Tales of the Canterbury Nebula

Learning to Fly

Atrace slowly rose her feathery hand. “I would like to go next.”

Cahzea smiled. “Of course, child. Please, proceed.”

Atrace nodded. “Well, as my mother said, I inadvertently opened an ancient jump gate. I do not remember what had occurred during the trip. I only remember waking up as my ship flew out on the other side near the human’s home planet of Earth.”

Diron’s eyes widened in concern. “Were you hurt?”

Atrace shook her head. “No, I was not hurt. Still, I was scared. Earth is well known for being a high level death world.”

Kyteen tilted her head, curious. “What was it that caused you to fall unconscious?”

Atrace’s feathers rustled around her face, her form of a blush. “I had been on a quest to find the cures to all known illnesses among the council worlds. It caused me to always exhaust myself. In that case, I was exhausted to the point I put in the wrong coordinates in my navigation computer. An ancient cloaked jump gate of unknown design opened. Because I was out cold, I could not react as I was pulled in…”

When I woke, I found myself hurtling towards the earth through a debris cloud. It was not what I had expected so I of course, I screamed and attacked the controls. There was no time for me to really think, just react. I managed to get the shields up just as my ship hit the thick atmosphere. Of course just about every screen was red with flashing warnings. The blaring alarms did not help either. Still, I soon broke into the atmosphere and was gliding down somewhere near the Earth’s equator. I was surprised to see advanced, shimmering cities. Only my focus then was to land safely. I managed to touch down deep inside a dense swamp like region. It was the closest place I could find to hide.

Even after I had stopped shaking from the fight or flight rush, I was still in a state of panic. I was relatively unharmed but I had other issues on my mind. “What the hell happened?! How did I end up on Earth of all places!?”

I had to administer a mild tranquilizer from my medical storage to keep myself from hyperventilating in panic. I had heard many stories and rumors regarding humans. They were all terrifying; the only race to be classified as an enigma race. These humans were known to be very hostile and yet also known to be extremely caring and protective. It was that perplexing paradox in terms which frightened me the most. I prayed to the Great Phoenix that my ship was in once piece. I would have a chance to leave the planet before the humans knew I was there.

“Okay, Atrace; focus! Assess the damages, check the logs, see what happened and see if we can leave this planet before we are detected and head home.”

I was a good plan in a perfect universe but of course, nothing was truly perfect. I looked over the logs to find that I had somehow entered the wrong coordinates and codes. What troubled me more was that there should not have been a jump gate anywhere near the position I had entered in. I should have been given an error code that would have cancelled the navigation commands not throw me half way across the milky way. Had I, by sheer chance, discover an unknown cloaked jump gate? The thought was certainly intriguing as well as frightening. I then assessed the damages. The shields were down to fifty percent due to the power drain. The ship’s systems were still flashing warnings. Thankfully, the alarms were shut down to conserve power. Other than the critical power drain to the bio-nuclear crystals, the vessel seemed to be in one piece. Fortunately, I had a spare pod of crystals. All I needed to do was to check for any external damages, pray there were none, and be on my way.

I sighed, thanking the Great Phoenix my situation was not worse. “With a little luck, I will be home in a few days.”

I looked around through the cockpit window at my surroundings. The alien landscape was breathtaking. It was both terrifying and awe inspiring to behold. Fortunately, my vessel was designed to station on many worlds, in many environments. Thus, it was more than capable to float on the water. Seeing no obvious threats in the area, I decided to inspect the outside of my ship. I dawned my hazardous environment xenial-suit, hex, and opened the hatch. Immediately, the environment and safety computer built into the helmet took a scan then rambled off several warnings.

“Gravity three times galactic standard. Humidity and heat near hazardous levels; avoid prolonged exposure. Multiple movements detected from all directions. Extreme caution is recommended.”

I scoffed. “Tell me something I don’t know…”

I moved carefully; staying on the top of my craft as I visually examined the hull for any obvious damages. I was surprised and relieved to find the ship largely undamaged. Of course, I knew it was all due to no small amount of good fortune. Also, like any good fortune, it could turn at any moment. Still, I could not help smile and take in the beauty around me for a moment.

I raised my hands in a personal triumph. “It looks like I’ll be flying out of this one unscathed.”

Then, as I should have known, fortune turned. It happened too quickly for me to react. My leg was gripped between two powerful jaws and I was violently yanked off of my ship, into the water. I was then twisted and thrashed back and forth. The two jaws cut into my suit like saws and my blood began to spill. All of this had occurred in mere seconds. Fortunately, my people had traded flight for intelligence and teleportation somewhere along our evolutionary journey. I vanished from the crushing grip of the creature and reappeared safely on the shore just a few feet away from my ship. Terrified, I pushed myself away from the water and scrambled for my energy pistol. Once armed and unsteadily on my feet, I desperately looked about for the creature and any other threat that might have been close.

The beast seemed to be gone but I had a new much bigger problem. “That beast tore my suit and ripped into my flesh! Damn creature contaminated me!”

This was a new level of panic. My vessel was, for the most part, undamaged but I could not enter it to go home. To do so, I would bring an endless array of new pathogens to my world. I could not place that onto my conscience. Because I dropped my guard for a moment, I feared I had marooned myself. I was fated to die alone on this hostile world. I began to cry and scream, not caring who or what it attracted. As far as I was concerned at the time, I was as good as dead.

Then the helmet computer cut in. “Warning, HEX suit compromised. Moderate damage and blood loss detected in left leg. Return to ship for immediate emergency medical treatment.”

I sighed, looking up. The sun was beginning to set behind the trees; it would be dark soon. Fearing I would not survive the night, I buried my head into my hands and prayed. “Please… If any deity has mercy, help me…”

I was not certain if it was a deity or a demon who had heard me but the snap of a twig threw me to my feet. I scanned the area around me with the helmet’s lights but saw nothing. The sound of another twig snapping brought wings to my heels and I blindly ran along the water’s edge. The searing pain in my leg slowed me down but I still ran. Again, I was not thinking, I was reacting. I moved quickly through the marsh and brush, trying not to allow my fears to get the best of me. I was scared, oh so very scared. It was not easy, fighting to ignore the countless spooky sounds and monster shaped shadows surrounding me. I quickly scanned the waters of the swamp every few minutes. I was in constant fear of that beast somewhere out there waiting to lunge out at me again.


All the while, my helmet kept sounding off alerts; ordering me to return to my ship. There was a robot medical aid on board but my fear of bringing pathogens to an unprepared world stopped me. As I ran, I found myself beginning to hyperventilate. I took off the annoying helmet and dropped it into the water, still blindly running in a panic. I darted around so many trees and through so much deep mud before I finally stopped. The fight or flight rush was spent and I found myself completely lost. Every direction I looked was a mirror image of the other. It began to sink in that I likely would not find my way back to my ship. Worse, I would not see the next sunrise. My shoulders slumped and I began to softly sob, thinking of home.

Then, I heard someone or something approaching and ducked behind a thick patch of high weeds, thinking it was that beast tracking me through his domain. But instead of hearing a growl, I heard a feminine voice call out, “Hello there; do you need some help?”

Behind the tall weeds, I sat perfectly still, my back against a stump protruding from the water. It was a human! I did not dare answer her call. I was too afraid she might have been hunting me as well. A small bright light came on and moved slowly along the weeds, just over my head. I shivered in fright, tears beginning to roll down my face. My fears slowly getting the better of me. Only what could I do?

The female human called out again. “Don’t be afraid, kid. I want to help you; please come out. The bayou is not safe at night.”

I hesitated; the genuine concern in the woman’s voice caught me off guard. I half turned, curious, then quickly whirled around as I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. My first reaction was to run. Instead, I carefully scanned the darkness for any signs of movement. There was none to be seen. Nervous, I chewed my lip, straining my eyes. Seeing nothing alarming only increased my fears. That beast had come out of nowhere before.

Then, a soft hand touched my shoulder and a melodious voice reached my ears. “Miss, are you lost?”

I froze then slowly stood up and turned around. I was trembling from fear, dampness and pain. I found it was the human female. She was a little taller than myself; thin but visibly muscular. She was wearing strange clothing and an unusual helmet that had netting around the rim. I had no clue what to do or think. I just stood there, terrified.

The woman took a cautious step forward. “Easy there; it's okay. I won’t hurt you. My name is Ava Paloma. What is your name?”

Tears streamed uncontrollably from my eyes. All the stories and rumors of humans were still fresh in my mind. Only this one did not show any aggression. There was concern in both her voice and her expression. Knowing I would likely die in that bayou without help, I had to take a chance.

“Please help me. I’m lost, I’m hurt, I’m cold, I’m hungry…”

The woman, Ava, slowly pulled me into a warm hug. Then, she took me by surprise by easily lifting me into her harms. I tried to push away but Ava proved to be far stronger than myself.

“What… What are you doing?!”

The woman sighed. “You really aren’t from around here, are you? In these waters, any wound you get will quickly become infected. The less exposure you have the better.”

I gulped, hearing that and quickly nodded. The woman then walked across the marshy land to parts unknown. As she carried me, I felt I needed to say something. “My name is Atrace; I am of the Parrot Clan. Thank you for finding me out here.”

The woman smiled. “What were you doing out here alone in the middle of the Louisiana Bayou, Atrace?”

My mind raced. I was not certain if I should tell Ava that I was an alien. She might not believe me. Then I remembered seeing the shimmering cities. Could the humans have been more advanced than we were led to believe? It seemed impossible. Only, Ava did not seem surprised by my appearance. I began to wonder.

“You would not believe me if I told you.”

Ava giggled. “I knew you were an alien the moment I saw you; humans do not have feathers.” She smiled. “We can talk when we get to the aviary complex. I am an avian veterinarian but, after recent events, I had become a physician for all animals as well as all people. As you seem to have elements of both birds and people, I should be able to tend to your injuries.”

I did not know what Ava was talking about being a physician or a veterinarian but I chose to ignore it for the moment and focus on where I was being taken. I saw a number of large glass domes hidden under the high canopy of the swamp. As we got closer, I caught silhouettes of various birds flying about within. At the first dome, Ava pressed a short series of buttons on a code lock near the glass door. It slid open with a hiss and I was carried inside to what appeared to be a Healer’s office. I tensed up and began to protest. Only I stopped upon finding we were in a dome separate from the aviary creatures. Ava then gently laid me upon a table and threw a blanket over me. I was very surprised by the softness and warmth of the it. I soon found myself letting out a low happy sigh. I began to relax and pulled the blanket close to my body. It was not long before I was feeling comfortable. I was not paying attention to Ava as she examined my wounds. I instead curiously looked around the room, hoping to find clues regarding my human host. There was a row of framed papers hanging in a row on one wall. I could only guess they were her many licenses and accomplishments. There were a number of displays on the other side of the room. Each had a holographic projection of a bird species I have never seen before.

I found myself lost, admiring their colors and graceful flight. I could almost see myself flying among them as my ancestors did. “They are beautiful…”

Before I knew it, I was fast asleep. The Earth’s single sun was beginning to shine through the canopy outside when I woke up. Looking around, I found myself on a small but comfortable cot. Next to it was another cot; it was empty but there were signs someone had slept on it recently. Slowly, I sat up and noticed that I was no longer wearing the HEX suit. My flight suit was also taken off me. I was wearing the clothes I had on under it. I looked down at my leg to find it bandaged. It no longer hurt but it was still throbbing slightly. I tried to take a step and instantly regretted it. A sharp pain shot through me and I was forced to let out a yelp of pain. I had to hold onto the cot so not to fall. I looked up to find Ava giving shaking her head as she gently urged me back onto the cot.

She lifted my legs, placing me into a drone position then placed the covers over me again. “You are in no condition to be walking around at the moment, Atrace.”

I blushed, feeling the warmth and softness of the blanket again. Ava walked to the other side of the room we were in. There, she finished preparing two dishes of some form on a cart. The aroma that reached me as she brought it over was strange but it made my mouth water. I found a panel of buttons on a remote and hit a button indicating up. The bed moved and I soon found myself in a sitting position. Ava placed the cart between the two cots then put one of the trays on my lap. She then took the other tray for herself and sat on her own cot. The dish in front of me was a variety of strange fruits, vegetables and nuts. I looked over at Ava, uncertain.

She smiled then turned to the other room. “Come on in, general.”

I gasped seeing a tall, muscular man in some form of military uniform step into the room. My first instinct was to try to run and hide somewhere. Only I became curious as I noticed a small green feathered bird perched onto his hand. Ava smiled, letting out a low, curious whistle. The bird immediately flew from the man’s hand and perched onto her outreached finger.

Despite the scary human male being in the room, I was surprised. The bird looked like an unevolved version of myself. “Who…?”

The man cleared his throat, catching my attention. “I am general Brad Summers of the United States Army. I also head an agency we call The Storm Chasers.”

Ava, still smiling, petted the bird who chirped happily. She was completely unafraid. “This is Polly. She is a parrot.”

The bird, Polly chirped then said, “Hi!”

Ava giggled. “Hi, Polly…”

This surprised me. “She can talk?!”

Ava smiled as Polly flew off her finger, to a perch in the room. “Polly has a limited vocabulary. She can learn some words but not our full language.”

Brad nodded. “The point is your physiology is similar to that of a parrot. All those foods she prepared should be to your liking. They should also have all the nutrients you need to help build up your strength.”

I nodded, though still curious. “What is this Agency you call The Storm chasers?”

Brad shifted into a neutral pose. “The Storm Chasers are an agency that investigates any major even suspected of being supernatural or extraterrestrial in nature.”

Ava used a form of utensil and ate a piece of what looked like a fruit to prove it was safe, at least for her. “That includes any encounter with an unidentified flying object or alien.”

Brad then pulled up a chair and sat down, keeping a respectful distance from us. “Why don’t you eat. We can talk more once you have had your meal.”

Curious, I selected one of the fruits and tasted it. The very second it touched my tongue, my eyes widened. It was delicious! Before I realized what I was doing, I began to devour the meal offered to me. I ignored the silver pieces, though I had an idea what they were. When I had finished, I let out a satisfied sigh. “That was amazing! We have foods similar to this where I come from but nowhere as incredible.”

Ava smiled as she finished her own meal. “I’m glad you liked it. Maybe, one day I can try one of your meals.”

My smile faltered and I looked up through the glass ceiling at the other domes. Remembering the beautiful holographic images of the birds, I sighed. “I wonder if I will ever see my home again. I wonder if I will even survive long enough to find out.”

Brad’s deep chuckle snapped me out of my daydream. “You will survive, Atrace; that much I can assure you.”

I turned to Ava, hearing her giggle. I watched as she took the trays back to the cart. “All of the tests and health scans came out clean. Once you heal up a bit, I will show you the birds we have in the other domes. You can see them up close.”

Brad then stood up. “We found your ship. We moved it to a more secure location nearby. It will be returned to you once you are cleared to fly by Dr. Paloma.”

I sighed. “In the meantime, you will be studying it.”

Brad nodded. “Of course. Would your people not do the same?”

I winced. “Most likely…”

Brad chuckled. “It will returned to you undamaged and any damage we find, we will repair.”

With that, Brad quietly left the room while Ava motioned to my bandaged leg. “Your injuries were not serious. It was just what we like to call a ‘love bite’.”

I tilted my head, confused. “Love bite…?”

Ava nodded. “Basically, the crocodile was only curious and not really interested in eating you.”

I shuddered at the thought. “Actually, I teleported away from the, err, crocodile before it could do me any damage. It’s one of our evolutional advantages.” I then began to sob once again. “It does not matter, though. I can never return home. I would be carrying germs and viruses with me. It would create plagues none of the people of the council worlds have any defense to.”

Ava was silent for a moment before smiling. “I would not be so sure of that, Atrace.”

I turned to Ava, confused. “I do not understand.”

Ava quietly left the room. I was about to ask where she was going when a new feminine voice startled me. “Hi there.”

I let out a short scream in surprise and turned to find a girl, slightly younger than myself. Standing next to her was a short boy, the same age. Both had longish brown hair and green eyes. They each wore clothing similar to Ava’s. Both were looking at me, curiously but innocently. I managed a small grin. “Um… Hi.”

The boy smiled in response. “My name is Crow and this is my sister Raven. We were not allowed to see you until mom gave the all clear.”

Raven leaned a little closer to me. “Are you really from another planet? Do you think we can visit sometime?”

I let out a nervous giggle. “Yes, I came from a world we call Croctna. It’s about fifty thousand lightyears from Earth.”

Crow’s eyes widened in wonder. “That is a long trip.”

I laughed at that’ their innocence was refreshing. “Yes, that is a very long trip.”

Then Ava entered the room. “Alright, you two. You can stay and watch, maybe help me answer a few questions. Right now, though, she and I need to have a talk.”

Crow and Raven moaned but sat down without much fuss as Ava then handed me a data pad. “General Summers visited me while you were still asleep. He authorized me to show you the whole story so you would understand.”

I studied the data pad for a moment then quickly turned to Ava, surprise on my face. “I’m the fifth kid from the council worlds to accidentally find myself on Earth!?”

Raven giggled as she nodded. “Yup!”

Crow nodded enthusiastically. “I just wish we could have meet them all when they visited.”

Ava giggled. “No, you were not the first of what we like to call ‘out of towners’ to visit our planet. Every last one of them found themselves here due to one unfortunate event or another.”

I could only shake my head. “Incredible…”

Raven smiled. “I know; crazy, right?”

Again, Crow nodded. “It’s been a busy few weeks for everyone.”

Ava smiled, shaking her head. “What is crazier is that each of these visits rekindled or revealed a piece of our ancient past. Pieces our ancestors had long ago buried and forgotten.”

I read through the reports, my eyes widening at the revelations. “You humans were always a powerful psychic race. You just had not realized it until a boy from Teranor crashed on your world in a malfunctioning escape pod.”

Raven raised a single finger. “Actually, the reports state that we were already close to awakening our own psychic abilities.”

Crow also raised a finger. “It was when the visiting Teranor had a telepathic conversation with little girl who happened to be a telepath that everything accelerated.”

Ava produced a note pad of her own. “We are just now beginning to explore those powers.”

Crow smiled. “Keeping secrets from one another like we used to has become a thing of the past.”

Raven nodded. “The leaders from all nations are scrambling to Peace Palace in the Hague.”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “You have a palace of peace? What exactly is a Hague?

Ava showed me an image on her own data pad. “The Hague is a city in a nation known as The Netherlands. It is there that nations are hammering out a sustainable peace accord.”

I motioned to the data pad in my hand. “What of those shimmering cities I saw entering your atmosphere? Humans should not be able to make bio crystal structures yet.”

Raven giggled. “We didn’t. They rose from the ground all over the world. It gave everyone, including us quite the fright.”

Crow chuckled. “They somehow merged with the buildings that were already there which was so cool!”

Ava sighed. “As you may imagine, we are all just trying to wrap our heads around and adapt to this new reality.”

I nodded, understanding. “It must be overwhelming for you.”

Ava nodded. “Fortunately, no one is hearing everyone’s thoughts all at once. We humans have what we call a subconscious mind and it is that which is filtering all the thoughts.”

I smiled at that. “That is fascinating…”

Ava smiled back. “We are just beginning to understand it all but our psychic abilities are speeding things along. The cities are all new again and are waiting for us to once again walk along their streets and explore.”

I could not believe what I was hearing. As I dove deeper into the data, I found myself in both shock and awe. The humans had actually become highly advanced long before the Galactic Council was even conceived. That changed everything we knew about them. It also changed everything we had thought of ourselves. Only one detail did not seem to fit. I thought to myself, “Why would the ancestors of the human race suddenly decide to just start all over again from the beginning? They were obviously advanced and enlightened; what had happened to them?”

Raven shrugged, as if hearing my thoughts. “No one really knows. There is no short supply of guesses and theories, though.”

Crow smiled. “On the bright side, we all got a full high school and college education. No more homework.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “You will still get tested on what you ‘instantly’ learned to ensure you remember it all.”

I did my best not to smile as Raven and crow moaned and thought, “They may have all that education in their heads as they claim but they are still kids.”

Ava smiled as Crow and Raven turned to me as if they had been insulted and cried out, “We heard that!”

Ava laughed. “Everything we thought we knew about our world, ourselves and the universe around us had changed.”

I sighed, trying to take it all in. “This is mind blowing…”

Raven pipped in, “New discoveries are being made each day by the people as they explore the cities. Mom said we might get to do some exploring ourselves later, if we are good.”

Ava sighed. “To recap, our psychic abilities are forcing the nation’s leaders to the negotiation table. The risen cities are forcing humanity to rethink everything.”

My mouth hung open, thunderstruck. “Four kids did this?!”

Crow shook his head. “No; just two of them.”

I turned pale, hearing that. “Just two…”

Ava motioned to the data pad. “As for the other two, one kid from the planet of Dylax revealed that we were already advanced. We just had not yet realized it. When our dormant psychic powers awakened, we discovered just how advanced we truly were.”

I gulped, frightened. “What of the fourth kid?”

Raven sighed, a dreamy smile on her face. “The other was a real princess from the planet Purrearth who showed us there was more truth than fiction to many of our world’s myths and legends such as werewolves and Nikos.”

Crow smiled. “That’s why we want to explore the risen cities. Those who began to really explore them, found irrefutable proof of it in the hieroglyphics on the walls.”

Ava sighed, slightly flustered. Again, with our psychic powers, everyone soon saw and understood what they did. Raven and Crow just want to see it with their own eyes.”

Raven nodded, smiling. “The craziest thing is that all of it, every revelation, every leap we had experienced all occurred completely by accident.”

Ava turned to Raven and Crow annoyed. They merely shrugged and said in unison. “We’re just helping.”

It was almost too much to for me to take in. The vast knowledge the ancient humans must have possessed was staggering. However, I also saw a thin vail of hope. I slowly placed the data pad onto the table hopped off onto my feet. “Ava, was there any advancements in medicine found?”

Ava gave me a knowing smile, showing me a small device I had not noticed before. “Oh yes; this is a medical scanner, for example. I found it the first day we were assigned to this complex. I had to learn a new language to use it but it has really made my job a lot easier. As for Raven and crow, I am a single mom so, I had to bring them along. They work as my junior assistants.”

This surprised me. “This complex was deep under the swamp?”

Ava nodded. “All of the creatures we had found in that complex had gone extinct ages ago. Some that we had found never existed on Earth to our knowledge.”

Raven sighed. “We are still struggling to understand all of the complexities surrounding it all.”

Crow nodded. “Our job is to study the wildlife, the place they call home, and document everything that we find.”

Ava smiled. “We are trying to discover how and why our ancient ancestors had built this complex.”

At that point, all I could do was nod. “You said you had found that medical scanner.”

Ava smiled. “I took a complete scan of your body with this while you were sleeping away. You are in perfect health due to the fact you have two separate immune systems. One of is a swarm of nanobots, single celled machines. The other is your own. I doubt there is a single illness on this planet that can affect you.”

Again, my jaw dropped. “Are you serious?!”

Ava placed the medical scanner aside then pressed a few buttons on the data pad I was holding. A silhouette of my body appeared on the screen displaying all of my vitals and detailed notes on my current health status. Fortunately, all of it was in galactic standard, a language universal to many worlds. Granted, it was an older version but I could still read it. I was stunned by the report; I was literally in perfect health.

I turned to Ava. “The doctors of the council worlds are called healers; they are considered mystics.”

Raven looked at me, confused. “Then why were you trying so hard to learn everything there is about medicine and its tools?”

I sighed at that. “Healers considered technology unreliable for the most part. They instead relied on a rare ability. They could literally see and hear everything inside the body of a patient working in real time.”

Crow tilted his head, curious. “I take it you do not have this rare gift. How is learning to be a guru of medicine going for you so far? I mean, other than pushing yourself into a complete burn out?”

I sighed, having been asked that question before. “The healers I had seen told me that the illness I had will forever change me. If only I knew then this was what they meant.”

Ava looked at me for a long moment as if to study me. “Atrace, what started you on this quest to learn all there is to know about medicine?”

I turned to Ava, tears welling in my eyes. “A few sun rotations ago, I became seriously ill while visiting the mechanical world of Digitex.”

Ava nodded. “The home world of the sentient robots.”

I nodded. “I was treated by one of their healers but it took a month of feeling miserable before I finally began to improve. When I recovered, I swore to destroy all illness and disease.”

Raven seemed confused. “I don’t get it; you were sick for a few weeks and just decided to destroy all diseases?”

Crow nodded in agreement. “There has to be more to the story. Were you the only one to recover from this illness?”

I again began to sob. “On my world of Croctna, thousands died from the same disease, despite treatments, before a cure was finally found. I was among the only survivors.”

Ava pulled me into a warm hug and began to slowly rock me like a small child. I do not know how long we were like that but we did eventually part. Ava offered me a tissue. “Being a good doctor of any kind sometimes means doing some detective work. You look for clues, examine them, interview witnesses and try to come to a logical conclusion.”

I sighed. “What would be your logical conclusion be?”

Raven smiled. “Take two cookies and call us in the morning.”

I gave a hiccup type laugh. “If only it were that easy.”

Crow shrugged. “Well, let’s look at the facts. You said that you became ill on Digitex. That a healer from Digitex treated you.”

Ava nodded. “Knowing this, I would say that someone might have used medicine more suited for their people than yours.”

Raven nodded. “Maybe not the doctor, or healer, but maybe an assistant or a nurse.”

I gasped, my mind reeling. “An assistant gave me an injection while the healer was out. The two had a heated discussion when she returned but it was in their native language.”

Ava nodded. “That assistant had most likely injected you with nanobots; which I am guessing is their version of antibiotics.”

Crow snapped his fingers. “That is likely why you survived. Nanobots don’t eat germs or viruses, they disintegrate them.”

I giggled in spite of myself. “The answer was right in front of me or, more accurately, inside of me this entire time.”

Ava smiled. “As we say, Elementary, my dear Atrace. The medical error the healer’s assistant made may open new options to better fight illnesses throughout your council worlds.”

I paused, considering Ava’s suggestion. “Mechanicks nanobots are self-replicating machines that give off a signal preventing the host body from rejecting them.”

Raven was thoughtful for a moment. “I’m guessing you were sick for a month only because the nanobots were integrating with your biological immune system.”

I could only shake my head. “Incredible…”

Ava smiled. “I do not know about the illnesses of your world. However, I am fairly certain you can safely return home without worrying about taking any Earth illnesses with you.”

Hearing that was a great relief to me only, as the humans say, old habit die hard. “How far have you come in your study of the birds and the medical data files?”

Ava gave a short laugh. “Thousands of doctors of every specialty around the world began tackling the task three weeks ago. We are barely scratching the surface of what our ancestors knew.”

Raven nodded in agreement. “It is literally millions of files.”

Crow smiled. “At least our ancestors saved everything rather than throwing it out when they decided to start over.”

I smiled, my first genuine smile in a very long time. “Could you use an assistant? Maybe an apprentice? You had all helped me so much.”

Crow’s eyes lit up. “That would be cool!”

Raven smiled. “It would be cool to have a girl near my age to talk to for a while.”

Ava giggled. “Atrace will not be doing anything until her leg heals, young lady. After that, we can talk. Even then, we would need your parent’s consent before we can work with each other. That, and so they will not worry.”

I tilted my head, confused. “How can we do that?”

Ava smiled, retrieving a device from her pocket that I guessed was for communication. “General Brad summers can handle that but be advised; your parents may not give their consent.”

She pressed a number of buttons on the device then held it to her ear. A moment later, a bright flash and a low boom lit and shook the room. Raven, Crow and I all shrieked and teleported behind Ava. After a tense moment, we cautiously peered around her frame. Standing there was general Brad summers who gave me a bemused smile. He exchanged a nod with Ava as she placed her device back into her pocket.

He gave me a nod to which I returned before slowly came out from behind Ava and frowned at him. “Don’t do that again… please. You scared the spirit out of me.”

Crow smiled. “That was great.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “He scared you too, bro.”

Brad smiled, rubbing the back of his neck, turning slightly red in embarrassment. “Yeah, sorry about that. We’re still working on perfecting our long range teleportation technology.”

I sighed, letting the matter drop. “Do you think my parents will allow me to exchange medical knowledge with Earth? Maybe get a grant to work here as an assistant?”

Brad shrugged. “Due to recent events, we have established a stable communication line with the Teranors. Through them, we can send a message to your parents. I will inform them of your location, health status and request. However, I need to ask if you seriously want to exchange medical knowledge with us and work here as an assistant.”

I turned to Ava and her kids, practically beaming, then turned back to Brad. “I would be honored.”

Crow and Raven cheered but stopped as Ava hushed them. “He is trying to concentrate, kids.”

Brad was silent for several minutes before he smiled. “I have reached your parents. They give their consent to exchange data pads of knowledge; however, there is one condition to it.”

I sighed, not knowing what to expect. “What is it?”

Brad smiled. “The condition is to only exchange data files of medical knowledge with Miss Paloma. They also politely demand that you return home within two weeks.”

Crow moaned. “What?!”

Raven groaned as well. “Why just two weeks?!”

My smile faltered slightly. I wanted to groan as well but I had an idea what mom’s reasons were for her condition. I must admit, she could have just as easily ordered me home since my ship was in perfect condition to do so. That and she still could punish me for flying my ship when I was clearly in no condition to do so. I sighed then explained, “The fourteenth celebration of my birth is in fourteen rotations.”

Brad sighed. “That only gives us two weeks to study your vessel before we will have to give it back. I better get my crew on it. Happy belated birthday, kid.”

I gave a shy smile. “Thank you.” Then it clicked that they were going to study my ship. “Wait a minute…”

Only it was too late. A binding flash and a low boom later, he was gone. Ava smiled, shaking her head. “It may be hard for you to believe but, in all honesty, he is really not so bad once you get to know him.”

I sighed, frustrated then turned to Crow and Raven, curious. “Did you two teleport when general Summers popped in?”

Crow and Raven nodded as Ava sighed. “It is one of the many gifts we got with our psychic powers. However, only a select few can do it. That is why they are working on creating technology that allows them to teleport long distances.”

I gave a rueful smile. “Crow and Raven are among those few.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. Fortunately, I have that gift as well and I can catch them when I need to.”

It took three days for me to be able to walk about without pain. In that time, Ava took good care of me. Even Crow and Raven were a good help. They talked about everything and nothing but kids in my world did that as well. Ava and I talked about our drive and passion for our chosen professions. I was surprised to learn that Ava became an avian veterinarian due to her love for birds. When she gained psychic powers, she quickly learned how to care for other animals as well. It was her ability to telepathically talk to birds that got her assigned to the complex. As she was a single mother, Crow and Raven went with her. I also learned of a new medical concept called a vaccine. It never occurred to me to use an illness to destroy it. On the fourth day, Ava gave me the opportunity to see her medical scan. I was eager to learn how the human body worked in comparison to my own.

What I found almost made me back away from her. “How can your immune system be this aggressive?! I know you humans evolved on a high level death world but this is insane!”

Ava shrugged. “When we gained these psychic powers, we found that illnesses did not affect us as much. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it to be honest.”

I sighed, sitting down in a nearby chair. “You humans never cease to surprise me.”

Crow smiled. “Well, its early still.”

Raven lightly smacked him on the back of the head. “Dork.”

Ava gave me a knowing smile then offered her hand. “Let me show you something wonderful.”

I nodded then allowed her to lead me to the entrance to the other, much larger domes. She punched in a series of buttons on a code lock then ushered be through. Inside, I found myself in a lush jungle like setting that reminded me of home. I heard bird calls from every direction. Looking upward, I saw birds of every size shape and color flying gracefully. I did not have long to take it all in. Ava led me to a spiraling staircase that took us to the top of a high tower. The sight that awaited me literally blew my mind. The jungle stretched out in all directions for as far as I could see. The glass dome that seemed to envelope the area had somehow vanished. The stars shinned above as if I was on an entirely different world.

I turned to Ava, my mouth half open in shock. “What is this?”

Ava slowly took in a breath as if to savor it. “This is what we call a pocket dimension. It is the entryway to an entire planet or even an entire universe; we are not certain.”

I gulped, pointing out at the seemingly endless jungle. “If that is the case, there must be more than just birds here.”

Raven appeared next to me, giving me a fright. “There is.”

I turned to find Raven and Crow standing side by side, grinning at me. I could only giggle, shaking my head. I then teleported behind them in kind. The two kids looked around, puzzled then jumped as I tapped them on the shoulder. The look on their faces when they turned around was priceless. I shook my finger at them teasingly as I smiled. “I can do that too, you know.”

Ava shook her head then turned to me. “Normally, these two would have been in bed hours ago but they wanted to be here when you see this.”

Crow handed me a strange item, identical to the one he and Raven were now wearing. “You might need this.”

I turned to Ava, seeing her put on the same item. Curious, I put it on as I saw them do it and turned to the night sky. As if on cue, the brightest star in the sky suddenly became much brighter and larger. To my surprise, it spread out fiery wings that took up the entire sky. I stood there, silent for a moment as words had failed me. It was a Phoenix, a real Phoenix! Soon, the bird dimmed its light slightly and folded its wings.

I pointed up at the sun, my face pale. “That is… that is…”

Ava smiled. “Yes, that is the legendary Phoenix.”

I turned back to the sky to see the sun rising then turned to the phoenix who bowed its head to me. I bowed deeply in return and gained a sense of calm and focus so serene it made me weep. I turned to Ava. “We call her the Great Phoenix; She who gave birth to all out of love for life.”

Raven smiled. “In many cultures on Earth, the Phoenix represents death and rebirth.”

I sighed, smiling. “Our legends state that our world was burned by our own hubris but a new world was born for the survivors to rise again.”

Crow sighed, looking sad. “Our world had come close to that a few times over in our history. For all we know, we came close to wiping ourselves out even earlier than that.”

Ava shrugged. “Only the deities know for certain. However, with all nations at the negotiation table, I’d say we are on the right track.”

Crow smiled, gently patting my shoulder, causing me to blush. “We might have gone down a similar path if you and the others had not visited the Earth. It was looking pretty bleak in the news just two months ago..”

I shrugged. “I really haven’t done anything.”

Raven giggled. “That’s where you’re wrong.” She turned to Ava. “Tell her, mom.”

I turned to Ava, curious. “Tell me what?”

Ava sighed, her face turning slightly red. I guessed it was her own form of a blush. “General Summer’s team found your medical journal and read it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What did they find?”


Raven smiled. “They found the cures to every illness that had plagued humanity. Some we have never been able to completely get rid of; even with our aggressive immune system and our new psychic abilities.”

Crow nodded enthusiastically. “Influenza and chicken pocks were among them.”

Ava giggled. “Your journal will be studied and debated for decades to come.”

I could not help feel proud. “So all my work was not for nothing after all.”

Ava nodded, smiling. “Now then, let’s have some fun today.”

Ava walked out of the tower with Crow and Raven, both giggling. I began to follow but paused, looking out to the Phoenix in the distance. “Thank you, Oh Great Bird.”

The Phoenix responded by giving a chirp that shook the skies, filling my mind with peace and a sense of purpose. Smiling, I followed the three out onto an open wooden ledge. Raven motioned to the forest below. “Watch and do as we do.”

I watched and was amazed as Raven jumped off the platform then began to fly around. She did this by rapidly teleporting again and again. It was a simple but brilliant use of the ability that used very little energy as they were jumping short distances. Crow went next, making happy noises as he did, clearly enjoying himself flying around over the forest. Anxious but curious, I jumped off the platform and began to teleport rapidly. At first, I was clumsy at it but I eventually got better. Within minutes, I was soaring just as well as the children.

I giggled as I flew along with birds of all shapes and colors. “This is incredible! I feel so free!”

Ava smiled as she appeared near me. “It is already making child care hat much more challenging.”

I smiled with Ava. “I get your point. Best not to teach this to the other kids until the parents get the hang of it.”

Ava giggled. “You learn fast.”

The rest of the week went fast. I learned about Earth’s diverse species of birds. From the tiniest humming bird who could hover to the gigantic Elephant Bird. It was a prehistoric flightless bird that was as magnificent as it was terrifying. It was happy it did not have the ability to fly. Ava signaled to her children and I to head back. I was reluctant at first but then noticed that the sun was beginning to set. We returned to the landing and took the stairs back to the door. Ava entered her code and we all returned to the complex.

As the door was closed, Ava turned to me. “The doorway is solar powered; once the sun goes down…”

I nodded, understanding. “The door will not open again until the sun rises the next day. I have a feeling no one has spent the night in there.”

Ava shook her head. “That is their world, not ours. We need to learn to treat our own world better first.”

I sighed. “A lesson our ancestors learned the hard way.”

Crow sighed as well. “Let us hope it’s not too late for us.”

Ava placed a hand onto my shoulder. “Thanks to you and the other kids, we have a chance to not only learn from our past but build a better, brighter future.”

I could not help blush at that. “Um… happy to help?”

Ava and her two children laughed, causing me to blush even more and then I laughed with them. I do not know why I did. Ava later explained, “Human laughter is contagious but in a good way.”

I thought about her words for a moment then smiled. “Laughter is contagious in a good way. Just like a yawn.”

The next few days happened in a blur. I had learned that nature itself offered more cures than I had thought. I also found that humans celebrated birth anniversaries with a small celebration. To demonstrate, Crow and Raven put together a birthday party for me that doubled as a going away party. There was food like what they called ice cream and cake. To my surprise and delight, they were both delicious. I received small gifts from each of them. Crow gave me a data pad.

“This has the bird songs of over a thousand bird species on our planet; some from the pocket universe too. It includes the song of the Phoenix.”

I gasped, hearing that and played the track. The song of the Phoenix was filled with hope, happiness and a sense of pride. Then, I heard it speak; speak to me… “Well done, child.”

I blushed brightly, tears welling up in my eyes as I pulled Crow into a warm hug. “Thank you, Crow. I will treasure this.”

Crow blushed slightly as I released him before rubbing the back of his neck, a human expression of embarrassment. “I’m glad you like it, Atrace.”

Raven gave me a necklace with a gold disk. As I examined it, a holographic image appeared over it showing her, Crow and Ava all smiling and waving at her. Then the Phoenix appeared behind them and spread its wings, bowing to me. The image then vanished and I found myself crying tears of joy.

I gave Raven a warm hug. “Thank you! I will always keep this with me, close to my heart.”

Raven blushed as I released her. I could see she was fighting off her own tears. “I’m glad you like it.”

Then it was Ava’s turn who gave me a small cage. Inside was a small parrot. “This is Coco. He is a robot parrot; you will not need to feed him. He is capable of talking. Just be careful what you teach him.”

I laughed at that and gave ava a warm hug as well. “Thank you, thank you all. This has been an incredible visit and adventure.”

We stopped talking when General Summers entered the room, his expression unreadable. “I hope I am not interrupting anything.”

Ava sighed, annoyance on her face. “Despite the chaos of the past few weeks, we still have protocol, general… sir.”

Brad gave a nervous chuckle. “I am retired as of this morning. This will be my last official act before I take on my new role.”

I tilted my head, curious. “What new role is that?”

Brad smiled. “I am now Ambassador Brad Summers of the United Earth Federation. I proudly represent the Three Point American Alliance. North America, Central America and South America.”

Ava’s jaw dropped. Then she smiled before happy tears filled her eyes and streamed down her dace. “Are you saying that…”

Brad nodded. “All nations finished signing the treaties and agreements just before midnight last night. We have finally achieved world peace.”

Ava screamed in delight and jumped into Brad’s arms, giving him a warm hug. Raven and Crow celebrated by jumping up and down and dancing in circles. I smiled, looking upon the scene but laughed as Raven pulled me into their impromptu celebration. I was soon jumping around and giggling along with them. I thought of my own home world and the terrible price we had paid for our own dream of world peace to become a reality. Although my part in it was very small, I felt proud and honored to have played that role.

Once the celebration had died down, Ambassador Summers turned to me offering a small data tablet. “This holds all of humanities medical knowledge. It includes everything from the beginning of our written history to present time. It also has what we call home remedies and improvised medicine.”

I accepted the data pad and held it close to my heart. “I thank you, ambassador, Summers. I have no doubt this knowledge will help save millions of lives.”

Brad nodded. “Just as I am certain your knowledge will save millions here on Earth. I wish I had more time to get to know you, Atrace but I have a lot of work to do and little time.”

I smiled. “I understand, sir. Is my ship ready for departure?”

Brad smiled. “Your ship is ready to take off whenever you are ready; she is parked right outside. I wish I had more time to get to know you Atrace. Maybe, someday, we will meet again.”

I shook Brad’s hand; a gesture I had learned was both a greeting and a farewell. “maybe we will, Ambassador Summers. The universe works in mysterious ways.”

Brad laughed and lightly ruffled the feathers on the top of my head with his hand. “Good luck out there, kid. Also, try not to work so hard. You only get the play the role of a kid once.”

With that, he vanished. There was no flash, no boom. I huffed, using my hands to smooth out the feather on my head. I could feel the heat of my embarrassment. “Why did he do that?”

Ava giggled. “It’s a show of parental affection. Ambassador Brad has a daughter near your age.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “I better get ready to depart.”

With that, I walked to my room to prepare. I shut the door so Ava and her kids could not see me weep. I was looking forward to returning home but I was also sad I was leaving Earth so soon. There was so much more to see and experience. Still, something was telling me I would be seeing them again someday. I was back in my flight suit with everything packed when I approached the three to say my goodbyes.

Crow was the first to hug me. “You come back to visit real soon, you hear?”

I smiled, knowing he was trying his best not to cry in front of me as we broke the hug. “No promises. But I’ll see if I can convince a Teranor to make a ‘phone call’ here or there.”

Crow rubbed one eye, sniffling. “That would be great.”

Raven was the next to hug me. “Maybe next time, we can come visit you.”

I smiled at that was we parted. “I would really like that.”

Finally, Ava gave me one last warm hug. “You accomplished a lot in just two weeks. You should be proud of yourself.”

I tearfully smiled at that. “I am.”

I was escorted to the main entrance where Ava punched in a code, opening the door with a hiss. I stepped out into the morning air and spotted the crocodile that had attacked me two weeks prior. Ava saw him as well and smiled. I smiled as well, knowing he was too busy sunning to bother with me. I waved goodbye and got into the cockpit. After stowing the gifts and data pads I had been given, I buckled myself into the pilot’s chair and began to flip switches and turn dials to start the twin crystalline engines. They came to life with a welcoming purr and I pulled up on the controls, sending my vessel into the skies.

I flew out of the Earth’s atmosphere into space in minutes and looked back with a sigh. “I am going to miss them.”

Turning back to the stars, I typed the coordinates for home in my navigational computer and hit the FTL drive. To my surprise, the ship began to vibrate in tune with my shields. Once they had reached a certain frequency, an ancient jump gate appeared in front of me and pulled me in. Galaxies sped passed in a blur and just as it had started, I was thrust out of one of our own jump gates near my home world.

The gas giant, Croctna never looked so beautiful. “I’m home…”

As if on cue, my mother, Norida hailed me over the coms. I had expected her to be angry with me, or at least annoyed, but her voice was only filled with relief. “Welcome home, Atrace and happy birth anniversary.”

I sighed, responding. “Thank you, mother. My quest has come to an end; I had found what I was looking for.”

Norida giggled. “I am glad to hear that, Atrace.”

I gulped. “Am I still getting the lecture of a lifetime?”

Norida sighed. “Normally, yes; you would. However, the medical knowledge you bring with you and the knowledge you had shared with the humans more than compensates for your monumental error in judgement.”

I released a breath I had not realized I had been holding since Norida’s voice came over the coms. “I look forward to telling you of my adventures on Earth, mom…”

Inside the sleek vessel heading towards Earth, Atrace smiled as she sighed. “The healers of the council worlds will be pouring over the medical data for decades. As for myself, I have been helping; though my work hours are limited.”

Gnosarac nodded, smiling politely. “What an enlightening and exciting experience you had. Indeed, I must agree. All of our children did exceptionally well.”

All five kids blushed at the compliment then paused as the pilot’s voice came over the com system. “It is going to be another eight hours before we reach the Sol system, esteemed diplomats. You may wish to get some sleep while you can.”

Everyone quietly settled themselves down to sleep. Each child knowing that, when they awoke, they would be on Earth once more.