Visitors: Tales from the Twisted Eden Sector, #4

First Contact

THEA WAS NOT CUT OUT for the outdoors and she knew it. There was a reason that she was inheriting a secret library when she came of age instead of some important heroic legacy. She was not physically strong and the strongest magic she had was best utilized against paper. She spent most of her thirteen years in the library and it showed in both her pale complexion and lack of muscle. She could sprint only short distances without getting winded and relied on her glasses to allow her to see more than a few feet in front of her clearly.

On the other hand, she was much smarter than she would ever be given credit for if she was careful about it. She knew how to make people underestimate her until it was far too late. She came from a very long line of smart people who taught her that her best weapon was knowledge and making sure not too many people knew you had it. And the best place to store knowledge was in a secret library that was as large as a city.

It was wandering among this library a few years ago that she discovered the note, tucked away in one of the books like a bookmark. The note was addressed to her, her name written on the top along with a date so far in the future that she wondered if she would ever see it.

October 23, 2001. It was finally here and she was going to see if this letter meant anything at all.

Nervously, she made her way alone into Stanley Park. It was early in the morning, the sun only starting to peer out from behind the treetops, but she had more than enough light from the twilight to see where she was going. The day was clear for now, but the dirty taste in the air told her that she would probably want to get inside before the rain started.

She hoped she would be back before her parents realized she was gone. She wasn’t sneaking out to meet up with some boy for the night, but she wasn’t sure how she would explain leaving to obey the words of a letter she found in the library years ago. They were understanding when it came to the weird stuff, but they weren’t that understanding.

She stayed on the main trail, gaining strange looks from the early morning joggers that ran past her. Why anyone would be up before the day even started to do physical activity was beyond her, but they made her feel like the strange one. Maybe it was the fact that the pale eighth grader looked winded in the middle of the park and there was no sign of her parents anywhere. Thea looked back down at the note left for her to avoid their eyes.

Thea,

On October 23, 2001, Take the main path. Keep walking until you see the joggers turn back. Stop and ensure that they let the alien remain free. Ask for Allerdale. You will find out what happened to Amundeep.

Eko

It was the last line that piqued her curiosity the most. Amundeep was a girl in her class last year. She had trouble paying attention, often not listening when you were talking directly to her, who had vanished with barely a trace one day.

Thea still had traces of her, though. While no one would acknowledge her existence, she was still in photographs and her name appeared on attendance, though the Veil did its work to make everyone else look the other way. She went along with what the Veil wanted, pretending she had never existed. Still, Thea would catch her name written on something or a glimpse of her in a photograph and wonder what really happened.

Thea knew that there were people who could see the future that had ventured into their library in the past. They communicated in notes and they would leave them behind for just the right person to find at just the right time. It couldn't have been a coincidence that she was the one to find it, especially since she had yet to encounter another Thea inside or outside of the books that it could possibly be meant for. The problem was what it lead her to.

She wasn’t supposed to go with strangers, but no one ever told her what to do if she found a letter telling her what to do. She probably shouldn’t listen, but it promised she would help an alien. She had to see.

When she looked up again, she spotted a jogger jogging in place, a confused look on her face. She took one step forward and turned immediately back around, her pony tail swishing behind her and her feet crunching the fallen leaves off into the distance.

Thea stopped, moving off the path and taking a good look around. If something magic was about to happen, she knew that she should be out of the way, just in case. She and her family weren’t supposed to get in the middle of conflicts, she knew. She was just supposed to watch them and maybe take notes if it was important.

She found a tree to tuck herself behind, peering out and waiting for the alien. Her eyes went skyward, looking for a spaceship to come crashing down and wondering how the Veil would cover it up. Would people just think it was a shooting star? Would they all look away in that moment?

Was anyone even awake except for her and the joggers to see it?

It wasn’t the sky that caught her eye, but the ground. A flash of fire erupted from it and a very large creature burst through the flames, looking like nothing that Thea had ever seen before. It faltered in the air, wobbling and trying to readjust its flight path before falling down onto the dirt.

It was sort of human, but more like something out of one of her novels. It was covered in dark scales, with large wings and a long, slender tail. The face was almost lizard-like, though the snout was much shorter and the eyes that looked wildly around were sky blue. Smoke leaked out from between clenched teeth, all sharp enough to rip a child like her to shreds if she came near it.

Thea was fascinated. She had never seen a dragon person before and she wondered if this was the alien. It was certainly not of this world and, while she was a little disappointed at the lack in space ship, bursting through the flames of hell was just as good for her. Plus, it was a dragon.

It took a sniff of the air and the dragon person snapped around, eyes settling on Thea. Thea’s heart jumped along with the rest of her and she cowered behind the tree, pressing it into her back and sinking to the ground. She pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to make herself very small. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart was beating so loudly in her chest that she was sure it would give her away.

On the other hand, it was a dragon. Dragons tended to kidnap and eat young women who couldn’t defend themselves.

The heavy steps of the dragon person told her there was no escape. She held the crumpled up paper between her shaking fingers and her mind went blank. Her legs wouldn’t move and she was about to be roasted alive before she was eaten. Her parents would be so mad when they found out.

She wished she brought Mom. Mom would know how to get out of this. Why didn’t she bring Mom?

Child, came the rumble from the dragon.

Thea let out a squeak and fell sideways, looking up at the dragon and meeting those blue eyes. She should get out of the way. She should move. She was going to get eaten if she didn’t move.

What are you? the dragon asked, looking her over. She leaned in closer, opening her eyes wider as she looked Thea over.

Thea managed to find her voice again. A-a girl, she stuttered out. Just a little girl. Not enough to eat. Too small for that.

The dragon leaned away from her, though kept her feet in place. Her eyes were not so large anymore, instead almost looking offended. Only savages would eat another creature with speech, she said. What is a girl?

Thea blinked up at her. She wasn’t getting eaten? Or maybe she had only escaped that fate so long as she kept talking. A girl is- it’s a young female. I’m a human.

Be clear, child. Are you a human or a female?

I’m a human female. Thea’s hands shook less now and she thought that she might be able to run, but didn’t dare with the dragon still watching her. My - my species is human. My gender is female.

Gender? The dragon looked puzzled. This is a strange place. What makes you female?

Thea started to say something, but everything she thought of was quickly overruled. There was a girl in her class that hated pink and dresses. Some of the girls played sports. Some weren’t girly at all. Some of the boys were more interested in dancing and going to the mall than the girls were.

I can have babies, Thea blurted out at last, flushing a bright red as soon as she did. I mean, when I get older I can. Boys - I mean males - they can’t do that.

The dragon pondered that statement for a moment. I suppose that would make me a female in this world. Tell me, is this gender considered important?

I - I don’t -

Where I come from, I was called Akosua, the dragon woman told her, staying exactly where she was, though her eyes never left Thea. I had no cause before to learn my species, so am I to refer to myself as female, or shall I make up a species to be referred to as?

Thea blinked, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Akosua made no move to get any closer, which helped ease Thea’s nerves. Her hands weren’t shaking anymore and she was almost comfortable as she sat in the damp earth. She even remembered the paper in her hand and the instructions given to her.

This dragon woman. She was the one Thea was supposed to save. Thea didn’t know how she was supposed to do that. She was so much bigger and scarier than Thea. She couldn’t imagine anything that could possibly be a threat to someone that dangerous looking.

One of Akosua’s eyes flicked away from Thea. Thea let out a yelp and jumped backwards, her arms and legs cooperating enough for her to scramble away into another tree.

I see, Akosua said, her other eye now also swivelling around to look elsewhere while her body still faced Thea. Is that a skill you will learn when you are older, or have you been able to leave this whole time?

Footsteps grew closer, four people showing up out of the woods surrounding the pair of them. They were dressed in hazmat suits, looking like they were ready to capture a strange alien creature, and Akosua was definitely a strange creature. An alien one considering the note.

Thea would have to stop them.

Hello, one of them said. She sounded like a pleasant woman under the suit, her voice too clear to be wearing one of those helmets. She approached Akosua slowly, shoulders relaxed and looking her in the face. Akosua’s eyes and body spun back around to focus on the woman, who continued to speak. You don’t appear to be from around here. It happens a fair bit around here. Welcome to earth. It is a land of people known as humans and-

Yes, the girl was just telling me of humans, Akosua said. I think I should like to remain here.

Thea managed to get to