Chapter 25: Another Planet
Elliot left the shower room feeling fresh and revitalised, if somewhat sleep deprived. There appeared to be under fifty people in total in the hanger and adjacent rooms. What struck him was how friendly everyone appeared to be. Several times, Elliot felt like nodding off but there was no bed to sleep in. Part of him was afraid to fall asleep in a secure area in case he missed his flight departure time. He decided to go to the canteen where he discovered only three customers there talking amongst themselves. He sat down on a chair, resting his head on the table in front of him. He fell asleep in an instantly.
In what seemed to Elliot like five seconds, he was awoken by Calum Homes. Calum was wearing the uniform of a senior officer.
“Wake up Elliot,” he said after slapping him gently on the head.
Elliot glanced at his watch. Three hours had passed and he still felt tired. Unfortunately he knew that he had to get up.
“Sorry,” he said aloud.
“Let me show you to the spaceship,” Calum responded.
Elliot could see that the canteen was now empty. Even the food was gone. There was no one else in the hangar, save one man standing at the entrance to the spaceship.
Gingerly, Elliot made his way down from the canteen and towards the spaceship. He climbed the stairs and once on board, could see that virtually everyone else was strapped in. There were only about six available seats. To his pleasant surprise, one of them was located next to Sylvia.
“I see, you came after all,” he greeted her with a smile.
“I didn’t have much of a choice now did I?” she responded without a smile.
“I’m glad you came,” Elliot replied in an upbeat manner. “I’d miss you moaning the whole time.”
“Haw, haw haw,” she responded sarcastically.
“I wonder how long this spaceship has been docked here for?” Elliot asked aloud.
“About three hundred years,” a fellow passenger declared.
Suddenly Sylvia looked even more apprehensive than she had been.
The interior of the spaceship was also quite luxurious looking. The seats, carpet and walls looked like those of a brand new spaceship. There was plenty of leg room, so much so that many passengers reclined their seats without impeding others. There were no windows in this part of the ship though Elliot thought, the less he knew about what was around him the better.
In a matter of minutes, Elliot could feel the spaceship move. He braced himself for any sign of attack by the Reapers or similar enemies that might be lurking nearby. Nothing happened. In fact the journey from there onwards was so incredibly smooth that Elliot found it hard to tell if they were hovering or travelling at the speed of light. Within ten minutes of take off a woman with blond hair, blue eyes and lightly tanned skin approached Elliot and Sylvia. She was dressed in an outfit similar to that of an air hostess.
“Would you like a sleeping tablet sir?” she asked.
The two teenagers each accepted sleeping tablets. Elliot was afraid that even though he was incredibly tired he might struggle for sleep on a bed other than his own.
The young man was incredibly tired and exhausted from his ordeal and was experiencing cold shivers throughout his body. He couldn’t wait to wake up and feel refreshed. Within a matter of minutes, after taking the pill, both adolescents were sound asleep.
When Elliot awoke, he felt refreshed. He didn’t even know what day it was or for how long he had been asleep. Sylvia was snoring loudly beside him, as were half of the passengers on the plane. Within a matter of minutes, the same hostess offered him a choice of meal.
Elliot was half way through his lasagne and chips when Sylvia awoke.
“How long was I asleep for?” she asked as she stretched out her arms.
“I don’t know,” Elliot responded, “My watch has stopped.” As he looked at it once more, he could see the crack in the plastic surface and the two hands stuck at 8:10.
After the hostess retrieved Elliot’s empty plate, she demonstrated how the onboard entertainment system worked.
It was a form of virtual reality. There was no need for a television screen or a headset. The hostess handed Elliot some earplugs and Elliot started to delve into the huge archive of movies available to him. Some were from different planets and different countries. He chose an action movie entitled, “Last days on earth,” and started to watch it. He enjoyed it so much that he watched more and more of them.
Sylvia wasn’t happy. Although she didn’t hate television or movies, she could not continue to watch them forever and ever. It would just become incredibly tiresome. Most of her time was spent reading from the entertainment system. Even novels bored her after a period of time. Her attempts to prompt Elliot into long conversations failed to bear fruit. Eventually she found a section within the system that informed her about different creatures from different planets and many other interesting things about these distant worlds. Many of them were beautiful creatures with various strengths and weaknesses and this fascinated her.
The spaceship even had its own shower of recycled water, several toilets and some treadmills for exercise. The Kylots, for the most part, didn’t talk very much and slept for the most part.
The three days passed by quite quickly before they reached their destination. Elliot couldn’t see for himself what Todor looked like due to the lack of windows, but the navigator had informed the passengers of their imminent arrival. The suspense was killing him.
The adolescent allowed all the other passengers to depart first. The first thing he noticed was how all of them reverted to their natural form as soon as they left the spaceship whether that be green, yellow, purple skinned or some other variation. All of them appeared to have a thick, reptilian-like skin in appearance. They were of different shapes and sizes but in general they were four inches taller than humans and more often much slimmer. They had webbed feet and hands for the most part. Similar to humans they needed a nose to breathe through but they were smaller and flatter. The male Kylots had green or yellow eyes but the females were shades of purple and pink. They also had no hair to speak of and had pointy ears.
Once more Elliot found himself in a hangar, only this one was far bigger than the previous one. There were other space craft in the vicinity, some much larger and others smaller than the one he had travelled on. Elliot followed the crowd. He and Sylvia were the only ones taking human form. It felt very strange but at the same time it was refreshing that here these people felt comfortable being themselves.
They walked up a slanted walkway which led to a corridor. The walls to the corridor were pristine white. They also appeared to be very smooth as if they were one entire part and not numerous parts cobbled together.
“Do you know where you are going?” one of the Kylots asked.
At first Elliot did not know how to respond. The voice sounded very familiar. Eventually he recognised it as Calum’s voice.
“We’re just following the crowd.”
“Let me help you,” the creature responded. “This way,” he said leading down the corridor to their right. Everyone else appeared to be going in the opposite direction. They walked down the corridor for fifty metres before turning right again. Calum pressed a button on the third door on the left hand side. After it opened, he entered.
Sitting behind a desk was a very small Kylot. She stood four feet tall and appeared to be female, with predominantly blue skin and flecks of green. She had relatively large pink eyes with yellow eye lashes. The room appeared to be quite small with three desks, neatly organised. The small Kylot appeared to be the only other creature there.
There was a small device on her desk that amused Elliot. It was no more than six inches tall with a glass like frame. Within the frame was a figure rotating upside down that had the face of a small doll. It moved in rhythm as if counting seconds but for no other apparent logical reason.
“Hi Averneen,” Calum greeted her, “I have two new guests for you. More earthlings. They’re good kids, only teenagers in their world.”
“Welcome to Todor,” Averneen greeted them with a smile. “There are five more earthlings here. You will meet them in your own time.”
Elliot found her friendly face refreshing and reassuring. Even he, hadn’t totally ruled out Sylvia’s worst fears about the Kylothian intentions for humans.
“Averneen will take good care of you. I must go.” Calum said, offering a hand of friendship. Ordinarily Elliot would have felt unusual about shaking hands with such an alien creature but he had a lot of respect for Calum and what he had done for him. Elliot grasped his hand firmly. “I will see you again. Best of luck,” the Kylot leader said as he departed and both humans returned the compliment. So far there was no sign that they were to be chopped up into tiny pieces.
“And what are your names?” the small Kylot inquired.
“Elliot and Sylvia,” Elliot replied.
“Are you a couple?” she asked.
Elliot dreaded Sylvia’s response. It was such an awkward question and he did not know how she would react.
“No,” Sylvia responded. “We’re just friends.”
It was an answer that Elliot had expected but it still made him feel dejected. Like most men a small part of him held out hope that Sylvia was masking her attentions towards him and was afraid to be open and honest about them.
“Well, first things first. Let me lead you to your sleeping quarters. You both look very fresh, like you slept all the way,” she said as she emerged from behind her desk.
Averneen led them out of her room and further down the corridor to the left. She chose the third door on the right. “This will be your room,” she said to Sylvia. “Here is your entry card. It’s hard to replace so please don’t lose it. You can swipe it and enter. Like so,” the Kylot informed her as she demonstrated it to both humans.
The door opened and Sylvia entered.
“You must wait here,” she said to Elliot. “We also have rules here about non couples.”
Elliot was a little bit insulted but remained where he was. Averneen entered and closed the door behind her.
Inside the room Sylvia looked around. There was a double bed in front of her that was perfectly neat and tidy. There were several closets in the room and an ensuite. Although the walls were cream in colour, they looked immaculate. There was no sign of dirt or neglect anywhere.
“The shower works the same as on the space shuttle. The bed has several settings depending on how hard or soft you want your bed to be. Here is the remote. There is also a remote for the screen beside it. I believe you call it a television where you are from. There is also a remote device for the temperature and humidity.”
Averneen paused for a moment. “Are you two friends?” she asked. “If you are not friends I can put him somewhere out of reach or I can move you at any time. If you are friends I can put him closeby. What is it to be?”
“Yes of course we are friends.” Sylvia responded with a smile.
Averneen then handed her a small round device that could easily fit in her pocket. “This is a tracking device. If you want to be found the display will be green. If you don’t want to be found, you have to press the red button and the display will be blue. I sure hope you’re not colourblind. There are four digits on the bottom of the device. If you want to add someone to your group you exchange numbers. That way your friend can track you and you can track him. Your code is 4112312. We don’t have mobile phones here. The leaders would not allow it. The device also tells the time.”
Elliot stood and waited at the door for several minutes before it opened once more. Averneen emerged from the room and closed the door behind her.
“Is there a way I can contact her?” Elliot asked. “Does she have a doorbell?”
“We have a tracking device. I will give it to you in a moment. She will know you are outside if you are wearing it. Now I will show you to your room.”
Elliot was led to another room only twenty yards away. Averneen showed him everything exactly as she had done with Sylvia.
“What do we do for food?” he asked.
“Most people eat at 8am, 1pm and 6pm. There is a canteen nearby which I can show you. I am also giving you a map of the space station. On this map you can find anything.”
Averneen showed the same device she had given to Sylvia and pressed a button. It created a projected image of a map of Todor and showed their location. She pointed out the nearest canteen on the map. She also pointed out the nearest viewing area of the city.
“In an hour’s time I have agreed to show your friend around. Would you like to join us? You can then get something to eat afterwards,”
Elliot agreed and Averneen departed.
After a refreshing shower and brief rest period, Elliot felt reinvigorated. His change of clothes resembled silk pyjamas and slippers. He didn’t complain, because the temperature in the room and in the corridor always seemed to be perfect.
Exactly one hour after he had last met Averneen she rang the buzzer outside his room. “Good evening Master Elliot,” she greeted him once he opened the door. Sylvia was standing beside her with a hint of a smile on her face. Elliot was unsure as to whether she was smiling at his pyjamas or whether she was happy to see him.
Elliot returned the greeting and they started walking along the corridor.
“Would you prefer to walk or take what you might call the hoverbus?” Averneen asked.
“Perhaps you can show us how this hoverbus works,” Sylvia responded. “I still have blisters on my feet from several days ago.”
Within a minute the hoverbus arrived. It had no wheels and seemed to glide, two feet above the ground. It had no driver and had about ten seats on either side. It appeared to be powered by an engine at the front which did not take up much space. The seats looked no more comfortable than barstool seats. Eight of the twenty seats were occupied with some facing left and others to the right. The two space tourists followed Averneen’s lead and sat down in three seats adjacent to one another.
“This bus uses mind control,” Averneen declared. “It knows exactly where everyone is going and calculates the most efficient route.”
“Where are we going?” Elliot asked aloud.
“Our first port of call is the plant room. You will notice that some plants are spread out along the corridor to support oxygen levels. Some of them do in fact bite. They will eat anything. They are called Paranasites. The main reason we use them is because they also use up more Carbon Dioxide and emit more Oxygen than any other plant in the solar system. You have to be very careful not to get too close to them. They appear very still for long periods but can suddenly bite on something, whether it be an insect or a clump of your arm.”
Elliot had noticed these particular plants that were all green in colour and quite tall. He had not considered them to be a threat. They were predominantly surrounded by a cylindrical glass casing but above the top of the casing it now occurred to him they had claws at the tip of their long stems.
Another thing that occurred to Elliot was that the Kylots didn’t have any footwear. Instead they walked around barefoot for the most part. They also had next to no clothing to speak of apart from what resembled a pair of shorts. The exception to this rule were the more important dignatories such as Calum who also wore a black top that resembled a poloshirt with several yellow symbols on it.
The hoverbus passed through corridor after corridor, but after a while they moved through a part of the space station that was partly glass. Elliot could see a large moon in the distance surrounded by purple cloud. Their view of the planet was obstructed but the weather outside seemed relatively calm.
“There are three moons on Todor. Here you can see only one,” Averneen informed them. “We have sophisticated systems in place to temper the planets natural climate. In truth it is an inhospitable planet with no known life forms but our technology has made it safe. Inside the space station the lighting that you see overhead mimics the sun. It provides both light and life. We too need what you call vitamin D to be in good health. All the other nutrients we require are provided by Dukateca, a type of food you will come to know all too well. It isn’t as beneficial or nutritious to humans but it is still of some value. As a result of the healthy diet of Kylot illness is very rare. Most medical facilities are provided for visitors and not Kylots.”
“The temperature also remains the same except in your room. Throughout the space station the temperature is the equivalent of 19 degrees centigrade. In your rooms it is based on your desired temperature.”
“The glass is far stronger than anything you will find on earth. It could support the weight of four of your elephants from earth. Our shields are also quite difficult to penetrate although we don’t have any use for weapons in the event of an attack. Kylots are peace loving. No weapons are allowed here.”
“Everyone who comes to Todor is inserted with a chip. Even you. This chip allows us to track all individuals once they leave. The chip is powerful enough to read minds. If we become aware that they are about to inform Kylons of our whereabouts the chip releases a serum that causes memory loss.”
The hoverbus came to a stop and Averneen gestured for Elliot and Sylvia to disembark. They were now in an area with a glass ceiling and numerous tall green plants.
“This is one of the many gardens we have on the space station,” Averneen informed them. This one stretches for several hundred yards. We can go for a short walk. There is a hoverbus along nearly every minute. All you have to do is be clear in your own mind where you want to go.”
“The tall green plants that bite, as I have mentioned we call Paranasites. They are very important to the space station. We harness the oxygen from them and transport it across the base. There are other more colourful and less harmful plants here such as the Apernica,” Averneen declared, pointing to a pink flower with dark red leaves. The flower itself resembled a rhododendron. It was as beautiful as any plant Elliot had seen. There were other flowers of different colours such as blue, purple, yellow and orange that made the walk a delight.
Many Kylots were there, also admiring the view. There were even other strangely shaped creatures that Elliot had never come across before. One was white skinned but slimy. It’s head looked like that of a Hammerhead Shark. It stood over six foot tall.
Another smaller creature that stood little more than three foot tall looked quite heavy. It’s skin was wrinkly orange, had incredibly small dark eyes, a bloated face, a tiny nose but a large mouth. Elliot tried to avoid looking at it for too long.
“Everything on this space station is recycled. The air, urine, faeces, everything. Nothing is wasted.”
“Does that mean Averneen that we’re drinking water that’s passed through bodies a million times over,” Elliot said aloud with a queasy feeling in his stomach.”
“Why yes Elliot, that is correct. You should have more fate in our methods. After all the average life expectancy of a Kylot is 90 earth years.”
The walk lasted for six minutes, before they climbed aboard another hoverbus.
“Kylots operate a socialist system. Everyone here is equal and there is no obligation to work although most Kylots do. Laziness doesn’t feature in the Kylot culture. Food is free, rooms are free and almost everything else. Kylots have the most sophisticated technology in the galaxy. This means that we have a lot to sell and this is what makes us wealthy.”
“There is almost no crime on this station and certainly none by Kylots. Any creatures who violate our laws are treated, mainly by a particular serum and either rehabilitated back into society or banished.
The hoverbus stopped again and Averneen and the two earthlings disembarked again. They entered a large room that was roughly eighty metres in diameter. In its centre was a large pool of a liquid substance that glowed between blue and purple. The walls around the room were light blue but had the reflection of the fluid shining upon them. Overhead were some attractive looking lights that shined down on the pool below. Some creatures were floating in the water like substance while others relaxed around its edge.
“This is what we call the Calming. It is for relaxation and meditating. Many people come here, whether they be Kylots or others. The liquid in the pool makes the body relax much more than any other substance in the galaxy. Unlike Dukateca it’s powers of relaxation and recuperation tend to benefit all creatures that we are aware of. Even as we walk around it, I have found it soothing in every way. I’m sure you will too. This is my favorite place in the entire space station. I come here nearly every day to unwind.”
After several minutes spent in the Calming, Averneen and the two humans climbed aboard the Hoverboard once more.
“Can you also change form Averneen?” Elliot asked aloud.
“Why of course. However, the greater the transformation, the more energy it takes. If I was to transform into a being twice my sizer or turn into a male of the species that would take a lot of energy. In some cases, for long periods it could prove fatal.”
You should make time to study though the screen in your room. There is a lot of educational material there that may be of interest to you. Of course we have a lot of television that you have on Earth but in many cases this could prove a distraction for you. Distractions we could do without is what I always say. I could never follow the obsession you have with soap operas or wrestling. It baffles me. If you would like to enrol in any particular courses you should let me know. There are many different options available and Kylots are great teachers.”
The hoverbus stopped again but Averneen remained seated. “This is the stop for what you would call the concert hall. Through those large doors is enough seating for eight hundred beings. Most humans do not favour our music. It is like a cross between your classical and your folk music. Of course, you can use the screen in your room to play the music of your choosing. Personally I think, Ardravian music is the best but most humans beg to differ.”
“Kylots are forbidden to have more than three children, because the space station would find it hard to cope otherwise. We use a form of contraception that is very effective.”
“Do you have any children, Averneen?” Sylvia asked
“I have two children who are adults now. Kylots are fully grown at fifteen years of age. My husband was killed though at a young age and I have no desire to marry again. He was killed by Kylons on a foreign mission.”
“I’m sorry for asking,” Sylvia replied as she lowered her gaze.
“Answering questions is what I am here for,” Averneen responded in a positive manner.
A few moments passed before the automated vehicle stopped once more. “This is the last stop. I assume you want to look around and have some time to yourself. It’s a very large viewing area called the Dome, where you can see most of the space station and the moon and the stars around it. It’s another of my favourite places. You know how to use the hoverbus by now if you want to return to your quarters or make your way to the canteen. You have enough time for a short walk. This is where I leave you.”
The view was so impressive that Elliot wanted to jump off. The bus moved away and Averneen waved goodbye.
It was a large glass dome that was about forty metres in diameter. There were ten changelings there ahead of them. Including two couples with three children each. It was Elliot’s first time seeing child Kylots. They seemed as happy and content as any children on earth.
The view in the male adolescent’s opinion was spectacular. It was a vast city with numerous tall towers. Elliot counted twelve tall towers with distinctive pinnacles. Some had similar dome shaped tops, others were more pointed. Some of theses buildings were different shades of blue, purple and green in colour. In the centre of the city lower down was a much shorter but far wider round building. It looked to be more than three hundred metres in diameter and glowed a cream colour. Elliot could see no people down below. This was consistent with what Averneen had said about the planet itself not being hospitable. There was no evidence of creatures or people walking outside and braving the elements that the planet conjured up.
Elliot got the impression that Sylvia was not as impressed as he was. She had not spoken to him very much and he couldn’t remember when she last smiled or when she last seemed happy to see him.
“You don’t seem yourself lately,” he suggested unwisely
“Huh,” she responded with a shrug of the shoulders. “Don’t you question why we were brought here? Don’t you question their motives? I don’t feel comfortable at all.”
“I think that you are over thinking it,” Elliot replied dismissively. “There’s nothing to worry about. These are good people. Isn’t this a spectacular view?”
“And do you even ask yourself questions like why do they encourage us to go to the canteen? It’s so they can fatten us and cut us up and eat us.”
“Don’t you think you’re over-reacting just a tad?” Even Elliot had the odd negative thought that there was something he wasn’t being told. It was however rare, that he had these questions in his own mind. For the most part he had a lot of faith in Kylots. He trusted them and saw no evidence to the contrary.
“I don’t like it here. I’d rather leave,” Sylvia responded obstinately.
“The nearest planet is like a bezillion miles away and it’s probably not hospitable. It’s probably like a million degrees below zero.”
“And how do you know?” Sylvia objected. “You’re just making it up. How can we trust these people or whatever they are? They’re not human.”
For one reason or another a slight change had come about in Sylvia. Initially she had been grateful for the help the Kylots had given her. Something seemed to have happened in the past week or so, however, that made her change her attitude.
“Humans shouldn’t be the benchmark,” Elliot responded. “They’re not exactly infallible either.”
“That’s what gets to me. These people seem too perfect. Too nice.”
As the conversation progressed, Elliot thought that Sylvia was being more and more unreasonable. However, even an angry and irritable Sylvia was hard to dislike.
“Jeff wasn’t the most friendly guy I’ve come across. He was a Kylot.”
“And look what happened to him. How do we know it wasn’t a stunt to get us here? How do you know that Jeff wasn’t the good guy and that he wanted to warn us but the others just eliminated him before he could speak?”
“Would you feel more comfortable on earth where we would be hunted by Reapers and wouldn’t last more than a few hours on our own?”
Sylvia didn’t respond.
“There is no choice Sylvia. There are no other options. We’d all like to have the easy option of a happy life back on earth but that isn’t on offer here. “I understand that it’s not easy in an alien planet were everyone looks so different and have a different culture but you have to accept it and embrace it. If you’re right about them fattening us up, you can berate me then.”
“Then it will be too late,” Sylvia responded.
His companion’s persistent pessimism was getting Elliot down. Once he could not fault her but now she was no longer as much fun to be around as she had been previously.
“I want to go back Elliot. I’d rather be on Earth. Anywhere but here. I really don’t like it.”
As she said this, Sylvia showed a hint of emotion that was rarely noticeable in her.
“We are much safer here than anywhere else in the universe,” Elliot objected yet again. “I wouldn’t go back to Earth if you held a gun to my head.”
“There must be somewhere we can go,” she said aloud. “This can’t just be it.”
Part of Elliot was conscious that there were other Kylots in the vicinity. They could probably hear and understand every word coming from Sylvia’s lips. In part it made him feel embarrassed.
“I really do think you’re being unreasonable. Do you have a well thought out plan?”
“I just got here. I’m working on it.”
“Maybe you’ll master space flight in like ten minutes, navigation in like three minutes and evading a thousand guards in like ten seconds.”
“Oh give over,” she said with a hint of a smile.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Elliot asked aloud and gesturing his hand towards the aesthetic view of the planet. “What do you think?”
“It doesn’t seem safe. It seems vulnerable to attack or to a catastrophe”
“You never know. If they can build space ships that are much faster than ours maybe their glass is far less brittle than ours.”
“Humph,” Sylvia grunted.
“Don’t you wonder about the water? Don’t you question anything?” she asked after a brief pause.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s most likely recycled from the sewage system. If the planet doesn’t produce water. It’s the only way it can happen. It couldn’t be safe to drink anything or wash oneself.”
“But if their ships are a thousand times more advanced maybe their water recycling systems are too.”
“You’re such a bullshitter.”