Escaping the Cradle

by Karen Page

Part 44

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Part 44
DATE:FC+166

The alarm rang, and Becky leaned over to snooze it, but the clock wasn't there. Today the alarm wasn't just to wake her, but to insist she got out of bed. She'd deliberately placed it out of reach, knowing she'd have to get up to switch it off.

As she got ready, she reminded herself of her promise to not fail Jenny. Jenny was only eight, and needed her. There would be no repeat of what happened when Hilda and Ryan had died. She had to cope, yet there was an ache in her heart. Ashleigh was still missing.

Wallowing wouldn't help bring Ashleigh back. She would have loved to spend the day in bed, thinking about Ashleigh, but she knew deep in her heart that would help nobody. Jenny needed breakfast and school, and she wasn't going to fail her. Not like last time.

Jenny paused near the bottom of the stairs. She looked around, lost. "It's too empty. Mum's always here for breakfast."

The only time that Ashleigh wasn't there was while working or while sleeping. Apart from staying the night, they were a family. With Becky's surgery approved Ashleigh had started packing her things. Even if Becky needed a bit of post-surgical space, she would still move in. And there had been the possibility of alien surgery which they'd hoped for even better results.

"It is," Becky agreed, bustling around the kitchen. "But we will have to muddle through without her. You know they might not find her quickly. By this time, she might not even be in the country anymore."

"Not in the country?" Jenny repeated, horrified.

"It's a possibility. We don't know what Earth Fist are going to do with her. There has been no demand made. Unless contact is made, we have no idea where she might have been taken. I know it isn't what you want to hear, but it is a fact."

"I know Ma," she said, taking a seat at the table. "But she is good for you. She is good for me too."

As Jenny ate her breakfast, Becky glanced at her tablet. She missed her phone and would have to get a new one. Again.

"It seems your Headmaster wants a chat when I drop you off."

"Oh. I suppose the police turning up on Friday might have upset things. You don't think he's angry with me, do you?"

"No. I don't think he is angry with you."

Becky hadn't really considered how the school might react. Her stomach knotted when she thought about the other parents. Would they see her as trans first, or as Aurora's architect, or as someone tainted by aliens?

When Jenny and Kelly had been kidnapped, there were some parents that took their fear out on Becky. As if she were to blame for her child being abducted. They were in a minority, and it didn't last long. They had their own worries in life. She didn't know if those fears would be raised again.

The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence. Becky wondered what Jenny was thinking about but didn't want to push. It was just as they were going out of the door to go to school when Jenny asked, "Have you told Aunt Caroline?"

"No. Aunt Caroline has her own worries with her baby. And don't suggest telling Aunt Tina. She is away at the moment, like Uncle Luke is. They don't need distractions. That could be deadly."

"I know," Jenny said, suddenly all serious. "Uncle Luke explained it to me while we were in Wales back in January. I gave a promise never to find them while on an investigation even if someone died."

Becky stopped and looked across. "You gave a promise like that?"

"Yes."

Becky studied her daughter and she was as serious as she'd ever seen her. Becky realised Jenny must have been told something, but she had no idea what. "Good to know. Let's go."

When they were exiting the car, Kelly rushed up and she was soon in an animated conversation with Jenny. Those girls could chat for days and never seemed to run out of things to say.

Grace Brown walked up and asked, "How are you doing?"

"As well as one can," Becky said, not knowing what else to say. "I just hope they find Ashleigh quickly."

"Ashleigh was kidnapped too?" Grace said, horrified. "And she's still missing?"

"They separated us. The police are still looking, but the trail has gone cold."

"That's awful."

Becky thought Grace was being disingenuous, but when she glanced across, she saw that Grace was being sincere. She really did think it was awful. How else could she have said it?

"Thanks," Becky muttered. "The headmaster wants to see me. I think I've seen more of him in the last few months than I did the previous one."

"If you manage to cope with aliens, I'm sure you'll cope with him."

"I don't know, those aliens are quite nice people."

Grace stopped and Becky came to a halt too. "Interesting phrase. They aren't people, are they?"

"They aren't human, but they are sentient beings. I don't think the word person has to indicate a human. Calling them 'alien' because they are a different species seems wrong to me. I'm not going to ask them to sit at the back of the bus."

Grace blinked in horror, colour rising in her cheeks, horrified at how Becky's words echoed a darker history. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't think language has caught up with the new reality. I've never met them, but you have."

Becky sighed. "I'm sorry if I came across preachy. We're used to humans being at the top of charts. Some of the things I've seen are way beyond human technology. Some are even beyond what we've ever thought of."

The girls ran back wondering why their parents had stopped.

"I've got to admit you have more knowledge of this than me. It's something that's going to take time to get used to." Grace thought she better check if her daughter had met any. She went to Star Bright with Jenny, but part of the agreement was not to know what happened there. "Kelly, you haven't met one of the aliens yet, have you?"

"Not in person. I saw the ones on the news when they did that press conference in Vienna. I'd like to meet them, but it hasn't happened yet."

Grace shook her head in wonder. It was a new era, and it seemed the children found it easier than her generation.

There were a few stares from other parents, but there didn't seem to be any animosity. Becky was allowed through the school gates as she had the meeting. From the outside, the school looked like it always had. There was more fencing since Jenny's kidnapping, but it didn't look out of place. The upgrades had been done sympathetically. When she got inside, she was surprised to see a few more upgrades had taken place since her previous visit.

Martyn Carpenter, the school headmaster, was waiting for Becky as she got to the school entrance. He guided her to his office.

"Thank you for seeing me at such short notice."

Becky shrugged. "No problem."

"Friday must have been very difficult for you, both personally and professionally. I want to acknowledge that first. But my main concern here is Jenny. With your kidnapping and the publicity, I want to make sure she's coping and that school remains a safe, steady place for her."

Becky looked shocked. "Jenny has always known my gender status and what happens at Star Bright. I thought you would have understood that from our previous meetings. I don't hide things from her."

"That wasn't what I meant," he stammered. "I was wanting to make sure that Jenny wasn't feeling trauma from you being kidnapped. Resurfacing memories from her own kidnapping."

"Ah, sorry," Becky said, feeling a bit bad for her outburst. "I see. Jenny knows what happened to me. She has her own therapy sessions from the kidnapping. She spoke with them yesterday and her sessions will be a bit more frequent again. Just to make sure. However, the therapist said that normalcy, like school, is the right strategy."

"That's good to know. Thank you. We'll keep an eye on her here too. If you notice any changes at home, please let us know. As the school year draws to an end, we normally do different things. This year we've been trying to cover areas not normally covered, such as introducing them to space and the solar system."

"Jenny raved about it. Especially your solar system simulation in the playground. It seems to be sticking."

The headmaster looked very pleased.

* * *

After finishing with the headmaster, she'd gone home where she found Dan waiting. It was a useful session as Becky was able to get a lot of her feelings out that she'd not wanted to show in front of Jenny.

It was late in the morning that Becky managed to get to the office. The car park row she'd been taken the previous Friday was still sealed off with a canopy protecting it from the elements. A police constable stood guard which was probably the loneliest and most boring job. Her heartbeat had started to go up when she'd driven around the last roundabout and was now a bit more settled. She knew she wouldn't be abducted with the police there.

She parked closest to the entrance and was about to make her way in when she got an idea. She went across to see the area. While the policeman was there, she knew she was safe. As she got close, he stepped forward and held out an arm.

"Sorry, Ma'am, this area is sealed off."

"I know," Becky said, when closer. "I just wanted to look. Do you know if our phones were found?"

"Your phones?"

"When Ashleigh and I were taken, they threw out our phones. I just wondered if they were found. I forgot to ask the police when I was interviewed on Saturday."

"I can get one of the officers in charge of the case to contact you. What's your name?"

"Rebecca Head." Becky wondered what rock the man had been living under. Her face and name was all over the news. But it was nice to know she wasn't that infamous. There was hope.

Using his radio, he contacted the control room. He probably could have shouted the request, and they would have heard it. The police control room was in the building at the other side of the road. Becky took one last look and decided it looked just like the rest of the car park. Less dirty, but still the same. There was no sign of the kidnapping.

"Someone will be in touch with you about your phone," the copper told Becky.

"Thanks. Do you want me to send someone out with a drink?"

"I'm good."

Becky wandered back to the office. The receptionist, and all the people she saw made all the right murmurings. Platitudes about hoping Ashleigh would be found soon. Becky so hoped so as she made her way to the lab upstairs.

The normal gang were there. Evan, Liam and Henry.

"How are you doing?" Liam asked.

Becky moved her hand from side to side. "I'm physically fine. I'm missing Ashleigh. Jenny's missing Ashleigh.

There were nods from the others. It was obvious that they would miss Ashleigh. It was plain to anybody that saw those three together that they were family.

"Any idea why a blanket would block the signal?" Becky asked, trying to move things back to work tasks.

Liam and Henry looked at Evan who nodded. They'd discussed this earlier and wanted Evan to relay the information. "It would be helpful if we could have the blanket, but the police have it. I doubt forensics would just hand it over. It's evidence. And it isn't ours to have. It belongs to the kidnappers. Anyway, the aliens weren't receiving data, so it looks like it blocked the outgoing signal. It doesn't mean it would stop an incoming interdimensional tunnel."

Becky frowned and thought through the implications. "I have four thoughts. One, how do the nanites communicate. Two, how did they get blocked. Was it just the blanket, or was it the car, or a mixture of the two. Three, was it intentional or a coincidence. Four, does it impact incoming tunnels or not."

"The third one sounds scary," Henry said. "If it was intentional that meant they knew you had nanites. They know how they work and how to block them.

"I've asked the police to ring me about my phone," Becky informed the group. "I can ask them then about the blanket. I think it would be mutually beneficial for all to know. If it was deliberate, it probably means there is another player other than Earth Fist. Perhaps the Yvestigans."

Liam looked around, "Don't say that name. I keep expecting them to be here."

"It isn't like Voldemort," Evan chastised his colleague. "Anyway, that is just speculation."

"What else do we have to go on? I suppose you could try covering me with different blankets, but the only way we would know if it worked would be a fleet of spaceships reappearing in orbit. I don't think that would go down well."

Their meeting was interrupted by a phone ringing in Becky's office. She frowned and darted in. There was a phone, with a yellow sticky note. 'Laura asked me to deliver. Six additional spares in the box.' It was signed James.

She laughed at the note, before she answered the phone. It was reception letting her know there were two police officers in reception.

"Carry on with your tests," Becky instructed, coming back into the central discussion area. "I've got the police downstairs asking for me. I hope they've found Ashleigh."

She rushed down the stairs and saw DC Singh and DI Johnson, both from Counter Terrorism.

"Have they found her?" Becky asked, rushing forward.

"Mrs Head," the DC said in greeting. "I'm sorry, but not yet. There are active lines of enquiry, but she hasn't been found yet. We know Ashleigh from our previous dealings, and we have a few questions that might help in that investigation."

Becky's heart fell. She turned to the receptionist. "Sara, is the boardroom booked?"

"No. I'll block it out for you."

"Thanks." Becky turned to the two police officers and handed them visitor lanyards that Sara had passed. "Follow me."

She led them into the boardroom, and they all sat down. "I'm surprised you are here. I thought a kidnapping was standard policing."

"It would be, apart from Star Bright is classified as critical infrastructure."

"Since when?" Becky asked, surprised.

"I don't know. Just that we were told to be involved. I do have a few questions. Two people have been arrested. Tristan and Paul Mahoney. I believe you went to school with Paul. Have you had any dealings with them recently?"

"Paul was involved?" Becky was shocked. "No. We were on the school football team, but that was the limit of my involvement. He made a few snide remarks accusing me of being gay, but we never fought. He wasn't a school bully."

"And his brother?"

"I didn't know him."

Raj Singh pulled out two photographs. "This is what they look like now. Have you seen them around? Perhaps at the supermarket?"

Becky peered at them and shook her head. "I don't remember seeing them."

Raj added a third photograph. "What about her. Dominique Sylvester."

Becky shook her head. "Sorry. I wish I could give you more help."

"The truth is always a help. You haven't seen them is a help. It doesn't say they weren't staking the place out, just you never saw them."

"Does Dominique have Ashleigh?"

"We think so. Her DNA was found in the abandoned car when they switched vehicles. Did Tristan or Paul say anything to you?"

"No. They covered me in a blanket and had me on the floor on the back of the car. I was punched and kicked a few times when grabbed, but that was it. They had music blaring and I didn't hear them talking."

"Is there anything else you can think of that might help?" asked the DC.

Becky looked across at them, wondering if she should tell them. After some internal battle, she decided to. "We have some speculation, but nothing solid. It might not be anything."

"Talk to us," DI Johnson said.

"When I was abducted, I was covered with a blanket. It was only removed from me when I was taken out of the car at Birmingham. Do you have it?"

"What's this about?"

Becky considered. "This is confidential. I was treated by an alien doctor to help stabilise my hormones. I have nanites in my bloodstream. Nanites are microscopic robots. My health was being monitored, but when I was covered by that blanket, it stopped them reporting. Either they put the blanket over me deliberately, or it is an amazing coincidence. What I'm asking is if the blanket is just an ordinary blanket, and it is just a surprise it shielded me, or is it special. If it is special, someone has leaked data to Earth Fist."

"This is an extra avenue," agreed DI Johnson. "Have you any idea why?"

"There is an alien species called Yvestigans. They don't want humans to join the Rohastin Council. They were behind the attack on our factory. You might have seen video of the Australian Event. The Yvestigans had sent a ship to attack us, but we were aided by two other ships."

"This isn't something they taught us at police academy," DC Singh complained.

"Forget that they aren't human," DI Johnson suggested. "Just think of them as a foreign government. A foreign government is aiding an extremist organisation."

"Ah," Raj nodded. "That makes sense now."

"So, are you suggesting these Yvestigans are sending information to Earth Fist?" asked the DI.

"Perhaps not now. They are blockaded. But if they did provide information, it would have been before Earth First and Earth Fist came on the scene."

"That would imply that Earth Fist are actually not a splinter group other than name and convenience," DC Singh said, sounding perplexed.

"It's probably academic," Becky said. "Earth Fist, Earth First and the Yvestigans want nearly the same thing. They all want Earth not to join the council. Earth First want us to not explore at all. The Yvestigans also want this planet. This is good background for you, but how does it help find Ashleigh?"

"It gives us ideas of scope for the search. Earth First and Earth Fist are not only in the UK. They are global groups, though they seem to have bigger followings in some countries. It is three days since she was kidnapped. There is a chance she is no longer in the UK, so there are already discussions with Europol and Interpol."

"Silly question at a time like this, but do you have our phones. They were taken from us when we were grabbed."

"Yes. They are in evidence. I will see when they can be returned."

"Also, I'd be grateful if someone can update us about the blanket. If it is more than a blanket, it might be useful to know what it has. We've been asked to design protection to stop someone opening a tunnel to secure locations."

DI Johnson shook his head. "I'm sure they will check the blanket, but I doubt a deep analysis will be performed. If it is more than a blanket, that is all we need to know for proof of external interference. You will have to wait until the investigation is complete and then petition for it so you can perform your own analysis."

Becky felt disappointed but took a few seconds to reflect. "Sorry, you're right. I got carried away. Of course they wouldn't do a deep investigation. Ashleigh is the one that keeps us focused."

"We're looking," said the DI, standing up. "I know you won't want to hear this, but the longer she's missing, the less chance she'll be found."

Becky's jaw clenched. She wanted to scream at him, to demand hope, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she nodded stiffly, her mind already racing ahead. If the blanket was more than fabric, then someone had handed Earth Fist the key. And if Ashleigh was gone beyond the UK, then this was bigger than she had feared.