Ari's Alien Adventure

The air was sweltering, and Ari could not sleep. After a few restless hours, she decided to go exploring. Maybe the night, heat be damned, would hold some interesting nocturnal plants she could document for the team.

It was the thirteenth week that the Fourth Division of Environmental Researchers were on Oruu, and they had found nothing of the mystical corm lily that Dr. Richardson II had sent them on this expedition to find. It was supposed to bloom every morning, and the fruit it bore in the late summer was said to restore full health to even the sickest individual. Ari rolled her eyes. She was a scientist, not a pawn to search after legendary plants for the doctors tending to the monarch. Unfortunately for her, though, to pursue the independent research she wanted, government-mandated environmental "research" was the first step.

She sat up from her bedroll and stretched, rivulets of sweat dripping down her temples and between her breasts. She slipped on a light shift, a pair of sensible shoes, and her glasses, grabbing a notebook on the way out.

Opening her tent door, Ari was met with even more humidity and her glasses fogged up instantly. She cursed, wiping them on her dress, before zipping up the tent and heading towards the edge of the camp. Trails branched out in all directions, and she contemplated which way to go. They had documented every rock, plant, and snail that they could find in a several-mile radius, yet there was no sign of the corm lily. She decided to head south. About a mile away from the camp, she remembered, was a small waterfall that filled a pool with clear, deep water. Maybe she'd take a late night swim.

—

Ari heard the waterfall before she saw it. Soft rushing sounds mixed with the nighttime chorus of bugs and...singing? She stopped. No one else from the camp was awake, she was certain. Or, if they were, they were too much of rule-followers to go wandering around in the middle of the night looking for respite from the heat.

She tiptoed the last distance to the falls, being careful not to crack any branches. Peering around a tree, she almost gasped. Bathing, and singing, in the pool was a beautiful, slightly luminescent person. Creature? The air around the figure was hazy and rippling, like someone had just waved their hand through a hologram. They were humanoid, to be sure, but Ari couldn't quite make out enough details to tell if they were

human

human, or something a little bit more magical. It certainly wasn't any of the Fourth Division scientists.

The person—creature?—slipped under the water, and the falls went dark. Ari held her breath.

Before she could contemplate her next step, water erupted in her face. The next thing she knew, a wet person—no, definitely not

quite

a person, it had fangs—had pushed her to the ground and was crouched on top of her, hissing.

"How

dare

you spy on Neléyashavarisyā!?" The creature snarled. "This is the site of the sacred water ceremony and for your trespassing you will be fed to the keeper of the forest as a sacrifice!"

Ari's heart was in her throat, but the first thought in her mind was,

Intelligent life! And it can speak

English

!

After this rather unhelpful observation, her brain did offer a bit of fear and she felt her cheeks paling. She had not intended to spy, but getting eaten by an undiscovered alien species was definitely not on her wishlist of ways to spend a too-sweaty night.

The creature seemed to sense her fear and started laughing. Somehow, this made Ari even more nervous, but the laughing didn't stop and the creature actually eased their grip on Ari's arms.

"Hah! Ha, ha, ha! You should've seen the look on your face! You looked like you saw a ghost!"

With this addition, Ari was throughly confused, and her face must've shown that as well because the creature continued, "I'm not

actually

going to eat you. That wouldn't be any fun at all. It's been so long since a human has found me, I was pleasantly tickled! But your kind are

so

easy to scare, and I couldn't pass up the chance."

"Um..." was all that Ari could muster before the creature kept talking.

"My name is Neléyashavarisyā, but you may call me Nell. I am," the creature paused proudly, "the keeper of the forest. And I have been watching you."

"Me?"

"Well, not

you

you, specifically. Although I did think you were a fine specimen and may have been rooting for you to come and explore, before one of those other bozos decided to. I mean, the rest of the 'Fourth Division of Environmental Researchers.' Trampling through

my

forest with no regard for the flora! You are much more careful than the rest, I've noticed."

Nell cocked their head and looked at Ari, studying her. They started laughing again. "You look so funny with these other-eyes!"

Nell plucked Ari's glasses off her face, with a brief protest from Ari. Nell held the lenses up to their eyes, before blinking rapidly and shaking their head. "Woah. Are you sure those things help you see?"

Now Ari laughed, "Yes! I need them please, I'm blind as a bat without them."

"What is a 'bat'?"

"A bat is a nocturnal, usually frugivorous or insectivorous flying mammal that has wings formed from four elongated digits of the forelimb covered by a—" Ari paused, seeing Nell's crooked brow, "—It's a nocturnal animal that can't see well."

"Oh little human, you can use big words for me! But, there is no time for you to tell me all about this 'bat'. Maybe later. First, you must tell me what the Fourth Division of Environmental Researchers are doing in

my

forest. Then, I can ask you to leave."

Nell sat up, and gestured for Ari to do the same. Ari dried her glasses, taking the moment to study Nell. Sitting on the edge of the waterfall, their form had solidified. Nell still emitted a soft glow, but it was no longer undulating like the currants. Their figure was beautiful; soft curves meeting strong muscles, all covered in luminous lilac skin.

Nell studied Ari in a similar manner, before noticing the soaked shift she was wearing.

"Oh! Your garments! I am sorry for getting you so wet. Well, not

really

sorry, it was very entertaining, but a little sorry, because I know humans care about those clothing things. Why you need clothes in this weather is beyond me. Clothes are for the ice planet, Britti. You may just take them off, if you do not wish to be wet."

Ari flushed, and shook her head. She preferred being clothed, even, or maybe especially, next to a luminous naked alien. Looking down at the wet clothes clinging hungrily to her torso, however, made her blush even deeper.

"As you wish, human. Now. Tell me why you are here. Well, tell me first your name, and then why you are here." Nell sat back on their heels and clasped their hands, looking at Ari expectantly.

"Um, well, my name is Ari. I'm here with the Fourth Division of Environmental Researchers under the orders of Dr. Richardson II, who's working for the monarch. The monarch heard of a legendary plant, the corm lily, that is said to restore full health to even the sickest individual. It was supposed to bloom near this location, at this time, but we've turned over every leaf and stone in a 10-mile radius and have yet to find any traces of the plant. Our expedition here is supposed to last twenty weeks, I'm not sure you can convince Dr. Richardson II to leave sooner. Even if we can't find the corm lily, we'll still present a comprehensive detailing of the flora and fauna of Oruu. Including, now, yourself."

Nell listened, unmoving but attentive, until the last sentence, at which they hissed, their fangs showing again. "No! You must not tell the Fourth Division of Neléyashavarisyā. If they learn of me, they will

eat

me!" Nell took a deep breath. "Well, not eat, but imprison! Study extensively! Examine! The keeper of the forest must

stay

here with the forest. Promise me, Ari of the Fourth Division of Environmental Researchers, that you will not tell them

or

this Dr. Richardson of my existence. If you do, I will truly have to eat all of you. And this time, I

do

mean eat."

Ari pursed her lips. She knew that Nell was right, and that if the creature's existence was made known to any of the scientific societies, that Nell's freedom, and world, would be taken away. But, as a scientist she was bound to record! To observe. To share. Instead of answering, she asked, "Is the corm lily real? Are we in the right spot?"

Nell noticed the aversion to their request, but did not push Ari further. "The corm lily is real—"

"What, really!?"

"—but it went extinct four hundred and fifty-two years ago. My mother used the last of its essence to give birth to me."

"Your mother?"

"She is dead, now. She helped revitalized this planet and bring back the jungles and forests after a torrential firestorm destroyed much of the life. It took a long time. I am still helping old plants, old creatures, come back to vitality."

Ari knew that part of the reason Oruu was special was because of this marvelous regrowth. She was awed by the fact that a benefactor of the forest was sitting before her, and she burned with curiosity. "And, your father?"

Nell laughed. "I have no father! That is what the plant was for!"

"And you're...four hundred and fifty two?"

Nell preened, "And looking excellent for my age, I must tell you. I am at the prime of my life! The epitome! The climax! It's all smooth sailing from here." Their expression darkened, "Unless, of course, you tell the Researchers about me."

"I'm pretty sure not everything is smooth sailing after a climax," Ari said. "Literarily speaking."

Nell rolled their eyes, "I have been alive longer than your civilization has had space travel, I think it will be mostly smooth sailing.

Unless—"

"

Yes, yes, I know. I effectively ruin your life if I tell anyone about you." Ari chewed her bottom lip.

Nell sat there, silently, the question hanging between them. After a moment, they said, "I could hit you really hard on the head with a rock so you forget this experience and your coworkers think you hallucinated me after slipping down the path."

"Nell!"

Nell shrugged. "This is my life we are talking about."

Ari nodded. "I know. And I know you're right, I've seen it happen before to creatures on other plants. The Environmental Researchers say those creatures are happy, but...I know they lie. And I like my head in one piece, thank you very much. I will keep your existence a secret."

Nell let out a deep breath, then hollered, stood up, spun around, and jumped into the pool. Water rose up with impossible height, drenching Ari from head to toe.

"Thank you, little scientist." Nell's head popped out of the water. "But for your brief indecision you will find yourself very wet again. I must go back to tending the bullytoad gardens. You can visit me again, if you want."

Ari smiled and said she would. She stood up to leave, water puddling underneath her. Her shoes squelched in the mud as she returned to camp. This time, sleep came easy. She dreamed of lilac fingers brushing her cheek, friendly banter under the moons, soft curves and softer lips...