Free Teardrops In The Night Sky (Steven Gordon series) by J W Murison

every word.’
    ‘Sales isn’t here now sir, we are.  I think you had better tell him to reappraise the situation.  Our best bet sits with Doctor Gordon and we had better keep him sweet.’
    ‘I’ll try again Colonel, but if he refuses we’ll just take it into our own hands and release him, but I’ll try the diplomatic approach first.’
    Howe caught up with Brian in the canteen nursing a coffee, making suggestions to members of the team trying to make contact with the craft outside.
    The news over Steven lifted his spirits a bit.  When the other men left Howe asked him what they were going to do now.
    Brian put down his coffee, ‘we’re going to send someone outside to make physical contact, see if it opens for us.’
    ‘The chances of that Doctor?’
    ‘Probably nil to none existent, but if we don’t try,’ Brian left the rest of the sentence unsaid.
    Howe nodded his understanding.
    An hour later they were standing on the roof watching the scientists approach the ship.  At first it just flew up out of reach, but as they persisted it began to react very differently.
    The first man to touch it received a mild electric shock.  They gradually got stronger until one man was thrown a few feet across the car park.  Brian had rushed off to stop them before someone was killed.  Colonel Howe had decided to stay and get a little fresh air.
    It was then Greg and Rex passed him laughing at the scientist getting shakily to his feet.  It annoyed him.
    ‘I’m glad somebody finds something amusing in all this.’
    Greg flushed with embarrassment, ‘sorry it just looked kinda funny; he wasn’t really hurt.  I mean you think they would have taken the hint by now.’
    Howe and Rex eyed one another warily, ‘that’s the dog that took out one of your own security guards isn’t it?’
    ‘Yeah that prick Sandiman; he pointed a gun a Stevie.  Well Stevie and Rex are good pals so Rex took him out.’
    The Colonel frowned as something began to tingle in the back of his mind.  A thought not fully formed began to push its way through.  He decided to give his instinct rein.
    ‘I thought you sent the Dog after this Stevie?’
    Greg flushed again, ‘yeah well it was Stevie… you know?’
    ‘No I don’t know.  I thought all the dogs here were grade one.’
    ‘They are and Rex was top dog, but … well it was Stevie.’
    Howe shook his head, ‘tell me.’
    ‘Well,’ Greg scratched his head, ‘Stevie’s a bit simple, and animal’s; smart ones like Rex anyway seem to realise that.  Rex knows Stevie would never do him any harm.  If you know where I’m coming from.’
    ‘I think so, I’ve heard of that sort of thing.’
    ‘Yeah well Rex and Stevie just seemed to hit it off.  You want to see them sometime, Stevie babbles away at him and he sits and yips back at him.  You’d think they were sitting having a conversation, it’s a bit weird.’
    Colonel Howe nodded, ‘and why was this Sandiman pointing a gun at him.’
    ‘Stevie was touching the ship, saying that it did seem to come down and touch him.’
    The tingling had turned to full a blown ringing, Howe backed off, ‘right that was why, ok thanks eh …’
    ‘Greg, Greg and Rex.’
    They watched him hurry off.  Rex looked up at Greg with a questioning look in his eye.  Greg answered him, ‘that’s one tough cookie boy.  I think we’d both have a problem with that one.’
    Half an hour later Colonel Howe switched off the portable TV screen and popped out the video of Steven’s original statement to Buzz.  In front of him was Steven’s uniform in a sterile plastic bag and a copy of his records.  He absentmindedly rubbed the award ribbon for bravery above the jacket pocket, which had been lovingly sewn on by his mother.
    He decided he needed a little more information.  Taking the uniform with him he went down and cornered Buzz.  Excited that his friend would s oon be freed the normally tight lipped man quickly filled in the gaps in Howe’s