The Genesis Saga

Adrian returned back outside a short while later, dressed in grey jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. Reya had left before him, giving him the time alone that he needed. Wordlessly, he sat down in one of the lawn chairs, staying far away from Jyn. Kell and Beor sat in between them as they watched the girls and Eimir swim in the lake.

There was no mention of the events that took place just prior, everyone giving Adrian some space on the clearly sensitive issue. Kell broke the silence and began chatting about the ship with Jyn. They mostly went over medical supplies and requirements, with Beor chiming in occasionally. Adrian stayed silent, unable to enter the conversation due to the topic. The others didn’t seem to notice as they continued to talk. The longer they went on, the harder it became for Adrian to interject with a comment of his own, even as the topics changed. He was being thoroughly ignored by Jyn, and it showed.

When he realized that trying to speak up was pointless, he turned his attention back to the swimmers. His eyes fell on Reya’s form as he watched her swim languidly towards Tassie. Eimir and Rann were content to simply stay still, enjoying the refreshing feeling of the water against their skin. Nobody made an issue of Reya being fully dressed either, much to her relief.

He found himself dwelling on Reya mentioning that she had scars as well. He wondered what had happened to her and what she was trying to keep covered. He knew that it was none of his business and shook the thoughts away, instead focusing on the scenic view in front of him. The air was filled with a plethora of different scents. The faint pine odour coming from the forest and the scent lush grass from the field behind him were undertones to the dominating smell of the hot sand around him. It lent the beautiful view of the lake and surrounding mountain tops more depth. Made it feel more real.

Adrian relished in the simple feeling of being outside again as a faint breeze kissed his skin, granting him some reprieve from the relentless heat bearing down on him. Perhaps dressing in black hadn’t been his brightest idea, he lamented. Still, he wasn’t about to go get changed again after the fuss he’d made earlier.

Ten minutes later, the others finished swimming and made their way ashore. Beor stood up with a towel, handing it to Rann when she approached.

“Thanks, babe,” Rann said with a smile, which Beor returned.

“Anytime,” he responded, sitting back down in his chair. Reya was the last to arrive. Adrian offered her the remaining towel in the chair next to him, which she took gratefully. After wringing the water out of her top the best she could, she wrapped herself in the towel and sat down next to Adrian.

The pair lapsed into a comfortable silence. “About before,” Adrian started. “Thanks. For checking up on me.”

Reya looked his way and smiled. “It’s fine. In a strange way, I think it did me some good as well.” Reya thought back to the moment they’d shared, not having realized how much she’d needed to have someone tell her that it was ok. It didn’t solve anybody’s issues, but it still helped somewhat.

After some more time drying out in the sun, the group decided they’d spent enough time at the lake. It was getting close to dinner time, and everybody was beginning to get hungry. Reya once again offered to cook, much to Adrian’s delight.

Adrian stared at the vegetable medley before him in anticipation. It smelled divine. He couldn’t identify a single vegetable in it, but if it tasted even half as good as it smelled, he was sure he was going to love it.

Everybody started eating when the last person sat at the table, which, naturally, was Adrian. He found it strange that they bothered to wait for him to sit, unused to such behaviour. He recalled mealtimes when he was still living with his sister. They used to eat the moment they sat at the table, neither one of them seeing the point in waiting several more seconds for the other to join.

Waiting appeared to be a custom on Verilia, however. One which Adrian made sure to adhere to the one time he hadn’t been the last to serve himself. Jyn passed another comment on his portion size, lamenting at how quickly they were going through their food stores thanks to Adrian’s huge appetite. Eimir pointed out that they had literal cratefuls of food still on the ship. Jyn was of the strong opinion that Adrian should eat ration bars instead if he was going to be as gluttonous as he was.

Adrian was self-conscious of the size of his meals, keenly aware that they were bigger than normal. He’d noticed that he needed to eat more food than the others and hoped that it wouldn’t cause any problems. He didn’t know how many supplies they had left, having never been allowed back on the ship.

Adrian passed yet another supper in relative silence, rarely being asked to weigh in with his thoughts and opinions. There were times where he admitted to himself that he was out of his depth and stayed silent, but being ignored so openly still stung.

He thanked whatever gods Reya prayed to when the meal finally ended. He offered to clean the dishes and heard Jyn mumble under his breath about him being useful for something. Adrian pretended not to hear it, not wanting to give away that he had extremely sensitive hearing. He’d almost been caught by Reya when she’d cut his hair and didn’t want to raise suspicions. That was a sure-fire way to get locked up and studied again.

Reya helped him clean up, even after cooking the entire meal. Adrian told her his thoughts on the meal, making her happy to receive such high praise for her efforts. Once they were done, the two of them went out back around the house the shed that was there. They took the chairs back out and began setting them up around the fire pit not far away.

Adrian found it odd that the pit was so close to the trees but figured that it must be safe enough where it was. There was still a small distance between the clearing for the backyard and the treeline. They set up the multi-coloured chairs in a loose ring around the fire pit. Behind the shed was a tall stack of logs for the fire. Reya took a few and tented them with kindling that she had found in the shed.

The sun was beginning to set, the long summer day coming to an end. Adrian paused his work and looked up at the sky, where shades of pink and yellow shone beautifully against the purple atmosphere. Reya noticed him staring and took a look as well.

“Wow, the sky’s really pretty tonight,” she commented.

“It is. I think sunset is my new favourite time of day. I find the colours beautiful, even if the sky is all wrong.”

“Was your sky a different colour?”

Adrian nodded. “It was blue.”

“That’s so weird,” Reya said, trying to imagine it. She’d never been to a planet with a blue sky, in spite of all of her years in the military.

Adrian chuckled, taking his eyes off the sky in front of him to look over at Reya. She was dyed in the effervescent light that painted their surroundings. He found that the colours looked just as good on her as they did in the sky above. Her platinum hair caught the light especially well.

“Should we go get the others?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. He looked over their work. The orange chairs contrasted with the blue ones, but he was sure that nobody would notice in the firelight. The fire pit was simply missing a spark to start the flames, the wood in the middle waiting to be burned. Adrian found it strange how the bark of the wood was a blueish brown, yet the inside was the pale colour of a normal tree.

“We probably should, shouldn’t we?” Reya said. “Let’s get going, then.” She made her way back towards the house, motioning for Adrian to follow. He did so at his own pace, in no rush to miss out on world around him. As he approached the house, he heard Reya’s voice filter out through the open door as she rounded up the others. He wondered what he was doing there, whether the others would have even listened had he been the one to call them. He waited by the back door as they put on their shoes and filed out one at a time. Beor prepared a cooler full of drinks and some ice while Tassie got a few snacks ready.

Jyn was on the ship and was called in by Reya, who went onboard to find him. The three of them were the last to arrive and filled the open seats left over. Reya sat in-between Rann and Tassie, while Jyn occupied the seat beside Tassie. Adrian sat opposite them on the other side of the fire pit. Beor excitedly opened the cooler next to him and took out a drink for everyone. Adrian was surprised when he was offered one and accepted. A bottle opener was passed around, making its way to Adrian last.

Adrian studied the strange bottle in his hands. It was a dark, tinted blue and narrowed in the centre, before tapering back to its original width. The label was green and white with gold lettering on it denoting the brand of the company that sold it. The back of the bottle had the company’s history printed on it, which he read with great interest. Apparently, it had been founded during the first stages of Verilia’s colonization project over seven hundred years ago. It was officially the oldest brewing company Adrian knew of.

Popping off the lid, a quiet fizzing sound left the bottle as small, carbonated bubbles escaped through the top. Adrian took a cautious sniff, testing the drink for anything amiss. Finding nothing obvious, he took a tentative sip. Sensation exploded on his tongue as tiny pricks popped in his mouth and the refreshing taste of beer quenched his thirst. He turned over towards Beor and asked whether or not it was actually beer. Adrian’s suspicions were confirmed, causing him to smile. It had been ages since he’d had a nice, cold beer. He waited a little bit to see if his first sip affected him adversely in any way.

Seeing that he was fine, he took another sip, a bigger swig this time. He filled his mouth with a long-forgotten taste and soon found himself drinking more. Rann spotted the affair and nudged Reya, showing her what she saw. Reya watched from where she sat, amused at Adrian’s antics. It reminded her of the time he’d first tried her cooking. The overwhelming delight that had been on his face when he first ate her food was back again as he drank his beer.

Which was why the solemn expression that overcame him took her by surprise. As she wondered what had caused this, Tassie attempted to get her attention. Her eyes left Adrian’s lonely form while her thoughts didn’t. Adrian stared at the bottom of his bottle while Reya turned to lighter topics.

The conversation continued around the campfire, each person contributing their own anecdote or story to the mix. Adrian remained silent throughout, lost in thought. He preferred to listen to the camaraderie rather than to insert himself into it where he didn’t belong.

The fire warmed him, fighting off the chill and his dark thoughts as night settled in. The sky above was lit up with a beautiful canvas of stars and moons. He didn’t know how he felt about the two moons hanging in the night sky, but Adrian was slowly getting used to the view. One was larger than the other, their asymmetry only adding to the strangeness he felt when he looked at them.

He recognized none of the stars nor could he name a single constellation. He searched for the ones he did know out of habit but came up short. It further drove home that he wasn’t on Earth anymore. That he might never go back. Resignation at his uncertain fate filled him as the moons slowly orbited around the planet.

Discussions about missions past came up, making Adrian’s ears perk up. He raised his head and paid more attention to the on goings around him. Reya was staring at him, but he didn’t think much of it. He met her gaze, but she quickly looked away.

Adrian learned about the time Eimir almost shot his own foot off. He’d learned proper gun safety since, Eimir insisted. He chuckled when Beor went on about the time they left him behind to deal with drug traffickers by himself. Adrian was sure he was exaggerating the story some but didn’t care. It made for a fun tale to listen to.

Not once was Adrian invited to share any stories or experiences of his own. It was unclear whether they excluded him by accident or on purpose. He didn’t particularly blame them. It wasn’t as if he really knew any of them or made much of an effort to participate to begin with. Adrian eyed the remainder his drink. He was almost done and wasn’t drunk in the slightest.

According to Beor, there was supposed to be alcohol in it and the drinks were apparently quite strong. Adrian wondered if him not feeling much had anything to do with the experiments he’d been subject to. He asked for a second drink. This one he didn’t sip slowly. He kicked it back and soon found himself on a third one.

He counted how many were left, making sure he wasn’t overstepping his welcome by taking all of their drinks. Noticing that the large cooler was practically filled to the brim, he didn’t feel bad helping himself. If he was lucky, he might actually feel drunk sometime soon.

A warmth settled in his stomach the more he drank. Beor grew concerned by the time Adrian started his fourth but was waved off. Adrian would’ve felt it if he were drunk. It was finally halfway through his current drink that his cheeks grew hot. An airy feeling overcame him as the alcohol did its job. It was pleasant. Different.

The others were far into their cups by now, the cooler noticeably emptier than it was an hour ago. Rann clapped her hands, grabbing everyone’s attention. “We should sing some campfire songs,” she slurred enthusiastically. Adrian eyed the single bottle by her chair, realizing that she was only on her second drink. If they hit that hard then he understood Beor’s earlier concern about the amount he was drinking.

Tassie cheered, finding Rann’s idea to be brilliant. “We should totally sing!” With the decision made for everybody, Rann launched into her first song. Tassie joined in for the second and third for a lovely duet. Adrian listened to the alien music with rapt attention, learning as much as he could. It was very eye-opening to him.

Eimir was volunteered by Tassie to go next. He didn’t have the best singing voice but did a good job. Everybody clapped and cheered when he was done. Adrian frowned after it was finished, finding it to be almost the same tune as the song the girls just sang. He made no mention of the oddity, figuring it to be by chance.

Kell and Jyn were roped in as well, each one singing a simple tune, both remarkably similar. It was enough to appease Rann, who continued to sing her merry tunes for everyone to hear.

Several songs later, the topics devolved into something far raunchier than Adrian had expected when the whole thing began. He found himself laughing along, even though it was the first time he’d heard the songs. He hummed the refrains quietly where he sat, participating in his own way. He found it hard to stay upset when there was such lively music nearby. Yet still, the little variation between the songs bugged him.

“Reya, you should sing us a song,” Kell spoke up after Rann finished her latest masterpiece, clearly knowing something Adrian didn’t. Reya looked embarrassed, but Rann and Tassie refused to let the matter go. Adrian watched her reluctance be broken down by their pleas ever so slowly. The whole situation was highly entertaining to him. The girls successfully cajoled poor Reya into participating.

Resigning herself to her inevitable fate, Reya finally relented. Everybody quieted down so that they could listen. The fire rudely crackled, having no intention of stopping anytime soon. She thought for a second about which song she wanted to sing. Several moments later, she came to a decision. A haunting tune left her lips, her crystal-clear voice sounding over the roar of the fire.

Adrian watched, transfixed. It was beautiful. Reya’s song was about the loss of self-love and how the singer lamented hating herself. He found that the song suited her, especially after the day’s events. He sensed that there was more to her song choice than simple chance. To him, it was a clear cry for help on something she didn’t want the others to know about. It added all the more depth to her music, he found. That the melody was different than the other songs that evening was an added bonus.

Her voice rose and fell, sometimes hushing to a near whisper, yet never lost completely. Her eyes were closed as she lost herself to her tune. Adrian wondered what it would sound like with instruments accompanying her.

She hit the refrain and delivered the powerful message the song sent out with expert execution. After several minutes, her song ended, much to Adrian’s disappointment. He yearned for more. For that beautiful voice to fill his ears again.

Tassie stared at Reya slack-jawed after her performance. “Holy crap, Reya that was amazing,” she said in admiration. She felt no jealousy at having her earlier performances outshone, only elation at her friend’s talent. “Why didn’t you tell us you could sing so well?”

“Because it never came up,” Reya replied, embarrassed. “I didn’t know you’d think so highly of my performance.”

“Of course! You’re so talented,” Tassie gushed. She whirled around and looked at Kell. “You knew,” she pointed. “You totally knew.”

“Guilty as charged,” Kell replied with his hands up in mock surrender. “I’ve heard her humming before on the ship and thought that she might have a nice voice. I was right,” he said, grinning.

Rann clapped Reya on the shoulder. “You should’ve joined in earlier. Imagine how kickass our songs would have been with you in it.”

“Speaking of humming,” Beor spoke up, “the only person we haven’t heard sing yet is Adrian. I heard him before singing along to our songs. I think he should sing too.”

Adrian looked over in surprise. “You heard that?” He thought he’d been quiet enough to avoid being heard, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He didn’t know any of the songs they were singing and humming the melody was the only thing he could do. Even then, he felt he did so poorly since his timing had been off.

“Sure did.”

“What’s the point in having him sing?” Jyn scoffed. “It’s not like he knows any songs if he’s truly from another planet.”

“He’s right. I don’t know any of your songs. The only ones I could sing are in my language, which none of you can understand.”

Reya’s eyes lit up at the thought of hearing another language. “I’d like to hear that,” she voiced enthusiastically. “I think hearing a song in your language would be really cool. I’ve never really heard you speak it before.”

“Except when he says stuff he doesn’t want us to know,” Jyn pointed out. “We’ve already heard him speak on occasion.”

“But that was just some mutterings,” Reya refuted. “I want to hear what it really sounds like. Besides, aren’t any of you curious about what music sounds like from where Adrian’s from?”

“I am,” Rann said, taking Reya’s side. “I think we should listen to it. Anybody else feel the same way?” A chorus of affirmatives chimed from around the group, except for Jyn. “That solves it then, unless you don’t want to sing?”

“I have no issues singing. I’m not sure how good my songs will be without instruments, but I’ll do my best. I didn’t realize so many of you wanted to hear me sing, if I’m being honest.”

“I do,” Reya said encouragingly. Adrian nodded and smiled back at her. He had at least one person in the audience who cared. That was enough for him. He thought about Reya’s performance for a moment and wanted to match it. For that, he would need a good song – one he knew really well. When he settled on one, he played it over in his mind, remembering that lyrics and chorus.

Adrian opened his mouth.