Songs of Space - Eryvan oy Ash

It was a lovely sunset this evening. Couples were bathing in the red glow, enjoying the last warmth of our star, families started to pack their things and a group of tourists scuttled to their bus. Those damn tourists, always occupying the best spots at the beach, clogging up the streets and leaving rubbish and dirt wherever they go. Even this little town had them.

I moved here just a year ago, fleeing from neighbours being a little too ambitious with their help, co-workers interested in my past life and just a tad too many youngsters in heat. Am I not allowed too just be on my own? Why does everybody care so much about me? I was sick and tired of my people. And just as I was pondering on these dark thoughts again, it flashed somewhere above my head. I lifted my gaze from the last, dying rays of sunlight and spotted the thunderstorm which sent it´s flickering wishes ahead like searching fingers. "Oh wonderful" I muttered. An annoyed sigh escaped my mouth as I grabbed my bag, took the last sip of my drink and started to make my way home.

It was on that evening that the goddamn Armageddon hit. I was just five minutes from my apartment, quickening my pace as the first heavy raindrops wetted the ground. A sudden gust swept along the narrow street, taking leaves and littered paper with it. A distant boom echoed through the night. For second, the street was brightly lit, descending into an even deeper darkness as the flash passed overhead. Something was up with the clouds today. Lightning painted them in spectacular colours. Another boom shook my bones. I made a few more steps and then stopped dead in my tracks.

The sky wasn't only painted red anymore, it was suddenly streaked with fire and smoke. Chunks of different sizes began to rain from the clouds like a deathly hail. The quiet atmosphere of the encroaching night was forcefully filled with thunderous explosions, wailing sirens and screams. The cacophony washed past like a wave, stunning me, taking my orientation with it as it rolled on. The rain was coming down in sheets now. My mind was entangled in confusion, whilst pure terror grabbed my body for what felt like minutes. What was happening here? I watched unmoving as people stumbled from the buildings, looking up at the sky in utter disbelief. Clouds of smoke and dust rose a few blocks away. Birds and other animals scattered from their dry and cosy spots all around.

I saw all these scenes as if I was watching someone else, as if I were not there at all. The dropping chunks came more frequent now, gaining in size and destructive power. I jumped as my body came finally out of its stupor, looking around, searching for a place to hide. A building in the street, a mere hundred meters away vanished in an explosion, sending shards and debris flying like knives.

I ducked behind a low wall, clenching my hands over my head as multiple secondary fireballs rocked the street. A terrified sob shook me. Sounds of pure agony swept down the streets, some who didn't find cover fast enough where struck, impaled or dismembered by pieces of the annihilated house. A small meteorite ripped a hole in the sidewalk five feet away sending more debris flying.

Time seemed to slow down. I could clearly see stone chunks and shards of varying size hurtling towards me, leaving trails of dust and smoke. I had sunk down to the pavement, desperately trying to cover my ears as my mind burst with pain. My vision went black. From there on out, my memories are a fragmented lot, like my planet was at that point. Shattered to pieces, slowly drifting away. I can't say how long I lay there. Could´ve been minutes, could´ve been hours, really. I remember being shaken forcefully by a shouting person, lying on a hard surface in a horribly shaking craft and watching something the size of a mountain fall from the sky.

That something was a cruiser-class starship, as I later learned. It´s completely normal in this universe we didn't even know existed, to break whole planets to strip them of their elements, refine their very substance to expand and ever expand. There are of course laws to protect species and their planets, but loopholes can always be found. And if nobody cares for a planet it is almost ridiculously easy to do so. It took me a bit to understand what happened back then, I was so full of grief and hate that it was hard to grasp, even though all the pieces where right in front of me.

As I woke again, I found myself in a white clad room, lying on a high, padded table. It took me multiple attempts to get up warily. I felt... spent. There was a storm raging inside me, a gigantic black cloud swirling and growing, all the fear, all I´ve seen, the screams, the pain. And still I felt so empty. My body was tired beyond anything I experienced before. A dull throb tremored through my left side. Sitting on the edge, I carefully rolled up the blue shirt that wasn't mine. It was oddly smooth. A square white patch sat there, where fair skin should have been, a mix of bruises and freshly healed pink surrounding it. I gently put a finger on the patch. The throb got noticeably angrier, sending spikes of uncomfortable tension through my belly. I dropped the shirt again and inspected my clothing more thoroughly.

I had been dressed in a pair of black baggy trousers, the dark blue shirt and an odd... undergarment of sorts, covering only my crotch like a very short pair of trousers, as well as some tight black cloth around my feet. It all fit pretty well, though the shirt seemed like it was reworked to fit me but still was pretty tight around my chest and left my waist almost entirely bare. I guessed whoever rescued me was not of my species. Not of my species. That sounds weird.

I looked around the room. It wasn't tiny but I couldn't comfortably stand upright still. In the corner next to my bed was a small recess in the wall, housing a bowl-shaped form and a mirror. My tired eyes wandered about my reflection. My hands shot to my throat. There sat a tight black ring on my skin, about a centimetre wide. My fingertips brushed over it, feeling nothing but my skin. I squinted and took a closer look. I let my hands wander to the back of my neck. There were two small bumps there. Almost indistinguishable but most certainly there. Just under my skin. A shudder ran down my spine. What was happening here? Where was I even? I tried scratching and rubbing it off, using my spit to wash it away but nothing would move the black band. It was all too much. I slumped down at the base of a wall, pulled my knees tight to my chest and buried my face between my arms. A silent sob escaped my mouth. And so, I sat there, softly crying myself to sleep, my mind wandering at the edge of sanity.

I jolted awake, as I heard a voice right next to me.

"...awake?"

In seconds I was at my feet, nervously searching for the origin of the voice.

I was alone. Slowly, I shook my head to get rid of the sudden dizziness. Everything was spinning around me. White flashes danced before my eyes.

"Hello! Are you awake?"

I clutched at my head and braced myself against the wall. My Senses where gradually returning. The voice was commanding yet strangely gentle, and still

sounded like a mere inch away from my face.

"Hello! Are you awake?"

I spun my head around, not being able to make out where the sound was coming from.

"Hello! Please respond!"

It just... seemed to be in the room. There were surely some hidden speakers in the walls. Why could I understand the voice though? It seemed strange that another species would speak the same as we do, right?

"Hello! Please respond!"

The voice was getting noticeably annoyed now.

"He..." I had to cough. "Hello?" I asked quietly.

"Hello. I am very glad that you are awake. You have suffered minor injuries before being rescued from your planet. They have been treated immediately. Please don't touch or otherwise stress the wound and medical aids. If you should feel pain or are uncomfortable, call out and you will get assistance. You have been rescued by Antaria Explorations and we are currently headed towards the nearest foundation-controlled station. Your species has not yet been documented, in-depth testing is needed. Please note, that the costs of your rescue, treatment, transportation and accommodation have to be made up for. We will conduct additional tests as compensation. To open the bathroom and use all assets of your accommodation, say "open bathroom". To show the clock, say "time". Testing will begin in 12 hours and 31 minutes. Please be well rested."

I wasn't sure what to answer. Who was speaking to me? Where was I even? I had to cough again. "Who... who are you?".

"I am unable to answer any questions right now" Said the awkwardly calm voice.

How can anybody speak so indifferent? I was pretty sure it was no person speaking there. Silence crept into the room. "Bastards" I muttered under my breath. "open bathroom!" I said out loud, as my curiosity won over my anger.

A wall panel slid to the side, unveiling a small chamber behind. There was a control panel right behind the door and out of curiosity I fidgeted with it, discovering that it controlled a rain-like stream of water from the perforated ceiling, changing its temperature and even making it sputter foam. What a strange place, really.

I sat down on the padded table-thing, leaned against the wall, closed my eyes and tried to relax. The thoughts came rushing back. This time, I didn't try to stop them. I could have died. Right there and then. In the pouring rain on the sidewalk. Screams echoed through my head. I might be somewhat imprisoned here. I might be alone, in a blank room, boring as can be. But I am alive. That's more than I could ask for, really. Maybe I should´ve been grateful...

I slept for a few more "hours" as the clock made of light told me. An hour on this ship didn't feel like an hour back on Marna. I still felt tired, but the throb in my waist seemed better at least.

I undressed, inspecting my naked form in the mirror, furrowing my brow as my view fell on the black circle again. "Open bathroom" I commanded, stepped inside the chamber and turned on the water. I played around with the temperature dial a little, settling on a comfy "54C", whatever C means. It was a great to feel water on my skin again. I felt my muscles slowly relaxing, my body all but melting in the steam-filled chamber.

My hands trailed idle along my body, massaging my neck, scrubbing my armpits. I stretched as far as I could in the little space, extending my fins, shaking them a little as they´ve been confined under the clothes for too long. The white ridges along my limbs shuddered all by themselves, now that their unusual prison had vanished. Normally I never wore land-clothes for this long. A few hours a day at most. And I never wore them for sleeping before either. I enjoyed the sensation of water running down my quills, feeling every tremor of every little droplet falling on them. Water really was a beautiful thing.

I took a deep breath, turned off the water and stepped out of the chamber.

The clothes I put on the table where nowhere to be seen. I took a cautious look around the room, noticing nothing else being different. Suddenly another wall panel slid aside with vicious hiss, revealing a dark hallway of sorts, clad in the same white tiles. Glowing strips along the walls turned on, bathing the corridor in an eery glow.

"Please proceed to testing chamber."

I cast a puzzled glance through my room. I was still naked. If these people were anything like us, they wouldn't send me of without clothes. I still didn't grasp their intentions back then. It was pretty obvious and only moderately well disguised, to be fair. But I didn't know anything about these people and didn't want to judge too early, besides, they saved me. Still, I was getting more and more cautious. It was also pretty clear to me, that I was completely depending on them, completely at their mercy.

The sound of bare feet on awkwardly warm metal echoed through the seemingly endless corridor, as I followed the glowing lights. My eyes wandered over the uniform wall-panelling and I questioned how many hidden doors, hallways and chambers I might´ve just passed, until I reached the end of the lights. There was a doorway, unveiled by a moved panel. I took a shuddering breath and stepped through. The panel slid back in place behind me as I slowly inspected the room.

I was highly alert at this point, though not showing any of it. My only chance of keeping any control over my situation was that they knew me and my species as little as I knew them. I needed to learn more about them, their intentions and this vessel than I would reveal of myself. My plan was rather simple, I would try my very best to be another person. Present them a simple minded, naïve girl. Someone who isn't very attentive, and who does what she is told to do. Maybe this was utterly wrong and unnecessary but believe me when I say: That's what I've learned, never trust anybody else then yourself when it comes to things concerning yourself.

The room was circular in shape, about 10 feet wide and double my height. Four black lines broke up the monotony of white that clad every wall of this damned ship. They ran from the floor to just below the ceiling where they met with a wide black band which covered the last meter or so of wall. The floor lit up and showed a glowing circle in the middle of the room. I closed my eyes for a second, slowly inhaling, and stepped forward.

A barely audible whisper brushed at the edge of my mind. With a mechanical hiss, some kind of contraption grew out of the ceiling. It looked like an oversized black halo with two long segmented arms attached. They grabbed my wrists and pulled my arms up horizontally. The movement was slow and careful, their touch was gentle, and yet I could feel tremendous power in these spindly appendages.

Their lower segments were covered in a woven sleeve of shiny metal wire and pitch-black strands which now began to warp in a mesmerizing motion. It shortened in length but increased its circumference, completely disconnecting itself from the limb. It hovered there, unmoving, and I couldn't take my eyes of it. I knew flying things exist. We had some flying crafts back on Marna, but they certainly didn't fly like this thing there. It was captivating to watch. The sleeve slowly wandered down the limb. It began its warping motion again as it reached my forearm, shrinking and elongating till it sat tightly on my skin.

The whole spectacle took less than 20 seconds, but it seemed to me as if hours had passed. What interesting things where out there, in this universe? What spectacular sights to see and experiences to make? I have to confess, even through the pain and loss I still felt my curiosity burn bright deep inside me.

The contraption stirred into motion again. The manipulators let go of my arms, though I was still unable to move them. I tried with all my might, frustrated that my own limbs wouldn't follow my orders. I figured it must be the thing covering my skin. Its staying fixed in thin air, not budging nor buckling under my tries. I later learned about electromagnetism and the great things achievable with it.

There was this noise again. Like rustling leaves, dried up kelp... And a voice! A barely audible living voice! Suddenly my ears rang, and my quills stung, as some hidden speakers blared out.

"WE WILL BEGIN TESTING NOW. PLEASE RELAX AND STAY CALM. NONE OF THE PROCEDURES WILL INFLICT PAIN OR LASTING DAMAGE."

It probably wasn't that loud, but I just tried to listen to somebody MILES away, judging by how quiet they spoke! I shook my head and tried to spot what was now going on around me.

When I arrived back in my room, the holo-numbers told me the testing lasted barely an hour. Rest assured, it felt like five. They (whoever "they" are...) conducted at least two dozen "respiratory checks", noting how my body reacted to different gasses. Some made me cough, some took my breath completely and made me veeery high (still don't know how it's called.) In retrospect, I know, that some of the gasses could have well been deadly. The researchers had given series of tests and no clue how a vana would react. Nobody would´ve known, nor cared if one a us few died. On paper, we were already dead anyways...

The respiratory tests were followed by "exertion metering". Meaning I had to run on a springy moving pad whilst still being hooked up to a respirator mask from the previous test. All the time my thoughts ran wild with speculation and the soft rustling of dry matter brushed at my senses whenever my chamber went quiet. And still, the tests were actually somewhat interesting to me. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't enjoying anything here, it actually almost made me sick to think of what might come. But to see and feel how my body reacted, hearing my heart pound loud and strong, or feeling my vision suddenly dim down, that was at least as much exciting as it was frightening.

After a short break the first session ended with the "auditory sensitivity check". I pricked up my ears at that announcement. I had the impression that whoever was running test on me here, was not able to hear as well as I did (which is damn well, even for a vana. I have worse eyesight than most though). I was not sure with my thesis at all, as our bodies are adapted to water and water can transmit soundwaves so much better than air. Well, at least our air. Vana can hear things up to three kilometres away, if underwater. Who says my captors can't hear as well in a gaseous atmosphere? It sounded like a good idea non the less to start messing a little with the results now. Whilst they were able to measure my breathing, blood flow and muscle capacity by external probes (located in the sleeves up my arms, as I later learned), I had to relay the information now. I was then bombarded with a multitude of screeches, beeps and low thrums, all varying in pitch and volume. I didn't report on all the ones I was only able to pick up with my quills.

The testing session ended, the machine-halo hovering above me cut the invisible bonds which held me most of the time and I was told to return to my room to "sleep and relax".

My days aboard this ship were so monotonous, so alike, that they´re not much more than a long and tedious smear of time to me now. Every day, at the same time, I´d go to through the same corridors to the same testing chamber, perform various tasks, endure lengthy procedures. They literally tested everything. Sensory inputs, reflexes, taste response, smell, peristaltic response, biologic morphology, low-G, pH skin compatibility, fight or flight reactions, muscle speed and density and many, many more. Half of these, I didn't even barely know what they meant. I had gotten two more of these black sleeves installed, this time around my lower legs, covering my ankles.

They also surveyed me for my previous life, our habits and what we knew about certain scientific fields. It wasn't easy to stay in my new "role", but I certainly got the hang of it at that point. I adapted a meek speaking style and kept a quiet voice. Told them accurately about our scientific standpoint but phrased it simple and excused myself multiple times for not knowing more. I didn't know how convincing I was.

The amplified voice in the chamber told me, this should be the last test, one of the surplus ones.

I heard a whisper above my head. A sweeping sound, unlike the many rustling noises I´ve heard till now. And there was a voice again, a living one. It seemed different than the first though, harsher and somewhat... darker. It was louder also. Not easy to understand, but I could make out some words.

"...last test?"

And there was another voice, maybe the one I noticed a few days back.