• I am the last.
    No more do my people roam the stars.
    No more do they gather the universe's knowledge.
    They are gone, forever.
    Only I survive.
    And I suffer.


    "I think she's dead!"
    "Don't touch it! Jesus, Marilyn, you don't know what that thing is! Coming out of the sky like that? Besides, how do you know it's a she?"
    "Look at how pretty she is, Harper! Besides, guys don't have boobs."
    Make them stop talking. I want to die. Make them leave me alone so I can die.
    "Look! She moved! I saw her!"
    "Marilyn, stop, leave her, I mean, it-"
    "Harper, she's still alive! Look, her head is bleeding! We have to help her!"
    I don't want help. Leave me here. Let me die and join my people.
    "Oh, geez, you're right. Man, how do I get into such a mess? Alright, we'll take her home, but you can't tell Mom and Dad! Got it?"
    "Yay! Maybe when she's better, she'll grant wishes! Like in the movies!
    "That's a fairy, not an alien. If she's even alien..."
    "Are you going to fall in love with her?"
    "N-no!"
    "Then why are you all red?"
    Where are you, death? Is this my punishment for surviving? I don't want to live, I have no more reason to live, everything's gone... gone... Take me into the sweet darkness...


    Harper Striger carried the strange woman back to the house. His 10-year old sister, Marilyn, skipped the whole way. Harper had no idea what they would do with the woman who had been in that weird capsule that crashed. In the movies, the hero would find a hot chick like that, dazed and battered. he'd take her home, nurse her back to health, then find out she's some princess on some faraway planet. At that point either the government, the fiance of the princess, or both started chasing them. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the gruesome images of mysterious black suits, UFOs, and tentacley aliens assaulting his mind. This wasn't a movie! He sighed, and hefted her higher onto his back. She wasn't heavy, but she wasn't easy to carry, either.
    "What are we going to do once she's better?" Marilyn was skipping backwards now.
    " Don't do that, you'll trip and break your neck. Then what'll I do? I'll have two people to carry, then. I can't carry you and her at the same time!"
    Marilyn stuck her tongue out, but turned around.
    "As for what we'll do once she's better? I don't know. We'll have to see. First I've got to get her back home!"

    Take me, death. Carry me to the sweet nothingness of nonlife. Life is pain, stop the pain, end it, I have nothing to justify it anymore.
    ......
    At least those two voices stopped. They were annoying.
    "Hey, uh... alien chick... Hello?"
    Crap.
    Ignore it. It's just life, trying to take me back to pain, to a universe without my people.
    "Are you awake? Alien chick, you conscious?"
    I'm trying to die here, can't you see that? Do you have to be so rude as to interrupt a person who's trying to die?
    "I don't get it. That gash on her head is gone, not even a scar. There's nothing wrong with her."
    "Maybe I just want to be left alone. Did you consider that?"
    Did I just say that out loud? Nothing for it, then. Systems check.
    Welcome back, milady. We have missed you. What orders do you have for us?
    Give me scans of everything.
    Of course. Scanning now.
    Harper grinned as the beautiful woman sat up gingerly. Her eyelids opened, revealing stunning emerald eyes. She glanced over at him quickly.
    No threat detected within a mile radius. Two sentient lifeforms detected within a mile radius. Other lifeforms present within a mile radius. Air breathable.
    My injuries?
    Minimal. Psychological scarring evident, but treatable. You are completely healthy.
    That person?
    species: Homo sapiens. Gender: Male. Further data is unavailable. Recommend interaction to discover more.
    Thank you.
    She seemed satisfied by what she saw, and stood up.
    "My name is Taa'. Who are you?" Her voice was musical and gentle. She was slender all through her body. Her deep black hair fell down to her hips. Her face was beautiful in the simplicity of features. She was staring straight at Harper, almost frowning while waiting for the answer.
    He forgot his name instantly when he met her eyes. They were such an enigma to him. If eyes are windows to the soul, hers must have curtains drawn to keep prying eyes away.
    She lifted a hand and waved it in front of his face. "Hello?"
    "Harper! I remember, I'm Harper! Nice to meet you, Alien Chi-, I mean, Tah!" He was grinning like an idiot, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Her beauty made him forget everything.
    "Not Tah, Taa'. There's a difference."
    Milady, it appears he is incapable of detecting the slight modulation of sound between the two.
    "Oh, ok, I guess you can't tell. Holos off."
    Harper's jaw dropped. The woman's delicate arms changed before his eyes. From the elbow down, it looked as if she'd put on metal gloves. The tips of the fingers ended in pointed claws. All along the forearms, lights shimmered and blinked. Along the outside of her forearms, blades grew, curving up to her shoulders before ending in wicked-looking points.
    "These are my caala. I think you can already tell I'm not from your planet. My caala are integrated into my body, and are deeply enmeshed with my brain. Try to remove them and I will die. They are like a personal computer to me. They speak directly into my mind. Caala are also my protection. See these blades? They can cleave you in half very easily."
    Harper was frozen. Alien girl with computers in her arms? Computer weapons? WHAAAT?!?!?!?!?