“OK Betty. I’m going for it. You don’t have to do this… media exposure for you will probably not be beneficial, to say the least, not to mention butting heads with the military and who knows how many other government agencies”, said Mark.

Mark and Betty had left the car behind and were now at the margins of the ever-growing throng of people that came to see the giantess. Judging from the cacophony of accents around them, there were people from all over the States, Canucks, Mexicans and even people that had come all the way from Europe and Asia to see the spectacle of the century; many were camping in tents, as most hotels were packed to the brim.

Betty had purchased two of the last tents and sleeping bags available in a local mall; getting a hotel room was now impossible. If people kept flocking to the island, he was sure the government was going to restrict access soon. Probably the only reason it hadn’t yet was that many of the island residents were wealthy and influential and would balk at any restriction imposed on them.

“I can’t say I want to be in the limelight… but you’re probably right. I’ll try to stay off-camera as much as we can. What can’t be avoided, though, is our little appointment with the government” said Betty. “but I want to say hello to Zava…”

“Probably best you’d wait until she’s no longer a prisoner”, said Mark.

As Mark and Betty had been making necessary purchases downtown, Lucy, her friend at PanAm had messaged her. Homeland Security wanted to talk to Betty and were requesting the company to contact her. Betty had told Lucy to contact the agency back saying that she was in Martha’s Vineyard already and would be arriving at the Gayhead Lighthouse camp directly herself later today.

Surely the appearance of the giantess and her mention of the Spindrift fate, differing quite a bit from the original tale the giantland survivors had told, was going to be required to be explained, thought Betty. This, Mark agreed, was best done together, unlike the media part.

Before the military jammed GPS signals around the island, the Boston Globe was the only news agency that had managed to use a camera drone to get close-up images of Zava. Mark judged that if they were competent enough to have a on-the-ground team so soon, they were the best to be approached. On the way to the lighthouse, Mark had been checking their LiveFeed YouTube channel. The on-site reporter was a tall redhead, a certain Rebecca O’Leary, which Betty said was quite famous for her aggressive, hands-on approach. Among the mob of people, they could see, from afar, the Boston Globe dark green news van ahead, with a telescopic microwave broadcast antenna, fully extended, and a camera crew with a portable ladder and platform, filming; the fiery red hair of the reporter could even be seen. Mark and Betty headed there.

They slowly made their way there through the mob of people, and once they were close, Mark and Betty could see the reporter and the camera crew talking, holding coffee mugs, taking glances at a portable nearby monitor. The camera on the ladder seemed to be automated, already pointing at the site, with a long telephoto lens fitted. The crowd around them did not pay much attention to them, as the van clearly had been around since the beginning, having already a privileged location for broadcasting and getting footage of the event; the camera was also high enough that the usual fools trying to photobomb newscasts had no chance of disrupting anything here.

“Miss O’Leary?” Said Mark, loud enough to catch the woman’s attention but not loud enough to cause a stir in the people walking around nearby. The reporter’s head snapped around, mild annoyance on her face. The rest of the camera crew, men and women alike, rose from their seats, clearly prepared to deal with an overzealous fan or an even more unwelcome heckler.

“Yes?” She said warily, looking curiously at Mark. He had purchased a pair of good shoes, fitting jeans, a blazer and formal shirt with Betty’s money, along with other things he would need for his plan. He knew the military and the news (and the public) would react better if the package was appealingly presented. He knew he was attractive enough to catch her attention.

“May we speak? I can give you some information you will find... interesting about current events, but with you and your crew, in private”. Said Mark, in a lower voice. “Google Spindrift Mark Wilson” he added, seeing her reluctance.  The tall redhead whipped out her phone, though, and after a few taps, her eyes widened, looking slack-jawed from her smartphone’s screen to Mark’s smiling face. The rest of the crew, looking over her shoulder at the phone screen, shared her amazement. Betty remained cautiously at a distance, watching the news crew reactions, with amusement. Finally, the reporter, looking around nervously, gestured at Mark to go behind the newsvan with her to talk in private.

“Miss O’Leary…” began Mark, as soon as they were mostly out of view of curious onlookers.

“Call me Becca” Said the newscaster, smiling and looking intently at Mark. “I’m all ears…”. A cameraman was ready beside them.

Mark smiled back, and gave her a slip of paper with a shortened youtu.be URL written on it. Then he started talking…

***

A while later, a beaming Mark reunited with Betty.

“How did it go” inquired her.

“So far so good”. He answered. “But I knew that was going to be easy. I offered her an exclusive interview afterwards with Zava and I if Miss O’Leary agreed to shoot a small interview right there, and showcase the videos from the YouTube channel I set up on the way here. She agreed. The interview will be broadcast soon on their site”. Mark had also given the woman more instructions that he expected would pay off, if he could go on with his plan, as soon as he could be reunited with Zava.

“Can’t say our next stop will be as easy-peasy as that was” said Betty, worried. “There’s a chance we’ll not be allowed to leave the encampment after we enter it…ever”.

“Yep. But if we do not go in willingly, make no mistake, Betty, they will find you, and then they’ll be pissed” Said Mark, now cheerless, as they walked towards the blockade. , making their way through the horde of people.

Ever since waking up on the hospital, without Zava, he felt like he was in a dream. Even now, walking among a multitude of earthlings like him, with Betty beside him, everything around still had a taint of unreality. Things like furniture, cars, trees and buildings now seemed squat and low, the people too little and frail, the voices too high-pitched and muted. The absence of Zava’s adoring, overwhelming presence, above all, felt like a glaring, gaping hole through which his sanity threatened to fall through. As he had pondered, tied to the bed, if he had lost her forever, if he would never again feel her kisses, her loving fingers surrounding him, grabbing and lifting him to the lofty heights of her kissing mouth and her dark, bottomless eyes, he thought he was like to go mad with loss…

Or had he been mad, as the people of the hospital seemed to think he could be, therefore having him tied, and was only now waking up into reality? If sanity involved never traveling in her giant lover’s cleavage, being squeezed by gently swaying breasts larger than he was, never again seeing above him (or under his feet) the naked, sprawled body of a goddess offering herself to him… if the talking, laughing, intelligent titaness he was in love with had been only a figment of his imagination, waking up from that was the madness and the nightmare.

Lying in the hospital bed, he had replayed some of his most fond memories of Zava… the first time he saw her naked and dancing for him…

Or that time he had woken up to find himself alone in bed, and when he peered from the edge of the bed, he could see in the middle of the room a ten (Earth’s) foot circle drawn on the tiles with blue chalk. Later that day, Zava had contacted him through the earpiece asking him to wait inside the circle as she was about to get home. He had gotten down the bed, and as he stood inside the circle on the floor, the door opened and Zava walked in, on high heels, long legs striding towards him, her lovely legs in full display, with a yellow, flaring mini-skirt on. Her eyes were flashing with mischief as she approached, looking down at him, until she was above him, straddling the chalk circle. She had squatted over him, laughing, her hand appearing from above to draw aside her red panties…. The rest was history.

Or that day Zava’s caressing fingers all over him had woken him up to find himself in Zava’s pillow, her face looming over him, a magnifying glass in her hand, as she lovingly scrutinized his features and particularly his member. Her fingers descending to grope it as she noticed he was awake, and did not stop fondling, did not stop looking at his beating manhood under the glass and under her relentless fingers until he was lying spent, trembling under her lustful gaze, her grinning mouth descending to lick his tiny gift from where it had squirted on his chest.

And the many times they had been together outside, him hidden on her pocket, on her cleavage, that time on the bus that he had had to hide in her panties. It thrilled him and Zava to no end to be able to talk and simply be together, fondling each other in front of everyone, hiding in plain sight.

Only when Betty had come into the hospital room and mentioned Zava had Mark’s heart started to truly beat again.

Mark and Zava finally got to the picket, walking along the barricades until they spotted (judging from the images of a previous internet search) police captain LeLacheur, beyond the picket fence. Mark approached the nearest riot police officer and said:

“Please tell captain LeLacheur that Zava’s husband is here”.

***

Colonel McAllister was in the command tent, scowling as he looked at a large nearby screen, surrounded by other military personnel. Restrepo had come calling him from the field, where he was supervising the first load of food that had been brought for the giantess’ lunch. Now he was looking at a video interview, shot minutes ago, according to the headline, not only here in the island but a just few hundred feet away from the barricade. A man claiming to be Mark Wilson was being featured there, talking with local newscaster Rebecca O’Leary from the Boston Globe. He said he was one of the Spindrift original passengers and Zava’s husband; a link was provided in the headline for a purported video channel from Wilson. Restrepo, holding up her tablet so the colonel could see the search results, said that the man seemed to be the actual Mark Wilson, only longer-haired than depicted in available online pictures.

“What about the other people from the Spindrift?” asked McAllister, as he watched the rest of the video.

“So far, we have only been able to locate Betty Hamilton, the former Spindrift stewardess”. Responded Restrepo.  “Barry Lockridge is a minor, so off-limits. Captain Steve Burton and Valerie Scott seem to be abroad. Miss Hamilton is now on the island, we’re told, headed this way”.

McAllister nodded, absently, as he stared at the screen. The video interview had already gone viral. According to the displayed upload date it had been only online for a little more than 20 minutes, but it had over 15 million views already, and counting. Surely it was going to break the current viewership record pretty soon. This was going to make things more complicated now. Surely the President and/or the Pentagon higher-ups were going to be calling him soon, again.

“What about this video channel from this guy Wilson? Don’t tell me it has images from the alien world”, finally said McAllister, as the interview winded down. Restrepo tapped on her tablet; the channel was mirrored from it onto the big screen and it had only a single video. It had been uploaded little more than an hour ago. It had even more views than the interview he just saw. It played.

“My name is Mark Wilson” said the long-haired, blond man on the screen. The video had been shot as a selfie from a smartphone. “I am one of the original passengers of the suborbital ship Spindrift, which was lost for a few years and then returned. What you have been told about the fate of the ship, its crew and passengers and where it was when it disappeared for four years was not entirely accurate… the story the survivors told when they returned had only part of the truth, as the real story was too wild to be believed”.

“Before we continue, I will add that I am Zava Casafus’ husband” The man continued, on the video “She is the giant woman being now held under military custody in Martha’s Vineyard. She is one of the beings from the planet of giant humanoids where the Spindrift was marooned all these years”. The video continued, but then Dr. Poole entered the tent and said:

“Colonel McAllister. Two of the members of the Spindrift are now being held by the police. They approached the barricade of their own volition and requested to speak with you” Restrepo paused the video. “Their identities check out; according to one of them, a man, Mark Wilson, he was found unconscious not too far from the lighthouse last afternoon; we called the local hospital, who confirmed the story”. Finished Dr. Poole.

“Please tell LeLacheur to bring them here”, said McAllister, exchanging a look with Restrepo.

Instants later, a pretty blonde, long-haired woman and a blond, tall man, the same from the video, were led into the tent by Dr. Poole, captain LeLacheur and three soldiers. One of these gave McAllister a tablet, two cell phones, car keys and a woman’s purse, clearly the possessions they had when the two blondes entered the barricade and were frisked to check for concealed weapons. McAllister took the things and looked at Dr. Poole, inquiringly.

“They are ordinary electronics and rental car keys, we checked them thoroughly with our threat scanners in the barricade” said Dr. Poole. “Nothing alien or otherwise dangerous there”. McAllister put the things down on the table and turned to the two newcomers. The blond man was looking at his face on the paused video on the big screen.

“Mr. Wilson and Miss Hamilton, I presume?”  started McAllister.

“Correct” said Betty.

“Ditto” Said Mark, turning his face from the screen to look at McAllister.

“I think explanations are in order” said the Colonel. “And no bullshit, please. I understand your earlier reluctance to talk about what really happened to the Spindrift, but there’s been enough lies already” ended the Colonel, looking meaningfully at Betty, who blushed but held his gaze steadily.  He continued, as the looming Dr. Poole, captain LeLacheur and other military personnel present mirrored McAllister displeasure “I do not appreciate your going to the media before contacting us. You should have come to us directly”.

“Sorry to disappoint you, colonel” said Mark, putting a hand on Betty’s shoulder, obviously transmitting to the woman the ‘let me handle this’ signal. “But I felt I had to have my story out there before coming here; I will tell you no lies, but only the unabridged truth, as I did not have time to tell in the videos you saw. If you watched the Boston Globe interview, you saw that it was always my intention to come forward anyway. But my first duty is with my wife and I needed to take measures to ensure her rights are respected”.

“We have treated her as well as we are able to, under the circumstances” Said McAllister. “and your first duty should be with your homeland, with your homeworld”

“She is still being held prisoner” riposted Mark. “I assure you, she is no threat. She is just an ordinary woman”. Dr Poole snorted. Mark smiled at her, wolfishly.

“Many of the questions I had were answered in the Boston Globe video, but let’s hear it from you again: I take it then, that Mrs. Casafus comes from a world of giant humanoids” Said McAllister to Mark, who assented; the colonel continued: “So there is a whole planet full of these giants and giantesses, colossal trees, animals and weapons to match?”

“That planet, giantland as we Spindrift people call it, is indeed inhabited by beings roughly twelve times as big as we are” clarified Mark. “But technologically they are over half a century behind us, and more in certain fields. They have had no world wars, and so they have not developed, and are nowhere close to developing, nuclear weapons, as in that world fissionable elements are much, much scarcer than on Earth, and are only seen as curiosities without much scientific interest.  They have guns, electricity, radio, aircraft, but no jets, space rockets, ICBMs nor helicopters, and no computers as we understand them”.

“If they are so far behind” said McAllister. “how come you and her managed to travel back to Earth without a ship? Or indeed is there a giant ship around?” In his pocket, his cell phone started to vibrate. He ignored it.

“I have no idea how we were transported here or why were we separated. Last thing I remember, I was hiking with Zava and we were inside a cave taking shelter from a thunderstorm when I blacked out and ended here. There is definitely NO ship, as none existed in that planet capable of orbital flight, much less interstellar travel”.  Said Mark. “Obviously, there is no way I could have built, there on that planet, one on my own capable of carrying both Zava and me here, as a ship capable of lifting a 150-plus ton being into orbit is beyond even current’s Earth’s far more advanced technological or industrial capacity, as you all doubtless know. The best I can surmise is that we were somehow transported through an earthbound dimensional rift similar to the suborbital one the Spindrift encountered once and the same that she went through to get back to Earth when we finally managed to fix her and put her back into suborbit”.

“If such a rift exists, how come no animal or giant person has ever made the same trip you made, either way?” Said McAllister.

“I have no answer to that. As I said, it is only a hypothesis”.

“According to Martha’s Vineyard’s hospital” interjected Dr. Poole, looking at her tablet’s notes “you were found unconscious, and naked, upper torso smeared in traces of a strange substance. Care to explain what that was?”.

“Er…” said Mark, blushing furiously. “Probably my wife’s saliva”. Betty chortled, the rest of the surrounding people’s reactions ranged from amused to horrified “She can be very passionate”, he explained, palms up, apologetically.

“Speaking of wives” continued McAllister, eager to change the subject  “how did you marry her? Were you so accepted by the giant’s society as for that?”

“No. Zava is my common-law wife, as we have been living together for over a year. As I said in the video, we were treated as hostile aliens by the non-democratic government of Zava’s country (or state). We (the Spindrift people) were fugitives. Zava was one of the few giants that helped us. She in fact would have been in a world of trouble if the spook agencies there had found out she had harbored us and let us go unreported”. Explained Mark.

“I see…” Said Colonel McAllister. “I hope you realize, Mr. Wilson, that we have no way to corroborate your story”.

“We have pictures”, chimed in Betty, holding up a memory drive. Restrepo took it. ”taken by the crew of the Spindrift with our digicams while we were there. We also brought back some artifacts from that world, most of which are in the possession of Captain Burton. If you contact Valerie, she even brought back a giant wisdom tooth we once took out of a giant’s mouth. And you have Zava. Isn’t that proof enough? Or how do you imagine we made up a 25 meter tall woman all by ourselves?”

“If I’m going to be frank”, said McAllister “I have no idea what really is going on. The most worrying part of this whole case is the fact that either you Spindrift people are lying about how Mrs. Casafus and you” he looked at Mark ”got here from ‘giantland’ or you genuinely have no idea, the latter being probably worse. Both entail the danger of an invasion, and if we’re going to be overrun by giant aliens, I’d like to know how it could happen and how we could avoid it”.

“We’ll be happy to tell you everything you need to know, colonel”, said Mark. “For now, I can tell you that I think there is no risk of imminent invasion, as the only known ‘portal’, let’s call it that, is now identified, at least from our side, high on the ionosphere. We now know it can go both ways, as the Spindrift managed to slip back to Earth through it in the opposite direction it fell into giantland, once it could fly again.  The giants are not yet advanced enough to detect such phenomena and they still have no orbital airships. If anything is going to get here from giantland, or the other way around, it will be through that portal”.

“So you say, but you were never in high orbit with your wife”

“All I can guess is that it had something to do with myself being from Earth, the place we were in, and the electrical storm, and an unlikely to be repeated chain of improbable events and energies. It involved no technology, as we were in a wilderness trail. If it could happen more, it would have happened already, and as far as I know, Zava is the first giantess ever to appear on Earth” admonished Mark.

“In any case” said McAllister, “we do not want to cause a panic. You will abstain from talking to the media about ‘portals’ and invasions, which you thankfully have not have mention of, yet. I also have to ask you both, Miss Hamilton and Mr. Wilson, what really happened to the two people who did not make it out of giantland”.

“Died by accident” said Betty.  “Dan was stepped on by a crowd of running giant schoolchildren, who never even saw him. Not enough remained of him to be buried, afterwards. Fitzhugh was taken by a giant woman. We later found his remains. Our guess is that he was squeezed too hard when captured and later died from internal hemorrhaging, his body being discarded as he died”.

“It’s time for us to also ask some questions, colonel” declared Mark. “First, what are you going to do to us.  Are we under arrest?”.

“Well, you’re American citizens, and I cannot arrest you without charges. However” said McAllister, looking at Betty “lying to Homeland Security is a federal crime. And you did lie about the Spindrift and its crew’s ill-fated journey to giantland and back when you returned”.

“Not me”. Said Mark.

“Whether we decide to press charges against Miss Hamilton, Mr. Burton and Miss Scott will depend largely on how you cooperate with us from now on”. Continued Dr. Poole. “You will not give any statements to the media that we do not endorse beforehand. I want you to understand that this is a matter of national security… homeworld security even, and any transgressions on your part will be dealt with accordingly, that is, severely. And rest assured, there will be more questions, as this case is examined by other experts”.

“As for Mr. Wilson” added McAllister “and to answer the questions you are surely going to ask me next, we have nothing against you, but whether or not you will be permitted to see your… spouse from now on will largely depend on your cooperation as well”.

“I have no intention of becoming an annoyance or getting in your way, colonel. I’ll not babble about aliens to the media. I just want to go on with my life, my wife beside me” said Mark, dead serious. “I just came back to Earth, back from the dead from all intents and purposes, as I realized when I was back in the hospital. Tomorrow, I will start the paperwork to reinstate my identity. As my first act as a living American citizen, I intend to provide and care for Zava myself from now on, regarding her needs for food, shelter and other… biological needs and their result thereof, with no burden to the American taxpayer whatsoever”.

“Ms. Casafus is not an American, Mr. Wilson” said Dr. Poole. “not even from the same planet we’re on, evidently, and as she herself has declared in front of the media and hundreds of eyewitnesses. Who, when seeing her, can doubt she is not from this Earth? She also is most certainly not human, as tests we have run have made plain”.

“She is still a woman. My wife. A sentient, thinking being, who even speaks English. She is not an animal, and she has committed no crime. She cannot be deported either.”

“Proving she is your common-law wife will require at least two witnesses, according to both California, your home state, and Massachusetts’s law”. Said Dr. Poole.

“They can be found”. Said Betty, defiantly. “I am one of them”.

“As I said, Dr. Poole, colonel McAllister, everyone” cut in Mark, looking around the tent at everyone present “I have no intention of bothering you. But make no mistake, I will do everything in my power to ensure Zava’s physical and psychological well-being and her ultimate freedom. I will exhaust all legal channels, go to the media” At Dr. Poole and McAllister resulting frown, he looked at them and said: “without babbling about invasions or anything that can cause a panic, but I WILL use the media if it will help me make Zava a free woman and be recognized as my lawful wife and as an American. I will go to the president, to Congress, to the UN, whatever, whichever, whenever, however I have to, I will do it; whoever I have to talk into it, I will. I am a man of not inconsiderable resources and influence, as you will see. I will not stop while there is life in me”.

There was a long silence. McAllister was looking at Mark steadily… but not unkindly, now.

“Colonel” said Mark, now pleadingly “Has Zava offered any resistance or threatened anyone”

“No”.

“Did she have any alien weapons or tech on her?”

“No”.

“Have I been anything less than respectful, forthcoming and reasonable? Have I committed ANY felony or crime or legal misdemeanor whatsoever?”

“Not that I can see”. Said McAllister looking at Dr. Poole, who shrugged and shook her head.

“Does Zava strike you as the military, warrior or LEO type?”

“Not in the least”. Replied McAllister. A buzzing sound could be heard.

“Do you honestly, and I ask you this as a husband and from one man to the other, think Zava is any immediate military threat or any kind of trojan horse, an invasion spearhead from otherworldly beings?”

“You’re getting awfully dramatic now” said McAllister, with a lopsided grin “but no, no and no. Personally, she just seems bewildered, although remarkably level-headed, given the circumstances. Honestly and personally, to me, she is just a young woman, a foreigner, accent and all. But I do not have the authority to decide Zava’s fate. That is for my superiors to determine”. The buzzing sound continued, annoyingly.

“There is also the matter of biological hazards for the population at large” chimed in Dr. Poole. “there will have to be some kind of quarantine to be followed”.

“Yet here she is, surrounded by hundreds of people” said Mark. Dr. Poole did not have anything to say to this, avoiding Mark’s gaze. He continued:

“I have made arrangements in the local airport, by renting a hangar, to house Zava in during your quarantine; public access can be better restricted there, proper hygiene better maintained, and we are in an island. She cannot be kept here to piss and crap in front of everyone, lie and roll around in the dirt and die of exposure. Please realize Zava comes from a tropical climate, in a world with higher atmospheric pressure and composition (especially more oxygen), less UV radiation, significantly lower gravity and completely different foodplants and diet. Hell, the weather forecast even says it is going to rain tonight, with temperatures dropping to the forties. She has never experienced anything lower than 50°F, and she puts on her coat (which she does not have now, and she is almost naked!) for anything below 70°, for crying out loud!”.

Mark saw Dr. Poole and McAllister exchange concerned looks. Clearly, they were troubled about Zava getting ill on their watch and had given the matter previous consideration even before Mark showed up. He resumed his plea:

“Let me take care of this. I can help you. I will help you. Just allow me to” his voice broke. “please do not let her get sick and die. I will beg you on my knees if I have to” he started to kneel, but McAllister, shaken, grabbed him by the arm, holding him up.

“That will not be necessary” said McAllister, placated, head lowered in a subdued voice. Mark looked around. Everyone, even Betty, was looking at him with round eyes, in shock. “I will do what I can to help you, and Zava, Mr. Wilson”. Finished colonel McAllister. He opened his mouth to speak further, but then a buzzing could be heard again, and McAllister produced a whirring phone from his pocket. Raising his eyebrows as he looked at the screen, he answered the phone, holding it to his head. He raised a hand, index finger extended upwards in an apologetic gesture to the other tent occupants as he turned away from everyone, heading for the tent’s door.

“Sir. McAllister here” he started, now almost outside the tent “Yes, I have seen it, too. Yes sir. Yes. Yes sir. As a matter of fact, he’s right here with me” he stopped, and turned around, giving a meaningful look at Mark. “Yes, Mr. President. I’ll put you on speaker”.