- 7 months ago
- #scifi
- #hfy
- #shortstory
▶While adjusting a climate control system in the exhibit, Jim notices something strange. The alien girl behind the glass isn’t acting like before. This time, she’s watching him. And the symbols she draws? They match something ancient—on Earth. He has no idea how deep this connection is about to go.
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Keywords: "Dive into the captivating world of HFY (Humanity, Fuck Yeah!) with our latest video, featuring an enthralling HFY Short Story that showcases the indomitable spirit of humanity in the vast expanse of the cosmos.
Experience a unique Sci-Fi Story where Humans are Space Orcs, demonstrating their resilience and ingenuity in a universe filled with challenges. This Sci-Fi Short Story, inspired by the popular Reddit HFY Stories and the intriguing concept of Humans are Space Orcs, promises a blend of adventure, conflict, and the triumph of the human spirit.
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FunTranscript
00:00Alien Girl was displayed like an animal at the zoo until a human saw her lost kitten eyes.
00:05The galactic menagerie on Proxima Station was renowned across three star systems
00:10as the most comprehensive collection of exotic species in the quadrant.
00:14Nestled at the edge of charted space, it attracted visitors from dozens of worlds
00:19who came to gawks at creatures they'd never see in their lifetimes.
00:23In the East Wing's Endangered Sentience exhibit,
00:26behind a nearly invisible barrier of reinforced polyglass,
00:30sat Specimen 734.
00:32She had a name once, before the collectors came,
00:35before her world burned, before she became the last of her kind.
00:39The information panel beside her enclosure offered clinical details.
00:43Female Nixarian, approximately 26 standard years,
00:48rescued from planetary extinction event,
00:51believed to be last surviving member of species.
00:54What the panel didn't mention was how the rescue had involved tranquilizer,
00:58darts, restraints, and a cage,
01:01or how her habitat was a poor facsimile of her homeworld.
01:06The artificial humidity making her azure skin glisten unnaturally.
01:10The simulated day cycle just slightly wrong.
01:13She sat cross-legged on a stone outcropping,
01:16her slender fingers tracing patterns in the condensation on the glass.
01:19Her long, silver-white hair fell in elaborate braids down her back,
01:25contrasting with her deep blue skin.
01:27The rough brown fabric of her garment,
01:30designed to look authentically primitive for the visitors,
01:34barely covered her torso,
01:35leaving her shoulders and midriff exposed.
01:38The markings on her face,
01:40once symbols of her clan's lineage,
01:43now merely added to her exotic appeal.
01:46The visitors pressed close to the glass,
01:48pointing and whispering.
01:50Children tapped the barrier,
01:51trying to get her attention.
01:53She never looked up.
01:54Does it do anything?
01:56A child asked his mother.
01:58It's not an it, dear.
02:00The sign says she's a person.
02:02The mother corrected half-heartedly,
02:04already moving toward the next exhibit.
02:06Doesn't look like much of a person to me,
02:09the father muttered.
02:10More like a pretty doll.
02:13Jim Praxton heard these exchanges every day.
02:16As senior life support engineer for the East Wing,
02:19he spent his shifts moving through the service corridors behind the exhibits,
02:23checking atmospheric regulators and water recyclers.
02:27The Nixarian's enclosure required particular attention.
02:30Her physiology demanded precise oxygen-nitrogen ratios and humidity levels.
02:35Today, as he adjusted the humidity controls in the maintenance alcove behind her habitat,
02:41he glanced through the one-way observation panel.
02:44She was alone for once,
02:46the viewing area momentarily empty between tour groups.
02:49She looked different.
02:52Not the vacant-eyed creature he usually saw.
02:54She was standing now,
02:56her hand pressed against the glass,
02:58staring directly at the maintenance panel as if she could see through it.
03:01As if she could see him.
03:04Jim froze,
03:05his hand hovering over the control panel.
03:07Those eyes,
03:08they weren't wild or threatening.
03:09They held a deep cosmic sadness that struck him like a physical blow.
03:14The look of an abandoned creature,
03:16unsure of its guilt,
03:17like a lost kitten somehow both ancient and innocent.
03:20He found himself moving toward the panel,
03:23his own hand raising to meet hers through the barrier.
03:25Their palms aligned,
03:27separated by layers of material designed to be impenetrable.
03:30She tilted her head slightly,
03:32her silver-white eyebrows drawing together.
03:35With her free hand,
03:36she began tracing symbols in the condensation.
03:39Intricate, flowing patterns that seemed strangely familiar.
03:43The moment shattered as the next tour group entered the viewing area.
03:47She immediately withdrew,
03:49retreating to the far corner of her enclosure,
03:51resuming her vacant stare.
03:53Jim stood motionless in the darkness of the maintenance alcove,
03:57his heart pounding.
03:58What had just happened?
03:59Had she actually sensed his presence?
04:02And those symbols,
04:03why did they seem to tug at some buried memory?
04:06He shook his head,
04:07trying to clear it.
04:08He was being ridiculous.
04:10She couldn't possibly have known he was there.
04:12The observation panel was completely opaque from her side.
04:15And yet,
04:16as he gathered his tools,
04:18he found himself glancing back.
04:20She was tracing the symbols again,
04:21this time in the soil near her feet,
04:24hidden from the visitor's view.
04:26And though he couldn't explain how he knew,
04:29he was certain they were meant for him.
04:31Jim couldn't sleep that night.
04:33The symbols the Nixarian had traced haunted him,
04:36dancing behind his closed eyelids.
04:38By zero,
04:39three hundred hours,
04:40he'd given up on rest,
04:42and sat at his small desk in his quarters,
04:45sketching what he remembered on his data pad.
04:46The curves and angles seemed to shift as he drew them,
04:50as if resisting capture.
04:53Yet something about them tugged at his memory,
04:55like a half-forgotten lullaby from childhood.
04:59He accessed the station's database,
05:01searching first for information about Nixarian language.
05:04The entry was sparse.
05:05Written communication system unknown,
05:08verbal language unrecorded,
05:09due to subjects' non-cooperation.
05:12Non-cooperation,
05:14Jim snorted,
05:15as if refusing to perform like a trained animal
05:17was some kind of offense.
05:19On impulse,
05:19he switched to Earth's historical linguistics database.
05:22He scrolled through ancient scripts,
05:24Sumerian,
05:26Proto-Sinaitic,
05:27Linear A,
05:28until his finger froze above the screen.
05:31Holy shit,
05:32he whispered.
05:33There it was.
05:34Not an exact match,
05:35but unmistakably similar to what she'd drawn.
05:39A variant of Proto-Elamite script.
05:41One of humanity's earliest writing systems,
05:44dating back nearly 5,000 years.
05:47How was this possible?
05:49Her world was 17 light years from Earth.
05:52Their species had never encountered each other
05:54before first contact just 30 years ago.
05:57Unless everything they'd been told was a lie.
06:01Jim downloaded everything he could find
06:03on Proto-Elamite and ancient Earth languages.
06:06By the time his shift began,
06:07his eyes were bloodshot,
06:09but his mind was racing with possibilities.
06:11He moved through his maintenance rounds on autopilot
06:15until he reached the east wing.
06:17The Nix-Arian's enclosure was his last stop.
06:20He checked the corridor,
06:21empty,
06:22before slipping into the maintenance alcove.
06:24She was there,
06:25sitting cross-legged near the observation panel,
06:28as if waiting for him.
06:29When he entered,
06:30her head tilted slightly,
06:31though she couldn't possibly see him.
06:33Or could she?
06:35Jim hesitated,
06:36then tapped gently on the panel.
06:38Her eyes widened,
06:40focusing directly on the sound.
06:42She moved closer,
06:43placing her palm against the barrier.
06:45Heart pounding,
06:46he placed his hand against hers.
06:48Through the one-way glass,
06:49their eyes met.
06:51I know you can sense me somehow,
06:53he whispered,
06:54although she couldn't hear him.
06:55And I think I understand
06:57some of what you've been trying to tell me.
06:59He pulled out his data pad
07:01and held it up to the panel,
07:03displaying the proto-Elemite script he'd found.
07:06Her reaction was immediate.
07:08She gasped,
07:08her free hand flying to her mouth.
07:10Then she began tracing rapidly in the condensation,
07:14her movements urgent.
07:15Jim recorded her symbols,
07:17comparing them to his research.
07:19Not identical,
07:20but the patterns were clear.
07:21Both writing systems shared a common ancestor.
07:24This changes everything,
07:25he murmured.
07:27Our species must have some shared history.
07:30A maintenance alert chimed on his comm unit.
07:33Damn.
07:34The atmospheric regulator in the Arcturian exhibit
07:36needed attention.
07:38He had to go.
07:39I'll be back tonight,
07:40he promised,
07:41though she couldn't hear him.
07:43When the visitors are gone.
07:45As he turned to leave,
07:46she pressed both hands against the glass,
07:48her eyes pleading.
07:50The thin fabric of her garment shifted,
07:52revealing more of the markings
07:53that spiraled across her skin.
07:56Markings that,
07:57he now realized,
07:57resembled the same ancient script.
08:00For the rest of his shift,
08:01Jim could think of nothing else.
08:03The connection between their species,
08:05the mystery of how they shared a writing system,
08:08and most of all,
08:09her eyes when she'd recognized
08:10the symbols on his datapad.
08:12For the first time since he'd seen her,
08:15there had been something besides sadness there.
08:18Hope.
08:19That night,
08:20after the last visitors
08:21had departed and the night cycle began,
08:24Jim returned to the east wing with his toolkit
08:26and a small device he'd modified from spare parts.
08:29A rudimentary two-way communicator
08:31that could be attached to the maintenance panel.
08:33The corridors were dimly lit,
08:35patrolled only by occasional security drones.
08:38He'd timed their patterns over the past weeks
08:40and knew he had a seven-minute window.
08:42When he reached the maintenance alcove,
08:44she was waiting,
08:45sitting close to the panel.
08:47As he entered,
08:48she rose gracefully,
08:49moving toward him with an eager step.
08:52Jim worked quickly,
08:53attaching his device to the panel's edge.
08:55It would vibrate the barrier itself,
08:57allowing sound to pass through
08:59without compromising the structural integrity
09:02that would trigger alarms.
09:03Can you hear me?
09:05He whispered when it was in place.
09:07Her eyes widened.
09:08Yes,
09:09she replied,
09:10her voice accented but clear.
09:11I hear you.
09:14The sound of her voice
09:15sent an unexpected shiver through him.
09:18It was melodic,
09:19with tones that seemed to resonate
09:21somewhere in his chest.
09:22My name is Jim,
09:23he said.
09:24Jim,
09:25she repeated,
09:26the name sounding different,
09:27almost musical in her mouth.
09:30I am Lanaira.
09:32Not specimen 734,
09:34he asked with a small smile.
09:36Her expression darkened.
09:37That is not my name.
09:39That is my prison number.
09:41I'm sorry,
09:42he said quickly.
09:43I didn't mean...
09:44I know,
09:45she interrupted,
09:45her expression softening.
09:47You are different from the others.
09:49You see me?
09:50The way she said it made his heart race.
09:53There was something in her gaze
09:55that went beyond gratitude,
09:56a warmth,
09:57an intensity
09:58that made him acutely aware of her
10:00as a woman,
10:01not just a prisoner.
10:03The symbols you've been drawing,
10:05he said,
10:05trying to focus,
10:06they're similar to an ancient
10:07human writing system.
10:09The old tongue,
10:11she nodded.
10:12From before the scattering,
10:14the scattering?
10:16When the cedars took our ancestors
10:18from the first world
10:19and planted them across the stars,
10:21her fingers traced one of the markings
10:23on her forearm.
10:24These tell our history,
10:26how we came from the same cradle
10:28as your kind.
10:29Jim felt lightheaded.
10:30You're saying humans
10:32and Nixarians
10:32share a common ancestor?
10:34That we were
10:35transplanted
10:36by some advanced species?
10:39Yes.
10:40The stories say
10:41we were one people,
10:42once.
10:43Her eyes met his,
10:45something vulnerable
10:46and yearning in their depths.
10:47Perhaps that is why
10:48I felt drawn to you,
10:50why I could sense you,
10:51even through this barrier.
10:53The security drones
10:55approaching Hum
10:55interrupted them.
10:56Jim checked his timer.
10:58He'd stayed too long.
10:59I have to go,
11:00he whispered urgently,
11:01but I'll come back tomorrow night.
11:03I mean,
11:04promise?
11:05The naked hope in her voice
11:06made his chest tighten.
11:08I promise.
11:09On impulse,
11:10he pressed his lips
11:11to the panel
11:12where her hand
11:13rested on the other side.
11:15As he slipped away,
11:17the warmth of her smile
11:18stayed with him,
11:19along with the revelation
11:21that would change
11:22everything he thought
11:23he knew about humanity's place
11:24in the universe.
11:26The next morning,
11:27Jim arrived early
11:28for his shift
11:29and determined to learn more
11:30about the menagerie's
11:31true purpose.
11:33He'd spent half the night
11:34researching the
11:35proto-Elemite connections
11:36and what he'd found
11:38disturbed him.
11:39Throughout human history,
11:40there were unexplained
11:41technological leaps,
11:43mysterious artifacts
11:44that seemed too advanced
11:45for their time,
11:46and ancient texts
11:47describing sky people
11:49who shared knowledge
11:50with early civilizations.
11:51What if those weren't myths?
11:53He accessed a maintenance terminal
11:55in a quiet corridor
11:56using his engineering credentials
11:58to dig deeper
11:59into the menagerie's
12:00secure files.
12:02Most were encrypted,
12:03but he found an unprotected folder
12:05containing intake records
12:06for new specimens.
12:07His blood ran cold
12:08as he read Laniera's file.
12:10Specimen 734,
12:12Nixarian female,
12:13acquired following
12:14controlled extinction event
12:15on Nixar Prime,
12:17subject exhibits
12:17dangerous knowledge
12:18of pre-scattering history,
12:19recommended for a memory suppression
12:22before public display.
12:24Controlled extinction event,
12:26not a natural disaster,
12:27not an accident.
12:29Genocide,
12:29his hands trembled
12:30as he continued reading.
12:32There were notes
12:33about maintaining
12:34species separation
12:35and preventing
12:36knowledge contamination.
12:37One memo
12:38specifically mentioned
12:39keeping human
12:40and Nixarian specimens
12:41isolated from each other.
12:43Genetic memory activation
12:44risk too high.
12:46Previous incidents
12:46resulted in
12:47an undesirable awakening.
12:49Jim downloaded
12:50everything he could find
12:51to his personal device,
12:53then carefully erased
12:54his access logs.
12:55His mind raced
12:56as he went through
12:57his morning tasks.
12:59The menagerie
12:59wasn't just a zoo.
13:01It was a containment facility
13:02designed to keep
13:03the truth buried.
13:04By midday,
13:05a new alert appeared
13:06on the staff bulletin.
13:08Security upgrades
13:09scheduled for East Wing.
13:11All communication systems
13:12to be enhanced
13:13with neural pattern detection.
13:15Neural pattern detection.
13:16They would be able
13:17to detect
13:18unauthorized conversations,
13:20including his
13:21and Lanira's.
13:22When he reached
13:23the East Wing
13:24for his afternoon checks,
13:26he found
13:26Director Threll,
13:27the menagerie's
13:28imposing
13:29Vordaction administrator,
13:30inspecting
13:31Lanira's enclosure.
13:32The tall,
13:33gray-skinned alien
13:34was flanked
13:35by security personnel.
13:36Ah,
13:37Engineer Praxton.
13:38Threll's translator device
13:39rendered his clicking
13:40speech
13:41into flat standard.
13:42Your atmospheric controls
13:44for this specimen
13:45have been exemplary.
13:48Thank you,
13:48Director,
13:49Jim replied,
13:50keeping his expression
13:51neutral despite the
13:52disgust rising in his throat.
13:53Just doing my job.
13:56Indeed,
13:57Threll's compound eyes gleamed.
14:00We've noticed
14:00some anomalous readings
14:02from this enclosure.
14:04Vibrations in the
14:04barrier material.
14:06Most curious.
14:08Jim's heart hammered.
14:09Could be a fault
14:10in the humidity regulators
14:11they sometimes cause
14:13resonance in the
14:13polyglass.
14:15Perhaps.
14:16Threll didn't sound
14:17convinced.
14:18We'll be installing
14:19new monitoring
14:19equipment tonight.
14:21No need for
14:21maintenance staff
14:22to concern themselves
14:23with it.
14:24Understood,
14:24sir.
14:26Inside the enclosure,
14:27Lanira sat motionless,
14:29her expression blank.
14:30But her eyes
14:31tracked Jim as he moved,
14:33a barely perceptible
14:34acknowledgement.
14:36Fascinating specimen,
14:38Threll commented,
14:39noticing Jim's gaze.
14:40The last of her
14:41kind.
14:42Such a tragedy.
14:45Yes,
14:45Jim managed.
14:46A tragedy.
14:48Did you know,
14:49Threll continued
14:50conversationally,
14:51that her species
14:52once claimed to share
14:53ancestry with humans?
14:55Absurd notion,
14:56of course.
14:57Humans evolved
14:58independently on Earth,
15:00as all properly educated
15:01people understand.
15:03It wasn't a casual comment,
15:05it was a test.
15:06I've never heard that theory,
15:08Jim lied.
15:09Sounds far-fetched.
15:11Indeed,
15:11such dangerous
15:12misinformation
15:13could cause
15:14unrest.
15:16Threll's translator
15:17couldn't convey emotion,
15:19but the threat was clear.
15:20We'll leave you
15:21to your work,
15:22Engineer Praxton.
15:22As they departed,
15:25Jim pretended to check
15:26the atmospheric controls
15:27while his mind raced.
15:29They suspected something.
15:30The security upgrade
15:31would be installed tonight,
15:32the same night he'd promised
15:34to return to Lanira.
15:35He had to warn her,
15:36and he had to do it now.
15:39Waiting until the corridor
15:40was clear,
15:41he slipped into the
15:42maintenance alcove.
15:43Lanira immediately
15:44moved to the panel,
15:45her eyes questioning.
15:46They know,
15:48he whispered urgently
15:49through their
15:49communication device.
15:51They're installing
15:51new security tonight
15:52that will detect us talking.
15:55Her eyes widened
15:55with fear.
15:57What will happen to you
15:58if they discover?
15:59Don't worry about me,
16:01he cut in.
16:02But I found files.
16:03Lanira,
16:04they deliberately
16:05destroyed your world,
16:06and they're hiding
16:07the truth
16:08about our shared history.
16:10She closed her eyes,
16:11pain etching her features.
16:13I suspected as much.
16:15My people's memories
16:16spoke of this possibility.
16:18I'm going to get you
16:20out of here,
16:20he said,
16:21the decision crystallizing
16:22as he spoke.
16:24Tonight,
16:24before the new security
16:25is installed.
16:27How?
16:28Her palm pressed
16:29against the barrier,
16:30and he matched it
16:30with his own.
16:32I don't know yet,
16:33but I will.
16:35The intensity
16:36of his determination
16:37surprised even him.
16:38I can't leave you here.
16:40Something shifted
16:41in her gaze,
16:42the sadness giving way
16:43to a warmth
16:44that made his pulse
16:45quicken.
16:46Jim,
16:47she said softly,
16:49among my people,
16:50when two souls
16:51recognize each other
16:52across the void,
16:53it is called
16:54the resonance.
16:56I felt it
16:57the moment
16:57I sensed you
16:58watching me.
16:59I felt it too,
17:01he admitted.
17:02I thought I was
17:03going crazy.
17:04Her lips curved
17:05into a smile
17:05that transformed
17:06her face.
17:07Not crazy,
17:09just awakening
17:09to what your kind
17:10has been forced
17:11to forget.
17:13A warning chime
17:14from his comm unit
17:15broke the moment.
17:16I have to go,
17:17but I'll be back
17:18tonight with a plan.
17:20As he turned
17:20to leave,
17:21she called after him.
17:22Jim,
17:23in my culture,
17:25when two beings
17:26share the resonance,
17:28they are already
17:29joined in the ways
17:29that matter most.
17:31The implications
17:32sent heat
17:33rushing through him.
17:34Their connection
17:35wasn't just
17:36intellectual
17:37or emotional.
17:38It was something
17:38deeper,
17:39more primal,
17:41something their
17:41bodies recognized,
17:43even before
17:43their minds understood.
17:45Then I'm coming
17:45for my other half,
17:46he promised.
17:47As he hurried away,
17:48Jim knew he was
17:49risking everything.
17:50His job,
17:51his freedom,
17:52possibly his life.
17:54But the alternative,
17:55leaving Lanira
17:56imprisoned,
17:57letting the truth
17:58remain buried,
17:59was unthinkable.
18:00Tonight,
18:01he would break
18:02every rule
18:03to free her.
18:04And in doing so,
18:05perhaps free humanity
18:07from a lie
18:08that had persisted
18:08for thousands of years.
18:11Jim worked
18:11with controlled urgency
18:12in the maintenance bay,
18:14modifying a portable
18:15atmospheric regulator
18:16to serve a very
18:17different purpose.
18:19His hands moved
18:20with practiced precision
18:21despite the adrenaline
18:22coursing through his veins.
18:25You're here late,
18:25Praxton,
18:26called technician Morales
18:27from across the bay.
18:29Jim kept his voice casual.
18:31Got a pressure fluctuation
18:32in the Torian exhibit.
18:34Thought I'd fix it
18:34before tomorrow.
18:36Always the overachiever,
18:37Morales chuckled,
18:38gathering his tools.
18:40Don't stay too late.
18:41Those new security upgrades
18:42are happening at 0200.
18:45Thanks for the reminder,
18:46Jim replied,
18:47waiting until Morales left
18:48before slipping
18:49the modified regulator
18:50into his pack
18:51alongside a maintenance
18:52uniform he'd procured
18:53for Lanira.
18:54His plan was simple
18:56but dangerous.
18:57The modified regulator
18:58would create
18:58a cascading failure
19:00in the environmental systems
19:01of the North Wing,
19:02a home to
19:03non-sentient specimens
19:04that could withstand
19:05temporary atmospheric changes.
19:06The resulting alarms
19:08would draw security
19:09away from the East Wing,
19:10giving him time
19:11to override
19:12Lanira's enclosure locks.
19:14At 01300,
19:16the menagerie
19:17was eerily quiet.
19:19Jim moved
19:19through the service corridors
19:20with practiced ease,
19:22avoiding the regular
19:23patrol routes.
19:24When he reached
19:25the North Wing junction,
19:26he activated
19:27the modified regulator
19:28and set it
19:28on a maintenance shelf.
19:30Within minutes,
19:31warning lights flashed
19:32as the atmospheric systems
19:33began to malfunction.
19:35Emergency protocols
19:36kicked in
19:36and he heard
19:37the heavy footfalls
19:38of security personnel
19:39rushing toward
19:40the disturbance.
19:42Now,
19:42for the hard part,
19:43Jim sprinted
19:44through the back corridors
19:45to the East Wing.
19:46At Lanira's enclosure,
19:47he found her waiting,
19:49eyes alert.
19:50She'd gathered
19:50her few possessions,
19:52a small carving
19:53she'd made from stone,
19:54a length of fabric
19:55woven from plant fibers
19:57in her habitat.
19:58Ready?
19:59He mouthed
20:00through the glass.
20:01She nodded,
20:02determination replacing
20:03the sadness
20:04he'd first seen
20:04in her eyes.
20:06Jim accessed
20:07the maintenance panel
20:07and began the override sequence.
20:09His fingers flew over
20:10the controls,
20:11bypassing security protocols
20:12he'd studied for weeks.
20:14The barrier between them
20:15hummed as the locking mechanism
20:17disengaged.
20:18With a soft hiss,
20:19a section of the polyglass
20:20slid open.
20:21Not the main viewing panel,
20:23but a maintenance access point
20:24large enough
20:25for Lanira to slip through.
20:26For a moment,
20:28they simply stared
20:29at each other,
20:30the physical barrier
20:31between them gone
20:32for the first time.
20:33Then Lanira stepped forward,
20:35crossing the threshold
20:36from captivity
20:37to freedom.
20:38Here,
20:39Jim whispered,
20:40handing her
20:40the maintenance uniform.
20:42Put this on.
20:43As she quickly
20:44pulled the coveralls
20:45over her minimal clothing,
20:48Jim couldn't help
20:48but notice
20:49the graceful lines
20:50of her body,
20:51the way the markings
20:52on her skin
20:53seemed to shimmer
20:54in the dim light.
20:55She caught his gaze
20:56and smiled,
20:57a knowing,
20:58intimate expression
20:59that made his heart race.
21:01The resonance grows stronger
21:03without barriers.
21:04Hush she,
21:05she murmured,
21:05her voice sending
21:06a pleasant shiver
21:07through him.
21:08We need to move,
21:09he said,
21:10reluctantly focusing
21:11on their escape.
21:12The diversion won't last long.
21:14They slipped into
21:15the service corridor,
21:16Jim leading the way
21:17toward the maintenance docks
21:18where supply shuttles arrived.
21:20If they could stow away
21:21on the outgoing
21:22waste reclamation shuttle,
21:23an alarm blared,
21:25different from the
21:26environmental alert
21:27he triggered.
21:28Containment breach detected.
21:30East wing,
21:31section 12.
21:32All security personnel respond.
21:34They've discovered
21:35you're missing,
21:36Jim hissed,
21:37pulling Lanara
21:38into a narrow
21:38utility closet
21:39as heavy footsteps
21:40approached.
21:42The space was barely
21:43large enough
21:43for one person,
21:44let alone two.
21:46Lanara pressed against him,
21:48her body warm
21:48and supple.
21:50In the darkness,
21:50he could feel her breath
21:51against his neck,
21:53the rapid beat of her heart
21:54matching his own.
21:56Your heart,
21:57she whispered,
21:58placing her hand
21:59on his chest.
22:00It beats like mine.
22:02More evidence
22:03were not so different,
22:05he murmured.
22:06Her fingers traced
22:07up to his face,
22:08exploring his features
22:09with gentle curiosity.
22:11In darkness,
22:12I see you more clearly,
22:13she said.
22:14Your spirit shines.
22:17The footsteps
22:17passed their hiding place,
22:19but neither moved
22:20to leave.
22:21Something electric
22:22hung in the air
22:22between them.
22:24A tension
22:24that had nothing
22:25to do with their danger
22:27and everything to do
22:28with their proximity.
22:30Lanara,
22:31Jim breathed,
22:32his hands finding
22:33her waist.
22:34Yes,
22:35she answered,
22:35understanding
22:36the unspoken question.
22:38The resonance
22:38calls us to join.
22:41Her lips found his
22:42in the darkness,
22:43tentative at first,
22:44then with growing confidence.
22:46The kiss deepened
22:47and Jim felt
22:48a strange sensation
22:49as if something
22:50dormant within him
22:51was awakening.
22:53Memories not his own
22:54flickering at the edges
22:55of his consciousness.
22:56Ancient star maps,
22:58vast ships crossing the void.
23:00The feeling of being
23:01torn from home
23:02scattered across the cosmos.
23:04He broke the kiss,
23:05gasping,
23:06Did you feel it?
23:08She finished.
23:09The memories,
23:10they come with the resonance.
23:12Our bodies remember
23:13what our minds
23:14were made to forget.
23:15Another alarm sounded,
23:17breaking the moment.
23:18We have to keep moving,
23:20Jim said reluctantly.
23:21They slipped from the closet
23:23and continued their journey
23:24through the maintenance tunnels,
23:26hands clasped tightly.
23:28Each touch between them
23:29seemed to strengthen
23:30the strange connection,
23:32images and sensations
23:33flickering between them
23:34without words.
23:36When they reached
23:36the maintenance dock,
23:38Jim quickly located
23:39the waste reclamation shuttle,
23:41a small automated vessel
23:42that made weekly runs
23:44to the processing station
23:45in the outer system.
23:46It leaves in 10 minutes,
23:48he explained,
23:48opening a service hatch.
23:50The cargo hold
23:51has atmospheric containment.
23:53We can hide there
23:54until we reach the station.
23:55And then,
23:57Lanier asked,
23:58her silver-white eyebrows
23:59drawing together.
24:01Then we find transport
24:02to Earth,
24:03Jim said,
24:03the plan forming
24:04as he spoke.
24:05There must be others
24:06who know the truth
24:07or who will awaken to it
24:09when they meet you.
24:10We can expose
24:11what the menagerie is doing.
24:14Lanier touched
24:14one of the markings
24:15on her forearm.
24:16My people believed
24:17that when the scattered children
24:18of the First World reunited,
24:20the cedars would return.
24:22One step at a time,
24:24Jim smiled,
24:24helping her
24:25into the shuttle's cargo hold.
24:26First,
24:27let's get off the station.
24:29As they settled
24:29into the cramped space
24:31among the sealed waste containers,
24:33Lanier curled against him,
24:34her head resting on his shoulder.
24:36The intimacy of the gesture
24:37felt both new
24:38and somehow ancient,
24:40as if their bodies
24:41remembered a closeness
24:42their minds had forgotten.
24:44When we're safe,
24:45she whispered,
24:46her fingers tracing patterns
24:47on his palm
24:47that sent heat
24:48coursing through him.
24:50I will show you
24:51how my people
24:51celebrate the resonance.
24:53The promise in her voice
24:55made his breath catch.
24:56I look forward
24:57to the cultural exchange,
24:59he replied
24:59with a smile she felt,
25:01rather than saw
25:02in the darkness.
25:03The shuttle's engines
25:04hummed to life
25:05and they held each other
25:06tightly as the vessel
25:07detached from the station.
25:09Carrying them away
25:10from captivity
25:10and toward an uncertain future.
25:13Together.
25:14The waste reclamation shuttle
25:16hummed steadily
25:17as it carried them
25:18through the void.
25:19Jim and Laniera
25:20had made themselves
25:21as comfortable
25:22as possible
25:22in the cramped
25:23cargo hold
25:24nestled between
25:25sealed containers.
25:27The dim emergency lighting
25:28cast a soft blue glow
25:30over Laniera's skin,
25:32making her appear
25:32almost luminescent.
25:34How long until
25:35we reach the processing station?
25:36She asked,
25:37her voice barely
25:38above a whisper,
25:39despite the fact
25:40that no one
25:41could hear them.
25:42About six hours,
25:44Jim replied,
25:44checking his portable terminal.
25:46We should be...
25:48A sharp alarm
25:48cut him off,
25:49followed by
25:49an automated announcement.
25:51Course alteration detected.
25:53Returning to point of origin,
25:55security protocol,
25:55Alpha 9 engaged.
25:57Dammit,
25:58Jim hissed,
25:58scrambling to access
25:59the shuttle's
26:00control interface
26:01through his terminal.
26:02They've remotely
26:03overridden
26:04the navigation system.
26:06Laniera's eyes
26:07widened with fear.
26:08They're bringing us
26:09back to the menagerie.
26:11Not if I can help it.
26:13Jim's fingers
26:14flew over the interface.
26:15I need to bypass
26:16the remote control protocols
26:18and take manual command
26:19of the shuttle.
26:20Can you do that?
26:22He flashed her
26:22a confident smile
26:23that belied
26:24his inner uncertainty.
26:25I'm a life support engineer,
26:27not a pilot.
26:28But right now,
26:28I'm the best shot
26:30we've got.
26:31As Jim worked
26:32to hack the shuttle's systems,
26:33Laniera moved closer,
26:34watching intently.
26:36Her proximity
26:37was distracting
26:37in the most pleasant way.
26:39The subtle scent
26:40of her skin,
26:41like rain-soaked earth
26:42and something
26:43sweetly alien,
26:44filled his senses.
26:45The markings
26:46on your arm,
26:47he said,
26:47partly to focus
26:48his thoughts.
26:49You said
26:50they tell your history?
26:52She nodded,
26:52tracing one of
26:53the intricate patterns
26:54that spiraled
26:55from her wrist
26:55to her elbow.
26:56Each line
26:57represents a generation.
26:58The symbols
26:59tell of our journey
27:00from the first world,
27:02our struggles,
27:03our triumphs.
27:05They're beautiful,
27:06he murmured,
27:07meaning it.
27:07A faint blush
27:08darkened her blue cheeks.
27:10Among my people,
27:12only bondmates
27:12would speak so intimately
27:14of each other's markings.
27:16Sorry,
27:17I didn't mean to.
27:18No,
27:18she interrupted,
27:19her fingers brushing his arm.
27:21I welcome it.
27:22The resonance
27:23between us.
27:24It feels right.
27:26Their eyes met,
27:27and for a moment,
27:28Jim forgot about
27:29the shuttle,
27:30the danger,
27:31everything except
27:32the connection
27:32between them,
27:33a pull as inevitable
27:34as gravity.
27:36The terminal beeped,
27:37breaking the moment.
27:38I'm in,
27:39he said,
27:40refocusing on the screen.
27:42I've overridden
27:42the remote commands,
27:44but they'll notice soon.
27:45We need to change course.
27:47To where?
27:48Not Earth?
27:49That's the first place
27:50they'll look.
27:51Jim studied
27:52the navigation chart.
27:53The processing station
27:55is still our best bet.
27:56We can blend in there,
27:58find new transport.
28:00He plotted a course
28:01that would take them
28:01to the station
28:02via a longer route,
28:04hopefully confusing
28:05their pursuers.
28:06As the shuttle's engines
28:07adjusted to the new heading,
28:09a violent shudder
28:10ran through the vessel.
28:11What was that?
28:12Lanier gasped,
28:13steadying herself
28:14against his shoulder.
28:16Jim checked
28:16the diagnostics.
28:17They've activated
28:19the emergency thrusters
28:20remotely,
28:20trying to force us
28:22back on course.
28:24Another shudder,
28:25stronger this time,
28:26sent them tumbling
28:27against each other.
28:29Jim found himself
28:30bracing Laniera
28:30against the wall
28:31of the cargo hold,
28:32their bodies pressed together
28:34in the confined space.
28:36The sudden intimacy
28:37of their position
28:37sent heat coursing
28:38through him.
28:40I need to disable
28:41those thrusters,
28:42he said,
28:44his voice rougher
28:45than he intended.
28:47Laniera's eyes
28:47held his,
28:48something primal
28:49and knowing
28:50in their depths.
28:51Do what you must.
28:53I trust you.
28:54The simple declaration
28:56struck him more powerfully
28:57than he expected.
28:59How long had it been
29:00since anyone
29:00had trusted him
29:01so completely?
29:03Working one-handed,
29:04unwilling to release her
29:05in the unstable shuttle,
29:07Jim managed to access
29:08the thruster controls.
29:10With a few precise commands,
29:11he shut down
29:12the emergency system.
29:13The shuttle stabilized,
29:15now firmly under their control
29:16and heading toward
29:17the processing station.
29:18You did it,
29:19Laniera breathed,
29:20her lips tantalizingly
29:21close to his.
29:22We're not safe yet,
29:23he cautioned.
29:24When we reach the station,
29:26we'll need new identities.
29:28The workers there
29:28are mostly Trilaxians
29:30and Bordaxians,
29:31all loyal to the
29:32Menagerie's administration.
29:34How will we hide?
29:36My appearance is
29:37distinctive.
29:39Jim considered this.
29:40The station processes
29:42waste from dozens
29:43of worlds.
29:45It's a transit hub
29:46for all sorts of species.
29:48If we can get you
29:48different clothing,
29:50maybe alter your
29:51appearance slightly?
29:53Among my people,
29:55bondmates share a ritual
29:56that temporarily
29:57transfers markings,
29:59Laniera said thoughtfully.
30:00If we were to
30:01join,
30:03some of my markings
30:04would appear on your skin
30:05and mine would fade somewhat.
30:07It might help disguise me.
30:09The implication hung
30:11in the air between them.
30:13Jim swallowed hard.
30:14This ritual,
30:16it's like a marriage ceremony.
30:18More primal than that,
30:20she explained,
30:21her fingers tracing
30:22patterns on his chest
30:23that sent shivers
30:24through him.
30:25It's a recognition
30:26of the resonance
30:26between souls.
30:28The physical joining
30:29is merely an expression
30:31of what already exists.
30:33And the markings,
30:34they're temporary?
30:35They fade after several cycles
30:37unless the bond is renewed.
30:39A small smile
30:40played at her lips.
30:41It's considered
30:42quite pleasurable
30:43to renew them.
30:45The temperature
30:46in the cargo hold
30:47seemed to rise
30:48several degrees.
30:50Jim was acutely aware
30:51of every point
30:52where their bodies touched,
30:53of the soft curves
30:54pressed against him.
30:55Would you want that?
30:57He asked,
30:58his voice husky.
30:59With me?
31:00In answer,
31:02Lanara's hand
31:03moved to the nape
31:04of his neck,
31:05drawing him down
31:05until their foreheads touched.
31:07An intimate gesture
31:08from her culture.
31:10Since the moment
31:10I sensed you watching me,
31:12she whispered,
31:13I've felt the echo
31:15of something ancient
31:16between us.
31:17As if my soul
31:18recognized yours
31:19across time and space.
31:21Their lips met,
31:22and this time
31:23the kiss deepened
31:23immediately,
31:24years of loneliness
31:25and longing
31:26pouring into the connection.
31:28Jim felt that
31:28strange sensation again.
31:30Memories not his own
31:31flickering through his mind,
31:32but stronger now,
31:33more vivid.
31:34A vast ship
31:35among the stars.
31:37Thousands of humans
31:38and Nixarians
31:39living together.
31:40The cedars watching,
31:42experimenting,
31:43separating.
31:44When they finally
31:44broke apart,
31:45breathless,
31:46Lanara's eyes
31:47shimmered with emotion.
31:49You saw it too?
31:50He nodded.
31:52Our peoples
31:53weren't just related.
31:54We lived together,
31:55traveled the stars together.
31:58Until the cedars
31:59separated us,
32:00scattered us
32:01across different worlds,
32:02she finished.
32:03The menagerie
32:04continues their work,
32:05keeping us apart,
32:06hiding the truth.
32:08Jim stroked her cheek,
32:09marveling at the softness
32:10of her skin.
32:11Not anymore.
32:13Not for us.
32:14In the dim blue light
32:15of the cargo hold,
32:17as the shuttle
32:17carried them
32:18toward an uncertain future,
32:20they created
32:21their own
32:21small rebellion
32:22against millennia
32:24of enforced separation.
32:26Their bodies
32:26spoke an ancient language
32:28that transcended words,
32:30recognizing each other
32:31with a certainty
32:31that defied
32:32their different worlds.
32:34Afterward,
32:34Jim stared in wonder
32:35at the faint blue markings
32:37that had appeared
32:38on his skin.
32:39Delicate whirls
32:40and symbols
32:40that matched Lanara's,
32:42though hers
32:43had indeed faded slightly.
32:45It worked,
32:46he murmured,
32:46tracing the patterns
32:47on his forearm.
32:49Lanara smiled,
32:50nestling against him.
32:51The ritual always works
32:52when the resonance
32:53is true.
32:54A notification
32:55from his terminal
32:56interrupted
32:57their moment of peace.
32:58We're approaching
33:00the processing station,
33:01Jim said,
33:02reluctantly disentangling
33:03himself.
33:04Time to see
33:05if our disguise works.
33:07As they prepared
33:08to dock,
33:09dressing in the
33:10maintenance uniforms
33:11and gathering
33:11their few possessions,
33:13Jim caught Lanara
33:14studying him
33:15with an expression
33:15of wonder.
33:16What is it?
33:17He asked.
33:18In all the stories
33:19my people tell
33:20of the scattering,
33:21she said softly,
33:22there is a prophecy
33:23that when the children
33:24of the first world
33:24reunite in body
33:25and spirit,
33:26the truth will spread
33:28like fire among the stars.
33:30Jim took her hand,
33:31feeling the weight
33:32of history
33:32and possibility
33:33between them.
33:34Then let's go
33:35start a fire.
33:37The processing station
33:38loomed before them
33:39as their shuttle docked,
33:41a massive utilitarian
33:42structure
33:43of interlocking
33:44metal rings
33:45spinning slowly
33:46against the backdrop
33:47of a gas giant.
33:48Waste from a hundred worlds
33:50was sorted here,
33:51recycled and redistributed
33:52across the sector.
33:54Remember,
33:55Jim whispered
33:56as they prepared
33:56to disembark,
33:57keep your head down.
33:59The hood should hide
34:00your ears and hair.
34:01If anyone asks,
34:02you're a mixed species
34:03technician
34:03from the outer colonies.
34:06Lanara adjusted
34:06the maintenance uniform,
34:08pulling the hood forward
34:09to shadow her face.
34:11The bonding ritual
34:12had worked better
34:12than expected.
34:14Her distinctive
34:14facial markings
34:15had faded
34:16to subtle patterns
34:16that might pass
34:18for decorative tattoos
34:19while Jim now
34:20bore faint blue whirls
34:21on his forearms
34:22and neck.
34:22What about you?
34:24She asked,
34:24touching one of the markings
34:25on his skin
34:25with gentle fingers.
34:27I'll say they're
34:28cultural tattoos
34:29from Earth's southern continent.
34:31He caught her hand,
34:32pressing a quick kiss
34:33to her palm.
34:34Ready?
34:35She nodded her eyes,
34:36those same lost kitten eyes
34:38that had first captured
34:39his attention,
34:40now shining with determination
34:42rather than sadness.
34:43They stepped off the shuttle
34:45into the cavernous docking bay,
34:47joining the flow of workers
34:48and automated cargo units.
34:50The processing station
34:52was a hive of activity
34:53with dozens of species
34:55moving purposefully
34:56through its corridors.
34:58Perfect for blending in,
34:59or so they thought.
35:00Attention all personnel,
35:02an announcement
35:03echoed through the station.
35:04Security alert in effect.
35:06Report any suspicious individuals
35:08to the nearest security checkpoint.
35:10Particular attention
35:11to human male
35:12and Nix-Aryan female
35:13traveling together.
35:14Jim tensed,
35:15guiding Lanaira
35:16toward a less crowded corridor.
35:18They're faster
35:18than I expected.
35:20They must have anticipated
35:21our destination,
35:23she murmured.
35:23They needed a new plan.
35:25The passenger shuttles
35:26to the outer colonies
35:27departed from the station's
35:28upper ring,
35:29but security would be
35:30watching those areas closely.
35:32This way, Jim decided,
35:33leading her down
35:34a maintenance shaft.
35:35We need to find
35:36somewhere to regroup.
35:38As they descended
35:39into the lower levels
35:40of the station,
35:41the corridors became narrower,
35:43the lighting dimmer.
35:44The recycling
35:45and waste processing areas
35:47were largely automated,
35:48with fewer workers
35:49to notice them.
35:50Jim, Lanaira whispered suddenly,
35:52pulling him into an alcove.
35:54Look.
35:55A security detail
35:56was moving through
35:57the corridor ahead.
35:58Not the station's
35:59regular guards,
36:00but a specialized unit
36:02in sleek black armor.
36:04At their head
36:05was a tall,
36:06gray-skinned figure
36:07Jim recognized immediately.
36:09Director Threll.
36:11He came himself,
36:12Jim breathed,
36:13pressing back into the shadows.
36:14This is personal for him.
36:17They watched as Threll
36:18gestured to his team,
36:20deploying them
36:20in different directions.
36:22His translator device
36:23carried his clicking speech
36:24to their hiding place.
36:26The human will attempt
36:27to reach the colony shuttles.
36:29The female is merely following.
36:31Her species is naturally
36:32submissive to stronger beings.
36:35Lanaira stiffened beside him,
36:37indignation flashing in her eyes.
36:39Jim squeezed her hand in warning.
36:42Now wasn't the time.
36:43Remember,
36:45Threll continued,
36:46the human must be taken alive
36:48for memory extraction.
36:50The Nixarian is expendable.
36:52The last of a failed experiment.
36:55When the security team
36:56had moved on,
36:57Lanaira turned to Jim,
36:58her expression fierce.
37:00Submissive.
37:01Failed experiment.
37:03My people were warriors
37:04and scholars
37:05before the cedars scattered us.
37:06He's trying to provoke us,
37:08Jim realized.
37:09He knows we might be listening.
37:11What do we do now?
37:13They're blocking our escape route.
37:15Jim considered their options.
37:17The station had hundreds
37:18of maintenance tunnels
37:19and service corridors.
37:21His specialty.
37:22But Threll would have studied
37:23the station's schematics too.
37:25We need to think like humans,
37:27not like fugitives,
37:28he said finally.
37:29That's what they won't expect.
37:31What do you mean?
37:33A slow smile spread across his face.
37:35Humans are adaptable,
37:37creative,
37:37and we have one advantage
37:39Threll doesn't understand.
37:42The resonance?
37:43Exactly.
37:44He touched one of the blue markings
37:46on his arm.
37:47Since our bonding,
37:48I've been getting flashes.
37:50Not just memories,
37:52but knowledge.
37:53Technical information
37:54about systems
37:54I've never studied.
37:56Lanaira's eyes widened.
37:58The genetic memory transfer.
38:00It's stronger than I expected.
38:02Strong enough to help us
38:04hack into the station's
38:05communication system,
38:06he asked.
38:07Perhaps.
38:08What are you planning?
38:10Something audacious,
38:11he grinned.
38:12Something human.
38:14They made their way deeper
38:15into the station's
38:16maintenance levels,
38:17evading security patrols
38:19through Jim's knowledge
38:19of life support systems
38:21and the strange new intuition
38:22he'd gained from their bonding.
38:25Finally,
38:25they reached a small control node,
38:27one of dozens
38:28that managed the station's
38:29internal communications.
38:31Keep watch,
38:32Jim told Lanaira
38:33as he began working
38:34on the access panel.
38:35His fingers moved
38:37with surprising confidence,
38:39accessing systems
38:40he'd never trained on.
38:42It was as if part of him
38:43had always known
38:44how to do this.
38:45Perhaps a skill
38:46from some ancient ancestor,
38:48preserved in his DNA
38:49and awakened by the residents.
38:51How much longer?
38:52Lanaira whispered,
38:53glancing nervously
38:53down the corridor.
38:55Almost there.
38:56Jim made a final adjustment.
38:58Got it.
38:59He'd gained access
39:00to the station's
39:01announcement system
39:02and security camera network.
39:03Now for the audacious part.
39:05What exactly are we doing?
39:07Lanaira asked.
39:09Creating chaos,
39:10he replied,
39:11programming a series
39:11of contradictory security alerts
39:13to different sections
39:14of the station.
39:15And then we're going to walk
39:16right out the front door.
39:18That seems...
39:20unwise.
39:22Trust me.
39:23He pulled her close,
39:24their foreheads touching
39:25in the intimate gesture
39:27she'd taught him.
39:28Humans excel
39:29at being unpredictable.
39:31Their lips met briefly,
39:33the connection sending
39:34another pulse of shared memory
39:35between them.
39:36This time,
39:37a flash of ancient humans
39:39and Nixarians
39:40fighting side by side
39:41against some unseen enemy.
39:43When they separated,
39:44Lanaira's eyes
39:44held new understanding.
39:46Your people were
39:47our protectors once.
39:49And we will be again,
39:50he promised.
39:51Jim activated his program.
39:53Throughout the station,
39:54alarms began blaring
39:55with conflicting messages.
39:57Security breaches reported
39:58in multiple locations.
40:00System failures and others.
40:02On the security feeds,
40:03he watched as Threll's forces
40:04scattered,
40:06responding to phantom threats.
40:07Now,
40:08Jim said,
40:09taking Lanaira's hand,
40:11we walk out calmly
40:12like we belong here.
40:14They emerged
40:15from the maintenance levels
40:16and joined the confused workers
40:18heading toward
40:18emergency assembly points.
40:20In the chaos,
40:21two more maintenance workers
40:22attracted no attention.
40:24As they approached
40:25the upper ring
40:25where passenger shuttles waited,
40:28Jim felt Lanaira
40:28at tents beside him.
40:30What is it?
40:31He asked.
40:32Threll,
40:33she whispered.
40:34He didn't fall
40:34for your distraction.
40:35He's waiting by the shuttles.
40:38Jim followed her gaze.
40:39Sure enough,
40:40the Vordaxian director
40:41stood watching the crowd,
40:43his compound eyes
40:44scanning each passing face.
40:46He's smarter
40:47than I gave him credit for,
40:48Jim muttered.
40:49What now?
40:51Jim studied the docking bay.
40:53There were three passenger shuttles
40:55preparing for departure.
40:56One to the mining colonies,
40:58one to the agricultural
40:59World Terrace 2,
41:01and one to a luxury resort moon.
41:03All would be watched.
41:04But there was a fourth vessel,
41:06a small private yacht
41:07with the menagerie's insignia
41:09on its hull.
41:11Threll's personal transport,
41:13Jim realized,
41:14the last place
41:15he'd expect us to go.
41:17Can you pilot it?
41:19Jim touched one
41:20of the blue markings
41:21on his neck,
41:21feeling the ancient
41:22knowledge stirring.
41:23I think we both can.
41:26They changed direction,
41:28moving casually
41:29toward the private docking bay.
41:31As they approached the yacht,
41:32a security scanner activated,
41:34requiring identification.
41:36This is where it gets tricky,
41:38Jim murmured.
41:39But Lanira stepped forward
41:40confidently,
41:41placing her palm
41:42on the scanner,
41:43as the blue markings
41:44on her hand seemed to pulse.
41:46And to Jim's astonishment,
41:47the scanner beeped
41:48in acceptance.
41:50How did you...
41:50The Cedars built
41:52all these systems,
41:53she explained,
41:54as the yacht's entry ramp
41:56descended.
41:57And they built us.
41:58Some connections remain
42:00if you know how to access them.
42:02They hurried aboard,
42:03sealing the hatch behind them.
42:05The yacht's interior
42:06was luxurious,
42:07and it clearly designed
42:08for a high-ranking
42:09official's comfort.
42:11Can you start the engines?
42:13Lanira asked
42:13as Jim took the pilot's seat.
42:15Working on it,
42:16his hands moved
42:17across the unfamiliar controls,
42:19guided by that strange
42:20new intuition.
42:22Through the viewport,
42:23they saw Threll
42:24notice his yacht
42:24powering up.
42:26The Vordaxian's mandibles
42:27flared in what must have been
42:28shock or rage
42:29as he sprinted toward them,
42:31security forces in tow.
42:33Jim!
42:34Lanira warned.
42:35Hold on!
42:36The engines roared to life,
42:38and Jim disengaged
42:39the docking clamps.
42:40The yacht lurched free
42:41just as Threll reached the bay,
42:43his alien features
42:44contorted with fury.
42:46As they accelerated
42:47away from the station,
42:49Lanira laughed,
42:50a sound of pure joy
42:51that Jim had never
42:53heard from her before.
42:54We did it!
42:55She exclaimed,
42:56her eyes bright
42:56with exhilaration.
42:57Not yet,
42:58Jim cautioned,
42:59checking the navigation system.
43:01We still need to get
43:02somewhere safe,
43:03somewhere we can
43:04tell our story.
43:06Lanira leaned over,
43:07pressing a kiss
43:07to his cheek.
43:08Set course for Earth,
43:09she said.
43:10It's time for your people
43:11to remember
43:12who they really are.
43:14As the yacht jumped
43:15to faster-than-light travel,
43:16Jim pulled Lanira
43:18onto his lap,
43:19holding her close
43:20as the stars streak passed.
43:21No longer a specimen
43:22behind glass,
43:24no longer a lost kitten.
43:26Now she was his equal,
43:27his partner,
43:28and together
43:29they would rewrite history.
43:31Earth loomed before them,
43:33a blue-green jewel
43:34against the blackness
43:35of space.
43:37Jim had never seen
43:38his homeworld
43:39from orbit before.
43:40Few humans
43:41had the privilege
43:42of space travel
43:42in a galaxy
43:43dominated by other species.
43:45It's beautiful,
43:47Lanira whispered,
43:48pressing her hand
43:48against the viewport,
43:50just as the ancestral
43:51memories showed me.
43:52They'd spent
43:53the three-day journey
43:54studying the yacht's database,
43:56discovering that Threl
43:57had been monitoring
43:57Earth for decades.
43:59The files contained
44:00locations of what
44:01the Vordaxians
44:02called dormant nodes,
44:04ancient structures
44:05humans had built
44:06as megalithic monuments,
44:07but which were actually
44:09sophisticated cedar
44:10technology in disguise.
44:11Stonehenge,
44:13the pyramids,
44:14Easter Island,
44:15Jim mused,
44:16reviewing the list.
44:18All those
44:18archaeological mysteries,
44:20they're actually
44:21communication hubs.
44:23Waiting to be activated,
44:25Lanira confirmed.
44:26The cedars left them
44:27as a way for us
44:28to reconnect
44:28once we were ready.
44:30Their plan was audacious.
44:32Land near the Great Pyramid,
44:34activate the dormant node,
44:36and broadcast the truth
44:37about humanity's origins
44:38across the planet.
44:39The shared genetic memories
44:41would awaken in humans
44:42worldwide,
44:44breaking the millennia
44:44of enforced separation.
44:46But as they began
44:47their descent,
44:48the yacht's sensors
44:49blared a warning.
44:51We've got company,
44:52Jim growled,
44:53checking the display.
44:54Threl's flagship,
44:55he must have taken
44:56a faster route.
44:58Can we outrun him?
45:00Not in this yacht,
45:01but we can outmaneuver him.
45:03Jim's hands
45:04flew over the controls,
45:06the blue markings
45:06on his skin pulsing
45:07with ancient knowledge.
45:09Hold on!
45:11He sent the yacht
45:11into a steep dive,
45:13skimming the atmosphere
45:14at a dangerous angle.
45:15The heat shields
45:16glowed red
45:17as friction
45:17built up around them.
45:19Jim!
45:20Lanira gasped,
45:21clutching the console.
45:22Trust me,
45:23he grinned,
45:24the thrill of the chase
45:25lighting his eyes.
45:26This is what humans
45:27do best.
45:28Improvise.
45:29The yacht shuddered
45:31as Threl's ship
45:31fired warning shots
45:32across their bow.
45:34Jim juked and weaved,
45:35using Earth's atmosphere
45:36to create a fiery trail
45:38that confused
45:39the flagship's sensors.
45:41We're going to land
45:41in Egypt,
45:42he told Lanira.
45:43The Great Pyramid
45:44is our best chance.
45:46As they broke
45:47through the cloud cover,
45:48the ancient monument
45:49came into view,
45:51its limestone casing
45:52long gone,
45:53but its essential structure
45:54intact after thousands
45:56of years.
45:57There!
45:58Lanira pointed
45:59to a flat area
45:59near the pyramid complex.
46:01That's where
46:02the activation point
46:03should be.
46:05Jim brought the yacht
46:06down hard,
46:07the landing struts
46:08barely extending in time.
46:10They tumbled from their seats
46:11as the vessel skidded
46:12to a halt,
46:13throwing up a cloud
46:14of desert sand.
46:15Are you okay?
46:16He asked,
46:17helping Lanira to her feet.
46:19She nodded,
46:20her silver-white hair
46:21coming loose
46:21from its braids.
46:23We need to hurry.
46:25They grabbed the equipment
46:26they'd prepared,
46:27a makeshift interface
46:28Lanira had built
46:29using components
46:30from the yacht,
46:31designed to connect
46:32with the ancient
46:32cedar technology.
46:34As they emerged
46:35onto Egyptian soil,
46:36the blazing sun
46:37momentarily blinded them.
46:39When Jim's vision cleared,
46:41he saw a sight
46:41that made his blood
46:42run cold.
46:43Threl stood before them,
46:45flanked by six armed guards.
46:47The Vordaxian director's
46:48compound eyes
46:49gleamed with triumph.
46:51Engineer Praxton,
46:52his translator rendered
46:53in that flat
46:54mechanical voice,
46:55and Specimen 734.
46:57How predictable
46:58that you would come here.
47:00Her name is Lanira,
47:01Jim said,
47:02stepping protectively
47:03in front of her.
47:04Names are irrelevant.
47:05You are both property
47:07of the menagerie now.
47:09Threl gestured to his guards.
47:10Take them.
47:12Wait,
47:13Lanira called out,
47:14her voice carrying
47:15a strange resonance
47:16that made everyone pause.
47:18Director Threl,
47:19do you know
47:20what the cedars
47:21really were?
47:22The Vordaxian's
47:23mandibles twitched,
47:25the equivalent
47:25of a frown.
47:26The cedars
47:27are myth,
47:28a story
47:29primitive species
47:30tell to explain
47:31their origins?
47:33Then what do you
47:34fear this place?
47:35She gestured
47:36to the great pyramid
47:37looming behind them.
47:38Why have you monitored
47:40these structures
47:40for centuries?
47:42Threl's compound eyes
47:43narrowed.
47:44Enough.
47:45Secure them.
47:46As the guards
47:47advanced,
47:48Jim felt something
47:48strange beneath his feet,
47:50a vibration
47:51in the earth itself.
47:53The blue markings
47:53on his skin
47:54began to glow faintly,
47:55matching a similar glow
47:56emanating from Lanier's
47:58more elaborate patterns.
47:59Jim?
48:00She whispered urgently.
48:01The node
48:02is responding to us.
48:04To our bond.
48:05Understanding flashed
48:06between them
48:07without words.
48:08Another gift
48:09of the resonance.
48:11Together,
48:11they pressed their hands
48:12to the sandy ground,
48:13the blue markings
48:14on their skin
48:15flaring brighter.
48:16The earth trembled.
48:18Threl and his guards
48:19stumbled back
48:20as the ground
48:20before the pyramid
48:21began to shift,
48:22sand pouring away
48:23to reveal a smooth
48:25metallic surface
48:26embedded in the bedrock.
48:28Impossible!
48:29Threl hissed.
48:30No,
48:31Jim replied,
48:32helping Laniera
48:32to her feet.
48:33Inevitable.
48:35Hand in hand,
48:35they approached
48:36the exposed panel.
48:37It was inscribed
48:38with the same symbols
48:39Laniera had traced
48:40on the glass
48:41of her enclosure,
48:42the ancient script
48:43their peoples had shared
48:44before the scattering.
48:45What happens now?
48:47Jim asked softly.
48:49Laniera smiled,
48:50the sadness
48:50that had haunted
48:51her eyes completely gone.
48:53Now we remember.
48:55Together,
48:56they placed their palms
48:58against the panels
48:58simultaneously.
49:00The effect was immediate
49:01and overwhelming.
49:02Light erupted
49:03from the Great Pyramid's apex,
49:05shooting skyward
49:06in a brilliant blue column.
49:08Similar beams
49:09appeared across the globe
49:10as other dormant nodes
49:12activated.
49:13Stonehenge,
49:14Machu Picchu,
49:16Angkor Wat,
49:17Easter Island,
49:18all responding
49:19to the awakening
49:20of the first.
49:21Jim gasped
49:22as knowledge flooded
49:23his mind.
49:23Not just memories
49:25now,
49:25but understanding.
49:27The Cedars
49:27hadn't been
49:28alien manipulators.
49:29They had been humans
49:30and Nixarians
49:31themselves,
49:32advanced beyond recognition,
49:34who had traveled
49:35back through time
49:36to ensure
49:36their own evolution.
49:38A temporal loop
49:39preserving their existence
49:40across the cosmos.
49:42Threll screamed,
49:43his translator
49:44unable to render
49:45the alien sound
49:45of desperation.
49:47Stop them!
49:48But his guards
49:49stood transfixed,
49:50their weapons forgotten
49:51as the blue light
49:52washed over them.
49:54Across Earth,
49:55humans were experiencing
49:56the same awakening.
49:57Memories of stars,
49:59of voyages,
50:00of a shared destiny
50:01with beings
50:02they had been taught
50:03to see as alien.
50:04The Vordaxians,
50:06Lanira said,
50:07understanding
50:08dawning in her eyes
50:09as she looked at Threll.
50:10They weren't our enemies.
50:12They were our caretakers,
50:14tasked with keeping us
50:14separate until we were
50:16ready to remember.
50:16And they forgot
50:18their purpose,
50:19Jim finished.
50:20Became jailers
50:21instead of guardians.
50:23Threll sank to his knees,
50:25mandibles clicking rapidly
50:26as the blue light
50:27penetrated his exoskeleton.
50:29The compact,
50:30his translator managed,
50:32we were bound
50:32by the compact
50:33to keep the timeline intact.
50:35The timeline
50:36has fulfilled itself,
50:38Lanira said gently.
50:39The circle is complete.
50:41Around them,
50:42the air shimmered
50:43as if reality itself
50:44was shifting.
50:45In the distance,
50:46they could see crowds
50:48gathering,
50:49drawn by the column of light.
50:51Humans looking skyward
50:52with new awareness
50:53in their eyes.
50:55What happens now?
50:55Jim asked,
50:56holding Lanira close
50:58as the blue glow
50:58began to fade
50:59from the pyramid.
51:00Now humanity
51:01remembers its true potential,
51:03she replied,
51:04and its cousins
51:05among the stars.
51:07In the days that followed,
51:08Earth transformed.
51:09The awakening spread
51:10like wildfire,
51:12humans everywhere
51:13experiencing the genetic memories
51:14of their shared past
51:15with the Nixerians.
51:17The revelation
51:18that humanity
51:19was not alone,
51:20had never been alone,
51:21changed everything.
51:23Threl and the other
51:24Vordaxians,
51:25freed from their
51:26misinterpreted duty,
51:27revealed the locations
51:29of other Nixerian survivors.
51:31Hundreds hidden
51:32throughout the galaxy,
51:34preserved like Lanira
51:35in various menageries
51:36and research facilities.
51:38Six months later,
51:39Jim stood with Lanira
51:40on a hillside
51:41overlooking the Great Pyramid,
51:42now humming with activity
51:44as humans
51:44and newly arrived
51:45Nixerians
51:46worked together
51:47to fully activate
51:48the ancient network.
51:49I still can't believe
51:50you were the last
51:51of your kind,
51:52he said,
51:53tracing one of the markings
51:54on her arm,
51:55now permanently shared
51:57between them
51:57after multiple renewals
51:58of their bond.
52:00I never was,
52:01she smiled,
52:02leaning into his embrace.
52:03Just as you were never
52:05just a maintenance engineer,
52:06we were always
52:08meant to find each other,
52:09to remember together.
52:10From specimen in a cage
52:13to savior of two species,
52:15Jim mused.
52:16Not bad for a girl
52:17with sad eyes.
52:19They weren't sad,
52:20Lanira corrected him,
52:21her gaze now filled
52:22with love and mischief.
52:24They were waiting,
52:25waiting for someone
52:26to truly see me.
52:28As the sun set
52:29over the ancient monument,
52:31now revealed as a beacon
52:32of advanced technology,
52:34Jim kissed her
52:35under the darkening sky.
52:37No longer separated
52:38by glass,
52:39by species,
52:40or by forgotten history.
52:42In the distance,
52:43the first of the new ships
52:44rose into the atmosphere,
52:46a joint human-Nixarian venture,
52:48bearing the symbols
52:49of both peoples.
52:50The children of the first world
52:52were going home
52:52to the stars,
52:53together at last.
52:54And it had all begun
52:56with a human male
52:57who saw beyond
52:57the exhibit glass,
52:59into the lost kitten eyes
53:00of a girl
53:01who wasn't really alien at all.
53:03of a woman's
53:08potrzeb her.
53:09The main thing
53:14was meaning
53:15Whoo ficar out loud
53:15of a woman
53:16and she야
53:16關 DVD
53:17And she looked
53:17and represented
53:18in all of us
53:19and her remains
53:21being the Force
53:23as a human being.
53:24That's right.
53:26Someone was
53:29the weger
53:29after all
53:30we were
53:31there.
53:31Don't gets
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