The Genesis Saga

Reya manned the bridge while Tassie and Rann slept. Even though it was technically no longer her job, the others trusted her to fly the ship while they got some much-needed rest. It wouldn’t be enough to make up for the hours of sleep they’d missed, but it would be a start. They could crash once they arrived back at the safe house.

It had been nearly seven hours since she’d boarded the ship at Rann’s behest. Reya still didn’t know where they were going or what exactly was happening. She turned as she heard the doors to the bridge slide open, spotting a half-awake Rann who was grumbling about being up too early. With a big yawn, she greeted Reya. “Mornin’.”

“It’s almost midnight.”

“Close enough.” Rann waved. “You settling in ok?”

“It’d be better if you actually told me what was going on, but apart from that, everything’s just peachy.”

Rann adopted a more serious expression as she looked at Reya. “Fine, I suppose you deserve to know that much. Now that we’re on the ship, it’s safe for me to talk about it. I’m sorry I didn’t get around to it earlier, but I was just so tired.” Reya sat straighter in her chair, looking at Rann expectantly as she scratched her head. “When we went back to the facility, we discovered what we think is a restricted section. In there, we found something.”

“Something worth abducting me over?”

“Well, less so something and more like someone. There was another person there, trapped in a cell. The General ordered us to keep a very tight lid on it so that nobody else finds out about it.”

“I don’t understand. What’s so important that people can’t find out about? They learned about me when I was held captive and didn’t do anything. What makes this person so different?”

Rann shot Reya a cheeky grin. “You’ll see when we get there.”

“You mean you’re not going to tell me? Not fair,” Reya pouted. “You can’t just not tell me after all that build up.”

“Why ruin the surprise? It’ll be more fun this way, trust me,” Rann cackled.

The bridge door opened again, and Tassie stumbled in. “Oh good, you’re all here. We should be arriving soon. Reya, if you wouldn’t mind helping us unload some supplies before we get settled, that would be a huge help.”

“Tassie, do you know what the big secret is?” Reya asked, trying her luck. She didn’t miss Rann shake her head out of the corner of her eye. She shot her a withering look, silently telling her to keep out of it. The least they could do was give her a straight answer.

Tassie didn’t miss Rann’s message. “You’ll just have to find out once we land,” she said with a grin. “Which,” she said as she sat down and brought up a map, “should be any minute now. I’ll bring us down to land in the same spot as before. I’m not sure who’ll be awake at this time, but who knows, maybe you’ll get to meet our mystery guest.” For the short duration of the trip that remained, Tassie finally explained to Reya where exactly they were, surprising her.

“You mean we’re all the way out here? That’s kind of random.”

“That’s largely the point. Don’t want people finding us, after all. The safe house could easily pass as a getaway destination.”

“That or a suspicious safe house if it’s the only one nearby,” Reya pointed out.

“I prefer my idea,” Tassie said impishly. “It’s quite the scenic place.”

Reya felt the ship begin to slow down and watched the displays as they lowered themselves towards the ground. Gently, Tassie landed the ship back where it had been earlier that day, barely making a sound. “I’ll never get over how silently you land this thing,” Rann said, shaking her head.

Tassie smirked. “Practice. A whole lot of practice.”

The trio made their way down to the loading bay, where Tassie opened the door to the ship. Descending the ramp with a box of supplies in her arms, Reya took in a lungful of the fresh air. She took one look around, unable to see much past the muted darkness that surrounded her. “Oh yeah, super scenic view over here,” Reya said, rolling her eyes. “All this darkness. Postcard-worthy, if you ask me.”

“Shut up, you know what I meant. It’ll be nicer in the morning when you can actually see.” Tassie swatted at Reya, who playfully dodged out of the way. The lights on the main floor of the house were dimmed, allowing for the girls to see where they were going as they approached the front door. Setting her box down, Tassie opened the door and used it as a doorstop. “There we go, that should make our lives easier.”

Rann was the first to enter, followed by Reya and then Tassie. “Where do I put this?” Reya asked. She looked around the main floor with interest, taking in the décor. To her left was a large, open kitchen with beautiful countertops and a large, wooden dining table right in front of the island. The matching wooden chairs were neatly tucked in.

Rann led her further into the house, past the large living room with its sofas, armchairs and holoscreen projector, and around the corner. Down the hall were a series of doors, which Rann explained were spare bedrooms for them to sleep in, in addition to the ones upstairs. At the very end of the hall was a laundry room that also contained a pantry. Reya was instructed to load her box up onto one of the shelves, and to put the others there. There would be time tomorrow to unpack the supplies.

Tassie occupied herself by stocking up the fridge with some of the perishables, opting to leave most of them back in the ship’s preservation room. Eimir showed up from his patrol around the perimeter, inspecting the source of the noise he heard the girls making and gave them a hand unpacking. After several more trips to and from the ship, Rann declared them done for the night.

Reya quickly returned back onboard and retrieved her two boxes of personal items and deposited them in her room on the first floor. Getting changed, she popped open her sleeping pills and debated whether or not she should take any.

She’d forgotten to stock up before they left, her departure so sudden as it was. She knew that she would have to ration them and that it was only a matter of time before she ran out. She wasn’t sure when she would get the chance to stock up on more. She decided against taking one that night, given how tired she was from her long day.

Adrian lay on the floor of his room, listening intently to the ongoings below him with interest. With his highly sensitive hearing, not much escaped him. He heard a voice that he didn’t recognize and wondered who else had been brought to live here and why. It didn’t bother him enough to get up and investigate. He figured he could simply find out in the morning. Based on the silence that now dominated, he guessed that whoever it was had gone to bed. No point in interrupting their sleep simply to satisfy his curiosity. Rolling over onto his back, he settled in for the night, hoping to fall asleep soon.

Sunlight peered through the gaps between the curtains, illuminating the room. The weak light was more than enough for Adrian to see perfectly as he opened his eyes, taking in the unfamiliar environment. It took him a moment to remember where he was. Raising his head off the floor, Adrian sat up and stretched. He stood up and sat on the bed, checking the time displayed on the small clock next to the lamp atop the nightstand. It was shortly past eight in the morning. Adrian was surprised at how long he’d slept in, even if his sleep the night before had been fitful. He must have been more tired than he thought.

Figuring that now was as good a time as any, he left his room and made his way downstairs. It was quiet. The others hadn’t woken up yet. He imagined that at least one of them was awake and patrolling, ensuring that nobody snuck up on them. Scrounging around in the cabinets above the sink, he found the glasses and filled one with water. Draining it, he poured himself another glassful, putting it on the counter while he looked around for the ration bars.

He eyed his dirty clothes distastefully while he ate, hoping to be able to change into something better soon now that the others were back. Running his fingers through his long hair, he wondered if somebody would be willing to give him a hand cutting it. His beard he could take care of himself, but he didn’t have the confidence to give himself a clean cut that didn’t look like a disaster. Daydreaming about his makeover, he heard one of the doors open on the first floor.

Reya went to the bathroom, still half awake. She hadn’t slept well either without her sleeping pill. She had a feeling her stay here was going to be hard on her without her medication. As she trudged back down the hallway, she heard movement coming from the kitchen. Figuring that it must be Rann or Tassie making breakfast for their morning shift, she went to go greet them. Turning the corner, she came face to face with a strange man dressed like he was straight out of a horror film.

She stared. Her eyes widened. She didn’t understand.

He stared back. He raised his hand and gave her small wave. “Hello,” he spoke.

She screamed.

Instantly, the whole house woke up and sprang into action. Rann burst out of her room and ran to the kitchen. The others came tumbling down the steps, half dressed, guns drawn. Rann was the first to arrive and assess the situation. Spotting Reya’s look of horror as she stood frozen facing Adrian, she understood what was going on and laughed, breaking the tension. “Told you it would be a surprise,” she said, the humour evident in her voice.

Reya looked at Rann, then back at Adrian. Then back at Rann again. “You – but that’s,” she sputtered. “He’s all wrong!” Her brain short-circuited while she processed what she was seeing, dismayed by everyone’s lack of reaction to the oddity before her.

“I’m perfectly normal looking, thank you very much,” Adrian said, mirroring Rann’s grin. He took Reya’s reaction in stride, figuring out quite quickly that she hadn’t been told anything about the situation based on her reaction.

The others now saw what was going on and put their guns down. Except for Jyn. “What did you do to her?” he demanded, aiming at Adrian.

“I existed,” Adrian deadpanned. “Now put that away, nothing’s going on here. I just came out to grab some breakfast. Surely, that’s allowed?”

Beor rolled his eyes and clapped Jyn on the shoulder. “Everything’s fine, now put your gun down.” Jyn noticed everybody looking at him and complied, albeit reluctantly.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Reya asked, confused by the whole situation. This was not what she expected when she heard that they’d found somebody at the facility.

Adrian flashed her a calming smile. “My name’s Adrian. I’m the tagalong they picked up at the facility. And you are?”

“Reya,” she squeaked. “Nice to meet you?” she said, hesitantly. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you that colour?” she blurted out.

Adrian chuckled and looked at Rann. “You really didn’t tell her anything, did you? How much am I allowed to say?”

“As much as you want. Reya here has been brought in for protection after certain . . . events happened.”

Adrian cast Reya a quizzical glance, unable to see the scars on her arms due to the long-sleeved sweater she wore. “I see. Well then in that case, I supposed there’s no harm in telling you. I was their test subject,” he said plainly. He saw no point in hiding the fact. If she was here with him, then she must be connected to the mission that rescued him in some way. And if she was here for protection, then she already knew too much.

Reya’s eyes turned into saucers, somehow managing to go even wider than before. “You poor thing,” she said. Distantly, she wondered if he was the reason she was tortured for information. “That doesn’t explain why you’re the wrong colour. Did they do that to you?” The rest of the group dispersed, Beor going back upstairs along with Kell, while Jyn and Rann stayed to supervise their interactions. They remained silent, hoping Adrian would divulge more of his secrets by accident.

Adrian, however, was no such fool. He kept his story in line with what he’d already told them. “No, actually. Probably the one thing they didn’t do to me,” he said sardonically. “I was born this way – and before you ask, no, I wasn’t born at the facility. I was born on another planet where we all have similar skin tones. Some paler, some darker. I am, I guess, from your standpoint, an alien.”

Reya’s brain decided to stop working as she processed the implications of what he’d just casually revealed to her. “Holy. Shit,” she said, her mouth hung open in shock. She looked over to Rann for confirmation. Rann simply nodded, confirming what he’d just said.

“Or so he claims,” Jyn scoffed. “We don’t know what happened to this freak in that facility.”

“Jyn!” Rann admonished. “Don’t you ever have anything nice to say?”

“Don’t tell me you believe that crap! Until we learn more, we have no way of knowing if what he’s saying is true.”

Adrian muttered something unkind under his breath in English, glad that nobody could understand him for once. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as quiet as he’d hoped, as the others heard his soft words.

“What was that?” Jyn asked. “What did you just say?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Adrian smiled. He didn’t particularly feel like translating what he’d just said out loud, knowing that it wouldn’t go over well with the easily aggravated man.

“What language was that?” Reya asked, engrossed. She’d always loved languages and took every opportunity to learn more. Unfortunately, the gru’ul’s was an utter mess of hisses, shrieks and clicks that were nearly impossible to decipher. That didn’t stop her from trying to study it; it was the only other known language apart from her own.

“My mother tongue. I do come from an entirely different culture, you know. It would stand to reason that I have my own language too.”

“Which, for all we know, is just gibberish,” Jyn added.

“Wait, if you were a test subject from another planet, how come you know our language?” That part didn’t make sense to Reya. She frowned, trying to determine the veracity of his earlier words.

“They taught me,” Adrian said darkly.

“How?”

“Forcefully,” he said, not expanding on the topic. “Suffice to say, I am now an expert in your language.”

Reya turned towards Rann, who was now sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, casually munching on a ration bar as if Reya’s world hadn’t just been turned upside down. “You!” Reya pointed. “You knew about this!”

“Guilty,” Rann said with a grin.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I thought it would be funnier that way. I was right.”

“Rann,” Reya complained, feigning offense. “How could you do this to me?” Adrian watched the exchange in amusement. It was nice to have some sense of normalcy after so long without. It reminded him of his family. A sudden pang went through him at the thought.

Rann turned serious. “I told you before, we were under orders to keep a tight lid on this. I couldn’t risk anybody finding out.”

“What’s got you so sad?” Jyn asked, noticing the flicker in Adrian’s expression.

“Nothing,” Adrian replied as the girls looked at him, grabbing his glass of water and taking a long drink. When he was done, he sported the exact same expression as before. He picked back up his ration bar and took a bite, savouring the taste.

Reya fidgeted where she stood. “I don’t suppose I could go by to get some breakfast?” She hadn’t eaten since lunchtime the previous day and was ravenous. Adrian cocked an eyebrow and stepped aside. Reya walked over towards one of the cupboards with unsure steps, giving Adrian a wide berth as she approached. She quickly grabbed a cereal box she’d placed on the counter the night before and backed away slightly, at a loss as to where the bowls were.

Adrian took the hint and sat down, to Reya’s visible relief. It stung to be treated as such, but he supposed he couldn’t expect better given the situation. “Top shelf, on the left,” he said helpfully. “Spoons are in the top drawer below. Not sure if you guys add milk to your cereal or not, so that might be in the fridge.”

“Why would we add milk to cereal? We’re not savages,” Rann said, shooting Adrian a strange look. “What do you put in your cereal back where you’re from?”

“Milk, typically. That or we eat it dry.” Reya sat down at the other end of the table, as far away from Adrian as she could and poured herself her bowl. Adrian eyed the cereal with rapt attention, making her uncomfortable as she ate. She squirmed where she sat until finally she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Could you please stop looking at me like that?” she asked.

Adrian blinked, tearing his hungry gaze away from the food and looking Reya in the eyes. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t realize I was making you uncomfortable. It’s just, I haven’t seen real food in a long time.”

Reya looked at him thoughtfully. She hadn’t thought of it that way. She thought back to her time in captivity. “Yeah, I get that,” she said in understanding. Her earlier trepidation vanished now that she knew the reason behind his actions. Thinking on it, he’d been eyeing her bowl and spoon as she ate, not her specifically.

Reya wrinkled her nose. Now that she was sitting down, she realized that something in the room really didn’t smell good. “That’s me, unfortunately,” Adrian said when he noticed her sniffing the air. “It’s my clothes that stink. There wasn’t anything else for me to change into after I took a shower yesterday. Speaking of, would somebody mind getting me new clothes, if you have any spares?”

Beor walked down the stairs and into the room. “I can go get you some,” he offered.

“That would be great, thanks,” Adrian said with a grateful look. “Now that we’re on the topic of looking better,” he trailed off, “is there any way for me to shave and get a haircut?”

“Absolutely not.” Jyn put his foot down. “I refuse to let you anywhere near a naked blade and that’s final.” He cast an authoritative stare at Rann and Reya, daring them to disobey his orders.

Rann shrugged. “We can give him an electric shaver and one of us can cut his hair. I do agree it looks rather messy. He could use some cleaning up.”

Jyn hesitated. It was a reasonable compromise, and he was hard pressed to deny Adrian something as simple as a little grooming. Even he had to admit that the scraggly look was off-putting. “Fine,” he relented. “But I’m not doing it. Find somebody else to play dress up with.”

Adrian looked over towards Rann, who simply put her hands up, absolving herself of the responsibility. “I give terrible haircuts. Just ask Beor.”

He glanced at Reya hopefully. “I don’t suppose you’d be able to help?”