[Freezair]

There were three facts to which Nara Sumas was privy, which the larger community of Evelon was not.

1. Evelon was not the only planet in its universe to harbor intelligent life.

2. Many of these intelligent species were much more scientifically advanced than Evelon, especially in the department of space travel.

3. These intelligent species had been known, on occasion, to visit Evelon.

There was a certain irony to it. Many Evelonians knew their world was a crossroads of sorts in the great dimensional ocean in which they floated, and saw many visitors from other universes. But they didn't know that there were fully-fledged other worlds within their own universe--within their own galaxy, even.

Nara was one of the few native-born Evelonians who could claim to have visited these other worlds. She had been scouted at a young age for her courage and physical acumen by those who knew that, someday, Evelon would have a role to play in the galaxy at large--but for now, it participated only in bits and trickles. Normally, she was an ordinary policewoman, but every now and then, she'd get a call about a job much more... alien than she was used to.

And today was just such a now and then.

[Freezair]

It was not the start she'd wanted to her day. She'd slept poorly the night before, tormented by one of her classic anxiety nightmares--she was pursued by an otherworldly monster that never relented, and when it caught her, it clung to her until she was fully immobilized. She woke up briefly frightened--then regressed into grumpiness, because she had to be awake but was still oh, so tired.

At the very least Adam had brewed up a very large pot of very strong coffee and had left some on her desk. There were less inept officers on the force, but at least he was considerate.

[Freezair]

While her sleep-crusted eyes tried to de-blur the latest paperwork on her desk, her ancient corded phone began to ring.

She knocked it off its cradle with her paw and lowered her head to her desk to listen. "Lamenolai police department, Officer Nara Sumas speaking." Well, more growling than speaking, she thought.

"Nara. How long has it been since we have spoken?"

She knew that slick, buzzing voice on the other side. She rocketed upright into her best posture. "Sir! Good morning! How can I assist you this fine day?"

"Since you didn't bother to answer my question, I'll remind you. It's been precisely two years, seven months, three weeks, and a day since our last conversation, and the last assignment I gave you. I apologize for the distance, but no news is good news, yes?"

"Absolutely, sir, absolutely."

"But, well. I'm afraid there's been An Incident."

[Freezair]

It was never good when he capitalized Incident.

"Yes, sir? I'm listening and ready to mobilize whenever you need me."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now.

"Early this morning, at 3:25 am, we received reports of a bright flash and explosion above the Tuun Mountain Range. We have informed the locals that a meteor exploded in the upper atmosphere, causing a brilliant fireball. However, we have reason to believe that the actual cause was a malfunctioning extraterrestrial spacecraft.

"This is especially so as we managed to track the escape pod."

[Freezair]

"I understand already, sir," Nara replied.

"I'm certain you do. You always were a quick study," he said. "You still remember the usual spot, don't you? Head there. The escape pod landed in a rather secluded place in the mountains, and we will provide you with a craft so that you may easily access it.

"Your mission is to reach the escape pod and confirm the existence of survivors. If you do, you are to deliver the survivors to us so that they may be educated on the situation in this world and cared for. If none remain, you are collect any remains and deliver them to us for concealment. Whatever you find, under no circumstances are any Evelonians to have contact with any extraterrestrial bioforms, living or dead.

"Are your instructions clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

[Freezair]

"And, Nara..."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Should the entities within the escape pod prove hostile..."

Nara waited in silence.

"You are authorized and encouraged to use lethal force."

~*~*~*~

So it was that Nara found herself above the Tuun Mountains, zipping along in a repulsor craft through hills and valleys, and giving several birds a remarkable scare. A blaster pistol clattered at her hip, its handle and trigger designed specially for quadrupedal agents like her. Should the entities prove hostile, all she had to do was whip her head and bite.

If. If there were even any survivors.

She wasn't sure which possibility worried her more. If there were dead... Well, no matter what planet they came from, people had families. Friends. Individuals who would miss them if they died.

But if they were alive...

[Freezair]

No. Nara didn't want to think about the fight that might ensue. Not about potentially getting into a battle... nor about having to explain to a group of non-hostile survivors about what her organization might potentially require of them.

She brought the repulsor craft lower to the ground, skimming the tops of the pine trees. The locator on her handlebar began to beep faster. The LED display changed to read, "<100 m."

She passed a tree and thought, Yeah. I can tell.

There was a massive, black crater in the middle of the forest.

[Freezair]

Piles of fallen trees were lain around the clearing like fallen toothpicks, all of them pointing away from the epicenter of the blast. Their bark was blackened, and some of them still smoldered faintly, the sting of resinous smoke filling her nostrils. Sooty scorch marks ran up and down the sides of the deep pit in the center of the chaos, a brand new clearing where the forest hadn't had one before.

In the center, Nara spotted two things.

One of them, greasy with ash but still surprisingly intact, was a silvery, ovular escape pod. Unfortunately, the hatch was open. Even more unfortunately, the inside was empty.

The other thing, most unfortunately of all, was a Soveris with a backpack.

[Freezair]

This Soveris appeared to be young--slightly older than adolescent, perhaps, maybe just out of college. He also appeared to be carrying most of both a campsite and a photography studio on his back. He had pots, a bedroll, tent sticks, folded-up lights, tripods of varying heights, and even an umbrella. And he was obsessively hovering around the crashed capsule...

Taking pictures.

Taking pictures with a digital camera.

Gods DAMN it.

Nara lowered the repulsor craft into the treetops to assess the situation.

[Freezair]

The Soveris fluttered around the capsule, the artificial sound of his shutter constantly sounding. He squawked excitedly to himself, apparently unconcerned that no one was around to listen (that he knew of).

"Wow! Wowee wow wow! There'll be no covering THIS up!" Click, click, click! "Incontrovertible proof that aliens are among us! There's no writing THIS off as a top-secret government prototype! Look at that metal! Ohohoh, there's no WAY this is terrestrial!"

Nara tried not to heave a deep sigh. Oh, joy. One of THOSE types. Nara had encountered them before in her ordinary life. But one had never beaten her to the punch before.

Well. The longer I wait, the more pictures he takes. Guess I'd better... take care of this.

[Freezair]

The repulsor lift sunk all the way to the forest floor, where it landed without a sound. Nara dismounted. With a flick of her paw, her blaster concealed itself behind an individualized cloaking device. A person who looked closely at the fur on her right side might notice something amiss, but to the average glance, it was invisible.

She stepped out of the woods.

"Excuse me."

The Soveris shrieked. He leaped to the side in a great jangle of camping gear and photography equipment. His camera slipped out of his talons, but he scooped it up before his body had time to settle. His wings flared out to the side in an instinctual gesture of intimidation--though the rest of his body didn't live up to it.

"W-w-who are you?"

[Freezair]

"I'm with the Evelonian PD," Nara replied. She grabbed her badge from her still-visible pouch and gave it a quick flash--hoping he wouldn't notice it was for a city on another continent. "Sir, this area is off-limits to civilians," she said, giving her tails an intimidating thrash. "As you can see, some trees are still smoldering due to the recent crash. I'll have to ask you to--"

"You're not a police officer!" he screamed.

Nara's tails froze.

"I know who you are! You're one of them! You may not be wearing black, but I know them when I see them! You don't want the truth getting out, but I know! I know!"

Time to test my acting skills.

"Sir, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. I promise you, I'm with the police. If you give me a moment to return to my patrol vehicle, I can give you the relevant paperwork. Now, this is a highly dangerous area--"

[Freezair]

"Ha! What vehicle?!" the Soveris howled. In between his breaths, Nara thought, Does this man have any volume settings besides "eleven?" "This is a highly remote area! There are no roads around for miles! The only vehicle you could've approached in would be a helicopter--and I didn't hear one, did you?! And you certainly didn't hike up here--you've got no supplies and no gear! And unless you've got an alternate form that I don't know about, I'm betting you didn't fly up here!"

He flexed his wings as if he was taunting her.

In response, Nara flexed her paw, activating a tiny button.

Off in the trees, her repulsor lift gave a snort and a whinny.

"...Erm," the Soveris said.

Aha! So he CAN be quiet.

[Freezair]

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, sir, I'd like to formally request you leave.

"This doesn't have to be hard for either of us," she said, with a slight chuckle. "All you have to do is turn yourself around and hike on out of here the way you came. Easy as pie. And, for my part, get back on my Penticorn and ride on out of here the way I came. Think we can manage that?"

His wings twitched. Both his pupils and his eyelids narrowed. The tip of his tail traced patterns in the dirt as he thought.

"I just... walk away?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're not gonna confiscate my camera or anything?"

Nara tried to keep her sigh internal. She would dearly love to have done so... but if he posted those pictures online, well, there were ways to discredit them.

"Like I told you, sir, whatever you think I am--I'm just a mounted policewoman."

[Freezair]

The Soveris put his whole body into pausing dramatically.

"...Okay. I'll just... be on my way, then."

"Glad to hear it, sir." I hadn't thought he'd be so reasonable, she thought.

The Soveris capped his camera lens and hung it around his neck. Then, with a great clattering of equipment, he set off--directly towards Nara.

"...Sir?"

"Hey, I'm leaving!" He held up a front talon defensively. "Just like you told me to do! Isn't this what you wanted?"

Nara did sigh out loud that time. "Sir... if I may, I'll have to ask you to please head the other way. The forest in this direction is still smoldering. It's much too dangerous. You should turn around."

"Then why'd you leave your Penticorn over that way?"