I am in and out of consciousness. There are moments where I think that I see the stranger looking down at me. It seems like he is talking to people huddled around me, and it is as if I am listening to them speak through water. I catch bits and pieces of what they are saying, only to lose a grip on them seconds later. Each time I fell back into the darkness behind my lids only to rise back to the surface again. Bright lights burned my eyes, and in some cases I feel hot searing pain all over only to fall back into the inky blackness. Time passes by so slowly that even if I could, I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up.
Finally, I am able to keep my eyes open. I raise up in the pod, this time all I feel is a dull ache in my side. I look around me, the room seemed to be much more advanced than the one I previously recalled. Dark panels sat against the walls, large cabinets stood with what appeared to be fingerprint scanners on the sides, and I watched as a nurse pressed her hand against the panel. Bits of green light spread apart as her hand pulled something from the cabinet, once she had acquired what she needed it became solid again falling back into place like disturbed Christmas lights. She turned to me smiling gingerly, and to my surprise, it was Nora once again.
I expected her to be angry, upset, maybe even a little agitated. Instead, she greeted me with the hugest smile yet. I smiled back awkwardly, mostly ashamed at what I had done. I lowered my eyes to the floor.
"According to our system, you are currently experiencing sadness and deep regret," she said softly.
"Do you wish to share what your sadness is about? Although I already know what it is you regret. You do not have to be sorry for it."
She plops down next to me in the pod.
I paused momentarily, then I sigh.
"I miss my family. I should probably be scared right now, but I'm fed up with being scared. If you were going to kill me I would be dead already. Right?"
She smiles wholeheartedly.
"You are correct," She giggles.
"If you were supposed to be dead you would be. But everything will be explained once I give you a clean bill of health. Here take these." She says, handing me two metal objects.
She makes a noise I can only compare to a cat purring, and a small beam of light appears at the end of both. She points the light at me and presses down. The beam is pointed at a clear patch on my abdomen.
"That is a nerve patch. It is connected directly to your nerve pathway."
She pulls out a thin piece of glass, it looked like a modern-day tablet. Only paper-thin and completely made of glass. She pulls up a projection, and it floats from the screen.
"Those hair-like spots on the patch are so small, that a new unit of measurement was used to describe them. But that is pointless to mention here as you will learn more soon. They connect directly to your nerve pathway delivering medication directly to the nervous system."
This was far beyond what I had known to exist. I simply sat stunned, both surprised and annoyed by this declaration. She gave me a once over, delivered some more medication, some were oral. Finally, she made a satisfied noise. I sat quietly as she made notes on what I assumed to be a tablet, and then finally she pressed her hand to her wrist. Instantly it lit up. I watched as she dialed numbers and waited. Instantly a dialing noise was heard, and finally she began to speak.
"Miss Haori is ready, I have given her a clean bill of health. You can send your team to retrieve her now. I expect that you will take good care of her. Or else."
At that moment I realized that just as kind as Nora was, she was capable of things far more sinister. And for some odd reason, she had taken a liking to me. Now back to her bubbly self she turned to me looking extremely sad. Her lip trembled slightly, and she let out a sigh. Finally, she stood next to me, more serious than she had been since I had known her. Which was all of a few conscious days.
"Be strong Yarua. The things you will face over the time that you are here will be tough. But I see it in you. You have the Star qualities. I am not at liberty to disclose what you will come to know, or what goes on here. You will figure it out in due time. I'll be here if you ever need me."
With that, she shuffled out of the room, and I almost thought I heard a sniff. I began pondering everything she said. I rolled it around in my head, all the while wondering where I was, who I was with, where my family was. Surprisingly I wasn't afraid, not even looking at the beautiful yet strange face of the stranger and seeing his eyes. Suddenly I became angry, as my mind cleared the realization that he was the one who had injured me dawned upon me. The next time I saw him I would have let him have it.
Finally, the glass doors slid back, and more of the muscular men stood in the doorway.
"Miss Haori come with us. You will not be harmed. You have missed out on orientation and the beginning of training, we must complete this task by the day's end. Accompanying us will be some very important officials. Please keep your craziness to a minimum."
I was shocked by what I was hearing, but then I recognized the voice of one of the men I had taken down earlier.
"Training? Orientation? For what exactly?" I asked curiously.
"It will all be explained before the day's end. Please just try to keep up."
I glare at one of the guards who tries to touch me and he backs off. I follow beyond him, and then I am amazed at what I see. The ceiling expands so far upwards that the lights appear to look like tiny stars. Around me people were laughing, walking, talking, visiting shops. I see children running back and forth.
Only based upon what I could feel around me we were not outside, and we weren't on the ground either I don't know how I knew. But I just did. Ever since my dive in the pink body of water I hadn't felt the same. I followed the guards taking in everything around me. It was built just like a city only confined in whatever it is we were in.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Inside this ship, we use mirrors to simulate the day. Light from the sun comes through the windows. This is where all of our shops are. There are also what you on Earth would call restaurants, hair salons, and more. This is what we call the entertainment ship. It's one of the largest, depending on the use of the ship." He says, placing his hand on a panel.
"This is a transport pod. Usually, we use ships, but today is one of our holidays to celebrate our transition of season. On earth you have four seasons, here we have six. Four of them are the same as yours, the other two are blends of these seasons. It will be further explained later on."
I was still in shock by everything that was happening so fast. He motioned for me to step on the pod, and so I did. The rest of them followed suit. The glass door closed. I nervously looked around.
"This thing has oxygen, right? What about the glass? Won't it break from pressure or speed or something?"
He chuckled.
"No worries, our glass as you call it is very special. A lot of our elements and minerals have extra properties more so of that than your home planet."
Wait a fucking minute. Ships? Elements? Home planet? I had accidentally eaten one of my older sisters weed brownies again. That was the only logical explanation.
"That's it! I'm asleep, this is all a dream. I should have known."
"I assure you that you aren't dreaming. I suppose if that is how you choose to cope I can't stop you."
The pod lurched forward, and then suddenly we were shot out into space. I was in awe as the scenery sped past me. Stars, dust, the sun. I would cringe as floating rocks and debris banged slightly against the pod. I watched as one of the men placed his hand on two panels, his face was a demonstration of focus, and I assumed he was flying the pod somehow.
It seemed like only mere seconds had passed, out of the glass I watched as a large ship loomed in the distance. It was massive contraption of metal and components I could only dream of. There was no end to it as far as I could see. My breath was taken away. The pod slowly descended into the inner depths of the ship. As we arrived the pod opened, and it lined up behind other pods which must have arrived before us.
One of the men stepped onto a platform and reached out his hand. A familiar tattoo of swirls and symbols marred his wrist. I recognized it from when I had attacked the men earlier. I hesitated, but then grabbed his hand and he gently pulled me on the platform. The other men followed right behind us. He walked up to what vaguely reminded me of a speaker and pressed a glowing button. Finally, something that was familiar.
"This is Sargeant Jax, we have Miss Haori in tow. Requesting access into the command ship."
There was a slight pause, then the massive doors began to open. Again the ceiling was high, but this time it was higher than I was able to visualize. I watched as people in all sorts of uniforms jogged or walked past. There were people in lab coats talking a mile per minute as they walked past. Others in black uniforms that resembled the one's the men surrounding me wore walked quickly past a man in tow. Some of the people walking past wore typical clothing like shorts and tees, and then there were things I had not seen. Jet pack like devices, glowing dresses, color-changing shirts, and it was way too much trying to take in all of the things before me at once.
The thing that stood out to me the most were those wearing various colored uniforms, only they appeared to be completely normal, just like me. The only difference was upon their uniforms a colored light flashed repeatedly. They seemed to be in a hurry, stumbling past each other in the same direction. I watched as they got into various lines, colored lights flashed in their wake. I scream in happiness, fear, and frustration as I see a familiar face. My oldest sister Farren was walking past in a completely black uniform, a red light flashed on her chest. She was the epitome of sass and badass. We had different mothers, her skin was olive and light but still brown undertones came through.
Her silky black braid swung as she ran towards me Freckles lined her nose, her pink lips spread wide and her bright smile beamed. Her green eyes were filled with worry, concern, and some other mysterious thing that I could not decipher. Her muscular but curvy body looked exceedingly well in the suit she wore. I was only inches away from being five feet tall, but her 5'6 frame I had always adored. Finally, she ran up to me and wrapped me up in a tight hug, and she refused to let go.
"Rue where have you been? I was so scared. There is so much to talk about. Whenever I woke up I freaked out. I didn't know where you were. Where I was..." she trailed off, looking into the distance and the look on her face told me that whatever she had been through would haunt her forever.
"Once I made it out and started training, I was devastated not finding you there, and everyone I asked wouldn't give me answers. Then word spread fast about the star girl. I was like Rue? No way! Not the nerdy little girl that reads books, and barely talks unless spoken to. Blowing up buildings? Taking nurses hostage?"
We both began to laugh.
"Hey let's get moving, we can have reunion time later," Jax says.
"Where exactly are you taking her? Shouldn't she be with the rest of us?" She says, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
For a moment I see his eyes beneath the mask and they get softer, then they harden once again.
"That's none of your business. You should be headed to the assembly cadet. That's an order, don't make me repeat myself twice."
She walked up to him and stood only inches from his face.
"If I don't see my sister by the day's end. I will have your head on a metal spear. I will end all of you,"
She glanced at the entire group then back to Jax.
"If even one hair is missing from her head, I will personally hunt you down and make you wish you were never born."
For a moment they looked directly at one another, and finally Jax nodded. My sister gave me one final hug before turning away and walking towards a massive set of doors along with the rest of the people in uniforms. Before she got too far away, she glared at all of the men one last time then walked through the set of doors. I could hear Jax muttering under his breath that we were obviously related, and he called her a hothead. I pretended as if I didn't hear him, but I knew I had a large grin on my face. Farren had that effect on people.
"So here is how this is going to go. I will explain as much as I can before we see the elders. Whatever else you will have to learn on your own. Keep up, and when we are there only speak when you are spoken to. Try to keep the questions to a minimum."
I nod, but then I quietly make a request.
"Tell me how and why I am here and what's going on."
I follow him, and his comrades follow closely behind.
"That you will have to learn at the assembly in a couple of hours. For now, let's stick to a need to know basis.
We turn around a corner, and he stops. He places his hand on a panel and a diagram of the ships appears.
"We are on the command ship. This is usually where our warriors are trained. It has been customized for those of you on earth to learn. It is divided into subsections. Based upon your abilities, level, skill, you will be placed in something similar to your earth dorms. There is a great hall for dining, announcements, ceremonies, and much more."
He pulls something else upon the screen.
"At the very heart of the ship is the command center, and where those of high social status reside. Training grounds, classrooms, common rooms, and more are around the ship. Some training grounds may be on other ships, and the rest you will find out for yourselves. You can access a map at any time on the consoles, and you will get to know more. About various technologies during your stay here."
We walked further into the ship where we found another elevator. We climbed on, and I was in awe as I looked out. Through the glass I watched floor after floor pass by. On some floors I could see some people practicing something similar to martial arts, on other floors I saw gigantic rooms filled with what appeared to be gardens, storage rooms, classrooms, simulation rooms, ships came and went on certain floors. Finally after what seemed to be forever we reached one of the highest floors. I stepped off hesitantly, then followed them forward.
We stopped outside of a room where two hooded figures stood. Without a word, they moved their hands outward as if to say move forward.
"Those are reapers, and trust me you don't want to see them with their hoods off. They are some of the fiercest competitors as you will come to see in the days to come. Now when we are in here be on your best behavior, and remember what I have told you."
We walk in, and everything seems relatively normal. A group of twelve people who I assumed to be the elders sat around a table. They were all hooded, but in some cases I could see a nose or the outline of a mouth. Like the man I had seen earlier, they all seemed to have angelic like features from what I could tell. Everyone around me made a saluting motion, and the elders silently turned towards me. I nervously raised a hand.
"Hi, I'm rue."
Next to me I felt Jax tense, and I could hear a slight growl. One of the elders stood up, and circled me then began laughing.
"This girl? With star qualities? She has human tendencies, her first impression is disastrous. Speaking without being spoken to. Have you all gone absolutely mad?"
He flips his hood off and he is equally as beautiful as the man I had seen. His cheekbones were angular, his pouty lips were full, he had a pointed nose that was not too pointy, long lashes hooded his eyes, and black hair reached his neck. He circled me once more, lifting my arms, poking, prodding, gasping in horror. Finally, I snatched my arm away and the room grew silent. A woman began to chuckle, it sounded both very young and very old at the same time. A beautiful blonde lifted away from her hood. She looked no more than in her twenties, her hair was a silvery blonde, but her eyes looked very old. Her soft angelic features and bright white smile put me in a daze. She looked like some kind of queen from all the medieval shows I used to watch.
"Have a seat Delemir. You are likely scaring the poor child. With your ranting and temper tantrums. You would think you needed a tampon." She winked at me.
Finally he angrily and noisily took a seat. She turned to me, seriousness in her eyes.
"Your earth is in trouble. It appears those of you who have been chosen may be the only hope. You are here on starship Pegasus, and you are in orbit of one of our greatest planets. A planet called Ghazada."