EPILOGUE
ZAREK
Sometimes, rules are worth following.
Excitement radiates throughout my body, stronger than ultraviolet rays as I count down the final minutes until I am back with Ellie. This moment is better than capturing the edelweiss, better than finding her discovery, and it might even be better than sex.
Might.
The Tetheh wanted me to take another pod to Earth.
It requires a great amount of effort and energy to conceal our larger spacecraft from human satellites and technology, but Zul made a case for me.
He reiterated that the unpredictability of when and where it lands were not worth it, and could jeopardize the mission.
They begrudgingly agreed, and now we are sitting outside the interior door to the airlock, awaiting the all-clear that we are good to open the hatch.
The last six months have been a whirlwind, and actually a lot of fun. I was given formal education on phytology, geology, and environmental sustainability. They even required I watch some human-designed acting courses, in hopes I can become a more convincing human.
We were both allowed to choose one person that could know of the pilot program.
These two individuals were now contractually obligated to help maintain my hidden identity, keeping this a secret from both humanity and sapphiro.
The benefit the Tetheh gets from this is that these individuals can assist us when needed, which makes their lives easier.
Naturally, we chose Zul and Jo. They were the clear and obvious choices, even though it has been hard explaining to my parents what I have been up to.
They know I am going back to Earth soon, and that I have been doing some kind of Earth-related research, and that seems to be enough. That is…mostly true.
I have been enjoying the research and the thrill of knowledge seeking, but I cannot stop the echoes in the back of my head that seems to never cease.
Ellie. Ellie. Ellie. Ellie. Ellie.
From the way she thinks, to the sound of her voice, to the softness of her skin, or the way her hair smells as I rest my head in the crook of her neck—all of it plays in my head like a movie written and directed for me and me alone. A blockbuster hit.
I am practically buzzing with anticipation over our reunification.
A door from down the hallway opens, and Zul looks at me with furrowed brows, before we both stand to see who is coming our way.
There is a tiny bead of fear that forms in my throat, that maybe this is someone here to take everything away from me, but I swallow it in relief as Zylinia comes into view.
“Hello Zarek, hello Zul. It is nearly time to open the hatch,” she says, long black hair flowing down her back instead of up in her usual tight bun.
Zul smiles, patting me on the back. “That it is.”
“I am excited to see where this program takes us,” she says, and we both nod.
“Us too. Hey, Zylinia, can I ask you something personal?”
She cocks her head. “Sure.”
“Why did you fight for us—Ellie and I, I mean?”
Zylinia takes in a deep breath before releasing it. “The Tetheh wants me to marry Zeek. We are in the same career, and have the same reproductive goals, but I have my heart set on another. Fighting for you and her meant I was fighting for myself and Zori as well,” she confesses.
I am both grateful for her support, and saddened that she is experiencing the same kind of heartache that I did—loving someone, but not knowing if your love can ever be.
“I hope you achieve your desired outcome,” Zul says, and she smiles.
“Thank you. To the both of you as well. Give your corasala a big hug for me,” she says, and then walks away, the only sounds in the room the clicking of her steps and Zul and I’s breathing.
“Is that real? I mean I feel it, I know it to be true, but is there a science to it?” I ask when she is out of the room.
I went along with the corasala theory because there is something that feels so right about it, like Ellie and I were truly destined to be. But I also did it for our survival, and so that we could be together again.
But is it true? Do our hearts beat for one another?
Zul nods. “Yes. It is called cardiac physiological synchrony, and it is a legitimate phenomenon tied to connection and closeness. I cannot say if you two were fated by the stars, but I do know that what you feel toward her is real. Your hearts are in sync.”
“Then I hope you find your corasala as well, my friend,” I say as we embrace, hugging goodbye, though not forever.
A device starts beeping, and Zul gives me a look as if to say good luck. I open the first hatch, closing it behind me before I start on the exterior one. There is a strange metal box at the top of the airlock, right before the lip of the hatch, and I stare at it with curious eyes.
Once the hatch is open, I can see the ground below, and it genuinely terrifies me to jump out. No parachute, nothing. The atmospheric transport specialist the Tetheh assigned to my launch training assured me that I would be fine, but as I take the leap, adrenaline floods my system.
The metal box opens up, and beams of energy shoot out from the small hole, gradually carrying me down to the ground.
I am unsure if the beams are made of sound, air, or electricity, but they work like a charm, and I land safely on my feet before activating my BLEND.
I become Derek for the first time in far too long.
I am in what can only be described as the middle of the forest, and I start my trek west, where I was promised Ellie would be waiting for me in a parking lot.
Unlike the hike in Vanoise National Park, where we took our time, I am practically sprinting through trees, hurtling over fallen branches to make it to my favorite being.
Ellie.
She stands before me, leaning against a vehicle.
Ellie’s hair is down, her big curls billowing past her shoulders. Her pale skin is flushing pink, like the cold of winter kissed her cheeks, and she is wearing the biggest smile I have ever seen.
I drop all of my bags as she runs toward me, and my arms wrap around her, pulling her into me. Our lips meet, and it is just as wonderful as I remember it being. I have ached to feel her, touch her, taste her.
I want to tell her how much I missed her, how I yearned for her, and that I love her, but I am afraid once those words leave my mouth, they will scare her away. So instead, I just kiss her again, letting my tongue explore her mouth as she parts her lips on a sigh.
“Boo, you look totally human,” a voice says in a bubbly, southern lilt that can only be Jo, and that is when I notice she is also standing nearby.
“Oh! Apologies. Hello, Jo,” I say, my hands still on Ellie’s waist. We both flush, though I cannot say I feel embarrassed. Desperate, maybe. “It is nice to finally meet you.”
Jo does a mock curtsy, and I notice just how curly her bright blonde hair is, growing into tight ringlets. “I hope you’re hungry.”
Despite Ellie’s best efforts, her wavy hair has a ton of volume. I think it is beautiful, but Ellie frequently puts it into braids or ties it back, tucking it away. Jo’s hair is the exact opposite, appearing like it was fluffed up as big as possible on purpose.
Everything about them is so different. They seem to balance each other perfectly, and it reminds me of Zul.
We walk back toward the bright yellow car (which I failed to fully notice due to my excitement over Ellie) and shaped quite boxily.
“This cannot be your car. It is so small and impractical,” I whisper to Ellie. “Although, I did read a study that highly visible colors are prone to less accidents, which would be a plus.”
Ellie laughs, and I open the back door for her. “No, this isn’t my car, it’s Jo’s. I was living in Philadelphia proper, so I just used public transport to get to school. I bought a used car last week, but I need to take it to a shop to get new brakes, which is why Jo is here.”
“And because you really wanted me to meet your alien boyfriend,” Jo says as she gets into the driver’s seat, and we start our drive toward home, wherever that might be.
“How far are we from our place?” I ask, my hand resting on Ellie’s thigh. Even through the thick denim of her jeans, I can sense that Ellie and I’s heart rates are in sync again.
“Not far,” Jo answers, and I squint.
Ellie pulls out her phone. “Eighteen more minutes.”
I sigh in relief. I know that the Tetheh provided us with new living accommodations, and reimbursed any previous costs, which is great because Ellie’s research stipend is quite low given what she is worth, but I have no other details on the place.
Zul sent me some encrypted messages with photographs, but by the time I remembered to click on it, the messages had expired.
We drive through Pennsylvania, passing a sign that says West Chester, and Jo exits off the highway. After heading through a small suburban area that is exponentially woodsier, we finally park outside what I think must be Ellie and I’s new home.
Trees cover the front view of the property, and I assume that is intentional. More privacy means less time in disguise.
Jo takes us down the driveway, parking next to a silver SUV that is much more Ellie, and we get out and unload my bag.
“My corasala,” I say, kissing the top of Ellie’s forehead.
She opens her purse, wrangling through her things for the keys to unlock the front door, and I realize that bag might be the only disorganized thing in Ellie’s life.
Well, that and me.
“Thank you for driving us,” I shout at Jo, who is sitting in the car with her door wide open, singing along to whatever song was on the radio. I awkwardly lift up my hand to wave goodbye. I like Jo a lot, and I cannot wait to learn more about her, but I am admittedly eager for her departure.
“Hold your horses, Zarek, I’m coming in too,” she says, and I fight back an audible groan.
“Be nice. She made us dinner.” Ellie gives me a look, and I nod my agreement as we step into the house, and I deactivate my BLEND.
Jo stares at me for a moment, clearly enamored by my alienness. “You’re so…blue—”
A small, furry gray creature runs up to my legs, rubbing against me, and I forget all about whatever was bothering me. It is a cat. The being vibrates, letting out small squeaking sounds as I kneel down to rub its back.
“What is this?” I ask, staring up at Ellie and Jo.
Jo’s mouth forms a devious grin, and Ellie pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing as she takes her boots off.
“A cat? Also, I’m sorry, the place is still pretty plain. We have a bed, a sofa, and a dining room set, but there’s pretty much no decorations up yet,” Ellie starts. “But I figured we could pick out paintings and other pieces together.”
“Yes,” I confirm, putting my bag on the floor so I can take a seat beside the cat. “That sounds great. Now, I know it is a cat, but who is this?”
“He just showed up, I don’t know. I took him to the vet and he wasn’t chipped so we got him his shots. I guess we’re fostering him until I find someone who wants him,” Ellie explains, and my brows furrow.
Jo puts her hands up as she exits down the front hallway. “Look, the guy is cute, but my husky hates cats.”
“This is our cat now,” I say, my face forming a grin.
Ellie shakes her head. “No, this is a cat that currently resides in our house.”
The little guy crawls up onto my lap, and I decide, in this moment, that he is mine. Ours. “His name is Edel, and he is ours,” I say, my tone final.
Ellie waves her hand, heading toward another room, and I pick up Edel, holding him like a baby as I follow suit.
“We can keep the cat, but Edel?” Ellie says as she sets the table.
“Edel as in edelweiss, the flora that brought us together,” I explain.
“Oh I know, but like…nobody calls their cat Edel.”
I put him down and take the silverware from Ellie’s hands, setting it out for the three of us.
“Jo, is Edel a bad name for a cat?” I ask when Jo returns with a dish full of cheesy pasta.
“I mean, people name their pets all kinds of ridiculous things. I’ve met dogs named Bob and cats named Mr. McStinky Muffin The Third, so.” She shrugs. “Welcome to the family, Edel.”
I lied to myself earlier, I am so glad she did not leave.
Ellie’s glasses only exaggerate the roll of her eyes, and I notice her smile forming as she takes a seat next to me.
We talk about the pilot program, the spaceship, and what we each have been up to the last six months. Ellie complains about her commute to UPenn, and Jo rambles on excitedly about some cryptid she is studying, and I sneak Edel a scrap of chicken under the table.
“What does your mom think you have going on, by the way?” Jo asks Ellie.
“I told her I’m moving in with my boyfriend, Derek, who is a botanist from Canada. She thinks we met in Paris and have been doing long distance ever since,” Ellie answers.
“That’s pretty much the truth! Except that you’re omitting the whole alien thing.”
I laugh. “Or that my name is Zarek?”
“Or that we apparently have adopted a cat named Edel,” Ellie adds, staring down at the little creature.
“She’s all talk. She has slept with that cat every night this week,” Jo says, followed by a yelp. I think Ellie must have kicked her under the table.
Ellie and Jo show me the home decor Pinterest board (whatever that means) they have been working on, and we make plans to go out to try Philly sandwiches next week, before Jo finally gives us hugs goodbye and walks out the front door.
I shut the door and turn to find Ellie standing so close I can barely take a step further without pressing into her. I lift my hands and run my fingers through the back of her hair, pulling her in for a kiss, and my blood rushes.
There is no other dream for me as grand as this moment, and nothing I could ever need more than this being. I cannot wait to spend my days researching and bickering, and spend my evenings with Ellie in my arms.
I expected us to be completely wild, hands all over one another in a heated frenzy, but she stills, and I relax my grip. “Is everything okay?” I ask, wondering if I did something wrong, or if she somehow is hurt.
I can feel my heart synchronizing with hers.
“Everything is perfect,” she answers, her lip quivering as I scan her face. “I love you.”
Those three words are my confirmation that we were not only bound by fate, but by the planets and stars themselves.