The Genesis Saga

Jyn had ordered Adrian to stay locked inside his room while he patrolled the perimeter, but Adrian was having none of that. Sitting on a comfortable wooden chair outside on the porch, he watched the sun set in front of him. Vibrant shades of pink, purple and orange dyed the scenic landscape while the sounds of wildlife echoed in the distance. He heard the singsong voices of birds hidden in the trees and watched the still lake water reflect the world above. A picture-perfect view. Truly, whoever had built this house here knew what they were doing. It was the perfect getaway spot if one liked nature.

After so much time spent trapped in that suffocating white room, the change in scenery was a welcome sight to Adrian’s sharp eyes. The fresh mountain air filled his lungs as he took a deep breath, revelling in his newfound freedom. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a far cry from what he’d previously experienced at the hands of the gru’ul . . . and other humans, he thought.

Adrian stared at the spot where the ship had been parked earlier that day. It had been a strange sight, watching Rann board the ship, only to suddenly disappear. No matter how hard he’d tried, he’d been unable to perceive the invisible hulking beast of metal that he knew was right in front of him. The level of technology displayed continued to surprise him. Such a thing was a pipe dream back on Earth, yet here it was reality. The only indication it was there at all was the depression it made in the ground.

The wood on the porch groaned as heavy footsteps approached. Adrian didn’t move, his eyes never leaving the beautiful sight in front of him. Beor plopped down in the chair beside Adrian and fished around in his pocket. He withdrew a small metal box and flipped open the lid. Tapping it in his hand, a long, cylindrical object made of paper slid out. Adrian turned his head and watched as Beor brought the object to his lips, leaving it there while he took a lighter out and lit the tip. It immediately caught and burned a warm orange as it ate away the contents wrapped inside.

The man took a long inhale and puffed out a cloud of blue tinged smoke. It had a pleasant, fragrant smell, unlike the harsh odour Adrian was expecting. Pinching the cigarette between his fingers, Beor tapped the end over the side of his chair and watched the ashes get carried away in the breeze. “Rann doesn’t like when I smoke, so I make sure to indulge only when she’s not around,” he said. “Says its harmful to the lungs.” He took another drag. “I, for one, don’t see the issue since any damage can be fixed up with a quick trip to the doctor’s nowadays.”

“I see,” Adrian said simply, not sure what to make of the statement. They lapsed back into silence until Beor looked over and offered Adrian the box in his hands.

“Want one?” Adrian studied the outstretched hand with interest, contemplating what to do next. He reached over, grabbed the small box and took out a cigarette. It was made of a pale brown paper and felt firm in his hands. He looked down the end and inspected the blue herb contained within.

Adrian motioned for Beor to pass him the lighter. After a moment’s fumbling, he figured out how to make it work, much to Beor’s amusement. He took a tentative puff. A light, floral taste filled his mouth as the hot air made its way into his lungs. He held it there for a short while before finally expelling the smoke.

“Not going to lie, I’m surprised you went for it.” Beor said.

Adrian let out a dry chuckle as he handed the lighter back. “This has to be the least damaging thing done to me in the past long while.” He held up the cigarette between his fingers. “Thanks for this, by the way. Much better than the ones back home.”

“You used to smoke?”

“Not particularly. Tried it once, but I didn’t like how harsh it was on the lungs. Not to mention the awful taste. Never tried it again afterwards. These things addictive?”

“Not that I know of. I’ve never had any trouble stopping. No withdrawal either.”

“Fancy that. You know, I don’t think I ever got your name. I’m Adrian, in case you hadn’t already heard.”

“Beor,” the man said with a nod. “So, aliens, huh?”

Adrian took another long drag from his cigarette, watching the end grow shorter. He tapped out the ashes as he breathed out and cast a sidelong glance at Beor. “I’m surrounded by them. Have been for quite some time.”

Beor barked out a short laugh. “You know, from our perspective, you’re the strange one.”

“Of that I have no doubt. And I’m sure your leader – or whoever’s in charge – is just itching for my secrets. I don’t have the answers you’re looking for,” Adrian said sadly. “When you do find them, keep them away from me. I don’t want to know.”

Beor put his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m not fishing. I leave that stuff to the others. My job is just to shoot things.”

“As long as those things don’t include me, we’re good,” Adrian said lightly. “I don’t suppose you know if I can take a shower or something? I reek and desperately want to get rid of the smell. These cigarettes don’t quite cover it up. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re here sitting with me at all.”

“You do smell pretty bad,” Beor agreed. “Why haven’t you already taken one?”

“Your illustrious hard ass of a leader doesn’t want me to. Didn’t even want me leaving my room.”

“Jyn can get like that sometimes.” Beor finished up his smoke and snuffed the butt. If he was surprised that Adrian wasn’t listening to Jyn’s orders, he didn’t show it. “Come on, I’ll show you. Can’t have you stinking up the place forever. We don’t have any spare clothes though; those are all back on the ship.” At the mention of a shower, Adrian quickly snuffed what was left of his cigarette and followed Beor to the second floor of the house.

He was brought to a large, powder blue bathroom that had a tub, a shower, a toilet and all the accompanying vanities. Adrian took in the sight, surprised at how similar it looked to a bathroom back home. But as he soon found out, the controls for the shower were not at all the same.

“You have two screens here,” Beor explained as the pair stood in front of the shower. “You slide your finger until you reach your desired heat and water pressure level.”

“What about if I wanted cold water?”

“Just slide to the left, starting from the middle. Always start in the middle for the temperature.” Beor found Adrian a white towel and left the bathroom, leaving Adrian alone. Turning towards the mirror, he flinched when he studied his reflection for the first time in years.

The first thing he noticed was his eyes. They were no longer brown, like they had once been. Now they were silver, an unnatural colour that unnerved him. The stark white rings and furrows lent them a mesmerizing look. The next details Adrian took in were his large beard and long, limp hair that went down to his waist. He found that the look didn’t suit him and knew it was going to take a lot of shampoo and conditioner to get all the grease out.

Reluctantly, he took his shirt off. Tears stung his eyes when he saw the state of his body. Long, thick scars ran the length of his torso from when they’d operated on him. Slash marks on his chest ran through his older scars. The rest of his body was absolutely riddled with scars of varying lengths. His eyes had trouble turning their attention elsewhere.

He scanned his arms, looking at the scars that marked them, saddened by what he saw. Turning around, he spotted the wicked scars that decorated his back. They were from the time he’d failed to escape. While they drew attention away from the other scars along his back, they did nothing to hide the rest of the scars painted alongside them. There was no part of his body that was left untouched.

Looking down at his wrists, he studied his manacles. They hadn’t been removed yet, but he knew well enough that his wrists would be scarred too. Taking his pants off revealed more scars along his legs and ankles. He shivered as he recalled one particularly nasty experiment where he hadn’t been able to walk for weeks.

The aftermath of Adrian’s trials and tribulations were painted all over his body. They told a story of pain and misery. He shuddered as his eyes roamed over his damaged, broken body, recalling how he’d received each and every one of those scars. With the permanent reminders etched into him, he wouldn’t soon forget.

He tore his gaze away from the mirror, knowing that no good would come out of dwelling on what he couldn’t change. Stepping gingerly into the shower, he selected his settings and stood still as the water rained over him. He luxuriated in the warmth, no longer feeling cold for the first time in ages. The constant chill that had been his companion was finally gone, replaced by a soft, relaxing embrace brought on by the heat. His muscles loosened as he put one hand against the wall to support himself. He stood there for a moment, taking in one of the luxuries he’d once taken for granted.

Picking up the shampoo bottle resting on a small shelf inside the shower, Adrian eagerly got to work cleaning himself. He washed and rewashed his hair multiple times until at last, he was satisfied. He joyfully scrubbed himself clean, finally ridding himself of his stench. When he was finished, he stepped out of the shower feeling like a new man. He picked up the cordless hairdryer and slowly dried his hair.

When he was finally done, he looked at his clothes in disgust. While he might be clean, his old clothes certainly weren’t. He picked up his ragged top and took a whiff, recoiling at the strong smell. With reluctance and disgust written all over his face, he put back on the clothes, feeling their grime against his newly washed skin.

He made his way back downstairs and found Beor sitting at the kitchen table, eating a ration bar. “Have any extras?” Adrian asked as he made his way over. Beor simply pointed to the small box on the counter. Adrian walked over and grabbed one, opening the wrapper and taking a large bite as he joined Beor at the table.

“Better,” Beor said with a sniff as Adrian sat down across from him, “but still not good.”

“That’s the clothes you’re smelling, not me.”

“Ah, gotcha. We’ll sort that out when the girls come back. They’re the ones with all of our spare clothes. A bit of an oversight if you ask me, but there’s not much we can do about it. They should be back in a couple of hours.”

“How do you know?” Adrian asked.

“I just got off the phone with them. Anyways, I’m heading off to bed. It’s been a long day. Feel free to stay up if you want. Eimir’s taking the night shift tonight and I’m sure he’d like the company.”

Adrian shook his head. “I think I’m good. I’ll probably just go hang around in my room until I fall asleep.”

“Suit yourself.” With that, Beor went upstairs. Adrian heard him knock on one of the doors and tell the occupant to get out of bed. Finishing up his ration bar, Adrian lumbered up the steps and retreated to his room for the night. Not in the mood to socialize and with nothing better to do, he decided to follow Beor’s lead and simply go to bed.