Page 15 of Orange Town
“Where do you guys live?”
“Ah,” he only said and remained quiet. Does he not want me to know where he lived? “Ours is a much darker place. We really can’t stand the amount of open air unlike the other tribes. We live in a dense forest.”
“Much harder to enter then,” I thought out loud.
“Yes. And great observation as well. That is good Brynn Anderson. You will continue to live longer in this world as long as you have your wits around you.”
Then we remained quiet after that. I felt the sting of the sun against my skin. I wonder if they have some sort of shield to filter out the suns’ rays. I looked down at my arms and yes, I’m having a nice shade of tan.
We slowed down some more as I saw the taller building up ahead. And slower yet when we saw a group of people up ahead.
I glanced at Roqs. He looks remote. I’m surprised his mood is affecting me. I wonder what’s up?
There was a long line of people. We passed them and I was on the right side so I could clearly see all of them. All colors and shades of their kind. But no children.
I was about to ask Roqs when I saw up ahead more people clustered together on what can only be a person lying on something like a stretcher. I held my breath because I dreaded what lay ahead. The stretcher has lights around it, the person on top when we near, I suddenly realized our speed is a near crawl. Meaning I can clearly see the people lined up for what can only be described as a funeral march.
I tried not to scream. I tried to blur their faces though the first ones I glimpsed are solemn, sad, their tails trailing behind them. Some have gaunt faces. And some of their eyes will haunt me forever.
I suddenly realized my back is perspiring. I blame it on the heat and the sudden humidity I feel. Or maybe because, just a few meters away, I can see the silhouette of the person on top of the stretcher. A thin dirty white cloth was placed on top of him. I can see the outline of the dead’s body. Especially when we are near it. I noticed some of them were looking at me absently. Some with blank eyes.
I felt all the despair they were feeling. I really hated going to funerals. Death happens and even in this world, death seems to be constant.
I felt goosebumps all over my body. When we aligned with the flying stretcher, I noticed it wasn’t held up by the others. It was in fact floating on air!
I forced my head to face the front. It’s not good to stare, I know. I heard no one crying which I don’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I also smelled something rotten when we passed them. I tried hard not to hurl the contents of my stomach. The smell though was faint soitis probably not dead long enough. But with this heat, it could be I don’t know, maybe just a few days ago?
It was just a short procession. Then I noticed they veered off to the right side while we went straight ahead towards the town.
When I thought we’re at a safe place and found my voice, I asked Roqs, “Why are your dead people in open caskets?”
“Caskets?,” he asked and I realized they don’t have a direct translation of the word. I explained how the casket is made and what is the purpose. I was looking at him even though he’s looking straight towards the town. I saw how he grew horrified by the concept.
“How can your kind place your dead in a box? Why contain them?” he almost shouted at me.
“Well, there are those who prefer their dead to be burned to ashes.” I personally prefer the casket.
I saw him visibly shudder. He looked at me and stared. “It seems I might have overestimated your kind Byrnn Anderson. One, we prefer to live and die on this planet. We do not want to know that our bodies will be placed in what you callcasketsand rot away without touching our soil. Or gods forbid we are burned to ashes before we fully decompose which is the natural way for us. Two, and this is important, burning is not natural. It is good, yes but burning burns the protective layer of our planet. I know much about science and how a planet is made up. I am now pretty sure that you are a young planet. Not yet discovered and now on the brink of a natural catastrophe.” He looked sad suddenly. As if mourning what will happen. “I’m sorry to say little one, your planet is probably on the brink of a major natural catastrophic event. Ours, because we were so obsessed with conquering other planets that we forage our planet’s resources. We used resins, plastics of all kinds. Built powerful weapons that destroyed our planet and others. We became the scourge of our galaxy. No one can defeat us and even now, many of our kind sit on the Galactic Council.”
He shifted a little. And I can see it’s hard for him to relate this history of their planet. “One day, it just happened. The virus came swiftly. Nobody died but no one was born again naturally from a female. We adapted. But it came at a cost. The slaves we got were able to free themselves because there came a point when there were so few of us left versus the slaves. Now we struggle to keep our home planet alive. Others venture into the galaxies to find a compatible mate for us.”
He smiled ruefully. “Although I would have desired that. To have sex with lots and lots of females. But I am needed here. My destiny is different. And yes, before you even ask, I can see it from your eyes, Zirc was once appointed by the High Council to venture the galaxies as he has a very healthy, let’s say appetite. He can survive in different situations. Even thrive on difficult situations. But he chose to stay here. To find his mate.”
I was about to refute that about Zirc but he smiled at me knowingly. He can’t possibly know I’m falling for that guy or think he’s my mate. I just kind of need him to survive. And what he told me about Zirc pretty much made me realize that he is the kind of person you want to stick when shit hits the fan. Yet, he’s also the kind of person who is sent by their council when things are about to go bad. Now I’m doubting myself about my decision. Argh, this is all so confusing. Whatever am I going to do? There is no manual for this kind of thing. Is there a book for Survival 101 for Dummies?
“Don’t worry little one. Once we reach that town,” he pointed to the direction, “we’ll decide what to do.”
It’s as if he knows what I’m feeling right now. I decided to change the topic because I don’t feel comfortable enough to spill all my guts to him.
“Won’t the people just now encounter what you said about gangs in this area?”
Roqs sighed. “Such is their life, little one.” His fingers moved fast on his tablet. We further slowed our vehicle and then I was shocked when a hot slab or hot air touched me. I coughed a little.
“Sorry about that. I should have warned you.”
I looked at him and saw that he traded his tablet for a handheld control that looked similar to a wheel in an arcade of a spaceship. He is grasping both sides and the vehicle buckled a little as he maneuvered it.
“There was a protective layer in our vehicle before. I had to take it down otherwise the lowlifes here will take advantage of the vehicle.”
