"Move… okay." Sandage said, using his hand to hide his phone's receiver. Beyond that, Rose only picked up scattered words. "Good. They'll be there soon."
"Is everything okay?" Rose asked from her position at the dining room table. Brown stood at attention beside her, curious.
"Dad, do you need to leave? You just got here!" Joe complained.
"It's nothing." Sandage pocketed his phone. "Just some work business. It's no biggie."
But Rose sensed something amiss. "Was there an Altair attack? Look, Mr. Sandage, I appreciate you wanting me to have some time off, but if there's a monster that needs fighting, I'm ready."
"It's nothing like that, Rose." Sandage shot her the fakest smile. "In fact, it's probably nothing."
"Right," Rose's voice dripped with obvious doubt.
"So, are you staying?" Joe asked, his voice hopeful.
"I am." Sandage nodded. "Smells good, honey! I'll help you plate up the hotdish."
"I'll help." Brown followed into the kitchen area. The smell of cooked green beans and hamburger wafted in from where they'd retreated. From their muttering, it seemed they were conversing about something.
"What do you think?" Cecilia asked.
"They are hiding something, like they think we can't tell. Adults always do this," Joe said, annoyed.
"We'll find out soon enough." Rose sighed, deciding she'd table the problem for later. Though, she activated Luyten V through their link, just in case. Since their temporary fusion, her connection had grown stronger. Even over a hundred miles away, she sensed her robot partner.
Rose tried to remain positive as everyone received their portion of the hotdish, nodding her thanks. She threw plenty of compliments at Ms. Sandage about her cooking. "I like it. The onions add plenty of flavor, Ms. Sandage."
"Thanks, dear. Be sure to eat up—I made plenty," Ms. Sandage replied, pleased. Her mood darkened as she caught her son picking at his food. "Johannes, eat up. We have guests. And I'm not asking again!"
"Okay, sheesh." Joe forced himself to take a bite, clearly wishing he was eating something else. Odd—did he not like green beans or something? Those were the best part.
"And that means you too, Cecilia," Ms. Sandage said. Rose's friend had also been picking at her food. She'd gone into one of her moods and had lost her appetite. Of course, Ms. Sandage made sure she regained it, giving her another portion of hotdish once she'd finished her first.
"Thanks," Cecilia said sourly.
"No need for that attitude, young lady. You haven't been eating healthy, so I'm making up for lost time," Ms. Sandage said. Her husband watched the entire exchange, amused—though he wisely kept his mouth shut.
"That's really unnecessary." Cecilia tried to argue, but their host wasn't having it. She made Cecilia eat three full portions before they got to dessert.
"Ugh, I had more than enough" Cecilia grumbled as she plopped onto the couch, wincing from a too-full stomach. "What's with that woman? She's acting like she's my mom."
Rose could offer only a shrug, nibbling on her chocolate bar. "What now? A movie? Some Stella streams?" They had about two hours until bedtime. She hadn't forgotten about school in the morning.
"Stella?" Joe asked.
"Some streamer Rose likes," Cecilia said, her tone souring further.
"She's hilarious—likes to prank her viewers. And she's a fantastic singer," Rose said. "I believe she's playing a rhythm game tonight."
"Where's she finding the time?" Cecilia clicked on the TV. "The world is ending!"
On the news channel, they showed a repeat of yesterday's press conference when the Ectutai officials unveiled themselves to the world. Some commentators were talking about it, making predictions about how it'd affect political matters or whatever. Rose had already watched it live, but didn't mind watching the repeat.
"Hey, it's your boyfriend!" Rose said, as the clip showed Prince Imrele pulling off his helmet to reveal his youthful face. She smirked, amused by the press's reaction. The other alien delegates showed their faces as well, giving the world a glimpse of their new visitors.
"Oh, shut up!" Cecilia said, kicking her friend.
"They sure weren't what I had been expecting." Joe said, before pausing as he considered Rose's odd comment. "Boyfriend?"
"It's not important," Cecilia replied.
"They sure are smaller than I expected," Joe said. While the Ectutai delegates were clearly older than their prince—some with facial hair and withered faces—their natural reddish tint ashy, they seemed much shorter than the average human.
"Apparently, the average height of an Ectutai is four feet five inches," Sandage said. "They're remarkably like humans otherwise, with very similar organs—though they have an extra liver."
"Huh." Rose stared at Prince Imrele's youthful face. "Any explanation why they came here exactly? Are they acting with the Empire's approval?"
"Republic, actually. And my sources report no…" Sandage replied.
"Did they break some Prime Directive, Dad?" Joe asked.
"A what?" Cecilia asked.
"Do you know anything about anything?" Joe replied, exasperated.
"What? I'm not stupid! I keep my knowledge to things that are important!" Cecilia said, affronted.
Joe opened his mouth to reply, but his father intervened before a fight broke out. "Yes and no. The Kristra Republic frowns on interfering with less advanced species, but these are pressing circumstances. The prince considered the Altair a big enough threat to interfere, and protecting a less advanced species made sense. How they'll react back home is anyone's guess. I haven't met Prince Imrele's father. They've already reported the news, but it'll take some time to respond."
"Sounds complicated." Rose wondered how it'd play out. Would the King of the Kristra Republic come here himself, eventually?
"Humanity has already been thrust into a harrowing time, fraught with unknown dangers, and forced into an intergalactic community it was ready for." Rose heard the obvious passion behind Prince Imrele's words. "But I believe in humanity, I've already seen first hand how courageous and resourceful your species can be."
She listened to Prince Imrele's speech about their mutual future and how both races would benefit from their alliance. For someone almost Rose's age, the prince was a gifted speaker.
"Is he next in line for the throne?" Rose asked.
"No, Prince Imrele is about 30th in line from what I understand," Sandage replied. "He has many siblings. The crown prince is a man named Kildajar."
"Huh."
"And let this lead into a bright future for both our people, safe from our mutual enemy," Prince Imrele said. "We will ensure the Altair are vanquished from our universe!"
"Huh?" Rose opened her phone. She'd gotten a text message, brow furrowing as she read its sender. "Excuse me while I take this."
Sandage's office had sparse decorations, with neatly organized files and books. All his books seemed well-used but lovingly maintained. It amused Rose most were pop sci-fi books, nothing close to hard sci-fi. Was Sandage living his dream by interacting with real aliens?
"Thank God you're okay!" Sophia said, her tone frantic.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. No problems here. Should I be worried?"
But her older sister ignored the question. "Sandage told me you were okay, but I had to make sure. Who knows what the Altair are planning!"
"Sophia, what's wrong?" A tightness formed in Rose's chest. "Are Mom and Dad alright?"
"No, they're okay. We're in a safe house until they deemed our house safe."
"What? Was the damage from the attack worse than we expected?" They'd been told the damage was rather minor, and they could live in their house while repairs were done.
"Well…" Sophia hesitated. "I'm not sure how much I should reveal."
"Which is nothing!" A hand snatched Rose's phone from her grasp—Sandage glared at it disapprovingly. "I told you I'd watch over your sister, Sophia."
"You can't blame me for making sure. For all I know, you're one of them!" her sister snapped back.
"What?" Rose was even more confused. "You're worried he's an Altair impostor?"
"It's worse than that," Sophia replied. "They can steal lives, Rose!"
"Mr. Sandage, what's going on?" Rose gave the LUVOLT agent a disapproving look.
"We had to move your family because someone planted a bomb in your room, Rose," Sandage replied.
"What?! How?" Wasn't her house watched? How'd they pull that off?
"It's still under investigation," Sandage said. "We'll tell you both when we know more. And I'm expecting silence from you, Sophia."
"Fine," though her sister didn't sound pleased. "But you're not letting her go to school, right?"
This only further confused Rose. She looked to Sandage for answers, but it was clear he wouldn't give any.
"No, Cecilia either." Sandage's smile turned amused. "They both caught a sudden virus. They're staying here for now."
"That should be interesting," Rose replied, wondering how Cecilia would feel about this development.
"Cecilia will be a blimp by the time we leave with how Ms. Sandage feeds her," Rose thought, amused.
"Fine. What now? Are the Altair making another move?"
"Not sure." Sandage's smile turned sly. "But this time, we're making the first move."
What did that mean? She'd have to be ready to fight if things went bad.
"In the meantime, how about we watch Mrs. Doubtfire? It's one of my favorite movies." Sandage turned off her phone and pushed Rose to the door.
"Okay." Rose decided her future worries could wait. For now, things were steady. She only hoped the calm would last.
///
"Yes, she's secure. I doubt the enemy knows about this place." Behind his office door, Rose laughed at the late, great Robin Williams pretending to be an elderly woman. Even Cecilia sounded amused. "Still, we'll be careful."
"Stay put for now. Still, the enemy has finally overplayed their hand." Director Shapley sounded pleased. "And it's going to cost them."
"Yeah, it was a risky gambit on their part." It was likely they'd have found the bomb before Rose even set foot in her house. They did routine checks, just in case. Still, it was a little too close for Sandage's comfort. "We've identified one of their agents."
Not that Sandage was pleased about this. Future Rose's files had theories about the Altair copying people, but they'd never found solid proof. It was disturbing to see it verified. And poor Vera—she'd been so young. The Altair would pay for this.
"There's been some talk about capturing the creature wearing Vera's face, but it's risky. We can't afford another rampage."
"True enough." And there was the matter of having Rose fight something wearing her friend's face. The poor girl would suffer dearly. This war had already hurt her enough. No doubt Director Shapley was thinking along the same lines.
"The problem is where we'd even hold her?" Sandage said, musing out loud. "We're not equipped to hold a building sized monster."
The director sighed. "We have some ideas, but they aren't feasible in a short time frame. Pity, a live specimen of an Altair would be valuable."
Where might Vera be safely held? The desert? But how would they get her there? What if, through the hive mind, the Altair tracked her down and freed her? The Ectutai could help, he supposed. She'd be a valuable specimen to them, too.
"Wait. That might work." Sandage smiled as an idea dawned on him.
"You have an idea, Agent Sandage?"
"What if we put her in an isolated space capsule? That'd keep her contained and away from civilians if she escaped."
"And it can be detonated if she tries to escape," the director said, warming to the idea.
"The problem is capturing her first." Was it even possible to drug the alien creature?
"Let me worry about that," Director Shapley replied. "In the meantime, protect Rose and Cecilia. Don't tell them about this."
"Of course." Rose would be furious with him, but Sandage could live with that. A sudden thought occurred to him—Cecilia's strange vision about Vera. In retrospect, the odd alien background made sense. What did it mean for Cecilia when Vera took her to that strange place? To have the Altair devour her? But no, that didn't quite square with him.
Whatever the case, he wouldn't allow this fake Vera near Rose or Cecilia. A satisfied smile came to Sandage's lips, pleased they used the Altair's cruelty against them. Sandage swore he'd use the fake Vera to pry the Altair apart, with his bare hands, if needed.
"Get her." Sandage's mouth hardened into a firm line. "Do whatever is necessary. Even destroy her if there's no other choice." His phone clicked off, and he sighed. Sometimes, he really hated his job.
"Hey, Mr. Sandage!" Rose yelled. "You're missing the best part! His fake breasts just got set on fire!"
"Coming!" Sandage composed himself, a fake smile plastered over his face.
"He just wants to see his kids, right?" Cecilia said, frowning. "Is this really necessary? He could just FaceTime them, right?"
"They didn't have that back then," Rose replied.
"No, they didn't." Sandage could remember rotary phones. Heck, he hadn't even seen a cell phone until high school. "I can imagine it's tough not being able to see your kids."
Though, not to the extent he'd literally cross-dress to do so. Still, he sympathized with the Williams character, knowing how difficult it was being unable to see your child whenever you wanted. But the Doubtfire scheme was definitely a terrible idea. He should've worked harder for a better resolution with his ex-wife.
"They can still talk by phone," Cecilia said, frowning.
"Adults. Why must they think they need to lie about everything?" Rose said.
"Yeah." A pang of sadness struck Sandage, taking all his professional skill to keep his face neutral. "Yeah…" He joined the girl and tried his best to enjoy the movie.
///
"Huh?" Vera turned to Rose's seat, only to find it empty. She checked the clock—only five minutes remained until first period. How odd. Rose was always an early bird. Had the return taken longer than expected?
She opened her phone and sent another text, frowning as her last one remained unanswered. That was most unlike Rose, too.
"Stupid humans! Did she get sick, maybe? They are so fragile!" Tseen Foo said in her head.
"Who knows?" Vera's confusion grew as first and third periods passed with no sign of Rose. She still hadn't answered her texts, and Vera sent another for good measure.
In the hallway, she caught a familiar face. "Hey Hans, have you heard anything from Rose? She hasn't been answering my texts."
"No." Vera waited for more, and several awkward moments passed as Hans said nothing else.
"Right then." Vera forced a fake smile. Gee, no wonder Rose found him annoying.
"She told me she's sick at some relative's house, can't come for a couple days," Georges said, overhearing their conversation.
"She texted you?" Vera said, surprised.
"Yep." Georges only shrugged. "We sometimes talk."
This left Vera annoyed, maintaining her bad mood the entire day. Why had Rose ghosted her like that? It was most unlike her.
"So she is sick! How annoying! Now we can't blow her to smithereens!" Tseen Foo said, annoyed. Vera took the long route home, so nobody would bother her. She passed some construction repairing a road that Okab had destroyed. Humans sure were busy insects, like little worker ants.
"This is a complication," Lord Tarazed said. "It increases the possibility of our trap being discovered. It might lead the humans to you, Aquila."
"Please!" Vera heard Tseen Foo's mental roll of the eyes. "Like they're that smart. Seems we'll just have to be patient. And who knows, maybe this ailment will outright kill her. Humans are frail things."
"I suppose." In the meantime, Vera would watch some human soap operas to pass the time.
Her human mother had introduced them to her, and Vera had found them strangely addictive. Was Jared a clone or the real thing? What did that mean for his pregnant sometimes-girlfriend, Karen? Was the baby the clone's? She needed to know. A few blocks ahead, her home came into view.
"Vera! Get out of there now!"
Vera jerked in surprise as a sudden voice yelled in her head. "Not so loud, Denebokab!" People stared at her as she yelled this out loud. She blushed and rushed on her way, pretending nothing had happened.
"Raport." Lord Tarazed said. "Have you found something on the Ectutai ship?" Denebokab had taken Vera's advice and disguised himself as a rat on the alien spaceship for reconnaissance.
"They are planning something big! I've heard talk through the vents about a massive operation to capture and hold a special target," Denebokab replied. "I didn't hear everything, but it isn't hard to guess who this target is!"
"What?!" Vera peered around frantically for any threats, but found nothing but suburban normalcy and some work crews repairing a damaged building.
"What makes you sure it's her?" Tseen Foo challenged. "They don't know she's one of us."
"It doesn't matter," Lord Tarazed said, offering no argument. "Get to the rendezvous point. It isn't worth the risk."
She stepped forward to flee, but she yelped as a sharp pain stabbed into her neck. Vera gasped as she pulled away a tranquilizer dart. She moved to run, but her legs felt like jello, refusing to cooperate.
"Transform now!" Lord Tarazed's flat but urgent voice said. "It will—"
Two darts struck her. She turned and realized they'd come from the work crew, one holding a rifle in his hands. Vera's eyes widened as he raised it, and another sharp pain stabbed into her chest. But the ache was already fading as she collapsed onto the street, her vision going muddy until unconsciousness overtook her.