Purple Goo

Students filtered out of class. Conversations about the incident filled the hall while they passed another classroom containing the light refraction shield.

Two security officers in khaki uniforms spoke to the professor. Flashlights hung from clips in their belts. Sewn company placards for ‘Secure Everyone Very Good Great’ were stitched to their left chest pockets. They shone with gold and silver threads. Each had a flesh-colored thumbs up symbol.

A tall security guard with messy black hair held his arms at his sides. His apathetic look registered a scale of importance on par with buying a baloney sandwich.

The shorter guard by his side scrawled notes onto a pad with a red pen.

The professor pointed down the hall, “They went that way. It wasn’t too long ago. You couldn’t have missed them. They were dressed up like a comedy troupe. They bust into the classroom with some kind of flashbang and smashed tables. Almost busted one of my students knuckles!”

“Was anyone harmed by this stunt sir?”

“Well, no, but they disrupted the entire class and smashed furniture. If they’re students, I want them caught and held criminally liable!”

The short guard spoke into an outdated security radio, “Campus security alert. Be on the lookout for any figures dressed in alien garb. The victims were unable to identify them because of the costumes. Though it was one male of average height and one female, both young, suspected students.”

“Did anyone take any pictures?”

“I don’t allow cell phones out in class, but I did hear a few camera snaps,” the professor hailed students still straggling about the lockers, “Did you take any pictures? Did anyone happen to get a shot of the young lady’s face?”

One girl came running over, “No one got her face. But my boyfriend snapped a few shots of the alien guy and that robotic doll that landed on Sakura.”

“Can you show them to our security officers please?”

Behind the refraction shield, Asami pressed her fingers to her temple and whispered to herself, “Maybe you could do something about this space suit I’m wearing, but no matter what we do, Yuki is a dead giveaway.”

“I know those guys, they’re really friendly and always say hello,” Yuki leaned so that her breasts pressed the back of Asami’s head, “Ura-san gave me a refund for the broken vending machine when I told him about a coffee it didn’t give me from weeks ago.”

“You do realize that he isn’t going to recognize you anymore?”

Zaap knelt and felt the floor with his right hand in deep concentration, “Maintaining this refraction shield is sub-optimal. We are hiding from these humans, but this might as well be a homing signal to the agency.”

Yuki tilted her head, “Don’t you have some amazing alien technology that will save us? I’m sure we can get out of here without being spotted.”

“We may move under the light refraction field so long as we candidate our steps and don’t bump into any other humans. But the promises are too crowded to risk it.”

Asami clicked her tongue, “He would have to cancel class and call security-- The police might show up too because of the property damage. But it’s a pretty remote area, it might take them awhile. How long do you need to charge your teleportation sphere so you can get Yuki to safety?”

“One hour if we can avoid the agency and manage a relatively calm location. We can transport to the warp space anomaly that will take our queen back to our home planet. But using certain features is taxing our energy supply and will delay the time until sufficient energy is stored.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Yuki pulled at Asami’s hair, “I’m going to lose my best friend and my parents. How am I even going to say goodbye to my parents? What about my little brother in high school? Are you telling me I’m going to lose them forever?”

Asami turned toward the door and wiped tears from her eyes.

The tall alien put a hand on her shoulder, “Your Yuki Hirame may be needed as our queen, but we may be able find a way for her to live on Earth someday. We can’t promise anything, and you have no reason to trust us, but we can, at the very least make sure that Yuki is revered as our queen with a life of glory and family.”

“Even though I was the idiot who ate your stone and risked your entire species?”

“Yes, even despite that. Don’t be overly hard on yourself. It is necessary that you function as our queen, but you had no way of knowing what you were putting in your mouth.”

Yuki salivated a bit. An innate realization of her saliva’s digestive qualities kept her from drooling on Asami, “I could really go for some quartz crystals right about now. Wait a minute, this room has glass windows! I can just eat the glass and we can walk right out!”

Asami waved her hands, “No more property destruction. We’ll just get caught anyway. It’s the middle of the day!”

“Hmm, she has a point,” Zaap rubbed his chin, “Our queen could eat through the barriers of this structure. I can use the refraction field with the hologram program to disguise us escaping.”

“Will I be able to eat a hole big enough to escape?”

“I don’t approve,” Asami crossed her arms into an x shape, “We’re not eating a hole through the building. We’ve done enough damage.”

“We must to leave,” Zaap warned, “There’s no time to wait in hiding.”

“Can’t we wait like this for a half hour? I’m sure the hall will clear up by then. Once everyone goes to their afternoon classes, we can slip out easy, with no fuss.”

“I told you, generating this stealth field doesn’t protect us from the agency. It makes us discoverable. Every minute we spend mouth flapping increases the probability of being discovered.”

“Eating a hole in the wall will get us discovered faster, people are walking around outside.”

Yuki waved from the corner of the room, “I made the hole. I was hungry. The brick was much thinner than I thought and the wood and stucco tasted awful,” she clutched her stomach, “I feel sick.”

Purple goo splashed over the corner of the room. Yuki wiped her lips with the back of her hand, examined the purple streak, and fell on her hands and knees.

Zaap went to her side as Yuki watched over them, “Queen Yuki, what are you thinking? Many non-mineral substances are toxic to Valerexixians. Why didn’t you eat the glass?”

“The windows don’t open. It might have been loud if they shattered. And any loose shards might cut Asami.”

A hole of sufficient size for them to crawl through led to the outer lawn. Sakura trees provided cover as they emerged outside.

Zaap herded them together as they walked through the grass until they reached a loading bay with no people. He lowered the refraction field in a trailer’s shade.

“So here is the plan,” Zaap announced, “We will stay out of sight until the teleportation orb recharges in one hour. You will then say goodbye to your friend. She will come with us to Valerexixia and be coronated as our queen.”

Asami sat on the pavement, flushing angrily, “And what about your commander? You’re just going to leave him behind? How can I even trust you with my best friend after the way you abandoned your leader like that? And an elder. Maybe you should be ashamed.”

Zaap leaned down and poked Asami in the chest, “I’m trusting in my captain. Your friend can not stay on Earth. She cannot become human again.”

The glove covering Zaap’s wrist caught in her grip, “Bullshit! You have the technology to change her back. You’re just refusing to! This is all some kind of game and Yuki is just your pawn!”

Zaap pulled back, “We didn’t ask her to eat the Gribbeck stone. We will never sacrifice the entire future of our species because you’ll miss your friend. Yuki will be treated as royalty with the utmost care. Or would you rather see her dissected by your own kind’s agency?”

“Asami, alien man, please stop fighting! And what about Asami? Won’t she be in danger for knowing about all this? How will you keep her safe? I won’t go if Asami isn’t safe!” Streaks of blue liquid ran from Yuki’s eyes and the central gem.

“Your majesty, you mustn’t stress yourself!”

Purple goo burst from her mouth. It ate a pothole in the asphalt as it steamed. A reassuring smile quivered while hands clutched her stomach, “If we work together, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

Yuki collapsed on the pavement.