The Genesis Saga

Everybody went silent as they waited for Adrian to start. Reya was the most excited and held her breath, not wanting to miss a single moment. Even the fire had died down somewhat, as if it too wanted to listen in.

“The mountain below,” Adrian teased out in a deep, rich, sonorous voice, taking everybody by surprise. His voice increased in volume as he sang the next verse.

Reya watched, transfixed. She understood none of it but found it beautiful all the same. Each word was charged with emotion, transmitting clearly what Adrian felt to the rest of them. Each word, every note, struck a chord in Reya. Feelings of loss and regret shone through as Adrian sang with a heavy voice. Yearning and hopelessness wrapped around them like a blanket, settling into her very bones.

The language was beautiful, as if it had been made for singing his song. She could imagine it no other way. Her only regret was that she didn’t understand. She longed to know what he was saying, what message he wanted to deliver with his song. His voice broke slightly during the chorus, the emotions too much even for him. He caught himself and continued right on as if nothing had ever happened.

Reya’s heart lurched when it happened. The feeling of loss was so evident that she could tell this song was deeply personal. She wondered what, or who, warranted such powerful emotions from him. She didn’t think she’d ever know, unsure how to even ask.

All too soon, Adrian’s song came to and end. He opened his eyes and looked up to stunned silence. He looked around in confusion. He began to worry that nobody liked his performance until Beor broke the silence, voicing what everybody else felt.

“That was beautiful,” he said quietly, his words amplified by the silence. Reya nodded mutely in agreement. She wanted more. Tassie felt her eyes grow hot at how raw the song had been. Rann, for the first time that night, had no comment.

“Can you sing another one?” Reya asked hesitantly. She hoped that she wasn’t overstepping her bounds by forcing him to sing another song. Adrian looked over towards his biggest fan and smiled warmly.

“Sure,” he said, pleased that they had liked it. He’d been worried that it wouldn’t be adequate after Reya’s stellar performance.

“Still think he’s lying about being from another planet, Jyn?” Tassie asked.

“He could have made it up, spoken gibberish for all we know,” Jyn shot back unconvincingly. Not even he could claim that Adrian hadn’t sung well. Not after that.

“I think we all know that wasn’t the case.”

Adrian didn’t want them to start to argue like they were so prone to, so he cut off Jyn’s reply. “How about something a little more upbeat? A different genre.” He launched into a catchy tune he was sure would be stuck in everybody’s heads by the time he was done.

The heavy mood vanished without a trace as Adrian coaxed out a boisterous atmosphere with his song. Logs were added back to the fire, and it was soon roaring in accompaniment, adding its own personal touch.

“This last one’s a love song,” he said, looking to sing one last song for the night. He chose something deeply personal to him. It was a song that he had written many years ago, dedicated to his now-deceased sister when they’d been going through a particularly rough time. Annie admitted many years later that the song was the only reason she’d found the willpower to pull through.

“Have someone in mind?” Rann egged. She shot a sideways glance towards Reya, who sat up a bit straighter in her chair, leaning forward in anticipation. Whether it was of the song or something else, Rann didn’t know.

“I do,” Adrian said sadly. “But I’ll never see them again, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if I shared it with you. I wish I had the proper instruments to play it with. You’re missing so much of the song without it. I’ll make do with just my voice, though.”

Rann sensed that she’d touched a rough spot in Adrian’s life and decided not to ask. Jyn had no such compunctions and went ahead anyway.

“So who’s it for then, if it’s so important? Your old girlfriend?”

Adrian debated for a moment before answering. “My sister,” he replied with downturned eyes.

“Well, now that you’re here, I guess she’ll never hear it again.”

“She wouldn’t either way,” Adrian said cryptically, shaking his head. Reya’s brows furrowed at the strange comment as she tried to decipher its meaning. Maybe she would ask later, if she found the right time.

“So then there’s no problem with us hearing it.”

“No, I guess there isn’t,” Adrian said softly, his voice tinged with regret.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Jyn lost his patience with Adrian, who was making yet another big deal out of something so small. “Get on with it.”

Adrian simply nodded, not in the mood for a debate. He sang his last song tenderly and as if there was nobody else around him, his voice weaving seamlessly into the hearts of those that listened. Nobody dared to interrupt as Adrian delicately played with their heartstrings one last time so that they clearly felt Adrian’s love for the recipient.

Reya lost herself in the song. She hoped that one day somebody would sing something that heartfelt for her. In her opinion, Adrian’s final song was more impressive than his first.

“Goodbye my darling,” Adrian finished his last note with a touch of melancholy, highlighting the loss of such an important person in his life. “I think that’s enough out of me for tonight,” he said, wiping a tear out of his eye. “I’m all tapped out.” Adrian checked his empty beer bottle and reached for another, taking a long swig as more than just alcohol warmed his cheeks. He hadn’t been quite as ready to share that song as he thought he was, now regretting the gamut of emotions warring inside of him.

In a way, he was glad that the others couldn’t know what he was saying. He didn’t know what possessed him to sing something so deeply personal in front of strangers, but at least they didn’t know what he meant. Not truly. That, he would keep to himself. One more little secret.

“Adrian, where did you learn to sing?” Tassie asked, curious. She assumed that that hadn’t been Adrian’s first time performing based on how at ease he had been, accepting to sing for them without much fight, unlike Reya who’d needed to be convinced.

“My mother taught me when I was a child. She didn’t sing very often, but she had a lovely voice when she did.”

“Oh great, now we’re talking about his mother?” Jyn said quietly. The comment didn’t go unheard by the others, irritating them.

“It’s a shame,” Adrian switched topics, “that I don’t have the proper instruments to go along with the songs I sang today.”

“What kind of instruments do you play?” Reya asked, intrigued. She had a hard time imagining anything other than the instruments she was familiar with.

“Several, actually. I used to play a few string instruments along with some woodwind instruments and even a brass one.”

“So you’re actually super talented at music?” Rann commented. “Huh, never took you for the sort.”

Adrian let loose a humourless chuckle. “It’s not like any of you really know me,” he pointed out. “I actually used to study music. Before all of this happened.”

“You went to music school? What a waste of time,” Jyn said.

“I went to university to study music theory, which I happen to find very interesting.”

“You studied at a university? Not some random little old school?” Tassie asked, impressed.

“That’s right. I was working on my doctorate – actually, I’m not sure if you have an equivalent since I don’t know your educational system. Anyways, I was working on a pretty advanced degree right before I got taken.” Adrian didn’t expand on how he got abducted and the others, Jyn included, had the sense not to ask.

Tassie nodded in understanding. She hadn’t thought Adrian to be that young. Not for the first time, she wondered how old he actually was. He acted beyond his years sometimes, with a weight behind his eyes she’d only seen in the elderly.

“You didn’t even graduate?” Jyn asked rudely.

“No, I graduated. My school system has multiple kinds of degrees you can earn. A basic one was required to study at my level.”

“You know, this is the most you’ve talked about yourself,” Rann said. She wasn’t about to complain. If they could get him to divulge any secrets, then all the better. All he needed was a little more prodding and maybe a bit more alcohol.

“You never asked.”

Adrian’s comment irritated Jyn. “Of course we’ve asked. We’ve asked you plenty of times! You just don’t ever tell us anything.” Jyn was frustrated. He’d asked Adrian countless questions since his arrival, yet none had ever been answered.

“No, you asked about me being a living test subject, not about me personally.”

“That’s the same thing,” Jyn snapped.

Adrian shrugged. “To me, it isn’t.”

“You’re insufferable,” Jyn growled.

“Adrian, tell us a bit more about your home. What did your parents do for a living?” Rann said, hoping to move the conversation along.

Adrian smiled sadly at the mention of his parents. “My family made, sold and repaired musical instruments.” Adrian launched into detail about his family’s little shop. Surprisingly, it brought in enough income for them to live a comfortable, but not overly opulent life, though it had taken a while to reach that point. He spoke fondly of the instruments they used to sell, trying in vain to describe what they looked like. Still, the others found it interesting, and Adrian was glad that the topic of conversation didn’t turn to his time spent in captivity.

“That’s fine and all,” Jyn said as Adrian continued his tale, “but what good is any of that now?”

“I could teach you guys how to make them. I actually know quite a bit about the process,” Adrian said.

Rann’s eyes lit up. This was the first time Adrian offered information on technology from his home world, even if it was for something as simple as musical instruments. She hoped it was the first time of many such occasions.

“Nobody cares about your mus—”

“We’d love for you to show us,” Rann said quickly before Jyn could manage to ruin the opportunity presented to them. “Maybe you can work with Tassie tomorrow on the specifics.” Tassie looked excited at the thought.

“Sure,” Adrian said, not seeing the harm in telling them. If he played his cards right, he might be able to get them to make him the instruments so he could play them. It was a pretty good trade-off as far as he was concerned.

The conversation slowly moved away from Adrian’s home life, much to Reya’s disappointment. She found the topic fascinating. It wasn’t everyday one got to learn about an entirely different civilization. She hoped that Adrian would be more open with them from now on. Looking between Jyn and Adrian, she disabused herself of the idea. There was no way Adrian would ever open up with Jyn around.

Reya sat in silent contemplation, watching the others talk and enjoy the snacks that Tassie had brought out. Her drinks warmed her just as much as the fire did and she began to nod off in the comfort of her friends. Their voices droned on, blending together and lulled her into a light sleep. All was right for now. Her worries could wait until later.

Adrian watched the group from where he sat, no longer included in the discussion. Whether by design or by accident, he cared not. He quietly finished his drink while looking up at the stars above. He mulled over the day’s events, the alcohol taking the edge off. Idly, he wondered how many more drinks they’d let him take before they told him to stop.