Thirty

 

Marsha put down the laptop and wiped her hand across her forehead. It’d taken over a month, but it was done. She’d collected and organized all the information she wanted to add to the database, and more importantly, she’d portrayed Earth as kindly as she possibly could.

She’d included her thoughts about the possibility of tourism. While it wouldn’t be safe without proper precautions, she stated that visitors would be intrigued by Earth’s quaint culture and quirky inhabitants. There were a hundred and ninety-five countries to explore, each one different from the next. However, she said Earth was worth more than a quick vacation, and that its inhabitants were sentient, intelligent, and compassionate.

She hadn’t glossed over the centuries of injustices that characterized the planet—the oppression and inequality that dated back to when societies first differentiated; the million ways that Earthlings could be cruel to each other for no reason at all. She’d readily admitted that Earth still struggled with issues like racism, sexism, and homophobia now.

But she’d taken a few liberties and editorialized in certain sections. She’d talked about how certain other planets had been less than peaceful before they joined the union, and how quickly Earth’s citizens were making progress toward equal rights for all. Some terrible atrocities existed on this planet, but the beings here also showed great resilience and strength. They never gave up hope.

Marsha had concluded that there was a sizeable chance that Earthlings might destroy each other. She dedicated an entire section to the ways they could do so: a nuclear war or biological weapons, climate change or ecological collapse.

But right now, Earth’s citizens were making great strides, and they were doing it alone. If they had some guidance—if they knew there was a goal to aspire to, a reason to stop fighting each other—they might become ready to join the union in a few short decades.

She looked back over the last few words she’d typed. My recommendation is to provide an on-planet liaison between Earth’s community and the Interplanetary Union. An ambassador who understands Earth and its customs would help Earth immeasurably. Earth’s technology is already improving at a rapid pace, and peacefulness and unity will surely follow. And if such a distinctive planet joined the union, all union citizens would benefit from the opportunity to learn from its inhabitants.

She stood up and jumped up and down several times, earning herself a knock on the ceiling from the neighbor below. This was the signal she’d agreed on with Blxtycyd for when she wanted to speak to them; it disturbed the sound waves in a different way than normal speech, so that Blxtycyd would notice it.

Written patterns appeared on the coffee table. Hello, Azyxs-02H-M4T2.

“Hi, Blxtycyd,” she said. “I’ve just finished compiling what I’d like to add to the database.”

I’ll send someone to collect it.

“Okay,” she said, although she wasn’t sure what he meant by that.

Twenty minutes later, a knock came at the door.

An unfamiliar man stood there, dressed in a plain outfit like the one she’d arrived in. “Azyxs-02H-M4T2? I was sent by Blxtycyd.”

Her eyes widened. “Come in.”

She showed him the laptop, and it took him a minute to figure out how to use it. She tried not to laugh. Everything it’d taken her so long to learn about Earth, this man was struggling with now.

He read for so long that she got bored and fidgety. She stood up to stretch her legs, then welcomed Sophie and Terry when they got back from work. And still, the strange man kept reading.

After the rest of them had dinner, the man called out to Marsha. “It’s acceptable,” he said. “There will be some edits, but it’s usable.”

“That’s great to hear.”

“You’re now the preeminent expert on this planet.” He closed the laptop. “We’ll have to edit out the section where you try to make a case for a job.”

“I’m sorry?”

“The ambassador position.” He bobbed his head as if he was trying to wave his stalk.

“It wasn’t about me. I—” She stopped short. She would be the obvious contender, wouldn’t she? No one in the entire union knew as much about Earth as she did. “I mean, maybe, but it could be anybody.”

“Tell that to Blxtycyd.” He tucked the laptop under his arm. “A lot of people are waiting for this. Your trial created great interest in this planet. The database isn’t the place to promote your own career ambitions.”

“I wasn’t,” she sputtered.

He headed toward the door. “I’ll bring this back when I’m finished.” Then he was gone.

Sophie’s voice made Marsha jump. Marsha hadn’t realized she’d come up behind her. “I guess I don’t have a laptop for a few days.”

“I guess not.” She turned and embraced her. “I can’t believe he thought I was being self-serving. I only wanted to show that Earth could be a candidate for inclusion.”

“It’s not the worst idea, though.” Sophie looked at her keenly. “You’re an expert on this planet, you’re personable and charming, you’re a born leader. You’re already a senator.”

“A provincial one. That hardly counts.”

“There’s a quote I like from a famous playwright. His name was William Shakespeare.” Sophie took both of Marsha’s hands as she recited it. “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Maybe you’re having greatness thrust upon you.”

“I thought I was already pretty great the way I was.” Marsha’s voice was shaky.

“Believe me, you were.” Sophie kissed her softly. “But maybe you could be even greater.”

Marsha took a deep breath, then held up a finger. “I’ll be right back.” She ran out to the hallway. Blxtycyd’s assistant was still waiting for the elevator, and she said a silent “thank you” for its habitual slowness.

She raced up to him, reaching him just as the doors finally opened. “I have a favor to ask. I know you’re not going to include everything I compiled for the database. But since the information is all on there, could you provide the full version to my birth-givers?”

He eyed her warily.

“If that many people are interested in Earth, they’ll be interested in my thoughts about it. Not just the objective, cold facts that can be included in the database. My birth-givers will know what to do with it.” She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear nervously. She really had become a human. “Please? I have no other way to reach them.”

He let out a sigh. “Fine. As long as Blxtycyd is okay with it.”

 

***

 

Sophie had spoken to Nicole on the phone often over the past few months. Now more than ever, she wished she could include Katie in their chats. Their third triplet completed their circle. It felt wrong to even speak to Nicole without her.

Tonight, Sophie also wished she could’ve confided in both of them about who Marsha really was. Trying to open up about her life felt impossible when she had to hide so much.

“I don’t think I mentioned, Marsha is back.” She kept her tone as casual as possible, speaking into the phone as she lay on the living room sofa.

Nicole’s screech pierced through her ears. On the screen, her expression was astonished. “The woman who just up and vanished on you? Broke your heart without a second thought? You took her back?”

“It’s not like that,” Sophie said carefully. “I can’t explain because of her privacy, but it was out of her control. I thought really hard about whether I should take her back, so you’ll have to trust I know what I’m doing.”

“But do you trust her?” Nicole asked.

“Totally and completely.” Sophie smiled softly. “Her leaving was just a little blip. We’re going to spend the rest of our lives together. I know it.”

“Okay… If you’re sure.” Nicole still looked doubtful. “She’s been good to you since you got back?”

“She’s been amazing. She might get a promotion at work, too. Things are going really well for us.”

“A promotion at Grubinski’s?”

“Well, no. She isn’t working there anymore. She’s doing something much better.” Sophie regretted bringing up this subject. She either had to lie or change the subject before Nicole got too curious. “And how are Deacon and Mitzi?”

Nicole’s huff made it clear that she knew exactly what Sophie was doing. “They’re fine. Sometime, we’ll all get together.”

It’d been hard to see each other. Brian was no longer willing to drive Nicole to Rocksoil at all, and Sophie didn’t feel particularly welcome in their shared home, either. If she drove Nicole into town, she’d have to make two round trips.

“Sounds good,” Sophie said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

They hung up, and Sophie went into her room to see what Marsha was up to. Marsha had been on edge for the few days since the strange man’s visit. She seemed nervous about what her parents would think of the screed she’d written, and how it’d be taken if they released it to the public.

Right now, she was lying on the bed with her nose in her phone.

“Any word from your planet?” Sophie asked, then remembered that phones weren’t how they communicated. “Or anything else that’s interesting?”

Marsha shook her head and gestured at Sophie to lie down beside her. “Nothing but you.” She nestled her head onto Sophie’s chest.

Sophie tilted her head downward so she could meet Marsha’s lips with her own. The familiar longing tugged at her core. She’d been fighting her desires for so long, and she didn’t know what else she was waiting for. Marsha had her documents now. She’d advocated for Earth interplanetarily. She’d done everything her planet’s leader had asked, and she was still here. And she’d told Sophie over and over that she was here to stay.

But something still wasn’t quite right. Sophie would know when that missing piece slotted into place. And the moment it did, she’d be all over Marsha.

 

***

 

A fortnight had passed since Marsha had given the laptop to Blxtycyd’s assistant. She had no way to know if her information had even been received. She’d jumped up and down in the living room a few times, even screaming to add to the sound waves’ disturbance, but there’d been no response—except from the downstairs neighbor.

She was sitting at the kitchen table, digging into a plate of carbonara. Sophie sat across from her, and their eyes never left each other’s. Despite not knowing what was going on with her database, she was suffused with a quiet contentment that she’d never felt in her life.

A contentment that was about to be shattered.

She almost missed the familiar strange tingling. It was out of context—she usually only felt it in the chamber of a teleporter. Realizing what the sensation was, she dropped her fork and sat back with a gasp. Her cells were preparing to disintegrate into the air around them.

“No!” she said. “Not again. I’m not going back!”

Vaguely, she was conscious of Sophie gaping at her. She whipped her head around, looking for light patterns from Blxtycyd. None appeared.

“You can’t make me go back,” she insisted. Her voice was about to break. “I haven’t agreed to this. I won’t do it!”

Before her eyes, her hands shimmered. The flesh cells flew away from them, stripping them down to the bone. Then that began to go, too.

“What’s happening?” Sophie whispered.

“They’re taking me back. I can’t stop it.” More bits and pieces of Marsha disappeared. “I’ll be back, I promise. I love you so much.” She hurried to get the words in before her voice box disappeared, too.

“Wait,” Sophie said, looking around frantically. “Whoever’s doing this, wait.”

The teleportation didn’t pause.

“Take me with her,” Sophie said. “If you can hear me, please. Please!”

Nothing changed for a second. Then Sophie’s face spasmed and she stared in horror at Marsha. “Is this it? Are they doing it?”

“I guess so.” Marsha’s disintegration seemed to be accelerating. “I’ll see you over there.”

She closed her eyes while the teleportation finished. There was a moment of blankness, and then her consciousness reappeared. She knew the second her body started forming that she was on HR 8832g. She was home.

She was alone in the chamber—but after a minute, cells started to fly around and assemble around a second point. She moved her limbs and flexed her projections as she watched Sophie slowly appear. Her hrylyt body was tall like her human one, and while her human features were completely gone, there was something recognizable in these ones. She looked utterly lost and confused.

“Oh my, you look adorable,” Marsha said.

Sophie said something incomprehensible. Marsha realized she’d attempted to say “what?” in English. It had come out all wrong with her hrylyt tongue.

She tried to repeat what she’d said in English, and while it was still slurred, Sophie seemed to understand.

Sophie reached her projections out, then jumped. “I’m a monster!”

“Thanks a lot,” Marsha said. “You’re like me now.”

“This is your true form?” Sophie examined her own body, then gawked at Marsha’s. “I guess it’s how you described, but… Wow.”

“Don’t forget, humans look as funny to me as we do to you.”

“How could you possibly be attracted to one, then?”

Marsha shrugged like a human. “We’re open-minded.” She grabbed Sophie’s projections. “Let’s go.”

Just outside the chamber door, Blxtycyd was waiting—along with her birth-givers.

Marsha barely acknowledged Blxtycyd before reaching her stalk at Jntzs, Hxlx, and Spltgd. She’d been expecting Blxtycyd alone, and suddenly she was overwhelmingly happy to see them. They returned her greetings fondly, each wrapping their stalk around hers.

“Sophie, these are my birth-givers,” she said, then switched to Hrylyt. “This is my life mate, Sophie.”

Sophie gasped, an odd sight to see in her new body. “I didn’t know I’d be meeting the parents! What do I do? What do I say?”

Marsha waved her stalk. “Why are we here?”

“We’ll explain that to you at Blxtycyd’s office.”

 

***

 

It was odd. Sophie was more nervous about meeting Marsha’s parents than about being the first human to travel to another planet. Or maybe her mind just hadn’t wrapped around that fact.

It’d all happened so suddenly. She could still practically taste the carbonara sauce in her mouth. Her strange, forked-tongued, alien mouth.

She walked silently next to Marsha. She understood why Marsha called this “ambling” now. There was a rolling motion, then a sliding one, that she tried to imitate. The way Marsha was doing it had little in common with walking. Sophie probably looked like a two-year-old.

The office probably wasn’t far away, but the minutes felt long as Sophie soaked in all the strange scenery. She’d never seen anything like this—not on TV or movies, and certainly not in real life. The buildings rose higher than her single eye could see, and the colors were vibrant and unfamiliar.

The streets were filled with other beings ambling about. There were no vehicles, and something like birds flocked overhead. There was strange wildlife everywhere, actually, and things like plants and trees grew on the sides of the “road.” Sophie couldn’t decide where to look. Everything was overwhelming and fascinating.

Remembering Marsha’s parents, she tried to make conversation. “What are your names?” They seemed to understand, but their responses were incomprehensible.

“We’ll get you a microchip after,” Marsha said affectionately. “Then you can talk to them.”

The planet’s leader said something, sounding like he disagreed. It was so hard to tell, though. Even emotions were different here, and Sophie had no way of knowing what was what. She had a whole new respect for what Marsha had gone through when she first arrived on Earth.

Before long, they were at the leader’s office. “Wait here,” Marsha said.

Sophie stood in the hallway alone, examining her new body some more. She nearly shrieked when she managed to extend her projection-like fingers. Then they retracted back into her hands, like a cat’s claws. She moved the stalk with her eye back and forth, then swung it a hundred and eighty degrees around. She was a freak. She was disgusting. And she’d never felt closer to Marsha.

After some time, Marsha emerged without the others. Her expression was impossible to read, especially without any human features.

“Well,” she said.

“Well, what?”

“A lot happened.” Marsha’s stalk bent from side to side. “It’ll be too hard to explain everything in English. Let’s get you your microchip.”

By some stroke of fortune, the microchip office wasn’t far away. Marsha took her inside and spoke in hushed tones to the alien who worked there. Sophie wondered if this was really necessary. She wasn’t going to be staying here, after all—although she had no idea how long these people wanted her here for. Marsha had promised to stay on Earth, although Sophie supposed there was always a chance that they’d visit this planet again.

Sophie would be back in time for work tomorrow, wouldn’t she? She had a full day of students; she couldn’t miss it.

Marsha turned toward her and gestured her forward. “Set your projections here,” she said.

Sophie moved her arm onto the counter. “Will I have access to all the databases now? I’ll be able to understand all the languages?”

“Yes.”

Sophie thought quickly of her Latin class at home. “I only want the alien languages. I’ll learn the human ones on my own.”

“Have it your way.” Marsha relayed the instructions to the other alien, then translated his response back to Sophie. “This will only hurt a little.”

There was an excruciating pinch as the alien held a device above her arm. Then the alien added something like glue to close the wound and put a bandage over it. That was it? Sophie thought of the hours-long line-ups to get a license or a passport at home. Apparently this species was efficient.

“Sorry to put you through that,” the alien said. “Normally beings get their microchips while they’re too young to notice it.”

Sophie’s mouth fell open. The being had spoken Marsha’s strange, crackling language, and she’d understood every word.

What’s more, she had access to something like a huge encyclopedia inside her mind. She stepped back, stunned at the vastness of it. There were planets upon planets, each with the equivalent of thousands of pages written about them. She’d never have to be bored again; she could spend her time reading about the marriage rites on Moibles or the frequent cannibalism on GH 942.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

Marsha took her by the arm and brought her to the corner of the room. There were a few empty seats, presumably a waiting area.

Sophie mentally reached for the translator. “So what happened?” she asked, stunned that the words came out in fluent Hrylyt. “I assume your leader agreed I could get a microchip.”

“Yes, because he thinks you might have reason to come back here.” Keeping her voice low, Marsha stroked Sophie’s hand. “My birth-givers received everything I had written. They edited the relevant parts into an article and brought it to the media. Interest in Earth had been high due to coverage of my trial, and many people read my article. A sizeable amount of those people agreed that Earth had the potential to join the union. Others were keen to visit. The lawmakers took notice, and the planet’s leader—the being out there—eventually complied. He still doesn’t personally believe that Earth has any potential, but this is a democratic planet, and he had to give in.”

“Earth can join?” Sophie asked, her single eye wide.

“It’s not a given. It’ll take many years, but we’re going to try to provide help and guidance, both social and technological. Tourism is also a possibility, but I’m going to try not to let things go in that direction.” Marsha’s projections tightened around Sophie’s. “They’re sending me back as an ambassador.”

Sophie could barely breathe. “It’s happening. Greatness being thrust onto you.”

Marsha gave her an otherworldly smile. “I suppose it is.”