Retconned

Spaced Out

Jan 21st, 2018
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  1. [[THIS STORY CONTAINS A CIPHERED ALIEN LANGUAGE. A TRANSLATION IS HERE: https://pastebin.com/Pz83GzPi]]
  2.  
  3. <But I recommend reading without it first!>
  4.  
  5. >"...and in other news, we're expecting to see a meteor shower around 11:00 PM, so watch out for that."
  6. >Whoop. That's your cue! You grab your telescope and logbook and head off to your usual spot.
  7. >You've been stargazing for years now; space has always fascinated you. You eventually moved out into the countryside to get away from all the artificial lights of the city.
  8. >It's much more peaceful out here. No neighbors, not much traffic, and the best part? You have access to Halley's Hill, the best spot in the county for gazing up at the night sky.
  9. >Tonight's very clear, perfect to see the incoming meteor shower. You get your telescope set up and glance down at your watch.
  10. >10:55 PM. T-minus 5 minutes till the shower starts. Plenty of time to get comfy.
  11. >You unfold the small chair you brought along and take a seat. You're now ready for anything the sky could throw at you.
  12. >You watch with anticipation as the minutes tick by. 10:56. 10:57. 10:58. 10:59...
  13. >Suddenly, just as the clock strikes eleven, you see a brilliant purple flash in the sky. Before you can react, there's a deafening bang at the base of the hill. The ground shakes from some massive impact.
  14.  
  15. >Cautiously, you walk down the hill to where you think the impact was. Smoke rises up from a crater that was definitely not there yesterday.
  16. >You peer over the edge of the crater, and are taken aback by what you see.
  17. >"No way... this has to be a joke."
  18. >It's a flying saucer. Or, it was. It's utterly totaled from its landing. It seems to be made of a highly reflective, black metal.
  19. >You can hear alarms and sirens screeching from within it, and they're slowly growing quieter. You can also hear something more... disconcerting.
  20. >It sounds as if somebody, or someTHING is inside the wreckage.
  21. >Though every sci-fi horror film you've ever seen flashes through your head, you still feel the urge to investigate.
  22. >You grab your flashlight and climb down into the crater. As you look over the wreck, you come across what seems to be some type of... escape pod. It looks like it didn't eject before landing, and the shock jarred it loose.
  23. >An indicator light, labeled in a language you don't recognize, gently glows purple. You can hear steady, faint breathing from inside the metallic pod.
  24. >A large green button glows warmly, jutting out from under the indicator light.
  25.  
  26. >You briefly consider that this saucer could be salvaged for a tidy sum... but think better of it. There's something ALIVE in here, after all.
  27. >You hesitantly press the irresistible green button. There's a loud computerized beep, and a hiss.
  28. >You step back as a door automatically opens up on the escape pod. A humanoid figure stands silhouetted in stark white light.
  29. >The figure steps forwards, out of the pod. You do a double take when you see what it is.
  30. >The figure standing before you is covered in what seems to be black fur. It stands considerably taller than you, but is lithe and lean. It stands on two long, digitigrade legs, between which is tucked a bushy tail.
  31. >Your eyes slowly scan upwards, and you soon find yourself with an eyeful of tit. Indeed, it seems the figure is female, as she has moderately sized, perky breasts. Black nipples gently peek through her fur.
  32. >You continue to look over her, and your eyes meet a rather advanced-looking helmet. It's obviously shaped to fit a nonhuman head, and it resembles something you've seen before...
  33. >The helmet is shaped like a jackal's head.
  34. >The front half of the helmet is obviously shaped for the being's head, and is made of an opaque glass, it seems. The back half is similarly fit, but metallic. Two pointed ears jut from slots in the helmet.
  35. >The being stares at you in pointed silence.
  36.  
  37. >You have to admit: you're a little freaked out. You're face to face with an actual alien of some kind. Even though she hasn't made any kind of move, your heart pounds.
  38. >You do you absolute best not to show your nerves, and also try not to look threatening. You raise your hands to show that you're unarmed and step back a short distance.
  39. >The figure follows your movements with her head, still standing silently.
  40. >You carefully raise your hand and reach out towards her. She makes no move, and merely watches your hand.
  41. >Eventually, you make contact with the glass of her helmet. It's frigid to the touch. You hear a surprised gasp from inside the helmet, and quickly withdraw your hand.
  42. >She looks a bit apprehensive now, gently shaking all over. She raises a trembling hand and reaches out towards you. Before long, she gently touches your face.
  43. >The fur on her hand is soft and smooth. You can't help but gasp, and she quickly snaps her hand away from you.
  44. >Though it's stupid, you blurt out a phrase that's swimming around in your head.
  45. >"Ayyy, lmao."
  46. >The alien tilts her head in obvious confusion. She holds this pose for a moment, and then speaks, in a language you don't understand.
  47. >"Pkhwh lx yklx?"
  48. >Though you have no idea what she said, it's apparent it was a question of some kind by the tone of her voice.
  49.  
  50. >Your brain tries desperately to understand the alien's speech, and gets nowhere fast. Though you have a faint impression of what to say.
  51. >"This is Earth; I mean you no harm. Where are you from?"
  52. >The alien stares, head still tilted. She clears her throat and speaks again.
  53. >"Qdnhx rt xhrxh."
  54. >Hmm. Maybe you should go heavy on the body language; doesn't feel like she understands.
  55. >You gesture to the ground.
  56. >"This... is... Earth."
  57. >You point at yourself, then at her, then make a peace sign.
  58. >"I... won't... hurt you."
  59. >You point at her, then her ship.
  60. >"Where... are... you... from?"
  61. >She continues to look a bit confused, and you can hear her muttering quietly under her breath.
  62. >She points at you cautiously, then at herself, then violently pounds her fist into the palm of her hand. She then makes a quiet, confused sound.
  63. >"No, no; I won't hurt you."
  64. >You shake your head no and wave your hands to the same effect. She seems to vaguely understand, and relaxes a bit.
  65.  
  66. >You think about trying to help her understand you a bit better. You point at the ground again.
  67. >"Earth."
  68. >She looks down at the ground, then back up at you. You repeat yourself a few times. She suddenly tilts her head and speaks.
  69. >"...EARTH?"
  70. >You nod vigorously. She seems to be proud of herself and nods in return.
  71. >"EARTH."
  72. >She hesitates, then points at the ground before again repeating herself.
  73. >"EARTH?"
  74. >You nod again, and she seems satisfied.
  75. >She pauses, then gently puts a hand to her head.
  76. >Thinking about it, you wonder if she may be hurt from the crash. You gently point at her, then at the crashed saucer.
  77. >She seems a bit confused, and gently rubs the side of her helmet.
  78. >"Udlr..."
  79. >She reaches a hand out towards you, and you gently grab it. You get the sense that she wants you to lead her out of the crater.
  80. >With some effort, you climb out. You then reach down to pull her up.
  81. >To your shock, despite her being taller than you, she's pretty light. You have no trouble pulling her up and out of the crater.
  82. >She looks at you expectantly, and continues to clutch at her head occasionally.
  83.  
  84. >Thinking she probably needs rest, you slowly lead her back to your house, at the opposite side of Halley's Hill. She follows you cautiously, obviously tense and constantly scanning her surroundings.
  85. >Occasionally you can hear her muttering to herself in her strange language. However, she speaks too quietly for you to make out anything.
  86. >Sometimes she'll look down at the ground and repeat the only English word she seems to understand.
  87. >"EARTH..."
  88. >Every time she says it, you nod in response. One time, you smile at her.
  89. >She immediately flinches and growls slightly. You realize she thinks you're baring your teeth at her, and immediately try to calm her down.
  90. >Eventually, she stops growling, and begins to follow you again. Albeit at a farther distance than before.
  91. >Before long, the two of you arrive at your house. She stands outside your door as you walk in. She tilts her head and speaks.
  92. >"Whxlghrfh?"
  93. >You don't understand, but beckon for her to enter, which she does hesitantly. You lead her into your guest room, and gently pat the bed.
  94. >She cautiously presses a hand against it, and seems mystified at the softness of the mattress.
  95. >You sit down on the bed and continue to pat on it. She eventually sits down herself, then suddenly collapses backwards onto it.
  96. >She lays on her back, helmet cradled in a pillow, and stares at the ceiling. At least, you assume so; you can't see her face due to the opaque glass.
  97. >You stand over her and mimic her clutching at her head earlier. She gently rubs the side of her helmet, and her ears droop slightly.
  98.  
  99. >You're still trying to figure out how best to talk with her. You think about leading her to your computer and using pictures to teach her, but...
  100. >You're pretty sure she needs to rest. You also consider sketching up what you want to say on some paper, but you left your pen and logbook behind at the hilltop. You also worry about leaving her alone too long; she's probably hurt.
  101. >She doesn't look too comfortable, likely due to her helmet. You point at it, then make a gesture suggesting to pull it off.
  102. >She immediately responds with a frightened gasp, and shakes her head no.
  103. >"Rhfhxxdwc itw xzwslsdo!"
  104. >Whatever she just said, she's obviously panicked. You step back and make it clear you're not going to take her helmet off.
  105. >She pants in apparent terror for a moment, then seems to calm down. She then clutches her head and moans uncomfortably.
  106. >"Udlr..."
  107. >You quickly run to the kitchen and grab an ice pack for her head.
  108. >You gently press the ice pack against her temple. Though she keeps the helmet on, she at least seems to appreciate the coolness of it.
  109.  
  110. >Still leaning over her, you try to teach her another word. You point at yourself.
  111. >"Human."
  112. >She weakly tilts her head as you repeat yourself a few times. Eventually, you gesture for her to respond.
  113. >"...udlr..."
  114. >Hm. You try to think of a way to help her feel better. You run into the kitchen, then return with a glass of water and an ibuprofen.
  115. >She stares at what you've brought, and tenses up a little. She shakily points at the glass of water.
  116. >"Jodxx ti...?"
  117. >You think about how to explain it, then have a wonderful idea. You quickly grab a textbook from your college days and flip through it. You eventually find what you're looking for: an H20 molecule.
  118. >You point at it, then at the glass of water. The alien looks back and forth, then sighs and collapses back onto the pillow, holding her head.
  119. >"Udlr..."
  120. >You hold up the pill and mime taking it with the glass of water. She seems to watch you, but makes no movements.
  121. >It occurs to you that she's probably not able to drink anything with the helmet on, right? You mine drinking the water a few times.
  122. >She sighs deeply, and weakly points at a port in the top of her helmet. You open it up cautiously, then pour the water in.
  123. >You hear her swallow a mouthful of the water, then sigh in apparent relief.
  124. >She motions for you to hand her the water, and you comply.
  125. >She gingerly sits up in bed, and watches your movements, occasionally pouring some water into the port on her helmet.
  126.  
  127. >As she slowly drinks the glass of water, you attempt to explain the purpose of the pill. You again mine taking it, and try to gesture in some way that suggests that it would help her head.
  128. >She seems to understand, more or less, after several attempts, and gestures for you to drop the pill into her helmets's intake port. She downs the ibuprofen quickly, and shudders slightly.
  129. >She hands the glass back to you, then gently lies back down. You watch her with sympathy, and gently press the ice pack against the side of her helmet again.
  130. >You briefly wonder if she may want to eat something. You lean over her and mime eating something. She stares for a moment, then gently shakes her head no.
  131. >"Rtrhxxhryldo rtp."
  132. >She then goes back to holding her head. You hope that the medicine helps her soon.
  133. >You gently grab her hand and feel for a pulse. The steady rhythm tells you she's more or less relaxed, thankfully. When you release her hand, she very gently reaches up and strokes your cheek.
  134. >Still thinking about her helmet, a simple solution to showing the presence of oxygen occurs to you. You go grab a match and light it.
  135. >She gasps quietly and watches the flame.
  136. >"Tacjhr?"
  137. >She slowly sits up before taking a deep breath. She reaches up...
  138. >And quickly removes her helmet. As you'd expected, she seems to be a jackal. Or at least, something resembling one. Closer inspection of her reveals that her fur is not actually black, rather an extremely dark purple. Her eyes are a light lavender color.
  139. >She cautiously takes a breath, and seems shocked when she can breathe normally.
  140.  
  141. >The alien jackal breathes more easily with her helmet removed. She looks around your guest room curiously, then winces before grabbing her head again.
  142. >Now that you can get a better look, you carefully examine her head for any sign of injuries. She watches you cautiously, and you are careful not to make any sudden movements.
  143. >Everything seems fine until you get to the back of her head.
  144. >There's a fairly sizable gash there. Thankfully, it looks shallow, but it is bleeding a purple fluid.
  145. >Without thinking, you blurt out:
  146. >"Oh crap, you're bleeding!"
  147. >She immediately gasps and snaps her head towards you.
  148. >"Lrmzwc?"
  149. >You're not sure what to say, and she seems to panic a bit.
  150. >"Lrmzwc?!?"
  151. >You try to at least say something.
  152. >"Uh... uh... it's okay!"
  153. >She looks at you with vacant confusion, and then places her hand in yours. She guides your hand to the back of her head, then stops.
  154. >Seems like she wants you to show her the cut. You comply, gently pulling her fingers over the gash.
  155. >She lets out a sharp intake of breath, then collapses face first onto the bed, doubled over in pain.
  156. >"Udlr... Lrmzwc..."
  157.  
  158. >Thinking quickly, you rush off to grab a first-aid kit. Luckily, you have one handy; comes in handy when you climb the hill regularly.
  159. >When you get back, she's still doubled over, and is gingerly feeling the gash in her head. Every time she makes contact with it, she gasps in pain and snaps her hand away.
  160. >You kneel down near her head and try to explain what you're about to do. She gently raises up a bit, just enough for you to see her watering eyes.
  161. >You gesture to the bandages you have, and mine wrapping them around your head. She obviously doesn't understand, but collapses back onto the bed. She gives you a sort of "go ahead" gesture.
  162. >Slowly, carefully, you wrap her head with the bandages. Her purple blood stains them, but you otherwise have no issues making the head wrap.
  163. >You briefly considered stitching the wound up, but you don't quite trust yourself with that. Your hands aren't that steady.
  164. >When you finish the wrap, you again kneel down by her. She again looks up at you.
  165. >You try to convey that you're done, and she seems confused. She reaches up and feels the bandages.
  166. >Comprehension dawns on her face, and she slowly sits up.
  167. >"Qhglf...?"
  168. >She gently rubs her hand over the wrap you made, and seems relieved. She looks at you with gratitude, then seems to focus on something. She points at you with a hesitant look.
  169. >"...HU...MAN?"
  170. >You nod and point to yourself.
  171. >"Yes. Human."
  172. >She smiles faintly, and points again; first at you, then at herself.
  173. >"HUMAN. Rtfyhwwdr."
  174. >She looks at you expectantly.
  175.  
  176. >You blink a few times, trying to parse her language. You tentatively point to, in order, yourself, the ground, her, and the sky.
  177. >"Human. Earth. R-Rtfyhwwdr? And..?"
  178. >She tilts her head, but soon seems to understand, indicating herself and the sky.
  179. >"Rtfyhwwdr. Rtfyhr."
  180. >Hm. Must be her words for her species and planet?
  181. >You wonder if you can explain names to her... before you can do anything, she seems to get an idea.
  182. >She points at herself again, then at you.
  183. >"Rtfyhwwdr: Xzblrd. HUMAN...?"
  184. >She looks at you as though expecting some answer. You wonder...
  185. >You grab a textbook and point at a group of people, indicating multiple individuals.
  186. >"Humans. See? Steve, Frank, Joe..."
  187. >She narrows her eyes and looks at you, confused. She eventually huffs in apparent frustration before repeating herself.
  188. >"Rtfyhwwdr: Xzblrd. HUMAN...?"
  189. >You're not quite certain what she's asking...
  190.  
  191. >Is she asking for... a name? She glares at you impatiently, rubbing the back of her head. You blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
  192. >"Anon."
  193. >She raises an eyebrow and tilts her head.
  194. >"ANON."
  195. >She shakes her head a bit, then repeats what you suppose is her name.
  196. >"Xzblrd."
  197. >She gestures for you to repeat it.
  198. >"Z-zizzburld?"
  199. >She stares at you blankly, and gestures again.
  200. >"Uhh... zzzbrild?"
  201. >She surprises you by laughing a bit. She smiles before pointing at you, then herself.
  202. >"Ctz: ANON. Qh?"
  203. >She looks at you inquisitively.
  204. >Is she... letting you call her something easier to pronounce?
  205.  
  206. >Deciding she's asking for a nickname, you come up with "Xen," rhyming with "scene." You point at yourself, then her.
  207. >"Anon. Xen."
  208. >She tilts her head far off to one side, and seems to practice saying the name.
  209. >"XEN. XEN? XEEEEN. XEN, XEN! ANON; XEN."
  210. >She seems proud of herself. You smile and take a look at her bandages.
  211. >Some purple blood stains through them, but it looks as though her bleeding is nearly stopped. Thank goodness.
  212. >You absentmindedly rub her ears, and are met with a confused grunt. They're extremely soft, with barely any rigidity to them. You play with them for a bit, then catch yourself.
  213. >You walk back in front of Xen, who looks extremely confused.
  214. >Suddenly, a thought strikes you: what caused her crash? Why was she nude except for a helmet?
  215. >To get answers, you excuse yourself and run off to find pen and paper. When you return, Xen is gently feeling of her bandages.
  216. >You sit next to her on the bed and quickly sketch up the crash site. She watches with fascination, and seems to recognize it. She looks a bit sad...
  217. >You hand her the pen and try to convey that you want to know what happened.
  218. >She carefully draws a (rather poor) comic of sorts. It depicts her, asleep in only her helmet, lying on a bed of some sort in a ship. Then, obviously confused herself, she simply scribbles in frustration, then draws an arrow from the sleeping Xen to the crash site.
  219. >She looks at you apologetically before handing your pen back.
  220. >As you go to put the paper away, Xen merely looks confused and scratches her head idly. She mutters under her breath quietly.
  221.  
  222. >It suddenly occurs to you that you essentially have a guest. One who hasn't got any clothes at that. Luckily, you have some spare clothes in your closet...
  223. >Considering the height difference, you find the largest shirt you can find. You consider some pants, but figure they won't really work with the shape of her legs.
  224. >You return to find Xen scribbling away on the same paper. You look at what she's drawn, and find a page covered with nonsensical doodles and a phrase repeated multiple times:
  225. >"Pkdy kduuhrhg? Pkdy kduuhrhg?"
  226. >She looks extremely frustrated, to the point that a few tears even well up in her eyes.
  227. >You gently tap her on the shoulder, and she immediately drops the paper and turns to you. She looks down at the shirt you're carrying, and you can see understanding dawn on her face.
  228. >She takes it from you and, with some difficulty, pulls it on. The plain white shirt looks a bit strange against her fur, and her height means it bares most of her midriff. That said, she seems grateful to be covered.
  229. >You pick up the paper she dropped, and draw up her ship. First, in two pieces, then whole. You hope she understands that you're asking if it can be fixed.
  230. >She looks at the sketch, and sighs deeply.
  231. >"Rty xzwh..."
  232. >She suddenly snaps her eyes shut and rubs her forehead.
  233. >"Pkdy kduuhrhg?"
  234. >She soon sighs and looks over at you. You hear her stomach growl faintly.
  235. >You smile and gently lead her to the refrigerator, showing her the contents.
  236. >She tilts her head and takes a long look inside. She obviously doesn't recognize anything, but she seems to understand what it is.
  237. >She looks at you, then points at the food before rubbing her stomach.
  238. >You nod your head and mime eating something. She smiles, then closes the fridge gently.
  239.  
  240. >You try to ask if Xen can eat both meat and fruits or vegetables. It's a bit tricky, considering the language barrier and her apparently not recognizing any of the food you have handy.
  241. >She looks at you apologetically, obviously not understanding you. She looks around as if trying to find something to communicate with.
  242. >She smiles and lets off a triumphant sound; she picks up a small potted plant off of your windowsill. She points at it, then her stomach, and nods.
  243. >So... she can eat plants and such? She looks around some more, but doesn't seem to find what she's looking for.
  244. >She huffs in frustration, then suddenly seems to have an idea. She runs into your guest room and brings her helmet back. She fiddles with some sort of panel on the back, only to gasp when all it does is glitch out.
  245. >Between this and the gash, you deduce that something hit her in the back of the head when she crashed.
  246. >She hangs her head in disappointment, then gently sets her helmet on the counter.
  247. >You note that her bandages seem to be drying up. You gently untie them, causing her to slowly straighten up.
  248. >"ANON?"
  249. >You take the wrappings off, and are pleased to see that the gash has indeed stopped bleeding. She looks down at the bandages, then feels the back of her head.
  250. >When she feels no blood, she smiles warmly at you.
  251. >"Jttg qhglf."
  252. >She surprises you by roughly patting you on the head a few times, much like a child might pet a dog. When your surprise shows, she tilts her head.
  253.  
  254. >As weird as it is, it's clear she's appreciative of your help. You smile back at her and politely accept her patting.
  255. >Figuring she should probably eat something, you grab some fruits and vegetables from your fridge. You offer them to her one at a time.
  256. >She carefully scrutinizes everything you show her, repeating something and making a dismissive gesture each time.
  257. >"Rty ykdy. Rty ykdy."
  258. >Eventually, you're down to the last morsel on offer: an apple. She looks it over, and starts to reject it when her stomach growls again.
  259. >She sighs, shrugs, and takes a bite. It's clear from her teeth that she's omnivorous, so that's good to know.
  260. >She makes a sour face, but swallows the bite of apple. Despite clearly not enjoying it, she makes herself finish it; presumably just for the sake of staving off her hunger.
  261. >As she eats, you pick up her helmet. Out of curiosity, you start to try and put it on. You're suddenly shocked into stopping by a loud yell from Xen.
  262. >"Rt, rt, rt! Zrdzyktwlehg!"
  263. >She walks over and takes the helmet from you, then lightly smacks you on top of the head. She puts the helmet on top of the fridge, then looks back down at you.
  264. >Apparently feeling bad, she again pats your head gently. She seems to be fascinated by your hair, and gently tousles it, quietly saying something to herself.
  265. >"Otfdolehg izw...?"
  266.  
  267. >Figuring that her head patting must be her kind's way of showing appreciation or something, you reach up to return the favor.
  268. >When she realizes what you're doing, Xen draws herself up to her full height and gently pushes your hand away.
  269. >"Wdrn?"
  270. >She tilts her head inquisitively, and makes a rather serious face. You try to figure out what she's trying to say...
  271. >"Uh..."
  272. >She untilts her head and smiles gently, then pats your head again. As she does so, you look back at the bandages you took off her head. You try to ask how her head is feeling through gestures; she eventually figures it out.
  273. >She gently rubs the back of her head, wincing slightly.
  274. >"Xyloo dfkhx..."
  275. >Hm. Doesn't seem like the medicine helps too much. Well, maybe some rest would help her?
  276. >You motion for her to follow you, and lead her back to the guest bed. She yawns en route, and quickly sits down on the bed. She surprises you by wordlessly yanking the shirt you lent her off, and gently laying it over a chair.
  277. >She yawns again, and lazily pats your head once more.
  278. >"Xohhu phoo..."
  279. >She gently lays down, and is almost immediately asleep.
  280. >As she snoozes, you creep back into the kitchen to sneak a look at her helmet. You figure putting it on isn't a good idea, but you take a look at what she was messing with before.
  281. >There's what appears to be some sort of screen, and it's shattered. Some characters in her language are still visible, but they make no sense. You figure something must have bashed into it when she crashed.
  282. >You gently replace the helmet where she left it.
  283.  
  284. >As you pass by the guest room, you gently shut the door, making sure not to wake Xen. You're actually feeling kinda tired yourself.
  285. >You head up to your room and put on your usual sleepwear, then lie down.
  286. >...only to immediately pop back up as a thought hits you. Does anyone else know about the crash?
  287. >You know exactly where to look. You open up your laptop, and navigate to /x/. You nervously scan the entire board, expecting to see reports of a purple flash and an explosion...
  288. >And there's nothing. They're totally unaware of it.
  289. >Sometimes there are benefits to living in the middle of literally nowhere, it seems. You breathe a sigh of relief, and head back to bed.
  290. >You figure tomorrow is gonna be pretty interesting. You drift off to sleep, vaguely hoping your new friend will be feeling better in the morning...
  291.  
  292. >You roll over at 10 AM feeling well rested and refreshed.
  293. >...and a bit embarrassed. You had some... interesting dreams about Xen overnight. Your morning wood stands as a testament of these dreams, and you do your absolute best to conceal it.
  294. >You stand and stretch, then head down the hall. You pass the guest room, and can hear faint snoring from inside. Looks like Xen's still asleep.
  295. >You start to go make breakfast... then remember you have no clue what she actually likes to eat. Well... you suppose she's gonna have to wake up sooner or later anyway.
  296. >You quietly open the door to the guest room and poke your head in. Your eyes fall upon the sleeping Xen, lying on top of the covers, on her side. She looks to be resting peacefully. Suddenly, you notice something odd...
  297. >Her chest. Her previously-modest bust has apparently grown, being nearly double the size it was last night. You let out a confused grunt accidentally.
  298. >Xen's eyes flutter open with a yawn. She blinks a few times, then smiles at you drowsily.
  299. >"Jttg pdnlrj...!"
  300. >She slowly sits up, stretches, and yawns. She then stands and pulls her borrowed shirt back on, with it now covering less of her than before...
  301. >She looks down at herself, then smiles sheepishly.
  302. >"Trh qtqhry uohdxh..."
  303. >She motions for you to leave, and so you do. After about five minutes pass, she steps out of the guest room, back to her normal self.
  304. >"Dutotjlhx..."
  305. >You smile hesitantly, then motion for her to follow you to the kitchen.
  306. >You plan to see what she'd like for breakfast, but you're not quite sure what to make...
  307.  
  308. >You set out making yourself some toast and an omelette, while you let your guest browse the pantry herself.
  309. >As you cook, she occasionally plucks something off the shelves, looks it over, then puts it back.
  310. >"L dq zrfhwydlr pkdy drc ti yklx lx..."
  311. >She looks over at you apologetically.
  312. >You finish cooking your breakfast and offer her some. She cautiously tears a piece off of your still-warm toast... and almost immediately drops it with a shrill yelp.
  313. >"Ytt kty yt hdy!"
  314. >She gently smacks your hand each time you reach for the toast, occasionally putting the back of her hand to it. Eventually, she relents, and lets you eat your now-cold toast.
  315. >She smiles and watches you eat with some fascination, then rises and heads back to the pantry. She grabs a glass from within, and walks over to your sink.
  316. >"Qdrzdo? Ktp vzdlry!"
  317. >She laughs to herself a bit, then pours herself a glass of water.
  318. >She sits back down and continues to watch you, occasionally sipping her drink.
  319. >You start to plan out what to do after breakfast. Luckily, you happen to have a nice big coat handy, perfect for keeping Xen under wraps. You figure that the two of you should go check out her crashed ship later, and you hope she's okay with that.
  320. >As you think, she chuckles again.
  321. >"Xotp hdyhw!"
  322. >Unsure what she said, you laugh politely, assuming it was a joke.
  323.  
  324. >It seems that Xen isn't too big on high temperatures... and it looks like she assumes you aren't either. You walk over to the sink and turn on the hot water, then motion for her to come over.
  325. >Once the water heats up, you hold your hand under the flow. Xen tentatively feels the water for herself...
  326. >She holds her hand there and tilts her head with a frown.
  327. >"Yklx lx zrftqitwydboh, bzy bhdwdboh."
  328. >Still frowning, she gently pulls your hand out of the water. You experimentally turn the hot water off in favor of cold, then put your hand under THAT. She again follows suit, this time with a satisfied sigh and a smile.
  329. >"Qzfk bhyyhw."
  330. >She pulls her hand away, leaving you to feel the cold water flowing.
  331. >You dry your hands off, cut off the sink, and go grab some paper and a pen. You sketch up the crash site again, with two stick figures walking up to it; obviously you and her.
  332. >She looks at the sketch and nods.
  333. >Great, she seems to be onboard. Question is... do you need to bring anything else along besides a coat to disguise her?
  334.  
  335. >You stop in the middle of raiding your closet, and promptly facepalm. Why are you looking so hard for a disguise? You live in the middle of nowhere. Just the coat ought to do it.
  336. >Though you do grab a backpack, just in case you find something worth taking back home. You hand Xen the coat, and she tilts her head at it.
  337. >When you turn back around, she's wearing the coat... and no shirt under it, having laid the white shirt on your bed. She sees you look at her, then the shirt, and seems to try and explain herself.
  338. >"Ytt pdwq itw btyk."
  339. >You simply smile and nod, then the two of you head out.
  340. >Halley's Hill isn't a very tough climb, but it's a bit time consuming. As the two of you walk, Xen scans her surroundings curiously. She very occasionally rubs the healing gash on the back of her head with a small frown.
  341. >Eventually, you reach the crater. You look over the edge...
  342. >And see nothing. No ship, not even a bit of wreckage. Just... nothing. You start to feel a bit of panic.
  343. >You look over to Xen, who seems remarkably calm. She looks at you with some apparent amusement, then says something in a commanding tone of voice.
  344. >"Zrfotdn."
  345. >Suddenly, the very air seems to ripple. Before your eyes, her crashed ship seems to appear from nowhere. Though, parts of it remain gone. Or, invisible, you suppose.
  346. >You can see the escape pod she stepped out of, but the rest of the ship is mostly nonsensical to you. Xen looks over her ruined ship with a mixture of sadness and frustration.
  347.  
  348. >The two of you split up, you checking out the escape pod, and Xen checking what you assume was the cockpit.
  349. >You step into the sterile, purple escape pod. The interior is stark and mostly empty, only containing what seems to be a cot and a large storage container.
  350. >You assume this container has some survival supplies, so you take a look.
  351. >Inside are two decently large, white boxes. One is labeled with what resembles a purple cross, the other with no label. You assume that Xen will know what these are, so you do your best to fit them into your backpack. It's not easy, and you end up having to carry one under your arm.
  352. >You exit the pod, and see Xen rooting around in the shattered remains of her ship's cockpit. You walk towards her, and a series of sinister computerized shrieks rings out. Her ears immediately perk up.
  353. >Never looking up from her digging, she again speaks in that commanding tone.
  354. >"Ghdfylsdyh dodwq."
  355. >There is a pause, and a synthetic voice asks her something. She immediately responds, waving her hand dismissively.
  356. >"Xzblrd."
  357. >There's a chime, and the alarm stops. She motions for you to come closer, and you comply.
  358. >When you get to her, she sighs and shakes her head in frustration. She then looks down at the box you're carrying. She examines it, then lets off a triumphant sound.
  359. >She immediately takes the box from you and opens it up. From what you can tell, it's full of various tools and... bottles? Is this... her first-aid kit?
  360. >She grins as she removes a small bottle from the kit. She shakes out a luminous blue pill and downs it effortlessly. She almost immediately sighs in relief and rubs her head once more.
  361. >"Ykhwh ph jt. Qzfk bhyyhw. Jttg ilrg."
  362. >She again pats your head, casually avoiding your hand when you attempt to reciprocate.
  363. >She suddenly seems to find something in the wreckage. She immediately snaps it up and places it in the box, then closes the lid. She hands the box back to you with a smile.
  364.  
  365. >You start to wonder if her repeated head pats are a sign she thinks you're unintelligent. To combat this, you start digging through the cockpit with her.
  366. >She watches you fiddle around with the various, obviously broken machines. It looks as if most of the ship is nonfunctional from the impact.
  367. >You walk up to a small panel that seems mostly intact, and scan the buttons. A small, purple one glows ever so faintly. You whistle for Xen, and she runs over to see what you found.
  368. >She gasps when you point out the light, then happily presses it before giving you a warm smile.
  369. >"Jttg hch; L nrhp ctz phwh lryhooljhry."
  370. >There's a mechanical hum, and the panel begins to light up...
  371. >Then, there's a loud CRACK as the panel short circuits. Nothing happens. Xen hangs her head with a soft whine.
  372. >She looks over at you, and seems to notice your disappointment. She smiles at you faintly.
  373. >Frustrated, you absentmindedly kick the panel. Suddenly, there's another CRACK, and the panel judders back to life. Xen looks absolutely shocked, and a small compartment opens up in the wall.
  374. >She reaches in and pulls out a small black box. She smiles incredibly widely, and looks at you with obvious appreciation. You expect another head patting, but her hands are full.
  375. >Wordlessly, she exits the ship, motioning for you to follow her.
  376. >With some minor difficulties, the two of you climb out of the crater. Between the two of you, you found three boxes of... what you're certain are supplies.
  377. >Xen looks over the crash with some obvious sadness, but seems to at least be happy with what you salvaged.
  378.  
  379. >Salvaged supplies in hand, the two of you make your way back to your house. Xen, despite her obviously being upset over the state of her ship, seems to have cheered up a bit thanks to your finds.
  380. >It doesn't take long at all to get back to your house. The two of you set your finds down on the table, and Xen immediately opens all three boxes.
  381. >One of them, as you saw earlier, seems to be her equivalent to a first-aid kit. She examines the contents, and seems to find everything in order. She gingerly rubs the back of her head, then nods with a smile.
  382. >"Qzfk bhuyhw."
  383. >You catch a brief glimpse of what she put in the box earlier: some sort of... shredded cloth?
  384. >The second box, when opened, releases a blast of cold air. Xen basks in this air with apparent glee. Inside the box is what appears to be... frozen rations of some kind.
  385. >Xen reaches in and pulls out some unidentifiable foodstuff and heartily scarfs it down cold. She sighs in contentment, then closes the box again.
  386. >Finally, she opens the small black box. Inside is what seems to be some sort of... medal.
  387. >Xen beams with pride as she looks at it, then she closes the box again. She looks over at you, still smiling.
  388. >Fully expecting it this time, you lean over as she once again pats your head.
  389.  
  390. >This head patting has got you curious. You grab your notepad and a pen, then sketch up a scene. You draw up Xen patting you on the head, and show it to her, trying to make it clear you want an explanation.
  391. >She takes the pen and draws two symbols, one over each of your heads. One is clearly the medal you salvaged, the other is a much smaller, less impressive medal. The larger one is above her head, obviously.
  392. >Making sure you're watching, she draws an arrow from her medal to the smaller one above your image. She nods and draws a check mark. She then draws an arrow in the opposite direction; this one gets a sound of disapproval and is scribbled out.
  393. >You apparently still look confused, and she thinks hard about how to explain it better. While she does so, you point to the sketch of her medal with an inquisitive sound.
  394. >She immediately smiles proudly.
  395. >"Ykdy lx qc wdrn; qc uwlgh drg mtc."
  396. >She opens the box up and lovingly polishes the medal with the bottom of her borrowed coat. She then places it gently back in the box.
  397. >Unprompted, she pulls out the scrap of cloth she put in her first-aid kit. She sighs wistfully as she looks at the torn purple fabric.
  398. >"Udwy ti qc zrlitwq... L xzuutxh ly pdx ghxywtchg."
  399. >She gently lays the scrap back in the box.
  400. >Something occurs to you: why not use your laptop to teach her some English? It'd certainly help communication. You excuse yourself, then run and grab it.
  401. >You sit down and motion for her to join you as the laptop boots up. She looks down at with some apparent amusement.
  402. >"Qtwh vzdlry hvzluqhry!"
  403. >You open up Google, and try to think what would be helpful to teach her first...
  404.  
  405. >After a while of Googling, you manage to show her the English words for some essentials, like food, water, etc...
  406. >You smile at her.
  407. >"Again."
  408. >"AH... SHIP, SPACE, TIME, WATER, COLD, HOT..."
  409. >She seems to run out of steam.
  410. >"...Qzxy L jt tr? L uwhihw Rtfyhwwdr..."
  411. >You smile patiently.
  412. >"CAN I STOP?"
  413. >You nod.
  414. >"Yes, you can stop."
  415. >She breathes a sigh of relief. As she goes to grab a glass of water, you pull up a picture of the Milky Way, one with the Solar System highlighted. When she returns, you point at it.
  416. >"Where is your home?"
  417. >She squints at the star map and scoffs.
  418. >"Qlonc Pdc? Rtfyhr lx rtpkhwh rhdw yklx uodfh."
  419. >Realizing she spoke her language, she clears her throat.
  420. >"NOT... ON THIS PICTURE."
  421. >Hmm.
  422. >"Good job."
  423. >You then pull up a photo of a jackal, and show it to her. Xen tilts her head far off to one side.
  424. >"WHAT... IS THIS?"
  425. >You point at it, then gesture to her.
  426. >"NO. NOT ME. Xtqh xtwy ti EARTH idzrd."
  427. >She still lapses into her own language at times, but some English is an improvement.
  428. >You decide to show her some Earth culture. You start with some of the most famous pieces of art you can think of. She looks over each piece with fascination.
  429. >"EARTH dwy, hk? Wdykhw NICE, L xzuutxh."
  430. >You then decide to play some music, starting with some classical symphonies. Xen smiles appreciatively and gently sways to the music.
  431. >"NICE... THANK YOU."
  432. >You start to play something more modern, but she stops you.
  433. >"NO. I LIKE THIS, PLEASE."
  434. >...well, she's not gonna master grammar in a few hours.
  435.  
  436. >While Xen listens to the classical music, you pull up progressively larger maps of the universe, going up and up till you hit Laniakea. When you pull up this image, she squints at it for a while before pointing at the very edge of the supercluster.
  437. >"HERE, rtzjkoc xuhdnlrj. Qdcbh hshr d olyyoh idwykhw tzy."
  438. >That's... quite a distance. You suppose her kind must have some means of extremely fast travel.
  439. >The music ends, and Xen gives you a look of disappointment.
  440. >"AGAIN, PLEASE."
  441. >You comply, and she almost immediately returns to swaying along.
  442. >You have a thought of a new word to teach her. You pull up an image of two people holding hands and kissing.
  443. >She tilts her head at it, and looks at you inquisitively. You point at the image and slowly repeat:
  444. >"Love."
  445. >Eventually, she tries the word out herself.
  446. >"LU- LUPH? LO-VUH. LOVE. LOVE? YES, LOVE."
  447. >"Good job."
  448. >She smiles victoriously, then looks at the image again.
  449. >"LOVE... HM."
  450. >She seems proud of her quick learning. She quietly repeats the word to herself a few more times, then goes back to quietly enjoying the symphonies playing.
  451.  
  452. >As the two of you enjoy the music, you stand and motion for her to do the same. She complies, and you gently grab her hands, pulling her into a slow dance.
  453. >Xen looks confused at first, but soon begins to mimic your moves. Albeit, she steps on your toes a few times.
  454. >Eventually, the music ends, as the two of you continue to elegantly step around the room. You release her and bow, to which she chuckles.
  455. >"Ktp itwqdo!"
  456. >She returns the gesture, bowing deeply. The two of you then sit back down.
  457. >Rather than restart the music again, you pull up something you think she'll be interested in: How It's Made.
  458. >Though she clearly doesn't understand most of the narration, Xen seems fascinated by the video.
  459. >"EARTH yhfkrtotjc, hk? Shwc lryhwhxylrj."
  460. >As she watches, you try to ask about her life.
  461. >"What is your home like?"
  462. >"AH. COOL, DARK, NICE."
  463. >"Hm. Do you have a family?"
  464. >"YES. SMALL THOUGH."
  465. >"Me too. What did you do back at home?"
  466. >"AH... ERR..."
  467. >She thinks hard to see if she knows the English term.
  468. >"L dq dr tiilfhw ti ykh Rtfyhwwdr qlolydwc."
  469. >When your confusion shows, she fishes out her medal and shows it off again.
  470. >By your best guess, she must've been a pilot of some sort. Hm.
  471. >Another thought hits you. You pull up an image of Anubis, and show it to her.
  472. >"HM?"
  473. >She looks extremely confused.
  474. >"Ykdy lx rty d Rtfyhwwdr, yktzjk ykhwh lx d whxhqbodrfh."
  475. >She looks at you and shrugs.
  476.  
  477. >Though it may shatter the relaxed mood, you have another question.
  478. >"Can your ship be fixed?"
  479. >Xen frowns and hangs her head.
  480. >"I THINK... NO."
  481. >She looks obviously saddened, and again looks at her medal.
  482. >"Qc xklu... qhdry d oty yt qh."
  483. >She sniffles quietly a few times, and wipes her eyes on the sleeve of her borrowed coat.
  484. >"Can you call for help?"
  485. >"I THINK... NO. BUT... D xhdwfk itw qh ploo olnhoc kduuhr."
  486. >Hmm. You suppose that, if it had one at all, her ship's distress signal must have gotten broken.
  487. >Xen wistfully stares at her medal and the scrap of cloth, and tears well up in her eyes. She surprises you by moving in for a hug, squeezing you tightly.
  488. >"ANON... SO NICE TO ME."
  489. >You let her hug it all out, which she seems to appreciate. Eventually, she breaks away, still sniffling a little.
  490. >"X-xtwwc... ykdy pdx rty shwc bhftqlrj ti dr Dgqlwdo."
  491. >You smile patiently.
  492.  
  493. >Xen looks a bit embarrassed at her breakdown, but is clearly still upset. You hold your patient smile and motion for her to hug you again.
  494. >With no hesitation, she again embraces you, burying her face in your shoulder. You can hear her occasionally sniffle and sob, and she pats your back and squeezes you harder at times.
  495. >Her claws mean it actually kinda hurts when she squeezes, but she needs your support.
  496. >You calmly try to console her, patting her on the back and humming quietly. She speaks quietly in her own language.
  497. >"Qc xklu... qc zrlitwq... btyk jtrh. Doo ti ly, jtrh."
  498. >She pulls herself away from you, smiling through her obvious sadness.
  499. >"Dy ohdxy... L xyloo kdsh qc olih, drg qc sdotw."
  500. >She leans in and hugs you again.
  501. >"ANON, THANK YOU."
  502. >You gently hold the alien, letting her get it all out of her system. Surely she'll feel better afterwards.
  503.  
  504. >Eventually, she breaks away from you, apparently feeling a little better. She smiles, and wipes her eyes on the sleeve of her coat.
  505. >In an attempt to cheer her up, you play some more classical music. She again sways gently to the sound. You also pull up some pictures of Earth's various achievements in space travel.
  506. >Xen looks at the shuttles and the ISS with fascination, finally managing to stop sniffling. She quickly sketches up something on your notepad, obviously some sort of mock blueprint. She indicates her sketch, then the pictures onscreen.
  507. >Understanding, you pull up some schematics of various spacefaring tech. She looks over them with amazement, then surprisingly starts chuckling.
  508. >"Xzfk vzdlry lrshryltrx... bzy, d xtflhyc kdx yt xydwy xtqhpkhwh."
  509. >She idly scans the schematics, and you take note of the coat she's borrowing. Surely she'd rather wear something else? You call her attention to you, and attempt to ask about the coat.
  510. >"What do you normally wear?"
  511. >"AH... TIGHT, THIN CLOTHES. COOL, NOT WARM. ALSO, qc zrlitwq... bzy qdlroc lr itwqdo xlyzdyltrx."
  512. >Hmm. Maybe you can find her something fitting. In the meantime...
  513. >"Do you want to clean up a bit?"
  514. >She looks a bit confused, and takes a moment to parse what you said.
  515. >"YES. COLD WATER, PLEASE."
  516. >You smile and head off to start running a cold bath.
  517. >With that started, you go back to your closet. You've got quite a bit to choose from, but what would fit her...?
  518.  
  519. >You look through the closet for a moment, then run to stop the water. You also drop a rubber duck into the chilly water.
  520. >You poke your head back into the guest room. Xen is still looking through schematics and such. You whistle and motion for her to come on.
  521. >"THANK YOU."
  522. >She enters the bathroom and smiles before closing the door. You hear her gently ease into the water with a sigh of happiness.
  523. >...then squeaking.
  524. >Laughing to yourself, you return to your closet. Considering her tastes, you find some old compression workout gear you bought a while back. New Year's resolution, heh.
  525. >You wonder for a moment if this will even fit her, her being taller than you and having inhuman legs.
  526. >As you ponder this, the door to the bathroom opens, and Xen steps out, wrapped in a towel. She looks down at the clothes you picked out.
  527. >"COOL? TIGHT?"
  528. >"Yes, and yes."
  529. >She grins and pats your head.
  530. >Something suddenly occurs to youas she does so.
  531. >"Why were you near Earth, anyway?"
  532. >"AH... NOT ON PURPOSE. Rtfyhwwdr xklux ywdsho lr mzqux; trh qzxy kdsh ydnhr qh lryt yklx jdodac."
  533. >Hmm. You suspect she got a bit technical at the end there.
  534. >She smiles sheepishly, and takes the clothing from you. She vanishes back into the bathroom, then emerges clad in the workout gear.
  535. >The grey shirt hugs her quite tightly, showing off some of her midriff. The pants fit... less well, considering her legs' shape. Nonetheless, she seems happy.
  536.  
  537. >With the evening slowly becoming night, you relax on the couch with Xen. You decided to watch a movie with her, more specifically The Sound of Music.
  538. >She seems to enjoy it, anyway.
  539. >While she watches, you decide to ask her some more questions.
  540. >"How was life back home?"
  541. >"BUSY. BUT... NICE."
  542. >"Busy? How was your job?"
  543. >"GOOD AND BAD. IMPORTANT JOB."
  544. >"Huh. How about your love life?"
  545. >"AH... NO TIME. JUST LOVE FAMILY."
  546. >She looks down for a moment, apparently thinking about her home. She quickly shakes it off and goes back to watching the film.
  547. >Eventually, the movie comes to a close. Hungry, you head into the kitchen. Xen follows.
  548. >You open up the fridge and show her some foods, which she actually identifies correctly.
  549. >"MEAT... FRUIT... VEGETABLE?"
  550. >"Yes, yes, and yes. Good job."
  551. >She grins victoriously, then walks over and grabs something unidentifiable from her box of rations. It's clearly near-frozen, but she nonetheless wolfs it down quickly. She then closes the ration box and smiles at you.
  552.  
  553. >After having a bite to eat, you decide to go take a look at the stars. As you head outside, Xen follows you enthusiastically.
  554. >The two of you sit on your porch, gazing up at the clear night sky. She stares up with a wonder-filled smile.
  555. >"Xt bhdzylizo... yklx lx pkc L hrolxyhg. Yt xhh ykh xydwx lr uhwxtr."
  556. >Still smiling, she looks over at you. She throws an arm around your shoulders and squeezes you tightly.
  557. >The two of you sit and watch the stars in silence for a while, with her never releasing her hold on you. You note that, despite her being pressed up against you, she isn't all that warm. Presumably her kind's body temps are just lower than humans'.
  558. >Eventually, with a yawn, she stretches and heads back inside. You follow suit, and the two of you eventually end up at your table.
  559. >Xen smiles drowsily as she grabs a glass of water. You reciprocate, and suddenly get an idea.
  560. >You dash off and grab something from your closet: a chessboard. Surely someone intelligent like Xen would enjoy chess...?
  561. >She squints at the game as you set it up, and tilts her head in confusion.
  562. >"WHAT IS THIS?"
  563. >"It's a game; it's fun."
  564. >"MMM. TIRED RIGHT NOW."
  565. >Your disappointment must show, because she smiles apologetically.
  566. >"SORRY. TOMORROW."
  567. >She yawns again, pats your head, and heads off to the guest room. You hear her shuffling around a bit, then hear a THUD as she falls into bed.
  568. >You gently peek into the room to check on her. She's fine, lying on her side and already beginning to doze off. Her new clothes are draped across a chair.
  569. >She yawns again.
  570. >"GOOD... NIGHT, ANON."
  571. >With that, Xen falls asleep.
  572.  
  573. >You smile to yourself as you gently close the door to the guest room. Xen is already snoring quietly.
  574. >You tiptoe back down the hall, deciding to see if you can work out what her rations are.
  575. >You open the refrigerated box... and recognize absolutely nothing, to your frustration. You were hoping you could perhaps figure out what she liked.
  576. >Though you note with relief that there are plenty of rations, at the rate she's eating, for starvation not to be a problem.
  577. >With a yawn and a glance at the clock, you decide it's time for bed. You turn in for the night, and drift off into your dreams...
  578. >...some very, ah, FUN dreams. Of course featuring your houseguest. You suppose these dreams are even more vivid than those of last night's.
  579. >Likely because Xen seems to be warming up to you, and vice versa, obviously.
  580. >Xen, on her knees, gently leans forward, tongue gently approaching your...
  581. >You wake up, startled. A clap of thunder reveals that it's storming outside. Great.
  582. >Worried Xen may be frightened, you peek into the guest room.
  583. >She's still asleep, lying on her back. Her, ah, "problem" from yesterday morning seems to have flared up again. In fact...
  584. >Her chest seems to be even larger than it was yesterday. You briefly wonder what the deal is with this...
  585. >You also notice something else... she doesn't seem to be sleeping all that well. She's twitching and kicking at times, and mumbling something under her breath at others.
  586. >You close the door, being sure not to wake her up. You sneak back to your room, and sit on the edge of the bed, listening to the rain.
  587.  
  588. >Still confused at Xen's growing... assets, you can't help but take another peek.
  589. >She's still asleep, albeit still rather fitfully, and still pretty big. You wonder if this is normal for her or not. You'll try to ask delicately when she wakes up.
  590. >In the meantime... you feel like having some breakfast. You stroll into your kitchen, taking care not to make too much racket. You quietly fix yourself a bowl of cereal and sit at the table.
  591. >The box containing Xen's medal is still lying on the table. You open it up out of curiosity. It's an incredibly ornate, well-polished thing, bearing a silhouette of her kind in relief.
  592. >It's clearly a rather high honor of some kind. You don't know what KIND of honor, but it must be important given her pride at it.
  593. >You gently close the medal box, and finish your breakfast. You decide to check on your guest again...
  594. >She's still asleep, but her twitching has moved into what seems to be full on panic. She whines and mutters something in her language almost constantly...
  595.  
  596. >What started off as an enjoyable dream, focusing on her newfound friend, slowly melted and warped into another flashback.
  597. >In her mind, she's back there again. Back to the day of that awful attack on Nocten. Some ruthless, now-gone empire assaults her home without warning in a bid to conquer it.
  598. >Purple blood streaks the ground, remnants of men and women who were just like her.
  599. >All that can be heard are the sounds of battle. Explosions shake the ground, energy weaponry crackles sinisterly. Cries of pain are cut short with bone chilling thuds.
  600. >All around her, nothing but carnage.
  601. >The rumbling boom of the artillery echoes in her mind. It's all she can focus on.
  602.  
  603. >Deciding not to bother her, you go to leave. Just as you go to shut the door, a particularly loud clap of thunder rattles the house; Xen wakes up with a yelp and sits bolt upright.
  604. >Unfortunately, the weight of her chest carries her forward into a faceplant on the bed. She sits up, apparently panicked, and looks around the room.
  605. >Eventually, she notices you. She glances down at her chest, then at you. She blinks a few times, then quickly turns away while making an effort to cover herself. Though her face is covered in fur, you're certain she's blushing.
  606. >"AH, G-GOOD MORNING?"
  607. >You start to speak, and she suddenly interjects.
  608. >"T-THIS IS NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU THINK, IT-"
  609. >She awkwardly cuts herself off.
  610.  
  611. >Though it's hard, you avert your eyes from Xen.
  612. >"Sorry, sorry! Just wanted to check on you... are you alright? You seemed to be having some kinda nightmare..."
  613. >"I-IT'S OKAY; I'M F-FINE. ONE MINUTE, PLEASE."
  614. >You close the door and give her privacy. You can hear the bed creak as she presumably gets up. Concerned, you stick around to see what you can hear.
  615. >You press an ear to the door... and hear almost nothing. Well, nothing but the very occasional, very quiet panting. Hm.
  616. >You eventually head on your way, and go to double check how much food's left in Xen's rations. Seems like she has enough for a decent while, but it's not a bad idea to at least get her to TRY some Earth food, just in case.
  617. >You make a mental note to suggest ice cream, seeing as she likes cold food.
  618. >Eventually, after nearly 20 minutes, Xen steps out of the guest room, fully dressed and back to her normal proportions. She still looks a bit... jittery, though.
  619. >She smiles sheepishly, and seems to avoid meeting your eye.
  620. >"S-SORRY..."
  621. >"It's fine; how are you?"
  622. >"FINE, HOW ARE-"
  623. >Another clap of thunder rolls. Xen jumps and looks around the room rapidly.
  624. >"Something wrong...?"
  625. >"NO... YES."
  626. >You gently walk over and hug her tightly. She doesn't seem TOO frightened, but she's definitely not a fan of the thunder.
  627. >To distract her, you bring up her medal.
  628. >"So, uh... what's the story behind this medal?"
  629. >She still looks around warily, but puts on a smile.
  630. >"MY JOB. I WORKED VERY HARD."
  631. >"I'm sure you did! It's very nice."
  632. >"THANK YOU; ly qhdrx d oty yt qh."
  633. >You smile at her and continue to hug her for comfort. Suddenly, a burning question forces itself up and out of your mouth.
  634. >"Xen... what's the deal with your... uh, chest problems?"
  635. >She goes very quiet, and looks away awkwardly. She squeezes you a bit tightly. There's an extremely awkward pause, then she quietly replies.
  636. >"JUST... DREAMS. SORRY..."
  637. >"What kind of dreams?"
  638. >There's another awkward pause.
  639.  
  640. >Again, her mind calls up images of that awful scene.
  641. >Countless people, dead. Innocents and soldiers alike. People she had known for years, and people she had never met.
  642. >How many Nocterrans were lost? She had no idea. Far too many...
  643.  
  644. >Xen's eyes seem to almost glaze over, and she continues to stand in silence. Concerned, you repeat yourself.
  645. >"Xen? What... what kind of dreams?"
  646. >She suddenly seems to snap out of it, more or less.
  647. >"...N-N-NICE ONES..."
  648. >"Uh-huh...?"
  649. >"...rtyklrj lqutwydry. M-mzxy gwhdqx."
  650. >"Xen. You can tell me anything. You're safe here."
  651. >She smiles faintly, and still struggles to make eye contact. You swear you can see a tear form...
  652. >"THANK YOU. CAN WE TALK ABOUT NOT DREAMS?"
  653. >You chuckle a bit.
  654. >"Sure. Why don't you tell me more about your job? Is it fun?"
  655. >She faintly smiles again, but almost immediately snaps into a stern look at the last question.
  656. >"NO. NOT FUN, BUT VERY IMPORTANT."
  657. >"What is your job, exactly?"
  658. >"AH... DON'T KNOW ENGLISH WORD."
  659. >Hmm. You have an idea...
  660. >"Are you... in the military?"
  661. >"THE WHAT?"
  662. >You quickly go grab your laptop, and attempt to explain. She soon seems to grasp what you're saying.
  663. >"OH. YES, YES; THAT IS MY JOB."
  664. >"Wait, really? Whoa."
  665. >She looks a bit nervous.
  666. >"ANON... ARE YOU AFRAID?"
  667. >"Of you? Of course not."
  668. >She gives you a genuinely heartwarming look and hugs you tightly.
  669. >"THANK YOU."
  670. >"It's no problem. What, ah, what rank are you?"
  671. >"RANK?"
  672. >You quickly give her a rundown of the various ranks in the military, including naval ranks. She tilts her head as she reads.
  673. >"MM... MAYBE... NOT SURE WHICH IS ME."
  674. >"That's okay. Let me ask a different question: do you enjoy your job?"
  675. >She looks thoughtful for a moment.
  676. >"...YES. NOT ALWAYS, BUT YES."
  677.  
  678. >Xen continues to look around apprehensively.
  679. >"What's wrong?"
  680. >"NOTHING, NOTHING..."
  681. >"...is it the sound?"
  682. >"I... YES. SOUNDS LIKE... WAR."
  683. >"It's okay. Come here."
  684. >You gently lead her onto the porch. When you get outside, the rain is pouring down. The wind blows, and thunder rumbles.
  685. >Xen looks up at the clouds, and seems to connect the dots.
  686. >"EARTH phdykhw, hk? L dq dxkdqhg yt kdsh bhhr xfdwhg."
  687. >She suddenly loses her nervous look and stands tall and stoic.
  688. >"IT'S NOTHING. NOT SCARED OF-"
  689. >A particularly loud blast of thunder leads to Xen yelping and nearly scrambling back into the house.
  690. >You follow her back into the living room, where she catches her breath.
  691. >"OKAY... A LITTLE SCARED."
  692. >You hug her gently, and she reciprocates. She gently pats your head again.
  693. >"ANON... WHAT IS MY ENGLISH RANK? I WANT TO KNOW."
  694. >"Alright, alright... let's see. Do you lead one ship, a group of ships, or a very large group of ships?"
  695. >Another pause.
  696.  
  697. >Another memory. Ships, under her command, hovering through the ether.
  698. >The enemy set up an ambush. Dozens of Nocterran ships are being destroyed. Explosions bloom off in the distance, illuminating the windows of her ship.
  699. >Worse are the screams. Cut off when their communications systems go offline, but still enough to cuddle the blood.
  700.  
  701. >Again, her eyes seem glazed over. Eventually, she shakes her head and answers.
  702. >"A-AH. VERY LARGE GROUP. ALL THE SHIPS."
  703. >"All the- Xen, you're an admiral?"
  704. >"ADMIRAL?"
  705. >"How high is your rank?"
  706. >"THE HIGHEST."
  707. >"Then yeah, I guess you're an admiral then. Wow. I wouldn't have figured you were so... decorated."
  708. >She smiles bashfully.
  709. >"JUST MY JOB."
  710.  
  711. >"So, have your people spread to other planets?"
  712. >"AH, SOME. BUT... MOST STAY ON Rtfyhr, LIKE ME."
  713. >"Huh. What else can you tell me about your people?"
  714. >"AH... GOOD TECHNOLOGY, GOOD MILITARY..."
  715. >"Hm. Must be a good military, with you leading it."
  716. >She again smiles bashfully.
  717. >"THANK YOU, ANON."
  718. >"Xen, as important as you are, do you think your people are looking for you?"
  719. >She frowns and seems to think hard.
  720. >"MY SHIP IS DESTROYED. NO SIGNAL TO HOME. THEY-"
  721. >She suddenly seems to realize something. Her tone swaps from analytical to... sad.
  722. >"...THEY MAY THINK I'M... NOT ALIVE."
  723. >With that realization, Xen hangs her head slightly.
  724. >"...it'll be okay. Surely we can figure something out. Who knows; maybe they're already looking for you!"
  725. >She sniffles a few times.
  726. >"M-MAYBE. HOPE SO."
  727. >"If they're not, I'm here for you."
  728. >She smiles and embraces you tightly, her claws gently digging into you. She buries her face in your shoulder.
  729.  
  730. >Initially caught off guard, you return Xen's embrace. You even lean in to give her a kiss on the cheek. Her reaction is immediate: she yips in surprise.
  731. >"ANON?"
  732. >She looks at you in shock, then smiles and returns the favor.
  733. >The two of you remain in a tender embrace for a while, eventually breaking apart as she seems to think about something.
  734. >"What's on your mind?"
  735. >"MAYBE... WE CAN SEND A SIGNAL."
  736. >"Really? How?"
  737. >"WON'T BE EASY. WILL TAKE A WHILE, AND NEED HARD WORK."
  738. >"If you wanna do this, I'm here to help."
  739. >She absentmindedly pats you on the head as she continues to think.
  740. >"EARTH TECH... NOT STRONG ENOUGH, SORRY. BUT, MAYBE..."
  741. >"Maybe... what?"
  742. >"MAYBE WE SALVAGE PARTS OF MY SHIP, AND MAKE A BEACON."
  743. >"You think that could work?"
  744. >"HARD TO SAY. BUT, WORTH A TRY."
  745. >"Okay. I'm in. But... we can't do any salvaging with this storm around."
  746. >As if on cue, it thunders loudly again. Zen shudders and looks out the window.
  747. >"...YES. AGREED."
  748. >"So, we can do that later. But, I want you to know this: I am 100% behind you, I promise."
  749. >"ANON... THANK YOU."
  750. >Xen smiles widely, and roughly pats you on the back.
  751.  
  752. >"So, what do you think can be salvaged?"
  753. >"NOT SURE. HOPE FOR EMERGENCY BEACON AND JUMP DRIVE. NOT SURE YET WHAT ELSE IS NEEDED."
  754. >"Hm. Okay then. ...Xen, was that kiss too much? Sorry if I crossed a line."
  755. >She smiles sheepishly.
  756. >"NO, NO; IT WAS FINE. REALLY."
  757. >The two of you share an awkward smile, then she suddenly remembers something.
  758. >"ANON, WHAT ABOUT THE GAME FROM LAST NIGHT?"
  759. >"Huh? Oh yeah; I nearly forgot. You wanna give it a shot?"
  760. >"YES, PLEASE."
  761. >The two of you head over to the table, where your chessboard is still set up. Xen carefully observes the board and pieces, then lets out a triumphant cry.
  762. >"AH! I KNOW THIS. POPULAR WITH MANY SPECIES."
  763. >"Wait, you mean there are other people out there that play chess?"
  764. >"YES. THEY LEARNED IT FROM WATCHING EARTH, MAYBE? NOT SURE."
  765. >"Not sure?"
  766. >"I HAD NOT HEARD OF EARTH UNTIL I LANDED HERE. MY PEOPLE HAD NOT EITHER."
  767. >"Well, your home is pretty far off."
  768. >"YES. ...PLEASE SHOW ME HOW TO PLAY."
  769. >...a few hours pass, and you've managed to teach Xen the fundamentals of chess. She has some difficulty at first, but is soon outmatching you. Guess that's to be expected; she IS an Admiral.
  770. >After some games, you stand up and stretch, then head to the fridge for a snack. You grab some vanilla ice cream, and an idea suddenly strikes.
  771. >"Xen, you like cold food, right? Try this."
  772. >Rather than grab a spoon, Xen simply leans in and eats the spoonful in your hand. She looks a bit skeptical, then a wide smile slowly spreads across her face.
  773. >"THAT'S VERY NICE. THANK YOU."
  774. >"You want me to get you a bowl and spoon?"
  775. >"...YES, PLEASE."
  776. >You chuckle and quickly fill a bowl for your guest. She gently takes it from you, and sits opposite you at the table.
  777. >"THANK YOU. DO YOU WANT TO TRY SOME OF MY FOOD LATER?"
  778. >"Uh..."
  779.  
  780. >"Are you sure you wanna part with some of your stuff? We don't know how long you'll be here..."
  781. >"AH. JUST A SMALL BIT SHOULDN'T HURT."
  782. >"...is it safe for me?"
  783. >She looks genuinely thoughtful.
  784. >"...PROBABLY? EARTH FOOD IS SAFE FOR ME, SO PROBABLY."
  785. >"Okay... uh, what is it, exactly?"
  786. >"AH... CLOSEST ENGLISH WORD IS MUSHROOM. THEY GROW ON Rtfyhr, AND ARE VERY GOOD COLD."
  787. >"...sure, I'll try a bite."
  788. >She smiles and quickly grabs a small bit of food from her rations. It's obviously still frozen, but... you still can't tell what it is. Xen leans in close and watches you with anticipation. You gently take a bite...
  789. >It's... sweet? Much sweeter than expected. The flavor is completely unrecognizable beyond "sugary and vaguely minty."
  790. >It's... not bad, really. Just extremely cold.
  791. >"WELL?"
  792. >"It's not bad; thanks for sharing."
  793. >"OF COURSE."
  794. >The two of you finish your respective snacks (this weird mushroom is actually not bad at all), then head to the couch. You turn on some Star Trek, hoping to show her mankind's love of space.
  795. >She watches with some interest, and you ask her some questions in the meantime.
  796. >"You said other people were watching Earth?"
  797. >"MAYBE. POSSIBLY. THE Fdlykldrx WATCH A LOT OF PLANETS."
  798. >"Should I be worried they haven't reached out to Earth?"
  799. >"NO. VERY PRIVATE PEOPLE; DON'T TALK MUCH. WEIRD."
  800. >"Ah. Are they... friends of your people?"
  801. >"MM. MORE LIKE... DISTANT NEIGHBORS. UNDERSTAND?"
  802. >"Sorta... they don't live too close, and they're not all that friendly?"
  803. >"YES. NOT HOSTILE, NOT FRIENDLY. NEUTRAL."
  804. >"Oh, okay then. Uh, this is random, but should we see if there's something in your first-aid kit for your problem earlier?"
  805. >She immediately seems flustered.
  806. >"NO, NO, UH... NORMAL. CAN WE TALK ABOUT NOT THIS?"
  807. >"Yeah, sorry."
  808.  
  809. >Thinking about her plan from earlier, you turn to Xen to reassure her you'll help.
  810. >"Xen, when you go to salvage those parts you need, I hope you know I'll be there to help."
  811. >She pats your back with a grin.
  812. >"YES, I KNOW; VERY KIND. THANK YOU. ...NOT TODAY. WEATHER IS TOO BAD."
  813. >Right on cue, thunder rattles your windows again. Xen shudders a bit and scoots closer to you.
  814. >You check the weather on your phone. Good news is the storm isn't gonna get any worse. Bad news is it's just gonna hang around all day, so you're both stuck inside. Oh well.
  815. >One good thing is that you at least have your generator, so the power isn't an issue. You kinda figure Xen wouldn't like a power outage...
  816. >Thinking about things she likes... you wonder what other Earth foods she may like. Her rations won't last forever, and she can't just live off ice cream.
  817. >As if responding to your thoughts, Xen's stomach growls quietly. You smile at her.
  818. >"Say, do you want to try more Earth food? See if we can find other things you like?"
  819. >"AH... OKAY."
  820. >You quickly assemble a small sampler of most of the stuff in your fridge. You're careful not to let anything get too warm. You bring her the tray of various meats, fruits, vegetables, and whatnot.
  821. >Xen cautiously scans the selection, trying a few things that catch her eye.
  822. >She passes over a slice of apple, as well as a few other fruits, but tries a slice of an orange. She seems to like it okay.
  823. >She tries pretty much all the different meats on offer, only skipping the fishstick you laid out. Again, she seems to be alright with them.
  824. >She doesn't touch any vegetables, but she tries a few blocks of cheese you placed out.
  825. >Once it's all said and done, she smiles widely.
  826. >"HM! THANK YOU; I LIKED SEVERAL THINGS."
  827. >"Good! So, do you think you could make it on Earth food?"
  828. >"YES. PREFER MY FOOD, BUT EARTH FOOD IS OKAY. ICE CREAM IS THE BEST."
  829. >You can't help but laugh, and she soon joins in.
  830.  
  831. >Eventually, the two of you stop laughing and make your way back to the couch. Xen scoots close to you and pats your back again.
  832. >"Say... why are you patting me on the back, instead of the head, now?"
  833. >"HM? DIDN'T NOTICE."
  834. >"Xen. Do you really think I believe that?"
  835. >"...NO. HEAD PATS... FOR THANKING A LOWER RANKING PERSON. BACK PATS... AH..."
  836. >"...ah...?"
  837. >"FOR... FOR... ERR..."
  838. >There's another clap of thunder, and Xen yelps before hugging you close. She never finishes her sentence.
  839. >"Lower ranking? How did you know I didn't outrank you?"
  840. >"AH... GUESSED. I AM THE HIGHEST RANK IN MY MILITARY, YOU KNOW."
  841. >"Well, that's true. Is that why you avoided my head pats?"
  842. >"YES. NOT PROPER TO PAT A SUPERIOR OFFICER'S HEAD. NOT SERIOUS, BUT BAD FOR FORMALITY."
  843. >"Ohhh. Okay. Say, Earth must be pretty different from your home, right? What do you think of it?"
  844. >"DON'T KNOW MUCH, BUT IT'S NICE. LIKE HUMANS AS WELL. AT LEAST, LIKE YOU, ANON."
  845. >"Thanks, Xen. I like you too."
  846. >She smiles and scoots even closer to you when another rumble of thunder echoes. You have a thought on how to help her nerves.
  847. >"Do you think a beer would help your nerves?"
  848. >"A WHAT?"
  849. >"It's a drink, it's got alcohol in it, and it helps some people calm down."
  850. >"ALCOHOL...? NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS IN MY LANGUAGE."
  851. >"It's not always a good thing, makes some people really sick when they drink it."
  852. >"AH. NO THANK YOU. DON'T WANT TO GET SICK."
  853. >"I understand."
  854. >"MY NERVES WILL BE FINE. NOT THAT SCARED, REALLY."
  855. >"You sure about that?"
  856. >"...NO. DON'T LIKE THIS AT ALL. SCARES ME."
  857. >You gently wrap an arm around her.
  858.  
  859. >In an effort to calm her down, you start playing some classical music for Xen. She still seems tense, but it appears to help a bit.
  860. >She sighs deeply and lays her head on you.
  861. >"...CAN I TALK ABOUT SOMETHING?"
  862. >"Of course. I'm here to listen."
  863. >"I HAD TWO DREAMS. ONE, AH, N-NICE DREAM. ONE... BAD. BAD MEMORIES..."
  864. >You turn the music down.
  865. >"What kind of bad memories?"
  866. >"...I SAW THINGS, IN MY SERVICE. HORRIBLE THINGS. THINGS I CAN NEVER FORGET."
  867. >She leans more of her weight on you.
  868. >"...ANON, I AM AFRAID. MY JOB SCARES ME EVERY DAY. I AM AFRAID FOR MY MEN. I AM AFRAID FOR MYSELF. I AM AFRAID FOR MY HOME."
  869. >She takes a deep, shuddering breath.
  870. >"...I WISH I WEREN'T AFRAID. I SHOULD BE... STRONGER. LESS SCARED. I WORKED VERY, VERY HARD FOR MY RANK. WANTED TO GET THERE TO PROVE MYSELF. I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE MADE IT."
  871. >You glance over at her, and see her eyes glimmer with tears.
  872. >"BUT STILL I AM AFRAID. I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN OVER MY FEAR. EVERY DAY I HIDE IT FROM MY PEOPLE. THEY CANNOT KNOW. IF THEIR ADMIRAL IS AFRAID, THEN THEY WILL BE AFRAID."
  873. >She starts to sniffle a bit.
  874. >"I AM... ASHAMED. I CRASH LANDED HERE, AND EVEN NOW I AM AFRAID. I AM A COWARD."
  875. >She looks over at you, and almost immediately starts sobbing.
  876. >"I-I AM SORRY TO BREAK DOWN. I'VE HAD TO HIDE ALL THIS FOR YEARS. I'M SORRY. PLEASE IGNORE ME."
  877. >You squeeze her tightly.
  878. >"Xen. There's no shame in being afraid. It's a natural thing for everyone. I'm sure your people are afraid of things too. But... they know you're a good leader. They trust you. You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself."
  879. >She keep her face buried in your shoulder.
  880. >"And you're far from a coward. You stepped out of a crash and immediately spoke to me. If I were in the same situation, I'd probably be too scared to say anything."
  881. >She finally raises up, her eyes still filled with tears.
  882. >"ANON, I... THANK YOU."
  883.  
  884. >You gently wipe Xen's eyes and pull her into a hug.
  885. >"Xen, I hope you realize how strong you really are. You've been hiding these feelings for years now; that would break a lesser person. You should be proud of yourself."
  886. >She speaks with her face still hidden in your shoulder.
  887. >"I... I AM BOTH PROUD AND ASHAMED. I AM PROUD OF HOW FAR I HAVE COME, AND I AM ASHAMED OF MY FEARS."
  888. >"Don't be. It's all okay."
  889. >"IT... IT HELPS TO TALK."
  890. >"And I'm always here to listen, if you need to talk."
  891. >She slowly seems to calm down.
  892. >"I... ANON. YOU HAVE BEEN SO NICE TO ME. THANK YOU."
  893. >"It's nothing. Is there anything you need?"
  894. >"NO... JUST... LET THE MUSIC PLAY, PLEASE. CAN WE STAY LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE?"
  895. >"Xen, I can stay here with you all day."
  896. >"THANK YOU. ...ANON, I ALMOST FORGOT. BACK PATS ARE FOR AFFECTION. FRIENDSHIP. L-LOVE."
  897. >"Is that so?"
  898. >She doesn't respond. She merely looks at you with those lavender eyes and smiles through her tears. You again wipe her eyes.
  899. >"I... FEEL BETTER NOW. A LITTLE."
  900. >"A little better is still better. Take all the time you need."
  901. >With a cry of both sadness and happiness, she again buries her face in your shoulder. She stops sobbing, and merely enjoys your presence. After a long pause, she quietly speaks.
  902. >"ANON... WHY ARE YOU SO NICE TO ME...?"
  903. >"Why? Because everyone needs some kindness in their life."
  904. >"..."
  905. >Xen wordlessly kisses you on the cheek.
  906.  
  907. >Without a word, you return the favor. She very faintly smiles when your lips meet her cheek.
  908. >You then pat her on the back. She almost immediately straightens up, her ears standing at attention as well.
  909. >"A-ANON...?"
  910. >Rather than respond, you simply smile and continue to pat her. Xen stares at you, teary-eyed, and eventually smiles.
  911. >"...THANK YOU. DOES THIS MEAN... YOU... REALLY CARE ABOUT ME?"
  912. >You nod your head slowly.
  913. >Xen lets out a cry of delight, and buries her face in your shoulder again. She gently rubs her hands across your back.
  914. >"I'M SORRY FOR SHARING MY PROBLEMS WITH YOU..."
  915. >"Don't be. Like you said: it helps to talk about it."
  916. >"IT... IT DOES. I THINK ABOUT BAD MEMORIES A LOT."
  917. >"Really?"
  918. >"Y-YES... MOST NIGHTS."
  919. >You continue to pat her, and pull her closer to you.
  920. >"Well... I'm here to help you talk it out anytime you need me. Even if it's the middle of the night."
  921. >Xen raises up and starts to speak, only to instead sob a bit. She almost immediately goes back to hiding her face.
  922. >While continuing to rub your back, she reaches up with one hand and pats your head as well.
  923. >You hope she at least feels a little better. For the time being, you'll just stay here, holding her close while she needs it.
  924.  
  925. >...hours pass. It's well on into the night now. Xen has dozed off once or twice, and woke up once with another flashback. No... "nice" dreams, apparently.
  926. >For the most part, however, she seems to be doing better. She's separated herself from you now, and seems to be handling the thunder a little bit better.
  927. >She does still occasionally flinch and move closer to you, however.
  928.  
  929. >Thinking of topics she may prefer to talk about, your mind goes to her ship.
  930. >"Xen... do you feel like talking about your ship?"
  931. >"AH... YES. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME; HOW I GOT AWAY TO CLEAR MY HEAD."
  932. >"Is it your flagship? Or just personal?"
  933. >"PERSONAL. BOUGHT IT FOR MYSELF AS A GIFT."
  934. >"Oh, that's nice. Where do you go in it?"
  935. >"WHEREVER THE JUMP DRIVE TAKES ME. WHEN I NEED TO TAKE A BREAK, I GO FOR A DRIVE. I WATCH THE STARS, SEE THE PLANETS, PASS BY GALAXIES..."
  936. >Her eyes practically glitter, and she smiles genuinely.
  937. >"ANON, IT'S BEAUTIFUL. THE UNIVERSE IS FULL OF BEAUTY. THAT... IS WHY I BOUGHT MY SHIP."
  938. >"I'd say that's a good reason. Any particular places you've been that you really like?"
  939. >"YES, MANY. SOME UNMAPPED, OTHERS WELL-KNOWN. TOO MANY TO NAME... THERE IS PLENTY OF BEAUTY TO SEE."
  940. >"I'll bet. It's peaceful out there too, isn't it?"
  941. >"YES. QUIET, NICE FOR RELAXATION. THAT IS WHY I FLY ALONE. SOMETIMES, I EVEN SLEEP WHILE MY SHIP FLIES..."
  942. >"What happens if you need to get back home quickly?"
  943. >"NOT AN ISSUE. CAN ALWAYS GET HOME IN A HANDFUL OF JUMPS. TAKES SOME TIME, BUT NOT MUCH."
  944. >"Well, that's good."
  945. >Xen seems to get lost in nostalgia, and smiles wistfully as she stares out the window at the night sky. You glance at the clock. 12-o-clock. Midnight.
  946. >As if waiting for a cue, your body immediately forces you to yawn. Xen takes notice with a smile, and yawns herself.
  947. >"I think... I'll call it a night. Xen, do you want me to sleep in the guest room with you? Purely in case you have another bad dream."
  948. >"AH! ERR... N-NO. THANK YOU."
  949. >"Well, if you need something, or just need to talk, wake me up. I'll be here."
  950. >Xen smiles drowsily and hugs you tightly, patting your back again.
  951. >"THANK YOU, ANON. F-FOR EVERYTHING. GOOD NIGHT..."
  952. >She begins shuffling off to the guest room, yawning every now and again.
  953.  
  954. >You start to head off to bed, and gently peek in to check on Xen. She's already getting comfortable, yawning and laying down. She smiles at you sleepily, and closes her eyes.
  955. >You slowly close the door and head to your room. You slip into your sleepwear, and get comfortable. You mentally will yourself NOT to have any weird dreams about Xen.
  956. >It'd be awkward if she called out, needing help, while your body is enjoying a fantasy...
  957. >As you start to doze off, your brain briefly muses "hey, what if she wakes you up with one of those nice dreams she was talking about?"
  958. >Dammit brain. You drift off into sleep, fully expecting more questionable dreams.
  959.  
  960. <Control moves to Subina/Xen>
  961.  
  962. >Meanwhile, in the other room...
  963. >Admiral Subina lies awake, her mind swirling.
  964. >Anon... this human was so unbelievably kind to her. She has no idea why he was so understanding of her breakdown, but she's grateful.
  965. >She sighs happily, and attempts to go to sleep...
  966. >But, she can't seem to doze off. Her mind is thankfully not on bad memories again, but...
  967. >She can't help but think about her plan. If the beacon works, a party from Nocten will certainly be along in short order. But... Anon...
  968. >She can't deny, she's growing attached to him. At least, to his kindness.
  969. >She smiles warmly as she thinks of what he's done for her. Back on Nocten, most people treat her with dry respect, or, worse, barely obscured fear.
  970. >It's a nice change of pace to meet someone who is genuinely kind for the sake of kindness.
  971.  
  972. >Subina gently stretches and steps out of bed. She gently sneaks out of Anon's guest room, and heads down the hall.
  973. >...or, she plans to. First, she peeks in to check on her host. He's sleeping soundly, as he has been the last two nights.
  974. >Humans are fascinating to her, well, at least Anon is, being the only human she's ever seen. Judging by the smile across his face, he's having a rather nice dream.
  975. >Closing the door as quietly as possible, she makes her way into the kitchen. Making absolutely certain not to wake Anon, she gently opens the... err, refrigerator, she thinks it's called.
  976. >She smiles to herself as she sneakily grabs the ice cream he had shared earlier. Surely he won't hold it against her...? She sits her prize down on the table, then looks at her helmet with some frustration.
  977. >The panel on the rear of a Nocterran helmet allows for the usage of remote commands to any paired device. Obviously, Subina's was tied to her ship. She had a thought to use the ship's computer to translate Anon... but that's no longer necessary.
  978. >Though broken technology is still frustrating. She lays the helmet back atop the refrigerator, and begins eating some of Anon's ice cream.
  979. >She continues to think about Anon. It'd be a shame to lose such a caring companion... hm. Maybe she could work something out.
  980. >For now, she tries to picture the beacon plans in her head. She can rewire the jump drive to send a signal out to Nocten... all she'd need is the ship's own emergency beacon, and to hope it worked. Of course, there would probably be more tech needed to make this work properly.
  981. >Subina is momentarily shocked when she realizes she's eaten all of the ice cream. ...maybe he won't notice...?
  982. >Hmm. "He."
  983. >She isn't quite sure how she immediately intuited that he was a man. Perhaps something about the way he carried himself?
  984. >...she can't help but feel a bit... excited, at the thought of him.
  985.  
  986. >...it's a little embarrassing, but something about him caught her eye since the beginning.
  987. >At first, it was totally unconscious. A mere dream, probably brought on from the novelty of meeting a member of a foreign species.
  988. >Then... she began to appreciate his kind words and actions. That sort of thing means a lot to her.
  989. >Nocterran women, when... "excited," have a rather obvious tell. Their breasts temporarily enter a period of increased productivity. This of course leads to, ah... very noticeable increases in bulk.
  990. >Some Nocterran women's "tells" are more obvious than others. Subina... is one of these women. She's almost certain Anon has worked it out at this point, but she hopes she is modest enough he'd ignore it.
  991. >Though, some deep, primal part of her mind was... more creative in its thinking. Her imagination conjures up compelling fantasies of what his strong, gentle hands could do with her chest...
  992. >With a warm smile and a pleasant sensation in her bosom, Subina quietly walks back down the hall.
  993. >By the time she gets to the guest room, her chest has nearly reached its peak, at about 3 times her usual size. She smiles hungrily at herself, but suddenly finds herself trying to shake off her fantasy.
  994. >She needs to FOCUS. Anon will want to go salvaging parts tomorrow. She needs to have a good plan for the beacon by then...
  995.  
  996. >Let's see... Jump drive, emergency beacon, and...
  997. >Ugh. It's way too hard to focus. Her overactive imagination won't stop badgering her with fantasies.
  998. >Behind that, she can visualize the beacon that must be built. She can just barely make out what's needed...
  999. >When a sudden thought strikes. A thought her mind insists is of the utmost importance:
  1000. >...how does she know for certain that Anon is a male? She attempts to put the question out of her head, but she can't.
  1001. >Her curiosity burns. ...maybe a quick little peek won't hurt anyone.
  1002. >She gently opens the door to his room again, and finds him still asleep, still smiling.
  1003. >Unlike her, he seems to have a habit of sleeping while clothed. Subina is a bit taken aback to see something... tenting the fabric of his boxers.
  1004. >She slowly, quietly sneaks into the room, and investigates. She leans over the sleeping Anon, and takes a quick sniff...
  1005. >The smell hits her like a freight train. Normally, her "tell" reached its peak at about thrice her usual bust size.
  1006. >With barely contained excitement, she watches her body break its own record.
  1007. >A-at least that answers her question. Rather than dwell on the sight before her, she quickly closes the door and makes her way back to the guest room.
  1008. >Subina's heart beats loudly in her chest. Curse her lusty imagination. Curse her mind's perverse curiosity.
  1009. >...she attempts to focus her thoughts again... and reaches an epiphany.
  1010. >The beacon, as currently designed, wouldn't be strong enough to get a signal to Nocten. She'll need some way to amplify the signal.
  1011. >Normally, with a fully functional jump drive and emergency signal, one can get a distress call out from practically anywhere barring a black hole.
  1012. >But... seeing as her equipment is damaged and likely barely working... the signal will no doubt need strengthening.
  1013. >Satisfied at having at least worked out another step, Subina sits back on the guest bed.
  1014.  
  1015. >She slowly lays down, hoping to get some rest before salvaging tomorrow. She briefly thinks about the existence of some sort of manual for her ship...
  1016. >Unfortunately, as helpful as that would be, no such manual exists. She has a fair idea of where to look, thankfully.
  1017. >Subina gently cuddles up against a pillow... then pops up out of bed.
  1018. >A... strange idea has occurred to her. What if... she tried to hide her, ah, "tell" better?
  1019. >She faintly recalls seeing some tight plastic seal stretched across some of Anon's stored food. Maybe... that could help?
  1020. >She sneaks to the kitchen, and manages to find the plastic wrap. With some difficulty, she begins unraveling it, and wraps it around her chest.
  1021. >It's rather difficult, especially considering how sensitive her breasts are at this size, but she eventually manages to rein them in a bit...
  1022. >She smiles triumphantly and can't help but strike a little victorious pose.
  1023. >With a quiet RIP, Subina's "support" falls apart, unable to handle the pressure.
  1024. >Well, it was worth a shot.
  1025. >Disappointed, she slinks back to bed, lying down and attempting to fall asleep.
  1026. >She finally, finally feels herself drifting off to sleep. And of course, her imagination is already preparing some "pleasant" dreams.
  1027. >As embarrassing as it is... they're preferable to the alternative...
  1028. >She'll handle her "situation" in the morning. Doing it now probably wouldn't do much good, considering her dreams are already beginning...
  1029.  
  1030. >...and what pleasant dreams they are.
  1031. >As if remembering where things went poorly last night, her mind is careful not to set said dreams on Nocten. Instead, it settles for a generic home not unlike Anon's own.
  1032. >In the dream, Subina finds herself smiling adoringly at Anon, whose arms are wrapped tightly around her in a loving embrace. The two share a kiss, and state passionately into one another's eyes.
  1033. >The embrace slowly dissolves, and the human and Nocterran gently take one another's hand. Fingers intertwined, they hold hands as they walk outside.
  1034. >The couple walk up a smooth, grassy hill, and sit at the top. They admire a beautiful, starry sky together.
  1035. >The two of them continue to hold hands, and look at each other with obvious love.
  1036. >They share another kiss, and lean upon one another as they appreciate the beauty of the cosmos.
  1037.  
  1038. >In Anon's guest bed, Admiral Subina sleeps soundly, with a warm smile across her face.
  1039. >Though the last few remnants of the storm still spit thunder every now and again, she hears none of it.
  1040. >The sheer comfort of her dream protects her from her innermost demons.
  1041.  
  1042. >When morning came, she woke up, feeling rested and refreshed. Her dream remained comfortable and sweet for her entire slumber, thankfully.
  1043. >She sits up and stretches, then remembers what she has to do. She perks up an ear and listens... Anon was still snoring. Thank goodness.
  1044. >Deftly, having had much practice, she gently takes one of her full breasts in hand, enjoying the weight, as always. She gently leans forward and takes her own nipple into her mouth.
  1045. >As she gently relieves her... problem, she idly thinks about her dream. ...she would definitely attempt to hold Anon's hand today. If only to see his reaction.
  1046. >She notes with amusement a possible reason she was so intrigued by Anon. Thanks to him being chest-height to her, he fell right into a popular trope in, err, perfectly respectable Nocterran films.
  1047. >Considering how sensitive a Nocterran woman's chest can be, a man of that height is looked upon as a hot commodity.
  1048. >Subina shakes her head to clear her thoughts. Dwelling on something like this would only compound her problems.
  1049. >She instead thought about something that had confused her for a while. Why couldn't Anon understand her name?
  1050. >Xen... it's a serviceable nickname, but she prefers her own name. Perhaps Anon simply didn't have a handle on her accent? She'd try to teach him her proper name later, as well as that of her home and her people.
  1051. >With a sigh of satisfaction, she drains the last of her milk from her now-normal-sized chest. She smiles, then pulls on the clothes Anon lent her.
  1052. >She chuckles a bit at how Anon seems to insist on wearing clothing. On Nocten, clothing was only really considered mandatory in formal situations. Of course, she assumes Anon's insistence was due to his lack of fur. He must prefer warmer temperatures.
  1053. >She shudders at this thought, being averse to the heat.
  1054.  
  1055. >Now, dressed and drained, Subina sneaks into Anon's room, to check on him. He's still asleep, with one arm draped over the edge of the bed.
  1056. >She smiles warmly at the cozily slumbering human, and slowly creeps up to his side.
  1057. >She gently kneels down beside his bed...
  1058. >And takes his hand into hers. Subconsciously, he intertwined his fingers with hers.
  1059. >Filled with glee, Subina accidentally lets off a squeal of happiness. She immediately claps her free hand over her mouth.
  1060. >She watches Anon closely. Is he... waking up?
  1061.  
  1062. <Back to Anon!>
  1063.  
  1064. >You wake up with a start. What was that sound? Sounded like... Xen?
  1065. >You glance around the room, and move to pull yourself up. Only... one hand doesn't seem to move?
  1066. >You look down, and are shocked to see Xen knelt down beside you, holding your hand. She smiles awkwardly.
  1067. >"A-AH. GOOD MORNING?"
  1068. >"...have you been there all night?"
  1069. >"NO, NO; JUST WOKE UP."
  1070. >"Uh-huh... what are you doing?"
  1071. >"ERR, CAME TO CHECK ON YOU, A-AND SLIPPED."
  1072. >"Slipped. On a carpeted floor?"
  1073. >"...YES."
  1074. >"Right. And so, you were just pulling yourself up with my arm?"
  1075. >"...YES."
  1076. >"So you're telling me you DIDN'T sneak in here just to hold my hand?"
  1077. >"....."
  1078. >She continues to smile sheepishly, and starts avoiding eye contact.
  1079. >"Well, no matter what really happened... I appreciate it. Thanks, Xen."
  1080. >She suddenly perks up.
  1081. >"AH... TRY THIS. Xzblrd."
  1082. >You struggle to understand what she said, but slowly manage to parse it.
  1083. >"Su... Subina?"
  1084. >"YES, YES; MY NAME."
  1085. >"Your real name? Thanks for teaching it to me."
  1086. >Xen- err, Subina's eyes light up with happiness. You're a bit embarrassed you couldn't pronounce her name earlier. Her accent threw you off, you suppose...
  1087. >You continue to hold her hand, which she seems to really appreciate.
  1088.  
  1089. >Taking advantage of her being light for her size, you pull her up into the bed and hug her tightly, patting her back as well. She immediately smiles, and seems rather flustered.
  1090.  
  1091. >A thought enters her mind: she's larger than him; she could pin him down and do anything she wanted...
  1092. >She feels a pleasant, but currently unwelcome sensation building up...
  1093.  
  1094. >"A-ANON? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
  1095. >Rather than respond, you simply give her a smooch on the cheek. She smiles dazedly.
  1096. >"Well then, Subina... how about we get some breakfast before we head out?"
  1097. >She looks away for a moment, with an unreadable expression.
  1098. >"AH... I'M NOT HUNGRY."
  1099. >"Really? You didn't eat last night..."
  1100. >"I ALREADY ATE THIS MORN-"
  1101. >She gasps and immediately stops talking.
  1102. >"Huh? I thought you said you just woke up?"
  1103. >She looks a bit flustered.
  1104. >"AH... D-DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. J-JUST ENJOY YOUR BREAKFAST."
  1105. >She awkwardly stands up, still holding your hand. You gently rise out of bed and follow her.
  1106. >Considering it'll probably be a busy day, you just grab a bowl of cereal. You go to throw away the now empty box, and find... plastic wrap? Someone tore up a bunch of plastic wrap and threw it away. Must've been you, right? Hm.
  1107. >You sit down next to Subina, who gently adjusts the collar of her shirt.
  1108. >"How did you sleep last night? Better?"
  1109. >"YES, MUCH BETTER. HAD A VERY RELAXING DREAM."
  1110. >"Anything interesting happen before I woke up?"
  1111. >"HUH? N-NO, OF COURSE NOT. HAHA..."
  1112. >Rather than press her on that, you smile patiently.
  1113. >"So... do you know what all we'll need for your beacon?"
  1114. >"KNOW A FEW THINGS. JUMP DRIVE, EMERGENCY SIGNAL, AND... SOMETHING TO AMPLIFY SIGNAL."
  1115. >"Gotcha. You know where to look for those?"
  1116. >"YES. MORE OR LESS..."
  1117. >"Great. As soon as I finish breakfast, we'll pack for the trip. You sure you're not hungry?"
  1118. >"YES, I'M FUL- FINE. I'M FINE."
  1119. >She gives you an unconvincing smile and again tugs at her borrowed shirt.
  1120. >Hm.
  1121.  
  1122. >You finish your bowl of cereal and smile at Subina.
  1123. >"Alright; anything in particular I need to bring along?"
  1124. >"HM... MAYBE SOME TOOLS... WATER, FOOD AS WELL."
  1125. >"Gotcha."
  1126. >You've got a fairly basic, but handy toolkit lying around, thankfully. When you live in the middle of nowhere, it pays to fix your own crap instead of trying to call someone in.
  1127. >You grab the toolkit and a cooler, then quickly fill the cooler with bottles of water. Subina chuckles a bit at the sight of this.
  1128. >"What's so funny?"
  1129. >"HM? OH, JUST... STRANGE TO SEE NON-TECH COOLER."
  1130. >Well, we can't ALL have high-tech refrigerated boxes.
  1131. >You also fix some snacks; for some reason you're feeling very Elvis-y today, so you make some peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
  1132. >You hope Subina will like them; she's already eyeing them with curiosity.
  1133. >"All packed. Now, I'll do anything you need me to do while we're salvaging, but you'll have to guide me. I don't know what we're looking for, exactly."
  1134. >"RIGHT. I'LL DESCRIBE WHAT IS NEEDED WHEN WE ARRIVE."
  1135. >"Fair enough. What exactly needs to be done to make this beacon work?"
  1136. >"MM... EMERGENCY SIGNAL IS SENT FROM MODULE, JUMP DRIVE IS REWIRED TO TRANSMIT SIGNAL LONG DISTANCE. SOME AMPLIFIER NEEDED TO BOOST SIGNAL."
  1137. >"Seems straightforward."
  1138. >"MAY NOT BE ALL. WILL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT GOES."
  1139. >"Alright then. Subina, I'm here for you, whatever it takes to get this working."
  1140. >She smiles and pats your back.
  1141. >"I KNOW. THANK YOU."
  1142.  
  1143. >"Alright... I think we're all set. Are you ready?"
  1144. >"YES. ALL SET."
  1145. >"Great. Let's head out."
  1146. >You start to walk off, when suddenly you feel Subina grab your hand. She smiles at you, you return the favor, then you set off, hand in hand.
  1147. >After an uneventful walk over the hill, the two of you arrive at the crash site. Again, she speaks out a command, revealing the again-invisible ship.
  1148. >"Okay, where do we start?"
  1149. >"HM. EMERGENCY SIGNAL FIRST. MODULE SHOULD BE NEAR COCKPIT. SHOULD."
  1150. >"Should?"
  1151. >"MAYBE GOT KNOCKED LOOSE IN CRASH. KINDA SMALL, PURPLE, CUBE SHAPED."
  1152. >"How small?"
  1153. >"MM... PALM OF YOUR HAND SMALL, MAYBE."
  1154. >"Got it. Anything I should know?"
  1155. >"DON'T ACTIVATE IT YET, PLEASE. WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S WORKING FIRST."
  1156. >"Okay then. I'll keep an eye out."
  1157. >With that, the two of you enter the ruined cockpit of the ship. Subina digs around the cracked, broken control panel, scratching around in bits of metallic rubble.
  1158. >You scan the floor, and don't see anything matching her description. Hm.
  1159. >The cockpit has collapsed a good bit, but it clearly goes back a fair distance. It's rather dark in the deeper interior...
  1160. >Subina looks back at you, and notices you eyeballing the depths of the cockpit.
  1161. >"...BE CAREFUL IF YOU GO BACK THERE, ANON. VERY DARK, LIGHTS MUST HAVE BROKEN."
  1162. >"Think it's safe to walk in there?"
  1163. >"SHOULD BE... JUST TAKE CARE, PLEASE. DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT."
  1164. >She smiles, then returns to digging.
  1165.  
  1166. >Thankfully, your toolkit has a flashlight. Not a particularly good one; in fact, it's pretty cheap and dim. But, it's a light.
  1167. >You shine it into the dark depths of the cockpit...
  1168. >Clearly this must've been where Subina spent most of her time. Signs of this space being lived in are clear, even through the damage and rubble.
  1169. >A massive window, opposite you, has been totally smashed, revealing nothing but dirt behind it. Probably where she watched the stars as she traveled.
  1170. >A decently sized portion of the ceiling has collapsed, though the remainder seems more or less stable.
  1171. >A conspicuous air vent is next to you. You can't help but... feel the need to check inside. You gently open it up and shine your light inside...
  1172. >Thankfully, nothing seems to be inside. Phew; maybe you've been watching too much sci-fi lately. You expected something to happen.
  1173. >You close the air vent, and go back to looking over the dark room. There's a panel of buttons on one wall, apparently not damaged in the crash. Each button is labeled in that strange language of Subina's.
  1174. >You quickly look over the panel...
  1175. >There are 5 buttons. One white, one red, one green, one blue, and one purple.
  1176.  
  1177. >You try to deduce which of these buttons would be the best to press.
  1178. >Usually pressing the red button isn't the best idea. Subina's people seem to have a thing for purple, so maybe it's that one?
  1179. >Then again, you could make a case for the green and blue buttons as well. The white button is more of a wildcard.
  1180. >Hmmm. This is definitely a conundrum. What are you going to do...?
  1181. >Oh. Wait a minute.
  1182. >The owner of this ship, the one who presumably knows what these buttons do, is literally one room away.
  1183. >You pop back into the front of the ship, where Subina is still digging around.
  1184. >"Hey, I found some buttons, and I can't read the labels. Wanna come help me?"
  1185. >"HM? BE RIGHT THERE."
  1186. >She quickly makes her way to the panel, and smiles.
  1187. >"OH GOOD; SEEMS TO BE OKAY. IF IT WORKS, THE BLUE SHOULD DROP THE SIGNAL MODULE FOR MAINTENANCE."
  1188. >...good thing you didn't press any buttons.
  1189. >"What do the others do?"
  1190. >"NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW. ALL WE NEED IS THE BLUE."
  1191. >You follow her orders and mash the blue button. There's a quiet, melodic chime, and a panel opens up in what remains of the ceiling.
  1192. >A small purple cube pops out of the panel, suspended from some purple wires.
  1193. >Geez, is everything purple with these aliens?
  1194. >Subina laughs triumphantly and practically slaps the top of your head in appreciation.
  1195. >"THAT WAS EASIER THAN I THOUGHT. JUST HAVE TO DISENGAGE IT NOW..."
  1196. >Her smile slowly fades, becoming a frown.
  1197. >"...what's wrong?"
  1198. >"...NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE THE PROPER TOOL? HM. SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT."
  1199. >She puts a hand on your shoulder.
  1200. >"I TRUST YOU. JUST... DON'T BREAK IT, PLEASE."
  1201.  
  1202. >Grasping some wire cutters from your toolkit, you start to work...
  1203. >Only to immediately stop yourself.
  1204. >"Hang on; do we need any of these wires intact?"
  1205. >She tilts her head and seems to think pretty hard.
  1206. >"...MM, SHOULDN'T? PROBABLY NOT. GOOD QUESTION THOUGH."
  1207. >"Got it. Anything else I should be aware of?"
  1208. >"HM. JUST BE CAREFUL WITH IT."
  1209. >With that, you gently take hold of the cube. You're careful to hold it by the corners, in case the faces of it have buttons. Subina supervises you carefully, nodding and grunting in approval every now and again.
  1210. >The actual wiring seems to be made of some unidentifiable metal, rather than copper. Definitely not easy to cut, whatever it is.
  1211. >Your poor old cutters struggle, but eventually manage to chew through the cables. With great effort, and some time, you eventually get down to one wire. You prepare to snip it...
  1212. >You turn and smile at Subina, who practically beams in response. Then, unconsciously, you snip the wire.
  1213. >Almost immediately, the cube starts to plummet to the ground. Subina lets out a cry of horror as it does so.
  1214. >Just in the nick of time, you manage to stoop down and catch it. Phew. You hold up the cube victoriously with a relieved laugh.
  1215. >"GOOD WORK, ANON. THOUGHT FOR SURE WE WERE IN TROUBLE FOR A SECOND."
  1216. >She pats your head, then your back, then takes the cube gingerly.
  1217. >"SIGNAL MODULE IS ACCOUNTED FOR. WE NEED JUMP DRIVE AND SOME WAY TO BOOST SIGNAL. ...NOT SURE YET IF THIS WORKS GOOD ENOUGH. I CAN CHECK WHEN WE'RE DONE."
  1218. >"Why not look at it now?"
  1219. >There's a very faint, metallic creak above you...
  1220. >"MAYBE NOT SMART TO STAY HERE TOO LONG."
  1221. >"Good point. Where do we look for the jump drive?"
  1222. >"AH, IN THE ENGINE. PROBABLY HARD TO GET TO IT, THANKS TO CRASH."
  1223. >"How do you usually get to it?"
  1224. >"MM, THERE WAS A DOOR, BUT IT'S MAYBE BLOCKED. WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE SOMETHING ELSE OUT."
  1225. >"Where is it, exactly?"
  1226. >"SHOULD BE UNDER US, IF CRASH HASN'T MOVED IT MUCH. SHOULD BE."
  1227.  
  1228. >"Okay then... is there any other way in that you can think of?"
  1229. >"HM. MAYBE... EXHAUST?"
  1230. >"The exhaust? That makes sense. Where is that from here?"
  1231. >"ERR... SHOULD BE AT BACK OF THE SHIP? NOT SURE IF WE CAN GET THERE..."
  1232. >"We can at least go check it out."
  1233. >The two of you head out of the ship, then make your way to the rear of it. Subina examines the signal module as you walk, muttering to herself and nodding.
  1234. >Eventually, you reach a crushed part of the ship. A small hatch is visible, and it seems to be relatively intact?
  1235. >"THIS IS IT. HOLD THIS; I'LL GO."
  1236. >She hands you the small purple cube and attempts to crawl into the hatch.
  1237. >Unfortunately, her size and the damaged state of the hatch means she only gets her shoulders in before...
  1238. >"ERR... ANON. I-I'M STUCK."
  1239. >"Okay, don't panic; I'll get you out."
  1240. >You gently grab her around the middle and begin pulling. She grunts with effort, attempting to dislodge herself by wiggling around.
  1241. >Eventually, you manage to pull her out, with the hatch releasing her so suddenly the two of you go stumbling backwards.
  1242. >You collapse in a heap, and Subina lands atop you. Thankfully, the module is unhurt.
  1243. >She smiles sheepishly.
  1244. >"THANK YOU. ERR... GUESS I CAN'T GO THROUGH THERE. BUT, MAYBE...?"
  1245. >Maybe what?
  1246.  
  1247. >"MAYBE... DO YOU THINK YOU CAN FIT IN THERE?"
  1248. >"Uh... maybe? I could measure the hatch first."
  1249. >"GOOD, GOOD."
  1250. >"...uh... you're gonna have to get off me first, please."
  1251. >"MM? O-OH, RIGHT. SORRY..."
  1252. >Subina smiles awkwardly and slowly rises up off of you. As she does so, you are unable to ignore the urge to cop a feel.
  1253. >As soon as you grab a handful of her ass, you're met with a yelp of surprise.
  1254. >"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
  1255. >"Huh? N-nothing..."
  1256. >"DID YOU... NOT IMPORTANT. PLEASE CHECK THE HATCH."
  1257. >You take out a measuring tape from your toolkit and check out the hatch. Should be just big enough for you to shimmy through.
  1258. >"Yeah, I can probably get through here. What do I need to do from there?"
  1259. >"FIND JUMP DRIVE. CAN'T MISS IT; PROBABLY STILL GLOWING."
  1260. >"Is it... safe to touch?"
  1261. >"YES. ERR, NO. MUST BE DEACTIVATED FIRST OR MAY MAKE YOU JUMP."
  1262. >"How do I deactivate it?"
  1263. >"AH... I CAN DO IT FROM THE CONTROLS. WILL YOU BE OKAY TO GO IN ALONE?"
  1264. >"Yeah; I'll take my tools. ...how big is this thing anyway?"
  1265. >"MMM, SMALL ENOUGH TO BRING OUT THROUGH THE HATCH."
  1266. >"Alright; wish me luck."
  1267. >With that, you shimmy through the exhaust hatch.
  1268.  
  1269. >...as she watches Anon crawl into the exhaust hatch, Subina worries.
  1270. >Surely he'll be okay. Nothing should be harmful as long as he doesn't activate anything.
  1271. >Even then, he's not stupid; surely he won't poke around with tech he doesn't understand?
  1272. >Once he's out of sight, she makes her way to the ship's control panel.
  1273.  
  1274. <Subina>
  1275.  
  1276. >Thankfully, deactivating the jump drive is totally possible.
  1277. >Unfortunately, it's a bit of a lengthy process, requiring a handful of protocols to successfully power it off.
  1278. >This wouldn't be a major issue if the control panel were in perfect order...
  1279. >But with it damaged and the screen cracked, this may prove difficult.
  1280. >Subina clears her throat and gives the order.
  1281. >"Deactivate jump drive."
  1282. >A computerized, distorted voice responds.
  1283. >"Are yOU su-u-uRe?"
  1284. >"Yes."
  1285. >"Plea-speak the cOO-de displayed onscreen..."
  1286. >Sigh...
  1287. >As she runs through the busywork, Subina thinks about what just happened with Anon.
  1288. >Did he think she wouldn't notice that? She wasn't angry, nor offended; instead, she was actually...
  1289. >Flattered?
  1290.  
  1291. <Anon>
  1292.  
  1293. >You crawl through the dark, cramped hatch until it gives way to a large, dark room.
  1294. >It's no less cramped in here, with machinery all around. Some clearly broken beyond repair, some things apparently still functioning on some level.
  1295. >A small monitor flashes, the screen cracked horribly. Three bars of color are displayed, each a different shade of purple. You swear you can hear quiet voices echoing from it...
  1296. >A rather large machine churns quietly, and cold air seems to emanate from it.
  1297. >A decently large, glowing purple orb hovers in place, surrounded by luminous rings.
  1298. >That must be it. You start to grab it, then your mind echoes with Subina's warning.
  1299. >You suppose you'll have to wait for her to deactivate it.
  1300.  
  1301. <Subina>
  1302.  
  1303. >..."NoWWW Entererer the answer to the securityyyyyyyyyyyyy question: what is your mother's maiden name?"
  1304. >Ugh. 10 security prompts in and she's nearly done.
  1305. >She wonders if Anon made it alright. Surely he had by now.
  1306.  
  1307. <Anon>
  1308.  
  1309. >That computer has you curious. You lean in to listen to it.
  1310. >"...SKO xcxyhq dy 5% izrfyltrdolyc. Sltohy drg Olodf qtgzohx tiiolrh. Khdykhw qtgzoh... xyloo izrfyltrlrj."
  1311. >"Huh?"
  1312. >There's no response, and the monitor continues to flicker...
  1313. >You shine your light at what you suppose is the jump drive. There doesn't seem to be any sort of shield around it? Odd.
  1314. >...you start to feel some regret at that stunt you pulled on Subina. You wonder if she was offended or upset by that, and resolve to do better about coming on so strongly.
  1315. >She probably doesn't even see you that way.
  1316.  
  1317. <Subina>
  1318.  
  1319. >"...Fi-I-inal stepp... who is the admiral of Nocten's military?"
  1320. >"Me, Subina."
  1321. >"g-great... jump drive deactivated. H-ave a nice daaaaaayyyy....."
  1322. >With that, her busywork was done. The jump drive should be off and safe to grab now.
  1323. >She briefly considered talking to Anon through a terminal, but... that one in the engine room isn't connected to the cockpit. It's purely there for the VHL system.
  1324. >VHL is an AI system that offers intelligent advice on maintaining the innards of ships. ...Subina notes with some sadness that her copy of it is likely dying or dead by now.
  1325. >Now's not the time to fret though.
  1326. >She dashes along to the rear of the ship and yells into the exhaust hatch.
  1327. >"Anon! Jump drive is deactivated!"
  1328.  
  1329. <Anon>
  1330.  
  1331. >The glowing purple orb suddenly stops glowing. It gently descends onto the pillar it hovered above.
  1332.  
  1333. <Anon>
  1334.  
  1335. >Gently, delicately, you pick up the deactivated jump drive. It... tickles. Your fingers seem to "warp" around the edges of it in a disconcerting way.
  1336. >...you quickly stash it in a spare compartment of your toolkit.
  1337. >You also gently pick up the terminal, thinking maybe some use can be gotten out of it.
  1338. >You manage to shimmy out of the exhaust hatch with the terminal, then go back in for your tools and the jump drive.
  1339. >Subina smiles toothily and pats your back firmly when you return.
  1340. >"I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT, ANON. GREAT WORK. ...WHY THE TERMINAL, THOUGH?"
  1341. >"I... dunno. I thought maybe you could use it?"
  1342. >"COULD MAYBE, YES. THANKS."
  1343. >Subina gently sets the terminal down and smiles at you again.
  1344. >"YOU DID A GREAT JOB."
  1345. >She pulls you into a tight hug, and pats you on the back and head.
  1346. >Then, you suddenly feel her pay you back for your earlier stunt.
  1347. >"What was that?"
  1348. >"HM? WHAT?"
  1349. >She puts on an exaggerated look of confusion, but you see a sly look in her eyes.
  1350. >"...nevermind. What else do we need to get?"
  1351. >"SOMETHING TO BOOST SIGNAL. NORMALLY NOT AN ISSUE, SO..."
  1352. >"...your ship doesn't have anything for that?"
  1353. >"NOT EXACTLY, NO. ANY IDEAS?"
  1354. >"Uh... lemme think about that."
  1355. >"TAKE YOUR TIME. I TRUST YOUR IDEAS."
  1356.  
  1357. >"Okay, I don't understand how either of these work; can you maybe explain it?"
  1358. >"HM. SIGNAL MODULE SENDS OUT DATA AT EXTREMELY HIGH SPEED. JUMP DRIVE... DISTORTS SPACE TO MOVE THINGS AT EVEN HIGHER SPEEDS."
  1359. >"Uh-huh..."
  1360. >"IF COMBINED, SHOULD BE ALMOST ENOUGH TO REACH HOME. BUT, WILL NEED A WAY TO BOOST SIGNAL TO GET THERE."
  1361. >"Can we give the signal module power from the drive?"
  1362. >"COULD MAYBE, BUT WOULD LIKELY BURN UP EMITTER. BESIDES; PLAN IS TO SEND SIGNAL THROUGH JUMP DRIVE."
  1363. >"...will that even work?"
  1364. >"ERR... SHOULD? PROBABLY?"
  1365. >"Hm. What if we got that terminal back up? What's it for, anyway?"
  1366. >"IT HOLDS THREE AIS; THEY OFFER MUCH ADVICE ON THE SHIP AND CAN CONTROL SOME PARTS IF AUTHORIZED."
  1367. >"Can we get them back online?"
  1368. >"YES, IT WILL TAKE TIME THOUGH. WE CAN TAKE OUR FINDS TO YOUR HOUSE AND WORK ON THIS."
  1369. >With that, you gather up everything and set off home. The terminal weakly mutters occasionally. Subina answers it at times.
  1370. >"Stlfh whftjrlehg... Dgqlwdo? Dwh ctz ykhwh?"
  1371. >"Chx, Khdykhw."
  1372. >"Jttg... jttg."
  1373. >She looks at you with a little smile.
  1374. >"CAN MAYBE BE FIXED; ONE AI STILL ONLINE, OTHER TWO CAN LIKELY BE REVIVED."
  1375. >Eventually, you make it home. You set the signal module and jump drive on the table, and Subina sets the terminal next to them. She immediately begins fiddling around with it.
  1376. >"SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIX..."
  1377. >After around a few hours of work, she grins happily at the repaired terminal.
  1378. >The screen shows a woman of Subina's species, except she has 3 heads. Each one is a slightly different hue of purple, but all three eye you with interest.
  1379. >"Dgqlwdo, pkdy lx ykdy?"
  1380. >"D kzqdr."
  1381. >"Ottnx... dyywdfylsh. Kdsh ctz..."
  1382. >"Rt. Rty hshwcyklrj ftqhx yt ykdy utlry, Olodf."
  1383. >You pick up on her words... is one of the AIs called Lilac? That seems right.
  1384.  
  1385. >...a few hours pass. Subina took the liberty of connecting her terminal to your laptop, and uploading a link to an English dictionary. Now, the AI inside has been practicing speaking the new language.
  1386. >"OKAY, VHL: INTRODUCE YOURSELVES."
  1387. >"I'm Violet. I am responsible for navigation and calculating where the Jump drive will go next."
  1388. >"My name is Heather. I'm in charge of monitoring environmental aspects of the ship, as well as the health of crew members."
  1389. >"And I'm Lilac; I handle the ship's major functions outside of navigation."
  1390. >Three voices speak in unison from the terminal.
  1391. >"Nice to meet you, Anon."
  1392. >The head that called herself Lilac speaks up.
  1393. >"Admiral... is this gentleman your companion?"
  1394. >Subina seems a bit flustered.
  1395. >"ERR... ANON IS A FRIEND, YES."
  1396. >The AI gets a wry smile on her face.
  1397. >"Friend, eh...? Heather?"
  1398. >The middle head of the AI gets a matching grin.
  1399. >"Hmm. Admiral, I'm detecting an accelerating heartbeat. Is there something wrong~?"
  1400. >"N-NO; PROBABLY FROM HIKING."
  1401. >The AI continues to grin, with the final head now joining in.
  1402. >"Admiral, my calculations show that the ship isn't that far of a walk. A woman of your caliber should have no problems with that hike."
  1403. >"VHL, ENOUGH. HOW CAN WE GET A SIGNAL HOME?"
  1404. >Violet seems to think hard for a moment.
  1405. >"In order to reach Nocten from here, you'll need to boost the signal as well as send it through a jump. You may also need a way to stabilize your message, as it may get distorted in transit."
  1406. >"HM. WHAT IS THE JUMP DRIVE'S STATUS?"
  1407. >Lilac speaks up.
  1408. >"Approximately 80% functionality. What luck."
  1409. >You can't help but be amazed at these apparently intelligent AIs.
  1410. >"Subina, how are they doing all that?"
  1411. >With a grin and a wink, Heather speaks up.
  1412. >"Hey there, human; never seen a real AI before? Wanna see what we can do~?"
  1413. >Subina huffs and glares at the screen.
  1414.  
  1415. >"Uh... sure?"
  1416. >Almost immediately, Subina turns the monitor off.
  1417. >"I NEVER LIKED THOSE THREE. ANYWAY, WE KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW."
  1418. >...well, that's true.
  1419. >"Ooookay then. Uh... where do we start?"
  1420. >"NEED TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO SET UP JUMP DRIVE AND SIGNAL MODULE. ALSO NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BOOST SIGNAL STRENGTH."
  1421. >"...I have a generator; can we plug the signal module into that for some extra power?"
  1422. >"HM! MAYBE SO; MAY NOT BE ENOUGH, BUT GOOD IDEA."
  1423. >She pats you on the head appreciatively.
  1424. >You think about how she said that was a formal sign of appreciation. What else is different about your cultures?
  1425. >"Hey, Subina: what's life like on, uh, N-Nocten?"
  1426. >"THAT'S CORRECT, NOCTEN. SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO EARTH IN A FEW WAYS. ALREADY TOLD YOU ABOUT HEADPATS AND BACKPATS. WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?"
  1427.  
  1428. >"Okay... how long have you been in the military?"
  1429. >"HM. NOCTERRAN YEARS A BIT DIFFERENT THAN EARTH YEARS. ONE MOMENT."
  1430. >She begrudgingly turns the terminal back on.
  1431. >"VHL. *muttering* NOCTERRAN YEARS TO EARTH YEARS."
  1432. >There's a pause, then one of the AIs responds quietly. With a brief thanks, Subina turns the monitor off.
  1433. >"TWENTY-FIVE YEARS EARTH TIME, ROUGHLY. GIVE OR TAKE A FEW."
  1434. >"Does the Nocterran military see a lot of combat?"
  1435. >"MORE THAN I WOULD LIKE."
  1436. >"Oh. You said something about... an attack, in your flashback the other day. Who did it?"
  1437. >"...PLEASE, LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT."
  1438. >"Sorry, sorry. Err... what's with the cold food?"
  1439. >"NOCTEN IS VERY COOL; NOCTERRANS HAVE LOWER BODY TEMPERATURES THAN YOU HUMANS. WE PREFER COLD FOOD."
  1440. >"You just don't like the heat?"
  1441. >"EXACTLY."
  1442.  
  1443. >"Okay... how do families work?"
  1444. >"NOCTERRAN FAMILIES ARE USUALLY VERY CLOSE AND LOVING."
  1445. >"What about yours?"
  1446. >"OH YES. VERY, VERY CLOSE. MOTHER IS AN ENGINEER; FATHER IS A RETIRED PILOT. HE SERVED UNDER ME FOR A FEW YEARS..."
  1447. >"What does he do now?"
  1448. >"WANDERS THE STARS IN HIS OLD SHIP. HE ALSO SPENDS A LOT OF TIME AT HOME WITH MOTHER."
  1449. >"Do you have siblings?"
  1450. >"ERR... NO. ONLY CHILD. NOT TOO UNCOMMON."
  1451. >"Really? I'd have thought your people had more than one kid, normally."
  1452. >"MM... MOTHER WAS HAPPY TO HAVE ONLY ONE; BUSY WITH HER JOB."
  1453. >"I see. Well, I'm glad you have a happy family."
  1454. >She smiles warmly.
  1455. >"...ME TOO. AND A GOOD FRIEND."
  1456. >She pulls you in to a hug, still smiling.
  1457. >"One more... how many species have you come in contact with?"
  1458. >"OH, MANY. MANY, MANY SPECIES. CAITHIANS... HUMANS... FAR TOO MANY TO COUNT."
  1459. >"Why haven't you guys contacted Earth before?"
  1460. >"DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT EARTH UNTIL I LANDED HERE. REST ASSURED, I WILL BE REPORTING ABOUT IT WHEN I RETURN HOME."
  1461. >"Really? Think your people will try to get in touch?"
  1462. >"NO. WE ARE NOT TO REACH OUT TO THOSE WITHOUT FTL TRAVEL. SORRY. DECREED BY OUR LEADER."
  1463. >"Oh. Okay then. ...who is your leader?"
  1464. >"NOCTEN IS LED BY A EMPRESS; NOT QUITE THE EARTH MEANING THOUGH, ELECTED POSITION. SERVES FROM ELECTION UNTIL RESIGNATION OR DEATH."
  1465. >"Huh. How long have you had the current empress?"
  1466. >"NOT VERY LONG; FEW EARTH YEARS. SHE IS RATHER YOUNG; YOUNGER THAN ME."
  1467. >"Interesting."
  1468. >Suddenly, an idea strikes.
  1469. >"Hey... there's a possibility we could use something called SETI to boost your signal."
  1470. >"REALLY? EXPLAIN."
  1471. >You begin to explain your idea...
  1472.  
  1473. >"...all we need is a way to distract them long enough."
  1474. >Subina nods with a grim expression. She begins to speak in a much more serious, cool tone than usual.
  1475. >"ANON, EXCELLENT PLAN. VHL CAN HANDLE THE HACK. THEY ARE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH. BEST WAY TO DISTRACT WOULD BE... HM."
  1476. >She puts a hand to her chin in thought.
  1477. >"...while you think, I think I'm gonna grab a quick snack."
  1478. >You head off into the kitchen, and open up the freezer. Nothing like some vanilla ice cream to help-
  1479. >Why's the ice cream empty? Last time you saw it, it was half full. ...hm.
  1480. >"Hey, Subina... did you eat all the ice cream?"
  1481. >She gasps and claps a hand over her mouth. Then, she speaks in her usual tone.
  1482. >"UH... SORRY. GOT HUNGRY WHEN YOU WERE ASLEEP."
  1483. >"That's fine. Anything else interesting happen while I was asleep?"
  1484. >"....N-NO..."
  1485. >She smiles unconvincingly, then immediately returns to her stern, commanding look and voice.
  1486. >"ANON, I HAVE A PLAN. WE WILL MAKE A FALSE SIGNAL AND SEND IT TO SETI. VHL WILL SET UP THE SIGNAL IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE ARRAYS ALIGN PERFECTLY FOR OUR NEEDS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
  1487. >"Yes, I think so."
  1488. >"YES?"
  1489. >"Err... yes ma'am?"
  1490. >"GOOD. NOW THEN. ARE YOU READY TO INITIATE? WE CAN POSTPONE IF YOU AREN'T READY YET..."
  1491.  
  1492. >"Uh... two questions, first."
  1493. >"GO AHEAD."
  1494. >"How long will it take to get a response back from Nocten?"
  1495. >"HM. JUDGING BY THE DISTANCE THE SIGNAL WILL NEED TO TRAVEL... PERHAPS ONE OR TWO EARTH DAYS."
  1496. >"Hm. And, ah... you... can't stay, can you?"
  1497. >Subina sighs deeply and rubs your back.
  1498. >"...NO. I CANNOT."
  1499. >"...could... I go with you?"
  1500. >She looks at you with an inscrutable expression, drawing herself up to her full height.
  1501. >"..."
  1502. >"Uh... S-Subina?"
  1503. >"WE WILL DISCUSS THAT LATER. IT IS TIME TO INITIATE THE PLAN. VHL: BEGIN THE FALSE FLAG."
  1504. >The AIs quickly vanish, the screen of the terminal showing instead a complex diagram you can't understand. Subina monitors it carefully.
  1505. >She clears her throat, and begins speaking gibberish, presumably into a microphone in the terminal. You can see the diagram changing in real time.
  1506. >A message blinks on screen.
  1507. >"ARRAY AT 80% ALIGNMENT."
  1508. >Subina smiles toothily, and continues her nonsensical speech.
  1509. >You watch the number tick up with mounting excitement.
  1510. >90%. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99...
  1511. >With a beep, the array reaches 100% alignment.
  1512. >Subina immediately activates the signal beacon, which she had already connected to her terminal. There's a momentary pause, then the jump drive, sitting atop the terminal, begins glowing and hovering.
  1513. >There's a loud hum, then a BANG as the drive deactivates and falls onto the terminal again.
  1514. >Then... silence. Subina halts her speech as the communications lines are closed.
  1515. >"VHL. STATUS."
  1516. >Lilac responds.
  1517. >"Signal successfully sent into a jump, Admiral. It should be on course to arrive at Nocten soon. The signal has sufficient strength and stability to be understood."
  1518. >Subina calmly thanks VHL, then turns the terminal monitor off. She turns to you with a grave expression.
  1519. >"ANON."
  1520. >A huge grin spreads across her face. She lets off a cry of happiness and hugs you tightly.
  1521. >"ANON, WE-WE DID IT. WE DID IT, AND IT WAS ALL THANKS TO YOU."
  1522.  
  1523. >Overjoyed, you return her hug wholeheartedly. The two of you embrace warmly for what feels like ages.
  1524. >When she releases you, she gives you a genuine smile, tears of happiness glinting in her eyes.
  1525. >"So... what now?"
  1526. >"WE WAIT. I... WILL SPEND THE REST OF MY TIME HERE WITH YOU, OF COURSE. IF... YOU'LL ALLOW IT."
  1527. >"Are you kidding? I'd love that."
  1528. >"L-LOVE...?"
  1529. >She starts to shake slightly... then practically slaps your back affectionately.
  1530. >"Uh, so... about that question from earlier..."
  1531. >"...WE... WE'LL DISCUSS IT LATER. I PROMISE."
  1532. >She embraces you again.
  1533. >"ANON, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. YOU'VE BEEN SO VERY KIND TO ME."
  1534. >"Think nothing of it; just doing the right thing and helping someone in need."
  1535. >"SO KIND... I L-LOVE THAT..."
  1536. >You can feel her tremble a bit as she continues to hug you.
  1537. >"THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU."
  1538.  
  1539. >Returning yet another hug, you gently rub and pat Subina's back. She tightens her grip on you and returns the favor.
  1540. >You can't help but be awestruck.
  1541. >This woman came from literal galaxies away. She's served an intergalactic army for 25 years or more. She's climbed the ranks to the very top of her people's military.
  1542. >And yet...
  1543. >She's fragile. The weight of command is heavy even on her. She's tender and willing to open up to you. She's genuine in a way you would never have guessed.
  1544. >You can't help but get a little misty-eyed. You pull her closer and continue to rub her. You throw in a kiss on the cheek as well; she reciprocates.
  1545. >"I should be thanking you. You've given me the experience of a lifetime just by being here."
  1546. >Rather than respond, she simply kisses you again.
  1547. >"Subina... I need to apologize for what I did when you fell on me earlier. That was really inconsiderate."
  1548. >"HM? N-NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE... IT WAS FINE...."
  1549. >You're fairly certain she's blushing under that deep purple fur.
  1550.  
  1551. >You smile at her.
  1552. >"I have an idea... wait here for a second."
  1553. >You rush into the house, and return carrying a brush. Subina tilts her head in confusion until you start running it through her luxurious fur.
  1554. >Immediately, she starts stammering.
  1555. >"A-A-ANON? W-WHAT ARE YOU...?"
  1556. >She soon stops speaking and just enjoys it. She closes her eyes and lets her jaw hang open a bit. She blindly reaches over and pats your head.
  1557. >You quickly pull out your phone and start some classical music. Subina slowly sways to the melodic sound, still clearly enjoying your brushing.
  1558. >"AHH..."
  1559. >While she's so relaxed, you start planning for her last few days on Earth, and ask some questions.
  1560. >"Do you want to hike out and take a look at an Earth city from the hills?"
  1561. >"AHH... SURE, THAT SOUNDS NICE..."
  1562. >"Good, good. Uh... I heard this in a movie once: are your people working with slipspace technology?"
  1563. >"AHH... NO, NOCTERRANS ARE HAPPY WITH JUMP TECH..."
  1564. >"Oh, okay. ...say, uh... what happened to the ice cream?"
  1565. >"MMM... GOT A LITTLE HUNGRY LAST NIGHT..."
  1566. >"...do you know why my trash is full of cling-wrap?"
  1567. >"AHH... BORROWED SOME..."
  1568. >"What for?"
  1569. >"MMM.... NOT IMPORTANT..."
  1570. >Her answers get quieter and quieter, her nearly melting in sheer relaxation.
  1571.  
  1572. >Your mind screams at how... adorable she is when she's like this. Subina yawns as she continues to melt under your touch.
  1573. >"MM... I'M... GETTING SLEEPY..."
  1574. >She slowly collapses into your lap, with you following her with your hand and continuing to brush. She almost immediately starts to snore.
  1575. >After about an hour, she gently rises up and looks around drowsily. She smiles up at you.
  1576. >"MMM... I... I'LL GO TO BED NOW..."
  1577. >She slowly stands up and shuffles off towards the guest room.
  1578. >"Hold on one minute, please!"
  1579. >You quickly shove a blanket into the freezer. You dunk your hand into the ice as well, then grab an ice pack.
  1580. >You walk over and take Subina's hand in your now-frigid hand. She gasps in shock, and smiles drowsily.
  1581. >"YOU... REMEMBERED I LIKE COLD..."
  1582. >You wordlessly smile and intertwine your fingers with hers. You use your free hand to gently pat her back with the ice pack.
  1583. >She sighs in contentment.
  1584. >"MM... ANON, THANK... YOU..."
  1585. >She yawns deeply again. You gently lead her to the guest bed, where she lies down, cuddling the ice pack you gave her.
  1586. >You dash off to claim the chilled blanket, then tuck her in with it. Subina looks up at you with sleepy adoration.
  1587. >"T-TOO NICE TO ME... TOO NICE... GOOD NIGHT, ANON..."
  1588. >Subina again yawns cutely.
  1589. >"I... LOVE YOU..."
  1590. >With that, she falls asleep, frigid to the touch, but warm at heart.
  1591.  
  1592. >Though she's asleep, you can't help but say:
  1593. >"I love you too, good night."
  1594. >You lean in and kiss her twice; once on the cheek, once on the forehead. A smile spreads across her face.
  1595. >With that, you carefully sneak out. You gently close the door and get ready for bed.
  1596. >You lie down and get comfortable. Which is easy considering the cozy thoughts welling up in your mind.
  1597. >With a smile, and the thoughts of how happy Subina looked, you drift off into dreams.
  1598. >...dreams of you and your companion sailing the stars. Seeing the planets and their people. Watching comets fly by and moons spin.
  1599. >Enjoying both the beauty of the cosmos...
  1600. >and the warmth of each other's company.
  1601. >You settle in for the comfiest sleep you've ever had in your life.
  1602.  
  1603. >You awaken just before sunup, feeling cozier than ever before. You roll over and out of bed.
  1604. >You decide to wake Subina up, and let her see the sunrise. You tiptoe into the guest room...
  1605. >She's still sleeping soundly, laying atop the now-warm blanket and cuddling the melted ice pack against herself. She snores quietly. There's no sign of her previous issues...
  1606. >You gently tap her shoulder. She wakes up with a yawn.
  1607. >"MM? WHAT.... WHAT IS IT?"
  1608. >"I wanted you to see this."
  1609. >You take her hand and lead her out into the porch. The sunrise is just beginning.
  1610. >As the countryside is slowly illuminated, you watch Subina's face.
  1611. >Her face carries an absolutely beautiful smile, and she seems to get a little misty-eyed.
  1612. >She throws an arm around your shoulder and leans against you.
  1613. >"IT'S.... IT'S BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU FOR SHARING."
  1614. >"It's almost as beautiful as you are."
  1615. >She perks up and looks over at you in shock.
  1616. >"W-WHAT?"
  1617. >"I mean that too. You're beautiful, Subina."
  1618. >She again shows off that gorgeous smile, then hugs you tightly.
  1619. >"I MEANT WHAT I SAID LAST NIGHT. I LOVE YOU, ANON. YOU'VE BEEN SO KIND, SO SWEET..."
  1620. >She kisses your cheeks repeatedly.
  1621. >"THANK YOU. LET'S ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL VIEW TOGETHER."
  1622. >"Sounds like a wonderful idea."
  1623. >And so you do. The two of you, sitting side by side, sharing warmth and companionship, watch the sun rise above the hillside.
  1624. >It's amazing how much more beautiful something is when you have someone to appreciate it with.
  1625.  
  1626. >Eventually, the sun fully rises. You and Subina gently embrace again, then head inside.
  1627. >You consider heading out to the hilltops to show Subina the cityscape in the distance. But...
  1628. >Man, it's early. You're not really awake enough to hike that far. But, there's one thing you're definitely awake enough for.
  1629. >"Hey... you wanna try out a videogame?"
  1630. >"MM? OKAY, WHY NOT?"
  1631. >You boot up Mario Kart. Specifically Double Dash so you and your guest can team up.
  1632. >Subina idly scrolls through the available characters, before stopping on Waluigi.
  1633. >Purple. Of course.
  1634. >The two of you play several races. It becomes apparent she's far better at steering the kart than she is using the items efficiently.
  1635. >By the end of the session, she's nearly unstoppable as your pilot, and you've gained a real knack for wreaking havoc with items. Subina laughs heartily as yet another Congratulations screen shows up.
  1636. >"WE MAKE A GREAT TEAM."
  1637. >"We sure do."
  1638. >She kisses your cheek and tousled your hair lovingly.
  1639. >A question comes to mind... you decide to bury it under a question she's more likely to answer.
  1640. >"So... are there countries on Nocten?"
  1641. >"AH, NO. ALL OF NOCTEN IS UNIFIED. PEACEFUL."
  1642. >"That's good. I wish Earth could take a page from your book. ...Subina... is there any way we can stay together?"
  1643. >She falls silent. She refuses to make eye contact with you, and slowly rubs your back.
  1644. >"...WE... WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER. FOR NOW, WE ARE TOGETHER. LET'S ENJOY THAT."
  1645.  
  1646. >Understanding she doesn't want to discuss it, you change the subject.
  1647. >"Are there non-intelligent animals on Nocten?"
  1648. >"SOME, YES. NOT MANY AROUND CIVILIZATION THOUGH. MORE FUNGI NEAR CITIES."
  1649. >"Really?"
  1650. >"YES; CULTIVATED FOR FOOD. MORE EASILY RAISED, HARDER TO KILL."
  1651. >"Makes sense. Any examples of animals on Nocten?"
  1652. >"MM... SOHRUS. LARGE, FURRY BIRDS WITH ANNOYING CRIES. VERY GOOD TO EAT."
  1653. >"Oh. Interesting..."
  1654. >The two of you share a meaningful look. She starts to say something, then catches herself.
  1655. >Suddenly, she pulls you in to a proper, passionate kiss. Not on the cheek; a proper, lip to lip kiss.
  1656. >The two of you hold this kiss for a while, then she eventually breaks away.
  1657. >She smiles at you faintly.
  1658. >"...Thank you."
  1659. >Rather than respond, she simply embraces you tightly, resting her chin atop your head.
  1660. >"...I AM SORRY NOT TO DISCUSS YOUR QUESTION. MAYBE LATER. I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT NOW. I JUST WANT TO LOVE THE REST OF OUR TIME TOGETHER."
  1661. >You pat her back lovingly.
  1662. >"Me too. We can definitely make your last days here something you can look back on with love."
  1663. >"T-THANK YOU, ANON..."
  1664.  
  1665. >"I have an idea: let's play a game. I'll ask you something about Nocten, then you ask me something about Earth."
  1666. >"SOUNDS FUN. ONE SECOND."
  1667. >She gets up and grabs a glass of water, then sits back down with a smile.
  1668. >"Okay... what are your literature and philosophy like?"
  1669. >"MM. MOST NOCTERRAN LITERATURE IS RATHER LIGHTHEARTED. ROMANCES ARE POPULAR, AS ARE ACCOUNTS OF ACTUAL VOYAGES. I MYSELF HAVE ACTUALLY WRITTEN A FEW TRAVELOGUES..."
  1670. >"Really? That's interesting..."
  1671. >"OKAY... HOW HAS EARTH COME SO FAR IN SO LITTLE TIME? IT SEEMS THAT YOUR TECHNOLOGY HAS COME VERY FAR."
  1672. >"Determination, and a dedication to progress. Mankind has always looked forward when it comes to technology; I guess that's why we've made so many strides."
  1673. >"I SEE..."
  1674. >"What sort of entertainment so you have on Nocten?"
  1675. >"HOLOFILMS ARE FAIRLY POPULAR. COMEDIES ARE POPULAR WITH YOUNGER NOCTERRANS, WHILE ADULTS LEAN TOWARDS MORE REALISTIC FARE. FAIRLY SIMILAR TO WHAT I KNOW OF EARTH FILMS, ACTUALLY."
  1676. >"Oh, alright."
  1677. >"...NOT ABOUT EARTH, BUT... HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL ABOUT ME?"
  1678. >"I already told you that: I love you. You're beautiful, and sweet."
  1679. >She smiles bashfully and takes a sip of her water.
  1680. >"...how does marriage work on Nocten?"
  1681. >She spits her water across the room.
  1682. >"W-WHAT?"
  1683. >"Marriage? How does marriage work?"
  1684. >She stares at you with a deer-in-headlights expression.
  1685.  
  1686. >"You know what marriage is, right?"
  1687. >She eventually stammers out a response.
  1688. >"Y-YES, I KNOW. W-WHY DO YOU ASK?"
  1689. >"Just curious! I'm mainly wondering how that works if a Nocterran marries an individual of a different species?"
  1690. >"A-AH... I SEE... U-UH... INTERSPECIES UNIONS ARE SEEN AS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE AS LONG AS NOCTEN IS NOT ACTIVELY ENEMIES WITH THE SPECIES IN QUESTION. C-CITIZENSHIP IS USUALLY OFFERED, IF THE SPOUSE IS INTERESTED..."
  1691. >"Citizenship to Nocten?"
  1692. >"Y-YES, THAT IS TRADITION."
  1693. >You smile at her innocently.
  1694. >"Thanks for answering that; I was really wondering."
  1695. >She returns an awkward smile and downs the entire remainder of her water in one long gulp.
  1696. >"I... CANNOT THINK OF ANY QUESTIONS AT THE MOMENT... S-SORRY..."
  1697.  
  1698. >"That's fine. Let me show you something..."
  1699. >You open up your laptop, then head to Google Earth. Subina's eyes practically light up when she sees the model of your planet.
  1700. >"THIS IS EARTH? IT'S BEAUTIFUL."
  1701. >You smile and begin navigating around the virtual planet. Your companion smiles and watches in awe, occasionally pointing out interesting landmarks.
  1702. >She's especially interested in seeing the satellite image of your house, chuckling when she recognizes it before you do.
  1703. >"EARTH IS A WONDERFUL PLANET, IT SEEMS."
  1704. >"...sometimes, yes."
  1705. >"MM. PRETTY, IF NOTHING ELSE."
  1706. >You close out Google Earth and decide to show her how humans can vary in looks. She seems fascinated.
  1707. >"I WOULDN'T HAVE GUESSED HUMANS VARIED SO MUCH. HOW INTERESTING."
  1708. >She looks at you with a wry smile.
  1709. >"...YOU'RE STILL THE BEST HUMAN TO ME, THOUGH."
  1710. >She grins and pats your head.
  1711. >You grin back, and "joke" with her, saying the first thing that comes to mind.
  1712. >"Y'know what? If we got married, you couldn't do that anymore; we'd be on even ground!"
  1713. >She gasps and blinks a few times in shock.
  1714. >"..."
  1715. >...time to change the subject?
  1716. >"Err... anyway, how big is the fleet you command?"
  1717. >"AH... UH... SEVERAL HUNDRED SHIPS. FAIRLY LARGE SHIPS AS WELL."
  1718. >"Hm. Do Nocterrans live on other planets?"
  1719. >"YES, THOUGH NOCTEN HAS NEVER CONQUERED ANOTHER WORLD. IT IS AGAINST OUR PRINCIPLES. WE DO HOWEVER HAVE STATIONS AND OUTPOSTS ON ALLIED PLANETS."
  1720. >"I see."
  1721. >She excuses herself to refill her water. You hear her muttering under her breath as she goes...
  1722. >"MARRIED... US? ANON AND I...?"
  1723.  
  1724. <Subina>
  1725.  
  1726. >Marriage. The very thought of it sent an electric tingle down her spine.
  1727. >Anon... this human, who only just learned of her feelings for him, actually... suggested it?
  1728. >...she could see a vivid image of herself, traditional purple veil over her face. Tears of joy cascading behind the fabric.
  1729. >It was enough to make her a little misty-eyed just thinking of it.
  1730. >She couldn't believe that Anon actually... thought about her that way. And after only such little time with her...
  1731. >A deep part of her mind told her to jump him. Strip off the clothes he lent her and bury his unsuspecting face in her chest. Indulge the dark fantasies of her dreams...
  1732. >Subina managed to shake these thoughts, though she noted with concern that her borrowed shirt was becoming tighter...
  1733. >Would the Empress even accept...
  1734. >No. She couldn't let her thoughts sway her. She had already made her decision.
  1735. >In fact... her decision was already transmitted home.
  1736. >She hoped Anon would be able to accept her choice...
  1737. >Subina slowly made her way back to Anon, glass of water refilled and shirt strategically adjusted.
  1738.  
  1739. <Anon>
  1740.  
  1741. >"Oh, there you are! How does a trilogy of movies sound?"
  1742. >"S-SOUNDS GREAT..."
  1743. >You start up the first Star Wars. You chuckle a bit.
  1744. >"Hey, maybe you'll see someone you recognize in this!"
  1745. >She smiles warmly at you.
  1746.  
  1747. >By "first Star Wars" you mean the first of the original trilogy. You shudder to think how Subina would handle Jar Jar...
  1748. >She cuddles up extremely close to you, occasionally kissing your cheek. She mostly enjoys the movies quietly, occasionally chipping in a few comments.
  1749. >"I LIKE THIS... LEIA. A LOT."
  1750. >Eventually, she's grinning toothily and watching eagerly. She scoots to the edge of the couch, and you quietly sneak away.
  1751. >You grab an ice cube and use it to cool your mouth off. You sit back down next to Subina...
  1752. >"OH, WELCOME BACK-"
  1753. >You give her an icy kiss on the cheek. She practically melts.
  1754. >"O-OH... THANK YOU..."
  1755. >A thought comes to the forefront of your mind...
  1756. >"Subina... I know why you don't want to talk about it. I... I know we can't be together. But I want you know I'm... thankful. I'm thankful that I met you. I've loved the time we've spent together, and I love you. I understand that you have to go. It's okay."
  1757. >She stares wordlessly. Tears start to form in her eyes.
  1758. >"A-ANON, PLEASE. C-CAN WE PLEASE JUST..."
  1759. >She starts to sob a little.
  1760. >"...NOT TALK ABOUT IT? PLEASE..."
  1761. >You smile sadly.
  1762. >"Okay. I'm... sorry."
  1763.  
  1764. <Subina>
  1765.  
  1766. >Anon...
  1767. >Such a poetic man, at times.
  1768. >...he'll be able to accept it. Surely.
  1769. >Surely...?
  1770.  
  1771. <Subina>
  1772.  
  1773. >She couldn't help but think back to how she even got here.
  1774. >It... was the anniversary of that horrible day. The Assault on Nocten.
  1775. >She was required to make an appearance every year. It was traditional, and every year it tore her heart right from her chest.
  1776. >Not that her people could ever know. She kept a stoic, solemn expression for the public.
  1777. >She made it a habit to go for a drive afterwards. Her people assumed it was symbolic of a funeral procession.
  1778. >The truth was that tears were easier to hide in the safety of her own ship.
  1779.  
  1780. <Anon>
  1781.  
  1782. >As soon as some of the battle scenes start up, you realize you may have made a mistake. Subina is obviously tense, and has a worryingly blank expression.
  1783. >You gently pull her close and hold her as tightly as possible. You gently whisper to her.
  1784. >"It's okay... it's not real. You're safe. You're completely safe."
  1785. >She shudders and buries her face in your shoulder. A shaky hand gently pats your back.
  1786. >You fast forward through the battles. She's seen too much of the real thing, you figure.
  1787.  
  1788. <Subina>
  1789.  
  1790. >...safe. It's all safe...
  1791. >He really knew how to help her. His assistance would be invaluable in her career...
  1792. >But, her decision has been made.
  1793. >A man of his caliber will absolutely understand. He will understand.
  1794. >He... he has to.
  1795.  
  1796. <Anon>
  1797.  
  1798. >It's apparent, despite her forcing a smile, that Subina's suffering through the movie.
  1799. >"...we can't keep watching this. I'm sorry. I should've been more careful with my movie choice."
  1800. >You give her a reassuring kiss and cuddle her close.
  1801. >"T-T-THANK YOU... SORRY."
  1802. >"Don't apologize; it was my fault. Do you want to go out and look at the stars for a while?"
  1803. >"N-NOT... NOW."
  1804.  
  1805. <Subina>
  1806.  
  1807. >...not telling him was killing her.
  1808. >Despite his resolve, Anon was obviously hurting. Even as strong as he was, she feared she had broken his heart.
  1809. >That settled it. She had to break down and tell him.
  1810.  
  1811. <Anon>
  1812.  
  1813. >Subina breathes in deeply, and exhales shakily.
  1814. >"A-ANON..."
  1815. >You pull her close again.
  1816. >"What is it? I'm here for you."
  1817. >"I-I KNOW... I... WANTED TO WAIT..."
  1818. >She slowly rises up from the couch. She gives you a nervous smile, then slowly kneels down to be face to face with you.
  1819. >"ANON... I... CAN'T LEAVE YOU. I CAN'T."
  1820. >She sniffles a bit.
  1821. >"BUT... I CAN'T TAKE A CIVILIAN FROM A YOUNG PLANET. IT'S AGAINST THE DECREE."
  1822. >She continues to sniff.
  1823. >"I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING APART FROM YOUR KINDNESS. YOUR CARING, LOVING NATURE. YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH FOR ME. BUT... I CANNOT BREAK A DECREE."
  1824. >Her sniffling starts to slow down, and a smile starts to spread.
  1825. >"HOWEVER... THERE... IS A SOLUTION."
  1826. >"Really?"
  1827. >"ANON. I, ADMIRAL SUBINA OF NOCTEN, HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU."
  1828. >She smiles and takes a deep breath. Her eyes glisten.
  1829. >"WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
  1830.  
  1831. >It takes a moment to absorb what she said.
  1832. >She stares at you with that misty-eyed smile.
  1833.  
  1834. <Subina>
  1835.  
  1836. >...she hoped he'd accept. She knew it was sudden.
  1837. >She'd only confessed her feelings the night before... but surely he'd understand it's the only way?
  1838. >She can't lose him. She needs him.
  1839.  
  1840. <Anon>
  1841.  
  1842. >"...ANON?"
  1843. >You're shocked back into consciousness, having zoned out.
  1844. >"Subina... yes. Yes I will. In a heartbeat."
  1845. >You lean forward and kiss her. Not content with a mere smooch, she pulls you in to a truly passionate kiss.
  1846. >Your heart swells with warmth and excitement. It all led up to this.
  1847. >You now have the chance to spend the rest of your life with this amazing woman. To enjoy her company and cruise the stars. But most importantly...
  1848. >You can be there for her when she needs support.
  1849.  
  1850. <Subina>
  1851.  
  1852. >Every fiber of her being screamed with joy.
  1853. >Everything would be better now. No more nights of lying awake with her fears.
  1854. >No more desperately attempting to get some comfort from the words of an AI.
  1855. >Now she had someone who legitimately cared. Someone...
  1856. >No. Not just someone. She had..
  1857. >Anon.
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