He will save me. He must.
The airlock’s silence is sinister. Everything about my encounter has been, and this final, inescapable solitude is the worst of all.
I know that making this trip was a mistake, but no one would listen. The corporation needs explorers, and when given the chance to go on an expedition to a new planet, how could I say no? Discovery is all I’ve ever wanted.
Tears form in my eyes, blurring the lock’s controls. I wipe them away, trying to make out the instructions.
And then he is inside the porthole.
He is huge. He is very obviously too big to be a creature of his own planet. The fur on his face is white as his name suggests, although his eyes are dark and set in different directions.
When the airlock compartment is opened, he can only fit the width of one shoulder into the air without touching the edge of the opening. The strong scent of hair and grease fills the small space.
“Please don’t try to run,” I say. “I could shoot you in an instant—”
“Then do it,” he rumbles. “I won’t hesitate.”
I stare at the black gun in my hand, dangling at my side, and place it back in my satchel.
“This is not how I wanted your first encounter with humans to be,” I say. “But this planet is extremely valuable, and there are other expeditions looking for us. You have to take me to the ship now.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Obviously, you are an intelligent species. You know that if people find out you’ve helped me, you’ll face repercussions. You must allow me to win over the others. You can’t take chances like this.”
“Why are you here?” he asks. “None of them take risks like you.”
“I know there are other tribes here, native to this planet—”
“That’s your explanation? That’s rule number one of the Rule of Discovery.”
“Look, we both know there’s no such thing as number one rule. There’s always an exception to the rule. People have died in the past because of that.”
He pauses, his nostrils flaring slightly. “You are correct. I’ve heard of your people’s countless tales of success and failure. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Tell me something else.”
“My people have some of the greatest scientists in the galaxy. They study this planet like the ark that it is, a window into times past. This planet should be preserved, and we need to warn them about you.”
“Them?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Your people don’t share much information about themselves.”
“We are me,” I say.
The fur on his face moves as he forms a frown. “Your people?”
“Yes.”
“Where are the others?”
“I think you meant it in the more literal sense,” I say. “Many of the others are gone now. The others—well, they look nothing like me,” I retort.
“Where are they?” He crouches low, his arms stretching behind him. There are tears in my eyes again. I’m not sure why. I don’t normally remember the others with pity.
“They’re dead,” I say. “They passed away on the starship. Before I came to the planet.”
“Who did you leave behind?” His voice is gentle, careful. “Your mate?”
“My father,” I say. “My mother. Two brothers. One sister.”
“Why did they not come with you?”
“Their genes were too similar to mine. The doctors couldn’t tell which were dominant.”
“That does not seem fair.”
“It does not. You are correct. I don’t suppose genetics will ever leave me alone. I know the exact moment that they decided I would go to the new planet.”
“Really? What was that like?”
“I was at home, I suppose. I was doing nothing but staring into space. Most of the time I do that. It’s what I do best. I was doing it for so long that I had to reattach my visor. I felt nothing. I felt nothing until they put the data in front of me.” I pause. “And then, well, then I was excited. I felt hope, for the first time in my life. I felt something.”
He stretches his arms out again. I can barely see his huge torso. “I think you will be a little safer with me. They might still be looking for you out there, so if you wish to convince them not to shoot you, and be convincing about it, you’ll need my help.” His face casts a shadow as the light from his eyes fades.
“That’s true,” I say. “We’ll have to hurry. Our time on this planet is limited.”
“We?” he asks.
“The others are coming with me.”
He stands still, silent.
I reach down, suddenly grabbing him. “You heard me. We have to get the ship out of here.”
“Yes,” he says slowly. “As you say, our time is limited. But why would we leave without questioning you fully? It feels like a trap. I’m not sure I want to take the risk.”
I grip his arm. “Help me. There are other intelligent creatures here. We need to find them. We need to find all of them.”
“What does your father say of this?”
“He’s dead,” I say. “He died in the crash.”
He thinks for a moment. I see his expression soften, his eyes soften.
“We will leave you here,” he says. “But not before you tell me one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“How many others have you left behind?”
“Three,” I say. “There were three others. Not enough.”
He crouches down and quickly, expertly, cuts the ropes that tie me to my chair. I rub my wrists. I feel cold.
“I need to know you. I need to know if I can trust you,” he says.
“I would like to know you.”
“Father must know the answers to all of my questions.”
“What would you like to know first?” I ask.
“Why are you on this planet?”
“I told you. We are trying to find creatures that are intelligent, and I’m trying to find others of my kind. I can’t stay here, but I know that there are others hidden out there. If we can find them all, and we save the planet, then we can go home. I can go home.”
“Before you came here, did you know what would happen to you?”
“I don’t think anyone told me.”
“The doctors told you that you would be fine.”
“Yes, they did.”
“How did you know? What made you think it would be bad?”
I push my arms into my chest, rubbing my palms together. I can’t feel them.
“I could see what was going to happen,” I say. “It was obvious, wasn’t it? I saw it. They tried to tell me it’s not real, but it is. Watching your world fall away from the safety of the ship, being held prisoner in darkness.”
“You see the future?” he asks.
“It’s not really the future. It’s just my interpretation of the past. It’s like someone else’s dream. I see it all at once, one image after another. It’s exhausting.
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