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Professor Jacobs lay in his bed, staring at the doorway.
He kept thinking somebody was entering his room, ready to talk to him about the Vvong and the Alphas. Somebody knew about him, and he was not sure who it was. It was unnerving. He also sensed Della was keeping watch over him, gazing at him in the darkness of his bedroom. Even though he’d told her to go to sleep in the guest room, he still felt her eyes watching him.
The professor was half-dozing, his racing thoughts keeping him company until
the morning light brightened his windows, the illumination creeping through his drapes and causing him to come fully wake.
He saw Della’s familiar countenance. She was sitting on a chair across from him, facing the drapes, and every so often she would look through the drapes looking for intruders.
He said, "You should have slept."
"I had enough sleep," she replied. "But I think you need more sleep than me. Get some rest."
"I can't. I don’t like this feeling of somebody watching us."
Della rose from her seat. "Are you hungry? I can make some food."
"Wait. Let me to that. You don't know my kitchen."
"I can learn. And you look terrible."
"I do not."
He tried to stand, but he felt unsteady and lay back down.
"Professor, what is your first name? I don't want to keep calling you Professor."
“Daniel Jacobs. Since we’re going to be together for a while, should I know more about you?"
"I better get some food ready. I think we might have a busy day."
She moved briskly out of his room. The clatter of pans and utensil was soon very loud coming from his kitchen, like a bunch of rocks falling on the ground. He stood on his wobbly legs and moved toward the noise. He stopped at the doorway to the kitchen. Della had all the pots and pans laid out on his table, and all the spatulas and other utensils next to them.
She said, "You have a lot of things, Professor. I mean, Daniel."
"Let me cook," he said.
Daniel chuckled when he noticed Della looking at each of his pans and cooking utensils as weapons.
"Your pans look similar to ours at home. But I don't know if I can use that contraption,” she said, pointing to the stove.
He smiled. "Don't worry, I’ll show you. It is easy."
Over the next hour or so, Daniel showed Della how to use the stove and also the toaster. He explained about the power supply, which was electricity and gas, and he explained how the ancients had both electricity and gas in all their homes. The power was strictly enforced by the New United States, and only the cities had such power.
"The Hive is powered in a similar way,” she said. “Except we use magic to run our machines."
"How is that?" he asked. His curiosity was piqued, and he wished he could visit the space station.
"I’m not a magic weaver. All I know, is that we have large Bastions inside the Hive which housed the magic."
"Bastions? You mean large cylindrical containers that hold magic?"
"Yes."
Professor Jacobs instantly stood. "I have to show you something."
He went back to his study. He sat at his desk and took out his keys and opened the drawer. A year before he’d started writing a manuscript on the history of the Breaking of the Seals. He had stopped writing after he aided the Alpha Mages against the Vvong.
He was looking for the pictures of the Bastions, knowing he had a copy hidden inside the pages. The manuscript and several items he’d procured from the archives were supposed to be inside the cabinet. But it was gone, as well as the notes, sketches and ancient items he had acquired. He sat staring at the empty space, the smell of the aged wood and dust unsettling.
"It's gone."
"What's gone?" Della stood at the doorway.
"My manuscript."
"Are you sure you placed it in there? You have a million places to hide things in your dwelling."
Panic flooded him. It had taken him years to research his book, not to mention all the countless of hours he’d spent convincing the Dean of the college and the scholar committee to let him go ahead on his grand book.
Daniel shook his head. He knew who’d taken his manuscript: the mysterious person who’d sent him the note last night.
"Get ready,” the professor said. “We will find something to eat on the way to the Government building." He looked at her, and added, "You need to wear your cloak around your head to hide your face and ears."
They were ready after a few minutes, and he watched as Della placed her weapons under her leather tunic. "You won't be hot under your clothes?"
"No, I don't get hot."
"So be it. Let's go."
***
PROFESSOR DANIEL JACOBS drove his car up the rampart into the thoroughfare. It was summer time, and he didn't have any classes until the fall semester. He was supposed to have finished grading his student’s essays, but he didn't care. Nothing had mattered since he’d returned from the battle with the Vvong. He felt fundamentally different. He used to take great comfort in books, teachings, and his students. But now everything seemed hollow and different. He was meant for something bigger.
He was meant to help save humanity from extinction.
"Della, what happened with the Vvongs when they first came here?"
"There were great battles. I was not yet born, but my grandfather and grand uncles recall the wars fought to keep the hordes of the Vvongs from taking over the Earth."
"Where did they come from?"
"We think they came from the stars. But the Elves are not sure. We traveled beyond this planet and solar system, and the Vvongs followed our ships. They sensed our magic, and wanted it for themselves."
"Della, is this written in your history books?" Daniel turned his car off the ramp and traveled along a route with industrial buildings.
Della looked out the window. "Yes, Professor." She paused. "I can't believe your world is so vast. Our Hive seems small compared to Earth."
"I want to visit the Hive, one day," he said.
"Maybe one day, Daniel."
