"Come with us." Jahv and Keyro stood, and led the boys through a second doorway in the dome-tent. One that had not been there until recently. "It's taken some doing. Fortunately, Keyro's backpack contained a second, larger dome-tent. And an intact computer, complete with the necessary schematics. The fabrication equipment that makes dry goods similar to how our replicators make food has been difficult to convert for a project like this, but it has worked. And it's almost ready."
"What's ready?" asked Niklas. The interior of this second dome-tent was darkened.
"Lights!" said Jahv.
The second dome-tent was a hangar. And in the center of it, nearly complete, was a huge, sleek, gleaming shuttle, that looked like it was straight out of Star Trek, Star Wars, or something equally futuristic. There was no question that it was capable of interstellar flight.
"Ohhh, wow." whispered Davy, breaking the silence of the four boys. Jahv and Keyro were grinning widely.
Niklas started giggling. "What's so funny?" asked Keith.
"No one's going to believe it, you know." said Niklas, still giggling. "We're going to have to lie like nobody's business when we write the reports for school."
"What reports?" asked Martin.
"How we spent our summer vacation." said Niklas, finally breaking down into complete hysterics, followed quickly by Davy, Martin, and Keith. Jahv and Keyro didn't quite get the joke, but they laughed as well.
The entire group headed out to the pond to cool off, and there they spent the rest of the day, with the prospect of the greatest adventure of all yet ahead.
It had been a busy few weeks for Jahv and his friends. First off, Niklas had brought Jason and Fabian out to meet Jahv and Keyro. That had been more difficult for Niklas than he had thought. He'd never kept secrets from his friends, but he had kept silent about Jahv and Keyro. So he hadn't been sure how to bring up the subject.
One morning, both Jason and Fabian had come to Niklas' house, just as Mrs. Edlund was taking Tina shopping. "Niklas is asleep, boys, but I'd appreciate it if you'd get him up, anyway. I don't want him sleeping the summer away." As usual during the summer months, Niklas had slept late. Jason and Fabian stood over the bed wondering what the best — and most amusing — means of awakening their friend might be.
"Water balloon?" suggested Fabian quietly.
Jason shook his head. "Did that three weeks ago, remember? And his mom got upset about the damp sheets. What if we just yank the covers off?"
Fabian frowned. "Look at him. Dead to the world. I don't think he'd notice. Yank his shorts off?"
Jason giggled. "That'd be fun, but I'm not sure he'd notice THAT, either. What if we jumped on the bed?"
"We did that four weeks ago, and I didn't like the way the frame squeaked." said Fabian. "I don't want to have to explain a collapsed bed."
Jason looked serious. "You know, no one else is home. That does expand our options somewhat."
"I can't believe he hasn't woke up with us just standing here talking." remarked Fabian. "What's it going to take?"
"Okay, let's try part of one of your ideas." said Jason. "We yank his shorts off, and if that doesn't work, we pick him up, and if he's still not awake, we put him in the shower and hit the cold water."
"You're suggesting that we throw him in the shower, without his shorts but with his shirt, sound asleep, and nail him with a cold shower?" said Fabian. "That is a hideously evil concept. I love it. Now I hope he DOESN'T wake up."
The two boys carefully drew back the tangled covers. Niklas twitched but was still sound asleep, flat on his tummy and with his legs outstretched. "Well, step two should be easy enough." remarked Jason.
The boys each grabbed one leg of the lightweight shorts Niklas had worn to bed and pulled. The shorts slid off, but Niklas was still asleep. "I don't believe this!" whispered Fabian. "I've never seen him sleep like this!"
"What do we do if the shower doesn't work?" asked Jason.
"Check him for a pulse." replied Fabian.
"Bet he wakes up when we start to carry him." said Jason, who grabbed Niklas' legs. Fabian slipped his hands under Niklas' arms and lifted. Niklas remained asleep. The two boys carried Niklas into the bathroom, but the youngster gave no sign of waking up.
"Unbelievable." said Jason, as they gently leaned Niklas against the wall of the shower opposite the nozzle itself. "Well, this HAS to do it. Set that thing as far to cold as possible, and turn it on full blast at the count of three."
"Aye-aye, sir!" replied Fabian, adjusting the shower controls and making sure the nozzle was pointed directly at Niklas.
"Ready?" asked Jason. Fabian nodded. "One — two — thr…"
"Three!" yelled Niklas, instantly alert even as Fabian turned on the shower. Niklas grabbed his two friends by their shirt collars and dragged them into the shower, drenching all three of them in freezing cold water. Niklas was laughing and shrieking at the same time. Fabian and Jason were just shrieking. Fabian finally deactivated the shower, and the boys climbed out of the shower enclosure.
"All right, WHEN?!" asked Fabian, shaking water out of his hair and wringing out his shirt.
"I think it was when you said 'water balloon'." answered Niklas.
"You were awake ALL that time?!" exclaimed Jason.
Niklas grinned. "I just wanted to see what you guys would come up with."
Fabian rolled his eyes. "And I thought WE were being sneaky." The group headed back to Niklas' room, whereupon Niklas pulled on a T-shirt and some jeans.
"So, any ideas on how to spend the day?" asked Jason of no one in particular.
"Yeah, actually, I do." said Niklas. "There's something I need to show you guys out by that pond near where Davy lives."
Fabian raised an eyebrow. "You been keeping secrets, Niklas?"
Niklas sat down on his bed, and frowned. "Yeah, guys, I have, and I'm sorry. But the only reason I did was because you weren't out there when it happened, and what's out there is so weird that if too many people know about it, it could be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" asked Jason. "What do you mean? What's out there?"
"This is going to sound pretty crazy, guys." said Niklas.
"Tell us." said Fabian, more curious than angry at whatever Niklas had kept from them.
Niklas related the entire story. How he and Davy had been playing in the pond on one of the many insufferably hot days this summer had produced, and how there had been a bright light and a blast of sound, that had dropped a young alien boy whose name was best pronounced «Jahv» into their midst, and how later, a second, younger alien, Jahv's brother Keyro, had also arrived. Niklas told them about the hidden tent-dome, and everything Jahv and Keyro had been up to since then, mostly with Davy, Martin, and Keith.
"Keith and Martin know about these — aliens, too?" asked Fabian.
"Davy introduced them." said Niklas. "You know how tight those three are."
"It would explain some of the stuff you guys have been up to this summer." said Jason. "Fishing around for computer parts a while back. Keith getting more time away from his stepfather. And those military vehicles around here a while back."
"So why tell us now?" asked Fabian. "I mean, I'm glad you did, and I kinda understand why you couldn't before, but — why now?"
"They want to meet more people." said Niklas. "So you believe me?"
"Hey, we've promised to always tell each other the truth, right?" stated Jason.