Gemma O'Donoghue

Prologue

Of the fourteen Scencian species, the Zal’oni were the most despised. As a race, they stood as testament to the adage that beauty is only skin deep – on the surface they appeared elegant with long, slender limbs, flowing pastel hair and radiant skin. However, when roused, their bodies engorged, nails hardening to claws and teeth elongating into fangs for a brief period of time, to deter any threat. In the common tongue, they were referred to as ‘slavers’, pronounced with as much distaste as if one had discovered maggots inside a half-consumed piece of fruit.

Although slavery of Hearan species was common practice, and necessary for both colony maintenance and sources of entertainment, trade of the Fourteen was frowned upon. But this was the Zal’oni’s speciality. They purchased potentially profitable Scencian to sell on at high prices. As with many terrible practices the universe over, for every person who condemned the Zal’oni, there were equal numbers who would use their services.

And so, business was booming.

Part of their success was owed to amendments to universal travel laws. Over two decades ago, these laws were extended to include the Zal’oni’s spacecraft, and they were allowed unimpeded passage through any quadrant under order of the then-Ru-Drai commander, Meren a’Nguyen. From that time, attacks on their craft reduced significantly and Zal’oni felt comfortable enough to travel with smaller armed escorts. This freed up space on board their ships for live cargo.

One such Zal’oni carrier ship, belonging to the trader Xa, glided through space. Its tapered front and sleek exterior gave the impression of eel-like fluidity, as if the craft would be capable of changing course at the last second to avoid any obstacle. Today, the ship was fully laden with cargo, and its owner could not risk a breach. Arguably the most successful trader of them all, Xa had recently acquired a sizable hoard from the Tehlanians, and even with the initial cost they were well worth the money he’d paid.

The Tehlanians were a large, hardy race with a high resale value. This was because they could be given challenging work for lengthy periods of time, and perform tasks that droids could not accomplish. They were also useful for entertainment purposes, as the males were particularly violent and their fights spectacular. Females of this race could pass for human, so similar were their outward likenesses, but the males looked quite different. They were larger and bulkier, often reaching seven feet tall, and their faces had an animal-like quality that the females lacked. Their noses were wide and muzzle-like and their eyes were set deeply into their faces.

However, a Tehlanian’s real value lay in their blood. Flexible oblong-shaped platelets named ‘darkin’ coursed through their bloodstream alongside other usual hematocytes, invigorating them with the ability to morph the outside world beyond natural means. This ability manifested in three forms – combative, ethereal, or healing darkin, though a few rare individuals possessed two or more types. Darkin abilities could be moulded and controlled by slave-owners with sukri rings – metal cuffs secured around the slave’s neck and wrists, which barred them from using their skills unless directly instructed. The rings also monitored the individual for aggressive thoughts and feelings towards their owners and would automatically punish a slave for these sentiments, working as an effective method of keeping the individual in check.

In his ship’s plush control room, Xa reclined on a chaise longue. His golden robes overlapped either side of his seat, and his small, pink mouth pursed while he reviewed recent items put on sale by his rivals on the monitor suspended above his armrest. He looked up and smiled, watching his employees industriously piloting the vessel and setting their course back to their home planet. A moment passed and Xa clicked his fingers imperiously. A server hastened over with a drink. He took the glass then dismissed her casually with a wave of his hand. She hurried away to stand unobtrusively by the wall, partly hidden by a drape hanging from the ceiling. Xa took a sip of the honeyed liquid and smacked his lips.

“My instincts usually prove correct,” he sighed contently.

His advisors had warned that this trip would be a wasted journey, but how wrong they had been. He resolved to dismiss them on his return to their home planet.

Tehlanians were always looking to expand their influence in the universe, and every attempt to conquer new colony planets invariably drained their resources. An experienced slaver like Xa knew that, if timed well, many Tehlanians would be ready to sell their kin for quick money to fund their campaign – and their most recent colonisation was no different. He had swooped in at the perfect moment, when those in charge had come into difficulties and needed more funds.

And what a hoard he had swooped!

Tehlanians had scarcely been on the market for a few months and the demand for them was already great. His new commodities would sell quickly. At the prospect of money, Xa’s thoughts turned to the jewel in the crown – a girl bought from the Feyrenz clan, who were located in the far north of their planet. Her parents called her ‘Svetsuyyavena’ but like all slaves she had been given a number upon her capture, and now answered to ‘393’.

She possessed a rare combative darkin that manifested in combustion. He would fetch a high price for her, the amount he paid the parents just a fraction of his projected profit. Once he returned to his home planet, he would put all his cargo on sale and leave her until last, letting anticipation mount, perhaps even giving demonstrations of her abilities to potential buyers. The final sale price would be colossal.

Xa settled into his seat and smiled at that thought. A high price indeed.

***

A month into their journey, the girl in question awoke unexpectedly from stasis. Blinking her long eyelashes, she felt sleep gradually leaving her body and became aware of her surroundings.

Her reflection stared back at her from the glass wall of her capsule – a pale face surrounded by a mop of black hair reaching down to her chest, and a skinny body. Looking past this image she saw several other capsules beyond her own, all containing children, though she recognised none of them.

Inside her capsule, the girl felt unbearably warm, and she started to struggle against the restraints holding her upright. Sensing movement, the chamber unfastened her bindings and retracted them into the cushions that supported her. With her arms free, 393 slapped the glass and shouted to get the guard’s attention. A mauve-haired Zal’oni ambled over, frowning slightly and unlocking the door. She stepped out into the slightly cooler room and thanked him.

Then the guard made a cutting motion with his hands. Her sukri rings activated and she dropped to the ground in agony. A pale green light consumed her body. She grimaced, baring her teeth. Where there might have been stubby canines and first premolars, as is normal for human beings, there were fangs.

Once the pain stopped, the guard spoke in the common tongue. “393, you are not allowed to address anyone unless asked. Now I need to speak to maintenance to locate another capsule for you. Until that time, sit quietly and stay out of my way.”

A crease formed between the girl’s eyebrows – her understanding of the common tongue was imperfect, and in nearly ten years of life, this was her first contact with slavers. She could sense the guard’s annoyance though and she moved to the far wall, where a porthole window displayed a view of a vivid blue and white planet. Briefly glancing sidelong at the guard, she checked to see if he was watching her. He wasn’t. She folded her arms over the windowsill and marvelled at the beauty of the planet below. So magnificent. Resting her chin on her palms, she wondered if Rkin looked like that from above.

Briefly, the view was disturbed by a flickering black shadow.

She blinked, and the shade disappeared.

***

Another hour elapsed before the door finally slid open.

“It’s about time,” the guard muttered.

393’s eyes widened when he turned to her and called her forward. The guard raised his hand, intending to repeat the cutting motion to activate her manacles.

In the Zal’oni language, the newcomer blurted, “Don’t you dare!”

The guard spun around. 393 let out a small whoop of joy.

A Tehlanian boy, about fifteen years old, stepped into the room. In one hand, he held a long knife and in the other, a severed Zal’oni hand that he had clearly used to gain access to this area. He tossed it casually at the guard. The boy’s armour was black without any recognisable insignia and his helmet rested back on the crown of his head, revealing a craggy, tanned face. His expression twisted in anger when he looked at 393, clearly observing the sukri rings around her neck and wrists. Then, three more men joined him, all wearing similar dark armour. They looked to the youth for their next directive.

As they did, the guard scrambled for his weapon. At point blank range, he should have killed the Tehlanian boy, but the youth’s luck held. The shot went wide and hit the unfortunate soldier beside him instead. A fraction of a second later, the leader flung his blade forwards. It embedded itself in the guard’s face and he folded backwards.

Shock made 393 immobile. Her sharp, green eyes were staring, wide with fright at the body on the floor.

“Grab her,” the leader instructed. He knelt and checked the pulse of his fallen comrade then shook his head.

A stockier soldier approached the guard and shot his owner’s sukri ring, which enabled him to control a slave’s sukri and was also worn around his neck. This action disabled 393’s fetters. Casually, the soldier picked her up and carried her over his shoulder.

The other young man stood in the doorway, peering around the edge to check the corridor outside. He said to his leader, “They’ve barricaded both sides, Orfeo.”

“They have?” Orfeo replied, while systematically stripping his dead companion of weapons and attaching the extra blasters to his own armour. He joined the warrior by the door and quickly checked that this was true then the pair retreated inside. “I expected to have a few more minutes before they did that. Never mind. It can’t be helped. We’ll just have to use another rovlin and force our way to the landing area.”

He unclipped a circular plate from his side and the device popped up in his hand to form a perfect sphere. Carefully placing it on the floor, the rovlin animated and rolled out of the room of its own accord. With guns aloft, the trio rushed after it.

Just short of the mesh barricade and steel door behind it, the rovlin exploded. Having misjudged the force of the bomb, the Tehlanians were knocked off their feet and landed heavily. The thick steel door blasted backwards, taking its frame with it, and opening the passage.

Momentarily stunned, the men stood up groggily, using the walls for support. The man who was holding 393 had sustained damage to his leg in the blast and he limped noticeably when they continued. The remains of several Zal’oni were plastered across the area, too. Unfazed, the men climbed over the wreckage and onwards.

Up ahead, at the far end of the passageway, Orfeo spotted a handful of Zal’oni desperately trying to activate the next barricade. Five of them knelt and took aim. The Tehlanians darted to the nearest entranceway for refuge before shots were fired.

In the safety of the archway, the stocky warrior let 393 down and cracked open a vial of clear fluid, pouring it over his injured leg. He grimaced in pain but did not cry out as the flesh sizzled shut.

Meanwhile, Orfeo let the group know his plan. “I’m going to use the last rovlin, so hopefully that’ll get rid of most of them. Slavers are cowards. They haven’t got many guards, and these are probably the last opponents we’ll face until the nearest Ru-Drai vessel arrives, and that’s a couple of hours away. We’ve enough time to get to the landing bay. We just need to get to the level below, then we’re out.”

Then to 393 he said, “Can you walk?”

She nodded, playing with a lock of hair, tugging it over her mouth.

Again, Orfeo bowled a bomb towards the enemy. Having seen the results of the first rovlin, the Zal’oni frantically tried to explode the device from a distance. However, it resisted their blasts. The Zal’oni may have been many things, but they were not warriors, and they all scarpered.

Unfortunately for them, this only encouraged the rovlin to speed up. The bomb activated as it reached a retreating straggler, creating another hole in the passage.

This time the Tehlanians kept their distance until the shaking subsided. Then, the three warriors darted ahead with weapons in hand, while 393 trailed slightly behind. The force of the explosion created an entrance to the level beneath and the men decided to jump through the gap, seeing as the floor was just ten feet below.

Orfeo leapt first and rolled, followed by the other two warriors. Peering over the edge, 393 thought it looked a long way down. Seeing her hesitation, Orfeo holstered his guns and held his arms out to her. Without another thought she jumped. He caught her easily and lowered her down.

Wordlessly, they continued down the passage. Their way was unimpeded by the Zal’oni, who had clearly decided to wait for Ru-Drai assistance before engaging them again. As 393 fought to keep pace with the rest of the group, her sharp green eyes darted around for danger, and with every step forward hope grew in her chest. Freedom.

Orfeo glanced over his shoulder, saw her flagging and doubled back. He took her hand in his and their palms prickled at the contact.

“Come on, Svets,” he said, using her old nickname. “Just a little further.”

Svets, she thought. Yes. That was my name.

Ahead, the corridor sloped downwards and before flaring out drastically into a cavernous space. The landing bay. Numerous spacecrafts, ranging from fifty-seaters down to two-seaters, were lined up along the metallic mesh floor.

A team of small droids were repairing one of the fifty-seaters, and paid the group no attention as they passed. Clearly, the robots were programmed solely to attend to damaged vessels.

Beyond the lines of spacecrafts, a thin neon membrane covered an opening into the void outside. Svets imagined that this veil was to prevent passengers from being sucked into the abyss and shuddered.

The group sprinted towards a couple of odd-looking vessels. The largest was U-shaped and covered in panels like a pangolin, and its plates lifted slightly in the breeze. A breeze, Svets noticed, which was created by the overhead generators that were maintaining the temperature in the landing bay. Next to it sat a tubular two-person vessel, with similar overlapping scales and a wide window showing crimson seats inside. The smaller vessel’s front hinged upwards.

When the group reached these spacecrafts, two of the warriors stopped and stood guard a short way away from Orfeo and Svets, allowing them a moment of privacy.

Orfeo knelt in front of his friend so that they were at eye level with each other, and the pair rubbed noses.

Everyone at home had found their friendship peculiar – their age difference was considerable. Normally taciturn, Orfeo had taken to Svets because her talents nearly equalled his own, and because she actually spoke to him. Most of his peers simply deferred to everything he said. She, in search of companionship and the acceptance that she lacked at home, responded to him like no other and thought of him as the brother she should have always had.

Finally finding her voice, the girl asked, “How did you find me here, Feo? I thought they took me in secret.”

“It was your teacher who tipped me off, of all people. He found out and… well, not to put too fine a point on it, but since he’s a cripple, there’s not much he could do about it himself. He knew that I’d spring into action.”

“Because of the – you know…” she barely murmured. “The khmerate?”

The khmerate was an archaic ceremony in which two Tehlanians were joined by the sharing of blood, to acquire the other’s darkin along with their own. Svets and Orfeo had told no one else about the ceremony because it could be risky – an enemy could use the khmerate link to hurt them both.

“No… Not just that,” he replied.

After a pause, Svets spoke again. “Are you taking me with you? Back to Rkin?”

“Not yet.” He drew her into his arms and whispered in her ear. “You need to lie low for a while. I can’t protect you on Rkin now. Your family’s influence is too great – they will have me killed for sure, and they’ll sell you again. And you’d be in the same position as before, only this time, no one will save you.”

The boy typed a simple code into his wristband and set the smaller vessel’s destination. He undid the wristband and clipped it over Svets’ deactivated handcuff.

“I’ve set the ship to take you to Xand lan Sador. Once you’re there, you need to ask for Rino sa-Tehsuden – he’s a distant relative of mine. He’s lived on that planet since he was a kid and cares little about Rkin. Tell him Orfeo is calling in a favour and he’ll take you in without question. Got it?” He sighed deeply and didn’t wait for Svets to reply. “There’ll be chaos when they find out that you’ve disappeared. That Zal’oni trader jerk will demand his money back and I know they’ll monitor me for a while. After a year or two, once everything dies down, then I will visit – but until that point, we both need to lie low. Not draw unnecessary attention to ourselves. OK?”

He wiped a strand of hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. They hugged again.

“I’m going to miss you, Orfeo,” she said into his shoulder.

“Two years will pass quickly enough.” Squeezing her hard, he added, “I’ll miss you, too.”

Finally, the urgency of the alarms forced them apart. Intelligence indicated that a large team of Ru-Drai were rapidly approaching, and they only had a narrow window of time to escape. Svets stepped into the smaller spacecraft and watched as Feo’s nimble hands helped with the harness’ fastenings.

With heavy hearts, the pair kept eye contact as her vessel sealed shut and its windows blanked out. It rose above the warriors’ heads and with a roar, shot out through the membrane and disappeared into the darkness of space.

Orfeo stood staring after the ship, until one of his teammates grabbed his arm and urged him into their vessel, so that they too could make their escape.

Chapter 1 – The Crash

Red lights flashed everywhere inside the ship, giving it an air of panic. The alarm screeched and increased in volume until it reached unbearable levels. As the stasis sleepiness wore off, Svets became aware of her surroundings, and she immediately understood that the ship had halted out of necessity rather than because it had reached its destination.

Inside, the odour of pretamri was overpowering. She was hanging upside down, her inky hair dripping into a pool on the ceiling, blood rushing to her head making her ears pound. She didn’t need the ship’s systems to be online to know that something had gone drastically wrong.

Undoing the harness, Svets fell awkwardly with her face pressed to the window, her right leg catching on a control level. When she righted herself, she reached up and pressed a switch marked ‘RELEASE’. An ineffective whirring sounded amongst the tumult. Svets sighed.

With as much force as she could muster in the confined space, she lashed out and kicked at the door. The vessel rolled over. There was a soft gush of air indicating that the seal had been compromised. Svets kicked again, and the door gave way entirely, plopping out onto what looked like wet clay.

With a cry, Svets threw herself out of the craft and scrambled away from the ship on all fours, her boots sliding on the slippery ground. Wherever she was, it was dark. Pitch black, almost. She was aware that the atmospheric composition of this unknown location had not been checked before leaving the vehicle, but considering she could already breathe easily, she guessed she was going to be OK.

Soon the girl reached the bottom of a cliff, a hundred metres from the vessel. She perched on a mound of shingle, broken bricks and piping until her breathing slowed and the adrenaline eased from her body. From this distance, Svets watched as the ship caught fire and a thin plume of smoke was emitted from the open doorway. It was still making a lot of noise. Lights flashing from the craft took away her night vision every few seconds but, in the spaces between, Svets saw that she was sat on a beach. But unlike the stretches of black sand she was used to on Rkin, this place had concrete structures half-submerged all along it. The landscape’s natural features were more familiar to her. Past the furrowed seaweed-covered clay, speckled with seashells, she could see the tide darkly rippling in the distance.

She looked up.

Above, the cliff was steep and insurmountable from this angle. Chips of soil and rock crumbled sporadically, cartwheeling to the ground and adding to the rubble around her. Further along the beach, a set of steps led upwards, curving around and disappearing behind a cliff outcrop, then re-emerging ten metres higher. Craning her neck to see the top of the cliff, she noticed a line of trees perilously near to its edge and a wooden fence half-heartedly preventing them from falling. The air carried a saltiness and a strong, unpleasant animal-like smell, the source perhaps hidden somewhere on the beach.

Svets’ attention returned to the ship as the alarm took on another, distinct rhythm – two long beeps followed by a quick one. This meant only one thing. It was about to explode.

Startled, Svets snapped to her feet and sprinted as fast as she could, her boots sinking in the shingle, heading towards the steps. She had almost reached them when a huge eruption threw her into the air, and she landed hard on her stomach. Shingle, clay, and sand were disturbed and eradiated like a wave, moving in every direction away from the vessel. Svets hugged her head in her arms and was smothered by it.

A long moment passed and the ground settled. Gasping for air, she re-emerged, violently rubbing the sand from her face and spitting some out of her mouth. Sitting on her haunches, Svets wiped down her arms and clothes with her hands, then ruffled her hair and shook out the debris.

After that, she looked back to check the damage. Scorched ground had replaced the ship. Around it, shingle, sand, and clay formed an uneven moat, six foot in places and barely a foot in another. A few pieces from the metal exterior had landed around the beach, but none near her; most appeared to have been blasted into the sea. On the tideline, there a few lumps of twisted metal which were being licked by the waves already. The rest was gone.

Feeling self-pity well up inside her, Svets burst into tears and curled up into a ball. Orfeo didn’t know she was here on this backwater, uncharted planet. She was all alone. And now that the ship was gone, there was no way for anyone to track her. Her desolate weeping was swallowed by the cliff walls. Never, even in her darkest moments, had she felt more vulnerable, and she cried until her eyes reddened and throat became sore.

When only raking sobs remained, she lay on her back and looked up at the stars. Hours passed. The pinpricks of light remained so very remote.

Before long, basic needs overtook the luxury of grief. Thirst roused her and the sea air made her mouth dry. There was a puddle nearby. She squatted and scooped some up in her palms and after taking a sip, promptly spat it out. Trying another pool a short way off, she found more of the same – salt water, undrinkable. She should have known from the briny smell of the air, the fine film of salt on her lips. Thirst forced her onwards to the cliff steps.

It may be unchartered, but there seems to be some type of intelligent life here, she thought. There are a few unnatural features in this landscape. These steps, for example. A flicker of hope sparked in her breast. Walking slowly, she headed up the stairs, glancing back every so often to where the destroyed ship lay.

Finding fresh water and food sat highest on her agenda, closely followed by finding shelter. Of the first two, food was easier to address. At the top of the cliff, a tree-lined dirt path led through to a field containing small, furry creatures which were nibbling on grass and dandelions. At this distance and due to the wind direction, they did not catch her scent.

Creeping along the ground, Svets approached them. The animals did not stir. She crept closer and they continued to feed. Suddenly, one lifted its head. Svets stopped and did not move for a minute. The animal settled down and its companions remained oblivious.

Then, in a rapid motion, she lunged forward and jumped on the nearest creature. It slipped out of her grasp and into the apparent safety of the bush. Uncaring, she leapt into the brambles after it and managed to catch hold of the animal’s foot, then pulled it out and promptly wrung its neck. It went limp. Relieved, she ate it raw. The flesh was warm and delicious, and it supressed her thirst too.

From the undergrowth, a pair of eyes watched her. Svets frowned as they moved, transforming into a flash of orange fur. She snarled at the animal that had appeared, baring her fangs. The animal yelped and disappeared.

When she was sated, the girl flung the carcass into the undergrowth in the direction of the orange animal. It could have the leftovers, she thought, as she stood up and carried on walking.

The sky soon started to brighten, and a pre-dawn mist descended onto the fields. Suddenly, a series of high-pitched chirping sounds filled the air. The noise confused the girl, and she frantically looked around for the source, mouth open and nose tilted upwards. Whatever was making the sound, it didn’t smell predatory. In any case, she started to feel tired and decided to seek shelter.

In the next field, another grey, stone-like bunker was nestled in the long grass and seemed to Svets like a promising hiding place. She was ready to sleep inside, until she crossed the threshold and smelt the acidic aroma of urine. Unsure if its owner would return, she continued walking.

A forest framed the next field, the leafy trees and dense undergrowth around them offering considerable cover. Pushing through the shrubs and ignoring the prickles against her bare arms, Svets approached a silver-white tree with a lot of interweaving branches in the canopy. The lowest branch was seven feet from the ground. Svets bounded up the trunk, stabbing her nails into the bark, and shimmied up to grab the branch easily. She pulled herself up until she reached a point where the branches grew so densely that they would offer a net-like protection; there, she squeezed onto the highest branch able to support her weight.

Svets settled down and thought of home and of Orfeo. He said he would find me, she thought, and he’s not one to forget a promise. Love etched his solemn features and earnest brown eyes into her brain, and she could see him as clearly as if he were still with her. She remembered his final embrace, which had been so warm and so tight it squeezed her ribs. He couldn’t have known the ship’s fuel was leaking – pretamri was self-generating and only needed replacing if there was a breach in the fuel tank.

And so, she was here… wherever here was.

Though it was warm, Svets wrapped her arms around herself and drew her knees up, so she was as small as possible. Resting at last, she shut her eyes. Her sleep was deep and dreamless.

***

Voices brought her out of her rest hours later.

Through the canopy, she squinted at a couple of people on the ground below. They looked warmly dressed, in woollen outerwear and rubbery boots. For a moment, she thought they were Tehlanian – then she remembered that they couldn’t possibly be. They weren’t Scencian at all, as she would recognise all the Fourteen. She assumed that they must be an undiscovered Hearan species instead.

The two figures walked down the path towards the steps to the beach, followed closely by a small, scruffy animal with a fluorescent ball in its mouth. They laughed at something, and this noise carried back up to the treetops.

It was full daylight now and the brightness hurt Svets’ eyes. Overhead the sun sparkled, and the sky was cobalt blue with a few wispy clouds. Small dark birds flew over in a staggered arrow formation.

Deftly, Svets climbed down the trunk of the tree and waded through the undergrowth. Before leaving the treeline, she looked in either direction. It was safe to emerge, she decided.

As she continued along the dirt path, Svets stayed close to the forest, ready to dive into the shrubs if the need arose. Soon, the track split in two. She chose the left-hand pathway.

Just then, an animal barked behind her. Svets turned around and was startled as a large black creature came bounding in her direction. It jumped up – in a friendly way, Svets thought, though the fur on its feet and legs was matted and wet. She shoved it away, but it leapt back up.

The creature’s owner approached her, speaking a language Svets did not understand. Still, the sound of her voice was reassuring. She grabbed the animal’s collar and re-clipped its leash. Then, she bent down and let the animal lick her face as she ruffled its ears.

While the woman was distracted, Svets crept around them then sprinted off.

She continued along the path until it opened out into another field. About four hundred metres away stood a large tower with several erratically spaced narrow windows and she noticed a few dots of colour at the top. More people, Svets thought. They seemed to be looking out and admiring the view, pointing at the landscape around them. Near its base was an outlet selling some sort of food and drink, with a few tables and chairs outside.

Thirst drew Svets towards them. There were more people here, sat at the tables, drinking and eating. She watched them with particular interest, observing newcomers and the lady who brought over cups of hot liquids. Casually, Svets sat down at the furthest table from the building and listened. Though the words were entirely alien, Svets thought the pronunciation and tone of this language could be copied – perhaps it might be possible to learn and speak it fluently. Only time would tell.

She watched a family sat a couple of tables along, who left without finishing their drinks. Before the server could clear them away, Svets snatched the bottles and systematically drank all of them, starting off with the clear water and finishing with the fizzy black stuff. The latter was a bit weird and made her empty stomach gurgle.

Someone approached her, then, and she turned as they began to ask her incomprehensible questions. Their tone sounded friendly enough, so Svets stayed put. She squinted up at the speaker – a woman with short, iron-grey hair and pink-tinged cheeks, as if she’d exerted herself just a short while before. In response, Svets’ belly spoke for her, letting off a noisy gurgle.

The women seemed to understand what this noise meant, and momentarily, she went inside the building. She soon re-emerged with a plate of triangular-shaped food and a cup of hot liquid. Svets picked up a triangle, licked it and took a nibble from one corner. It tasted nice, so she quickly gobbled down the rest. When the liquid was cool enough, she took a sip and drank that down, too.

The woman made a noise of surprise and smiled.

Svets picked up the plate and gestured for more, a request which the server complied with. After Svets demolished the second round of food, the server handed her an item with two round, dark lenses; she looked through them and found that they made things look amber-tinted. The woman helped Svets to place them on her face and instantly, she found it easier to see.

A moment passed, and the woman patted Svets’ shoulder reassuringly before walking away, leaving the girl alone. By now, the number of visitors to the tower had sharply increased, and a queue of people came snaking out of the door.

Time to move on.

As Svets walked, people gave her funny looks. She was painfully aware that her outfit stood out. Dark purple slacks nipped in at her waist, dirty and ripped at the knees, black ankle boots, thin shackles around her wrist and neck, and twigs in her unruly mop of hair. And now, the amber lenses from the kind woman she had just met, too.

A vehicle rushed past her then and almost knocked her down. It beeped and the noise startled Svets. She darted onto a smaller path that wound through long grass until it connected to another road, which she sauntered down until the road split.

Traffic here was more substantial, as was the volume of people. Several vehicles beeped at her; someone yelled angrily from the open window of one. Adjusting her course, she walked towards the beach, peeping over a wall to observe the people sat on the slither of remaining sand. A number of children darted in and out of the water, screaming excitedly while adults lay in the sun.

Svets found it easier to walk along the seafront, away from the cars and the noise.

Several minutes later, she arrived at a town. On the beach, the crowds had increased, and Svets made her way over to a long, wooden structure – a walkway of some kind - that sat over the sand ahead. Sturdy wooden pillars held it far above the turbulent tide, and a flat-roofed yellow and red building sat beside a boardwalk that led towards the horizon. Close by were flashing signs and machines that were whooping and whirring, young people loitering beside them.

Smattered along the seafront, people ate yellow-brown sticks of food from paper bags. Large birds swooped down and snatched these wrappers from the bins, dropping some of the contents and flying away with the rest. Svets’ stomach growled again. She grabbed a bag and ate some of the cold, soggy contents. Finding that it had a pungent, vinegary taste, she spat it out in disgust. Instead, she emptied the bag onto the floor, deciding to use the contents as bait. When a bird confidently waddled over, Svets snatched it up and quickly rang its neck.

Around her, people cried out in shock. Svets darted away to a secluded area behind a hut and ate the bird raw.

Chapter 2 – Exploration by the Sea

Svets spent an exciting afternoon expanding her contact with the locals. She played with human children, running in and out of the sea, but avoided the adults. Nostalgically cold, the sea reminded her of the frigid waters near her family’s home, where she used to swim with her older brother and sister. They’d usually soak until their skin turned blue and fingers shrivelled – these were some of the few good memories that she had of her former home.

When she was done with the water, she lay on the stone steps waiting for the sun to dry her clothes and watched people make structures out of sand. One pretentious fellow sculpted a figure beside the breakwater but when he had nearly finished, his kids rushed over and trampled on it. Svets laughed as she watched him usher his giggling children away and try to fix the damage.

As the sky gradually transformed into a vibrant mix of scarlet and violet, Svets decided to continue her journey. She ambled along the promenade by the seafront past the rows of wooden huts, colours ranging from the drab to the dazzling, while on her other side, behind the sea wall, the tide was on its way out again. The evening was still and only a slight breeze rolled in off the sea. The smell of frying meat filled the air, and Svets sniffed at it longingly.

Further along the promenade, a few boys kicked a ball around. The boys’ parents called them over and they obliged, the youngest picking up their ball. Uncertain about where to go next, Svets opted to follow them at a distance as they trudged up a ramp.

Earlier this concrete stretch was full of vehicles, but now gaps had formed as people left. As this family got into their vehicle, the mother glanced over her shoulder, and Svets stopped abruptly. She changed her mind about approaching them and decided it was safer to take her chances alone.

Beyond the strip of vehicles were more buildings. These were fronted by a brick tower and what smelt like a restaurant of some kind, with a narrow road running between them. It was getting late now. As Svets sauntered along the parade of dark buildings, their doors all closed, she felt people’s eyes on her again and heard their sniggers as they passed. She felt self-conscious of her unusual appearance. It must be the sukri rings, she thought, but they are impossible to remove by hand.

At the end of the street, she noticed people leaving one building with colourful items in their bags. A place that sells food, maybe, she thought. She veered inside, and found she was correct. Taking her time, she moseyed down the aisles, scanning the shelves for something resembling food and finally finding a triangular section. She snuck a few packets under her top before darting outside. A person in uniform called after her, but Svets was already running flat out, sprinting down the pavement and then diving down a side road, before slipping through the fence of a deserted playground.

Pausing to catch her breath, Svets looked around and saw that no-one had followed her, so she sat down on a swing and ate her food. Once she’d finished, she let the swing sway gently of its own accord and waited until night fell in earnest before continuing.

***

Svets sat on the side of the road with her head in her hands, fed up with walking and the incomprehensible jeers from passers-by. Despite it being the dead of night, the traffic was considerable here. Big and small vehicles whizzed past, rumbled the ground and kicked up dust. Grit flung from under the wheels and stung Svets' skin like insect bites. She shuffled further up the verge and the onslaught eased. Still, she felt exhausted – both mentally and physically drained.

Vaguely, she became aware of a vehicle pulling over nearby. It passed her and parked a short way off. The door opened and a tall gentleman got out. Initially he went over to the bushes to urinate, but once he had finished, he startled when he saw Svets sitting there. He approached and bent down with a groan, then asked her a question.

Svets raised her eyes, still no closer to understanding the language of this place, and simply stared at the man through her amber glasses as he repeated his words. At this proximity, she could see deep grooves in the skin of his forehead and around his eyes and mouth. His hair was sparse on top and thicker at the ears, and his tone of voice seemed concerned. He glanced around and then said something else.

There was another pause. Then, inspiration hit, and the man straightened up and gestured pronouncedly, fully extending his arm, and pointing back the way she had come. Then he pointed in the other direction, before exaggeratedly shrugging his shoulders and raising his eyebrows.

He wants to know where I’m going, Svets thought. So do I. Best I just choose a direction and stick with it.

She stood up, indicated forward and said, “Rgeith svegneh,” that way - in her native language.

He nodded and gestured towards his car, then started to move towards it. When Svets did not immediately follow, he turned around and beckoned her again.

She frowned. I must interact with these people and try to learn the language, she thought. It’s the only way I’ll have a chance to get off this planet. However, there was something niggling her about his motivations, about why he was willing to help her so readily. Strangers did not help one another on Rkin; even with one’s own family, assistance was not guaranteed. No one was kind for kindness’ sake – everyone had an agenda. This man’s behaviour seemed odd to her and that feeling did not leave, even as the man opened the passenger door and helped her inside.

Hesitantly, she sunk into the soft passenger seat, while the man closed the door behind her. Locks on the windows and doors shunted into place. He sat down in the driver’s seat and said something else, then reached across and clipped a belt over Svets’ chest, holding her in place.

Settling into his chair, he pointed at himself and repeated one word a few times. Svets guessed that it might be his name, but she didn’t reply. She just wanted him to drive her somewhere else. A few moments passed, then he turned on the vehicle and they began to move.

These unfamiliar vibrations made Svets uncomfortable. Before stasis took hold, her ship’s flight had been so smooth that if you’d shut your eyes, you’d think it was stationary. So backward. Their technology is so basic, she thought, still feeling wary of the man next to her. Her hands gripped the seat tightly, and she remained sitting rigidly upright.

The vehicle picked up speed to match the traffic. A while later, the man turned off the busy road and stopped a derelict-looking building, parking beside a gate. They were in a rural area with nothing else nearby – only a thick forest of trees which sprawled along the right-hand side of the dirt track.

The man said something to Svets and then left the vehicle, leaving her inside. It seemed that he wanted her to wait for him to return. She watched as his figure moved towards the solitary building, and shuddered. This feels wrong, she thought, and decided it was time to be alone again.

A moment later, she darted from the car and into the thicket, the leaves rustling softly behind her. By the time the man returned, Svets was long gone.

***

After arriving on Earth, Svets quickly came to associate trees with sleep and security. One morning, having made a large-trunked tree her bed for the night, she awoke with a wide yawn just as dawn’s rays hit the leaves. She stretched and felt something press against her chest. Something warm. It smelt familiar. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of amber ones staring back.

It was a small creature, which then made a purring noise and moved a little away from her onto a branch. Its fur was mostly black, with white tufts on its chest and paws; around its neck it wore a green collar with a little silver bell dangling from it. The animal looked at her without fear. Briefly, she wondered if it were edible, but before she could grab it, the animal nuzzled against her leg and purred again. She laughed.

“You’re a cute little thing,” she told it, as she sat up properly.

This action startled the animal and it jumped to a branch below. It leapt to the next one and progressed until it reached the ground and waited by the base of the trunk, licking its front paw. Half jumping and half climbing, the girl quickly reached the ground too.

Moving further into the glade to give herself more space, she decided to stretch. First, she lifted her arms, reached towards the cloudless sky, and bent forward, hearing a satisfying click then easily touched the floor, palms down. She repeated the action several times. Next, she twisted at her waist until her muscles felt looser and then just for the sake of it, dropped down into a lunge and further into a full split. She performed the same action with her other leg too and then pushed off the ground and flipped up onto her feet gracefully.

When she started to wander off, the animal loped up to her and barred her path. Svets bent down, scooped the animal up and moved it away, but again and again it repeated the same action.

“What? What do you want?” she yelled at it. “Get out of my way!”

Suddenly, as if it understood, it darted off.

Svets sighed, immediately regretting scaring off the only tolerable companion she’d found so far – one that wasn’t afraid of her, and didn’t treat her like an invalid or scream at her incomprehensively. She placed her hands on her hips.

Thinking aloud, she said, “Alright. Since I don’t really have a proper plan… I suppose we could follow yours instead.”

The animal bounded back into her path with its tail upright and sprang off into the forest. Svets increased her pace to catch up, then sprinted alongside it through the woods. Soon they emerged into an open field, divided in the middle by a road framed by sporadic wooden bollards. The tall grass came up to her knees and slowed her progress, forcing her to adopt a wading action, while the animal was little more than a dark blur, moving at speed. The creature seemed to know where it was going, so Svets tried her best to keep up.

They soon turned onto a tree-lined avenue with quaint, generously sized buildings. All seemed welcoming. At the end of the path was a pretty red-brick house, the bottom floor hidden by bushes. Moving closer, Svets peeped around the shrubs to get a better look. A grey vehicle parked at an angle took up most of the driveway, recent scratch marks on the rear end indicated a struggle with the bushes. Beyond, Svets saw an arched doorway with white plant growing up a trellis on one side, while the door itself had a bedraggled mat beneath it and three sets of knee-high boots – two pairs dark green and one pair black with purple skulls. In one ground-floor window, Svets noticed a figure flit across the room, silhouetted against the better-lit interior. A young female, Svets guessed, who then quickly disappeared into another section of the house.

The animal sprang along the path beside the vehicle and Svets crept behind, hunched over and using the vehicle for cover. An iron gate barred the way into the rear garden, and while the small creature could squeeze through the bars, it was too tight for Svets. Instead, she placed her hands and feet on the walls and frog-climbed up, until she was above the gate. Then she somersaulted and landed gently on the other side.

Hugging the wall, Svets crept along further until she found herself in the garden and ducked under a small window. Next to this was another door, this time fitted with a flap. Through this, the animal disappeared inside.

Cautiously, Svets pushed the flap open and peered into the room beyond. A disembodied pair of legs walked past. She saw their owner stoop and empty a pouch of congealed meat into a plastic bowl, stroking the animal’s head as it ate.

Svets let the flap fall shut.

That smell… here? Her thoughts whirled. It's the smell of a Tehlanian.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Svets was caught, crouched on the doorstep. For a moment, she gaped up at the person standing there in the doorway – then, with enough volume to alarm the whole neighbourhood, Svets cried out with relief. She felt near-hysterical. It is a Tehlanian!

The woman in the doorway quickly clamped her hand over Svets’ mouth to quieten her, and pulled her inside the building.