The day started peacefully enough; the sun shone brightly on the town and woke me up as it reached its way through my window. Sitting up blearily in bed and staring at the sky, I smiled. The sky was a clear purple and there was hardly a cloud in sight. It was perfect weather, and I knew today would be a good day. Once I managed to pull myself out of bed, I quickly dressed and walked out into the kitchen.
"Good morning Abigail." My mother greeted from where she sat reading a book, as she did on mornings such as this.
"Morning mum." I answered as I began to prepare my breakfast.
Once I finished eating I headed for the door.
"Going up the hill?" mum asked, without looking up.
"As always." I replied with a grin.
I walked out and headed off towards the enormous hill that served as the border of our town.
We lived in the very last house at the edge of the village but it still took me a good five minutes to get to the top of the hill. From there, I could see the whole of the town spread out beside me, with all its buildings gleaming in the sunlight. In front of me, a field bordered by woods stretched out for miles until it reached the mountains off in the distance. It was always a beautiful sight. I loved living on this planet, the planet Flauraan. It was one of many in the Staarus System, and it had been my home since birth. There were other inhabited planets in the system, but I'd never been to any of them, though I wished I could. As I stood at the top of the hill and felt the sun beating down on me, I held my finger up to the wind. It was perfect weather! There would be a clear sky tonight as well, so I could come up the hill again and watch the stars. It was something I enjoyed doing, as there was something about the reaches of space that intrigued me more than anything else ever had.
After fifteen minutes of this I wandered back down and went inside my home again. Mum had finished reading her book by the time I arrived and was about to head into town.
The trip into town was like most others; uneventful. We talked to some people, mum posted a couple of local messages, and we picked up a few things from the market. Normally when we went into town I would visit my best friend Leila, but she had moved to the planet Halapatov just over a week before. I was really missing her.
As we ate lunch in town, I stared around me at the quaint buildings around me, trying to imagine what it would be like for Leila in the big city she now lived in on the other planet. I'd seen pictures of course; the city was full of towering buildings, fantastic sights and astonishing technology. We had some pretty neat tech here on Flauraan, but my people (the Paladanians) were a lot less ostentatious than the Halapatovians and preferred things to be simple rather than flashy. The Capitol city of my country, which was two day's walk from my town, was just as large and complex but definitely not as aesthetically outrageous. I knew Halapatov would be dreamlike compared to here.
After lunch we popped in to see dad at his work, but he was very busy so we just said hello and then we went back home.
I sat on my bed, flicking through my book of star charts for an hour or so. At this time of year, the constellation Lye should be very bright, the book read. I pulled out my own charts, which I'd drawn myself, and compared them to the book. They were very close. I loved stargazing. It was my favourite hobby. I hadn't been doing it lately so I could spend more time with Leila before she left, and then because the sky had been really cloudy lately, but tonight would be perfect for watching the stars.
After I went through all the charts, I wandered out into the garden where mum was pulling weeds out from among our plants. I helped her with the weeding, and then collected the ripe fruit off our berry bushes and herbs from the garden. Mum went over to fill the watering can from our water tank, but when she pulled the lever no water came out.
"Abigail?" She called me over.
I sighed. "Yes mum?" I answered, getting up and joining her at the water tank.
"The water's not coming out." Mum said. "Can you check if there's a blockage in the pipes?"
"Sure." I told her, then placed my hand on the pipes and concentrated.
Something that's important to know about the Paladanians, my species, they were very good at understanding things. If a Paladanian who was of age looked at you, they'd be able to tell how old you were, discern something about your background and be able to read your emotions almost perfectly, unless you were skilled at hiding your thoughts. It was a natural ability, one we were all born with, and it was a useful one. Paladanians never acted rashly because they didn't understand, and they could tell whether you could be trusted or not. Sometimes, though, a Paladanian was born who had powers more advanced. I was like that. My mother called it my special gift. I could, well for one I could feel what was inside something without ever actually looking inside it. For example, when I put my hands on the pipe I could feel the air inside of the pipe, which was oddly empty of water up until the top of the pipe where the water had rushed through but was blocked by a build-up of leaves. I pulled my hand off the pipe and grabbed a stick out of the garden.
"There are leaves stuck in there." I said to mum, pushing the stick into the pipe and poking it around until the leaves fell out. The water that was up the top came gushing out as well.
"Oh, you are brilliant honey." Mum said, kissing me on the forehead. "Thank you."
"Any time." I replied, moving away.
After finishing in the garden I headed back inside and placed the fruit and herbs I'd collected in our cupboard. Mum bustled in after me, lit a fire in our cooker and started cooking dinner. I helped her for a bit, and then I went back to my room. I pulled my star charts out again and put them on my bed, ready for later. I added a jacket on top of them, sure that it would be slightly cold that night.
As I went through the things on the desk where I kept my loose possessions, my mum knocked on the door before entering.
"Abigail, there's a package here for you." She told me, holding out the neatly packaged box that was in her hands.
I went over to her and took the package.
"Thanks mum." I said, turning it over to see who it was from. "Leila." I breathed and looked excitedly up at mum.
"Go on, open it." She urged me, smiling.
I ripped the box open. Inside was a letter and a red cape with beads spaced around the neck.
I opened the letter.
Dear Abigail, it read.
I know you won't receive this letter for at least four days, but I've just arrived on Halapatov. It is strange and exciting, everything we thought it would be. We've moved into a unit near where mum will work. They're unloading the stuff that's too heavy for me to lift so I decided I would write you a letter now. Once we've settled in and mum and dad have started working I'll be starting school at one of the Halapatovian academies. There'll be so much to learn! I know it will be great. I miss you a lot already and I so wish you were here with me. I hope you don't take the separation too badly. Like I promised, I will map how the stars look from here and send them to you. From what I've heard, we will be able to see Flauraan from here at night! I'll send you a picture of that as well.
I'll write again soon.
Lots of love, Leila
I looked up from the page, smiling sadly.
"How is she?" mum asked softly.
"She's fine." I replied, folding the paper in half and placing it on my desk. "She says Halapatov is amazing."
"It would be." Mum said, her lips curved into a fond smile. "I'm going to go finish dinner now." She walked off.
I picked up the cape Leila had sent me. Another note fell out. I snatched it up and read it.
This is a Halapatovian cape. I found it in one of the markets here and thought you might like it.
It's the same design as the traditional capes of the officials, but made with ordinary fabric and beads instead of crystals. I hope you think it's okay.
I examined the cape closely. It really did look just like the capes of the officials. From a distance, the beads would even seem to shine like crystals. I smiled again as I placed the cape on my desk next to the letter. I was right this morning, I thought. It is a good day.
"Come set the table!" Mum called after a moment, so I went out to our main room, where our kitchen, dining and living room were all combined, and placed plates and glasses on the table ready for dinner time. I grabbed a jug and poured some water into it, then placed that on the table as well. Once I finished, I sat down in my usual spot at the table.
"I'm home!" Dad's voice emanated from the hallway. A second later he came into view, smiling and holding his work bag. He kissed mum on the cheek and then pulled a strange device out of his bag.
"Look at this!" he said excitedly. "It's a holographic scanner, brand new!"
"Nice!" Mum looked interested and held her hand out for the scanner, which dad passed to her.
"Look at this design!" she exclaimed as she examined it from every angle. "Three different settings, and yet it's so compact!"
"I know!" Dad said, taking the scanner back off mum. "Isn't it interesting? See, you point it at the object you want to scan, the laser determines it, you press the button and it scans it!" He pointed the scanner at the water jug and did what he said. "Then you can save it to the memory or delete it, and then you press this button....." He pressed the button and a hologram of the water jug appeared shimmering in the air in front of him. "... and so! Now you have an exact copy of the object that you can show anytime! Magnificent!" He then turned to me. "What do you think, Abigail?" he asked, handing me the scanner.
"Uh... I dunno." I said, before closing my eyes and concentrating. "The circuits are all set up perfectly, so it'll work well. Enough power, good memory. Yeah, it all seems fine." I opened my eyes and handed the scanner back.
"Thanks Abi." Dad grinned. "Just wanted to bring that home to show you two, because it's new and I thought you'd be interested. You know they're going to use these in the High Councils? They're going to use them for examining weapons and other items without actually having to have them present in the Council Chamber."
"Oh okay." I said in interest. "So it's a High Council approved device?"
"Yes it is." Dad answered. "They check all these kinds of devices."
"Dinner's ready." Mum interrupted, and we sat down at the table. She served our food out and then sat down herself. We started eating.
This was my family. My mum, my dad, me, and also my older brother who lived in another country where he attended college as well as working. I hadn't seen him for months now but that was okay. We weren't exactly close and mum and dad were all the family I needed. One thing about our family was that we were all very similar in looks, while at the same time different. I had long, black hair, swirling grey eyes and dark skin. Dad had black hair as well, but he had brown eyes and was quite short in comparison. Mum had dark brown hair and dark eyes with specks of grey but otherwise I looked just like her. My brother had brown hair and dark eyes and seemed to be a mixture of mum and dad's features. My parents both had jobs. Dad worked for half a day, five days a week, at his workplace as well as at home, examining and then delivering new technology to the spaceport in the Capitol City, in Quality Control. Mum worked three days a week at the market, selling fruit and vegetables. Some of the produce was from our own garden, which was a tiny bit larger than was usual, though most was from the plantations just outside of the town, which my family had worked in for generations. Mum loved reading and she was the one who first showed me the stars. When I was little, she took me outside and pointed out the biggest constellations and the planets that could be seen, and just like that I was entranced. It was also mum who bought me my first star charts, and who taught me how to map them myself.
Once I'd finished my dinner and cleaned my plate, I grabbed my chart book and jacket from my bed and ran back to the dining room. I hugged mum and dad goodbye.
"Be home before the moon clears Pier mountain!" mum warned me, like she usually did.
"I'm just stargazing mum!" I replied, laughing. "I'll probably be home earlier than that!"
"But you always seem to get lost in a daze while you're up that hill." Mum said.
"Alright fine, I'll make sure I'm home by then." I told her. "Bye." I waved, as I headed into the hallway.
Once I was out in the cool night air, I started my hike up the hill, watching the sky as I went. I reached the top of the hill and sat down on a dry patch of grass. I opened my star chart and stared in wonder at the sky. It was so beautiful on a night like this! I could see the constellation of Lye, bright and shining just like the book represented it. The Reillee star was especially bright as well. Oh, this was perfect! I could even see Rianysus, the closest planet to Flauraan. I pulled a pencil out of my jacket pocket and started to map the sky, glancing upwards every now and again to stare at the stars again. Then I suddenly realised that if I could see Rianysus then that meant I could also see..... Yes! I could see Halapatov as well. I wondered what Leila was doing right now. Was she asleep or awake, I wondered. Was she thinking of me? After doing some quick calculations I worked out that it was well past midnight where she was and she would almost definitely be asleep.
I had been staring at the distant light that was Halapatov for at least five minutes before I noticed another light much closer than the planet, and growing closer still. Was it a spaceship? It must have been but why was it so bright? And how come I only noticed it now that it was this close? These thoughts ran through my head as I watched it come even nearer and then it hit the atmosphere. I saw the clouds rush apart high above me as a ginormous spacecraft flew down. It was on fire! This was most likely because of the high velocity the ship was currently maintaining. I barely had time to think before the fire fizzled out and the ship zoomed further down. I started to freak out. Why wasn't it going to the spaceport? Next thing I knew the huge craft landed, in the huge field below my hill.
I stared in awe down at the spaceship, the only barrier between me and it being the woods that stretched out below me. Should I go down to see it? It would be dangerous, of course, but if I kept myself out of sight it wouldn't be a problem, plus it was a giant spaceship! Right near my house! When was something like that ever going to happen again?
I made a decision. On the back of the chart I'd been drawing I wrote a note to my parents in case they came looking and placed it and my book down on the grass. Then I started cautiously down the hill, pulling my jacket close around me to ward off the biting wind. The smoke caused by the spaceship's descent hung in the air by now.
Where had this ship come from? It wasn't any model I recognised and my dad studied that kind of thing, so I should know. It had looked almost like a crashed landing but I knew it wasn't; I could tell that its crew had brought it here for a purpose. Why had it come here, then? Were the people on it trying to attack us? If so, they couldn't have any serious weaponry or they would have been blocked from the planet. Also, what were my people going to do about this? I'd seen many lights come on in town while I was watching the spaceship descend so surely they'd be planning to do something about this. I'd get to the ship first though; I was closer than anyone else. They'd be trying to figure out what to do right now and then they'd act.
I was close now and the smoke was thicker than ever. I kept running and running. I was about five hundred paces away from the tree line when I felt a disturbance in the air. I shrugged it off and kept going, then suddenly there was a flash of light and I slammed into someone.