LOST
By The Inner Genie
Disclaimer: This story was not written for profit, but for my own pleasure (and I hope for others, as well). I don't own these characters. I wish I did. They'd have a lot more fun.
Chapter 1: Wormhole Aliens
BOLIC
The ground car bumped over the uneven track as it turned off the main road and headed up into the low mountains. The driver gripped the navigation rods tighter as one of the wheels rolled over a large rock, causing the car to shake from side to side. He looked back quickly to make sure his passenger was all right. She didn't appear to notice the shaking. In fact, he thought, with the sedatives the doctors had given her, she probably didn't realize they were moving. She sat, just as he had placed her hours ago, strapped into a small, wheeled chair, her head hanging down. Her long, reddish hair fell forward to cover her face.
The driver sighed. He was a tolerant, open-minded man and he had been trained to assist in these cases, but, frankly, the alien sitting in the back of his car was trying his patience. He had taken over her case three piots ago and he could swear that she had never looked at him once. He'd never seen her look around or take an interest in her surroundings. She didn't even try to communicate. The doctors were puzzled, too, he knew. They had healed her injuries, given her the best counselors, those that specialized in alien psychology, but nothing had improved her mental condition. She was in good health, physically, but beyond that, they had failed to help her.
He turned back to negotiating the car over the rough, seldom used track. He mentally shrugged. Maybe her species were all like this female. Maybe she had progressed as far as she could.
In an instant, his distaste turned into sympathy. How sad not to know the joy of curiosity; the excitement of discovery; the broadening of the mind through investigation, exploration, and learning. In another instant, he realized why this job was so satisfying to him. It gave him the chance to help those less fortunate then he. A chance to show these aliens, those poor souls who were dragged into his planet's space by the small wormhole that sporadically opened and closed above the planet, a kindness and tolerance to their strange, and often, primitive ways that was unparalleled in this region of space.
As he clamped his three hands more tightly around the driving rods and drove the car around the last bend in the trail, he smiled with self- satisfaction. His annoyance with the female in the back of the car vanished, replaced with a feeling of compassionate.love. Through aliens such as she, he was reminded anew to appreciate the great gift of being born a Sagorian.
BOLIC and FRREK
He brought the car to a halt in front of a wooden built house nestled up against the tall trees that rimmed a small mountain meadow. As soon as the car came to a stop, a man came walking quickly from around the side of the house. His long, double-jointed legs making him rock back and forth as he walked.
"Bolic!" he shouted. "Where have you been? I expected you here two sems ago?"
The driver, Bolic, eased himself out of the car, stretching his three arms over his round, smooth-domed head, letting the kinks work their way out of his tired muscles. "Gentle Travel Designation, Frrek." He replied. "Help me with our guest."
Frrek hurried around to the back of the car and joined Bolic in lifting the heavy rear door. Bolic then climbed inside and unstrapped the wheeled chair and, as Frrek lowered a built-in ramp, he slowly and carefully backed the chair and its unresponsive cargo out of car.
"So," Frrek mused, "this is what a female of their species looks like? I was very curious to see her." He walked around in front of her and pulled back the hair that hung in front of her face. He bent down, his long legs folding up as he stooped to peer at her.
"She doesn't look anything like the male," he said. "Two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, two breathing holes, one torso, the same, but all smaller, more hair on her head and a different color, no marks on the face, her skin is pale compared to his." He finished his inspection and stood up. "She hasn't moved. Is she all right?"
"Don't treat her like an animal, Frrek!" Bolic scolded him. "She can't help the way she is. They gave her a sedative before we left and it must have been too strong for her. I'm surprised at your insensitivity. Where were you trained?" Bolic sneered.
Frrek had the good grace to hang his head in shame.
"Sorry, Bolic." He stammered. "I let my curiosity overcome my training. It will not happen again."
"Okay," Bolic let him off grudgingly, resenting the insult to his patient. "See that it doesn't."
"I heard about the male alien," Bolic continued, letting his own curiosity leak out. "You say their appearance is very different? Are the doctors sure they are the same species?"
Frrek recovered his self-importance quickly. "Yes, quite sure. He has been here for four piots. At first, he was much like this one, but now he is doing very well." Frrek blew his cheeks in and out with satisfaction. "I have been working with him and he is settling in here. He has planted a small garden in the meadow. He fishes in the river. He is very curious about our tools and technology. He studies anything of this nature I can find for him. At times, I even hear him singing and talking to himself. But, of course, I still do not understand his language nor he ours. It is strange, that. We use gestures and body language to communicate, but it makes him so sad when we fail to understand each other. He is terribly sad most of the time, I think. The doctors say that he has no memory of where he came from. I continue to show him pictures of our star system, the wormhole, even of the broken remains of his vessel, but to no avail. He shows no recognition." He brightened. "Perhaps this female will help him remember. Perhaps he will recognize her."
Bolic shook his head sadly. "No, my friend, I don't hold out much hope for that. Ah, this is, truly, a very sad case."
Frrek and Bolic stood silently, their spirits lowered by the unhappiness of the aliens in their charge. But then they drew in a deep breath through the breathing slits above their eyes and got back to the job at hand.
They carefully wheeled the female into the house and put her to bed in a dimly lit room. She moved slightly as if seeking a more comfortable position but did not awaken. They silently crept away and went into the cooking room to share a meal together. As they ate, they pulled out the Acclimation and Integration Plans they were working on to help their charges adjust to their new life on Sagor.
TOLC
They had been working on their plans for about a sem, when the back door to the house opened and the male alien entered. In one hand, he was carrying a basket filled to the top with plants and in his other hand a string with four small fish hanging from it. He stopped short when he saw Bolic sitting at the table. He carefully set the things he was carrying down on the work counter and stood up straight, not fear, but a light of curiosity in his eyes.
Frrek stood up and held all three of his hands up in front of himself. The alien also raised his two hands.
"Tolc," Frrek said, gently and clearly. He moved one of his three fingered hands around to point at Bolic. "This is Bolic. He will be staying with us for a while."
Bolic stood up then and raised his hands up. "Nice to meet you, Tolc. I have brought a surprise for you. I will let you meet her when she awakens."
The male lowered his hands and placed them on either side of his torso. A frown bunched together the blue-lined skin above his left eye. He looked from one man to the other.
"Tolc," he said pointing to himself. "Frrek," he said pointing to Frrek. He then pointed to Bolic and raised the hairy strips over his eyes.
"Bolic," Bolic introduced himself again.
"Bolic." Tolc pronounced carefully.
Bolic beamed and nodded his head. "Yes, yes, Bolic!" he exclaimed.
He turned to Frrek and said with enthusiasm, "This is amazing, Frrek. He is learning our language. Maybe this species is more intelligent than we thought they were. You have done well!"
Now it was Frrek's turn to beam.
"I do think they are intelligent, Bolic. I was telling you about his curiosity. It is astounding the way he has figured out so much of our technology. He takes what I give him and changes it into something that he can use. For instance, when I saw him starting his garden using a pointed tree branch to dig the soil, I gave him a digging tool. He studied it and soon had removed the handle and replaced it with a straight stick that more easily fit his two-handed anatomy. He has similarly changed his sleeping pad and his cleaning alcove. He even cooks his own food! I am very proud of his progress."
"Do you think the female has the same intelligence, Frrek?"
"Time will tell on that one, Bolic. You will have to work hard to catch her interest."
"I will do it, Frrek. I will succeed!" Bolic promised.
In the meantime, Tolc had taken his vegetables over to the sink and had started washing them. He carefully scrubbed each one clean and set it on the cooking counter. When he had finished with the plants, he took the fish outside to clean them as well.
Frrek and Bolic had been watching his every move as he went about his preparations, Frrek taking notes on his pad. When Tolc went outside, Bolic turned to Frrek and remarked. "You are right. He is larger than the female and his coloring is different." He continued, "Why does he cook his own food? Didn't the Alien Institute determine the proper nutritional needs of this species and send you the correct food pellets?"
Frrek sighed in exasperation. "They did. I have several boxes full. However, Tolc doesn't seem to like them. I think that was why he put in his garden and started preparing his own food. He does eat one pellet with each of his meals. I think he knows that they are good for him but can't bring himself to eat more than one or two."
Before Bolic could exclaim at the strangeness of alien behavior, Tolc came back through the door. He set the cleaned fish in a bowl in the sink and rinsed them under running water. When he had finished, he set the bowl and fish on the counter and washed his hands in the sink.
"Does he put everything in water before he eats it?" queried Bolic.
"Yes," Frrek replied. "He even runs water over himself every morning."
Bolic's round, little mouth fell open in wonder. Before he could reply, they heard a small sound coming from the sleeping room.
(TO BE CONTINUED) Chapter 2 up soon!
By The Inner Genie
Disclaimer: This story was not written for profit, but for my own pleasure (and I hope for others, as well). I don't own these characters. I wish I did. They'd have a lot more fun.
Chapter 1: Wormhole Aliens
BOLIC
The ground car bumped over the uneven track as it turned off the main road and headed up into the low mountains. The driver gripped the navigation rods tighter as one of the wheels rolled over a large rock, causing the car to shake from side to side. He looked back quickly to make sure his passenger was all right. She didn't appear to notice the shaking. In fact, he thought, with the sedatives the doctors had given her, she probably didn't realize they were moving. She sat, just as he had placed her hours ago, strapped into a small, wheeled chair, her head hanging down. Her long, reddish hair fell forward to cover her face.
The driver sighed. He was a tolerant, open-minded man and he had been trained to assist in these cases, but, frankly, the alien sitting in the back of his car was trying his patience. He had taken over her case three piots ago and he could swear that she had never looked at him once. He'd never seen her look around or take an interest in her surroundings. She didn't even try to communicate. The doctors were puzzled, too, he knew. They had healed her injuries, given her the best counselors, those that specialized in alien psychology, but nothing had improved her mental condition. She was in good health, physically, but beyond that, they had failed to help her.
He turned back to negotiating the car over the rough, seldom used track. He mentally shrugged. Maybe her species were all like this female. Maybe she had progressed as far as she could.
In an instant, his distaste turned into sympathy. How sad not to know the joy of curiosity; the excitement of discovery; the broadening of the mind through investigation, exploration, and learning. In another instant, he realized why this job was so satisfying to him. It gave him the chance to help those less fortunate then he. A chance to show these aliens, those poor souls who were dragged into his planet's space by the small wormhole that sporadically opened and closed above the planet, a kindness and tolerance to their strange, and often, primitive ways that was unparalleled in this region of space.
As he clamped his three hands more tightly around the driving rods and drove the car around the last bend in the trail, he smiled with self- satisfaction. His annoyance with the female in the back of the car vanished, replaced with a feeling of compassionate.love. Through aliens such as she, he was reminded anew to appreciate the great gift of being born a Sagorian.
BOLIC and FRREK
He brought the car to a halt in front of a wooden built house nestled up against the tall trees that rimmed a small mountain meadow. As soon as the car came to a stop, a man came walking quickly from around the side of the house. His long, double-jointed legs making him rock back and forth as he walked.
"Bolic!" he shouted. "Where have you been? I expected you here two sems ago?"
The driver, Bolic, eased himself out of the car, stretching his three arms over his round, smooth-domed head, letting the kinks work their way out of his tired muscles. "Gentle Travel Designation, Frrek." He replied. "Help me with our guest."
Frrek hurried around to the back of the car and joined Bolic in lifting the heavy rear door. Bolic then climbed inside and unstrapped the wheeled chair and, as Frrek lowered a built-in ramp, he slowly and carefully backed the chair and its unresponsive cargo out of car.
"So," Frrek mused, "this is what a female of their species looks like? I was very curious to see her." He walked around in front of her and pulled back the hair that hung in front of her face. He bent down, his long legs folding up as he stooped to peer at her.
"She doesn't look anything like the male," he said. "Two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, two breathing holes, one torso, the same, but all smaller, more hair on her head and a different color, no marks on the face, her skin is pale compared to his." He finished his inspection and stood up. "She hasn't moved. Is she all right?"
"Don't treat her like an animal, Frrek!" Bolic scolded him. "She can't help the way she is. They gave her a sedative before we left and it must have been too strong for her. I'm surprised at your insensitivity. Where were you trained?" Bolic sneered.
Frrek had the good grace to hang his head in shame.
"Sorry, Bolic." He stammered. "I let my curiosity overcome my training. It will not happen again."
"Okay," Bolic let him off grudgingly, resenting the insult to his patient. "See that it doesn't."
"I heard about the male alien," Bolic continued, letting his own curiosity leak out. "You say their appearance is very different? Are the doctors sure they are the same species?"
Frrek recovered his self-importance quickly. "Yes, quite sure. He has been here for four piots. At first, he was much like this one, but now he is doing very well." Frrek blew his cheeks in and out with satisfaction. "I have been working with him and he is settling in here. He has planted a small garden in the meadow. He fishes in the river. He is very curious about our tools and technology. He studies anything of this nature I can find for him. At times, I even hear him singing and talking to himself. But, of course, I still do not understand his language nor he ours. It is strange, that. We use gestures and body language to communicate, but it makes him so sad when we fail to understand each other. He is terribly sad most of the time, I think. The doctors say that he has no memory of where he came from. I continue to show him pictures of our star system, the wormhole, even of the broken remains of his vessel, but to no avail. He shows no recognition." He brightened. "Perhaps this female will help him remember. Perhaps he will recognize her."
Bolic shook his head sadly. "No, my friend, I don't hold out much hope for that. Ah, this is, truly, a very sad case."
Frrek and Bolic stood silently, their spirits lowered by the unhappiness of the aliens in their charge. But then they drew in a deep breath through the breathing slits above their eyes and got back to the job at hand.
They carefully wheeled the female into the house and put her to bed in a dimly lit room. She moved slightly as if seeking a more comfortable position but did not awaken. They silently crept away and went into the cooking room to share a meal together. As they ate, they pulled out the Acclimation and Integration Plans they were working on to help their charges adjust to their new life on Sagor.
TOLC
They had been working on their plans for about a sem, when the back door to the house opened and the male alien entered. In one hand, he was carrying a basket filled to the top with plants and in his other hand a string with four small fish hanging from it. He stopped short when he saw Bolic sitting at the table. He carefully set the things he was carrying down on the work counter and stood up straight, not fear, but a light of curiosity in his eyes.
Frrek stood up and held all three of his hands up in front of himself. The alien also raised his two hands.
"Tolc," Frrek said, gently and clearly. He moved one of his three fingered hands around to point at Bolic. "This is Bolic. He will be staying with us for a while."
Bolic stood up then and raised his hands up. "Nice to meet you, Tolc. I have brought a surprise for you. I will let you meet her when she awakens."
The male lowered his hands and placed them on either side of his torso. A frown bunched together the blue-lined skin above his left eye. He looked from one man to the other.
"Tolc," he said pointing to himself. "Frrek," he said pointing to Frrek. He then pointed to Bolic and raised the hairy strips over his eyes.
"Bolic," Bolic introduced himself again.
"Bolic." Tolc pronounced carefully.
Bolic beamed and nodded his head. "Yes, yes, Bolic!" he exclaimed.
He turned to Frrek and said with enthusiasm, "This is amazing, Frrek. He is learning our language. Maybe this species is more intelligent than we thought they were. You have done well!"
Now it was Frrek's turn to beam.
"I do think they are intelligent, Bolic. I was telling you about his curiosity. It is astounding the way he has figured out so much of our technology. He takes what I give him and changes it into something that he can use. For instance, when I saw him starting his garden using a pointed tree branch to dig the soil, I gave him a digging tool. He studied it and soon had removed the handle and replaced it with a straight stick that more easily fit his two-handed anatomy. He has similarly changed his sleeping pad and his cleaning alcove. He even cooks his own food! I am very proud of his progress."
"Do you think the female has the same intelligence, Frrek?"
"Time will tell on that one, Bolic. You will have to work hard to catch her interest."
"I will do it, Frrek. I will succeed!" Bolic promised.
In the meantime, Tolc had taken his vegetables over to the sink and had started washing them. He carefully scrubbed each one clean and set it on the cooking counter. When he had finished with the plants, he took the fish outside to clean them as well.
Frrek and Bolic had been watching his every move as he went about his preparations, Frrek taking notes on his pad. When Tolc went outside, Bolic turned to Frrek and remarked. "You are right. He is larger than the female and his coloring is different." He continued, "Why does he cook his own food? Didn't the Alien Institute determine the proper nutritional needs of this species and send you the correct food pellets?"
Frrek sighed in exasperation. "They did. I have several boxes full. However, Tolc doesn't seem to like them. I think that was why he put in his garden and started preparing his own food. He does eat one pellet with each of his meals. I think he knows that they are good for him but can't bring himself to eat more than one or two."
Before Bolic could exclaim at the strangeness of alien behavior, Tolc came back through the door. He set the cleaned fish in a bowl in the sink and rinsed them under running water. When he had finished, he set the bowl and fish on the counter and washed his hands in the sink.
"Does he put everything in water before he eats it?" queried Bolic.
"Yes," Frrek replied. "He even runs water over himself every morning."
Bolic's round, little mouth fell open in wonder. Before he could reply, they heard a small sound coming from the sleeping room.
(TO BE CONTINUED) Chapter 2 up soon!