Page 22 of Solar Bound
Dani made a small sound of recognition. Solar glanced at her, noting her suddenly heightened attention.
"The Milano Foundation?" she asked, leaning closer to the projection. "The charity people? They're looking for them?"
Gary's hologram turned toward her, eyes blinking rapidly. "Ah, I see you've found a human mate! Excellent progress on the mission objectives. And yes, Milano Enterprises and their foundation arm appear to be coordinating the search efforts. They have resources and knowledge that suggest multiple previous extraterrestrial contacts."
"Previous contacts?" Solar demanded. "Your briefing materials indicated Earth had no official awareness of alien life."
"Official awareness, no," Gary hedged. "But there have been, shall we say, incidents over the years. The Killian situation wasn't the first, merely the most recent. Milano may have acquired technology or knowledge from previous crashes."
"We are compromised," Solar concluded, his tactical assessment grim. "Our cover identities will not withstand targeted investigation."
"Precisely why I'm contacting you," Gary agreed. "We've accelerated our timeline. Extraction in forty-eight Earth hours. You need to gather Eclipse and Lunar and proceed to these coordinates." A series of numbers appeared beside Gary's projection. "We'll have replacement supplies and transportation waiting."
"Forty-eight hours?" Solar repeated. "Your previous estimate was thirty Earth days."
"Yes, well, circumstances change," Gary said vaguely. "The Milano situation creates unacceptable risk levels. The council would be most displeased if Earth authorities captured their representatives."
"Or perhaps the council would find it convenient if we simply disappeared," Solar suggested, his suspicion of the mission's true purpose resurging. "Permanent exile through convenient accident."
Gary's hologram flickered, whether from transmission issues or discomfort with the accusation was unclear. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides provides quality service with guaranteed satisfaction."
"Your guarantees have proven worthless," Solar stated flatly.
"Nevertheless, the extraction will proceed as scheduled," Gary insisted. "Forty-eight hours, Solar. Be there with the others, or risk permanent stranding on Earth." With that, the hologram flickered and disappeared.
Solar stared at the now-inactive device, his mind racing with tactical assessments and contingency plans. The communication had confirmed his suspicions about the mission while introducing new variables that required immediate action.
"So," Dani's voice broke into his thoughts. "When were you going to mention that the Milano Foundation is hunting aliens?"
Solar turned to find her watching him intently, her expression a complex mixture of concern and something that might have been hurt.
"I was unaware of their involvement until now," he answered truthfully. "Our briefing materials indicated minimal risk of Earth authorities detecting our presence."
"The Milano Foundation isn't just any Earth authority," Dani said, setting her coffee aside. "They're a major corporation with government contracts. If they're looking for you, it's serious."
"You have prior knowledge of this organization," Solar observed.
Dani nodded, her expression darkening. "They run lots of charities. They sponsor fire safety programs in schools. I've done performances at their events. But there have always been rumors about their research division. Strange experiments, unexplained phenomena around their test sites. Most people think it's conspiracy theory nonsense."
"It appears the conspiracy theories contain elements of truth," Solar noted. "If they have encountered alien technology before, they may have capabilities beyond typical Earth science."
"And now they're looking for you." Dani's voice held an edge of concern that Solar found unexpectedly affecting. "What are you going to do?"
Solar considered his options. The mission parameters had changed significantly. Extraction in forty-eight hours meant abandoning the diplomatic experiment that had brought them to Earth. It also meant leaving Dani.
The thought created an unexpected disruption in his energy flow, a discordant pattern that suggested emotional involvement beyond his conscious intent. Solar found himself reluctant to accept the necessity of separation.
"I must contact Eclipse and Lunar," he said finally. "We must coordinate our response to this new information."
"And then what?" Dani pressed. "You just leave? Zip back to your planet like none of this happened?"
The question contained layers Solar wasn't equipped to fully process. His training as a Solarus Elite Guard emphasized mission objectives over personal connections. Yet his experience with Dani had created something that defied standard classification.
"I don't know," he admitted, the uncertainty itself a novel experience. Warriors of the Solarus Zone did not acknowledge doubt or indecision. "The mission parameters have altered beyond my pre-established response protocols."
Dani studied him for a moment, then set her mug aside with deliberate care. "Okay, let me make this simpler. Do you want to leave?"
The directness of the question cut through Solar's calculations, forcing him to confront the core issue. Did he want to leave Earth? Leave Dani?
