REBIRTH
The more things change . . .


I stood looking out into the sea of stars that surrounded me. The horizon was so close that the sky seemed to be trying to crush me with the densely packed little lights. Despair seeped into . . . what? My heart? My soul? Did I still have either? Was I truly alive? Or just some automaton with the image of a long dead Drakken imprinted on my electronic brain? Had the Makers lied to me? Why would they? I shook my head.

Nearby, the strange pod I had awakened in sparkled with the light of distant suns. From the outside, it was vaguely egg-shaped. Fitting, I thought, considering my heritage. It's inside was packed with the many colored crystals that had formed my bedding for I know not how long. I walked over to it and stared down into it, trying to fathom the answers.

"What have I become?" I tried to muse aloud. That's when I discovered there was no atmosphere. I felt no discomfort; I didn't need to breathe! What did that say about me? I was so deep in my introspection that I didn't immediately notice the strange feeling that began to prick at the edges of my consciousness. Nor did I notice the beacon my egg-pod was constantly broadcasting (though I could have 'heard' it clearly if I had known to 'listen' for it). Thus I was also unaware of the ship approaching the small planetoid of which I was the sole inhabitant.

I look up as the Etosha's sensor suit gives a gentle alarm. The asteroids I had spotted indeed house the gems I seek. Flipping off the alarm, I make the minor course correction to intercept the rock. Should only be a few hours now, I think to myself.

What I seek are a kind of gem. The name in Cabbyl has no real translation into Common. Like so many such things, it translates as "pretty, shiny thing". If one were to hold the stone in her hands, one would likely be able to come up with its name. But most likely, she would just call it a worthless rock. But if were worth something, this asteroid would have been picked clean centuries ago.

As I near my target, I see that it is more than an asteroid. It's a very small planet. It must have been ejected from its solar system eons ago by some gas giant. The good news was that the planetoid would have a reasonable amount of gravity. (The Etosha's systems were already adjusting the artificial gravity on board to match by the time she landed.) The bad news was that it didn't have enough gravity to hold an atmosphere. I have to wear clothes, in fact a space suit, to gather the stones.

As I approach my landing site on the planetoid, I pass over the object my sensors detected. Spotlights from my ship illuminate a dazzling display in and around some kind of shell. In no time at all, I land the Etosha and don my suit. More than practical, the suit is very stylish. All white with reflective red strips. Zebra stripes to match my own are done in subtle black and grey and act to identify the suit should I travel with another Cabbyl. Tightly fitting, it shows off the curve of my hips as well as the shape of my breasts. A small ridge along the back accommodates my mane.

I exit the airlock and prance towards my goal. I enjoy the reduced gravity by leaps and skips across the surface of this rock. I sing a happy, Cabbyl folk song as I near my goal. I cannot wait to look over and collect the gems that reflected with such brilliance and in so many colors. I carry a sealed canister to hold my new treasure. It is so poetic that the stars in the sky seem to mirror the gems I hope to collect.

Slowly I became aware of a strange feeling of expectation. For some reason, my gaze was drawn to the sky. Despite not knowing what I was looking for, my eyes shifted right to the incoming vessel as though I knew beforehand exactly where it would be. At 5.2 kilometers (for some reason I knew the exact range), it should have been but a flare amongst the sea of stars, but I could see details clearly.

Etosha. The name suddenly sprang into my mind as I studied the little craft. All sorts of information accompanied that, such as the the ship's exact dimensions, vector and current power output. Somehow I knew its weapons weren't powered up and that there was one life form aboard.

I simply stood, watching as the small ship, little more than a shuttle by Drakken standards, passed overhead. Of course it was obviously not of Drakken design, but neither did it appear to be Nemesis. The only other species I knew of were the Makers, but I didn't know if they even needed ships - my only interaction with them had been as a 'presence' while I hovered on the threshold of death.

As the craft maneuvered for a landing nearby, I walked toward it. It was not the Drakken way to hide and besides, I had no reason to suspect hostile intent. Regardless, I was on my guard, for I knew not what might emerge from the vessel.

I was still 257 meters from the landing site when a figure exited the airlock. It was a bit too small to be a Drakken, but was at least 'Drakkenoid.' Its outline was pleasantly curvaceous, suggesting 'she' was female, but I tried not to jump to conclusions. After all, I had no idea what type of creature this really was and 'her' space suit concealed her features for the time being. Of course there was also the matter of the strange mounds on 'her' chest . . .

Waiting where I was, I watched the alien begin to skip and hop in my direction. Either she was exceptionally strong, or . . . Of course! A rock like this one wouldn't have much gravity. It hadn't occurred to me before because I was moving normally; my mechanical body must be automatically adjusting to allow for the reduced pull.

When my visitor reached the 100 meter mark, I moved to intercept her. I opened my mouth to shout a greeting, then suddenly stopped. There was no atmosphere to carry my words. Besides, what would I say? I doubted very much this being spoke my language. I was reminded again of just how much had changed in the universe, not the least of which was myself.