Picture of Patrick Dale!
I'm so sorry I didn't update yesterday as I said, but I didn't managed to finish the story as there was a situation that made me so pi**ed off I couldn't write afterwards. I had such a lovely day too! Then some stupid shi*face decided to ruin it for me when he stole my coat! I know you might think: It was just a coat; get over it!, but it were the circumstances that made me so furious! But it's a long story and I don't want to bother you with it now. Let's just say I will have to buy the coat again because it was my favorite and I really loved it - it was new too! Hopefully, there will still be at least one in my size and the color I want it in!
Anyway, the real fun starts soon, so I hope the updates will get better and faster in 1-2 chapters!
Now, for the chapter :)
Enjoy!
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Corey was suffocating. The fear he was feeling at the moment was so intense he thought he was going to pass out because of it. His naked body was floating in the never-ending nothingness surrounding him from every angle, the darkness around him engulfing his whole being. He felt like his soul was about to be devoured by some kind of invisible power that was watching him from afar, and his heartbeat started to beat even faster than before. He was sure he was going to have a heart attack in next few minutes because of how frightened he was, but the booming voice of some man startled him so much he jumped, just barely suppressing the scream that threatened to escape his lips.
Looking around, his heart still beating like crazy and his breathing fast and irregular, it took him a while to figure out where he was and what was happening. When it all finally clicked together and all the previous events came rushing to his still confused brain, he felt like he was about to pass out again. The only thing that, thankfully, helped him calm down a bit was the voice that woke him up from the terrible dream. The Captain was talking through the speakers, and his deep melodic voice was able to capture Corey's attention enough to make his brain stop thinking about unnecessary things and the scary nightmare he just had.
"...-interrupt you, but we are about to begin the landing process. You might feel the ship slightly shaking before we land but it is nothing to worry about. Yes, despite our technological advancement, we are still unable to find a way to enter different atmospheres without at least a little bit of a shaking." Corey suppressed the urge to snort. The Captain sounded so arrogant and haughty it was ridiculous. He had a feeling the alien wasn't too keen on socializing with humans when he saw him on the TV all those week ago, but he didn't really paid any attention to it as he had more important things to worry about. Now though, thinking about the guy's speech and expression back then, he was sure this particular man didn't see them as his equals, and it was making him even more nervous. Were all the aliens like him? Why was he the one who was taking them to their planet when he was acting like this? Other aliens on this ship looked nice and caring. They were all smiling and really accommodating which gave Corey at least a glimmer of hope that he will actually survive the stay on their planet, and maybe even enjoy it a bit.
"We are currently in a great position and Nezda'rah is clearly visible from all the windows. If you look down you will be able to see half of our planet where the Royal Court is located. As you can see, it is much higher and brighter place than all of the other places that are currently visible. Our planet is mostly covered by water and you could say our dry land is not even half as big as yours but thanks to our Architects, a lot of our people are able to live under water, so there is not a problem with overpopulation. The underwater complex is, unfortunately, not visible from this position, but I am sure you will get to visit it eventually, after all of you settle down and get to know your hosting families. As you probably already noticed, our planet has more than one Sun; you can currently see two of them, Dera and Ziorr. The third one, Rhast, shines only in the afternoon on each side of the planet; it's the smallest one and the shine itself is really dimmed, so, normally, no one really notices it," he quieted down so everyone could absorb all the information, but continued again after few seconds.
"I am sure you are surprised by the coloring of our planet; it is eminently different and you will probably need some time to get used to it. The main reason for the different coloring is the radiation of the already mentioned Suns. As your Sun has different types of radiation, such as ultraviolet or infrared radiation, our Suns have their own. It all influences our Flora and Fauna, the life on the planet itself. But you will get more information after you settle down. We are about to start descending soon so enjoy the view and do not panic when the ship starts to shake; it is nothing serious, just the atmosphere." The speakers shut off and the whole ship was immediately filled with excited whispers and nervous laughing.
Corey looked around, his eyes widening. He was shocked to see so many people that were actually excited to land and see the alien planet. He didn't understand how could they be so relaxed, so calm. Not one of them knew the traditions and laws the aliens had. What if, in reality, they were some kind of inhumane species that engaged in some brutal rituals? He couldn't stop the trembling sigh that escaped his lips.
"This is ridiculous," he mumbled, turning his head away from the window so he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the potential beauty of the planet. He didn't want to be swept away. He was sure he would end up not worrying about anything if he got even one look at the planet; being a nature freak he was.
"Finally woke up?" asked Patrick, smiling at him reassuringly. He was sipping on a lemonade he got from one of the alien attendants, looking at Corey with troubled eyes. He couldn't forget about the stares Corey got from the aliens when he got the panic attack, and it was driving him crazy. There were few more people during the time Corey slept that freaked out and the same person came over to calm them down, but the aliens didn't pay any special attention to them. What was it about Corey that made them so worried and scared? He was just a human, like the rest of them.
Shaking the terrible thoughts that were creeping their way into his mind away, he smiled even more when Corey frowned, confused.
"What happened? How long was I out?" he asked, his tense shoulders indicating the long nap he took wasn't that successful in driving away his anxieties.
"You had a panic attack and one of the attendants helped you to calm down. You immediately fell asleep and slept for 7 hours. Nothing much happened if you are asking about this also and not just about your condition. Just few of other humans freaked out as well and the same alien took care of them, though unlike you, they woke up much earlier and all calm and relaxed. You still seem quite tense, Corey, are you feeling at least a little bit better?" Patrick's voice was full of worries and Corey couldn't help but smile at his friend's concerns.
He was feeling a bit anxious that much was true. He just couldn't figure out if it was because of the fear of aliens or because he was scared he would end up liking it too much. Until now, he didn't realize there will be a whole new world and with it a new, fascinating nature for him to see. His mind was full of experiments and limb tearing, so hearing the Captain talk about what the planet looked like made him think about it and it made him even more stressed. He felt like accepting everything the aliens threw at them meant he was betraying his believes and his personality. He didn't want to feel like that. It would make him weak and vulnerable because he wouldn't know what to do with himself.
"I just can't trust them. How can you be so calm about this? I...I don't want to be disappointed after they show their true colors." Corey was whispering, hoping the aliens didn't hear him, wondering if their senses were more developed or at the same level as their own.
Patrick was just taking a deep breathe, readying himself to give Corey piece of his mind, when the ship shook, making few of the people aboard squeak in surprise. Corey got so startled he forgot about his previous intentions and looked out of the window to see what was wrong. His breath got stuck in his throat, eyes widening in shock and undisguised amazement. The beautiful sight that unfolded in front of Corey's eyes was so breathtaking he was unable to move for the next few seconds. He was staring at the beautiful view, the two Suns, one purple-orange, the other dark and light blue, right in front of him. The planet itself was a mix of too many colors it was almost unbelievable. There was purple, blue, white, green; it looked nothing like the Earth, and Corey stared at it with growing eagerness. His eyes were shining as eyes of a small child that visited Disneyland for the first time, and he couldn't bring himself to regret looking out of the window even though he wanted to. His stubbornness and all of the worries crumbled when he saw Nezda'rah, and he couldn't stop the excitement he felt when he thought about exploring the beautiful yet so strange and scary world.
"Oh God, the nature freak woke up!" Adam's voice sounded from right behind Corey's head, making him jump in surprise. It took everything in him to turn around and take his eyes off the astonishing view.
"Shut up, Adam," Corey grumbled, frowning and leaning against his seat, looking at the ceiling of the ship. He had to will his head to stay still so he wouldn't look outside. He knew it was too late already, he was intrigued and he looked forward seeing all the different plants, animals and the landscape. His need to explore the unknown planet was just too strong.
There was another sudden shake, this one being more powerful than the previous one, causing many people in the ship scream in fear of the ship crashing, making Corey and his friends a bit nervous as well. It took another assurance from the Captain to calm everyone down. Adam started to spout some nonsense about seat belts and pills for motion sickness, but Corey successfully ignored him, closing his eyes and waiting impatiently for the ship to land.
It took a lot of shaking, both light and strong, before there was a dull silent bang and the soft buzzing of the engines fell silent. No one dared to say a word. All humans were looking around the ship with wide curious eyes, waiting for what would come next.
Corey opened his eyes just when the Captain entered the area for passengers. All of the other aliens on board were lined up next to him, and there were broad smiles on their faces, excluding the Captain's face that was blank as always.
"As all of you probably realized, our journey is finally over. We successfully arrived on our planet, Nezda'rah. I know half of you are probably really nervous and the other half too excited, but we have a specific method for moving you to your families and although it is really protracted process, it is time-proven and it makes a lot of things easier. Please, when I call your name, come up to us so we could transfer you out of the ship. There are two Royal guards out there and they will lead you to the people you will be staying with your whole stay here. Before entering our atmosphere, you will need few," he paused and frowned for few seconds, before getting back to his explanation again.
"You will meet our doctors in the cabin where the exit is, and they will tell you few things you need to know. You will be given a small device to help you get used to our air and climate, but you don't have to panic; it is nothing painful or dangerous." He pulled out an egg-shaped device, not bigger than a mobile phone, and started to tap on it until he abruptly stopped and looked up, looking round the whole ship.
"Before we start the whole process, I will ask Niel Sinclar to come here and sit in one of the free chairs for the crew. He will be leaving with me," he said and Corey's eyes widened, looking at his friend, shocked.
Niel's eyes were wide as well, but his pale face and frightened expression said he was not too happy about the news.
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A/N: Every time I publish a new chapter and want to read it on my phone, the chapter is all jumbled, words either missing or repeated several times, and the chapter always ends in the middle of an actual one. Is it just my phone or do you have a problem with my chapters as well? When I look at the chapter on PC, there is no problem, and when I want to edit it on mobile phone the chapter lookes just fine. However, when I re-publish it and check if it's the way it's supposed to be, it lookes the same, all messed up and unfinished. I'm really confused as to why it looks like that 😭