The Pipe, continued . . .

Trip didn’t return to his duty station. He was determined to follow the aliens. Rushing down a side hall of the spaceport, he reached the exit to the city’s main road out. When he arrived at the dome’s perimeter, he realized he’d forgotten his cover sheet. He spotted the four vagrants less than a hundred yards ahead of him on the road, their black shapes distinct against the silver avenue. He hesitated following them knowing that if he went outside without his protective sheet he would risk serious injury. Besides, without it, the transparent dome’s alarm would sound as it had when the aliens had entered the city.

That’s it, he thought, the aliens had come into the city unharmed. Perhaps he would be safe for a short time. He stepped through the dome’s skin and ran to catch up.

The children heard Trip’s rapid footfalls on the road and turned to face him. “Why are you following us; don’t you have duties to attend?” asked Reema.

The older cadet sneered, “Trying to get away from us?”

“You have no business with us,” said Kraft, “If I were you, I’d get back to the city.” Kraft stared up and down the cadet’s unprotected torso.

“I have questions. Where’s the alien ship? What star system are they from?” He flicked his head in the direction of the two strangers.

The two children stared down at their feet, letting Kraft handle the questions. Since they had already reached the black upside-down tree, they knew the tunnel through the mountain lay just above them.

Reema pointed secretly to an almost invisible trail uphill. She broke a small twig from the tree and handing it to Jiro whispered, “It will open the portal.” Then she stepped between Trip and the new friends and said, “If you don’t cover quickly, Trip, you’ll die here.”

Trip still wanted answers. Kraft’s telling him that the aliens knew the sun was Alberio didn’t prove they were from the local star system. They looked alien and they weren’t telepaths. He needed more answers. “If the aliens are local, let them prove it,” he reached past Reema and grabbed Sanaa’s protective sheet.”

“Trip! What are you doing?” Reema was so distressed her telepathic shriek overcame the ultraviolet solar bombardment. Her mind screamed at the children. “Run!”

Before Trip could pull the pliable protective sheet over himself the children had disappeared up the trail. Kraft and Reema were already racing back to the city leaving Trip standing alone. He watched them disappear inside the dome, but didn’t follow. Instead, he began a search for the aliens who he knew couldn’t have gone far. He followed the road hoping that, at the bend, he would find their hidden spaceship.

But there was no spaceship. Only one of the black city ships passed overhead flying away from the dome. He retraced his steps to the black tree and began a more careful search. He circled its dark shape, fanning outward and upward, until he stumbled onto the almost invisible trail between the rocks. On one of the more jagged outcroppings he found a small scrap of red cloth. “Her shirt,” he thought. “So they came this way!”