11: Meeting New People

Jess led Sora out the door and back to that horrendous car.  Sora was not a fan of those huge metallic contraptions.  As they were walking out to the parking lot, Sora caught a glimpse of what she thought was another Kiswan!  She wheeled around and found herself gawking.  Only once she saw his features full on, she was slightly disappointed.  He had many features that the Kiswans have.  The difference is that his short hair had faint highlights to it, and his skin was very light, and looked like it was bordering a tan.

Jess noticed that Sora had left her side and turned to see who the distraction was.  Jess walked to Sora's side with a coy smile on her lips.  "Ah, I see you have noticed my neighbor, Justin.  He is very hot, isn't he?"

"Hot?"

"Nearly every girl in town has tried to catch his notice.  He used to come over to watch movies with me when I had a roommate.  I think he liked her..." Jess trailed off, pensively.

"Huh, well maybe you can introduce me later," Sora said as she turned back toward Jess's car.

"Oh, okay..." Jess said hesitantly, "Only, don't get too excited, he doesn't seem to ever want to hang out anymore.  Let's go."  Jess seemed quick to change the topic.

The drive to the court house didn't take nearly as long as the drive the night before.  Once they arrived Jess led Sora up the steps to the large doors.  After getting inside, Jess walked up to a desk and began talking with a pleasant looking older human.

Jess explained that Sora wished to see the mayor.  She then leaned forward and whispered something into the woman's ear.  The woman's reaction told it all.

"Alright!  Well, I will see what I can do about getting her in with him.  Have a seat over there (she motioned to a few rows of chairs), and I will send a message to Mayor Cartwright's office."

"Thank you Janice."  Jess said politely.

Janice the welcoming woman stood up to walk toward a hallway.  Before she turned away, Sora noticed how she gave Sora a good look over.  She seemed pleased with something, and scurried off down the hall.

"Janice is my aunt," Jess leaned in to Sora as they sat down.  "She'll make sure you get to see Mayor Cartwright, since he is my uncle."

"So this Mayor Cartwright..." Sora glanced up to the high ceiling.  "He is the king?"  Sora was very impressed with his palace.  The decorations and the artwork in the carvings were impressive.

Jess giggled.  Her giggles were starting to get on Sora's nerves.  "No, he is not the king.  We don't actually have a king."

Sora gave her full attention back to Jess.  "You don't?"

"No.  There is a leader for every town, that leader is called a mayor.  There are many leaders, but the main leader for the United States is referred to as President.  He is the one that oversees all things pertaining to the U.S.  He just has help."

Why does this president need so many people to help him?" Sora was confused.  Her father never needed any help.  She wondered if these humans were really so weak.

Jess stood up and walked over to a wall.  On the wall was a huge map.  "This is the United States."  She outlined the country with her hand.  Then she pointed to a small point at the bottom of the country, "This is Roswell.  This is where we are."

Sora stood back and looked at the whole map.  The kingdom was enormous!  To the left of the map was another map that had rounded features.

"That map is of the whole world,"  Jess pointed to where the United States were.  "There are many countries, with many different leaders."

Sora was in awe.  She studied every detail of the map while Jess sat back down to wait.  She wanted to remember every small detail so that she could compare it with her own when she was by herself.  

Finally, Sora heard Janice call Jess's name.  Jess hopped up and trotted over to her aunt's side.  The conversed for a few minutes and Jess called Sora over.

"Okay, Sora," Janice said.  "Mayor Cartwright is ready to see you.  He is pretty excited to meet with you!  Good luck!"

Jess sat back down on one of the chairs as Janice lead Sora down the hall and to a large wooden door.  Janice knocked twice then opened the heavy door.

A portly man stood up from his large desk and walked around to greet Janice with a hug and kiss on the cheek.  She blushed, winked at Sora, then left the room closing the door quietly behind her.  Sora wondered how such a heavy door could close without making a sound.

Mayor Cartwright approached Sora with his hand outstretched.  Sora was unsure of what she was supposed to do, so she mimicked him.  She stuck out her left hand, and the mayor awkwardly grasped her fingers with his right hand.

"Well now, Sora," he said pleasantly, "isn't my wife lovely?"

"Oh yes, she is very nice."  Sora had spoken with many important Kiswan, but this was the most uncomfortable meeting she had ever experienced.

"Have a seat, please!"  Mayor Cartwright said.  "We have been wondering when we might make another contact with your kind!"

"You mean, I am not the first to be here?"  Sora was puzzled.  How could this be?  The barrier has been up for centuries upon centuries!

"Well, in 1947 a space ship crash landed just outside of town... there weren't any survivors."  He looked genuinely concerned.

"What is a space ship?"  Sora was confused.  As the mayor opened his mouth to explain, it all snapped into place.  The things that Jess had been going on and on about were spaceships and aliens.  This man thought I was from the sky!

Mayor Cartwright was saying, "...so you see, a farmer found the crash sight, since it was on his land..."

"Um, mayor."  Sora interrupted the speech.  "I am not from outer space.  I come from another nation on this same planet.  Only, none of you humans know of its existence.  You think that my land is ocean.  I am princess of the Kiswone Nation.  I was sent here to inform you humans of our existence.  We have been hiding ourselves from view by manipulating the earth's core power into forming a barrier.  This barrier has been in place since the first humans were placed on this earth."

Mayor Cartwright was silent, and he had a slightly dumb expression on his face, so Sora continued.

"The earth's core grows weak.  It cannot sustain the barrier much longer.  If it loses its power, then the earth will lose its ability to grow vegetation and sustain life.  It is urgent that I speak with your president.  I need to inform the world of our existence in order to break the barrier."

Cartwright finally found his words.  "What you are implying will change life as we know it!  How do we explain to billions of people that we are not alone on our very earth!?  It could cause wars upon wars!"

Sora hadn't thought of that kind of repercussion.  She began to realize that she could not do all of this alone.  She needed help.  This human world was about to change.  She just had to get this mayor to believe her story.

Sora opened her bag and pulled out the rolled up map.  She spread it out over the desk and began her rehearsed account of the Kiswone Nation.