Parent-Teacher Conference Ch. 08

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"While you were bathing, Iman told me the device they put in your arm was sending them messages about you, but that it was a short range device. On Earth, they could use any computer to transmit the signal. For it to leave the ship, it needed a long-range device that was not in your body. Someone on this ship must be working that device."

"That explains why he asked about my sleeping," I said.

"Yes," said Oliver. "That reminds me. What happened that caused you to wake from rest period screaming like you did?"

"It was a nightmare," I said.

"But, what is a nightmare?" he asked.

I paused and looked at him. "Don't you dream?"

"What is a dream?"

'Wow. I hadn't expected that.' "Well," I began as I walked back to the chair with Oliver following. "When we sleep, or go into rest period, our minds process events of the day. During this, we dream. These dreams can be from events in our lives, or our wishes, fantasies, or memories. When I met you, I had dreams about you almost nightly. Many were reliving the restaurant, with minor changes."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Sometimes we'd just talk. Sometimes when we made love, we'd be in a bed, or in a pool, or if we were in the restaurant, you'd bend me over the table."

He smiled a wicked smile and said, "I like that table idea."

I swallowed hard and sat down. "Yeah, I did too until the first nightmare hit."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his face becoming more serious as he sat next to me.

"Well, when they put that thing in my body, that night I had the table dream, but it went dark and scary."

"Please Alexis," he pleaded. "Tell me."

I swallowed hard and began to tremble. Tears began really flowing from my eyes. I relayed the horrid memory of my first nightmare to him in the graphic detail I knew Iman saw. Then I relayed the story of the nightmare I had in his bed, and how watching Wyman kill him was worse than the morphing that Fleck and Wyman underwent or the gang-rape. Oliver sat stone-faced as he listened. I agree to let him watch all of the nightmares that Iman has seen but I ask that he not watch anything else, at least, not yet. Some of it I was still dealing with. When I finished, I was crying hysterically, I couldn't stop the tears as they flowed and I wasn't really sure if I wanted to. At first, I thought Oliver was going to leave me again, but then, slowly, he wrapped his around me, pulled me into his chest and onto his lap. He held me, stroked my hair, kissed my head, and rocked me. I have no idea how long we sat like that before I straightened up and wiped my cheeks with my hand.

Oliver looked at me and said, "Oh Alexis, I am so sorry."

"Why?"

"This is my fault."

"What?"

"If I hadn't defied my father none of this would have happened."

"But would you be happy?"

He smiled and looked at me. "No Alexis. I would not be happy. But now, I need to see Iman about some nightmares, and you need some food."

"Iman won't show them to you unless I tell her to," I said.

"Iman!" called Oliver.

On the same screen Fleck's face had been now had Iman's. "Yes."

Oliver looked at me and said, "Alexis."

"Hi Doc," I said.

"Greetings Alexis Perry. I was told by Byer your optic receptors are not healed."

"He said these filter things should do the trick," I said taping the frames on my face.

"What can I do for you Alexis Perry?" she asked.

"I need you to show him the nightmares. Just the nightmares. Not the memories."

"As you wish Alexis Perry," she said and the screen went black.

Oliver looked at me and said, "Why were you so specific?"

"I want to share the rest of my memories with you over time," I said smiling.

"Fair enough Alexis," he said smiling back at me. "Now, can I get you to eat please?"

"Sure, but may I ask you two more questions?" I asked.

"You may ask anything," he said.

"First, what was on the computer screen that I saw in the room we ate in when I first woke up?"

"Mostly the information I had gathered about you over the past four years, so I probably already know about many of the memories you wish to share with me," he said.

"Okay, and second, can Lara join me for a bite to eat?" I asked.

He smiled and said, "She is your guardian. The only time she won't be with you is when you are with me, and we are sharing some alone time."

The wicked smile he gave me and the sensual tone of his voice told me she would not be joining us for any love making sessions that we might enjoy at some time, either that or he doesn't like people watching him sleep. He stood up and took my hand. As we walked to the door, I asked, "What do your people call you?"

He stopped, looked at me, and made some strange clicking sounds. "Normally, they don't address me as informally as you do though."

"Oh," I said. "I can stop, if you wish."

"No!" he said looking into my eyes. "Never stop calling me Oliver, please."

I smiled. "All right, Oliver."

He kissed me softly, and I felt the electricity of the kiss fly through my body warming my loins. 'Wow! Three and half years later and his kiss still lights my soul on fire. I wonder if the feeling is mutual.' Then he escorted me out of the room where Lara was waiting, and the creatures in the room I first entered were working. I saw Valente working as we walked to the elevator and Lara followed us. As we entered, Oliver said, "Lara, I need you to take Alexis to get something to eat. She has not eaten all day and her last meal... was some time ago. I will be with Iman for a while. I will find you two later."

"Yes sir," she said, still in that militaristic tone.

The three of us boarded the elevator, it took us to a lower level and Oliver stepped out to leave. I started to follow him but Lara put her hand on my shoulder and said in that harsh tone, "We're going to a different place. There is still more ship to show you."

Oliver kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear, "Until next we meet."

I blushed and giggled as he stepped out and the doors closed. The elevator moved down again and when they opened, Lara grabbed my hand and said in a much friendlier tone, "Follow me!"

We walked down a long hallway for a few minutes not saying anything. Lara's mood seemed to be up despite Fleck's threat and took me to a room full of creatures. It appeared to be a bar, or a restaurant, but not like anything I had ever seen before. I assumed by all the clicking sounds I heard that Lara was instantly greeted by many of the creatures in the room and she returned their greetings. She led me to a small table and we sat down. A short orange creature with white hair, three arms, two legs, wearing a black dress and flat shoes walked over and sat with us. It clicked at Lara for a moment and Lara responded with some clicking. I sat quietly and said nothing as it mostly sounded the same to me. The orange creature then turned and clicked at me, but all I could do was smile nervously.

Lara looked at the orange creature, then at me and asked, "Alexis Perry, do not you understand our language?"

"The clicking thing you've been doing," I said. "No, I don't."

"Oh!" said the orange creature in what sounds like a female voice. "That explains so much!"

Lara looked almost embarrassed and said, "Alexis Perry, I'm sorry. This is Oddo. Oddo, meet Alexis Perry. Oddo's father and my father were guardians together."

"Oh," I said, "Are you a guardian too?"

"No," said Oddo. "I don't have the strength that Lara has. I failed the first test."

"It's not like you wanted to be a guardian," said Lara laughing. "And by failing the test you were able to do what you wanted to do without upsetting your father."

"What was that?" I asked.

"I teach the youth of our world," she said. "I took some time off to learn about other worlds so I can teach my students about them. In fact, I was on the first mission that came to Earth so I learned your language."

"It was a teacher like Oddo that made me want to work on a ship and not just be a planetary guardian," said Lara.

"And the fact your father was a great guardian didn't hurt either," said Oddo.

"True," said Lara in a mournful tone.

I knew the reason for the tone of her voice but choose to stay silent. "So Alexis Perry," said Oddo, "What brings you to our ship?"

"It's a long story," I said.

"We've got all night," said Oddo stretching out her arms.

"And we came here to eat, not talk," said Lara.

"Who says we cannot do both?" exclaimed Oddo.