Flower-of-Sands_The Extraordinary Adventures of a Female Astronaut

by Grahame R. Smith

  ‘Thank you, Seraphina. I cannot believe that the Marleeseen have allowed me access to your planet. I am not truly worthy.’

  A burst of laughter from the surrounding Marleeseen. Flowers and tiny clouds of substances erupted around her in fragrant and tingling excitement – harmless, yet distracting.

  She felt woozy, happy, surprised, and self-conscious. ‘What … was … that?’ She said between coughs

  ‘Come,’ her host sang. ‘You must be hungry and thirsty. You have heard about Marleeseen food and beverage.’

  ‘Yes, I have been warned.’ Flower-of-Sands spoke with mock suspicion, expecting more missiles. Instead, the nearby Marleeseen burst into triumphant laughter.

  ‘Is there something in the food?’ Flower-of-Sands asked the delectable Seraphina as happiness cursed through her, rendering her incapable of moving. They were sitting on a grassy slope overlooking a river that wound through trees and around flower-leavened habitats. ‘I feel so happy, so content and peaceful, so at one with everything. However, I don’t think I could function like this. I can hardly move.’

  ‘That will pass,’ Seraphina said taking her hand. ‘We needed to heal you of deep hurt. You have seen a world where there is no light. You have not behaved badly, as you tell yourself. You simply sought relief from the oppressive darkness that had endeavoured to imprison you, and from frustration at not finding your precious intergalactic drives. You just went in the wrong direction. Easily done, sweet Flower.’

  ‘How did you know about that; the intergalactic drives, I mean?’ Flower-of-Sands was astonished.

  ‘The Marleeseen are all-knowing,’ Seraphina said slyly. ‘And in that, by the way, we can help.’

  ‘Can you? Oh Mother, can you?’

  ‘That is why you are here, is it not?’

  ‘Yes, it is, primarily.’ Flower-of-Sands felt hope growing within her, but was wary; she had had so many disappointments. ‘You have ships or “somethings” here?’

  ‘We have many ships as many come here, and many “somethings”, as you put it, but first you must sleep.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t want to sleep. Not at a time like this.’

  Like an experienced mother, Seraphina folded her wings around Flower-of-Sands, who, for a few seconds, resisted, before exhaling deeply and falling into deep sleep.

  They soared above clouds in breath-taking flight. Seraphina held Flower-of-Sands in a grip that was at once gentle and strong. An invisible envelope protected her from the rigours of altitude, hi-gees, freezing temperatures, and lack of breathable air.

  Below, the sea rotated and glistened as they began a slow descent. They were approaching an island of waterfalls, forests, and animal habitats. White sands glowed warm and inviting. Fields, cultivated by rows of workers wearing large sunhats, were rich with vegetation and grains. It was difficult to imagine a star ship with an intergalactic drive somewhere within this.

  They landed close to a leafy kitchen set beside a balcony garden that overlooked a jungle valley. Tables and chairs occupied an area beneath overhanging trees. A path led up from a plateau that was slightly lower than the kitchen garden, where there were habitats made from translucent substances and vegetation. Three creatures were walking slowly up the path towards the kitchen garden. Flower-of-Sands gave a gasp of surprise, disbelief, and wonder.

  ‘Holy Mother, I don’t believe it – Shiloramedel! But how? I thought they had departed from this part of the universe.’

  ‘They all come here,’ Seraphina smiled happily, ‘even when they have departed. You see, we host many races, beings that are about to transform, evolve, that come here to celebrate peace, to recuperate after long journeys, after special assignments. We even have Zanasareen in the southern hemisphere, maybe even nearer – I lose track sometimes – even although I am all-knowing.’

  ‘But how, Seraphina, how do they know to come here?’

  ‘Frequency. Races that have achieved a high degree of consciousness know we are here. They find us.’

  ‘And what about the space pirates. Will they not attack?’

  ‘Basically, races like the pirates see us as repellent, and stay away. The presence of the Marleeseen is like poison to races such as your so-called pirates. We would like to help them. We have approached them with a view to rehabilitation. They are not interested. In some circumstances, we use certain methods to deflect them. Mostly, we do not have to; mostly we scare them off just by being what we are.’

  Flower-of-Sands was thoughtful but said nothing. Seraphina read her thoughts. ‘You are a good person Flower, despite what you think. And in case you were wondering, your qualification for being here is openness.’

  ‘Openness? I don’t understand.’

  ‘I think you do. Openness is the threshold to wonderful things. You can see many possibilities in a situation. That is why the Shiloramedel have chosen you.’

  ‘Chosen me? The Shiloramedel have chosen me, me?’ Flower-of-Sands words were barely audible.

  The Shiloramedel had now reached them. The central one was pure gold exuding visible waves of violet and silver. The outer two were blue filtering shades of gold and silver. Hair flowed above and around them. They were humanoid with four arms and appeared to walk slightly above the ground, their clothing and bodies integrating into a single exquisite cylinder.

  The golden one spoke, his voice like an opera, ‘Our-Flower-of-Sands, this is an auspicious meeting. To see one of your race again is indeed glorious.’ A universe flowed through Flower-of-Sands as she touched a delicate, beautiful hand offered her. She remembered that the energy level of the Shiloramedel was so high that they ate and drank music. However, the golden one gestured for them to sit in the cafe.

  One of the blue Shiloramedel brushed past her as they sat and she thought she would pass out. She had heard stories of the Shiloramedel lovemaking skills and quickly suppressed that thought, but it was too late, the glorious blue creature had caught it. She gasped as a sweet breath passed across her breasts. Seraphina sat beside her and placed a hand on her wrist. This grounded her and she began to breathe deeply as a calm mood spread over her.

  ‘You are happy here?’ the golden voice reverberated. ‘My name is Sunna.’ He then gestured to the delicious blue creatures, pointing first to the one who had brushed past her. ‘This one here is Lume-reborn. She is gender transcendent and is enamoured by your presence. And this here is Elsinore of the Golden Sands. He is also gender transcendent.’

  A Marleeseen waiter appeared with beverages and delicacies. The Shiloramedel accepted everything offered them, which surprised Flower-of-Sands. She felt she was on the threshold of complete disorientation.

  ‘So, you like this planet?’ Sunna asked her again

  ‘Yes, I love it. It is a bit too much for me, though. I don’t think I am quite ready for Paradise. I can hardly put one foot in front of the other.’

  ‘We consider you to be ready,’ Lume-reborn quivered in a voice like the sky.

  Flower-of-Sands felt breathless and astonished that the Shiloramedel seemed to respect her.

  Suddenly they all burst into laughter. Surprised, she saw a funny side and doubled up with the sheer folly of it and took a long gulp of the beverage that had been placed before her.

  What happened after that was difficult for her to comprehend – idle gossip, light-hearted exchange between gods, or perhaps the sharing of eternal truths. It felt profound yet the stuff of comedy – Divine Comedy, she thought, remembering her Earth studies.

  ‘I understood the Shiloramedel had left this part of the universe,’ she said in one of her more lucid moments.

  Lume-reborn directed her delicious gaze towards her. ‘It is true that we have departed from humanity. We are still here, but invisible to your people and to the people of Earth and planets like Earth.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘The people of the Confederacy, evolved and advanced as they are, have slipped back from how they were in the days of Omegali. They seek to manipulate their envi
ronment and have turned towards introspection rather than expand into the Oneness of the universe. For this, they have voluntarily lost (temporarily, we hope) their intergalactic status.’

  ‘So, is it the Shiloramedel that have been preventing me from finding the Shiloramedel drives?’

  ‘No, it is not, my-Flower,’ Lume-reborn said. ‘We encourage the expansion of civilization, of exploration, provided it is accompanied by an appropriate level of consciousness, which in your case it is. No, there is another force at play, one that wishes humanity to stay exactly where it is.’

  ‘Come, we will show you your ship,’ Elsinore said in vibrant baritone.

  The blue lovebirds lifted her into the air. She quivered at their touch, but managed a semblance of control as they floated her over grassland to an expanding clearing. It was a spaceport. So, they do have spaceports on Paradise, she thought.

  ‘Yes, we do,’ Seraphina said, flying beside her. ‘They are camouflaged in many ways. This one we hide inside a dimensional shift. From space, it is simply not there.’

  They landed and walked towards an exhibit of space yachts, placed at seemingly random distances from one another. The yachts displayed a beauty of form matched only by the innate power emanating from them. The colours were vivid and arresting – curving whites studded with silver, gold, blue, crimson, and green. Some were orange, sleek and curious in perspective as if even at rest they were connected to the awesome powers and radiations that would propel them across intergalactic space.

  Seraphina, who had been floating a little above them, gently landed and walked alongside. Flower-of-Sands found herself surprised by how tall Seraphina was when walking upright rather than flying, something she had previously failed to notice. She smiled wryly to herself. Surprise was currently her basic state. Part of her loved the novelty of what was happening to her, but part longed to be unsurprised, to find a place where surprise was not a continuous feature of her default experience. Just to relax with a cocktail, beside a pool, in the sun, and not be continuously surprised, amazed, and speechless.

  ‘They have a lovely ship prepared for you, Flower,’ Seraphina said.

  Again, surprise. ‘But how did they know? I have only just arrived.’

  Before them was a deep-black ship, which, despite being black, shone from within. It was difficult to see where it began and ended as its edges merged into the surrounding landscape. Flower-of-Sands guessed it was a hundred metres long and 50 metres wide at its highest point. It was a curved cylinder, or a cone – saucer shaped, multi-dimensional. Something about it indicated speed, even although it was stationary.

  ‘This is your ship – basically,’ Seraphina said.

  ‘It’s magnificent,’ Flower-of-Sands said, breathless with awe. ‘How do you mean, basically?’

  ‘My-Flower.’ Sunna, who had reappeared after disappearing for a while, adding to her general feeling of unreality. ‘Part of this ship is in orbit on the furthest Marleeseen space station. The holy-drive awaits you there – after your training.’

  ‘Training? What for?’

  ‘For intergalactic travel and what may lie beyond,’ Seraphina said. ‘Just because we live on a planet that you choose to call Paradise, does not mean that we do not have training, when needed.’

  ‘How long will this training last?’

  Seraphina was thoughtful in a manner that was teasing. ‘Depends. Possibly six of your months. Three of ours.’

  Flower-of-Sands was not able to hide her disappointment, as if she could hide anything from the Shiloramedel or the Marleeseen.

  ‘When do I begin?’

  ‘Tomorrow, sweet Flower.’ Seraphina rose laughing into the air. ‘But first, we must show you around what is to be your deep intergalactic habitat.’

  Sunna disappeared again, and Flower-of-Sands gasped as the blues gently took hold of her and lifted her towards the smooth blackness that was to be her ship. An opening formed within a dazzling, multi-coloured curve. Panels and holograms opened and shifted around her. Manoeuvring will be difficult, she thought as the surrounding dimensions threatened to overwhelm her.

  They entered the bridge and her brain and plant-net began making sense of its complexity. Gradually things came into focus; somehow, her mind was processing her environment. As a control panel formed into comprehensible formations and holo decks and luminous screens began to morph into familiar forms, she realized her training had already started.

  She sat for a long time absorbing the energies and communication systems of the space yacht. Finally, she turned to Seraphina.

  ‘Where are my living quarters?’ Her voice trembled with excitement.

  Seraphina took her hand and steered her to the transition gallery – a luminous tube network stretched across the ship like a circulatory system. The blues by now had departed.

  ‘Living quarters,’ Seraphina chanted softly.

  They moved quickly down a central tubing, veered to what Flower-of-Sands felt was left, and slid into a formless …

  At first, she could not make it out. Everything felt liquid, bubbling, and almost frantic. She felt as if she was in a tank of elusive water creatures. She turned to leave, but Seraphina took her arm and told her to wait.

  ‘The ship is assessing your needs and preferences. You will like it, when it has done.’

  A long time passed. Suddenly, Flower-of-Sands was standing in her ideal apartment. There was a living room with beautiful furniture, including a large sofa on which she longed to collapse, plants reaching up to the ceiling, and veiled kaleidoscopic lighting from the ceiling. A simple white table supported a vase of flowers and various screens, tablets, and holo-decks. The floor was white and resplendent, the walls tastefully decorated with pictures and holo-photos. A discreet photo of Ninthe stood on a dressing table beside her bunk. A narrow passage led through into a kitchen area stacked with food arches. Another short passage led through a wine cellar to a small bathing pool with subsidiary showers and hot tubs, all sculptured in marble.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ Flower-of-sands swore in English.

  ‘I’m sorry?’ Seraphina said.

  ‘I was just expressing my amazement, Seraphina.’

  ‘Well, that is good, because this is your new home. This is where you will stay throughout your training which starts …’

  ‘Tomorrow, yes, I know.’

  ‘I and my friends are at your disposal. Think of me, and I will come, or, if I am busy, another Marleeseen will come.’

  Flower-of-Sands was quiet for a few seconds. Then, ‘I feel at home with you Seraphina, I hope it will be you who comes.’

  ‘You will soon grow accustomed to our planet. Then you will be at home with any of us, even the most outlandish.’

  ‘How will I know the way off the ship? And where does my training take place?’

  ‘Some of it will take place on the ship, but worry not, Flower; the ship will take care of you. Simply ask and the ship will reveal all. The ship has already modified to suit your needs and will continue to do so as time passes.’

  Seraphina kissed her gently on the forehead, rose towards the ceiling, and, like a giant insect, floated away.

  Flower-of-Sands busied herself around her apartment, had a swim and a shower, ordered food and drink from one of the food arches, and settled down with holo-decks and screens to study the ship.

  Which answered all her questions, working with her, forming a symbiosis, a reciprocity. She worked for hours, her plant-net responding to the winds of the Shiloramedel technology that verged into the biological, backing up information, flowing into and uniting with the ship’s non-local structures and complexities.

  Eventually, she slept and woke an hour later with her head close to a holo of complicated equations. Barely able to stand because she was so tired, she stumbled towards her bunk, peeling off most of her clothes as she went, and collapsing in a heap.

  To her surprise, she did not sleep immediately, but lay awake thinking of the wonder of it all and how everyt
hing had worked out. (Almost worked out, she reminded herself, thinking of Ninthe.)

  After sleeping a while, a stirring above her bed woke her. An exquisite perfume filled her airways and seemed to seep into her organs. She felt languid, yielding, sleepy, but stirred.

  Then she knew. Oh no, she said aloud, half-heartedly, already sighing with pleasure. One on each side, the blues descended. A satin-silk rustle was a caress from heaven.

  ‘It’s the two of you,’ she said with a sense of inevitability. ‘I’m not surprised.’

  ‘We are enamoured of you,’ Lume-reborn whispered with a voice that made her catch her breath. ‘We have come to play with you, Our-Flower.’

  Flower-of-Sands had retired without fully undressing. Somehow, the blues removed what little clothing she wore. She felt a hand on her abdomen, exactly on her favourite place. She trembled as another joined it.

  Eight hands were now all over her and it was too much. She began to shake uncontrollably. Four of the hands withdrew and she felt more relaxed. She tried to slow things down even more and asked, ‘What does gender transcendent mean?’

  Delicious lips found hers and the missing hands re-entered the arena of bliss. She felt as if they were passing her from one to the other and each passing was indescribably beautiful, a mounting chorus of ecstasy, a rhapsody of multiple sensations. After swooning repeatedly, she passed out.

  She woke well into the following day refreshed, invigorated, and ready for work. Whatever the Shiloramedel had done to her, it had not made her into an addict. On the contrary, the past night was highly pleasurable, but she was ready to move on. After a shower and breakfast, she made her way out of the ship, which she had decided to call Seeker.

  It was a glorious day and she knew that there were many glorious days to come. She was not sure exactly where to go, but followed her instincts. Finding a grassy path, she made her way across a large park filled with Marleeseen, animals, and creatures from all the cosmos. In the distance, she could see kite-like creatures that she guessed were the Zanasareen, those semi-corporeal beings that hundreds of years ago had lived alongside her race.