“Whoa,” Paz murmured. “There’s more Maeleons.”
My two crewmates took in the scene with amazement, acting more like tourists than captives. Although technically,theyweren’t being held captive. Only I had Zat’tor’s tentacle wrapped firmly around my shoulders like a long, soft, possessive pillow.
Just as Paz said, other Maeleons strolled around the village. They all seemed to be going about their day like usual until they noticed Zat’tor. A few waved with their tentacles—their hands were busy carrying baskets, strange liquid orbs, and other objects I didn’t recognize. Others called out in a high, bird-like greeting.
“Is this the whole village?” I asked.
“The village itself, yes,” Zat’tor said. “A few of our siblings are currently out on a quest. They should return in a half-cycle.”
“Siblings? Half-cycle?”
I glanced at Jaeyoung for a translator’s note, but he shrugged and said, “It’s the same word in both our languages. If I had to guess, Maeleons are a gender-neutral society. Instead of brother or sister, they say sibling.”
Paz shrugged. “Maybe half-cycle means two weeks, like half a moon cycle?”
I glanced up at the sky, not sure what I’d see. There was the blazing white circle of the sun, eerily similar to Earth’s sun. But on the far end of the sky, almost fading into the pale blue, was a crescent moon. Just one. Not two, or three, like other planets. It felt surreal to see a single sun and moon, on top of plenty of water and plant life. How had Eukaria dodged the attention of Earth’s scientists? From what I’d seen in a couple hours, this planet was a goldmine of resources—not that I necessarily wanted everyone to know it.
But I recalled the blinking light incident on the ship. When everything was functional, Eukaria wasn’t visible anywhere on my star map. We’d only noticed it when all the systems failed. It was literally a hidden gem in the solar system. Who—or what—set that up?
“Come along,” Zat’tor encouraged as he strode forward with his long, powerful legs. His tentacle still perched across my shoulders, urging me to keep up with him.
I glanced at my crewmates. They followed, looking less hesitant than I expected. Jaeyoung took in his surroundings with that tell-tale scientist expression that said, ‘I could stay and research this forever.’ Meanwhile, Paz looked like he was on a tour of a botanical garden. All he was missing was a camera.
Didn’teitherof them care about our imminent demise?
Zat’tor stopped in the center of the village. Suddenly, the mane of weird, fern-like things flowing down the back of his skull began wiggling. Zat’tor raised his head and let out a loud cry. It sounded reptilian, or prehistoric. Whatever it was, it summoned the attention of every Maeleon in the area. They all gathered around us.
Paz and Jaeyoung huddled closer to me, as if finally realizing the gravity of the situation. Either that or they were a bit unnerved by the dozens of seven-foot-tall tentacled aliens encircling us.
“Sibling, what are these creatures?” a brownish-hued Maeleon asked. It and the others eyed us curiously, like cats watching fish in a tank.
I squirmed nervously in Zat’tor’s grip, but he gave me a reassuring stroke with his tentacle.
“These are humans,” Zat’tor explained, saying the word slowly.
“Where did they come from?” a bright green Maeleon asked.
I took this opportunity to explain ourselves. Clearing my throat, I said, “Greetings, Maeleons. I’m Captain Levi, a human from Earth.”
My explanation apparently meant nothing to the Maeleons. They blinked at me as if I’d said a bunch of gibberish. Were the ITMs no longer working?
“Er,” I said, unnerved by their silence. “We come in peace?”
The Maeleons took a step closer, unfurling their tentacles all at once. An unintentional yelp of fear escaped me.
This was it. This was the end.
Zat’tor patted my hair again. “My siblings want to explore your body,” he explained, as if that was perfectly normal.
Burning heat flooded my cheeks. They wanted to dowhatnow?
“That has very different connotations on Earth,” I blurted out in a near-shriek.
Zat’tor tilted his head. “You do not want this?”
“No, thank you.”
Zat’tor held me closer with his tentacle. “I comprehend. Then only I may touch you.”
