We spent the next few hours learning about our species and before I knew it the sun had set beyond the treeline.

“This is my favourite part of the day here. Look!” cool fingers grasp my chin as he turns my head to look towards the trees. I gasped quietly, the undergrowth has started to glow! A beautiful orange light covered the ground around the trees. “It is a new species of fungus, bioluminescent. Our scientists are going crazy for it as it appears to have a lot of medicinal properties, but I don’t know much about that! All I know is it’s incredible.” I look back towards him to see his soft smile as he takes in the glow.

“It reminds me of your eyes.” Shit. Did I just say that out loud? Judging by the grin that just spread across his lips, I did in fact say that out loud. Where’s the nearest pond so I can throw myself in it?

Thankfully he didn’t respond any further but instead stood up with his hand outstretched towards me.

“Come, you must return to your pod now and I still have a lot of duties to take care of. I enjoyed talking to you Es, you’ve been a welcome distraction!”

After helping me stand he gave a slight nod and sauntered off towards one of the pods in the distance, leaving me to hobble back to my own.

Just as I entered through the glass doors, Silas grabbed hold of my arm desperately “Esmeralda where have you been?! I’ve been worried sick, do you not understand what’s been going on? People are dying, we are possibly at war and you just vanish.” He looks at me with furious eyes.

I shake his hand off me “I’m sorry Silas, I was only sat outside! Have you been out yet? This planet is amazing!” Despite his grumpy attitude I can’t help but smile, I have been through too much the last 48 hours not to enjoy the little things and he won’t bring me down godamn it!

Refusing to say anymore he led me angrily back to our designated corner and helped me take my jacket off before throwing himself on his mattress. How unlike him! Where’s the heroic Silas I knew and love? I suppose it has been a crazy time, he thought I was dead for a portion of it! I can forgive his stinking attitude for now.

It wasn’t long before exhaustion took it’s hold on me and I drifted off to sleep.

I was woken by the sound of movement, blinking my eyes open I saw many humans getting up and ready to head to the breakfast hall. Excitedly I turned my eyes to Silas’ sleeping form next to me and gave him a good kick.

With a grunt he rolled over and glared at me “I was having an amazing dream how dare you.” He mumbled.

That just made me grin and kick him harder, successfully kicking him off his mattress and onto the hard floor with an oof.

Soon I was sat on the table with Mira while Ed and Silas collected out food.

Mira was frowning down at the table, furious that they didn’t have coffee that wasn’t poison for us. “You’d think they would have brought a few crates of the coffee from the ship for fucks sake, that’s just basic human rights ennit?” he took an angry gulp of the nectar water we had last night as I laughed at him.

“Coffee was one of the few decent things they gave us” I agreed solemnly “least the food is a lot better here than on board. I wonder what kind of food the other races eat…”

Mira gave me a stern look “have you seen the other races? The Yuu don’t even have mouths for fucks sake!”

“how do they eat then? Honestly I didn’t do my research.” I shrugged.

Ed and Silas returned at that time carrying our breakfast and placed them down. In front of me was another bowl filled with a cold green mush? With a closer inspection it looked like leaves of some kind, as well as a round white baked good.

Ed pointed his spatula thing at me “you joined a ship taking you thousands of light years away from Earth… and you don’t know who it is we are joining? Are you fucking thick?”

My face flushed red “Yeah okay, maybe I’m impulsive so what.” I mumbled, shoving the mush in my mouth.

It wasn’t as delicious as yesterday’s meal but still tasty, the baked good was sort of like a bread and was very good at scooping the mush up to shovel it in my mouth.

Ed sighed “The Yuu were the first discovered race. They’re pretty much transparent and do have mouths but not like we have, they’re like… jelly flaps. They also have a shitload of eyes and are genderless or asexual or whatever.” He waved his spoon dismissively “tiny fuckers too, no higher than my hip. Can breathe in pretty much any environment due to their… jelliness I don’t know. Can eat almost anything too but their natural diet is mostly liquid.”

I rested my hand on my chin, intrigued. He sighed again at my eager expression before continuing “The next species were the Mosher who are huge fluffy bastards, they’ve got six appendages and come in a load of different colours, the ma’s carry the young’uns in a pouch until they reach of age. They can only breathe in a very specific environment, so you rarely see one out of their space suit, tend to keep to themselves.”

So, jellyfish and teddy bears, got it.

Ed paused his lesson to finish slurping up the mush and shoved his plate away “then there is the Borloganagan.” I let out at snort, try saying that when you’re drunk. “They remind me of a snake with arms. Black, armoured, you know. The type of shit that would appear in a horror movie back on earth. Eat only meat but are damn intelligent and apparently very gentle, out of all the races they’ve had the least amount of wars and bloodshed. Super religious too but don’t ask me about that nonsense. Their atmosphere is pretty non-existent with a boron base so have to wear face masks to breathe but can survive a good time without them.”

Done talking, he stood up, grabbed our plates and stomped over to the Caaknai waiting.

Mica poked my arm roughly “that’s the most I’ve heard my dad say in a long time, aren’t you lucky!” He gave me a winked before standing to follow his father out of the room.

That was so interesting, maybe I should have done my research… I had no idea the other races weren’t human like. Then again why should they be? I shouldn’t just assume we are the base of every life in the universe that’s insane! I turned to Silas who was watching me with curious eyes.

“As much as I’d love to sit here and talk to you some more, I have some things to sort out with a few others who were in much worse conditions than you. Do you mind? You need to return to the medical wing anyways.” He stood and left before I even had a chance to open my mouth, off to be a hero as usual!

I found myself outside on the bench where I met Rue again, pretending like wasn’t waiting for him to show up.

He did not disappoint.

“Still sat here I see,” he teased “are you not sick of trees?” he hands me a flask with water inside and I take a grateful sip.

“I don’t think I will ever get over the reality of our situation honestly.” He took the flask back then placed his hand on my neck.

The Caaknai are very handsy creatures, they almost always feel a need to touch or hold others while talking to them if they’re more than acquaintances, he was outraged when I told him my species never touch each other unless they are close.

“Our ship is almost ready now, I suspect it will be completed by nightfall. We will all board as soon as it is ready.” He opened his mouth a few times, struggling with whatever he had left to say. I tapped his hand, encouraging him to continue. With a sad smile to me he continued “I’m really sorry Es. But parts of Blackman were found floating close to a Yuu occupied planet. It was taken so far off course the Deus don’t even know where to look for the remaining parts. But considering the damage done and where it was located… survivors are… unlikely.”

I slowly shut my eyes, this cannot be happening. With a shaky voice I respond “Do they… do they suspect it’s humans? We are a violent race and…” I gulp trying to hold back any tears that dare try to escape.

His fingers gentle caress my neck in a comforting fashion “the technology needed is far superior to anything you have ever had. Whoever is responsible… is one of the Alliance.”

My shoulders begin to shake as I fight the tears determined to come out of my shut eyes, we are going to be massacred.

I clear my throat and look at Rue, desperate to change the subject “Were you born on your home planet? How long ago did you join the Alliance?”

He smiles softly at me and indulges in my poor attempt “I was born on spaceship and we have been with them… 10,000 Earth years?” he gave a small shrug “It’s difficult to translate data like that.

I looked at him some more “may I ask… why are you easier to understand now? Did the Deus edit our translators?” When we had first met Rue missed out a lot of words, however in the first few hours of meeting his speech changed drastically.

He gave my neck a squeeze causing Goosebumps to rush down my back “No, it isn’t easy to explain but our language is… unique. So, over the years we have learned to add in words that we do not have a use for? You use similar words to Mosher with lots of… useless words? So, we adapt.” He gave a short laugh “we do not use words the way any other species do anyway, I cannot begin to describe our language.”

I nod at his explanation “you are a fascinating people indeed. Many humans dream of being able to survive underwater- we even have many myths surrounding half-human half-fish.”

He slides closer to me causing me to tense up slightly “Do you find me very fascinating?”

Our eyes lock together as my face turns red “yup.” I squeak.

He grins again and moves his hand from my neck to my face “why have you changed colour? Oh” he pulls back slightly “you are soft and warm. Unexpected."

That comment turned me into a fire truck, and I open and close my mouth a few times and before I can even think of a response, I hear a familiar shout, I look up quickly to see Mira who was making his way towards us, many questions in his eyes.

“Sorry to interrupt um… this” he frowns and clears his throat "I know you have to go get this cast looked at and I've got nothing better to do, do you need a hand getting there?"

I hobble upright and move to where Mira stood a few feet away, “That would be great thanks Mira” I throw a quick goodbye over my shoulder to Rue and follow Mir+a towards the dome we were occupying.

“Soooooo…” He starts, causing my face which had just turned a normal colour to burst into flames again.

“No, don’t.” I shove my shoulder into him “The Caaknai are always touching one another, it’s perfectly innocent!”

He rolls his eyes smirking “Aye, I read the file however you had ‘fuck me’ eyes on ad sweetheart that’s just wrong.”

I shove my shoulder into him again, gaining a chuckle “You’re surprised that a human who has suddenly been thrown onto a planet with aliens would get a little bit flustered when the aliens constantly put their hands on you? It’s a perfectly normal and reasonable reaction thank you very much!” I sniff.

He smiles again and shrugs, “yeah, I guess. You’re the only one who seems to have a friendly relationship with them, when we all start to warm to each other we will all have to get used to the constant fondling.” He reached ahead and pushed the door open, letting my hop through the doorway.

Yup, a completely reasonable reaction, it’s only been a few days, so I’m not exactly used to their culture yet.

That plus I most definitely have a huge crush on the alien. But he doesn’t need to know that part.