Stranded

              It came from nowhere and blazed across the sky and crashed into the mountainside. Soon the area was filled with military vehicles, soldiers and scientists.

         Dr. Martin O’Hara and General Christopher Mason walked around the object. “It really is a space ship,” said the general. “But where did it come from? Those markings on the side are like nothing I’ve ever seen.” He turned to the doctor. “Do you think anyone could survive such a crash?”

         Martin shook his head. “There’s no way to know until we find a way inside. We don’t know yet who or what was piloting it.”

         A soldier came running. He stopped and saluted, then after catching his breath, he said. “Sir, a door has opened on the other side.”

         The three men walked around and looked at the doorway and steep ramp. “Well,” said the general. “I guess we can go in.”

         The doctor, general and ten soldiers went up the ramp and into the ship. At the end of the corridor they entered a large round chamber where they found five bodies. The general walked up to the body that was seated in a large chair in the center of the chamber. “I’ll bet this one was in charge. He looks like a large lizard. Are they all like this?”

         “No,” replied the doctor. “They appear to be distinctly different species.” He knelt next to one of the bodies. “This one is covered with brown fur and has long sharp fangs.”

         “Damn!” shouted one of the soldiers. “This one’s got wings and a face like a hawk.”

         “I’d say this one was human, if his skin wasn’t dark blue,” said the Doctor O’Hara as he turned over another body.

“Doc, I think we have a live one here.” said a soldier as he turned over the last body.

O’Hara hurried to the body. “He looks like our blue friend over there, except for his skin color.”

“Maybe he’s an albino,” said the general.

“I don’t think so. His hair is black like the blue one’s. I think we’ll find they’re the same species. This one appears to have hit his head on this panel.” The doctor stood up. “Let’s get them all back to the hospital. Then I’ll see if I can do anything for this poor fellow.”



At the base hospital Doctor O’Hara entered the treatment room with his nurse, Susan Allen, and looked at his patient. “General, why is he strapped to the bed?” Susan asked.

“It’s just a precaution. We don’t know anything about him and his strange friends.”

“You may be right.” Said the doctor as he turned his attention to the x-rays Susan was putting up on the lighted panels. After studying the films he went back to his patient. “Alright my pale friend, internally, with only a few slight variations, you appear human. Let’s see what we can do for you.” He gave a series of instructions to Susan and she began with the IV.

“What are you going to do?” the general asked.

“I’m going to treat him as I would any unconscious man with a head injury and hope that it helps.”  He touched the patient behind the left ear. “I am curious to find out what this implanted device is for.”

“Do the others have it?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll find out when I do the autopsies, but for now let’s see if we can help this one. He may be able to tell you what you need to know about the ship and its diverse crew. For now Susan will watch over him.”

Susan nodded. “I’ll call you as soon as there is any change in his condition.”

The two men left and she turned to watch the screen monitoring their patient’s vital signs. You seem human enough, she thought. I wonder how far from home you are and if you’ll ever get back there.



Several hours later as she was writing her notes in the chart, she heard a moan.  He was turning his head from side to side and struggling against the straps holding him to the bed.  Susan pressed the button on the intercom. “Doctor O’Hara, come quick the patient is awake.” Then she stood by the bed and looked into the greenest eyes she had ever seen.  She touched the side of his face and said, “Don’t be frightened. No one is going to hurt you. We’re just trying to help.”

He pressed his cheek against her hand and sighed. He stopped struggling and looked up at her. His lips moved as though he was trying to speak but no sound came out.

“Do you want some water?”

He watched her pour the water into a cup and nodded. He drank the cold liquid and let his head fall back on the pillow. As Susan turned to put the cup on the table he spoke. “Thank you.”

As Doctor O’Hara and General Mason came into the room Susan told them, “Our friend is awake and talking — in English.”

Their patient’s eyes were fixed on the general’s side arm and he pleaded, “Please don’t hurt me.”

Doctor O’Hara tried to calm him. Then he turned to the general, “Put your weapon in the desk drawer.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Just do it. I want him to see that you’re not here to hurt him.”

The general did as he was asked and the doctor watched his patient become calm. “Now you see, we’re here to help you. I’m Doctor O’Hara. This is General Mason and this nice lady is Susan. What should we call you?”

“My name is Mykel.”

“Well, Mykel, I don’t think we need these.” O’Hara starts to undo restraints.

The general started to protest but the doctor said, “Mykel knows we aren’t going to hurt him and he’s not going to hurt us. Are you?”

The doctor pushed a button and raised the head of the bed until Mykel was sitting up.

Mykel looked around the room and asked, “Where are the others — my crew?”

The doctor touched his arm. “I’m sorry. They didn’t survive the crash.”

“Their bodies — where are they?”

“They’re in the morgue waiting for autopsy,” said the general.

Mykel kept his eyes on the doctor. “Autopsy?” Tears ran down his cheeks. “Please let me see them.”

General Mason shook his head, but O’Hara said, “Of course, we’ll take you.  Susan, get our friend a robe, slippers and wheel chair.”

The general pulled the doctor to the side and whispered, “I don’t like this. He’s up to something.”

“Don’t be silly. He hasn’t the strength to be ‘up to something’. He has a right to see them to have some closure.”

Susan returned and helped Mykel put on the robe and slippers.  Then she helped him transfer into the wheelchair. Doctor O’Hara and the general lead the way and Susan pushed the chair.



In the morgue on four tables lay the bodies still in their uniforms.  Mykel struggled to his feet and start toward the bodies. When the general blocked his way he said, “You wanted to know about them and their worlds, let me say goodbye to them in our way and I will tell you.” The general stepped away Mykel went first to the one with fur and fangs. He said, “His name is Gran. He is from a world covered with forests and lakes. He was not only our physician, he was our spiritual leader.” Mykel reached into Gran’s pocket and took out five golden coins. He placed one on Gran’s forehead.  Then he stepped back, crossed his chest with his hands, bowed his head and said, “Barak galom.”

Next he moved to the one who looked like a dragon. Mykel stood to attention and saluted. “He was our captain. His world is a world of fire and ice and his people are courageous warriors.” He put a coin on his captain head and did as he had with the first.

Then of the birdman he said, “Poor Egale, he was longing for our mission to end. He often complained that the ship was too small — no room to spread his wings and fly. I’ve never been to his world, but he used to sing such beautiful songs about it. Again Mykel repeated his ritual with the coin.

The at last he stood by the blue-skinned man and began to cry. “This is my younger brother, Alyn.  He came with us to be with me. I will never forgive myself for letting him come.” He repeated the ritual and then collapsed to the floor. Susan ran to him and held him as he sobbed and chanted. “Barak galom.”

“What does that mean?” she asked

He looked into her eyes and said, “It means — Return to the Creator.” The coins began to glow brighter and brighter, and then with a blinding flash the bodies were gone.  Mykel held the last coin and cried, “Now I am alone, with no one to send me on my way when I die.“

As Susan and the doctor helped Mykel into the wheelchair, a soldier came in and told General Mason, “The ship, Sir! The door closed and we can’t get it to open.  Some of our people are trapped inside.”

General Mason shouted, “Bring the spaceman, he can open the door.”

“He can’t do anything right now,” said Doctor O’Hara. “He’s unconscious.”

“Well give him something and wake him up!”

“What would you suggest that I do?”  O’Hara turned to the nurse.  “Take him back to his room and reconnect the IV and monitor.”

General Mason waved his hand at the soldier. “Go with them and help her put him to bed then stand guard outside the door. No one is to have access to this creature but myself, Dr. O’Hara and Nurse Allen.”

“But Sir, what about our people in the ship?”

“For now they’re on their own.  Maybe they’ll put their big brains together and figure out what button to push.” Then the general growled at the doctor, “Let me know as soon as our prisoner can talk.”

“Why do you call him a prisoner?”  Susan asked.

“Like it or not, Miss,” The general replied. “He and his ship are now property of the US government.”



1,718 words





To Be Continued