Serix tipped his head back to look up at the building, but even then he couldn’t see the top of it. He had been standing in front of it for a little while now, trying to guess where the entrance to the storage room would be located. From what he could see, it wasn’t accessible from the outside. He would have to enter the building and go from there. If he was lucky, he would find the entrance to the storage. If not, at least he had a safe place to rest and recover. He tried the door. It was unlocked, so he pulled it open and stepped inside.
Despite the layers of dust, the main room was breathtaking. It had a high ceiling and exotic furnishings he had never seen before. The robotics storage could wait. He wandered around the spacious room, taking a closer look at it all. If this was just the entrance, he wondered what the rest of the building would be like.
Serix heard a noise from one of the nearby hallways. He paused in his examination of the room and fixed his gaze on the corridor. Had one of the other Scouts come this way? He couldn’t remember. The pilot had held him back to give him the new belt, so he hadn’t seen which direction the others went. It was entirely possible that one of them had wandered into the city ahead of him.
He crept closer to the hallway, instinctively angling his body to shield his wounded arm in case the noise wasn’t from a Scout. At one point, the hallway turned sharply to the right. He couldn’t see anything without exposing himself to whatever was on the other side. He steeled himself and stepped around the corner. Immediately, he saw an all too familiar flash of blue light. He jumped to the side and the projectile whizzed past his head, barely missing his cheek. In that moment, he thanked his father for the quick reflexes he had inherited.
Now all that was left was the question of who was attacking him. The weapon was quite plainly a Silencer, but the Scouts wouldn’t shoot at each other like that. If anything, the other person would have called out a warning or revealed himself first. The fact that he or she had waited for him to approach first meant that he or she had been trying to stay hidden. That left only one option. He looked up.
Oh no, Serix paled. Cassie was approaching him with a grin. He might have been happy to see her again too, except now he was being closely monitored by the pilot. To make matters worse, she began trying to talk to him. He frantically held up his hands – the gesture sent another shooting pain up his arm – and shook his head, silently pleading with her to stop. She seemed to understand something was wrong, because she fell silent and gave him a puzzled look.
Serix looked around, searching for a way to explain his situation without words. An idea came to him. He waved his hand to tell Cassie to follow him, and then headed back to the front room where he started going through drawers he had noticed earlier. He found a writing utensil and a stack of thin, white sheets. He pulled one off the top. This would work. He glanced at Cassie. He wasn’t sure if humans shared the same written characters as Lunairans, but they should be similar enough for her to understand, right? Either way, it was worth a shot. He scribbled down the explanation, hoping she could read his sloppy writing. He was ambidextrous, but he still wrote better with his left hand. The wound in his arm had forced him to switch to his less dominant right hand, so the words turned out shaky and strange.
I WAS ASSIGNED A NEW INTERCOM. MY PILOT IS LISTENING IN RIGHT NOW.
He paused, thinking for a moment, and then went on to write something else.
CAN YOU SHOW ME THE STORAGE ROOM?
He felt his cheeks grow warm and he looked away. It was foolish, but despite the situation, he still wanted to see the robots.
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Personal Profile
Name: Taylor
Pronouns: They/them
Age: Mid 20s
Relationship: Married (happily, I might add)
Time Zone: Arizona (we hate daylight savings, so it's MST year-round)
Writing History: I've been on a number of different roleplaying websites for over a decade and a half
Hobbies: Writing, fitness, driving/exploring, hiking, camping, traveling, tabletop games, anything NEW (I love trying things I've never done before)
Roleplayer Profile
Format: 1x1s only. Maybe I'll try a group RP again someday, but I've never had one last longer than a few months
Posting Speed: Depending on my schedule, I can usually post at least once per week
Favorite Genres: Modern, Historical, Romance, Action/Adventure, Horror/Dark, Fantasy, Slice of Life, Dystopian, can be convinced to write some Sci-Fi
Hard 'no's: Fandoms. Sorry, but I can't maintain interest in characters/worlds I didn't build with my partner
Template: Public threads or PMs. I prefer to keep all my RPs in one place, so no emails or G-docs or the like
Rating: Comfortable with 18+ content, but it's not a necessity and I prefer not to center a plot around explicit scenes
Level: Advanced. Will consistently provide around 400-700 words per post, but can occasionally leap to 2000+
Character preference: One main character, but large side casts are greatly enjoyed. Because I write long posts, I prefer not to double
Gender preference: Male. You'll be hard pressed to convince me to play a female that isn't a background character. It's just not my forte
Romantic Relationships: MxF or MxM (currently prefer MxM)
Character Images: Faceclaims or detailed descriptions only. I envision the characters like real people in my mind, so I can't take anime seriously
OOC chat: Yes please! I'm a total extrovert who loves to get to know the amazing minds behind my partners' characters
Most Recent Posts
It was an odd feeling to be scouting alone again. It was even more frustrating to know his scouting was just a performance for the pilot to keep himself from getting killed. He had to tread carefully. The pilot would be sure to keep a close eye on him after he had lost track of him for two days. And so, Serix had come full circle, searching the city buildings for signs of humans, when he knew he would find none. The only human that was still breathing was safely hidden away in the airport… wasn’t she? It would be dangerous for her to try and move around now that the Scouts had been released to continue searching for survivors. If any of the others had decided to explore the city, there was a chance she could get caught.
“Five warm bodies to the northeast, Scout. Go identify them.”
The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom, making Serix jump. He still wasn’t used to hearing the pilot give him direct instructions like this. He found himself wishing he was back in the human’s ship, chatting idly to pass the time while a storm brewed outside. He would much rather listen to Cassie’s relaxing voice than the stern, clipped tone of his pilot. But he knew that wasn’t an option anymore.
“Five?” Serix said. “It’s probable that they are just more of those hairy creatures I encountered before. It seems they prefer to travel in groups. Do you still want me to check, sir?” He paused. No response. Of course the pilot wouldn’t be so foolish that as to reply. He wouldn’t give away his ability to hear the Scouts that easily.
Serix moved as quietly as he could as he approached the unidentified bodies in the northeast. He was still unarmed, so a fight with five of those creatures would end badly for him. He was still fairly confident that he would win, but he would likely be too injured to move afterwards. The pilot would send someone to retrieve him and he would be sent back to the ship for medical treatment. He couldn’t let that happen.
Up ahead, he saw the five creatures. As he suspected, it was a group of those four-legged beasts. They hadn’t noticed his presence yet. Serix quickly figured out why when a strong breeze rustled his hair. It had come from the northeast, which meant that he was downwind of the creatures. They must hunt by smell, and he happened to be in a perfect position where they couldn’t catch his scent.
Keeping low to the ground, Serix inched a bit closer, using the overgrown foliage for cover. He pulled out his recorder and began capturing pictures of the beasts. The group looked like a small family. There were two larger creatures and three smaller ones that he suspected were their spawn. He put the recorder away again and continued to watch them. The little beasts were rolling around in what looked like a mock fight while the larger ones kept watch. It was an interesting sight.
Suddenly, one of the large beasts whipped its head around to face him. Too late, Serix realized the direction of the wind had changed. He was no longer hidden. The creatures flattened their ears and approached him slowly. Serix scrambled to his feet, looking for the fastest exit point. One of the creatures snarled and lunged at him. Serix hit its gaping maw away before it could sink its fangs into his torso. One of the beast’s teeth scraped his arm in the process. While the beast was dazed, he clambered up a nearby tree. The other beast lunged at his leg, but he pulled it up and out of reach. He perched on a thick branch and looked down at the circling hunters. He was safe for now, but he was also trapped.
Serix ran a quick scan of his surroundings. There was a short building not too far to his right. If he climbed a little higher, he could jump down onto its crumbling top. He wasn’t sure it would support his weight, but it was better than staying trapped in the tree. He began to ascend to a taller branch.
He looked down at the building top. It was about as far away as the length of his body. He could make the jump. He crouched on the tree branch and leaped across the gap. He hit the building hard, landing sloppily so that he had to roll to a stop. He checked the intercom on his belt, half-hoping it got destroyed on the impact, but the little light was still flashing. It was still operable.
Serix winced. Now that the adrenaline rush was fading, he could feel a sharp pain in his arm where the hairy beast had scraped him. He rolled his sleeve back to inspect the damage. A long, shallow gash had formed along the outside of his forearm. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it still welled with dark blood. He clicked his tongue in irritation. He had nothing he could use to bandage the injury. He rolled his sleeve back down to cover it and rose to his feet, looking over the side of the building to see that the creatures had given up chasing him and dispersed.
“The group is heading south. I hope you collected valuable information before they left your area, Scout.”
The pilot’s unsympathetic voice came over the intercom again. Serix had half a mind to shout some choice words at him, but he held his tongue. The pilot knew he was injured – he would have been able to hear the tousle through the device – and yet he was going to do nothing about it. He was probably wondering why Serix hadn’t used his Silencer to kill the beasts before they attacked him.
Serix shook his head and stepped over to a ladder to get down from the building top. His wounded arm pained him when he put his weight on it, but he managed to climb down quickly enough. Once he was on the ground again, he continued walking deeper into the city. Blood trickled down his hand and dripped from his fingertips, leaving a trail of dark crimson droplets behind him. He had to find somewhere secure to rest until his arm stopped bleeding. Those four-legged creatures would have an easy time tracking him down while he was like this, and he didn’t want to get pulled into another fight.
Serix remembered the robot storage Cassie had mentioned to him before. She had said something about it being located beneath the tallest building in the city. That would be a safe place to stop, right? He looked up, searching for the tallest construction. It wasn’t difficult to find. The glass-walled building towered high above all the others in its vicinity. He smiled to himself. He would finally get to see the rumored battle machines of the humans.
He began the long walk to the building.
“Five warm bodies to the northeast, Scout. Go identify them.”
The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom, making Serix jump. He still wasn’t used to hearing the pilot give him direct instructions like this. He found himself wishing he was back in the human’s ship, chatting idly to pass the time while a storm brewed outside. He would much rather listen to Cassie’s relaxing voice than the stern, clipped tone of his pilot. But he knew that wasn’t an option anymore.
“Five?” Serix said. “It’s probable that they are just more of those hairy creatures I encountered before. It seems they prefer to travel in groups. Do you still want me to check, sir?” He paused. No response. Of course the pilot wouldn’t be so foolish that as to reply. He wouldn’t give away his ability to hear the Scouts that easily.
Serix moved as quietly as he could as he approached the unidentified bodies in the northeast. He was still unarmed, so a fight with five of those creatures would end badly for him. He was still fairly confident that he would win, but he would likely be too injured to move afterwards. The pilot would send someone to retrieve him and he would be sent back to the ship for medical treatment. He couldn’t let that happen.
Up ahead, he saw the five creatures. As he suspected, it was a group of those four-legged beasts. They hadn’t noticed his presence yet. Serix quickly figured out why when a strong breeze rustled his hair. It had come from the northeast, which meant that he was downwind of the creatures. They must hunt by smell, and he happened to be in a perfect position where they couldn’t catch his scent.
Keeping low to the ground, Serix inched a bit closer, using the overgrown foliage for cover. He pulled out his recorder and began capturing pictures of the beasts. The group looked like a small family. There were two larger creatures and three smaller ones that he suspected were their spawn. He put the recorder away again and continued to watch them. The little beasts were rolling around in what looked like a mock fight while the larger ones kept watch. It was an interesting sight.
Suddenly, one of the large beasts whipped its head around to face him. Too late, Serix realized the direction of the wind had changed. He was no longer hidden. The creatures flattened their ears and approached him slowly. Serix scrambled to his feet, looking for the fastest exit point. One of the creatures snarled and lunged at him. Serix hit its gaping maw away before it could sink its fangs into his torso. One of the beast’s teeth scraped his arm in the process. While the beast was dazed, he clambered up a nearby tree. The other beast lunged at his leg, but he pulled it up and out of reach. He perched on a thick branch and looked down at the circling hunters. He was safe for now, but he was also trapped.
Serix ran a quick scan of his surroundings. There was a short building not too far to his right. If he climbed a little higher, he could jump down onto its crumbling top. He wasn’t sure it would support his weight, but it was better than staying trapped in the tree. He began to ascend to a taller branch.
He looked down at the building top. It was about as far away as the length of his body. He could make the jump. He crouched on the tree branch and leaped across the gap. He hit the building hard, landing sloppily so that he had to roll to a stop. He checked the intercom on his belt, half-hoping it got destroyed on the impact, but the little light was still flashing. It was still operable.
Serix winced. Now that the adrenaline rush was fading, he could feel a sharp pain in his arm where the hairy beast had scraped him. He rolled his sleeve back to inspect the damage. A long, shallow gash had formed along the outside of his forearm. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it still welled with dark blood. He clicked his tongue in irritation. He had nothing he could use to bandage the injury. He rolled his sleeve back down to cover it and rose to his feet, looking over the side of the building to see that the creatures had given up chasing him and dispersed.
“The group is heading south. I hope you collected valuable information before they left your area, Scout.”
The pilot’s unsympathetic voice came over the intercom again. Serix had half a mind to shout some choice words at him, but he held his tongue. The pilot knew he was injured – he would have been able to hear the tousle through the device – and yet he was going to do nothing about it. He was probably wondering why Serix hadn’t used his Silencer to kill the beasts before they attacked him.
Serix shook his head and stepped over to a ladder to get down from the building top. His wounded arm pained him when he put his weight on it, but he managed to climb down quickly enough. Once he was on the ground again, he continued walking deeper into the city. Blood trickled down his hand and dripped from his fingertips, leaving a trail of dark crimson droplets behind him. He had to find somewhere secure to rest until his arm stopped bleeding. Those four-legged creatures would have an easy time tracking him down while he was like this, and he didn’t want to get pulled into another fight.
Serix remembered the robot storage Cassie had mentioned to him before. She had said something about it being located beneath the tallest building in the city. That would be a safe place to stop, right? He looked up, searching for the tallest construction. It wasn’t difficult to find. The glass-walled building towered high above all the others in its vicinity. He smiled to himself. He would finally get to see the rumored battle machines of the humans.
He began the long walk to the building.
Avery was done with everything. Even though the danger had passed, she didn’t get up from the floor of the van. In the midst of everything, she had remembered her waiting client. She had missed their appointment to meet. It was the first time she had ever missed an appointment. Never missing an appointment was part of her reputation. Now that reputation had a permanent blemish. And it all these idiots’ fault.
Avery cursed under her breath when the van hit a bump, causing her to hit her head on the floor. The helmet was so heavy that it took an unnecessary amount of effort to pick her head up again. The stupid thing was making her neck sore. She lifted herself to her knees and pulled the helmet off again. Who cared what Fletcher thought? She had had enough of it. She tossed the helmet aside and scooted back to lean against the side of the vehicle.
She drew her legs to her chest and propped her head on her knees, resolving to ignore everyone else until they got to… wherever it was they were going. She didn’t have to wait long. After about ten more minutes, the vehicle came to a halt. Avery looked up, waiting for the others to make a move. She wanted to get out of the darkness of the back of the van as soon as possible.
“Can I leave yet?” Avery asked sarcastically. She already knew they weren’t going to let her go. The question was meant more to pester the guards again and to vent some of her frustration.
Avery cursed under her breath when the van hit a bump, causing her to hit her head on the floor. The helmet was so heavy that it took an unnecessary amount of effort to pick her head up again. The stupid thing was making her neck sore. She lifted herself to her knees and pulled the helmet off again. Who cared what Fletcher thought? She had had enough of it. She tossed the helmet aside and scooted back to lean against the side of the vehicle.
She drew her legs to her chest and propped her head on her knees, resolving to ignore everyone else until they got to… wherever it was they were going. She didn’t have to wait long. After about ten more minutes, the vehicle came to a halt. Avery looked up, waiting for the others to make a move. She wanted to get out of the darkness of the back of the van as soon as possible.
“Can I leave yet?” Avery asked sarcastically. She already knew they weren’t going to let her go. The question was meant more to pester the guards again and to vent some of her frustration.
She doesn’t get it, Serix realized. She thinks I’m just going home to visit the rest of my people. He was about to correct her, but then he stopped himself. Maybe it was better this way. Cassie didn’t need to know what was actually going to happen when he went back to the ship. She could go back to living in her ship for a while longer. There was nothing either of them could do to stop the coming Lunairan invasion, so she might as well have some peace and quiet before they came.
“You probably don’t believe me,” Serix said, standing up and collecting his things – except, of course, the Silencer. The human would need it to protect herself if any of the other Scouts found her ship later on. “But it was nice meeting you.” He turned and headed out the metal door before she could reply.
Serix looked up at the sky. It was starting to turn pinkish-orange as the closest star neared the horizon. Cassie was right. He didn’t have much time. He took off at a fast paced walk until he the airport was out of sight. Then, he broke into a sprint to cover more ground. He didn’t want to get caught out in the open by those four-legged beasts while he was unarmed. He was confident that he could still fight them off, but doing so by hand would put him at a greater risk of getting injured. He glanced back over his shoulder. The city was growing smaller behind him, which meant he was almost there.
When he finally reached the cargo ship, he was relieved to find that he wasn’t the last Scout to return. There was still one missing. Everyone else had gathered to discuss their findings while they waited for the pilot to emerge from the cockpit. Serix casually joined them, although his heart was racing from the exertion of the sprint back.
“…these weird two-wheeled things. Did you see them?”
“Yeah, I found a big cluster of them. I wonder what they were?”
“Hey, one more is back,” one of the Scouts took notice of Serix’s arrival. They all turned to him. “What did you find, friend?”
“Probably a lot of the same things you did,” Serix replied evenly. “There were these unusual beasts roaming around the area I was exploring. I had to kill one that attacked me.”
“You mean you actually had a chance to use your Silencer?” the others gaped at him with newfound admiration. “What was it like?”
“Well,” Serix said slowly. His mind was spinning. If none of the others had used their weapons, that meant they hadn’t come across any other humans. Cassie really was the only one left. “It worked just as expected. It fired the electromagnetic projectile and killed the beast on contact.”
“Wow,” one of the Scouts breathed. “Maybe I would have gotten a chance to kill something too, if it hadn’t been for all this bad weather.” The others murmured in agreement.
“Wait…” Serix tilted his head. “Bad weather?”
“Yeah,” the Scout gave him a funny look. “You know, the rain and thunder. We all had to take shelter to keep from getting completely drenched.”
“How do you know what it was called?” Serix pressed. He didn’t remember being told anything about this ‘weather.’
“The pilot told us,” now the Scouts were looking as confused as Serix felt. “He contacted everyone through the intercom in our belts. You didn’t get it?”
“Intercom?” Serix repeated. “No. I never received any information.”
“Really?” another Scout said in astonishment. “That storm must’ve really freaked you out, huh? How have you even made it this far? The rest of us have been getting pointers from the pilot throughout our mission.”
“Tell me something,” Serix’s heart began to pick up. He had a chilling thought that he might have just solved a huge piece of the puzzle... and he didn’t like the picture it was forming. “Were you able to respond to the pilot? How did he know what advice you needed?”
“I tried responding, but it seems like the intercom only functions one way,” the Scout said warily. He must have heard the desperation in Serix’s voice. “And I believe he used the tracking device. You remember that, right? The pilot told us to press the button on the intercom if we needed help. I’m pretty sure it sends your location to everyone else so we can come and help.”
Serix unlatched the belt he was wearing and slipped it off, holding it up to examine it more closely. Just as he suspected: the tiny mechanism in the belt was no longer flashing. His intercom must have malfunctioned somehow. He felt weak with relief. His secret was safe for now.
He had figured out how at least some of the human-sympathizers had been caught. The Scout had said the intercom only worked one way, but that wasn’t the case. The pilot was able to hear their voices the entire time. It wasn’t that they had to turn it on to reply; the intercom was never turned off. The pilot would be able to secretly listen in and find out if any of the Scouts had betrayed the higher powers, and then he could pinpoint the traitorous Scout’s location with the same device. It was a clever setup. Unfortunately for the pilot, the Scout that actually turned out to be a traitor happened to have been assigned a broken intercom.
The final Scout finally joined them and the pilot stepped out of the ship. He issued everyone their new food rations and switched out their full sample containers – Serix had snatched a few more plants to put in his containers on the way back to the ship – and replaced them with empty ones. The pilot didn’t check the Scouts’ recordings. He told them the pictures they took would be examined at another time. Serix let out his breath when the pilot dismissed them again. He turned to leave.
“You there. Hold on a moment.”
“Sir?” Serix turned back around at the sound of the pilot’s voice.
“I noticed your intercom was broken,” the pilot held out a new belt. “I don’t know who gave you that piece of junk, but I can promise you that he will face the repercussions.”
“Thank you, sir,” Serix took the belt, switching out his old one. His face was a mask of calm.
“You may be on your way,” the pilot nodded at him and turned back for the ship.
Serix headed back towards the city. How was he supposed to return to Cassie now without giving himself away? He couldn’t ditch the intercom somewhere or the pilot would know something was wrong. He also couldn’t break it intentionally. The pilot would definitely notice if his signal disappeared. Serix shook his head as he approached the edge of the city. He was at a loss.
“You probably don’t believe me,” Serix said, standing up and collecting his things – except, of course, the Silencer. The human would need it to protect herself if any of the other Scouts found her ship later on. “But it was nice meeting you.” He turned and headed out the metal door before she could reply.
Serix looked up at the sky. It was starting to turn pinkish-orange as the closest star neared the horizon. Cassie was right. He didn’t have much time. He took off at a fast paced walk until he the airport was out of sight. Then, he broke into a sprint to cover more ground. He didn’t want to get caught out in the open by those four-legged beasts while he was unarmed. He was confident that he could still fight them off, but doing so by hand would put him at a greater risk of getting injured. He glanced back over his shoulder. The city was growing smaller behind him, which meant he was almost there.
When he finally reached the cargo ship, he was relieved to find that he wasn’t the last Scout to return. There was still one missing. Everyone else had gathered to discuss their findings while they waited for the pilot to emerge from the cockpit. Serix casually joined them, although his heart was racing from the exertion of the sprint back.
“…these weird two-wheeled things. Did you see them?”
“Yeah, I found a big cluster of them. I wonder what they were?”
“Hey, one more is back,” one of the Scouts took notice of Serix’s arrival. They all turned to him. “What did you find, friend?”
“Probably a lot of the same things you did,” Serix replied evenly. “There were these unusual beasts roaming around the area I was exploring. I had to kill one that attacked me.”
“You mean you actually had a chance to use your Silencer?” the others gaped at him with newfound admiration. “What was it like?”
“Well,” Serix said slowly. His mind was spinning. If none of the others had used their weapons, that meant they hadn’t come across any other humans. Cassie really was the only one left. “It worked just as expected. It fired the electromagnetic projectile and killed the beast on contact.”
“Wow,” one of the Scouts breathed. “Maybe I would have gotten a chance to kill something too, if it hadn’t been for all this bad weather.” The others murmured in agreement.
“Wait…” Serix tilted his head. “Bad weather?”
“Yeah,” the Scout gave him a funny look. “You know, the rain and thunder. We all had to take shelter to keep from getting completely drenched.”
“How do you know what it was called?” Serix pressed. He didn’t remember being told anything about this ‘weather.’
“The pilot told us,” now the Scouts were looking as confused as Serix felt. “He contacted everyone through the intercom in our belts. You didn’t get it?”
“Intercom?” Serix repeated. “No. I never received any information.”
“Really?” another Scout said in astonishment. “That storm must’ve really freaked you out, huh? How have you even made it this far? The rest of us have been getting pointers from the pilot throughout our mission.”
“Tell me something,” Serix’s heart began to pick up. He had a chilling thought that he might have just solved a huge piece of the puzzle... and he didn’t like the picture it was forming. “Were you able to respond to the pilot? How did he know what advice you needed?”
“I tried responding, but it seems like the intercom only functions one way,” the Scout said warily. He must have heard the desperation in Serix’s voice. “And I believe he used the tracking device. You remember that, right? The pilot told us to press the button on the intercom if we needed help. I’m pretty sure it sends your location to everyone else so we can come and help.”
Serix unlatched the belt he was wearing and slipped it off, holding it up to examine it more closely. Just as he suspected: the tiny mechanism in the belt was no longer flashing. His intercom must have malfunctioned somehow. He felt weak with relief. His secret was safe for now.
He had figured out how at least some of the human-sympathizers had been caught. The Scout had said the intercom only worked one way, but that wasn’t the case. The pilot was able to hear their voices the entire time. It wasn’t that they had to turn it on to reply; the intercom was never turned off. The pilot would be able to secretly listen in and find out if any of the Scouts had betrayed the higher powers, and then he could pinpoint the traitorous Scout’s location with the same device. It was a clever setup. Unfortunately for the pilot, the Scout that actually turned out to be a traitor happened to have been assigned a broken intercom.
The final Scout finally joined them and the pilot stepped out of the ship. He issued everyone their new food rations and switched out their full sample containers – Serix had snatched a few more plants to put in his containers on the way back to the ship – and replaced them with empty ones. The pilot didn’t check the Scouts’ recordings. He told them the pictures they took would be examined at another time. Serix let out his breath when the pilot dismissed them again. He turned to leave.
“You there. Hold on a moment.”
“Sir?” Serix turned back around at the sound of the pilot’s voice.
“I noticed your intercom was broken,” the pilot held out a new belt. “I don’t know who gave you that piece of junk, but I can promise you that he will face the repercussions.”
“Thank you, sir,” Serix took the belt, switching out his old one. His face was a mask of calm.
“You may be on your way,” the pilot nodded at him and turned back for the ship.
Serix headed back towards the city. How was he supposed to return to Cassie now without giving himself away? He couldn’t ditch the intercom somewhere or the pilot would know something was wrong. He also couldn’t break it intentionally. The pilot would definitely notice if his signal disappeared. Serix shook his head as he approached the edge of the city. He was at a loss.
“You think my name is weird?” Serix said defensively. He let out an indignant huff. He happened to like his name. It rolled off the tongue easily and wasn’t difficult to remember. “Yours is the strangest name I’ve heard in my life. It even tops Zoar’Ozaumn, and he was always getting picked on about how strange his name sounded.”
Cassie tried to explain what a ‘nickname’ was to him, but she only succeeded in further confusing him. First of all, he had no idea what a ‘boyfriend’ was. He assumed it had something to do with a status of relations, since the human grouped it with family and friends. Perhaps humans had different kinds of friends? He would have to ask her more about that later. Then the human tried giving him examples of nicknames, using Serix's name to do so. He winced when she tried saying different variations of his name. They sounded clipped and curt, not at all pleasant on the ears. He preferred to have his whole name stated rather than just pieces of it.
Serix noticed Cassie’s expression turn solemn at the mention of her father. He found that he felt a bit of empathy for her. He knew what it was like to lose his parents; to suddenly be alone. It had to have been much worse for the human, though. Her parents died in the middle of a losing war, leaving her to fend for herself in the midst of a deadly Plague. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She did have that ‘uncle’ she mentioned before. He must have been the human that looked after her when her parents were gone.
“Hey, look,” Cassie said, looking out the window. “The rain is starting to let up a little bit. It should be gone pretty soon.” She looked back at him curiously. “What are you going to do once the rain is gone?”
What was he going to do once the rain was gone? Serix shifted in the chair. He was supposed to report back to the pilot at nightfall. He did a quick calculation, running through the different scenarios in his mind. If he chose to follow his orders and come back, one of two things could happen. Optimally, he would show up, report his findings, and set out again to continue Scouting with no problems. However if the pilot had somehow received word that Serix was harboring a human being, the situation would be much worse. He would show up to report his findings, and then… well, he entirely sure what would come next. All he knew for certain was that it wouldn’t be good.
Then there was the other possibility. He could choose to ignore his orders and hide out in the human’s ship. On the surface, it sounded like a good idea. The human had water and food that was (hopefully) edible, so he wouldn’t need to stock up at the cargo ship. He could survive without coming back. But when he took the repercussions into consideration… The pilot might assume something went wrong and send the other Scouts to find him. They all knew the general direction Serix had gone when they parted. What if they found the human’s ship? Cassie would be exterminated right away and he would probably be killed soon after. There was always the chance that the pilot could assume Serix died on his mission and forget about him, but the likelihood of that happening was slim to none. There were so few Lunairans left that every single body had to be accounted for, dead or alive. He only had one option.
“I have to report back to the ship I arrived in,” Serix said at last. “I have to restock on supplies, and my pilot wants to run a head count to make sure everyone is safe.” He looked up to meet her eyes. “If I miss it, he’ll likely send a search party to come get me. I have to go.” He hesitated. “But when I leave… I might not come back.”
Cassie tried to explain what a ‘nickname’ was to him, but she only succeeded in further confusing him. First of all, he had no idea what a ‘boyfriend’ was. He assumed it had something to do with a status of relations, since the human grouped it with family and friends. Perhaps humans had different kinds of friends? He would have to ask her more about that later. Then the human tried giving him examples of nicknames, using Serix's name to do so. He winced when she tried saying different variations of his name. They sounded clipped and curt, not at all pleasant on the ears. He preferred to have his whole name stated rather than just pieces of it.
Serix noticed Cassie’s expression turn solemn at the mention of her father. He found that he felt a bit of empathy for her. He knew what it was like to lose his parents; to suddenly be alone. It had to have been much worse for the human, though. Her parents died in the middle of a losing war, leaving her to fend for herself in the midst of a deadly Plague. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She did have that ‘uncle’ she mentioned before. He must have been the human that looked after her when her parents were gone.
“Hey, look,” Cassie said, looking out the window. “The rain is starting to let up a little bit. It should be gone pretty soon.” She looked back at him curiously. “What are you going to do once the rain is gone?”
What was he going to do once the rain was gone? Serix shifted in the chair. He was supposed to report back to the pilot at nightfall. He did a quick calculation, running through the different scenarios in his mind. If he chose to follow his orders and come back, one of two things could happen. Optimally, he would show up, report his findings, and set out again to continue Scouting with no problems. However if the pilot had somehow received word that Serix was harboring a human being, the situation would be much worse. He would show up to report his findings, and then… well, he entirely sure what would come next. All he knew for certain was that it wouldn’t be good.
Then there was the other possibility. He could choose to ignore his orders and hide out in the human’s ship. On the surface, it sounded like a good idea. The human had water and food that was (hopefully) edible, so he wouldn’t need to stock up at the cargo ship. He could survive without coming back. But when he took the repercussions into consideration… The pilot might assume something went wrong and send the other Scouts to find him. They all knew the general direction Serix had gone when they parted. What if they found the human’s ship? Cassie would be exterminated right away and he would probably be killed soon after. There was always the chance that the pilot could assume Serix died on his mission and forget about him, but the likelihood of that happening was slim to none. There were so few Lunairans left that every single body had to be accounted for, dead or alive. He only had one option.
“I have to report back to the ship I arrived in,” Serix said at last. “I have to restock on supplies, and my pilot wants to run a head count to make sure everyone is safe.” He looked up to meet her eyes. “If I miss it, he’ll likely send a search party to come get me. I have to go.” He hesitated. “But when I leave… I might not come back.”
Serix flipped through the book she handed to him, looking at all of the pictures. He noticed some empty spots in the pages, where the human must have removed photographs she didn’t want him to see. He glanced up at her searchingly, wondering what she was trying to hide. Then again, he was keeping secrets as well. She had a right to her own privacy. He let it go and continued examining the contents of the book.
The pictures of the city caught his attention the most. The ‘buildings’ gleamed in the sunlight. Some of the tallest ones looked like their walls were made of glass, even though he knew that couldn’t be possible. Glass wouldn’t be able to support such a heavy structure… would it? Perhaps human ingenuity was more limitless than he first imagined. From what he knew, the Lunairans never created structures like these. The height the humans achieved with their constructions was astounding. It was almost as if they were trying to touch the sky.
Serix’s gaze fell upon the picture of the human with her father. She was only a child, which just went to show how similar her people looked in comparison to his, even in adolescence. Apart from the exotic hair and eyes, he might have thought he was looking at a snapshot of a young Lunairan child. It was a bit surreal.
“My name's Castiel,” the human said in response to his earlier question. “But people used to just call me Cassie. Whatever you prefer to call me though is fine with me. I'll go by either one.” She had two names? How unusual. Lunairans never had more than one name. Well, if one were to include ancestral names, then they could have many – Serix had three, himself – but they were only referred to by their immediate names. The ancestral names were only used to trace lineage. The majority of them were unimportant, unless one had blood from a prestigious family, and even then it was only a bragging point because ancestry didn’t affect rank or status in modern Lunairan society.
“You said most of your people referred to you by the latter name,” Serix said. “So I’ll it as well… Cassie.” The foreign name felt strange on his tongue.
“And what's your name?” the human asked, looking up at him.
“Serix,” he replied, blinking at her. “I don’t have a secondary name. At least, none that you would refer to me by.”
The pictures of the city caught his attention the most. The ‘buildings’ gleamed in the sunlight. Some of the tallest ones looked like their walls were made of glass, even though he knew that couldn’t be possible. Glass wouldn’t be able to support such a heavy structure… would it? Perhaps human ingenuity was more limitless than he first imagined. From what he knew, the Lunairans never created structures like these. The height the humans achieved with their constructions was astounding. It was almost as if they were trying to touch the sky.
Serix’s gaze fell upon the picture of the human with her father. She was only a child, which just went to show how similar her people looked in comparison to his, even in adolescence. Apart from the exotic hair and eyes, he might have thought he was looking at a snapshot of a young Lunairan child. It was a bit surreal.
“My name's Castiel,” the human said in response to his earlier question. “But people used to just call me Cassie. Whatever you prefer to call me though is fine with me. I'll go by either one.” She had two names? How unusual. Lunairans never had more than one name. Well, if one were to include ancestral names, then they could have many – Serix had three, himself – but they were only referred to by their immediate names. The ancestral names were only used to trace lineage. The majority of them were unimportant, unless one had blood from a prestigious family, and even then it was only a bragging point because ancestry didn’t affect rank or status in modern Lunairan society.
“You said most of your people referred to you by the latter name,” Serix said. “So I’ll it as well… Cassie.” The foreign name felt strange on his tongue.
“And what's your name?” the human asked, looking up at him.
“Serix,” he replied, blinking at her. “I don’t have a secondary name. At least, none that you would refer to me by.”
When he was confident the human was okay, Serix leaned away from her again to rest his head on the chair. He wasn’t strained from his efforts to communicate mentally with her, but sitting around for so long was making him feel lazy. He just shrugged and shook his head at the human’s question about how the planet became so destroyed. It was something he had always wondered about, himself. Lunair’s condition had taken such a steep dive at such a fast pace. Was the secret of the planet’s decline just another thing the higher powers were keeping from the rest of the Lunairans? It was frustrating to think that his supposed leaders and protectors would do something like that, but now he wouldn’t put it past them.
“Did you ever get to be there?” the human asked. “On the planet? Or were you born on the ship?”
“I told you that already, didn’t I?” Serix looked at her in amusement. “I’ve lived on the ship my whole life. My home planet is too dangerous for any of us to return to it. The closest I’ve been to seeing it for myself are the mind pictures I’ve managed to get from our elders. They’re always hesitant to share anything about what happened, but I was able to get a few of them to open up to me.” He smiled at the memory of his own cleverness. Most of the Lunairan youths spoke to the elders, as they all revered them for the struggles they went through. However, it was exceedingly difficult to squeeze any details out of them about Lunair. Serix was probably the only one who had managed to attain three entire telepathic images and even one memory.
“The images I showed you were from a book, though,” Serix went on. “They were the before and after pictures from when I was studying the history of my planet.” What he left unspoken was that the images he received from the elders were too personal to share. He may be betraying the higher powers by talking with this human, but he didn’t want to do the same to the ancient Lunairans who had put their wholehearted trust in him.
“Don’t you think you’re asking too many questions?” Serix said with a smirk. “I believe that was three. Now it’s my turn.” He thought for a moment. “How about this: I’ll give you an easy one.” The simple question was one he had been trying to avoid. He had wanted to keep some emotional distance from the human so he wouldn’t form any sort of attachment to her, but he realized it was too late for that. He had already chosen not to kill her and he was probably going to die anyways, so avoiding the question any longer was pointless.
“What is your name?”
“Did you ever get to be there?” the human asked. “On the planet? Or were you born on the ship?”
“I told you that already, didn’t I?” Serix looked at her in amusement. “I’ve lived on the ship my whole life. My home planet is too dangerous for any of us to return to it. The closest I’ve been to seeing it for myself are the mind pictures I’ve managed to get from our elders. They’re always hesitant to share anything about what happened, but I was able to get a few of them to open up to me.” He smiled at the memory of his own cleverness. Most of the Lunairan youths spoke to the elders, as they all revered them for the struggles they went through. However, it was exceedingly difficult to squeeze any details out of them about Lunair. Serix was probably the only one who had managed to attain three entire telepathic images and even one memory.
“The images I showed you were from a book, though,” Serix went on. “They were the before and after pictures from when I was studying the history of my planet.” What he left unspoken was that the images he received from the elders were too personal to share. He may be betraying the higher powers by talking with this human, but he didn’t want to do the same to the ancient Lunairans who had put their wholehearted trust in him.
“Don’t you think you’re asking too many questions?” Serix said with a smirk. “I believe that was three. Now it’s my turn.” He thought for a moment. “How about this: I’ll give you an easy one.” The simple question was one he had been trying to avoid. He had wanted to keep some emotional distance from the human so he wouldn’t form any sort of attachment to her, but he realized it was too late for that. He had already chosen not to kill her and he was probably going to die anyways, so avoiding the question any longer was pointless.
“What is your name?”
The spontaneous helmet did nothing to improve Avery’s mood. Neither did the sudden flurry of movement. Apparently the warehouse base was under attack. Avery cast the high-tech laptop a wistful glance. She got the feeling that she would never get to use it with everything that was going on. In the next instant, someone had grabbed her by the collar of her vest and was dragging her roughly towards the van they had arrived in.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Avery complained. She really disliked how much she was being manhandled lately. “I can walk by myself—” She was promptly thrown into the back of the vehicle. The helmet shifted on her head at the impact so that it fell over her eyes. She was blind. From the shaking of the van, she could tell that the others were getting inside, but there was too much noise outside for her to decipher much else.
Avery scrambled to tug the helmet off of her head. She could see again. But she didn’t like the sight that greeted her eyes. She was locked in the van with the same three goons she had been trapped with the first time around. Fletcher moved to search her for injuries – not that it was necessary. Apart from being tossed around like a sack of potatoes, she was unharmed. Still, she was too flustered by everything that had happened to argue about the checkup.
The bodyguard plopped the annoying helmet back on her head and moved to join Troy at the back of the van. Avery scoffed irritably, adjusting the helmet so it didn’t cover her eyes. She would never be rid of the ridiculous thing. She glanced at Fletcher when he said something about air support. Okay, she thought. These guys are calling in freaking air support? This is insane. Why did they want her dead so badly?
Fletcher gestured for Avery to stay low to the floor of the van. She reluctantly complied. She didn’t want to take orders from him, but she also wasn’t stupid. She didn’t want to die. She heard the sound of a missile being fired from the front of the van. Then something exploded overhead. Rebecca must have taken out the air support Fletcher had mentioned.
“You’re all crazy!” Avery shouted over the sound of shrapnel raining down around the vehicle. “Every one of you!”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Avery complained. She really disliked how much she was being manhandled lately. “I can walk by myself—” She was promptly thrown into the back of the vehicle. The helmet shifted on her head at the impact so that it fell over her eyes. She was blind. From the shaking of the van, she could tell that the others were getting inside, but there was too much noise outside for her to decipher much else.
Avery scrambled to tug the helmet off of her head. She could see again. But she didn’t like the sight that greeted her eyes. She was locked in the van with the same three goons she had been trapped with the first time around. Fletcher moved to search her for injuries – not that it was necessary. Apart from being tossed around like a sack of potatoes, she was unharmed. Still, she was too flustered by everything that had happened to argue about the checkup.
The bodyguard plopped the annoying helmet back on her head and moved to join Troy at the back of the van. Avery scoffed irritably, adjusting the helmet so it didn’t cover her eyes. She would never be rid of the ridiculous thing. She glanced at Fletcher when he said something about air support. Okay, she thought. These guys are calling in freaking air support? This is insane. Why did they want her dead so badly?
Fletcher gestured for Avery to stay low to the floor of the van. She reluctantly complied. She didn’t want to take orders from him, but she also wasn’t stupid. She didn’t want to die. She heard the sound of a missile being fired from the front of the van. Then something exploded overhead. Rebecca must have taken out the air support Fletcher had mentioned.
“You’re all crazy!” Avery shouted over the sound of shrapnel raining down around the vehicle. “Every one of you!”
Serix grinned mischievously at the human’s eccentric response to his ability. She hadn’t been expecting him to do that. Her moment of fright amused him. He absently noticed that the rain was still pouring outside, along with the growls of the Storm. Strange. He didn’t feel his usual sense of anxiety when he was talking with the human. She was distracting him from his surroundings. It was an odd sensation to be so separated from the rest of the world, considering how he was always aware of what was going on around him in the past. Yet it wasn’t a sensation he found disconcerting. If anything, he felt more relaxed, leaning in that cushioned chair and having a laidback conversation.
“Is that the only thing you can do,” the human asked. “Or is there more?” She was smiling too. She seemed to enjoy learning about his species and all of their capabilities. He found her zeal to be infectious, and for a moment all of his worries seemed to vanish. He was no longer in any danger in the security of the human’s ship. It was wishful thinking, but he held onto the feeling for as long as he could.
“Is that a challenge?” Serix raised a brow. “I’ve already shown you so much. What more do you want from me?” Nevertheless, he decided to share some of his other telepathic abilities. His eyes took on their dilated shape again as he accessed her mind. It wasn’t difficult, since they were sitting in such close quarters. He had spent years training to reach into the minds of Lunairans that were far enough away that he couldn’t see the whites of their eyes.
However, the feeling he received from connecting with the human’s mind was somehow different. He couldn’t quite tell what it was. There wasn’t any interference, but it felt a bit off. Well, ‘off’ wasn’t the right word either. He put the thought aside. There would be plenty of time to puzzle over it later.
I’m going to show you a couple of images first, Serix thought to her. Just to warm you up. He didn’t want to risk over stimulating her brain, so he decided to test how much outside intervention it handle. He imagined the first picture, carefully painting the details with his mind. It was a landscape portrait from one of his old books, back when he was studying the history of his home planet. The portrait was crafted to depict his planet, Lunair, before the land was poisoned. It was a beautiful picture that Serix could easily pull from his memory. Gently sloping hills dotted with colorful plants – ‘flowers,’ he corrected himself – stretched across the bottom of the portrait. A sheer, black cliff face protruded in the center of the hills, cut down the middle by a silvery waterfall that fell into a pool at its base. In the water of the little pond were distorted reflections of Lunair’s three, ringed moons.
That was my home, Serix thought to the human. Back when the land was healthy. He erased the image from his mind and focused on another one that was equally as vivid. It was the same portrait, except this time the land was barren and cracked. Unnatural, charcoal-purple plants clawed their way up from the ground, spreading their black tendrils over the gray dirt. The cliff face was crumbling at the edges and the waterfall was gone. The pool at the base had shrunk to a mere puddle of stagnant, dark green water. Its milky surface reflected nothing.
This is what my home looks like now, Serix thought. Everything died and was replaced with those toxic plants and water. I don’t know how it happened. We were never told what went wrong. He blinked and his eyes returned to normal. He wanted to give the human’s brain a break from the stimulation so he wouldn’t do any damage.
“It’s a sad sight,” Serix said aloud. “But what happened, happened. There’s nothing we can do but move forward.” He shrugged. “I only showed you those images to get a sense of your mental capacity. How are you feeling?” He leaned forward, searching her eyes for signs of glossiness or dilation.
“Is that the only thing you can do,” the human asked. “Or is there more?” She was smiling too. She seemed to enjoy learning about his species and all of their capabilities. He found her zeal to be infectious, and for a moment all of his worries seemed to vanish. He was no longer in any danger in the security of the human’s ship. It was wishful thinking, but he held onto the feeling for as long as he could.
“Is that a challenge?” Serix raised a brow. “I’ve already shown you so much. What more do you want from me?” Nevertheless, he decided to share some of his other telepathic abilities. His eyes took on their dilated shape again as he accessed her mind. It wasn’t difficult, since they were sitting in such close quarters. He had spent years training to reach into the minds of Lunairans that were far enough away that he couldn’t see the whites of their eyes.
However, the feeling he received from connecting with the human’s mind was somehow different. He couldn’t quite tell what it was. There wasn’t any interference, but it felt a bit off. Well, ‘off’ wasn’t the right word either. He put the thought aside. There would be plenty of time to puzzle over it later.
I’m going to show you a couple of images first, Serix thought to her. Just to warm you up. He didn’t want to risk over stimulating her brain, so he decided to test how much outside intervention it handle. He imagined the first picture, carefully painting the details with his mind. It was a landscape portrait from one of his old books, back when he was studying the history of his home planet. The portrait was crafted to depict his planet, Lunair, before the land was poisoned. It was a beautiful picture that Serix could easily pull from his memory. Gently sloping hills dotted with colorful plants – ‘flowers,’ he corrected himself – stretched across the bottom of the portrait. A sheer, black cliff face protruded in the center of the hills, cut down the middle by a silvery waterfall that fell into a pool at its base. In the water of the little pond were distorted reflections of Lunair’s three, ringed moons.
That was my home, Serix thought to the human. Back when the land was healthy. He erased the image from his mind and focused on another one that was equally as vivid. It was the same portrait, except this time the land was barren and cracked. Unnatural, charcoal-purple plants clawed their way up from the ground, spreading their black tendrils over the gray dirt. The cliff face was crumbling at the edges and the waterfall was gone. The pool at the base had shrunk to a mere puddle of stagnant, dark green water. Its milky surface reflected nothing.
This is what my home looks like now, Serix thought. Everything died and was replaced with those toxic plants and water. I don’t know how it happened. We were never told what went wrong. He blinked and his eyes returned to normal. He wanted to give the human’s brain a break from the stimulation so he wouldn’t do any damage.
“It’s a sad sight,” Serix said aloud. “But what happened, happened. There’s nothing we can do but move forward.” He shrugged. “I only showed you those images to get a sense of your mental capacity. How are you feeling?” He leaned forward, searching her eyes for signs of glossiness or dilation.
It interested Serix that the human thought the same way he did about the war. Maybe there were others who had more power that could have wanted peace. They could have prevented the human genocide. Instead, the warmongers had their way and annihilated their rivals to make room for the Lunairans on Earth. The part of him that respected the higher powers rebuked him for such treacherous thoughts. He was supposed to have faith in his leaders to do what was best for his people. But lately, he was beginning to think the higher powers were keeping too many secrets. How was he supposed to trust them if they weren’t giving him all the facts?
“So,” the human said. Serix could see the curiosity in her eyes. “Other than being obviously faster than us humans and more durable, what other differences are there between your kind and humans?” He had to think about that one. He knew his people had heightened physical capabilities compared to the humans, but apart from that…
“I’m not really sure,” Serix shrugged. “I don’t know much about humans. I can make a few guesses, though.” He narrowed his eyes in thought and studied the human’s face. “You don’t have luminescent eyes, so I believe we can see better than you in the dark.” He paused again. “From what you said yesterday, humans have a wider variety of physical traits in their gene pool than we do. It’s very interesting.” He tilted his head slightly, looking at her golden hair. “You also have different morals than we do. If I were in your position, I would have tried to escape or kill me a number of times by now. Your quickness to forgive is something I’ve never seen before.”
“Let’s see…” Serix paused again. “I can only think of one other thing at the moment. I’m not sure if this is a difference or not because, as I said, I’m not all that familiar with humans. If it’s not something we share then I don’t know if it will even work, but I’ll try it anyways.” He focused on the human’s face, his pupils visibly dilating until his violet irises retracted to only thin rings around them.
We can communicate directly with each other through our minds, Serix thought to her. With words and images. We can even share memories or dreams if they are vivid enough. He blinked once and his eyes returned to their normal state, “Did you hear me?”
“So,” the human said. Serix could see the curiosity in her eyes. “Other than being obviously faster than us humans and more durable, what other differences are there between your kind and humans?” He had to think about that one. He knew his people had heightened physical capabilities compared to the humans, but apart from that…
“I’m not really sure,” Serix shrugged. “I don’t know much about humans. I can make a few guesses, though.” He narrowed his eyes in thought and studied the human’s face. “You don’t have luminescent eyes, so I believe we can see better than you in the dark.” He paused again. “From what you said yesterday, humans have a wider variety of physical traits in their gene pool than we do. It’s very interesting.” He tilted his head slightly, looking at her golden hair. “You also have different morals than we do. If I were in your position, I would have tried to escape or kill me a number of times by now. Your quickness to forgive is something I’ve never seen before.”
“Let’s see…” Serix paused again. “I can only think of one other thing at the moment. I’m not sure if this is a difference or not because, as I said, I’m not all that familiar with humans. If it’s not something we share then I don’t know if it will even work, but I’ll try it anyways.” He focused on the human’s face, his pupils visibly dilating until his violet irises retracted to only thin rings around them.
We can communicate directly with each other through our minds, Serix thought to her. With words and images. We can even share memories or dreams if they are vivid enough. He blinked once and his eyes returned to their normal state, “Did you hear me?”
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