When Kevin left her for the night, he turned out the light, leaving the room in darkness. Llhaesa had no food, water, or access to sanitation, but was free to move about the room – the room held but four chairs and a table, nothing else, at least nothing in her first quick search of the room.

Slowly stepping through the darkness, llhaesa set out to conduct a more thorough search, and moved step by deliberate step, arms outstretched, her hands probing for obstacles. She moved through the room, at one point kicking over something that produced the characteristic sound of a plastic container bouncing across cement.

Swinging her foot out ahead of her, she touched the object, and bent down to explore its features, finding it indeed was a container of some sort, with perhaps a two-inch wide lid.

Not having consumed food or water for many hours, llhaesa held out as long as possible before finally succumbing to a need to urinate. The plastic container felt about gallon sized, and it was all she had to work with. Unable to go on without urinating, she grabbed the container, removed the lid, and squatted over it as best she could in total darkness. While she could not see, she knew some initially dribbled on the concrete, but most found its mark. Finished, she replaced the lid and backed away.

Having seen to one necessary task, llhaesa moved to the opposite side of the room, picked a spot that seemed acceptable on the bare cement floor, lay down, and tried to sleep.

Ten miles away in the Robert F Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, Attorney General Barbara Millwood’s private phone line rang just after midnight, her answering machine dutifully engaging and accepting the caller’s untraceable message. The caller went to a great deal of effort to disguise their voice, and even years later speculation continued as to who might have placed the call.

“Llhaesa T’yaeli faces mistreatment from her interrogator; Chris Wilson is behind this mistreatment. He seeks to find some advantage in her knowledge, something that he can market for power, money, or both. She is at Langley, fourth floor, and is left with no food, water, or access to proper sanitation.”

The call ended, and no matter the effort to identify the caller or trace its source, the caller was of sufficient technical knowledge to mask both.

At 6 am, the door to llhaesa’s holding room opened; the release of the door latch and the squeak of the hinges startled llhaesa out of intermittent and light sleep. A light came on, briefly forcing her eyes closed. Slowly they re-opened, her eyes coming into focus on Kevin Donahue, accompanied by another man she had yet to meet.

“Good morning! I trust you slept well in our cosy accommodations, Ms Salston.,” the unknown man taunted. I hope that you will be more inclined to cooperate with us today, especially since we have a long day ahead of us. I regret I must leave shortly, but Kevin here will be with you through the day.”

“And you are?” llhaesa asked, her voice dripping with contempt. As she asked, Kevin located the container, and walked back to the join llhaesa and mystery man. “Well, well…looks like someone cannot hold their water!”

“Fuck you!” Llhaesa offered up a simple and time-honoured response.

“Are you offering?” Kevin retorted, to which llhaesa but glared in return, her answer obvious in the piercing expression formed by her eyes.

She chose to change the subject. “Since I know Kevin, might I inquire into your name, sir?”

“I’m just a friend of Kevin’s, stopping in to see what he does for work. I had no idea his job was so… interesting!”

Kevin looked at Chris, an internal alarm going off. Chris obviously did not wish llhaesa to know who he was, and that meant he likely did not wish later be associated with what unfolded here. Kevin filed this away, to think on later.

“It has been my pleasure, Ms Salston,” Chris offered as a goodbye greeting. “I doubt we will meet again. Do enjoy the hospitality!” With that, he made for the door, which lay almost shut, but for the sprung latch holding it open.

The door closed behind him, only to reopen thirty seconds later. “I decided it might be worthwhile to stay a while after all, to show you some earthly hospitality,” Chris called out as he re-entered the room. “You asked after my name. It is Chris – Chris Wilson, National Security Advisor.”

Llhaesa wore a look of ‘yeah, so?’ upon her face, quite unimpressed with the title, or misuse of his power. Chris immediately noticed her casual dismissal, unable to resist further exploration of the issue.

“You seem unimpressed by my position, Ms Salston. Why is that?”

“I have dealt with my share of unimpressive mis-users of government power, Mr Wilson.”

“Oh? Might I ask in what manner and circumstance?”

“I have no desire to share my life experiences with you.”

“Perhaps you may explain one day, though it is hardly worth any further effort. I will make this easy for you, Ms Salston. I will work for your release, providing you cooperate and provide me with sufficient information that will lead to a scientific breakthrough, one that will be marketable on a large scale.

All it takes is a bit of information, and you can go.” Wilson actually believed llhaesa would see things his way, and when she did not, he grew sullen, his voice threatening. “We can do this in a manner where there is no harm rendered, or we can do this in a way that will be most unpleasant for you.”

“Whatever.” Llhaesa casually dismissed him as if some buzzing insect passing close by.

Chris nodded to Kevin, who produced a case that housed what looked like a car battery. Kevin ran two wires toward llhaesa, holding the two ends apart until right in front of her face, where he touched them together. Llhaesa jumped at seeing and hearing the resulting spark. Suddenly, the loud sound of catastrophically failing metal diverted her attention away from the pending threat of electrical shock.

Behind the three, the entry door, locked by Chris when he entered, forcibly burst open, with pieces of metal flying in several directions. At least ten troops or officers rapidly entered and dispersed through the room, weapons set and ready for use. One barked out orders for Chris and Kevin to raise their hands; both complied, and as Kevin raised his, he dropped the wires, which briefly touched and generated another spark.

A woman walked through the doorway, assaying the situation. Llhaesa looked from her to Chris Wilson, who wore a look of defiance, which leaped to life via his voice. “You will regret coddling to this alien! Our world lies vulnerable!”

“Yes, well, she looks quite menacing, I can see!” Barbara Millwood replied, walking over to llhaesa. “I understand your name is llhaesa.” The name is as beautiful as you are!” she sincerely offered in greeting. “As for me, I am Barbara Millwood, Attorney General of the United States. I am pleased to meet you, but quite embarrassed at how our meeting has come about.”

“May I stand, Ms Millwood?” llhaesa politely asked Barbara, not wishing to be presumptuous in light of what unfolded over the prior days.

“Of course you may, llhaesa. As of now, you are my guest, though I still have some convincing to do with others in our government. We may have to hide you until they come around; this is what I intend, and it is what I will do. The President gave orders for you to be treated as a guest, and by God, so shall you be!”

“My family – how are the children, Ronnie, Dolores, Anita?”

“They are all fine, llhaesa,” Barbara reassured her. “Now I must warn you, there are those like Mr Wilson here – Mr Wilson is under arrest, by the way – who wish your detention and questioning. I consider this a huge mistake, for we could be forging great ties between two worlds, building better worlds – that is if others of your world visit again.”

Llhaesa smiled, knowing Jahrae was on her way. She sensed Barbara was trustworthy, and so she continued. “My wife is on her way here.”

“How do you know this?”

“It is very hard to explain, Barbara. Have you ever heard of Reiki?”

“Vaguely, it is a belief in healing energy, right?”

“A simple explanation, but it will do. I practice a very advanced form called Aailhra, or so called on my world. I reached out to Jahrae, sending her healing energy, exactly when she sent healing energy to me.”

“What can we expect, llhaesa?”

“A warm, wonderful, caring, outgoing, fun loving person, I love to pieces.”

“I mean the timing and significance of her arrival.”

“She is coming for me. I think it is time we chat for an extended period, Barbara. Is there somewhere we can do this safely? I will add to that question; would it be possible to shower, get fresh clothes, eat, and… find a dentist? I would like to get these missing teeth, their loss the result of yet another wayward government, replaced.”

“I know just the place where we can go to shower, dress, eat, and chat! We will arrange for your dental work – the President’s dentist will do, I would think. Now if you will follow me, we will see to your needs.”