Artificial Heart
9

The alien came over. He stood over her, blocking her view of home.

‘I’m sorry,’ she stuttered. ‘Just overwhelmed.’

He crouched, big hands hanging between his knees, visor gazing into her face. His huge shoulders pushed against the seams of his suit.

‘I wish you’d take your helmet off,’ Prisha said. ’I want to see you. I should see you.’

He didn’t say anything as he reached over and gently lifted Prisha’s chin with one finger. He seemed to be studying her, though his soulless helmet made it hard to know anything for sure.

‘You are not meeting minimum nutritional requirements,’ he said.

‘Hardly. I’ve been eating so much lately. More than I’ve ever done in my life.’ Prisha narrowed her eyes. ‘Why is that? What have you done to me?’

Alf helped her to her feet. Despite the warmth of the blanket, Prisha’s skin erupted into goose bumps. The breath hitched in her throat. Then he released her and went back through the door with the bench. He was gone a few minutes, banging around, before returning with a metal box.

‘What’s that?’

He opened it. Prisha peered inside. There were dozens of small bags. Prisha gingerly took one out, holding it between her fingers. ‘What is it?’

‘Nutrition. Energy. One a day will meet your needs. Have one now.’

‘You’re not trying to drug me, are you?’ she said, only half-jokingly.

Silence. His visor gleamed against the light. Delicately, she pulled the little “sachet” open. She pressed her nose inside. There was a very faint, sweet smell.

‘Does it taste good?’ She raised her eyebrows. ’Do you even eat? Is this your food?’

‘Consume it.’

Prisha frowned, then shrugged. If he wanted to hurt her, he would have done so already. It was only two mouthfuls worth and tasted as it smelled. Nice texture; it coated the back of her throat like a gel. She waited a few moments.

‘Is something supposed to happen?’

He took the empty bag and put in the box, closing it. He handed the box over. Prisha took it and almost dropped it, staggering under its weight. The blanket slipped from her shoulders.

’You want me to take it all?’

He went over to the console and sat down. He pulled out her seat. Prisha joined him, looked for a spot to put the box. Her arms were aching as she settled it upon the floor. Like last time, they were so close their hips were touching. She readjusted her blanket.

She watched his hands as he manoeuvred the controls. She watched Earth’s steady approach. Swirling black clouds. Dark landscapes. The lights of so many bright cities. Prisha’s skin prickled at the thought that civilisation could be so easily viewed from space. From aliens. From the great beyond. From … whatever was out there. It looked so full of life. So vulnerable. Suddenly, eight billion people didn’t seem so much.

It was incredible! Flabbergasting.

A little terrifying.

Then she looked towards the oceans. She hadn’t realised how much water there was. She could see the moon too. A bright globe in the distance. Clutching her blanket close, she shivered. Then she looked into the endless black beyond and shivered harder.

‘What’s going to happen now? Are you going to take me home? What’s the point of all this?’

She felt strangely ill as the Earth grew bigger and bigger, until it filled the window. The thought of going back to her life right now seemed even scarier than being examined on that bench. It was weird because she actually liked her life. Very much.

But this was something different. Exciting. Thrilling. More. Something she could only read in books or watch in movies. A once in a lifetime opportunity. A once in a thousand lifetimes.

‘What if I stayed?’ she said.

Alf turned.

‘I want to stay.’ She couldn’t believe what she was saying. What about Renee? What about her brother? What about her friends and clients? She felt a rush of guilt. She could explain. She would just have to go back one last time and explain everything before she left for good.

For good.

Selfish. Selfish was the word.

And stupid.

Alf turned back to the controls. ‘You cannot stay.’

‘Why not?’

‘You must go back.’

’Why? Don’t you want more data? I could give you all the data you want. I could bring stuff back for you. Books. Movies. Documentaries. I could even bring someone … someone else back for you.’ She sagged. ‘Someone much more interesting and informative than me. Smarter. Important.’

‘You are interesting enough,’ he said.

Prisha felt herself brighten. Furtively, she looked Alf over as he focused on the view ahead. The “space suit” was quite tight and her eyes couldn’t help running over his rather fit form. He looked powerful and yet his huge hands were soft upon the controls. He’d been gentle with Prisha.

Mostly.

Prisha chewed her lip. ‘So-so you’re taking me back now.’ The tears swelled in her throat.

‘Yes.’

‘Will you come back?’

‘Yes.’

‘Really?!’ Prisha sat up tall. ‘Why?’

‘I need more data.’

’Oh, right. And then what? What happens when you’ve extracted all your data?’

‘I depart for my next designation.’

‘With-with out me.’ Her chin dropped to her chest.

His helmet turned. ‘You are sad.’

Prisha turned her face as she blinked rapidly. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know why.’ Yes, she did, but she wasn’t about to try and explain it to a mostly-robot. ‘Don’t leave me. Take me with you.’

‘No.’

’I don’t much like Earth. Well … not Earth. People. Just people. Human society.’

‘Why?’

‘You should know. You collected the data.’

’I only briefly reviewed the data. You are a person. Part of human society.’ He sounded confused.

Prisha wiped her nose. ‘You’re right. I suppose I don’t much like myself either.’

‘I like you.’

Prisha looked at him with a start. He said nothing as he turned back to the controls, watching Earth, seemingly unaware of the impact of his words.

Alf liked her. This terrifying, confusing, extraordinary alien liked her.

Why?

Her words blurted out. ‘I like you too.’

Prisha turned away, gripping onto her knees, feeling the heat rush up her neck. She took a breath, then peered at him from behind her fringe. The alien seemed unaffected.

They reentered Earth’s atmosphere, the black changing to a much warmer, much more familiar, deep dark blue.

‘You promise you’re going to come back?’ she said.

‘I promise. I must.’

She felt the tears swell in her throat and Prisha swallowed hard, annoyed at herself. Mountains. Cities. So many twinkling lights. Then the dark clouds swept over them like an ocean. Lightning flashed. A jagged bolt pierced through the clouds, so close Prisha’s heart pounded. Then, the darkness peeled away and she could see again. The trees seemed to rise up from out of the earth. It was still raining.

They landed. The clearing was soaking wet.

‘Ah …’ Prisha pulled her blanket around her, then turned towards her clothes which still sat in a wet pile on the floor. ‘I’m not sure how I’m going to do this.’

Alf’s helmet turned. Lightning flashed again and for a moment Prisha thought she caught a glimpse of his features. The set of his shoulders suggested he didn’t understand.

‘I kind of … I kind of planned on getting here,’ she explained, ‘but didn’t really think much on how to get back.’

Prisha studied the surrounding trees as they shook and waved in the wind. She’d completely forgotten about the storm. Stupid.

‘You mean the rain,’ he said.

‘Yes. And the cold and the wind. I’m not like you, Alf. I’m not, what is it? 62 point blah, blah percent metal. I need to rest and sleep and keep warm.’ Her mouth quivered as she smiled. ‘It’s a strange thing: you’re built to endure alien planets, I’m not even built to endure mine.’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘You can keep me a little longer, if you like. At least until the storm stops.’

He watched her. His hand remained upon the lever, long, thick fingers clenched around it. His suit shimmered against the flash of a lightning strike. Prisha looked away, towards the window.

‘No. I will take you somewhere safe.’

‘Won’t they see you?’

‘I am only seen when I want to be seen.’

’Right. Right.’

He pulled the lever and they were lifting again. Prisha clutched at her blanket, wondering what an alien like him thought was a safe place.

How he managed to see anything was a mystery. The clouds were so black and the rain so thick. Perhaps it was mostly autopilot? She tried looking at the controls. There were some screens with moving symbols but they were indecipherable. She should ask him. There were lots of questions she could ask him. But she was frustrated and uncertain and utterly overwhelmed.

It seemed like no time at all when Alf arrived at their destination.

‘You can’t drop me here,’ Prisha said desperately. ‘I don’t know where this is! How am I supposed to get home?’

Prisha suddenly remembered her phone and keys lying amid her soggy clothes. ‘And I have nothing to wear! A naked woman out alone in the middle of the night isn’t exactly safe, you know.’

He pointed at a brightly lit building across the road.

Shit.

‘How did you …’ Prisha shook her head. How did he even know what a police station was? ’So, you do know something about us. A lot, in fact. So much for your “brief” review of our data.’

Alf merely pointed at the building again.

‘What if I refuse to leave?’

His visor turned towards her. Prisha leapt backwards, right out of her seat, as he snatched for her wrist. He was so fast!

‘Okay!’ she cried. ‘Just let me get my clothes.’

While she piled them into her arms, making sure she still had her phone and keys, Alf went and got her special box. Prisha sighed as she held out her arms and he balanced it on top of her soggy clothes and shoes. Her blanket slipped a little but managed to stay on. Her legs were bare. She heard the ramp behind her descend. She could hear the pounding rain and the distant crack of thunder.

‘Same time? Same place?’ She tried not to plead.

‘I will find you.’

Prisha smiled. Then she frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I will find you.’

‘How? When?’

He came close and Prisha stiffened. She craned her head back. More lightning flashed and again Prisha swore she saw an outline of his features.

‘I wish you would take off your damn helmet.’

Prisha jerked when he suddenly grabbed her shoulders. Gently but firmly, he twisted her around and began pushing her towards the ramp. Prisha sucked in a breath at the coldness of the rain. She began to descend, then stopped. She turned back.

He was standing up at the top of the ramp.

‘You better come back. And don’t worry I’ll eat your food.’ Her mouth quivered as she tried to force a smile.

She carefully made her way down. The grass was cold. The wet soil squished beneath her bare feet. Almost immediately the ramp began to lift. He was watching her from the doorway, his posture oddly slumped. He didn’t need to stand there. He didn’t need to watch her leave.

Or maybe she was just clutching onto stupid hope.

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