Chapter 21

WHAM.

The woody-burnt floral smell was familiar in Eitan’s nostrils. He rubbed his hands on his new pants, pleased to have a pair with numerous pockets. The hall was silent though. Eitan descended the dais and climbed the stairs up to the soaring pillars. Stepping through the pillars, he realized that the sun was behind the building, casting brilliant landscapes of light across the alien urban landscape. The effect was mesmerizing as some facades acted like prisms, some as reflectors and others were black absorbers, where light simply disappeared.

He sat on the edge of the parapet, waiting for one of the patrolling birds to find him. As he waited, he watched the light roll ever deeper into the valleys of the city. He was so caught up in the light show, he did not see the bird land until it squawked. Calmly, Eitan eyed the bird as it stomped its feet and squawked again. Soon enough, its fellows joined, landing on the stone and squawking.

The dark, furred creature known as the Caretaker, seemingly rose out of the air from below. When he stepped onto stone floor, Eitan saw he had ridden a small platform from somewhere below. The Caretaker raised one arm, which Eitan mirrored as he stood up. The Caretaker raised his second arm and Eitan did as well.

The two beings approached each other. When they came close, the Caretaker pulled the familiar black box from one of his pockets. “Welcome back, Sun Strider. I am glad you have returned.”

“Thank you, Caretaker. I am happy to see you again.”

“I have learned some of your body needs,” the Caretaker said. “We have much to learn, but you must place food in your body. You are a young Sun Striding people.”

“I don’t understand,” Eitan said. The Caretaker swept his arm in front of him, indicating that Eitan follow him. They walked to the platform. They descended without friction from the lip of the Hall to a street far below.

The boulevard was broad and empty. The pavement was not the hard surface that Eitan was expecting, giving slightly under his feet as he stepped. They crossed the road and continued down a street towards a building with a towering archway for an entrance. There was no door, yet passing through the entrance, Eitan was distinctly aware that he had stepped from outside to inside. The walls were decorated with murals of scenery that were alien and beautiful. Some places on the canvas looked blank to Eitan though, puzzling him until he remembered there was more to the light spectrum than his eyes could perceive.

They stepped onto another platform and rose to another level. The Caretaker led him to a table near a window, sitting Eitan down in a chair that was in shadow. The Caretaker retrieved a tray from a box that reminded Eitan of an oven or a microwave. Placing the tray in front of him, Eitan looked at the three bars in front of him that were the color of chocolate.

“Food is not easy to build for a young people,” the Caretaker said. “Eat one, then eat one, and then eat one. One will be good from the two.”

Eitan picked up the first bar and bit off a small chunk. The taste was bitter, metallic like aluminum. He swallowed. He tried the second, which was tart and gravelly. The third was bland and chewy, but easy to get down. It had a funny aftertaste, which reminded him of the actinic taste of medicine that dissolves too quickly in the mouth. He ate the entire bar though, fearful that he could collapse like he did upon his return home.

The slight pressure on his head that he had not even known was there eased. Its absence was the only clue that it had been there. His lungs still labored slightly though, and he questioned just how long he could remain on this planet without doing permanent damage to his organs.

“Three is the good thing,” the Caretaker said, picking up the tray and putting it back in the box. “We need to learn more. Follow.”

The being led him to a room across the way. Inside were cabinets like a human would expect and an examination table that looked like one long fluffy cushion. The Caretaker asked him to take off his clothes, which he did. He climbed on the table. After he was settled, several beams ran across his body, first from top to bottom and then side to side. A cushion of air descended upon him, smelling of sweet, delicious, rich air. Eitan breathed deeply, his body involuntarily yawning. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When he awoke the Caretaker was in the same place that Eitan remembered.

“You are awake,” the Caretaker said. “The analysis of your body went exceedingly well. We were able to answer many questions and learn your language in a more thorough manner. Now we can communicate and learn.”

“My language?” Eitan asked, confused.

“Direct stimulus of the brain’s memory and language centers is a faster, more context rich process than learning word by word,” the Caretaker said. “You are a young race, and you have much to learn, which is exciting. We are an old race, and what we seek to learn is far out on the edges of the galaxy. Milky Way, yes?”

“Yes,” Eitan said, “When we see the galaxy in the night sky, it reminds us of spatters of an animal’s white milk that we drink. It is an ancient term.”

“I need your permission,” the Caretaker said. “Your body sculpting program is primitive and flawed. Many small flaws are why you get sick when you stride the suns. I seek permission to correct these flaws and strengthen your body sculpting. You will stride more easily.”

Eitan’s caution blossomed, causing him to pause and consider. Everything that had happened to him thus far had been a careful thought-out orchestration of a first contact though. Now this being could speak to him fluently and still, the being asked for permission. Although he was knocking himself for acting impulsive, he saw only one possible decision.

“Yes,” Eitan said. “My body responded poorly to the first two body sculpting series though. Is that a concern?”

The Caretaker raised one hand. “The flaws we would correct will remove such danger to your organism. Thank you for your permission. Please continue to lay on the table.”

Another cushion of air descended upon Eitan. He slept.

When he awoke, he felt gloriously alive, like he was ready to leap off the table and take on the universe. He pushed himself up on his elbows. Instead of seeing an examination room, Eitan recognized a series of machines behind the cabinets beyond his feet. Looking up, he examined the advanced array of modules that appeared crammed into such a small space.