The four crew members of the spaceship Science continued to plan how to hide until the day of the return to their planet. A few days had passed and Sivoc, with his forehead frowned, knew that Captain Merko would find their ship soon. So, he decided that the safest thing would be to leave the ship and teleport to New York. Nicholas himself had suggested this, as he dreamed of seeing the city one day. After all, this was the largest metropolis in the world, a maze of concrete and glass where, in the midst of so many people, they would hardly be discovered.

Soon, they would also begin the training of the boy and would need a place without interruption for it. Wolfie and some of the maintenance teams were in the ship. The rest of the crew was instructed to disperse themselves around the city, each with a specific mission. They should rent rooms in hotels, look for jobs and be careful not to be identified by humans. They wouldn't stay in that city for a long time. When Sivoc needed them, they would be contacted immediately.

The commander knew that Merko wanted only the boy and the captain would never destroy the spaceship Science. That, on the one hand, was good for them, as they needed the ship to return home. It was their only hope to return to their homeland, planet Life, a place of lush landscapes and advanced technology, but now it seemed so far away.

Zara, with her flaming red hair and penetrating blue eyes, helped Nicholas put the teleportation coordinates on the bracelet. The boy, with his heart throbbing with anxiety, waited for the time of the trip.

"Everything's ready!" Zara announced , with an encouraging smile.

"I can't believe I'll see the Big Apple! My biggest dream has always been to know the Universe, but inside my country I also wanted to visit New York, despite living at the other extreme."

"You said Big Apple," Zara said, with a slight smile on her lips. "You mean you'll eat apples there?"

"No, Zara," Nicholas said, laughing. "The city is known like this for historical reasons. In the early twentieth century, the United States shared resources between States as if it were a large tree and, as New York received a good deal of the revenue, people called it Big Apple. In the 1970s, New York was a major apple exporter and used the term Big Apple to stimulate tourism. The marketing campaign consisted of showing red apples in order to captivate visitors."

"That's interesting, Nick," Zara exclaimed, admired. "I liked your culture!"

Nicholas blushed, but it was time to leave. He felt a cold in his belly as he materialized in a damp, dark alley, the smell of trash mixing with the sweet aroma of some unknown flower.

His eyes widened when he saw the imposing buildings standing tall around him, like concrete and steel giants. "I'm really in New York!" He thought, incredulously, touching the wall of worn bricks from the old theater.

Zara watched everything with a mixture of fascination and apprehension. "It's amazing," she said, a slightly shaky voice. "But we need to be cautious here."

Nicholas, still ecstatic, barely heard the warning. His eyes shone with the promise of adventure, the city standing before him like a living organism.

"I can't believe I'm here, alive, after such a trip," he exclaimed, marveled. "Cell by cell in its proper place. It sounds crazy! Zara, I want to see the whole city with you!" He said, taking the girl's hand.

"Calm down, Nick," Zara replied, with a kind smile. "We'll have some time for that later. Let's settle first."

But Nicholas, taken by the euphoria, did not contain himself and ran toward the avenue. Zara, laughing, ran after him.

"Wait for us, Nick!"

He stopped around the corner, looking up, astonished by the skyscrapers that seemed to touch the sky. Yellow taxis and application drivers passed fast, leaving and collecting people on the crowded sidewalks. The crowd moved in a hurry, bumping into each other, as if they were always late for some commitment. Nicholas admired the luminous outdoors and colored banners on all sides. It was like he had always imagined.

He knew that he could soon explore Madison Square, Central Park and everything else that Big Apple offered.

"You'll have a lot of time to have fun in this city, Nicholas," Tibor said, with a serious look while the other three approached. "Now we need to get out of here."

Drako, with a fun smile on his lips, watched the young man's fascination. Sivoc, always attentive, led the group to an apartment near Madison Square Garden at 8th Avenue.

The commander asked everyone to go out as little as possible. Meanwhile, Drako, with his technological ability, entered the terrestrial identification systems and they all received new identities, to hide in the crowd.

They had exchanged gold from their planet for American money and asked X2, the ship's computer, with the balance from the alien gold exchange operation, to prepare some credit cards for them for subsistence during those days in the city. The computer, with its usual efficiency, did as it was asked and Drako saw materialized in the room, on the table, the cards he had asked for. For Drako, it was easy to enter the information systems and get temporary jobs for each one. In addition, he would also choose functions they liked best. This way they could stay in the city, unnoticed until the time to leave arrived.

***

On Friday night, Zara and Nicholas went out to go to the movies. In the sky, a full Moon bathed the city with its silver light, creating a romantic atmosphere. Zara, staring at Nicholas' eyes, remembered the meetings they had in the hut and her growing desire to be close to him. She was concerned about the commander's reaction, but the attraction she felt to Nicholas was stronger.

"Nick," Zara said hesitantly as they walked through Central Park. "I don't know if we should get even closer to each other..."

"But Zara," he said, taking her hand, "nothing matters more to me than being by your side..."

The sweet look of Nicholas had completely conquered her.

They decided to watch a romance movie, a new experience for Zara, who had never experienced that kind of emotion on her home planet. In planet Life, everything was very planned and artificial, relationships governed by logic and science. Zara thought, "How spontaneous life is here on Earth. Couples kiss and embrace each other, living in a mood of romance. And the parents with the children smiling in the squares! What a beautiful scene... I think it's wonderful. On planet Life, people almost don't go out; they are dependent on technology to survive and almost always use it for leisure. And the affection between people gets lost, fading with time."

She watched people looking at their smartphones on the streets and realized that she was witnessing the beginning of the end of many relationships.

When the movie ended, they returned to the apartment. Everything was silent. While Nicholas prepared a plate with various cheeses and opened a bottle of red wine, Zara observed each of his movements, every gesture. He took the tray to her room, served the wine and, before they ate, touched her red hair, bringing her lips closer to his.

"You like to feel several flavors at the same time," Zara joked, feeling the warmth of Nicholas' body close to her.

"Despite the divine taste of this wine," he answered with a passionate smile, "I still prefer the honey taste of your mouth. I never imagined that my first love would be a girl from another planet."

"I think you are wonderful, Nick," Zara whispered. "In all my life, I never had what I gained by your side: affection, sweet words, generosity. I love you!"

Nicholas kissed her with passion and Zara surrendered to her feelings. She felt palpitations, a new and intense sensation. They smiled, as lived one of the happiest nights of their lives.

"I love you!" Zara muttered in his ear.

"I want to live all my life by your side," Nicholas answered, pushing her hair away to kiss her neck. "I love you too."

Nicholas, setting aside his shyness, pulled her to a hug. They both got lost in kisses and caresses. He touched the skin on her shoulders, wanting her as he had never wanted anyone else. With a look full of admiration, he contemplated the beauty of Zara. Rarely in his life he had been so happy.

In an explosion of feelings, they surrendered to love. It was a magical, infinite moment, full of indescribable discoveries and sensations.

Exhausted, but satisfied, they slept hugging for a few minutes. When they woke up, they continued there, stuck to each other, enjoying the company and the silence.

"It was the best day of my life!" Nicholas said, staring at her blue eyes.

"I never felt anything so intense either!" Zara replied, caressing his face.

He kissed her once again, a long and passionate kiss. Zara leaned her head against his arm and, enveloped by a quiet sleep, they spent the rest of the night together.

***

Meanwhile, the other three extraterrestrials, free for a few hours of the mission's weight, decided to explore the vibrant streets of New York.

The night pulsed with energy, and music escaped from bars with open doors, inviting them to enter. A neon sign, with vibrant and flashy colors, announced the name of one of them: Night Drink Bar.

Sivoc, wearing jeans and a shabby brown leather jacket, walked alongside Tibor and Drako, both with black leather coats. Upon entering the bar, a buzz settled. The conversations diminished; curious eyes turned to them. The imposing height, the unusual beauty and the aura of mystery that involved them caught the attention of the crowd.

It wasn't long before three women, attracted by the remarkable presence of the newcomers, approach their table.

"Can we keep you company?" One of them asked, with an inviting smile.

"Feel free," Drako replied, returning the smile with charm.

"Where are you from, handsome guys?" The most outgoing of the three, with brown hair and eyes that shone with curiosity, asked. "My name is Sonja, very nice to meet you. This blonde here beside me is Alyson, and the black one, Jessie."

"We're from very far from here," Sivoc replied, a little shy, looking into an indefinite point on the brick wall in sight. "We are just passing through; we want to know the city."

"If you want, we can show you the most amazing places," Sonja offered with contagious enthusiasm. "Here you will find the best places in the world to have fun."

"Beside beautiful women like you, I'm sure the tours will be very pleasant," Drako said, with a malicious look.

Sivoc, visibly uncomfortable with the situation, remained silent, observing the movement of the bar. Tibor, on the other hand, seemed to have fun with female attention. While listening to the lively song that a band played live, his eyes did not leave Alyson's lips.

"Wow! This drink is really good," Drako exclaimed, after gulping down a double glass of whiskey at once. "I'll ask for one more."

"Let's calm down," Sivoc warned telepathically with a tone of concern. "We can't be distracted. Merko may appear at any moment. Do not forget that we are on a mission."

Despite the warning, Tibor and Drako were carried away by the festive atmosphere of the bar and the women's company. The music, the lights, the laughters... Everything contributed to forget, for a few hours, the dangers and responsibilities that awaited them. Sivoc, even though he was enjoying the music and the environment, remained vigilant, thinking of his wife, Laiza, who was waiting for him on planet Life. "I miss Laiza," he thought, with a tightness in his heart. "How I wanted her to be here right now!"

Even though he was light years away, his mind and body were close to his family. Loyalty to Laiza and his children was unshakable and would not allow himself to deviate from her main objective: to protect Nicholas and ensure everyone's return home.

***

Within the alien base in Alaska, Sanches woke up disoriented. He looked around, trying to assimilate the unknown environment.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked himself. "How did I get here?"

The memory of the alien being he saw before passing out made him shudder with fear. Suddenly, a door opened on the wall, and a Latin man, about 50 years old, emerged in his field of vision. He was a robust man, with wide shoulders and an imposing posture.

"Hello, boy," the man said, with an affable smile. "How are you? Do you feel better?"

"Where am I? Who are you, hombre?" Sanches asked, his voice shaky.

"A pleasure to meet you, my name is Merko," the man said. "And you are on a military base."

"But this place has a technology I have never seen," Sanches said, looking at the holograms that showed images of Earth and an unknown planet. "And those hombres extraños who materialized in my house... What was that?"

"You're right" Merko confirmed with an enigmatic look. "We are not human like you. We are beings from another planet and this base is alien. And we need your help..."

Sanches felt a knot in his throat. "Will they let me go me later?" He thought, distressed. "Or will they make me forget everything with that stick with a light on the tip, as in science fiction movies?"

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Read #ThePhantomMan 2 - The Book of the Dead by #ChaieneSantosWriter