The strange green thing in Nate's bedroom stared at him intently. Nate was perplexed, the being in front of him was unlike anything he had ever seen. Despite its alien nature, Nate saw little to fear from the creature, its stature and demeanor so far having been relatively unthreatening. Nate resolved to try and communicate with it, in order to discover whether or not it meant harm.
"My. Name. Is. Nathan. I Mean. You. No. Harm." Nate carefully enunciated while gesturing towards himself, trying to impart his meaning to the green shape that was slowly backing away from him. The alien blinked once, seemingly oblivious to Nate's attempts at communication. Nate put his hand on his forehead, thinking himself foolish for trying to speak to the creature in English. To Nate's utter surprise, his bedroom guest responded in perfect, unbroken English.
"A Nathan, clearly some sort of primitive. No matter, it has a clear grasp of language, I will attempt communication. Greetings, Nathan, I am Peridot. As it appears that I remain on my assigned colony world, I would greatly appreciate if you could tell me anything about recent Gem activity." It was Nate's turn to stare blankly at the one that called itself Peridot. "Speak, Nathan. Perhaps I have overestimated the native's capacity for intelligence. Primitive, have you seen any others like me? You would be able to recognize them for their superior qualities and notable gemstones. Perhaps you revere them as deities or overlords?" Nate remained silent, simply shaking his head. "If the primitive is correct, that would mean… No soldiers, no occupation, no war. Clearly the colony was not completed, as these primitives still exist. This is perfect!" The Peridot leapt into the air, returning to the ground with a considerable thud. "Take me to my ship, primitive, so that I may leave this world for someplace more suitable." The Peridot was puzzled by the look Nate returned, one of concern.
Nate walked to the window of his room, peering out into the night. As he suspected, the beachfront was now empty, the spaceship nowhere in sight. "Umm, I don't think I'll be able to bring you to your spaceship. Please don't vaporize me." Nate put his hands up in defense, closing his eyes in anticipation of the Peridot's vengeance. Nate recoiled, not in pain, but in surprise.
"Why not?! Take me there now, primitive! I don't want to be here! I want to leave!" The Peridot appeared to be throwing a tantrum, leaping up and down and shaking its fists. The whole ordeal was causing a great amount of noise. Without thinking, Nate reached out, placing his hand over the Peridot's mouth. Its skin was slick, like tile, but with a softness to it. The Peridot bit him.
"Ow! Stop it, you're going to wake everyone up!" The Peridot didn't listen, simply continuing its outburst. In desperation, Nate leapt towards the Peridot, attempting to tackle it. It was like flying headfirst into a brick wall. Nonetheless, the Peridot fell over, Nate laying on top of it, barely conscious.
"Get off of me, primitive! I could destroy you!" Nate didn't answer, his head still reeling from the collision. "I need it, and I will have it! You can't stop me from taking it back, it's not for you to keep!" The Peridot's raving continued as Nate regained some of his mental faculties. He sighed, knowing only one response would silence the peculiar little alien.
"Fine, I'll help you…" Nate's dejected tone was starkly contrasted by the Peridot's response. Its eyes widened as a broad smile grew just below. The Peridot grabbed Nate by the shoulders, shaking him violently.
"You will? This is perfect! Soon I will be able to leave this wretched place. I will be a free Gem in no time!" The Gem was radiant, bouncing about the room with excitement. Nate watched the Peridot intently, contemplating his newest debacle. How would he explain this to his family, he asked himself. More importantly, he'd have to explain this to Kay. It dawned on Nate then. Those men from earlier could come looking for the alien in his room. He needed to hide it if he was to keep his family safe from the two goons outside. Nate knew he had to be careful. He approached the Peridot, temporarily halting its parade about the bedroom.
"I said I'd help you, but it might be dangerous."
"I doubt I'd be in much danger, primitive, we Peridots are quite resilient."
"I meant dangerous for my family and I. If you want my help getting your spaceship back, I need you to listen to me."
"Are you attempting to boss me around, primitive? That's almost humorous." The Peridot broke into a light chuckle, dismissing Nate's concerns without a thought. Nate sighed as dread set in. He put his family in danger by bringing the Peridot here. If he didn't fix this, it'd be his fault if his family got hurt. The Peridot glanced towards Nate, noticing his obvious discomfort. "You appear distressed, primitive. Will this impede our objective?" Nate took note of the Gem's comment, realizing that he had a trump card.
"Unless you do exactly as I say, you aren't getting your ship back." Nate crossed his arms in finality, waiting to see if his plan had succeeded. The Peridot bared its teeth, eyes narrowed. Begrudgingly, the Peridot relented to Nate's demand.
"Fine, primitive, we'll do this your way. What would you have me do?"
Nate and the Peridot spoke the rest of the night, Nate desperately trying to explain his hesitance. The Peridot, although oblivious at first, eventually came to understand Nate's plight. The two unlikely allies eventually came to an agreement, one that benefited both parties. Nate would aid the Peridot, so long as the Peridot did not endanger Nate's family in the process. As the two began to plan their course of action, the slumbering hotel below began to stir. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, a sliver of orange cascading across the still water, as the two were interrupted.