Betty Hamilton was enjoying her day off from her job as chief purser (senior flight attendant) on her Boston apartment. Her boyfriend, Os Kumar, was in Mumbai for a business trip. Alone, she did not feel like doing anything that involved the slightest effort, so she was in her couch enjoying an e-book lazing it out.

She zoned out of the book after a while, taking a little time to enjoy her surroundings: plush couch, a warm blanket, coffee mug and a bottle of wine within reach; a loving man her own size at her disposal and just a few taps on her cellphone away.  

Despite having spent more than a year back on Earth, she still found it incredible that she was out of that horrible place with giant people, bad and scarce food and total lack of amenities and comforts that she now again took for granted. She was determined to enjoy her new life, for if her stay in the Land of the Giants had taught her anything, was that life was short and easily terminated without notice. After all, Dan, Fitzhugh and Mark had not made it out of that damn planet.

Dan was ignominiously stepped on by schoolchildren. Fitzhugh was crushed to death in the hands of a madwoman. Mark had been lost; he had walked out and never returned the day before their miraculous comeback, with only a few written farewell lines that left no clue to why or where he left.

The only bad part of returning were the lies. They had talked long with captain Burton, and all were convinced that telling the truth of their stay in an alien planet populated by giants would be a bad idea. So they came up with that stupid singularity story, rehearsed it well and everybody bought it, even the distraught relatives of Dan. Only Valerie had risked publishing her Valerie in Giantland book, but as fiction that nobody took seriously. Betty had not told the truth even to Os, it was futile.

Now fully distracted from her book, she started browsing her newsfeed when a familiar face on a video thumbnail caught her attention. She tapped on it on her tablet and it started playing. To her astonishment, the video showed video taken from a drone, of a giant woman, staring, wide eyed and mouth agape, at the camera, as it filmed her while circling her titanic body. Narration said the video was from events unfolding in Martha’s Vineyard: a giant woman appeared out of nowhere near the Gay Head lighthouse on the island. The air force and the police, along with hundreds of onlookers, were at the site.

“Zava???” blurted Betty, as she watched, in disbelief, at her giant acquaintance on video.

She scrolled for related news. There were many, with several photographs of the giant girl. There were even some transcripts of her exchange with the local air force commander. It appeared she even admitted to being an extra-terrestrial… Reading on eagerly, she caught sight of the name of Mark Wilson, who she said lived with her, but was not found at the site, or elsewhere. It was now clear Mark had left to go to her, and they had lived together ever since… at least he was not dead!

Was it possible that somehow, Mark had traveled here with her giant girlfriend without a spaceship? But how? And why wasn’t Mark with her? Suddenly, a message arrived. It was from Lucy, one of her coworkers and old friend. Reading it, her eyes widened again; she saved on her address book the contact she had been sent. She then left her couch to find something to wear, her purse and a bag.

Two hours later, she was stepping through the door on Martha’s vineyard hospital. She was wearing jeans and a black jacket to combat the autumn’s chill; she had a small cloth bag, stuffed with some of Os old clothes. She found the chief nurse, whom she had called from the airport, and followed her to one of the patients’ room. It was a rather spare room, with no TV and only a small nightstand. According to the nurse, Mark had insisted on getting a phone call and then he called PanAmerican Airlines, where he asked around until he finally stumbled upon a HR representative (Lucy) who knew Betty and agreed to give her a message with his location.

In the room, to her relief, she found Mark. He was laying on a bed, dressed on a light green hospital robe, of course, but was tied with rubber restraints to it, immobilized. He was awake, and beamed at her as the two women came into the room. The nurse produced a tablet.

“Hello, Betty! Glad to see you made it!” Said Mark.

“Mark! I… we thought you were dead!” exclaimed Betty, coming near the bed to hug Mark, who, of course, being tied, could only rest his head on his friend’s shoulders. He was pale, as someone who does not get out much. His dirty blond hair was quite long, beyond his shoulders. Otherwise, he seemed to be fine.

 “Miss Hamilton, as I told you on the phone, Mark was found naked and unconscious near Totem Pole Inn; local police brought him here yesterday evening” said the nurse, mostly to Mark’s benefit. “he does not show up on the biometric database, so we have not been able to confirm his identity. He says he has been away and presumed dead for more than five years, a wild tale if there ever was one, but one which would explain his absence from the database, as the records are purged after three years from public domain when death is confirmed or legally acknowledged. As he was found with a strange substance caked to his body, he was presumed to be on drugs. He is restrained until toxicology reports are ready, but if you vouch for him he can go; he is completely healthy, at least his body is”.

“I do. Please let him go. We need to take care of some business, together”. Said Betty. Mark looked at her, uncomprehending. Betty saw that he was oblivious… as he had no cell phone and no TV, presumably to avoid agitating a possibly disturbed patient, he had no idea of Zava’s predicament.

Assenting, the nurse deftly removed the restraints, and with a last wave to Mark, left the room.  Betty and Mark were left alone.

“Thank you for coming to get me, Betty, I’m glad I could find you… I know I owe you guys and explanation…” Started Mark, subdued, but Betty cut him short.

“Mark, I brought you some clothes” said Betty, producing a t-shirt, jeans and a pair of black crocs, these bought at the airport. “Please get dressed… we’ve got lots to talk about… a lot to do… tell me on the way”.

“On the way to where?”

“To help Zava”.