Binary Star

Chapter Two: Encounter

My jaw dropped as I entered my new home. It was more or less an exact replica of a bedroom on my old home world, save for the fact that everything towered above me. I stepped into a pool of warm light cast down on the carpet by a strange-looking lamp perched atop a mammoth wood desk. I sat there for a while, soaking up the warmth. Due to our old planet having two suns rather than one, the climate we had been accustomed to was much warmer than Earth's. Even nights considered slightly chilly to humans would be freezing to us. Shivering in the dark was no fun.

A jolt zipped down my spine as the door creaked open. Gaining split-second timing, I raced out of my warm sanctuary and dove beneath the bed. I huddled in place, utterly silent, tingling all over. It was there where I got my first real glimpse of my Earthian guardian. My blood froze in my veins like ice. Jinnai Kobayashi was just...massive. That was the only way I could describe him, and even that didn't do it justice. He fit the description to a tee. He wore a monochrome track jacket, but aside from that, with his spiky black hair, dark-gold eyes, and devious look, it was all there.

The young male wandered about his room, kicking off his shoes and sorting through some of his belongings. He was far bigger than I imagined. Although I had never seen a human up-close in person before, I didn't expect them to be THIS tall. I started to feel a little scared. Chi was right. He could eat me in one bite if he wanted to. I could only hope he wasn't hungry right now.

As I sat there quivering, I wondered if I should try to introduce myself. That was what I was here to do. I put on a headband microphone that would hopefully amplify my voice enough for him to hear me.

Steeling my courage, I stepped out from under the bed and into the open, where I came face-to-face with Jinnai Kobayashi. He didn't take it so well either. He took one glance at me and gasped, "What the HELL?!" That deafening shout was enough to make me draw my weapon on him, while he threw a book in my direction. I rolled out of striking range just in time. The book hit the floor, and I jumped to my feet before he got the chance to throw any more deadly objects at me. "STOP!" I shouted. I surprised myself at how loud my voice came out.

Everything froze. The room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. Jinnai Kobayashi and I gazed at each other, transfixed by each other's presence. "Don't throw anything else," I said, speaking each word one at a time. I hoped he would understand me. The human stared on in disbelief. He couldn't quite seem to comprehend what he was seeing. "Wha...what are you?! Who are you!? What do you want?!"

This was first contact. Even though I was terrified on the inside, if my resolute facade broke, it was all over. "Do not shout at me," I growled. "My name is Spica Virginis, and I am a Lilliputian. I was sent here on a mission to learn about Earth and its culture. It is part of the treaty we made with your kind. You are the human I was chosen to be paired up with as my guardian. I do not mean you any harm, I am merely here to observe. I will be living here for the duration of my mission. Surely you must have been sent some kind of notice."

Jinnai's jaw hung slightly slacked. He was clearly struggling to process all this, as was I. "Wait...holy crap, you're one of those little aliens! And what do you mean, you're gonna be living here?! I never got any damn notice!" He rushed over to his desk and opened up a folding book-like device with an illuminated screen. It looked like he was running some sort of computer program. "Nothing here," he muttered. He whipped back to face me and barked, "You...you stay there! I'll be right back!"

He left the room, then returned carrying a large yellow envelope. "Seriously? They sent it to me in the mail? What is this, 1997? Who the hell writes letters anymore?" He studied the envelope for moment before extracting its contents. "Jesus Christ, it's from the Planetary Defense Agency! But why? Why did I get chosen? I didn't do anything to get this, there's nothing special about me! I'm just a broke college student! What's this all about anyway?"