The Traveler 2/5 (GYWO Yahtzee 2025)

[reneescarted]

Title: The Traveler - Part 2
Fandom or Original Universe: original
Rating: General
Word count: 1214
Summary: A traveling alien lifeform lands on a curious, water-filled planet. Here he meets a woman with dreams who, for the first time, will make him want to stay.
Warnings/triggers: -
Writing Prompt: nullifidian

The woman was called Edith, and the way she peppered him with an unending flood of questions made Arios wonder if she could be of his kind. He knew, of course, that this was not the case, but he has never tasted curiousity quite like this. Without missing a beat from having an obviously alien life form on her planet - the days it was breaking news were long past for humankind -, she invited him for coffee, and wishing the experience, Arios agreed.

"So where do you come from?" Edith asked immediately once they took seat. In front of them were two identical cups of coffee - Edith ordered something called macchiato, and Arios, not knowing better, allowed her to pick the same for him as well.

"I don't really... come from anywhere," he pondered. "I'm a traveler. I travel through space and the different planets and collect experiences. Everything is different, everything changes with time. So the new things to see never really stop."

"But what do you do with the experiences?" Edith pressed on.

"Nothing. I just have them, store them in my being, and when I move on, the new ones will push an older one out, in another world. And then that... impression, or idea, or energy, whatever you want to call it, will seep into the new world. And then it generates change. Which in turn draws us back later to experience it again," Arios explained.

"That sounds a bit like bees. Pollinating flowers. Except, you seem to pollinate planets. With ideas," she concluded, sipping her coffee with obvious satisfaction. Arios mimicked her, earning himself some time to think, and then savored not just the enjoyment Edith had from the coffee, but also the flavor and composition of his own drink.

"I guess if we want to break it down to human terms, we are like bees," he decided to agree. "Do you still have bees? Without... well, sunlight?"

"Yes, of course we do! Everything down here functions like it would on the surface. At least, that's what science says. We use artificial lights that emit the same frequencies as the Sun, the oxygen comes from the ocean, and everything we need for life is down here. Plants, crops, animals, with bees playing a really important part."

"Did something... happen to this planet, that so much is underwater? Or was it always like this?" Arios inquired.

"It was like this as long as anyone can remember," Edith admitted. "The first settlers came, and discovered the lack of living space. So they started building up, but it soon collapsed, and then they started discovering the depths. Gene manipulation to make humans more water-resistant. Then they built the first underwater city, and that was the key to it." She smiled wryly. "At least that's what the history books say."

Arios was so mesmerized by the ideas, by the story, that he completely forgot about his drink. It was only when the silence stretched between them that he remembered himself and where he was, pulling his mind away from the history of this planet and humanity's attempt to make it habitable.

"Have you ever seen the surface? The islands?"

Edith's face fell a bit, and Arios felt her sadness and longing.

"No. Only the leaders, the rich, the high politicians can go on the surface. Not enough space and resources to make a solid basis for tourism. So, we are down here. But honestly, it's not so bad. It's all I've ever known. I saw pictures that up there, the sky is blue, but I think it would be weird not to see the lights in the sky. I only miss beaches. Places where the endless sea meets the shore, grinding up sand, and offering up gifts from the deep." She smiled into her cup. "It sounds like such a lovely thing, you know. A beach day. Collecting shells and watching the sunset. Hearing the sounds of the sea."

"You seem to know a lot about it, despite never having seen it," Arios remarked.

"It's something of a hobby of mine. And, I'm a teacher, so it's also important I gather as much knowledge as possible, so that I can pass it on."

"That doesn't sound so much different from what I do." The comment made Edith smile.

"And you? Always traveling, I get that. Did you never want to settle down? Are you not lonely?"

"I make friends everywhere I go." Arios raised his cup to her. "Like you. But settling? It's not in our nature. We go on to collect new impressions, and pass on old ones. My nature is change. Should I stop changing, I'd lose my ability to change my body, and eventually, I'd wither away, like a plant without water, for my purpose would be lost."

Edith fell silent, pondering about his words. He could always see the wheels turning, as her human brain tried to comprehend an existence whose nature was so clearly the opposite of her own.

"We have old stories, of gods and maybe even aliens, changing people. In some, an existence like yours would be a gift. In others, it would be a curse. And despite all that we now know about the universe, it still makes me wonder. About gods. Because despite everything, we never stopped having faith and believing that there's something even more out there." She eyed him carefully before getting to her question. "Were you born this way, with this ever-changing existence, or was it someone who made you into what you are?"

Arios wondered only for a heartbeat, for the answer was in him already, even if he never actually thought about this himself.

"You know the beginning of the universe, with atoms and particles that held infinite potential? This coffee cup, its atoms are locked into being a coffee cup. But once, there were plenty that held endless opportunities, eventually becoming something or other. I am from those particles." He was about to say more, but realized that there was not much more he could add, so he just shrugged with an apologetic smile. "But as for gods... I don't think they would have anything to do with us, and to be fair, I never saw one, no matter how far I traveled."

"But do you think they exist?" Edith pressed. Another shrug.

"Everyone needs something to believe in. I don't think it changes much."

"So... are you an atheist?"

"No," Arios said, trying to grasp how exactly to explain it. "If I was an atheist, I wouldn't believe in gods. If I was a believer, then I would. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me. Whether there's another or higher power out there, makes no difference to my purpose and journey here. If there is one, good. If there is none, also good. But to be an atheist or not, I'd have to believe one way or another."

"So what do you believe in?" The answer seemed important to her, even though Arios didn't believe it mattered. Sure, religion was often an important topic, but there was so much more out there, he didn't like getting hung up on the details.

"I'm not exactly sure," he eventually admitted.