Tarizon: Desert Swarm Read online

  Chapter 45

  Escape

  That night Jack worked on his mind reading skills with Dolly for hours with little result. He couldn’t see into her mind as Linkh had said he would be able to do. He was beginning to doubt that it was even possible to read a person’s mind, despite Linkh’s assurances that it was when something strange happened. Dolly was just getting out of the shower and putting on a nightgown before going to bed. Jack was admiring her naked body and wondering if she’d be too tired for sex. It had been a long day and it was a lot to ask of a woman, but then again, maybe she wanted it too. He decided rather than just ask her, he’d engage in some small talk to gauge her mood and level of energy.

  “So, did you decide what you’re going to get your sister for her birthday?”

  Dolly looked up with a shocked look on her face. “How did you know my sister’s birthday was coming up? I don’t remember mentioning it to you. In fact, I don’t think I have ever told you I had a sister.”

  Jack frowned. “Really. You do have one, don’t you? Rose? Isn’t that her name.”

  “You know her name? I know we’ve never talked about her. Have you been snooping around the house?”

  “No. I’m not the snooping type. If I wanted to know about your family, I would just ask.”

  “Yeah. I don’t have any secrets. So, how is it that you know about my sister and that it is her birthday on Monday.”

  “You must have mentioned it.”

  “No. We’ve been a little busy chasing alien life-forms. My sister is the last topic of conversation that would have come up.”

  “Well, I must have read your mind, I guess.”

  Dolly raised her eyebrows. “You read my mind?. . . Huh?. . . I guess you did. Wow! You read my mind and didn’t even realize it.”

  Jack frowned. You think?”

  “I don’t know? What’s my mother’s name?”

  “Marge,” Jack blurted out.

  Dolly laughed. “That’s right and I know we have never talked about my mother. . . .Okay, let’s give you something a little harder. Who was my first boyfriend?”

  “Tom Duncan and you lost your virginity to him in the barn across the street from your middle school.”

  “Jack! That’s not fair. Now you know all my secrets. I should have never agreed to this.”

  “I’m sorry. I frankly didn’t think it would work,” Jack admitted. “Wow! This is incredible.”

  Linkh was impressed when Jack told him the next morning of his breakthrough, but cautioned him that reading the mind of someone you love and who is open to you is much easier than the average person whose mind is naturally guarded from casual intrusion. Nevertheless, Jack’s confidence soared and, for the first time, he really believed he could read anybody’s mind given enough time to practice.

  After breakfast Jack, Dolly, Agent Sanders and Linkh went back to the Bat Mountain site to get the decision of the Nanomites. Time was of the essence since they all knew the Nanomites could disappear at any moment if they were able to get into one of the loads of borax that were being shipped out for processing. Jack and Linkh went inside the cathedral as they had done the previous day and went to the same spot to make contact.

  Linkh closed his eyes and concentrated. “Speaker. I am back, as we agreed, to get your decision on whether you will help us convince your Nanomite brothers and sisters, who have left this cathedral, to return.”

  “Yes. We have been expecting you,” the Speaker thought.

  “So, what is your answer, my friends.”

  “This was a most difficult decision for us. Many did not want to interfere with those who had left, through no fault of their own, and have started new cathedrals. Others understood our obligation under the treaty and want to honor it. So, only after much debate, has a decision been made to help you convince them to return.”

  Jack felt a wave of relief wash over him. “Ah!” he blurted out and then covered his mouth. He hadn’t realized it, but he could feel the Nanomite thoughts in his mind. He’d made a connection although he didn’t know exactly what had been said, the feeling was positive. He noticed Linkh standing up, so he got up as well.

  “So, they agreed,” Jack said.

  Linkh smiled. “You heard them?”

  “I got some positive feelings. It felt like they agreed.”

  “Yes, they did, but it will take them a day or so to build the transport cubes necessary to take them around. I don’t know if we will be able to get the cube to the borax mine in time.”

  Jack rubbed his temples. “Hmm. Maybe you should go to the mine now and try to make contact. If you are successful you might be able to get them to stay at the mine until the other Nanomites get there.”

  “No. I need to travel with the Nanomite’s transport cubes. There has to be someone close by who can communicate with them during transport in case there is a problem. I offered to stay with the Nanomites when we left them off but there was no place for me to live while they were building their cathedral, so Commander Kulchz said no. We could have avoided all this had our governments given more thought to the settlement of the Nanomites.

  “Well, governments can be pretty stupid some times.”

  “So, since we have two cubes you’re going to have to travel with one of them too.

  “Me? But I—”

  “Don’t worry. If you can feel their thoughts, then they can feel yours as well.”

  “But will they trust a human?”

  “Not immediately. But when you open your mind to them they will see that you mean them no harm.”

  Jack swallowed hard. “Oh, great. I’m going to let an alien life-form, I can’t even see, enter into my mind?”

  “Not enter but scan it for information. It won’t be painful and they can’t hurt your mind even if they find something they don’t like.”

  Jack felt ill. “Okay. Whatever you say.”