It was disorientating that I heard not only clicking, but a masculine voice formed words in my mind. “Leave it in. You will need it to survive this planet.”
Slowly, I lowered my hand and grimaced at the feel of something wiggling in my ear. It took several minutes before it stopped and I couldn’t feel it any longer. “Where am I?” I finally asked the blob who spoke to me.
It, or he, shook his head and said, “The annu in my ear will need time to translate your unknown language. Just talk. It is a very fast learner.”
“Okay.” My voice came out shakier than I’d like and I tucked my trembling hands under my legs. The idea that a tiny worm could be so intelligent… “I don’t know what to say. Things have changed so much and I feel lost,” I snorted, a sarcastic sound which doubled as a nervous habit. “What I am saying, is I am lost. I can only pray that my friends made it back to Earth and my mom and dad will not grieve while thinking I’m dead. I hope to get back home one day.”
“It is taking longer than normal. Your language is complicated,” the blob sighed. “You can stay with us if you wish. I am Munic.” He pointed to the other blob. “That is Oddle. We also crashed here.”
I glanced at the one called Oddle. She said, “It is nice to meet you.” The sound that translated in my head was definitely female.
Glancing between the two, I softly said, “I’m Cami, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for saving me back there.” My only answer was rapid blinking. It was odd to watch. Sometimes the three eyes blinked at the same time, but not always. It was hard not to stare at times but I made sure not to offend them… my only allies. “I don’t know what those ant creatures are called but they scared the hell out of me. That poor alien.” I shook my head. “I wonder what will happen to him?” My face scrunched in sad concern.
“They are Humchins, native to this planet,” Munic supplied.
“You can understand me?” I cocked my head to the side, studying the blob that spoke.
“I can. The annu are very intelligent, sentient language translators. They are used throughout the known galaxies.”
I licked my lips as the words known galaxies resonated in my head. With concentration, I slowly asked, “What species are you?”
“We are Jaurians, from the planet Jaur. Like you, we crashed here, but that was a long time ago. The Humchins have some type of homing device that will latch onto unsuspecting small ships and pull them here.”
“A trap!” My eyes widened in surprise. Was such a thing even possible? Were they so advanced that they could trap a ship and pull it in?
“I do not know if it is a trap, but many ships crash here.”
“But why? Why would they do such a thing?”
“This planet is one of the lowest in the known galaxies. Many illegal and dishonest things happen here. There are no laws and the Humchins do as they please.”
Well, that’s great! Of all the places to crash, I ended up on the lowest of the low. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
“You are welcome. Oddle watched as the pod crashed, so we hurried to your rescue. Your species is unknown to us and the Humchins would snatch you up quickly.”
With that thought I involuntarily shivered. Was that why they were outside? Were they trying to find the crashed pod? I couldn’t imagine what the Humchins would do to me and didn’t want to think about it. Glancing up at Munic, I said, “I am a human from the planet Earth. The ship I was piloting encountered a meteor shower which knocked out navigation controls and the life support system. The crew escaped in the evac pods but mine got knocked off course and then engulfed in a black hole.” My fingers twisted the fabric of the cloak. “I don’t remember anything else.” My eyes drifted to the silent Oddle, who looked excited for some reason. It didn’t take long to learn the reason.
“You are a pilot?” Munic inquired.
“I am.”
“Can you pilot any ship?”
“I would say yes, but my NI needs to translate the language. Without that…” I tightened my lips together for a moment. “Without the NI’s help, I could manage if I could read the controls, but I can’t just flip switches and hope for the best. That would be very reckless of me.”
“What is this NI?”
“It’s short for Neuro-ocular Implant. I have an interactive ocular implant that allows me to access information, even give commands with a thought. It’s like having the World Wide Web at my fingertips. Okay, not my fingers but you get the idea.”
“What is a World Wide Web?”
“It’s a… never mind.” I shook my head in aggravation. “The point is that I need to learn the language if I have any chance of piloting a ship. I hope you don’t mind, I uploaded my language to your computer. Hopefully my NI can learn and translate, allowing me to at least read your language.”
Munic nodded his head in understanding while Oddle just stared and listened to the two of us. “I will help you,” Munic offered. “I fix gadgets to earn some coins for trade. If you have uploaded your language, I’ll work with your NI and help it learn a translation program.”
“You can do that?” I raised my eyebrow in surprise.
Munic grinned, showing little tiny white nubs for teeth. “I worked with our government before we crashed here. All types of technology are easy for me.”
While I sat there, excited about the possibilities, Oddle held out a bowl filled with steaming hot yellow soup. Her high-pitched voice startled me when she said, “I know you must be hungry. This is all that we have to eat.”
I reached for the bowl, cupping my hands around it. “Thank you,” I said with a half-smile. There were small chunks of something floating in the soup, but I didn’t dare ask what it could be. Holding the bowl close to my nose, I sniffed. It had a strange odor. Not good. Not bad. I lifted the small bowl to my lips, letting a little of the hot liquid swirl on my tongue and slide down my throat. It tasted a little sweet with a bitter aftertaste. I held the grimace at bay, not wanting to offend Oddle and Munic. With a grateful smile, I said, “Thank you,” once again and sipped the soup from the bowl.
When I finished, Oddle smiled and accepted the empty bowl that I handed her before leaving the room. My attention turned back to Munic, who had taken a seat in a chair opposite me.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up here?” The more we knew about each other the better. I already trusted them…him, but I needed more.
Munic stared down at his clasped hands briefly before catching my eyes. “Oddle and I were vacationing off planet. We hadn’t even noticed that we’d veered off course until it was too late. Just like you, we crashed nearby and one of the locals rescued us before the Humchins came.”
“I don’t understand.” My eyes drew close together. “If you were on your own ship then why do you need a pilot?”
He grinned sadly. “I’m good with electronics… not mechanics. Someone programmed the two-man ship with the destination coordinates. I didn’t have to do anything but enjoy the ride. We weren’t going very far.”
“Why did your people not look for you?”
It was strange that his three eyes looked sad. “They would never come here. We are smart,” he pointed to his head. “We develop technology to trade with other planets, but we do not fight.”
“Never?” I raised my eyebrow. On Earth, it was second nature to fight for what you wanted or believed in. It took centuries to put such notions behind us. To compromise and behave like intelligent human beings. Oh, fights still broke out, but it wasn’t as common as it used to be.
Munic shook his head. “Never. Jaur has a force field to protect it from invaders, but if anyone ever breeched it, the government, the entire planet, would just surrender.”
“Seriously?” My eyebrows raised with that incredulous statement. Just thinking that an entire planet would give up was almost beyond comprehension. Before Earth had united under one ruler, we had fought war after war.
“Do we look like fighters?” he asked and then s
ilently waited for a reply, his three eyes blinking independently.
I chuckled for the first time since landing here. “No, you don’t.”
“That’s because we are not,” he said with a smile. After a moment of comfortable silence, Munic stood. “Come on, I will show you where you can sleep. I’m sure Oddle has made a pallet for you.”
I followed him down a very short hallway. When he came to a door, Munic stepped aside and allowed my entrance. It was a small empty room with only a pallet covered with thick blankets in the center.
“I’m sorry, but this is all we have.”
My eyes slid to Munic’s before giving him a soft smile. “This is great. Thank you.” He nodded and then walked away. I quietly closed the door behind me.
Walking over to the pallet, I dropped to my knees and crawled to the center of the bed, and laid on my side in the fetal position. I cried for the failed mission. I cried for my friends. I cried for myself and this terrible turn of events. But most of all, I cried for my parents who would grieve for a child that still lived. All the fear I held inside washed away with each drop of tears that flowed like a river down my blotchy cheeks.
As my tears finally slowed, I sniffed loudly and tried to push all the sadness away. That had no place in my life. Fear and sadness had never gotten me anywhere. What I needed was a plan mixed with fierce determination. When the translation program was finished, I would study hard to learn everything I possibly could. And when the time came, I’d seize the opportunity to get not only myself, but Munic and Oddleoff this planet. I would see my parents again!
3
____________________
A Plan
The next morning, I woke to the harsh light glaring through the tiny window in my room. It didn’t bathe the room in soft white light like my yellow sun. Instead, it filled it with a harsh red, tinting everything to its color. As cold as it was last night, this morning gave way to heat as sweat dripped from my brow. “What the hell,” I murmured as I threw the covers off my legs and hopped out of bed. I found the cloak and wrapped it around my body. The last thing I wanted was to traipse around in my thin t-shirt and boy shorts. What had they done with my space suit?
I found Munic and Oddle sitting at the small dining room table. “Good morning,” I said as I walked in and took a seat. Not knowing the boundaries, I didn’t dare help myself.
“Good morning,” Oddle replied. Munic only nodded and went back to his --- I almost grimaced ---bowl of yellow soup. Is that all they had to eat?
Oddle set another bowl of yellow soup in front of me and I gave her a tight smile of thanks. I took the spoon and swirled it around in the liquid, trying to figure out what was in it.
Oddle must have read my mind, either that or she noticed my intense concentration. “It’s a blend of protein, vitamins, and minerals our bodies require. Munic came up with the concoction. It doesn’t taste very good but it does sustain us. It’s also cheap to make.”
“I wonder if its nutrition is enough to sustain me?” I knew it was still better than the alternative. At least I landed on a planet where someone gave me shelter and food.
“We have never encountered your species before so time will tell,” Munic chimed in. “When you finish eating, we will work on the universal translation program.”
“Universal?” My brow furrowed in question.
“A standard universal language spoken by the known galaxies.” I nodded in understanding. Of course, they would have to have a common language to communicate with each other, especially without the translator.
I ate my soup and then followed Munic into the small living room. We worked on the program most of the day. He would stop occasionally to work on a gadget for the neighbors. That’s how he and Oddle made what little money they had.
One day turned into two, then three. After about five days, the program was complete, so I interfaced it with my ocular implant. Information scrolled in front of me. Letters…symbols… it felt like learning a foreign language, and in most ways, it was exactly like that. It wasn’t a strange concept; I’d done it before with the different languages on Earth.
Each day turned into the same routine. I spent most of my time studying the information. Munic was always around to answer any questions. We spent meals talking about our homes. They quickly became family to me, their forms forgotten. I no longer saw them as blue blobs, but as Oddle and Munic.
Other species had come and gone from the house, but I always hid in the back room. Munic thought it was best to remain unseen. I did have a lot of information available on each species, so I would know who to avoid and who to somewhat trust.
I’d been here about a month, maybe two. Who could tell anymore? As I sat on the back step in the dead of night, I stared at the stars. They didn’t look anything like home. No Big or Little Dipper. Nothing looked familiar. I pulled the cloak flaps tighter together, enjoying the feel of being outside without a mask. I hid from everyone, but every now and then, I’d sneak out here when the walls closed in on me. Tonight was different. I’d finished the translation program and now could understand and speak universally…mostly. But I could read it, which was more important. Time to put the next part of our plan into action.
“Cami, you need to eat before you go,” Oddle said as she sat the hot yellow soup down in front of me.”
“Thanks, Oddle, but I’m too nervous.”
“You still need to eat,” she chided.
“Oddle,” I gave her my best smile, “If this works, I will not miss your soup. Not even a little tiny bit.” My brows raised in teasing.
She laughed. “Neither will I. Do you know how long we have had to eat this stuff?”
“One day is too long.” I shot Oddle a smile and then started eating.
When I finished the soup, I stood and faced a solemn Munic.
He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and looked me square in the eyes. “Are you ready?”
Lifting my hand to cover one of his, I let out a nervous chuckle. “No.”
“You don’t have to do this.” His worried voice warmed my heart.
One side of my lips tipped up as I said, “Yes, I do.”
His eyes searched my face, looking for signs of apprehension or doubt. He nodded slightly. “Alright. Remember what I taught you.”
Swallowing hard, I promised, “I will.”
“If anything goes wrong, just get back here. Don’t worry about the coins.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“Good. Now tell me what you plan to do again.”
“Keep the cloak on so no one can see my face. I head south until I reach the fight club. Then I use the machines on the walls to make a bet and hope I win.”
“Good. Don’t forget to go back to the same machine to collect your winnings.”
“Here,” Oddle handed me some cloth, “I made them for you.”
I unfolded the clothes and noticed the gloves she’d made with her own cloak. Tears filled my eyes. They didn’t have much, but they had given me everything they had. I had to succeed. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
Looking back at Munic, I asked, “So, I really don’t need to talk to anyone?” Was everything truly automated? That was the best scenario possible. Anyone I spoke to would not understand right away. According to Munic and Oddle, my language is unknown.
“No. The more invisible you remain the better.”
“Okay. What about the Humchins?”
“That’s why you are going at night. They never venture outside after dark. Dusk, but not night time. We need a lot of light so our eyes are not suited for it.” Munic let out a small, regretful sound. “The streets will be packed and so will the fight club. I’ve been told that the night time is filled with…” He cleared his throat. “If at any time you do not feel comfortable, just come back and we will find another way.”
I shot them my most reassuring smile. “Okay.” But it wasn’t okay. The best thing for us was win enough mone
y to buy passage from this planet. If that didn’t work, then I would risk stealing a ship if that’s what it came down to. One way or another, I was getting out of here and I was taking them with me!
Munic held out his hand, showing two silver coins. I hated taking them from him. He’d worked all month fixing gadgets for others, and this was all he had to show for it.
I clutched my hand tightly around the coins, treating them like gold.
“Be careful, Cami from Earth.”
I smiled at my friend. He was so different, but also the same. He and Oddle treated me like family and worried for my safety. “I will. Thank you for everything, Munic.”
He wrapped his short stick arms around me, giving me a big hug. Even though he reminded me of Jell-O, I couldn’t help but hug him back. Stepping back from him, I looked to both Oddle and Munic. “Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t talk like that!” Oddle reprimanded. “We will see you in the morning.”
I laughed. How could I not? She sounded like a mother giving me an order. “I will see you in the morning.” One last look with a dose of courage, and I headed out.
A sliver of fear ran down my arms, my heart pounded. I knew I had to do this, had to find a way off this planet. I couldn’t fathom the three of us living forever in that tiny house; that wasn’t an option. I pressed on. The streets lay abandoned…ominous… so I glanced at the sky and tried to shake the fear. It wasn’t the stars I read about, seen pictures in books, they were in the wrong positions. Oh, how I once dreamed about flying through space, finding new worlds. And here I was, the only human alien unable to show my face for fear of what might happen.
My heart raced, but I kept moving. Munic explained it would take at least forty-five minutes to walk the distance. I knew when I was getting closer to town, more people milled around. I glanced up, and in the distance I spotted the building he had described. A tall, round dome laced with windows stood grander than any other in sight. I bit my lower lip between my teeth. There lay our fate, our escape from this planet.
Zorvak's Rescue: Compatibles Page 3