Aynsefian

It’s my turn to continue. “So they question us, well, Zarasena, really. All the time they’re just watching me. I’m disgusted with them, and for a moment it shows on my face. That’s when they nailed us. I wasn’t even shocked. To be honest, they were probably going to convict us regardless. They were scared of us. Well, this one lady wasn’t. She talked us before we went into court.”

“Anyway, they freakin’ banished us!” exclaims Zarasena. “They could have learned so much from us, but they didn’t even care. They said we’d contaminate their society if they didn’t get rid of us. So they just took us for another ride in their black cubey thingy and dumped us out in the cold with no extra clothing, food or anything. It was so fucking cold. Axin and I ran for the nearest mountain and found a cave entrance and went inside. It was warmer in there but still fucking cold. We had to stay close for warmth and that’s when… you know…”

We look into each other’s eyes for a moment. I’ll never ever forget the first time she kissed me. We lose ourselves for a second or two, before remembering where we are and that we’re supposed to be telling our story quickly.

My food is going cold. I’ve only had a third of it. I’ll finish it after we finish our recounting of events.

You survive. How? asks Lanemu.

“Lanemu asked how we survived,” I translate. “We basically just laid down on some moss together and tried to stay warm. I think the cold was already getting to us, plus the stress of it all. We fell asleep together.”

“Next moment we wake in a cabin somewhere. We were rescued,” continues Zarasena. “Apparently the central city of Aynsefian has been banishing residents for a hundred years or so. This outcast society found us, in a hypothermic state and rescued us. They told us that they think the society has less than a thousand years before it goes extinct. These are really enlightened people. They were so nice to us. Men and women were equal here and we were so glad.”

“The woman who made those eight metallic pieces that transported us was in that same outcast town. They took us to her. She’s one of yours, Lanemu,” I say, looking at him.

We timeline experts. We hold time. Our race. He looks at the floor humbly.

“Lanemu says his species are experts in timelines,” I translate.

“So… these people in the town, they are all races?” asks Jinekali.

“Yes. We saw Purlinians, and … sorry, what race are you, Lanemu?”

Aroventian, he says.

“Aroventians too. Just as in Melcheisa, right?” I ask.

“More or less,” replies Jinekali. “Not in your galaxy?”

“Purlinians, yes. Aroventians, no. At least not to my knowledge,” I reply.

“So this Aroventian woman, Ralieshen, was her name,” Zarasena glances at Lanemu but he doesn’t respond. “She said some wise things to us and gave us another metallic piece. We used that piece as some sort of key to complete the time-travel loop and return here. She said we can call them back to us when we have re-established the Aynsefian society. She’s expecting us to do this, here.”

Zarasena is looking at me expectantly. I finally get the importance of Ralieshen’s words. It’s up to me to go back to Inconflencia and convince my people to come here, to Aynsefian, and start a colony. Then we can bring the others back from the past to join us.

The problem is: we have to escape the MGC first. The knowledge of that hangs over all of us.

I have a separate thought for a moment. It’s a thought that’s been nagging at me since we returned.

Was it all real?

Arlyss, Cindlyss? I ask.

Yeah mate? replies Cindlyss.

Can you tell me if what I … what we experienced, was real or not? I ask.

We’d love to, mate, but we can’t. Not our department. We can study planets and societies, and we can heal, as you know, but that’s it, they reply.

So… those images you sent me… they…? I trail off.

Just another form of communication. We can’t go into minds, sorry mate, says Cindlyss.

I can. I do with Zarasena. Do with you, says Lanemu.

You… you’ve done that with Zarasena? I ask. I’m aware I’m excluding Jinekali and Anathusa, but I feel like they will wait for us to finish and then we’ll translate.

Yes. She know about her brother that way, he replies.

The MGC altered my memory when I was a child, says Zarasena telepathically. They wanted total devotion, so they made me fall in love with my brother, knowing I’d never act on it. Thus, I wouldn’t get married or get into any relationships, and would stay focussed on my career.

“Sorry guys,” I say, talking to Anathusa and Jinekali. “We’ll translate all this in a moment.”

They nod at me.

Please continue, I ask, looking at Zarasena, who is still leaning into me delightfully.

Well, that’s it really. I never got to tell Sunzirani. I only met Lanemu after my brother died. And please, Anathusa and Jinekali do not know this. They know my brain was altered, but not the part about my brother. You mustn’t tell them.

I won’t. I promise, I say. I wonder if the Purlinians can hear this. If they can, they’re not letting on. I’m still trying to work out how this telepathy thing works.

“Axin wants Lanemu to investigate his mind to see if our experience was real or not. Neither of us are sure and we think it could be a download of memories, perhaps. Lanemu was explaining to Axin that the mind exploration it is not painful but is a bit disturbing. I don’t want to go through it again,” she translates, fabricating things a bit.

I spent the next few years looking for a man who was like my brother. I can scarcely believe that I found him. She squeezes me again.

I feel special. I want to tell her but I can’t find the words. I try, but they won’t come. It’s a sensitive topic at this early stage of us knowing each other. I still don’t know how fresh her brother’s death is.

That must have been such a difficult time for you, when Sunzirani died. I wish I could make the past better for you, I say, instead.

You already are, she says. I can almost literally feel warmth flowing between us. The energy really is special here in this place.

Lanemu interrupts us. You make nice couple. But we do quick check of your mind, Axin. Then we go. Out of here.

How long does it take? I ask.

“Uh…”, says Anathusa. “We might leave you guys to it. We’ll get a few things ready here and clean up a bit. Zarasena, do you want to come with us? We need to talk about how we’ll do this.”

Zarasena disengages from me, sighing.

“Yeah,” she says, slowly rising from the couch next to me. “Let’s do this.”

I understand her change in affect. She’s about to attempt something quite difficult, although she’s wanted to do it for many years. There’s also no time to recover from our previous experience, which would have drained her as much as it has me.

She leaves the room with her friends and heads, supposedly, for Nikse’s bridge.

I turn to Lanemu.

You ready, Axin? he asks.

Sure! I’m kind of excited. I glance at the Purlinians. They’re leaning forward with interest, totally focussed on Lanemu and I. Maybe they’ll learn something more about Aynsefian in the process.

We sit. Back to back. On couch here. He points next to me.

We shuffle positions, and now this small humanoid is leaning against me, and we are both also resting against the back of the couch.

Close eyes. Relax. His voice is soft and quiet.

Just us two, he says. You Purlinians stay quiet in mind. In body. Okay?

I don’t hear any response from them in my mind. They must have nodded or something. I’m already feeling spaced out.

In mere moments I’m feeling disconnected with reality and then it happens again.