Flor’s head hurt and she couldn’t remember why. She lay on her back with her eyes closed, wondering when her bed had gotten so uncomfortable. She extended her arms behind her head, giving a good stretch before she opened her eyes, sat up and screamed. She wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t even on Earth!
At least she didn’t think she was on Earth. The oceans on Earth were blue. The expanse of what she could only assume was water in front of her wasn’t blue. She may have been able to pick some blue out but the plethora of colors that made up this body of “water” (she would call it that now for lack of a better idea) made it impossible to assign only one color to its description.
No two ripples or waves were alike in size or color. As one wave began its downward dance, its color would mix with the water below, the green and yellow ones combining to create temporary blue that would quickly change to another color upon contact of another particles. Some colors she recognized and others colors she had never even known could exist, colors that had no place on the drab planet Earth, where even the most vibrant greens and blues paled in comparison to this tango of tints and hues and shades and pigments.
The continuous ebb of the water gave the color change no start and no end. It looked as if all the rainbows in the universe had been melted down to create this one ocean that would leave any poet, any great artist in silent awe, mouths agape at the unbelievable beauty that the galaxy had to offer if one only took the time to open one’s eyes.
The sky beyond the water wasn’t blue but rather it seemed to have absorbed cotton candy, the colors changing as her eyes made their way down to up, her gaze interrupted by dark violet, light lavender, vibrant turquoise, bright crimson and floral pink clouds, spread out in incomprehensible shapes, swirls, poofs, lines, vortexs, singles, pairs and triplets. She saw scenes and people through the abstract shapes, the same way she would create scenes from stars, constellations alive with imagination. She never knew a sky could hold that many clouds at once.
She didn’t notice a sun, yet there seemed to be light enough to see by, an opaque white glow permeating the entire landscape.
And the horizon. That didn’t look like any horizon she had ever seen. The horizons she was familiar with would curve down at the edges, a relatively straight line with mere hints that the planet wasn’t an endless straight track but rather a curving ball that guaranteed you would end up in the same place as you started if you went far enough.
But this horizon curved upward. And noticeably so. A page from one of her statistics books leapt to mind, the scene in front of her reminding her of a particular graph she had seen, one that had started high and dipped down to almost nothing for an extended period of time, then leapt back up to the original starting point. She couldn’t recall what the specific problem had been about whether it was growth and decline of populations or the recorded attendance of visitors to a zoo or some other made up nonsense for college students to pick their measly brains over.
“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite,” Flor whispered to herself.
She still hadn’t moved. She was still mesmerized by the changing flow of the water and couldn’t seem to look away. The scene in front of her was a canvas and it couldn’t have been more perfect even if it had been created by the imagination of a utopian dreamer. She might have spent eternity there if she hadn’t suddenly sensed a presence behind her; Flor’s walks and hikes into the woods had augmented her senses, teaching her that constant attention and mindfulness could be the difference between life and death, especially in a hostile environment.
She reluctantly tore her eyes away from the majesty in front of her and whipped her head around to see if the presence was friend or foe. Damn it she hadn’t thought the transportation process would work so quickly, so instantaneously. She wasn’t ready to deal with aggressive or unfriendly alien natives of foreign planets! A planet this beautiful with breathable air was bound to be teeming with wildlife of every kind. She only hoped whatever animals or creatures she encountered wouldn’t think human meat smelled delicious enough to eat.
Flor’s instincts were right. She was sitting on a precipice at the end of a trail that led back into trees the likes of which she had never even dreamed of in her wildest imagination. But the trees weren’t what caught her attention immediately; she simply noticed them out of the corner of her eye. Something, or rather someone, stood on the trail between her and that coveted line of plants.
She had never seen a more beautiful creature, a creature with the magnificence of an angel dipped in gold, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies, smelling of the finest meadow of scented springtime flowers and shining with the brilliance of a million suns. Whatever hunk was the talk of the week back on Earth would have looked like a mousy, smelly, hairy ape next to him. Flor knew it was a him because he was completely naked, no clothes or even loincloth to cover the quite generous package he was flaunting.
Well I guess penises don’t change much from planet to planet. I think I’m going to like it here.
His skin had the same effect the water did, no one color standing out, a patch of skin gracefully meshing with the one next to it, an endless dance of vibrant colors lighting up this being like a Las Vegas neon sign. He had what looked like arms and legs, hands and feet but there was always something a little off that would have given him away as an alien, as not human, even if his skin wasn’t constantly changing color.
His legs were long, lithe and powerful like a frog’s, tapering as they went down, similar to what Flor pictured a mermaid would look like if the legs still retained their individual movement from one another. They ended with webbed feet, perfect for swimming quickly through water yet here he was standing on land so they must have been multi purpose. His hands were webbed as well and his arms looked like they could bring down a redwood tree with a few well-timed karate chops. A fin protruded from the back of his head like a dolphin or shark, only adding to his otherworldly beauty. He had something that resembled hair but they looked more like tentacles, luscious dreads hanging down, framing his fin perfectly. Even with all his aquatic attributes, he always maintained a vague human air, as if humans had somehow managed to combine their DNA with marine creatures in an attempt to create the truly perfect amphibian.
Flor realized that she should probably say something. She knew she was on another planet but what if these creatures didn’t know that there were other habitable planets out there? What if they were so far back in their societal evolution that the mere mention of planets other than their own would bring a madness upon their populations and change the very course of their future?
She had watched too many Star Trek episodes to simply forget the Prime Directive. Do not interfere with other civilizations if they had not yet discovered space travel themselves because doing so would drastically alter the timeline of that planet, for better or for worse one could only guess. Either way, every planet and race is entitled to evolve for itself, without outside influence. If only the American government shared her views and would stop being the invading bullies in every foreign dispute in recent history.
The alien still had not moved since Flor had turned around. His expression wasn’t hostile, simply curious, wondering how such a strange creature had ended up here in front of him.
Say something. Anything.
Flor wasn’t one to easily get nervous when talking to boys but his grandeur and beauty had reverted her back to the middle school days, where a single sentence exchanged with her crush would send her into a fit of blushes and giggles that left her unable to continue the conversation. She found herself feeling that way for the first time in what felt like eons, stumbling over what to say, too busy staring with mouth agape to put words together properly. She knew she better say something before her silence would be taken as hostile.
“Uh hi. Hi there. My name’s Flor and if you can understand me, I come in peace. Live long and prosper.” She held up her right hand with the familiar Vulcan sign of peace and longevity, hoping that its alien nature would appeal to him. Of course he wasn’t a Vulcan but it was better than just standing there like a moron.
He tilted his head to the side a bit, reminding her of her dog Einstein back home when he heard a strange noise or noticed something curious. The alien didn’t seem to understand her words but he could tell she wasn’t dangerous or aggressive, that she was simply lost. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a need to help her, determined to help her find her way home, wherever that may be. But first she must trust him and not perceive him as a threat. She had already shown courage by attempting first contact rather than running away. This was a strong creature, brave as any warrior he knew as she stood proudly and strongly in front of him, meeting his eyes without hesitation or fear, only curiosity.
His face broke out into a wide grin, the teeth underneath like those of a piranha, vicious, irregularly spaced and jaggedly sharp. They were the only part of him that didn’t promise beauty without danger. Surely he didn’t know how ferocious and intimidating his smile must have looked to her. To him, they were simply the teeth necessary for whatever diet him and his people required. From the looks of those teeth, they had to be carnivorous or omnivorous. She was hoping it was the latter. And that they weren’t a cannibalistic society or that she didn’t look like a tasty treat. A lot of hopes and not many facts is a dangerous combination, Flor thought to herself.
But it didn’t look like he meant to harm her. He held his arms down to his sides, palms facing her, which she could only assume meant he was trying to signify openness and welcoming. He took a few slow and gentle steps towards her, making sure not to startle her with any sudden movements. Strange how even the most civilized will treat the unknown like an animal, resorting back to basic instincts when faced with uncertainty.
She stood her ground, hand still frozen in Vulcan welcome until he stood a mere step or two in front of her, close enough to touch if she stretched her arm out. The smile had never left his face. He looked at her Vulcan sign and looked down at his webbed hands. She suddenly realized how rude her sign could have been. He couldn’t separate his fingers the same way she could because of the webbing!
The understanding was immediately evident on her face since Flor’s facial expressions always reflected her inner thoughts. Terrible for poker, she always lost when her friends talked her into a game. The only reason she ever said yes was because poker was a big thing on Star Trek TNG and a not so secret part of her wanted to do everything the commanders and lieutenants did.
Flor put her hand down and instead extended it out to greet him in a handshake, hoping he would recognize it as her attempt to make up for her botched first contact attempt. She thought a hug would be overkill and besides she still didn’t know his true intentions. The wisest hunter never let its prey know it was prey until it was too late. He looked at the extended hand for several moments before seeming to understand and then he slapped her hand hard, so hard the force sent her whole body spinning and then tumbling into the dirt.
He froze. That didn’t look right. Usually when he did that to his kind, they would stand their ground and simply slap back. It was their way of saying hello. He was about to help her up when he saw she was shaking. He became panicked. Oh no was she ok, had he hurt this delicate creature? He ran over and turned her onto her back to see her face, only to discover she was laughing uncontrollably. She managed to get a few words out here and there even though she had no idea if the alien could even understand her.
“Oh my god! Close enough! I wish that’s how we said hello where I come from!” she managed to get off between uncontrollable giggles.
The laughter didn’t stop. The alien stood over her, confusion increasing until finally she petered out and collected herself. Tears still came down as the last few bits of laughter melted away and she got to her feet, embarrassment threatening to overtake but she pushed it aside with a simple thought since she knew feelings of embarrassment would do no good, only hinder her mentally. Besides he was an alien. Who knew what was normal for them and what wasn’t? Her strange, other-worldly habits would draw stares no matter what so it made no sense to let the confusion or discomfort of others affect her behavior. She could only continue to be who she was.
“I’m sorry, you’re probably so confused right now. You definitely don’t speak my language since you still haven’t said a word,” she said as she gathered herself and got to her feet, dusting herself off in the process.
He did that weird head tilt thing again, but this time upon closer inspection, he looked more like an android or computer downloading and processing information, hearing her words and while not understanding them fully, investigating and discovering the true meaning of her garbled words and sentences.
He motioned that she continue talking by pointing his long, color-changing finger at her, majestic in its own right looking more like a scepter than a part of a living, breathing body. He did so slowly and calmly, as one would do with a frightened animal so as to avoid alarming her. He gestured back to him as if to say keep the words coming.
“So you can’t understand me but you want me to keep talking? Well that’d be the first time a man has asked me to keep talking! The girls from home would go crazy for you mister. Most men there are just waiting for us to shut up. You on the other hand, you invite me to talk! Maybe it’s because you can’t understand me that you do that…”
She had been about to go on when the alien responded.
“Oh no I understand you perfectly.”
Wait. Did he just talk? In English?
“Did…you just talk?” she asked, coherent sentences suddenly very difficult to form.
“Yes. I needed to hear enough of your language to figure out how it worked. Now it has been enough sentences where I can both understand and speak your language. It is a strange one, cannot say I have ever heard it. Do you have any more?”
The alien spoke with the fluidity of a native English speaker, no trace of accent noticeable at all. But that was the weird part. Any English she had ever heard had to have some sort of accent, whether it was American, Australian, British, whatever. But he had none of that. She thought he would adopt her accent, since that was the one he had learned from. What she was hearing was the pure version of the language, English in its most primal and original form with no outside influence, simply what it was in the minds of everyone, before it transgressed from thoughts to physical, tangible words. She recalled Plato’s idea that dictated humans never really saw the world in its true form, only shadows of what really is.
Once Flor recovered from the shock of an alien learning her language in the span of a minute, she posed another question. “So…. You learn languages by hearing others speak? How does that work?”
“Well every language has patterns and systems that repeat and work together to make up a verbal form of communication. It is really just repetition. Have you ever learned a new language?” asked the alien. He was certainly a curious one, full of questions. Reminded her of herself.
“Well I’ve tried. I know Spanish too but I don’t remember learning that. My parents taught it to me at home when I was a baby. The first memory I have of life I already knew Spanish. It’s been in my head ever since,” said Flor.
“Spanish? What is that? Can I learn that too? How did you get here? Did you come from the surface? I have never seen a surface dweller before. Do they all speak Spanish up there?”
Flor didn’t know how to respond. He had just told her what she needed to know. He had no idea that she could possibly be from another world. He had said the surface. What did that mean? From what she could see, they were on the surface of the planet. She couldn’t let on that she didn’t know what or where the surface was. Then how would she explain where she had come from? For now, she would have to play along and see what answers she could get without revealing her secret.
“Do you mind if I ask a few questions of my own? I seem to be a bit lost,” she gently reminded her of her unique predicament and in the same breath, threw him off the topic of his own inquiries.
“Yes I am so sorry! Please forgive my carelessness, I should have thought of you first. Please ask away,” said the polite alien, concerned he had offended his new guest.
“I guess my first question is, what’s your name? And do you eat meat?” Visions of those teeth ripping her to shreds flashed in her mind but she did her best to push them aside. Fear of the improbable only served to distract the mind and spirit from the present predicament. However, she could not push aside so easily the shiver that ran down her spine or the hairs standing on end. Those were out of her control and she could only hope he wouldn’t notice.
“My name is Naidam. What is yours? And yes we eat other creatures yes but only rarely. It is usually for special occasions and they are not like your kind, if that is what you are worried about. You are safe with me,” he responded with a smile in an attempt to quell her worries.
Relief flooded through her. She had no way of knowing if he was telling the truth but he seemed sincere enough and if he really wanted to eat or kill her, he would have done so by now.
“Flor. It’s Spanish for flower.”
“Florrrrr.” He rolled the r, making the end of her name sound almost like a growl but it sounded funny coming from him, as if he had never had to growl or show menace in his life. Perhaps his race wasn’t as aggressive or vicious as their teeth made them out to be. Otherwise he looked harmless, an angel sent to rescue her. Although what he was rescuing her from, she wasn’t entirely sure. This place was beauty incarnated into a world, if such a feat of dreams could be accomplished.
“Yeah, something like that,” she said with a smile. “And I’m happy to hear about your diet preferences. I was a little scared for a moment cause of the teeth.”
“What is wrong with my teeth?” He self-consciously covered them with his hands, worried that he must have looked like some hideous monster to her. It was then he noticed her teeth and how perfect they were, a straight line, white and glistening in the light, no sharpness or jagged edges present.
“Oh no I didn’t mean it like that! There’s nothing wrong with your teeth at all. Why they’re quite beautiful in fact,” she stammered out.
She hadn’t meant to insult him but then again, she hadn’t predicted he would be that sensitive. She didn’t know anything about the aging processes of this planet but from what she could determine from appearance, he looked to be at least past puberty, perhaps closer to young adult on the spectrum. But his behavior now seemed that of a teenager, shy and self conscious, quick to change topics if the new topic involved them, unsure of themselves to the point that any statement against them could send their entire existence into question in their mind.
He looked like he didn’t believe her at first but he put his hands back down to his sides and decided to let it go.
“I suppose it is just different for you is all. Different can be scary. It is your turn to ask a question,” he said.
She paused, deliberating on the perfect one.
“Where do you live? On land or in the water?”
Since she had mentioned his teeth, he had made an effort to talk with his mouth relatively closed. But at that question, his toothy, wide smile broke out again.
“Good question. Come, I will show you. Let me take you to my home,” he said, taking her hand and walking towards the precipice she had been mesmerized by just moments before his appearance.
“Wait!” Flor started dragging her feet, digging her heels into the dirt when she realized he was about to jump over the edge. He probably didn’t know how fragile her species really was.
“What is wrong?” His expression showed concern, at least as far as Flor could tell. His eyes no longer had the happy, go-lucky expression she had first seen but now, worry furrowed his blue brow and yet his features were nonetheless still just as beautiful, the sadness only giving him a poetic and dramatic air, the beauty in tragedy apparent and recognizable more to her now than it ever had been.
She had always tried to see both sides of the world, bad and good but it had taken her years to see the beauty in ugliness, in sadness. But with this alien, that constant struggle could be summed up in a small, simple face. He would have been perfect in any Shakespeare play if his plays had involved creatures of the sea meet man on dry land and have babies together. That wouldn’t have sold well in the olden times, although today it would be a sell out. Science fiction hadn’t always been popular but its recent growing popularity in the public sector was encouraging.
“I can’t jump down that far I’ll die,” she said. And she was right. Humans were vulnerable meat sacks, with a cornucopia of easily achieved death or injury scenarios.
“Oh. So how do you get around where you come from?” he asked curiously.
“Uh… we walk. You know with these things,” She pointed at her feet and legs.
“Even when you jump into water? Can you even swim?” he asked.
“Of course I can swim! I’ve been swimming since I could walk,” she said with pride, swelling up her chest .
“Well…. From what I have heard, there is not a lot of water on the surface. You are from the surface are you not?”
There went that question again. Flor hated lying and did it minimally but she knew there were times it couldn’t be avoided and she knew she shouldn’t let the guilt of a God seeing her at all times and punishing her for any little thing she might do incorrectly. No one is perfect and as her best friend used to tell her when she was having a bad day: you are super great. If people get down on you for not being perfect all the time, then bite their faces off. You are super great and faces are high in protein.
“I am. No I suppose water is quite scarce there but I know a few important people. It’s all about the connections,” she said.
She was pulling all this out of her ass, hoping it sounded believable. She knew nothing of this world, let alone the far away surface he kept mentioning.
“Well since you cannot jump from here, looks like we are going to have to take the long way down. I have never gone down the path, only up. Jumping down was always faster.”
“Sorry to slow your progress down so much. If you want, you can jump and I’ll meet you down there.”
“Nonsense! We will walk together. It will give us more time to exchange more questions!”
Oh boy, she thought. More evading and making up where I came from. I really need to come up with a good cover story. I need more information though. Where am I? Oh Dugan what have I gotten myself into?