Page 26 of I Think I’m in Love with an Alien

“I wonder where everyone else is,” Jen says.

She follows my gaze when I don’t respond and takes a deep breath, a slight smile curving her mouth. This means she’s happy, entirely present in this moment. “Wow,” she whispers, her hand gently brushing against me.

It must be confusing when that happens. The tech camo can’t create sensory impressions; it can only confuse her about what she’s experiencing. Her mind will whisper that there’s something…not right about it, but her eyes can’t help her resolve the conflict.

She’s not touching skin, at least not in the way she understands it.

My body temperature conforms to my surroundings, not a set median. If the external temperature drops low enough, I’ll fall into a resource-conservation state similar to the reptiles on this world. Humans call that brumation. I read a fascinating story about a human who had a turtle as a domestic companion and thought the creature had perished. They interred it according to local customs, and three months later, the animal crawled out of the ground and came looking for food. They must have been so startled yet so delighted, a true amalgamation of emotions.

That’s how I feel about Jen, brightness illuminating my bleak prospects.

“Incredible,” I agree.

But I’m not looking at the sunset anymore. I care about this human woman so much more than I expected for such a short personal encounter. This isn’t how I imagined it would be. I thought I’d satisfy my curiosity and feel certain that it’s time to move on. Now I don’t know what to do, or how to handle these feelings. Romantic bonds do form among my people, but seldom swiftly. And they are forever, so I must be cautious here.

Yearning shimmers through me as I regard her silently, steadily. Though I wondered earlier, I’m now certain I can trust her. There is no rational explanation for why I feel so sure that she’s the last person who would betray me or allow me to come to harm. Yet I’m positive of it as I’ve been of little else in this life. The question haunts me:

Should I tell her the truth?

Private Chat

November 24 | 09:18

Seeker: [Birthsong.mp3]

[five minutes later]

Jeneticist: Oh wow, this is enchanting! Is this a pan flute?

Seeker: Similar. It’s a local instrument.

Jeneticist: I love this. It sounds like elves are gathering in a clearing about to celebrate the spring solstice.

Seeker: …elves?

Jeneticist: Fantasy elves, not Keebler elves. Their soundtrack would be completely different.

Seeker: 😂I’m glad you like the song anyway.

Jeneticist: I do! Is that you playing?

Seeker: How did you guess?

Jeneticist: Just a feeling I had. Since it’s an original written by your mom, I didn’t think it would be a professional recording. Thanks for sharing it with me.

Seeker: Oona wants me to focus on music.

Jeneticist: Oona?

Seeker: My mother.

Jeneticist: Ah, I see. In a professional capacity?

Seeker: Correct.

Jeneticist: You don’t want to?

Seeker: I had other things I was more interested in, but I’m starting to regret some of my choices.