Hello Qumas - An Expanding Erin Side Story v2.0

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=") [''Hello Qumas''] (align:"=><=")+(box:"X=") [(text-style:"italic")[An Expanding Erin Side Story]] (b4r:"inset","none")+(b4r-colour:grey,white)+(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=") [ [[Start]] ]

When I opened my eyes 10 days ago, those who attended to me were unlike what I imagined. Even on a space cruiser, most of the species Val and I interacted with were humanoid. Not these beings. Beings of gas, sludge, and synthetic substances bustled around me. None of them were humanoid in even approximation. They squeaked, churred, and whistled in a language I didn’t know. I think I screamed before things began [[exploding and machines whirring…]]

It was terrifying. For the first time in a long time, I thought something finally could destroy me. But really, I just ended up blacking out. The next time I awoke, I was lying in some sort of pod with soft bedding and this hairless giraffe creature kneeling by my side. It was my first time meeting Dr. Granius, a Blanker Juliop, [[whatever that means]].

He talks to me about being a rare find and ‘how did I survive the deep vacuum of space as a carbon-based sentient?’ I didn’t have any explanation for them and, for a moment, I worried that I somehow ended back on Earth. ...and you were nowhere. In hindsight, I know I wasn't there. But the trauma... It makes you think things that don't make sense. According to them, Earth was the furtherest inhabited planet from Talconos. Something about a space-time boundary between the [[Wexamadios Galaxy and the Milky Way]].

I asked about the Envernious Cruiser 430XJPi. I told him that something went wrong on board. I asked if there was anyone else other than me when I was found. Dr. Granius had nothing to say, telling me that I should focus on recovering than chasing after ghosts. But I'll find you, Val. Someone needs to remind you to wear your cowl during the day. I can't be a lone vampire in space. (align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[ [[It's not in my nature.]] ]

<i>Talconos Residental District - 10 days later... </i> Towering residental buildings surround my own. An array of ambers, greens, and marigolds fill the distant windows. It is like the stars were brought down from the space around Talconos as a reminder that they are still here. Through the light smog, the moon, Ravina, begins its ascent into the sky. Its muted blue light intertwines with the last rays of the sun, casting my modest, studio flat in a lavendar hue. I lounge on the couch as the news broadcast crackles through the otherwise quiet apartment. The ceiling is hardly entertainment but my brain is empty. I haven't slept in almost 24 hours. [[-Listen-]] [[-Make tea-]]

I should just ask. He's already taking joy out of my misery anyway. "Do you mind?" I ask, turning to him. "I think this is beyond me." Yoliun sighs with a twitch at the corner of his lips. "The ON button is on the side. It blends in with the rest of the casing but you should be able to feel for it." I turned the device to see its side. There is a silver button that I missed. I push it. The device turns on and [[the screen lights up.]]

I grimace, Yoliun's eyes burning into my skull. It's bad enough that //he's// here. I turned the device to see its side. There is a silver button that I missed during my first look over of it. I push it. The device turns on and [[the screen lights up.]]

"There it goes!" I grinned and noticed symbols appear on the interface. "Oh, it transcribes my voice to text. It really picks up everything… Ummm…" The device records these words too. Yoliun sighs. "You can say PAUSE QUMAS…" He lets out a bigger sigh. "Wait, you haven't synced up your voice yet." I suck in my cheeks. "I…No…" “Fine. I guess I can give you a crash course on using it,” he shook his head. “Leave it to the Assimilation Agent to do the dirty work.” I pretend to not hear [[the last sentence]].

“Thanks! I know that you don’t…” “It is my job. So you push the blue side button here and…” There's an audible click as he presses the button on the side of the device. A robotic voice echoes throughout the room. “HELLO USER. I AM QUMAS, YOUR WRITING COMPANION. MY PRIME DIRECTIVE IS TO TRANSLATE SOUND PATTERNS OF ONE LANGUAGE INTO YOUR CHOSEN LANGUAGE TEXT. PLEASE SPEAK THE NAME YOU WISH TO BE ADDRESSED BY.” I exchange glances with Yolin. He raises an eyebrow, expectant. I gulp. [["Erin."]]

"I HEARD ‘AH-REN’. IF THIS IS INCORRECT, PLEASE REPEAT THE NAME. IF NOT INCORRECT, PLEASE SAY CONTINUE." I grimace. Yoliun covers his eyes. I sigh and say, "EHH-ren." "I HEARD ‘EEEEEEH-RIN.’ IF THIS IS INCORRECT—" Pinching my nose, I huff, "Continue." Qumas whirls again. "GREAT. TO RECOGNIZE YOUR VOICE PATTERNS, PLEASE REPEAT THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE: YOUR CRAMBOPADS BELONG TO US." "Uhhhh…" I look to Yoliun. Yoliun chuckles. "Just go with it." Huffing, I cross my arms. "Your crambopads belong to us." "GOT IT." Another whirling. "PERFECT. I HAVE CATALOGED YOUR SPECIFIC VOICE PATTERNS, EEEERIN. TO BEGIN A RECORD, SAY ‘BEGIN QUMAS.’ TO END A RECORD, SAY ‘END QUMAS.’ IF, AT ANY TIME, YOU NEED TO PAUSE, SAY ‘PAUSE QUMAS.’" [["I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, EEEEHRIN."]]

"Is there any way to change the default voice?" I blurt out. Yoliun scoffs. "Do you want to? You’d need to go into another menu…" "Probably not. I can live with this." "If you’re sure?" "I’m sure." I manage a small smile, hiding trembling hands behind my back. "Thank you, Agent Yoliun." "It’s my job. I’ll be on my way now." "Okay. Be safe out there." He laughs at me. I feel my cheeks heat up. "I should be telling you that, off-worlder." He tells me with crinkled eyes. "I’ll see you next week for your check-in." He leaves me [[alone in the silence.]]

I take a shaky breath. "Okay, okay. I can do this. Sure, I’m in a planet-size city called Talconos, in a galaxy I've only passed on the travel lanes. And sure, usually it's Val who's the more daring of the two of us. But how is this any different from having to change countries every couple of centuries? Or needing to transfer citizenships within the Milky Way Confederation? I need to pull myself together!" I pace between the kitchenette and the entertainment alcove. I take a deep breath. (text-style:"shudder")[[…and screamed into my hands.]]

"Face the facts. Dr. Granius…" A shiver runs down my spine, throat threatening to close up. "Let’s just play along and figure things out along the way. Who knows? Maybe he’ll loosen his reins enough at some point for me to slip away…and I’m talking to myself in third person. I’m sure my therapist would have a field day with this…" I flop onto the couch and let out a heavy sigh. The entertainment console switch to soothing music tones sometime after Yoliun left. "Val would’ve loved this place… Extraterrestrial life-forms… Almost pulp sci-fi gizmos… The otherworldly void staring back into your soul… Man, it would be crazy to have her here for her birthday…" Eyes stinging, I sink into the darkness of sleep. (align:"==>")+(box:"X=")+(text-style:"emboss")[[Hello Qumas - End]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[''Thanks for playing! Follow my progress on this series by adding it to your collection!''] (align:"==>")+(box:"X=")[- Maggie H. Follow @MagzThaWriter on Twitter, Twitch, and itch.io] (align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[Restart from: [[-Beginning-]] [[-Knock at the door-]] ]

Yoliun pulls a rectangular, metal box from out of his coat pocket. There are buttons on the side with a dimmed green screen. It's the size of the old Earth mobile phones that flipped open and close. //'Is this their form of a phone or communication device?'// He holds it out towards me to take. His eyes sparkle in mischief. "What is this?" I ask, trying to figure out the strange device. "A Qumas." He replies flatly. "Right." I stare at the box in my hand and back at Yoliun. He remains deadpan while the mischief spark glows brighter. [[-Ask for Yoliun's help-]] [[-Don't ask for help-]]

From the couch, one of my neighbors down the hall speaks in hush tones to their roommate. The neighbor above me scurries around their apartment as part of some sort of bedtime ritual. Their shower screams followed by the glugging racing through the plumbing. The shared wall with my next-door neighbor thumps rhythmically. Their news broadcast crackles just out of sync with my own. Breathe in. Breathe out. Everything lowers in volume to a soft hum. Breathe in. Breathe out. //Ding//. //Clack. Clack. // Footsteps echo down the hallway outside. //Clack-clack. Clack.// They stop. Whoever is outside the door sighs out a groan. [[-Knock at the door-]]

I heave myself off the couch. I need to do something with my hands, or I'll scream. The kitchenette greets me with its cleanliness and soft, orange lighting. Yolin mentioned it was something all apartments have to encourage relaxation and enhance meals. He’s probaby joking with that last bit. I grab the bright pink pyramid-shaped liquid vessel from its cupboard. It functions like the kettles back home but has more buttons than any kettle I’ve known. I put the strange kettle on its heating element to boil the drinking liquid. I refuse to call it water. It doesn’t…taste quite like it. But with the plant leaves I’ve been using as a tea? It’ll do. [[-Check blood supply-]] [[-Wait for liquid to boil-]]

With a cup of dry tea leaves in hand, I turn to my fridge and open it. There, two chafers of freely-given blood churn to mimic natural blood flow through a body. I eye the measurement market on both of them. Three liters. I may need to get more next week. [[-Remember the tea-]]

I suck in a breath and look at the clock. 00:00. //'Oh for Sonsys's sake!'// I look down at my stained sleeping shirt and trousers. I glance at the door and at my closet. I could change into something more presentable. At the same time, it's his fault for coming towards the end of my availability window. I might as well embrace the gremlin I've become these last two weeks. The knock comes again with a faint growl. His heartbeat pulsates. [[-Ignore it-]] [[-Answer the door-]]

"I know you're in there, Erin!" The man at the door shouts. "You can't ignore me forever." The knocking comes again. [[-Ignore it again-]] [[-Answer the door-]]

"What?" I smile to Yoliun's deadpan face. [["Surprised you know hospitality?"]]

"Are you serious right now?" He asks incredulously. His heartbeat pulsates faster. "I could report you for non-compliance." [[-Ignore it a third time-]] [[-Just answer the door-]]

"Fine! You want to play it like this?" He shuffles outside the door. "I'll let Dr. Granius deal with you. He can show you how to set up Qumas." He shuffles away from the door, muttering that he "doesn't get paid enough to deal with shitty people." Breathe in. Breathe out. Then it hits me like space debris to the head. //Fuck. Dr. Granius is even worse!// [[Hello Qumas - End]]

At the door is Yoliun. One of those immigrant types that are supposed to help newcomers to Talconos settle into the city life. He's a pain in my- "Wow," Yoliun gasps mockingly. "Took you long enough. What were you doing? Clearly not getting dressed." I frown. "Do you want tea, or are you just going to make more snide remarks?" His eyes burn into my back as I make another cip of tea. He snorts, [["Surprised you know hospitality?"]]

I lean against the counter, waiting with a handle-less cup with a spoonful of leaves. I could almost trick myself to believe that I moved house instead of worlds. That, at any moment, it was just an elaborate prank from Val and my crewmates would come in any time to chat over tea. Almost, I could believe it. But the moonlight is the wrong color. [[-Remember the tea-]]

//SCREEEEE!// I jump, hands sprouting claws and my fangs popping from my gums. One beat. Two beats. The kettle-like device spews steam from its spout. I breathe and let myself calm down. I gather my cup, pouring in the hot liquid to steep the tea leaves. The cup shakes in my hands, so I place it on the counter. Breathe in. Breathe out. I've already broken down once tonight. [[-Knock at the door-]]

I remember little between the attack on our ship and waking up in Dr. Granus’s research lab. There was cold, then a rush of heat, and [[then cold forever]].