The Guardian
I sat on the bed for an unknown period of time while Byer worked in another room. Lara and I continued to talk. She seemed pretty interested in Earth and what it was like so I shared stories about the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Pacific Ocean, the beach, skiing in the local mountains, and other activities I'd done over my lifetime. I knew she was keeping me occupied so that Byer could work and not be pressured to hurry. I liked that I didn't need to sleep as I had no idea how much time had already elapsed since my arrival. I explained to Byer I wanted something that looked more like a hybrid of John Lennon's and Harry Potter's glasses, and actually drew out a rough diagram of what it was I wanted. He warned they might not be as effective as the other ones, but if I wore them faithfully, over time, they would eventually work. When Byer returned, he carried a smaller, less bulky pair of sunglasses, or filters as I should probably use their terms. They had small panels on the outer sides but the frames were smaller, more attractive, and definitely more me.
Byer said, "I wish to put this on you Alexis Perry, and make sure they will work. Would you please close your optic receptors?"
"Sure," I said, "and we call them eyes."
I closed my eyes and I felt Byer put the filters on my face. Only, it wasn't quite the same feeling as glasses. The filters seemed to attach to my face, but not in a painful way, and nothing rested on my ears.
Byer said, "You may open your optic receptors now Alexis Perry."
I opened my eyes and gasped. There before me was a pale green wall with all kinds of strange equipment sitting on what appeared to be wooden shelves. I looked around and I saw a table, a chair, a window. I slid off the bed and walked to the window. I touched the widow frame and looked out. Though it I saw the blackness of space, the whiteness of stars and distant planets. 'I really am in a space ship.'
"Oh Toto," I whispered. "We are definitely not in Kansas anymore."
I turned around and looked at Byer and Lara. They seemed pleased with my response to the filters. Byer said, "The filters appear to be working properly. How do they feel?"
"Fine," I said.
"Good," he said. "As your optic receptors heal the filters will lighten until they are clear. Once they have gone clear, I will remove them."
"How long will that take?" I asked.
"There is no way in knowing," he said. I felt this was the first honest response I'd gotten in some time. "I wish to check on you and see how they are working after a few rest periods. Monitor your progress. Ensure they are functioning properly. Will this be acceptable for you, Alexis Perry?"
"Yes. Wait, will I have to sleep in these?" I asked.
"It is best if they stay on over your optic receptors until they fully heal, so yes, you will keep them on during bathing and rest periods," he said.
"Will I hurt my face if I sleep on them?" I asked.
"They will cause no harm to you," he said as he gently pushed on them. "They are designed to protect you and help your optic receptors heal more quickly."
I noticed that I didn't feel anything when he pushed, no pain, no discomfort, not even the pressure of his fingers pushing on the frames. "Oh, okay, then I guess I can live with this."
"Good," said Byer.
"In that case, can she leave now?" Lara asked sounding a bit excited.
"Will you be escorting her?" asked Byer.
"Yes," she said.
"Then Alexis Perry," said Byer, "I bid you farewell. Until next we meet."
"Bye Doc, and thanks for the specs," I said tapping the side of my filters.
We entered the hallway and for the first time since I arrived, I could see the doors, the pathways, the strange characters by each one, and the colors, all the beautiful colors. It was almost overwhelming. I was paralyzed for a moment, and I just stood there just taking it all in. Lara seemed to understand and just stood and watched me as I looked at everything. I reached up and touched the strange characters, feeling the ridges and lines under my fingers.
"Is this your language?" I asked.
"Yes, it is," said Lara. "I come from the same world as, he does."
I turned and looked at her "You mean Oliver?"
She smiled and said, "Is that what you call him?"
"Yeah," I said looking back at the characters. "When we first met, that's what he told me his name was. I know that isn't what your people call him, but he said he likes it when I call him that."
"Does 'Oliver' have any meaning in your world?" she asked.
I smiled. "Only to me, I guess. It's a fairly common man's name in my world." I turned and faced Lara. "So, are you still willing to show me this incredible ship?"
Lara's face spoke volumes. She led me down the hallways showing me the barracks where the crew slept. Each member had his or her room. Lara showed me her room with its simple decorations. She explained she would collect things from the different worlds they had visited. Her bed was simple, clean, and comfortable. It could handle two people if necessary, but she admitted she didn't engage in sexual relations with the crew members as it often created problems for her, so when she could, she'd try to meet males of the different worlds she'd visit.
I followed her like a lost puppy, and she took me to where the crew went for recreation time. Here I saw a lot more different creatures, but their features were more defined than before. Some seemed to be reading from what I could call an eReader or tablet computer, some were playing a game that looked a bit like chess, while others were dancing, I think. A few looked up at me and then I noticed the clicking. I began to feel self-conscious at wearing these damn filters and I looked at Lara.
"Is it me or the filters they're talking about?"
"You," she whispered. "We've all heard about you. You're kind of a legend."
"I feel like a side-show freak," I said.
"A what?" Lara asked.
"Never mind. Can we go please?"
"Sure," said Lara and led me out.
We continued walking and as we encountered more creatures, I felt more awkward. I didn't want to be here anymore. They would click and point at me and I was suddenly back in middle school with Mandy, being picked on by the older girls because we were different. We were both blondes with blue eyes, from two-parent families, and best friends. Then for the first time in my life, I understood. I wasn't a freak. I was just different. Something these creatures have never seen before. I was to them, what they were to me.
Lara stopped at a door and said, "This is where our tour ends Alexis Perry. Beyond this door is where I was to bring you according to the card you had given me when we were in the bathing room. I will enter with you as I have disobeyed orders and will accept any punishment that comes my way."
"How did you disobey orders?" I asked.
"This said to bring you here and I didn't."
"But you took me to get my eyes fixed," I said.
"Yes, but I also took you all over the ship. I'm sure by now my disobedience is quite well known."
