His Life Continues

  He wanders around in the dark, flashlight casting a shaking beam of pale white light. He could hear a past argument with Ushi in his mind…

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  “We should get red or green for the ship’s flashlights!” the Hylotl picked up a red cased flashlight and pointed it at their pink companion.

  “Floran doesssn’t think that’sss a good idea…” he pushed the plastic thing aside before they could turn it on, “thossse onesss are plasstic right? Floran thinkss metal onesss would be better.”

  They sighed, “I mean, you’re right, but white light fades so quickly and red is good for night vision.”

  Mar shrugged and the two playfully argue back and forth about which is better. Eventually, Ushi does agree that going with a water-proof longer lasting white light would be better.

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  He laughs quietly. The memory giving him mixed feelings. He shook his head and kept walking through the dark. Jumping at every sound. There was something Joe had told him a long while ago he wanted to check before he went back to the ship.

  He wanted to know what the Ancient Gateway was.

  With just a bit more walking, he found the Gateway. It seemed to glitter in the dark. The stones had some sort of energy running through them. He could feel it as he rested his hand on a pillar.

  It was an oddly familiar energy.

  He pulled his hand away, “The… it’sss Queen’sss… Queen’ss door…?” He brushed his fingers against pillar, feeling sick but also comforted. It was like home.

  He follows the flow of the energy, his hand grazing the stones as he walked up the steps. The control panel looked out of place to him. And he flinched as a portal opened up as he got closer. He took a deep breath and stepped through it. 

  Shaking his head as he stepped out, dizzy and blinded. Bright signs and loud people were greeted him. As the world spun.

  He walked into the bustling stores. Bumping past being after being, a Floran shoulder checks him and hisses.

  He flinched back, bumping into a table, upsetting maps and the beings looking at said maps. “Sssorry, sssorry, sssorry..!” He ducks past and hides in a corner behind a store for a moment.

  A hand grabs his shoulder carefully, making him jump, “You ok, sssir?”

  “Floran isss FINE.” He had’t meant to yell, but this Floran was to close. Staring him right in the eyes. Looming over him in a corner, “Floran isss jussst a bit… teleport sssick.”

  “Ok sssir!” she smiles at him, smiles with teeth bared, “if you ssstart to feel too sssick, there are trasshcansss and bathroomsss upsstairss.” She pats his shoulder and hops back into her shop.

  He slips away, pushing past people. Trying to not look people in the eyes. He’s following the energy that feels like home. It twists his insides in a familiar way. It’s a comfort. A painful one but still a comfort.

  Another Floran grabs his arm and asks where he got the flower he wore in his foliage. And a fourth shooed that one away. It wore human clothes, but there was a shine to their eyes that Mar misinterpreted. 

  “You ssseem… ssscared?”

  He couldn’t take it, his gaze darted around. Only seeing spears and foliage. Then light as he activated the ships teleport. Where he collapses on the teleport pad, clutching the metallic floor.

  He stared at his hands for what felt like ages. His SAIL began its course of health reminders. That was one of the last things Joe had taught him to do.

“You need to remember to breathe. Remember, 3 seconds in, hold 3 seconds, release.”

  He slumped back on his knees, taking in slow breathes. Eyes wide open and still afraid.

“You seem to be dehydrated. For your health, I would advice you to take in fluids.” 

  He got up and went to the storage compartment. A lukewarm water bottle was better then nothing. He took small sips.

“You should rest.”

  He slumped against the wall. Heart still racing. Slower then before, but still speeding. He thought he’d never be able to sleep. But his eyes drifted shut… and his head fell. He slept. The rest seemed to do him good. 

  That and now the Ark was saved in his location index. Meaning he wouldn’t have to walk back to the Gateway. He gave a small and thankful sigh. He accessed said index and beamed back.

  Only to end up in a different place. This place thrummed with the same energy as Queen’s door. Pale brown pillars with blue lights flickering down them. He walks down the steps, running his hand along the wall. Tell he came to a gate.

  He stared up at the carvings and the statues…

  “Excuse me, young sir?”

  He startled and gave the voice a look, it seemed to be an elderly human woman. “Yesss..?”

  She started speaking. “First, my name is Esther Bright…” She then went to talking of how she had seen his Matter Manipulator and assumed he was a Protectorate, rattling on to how he is one of the few who has responded to her call so far. She tells him of the RUIN, what she knows of it.

  “So, will you help?”

  Mar just stood there, in a quiet politeness and panic. “Floran… can’t..?”

  She pat his shoulder, “Don’t be shy about taking on such a task, I’m sure you’ll find others that can help you.”

  It went back and forth like this for several long minutes.

  “No… no. Floran isss… Floran issn’t a Protector.” His voice had been getting quieter this whole argument, “Floran wass friendss with one. They’re gone. Thisss wasss theirsss.”

  Her face twisted into one of disappointment and sympathy. “I’m sorry, I should have listened,” she held her hand out, “if you let me see it, I can still fix it for you.”

  It took an odd amount of his willpower to give the thing over to her. But he did.