A/N: Thanks for sticking with this story. I know updates have not been regular. However, I'm not giving up on this one. Special thanks to the few that left reviews and those that gave suggestions on what Chuck should put in his message. Much appreciated.
Thanks, once again, to klipdoctor for the beta on this chapter.
So, Chuck has a recording now showing various places on the planet Retith, along with his Shaxi friend and his lovely wife. Now, he has to prepare the message to go with it that will get sent to his sister.
Exo
Chapter 20: Message
Sleeping on the problem hadn't helped at all, apart from giving him more determination to succeed.
So, here he was full of that determination, but no clear idea on what to say. He considered his previous thoughts and decided he needed to just explain the situation first. He wrote notes on what he would say.
"I know this will come as a surprise, but I found a way to let you know that I am alive. This isn't a recording from your dead brother and definitely not a prank someone is doing. I am alive, just not able to get to you."
He hoped that was a good enough start.
Then, he thought he needed to prove it was him.
"El, to convince you this is real, I guess I ought to tell you something only you and I will know."
He could think of a few things, but knew that she would watch this with at least Devon. So, it had to be something she wouldn't mind others knowing.
That should probably be something he'd done or had happened to him. He was trying to think of what to say, when two things suddenly came to him.
"First of all, when mom and dad left us, just driving off and not returning, you, my wonderful sister, took over looking after me. You were too young to do that, at only seventeen, but you managed to convince any authoritarian visitors that you were older and that I was too, fifteen rather than thirteen. I adored you for that. Losing my parents at such a young age, I needed grounding, thinking it was my fault that they left. You were my wonderful rock, El. I love you so much. Of course, only our ages back then are secret. Everyone could always see how much you mean to me." He had to stop thinking that or he'd start to sniffle, which wouldn't help at all.
"The second thing, only you know is how you spoke of the woman who destroyed my self-confidence around women. Jill Roberts. To everyone else, you just called her 'that evil woman,' but to me, you named her 'Harpy Roberts.' That name actually made me smile, and I thank you so much for it."
He looked over at his beautiful wife, sitting patiently watching him, and ready to help in any way she could. God, she's wonderful!
"I miss you terribly, El, but you'll be pleased to know I have found someone who not only loves me, but we are married. She is the most amazing woman. Easily the most beautiful on two planets. I'll have to explain that, but I want you to see her first. I've done amazingly well for myself finding her. I think that's partly due to how you brought me up to respect women. S'ra certainly deserves that. So, as dad would say, 'Aces, Eleanor, aces!'"
He intended to call S'ra over at that point and to introduce her. But then he realized he had to tell her what had happened to him first, so his sister would understand why S'ra couldn't speak English.
He wrote down what had happened at the space center and how he'd woken on a different planet.
He described what it felt like and how he felt lighter, but realizing he was naked wanted to find a way to cover himself, which led to his experience in the forest and finally feeling covered, more human that way. He also described fashioning a spear to keep himself safe.
"Then, I saw a human looking figure rush past me, followed by a huge black cat-like creature, known here as an ixtag. I threw my spear and killed the creature. Now, you know how I feel about killing anything, so you can imagine my reaction." He chuckled, thinking about how it made him throw up. Then, he wrote, "The most beautiful woman was looking at me. Honestly, El, I have never seen such a vision of beauty before or since."
This was the point to call S'ra over in the recording, but also now to discuss her appearance in it. He beckoned her over and explained what his plan was at this point.
"I think I should greet your sister in your Urth language," S'ra said.
He was surprised at that. "But you can't speak English," he replied.
"So, teach me the words to say. 'Hello, Ellie.' It isn't much but it might help. Then, I'll repeat it in my own language before saying more, again in my own language." She smiled at him. "I will never meet her, but I want her to like me, and be happy that you are with me."
"Thank you, S'ra. I really appreciate this. But I have to say, she will take one look at you and will adore you because you are with me."
She beamed at him. "I should kiss you for her to see, to emphasize that we are together then."
"I need to describe how we walked together to the city and how we fell in love, eventually marrying. Then, we'll show our wedding rings to confirm that."
She admired her ring. "It is precious to me," she said.
"As mine it to me," he replied.
After a few moments thought, she said, "You should tell her how you saved me, then the city. She'll be proud of you."
He shook his head. "I don't want her to think about the dangers here or she'll worry."
He went back to scripting what he was going to say. He wanted to ask his friend to take them to the original plain for the initial recording, but then realized that would be taking S'ra close to home and she'd want to visit her parents. They wouldn't be able to explain their presence so that wasn't an option.
He carried on scripting for the rest of the day and into the next, too.
When he'd finished, he talked it through with S'ra. She made some suggestions and he adapted it.
The next day, he felt ready to do the recording and went in search of his friend, Zixak.
"I had wanted to record the initial section, with me talking about my arrival here, at the place that happened. However, that would be cruel to S'ra. She'd want to visit her parents and couldn't."
"Indeed. However, we could project a scene in the background."
Standard film making, he knew. "You have recordings of the orange plains? Maybe with a forest?"
"Yes."
"Perfect," Chuck gushed. "Let me tell, S'ra and we'll be right back."
When he told her the plan and why, she pulled him into a kiss.
"I know I cannot see them, but it would be hard being that close. This is better."
The two of them walked back to be with Zixak.
Zixak had set the camera up and had a projection on the wall behind where they would stand. The scene could easily have been the exact spot that Chuck had arrived on the planet, and Chuck commented on that.
"This is the location we selected," Zixak replied.
"Why there?" Chuck asked. "You could've dropped me closer to Grillain."
"Then you would not have met S'ra and had difficulty integrating."
Chuck rolled his eyes. "I suppose the statistics told you that."
"99.1% chance with her and only 21.2% without."
Chuck looked at S'ra. "We were set up on a blind date."
She grinned. "It worked for me."
He laughed. "Me too."
Chuck stood in front of the plain. S'ra stood off to the side, out of view. Chuck nodded to Zixak to start the recording and he gave his starting monologue about missing her but being safe, just unable to return home.
He described his arrival. "I woke up naked on this Orange mossy plain. I quite clearly wasn't on Earth anymore. I instinctively knew I had been pulled across the vastness of space to the planet I had been looking at through the telescope."
He chuckled. "I felt like John Carter arriving on Barsoom. There was another similarity. Gravity is less here so I can jump much further than on Earth. Controlling my walking was harder too.
"Anyway, I didn't like being naked and also wanted to arm myself from threats, so I headed to the forest.I used a sharp stone to cut down leaves from a plant and fashioned a brief-clout. I also made a spear. So, with my stone and spear, I felt braver."
He talked about his initial encounter with S'ra and how beautiful she was and said they became companions first, then boyfriend / girlfriend, then engaged and married.
"I'm going to ask her to join me so you can see her. She asked me to teach her a few words of English so she could say hello, but she will also talk in her own tongue and I will translate."
He beckoned S'ra over. She first reached up and kissed his cheek, then settled down and faced the camera.
She said, slowly, in English, "Hello, Ellie. I am S'ra. I am married to Chuck."
Then, she reverted to her own language and talked at a normal speed, as Chuck translated sentences. "The first time I saw Chuck was when he saved my life from the ixtag. He looked like a barbarian, dressed as he was, but I felt safe with him from the start." She paused and Chuck did the translation.
"I had crashed my flier and needed to walk home. Chuck accompanied me. I taught him our language as we walked. He is a fast learner." Another pause.
"Chuck please translate this exactly," she said to him. "After a day, the clothing Chuck wore was going to fall apart. He needed better clothing. He killed a landic and I skinned it and turned it into leather. I made new shorts and footwear from it. My feelings for this naked savage were increasing and he looked good in his new attire." She paused again. He flushed as he said the words in English.
"We had to cross a mountain range and he got hurt in the process. I had to stitch him up and nurse him. Then, I was attacked by a mountain zryth, and he did the same for me."
"Later, in a forest, we found a river. I needed to wash and he definitely did." She pinched her nose and laughed as he translated that.
"I shaved him and he looked gorgeous. He seemed to think the same about me. We became lovers."
Chuck translated and added. "I knew I was in love by this time, El. It wasn't anything casual."
"We got to my city and my father was trying to marry me to a man I did not know. When I rejected him, he kidnapped me and Chuck came and saved me."
She watched him closely. She felt she would know if he played down his role, but looked as though he had said exactly what she had said. She would have liked to say more, but thought Chuck wouldn't want to.
"Our courtship progressed through engagement and marriage. I love him so very much, Ellie."
Chuck happily translated this and smiled at her using his sister's name while talking in her own language.
She had agreed not to mention the Frakku. However, Zixak stopped the recording.
"She will have to know about the Frakku," Zixak said. "They were why you were selected, Chuck. You will need to tell her that."
Chuck sighed. This was right. He motioned for Zixak to start the recording again.
"I helped the city's defenders defeat a horde of purple savages called the Frakku. Yes, I know. Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it? Me. the least aggressive person you know, going into battle. Well, my throws are further reaching and more accurate than others here. I'm a different person here. I probably wouldn't do it, if it wasn't to protect the woman I love. S'ra means everything to me." He knew he'd have to explain to S'ra what he'd said, but that was done now.
The next part was the start of their honeymoon, something Chuck was happier to relate.
S'ra had been standing next to him with her arm looped inside his and her hand clasping Chuck's. He leaned down and gave her a kiss and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back fiercely. Chuck felt breathless at the end of the kiss and took a moment or two to prepare to talk.
"S'ra agreed to come on a honeymoon to explore with me. This isn't something her people do, but she knows I love it. Back home, I never got the chance, but here, the world is available to be explored. We have seen a lot of sights and even met other peoples. A member of one of those told us that it was not possible to cross the glacier at that pole, but we decided to get as close as we could.
On the way, we crossed a vast sea, skipping from island to island, and reached a forest where we found a tree dwelling people. Beyond that was a pink plain of moss which you will see later. Near the pole, we crossed a mountain range and discovered the people who are enabling this recorded message to get to you."
Chuck stopped at that point and Zixak stopped the recording.
Chuck looked at his friend. "I'd like to start our other recording at this point and narrate over it.
"That is a good plan," Zixak said.
They stopped for lunch at that point.
Once ready, Chuck and S'ra sat and watched the playback and he narrated over it. They both marveled at how good it looked.
He had to spend time talking about the Shaxi and their purpose for bringing him. Zixak said it was alright for him to talk about their role on the planet, too. So, after the initial shot of Chuck and S'ra together, the recording showed Zixak.
"This is my friend Zixak, one of the Shaxi. They look very different to the other species on this planet. That is because they came from another planet over three million years ago. After being here for two million years, they accelerated the evolution of other species, modeling the final versions on what humans were like at that time, over a million years ago. They had been observing us back then, and they felt our form would suit this world well. Consequently, every species we encountered before them were human-like.
"They are great scientists, but also statisticians. They assess scenarios and act on them. They knew that the Frakku were going to wipe out S'ra's species if not stopped and assessed the best way to stop them. They decided to bring someone from Earth and I was determined to be the one to make a difference. I know that sounds crazy. But they were right."
He looked at his beautiful wife and smiled at her. She knew most of his words, but he was about to add something he'd only just found out. "They deliberately dropped me where I would meet S'ra. Statistically, I would only succeed if I was with her. My desire to save her, enabled me to save her people. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. I was pulled across a hundred light years on a blind date!" He chuckled and then added, "Even more amazingly, given my stellar history, the date went well!"
He sobered slightly. "Don't take it badly that all those dates you set me up on failed. None of those women were S'ra, the light of my life." He leaned over and kissed her.
"So, this one-way ticket means I cannot return to Earth, and wouldn't anyway. S'ra would find the gravity too much for her. I'm sorry, El, but I can't ever come back to you." He knew that would be hard to hear, but had to be said.
He talked about how helpful the Shaxi had been, both with the recording and the mechanism for sending the message to her.
He talked again about how he missed his sister, but she should just know that he was safe and happy with the woman he loved, a woman he would never have met if he hadn't come to Retith. He and S'ra were captured embracing and kissing again.
"Love you, El," Chuck finished. "Look after yourselves. I'll be thinking of you."
They would watch the finished message before it was sent, but he was sure that this was as good as it was going to get.
He and S'ra walked back to their dwelling, rather exhausted, but very happy to have got this ready.
After their final viewing, the message would be sent to Ellie.
Chuck hoped she was pleased he was alive and happy for him finding love on this distant planet.
A/N: So, the message is prepared and almost ready to send. What's next for our intrepid couple? Find out in the next chapter.
I hope this message prep wasn't too boring for you all, but it was an important thing for Chuck… and his sister back on Earth.
.
Glossary (pronunciation in brackets)
People:
Altia (Al-Tier) – green skinned woman saved by Chuck
Alurians (Alu-Riens) – human-like people (extinct)
Anzari (Anz-Sari) – golden-skinned people and now creatures
B'rack (Bur-Rack)– S'ra's previous boyfriend (we never meet him)
Budux (Bud-Erks) – human-like people (not encountered)
Chaldir (Charl-Dere) – governor of the city state Grillain
Druxx (Drucks) – human-like people (not encountered)
Durban – (Dur-Ban) Air Sargent helping Chuck
Flack (Flack) – one of the generals under Commander Thrace
Frakku (Frack-Ku) – purple-skinned savages
Garron (Gar-Ron) – S'ra's father
Garee (Gar-Ree) – human-like people (not encountered)
Gralik (Grar-Lick) – second son of Praid
Ikstra (Ik-Strar) –name of the green-skinned people that include the Langsta and Xaksta
Kaldik (Cal-tick) – son of Commander Thrace
Kzaax (CrZar-Acks) – human-like people (not encountered)
Langsta (Lang-Ster) – tribe of green-skinned people encountered
Nulk (Nulk) – human-like people (not encountered)
Pal'na (Paal-Nar) – wife of Chaldir
Pradur (Prar-door) – Pale-blue-skinned people
Praid (Pray-Id) – governor of the city state Sanklin
Priliur (Pri-Loor) – human-like people (not encountered)
R'lna (Rul-Nah) – wife of Praid
Renari (Ren-Eri) –name of S'Ra's people
S'mia (Sur-Mere) – S'ra's mother
S'ra (Sur-Rah) – first person Chuck Bartowski meets on the new planet
Shaxi (Shack-Si) – people who live at the southern pole
Silva (Silver) – woman leading the Langsta tribe of friendly green-skinned people
Slxurx (Serx-Coorcs) – human-like people (not encountered)
Tald (TarlD) – first son of Prad
Thrace (Thrase) – military commander of the city state Grillain
Thurgar (Ther-Gar) – warrior of the green-skinned people
Traada (Trar-dar) – leader of the Pradur settled on Graflir island
Vertuk (Ver-Took) – human-like people (not encountered)
Verzian (Verr-iss-ien) – chief astronomer in Sanklin
Xaksta (Zack-Ster) – warlike tribe of green-skinned people
Xarux (Zar-Rurcs) – Shaxi scientist
Xkard (Cs-Xerd) – human-like people (not encountered)
Zixak (Zik-zak) – one of the Shaxi people
.
Plants and animals:
Clarek (Clar-Rek) – plant that produces leaves that people use to clean themselves
Conith (Con-Eeth) – leaves of this plant produce fast-acting, healing liquids
Deak (Dee-Ack) – small plants that manage to grow in the crevasses of rocks in the mountain ranges
Grakxar (Grak-zar) – Piranha-like fish
Gritch (Grit-Ch)– flesh of this plant used to clean teeth and breath
Ixtag (Eecs-Tag) – black-colored predator that live in forests
Krattak (Crat-tark) – terrifying, huge sea creature
Landic (Land-Ick) – deer-like herbivore
Pake (PayK) – plant, the flesh contains pain-killing properties and is used for that purpose
Ritti (Rit-Tee) – small yellow birds
Vetia (Vet-Ia) – leaves of this plant very flexible and used by Chuck to cover himself. Sap burns people from the planet but didn't affect him
Xaxic (Zacks-Ick) – foul smelling leaves of this plant used to ward off predators
Xynth (Zinth)– flying predator
Zryth (Zreeth) – stone-colored cat-like predator. Related to the ixtag
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Places:
Angarz (Ang-Garz) – the golden city
Caspan (Caz-Pan) – sea near Grillain
Flarzere (Flarz-Zere) - southern jungles
Garverd (Gar-Vert) - mountain range
Graflir (Graph-Lear) – main island in the chain near Angarz city
Grillain (Grill-Ain) – city state S'ra comes from
Kazmar (Kaz-Marr) – southern-most mountains
Niteth (Nee-Teth) – largest of three moons that circle the planet
Pallain (Pall-Lain) – neighboring city state
Retith (Ret-Teeth) – the planet Chuck was now on
Sanklin (Sank-Lin) – city state governed by Praid
Shaxi (Shack-Si) – glaciers at the southern pole
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Other:
Bract (Br-Act) – nutritious bars carried to eat when access to other food hard to achieve
Chendia (Chen-Dere) – powerful anesthetic, like chloroform
Flaxik (Flack-sic) – new drug created to induce ovulation
Merriclat (Merry-clat) - device for rebuilding and repairing lungs