Categories > Original > Sci-Fi
A long journey's end
2 reviewsA woman returns to earth after living with aliens for twenty-three years.
1Insightful
23 Years ago I knew who and what I was. Now I'm not so sure. I was Gladis Scott a 15 year old Homo Sapiens girl, a teenager in high school, best grades and headed for university. All I am certain of now is that I'm and adult woman who has lived 38 years, earth time, and I haven't aged a day since I turned 16.
When I was halfway through my 15th year I was offered a chance to make history, and I did. I was sent into space to meet an extraterrestrial being. It appears the government had been in contact with them for ten years before agreeing to exchange one of our youth for one of theirs. There were ten of us and only one of them, an adult to choose one of us, it's only later that I found out his age was the same as mine. I didn't know when I agreed that I would be staying with the Homo Salutor, our term for the aliens they call themselves the Marlani, for 25 of their years, 23 of ours. I find it funny how Homo Sapiens means wise man, and yet when we meet a race who has greater technology then us, no wars, and will label only those with the greatest widom adults, we label them visitors.
"Hir." I looked up to see Graycarm, my Marlani escort, the same one who came to choose me 23 years ago.
"Earth clothes suit you well." I was trying not to laugh. He was wearing a grey suit that made him look like a stone.
"Go ahead laugh, it will make you feel better. Besides I look like a stone and I find it amusing myself." Suddenly it wasn't funny anymore. Graycarm's face showed nothing, and the Marlani always show their feelings, even though the expressions differ from those of humans.
"What's wrong my friend?" Graycarm sighed then smiled.
"I am simply worried about you. After all you have not been on earth for so long, and you will not be what they are expecting."
"No, I definitely am not, but we will deal with it."
Graycarm sat down beside me as we entered the earth's atmosphere. We spent the rest of the trip in silence.
When we landed we were met by a representative from every country and many other curious people. We were led strait into a press conference. We were both extremely surprise, Anthror was there as well, he is the Marlani youth that was left in my place, and he is Graycarm's brother. They were both very happy to see each other, but we didn't have time for family reunions, the questions started.
"Miss Scott how different is Homo Salutor culture from ours?" The male reported had just insulted me, my escort and all the Marlani by using that term. Graycarm was very angry at the comment.
"First of all I would like it if you didn't use the term Homo Salutor in front of me, they call themselves the Marlani, and we would appreciate it if you used their term. Second I would prefer if you used my Marlani title, Hir, it is the same as miss or madam, and for men they use the title Nahir. Now if you will repeat the question I will answer it." Ther was total silence after this, everyone looked shocked, except for Graycarm and Anthror, and they looked pleased.
"Umm. Hir Scott how is Marlani culture different from ours?" the reporter seemed very uncertain as he asked the question.
"there are to big differences, the first is that no one lies, because lying can ruin you, no Marlani trusts a Marlani who has lied. The second is that in Marlani culture you become an adult when you show great wisdom and understanding of the world around you. In fact within a month of being with the Marlani they considered me an adult, and Graycarm, my escort and the one who came to earth 23 years ago, is about the same age as me." I said the last indicating my friend.
"Nahir Graycarm what is your relationship to Hir Scott?" the reporters were using the Marlani title very well, but it amused Graycarm because he was beaming in his kind's way, it looks pretty much like a death grin on a human, and that's how the reporter took it. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you angry."
"I am not angry I simply find it amusing that you would ask that question." After Graycarm said this the reporter was visibly relieved. "I have been fostering the Hir in my house, just as her family fostered my brother. We are friends." After this a few questions were addressed to Anthror, but they eventually came back to me.
"What have you learned while you lived with the Marlani Hir Scott?" this was asked by the Queen of England, and everyone fell silent to hear the answer.
"I have learned all aspects of science that the Marlani know, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and many others. I have also learned to speak their languages, I know their customs, and I can treat any injury a Marlani sustains. Does that answer your question adequately your majesty?" she just smiled and nodded.
"I think that this should be all for now." A strong male voice was heard above the shouting reporters.
We said goodbye to the reporters and left the building. We were shown to a minivan and Anthror took the wheel. "We are going to your parents home, they have missed you a lot."
I smiled and sat in silence until we arrived.
As we pulled into the driveway a group of children from one to ten years of age came running out of the house. I was going to learn that these were my siblings. I was home.
When I was halfway through my 15th year I was offered a chance to make history, and I did. I was sent into space to meet an extraterrestrial being. It appears the government had been in contact with them for ten years before agreeing to exchange one of our youth for one of theirs. There were ten of us and only one of them, an adult to choose one of us, it's only later that I found out his age was the same as mine. I didn't know when I agreed that I would be staying with the Homo Salutor, our term for the aliens they call themselves the Marlani, for 25 of their years, 23 of ours. I find it funny how Homo Sapiens means wise man, and yet when we meet a race who has greater technology then us, no wars, and will label only those with the greatest widom adults, we label them visitors.
"Hir." I looked up to see Graycarm, my Marlani escort, the same one who came to choose me 23 years ago.
"Earth clothes suit you well." I was trying not to laugh. He was wearing a grey suit that made him look like a stone.
"Go ahead laugh, it will make you feel better. Besides I look like a stone and I find it amusing myself." Suddenly it wasn't funny anymore. Graycarm's face showed nothing, and the Marlani always show their feelings, even though the expressions differ from those of humans.
"What's wrong my friend?" Graycarm sighed then smiled.
"I am simply worried about you. After all you have not been on earth for so long, and you will not be what they are expecting."
"No, I definitely am not, but we will deal with it."
Graycarm sat down beside me as we entered the earth's atmosphere. We spent the rest of the trip in silence.
When we landed we were met by a representative from every country and many other curious people. We were led strait into a press conference. We were both extremely surprise, Anthror was there as well, he is the Marlani youth that was left in my place, and he is Graycarm's brother. They were both very happy to see each other, but we didn't have time for family reunions, the questions started.
"Miss Scott how different is Homo Salutor culture from ours?" The male reported had just insulted me, my escort and all the Marlani by using that term. Graycarm was very angry at the comment.
"First of all I would like it if you didn't use the term Homo Salutor in front of me, they call themselves the Marlani, and we would appreciate it if you used their term. Second I would prefer if you used my Marlani title, Hir, it is the same as miss or madam, and for men they use the title Nahir. Now if you will repeat the question I will answer it." Ther was total silence after this, everyone looked shocked, except for Graycarm and Anthror, and they looked pleased.
"Umm. Hir Scott how is Marlani culture different from ours?" the reporter seemed very uncertain as he asked the question.
"there are to big differences, the first is that no one lies, because lying can ruin you, no Marlani trusts a Marlani who has lied. The second is that in Marlani culture you become an adult when you show great wisdom and understanding of the world around you. In fact within a month of being with the Marlani they considered me an adult, and Graycarm, my escort and the one who came to earth 23 years ago, is about the same age as me." I said the last indicating my friend.
"Nahir Graycarm what is your relationship to Hir Scott?" the reporters were using the Marlani title very well, but it amused Graycarm because he was beaming in his kind's way, it looks pretty much like a death grin on a human, and that's how the reporter took it. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you angry."
"I am not angry I simply find it amusing that you would ask that question." After Graycarm said this the reporter was visibly relieved. "I have been fostering the Hir in my house, just as her family fostered my brother. We are friends." After this a few questions were addressed to Anthror, but they eventually came back to me.
"What have you learned while you lived with the Marlani Hir Scott?" this was asked by the Queen of England, and everyone fell silent to hear the answer.
"I have learned all aspects of science that the Marlani know, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and many others. I have also learned to speak their languages, I know their customs, and I can treat any injury a Marlani sustains. Does that answer your question adequately your majesty?" she just smiled and nodded.
"I think that this should be all for now." A strong male voice was heard above the shouting reporters.
We said goodbye to the reporters and left the building. We were shown to a minivan and Anthror took the wheel. "We are going to your parents home, they have missed you a lot."
I smiled and sat in silence until we arrived.
As we pulled into the driveway a group of children from one to ten years of age came running out of the house. I was going to learn that these were my siblings. I was home.
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