Chapter Five

There was an interesting smell wafting through the door to the room where Femka was sleeping at. She woke up to it, her nose sniffing it in subconsciously. She never smelled something like it before but it smelled good anyway. Sort of sweet, like pancakes. The first thing on her mind was what the time was, but that was removed from her thoughts when she remembered where she was again. She almost thought she was home. She rubbed her eyes and sat up looking about as she tried to wake up. Her gaze traveled to the window again. She found that to be the most interesting place so far. So much was going on out there. It just bothered her that she had to squint just to barely see some of it. Femka moved out of bed, fixing her hair and putting it a ponytail. She realized how inconvenienced she was at that moment. Well, she was a girl. She didn't care too much for her looks but she still cared somewhat. She wanted to brush her hair, she wanted to change her clothes, and she wanted to do whatever else she did for her morning routine. Not to mention she still felt weird! Just weird. Well, whatever. She was more interested in the smell drifting around the domicile anyhow. She could hear voices when she neared the bedroom's door. It opened when she stepped close to it. The sounds became louder. She heard Ratchet's voice and his friend, Clank, talking back and forth about something. The faint sound of electricity was present. The television was on giving the illusion of more people. She followed the noise and smell until she found her way to a kitchen. The two were in there making what appeared to be breakfast. The small robot noticed Femka peeking in through the doorway and acknowledged her from his spot on a tall stool.

"Greetings Miss Femka. Would you like to join us?"

"Oh, hey, you're awake," Ratchet said stirring a bowl of something-or-another and looking at her.

"What're you doing?" she asked upon slowly entering the kitchen.

"We are making Veldinite styled flapjacks," Clank answered with a smile.

"Second batch, Kyzil edition," the Lombax added motioning his eyebrows upward and pouring the stuff into a pan.

Femka smiled at the mechanic's enthusiasm and took a seat on another tall stool at an island table in the middle of the kitchen. She watched the television across from her. Looked like news, considering the fashion of dress and formal speak. It was still amazing to her. There was a robot on the television talking about weather. Who ever knew something so boring could be so amusing? She couldn't read anything they displayed but it was still fascinating nonetheless. There was a plate of hot cakes in front her minutes later. Femka blinked looking down at it. She was so busy being hypnotized by the TV that it slightly surprised her.

"Go ahead, try it," Ratchet motioned to the food with his head as he took a seat next to her with a plate of his own and began eating.

She curiously poked at it with her utensil before putting it in her mouth. They looked like pancakes, smelled similar to pancakes, tasted a lot like pancakes, therefore they must be pancakes. Veldonian styled flapjacks they were called in this case, however. Not too shabby. She enjoyed it. Clank was channel surfing with Ratchet being the commentary in the background, either saying the channel was lame or exponentially boring. They even passed a channel with Galactic Presidential Captain Qwark being interviewed and Ratchet without delay told Clank to skip it fast. There was something that they settled on watching and Femka was still captivated while she ate her food. By the time she finished her breakfast a small thought came into her mind. It was about her being a guest here. She appreciated the fact that someone took her into their home without a second thought but she didn't want to be a burden. Femka's thoughts were again dismissed by her plate being taken away and put into the sink.

"So, we were thinking—"

Ratchet began out of nowhere and Femka's head looked up as he continued form across her.

"—since you're probably gonna be here for little while, we thought it would be a good idea to show you the city, or at least some of it."

"And possibly retrieve some necessities for you to make your stay more comfortable," Clank added.

"You don't need to do that for me…," she spoke modestly.

"Do not be irrational, Miss Femka. You have no other clothes than the ones which you wear now. It is necessary for us to at least give you more than one piece of apparel."

"See? You have no choice." The Lomax shrugged whimsically with a smile.

Femka watched him walk around the island as Clank hopped down from the stool and left the kitchen.

"Just give me a minute and we'll get going."

With that, he stepped out of the room and the woman's less than average eyes followed him until she decided to slide off of the seat seconds later. She watched the television one last time noticing a commercial for some strange romance drama what seemed to involve a species that resembled her and a weird chubby alien. She looked quizzically at the screen and left the room deciding to wait elsewhere. She sat down in the living room area on a chair and played with the necklace she had around her. Her eyes peered into the stone's colors. A small light was gleaming from it. That was odd. Femka fixated on the gem until Ratchet wondered in the room looking for his other shoe. Her focus was faintly broken by a sudden "aha!" coming from behind her.

"I don't know how it ended up here," he said putting the shoe on with a small shrug of his brows.

The necklace the young lady was staring at gave the Lombax the incentive to peek over her shoulder at it. His head cocked to the side after witnessing a glow. That was odd indeed. It looked just like the artifact.

"Where did you get that?"

"Huh?" Femka's head turned to the side.

"Your necklace."

"Oh. It was a present from my grandma."

"Does it usually glow like that?" he asked still examining it from behind the chair.

"Not… not typically."

It stopped eventually and returned to its duller blue and purple color. Still weird, though; but since the moment was over it was time to leave. Femka left the chair and followed her host to the exit where Clank was waiting patiently by the door.

"Hope you don't mind walking," Ratchet stated as the door opened.

Of course not. She loved walking. But when they stepped outside she finally got a closer view of what the city really was. All she could do was stare in awe again as she slowly moved along the pathway from Ratchet's abode. When she looked up she could see all the flying vehicles above her head. It was just unreal. She was open-mouthed for a good few minutes before almost walking into someone. She chuckled nervously and kept her closeness by Clank and Ratchet. She observed all the people around her that were walking along. Most of them looked the same—or the same type of species, that is. They all had tails and pointed ears. Femka wondered about them, because they bore a resemblance to her own kind. She also noted their type of dress. It was all over the place. And while she walked she got less stares than she thought she would.

"People must be so varied in this universe," she thought to herself. "I wonder if there's a species that looks just like me or something."

She let her thoughts go as they wondered around the city for awhile. The two tried their best to describe everything to their guest what buildings were what, what things did what, and what species were what.

"Markazian?" Femka repeated after Clank.

"That is correct. They are the dominant species of this planet. The Polaris galaxy is very big, however, and many of its sectors give assortment to many different intelligent life forms. Markazians only being one example."

"That's incredible." Femka smiled.

"Indeed. Evolution certainly has come a long way for organic and artificial life as well."

Everything astounded the human being. There was so much input. Her worries of getting back home were gone for the moment and she only enjoyed herself with her alien hosts. She was lucky when they went to get things like clothing and other apparel. The Markazian shape wasn't much different than her own. The only problem was that their wardrobes had a place for their tails to slip through. When she tried something on in the dressing room she would look behind her at the open spot and curl her lips in. Maybe they could modify that for her. For now, though, she just covered it up with another set of attire or accessory. There was a robot who managed the dressing area. Everything seemed like it was automatic, but Femka would stick to dressing herself for now. Soon she was out of her three day-old clothing and in to something more suitable for their world. It suited her slender curves and small upper body. As for other personal items she would be sent off on her own with direction of where it was in the shopping center they were in to retrieve them.

"Actually, before you go in there," Ratchet spoke taking something off the side of his belt, "you should take this with you."

He handed her the translator with her language modified onto it.

"I meant to give it to you before we left the garage. I already updated my comm-link with your language, so you can keep this one."

Ratchet attached the device to the side of her belt.

"There." He smiled at her. "We'll be waiting outside for you. Oh, and, you'll need these, too."

Ratchet gave her some of the money they used and she stared at it with a weird expression on her face. She wanted to ask what they were but when he gave her the currency she quickly remembered something else of importance.

"Wait. I can't read any labels. What if something's not what I think it is and I get the wrong thing or—"

"Don't worry. I can't read Markazian either. I really wouldn't be much help. I'm pretty sure what you need will look like what it is on your planet," he said with a funny smile trying to reassure her. "And if you get distressed or something just call me. This button, this one right here," he pointed on her comm-link, "just press it and it'll contact me."

Femka nodded hurried into the store. She didn't want to take too long but she just wasn't sure on anything. At least the place seemed feminine specific. So, maybe getting what she needed wouldn't be that difficult. Though, she couldn't read anything she was determined to find what her shopping list demanded. When she was looking at some undergarments a thought appeared in her mind and made her wonder

"Why can't he read Markazian? Is he not from this planet, then? Maybe a different country here?" Her head shook. "I have no idea."

Femka took about a half hour in there, finally leaving the store feeling a tad bit accomplished for doing something like that all by herself. Well, she treasured small victories like that. She saw that Ratchet was taking with someone who kind of looked like he was discontented about something. Clank was conscious to her presence and walked towards the woman who held a couple bags in her hands. She smiled at the sentient robot but looked back to the stranger who was going on about an important matter.

"What's going on over there?"

"That is Doctor Ipsin Ro. He is the lead researcher at Meridian's National Museum of Science and Archeology."

"What's his problem?"

"It is a matter concerning the object that was left on your planet. The artifact. It was rather important as they were studying its composition and function," Clank explained. "But you see, the artifact was stolen by space pirates and Ratchet and I went to retrieve it. However, the artifact seemed to have something mystifying about it and caused the pirate ship to collapse. The result of its overreaction was the wormhole we went through to your universe. Since we were unable to bring it back with us, Doctor Ro is not very happy."

"Yeah, but it's not your fault. Right?" She stared down at Clank. "It was an accident."

"Naturally, though, I am sure he is only looking for someone to blame at the moment. It was priceless research that is no longer able to be researched. He is merely upset by his loss."

Femka glanced back again at the researcher who started to walk away from the Lombax that rolled his eyes.

"Geez, what a pain in the neck," he said to himself approaching the two. "Anyway, did you find everything you needed?" His mood was already lighthearted again.

"Yeah."

Femka smiled shyly and dug out the left over bolts to give back to him. He declined them and shook his head.

"Just keep 'em for now."

Ratchet kept his carefree smile and steered her in the direction of their next destination. That was most of their day, just going random places and letting their guest take in the sights. They didn't walk the whole way either, they took trams, too, or skylines. Femka nearly was given a heart attack at the rail train they were on when it looked like the track was ending until they teleported to another section of the city. She tried her hardest not to stick out like a sore thumb but it didn't stop some people from staring at her when she held onto a pole for dear life and gasped. She tried to cover up her embarrassment with a silly smile and then just hid her face by turning the other direction. When she heard Ratchet snicker a laugh from the back of his throat she stared at him with a sardonic and very dry face. Despite that moment of displeasure the rest of the day was exciting. Femka seemed to be coming out of her shell more and more. Whenever she saw something interesting she wanted to investigate it. She was still nervous about the strangers around her, however. Some aliens weren't Markazian and frankly they frightened her just a wee bit, especially the Agorians. They stood tall and fierce with claws and teeth sharp like knives. They were big brutes and she made sure not to go near them. In the back of her mind she wondered if she'd see another creature like Ratchet. So far, nothing really looked like him. Then again, maybe they just weren't prominent on this planet. She remembered Clank saying that Polaris was very big. It kept boggling her mind. What else was there to see on this planet alone? How many planets were there that had developed life in this solar system? What were they like? How many species of intelligent life were there? So many questions flew through her unaccustomed brain. By the end of the day Femka was ready to fall into bed and pass out. They come back to the garage by sundown. The woman took her things to the room she was staying and ordered them to her liking. She just left the clothes draping over a chair in the room for now and she placed her toiletries and whatnot in her backpack. While they were out earlier Ratchet taught her how to read the analog clocks—it was some of the Markazian that he knew—so now she could at least tell the time. Femka slipped out of her clothes and into a pair of nightwear. She was ready to sleep. This night was easier to cope through. When her head met the pillow she was out within minutes. Her dreams were pleasant (though she would forget them by morning) and she didn't wake up once. It was refreshing, even though home was so far away…

The routine continued for several days and Femka would attempt adjusting to life there. That strange feeling she always felt during the day was going away. After about a week of trying to bend her life to fit the new one she had that feeling was nonexistent. She always thought of home and her friends still. She was strong. But one night she wanted to cry. The woman couldn't hold it anymore. Ratchet and Clank were doing everything for her. They were feeding her, giving her shelter, taking her in as one of their own. They even replaced her glasses she lost. But she just couldn't help but feel bad. She was even making him sleep somewhere else less comfortable, because he offered his bed to her this whole time. She wanted to go home, she didn't belong on Igliak. Not in Polaris either. She didn't belong here. Just last night she heard a conversation between the robot and the mechanic. Femka was only meaning to use the bathroom but had overheard them talking about her. They were talking about a way to get her home. It didn't seem good. Clank had mentioned that the likelihood of finding another way to transport the woman home could be impossible. She arrived there in such in fortuitous way. What could the odds be of taking her home in the same way? Regardless, it didn't help her position and her feelings continued to pile.

Tears streamed down her cheeks while sitting on the bed that night. Her legs were folded up against her chest. She tried to fall asleep early but all those thoughts kept her awake and miserable. Drawing didn't work this time either. The only thing left to do was to cry—even though she tried to stop. Her teary eyes looked out the window to see the view she was accustomed to. It was past twilight. The city looked beautiful as always. Her distraction was disturbed by the door opening. She quickly rubbed her eyes trying to wipe away the tears. The Lombax that entered his room only meant to retrieve something quickly. He thought he might have woken her up when he saw her. His ears twitched when Femka sniffled.

"Oh, I didn't wake you up, did I?" he said walking in further.

The room was dark but bright enough to show the features on her face. When he came closer to the bed he saw that she'd been crying.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Her nose sniffled.

"You don't really look fine," he stated having a seat next to her. "What's wrong?"

Femka sat in the same position she had been in for a while and wiped her eyes with her arm again. Ugh, this was embarrassing.

"I just…," she swallowed trying to speak. "I just miss my home. That's all." Her nose sniffled once more. "I just miss my mom, my friends, my dog… I miss my mom. I really miss my mom… and…," another sniff sounded, "I feel out of place. I can't fit in right. I know it's stupid but I'm the only human being here and I just want to fit in but I can't. I don't belong here. I even heard you and Clank talking before, that finding a way for me to get home was probably impossible."

Ratchet watched dejectedly as the woman next to him began crying. His ears went down at a loss of what to say. She was so unhappy it was putting him down as well. He didn't want her to feel obligated to fit in anywhere but that's simply what people do. They need to feel like they belong in order to feel welcome and safe. He knew that more than anyone. He placed a hand on her upper back to make an effort at least to comfort her.

"Fem," he spoke lightly tilting his head to her view, "I don't belong here just as much as you do. Well, yeah, sure. For me, it's a little different. I was born in this universe, in this galaxy, but it's not my home. I don't have species here that are like me either. They don't exist here anymore. I'm the only one left. Yeah, it upset me sometimes when I was little, because I didn't have a mom or a dad. I didn't even grow up in Polaris. I was galaxies away on another planet busy being orphaned and trying to live. And I'm not trying to make my point from a sob story. I wanted to fit in just as much as any other person out there. But I stopped trying after awhile. I stopped trying because trying made me upset to begin with. Instead I just stopped caring. If someone liked me, they liked me. If they didn't, oh well."

He paused for a moment to gather her reaction. She wasn't looking at him, which was normal. She probably thought she was being lectured. But she wasn't. She was just being informed.

"But how can I make this my home if it's not even my universe or my time period? How can I be expected to move on leaving everything that I loved behind?" she asked looking at the floor over her knees.

"I know we said that getting you home might be impossible but that doesn't mean you have to let those things go, or replace them. You just have to learn to cope with what you've got for the time being. No matter how much you don't like it you can't make yourself upset about it every time it pops up in your mind. I understand, Fem, I really do. I understand what it's like to not be able to have something so indispensable to you."

Femka only kept her face in her knees and let the tears that were dry be replaced with fresh droplets. Ratchet removed his hand from her back and stood in front of her. He moved her hands away from being wrapped around her knees and took her legs so they hung over the edge of the bed. Her hands were gripped so that she had to stand on her feet with a pull. Femka's head which was staring at the floor was picked up and forced to stare at the man in front of her.

"Hey, listen to me. Moping around won't make things better and it definitely won't improve your situation. I know there's not much you can do about to begin with, but when we can't change something for now we just have to deal with it and learn to make the most of it. You don't have to stop missing your friends, your dog or your mom but when you feel like crying because you don't have them, you have to be brave and learn to live without them." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not your mom or maybe I'm not anyone you picture going to when you have a problem, but I am here for you and so is Clank. We might not be like your friends back on Earth but we are your friends. I mean, if I didn't care I wouldn't let you sleep in my bed," he poked a smile at her.

Femka smiled back through her stubbornness and looked down just once to sniffle through her nose yet again. She gazed at Ratchet for a second before wrapping her arms around him to give him a hug as means of gratitude. He was taken back momentarily until he returned the favor for her. She felt at ease when he hugged her back. It wasn't her mom, it wasn't Alexander but at least it was somebody who cared. That was good enough for her. She broke away from the hug after a minute and looked shyly at her friend—it was safe to call him that now—and she smiled meekly.

"Do you feel a little better now?"

He had a nice smile when he asked her and she nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah, thank you. For everything."

"You don't have to thank me," he reassured with a shake of his head.

Ratchet remembered that he kind of barged in on her and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Did you wanna get back to bed?"

"Not really. But crying does make me sleepy, so I think I will eventually. I'll go to bed after I'm done drawing a picture."

"Drawing?"

His big ears perked at the word as Femka nodded with a small hum and grabbed her sketch book that was by her side.

"Ever since I came here I've been drawing a lot of stuff. I usually don't draw this much at home but, well, I kind of couldn't stop."

She held the book in her hands and presented it to him. He took a seat next to her and she watched his facial expressions change every time he flipped the page to another picture. She wasn't that bad either. He saw the picture that she drew of herself the first night of her arrival and noted the resemblance.

"These are really good," he said bemused.

Femka's smile came back though she was always shy at compliments.

"Okay, now draw me."

He looked serious and Femka laughed at his face for how stern it was. But her eyebrows rose when he didn't budge.

"What right now?" she giggled still.

"Well, maybe later. Actually, I should go back to Clank. I can't even remember why I came in here in the first place."

His comment made the woman laugh again. She put her sketch book on the table where it usually is and followed Ratchet with her eyes as he moved off of the bed.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," he uttered softly. "Good night."

"Good night."

Femka covered her body up under the blanket when he left the room. She rested her head easily on the pillow, beginning to fall asleep after a moment of quiet.