Accidental Slave to the Kralians: Sci-Fi Ménage Romance (The Complete Edition) Page 14

  Kryan looked at Aedar, and when his brother nodded, he turned to Captain Shaw.

  “Let’s call him right now. We’re just as eager as you to find out if our Kralian ancestors visited Earth.”

  The Captain shook his head slowly.

  “No. This isn’t the kind of discussion one should have on the phone. With such a sensitive subject… we must be careful. Take every precaution. First, I want Jenkins to gather all she can find on these theories, so I can go to Professor Tryniski with clear, concise questions. I don’t want him to waste time telling me things I could have found out if I’d done my homework. So, I’m doing my homework. Or… Jenkins is doing it for me.” He gave the IT girl a grateful smile. “Even though time is of the essence, we should never rush into anything before covering all our bases.” He trained his dark eyes back on the two Kralians. “How about you, gentlemen? What do your historians have to say about Kralia’s ancient times?”

  Aedar was the one to speak.

  “None of our historical documents are on paper anymore. Or… anyway, what you would call paper.”

  “As expected.”

  “We managed to salvage part of the database shared by all our libraries before we had to leave the planet. We will take a look, of course, but it’s going to be like finding a needle in the haystack.” He stole a quick glance at Avery. “Is that how you say it?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  “Without at least two or three keywords, we don’t know what we’re looking for.”

  “How about Terra? Earth?” Captain Shaw suggested.

  Kryan smiled indulgently.

  “You can imagine we’ve already searched for those the first time we found your planet and found out what you usually call it. Nothing. If our ancestors were here, then we can only guess they named it differently. We need more information. You have to understand that the database we’ve stored on the Hordaa is immense, even if it’s only a quarter of what our libraries held. It covers history, astronomy, science, mathematics, literature, biology, anatomy… everything. Unfortunately, we have no Kralian historians on our ship. The last city standing on Kralia when we left was mostly military.”

  “I understand. All right, I’ll see what Professor Tryniski can tell me, and we’ll go from there. I’m going to give him a quick call and ask if we can meet at the University tomorrow. Agent Tonkin, I’d like you to accompany me.”

  “Of course, Captain.”

  “It’s settled, then.” He stood up and looked at Kryan and Aedar, signaling that was their cue to leave. “Gentlemen, thank you for your assistance. We appreciate it.”

  The brothers stood up. When Captain Shaw extended his hand toward them for the first time, they each shook it, finally feeling like they were getting somewhere with the SPG. On their way out, they exchanged a quick glance with Avery, which was enough to make her blush intensely. Later, in the car, Kryan made a joke about betting that their little pleasure slave would soon knock on their door again.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The next day, right before lunch, Avery met Captain Shaw in front of the University building. She had all Lisa’s research in a black, classy briefcase. She felt rather good in her black dress pants, shiny high-heeled pumps, and the black, elegant jacket thrown over a peach blouse that revealed a subtle hint of her firm cleavage. She had tied her blonde hair in a neat bun and had put on just the right amount of makeup to enhance her delicate features. She felt good about today.

  Captain Shaw cocked an eyebrow. As they entered the building and walked to Professor Tryniski’s office, he couldn’t help but steal quick side glances at her.

  “You’re smiling, Agent Tonkin.”

  “I am, sir. Things are finally moving, and in the right direction, I might add.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “The invisibility serum doesn’t affect humans, so I’m safe. No cancer, or leukemia, or the plague… or leprosy in sight.” She chuckled. “And we have a good lead.”

  “That we do.” He didn’t sound too optimistic, though.

  “What’s wrong, sir?”

  “I’m not sure this connection between Kralians and humans can be replicated. It’s a gene sequence. As fascinating as this discovery is, it’s useless in the certain war that’s coming our way.”

  “Certain war? I thought we decided not to go that route.”

  “I’m afraid we won’t have a choice. A real choice, not fairy tales… We all want to believe this can be solved amicably, but let’s face the facts: the aliens want what we have, and they have the power to take it. They don’t see us as their equals. We’re weak, helpless… Our huge egos don’t allow us to admit it, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

  “We’ll prove them wrong.”

  “How?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  They stopped in front of Professor Tryniski’s office.

  “Maybe he has the answer.” Avery gave him another reassuring smile and knocked on the door.

  The Professor had been waiting for them. He opened the door, but didn’t invite them in. Instead, he grabbed his suitcase, stepped out of his office, and locked the door.

  “Let’s take a walk,” he said instead of “hello”.

  “Jacques! It’s so good to see you, old friend!” Captain Shaw patted him on the back.

  The Professor smiled uneasily. “Yes, me too. I only wish it were in other circumstances.”

  Avery and the Captain followed the old man down the corridor and out through a back door. It seemed they were going to walk around the campus. Neither Avery, nor Shaw missed how jumpy Jacques Tryniski was. As he walked with a small, almost imperceptible limp, he thoroughly studied their surroundings, not pausing for a second to look at his two companions. His faded blue eyes were too busy taking in every single person in his line of sight.

  Avery threw Shaw a concerned glance, and her boss nodded at her.

  “Is everything okay, Professor?”

  Tryniski almost jumped at the sound of her voice.

  “Yes, yes, my dear. I mean, no. But don’t you worry about it.”

  “What do you mean no?” Shaw asked.

  The old man walked a couple more steps, then stopped and turned to face them. They had reached a part of the campus that was completely deserted. A large oak tree hid them from the top windows of the building.

  “Yesterday, when you called me, you mentioned you needed help with some research on ancient alien myths.”

  “Yes. What’s wrong with that?”

  Indeed, Shaw hadn’t said more than that on the phone. He’d thought that telling his friend he was interested in historical accounts of aliens visiting Earth was innocent enough, as he hadn’t given any details. He’d just wanted the Professor to be ready for today’s meeting in case he needed time to look for relevant documents or books.

  “I know what you’re working on, Ben.”

  The Captain stiffened. Avery could feel the tension in the air, although she didn’t understand what was happening and why the old man seemed so scared.

  “How do you know, Jacques?”

  Tryniski chuckled darkly.

  “Because I’m not stupid. We haven’t talked in a long time… Well, I will remind you that we haven’t talked since you started working on this case. The last time we saw each other… one year ago, I believe… Do you remember what happened? We were having coffee at that Italian restaurant, and I started telling you about the very things you’ve come to ask me today. And you stopped me. You said all the theories about aliens were a hoax, and that aliens didn’t exist. Then, I pressed on, and I tried to show you that all the books, movies, and TV shows in the past few years are hinting to the fact that something is happening. Something… big. Something dangerous. You went silent, then angry, then said we should never talk about these things. You made me promise I would keep my theories to myself and not spread false rumors. Then, you disappeared. You never called, never
wanted to have lunch together again… I figured it out, Ben. You were working on a case that concerned those very discoveries I had made.”

  “Suppositions, not discoveries,” the Captain corrected him carefully.

  The Professor shook his head. “And now you’re here. You need my expertise. Yesterday, your call confirmed my suspicions. You’re onto something.”

  The Captain sighed deeply, then nodded.

  “Yes, Jacques. You’re right. You were right all along. I need your help.”

  “Why now? What changed? I could have helped you then. I could have helped you from the very beginning. Since you’re here, I can only guess that you don’t have a history expert on your team.”

  “I didn’t want to involve you because it’s dangerous, Jacques. It’s a dangerous mission, and all I could think of was protecting you and your family. Please, tell me you understand.”

  Professor Tryniski hesitated. He turned to Avery, noticing the briefcase she was carrying for the first time.

  “What do you have there?”

  Avery held the briefcase in front of her.

  “It’s all we could find on various ancient astronauts hypotheses. Maybe you can help us separate the real information from the fake. Nibiru, the Dogon people, Ancient Sumer… Will you please have a look?”

  The old man shook his head and took a step back.

  “I don’t need to have a look. I already know what’s in there is worthless. Pseudoscience. Some of those theories were developed by people who felt there was something about us, about Terrans, and that something came from the stars. But they didn’t have facts, so they invented stories. Most of them, however, were developed by those who know the truth and want it buried. Spread fake information, and no one will believe the real one in case it comes to the surface. So far, though, these people have managed to keep the true stories hidden from the public.”

  Captain Shaw smiled. “So, even though I asked you to stop, you didn’t. You went on with your research.”

  “Yes. And that was a huge mistake. I’m done now. I’m sorry, Ben. You’ve come to the wrong person. I don’t know anything. I can’t help you.”

  “Yes, you do. Look… I will keep you safe, I promise. All I need is… I don’t know… something. Even if it’s small, it’s better than nothing. We’ve hit a dead end. Give me something, anything, and I promise you this is the first and the last time I’m asking.”

  The Professor shook his head slowly. He looked up at the sky, which was mostly hidden by the thick branches of the oak tree.

  “I stepped on some toes, Ben. I dug too deep, I was told ‘no’ many times, and yet I persisted. When they saw they couldn’t get rid of me nicely, they threatened my family, and it was then that I had to stop. They followed me for a while. I know they tracked my phone. I’m sure of it. Maybe they’re still following me now. Maybe they’re somewhere around here, closer than we can imagine, watching us.”

  “Agent Tonkin?”

  Avery looked around her, but it was more to put Tryniski at ease. Even though no one had told her to pay attention, her natural instincts had kicked in, and she had made sure no one had followed her, and no one suspicious was present in the vicinity.

  “No one is watching us,” she said.

  “Who’s ‘they’, Jacques?”

  The Professor let out a sigh of relief. He took a blue handkerchief out of his pocket and patted his forehead.

  “They call themselves the Valley. It’s a small organization of historians, anthropologists and archaeologists that own a private collection of old manuscripts and documents, and also some… well… ancient tablets. No one except for the members of the Valley has access to this collection. I contacted them a couple of months ago, as I hoped they might have what I was looking for. I was ready to join their organization if that was what it took, but they turned me down over and over. When they figured out I was onto something, and that the little information I had was correct, they got… unpleasant. Violent, even. When they threatened to go after my family if I didn’t back down, I stopped asking questions. I stopped looking. I even burned everything I had on the subject.”

  Captain Shaw crossed his hands behind his back. Avery could see how tense he was. He was also impatient, but he couldn’t let Tryniski see that. The old man was scared, and the last thing her boss wanted was to scare him even more. The poor Professor had gone through a lot, and all because of his native curiosity.

  “The Valley,” Shaw said thoughtfully. “Why the Valley?”

  “It’s… a long story. It’s related to what they’re trying to protect.”

  “And what is that?”

  When the Professor didn’t say anything, Ben Shaw stepped closer to him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

  “Jacques, trust me. I will have some of my agents keep an eye on you and your family. I promise.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “Tell me what you found. No need for details. I told you, I just need some leads, that’s all.”

  Tryniski took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then opened them and fixed his friend with determination.

  “You’ll have to listen carefully, because I’m not saying it twice.”

  Avery pointed to her temple. “I have a good memory, sir.”

  “The Valley refers to the Danube Valley, in Europe, where archaeologists found tablets and pottery dating back to the Neolithic Era. 5,500 BC. The oldest writing system on Earth. That’s what they’re trying to hide from the public. Today, we know that the oldest civilization is that of Ancient Sumer, and the first writing system was developed there. Well… that’s wrong. The most ancient writing symbols were found in the Balkans, and contrary to what you might think, they were successfully interpreted by scholars of the Valley. The text fragments speak of visitors from outer space…”

  “Have you seen these tablets?”

  “No.”

  “The translation, then?”

  “No. I haven’t seen anything with my own eyes. The little that I know I found out from historian friends, various books that barely mentioned this ancient civilization… Just imagine! Most of Europe was in the middle of the Stone Age, and these people had copper tools, built two story houses, made chairs and tables, knew how to spin wool and work with leather, and had their own writing system! I didn’t even believe it was real until the Valley made their threats. I knew I hit a sore spot and I had to back off and forget all about it. It doesn’t matter anymore, right? It’s ancient history. Literally.”

  “But it does. And you know it, Jacques. The books, the movies…”

  The Professor chuckled nervously. “Yeah… Who am I kidding?”

  Shaw squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you. You’ve helped me more than anyone.”

  Avery cocked an eyebrow. “Well, let’s not exaggerate, shall we?”

  The Captain shot her an annoyed glance.

  “So, you believe these… Valley guys have the translation of these ancient symbols in their private collection?”

  Tryniski nodded. “Yes. I’m sure of it.”

  “That’s all I need to know.”

  “Ben, they’re untouchable. Just so you know. I’ve done my research on the Valley. I don’t know how, but they’re well connected. They won’t care that you’re CIA, or FBI, or the president himself.”

  “Let me worry about that, all right?”

  “If they realize you know what they’ve been hiding all this time…”

  “They won’t, old friend. I have my ways.”

  The Captain did his best to calm him down, then he and Avery walked him back to his office. Avery checked the perimeter before they left the University and assured her boss that everything seemed fine. Just in case, Shaw made a call and made sure Tryniski and his family would be looked after until all this was over.

  “What now?” Avery asked as she pulled out of the parking lot. “He hasn’t given us much, really. We were looking for k
eywords for the Kralian database. What do we have? The Danube Valley? I don’t think it’s enough.”

  “It’s enough to move forward and get what we need. Now, Agent Tonkin, we find out just how much of an allergy our Kralian friends have toward humans.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He pointed to the screen of his phone.

  “I’ve just done a bit of research on the Valley. Their boss is actually a boss lady. I’ve seen your reaction to their presence, just as I’ve seen Lisa’s reaction, and even Zadie’s.”

  Avery blushed to the tips of her ears. She kept her eyes trained on the road, but she could feel her skin burning up. She shifted uncomfortably in the driver’s seat.

  “Yes, I realize my plan is rather… crass. But it’s the only one I have. Do you think Kryan and Aedar will run with it?”

  She swallowed hard. “They want to help.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Beatrice Sage, president of the Valley, was a sixty-year-old woman who was beyond in love with Alex Walsh’s sci-fi romance novels. She had also watched all the movies produced by Kralia Studios at least twice, and was secretly unable to say which brother she admired most. Alex was gentle and romantic, while Kit was more of a serious, determined businessman, the type who knew what he wanted and how he wanted it. No one knew of her little passions, of course. No one except Alex and Kit themselves, when they first shook her hand and got a rush of her thoughts and feelings.

  It was easy for the two Kralians to gain access to the Valley. All they had to do was contact Beatrice Sage and tell her how they were working on a new book and movie. They were researching the theory about Nibiru and how the Ancient Sumerians had learned everything they knew from this species of aliens. The SPG had suggested they used the most ridiculous of all the theories Lisa Jenkins had unearthed for a reason: no one at the Valley would take them seriously, so they wouldn’t be seen as a threat. Once they gained access to the organization’s private library, Avery would be in charge of finding the translation they were looking for. Now that she knew the invisibility serum had no side effects on her, she was more than happy to use her invisibility collar again. The plan made sense. Kryan and Aedar were perfectly capable of making Beatrice Sage lose her head just enough to grant them access to the Valley’s most treasured documents. After all, she knew they were interested in Nibiru, which was nothing but a bonkers hypothesis. She couldn’t pass on the opportunity to spend a few hours in the brothers’ presence, especially since Alex had promised to mention her name in the Dedication of his next novel.