Cataline Downfall Read online

  Normally a Cataline would evolve through certain stages in their life.

  At fifteen years old, they would turn into a blue-textured cocoon and develop into a mature creature, a cycle that would take two months and allow that person to have children. A process I’d already done. After I emerged, I felt like a new life form. Then at thirty-five the process begins again producing a stronger and more colorful creature, a development I was looking forward too.

  But, starting a cocoon cycle early and without the proper care could lead to deformations and, most commonly, death. It was a delicate procedure. It was a thought I considered myself as I felt my body eat itself from the inside out. It could buy some time and some of us had even taken the idea to eat the fleshy membranes of the ship itself. We didn’t want to, but starvation was the biggest killer.

  *

  The next day the life support system teetered on the edge of failure and we were on the brink of death. Then I saw an object outside the main pilot window. A silver figure made from metal. I knew this and the image initially looked like a Krainer ship. But as I struggled to the front and slipped past the motionless bodies of children, my eyes focused on the slim elegant design of the ship. Words were imprinted on the main body and the entire design of the ship was unfamiliar to me. It looked like art carved from material that should not have the ability to be moulded into beauty. I had never seen a vessel like this before.

  The words… I recognized the words. Back in my father’s study, I saw pictures of a probe that had been detected in our own space. It was written in the same words. I believe we have finally made it. I wish my father could see this. But in the end all I saw was the darkness as I slumped to the floor and passed out through starvation and lack of air.

  I woke up days later. I was in a bright warm room, in some kind of bed. The sheets had caused some irritation to my skin, but I was no longer hungry and my body felt strong. I looked around. The room was compact and…metal. All metal. Not like a Krainer ship. I’ve seen pictures of them before. Horrid pictures of pipes, wires and other items that dripped from the black walls. But the construction of this room was done in a way I’d never seen before. It was too hard to comprehend, metal crafted into such perfect unison. I was bewildered by this species.

  I looked around and saw someone standing next to me. It was pink, with hair. I jumped out of the bed and panicked. Then it spoke.

  “Don’t worry, you’re safe, you are onboard the Earth ship Peacekeeper.”

  They’re speaking Cataline? How could that be? “You’re speaking my language. How’s that possible?”

  The man pointed to a small object in his ear and smiled. “This device is a translator that allows us to talk to each other. Don’t worry, you are safe. Try and relax. I’m John, John Hendrix.”

  His warm and sincere smile bestowed an element of trust inside me. Not only that, this person looked familiar. I’d seen some resemblance of him before. But more important things were on my mind. “The children, where are the children?”

  “Don’t worry, they are up and about. It looks like the younger ones are stronger than you realized; they’ve been causing a bit of a stir on this ship.” Hendrix sat on the end of the bed and looked me in the eye. “Now, we need to know where your home world is, we can take you home.”

  Home. That was a place that didn’t exist now, and we dared not go through the anomaly to that space. It’s probably not there anymore. “We don’t have a home world. We were involved in a genocidal battle and we were the only ones that escaped.”

  Hendrix looked at me. I looked at him; his facial features were so familiar that I had to touch his face. He appeared shocked, but allowed me to continue. His skin was warm, so warm that it tingled on my fingertips, like a dance of electricity that flowed into my body. I shivered, then released the touch. I never experienced a feeling like that, even when I touched How-Li. This species was definitely different and, more importantly, kind.

  “The captain would like to meet you.” Hendrix turned and a stronger looking man walked up to my bed. The captain had facial hair and appeared more like a Krainer, but he was still kind and sincere in his words. I told him as much as I could and eventually he made the decision to take us back to their home world. He said that his people would look after us, and find our home world. Perhaps offer assistance to the war that was destroying our people. But I knew this wouldn’t be possible, as our world was doomed and far, far away. No Krainers had followed us either. It looked like we would have to grow and accept our new life. New life on a different world. There would be problems. But it’s what our families wanted.

  *

  I was reunited with the children after I was strong enough to leave the medical bay, as the humans called it. I saw the children playing in some kind of room that catered for children and education. I was confused at first but I soon learned that this was one of the massive colonization ships that were used to build colonies on other worlds.

  I saw the children playing happily. They would grow strong and healthy and probably blend into this society. There were many questions, but the children were alive and that was the most important part of all.

  As for me, let’s say that a particular human had grown attached to me over time. He soon became close and supported me through the hard and good times. The features I saw in him were so familiar that I soon realized who he reminded me of: someone that helped us through the timeless void of space.

  But for us, we were safe. I only wished my family could have come along with us.