"What are we going to do now?" Christina whispered, her voice quivering, barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
Just as the situation seemed irretrievable, the door swung open abruptly, and the first guard froze, his movements suspended mid-action. He glanced at his colleague, who stood sentinel beside the door.
"Did you hear that?" he inquired, uncertain.
"Hear what?" the second guard replied.
"I could have sworn I heard a voice just now," the first guard explained, his gaze scanning the area.
He turned back to Rachael, his hand extended once more, poised to remove her nose mask. However, his actions were halted by his colleague's interjection.
"Wait a minute," the second guard said. "I think I heard the voice too. A voice ordering us to grant them access. It must be one of Dr. Idris' acquittances."
"Yeah, that's what I heard too," the first guard confirmed. He stepped back, relinquishing his grasp on Rachael's nose mask.
Rachael, still shaking with fear, seemed paralyzed, unable to articulate a response. Seizing the opportunity, Christina intervened.
"Now that that's settled, may we proceed?" she said. "We're running severely behind schedule."
The guards' eyes remained on the trio as Christina's assertive voice resonated through the corridor. One of them cast a curious glance at the black helmet nestled in Rachael's cart but refrained from comment. With a nod, they stepped aside, granting the trio passage.
As the group proceeded through the doorway, the door swung shut behind them, enveloping them in the lab's sterile atmosphere.
Upon entering Dr. Idris' lab, they were met with the sight of two researchers engrossed in their experiments.
However, Djuma, confined within the glass room, sensed their arrival. He ceased pacing around and turned toward the trio, facing them even though his eyes were closed. A profound sigh of relief escaped his lips.
The researchers, alerted by Djuma's unusual behavior, followed his blank gaze until their eyes rested on the trio.
"What brings you here again?" Mr. Sawyer demanded.
"What else would they be doing here? They're obviously here for me," Djuma's voice boomed from behind before anyone could respond.
As he emerged from the glass room, the researchers' eyes widened in astonishment—or dread.
"Impossible!" Mr. Benjamin stuttered, his voice trembling as he struggled to maintain his composure. "How...how the hell did you manage to get out of there?"
Mr. Sawyer's eyes bulged out in fear as he collapsed to the floor. His lips moved, but no words escaped his mouth, his voice frozen in shock.
Rachael ignored the researchers' frantic gazes and retrieved the helmet from her cart. With a fluid motion, she tossed it to Djuma, who snatched it effortlessly in mid-air.
Djuma examined the helmet and frowned in dissatisfaction. "This design is too restrictive; it will impede my hearing," he said.
"You don't have a choice; it's the only protection I could procure to shield you from the sun's rays," Rachael replied.
"We must leave now; every moment counts!" Christina urged.
Meanwhile, Mr. Benjamin darted toward the alarm on the wall, but Stefan swiftly intercepted him. "I apologize, but we can't let you do that; we must safeguard our friend," he implored.
Regaining his composure, Mr. Sawyer sprang to his feet and lunged toward the alarm, smashing it with force. However, to his horror, the device remained silent. Djuma had utilized his extraordinary abilities to mute the alarm.
"How...how is this possible?" Mr. Sawyer muttered under his breath, his chest heaving loudly.
Meanwhile, the guards outside Dr. Idris' office grew uneasy as they detected muffled sounds emanating from within. After a moment of hesitation, one of them pushed open the door and peeped to investigate.
His mouth widened in shock as he took in the scene. "Holy shit!" he gasped, his gaze fixed on the researchers, now confined within the glass room.
*****
With a burst of incredible speed, Djuma soared into the sky. With his piercing gaze through his helmet, scanned the ground below to chart a safe course.
Rachael, Stefan, and Christina let out blood-curdling screams as he navigated through the air with precision, evading detection.
Rachael and Christina were ensnared by Djuma's massive, muscular hands, their fingers instinctively grabbing into his thick arms as they clung tightly to his torso for dear life.
Stefan, however, wrapped his arms around Djuma's neck from behind, securing himself in place as he nestled between the alien's majestic wings.
As they ascended higher, the wind whipped through their hair, and the trio's screams were lost amidst the rush of the wind, their hearts racing with a mix of exhilaration and terror.
Djuma's wings beat powerfully, propelling them upward. "Should I take you guys home?" he shouted, enough for the group to hear him amidst the wind.
"I don't think that's a good idea!" Stefan shouted back, knowing the helmet he was wearing would likely hinder his hearing. "Just find a quiet street and drop us there!"
Djuma nodded, his gaze scanning the landscape below once again. With a sudden, swift movement, he dove downward.
The trio's stomachs dropped as they plummeted. Finally, Djuma landed gracefully on a deserted street, setting the trio gently on the pavement.
"Are you certain you must leave now?" Christina asked him after taking a moment to stabilize her racing heart.
"I must," Djuma replied. "I don't know how the Jyuran is doing right now, and every moment with his son puts Perebia's safety at risk. I cannot afford to delay."
"But won't the sun's rays be lethal?" Rachael said, worried. "Dawn is approaching, and the sun will be up even before you reach out planet's orbit."
"That's why I requested this," Djuma pointed to the helmet secured on his head. "Its protection will suffice. I've gathered enough strength for the journey. I'll recover once I reach my planet if I happen to get tired or hurt."
He stepped further from the trio, a faint smile on his lips. "Until we meet again," he said. "It was a pleasure encountering you all."
Rachael, Christina, and Stefan nodded, sadness visible on their faces.
With a final nod, Djuma spread his enormous wings and lifted off the ground, his wings beating frantically as he zoomed into the sky in one powerful flap. The trio watched, transfixed, as his figure dwindled into the distance until he vanished from sight.
"Goodbye, Djumara," Stefan whispered, his eyes still scanning the horizon for any sign of him.
"Dammit! We left our school bags and uniforms in Raymond's van," Christina broke the silence that followed the alien's departure.
"Oh my goodness, you're right!" Stefan concurred. "Now what?"
"We retrieve them, of course," Rachael's practicality took over.
Scanning their desolate surroundings, she noted the area's remoteness, likely a development zone.
"Does anyone know how to get out of here?"
"Leave that to me," Stefan said, a sly smile spreading across his face. He pulled out his phone and launched the map app. After a brief moment, he let out a relieved sigh.
"Let's move, guys," he said as he led the way.
The trio set off on another journey back to the NASA headquarters. As they walked through the abandoned street, they felt a newfound sense of camaraderie forged through their encounter with Djuma.
It's barely been two days since they met, but it has already felt like they've been friends with the extraterrestrial being forever.