The Lizard Chronicles
Chapter 4
I stare blandly at Lizareth trying to take in what she just had told me, I put the coffee cup to my mouth tilt my head back downing the rest of the coffee in one gulp, placing the cup on a nearby table, without saying a word I stand up and walk out of the room.
"Ryan, I'm sorry." She calls out; I ignore her as I walk out of the room, past Sen, he notices me leaving, "Ryan, where are you going?" he asks in his electronic voice, I ignore his question.
I storm out the door as I fling it open, pushing it back with my hand as I walk out, letting the door close behind me. I walk towards my parked car, turning around and plump down on the bonnet, resting my right foot on the front bumper. I fish into my right pocket on my leather jacket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes. I pluck one out with my thumb and forefinger, placing the butt in my mouth, stuffing the packet back into my pocket, pulling out a silver flick lighter, I flick the top, then flicking the flint, igniting the lighter moving the flame to the cigarette lighting as I flick shut the lighter.
I take a big puff, inhaling the smoke as I blow it out, I know I shouldn't smoke, it's bad for my health, it's a quick way to cancer and a bad habit, but I tend to smoke when I'm stressed about something. I lean back and rest on my hand positioned on the bonnet, with the cigarette in my right hand. I think about what she had told me, how she left out all of that information, she was holding it all back from me.
Lizareth had promised me a new life, a new future, one that I can start fresh, but she forgot to mention in order for that to happen I have to go with her, into space, to her colony ship somewhere up there orbiting Earth and spend the rest of my life living with her and her race onboard that ship. Yeah, I don't think so.
I give the cigarette a flick with my thumb, ridding off the excess ash, as I put it into my mouth to take another drag. I blow out the smoke, as I take notice of the door to the warehouse opening and out walks Lizareth.
She looks around cautiously, to make sure there were no other humans, she takes notice of me, sitting on the bonnet of my muscle car.
She slowly walks to me and my car, she sits down next to me on the bonnet of my car, she kicks off her shoes and places her bare feet on the chrome bumper. There was awkward silence between us, as neither of us spoke, she then turns her head and eyes me for a response.
She watches me take a drag on my cigarette, "What is that, Ryan?" she asks.
"Hm?" I answer turning my head to her; she points a clawed finger at my cigarette, as it sat between my fingers.
"Oh, it's a cigarette; I smoke them usually when I'm stressed about something." I reply, "I know what they are, Ryan, I want to know why you're smoking them, they are extremely bad for your health, you humans get cancer from those things."
I seem to ignore what she says as I proceed to take another puff on my cigarette, when she reaches over and snatches the cigarette out of my mouth and crushes it with her hand.
"Hey! What was that for?" I ask mildly angered. "I am not letting you destroy your health." She remarks seriously.
"Pft, yeah like you care." I say casually. "I DO care a lot more than you think." She replies insistently. "Why did you react the way you did?" "About what?" I reply gesturing my right hand out. "When I told you what you have to do in order to live your new life, your new future and how to start it."
"Oh yeah, I have to travel with you," I gesture my hands at her, "in your spaceship, to your colony class ship to live permanently and I have no choice?"
She puts up a clawed hand, "Wrong. You do have a choice, you have the ability to choose if you want to go or don't want to go, you can choose to stay here on Earth, with your own race and try living out the rest of your life loathing in your emotions of your deceased wife, or you can come with me to live a new happy life and have a brand new future, it's your choice."
She takes her feet off the bumper of my car, slipping them back into her shoes and hops down from my car's bonnet.
"I'm not going to play this game with you, Ryan! I know what you humans are like, you're deceiving in your own righteous ways, so make your choice now or I'm leaving without you. You can get in your car and just go and you'll never see or hear from me again." She walks off towards the door of the warehouse, opening and slamming it shut behind her.
I just keep silent, stunned of her outburst, I just got a huge lecture by an anthropomorphic lizard, and that's saying something. I sit on my bonnet and ponder over what she had told me, I grasp my pennant necklace in my hand, as I flip it open revealing a picture of my wife. A lone tear runs down the right side of my cheek, I close the pennant and hold it tightly in my hand as I curl it into a fist.
I give a big sigh, 'She's right, if I stay here, things will get worse, my emotions will get worse and get the better of me. Not to mention it could lead to suicidal thoughts, as my depressive like state will get much worse, leading to a turmoil of thoughts and emotions where I will not think straight and not be able to live a happy life.'
I have thought about what Lizareth had said, and I've made my choice: I'm going with her.
I hop off my bonnet making my way round the side of the car; I reach into my leather jacket and pull out an envelope, a letter addressed to my brother who is a cop, I know for a fact he will track down my car, I slip the letter under one of the wipers.
I turn around and make my way to the door, I take one last look of my muscle car, I will miss it, where I'm going, there's no need for cars.
I swing open the warehouse door as I walk on through, closing the door behind me heading to the room where Lizareth is located.
I walk on through the door way and step into the room as I see Lizareth working on a very futuristic computer station, the screen had a holographic look to it, as if the screen was suspended in mid-air.
Sen was at a work bench tending to some parts, I had no idea what they were for, and they looked too advanced for me. Lizareth and Sen mid stopped on what they were doing and took notice of me, she studies me with her yellow slitted eyes with a stern look, I reach for my pennant around my neck, I tug it off my neck, over-look it and toss it to her, she reacts fast and catches it in her right clawed hand. She eyes it, "What is this?" she asks. "It's a pennant photo of my wife, you have it, I don't need it anymore, it will just remind me of the reasons why I had to leave Earth, I don't want that anymore, time to start anew and look forward to a happy new future, " I smile, "I'm ready to go with you, I've made my choice."
She smiles revealing her sharp teeth, "Sen, prep the ship, we're going home."
I walked up the ramp to her ship that was located at the rear, it was amazing, I have never seen anything like this before, it was so futuristic. The alloy looked so alien to me, metal that I have not seen before. I ran my hand along the floor where the ramp meets when folded up, as I made my way up the ramp, I look at everything, being a mechanic, this intrigued me, an actual space ship.
I entered what would be the aft section of the ship, it had a lot of room in it, a few seats here and there, a table situated to the wall where I assume people could eat meals if they wanted to, or have a break.
"This is all new to you, isn't it?" comes Lizareth's voice as she walks up the ramp, hefting three big cases, dropping them at her feet.
"Hell yeah it is, it feels all alien to me." I reply turning my attention to her. ""Well to me and Sen you are an alien, as am I to you, so the situation is mutual." She replies.
"What are those?" I ask waving my hand at the cases. She looks at me with a delighted look, "They are cases full of your clothes."
I was taken aback, "Excuse me? My clothes, how?" "I and Sen raided your house, looking for your belongings, you're coming with us to live, so you gotta have your own things, especially you're clothes."
Sen, floats up the ramp, carrying Lizareth's gear, "It was fun too." He says as he floats past.
I narrow my eyes at him, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. What about you and your clothes?" I ask her gesturing my hand up and down at her.
"Oh, these clothes are only temporary, on the colony ship my race walk around naked." She replies.
"You kidding me?" I say crossing my arms.
"I assure you, I am not kidding, you want proof, wait till we get to the colony ship, you will see for yourself."
"Greeaat. What a start to a new life and future, I will be surrounded by a new intelligent alien race that walk around everywhere naked." I say picking up two of the cases full of my clothes.
"Ryan, I know you're accustomed to wearing clothes, that's what you humans have been doing for hundreds of years, while with my race, we never had to wear clothes, we have scales, they're tough and resilient we can handle not wearing clothes or footwear. You will get used to it; it's just a matter of time."
I sigh, "Well, thank you for that pep talk, it has made me feel a lot better, I guess I will have to get used to it, I will still keep to my customs, as by wearing clothes as it makes me feel comfortable."
"Of course, it's your choice; you do what you do to make yourself comfortable. But a word of caution, there are members of my race who frown upon the wearing of clothes, so be prepared for that. Oh and I will keep my human clothes on for your comfort." She states.
I nod, "Understood, I will be prepared for that. And thank you for your modesty." "And those cases can go into the storage department, down the middle, to the right." She says.
I nod, grabbing the cases of my clothes, walking down the tiny hallway, that lead to the cockpit, she was right as I made my way down, I noticed a sign that was represented in her language and I had no idea what it said but it did display a suitcase icon so it was my luck this was it.
I grasped a handle, pulling it up and turning it to the left, the door swung open, revealing a reasonably big space to store things.
I placed the two cases in the storage area, grabbing the third as Sen had dropped it near me, on floating past; I place it in, closing the door.
"Ryan," comes Lizareth's voice, which makes me turn around to give her my full attention, she was standing near what looked to be the medical area. "Yes."
"I'll show you where you will be sitting, for our journey to the colony ship, I have to prepare you for this as you are not accustomed going into space nor have you ever unlike your very own astronauts."
"Sure, okay. That's understandable, having never been to space before." I reply as I follow her into the cock pit area.
I look around and noticed four seats, two evenly spaced side-by-side facing the cockpit window, assuming they were the pilots seats, the other two were situated just behind them.
"You will be sitting here, behind me." She says gesturing at the seat on the right, behind the right pilot's seat.
"Cool, is there anything I should know about the flight there, do I need an oxygen helmet?" I ask.
She chuckles with a light hiss to it, "No need, we are a lot more advanced than you humans are; we have invented technology that pressurises the cabin inside this ship, so no need for oxygen helmets or masks."
"Clever, we humans haven't even grasped that technology yet." I reply. "Not clever, just practical, without O2, we can't breathe and when you can't breathe you die."
I nod, unsure on what to do now, awaiting instructions from Lizareth. "Sen," she calls out, he floats down the narrow walk-way through the ship, "Yes, Lizareth." He beeps.
"Is the ship ready?" she asks. "Yes, Lizareth, the ship is prepped and ready for launch." He replies.
She smiles showing her sharp razor teeth, "Perfect, let's go home." She says in delight.
"Ryan, please sit down in your allocated seat and strap yourself in." She orders me. I nod as I walk to my seat, sit down in it, it was well padded, with extra cushioning; it was a lot more comfortable than I had previously thought.
I go to reach for the straps, but there weren't any to speak of, or to grasp. "Um, Lizareth, where are the safety straps?" I ask.
She gives a look as if she wanted to slap herself in the face, "Damn I forgot, see that green illuminated button on your right?" she mentions.
I look down to my right to see a green glowing button that was near the arm rest, "Yea, I see it." I reply.
"Push it." She states.
I give a shrug trusting her instructions, I push it and three soft metal straps automatically swing over my shoulders and one goes around my waist in a cross formation, tugging just lightly to keep me secured in my seat.
My eyes go wide in shock, "Shit, I wish we had these in our cars. It would make life so much easier, this is amazing." I counter amazed.
"I'm glad a human has a lot of respect for our technology." She says sitting down in her pilot's chair.
She hits the button letting the straps kick in, securing her to her seat, whilst Sen float's to the second pilot's chair, which I hadn't noticed until now, that it was specifically designed to fit his contours and the shape of his body.
Specially designed straps came down and secure him into his seat, as I watch Lizareth reach up, flick a few buttons, and I hear hydraulic rams kick in as the ramp seals shut.
I watch her press a few more buttons on the instrument panel in front of her, as I see all the advanced view-screens, display screens and holographic screens and switches light up.
Lots of blues, greens, reds and purples, it looks amazing. I hear the hum of engines powering up, as Sen, extends a set of mechanical arms and hands, hits a few buttons and switches.
I hear a computerized female voice speak in a language I have never heard of before, "Is that your native language?" I ask.
Lizareth turns her head lightly to gaze at me, "Yes, it is." She replies. "It sounds really cool, I really like the concept, and it's different." I counter.
"Thank you, Ryan, that means a lot to me." She replies hitting a few more buttons. I feel a shudder through the ship as the engines spool up, sounding much like a jet engine in human terms but more advanced and futuristic sounding.
As I look around the ship, taking in my surroundings, I then noticed a smell, an unusual smell, it was something I have smelt before, I didn't know what it was, it was quite pungent, like a cheese smell, it overpowered the natural smell of the ship, which was a mix of metal, fuel, rubber, plastic, energy and electricity.
"What is that smell?" I ask. "I can't smell anything." Replies Sen matter-of-factly.
Lizareth turns her head to him, "Sen, you're an AI." She blandly says.
"Point taken." He beeps. "I apologize for that smell, Ryan, I just kicked off my shoes, I like feeling the controls with my bare feet." Says Lizareth.
"Umm... What? You get smelly feet?" I ask raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, thanks to your stupid shoes you humans make, it makes my feet stink and they sweat, I don't know how or why, I'm a cold blooded reptile, they shouldn't."
"I agree, it is highly unusual for a someone of your species to get smelly feet. Are you ashamed of it?" I ask her.
She presses a few buttons on a touch screen, "Of course I feel ashamed, my race never has to endure that because we don't wear shoes, we have no form of footwear like you humans do, I feel ashamed to have smelly feet, plus I we don't have sweat glands so I don't know how they get sweaty." She replies in an annoyed tone.
"Well, everyone's unique in their own way; maybe you're destined to be unique." I reply trying to ease her mood.
"Not helping, Ryan." She says calmly.
"Just trying to help." I reply putting my hands up in defence. "I appreciate the effort, now to let me concentrate on flying my ship without discussions of my smelly feet."
I keep silent as I watch her take hold of the controls, I feel the ship rise off the ground, hearing the engines powering up more. Lizareth swipes her hand to the right in front of a monitor and I watch a warehouse door begin opening as the door starts rolling side-ways to the right.
I eye her curiously and speechless, she turns head to me, "We'll talk about that later." She pushes the controls forward, "Sen, engage active cloaking." She says on a serious tone.
"Engaging active cloaking," he replies hitting a button to his left. We fly out of the warehouse as I stare out the cockpit window at a fast speed, banking to the right. "Be amazed, Ryan, you're now invisible to your own civilization." She says smiling.
I look out a starboard window, looking down at my own civilization; it was tiny on how high we were climbing.
"We're invisible? You're kidding, right?" I ask. "I am not, Ryan, we are cloaked, we have that kind of technology, even you humans haven't mastered yet."
"Your race continues to amaze me by the minute." I reply amazed, looking at Sen and Lizareth as they control the ship like they have done it a thousand times.
"Now hold on, Ryan." She says, flicking a few switches. "Um, why?" I ask. "I'm engaging the thrusters."
"Have you done it already, because I don't feel..." she grins as she grabs hold of a t-shaped lever shoving it forward vigorously, making me slam back into my seat, "...ooooooh shiiiiit."
