Free My Star by Christine Gasbjerg

you’re not going anywhere...” He tries to grab my arm, but I break free and make a run for it.
    “I’m not letting you out of my sight.” He’s running right behind me, waddling away in his toxic protective suit. The suits clearly weren’t made for speed.
    I can’t help but being a little amused by the situation.
    I run back to the glass cage and kneel down in front of the ETB It’s sitting immobile in the exact same position as before, on its knees with its head bent down and eyes closed, like a monk deep in prayer. I can’t tell if it’s alive or already dead, so I touch it gently to find out.
    Is it done? The voice in my head is weak.
    I believe it’s done. I’m not entirely sure. The light ball imploded to a small pinhead, and then it disappeared with little plop.
    Then it’s done.
    Okay…
    I’m grateful to you. I will let my body go now.
    You mean you’ll die? Now?
    The ETB sighs, and the skin quickly looses all remaining color. Ever so slightly its body collapses deeper into the prayer position, and I know there’s now no life left in the body in front of me. I feel a lump in my throat, and tears well up in my eyes.
    Loneliness and despair creep up on me.

NINE
     
    lightball of life
     
     
    I get on my feet, and shake it out of my head and my body. I can’t appear to be siding with the ETB in any way. I’ve got to play the game, and appear like I’m on ‘their’ side, the captain’s side, to stay alive. I can see him standing outside the glass cage along with two armed guards.
    Looking at myself objectively, this is actually crazy – I just kissed an alien! Even an aging alien at that! WTF? …and judging from the size of the guns of the captain’s two goons, I might not live to tell the tale to anyone.
    I take a deep breath, and exit the glass cage. The two guards handcuff me immediately.
    “My patience with you is coming to an end. There’ll be no more delays in you reporting everything that just happened.” Captain Alvah is now in control again, calm and collected.
    I tell him exactly how to enter the ET Vessel, and I tell him most of what the ETB told me about knowledge passed on to humans. I leave out the fact that I carried the essence of the ETB to its ship, and sent it off as light. The captain tries to enter the ship himself, but can’t. I think that his mind isn’t peaceful enough. He’s too much of a bully. It’s actually a clever way to prevent violent-minded creatures from taking over the ETV. and use it to create havoc rather than peace. I demonstrate in details what I do to enter the vessel, and even though the captain doesn’t succeed in entering, he seems satisfied.
    “Who do you think is holding that valuable information back from benefiting all of humanity?” I realize that I’m pushing my luck, and try to haul it back in. “It’s a clever and very effective way to stay in power. Very smart indeed.” I put an approving smile on my face, bite my tongue, and wait for the captain’s response.
    “It’s a lie. There is no valuable information being held back.”
    “How long have they held the ETB and its ETV captive here?”
    “That’s classified information.”
    “Classified? So information is indeed being kept secret?” I can’t help myself.
    “Well…” The captain coughs.
    “An encounter with an Extra-Terrestrial Being is big news. Why hasn’t the public been informed about this? Why is it being kept secret?” I give up trying to control my aversion, and I am fast becoming much too cocky for my own good. “Now that I’ve met and communicated with an ETB, I’m just curious to get the whole picture.” I try to make my questions sound innocent, and I hold my breath for the captain’s response. I must control myself and play this the smart way.
    “It’s classified information, that’s all I can say.”
    “Yes, of course.” I try to let it go.
    Why can’t I just bite my tongue? Here in space, I’m at Captain Alvah’s mercy, and surely