“You know how that rabbit feels going under your speeding wheels…” Lee, Peart, Lifeson
Chapter 5
When Ryan arrived at work the next day, his best friend, Rand came over and sat on the opposite side of his desk and spoke in hushed voice.
“Hey, where were you yesterday? I was looking all over for you. All hell about broke loose.”
“What happened… here?”
“Yes, here… Something was going on in a room here. I heard mention of a Unit Five being unruly, to say the least, and they were all looking for you, figuring you would have a solution.”
“Tell me more.”
“You will hear more, from Max, I am sure. Where did you go?”
“Can you keep a secret? Just like college days, okay?”
“Yea sure, shoot!”
“Well, I met this girl.”
“Oh great, now you are in love?”
“It is not about that. It is about the fact that she is the most intense and interesting person I have ever met.”
“Yea, like I said, in love. In what, two days?”
“No, I’m not in love. Look, she knows... things.”
“Well, I sure hope so. Did she spend the night too?”
“Well yes she did, but it’s not like that. You are not listening.”
“Hey, it’s okay. We all need a piece once in a while, right?”
“Umm, sure, but it is not like that. She is, well different. Like I said, she knows things.”
“If you say so, pal. When Max gets here, you’ll have to explain it to him.”
“Wait…why would I have an answer I am only an engineer?”
“Yea, but those days you spent with that alien. Everybody stepped back, but everyone was watching you. Didn’t you know that?”
“Hell no… I was just talking to him, and we sort of formed a bond.”
“I heard you went out to its ship. It’s been there for long time. Nobody has ever been in there, you know.”
“No, I had no idea at all.”
“Yea, it’s been there since the forties.”
“Well, I can’t help that.”
“They got you on camera, man. You should know, and they have questions for you.”
“Great… Well, I will do my best, but I don’t know anything helpful at all, really. I figure they knew I was going there.”
“Except that a girl got you away from here and then spent the night, and you disappeared at lunch and never came back. On top of that, you were at the crash site and entered the ship. I guess you can explain it all somehow. I just wish you a lot of luck, since right now you seem to be in the hot seat.”
“Well, whatever. They can kiss my butt. “
“Tell them that .”
“Well, I just might have to, you know. I just might have to.”
“Hey, let me know about the developments with your girlfriend, okay bro?”
“Well, yea, but she is not my girlfriend.”
“Okay, Ryan. Whatever you say.”
Rand walked out the door and back down to his own desk, leaving Ryan to sort things out on his own. At 9:00 am. he arrived to visit Unit Five.
Entering the room was easy enough, the door guard hardly gave him a second look. It was after he got in there that a sea of faces was looking at him questioningly, and Max was there too, asking for answers. Ryan decided to just smile at them all, and say nothing. This last part he attributed to something that Arianna would do. He would have to remember to thank her when he saw her.
Ryan walked over to the bed where the alien was strapped down tighter than he had been the previous day.
The alien opened up his eyes and spoke. ‘One had been expecting to see you yesterday.’
Ryan kept his voice low. “Can we talk in private?”
‘It is private. Nobody else can hear us if you just quit talking.’
And once again, Ryan heard the sound somewhere in the back of his head, somewhere behind his ears.
‘What is it you wanted to tell One?’
‘I ran into this strange girl, and we, well, we had a conversation, and we talked all night and she spent the night and I was tired and…’
‘Stop. Can you get me into that…chair, you call it?’
‘Oh man, I am not security.’
‘You shall ask them.’ All of the sudden, the one called Unit Five, made a thrashing and a growl.
Security rushed up to see what was happening. Max rushed up there too.
“Ryan, what in hell is going on?”
“He says he wants to sit in the chair.”
“Folks in hell want ice water, what do I care?”
“I think we should let him, what could it hurt?”
“Well, security for one thing.”
“There is security all around here, you know. What is he going to do? Are you all afraid he’ll run away?”
“Are you willing to take responsibility? And on top of that, you have questions to answer, as well as your job here is on the line for yesterday. Add today to it and you could be gone easily.”
“Let him up. He’s in pain. That growl was a growl of pain, you know.”
“Ryan,” Max interjected, “We have experts here from all over the world, and you think you know this was a noise of pain? Ryan, just who in the hell do you think you are?”
Ryan ‘thought spoke’ to the alien. ‘Tell them’
The alien spoke up in a voice clear. “I am in pain, let me up.”
The room was in silence. Not a soul moved, except for Ryan who went around the restraint bed and loosened them so the being could finally get up.
Unit Five slowly sat up, crawled out of the bed, then sat in the chair. He then thanked Ryan and closed his eyes to doze off.
Ryan looked around the room.
“How did you do that? You know, make him talk?”
“I asked him to.”
“But…”
“I think we have done a good thing here. Please let him remain free to roam about the room. As for me, I need to leave. I have things to do.”
“You have questions to answer, Ryan.” Max interjected.
“Look, I am busy, life is happening and I just saved your bacon.”
“Don’t get too cocky, boy.”
‘Ryan, stay with Arianna. She knows things. She will help Ryan.’
“Ryan, you need to find that girl and bring her in. The one named ‘Arianna’. I want her here,” snapped Max.
Man, he was getting it from all sides.
“There is no ‘Arianna’ that I know of.”
“I don’t believe you, Ryan.”
“Just back off and leave it be.”
The drive back home was a quiet one. Nobody called him and his radio stayed off. He stopped by the store for a steak fix. It did not really matter what was going on, a guy still had to eat. Potatoes and broccoli and cheese, and large salad went along with the steak. Ryan bought enough for two.
It was in the late morning when Arianna got off of the floor and took a shower and dressed. She was in the kitchen brushing her hair out, when she spotted a dark gray Suburban out front. Arianna squinted to see details about the car and inside the car. They must have seen her looking. They took off very quickly. She knew this was not a good thing.
It was two hours later that Ryan would arrive home with the groceries to find Arianna asleep on his couch. She was on her side and facing the room. She had her knees drawn up and was holding them. Ryan noticed her dresses were all too short for that. He went to the closet and grabbed a blanket and put it on her bare legs. Not that it was all that cold, but it was certainly a distraction for him.
It was only seconds after he covered her that she spoke.
“Thank you, Ryan. I am not cold, but I know, dresses make you uncomfortable.”
“Yea, well, it is not the dresses. It’s just distracting. I brought stuff home for dinner, interested?”
“Today is the day we were to go get pants for me.” Ryan nodded. “That’s right, I had forgotten.”
“Can you take me please? We need to talk anyway.”
“I can do that. Let’s go after I put this stuff away.”
“I am ready. “
She grabbed her purse and jumped in the car.
“Are you that excited to get some jeans?”
“No, I am excited to get away from here.”
“Did you have a bad day, Arianna?”
“There was a big car outside. I know they were looking in the window. When they saw that I noticed them, they took off.”
“Hmm, that’s not good. Let me guess, the kitchen window.”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Well, let’s add kitchen curtains to our list.”
“Ryan, that is a good idea, and thanks.”
“I like privacy as well as you do.”
Arianna was silent then. She sat and looked out the window.
They arrived at Target and walked inside. Arianna went to the petite section and started thumbing through the jeans selection. She held a few up to her and kept shaking her head.
Ryan walked over. “I see you shaking your head. Not finding anything you like?”
“No, all this stuff is so big.”
“You are fairly thin. We need to gain you some weight.”
“Hmph.”
“Look, go try say… well, this one on and let’s see, okay?” She smiled. “Yes, I can try that.”
It took only a few minutes and he heard her calling for him.
“What is it?”
“I need a shirt. I cannot come out like this.”
Ryan went and found a black T-shirt in small and handed it into the dressing room. She came out momentarily.
Ryan was staring intently at her.
“Well, what do you think? Am I acceptable?”
“Well, you look pretty good. But, I see what you mean. Even these are a bit baggy.”
“Hmm, yes”
“Did you ever think of maybe leggings or something?”
“Would I not look thinner in them?”
“Maybe, I don’t know.”
“These might shrink up some, but still.”
“Most likely they would.”
Ryan walked over to the table and grabbed some leggings for her to try. She disappeared in the room for a few minutes and came back out.
“I can make do with two of these, I guess. Jeans, they are thick and not comfortable for me.”
“Okay, Arianna. Do you want pajamas too perhaps?”
“If you think I should. I really do not care either way.”
“Well, let’s get you one set anyway.”
“Ryan, have you ever given any thought to the collective memory?”
“What?”
“The collective memory… It is what courses through us, that has been handed down along the bloodlines, you know.”
“Oh yea… Well, I have not studied it or anything. I have of course, heard of it.”
“I have a book about it in the trunk. Oh, it’s in the house now.”
“I guess I could have a look at it. Was there some reason you wanted me to read it?”
“Yes, I think it would help you deal with me in the future.”
“If you think it would really help me, I can do that.” Ryan said, with a thought that they were actually talking like normal people. This was a good sign. This was a very good sign indeed.
“I imagine you talked to Five today.”
“Should we be talking about this in public, Arianna?”
“Do you really think any of these people could figure out what we were talking about?”
“Really, I have no idea, but let’s just say; ‘him’ and leave it at that.”
“Got it.”
“Yes, I did. He wanted to sit in the chair. He has been strapped down a bunch lately.”
“He needs to be free, you know.”
“That is what he tells me.”
“You people treat everything like you are above it. Look at those zoos. And when something comes at you that you do not understand, you dehumanize it and lock it in a cage, why is that, Ryan?”
Ryan stepped back. He had never seen this look on her face before. This looked like anger. Ryan was not ready to deal with anger from this girl. Truth was, he did not know how to answer, and well as he had no idea how to deal with her. This was a new thing for her.
Ryan did the best thing he knew who to do. He was honest.
“Arianna, I have no idea why ‘We people’ do that. I am one person, and I cannot and will not answer for society. Of course, you could get a job and become an active member in society and do your best to change it, just a thought, mind you. Besides, we do not ‘dehumanize’ something that is not human in the first place. I don’t get your kind of thinking.”
“Very nice save, Ryan. I just meant that it all seems to one sided. Here, we have a prisoner, who has not committed a crime, living in a prison, and nobody seems to care a bit.”
“We can‘t discuss this here. We will talk about this someplace else. This was NOT a good time or place to do this. Sometimes I really don’t understand you. Sometimes I really don’t want anything to do with you.”
Arianna shot Ryan a nasty look. “This all might be a waste of my time also. I may never get to what I am trying to get at. I am not sure you would ever understand. And, you don’t need to get so angry with me.”
They made their way to the register and paid for her clothing. Then Ryan herded her out the door. This was going nowhere. Once in the car, Ryan started raising his voice about the scene she had caused, and all because he was trying to be nice to her.
Arianna watched his face twist and contort. She was not as scared as she was concerned. She was concerned that he was going too far with everything, without having a clue what he was really talking about. There was a lull in his admonishing her and she spoke up,
“I have heard all of that, and I suppose I chose a wrong time and place to discuss. This will not happen again. I am hoping that is what you wished to hear, because I am getting a little short on patience as well. I’m not nearly so nice when I’m angry.”
Ryan started the car and slammed his hand down on the dash.
“You are pissing me off!”
“Do you think you are alone in all of this? Are you the only one who can feel these things? I can take your head off with what you do not know.”
“Like what might you possibly know?”
“Did you decide to get a degree and then turn your brain off? Or is it something you people just do?”
“ ‘You people,’ This is twice that you have referred to that. ‘You people’ as opposed to ‘You animals’?”
“Ryan, you suck.”
“I suppose that was one of your highly intelligent, massive IQ comments. Let me remember that one for future use, okay?”
“Ryan, you better stop now. Please?”
“Aww, is she not as quick as she thinks she is? Can’t keep up with me?”
“Ryan, it is enough. If we as friends are to have a future, if you, yourself want a future. This stops now.”
Ryan looked at her in a curious way.
“Are you threatening me? If you are, I will just tell you to get out of the car and be on my way.”
Arianna put her hand on his and an intense heat and pain shot through him.
“Please stop!”
Ryan realized at that point the tables had turned on him somehow.
“Like I just said. THIS STOPS NOW! Get it, Ryan?”
He only nodded his head.
The remainder of the car ride was silent. Both could feel the intense cloud of tension. Arianna felt a huge loss and was silently sobbing on her side of the car. They got back to his house and she took the bags out to the car.
She came back in with two hundred dollars and set it on the kitchen table and walked back out. Ryan must have been in his bedroom, she did not see him. She gave Sam hugs and kisses and then she opened up the garage door, started the car and drove off. If Ryan heard anything, he never let on or moved. This, apparently was the end of their friendship, and a rocky and odd friendship it had been.
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