Free Smarter (an Ell Donsaii story #2) by Laurence Dahners Page B

careful what you tell her about your discoveries on the infamous ‘Donsaii’ project.” Jerry and Roger both chortled delightedly at the thought of an industrial spy wanting any part of “Ellen’s” project.
    Ell raised her eyebrows, “I’ll be sure to freeze her out on the critical details.” she said with a crooked grin. “What about Roger here? What’s his alter ego?”
    “Oh, that’s just so sad. What you see is what you get. Nothing more to ol’ Rog’ than what you already know. Shallow as a sheet of graphene is our Roger.” Jerry grinned at Roger.
    Roger snorted. “Not true! I’ve just completely concealed my alter ego behind this simple ‘Clark Kent’ façade.” He turned to Ell and stage whispered, “It’s just that Jerry has never seen to my true depths!”
    “OK, how about you Jerry? What’s your alter ego?”
    “Me? Li’l ol’ me?” Jerry put his hand dramatically on his chest. He leaned forward and stage whispered, “Actually, I’m an alien, visiting from Alpha Centauri. I’m evaluating the human race for admission to the Galactic Congress. Unfortunately, I’m having to report that these beings I find myself surrounded with don’t even know about the fifth dimension that connects quantum particles.” He waggled his eyebrows at Ell, “You, my dear, are these humans only hope!”
    “Well, I’d better get home and get my rest then. I’ll need my strength to save our human race from you awful Centaurians!”
    “Nooo!” the two young men said together. “The night is young.”
    Ell however, got up, checked with Allan to be sure her tab was paid and made for the door. She didn’t want to be walking home after midnight even if her little apartment was only six blocks away. She waved good bye to the group but Jerry got up too, “Let me walk you home,” he called.
    “Walk home with an alien?” Ell eyed him suspiciously, “You wouldn’t suck my brains out would you?”
    “Of course not! Not on a first walk home! I have to lull your suspicions with insincere niceties for a while first.”
    As they left Roger eyed them pensively. With that nose she might not be cute, but there was something about Ellen he really liked. He’d always liked smart women, and the way she calmly took Johnson’s brutal questioning, answering questions about the Donsaii math so unhesitatingly, had really impressed him. If only I weren’t so shy around women, he thought to himself, she’s someone I think I could really get along with.
     
    The heat of the day gone, the evening was pleasant if a little muggy as Ell and Jerry walked the streets to her place. Jerry kept up a witty banter that cheered her up. Seeing a few winos in alleys, Ell realized that her new neighborhood really wasn’t that great a place for a young woman to be out alone at night. It really made her appreciate his gesture in walking her home.
    When they arrived at her building, Ell suddenly worried that Jerry might expect to be invited up to her apartment? She realized that if she did invite him up, he would encounter items giving away her disguise. At the main door she turned to him and said, “My suspicions have been significantly lulled. I remain concerned that you just want to suck out my brains, nonetheless I appreciate your protection from all the Rigellians disguised as winos that live in the alleys between here and West 87.”
    To Ell’s relief, Jerry said, “Hey, no problem. See you on Monday, if I can avoid those selfsame Rigellians on my walk home.” He gave an exaggerated shiver, then turned and headed back down the street. Ell thumped upstairs and gratefully took off her “fat pants,” as she thought of the silicone padding that enlarged her butt. Then she carefully rearranged her things so that her spare “fat pants,” silicone nose prostheses, dark hair mousse and skin bronzers were hidden away from any but the most determined prying eyes.
    In bed, while she tried to think about her testing apparatus, she