Prisoners of Sol

Stepping into Corai's memory was like wading into a brisk pool on a hot summer day. The Watcher was seated in a meeting of the Justiciary of Experimentation, watching Colban's people face down the human ship that had approached their dumb drive-thru outpost. The Elusians forbade her from swooping in when we crash-landed on the asteroid, despite the palpable excitement she'd felt. They wouldn't let her reach out when she observed our enhanced precog, or save the poor innocents who'd suffered at Larimak's claws.

That last thought of hers made me flinch, realizing that she'd observed exactly what was done to me in captivity. Corai knew she could have helped in all of those circumstances, and she hated that she'd stood idle. I drew a deep breath, intuitively forgiving her without her having to ask; she didn't know me then, and…she'd spectated worse. I knew she'd interfered when she was able to, that she hated the compulsory inactivity. I felt the seed of resentment in her heart, that they insisted on pushing humans away rather than embracing their wonderful creations.

How much longer did Watchers have to peer through nanobot lenses with wistful eyes, and think how easily they could reach out and touch us?

Corai drew a deep breath, nervous for her creations, before turning to a colleague. "I wonder what the humans will have to say to us. The first time they've been able to address us directly! All of the confusion and loneliness they've felt for years. Now that they're so close, the least Colban can do is give them some salve."

"The humans' feelings aren't our concern, Corai," the Watcher—Daxra, was her name, breathed an irritated sigh. "They, in their fear and inability to understand what's beyond them, will be the end of us all. It's because of your meddling that they were permitted to get this far, since you feel that ignoring the problem ends it. Except you're just waiting for a chance to reach out to them."

"I feel terrible for how we've treated the humans, and how much we failed them throughout every remarkable milestone. I want them to succeed on their own, but a word of encouragement when they directly seek us—"

"The humans will fall on their knees and grovel like everyone else. They are primitives not worthy of your consideration. Sol's physics and their precog are the areas we should focus our research on, not on swaddling them like babies."

"They want to know about us!" And I want them to, Corai added to herself. "Daxra, you can't deny them the most basic knowledge about who they are and expect them to go away. It's a foolish plan."

"Colban knows. He'll give them a rudimentary explanation of our relationship to them, and clear instructions to go away."

Corai snapped upright in her chair, feeling her breath catch in her throat. The Justiciary…was sending the humans away, swatting down their outstretched hands in the hopes that Elusians would never hear from them again? She'd tolerated so much of her people distancing themselves from the Sol project, and gone along with it because she didn't want to risk everything. Even though she still felt that way, it didn't erase the hue of disappointment from her vision.

The Watcher remembered seeing the pieces of the Space Gate be fitted in Caelum, and watching the humans revel in their new powers. She remembered the unbridled joy on Preston and Sofia's faces as they sprinted at top speeds on Kalka, discovering how overpowered Elusians had set them up to be. The way they cared for those androids with such tenderness, and cured them of that virus with so much passion; they stepped in to fix problems, unlike her. She knew she was fundamentally broken, like all her people were, and that she deserved their loathing.

Corai could feel the indictment they'd throw in her face, if they really knew her. Maybe she didn't want them to after all. Her eyes locked onto the feed of their ship, as nanobots crawled in through the exhaust pipe and the humans' heart rates visibly spiked. The Elusian cocked her head, wondering how they would react to the display of power. She couldn't imagine what they thought of these things beyond their comprehension, but Daxra had to be wrong about them groveling. She hoped they would keep their nerve, and offer diplomatic words in spite of their fear.

"Hello?" Preston opened his mouth to speak, his face looking so beautiful in spite of everything he'd been through. She'd seen the depths of his despair when he believed Sol was lost, unwilling to accept that he hadn't protected his people from annihilation. The more Corai watched this one, the more drawn to him she felt; he wouldn't want her comfort, especially far too late. She was a callous stranger who meant nothing to her little hero.

Why hello, Preston Carter. I've watched your progress with great interest, she imagined sending a message into his brain, a daydreaming, loopy smile on her lips. Corai imagined for some reason, he'd react positively to her: but how could he? Her observation was creepy by human standards, and she needed to be professional anyway. She had to protect his species first and foremost. What will your reaction be to this? I know you're frightened and defensive of the unknown, but you're more than that. You must have something profound to say. Your first words will leave a mark.

"We're humans, dropping by unannounced," Preston continued in a casual voice. "I think you might've been on a space cruise to our dimension before. Sucky physics, wimpy speed of light, precognitive apes—ring a bell?"

The Justiciary's audience gawked at the video feed with a mixture of dismay and shock, while Corai burst out laughing in hysterics. The nanobots kicked in and dampened the pain as she hugged her sides, cackling so hard that tears flowed from her eyes. Oh, the bravado this Preston had! In such a serious situation, to deviate from what was expected of him…this was why she adored humans. They brought a pleasantly surprising levity, something Suam needed so sorely.

Colban wasn't going to lighten up, but the look on the old fool's face; he would need quite some time to formulate a response to that. Corai loved seeing him thrown off his game. I blinked my eyes open in the present and began snickering as well, finding her amusement to be contagious. I turned with a goofy grin, to find the stone-faced Elusian somehow holding a cheeseburger, a French fry carton that was wet with grease, and a brown, carbonated beverage.

"I believe you ordered these next, didn't you?" Corai whispered in a silky voice. "And I'd give you anything you want, if it was in my power to grant."

I accepted the items with a smirk, diving into the fast food without hesitation. "You remembered that I told Fifi to order that? You couldn't imagine my disappointment when it wasn't a drive-thru. Even Mikri fed me."

"Yes, Mikri always helped you…in times where I lacked courage and the impetus to act. Know that…after all you've done and sacrificed for me, I'm so very sorry."

I shoveled a few fries into my mouth, shrugging. "I know you had to watch tons of disasters and suffering throughout human history, and that everyone taught you not to care, but it was hard for you to bear. I don't judge you, or blame you for not having a personal stake in my suffering over the whole world's. The fact you cared at all, even before we were an item, means a lot. The things you think are your flaws make me love you more."

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"I don't deserve such easy forgiveness, whether for my role as a bystander or for releasing the Fakra. But I really do love you more than anything, and there isn't a thing I wouldn't do for us. For your people. I don't want you to ever go through how you felt at the Space Gate again."

"All's well that ends well. That's how I feel about this whole Justiciary debacle. Just gotta flip the script, and I think you can feel good about maybe saving us. Tomorrow gives us a chance," I said. "Now, enough about humans. I know you're more than your love for us. Why don't you show me something that's just about you, Corai-svran?"

Corai's eyes grew distant, a sad smile lingering on her lips, before she forwarded another memory. I demolished the last of my food, dusted off my hands, and delved into this recollection with giddiness; I wanted to know about the part of her life that wasn't just being a Watcher, like I'd shown her the Preston with earthly dreams. I could see a tiny arm stretched out before me, and feel my thoughts seem to shrink down too. This was a little Corai, so happy and full of life—so adorable!

The young Elusian balanced on a floating blanket made of nanobots, surfing through her home while her father chased her; her dad warped in front of her as she veered down the hallway, and she hastily reversed course. The corner of the shimmering foothold caught on a chair, and Corai lost her balance with a yelp. Papa's eyes changed in an instant, and his wrist moved faster than seemed possible. She found herself floating an inch above the ground, as his raisers latched onto her metal clothes and supported her body weight.

Her father floated his daughter over to his arms, picking her up and recalling the nanobot blanket. "Well, Corai, it seems you can't outrun the Bedtime Monster! Better luck tomorrow."

"No fair! You always teleport," she pouted in a squeaky child's register.

The scene abruptly changed, as he teleported Corai right next to the levitation bed and unfurled his strong arms. "Yes. I suppose I do! I have to catch you quickly, so we have time to read a bedtime story. What would you like to hear today?"

"More about the Fakra! That one is your best story."

Papa's features turned to a frown. "You already know everything there is to know, little one, about my old work. The parts I've left out aren't able to be understood by someone so young."

"Like why you left them? Didn't you love them?"

"I loved what I thought they could be. However, when our expectations weren't met, the time we were willing to spend together ran out. That just…happens, naturally. You'll understand after your first ten thousand years—only then do you have a true concept of time."

"So you left because you stopped loving them."

Her father pursed his lips. "Yes. Or at least, I stopped loving them enough."

Hurt swelled in Corai's heart, and she turned away from Papa so he couldn't see her cry. "Okay. If…you left them, does that mean you'll stop loving me and leave us too, one day?"

"Oh, little one, you're my daughter. You will always be special to me, even when our connection has dulled." He sat on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on her shoulder as she failed to cover up her sniffles. "I'm going to teach you a hard truth, Corai. No love lasts forever. There will come a day when you and I are both ready to move apart from each other, because we've exhausted all of the possible moments we could have together. It won't happen for a long time, but everything is temporary. It's just how existence is."

"No, it's not! I would never not care about you anymore, Papa. I don't want to run out of time! Please…"

"You won't run out of time until it's what you decide, and that would mean you're accepting our emotions to be temporary. When that day comes, I hope you'll have felt fulfilled, like your memories were all they could have been. Love might erode with time, but that doesn't mean it was any less deep or impactful. Eternity is just a really long time: it outlasts everything in the end."

"Everything?" Corai squeezed her eyes shut, terrified by the prospect of eternity. She didn't like the idea of forever and ever and ever! She curled a palm around the pendant he'd made for her, refusing to let go. She wouldn't! "That's scary. W-what do I do about that?"

Her father manipulated the nanobot blanket, wrapping her in a tight cocoon to tuck her in. "Unlike the Fakra, you are Elusian. You will come to understand. You merely wait, and…look back on this moment to remember a time when things were interesting. This will always be the high point in your life, where our love was strong. In that way, I will always love you."

"I'll always love you too, Papa. You're my hero forever!"

I jolted back to the modern day in the memorywalk chamber, glancing over at Corai with concern. It felt a lot like how humans had conversations about mortality, except in their case, it was the mortality of love. The fact was, I didn't agree with that; it just took tending and cultivating to keep it fresh, and people's effort slipped over an eternity. The erosion occurred because they stopped battling for every second together, and because they relented to time's pull. I might not have lived my first ten-thousand years yet, but I didn't believe I'd let go of something so precious!

The part of myself that feels fiercely and basks in spontaneity, I reinforce it daily. Corai has shown me not to stop seeing the beauty in life, and to care regardless of the consequences or rationality. That's who I am, and who I want to be for an eternity.

"We won't merely wait," I told Corai, taking her hand. "I want to make each day exciting for you, no matter what we're doing. Love doesn't have to be temporary. Like Mikri told me, forever is a long time, but today doesn't have enough hours to spend with you. We should be present and grounded—face it together, yeah?"

Corai gazed into my eyes. "What he said all those years ago is why I never had kids, and never bothered with an expiration 'marriage.' Knowing it was bound to end did make it less impactful to me—it made it not worthwhile at all."

"I want to talk about our future, Corai, and all the good things it can hold. What do you want out of life, on a personal level? What would make it worthwhile to you? We, uh, never talked about kids or marriage."

The Elusian chuckled. "We're closely related enough to be compatible. If the peace talks are successful and we can make a commitment to each other after, I think I would like to start a family with you. You'd be a fun, wonderful father…the way I still think of mine, even after knowing everything he did."

"That's…n-nice of you to say." I felt my hands turn clammy, recalling the type of dad I'd had as a role model. Settling down was the opposite of my lifestyle, but with Corai, it sounded tantalizing. Besides, I'd raised the subject, and I appreciated her being direct. "I like the idea, except…I worry I have enough baggage that I'd fuck up my kids, y'know?"

"I see it as a chance for redemption, to prove that maybe there is some part of me worth passing on. We could be better than the Elusians were as…creators, Preston. Better for our progeny—prove to ourselves that we can be!"

"What if I let them down too, Corai? That thought that I couldn't measure up, that I couldn't be what they deserve…"

"You are a good man, and you don't have to be anything more. You can have earthly dreams again. If you truly don't want a family, I'll be with you regardless, but I'd like to imagine a beautiful life together. I'd like to imagine us building something that lasts. With you, I'd…try."

My heart fluttered, and looking into her eyes, I felt an icy grip around it relent. "I'd try too. I'd rather risk failure than miss out on our full potential. You do understand any kid we have is going to terrorize these gray-hinied fools, right?"

"Oh, that'll be part of the fun, my dear. Suam isn't ready for ding-dong-ditch at every portal."

I pressed my lips to hers briefly, and smiled as I pulled back. "You empower me. I guess we have skin in the game now, something to fight for. We have to head to the negotiations soon, but we're going to see these peace talks through. When I'm sure it's safe and the prophecy is over, we can plan how to raise a family."

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure it works out. Elusians and humanity living in harmony is all I ever wanted. Thank you for reminding me of why."

I tugged through our interlocked hands, leading her out of the memorywalk chamber. "Happy to be of service, madam. Let's go get Plungerbutt's pen moving!"

With a skip in my step, I found that I couldn't stop grinning at the thought of a normal life with Corai. Every fiber of my being was determined to protect the beautiful Elusian, right alongside humanity; she was my world. The peace talks were going to be the start of a new dawn for us both, and I couldn't wait to see this mission through to a happy ending.