Chapter 20: Past from beyond the stars.
Ymir opened her eyes and yawned, sitting up and rubbing her arm to ease the slight discomfort from sleeping on the cave's hard ground; she looked around to find Nikolai helping Pieck prepare a quick breakfast. Stretching her arms and back she walked up to them while putting her clothes on, caught the canteen Niko threw at her and gave a good gulp.
_Good morning freckles. -he greeted handing her a small plate- Feeling refreshed?
_Quite. -she replied sitting beside the other shifter.
The liberian, a bit shaken by the past night's memories, didn't seek to make eye contact with her so instead Ymir focused on the man, who was eating slowly, with an absent look on his face and clearly thinking of something else.
_What's on your mind? Planning today's tour? -she asked and took a good spoonful- I can tell you what it'll be: running and hiding, then dinner, then running and hiding, then sleeping.
_It's not that. It's... -he blinked, realizing he was talking- nah, never mind.
_Don't leave us hanging. -Pieck said, suddenly interested- What's the problem?
Nikolai didn't answer right away, staring into the Four Legged's curious eyes, as if deciding wether to speak or not; after a few moments he sighed, straightened and looked outside.
_It's just it bugs me. -he made a movement with his arm- This place.
_The cave? -Ymir snorted- Come on, it's not so bad and we're leaving in a while so what's the worry?
_No, not the cave. -he said- This whole place: the walls, the damn island, the whole planet bugs me; it's so... Earth like, it feels off. It is off.
Both girls looked at each other, not really understanding his words, and then the freckled one shot him a harsh look.
_What do you mean Earth like? -she said frowning- It's Earth!
Nikolai said nothing, instead looking at Pieck; she held his gaze until it clicked and her eyes opened some more.
_Unless... it is not. -she whispered and he smiled weakly.
_A more advanced human... well mostly human soldier comes, claiming to be from outer space...
_You're from outer space?! -Ymir said loudly and he nodded her off.
_Yeah, i'll tell you the details later. As i was saying, i come saying i'm from a far away neighbourhood, which means...
_That there are humans... out there? -Pieck said incredulously- How many?
_Thousands of millions, spread within the known borders of the galaxy; and from what i found out, even beyond. You see, this sector is actually uncharted and will likely remain so for a good while.
_Why? -the marleyan warrior asked, and he made a slight grimace.
_Space travelling is relatively safe, emphasis on "relatively", but exploring is not: you must move at incredible speeds to cover any significant distance so the further you move from the places you know the more you risk running into things you weren't expecting, and those are usually the ones that kill you; when i arrived here it wasn't planned, it was mere chance. I was almost sure i was going to die when i decided to take the leap.
_Then why did you do it? -Ymir piped in.
_I had stolen my ship from a high security facility after the government it belonged to tried to fuck with me -he said shrugging- as a means to get back at them: i thought of selling it to other entity, or using it to blast some stuff up or more likely both. But i was busted when i got to the ship and had to escape, so i made a... let's say, this ship is special: it can travel distances in space which are normally associated with much, MUCH bigger vehicles; and the distances are monstruous.
_So you escaped, and they can't come after you?
_The facility was located nearby the so called "Last Ring", the outermost limit of what's known to... well, every sentient race in that galaxy; it seems the most advanced cultures are located near the center of galaxies, and expand outwards. So in Konig IV, where i come from, they're trying to reach the borders while searching for a way to cross from one galaxy to another; it's quite complicated shit, and i honestly don't get it. Long story short, they have no idea where i am or how: for all they know i could have ran into an asteroid field, a planet or a fucking star and died in milliseconds.
_But... but if this planet is not Earth then what is it? -Pieck said and he shrugged once more.
_I can't possibly explain how it can be so similar, to the point of being practically identical. I'm no expert in Earthology...
_What? -both shifters said.
_Earthology. The study of Earth and human civilization; let's say humans are considered quite "eccentric" by most species's standards: the fact we're willing to trust and uh, other things, someone from another planet easier than someone from our own is actually very strange, explore beyond what's rationally safe and are prone to luck and improvise the fuck out of everything regards us as "that fucking species" to all the rest. We're still well received though.
_When you say other species... -Ymir began.
Nikolai wet his lips, but instead of speaking stood up going for his belongings and bringing his computer, making signs for the other two to sit at his sides; they obeyed -Ymir babbling in shock at the device but he waved her off- and he proceeded to work the menus until a display of small images filled the whole screen.
_This is a... collection of memories: places i've been to, people i've met, things i've seen; sometimes for leisure, sometimes for work and ocassionaly both.
He tapped one of the squares and the image expanded, showing two burly creatures sitting inside what looked like metallic room: they were burly, with grayish rugged skin and square jaws sporting some kind of frills as beards, which were also present on their ears's lobes; their light orange eyes were a bit small and their noses flat, and one smiled while the other checked some kind of device in his hands. The smiling one showed they had big teeth and prominent canines; both wore a brown-green set of clothes with plenty of pockets and heavy boots.
_What are those? -Pieck whispered, not managing to look away.
_Brekatha, a race mostly known for their physical strength and dedication to agriculture; they usually come in two flavors: farmer and mercenary farmer. The happy one is Goh'Luthak and the other is Goh'Druun; we spent some time together when we were employed to destroy a small smuggler base. Nice guys, brothers.
_What happens with the other? What's he looking at? -Ymir questioned.
_His new weapon, we were leaving the place after destroying what we couldn't loot. Now... -he said, touched once more and the image shrinked- You pick a few more pictures and i'll explain a bit of them: to move slide you fingertip upwards or downwards, tap to pick.
The shifters glanced at each other and Ymir made Pieck a sign to go first, not trusting the machine; the marleyan warrior leant forward and moved across the images, deciding for one showing a group of about a dozen white clad figures with light blue sking surrounding a black pile of ash: their heads were uncovered and showed they had long, thin light blonde or white hair and big round eyes in light brown, green and yellow colours; their noses were nonexistent, instead showing a T like shape right above their lipless mouths, which were but a slit.
_Wylgirs. -Nikolai said- I took the picture in the last moments of a cremation, the day one of their elders had died.
_They didn't care about you taking a photo? -the Four Legged asked him, and he smiled warmly.
_On the contrary, they felt honored: in their culture, memory is something basically sacred and having someone from other species, from other planet wishing to remember their rituals is seen as a good sign, a show of respect; it is common courtesy to invite foreigners to their events as long as they behave politely. Pick the next.
_I'll do! -Ymir said enthusiastically, and dragged her finger on the screen until a picture caught her attention more- Hey, what's this? Is it a giant bug?
_Hey, that's my wife!
The girls almost broke their necks from the speed at which they turned to look at him, watching with distrust as if expecting him to laugh at them; Nikolai sighed and looked at the image of a bipedal chitinous creature, with big black eyes and dark green skin with black spots on its... her body except for her yellow-ish belly; long, slick looking dreadlocks were what she had for hair and her face showed an insectoid mouth with several pedipalps. She wore a simple blue loincloth with an open matching vest, and her hands looked like she was waving at the camera inside what seemed a small, bit dirty kitchen.
_Well, actually my widow... it's kinda complicated.
_Please explain. -Ymir whispered, nearing her face to his- With details.
_Lots of details. -Pieck said in agreement, and he huffed.
_She's Tryk-Lish-Khlag-Dirdrir, a member of a species referring themselves as Kr'Tykthabah and the rest call "chits" which come from a hot, humid planet; we met in a small mining town located in a planet on a neighbour system while i passed time as a miner to gather some coin. She told me by signs she had problems with the law since she wasn't a native nor had any proper documentation to avail her stay, and needed a place to live at while working that issue.
_So you let her live with you? -the Dancing shifter asked but he shook his head.
_It wasn't so simple, i couldn't just bring someone to the miner's village without a good motive; however if she appeared in my data as my wife she had the right to live with me with no problems until she got the registration thing done. So we got married, and i learnt we had to spend six months as husband and wife before she was given right to reside independently.
_And that's it?
_Like hell! -he snorted- Another person to provide for meant losses for the mining company, and i was sure they'd send someone to check if our marriage was legitimate and not a ruse, so i used some money to bribe a few of the people to stay alert when the social worker appeared; as soon as it happened, about one month and a half after our marriage, i made it so he walked into our house while fucked like wild animals.
_Walls, that's fucked up! -Ymir said between laughs- Did it work?
_Not at all. Turns out Kr'Tykthabah were popular in those systems as exotic prostitutes specially for humans -he said rolling his eyes- and i gotta admit while she wasn't one herself, her mouth gave me the best blowjobs i've ever had, hands down.
_Ugh. -Pieck mumbled with a shiver, looking at the picture- So they kicked you out then?
Nikolai looked down, a small smile on his lips as he denied slowly.
_No, because we did something else, something neither of us thought strange but convinced the man we were absolutely in love. Or something like that.
_What? -asked the freckled soldier, and he gave her a smug grin.
_I learnt her language.
He inhaled and made a succession of clicking sounds mixed with noises part grunting, part sneering and part gurgling; for a moment his companions worried he was actually having problems to breathe.
_I thought you were choking. -Ymir said and he chuckled.
_So did the guy. While he interviewed us as how we had met and stuff i translated for Tryk since i prefered to learn her language instead of using signs, mainly because speaking foreign tongues is a valuable asset for someone like me and hers was challenging and entertaining. In the end we ended up making some bullshit on the march right in front of the worker, and he finished the interview saying that only a truly devoted man would learn how to speak with her; they didn't bother again.
_And then?
_I spent eight months with her living peacefully while working, but i knew it wouldn't last: i'm made for conflict, i need to feel that thrill given by combat, even when... when it was on the battlefield where i found myself in the deepest pits of despair.
_But why? -Pieck asked with a note of pity, making him frown slightly- Haven't you tried to...?
_It's not that simple. -he said cutting her- I was made to be a killing machine, to fight without mercy or remorse, to see my enemies not as people but obstacles between me and my objective; i can't meet someone without searching their weakness to use in any hypothetical fight, i can't enter a room with people without taking notice of all ways to escape, all the things i can use as weapons and making a mental list of the order in which i should kill them if i had to. And i... i enjoy what i do: i don't know how much is their job in creating me and how much is me being... well, me; i can't sit still, at least not in a small town living off some crappy work with no excitement, so i told manipulated one of the carrier ships we used to transport material to malfunction and crash on the way, falling down one of the canyons surrounding the place.
_You faked your death? -Ymir said incredulously- But what about her?
_She knew what i was going to do, i told her everything a few days earlier.
_And she just let you go?
_She knew it was going to end sooner or later, we agreed on that. I only stayed with her longer because i was waiting for a big ship i could leave on to come to the planet; i left and spent a few more years working as a mercenary again until i arrived here.
_Wait, let's make something clear. -Pieck said holding her hands up- You say this isn't planet Earth, right?
_Exactly.
_But then how can you explain us? It's not like we came in a ship like you!
Nikolai looked down, meditating his answer before turning the computer off and breathing through his teeth.
_Sometimes -he said slowly- it happened that planets were colonized by species fleeing from their original one due a catastrophe, or by accident when a small fleet of explorers get lost and find a suitable environment to live in; there are also registries of planets were war, plague or cataclisms have had such an impact in its population they are thrown back technologically and sociallly, to the point they sometimes forget where they come from, or what their world was before it happened: history becomes myth, new people take the place of the old patriots, new origins are told and societies built; whoever is left takes whatever scraps they've got and put it together to give their world a sense of stability, to overcome the uncertainty of ignorance... and create an order based on their version of history.
A thick silence followed, as both girls tried to digest his words; his short speech had opened a door, one they were afraid to go through but couldn't close or ignore.
_Are you saying... -Ymir began and gulped, trying to straighten her voice- that we are also from... out there?
_Do you think we arrived here like you? -Pieck whispered in shock- But how could we forget that?
_I think you, or rather your ancestors, came here long ago. And then, something happened... something that made them fall back in time and become the society you know today, either by force or choice.
_What do you mean by choice? -the liberian asked, frowning- Who would choose to-?
_Forget? -he cut her- Someone who has no hope of returning. Someone who has to adapt or die, and can't live with the weight of knowing all they had is forever lost; someone who has to begin again. However, i can't explain how everything is so god damn Earth here; i just can't imagine what...
_What?
_I just can't fathom how this planet happens to be so similar to the original one... it's downright disturbing. I hope i can search some answers while we settle things in here; now we must get ready to leave.
_But...
_We'll talk another time Pieck. -he said getting up and heading for the entrance- If we move fast, i think we'll get there before tomorrow's afternoon.
_Tomorrow? But the ship is on the island's beach! We need at least a week to get there!
Nikolai stopped and stood still, slowly turning back to look at them; his smile, gone until then, had reappeared; only that this time it wasn't smug or mocking.
_I'm not talking about the beach, my love. I'm talking about a dear lady i haven't seen since a long time.
His smile was cold and murderous.
_I'm talking about the Huntress.
End of Chapter.