“Had a hunch I’d find you up here.”

 

“Stella! Hi!” said David, unable to hide his discomfort.

 

“Why haven’t you returned my calls?” she said, hands hooked on the pockets of threadbare jeans.

 

“I’m Sorry. Lost track. I do that sometimes.”

 

She eyed his backpack and heavy jacket. “You’re leaving aren’t you?” she asked in a brittle voice.

 

“Stella …”

 

“Without even saying goodbye.”

 

Anger reddened her pale face and tears formed in heavily mascaraed eyes.

 

“It’s not what you think.”

 

“Don’t bullshit me!”

 

Her anger made him wince. “Yes, I’m leaving.”

 

“Fine,” she snapped. “I just wanted to give you some news. But now I guess it’s not worth a damn anyway.”

 

“Please, tell me.”

 

“I got into college.”

 

“That’s wonderful!”

 

A warm smile lifted years from his deeply lined face. David went to hug her but his young friend backed off.

 

“Do you really give a shit?”

 

“Stella, how can you say that?”

 

“Then how come you’re shipping out without saying anything? What I don’t understand is why you spent so much time helping me. You’re not a weirdo like most older men.”

 

“Because you deserve this, Stella. You’re young, smart, curious, you …”

 

“But not worth a lousy goodbye. You’re no different, are you?” she said, jabbing an accusory finger at him.

 

“Stella, please …”

 

“Whatever,” she snapped. “I’m outta here. Have a nice life,” she said and turned to leave.

 

“Wait!” he shouted. “I helped you because you remind me of my daughter.”

 

She spun around and laughed harshly. “Your daughter? Mister Anonymous has a daughter? Unbelievable!”

 

“She’s gone,” he choked. “It’s not something I like to talk about. I’m sorry.”

 

His words took the sting out of her contempt. Stella eyed him closely. After spending her early years parentless fending for herself, she had a finely-honed instinct for half-truths.

 

“What else have you not told me?” she asked, but this time her voice was softened by compassion.

 

He looked at the spectacular night sky; millions of glittering gems strewn across black velvet. They had both spent countless hours on the apartment block roof, many of them preparing Stella for college. He came to a decision.

 

“I have to leave because I am in danger here.”

 

Stella waited for him to elaborate.

 

“When I say 'here' I don’t mean this town or even this country – I mean this planet.”

 

She shook her head. “Oh, so now you’re a damn Martian! C’mon, Dave, you can do better than that!” she sneered.

 

“Hear me out. You owe me that.”

 

Stella waited for him to continue.

 

He had once worked for a very powerful criminal organization, and ignored the unspeakably bad things they did in exchange for material wealth.

 

“Evil exists on every world, Stella,” he said.

 

The lifestyle came with a price. After losing his life partner he lost his daughter. The trauma changed him and he betrayed his criminal bosses to law enforcement.

 

“The bad guys still have influence and want revenge. The authorities hide me on remote worlds like Earth. Much like your witness protection program.”

 

“You’re an alien whistleblower?” she said skeptically.

 

“Yes.”

 

Stella struggled to absorb the idea.

 

“Okay, for arguments sake, let’s say I buy this insane story. Why are you in danger now?”

 

An ironic smile crept across David’s face. “Remember my birthday present?”

 

For his sixtieth birthday Stella bought him a personalized genetic report. Such reports were commonly available. She got the idea after they had been talking about their family histories. At least Stella knew who her deceased junkie parents were and where they were from. David claimed he was an orphan and new nothing about his origins. She thought it would be a neat gift to shed light on his ancestry, and secretly acquired a sample of his saliva.

 

“The report came back with no information not because you messed up the sample like they said,” he told her. “But because I don’t have any human DNA, Stella.”

 

“Was it really your birthday?”

 

“No. I wish it was only sixty,” he said, grin evaporating. “But my genetic test is now in a crude data system on a primitive planet. It could easily lead the bad guys to me. Chances are it won’t, but I can’t risk it, especially because I could put you in danger too.”

 

Stella looked skyward. “So, what happens now?Star cops zoom in, beam you up, and whisk to another planet?”

 

“No, nothing so obvious.”

 

The space-time fabric is stretched thin in this specific location, making it possible to open portals to other worlds, he explained. That is how he arrived on Earth three years ago. He had been waiting for his cop handlers to open a portal to another refuge planet after informing them his cover on Earth may be blown.

 

David suddenly tensed and told her to stand back. Without warning, he was enveloped by a translucent pocket that distorted his image.

 

“Don’t be alarmed. It’s an ion shield. Prevents me from being torn apart when I cross the threshold.”

 

“Sounds worse than flying cattle class,” Stella said, trying to conceal her fear.

 

A doorway materialized just behind him. “It’s time, Stella. My cop friends will keep an eye on you and tell me what you’re doing. I should’ve said something but didn’t know how. Are you still mad at me? You have a right to be.”

 

“At least I know you weren’t bullshitting me,” she said tearfully and forced a smile.

 

“I would never do that, Stella. I love you like a daughter.”

 

“I know,” she said. “Come back. Come back when you’re safe.”

 

He seemed to promise he would but she could not hear his words. The colorless portal expanded, swallowed him, and disappeared.