MARSA1-Part A Mar-Sa The Ultra-Girl Book One/Part One The Girl of Tungsten Steel by Jim Robert Bader August 21, 1997 (First Copyrights Only) 00000000 000 000 000 vvvvvv 000 000 VVVVVVVVVVVV 000 000 VVVVVVVVV 000 000 VVVVVVV 000 000 VVVVV 000 000 VVV 000 000 V 000 000000000 MAR-SA, THE ULTRA-GIRL by Jim Robert Bader (First Copyrights Only) Book One. Chapter Ten. Trust "Yeah, that's right, Ted, I was really there, I actually saw it..." Rick paused to let his editor respond with his usual expressive candor, then waited patiently to get a word in edgewise before responding, "No, I didn't see the actual Alien herself, and nobody was inhaling any...what's that? How do I know she's a woman? Man, if you'd need the body-mold impressed into that radiator you wouldn't be asking a question like that! Yeah, I know how it sounds, but it's the truth! No, I didn't get any photos...weren't you listening, Man? Those army guys would have taken 'em away from me if I had any, all I got was a rough general description...huh? Well, try about six-foot-four with gold skin and metallic gold hair and...what are you laughing at? You think I'd make something like this up?" Rick sighed as he heard his editor offer his opinions about that, privately wondering if Jimmy Olsen ever had days like this one, but knowing better than to contradict his boss as he gave a detailed account of his activities over the previous few days then waited to see if his editor would hang up or give him the horse laugh. When neither response came he dared risk asking aloud, "So...you gonna print this story or what? Fine, put it on page six and have an artist do an illustration...it's what you do with most of my work anyway, right?" With that he hung up, muttering under his breath, "Jerk...like he wanted a story about a real Bigfoot and I give him one about a living goddess. Man, what am I doing working for a rag like this...?" He turned away from the phone booth and almost bumped into a girl headed in the opposite direction. He muttered his apologies then got a better look at her, surprised at seeing a cute blonde of medium height and build holding several grocery bags and looking up at him with a somewhat startled expression. "Oh, excuse me, guy," she said, "Didn't see you there, sorry." "My fault," Rick automatically apologized, "Lost in thought and all that." "Right, well....take care," she said and then carefully walked around him as he made a point of getting out of her way, all the while making a careful study of her attractive profile before smiling to himself and said, "Nice ass." "Thanks," she called back over her shoulder, startling Rick has he had not expected her to overhear him. Phoebe hid her smile as she continued on down the block without giving into the urge to turn a glance back over her shoulder. A handsome black dude tall with a good build and a kindly face, wearing a worn leather jacket sort of stood out in a neighborhood like this and she could not help wondering if he were lost or something, even though what she had managed to overhear of his phone conversation was deeply disturbing and made it plain that he was no casual tourist. "How the heck does that guy know about Marsha?" she muttered aloud, feeling the odd sense that their near-encounter just now was more than just accidental. Of course she was beginning to grow accustomed to weird coincidences cropping up in her life of late, at least since encountering a golden skinned alien girl born on another planet. Inviting said person into her home and her life had been the most amazing thing for her since first meeting Katie and becoming her live-in "house guest." She hoped that her absent roommate would not be too upset at the mess that Phoebe and Mar-Sa had made the previous few evenings because it was awfully hard to make love to a superhuman girl who tended to thrash around a lot every time she had another orgasm. Especially if said girl could put her fist through solid plaster and concrete. Phoebe had a few bruises of her own that she wore like badges of honor, but gradually she and Mar-Sa were gradually working things out to where they could go a bit easier on their surroundings...with a bit of plaster and wood needed to cover over the holes and other trivial stuff that came naturally with such experimentation. Besides, Mar-Sa was worth every effort that Phoebe took to teaching her how to control her formidable potential. Aside from being a drop-dread gorgeous beauty and a genuinely nice person, Mar-Sa had a lot of useful talents that she was working hard to perfect, including the ability to control physical matter with the power of her mind. Then there was Mar-Sa's near miraculous healing powers to consider, and other amazing things that she could do to help clean the place up and minimize the impact of her staying in Katie's apartment. The more she trained herself the stronger her powers seemed to become as practice gave her greater control, and before too long Phoebe hoped that Mar-Sa would be able to leave he apartment and walk the streets on her own so that Phoebe could take her shopping for clothes and other items that could suit a body as long and lean as Mar-Sa's. Of course Katie might be back at any time now and Phoebe was starting to get worried. She had not heard from her roommate in almost a week, which was a record for the both of them to be out of communication. Phoebe wanted the chance to talk to her other best friend and lover in order to explain things so that Katie did not jump to any erroneous conclusions, like suspect that Phoebe was about to dump her for a brand new model. Well, at least Phoebe hoped they might be able to work something out since she and Katie did have a spoken agreement that they were free to see "other people..." This business with the black guy who talked like he was a reporter, though, that did have Phoebe worried. For the last day or so she had been fighting the sense that she was being followed everywhere, that there were eyes and ears everywhere and that somebody knew about the alien beauty who was staying at her place. Phoebe knew that it was more than simple paranoia, that there really were people out there who wanted to get their hands upon Mar-Sa. Not that Phoebe had any intention of letting them get anywhere near her angel! She mounted the stairs and got to the door to Katie's apartment then let herself in with a key, having told Mar-Sa that it would be a very bad idea to leave the door unlocked whenever Phoebe went shopping. There was no concern that Mar-Sa would have trouble with burglars, if any were luckless enough to try and break into this place, but a locked door meant not having to answer if a salesman came by looking to sell something. No sense tempting face by letting any old Tom, Dick or Harriet walk into the place and find themselves face-to-face with a living goddess. Once she shut the door and put down her packages she called out, "I'm home!" just like Katie had always taught her. "Welcome back, Phoebe," Mar-Sa called back from the middle of the living room area, and as Phoebe went in search of her new friend she found the Alien girl on the floor wearing nothing but a bath-robe, her hair wrapped up in a towel with dozens of books scattered everywhere, most open face-up to various pages. "What, are you studying again?" Phoebe asked, "Nobody's going to give you a pop quiz..." "I just want to know everything that there is to learn about your world and culture," Mar-Sa said as she glanced up with a smile that sent butterflies twittering down in Phoebe's stomach, "There is so much to know here...you have a rich history stretching back nearly five thousand years, and yet there are so many holes in the knowledge that I have uncovered. Your science is primitive but the ideas of your philosophers are even stranger. I've never been able to access anything like this in the historical records of Ninjarma, and I wanted to indulge myself in the privilege..." "Ninjarma," Phoebe replied, "That's the city where you were born, right?" "Yes," Mar-Sa affirmed, "Capitol of the old Northern Republic in the days before the Disaster that rendered most of the surface of Wolframa uninhabitable. These days each city-state is centered around a main Dome and some outlying colonies, and everything is tightly managed, while on your world city life is sprawling..." "I can't wait to show you around," Phoebe chuckled, "You're gonna go nuts when you see the Haite Ashbery district." "I'd like that very much," Mar-Sa smiled, then added as if on an afterthought, "By the way, can we order pizza again?" "Man, I've really gotta introduce you to some Chinese takeout," Phoebe rolled her eyes, "You're starting to sound like as much of a pizza addict as those turtles..." "Turtles?" Mar-Sa blinked. "Never mind," Phoebe replied, "Just...be mindful of all the fattening foods you wolf down. You're heavy enough that you don't want to wind up fat, not that there's a chance in hell of you spoiling that gorgeous figure..." "Phoebe," Mar-Sa grew serious, "I love making love to you, but there is something else that I...would like to talk about." "Oh yeah?" Phoebe arched an eyebrow, "More important than sex?" "Perhaps not that important," Mar-Sa faintly smiled before growing sober once again, "But the one thing that I have learned from reading up on your history is that you were totally right about the effects of religion upon your culture. It is strange considering how my people do not even have a concept about what you refer to as 'god,' but here the question of belief seems as much to set people apart as to bring them together..." "You got that right," Phoebe sighed, "Still on that, huh? Well...I guess you're ready now for the crash course in Theology 101. It was bound to come up sometime the longer you stay on this planet." "I have gathered as much," Mar-Sa paused as she frowned slightly, "You tell me that your father is a Presbyterian lay minister and yet your mother was Catholic but had a Jewish mother on her side. I find it very strange to learn that there are so many different divisions of what is called a Monotheistic religion..." "You find it strange?" Phoebe huffed, "I grew up with a real identity crisis over what religion I should belong to. Katie's the one who's more read up on this subject, though, so she ought to be the one who gives you the detailed explanation..." "I would be more than happy to consult with her," Mar-Sa replied, "But what is it that you believe in, Phoebe?" "I believe in myself mainly," Phoebe replied, "But if you wanna know what I believe in, Marsha, I'd have to say that I'm basically pretty much undecided. These days I'm more Wiccan than Christian..." "Wiccan?" Mar-Sa repeated. "They call it the 'Old Religion,' even though it ain't really all that old," Phoebe explained, "It's more based on a set of pre-Christian traditions that borrows a lot from various pagan cults, but basically it's more like the worship of nature instead of some remote father-figure who lives up in the sky passing judgement on ordinary people who just wanna be left alone in peace and quiet." "Pagan?" Mar-Sa repeated again. "Yeah," Phoebe explained, "It's a word meaning 'Religion of the Country Folk,' or something like that. Katie could go on about it for hours and not get tired. She's the one who taught me a different way of looking at the Universe, and to her way of thinking God is really a woman, not a man at all. I kind of like her way of looking at life without getting all preachy and judgmental. She was born of the Jewish religion, but she rejected the rigid Orthodox stuff when she was a lot younger than me, and considering what a mess the world is back where she grew up..." "And where was that?" Mar-Sa asked. "Israel," Phoebe replied, "The so-called Holy land, where people shoot you full of holes for disagreeing with them over what name you pray to God with. Actually, Katie was born in New York but commuted to Israel when her family decided to live there for a couple of years, and she had dual citizenship and used to be a registered nurse in the Israeli army..." "Israel," Mar-Sa glanced back at the books laying strewn about upon the floor, "There is a lot of mention about the place, but I cannot for the life of me see why it is considered so important." "Other than the fact that it lies smack dab in the middle of a land bridge between Africa and Asia?" Phoebe gently sighed, "Or that it's surrounded by some of the richest Oil sheikdoms on the planet?" "Yes, but it is such a tiny geographical area," Mar-Sa pointed out, "And hardly important at all from any strategic considerations..." "Katie would give you an argument about that," Phoebe sniffed, "She used to fill my head with these arguments that drove her away from the old Orthodox schools and into the New Age of modern coexistence. The fact of the matter is that people can argue over the dumbest things, like land and water, and when I went over there with Katie a year or two ago it was a pretty eye-opening experience, living on a Kibbutz on the border of disputed territory with guys packing rockets, guns and bombs looking to blow you away just to make a political statement. Frankly, if it weren't for some of the genuinely nice people I met there, I'd be tempted to say to hell with both sides of the dispute. Palestinians, Jews, Christians...they're all a little bit crazy!" "But what makes them so?" Mar-Sa wondered, "Why can they not accept their differences and learn to respect their differences?" "You're asking the wrong Yenta about that one, Marsha," Phoebe replied, "But I think, when you get down to it, it's the way some people think they can get into heaven. Not by doing good deeds or by being a good person, but by demonstrating to God that you're a worthy foot solders ready to kill or die for your beliefs, which makes about as much sense as saying you do what you do because you're just following orders." "Like the Security people who do the bidding of the Council," Mar-Sa murmured to herself, then she gave Phoebe a very frank look, "Your world is so beautiful, you have such a rich abundance of resources, and the people of your world are mostly very nice to be around. Why then must there be so much dissension?" "I dunno," Phoebe shrugged, "I guess that's what happens when you only have one God and there's not enough room in your heart to share him or her with anyone else. Me, I say a pox on both their houses, I'd rather be a pagan. At least the Goddess that Katie worships is kind to animals and wants people to grow up respecting their own planet." "Yes, that would make sense," Mar-Sa nodded softly, "It is a known fact on Wolframa that the Universe is composed primarily of energy, and it was once maintained that this energy field was alive, that it is intelligent and can respond to the thoughts and wishes of anyone who opens themselves up to the Universe's potential. These days such a belief is judged a superstition, but the discovery of the Bioenergy field proved that there was at least a solid basis upon which to found the belief that the Universe is living." "You mean like that stuff that gives you your powers?" Phoebe asked. "Yes," Mar-Sa smiled at the irony of it all, "I am now a living testament to the power of Bioenergy, but mostly because I am attuned to your sun and can draw upon its raw life essence to fortify my own body. When the sun rises I can feel it swelling within me, and even when the sun goes down at night that feeling is still inside me, perhaps only half as strong yet still a thousand times more energy than what I was conditioned to draw upon on my own world." "Which kind of makes you a representation of heaven," Phoebe smiled, "You see? You really are a goddess." "Not that powerful, but powerful enough," Mar-Sa acknowledged, then she paused again and said, "I believe...when I concentrate on those memories that came from Mark Daniels...that the religion he belongs to is called...Unitarian Universalism..." "No fooling?" Phoebe smiled, "I've had friends who were Unitarians. They tend to be all right. Basically they don't have a major creed or a set of dogmas that you have to believe. You can believe pretty much anything you want and still be a Unitarian. It was set up by some guys who thought that all religions have a central basis or are just different versions of the same thing, and that God is found in all faiths to one extent or another. Kinda makes sense to me...I mean, why play favorites? I've seen Arabs and Catholics who are just as saintly as any Buddhist, and if it was all coming down to just what belief you have to decide if you're a good person..." "When there is good and bad in all people," Mar-Sa noted, "I think that I see now. It does make sense when seen in that light." "Good," Phoebe nodded, "Because the best way to get along around here is to not go around asking everybody which kind of religion they belong to. Live and let live I say, and if some guy wants to sacrifice a goat at the Temple Beth Balsheba..." "Oh my...they do that?" Mar-Sa asked. "Just a joke, Honey," Phoebe assured her, "My point is...long as it doesn't hurt anybody, I say more power to them. Can't stand Cults and Fundies, though...they just can't leave well enough alone, like it was any of their business if Katie and me wanna adopt kids together, especially when they're hers in the first place..." "What was that?" Mar-Sa blinked, sensing the intense distress and emotion in her lover when she said this. "Ah...never mind...long story," Phoebe sighed, "I just wanted you to know that this world ain't perfect, not by a long shot, and we've got a long ways to go before we reach paradise." "I guess no world is perfect," Mar-Sa agreed, "But compared with mine you are much, much closer." "Yeah, I guess it's all relative, huh?" Phoebe smiled, "Then we should count our blessings and leave it at that. Religion is important to most people on this world, Marsha, but it's better to keep your beliefs private rather than risk alienating others." "I will be mindful of this, Phoebe," Mar-Sa agreed, "But thank you for explaining." "Huh, who can explain the unexplainable?" Phoebe smiled, "Nobody knows what the absolute ultimate truth is, Marsha, that's why most people would rather hedge their bets rather than fight about it. I suppose we'll find out the truth after we're dead, but by then it'll be kinda like...too late..." "I should think so," Mar-Sa replied, "It hardly seems fair having to wait until then. I would much rather live in the here and now of this world." "Well, at least you landed in a civilized part of the country," Phoebe remarked, "I'd hate to think what would happen if you'd wound up in South America or maybe the far east..." "More likely I would have landed in the ocean, which would not be a good thing," Mar-Sa remarked, "My body is heavier than water and I would most likely sink like a stone before regaining consciousness. You are right about that, I was definitely...well fortuned." "Yeah, I'd call it lucky," Phoebe agreed, then paused before saying, "Not that I'd expect you to drown with those life preservers on your chest. Say, y'know, it only just occurred to me a couple of hours ago, but...I never did ask what your Mentor did to prepare you to come over to our world. It may be kinda late for me to ask this but...you're not carrying anything contagious, are you?" "No," Mar-Sa smiled, "You need hardly fear on that account. Unlike you, I grew up in a very sterile environment lacking even trace bacteria that might be harmful on your planet. Aside from a few stomach microbes that help in my digestion I was largely disease free when I happened to come here. It is more likely that I might have gotten sick and died in your environment since I'm not accustomed to handling the level of contaminates and pollutants that are so abundant in your atmosphere, but because my body heals quickly I seem to have acclimated rather nicely. I believe my immune system was also greatly assisted by the process of our having sex together..." "Oh?" Phoebe asked, "How do you reckon that?" "By making love to you I ingested a goodly portion of your vaginal excretions," Mar-Sa replied, "And I think that helped me metabolize my own natural enzymes, enough so that when I did start to feel ill it was no worse than what you would call a stomach infection." "Oh, so that's what you were bitching and moaning about last night," Phoebe smiled, "And here I thought you were having a stomach ache from eating too fast. Y'know, it's not all that healthy to eat three pizzas before going to bed, especially when sex gets added." "Then I will cut down on the pizzas and stick to a diet of sex," Mar-Sa agreed, adding with a leer that was now quite human, "And I know which I will find the more tasty." "Flatterer," Phoebe grinned, "I love the way your mind works, Marsha. But...speaking of food, I just remembered something. I'm gonna have to go out again and pay a visit to the local ATM..." "Oh?" Mar-Sa did not bother to attempt to conceal her disappointment. "Like I told you before, Silly," Phoebe chided, "Pizza guys don't like to take credit, and I need to get more cash on hand from the account I share with Katie. I'll be back in a while, so keep the home fires burning." "I will," Mar-Sa promised before adding, "I love you." "And I love you, you big, beautiful Angel," Phoebe replied as she turned around and headed back for the door, "Do me a favor and put the things away in the kitchen. I'll just be a minute or two, then we can talk all about how I saved your life by screwing you crazy." "And I will show you my gratitude for your kindly rescue," Mar-Sa earnestly promised, "And...later on...perhaps we can go outside somewhere so that I can practice some more on further refining my powers." "Sounds good to me," Phoebe noted, "I love seeing you fly almost as much as I love the way you can move objects around without touching." "That is only the beginning of what I have learned about my powers," Mar-Sa assured her lover, not bothering to add that she had developed the ability to "see" Phoebe even when she was no longer in the room beside her. In fact, it was a secret pleasure to watch her now as her lover trotted down the steps and out onto the street with her usual bouncing stride as the image of Phoebe appeared within her mind despite all of the obstacles between them that might otherwise have obstructed her vision. Clairvoyance was a very interesting ability to have, she noted, and one that might indeed prove to be handy. As yet she could only see things that were happening in the present, but the books that she had been reading on the subject of Extra Sensory Perception revealed that even Terrans could sometimes demonstrate the limited ability to see things in the past or the future, especially if they had a strong emotional resonance behind them. In truth there was a lot about her powers that she was only just beginning to discover, which she demonstrated at that moment by reaching out with a hand and plucking down a selected book that had been lying on a shelf just out of reach. It was like establishing contact with her mind and "touching" the book in order to gain non-physical possession, and then she could pull it towards her as if drawing on invisible wires, a rather handy ability indeed, and one that suggested that moving objects with her mind was now becoming second nature. This world was indeed a marvelous place for a Wolframan, and if her abilities were typical for her people then small wonder the High Council feared to let this become common knowledge on Wolframa. Imagine trying to control an entire race of superhumans, she reflected, once who might elect to do as Mar-Sa had done and set their own agenda, disregarding the whims of the old men who lorded it over the Domes that contained the remaining population of an entire planet. Of course this also meant that they would be all the more zealous to keep their secret and would go to any lengths in order to preserve it. That meant that Mar-Sa had to hope (or fervently pray to one of these Earth Gods) that the Council never discovered her continuing existence on another planet or they would likely stop at nothing to destroy her. Mar-Sa knew that they could, but she also knew that she would prefer to die rather than give up what she had discovered upon this planet. The world and Phoebe now meant everything to her and she would fight to preserve her new status...no matter who might try to take it all away from her. It was for that reason---as much as for scientific interest---that she had resolved to further study the limits of her new abilities...just in case it might become necessary to one day take a stand...just as Kar-Tor had doubtlessly intended. But then again, could Mar-Sa of Ninjarma do any less than her parents? Mar-Tan and Mar-Ta had died in order to discover the truth about the history of Wolframa and the Council. At least now she Mar-Sa finally some idea of why they had chosen death to obedience to the Council. The rebellion that they had started now lived on in her, and for the first time ever she felt pride in her own heritage. It was a good thing to be the child of two brave scientists whose love for their world demanded that they take risks with their own future. Somehow Mar-Sa would find a way to honor their work and maybe serve as a new symbol for their people. What an irony that---in persecuting her parents---they had all but insured that their daughter would one day fallow in their footsteps and achieve the dream that they had been unable to achieve...to walk among the people of another planet and prove beyond question that these two branches of humanity were closely related. As for the rest...well, that was somewhere in the future, but for now she had a new life to build, and so Mar-Sa got up from the floor and headed towards the kitchen to put Phoebe's packages away, all the while reveling in the freedom of moving about half-naked without guilt or self-conscious hesitation. That got her to wondering on a different point, one that had been in her mind off and on since Katie had shown off her roommate's magazine collection. To move around naked was a thought that had a strangely naughty appeal, to actually do it before others made her feel a bit like blushing, but it also gave her a thrill of excitement. What if the thing she had discussed with Phoebe was indeed the best way for her to renounce the High Council and everything it stood for? Would she be able to show off her naked body in front of the people of Earth and be accepted for her exotic looks? It did bear further reflection, and the more she thought about it the more it excited her, and as career options went it definitely seemed better paying than those jobs she had viewed in the want-ad pages. And besides, Phoebe seemed excited at the prospect of her posing naked. Yes indeed, there was much to think about there, and with a bright and glorious future ahead of her she had only to choose her path and explore a bright and brave new future... Rick sat in his car and replayed the last few days in his mind, trying to sort fact out from mere speculation as a good reporter must when faced with contradictory information. According to what he knew from his time with Colonel Brookhurst there was an alien woman with gold skin standing around six-feet-with change and tough enough to bounce off of the front grill of a moving truck without being splattered. She had fallen to Earth, most likely in a spaceship of some kind (assuming she wasn't some weird Government experiment gone awry, and Rick highly doubted that even their military could build something that durable) and was now lost or stranded on planet Earth with only one earth girl for an ally. According to what he had overheard from Brookhurst's people the Terran girl was a blonde with good looks but an average build, one canny and resourceful enough to 'jack his car out from under the noses of two husky marines and then avoid pursuit on a hundred mile stretch of road leading up to San Francisco. Said blonde was probably giving aid and shelter to the alien, which probably meant that the big girl was considered friendly or-at the very least-non-hostile. And once you put all of this together you had pretty much exhausted everything that Rick knew so far concerning his elusive quarry. Finding her, though, was likely to be a bit of a problem given the size and demographic complexity of San Francisco. A golden-skinned woman standing close to two meter in height might well stand out anywhere else in the country, but not in this place where unusual looks were worn like a badge of honor. If only he had some leads to go on, a clue, some hint, maybe even a trail of bread crumbs that would lead him back to the alien girl's hideout. If only he knew what the alien girl's dietary habits were like, or even if she needed special drugs to stay healthy, then he could put a trace out and follow the trail of someone who was purchasing such goods from a local pharmacy or market. Heck, as things were standing he was about ready to dial up a psychic hotline! Anything that would bring him that much closer to obtaining the solid evidence he needed that his phantom lady actually existed. It was no exaggeration to say that his career as a reporter was on the line, and if he failed in this task then he could kiss what was left of his career right down the toilet! Even as he thought about these things his mind kept coming back to his CD collection and the Moody Blues disk that someone else had been playing. Brookhurst and his boys obviously knew their stuff but there was no way that they could know the careful way that Rick liked to arrange his CDs in their holder so that he could take one out and place it in his CD using only one hand and not have to take his eyes off of traffic. Finding several CDs either turned around or placed back in the rack in reverse order might not seem significant to anyone else, but for Rick it was a strong indicator of the type of person who had been handling his disks lately, and that was what led him to the conclusion that it was none other than his Alien girl who had done much of the resorting, no doubt out of curiosity and a general interest in what passed for Terran music. Of course not all Terrans would be as selective in their music choices as Rick himself was. It might seem like heresy for a boy who had spent his teenaged years in the suburbs of East Los Angeles (after his farther finally retired from twenty years of military service) that Rick's collection did not contain a single Rap CD or even one sample of Hip-Hop. He did like Rhythm and Blues but his first love was always the softer tunes of groups like Genesis, Boston, Styx, Kansas and even Survivor. African American cultural identity be damned, Rick was also part Indian and had a love for music that you could actually sing along with, his odd Heavy Metal disk notwithstanding. The Moody Blues was one of his favorites, and while his friends from the 'Hood might look at him askance and call him "Oreo," Rick's tastes were definitely counter-cultural and he much preferred melody to a good beat in his music selections... Which brought him around once again to wondering what kind of an alien liked Moody Blues music. More than likely her tastes might well be closer to his than he might otherwise have dared to imagine. Of course it just might be the other girl's tastes that were reflected here, but how could someone who enjoyed such romantic ballads be anything but a basically nice person? As he thought this his mind was in a highly receptive mode, and so his eyes caught a sign of movement in his rear-view mirror and automatically turned to focus on the form that he saw walking in his direction. Rick was mildly surprised to discover that it was the same blonde girl that he had almost run into not fifteen minutes ago, only now she was heading in the opposite direction, her step lively and carefree as if definitely moving with a purpose. Blonde hair? Rick had a sudden epiphany and sat upright in his seat, immediately moving to dismiss the thought from his mind only to find his eyes tracking the girl's movements. He waited until she had passed before daring to move his head and actually look in her direction. No doubt at all in his mind now, it was the same girl that he had nearly collided with...and now that he thought about it, was she actually standing or moving when it happened? Had she been passing him by only to stop and listen while Rick was on the phone to his editor, or was he just letting his imagination run away with him, and why would she be interested in hearing him talk about a golden skinned flying woman? He had to investigate this, if only to satisfy himself that he was not being paranoid, incredible coincidences of the century notwithstanding. At the very least he might ask her for phone number as she was certainly a piece to look at. With that in mind he slipped out of his car and started tailing her at a discrete distance, hoping she did not look back to notice that she was being followed. It was too much to hope that she might lead him to the alien girl, but wherever she was going she definitely represented a clue, and that was more than he'd had to work with since arriving in 'Frisco... Unknown to Rick, however, another pair of eyes was following his motion. One of a pair of plain clothed men sitting in a car sat upright and nudged his companion then said, "Hey, you see that? Shepherd's tailing the girl. He must be onto something." "So?" his companion asked, "Maybe he just wants a date. Y'gotta admit, she is a looker." "If you're into Dykes that is," Morley sniffed, "I'm telling you, Owen, something's up here. If those two make contact then the Winters girl could lead that reporter straight to the alien..." Owen sat upright, "You mean blow her cover? Yeah...I see what you're getting at. That might not be too smart if we let it happen." "That's what the Boss man would probably tell us, and if you think I wanna chewing out from the Colonel, think again," Morley sniffed, "Start up the car and let's follow, but not too close. Let's see if we ought to run interference for the lady, or maybe yank Shepherd's chain a little." "Yeah, that we can do," Owen softly agreed as she eased their car off from the curb and started the pursuit, "Tell you the truth, though, I wouldn't mind getting a good look at that alien myself. I hear she's quite a babe, like a living statue made of solid gold..." "Just keep thinking that and we'll both get assigned to Thule, Greenland," Morley reminded in a low murmur, "With what I hear about what she can do I'd just as soon do my observing from a safe distance." "That's your problem, Man, no backbone," Owen chided as they reached the corner where they'd seen Phoebe turn, followed closely by a dogged Rick Shepherd, mindful not to approach too closely as they kept their eyes on their two targets, thus missing entirely when yet another figure appeared from around yet another corner. This fellow had brown hair and was of good height and rugged build, seeming careworn and dressed like a man who had been on the road for many years with a guitar slung over his back and his handsome face showing a maturity well beyond his years. He only passingly noticed the car following after the pedestrians then spoke aloud to the empty air, "Well, 'Zak, we made it all the way to 'Frisco, now how much further until we find this lady you're after?" No one else beside him heard anyone reply, but in his mind he heard the words distinctly spoken with a metallic like ring, **Sensors indicate subject Mar-Sa is stationary at point three-two-four of current position. This unit adjusting range of scan to confirm subject's position...** "I take it that's pretty close, then," the young man nodded, "Good...I'm tired of hearing you bellyache about not receiving any new orders. It's been a week on the road already and all you've been able to talk about was receiving new instructions from your master..." **This unit must comply with mission,** the disembodied voice in his mind responded, **Seek out and observe new life forms of Terran world. Subject Mark Daniels will comply with mission...** "Yeah, sure, sure, sure," Mark Daniels sighed in mild exasperation, "Truth to tell I'm more than a little curious myself about meeting this lady. I'd like to have a word with whoever thought sucking data out of my mind was a good way of initiating first contact between our worlds. At the least you might have tried asking." That said the man's started to move forward, his stride easy and relaxed while he studied his surroundings, not wanting to appear too nervous. After all, how often did one get to talk to a living goddess, and if this lady was anything like the images that the invisible probe beside him was transmitting through their neural link, then this was one date that he definitely wanted to enjoy without Isaac turning it into yet another social disaster... Mar-Sa had just finished putting away the groceries when she heard the knock upon the door and froze where she was standing. Automatically she tensed in fear that the Earth Security agents had closed in on her and were attempting to bring her into custody. Without half a thought she turned her mind towards the front door patio area to her roommate's townhouse... And saw the most handsome Terran male that she had ever yet encountered. Mar-Sa gave a start as if in recognition of this fellow and immediately tried conjuring up in her mind a clearer picture of his features, but...there was some manner of interference blocking her mental vision. Sufficiently intrigued, however, she decided to go to the door anyway and risk a possible exposure. "You're sure this is the right address?" Mark asked for the tenth straight time to his invisible companion. **Affirmative,** came the clear reply, **Proximity sensors confirm that subject is within this Terran domicile and...** All at once the sound of locks being unfastened brought Mark around to stare as the door to the house partially creaked open. A pair of eyes that looked out at him from about eye level caused Mark to start even as a feminine voice asked, "Can I...help---YOU?" The door flew open and there stood the goddess that he was seeking, all six-plus feet of her in golden radiance with larger-than-normal eyes and purple irises framed by a face that was beautiful and exotic. She was wearing a silken kimono that did not actually fit her all that well so that her cleavage was showing and drew Mark's eye like the proverbial magnet. She was barefoot and bare-limbed beneath the mid-thigh reach of the kimono's skirt-like bottom, and as Mark took all of these qualities in with one glance he could not help but swallow, feeling the raw impact of alien sensuality that this figure radiated. It took him a moment and several tries before he managed to get out a greatly muted, "You...you're...?" Fortunately the probe came to his rescue by making its presence known with an audible, "Subject Designated Mar-Sa, Apprenticed Third Class of the Ninjarma Science Academy. Greetings subject Mar-Sa..." The golden goddess was startled, "Who--?" "That's 'Zak," Mark managed to gasp out, "You can't really see him...I can, but..." To his surprise the Goddess looked directly at the hovering probe and said, "You're a Class M-Five Droid! But how...?" Mark was doubly astonished, "You can see him?" "Subject Mar-Sa, this unit was created by Adept First Rate Councilor Kar-Tor for extra-worldly planetary missions. Councilor Kar-Tor is this units creator. This unit needs data, will subject supply unit with additional new instructions?" "Hah?" Mar-Sa blinked, finding this request both unexpected and unnerving. "He's been going on like that for days," Mark explained, "Ever since we met a week ago, in fact, I understand that something he took from me was given over to you." Mar-Sa winced a bit at that and said, "Um...yes...about that..." "Would subject please comply with this unit's request?" the probe rather impatiently demanded, "Supply this unit with new instructions from the creator." "Creator...Kar-Tor?" Mar-Sa gasped, then her shoulders sagged a little, "I...I am sorry. No new data can be supplied to you, Unit..." "Theta Heterodyne Executor Model 1138," the unit responded, "Why is data not available, subject Mar-Sa." "Ah...Unit THX-1138," Mar-Sa replied, "New data is not forthcoming because...the laboratory was raided by security, and Kar-Tor...he...he sent me...alone..." she found it difficult to summon the words, but finally she managed to gasp, "He was...terminated." "Terminated?" the hovering probe seemed to repeat the word as if unable to comprehend and process its meaning. "You mean he's...?" Mark asked. "Dead," she whispered sadly, "It...happened before my eyes...right before I was sent here..." "Terminated?" the probe repeated the word again, "How...the creator cannot be terminated! The creator is eternal." "Uh oh," Mark said, eyeing the probe uneasily. "I am sorry, truly sorry," Mar-Sa said, "If I could have done anything to prevent it..." "Hey," Mark took a step forward and touched the golden woman on the shoulder, "I'm sorry too. He must've been quite a guy..." "He is not a 'guy,'" the probe said insistently, "The Creator is a Guardian. A Guardian cannot be terminated." "Uh oh," Mark whispered in a conspiratorial voice, "Don't look now, but I think 'Zak's blown a fuse and lost it..." "Zak?" Mar-Sa asked his curiously. "It's what I call him, short for Isaac," Mark shrugged, "Beats calling him by that other name...gotta admit, it is quite a mouthful..." It belatedly occurred to Mar-Sa that there was much about this fellow that reminded her of Phoebe. He had a very similar manner about him, and there was compassion in his eyes as well as a gentle sense of self-deprecating humor in his easy tone that she found very much appealing. That realization helped to ease the awkwardness that she was feeling as she turned a shy smile his way then said, "Won't you both come inside and talk with me? I'm expecting someone to return shortly, but...if you don't mind very much, I would very much enjoy the opportunity of speaking with you both in private." "Sounds good to me, Ma'am," Mark replied, taking fresh stock of the woman's state of underdress before adding, "But if you're friend's a guy, he might not take it the right way..." "My friend is not a man," Mar-Sa reassured him, "And believe me, she would be just as interested in meeting you...Mister Daniels..." "Hey, call me Mark," he said with a friendly, hopeful nod. "Very well," she replied, "Then you can call me...Marsha..." (First Copyrights Only) (First Eleven Chapters) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: http://s11.sexshare.com/~jbader/jimbader.html All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.