Page 10 of First

One he didn’t return.

Chapter 4

“NO.”

“Jo’Nay—”

“No,” he repeated, more strongly this time. “I will not risk you. We go together. Or I go alone.”

“No, not alone,” Winn stated, equally as strongly. She blew out a sigh. There was no point in arguing about going on her own, not when he sounded this determined.

He folded his massive arms across his chest. “Then together.”

“And we disguise you,” she informed him. “We use the ship’s technology to make you… human. You told me you’ve used it before to avoid alarming other species. We just need to adapt it for Earth. Just like you changed me to look like a Vettian, Rory can change you to look like an Earthling.”

He inclined his head. “Affirmative. Identify the necessary chances,” he commanded, his voice still holding a note ofauthority, but now laced with a hint of trust. Trust in her, in her abilities, in her knowledge of a world he was only beginning to understand.

“Most men of Earth are significantly shorter than you. Can your computer change that?”

Jo’Nay shook his head. “No. The bio-modulation chamber cannot change the basic structure of a being.”

“Your size is going to draw attention,” she warned.

“So be it.”

She sighed. “We’ll try and keep everything else about you average. Brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin similar to what you have, but without the lovely glow. Can the bio-modulation chamber make your hair look short?”

“It cannot. It can change the color, but not the length. Not unless I cut it, which will not happen.”

She struggled to hide her laugh. Vanity? Or was it part of being Vettian? Or maybe it was part of being an Intergalactic Warrior. Hard tosay.

“Okay, then we need you to wear jeans. If Rory will connect to the internet, Ican show her what they look like, along with a flannel shirt and a jean jacket. Except for your height, you’ll blend right in.”

“And my hair?”

She nibbled on her lip. She needed him to walk among her people unnoticed, aphantom amidst the masses. She shut her eyes. Yeah, right. “Maybe we can pull your hair up under a ballcap.”

“Ball. Cap?”

“It’s a hat. Lots of men wear them. It’ll help hide your hair.”

He appeared ever so slightly insulted, but simply nodded.

“And then, there’s your name.”

His inverted brows drew together. “What is wrong with my name?”

“Jo’Nay isn’t an Earth name. Would it be okay if I called you Johnny?”

“That would be acceptable.” His eyes narrowed. “But only why we are on Earth, agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“Very well,” Jo’Nay conceded, his voice resigned. “We will now proceed with the transformation. Rory?”

“Bio-modulation chamber now available. Transformation set to begin.”

Adjacent to the medical bay, the ship’s bio-modulation chamber hummed to life, its interior bathed in a soft, pulsating light. Jo’Nay stepped inside, his towering form dwarfed by the sleek metal walls. Winn watched from the control panel, her heart pounding with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, as the air around him crackled with energy.

---