasn’t a typical stuffy scientist or politician. About as unconventional as they come, and she could identify.

I worked with your father for the past two years. Nice fellow.

She lost her grin. Then you knew him better than we did. I haven’t seen him for six years, and you have a higher opinion of him than me.

Oh. That stopped him short.

What did it, then? she asked.

Hum?

Erin rolled her eyes, the way she did unconsciously when she was trying to have a coherent conversation with her mother, who never cooperated. The cause of death? You know, the death certificate stuff. What killed him?

Oh. I just told you. We don’t know.

Why not? She looked around at all the high-tech equipment.

Well. He drew the word out. We haven’t performed any tests on the body.

She looked at the instruments again and the gleaming white of the clinic. Why not?

The Yyrrlaar, Portière explained, don’t believe in autopsies. Dr. Yoshi has been able to run some external exams, but nothing that would invade the body.

Yoshi’s face twisted with irritation. Can’t even take a blood sample.

That’s just stupid, Erin said.

Portière’s face paled. No, no. Don’t say that. They’re just different. This is a totally alien society. Don’t let the superficial aspects fool you. Things may seem similar to human society, and the Yyrrlaar may look a little like humans, but there are many fundamental differences. And we need to honor those differences, one of which just happens to concern the ceremony for your father. Now, once he is returned to Earth, a full autopsy will be performed. But while he is still on Rryllin the body must not be disturbed. We can’t upset the Yyrrlaar in any way.

Wouldn’t want to do that, Erin said with a smirk.

Portière nodded in agreement, missing her sarcasm. Quite.

With all that said and done, Yoshi said, I can let you know from my external scans that there are no signs of trauma or injury. More than likely, your father suffered from a heart attack. We just won’t know for certain until his remains return to Earth.

Erin gave a nod. Got it.

The clinic doors slide open behind her and Portière’s expression mixed with surprise and embarrassment before becoming stoic. She turned to see the tall silhouette standing in the doorway. The figure was a stretched humanoid shape. Humanoid, but not quite human.

The Yyrrlaar glided into the light of the medical center, the doors sliding shut behind him.

The hem of his robes brushed the floor. Erin guessed he was male from the straight lines of the long, narrow shape beneath the loose garments, but she could be wrong. Gold and silver threads wove delicate designs across the white cloth and glittered with the lights as though they were filled with their own energy. Long, straight hair of gold fell over the shoulders and shimmered with silver and gold threads woven through thin, delicate braids. The Yyrrlaar’s face was longer than a human’s, but smooth and pleasant, with no indication of facial hair. The nose was long and straight, but narrow with small nostrils, and could go unnoticed at certain angles. The mouth was small, with pale lips that pursed, relaxed, then pursed again. The eyes caught and held her. At first they seemed to have no iris, only the pinpoints of the black pupils. As the Yyrrlaar drew closer in fluid movements, Erin saw the irises were of such a pale blue that they washed into the surrounding whites.

Do I interrupt? the Yyrrlaar asked. The voice trilled in a tone that would have been male by human standards. He was so thin he looked as though he would topple in a high wind, but the golden hands and forearms that poked from the wide sleeves of his robes were tight with muscles.

Portière beamed at the alien.

Welcome, Ellit, he said with a slight bow of his head before turning to Erin. This is Ellit Saansmour, senior member of the Ellit Council. The Ellit has been instrumental in our presence on Rryllin. Ellit, this is Erin O’Connor, Harry O’Connor’s daughter.

Saansmour inclined his head, sending his hair into shimmering waves. My pleasure in our meeting, Erin O’Connor. His soft voice enunciated each English word to perfection, with a trace of an accent that reminded Erin of French.

Right. She had seen vids of Yyrrlaar, as well as the other resident aliens, the Draq, but this was the first real live alien she had met. No pictures could prepare her for the actual confrontation. She had imagined this countless of times, coming up with catchy phrases, chatting with the aliens. For some reason she couldn’t think of a word. She felt like such an idiot.

Interesting, Saansmour said. We have yet to meet a human of your years. Tell me, does your hair change coloration until your maturation?

It is dyed, Portière said quickly. Some humans do that to enhance their natural color, or to change the color. Purely personal aesthetics.

Saansmour clicked his tongue. Indeed. Is red or blue the natural coloration, or neither? How curious. It continues to amaze us how a single race may contain such variations. Skin color, hair color and texture, facial construction, and social customs.

We were just discussing, Portière said, the ceremony for Dr. O’Connor.

Saansmour waved the long, elegant fingers of one hand, making a quick, invisible pattern in the air. He looked at the cryogenic cylinder. Of course. Honored Harry O’Connor’s journey into night. As a Yyrrlaar passes from this life, we honor them for their accomplishments and prepare their way into a universe of infinity. They pass into another existence, and we free them to fulfill that passage.

Saansmour’s tongue ran a litany of sharp clicks. You must know more of us, as we must learn of you and your species, Lady Erin. You’re father was an honored member of the Earth expedition. He was an intelligent man.

You didn’t know him that well, did you? she asked.

Portière’s eyes widened in shock and he opened his mouth to make some apology for her remark, but Saansmour spoke first.

We had limited interactions. Why?

Because his work never amounted to much. He was a researcher moving from one medical company to another, never accomplishing anything. Believe me, we would have never heard the end of it if he had a single real accomplishment.

Nonsense. Portière forced a nervous laugh. His face was bright red, but Erin couldn’t tell if it was from anger at her or embarrassment at the situation. Only the best are chosen for this expedition.

Then someone screwed up, Erin insisted. My dad was basically a loser.

I can’t believe that, Yoshi said. We were extensively vetted. Even Nobel laureates were turned down. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I ran a hospital in Hawaii. I jumped at the chance to come here because of meeting and studying alien life. Still, they investigated me for months.

Portière lowered his chin to give Erin a condescending look. You haven’t seen him in a number of years. Perhaps he has made some crucial scientific breakthrough during that time, something to raise him up in the science community.

Nope. Nothing. Don’t you think I’d want to be the daughter of someone who made it big? The only important thing he accomplished was getting to go to an alien planet.

Lady Erin, Saansmour said softly, am I to understand that you have not communicated with your father for a number of years?

Yep. He walked out on us six years ago and I never saw him again until today. She pointed to the cryo tube.

Has any other member of your family received communications from him? Saansmour asked.

Nope. Nothing. We learned about him going to Rryllin from the news.

Curious, Saansmour said. If what you say is true, how was he even selected for this mission?

2

The ceremony will take place this evening.

Ambassador Gabriel Uchenna was a large man with deep chocolate skin and a shaved head, a football player in his younger days until a knee injury in his third year with the pros. His office contained a few mementos from those days, including a game ball in a Plexiglas case, along with photos of his political career. Erin never heard of him, from his political side or pro ball career. He hadn’t played for Pittsburgh, so no reason why she would know about him. Besides, his football days were well before her time, by the pictures on the wall. Portière had explained on the way to the office that he had been a US Senator before becoming ambassador to Nigeria, where his parents were born. After that, he was ambassador to a bunch of other countries. She only knew he was big and imposing.

Okay. Erin sat in front of the large metal desk with a glass surface, in a chair that looked like it would break with her slight weight but felt surprisingly secure and very comfortable. She felt his dark eyes burning through her. Despite the alien flavor to the office furnishings, it was like being in a principal’s office. Something she just couldn’t seem to avoid no matter how hard she tried. It didn’t help that Portière sat beside her with a scowl on his face. So … what do I do? Just stand around and listen to a bunch of eulogies?

Uchenna lost the deadly intimidating glare and gave an apologetic smile that softened his face and made him more grandfatherly. We aren’t actually sure. The Yyrrlaar haven’t really explained it.

I won’t have to say anything, will I?

Not from what Ellit Saansmour has told us, Uchenna said. They merely insist on your presence during the ceremony.

Just in case, Portière said, pulling out his data pad and tapping on it, we’ve prepared a statement you could deliver if the situation demands. It’s brief, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty committing to memory.

A frown passed over Uchenna’s broad face. Now Neville, I’m sure Ms. O’Connor doesn’t need a prepared statement concerning her father.

She hasn’t had contact with him for six years, Mr. Ambassador. Which brings up the other issue concerning the late Dr. O’Connor.

Ah, yes. You’re suggestion that he was less than a stellar scientist, Ms. O’Connor. The ambassador passed his fingers over his own data pad. I assure you, he does have an impressive record.

He slid the pad toward her across the glass top of his desk.

Erin picked it up and scrolled through the list. There were awards, titles of articles, academic accomplishments. Did you check these out?

I don’t have to. It’s all been done or he wouldn’t have been sent here. That is what the vetting process does.

She shoved the pad back across the desktop. Well, I don’t remember any of those. And he didn’t go to MIT, he went to a small state college in Pennsylvania.

You would have been young at the time, Uchenna said. Your memory is no doubt faulty, tainted by his treatment of you and your family.

Yeah, but my mother shoved all his papers and diplomas and certificates into a box and hid it in the closet, which I found when I was twelve. Check those out, she insisted, indicating the pad. Someone’s playing you.

Uchenna smiled warmly. I very much doubt that. Besides, we don’t have facilities to double check all that information. That is not what our mission is. Let’s just drop this subject and move on.

Erin shrugged. Okay, your loss. So I’m to be a good little girl in front of the aliens, make a nice show, then get shipped back to Earth, right?

Uchenna pursed his lips. Basically, yes. I realize you’re being facetious, but that’s about what we want to occur. We don’t want any incidents that could jeopardize our mission. Neville seems to feel you might be … volatile. I, however, see you as an intelligent young woman, if a bit … flamboyant. Stick with our protocols and everything will be fine. I’m sure you understand this mission is of the utmost importance to Earth. We will gain great strides in scientific achievements, such as space travel. The Yyrrlaar have far superior star drive capabilities. They have traveled here about twenty years ago from their distant home world and established this colony. They are more advanced technologically than us and are willing to share their knowledge. Provided they can trust us. Mr. Portière will take you to your quarters. Get some rest, then we will attend the ceremony. And you will be on your way home before you know it.

That was what she was afraid of. How was she to be famous if she had no experiences to relate, no pictures to show off? She’d be a minor footnote … and never be able to get away from her family.

The apartment they gave her had been her father’s. They really didn’t have guest quarters. It was creepy enough, but it would have been worse if all his stuff had filled the room. Someone had already gone through and packed everything away in a plastic crate that sat near the door. The place looked pretty much like a generic hotel room not much bigger than her stateroom on the ship: a sitting area with a desk, bed, and a tiny bath equipped with a shower. Everything was depressingly human. She was expecting things to look a bit more exotic, more alien.

She showered and changed into fresh jeans and tee shirt from her travel bag. They were a little wrinkled, but she didn’t care. At least they were clean. She decided to leave her hair in a shag rather than spike it. Too much trouble to get it just right and the ambassador probably wouldn’t approve. Some of the deep blue still streaked her red hair after the shower, giving it a nice contrast.

She was adding the finishing touches with her thick eyeliner when a buzzer sounded. She followed the sound to the door and opened it.

Hi! declared the visitor.

The woman was in her late twenties, blond hair tied in a ponytail that bobbed around when she spoke. Her grin split her face and made her blue eyes bright. She wore shoes that were made for hiking, khaki slacks and a khaki shirt under a black nylon jacket with an American flag on the left arm. A bundle was tucked under her right arm. She reached out her hand.

I’m Sally Davies. I’m one of the sociologists on staff. Call me Sal. Everyone does.

Erin took the hand and let her own get pumped enthusiastically.

Erin. But everyone calls me Erin.

The woman whipped up the package and presented it to Erin.

The ambassador told me to give you these. For the Yyrrlaar ceremony later. He wants me to be with you the whole time, which is exciting from a sociological point of view. We’ve been here for two years and we still know so little about the Yyrrlaar.

Erin took the package and shook it. What’s this? God, she hoped it wasn’t khakis.

Sal grinned again, then raised her arms as though she were presenting herself. Yep, it was khakis. They’re sort of the unofficial uniform of the embassy staff. They may not be stylish, but they’re comfortable as well as practical.

Erin rolled her eyes. Gee, thanks. She tossed the bundle onto the only chair.

Just make sure you’re in them when it’s time to go. The ambassador was adamant about that, and you don’t want to upset him.

Yeah, right. Anything else?

No, just get some rest. You’ve already had a big day and we have no idea how long this ceremony will be.

No problem. Now that she was on an alien planet, however short her stay might be, she wasn’t going to spend her time with her eyes closed.

Alone again and bored out of her mind, her curiosity won out. Erin popped open the crate of her father’s stuff. Not much there. At least he had a few more things other than the prerequisite khakis. Jeans and a few tee shirts. A couple of hardcover books and a device for watching digital movies or reading electronic books. She didn’t find any photos or holograms of any family members. Nothing to hint what he’d been up to the past six years. At least he didn’t have another family somewhere, other kids to replace the ones he abandoned. Another daughter to take her place.

Nothing.

The hardcover books were old mystery novels. She could read them on the trip back. She’d take the reader, too. Might be some good stuff on it. And there was a leather-bound Bible, which was strange. Erin never knew her father to be particularly religious and never knew him to actually read the Bible. Of course, he may have had an epiphany since he left. The Bible didn’t feel worn or well-thumbed. Maybe he kept it for good luck or out of superstition. Her fingers felt something in the back cover. Something small and square. She flipped the cover open and ran her fingers along the inside. The last page had been glued to the cover. When she peeled the page away, a small data chip dropped out.

She held the chip between her fingers. A chill ran through her. In black marker, small letters were scribbled over the blue plastic. E-R-I-N.

Why would he hide a data chip, with her name on it, in a Bible?

She dug into the box and pulled out the reader. She powered it up and slid the chip into the port. The screen started to glow. Then instead of text or a movie title, an image of her father appeared. He resembled the body frozen in the cryogenic tube more than the memories she had of him. It was like watching a different person, a stranger. Even his voice seemed different. Familiar, with that trace of the Irish accent, yet different.

Hi. He hesitated, stared at the floor, coughed. I’ve been meaning to do this for some time. I’ve tried a few times, but never could get it right. I hope this time it works out. I’ve got so much to tell you, I hardly know where to start. Well, maybe I do.

He leaned closer, his face drawing serious lines. "I’m sorry.

I know you don’t know the circumstances of why I left your mother. She is not the easiest person to deal with, but that wasn’t the reason. Not entirely. I wanted to keep in contact with you and your brother, but your mother made things difficult. And later, it was for the better.

For who? She didn’t have to hear this. She wanted to throw the reader against the wall, snap the data chip in half. How dare he apologize after all these years, from the safe distance of another planet…from the grave!

He paused again, fumbling with his thoughts. "Your mother tried to warn me. I didn’t listen. I was in bad company, made some bad business deals. These people insisted I do them some favors. I passed on information from the company I was working for. Not my research, but from someone else. People found out, and I moved on before any investigation. Then these associates helped place me in another company and forced me to repeat what I had done before. They threatened you, your brother, and your mother. I thought it better that I leave you, I thought maybe they might not threaten you if they thought I wasn’t part of your lives anymore. Didn’t work. I did what they wanted to keep them away from you.

And now I’m here. He waved his hands around him. The room was the same one she was in now.

"I’m on another planet. Rryllin. You probably heard about it on the news or in school. Those people I told you about, they have some pretty influential friends high up in the government. They got me placed on the science team here. They’re after some