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Through some connections, Stieg contacted Dave. He had his friend Gary contact Avery, who sent word back to Jonas that he would be sending him a device that would allow them to communicate secretly. He paced the floor while Stieg and Lisbeth sat on the couch watching him with concerned eyes. They had traveled back from their honeymoon to be with him. He’d spent the afternoon telling them about Aaron and how he’d shown up at his door.
After purging his story, Jonas sat on the couch. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to calm the feelings of fear and loss. “Stieg. You know all those dreams you had of finding and losing Lisbeth. Now I understand how you felt. So, lost and knowing she was out there and needed you. I feel that for Aaron. It’s hell. It would have been better had he never shown up here last night. I know what it is to be loved by him. Now he’s gone.”
Lisbeth reached over her husband and took Jonas’s hand. “You don’t mean that, Jonas. We’ll help you get Aaron back. And until we do, we’re both here for you.”
Unable to stop himself, and probably because he always hid his emotions with humor or shock value, he looked at his best friend’s wife. He knew his smile didn’t ring true. “Really? Perhaps you say that again with your shirt off? The sight of your amazing tits would help me tremendously.”
Surprise crossed her features before her eyes filled with tears. She moved and sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. “I promise you, Jonas. We will do everything possible. You know I love you right?” He heard her sniff and felt her body shudder against him as she tried to control her tears. Stieg grasped his hand squeezing it, telling him without words that he loved him too.
“How did I ever get so lucky to have you two in my life.” Jonas finally gave in to his emotions and let his pain wash over him, knowing he could trust these two special people with his life.
****
Jonas had spent hours talking to Avery on the commlink that he had provided. He couldn’t give him much information about his home world and the government. Avery hadn’t been back since emotions were restored to much of his people. He was shocked that Aaron was forcibly removed from Jonas’s home.
“I wish I knew why they would do such a thing. I do know the Elders, and the Committee are pushing all Beings to start producing children. The fact is, they are requiring each couple to have at least one child but would like two or more. I have heard that if a couple does not get pregnant within a specified timeframe, they will reassign them to new partners.” Avery shook his head. “We do know it is possible for our race to produce children. Sahara is pregnant, Micah’s mate is pregnant, and my own mate thinks she is too. We will find out after her examination later today, but signs are promising.” Jonas could see the joy in the Being’s face.
“Congratulations to you and your mate.”
Avery inclined his head in thanks and cleared his throat of the emotions Jonas could see overwhelming him.
“I have been in sporadic contact with my people on my homeworld. My oldest sibling, a brother who is undertaking the injections now, has mentioned that there is an extremely low birth rate on my planet. No one is saying it publicly, but there is a fear among the scientists that we have waited too long to procreate. They think our bodies have evolved to the point where we are unable to have children. I disagree since we have little ones on the way.”
“I’m no scientist, Avery. I’m a soldier, but even I can see the pattern here. Every single couple that is ex
pecting is a mixed couple.” Avery narrowed his gaze as he thought about Jonas’s words.
“That fact has crossed my mind too. I do not know that my people will come to that conclusion without prodding.” Avery turned and nodded before turning back to the commlink. “I just received word that transportation has been arranged for you to my homeworld. It could take a few months to get you there.
“Once the ship makes it to Earth, they must unload supplies for the new replicators and install the updates. If it were just a single facility, then it would be faster, but ours is the largest and the last on the list. Then I will send someone to you after that time. I may or may not have time to warn you of their arrival at your home, but I do have the coordinates to your home from this transmission. The captain agreed to smuggle you to our planet. Be ready for someone to show up at any time of day. It will be at least a week before they arrive on Earth and several days at each pod world-wide. I will contact you when they arrive here, so you will have a better idea of when they will retrieve you. I wish you luck on your journey.”
“Thank you, Avery. I’ll need it. I don’t know my way around your planet. I don’t know if anyone there will try to harm me or stop me from getting to Aaron. I’m used to going on a mission with plans in place. I’m flying by the seat of my pants here.”
Avery smiled before he crossed his arms. “I’ll send you a schematic of the main hub and the outlying residential areas. Aaron is a MedTech, so he will be close to the main medical building. As my friend Micah says, the goddess works things out in her way. I have a feeling that your going to my homeworld is going to be just what you and my people need. I am not gifted with Micah’s foresight, but when I told him of this situation, he smiled and said you were going to be just where the goddess wanted you. I take that as a good sign.”
Chapter Three
Jonas had one bag packed and per Avery’s instructions, packed no weapons. They might not work the same on The Being homeworld anyway. The atmosphere, while mostly nitrogen-and-oxygen-based like Earth, was heavier and denser. The planet was surrounded by a thick layer of clouds, only clearing several times a year. Everything was perpetually dark and generally colder than Earth. Jonas didn’t care if it was nothing but water, he’d sprout gills if he had to, to get Aaron back.
It had been two and a half months since Aaron had knocked on his door, and only the promise that someone could come at any time kept him from drinking himself into oblivion every night. He had just washed the dinner dishes when there was a loud knock on his door. He opened it to a large Being male who had the darkest blue eyes he’d ever seen. “Avery sent me.”
That’s all it took. He grabbed his bag and shut his door. Since Stieg and Lisbeth were gone on a date, he texted Stieg the one word they had agreed on, Vegas. The transport shuttle on the street was smaller than a two-passenger car. Tossing his bag in an unoccupied space, he slid into the seat that the man indicated and strapped in. Once they were in the air, the man turned to him.
“I take it you have never been on my planet?” Jonas shook his head. Hell, he’d never been off Earth. “I understand. Once we get on board my ship, I will educate you on some of the social aspects of our society. There is not much to learn. We do not have a layered societal structure like Earthers. Your world is complicated for my people to understand. You have too many rules and divisions among your population.” Jonas couldn’t disagree.
Jonas was glad for the late hour since it was dark. The trip from his house on the surface to the ship orbiting the planet didn’t take long, and he couldn’t tell when he left the atmosphere. He knew if he’d been able to see the world dropping away, he might have freaked out a bit. As it was, the shuttle entered what looked like a tunnel and landed on a solid floor. When the door shut to the compartment, the shuttle doors opened.
“Welcome to my ship. I will take you to your quarters. I will not share with you the name of my ship or my own name. I would suggest you stay in your lodgings for the trip. No one would hurt you, but I do not want it widely known that I am carrying an undeclared passenger home.” Not having anything to say to that, Jonas nodded.
The walk was a short one, and no one was in the passage. The door opened to a small room. Immediately to his left was a single bed, to his right a small door that would be a combination shower and toilet. Straight ahead was an opening surrounded by a silver frame.
“This is a transport ship. It is not built for comfort, but these quarters serve their purpose. Ahead is the replicator and I will show you how to operate it so that you can eat and drink. The bath area is self-explanatory. The buttons on the wall are easy to read as they are pictures and not written. The trip itself will take just over eight Earth hours.” He indicated the bed with his hand, so Jonas sat down, placing his bag on the floor near his feet. He suddenly felt weary to his bones.
“I brought you here between shifts, so my crew would not be wondering the passages. Now, while you are on my planet, no one will be rude to you or express their curiosity. They will know you are human, and as such, you will be respected since our saviors, Mace and Abby, are human. Honestly, I have not even asked Avery why I am taking you to my homeworld. I trust that he would not send someone that would harm my people. Once you are there, you can find who you are looking for by using the Index located at the center of each street. Let me implant a translation disk before I leave you to rest.”
Jonas nodded, his body too tired to even form words to respond.
The captain smiled. “This will be painless, but you will feel elation briefly. I suggest you sleep afterward.” He stood and pulled a silver tube from his back pocket. “Avery gave me this to give to you. Just relax. This will implant into the speech center of your brain. Written and spoken word will be translated automatically.”
