8. Georgiana

We spend another hour going through our marriage story. “I think it’s as good as it’s going to get. If we make it any more complex, I’m not going to be able to remember everything.”

I know Axl doesn’t want to stop.

“Seriously,” I say. “Any more information is too risky.”

“Maybe you’re right.” He stands and begins collecting things and putting them all in order. “Follow me.” He says as he picks up the case with all the money and goes into the other room. He moves some floorboards and underneath is a perfectly hidden safe. Much more modern than anything I’ve ever seen, but I’ve never seen that much money either. He puts the case in the safe and then closes it. “Put your hand here.”

I put out my right hand and feel some warmth. Then nothing.

“The safe is genetically coded now and will only open for you or me, no one else.”

“If we win, we get the money, right?” I’m disappointed that I don’t get all the money myself, but I’d still be happy with half.

“You get all the money and I get to go home, remember?”

“We’ve got this,” I reply as he covers the safe again with the floorboards.

I get out my phone which I had forgotten I even had for a while. I drop a pin at this location. I think about letting my roommate know I might not be back on time, but then I think I have a few more weeks before I’m due to return to the US. There’s no reason to bother her and if these are evil billionaires I don’t want to get anyone else involved. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but sometimes there’s no other logic to explain some of the bizarre goings-on in the world. Like secret science fiction cosplay games with real cash prizes.

“Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Husband.”

Axl gives me a small smile. “Good. I’m going to call the Alliance Force now.”

“Okay.”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Why are you hesitating? I said I was ready. We’ve practiced. I want to win. I’m not going to mess this up and neither are you.”

He hits a security icon on his phone.

We wait in silence. Then out of nowhere the little cabin shakes as if something big has landed outside. Fear spreads over me. What have I agreed to?

“Think about the money,” Axl reminds me.

“Yes, I want to win.”

He gives me a slight nod of encouragement.

Just then the front door opens and I hear heavy footsteps, but I don’t see anyone. I look up at Axl and his face is reassuring and full of confidence. Suddenly, out of nowhere, three men appear. They’re tall like Axl, but where he’s athletic, they’re like body-builders, gigantic in muscle width. And all grey-skinned with black hair. These billionaires have really gone all-Hollywood style with their attention to detail for their little game. But then again what else do billionaires have to do, but entertain themselves with peasants like me?

I’m relieved when the men begin speaking English and not German.

“Imperial Fleet Reserve Commander Axl of Imperial House Zu why are you on Earth?”

“Why are you wasting our time?” another officer says before Axl can answer the first officer.

Axl straightens his shoulders. “I’ve come illegally to Earth to bring my wife back to the Empire. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my ship. We need transport back to the Capital Planet.”

The men look to me, as if seeing me for the first time. I feel intimidated by their scrutiny and try to keep my countenance.

“Don’t be frightened, Georgiana,” Axl tells me. “This is the Alliance Force that I told you about. They aren’t going to harm us; they’re going to help us.”

“You’re one of the most eligible bachelors in the galaxy,” one of the officers says under his breath. “And you expect us to believe this?”

“Are you the wife of Imperial Fleet Reserve Commander Axl Imperial House Zu?” the other officer asks me, drowning out what the first was saying.

“Yes,” I say, finding my confidence by reminding myself that this is only a game.

“Unlikely,” the other officer says rudely after studying my appearance. “Why don’t you tell us what’s really going on Commander Axl? What are you doing on Earth?”

“I told you. I am here to retrieve my other half.”

One of the officers takes out his mobile device and holds it up to me. “She does have a translator. It’s imperial.”

The other officer looks at me and asks, “When did you marry Commander Axl, Madame Georgiana?”

I rattle off the imperial date he made me memorize and the officer makes a sound, but I don’t know what it means. “Madame Georgiana, where did you live before returning to Earth?”

“I lived in House Zu secretly.”

“Madame Georgiana why did you return to Earth?”

I look over at Axl and he nods. “Axl was being blackmailed. It was best I returned here for my own safety. Now it’s legal for us to be married and I want to return to the Empire.”

The officers make eye contact with one another as if secretly communicating. “We have to take you up to the base. From there, we will ask for further proof of your relationship. If we are content you are really married then we will provide you with transport back to the Empire.”

“Do you have all of your belongings?” the other officer asks Axl. “No matter what happens you won’t be returning to Earth. The last thing we need is for humans finding more Alliance tech around.”

“I have everything. Feel free to scan the cabin and its surroundings,” Axl says so casually I’m impressed. Acting or not, these large men have me worried.

“Fine. Come on. Let’s get to the bottom of this.”

I follow the men out of the cabin, but I don’t see any vehicle. But suddenly a door opens and it’s clear that the vehicle was hidden by an invisible shield. I enter the car after Axl and he directs me to a seat and then straps me in as if I’m incapable. While his hands touch my waist and our eyes meet, a sudden rush of excitement passes through me. Maybe it’s just this game, but I really am beginning to like this man who’s playing my husband.

Axl sits across from me and we continue to hold eye contact. The two officers get into the pilot and navigator’s seat, close the door and to my surprise we take off seamlessly and silently from the ground. I can see the trees and the mountains becoming smaller as we smoothly rise into the atmosphere.

I want to ask, ‘Is this real?’ but I don’t want to lose our chance of winning by breaking character, so I say nothing. I try to remember that this is a game where I’m pretending to be married to an alien.

“It’s safe,” Axl says to me softly. Now I realize that I find him attractive as an alien in this farce. And I entertain the idea that I wouldn’t want him to be human, and after all of this is over, maybe I don’t want to even know him, but just remember him as my alien husband.

As we leave the Earth’s atmosphere, everything goes white for a moment. I close my eyes to block out the bright light. But soon it’s dark. We’re in space and I can see the International Space Station as we pass by, I think, This must be fake. It’s all virtual technology.

Once we fly to the moon and land in a base on its dark side, I know this isn’t real and I feel even more relaxed and able to play my part and win the money that will see me debt free. And maybe even enough money to start my own bakery.

Axl releases my seat belt and I follow him out of the vehicle. I’m not surprised we are met by more grey men. It’s odd that there are no women playing aliens, but how many women would sign up to be an alien in a science fiction cosplay?

“Commander Axl of Imperial House Zu,” a large man bellows and bows. “What in the gods’ name are you doing on Earth?”

Axl, to my surprise, grasps this large man on the shoulder, in what I would call a very friendly way. “Retrieving my wife. Commander Fox this is Madame Georgiana Smith from Earth, my wife.”

“Now I really do believe you are the best the Empire has!” he says. “A secret wife on Earth?”

I have no doubt now my husband’s fictitious job is a spy. But this doesn’t seem right. If this is supposed to be a game then why do these two men act as if they know each other already? Were they given clues to their characters like in murder mysteries you play at parties? Why wasn’t I given any clues? Why am I using my real name?

“Madame Georgiana Smith,” one of the officers who came to the cabin breaks my train of thought. “If you don’t mind coming with me, we can get the formalities over with.”

I look at Axl. “Go with Officer Sem. I will catch up with you. You are safe here.”

I obediently follow the large grey officer called Officer Sem out of the hanger bay and into the base. I must admit to myself all of this looks real. I touch a wall as we pass and it’s cold and actually feels like steel. Then there’s a smell of perfume in the air, not unlike the smell of rain, but more pleasant. And there’s a lot of men all colored grey and with matching uniforms. It makes me wonder if I’m in a computer simulation now. That if I hold my hand out to some of the passing grey men, my hand will pass right through them like a hologram. I hold my hand out and try it.

“I’m sorry,” I say as I touch a man’s abdomen. He looks at me as if I was going to say something else for touching him unnecessarily. I don’t say, ‘I just wanted to see if you were real.’ I simply apologize again and let him think I’m very weird.

Officer Sem, who had stopped to witness my faux pas, begins walking and leads me into a small sitting room with black leather sofas. He asks me to take a seat. I’m surprised by the comfort of the room. He sits across from me and opens a 3D computer between us which looks very impressive. “Madame Georgiana, I’m going to ask you some questions about your and Commander Axl’s relationship. I will be monitoring your answers for truthfulness. Please don’t lie, that’ll only waste your time and my own.”

“I understand,” I say, preparing myself. Axl and I went over this so many times, Even I’m beginning to believe our story like it’s gospel. And I doubt they’ve a real lie detector test here so I’m not worried.

“First question, how did you leave Earth the first time?”