《Educating E.T.》


 Disclaimer (Thank My Lawyer)

    There wasn''t a moment in my life where I ever considered the idea of traveling through the stars, and I do not mean as an astronaut. Looking back on it now, it was probably for the best as my entire perspective of the world - no - the universe has been widened to the point where I can safely say I was able to reach a new level of enlightenment. To those of you who are reading this, or listening to this tale through a transcriber, or seeing the tale visually depending on the tech you are currently using, I would like to disclose to the audience who are more of the earthly variety.


    I''m sure many of you know of the Phideza Ark Program, or commonly known as PAP. I highly doubt I need to explain what it is exactly unless you''re a child at the age of thirteen or younger (in which I would have to ask exactly why you chose this as your choice of literature), but just in case, I will only explain the general idea.


    In short, PAP is more of a college program for high school graduates of Earth strictly; while Earth as a whole has advanced in over a century, intergalactic travel was still something we have had yet to accomplish. We have sentient cell phones and androids capable of back-sassing their owners, spontaneously combusting hoverboards (yeah, they never fixed that problem), holographic and virtual reality technology, and yet we can''t even figure out how to get a ship past Saturn. I mean seriously, why aren''t we applying this knowledge towards where it needs to go? My personal opinions aside, the program was designed to allow the less fortunate (i.e. us) a chance of attending a school several thousand or more light years away from the floating mass of rock we called home. It''s like going to an actual university, except those selected would be living on a massive hub ship/station simply called the Ark for as long as their course goes on. Around that time, they are given the opportunity to see new planets, meet other species, and can decide if they seek a more intergalactic career rather than ones already available on home world. What students decide to do after their course is over is entirely up to the student, for they can stay on the Ark, go back home or move to another world or ship/station of their choosing.


    Now, one would think that being selected to participate in said program would be difficult, right? Oh no, that''s not the case with PAP. It doesn''t care if you have a GPA of 4.0 with a solid record of being on the honor roll or being the class valedictorian. It''s a much more simpler process, and probably an unexpected one at that. You see, PAP sneaks in little surveys to schools around the world for students to take. The surveys themselves are short and simple, mostly inquiring if a student would like to one day travel through space, see other planets, meet extraterrestrials, etc. Students who have even the slightest interest in any of the suggested inquires are selected each Earth year, but they are given the choice to either accept or decline the offer. It comes with a free scholarship and loan of money to spend to get oneself together until they can find a job to support themselves, meaning that it didn''t matter if a student was rich, poor or middle class, they are all given an equal opportunity.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    If you couldn''t already guess, I was given one of those surveys and, because I answered honestly, I was selected to be a part of the program. And I accepted.


    Before I begin my tales of my time on the Ark, please bear in mind that I am going to be sharing most, if not all, of my personal experiences while I was there. My family, friends and other associates gave me their permission to use their names, and everything you will read/hear/see from here on out are all actual events that I had the pleasure - and displeasure - of experiencing. The content after this introduction is not for the younger audiences (in which this would be a fine time for you kids to put this away and look for age-appropriate literature. I''m only 26 - I don''t need a lawsuit on my ass because parents couldn''t monitor the content their children decided to look at), so please be aware that there will be some subjects and topics that will be...shall we say, for more mature audiences. I will also ask of my forgiveness because I was only 18 through 19 and in college when said events occurred. I''m far from a saint, but I''m not some rebellious delinquent as one would expect me to be. I was just stupid; we all had those moments in our young lives. Hell, I''m still stupid.


    Ramblings aside, allow me to reminisce on my time back when I was still a student attending the Phideza University, and be amused by my various misadventures as I balanced a rather hectic social life with school and adjusting to a semi-temporary interstellar lifestyle.


    And to my parents, if you''re reading this...I am so, so sorry.

 How It All Started

    Usually, these types of tales start off with a handful of chapters dedicated and elaborating on the author''s background, their childhood, and what was the initial trigger that drove them to do the things they did before publishing the full tale of said accounts. But I will spare you of such details as I see them as irrelevant until later on and will proceed to simply recount the initial beginning of how I ended up at Phideza in the first place.


    There''s not much to elaborate on in regards to my time in high school as it was as unremarkable as it was predictable. And by predictable do I mean that I was the weird kid who couldn''t make friends, then yes. Tropes aside, I wasn''t exactly "weird" as I was more solitary; none of the kids I went to school with appealed to as people I would want to make friends or even hold a proper conversation with. Sure I interacted with them when it was needed, i.e. when we had group projects and working alone just wasn''t an option. Or while in gym class when you''re assigned partners or a team to participate in the volleyball or basketball game. I didn''t mind the interactions as much then, and since I kept to myself, my classmates knew of me and respected me in a way where they kept their distance and didn''t cause trouble for me since I didn''t cause trouble for them. I wasn''t spared the occasional torment of a bully, however, but that''s a story for another time.


    My story begins in late May - I was on my junior year and school was finishing up before the summer. It was a rather warm Wednesday despite the sky being completely obscured by clouds; the windows of the class were open to allow in some of the fresh Colorado air, and I remember handing in my test to the front desk before my teacher at the time, Mrs. Hanson, handed me a survey.


    Keep in mind that during this time in particular, nearly every kid in the school - and even the staff - were ready for the school year to end for summer vacation. The seniors had already finished their exams and were eagerly waiting for graduation, while I - along with many others - had to wait another year to have that honor. So you could guess that I was pretty bored of being in school at that point, and with it being only the middle of the week, freedom seemed so far away. I dismissed the survey as some type of extra credit or a diversion to keep me from sleeping for the rest of the class (and you''re a liar if you say you''ve never done that), but I looked it over anyway to sate my own curiosity. Across the top it read:


    Phideza Ark University


    PAP Survey for Earth Students Who Seek Interstellar Curriculum


    Let me take a moment to say that I had not even considered the idea of college even while I was a junior. Really, at the time I just wanted to be finished with school and I was bitter at the fact I had to wait another year for that to happen. While college didn''t interest me, the survey itself managed to pique my interests: Our teachers had mentioned Phideza University on a few occasions, mostly during college prep summits our teachers would hold for the juniors and seniors or for those who were having trouble deciding which college to attend to. Then, the year was 2134, and one of - if not the most - popular career choice was an IT programmer. Given the amount of tech we had available to us, seeking out a career in that field meant that you were almost guaranteed a lush job and life.


    Unfortunately for me, I wasn''t interested in delving into the complex world of technology. It was the ideal field, yes, but I was more interested in archaeology and geology, and both had fallen into the pit of despair and disinterest now that the world had advanced in the last century. This meant that I wasn''t particularly interested in anything my school presented to me in regards to colleges, and often I would throw away pamphlets or leave flyers collect dust in my locker in regards to the more popular IT universities in the country. In short, I wasn''t very happy about my available options.


    Looking back, the survey itself wasn''t what particularly interested me, but the word "interstellar" was what really grabbed my attention. The idea of space travel wasn''t far from the norm on Earth as we have been visited by many galactic beings who offered to share their technologies so that we could do the same thing. But rather than create ships that could get a small crew to the edge of our galaxy, we use it to livestream live feed from Neptune to catch glimpses of the Loch Ness monster and prove that the legendary urban myth was actually an extraterrestrial sent to Earth to spy on us (for my extraterrestrial audience, please don''t ask). We humans are a flawed species indeed, and it''s often where I''m not exactly proud to say that I''m one of them.


    Now, I will just come out and say that I had never once considered on being an astronaut (not a proper one, anyway. We''ve all but wasted our potential gateways to far off galaxies by using knowledge and resources to pull off the more mundane of tasks ever recorded in human history), but I was always intrigued by the idea of other worlds thriving with life, with different species, cultures, technology and the like. The idea of just being able to see any of it has been on my bucket list since I hit that ripe age of 13, but without a way to actually do any of it, that dream shattered a long time ago. And yet, here I was given a survey that may or may not give me that opportunity. While the GPA wasn''t a factor of who could be picked, the process is randomized; only 10 of the students from each school are picked each year, and the rest are put on waiting lists to hopefully be picked the following year. Going by a rough estimate, that''s 10 graduates out of 262 million others. And it''s randomized. You had a better chance at winning the lottery. Actually, no, that would be the other way around...forgive me for that terrible analogy.


    But I took the survey anyway just on a whim, thinking that it wouldn''t hurt to allow the school system to see how I felt about being able to travel through the galaxy one day. The questions were simple, mostly asking things like Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut? and Would you like to be able to visit another planet? My favorite question in that entire survey was Have you ever felt the urge to just leave your home planet for any particular reason? A part of me believes that the people of Phideza were aware of how idiotic humans could be, and opted to reach out to the more intelligent audience. That or they knew that we were also tired of the constant bullshit. Nevertheless, I answered the questions truthfully, turned it in, and went on with my day.


    Now would be a good time to elaborate on my very boring but humble beginnings. I grew up in the small Victorian town of Breckenridge, Colorado, which sat at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Even a century into the future, Breckenridge remained true to its heritage and remained the famous ski-resort and gold mining location. The town itself has expanded over the years, yes, but with the mountains so close and the people''s respect for nature, Breckenridge has turned into a town of harmony between Mother Nature and her humanoid children. Just walking through the town itself does wonders to the troubled mind, with the fresh mountain air rolling through everyday and a clear view of the famous mountains right outside your window. Often, many novels would romanticize a town like this, but in this case, I love Breckenridge to pieces for this very reason; There was always something to do there and the tranquility was appreciated by the locals. As long as you could live with the normal floods of tourists on a regular basis.


    My family was the standard middle class family that lived in a decent neighborhood. Mama and Papa were doctors, so we had a balanced income for the most part. I was the second youngest out of four other siblings; My oldest brother was in college aiming for a PhD at the time, my older sister was pursuing that ideal IT path, and my youngest brother turned out to be a prodigy and graduated high school by the time I hit junior year. I was the only child who hadn''t finished high school, so you could imagine that I was subjected to a fair amount of pressure of following my sibling''s footsteps. I was the odd ball of my family of tech-nuts and doctors as I liked archaeology and geology rather than anything regarding computers or aiming for another doctorate of some kind. I would be a liar if I didn''t say that my parents were disappointed that I didn''t want to pursue the same career options as they did, but supported me nonetheless. My siblings couldn''t care less honestly, but it was my sister Dominique who gave me the proper encouragement and told me to take my time through high school rather than rush to keep up with the family.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I honestly don''t blame you for wanting to do something different." She told me one day in late August shortly before school started that year. She had came home to accompany us as we were taking a small vacation at a resort near Copper Mountain. "Mom and Dad enrolled me into this school without even consulting with me or getting my consent. Sure I wouldn''t mind wanting to learn how to make programs or put one together, but I honestly wanted to try my hand at becoming a singer."


    "Well, can''t you still?" I asked her. "At least now it will be easier for you to use music based programs, right?"


    "That may be true," she shrugged "but I would still need to learn how to read music sheets. So that''s why when school starts up again, I''m dropping my current classes for music courses."


    "Are you going to tell Mama and Papa?"


    "No?" She looked to me with an incredulous look of shock. "Do you honestly think Mom and Dad would approve of me dropping my current classes in exchange for learning how to read and produce music? They''d cut off my financial support in a second!"


    I made a promise to my sister that day that I wouldn''t speak a word of her endeavors to Mama and Papa, and in exchange she would support me in any way she can when I started college. While one would think being co-dependent on our parent''s finance was the mindset of a child, you need to understand that Dominique worked in retail at the time and trying to support herself and hefty student fees through a retailer''s paycheck just wasn''t going to cut it. Unlike Devon who had a well paying job, she needed Mama and Papa''s financial aid just to get through the month. Mama and Papa had this mindset where, if any one of their kids wanted to pursue a career rather than what they desired, then they could do it themselves. If it was anything within the fields they favored, they would support them without a second thought. This worried me to the extent where I wouldn''t be able to pursue my own dreams as I knew they wouldn''t support me, but I had my sister in my corner should things between my parents and I went sour.


    Dominique turned out to be a heavy influence in my life, now that I think about it. The eldest - Devon - was in New York for school, so we didn''t see much of him. Mama and Papa were busy with their own jobs, and my little brother Jeffar was too busy basking in his newfound fame and praise. And then there was me who was just...there. I should also mention that my parents expectations were the reason I kept those flyers and pamphlets in my locker; After Devon became such a success, they pushed for Dominique to do the same and enrolled her to the best college that was willing to take her. Jeffar undoubtedly would be subjected to the same treatment, but I refused to be shoehorned into a college that I wouldn''t like or take classes for a specific field that didn''t interest me at all. Don''t get me started on the amount of geology books I hid from them (I have Dominique to thank for that as she allowed me to use her closet as my hiding place).


    By the time school finished for the year, my plans for my supposed future was still an uncertainty of a mess. I left the pamphlets and flyers to rot in my locker until the next unfortunate student was left to clean them out the following year, and spoke nothing of my college plans to my parents while I spent my summer vacation exploring the mountain trails and taking part time jobs at the local resorts for a quick income. The survey was nothing more than an afterthought - if that - for those couple of months as I already knew that I wouldn''t be one of the lucky 10 who would be able to travel through the galaxies.


    Little did I know that I was going to be in for a surprise the following school year.


    * * *


    There''s not much I can recount that''s too interesting or note worthy as I transitioned to a senior the following school year (although there was that incident where a maintenance droid went haywire and dug up the entire football field, postponing homecoming for another week). While I wasn''t the ideal student with a GPA of 3.0 and higher, I still made decent enough marks where I only needed three classes to receive the rest of my credits in order to graduate. Unfortunately, one of those classes was trigonometry, so I struggled a bit to earn that credit before the year ended. Of course, my parents were ecstatic knowing that their final child would be graduating within some months, and were quick to look for the nearest university willing to hand me a PhD or doctorate or what ever degree is handed to an IT major. I wasn''t going to make the same mistake as my sister before me, and told my parents that I would rather pick my own college. Fortunately, they obliged, and turned their attention to their prodigy instead.


    Senior year was as uneventful as my other years in high school, the only exception being that now we had prom to attend to towards the end of the year. If you, my readers, know me well enough by now, then you should be able to figure out that I had little to no interest in prom. Now try telling that to my parents who tried to set me up with every boy within state lines who so much as said ''hello'' to me. Devon and Dominique had attended prom, of course (both of their dates ended up dumping them both several weeks after), and from what they have told me, I wasn''t missing much. Really, prom was only a method of upping one''s social status in high school just before graduation where it was highly likely you wouldn''t see your classmates up until a high school reunion maybe 20-something years later. It''s at that point one has the opportunity to either go on with their life or focus on trying to outdo your fellow classmates. Prom king and queen is the same thing - you''re given a fake crown, a title and paired up with a guy you barely know for one night, and the pair would most likely end up at a shady motel where the girl returns home with a broken heart and a fertilized egg weeks later. And for everyone else? Nothing; close friends and couples have a good time while others show up to show off their dresses and dates and judge everyone else for their dates and their choice of attire.


    Let''s be honest, I was not going to subject myself to that. My parents were desperate for me to go, but for what? Just to get a few pictures? No thanks.


    Fast forward to, let''s say, early April; as seniors, we had to study for our exams moderately early since we would have to take them the following month, and their results would dictate whether we would receive our credits and graduate. I had grown tired of being in the school and seeing the same faces, attending the same classes and being subjected to the typical social requirements of a high school student. Although it was mostly me just tired of school. I had stationed myself in the library to study for my trigonometry exam (and slowly dying in the process) when I was approached my Mrs. Hanson.


    I would like to say that Mrs. Hanson and I had a decent relationship - I was far from her ideal student, but I wasn''t a pain in the ass either. She knew I always struggled with her class and was willing to tutor me during lunch just to ensure I would pass her class with a decent C - that would be enough to get the credit I needed. She even let me hide out in her classroom when I didn''t want to deal with the noisy cafeteria when I was able to get my own lunch. I considered her as more of a pleasant associate and mentor rather than just my teacher and I knew her well enough to be able to read her enough to know what her current mood was. So when she entered the library with this gleeful gleam in her eyes...I could only assume that it was good news, for her at least.


    "Minuet?" Hearing my name was enough to avert my attention from the essay I was working on at the time. "I just received an email from Phideza - you''ve been accepted to into the program!" She gripped my shoulders, her smile ever wide while I just stared at her, slacked jawed in a speechless stupor. "Congratulations! Oh my goodness, you must be so excited! They will send the scholarship and the rest of the information needed for when you depart in September. Your family will be so proud of you!"


    Oh, Mrs. Hanson...you hadno idea.

 My Departure From Earth

    You can imagine how apprehensive I was about telling my parents about being accepted to participate in PAP. I know it seems silly given that fact that I was given the choice to accept or decline going, but I was accepted to attend the Phideza if I was inclined to do so, which is something a lot of students strived to do. I should point out that I was very indecisive about the matter as well; keep in mind that I had no intention of, or even considered the fact that I would be one of the 10 students given the opportunity to even go to the famed space station. So my feelings were very mixed at the time. I was only thankful that it was still the beginning of April and the deadline to accept or decline wasn''t until the beginning of June. Plus, it would give me the opportunity to see what would be available to me if I decided to go.


    Mrs. Hanson, on the other hand, was ecstatic; To think that one of her own students had been accepted to attend Phideza swelled her ego quite a bit...so much so that she bragged about it to every teacher in the entire school. And I know this because I heard her going on and on about it while passing her classroom, and that my other teachers congratulated me when we passed in the hall or when I went to their classes. I remained humble about it as best as I could, but word spreads quickly, especially in high school, and my fellow students were quick to find out that the quiet girl was going to space. You can guess my reputation leapt up quite a bit...so much that people actually started talking to me. Or trying to. All they really did was ask me if I was going or not, which I kept explaining that I hadn''t decided yet. You could imagine this made me even more eager for graduation.


    Since I knew that, in a small town like Breckenridge, news would travel fast, so I asked Mrs. Hanson - and my other teachers - to let me to tell my own parents the news myself. Fortunately for me, they obliged, and neither of them called my parents that day or any other.


    I didn''t keep the news to myself at all times, however, as I only had one person I could confide in, and that was Dominique. She was home visiting for the summer, so I was relieved that I had someone to talk to. As expected, Dominique was excited and proud that I had been accepted to go to Phideza, but was shocked to hear that I hadn''t made up my mind about going or not.


    "You haven''t decided yet? Why? This is the greatest thing to ever happen to you!" She told me while we were out on our usual stroll through our hometown. "The greatest intergalactic university in the universe has accepted you! With a scholarship and everything! How could you not go??"


    "I know, I know! I just..." I paused, stuffing my hands into my jean pockets. "I told you that I wanted to hold off on looking for colleges, and my teacher suddenly approaches me out of the blue telling me that Phideza has accepted me to attend their university as long as I accepted the invitation. And they want to hear back from by June - do you know what kind of pressure that puts on me?"


    "Right, right. Sorry..." We walked in silence for a while, greeting and making small talk with those a part of the community. "So are you going to tell Mom and Dad?"


    "I have to." I told her as we stopped near a park we used to frequent as children. "And I know they won''t like it."


    "Why not?"


    "Because when I tell them Phideza wants me to attend their university, I''m going to tell them that I don''t want a PhD or a doctorate of any kind. That''s not my ideal career choice, and I''m not going to let them push me towards something I don''t even want." There was silence between us after that, the only noise coming from the sound of other kids laughing and shouting in glee as they played on the playground. It was Easter Sunday around that time and school was out for a small vacation due to the holiday, so there were a lot of kids out that day. Of course they would be energized knowing that they had a four day weekend from school...and that they were mostly likely fueled by the sugar the consumed just hours before. Might have been both.


    "You''re really going to do that, huh?" My sister asked after what seemed like an hour of silence. "You know hat that means when they find out you don''t want to seek out the career they want you to, right?"


    I just sighed and shook my head. "I know, but I don''t have anything else to lose. I''m not going to a college right away anyway."


    "What about Phideza?"


    I paused again, looking aside to the quiet intersection just in front of us. "I''ll have to think about it."


    I was well aware that my parents would cut me off finance wise once they knew I wanted to do something other than being the next IT major or be the next leading doctor. As I stated before, I was more interested in geology and what was buried in the earth, but we had just about uncovered everything my planet had to offer, so my findings would mean little to nothing if I had stayed and possibly found a college that offered that type of curriculum.Thinking back on it, there wasn''t much to decide on as far as what I wanted for my education; Phideza would be the better choice given my ideal career, but even then I was still unsure, but I knew the subject appealed to me more than anything my parents had me studying when I wasn''t in school. But bear in mind that I wasn''t even a graduate yet and I already had the pressures of choosing a college long before the diploma could be put into my hands. I was only thankful that I had finished my exams by then.


    It would only be another week before I would receive the confirmation letter via email one warm morning. And yes, we still use email, but now it has completely taken over regular mail and we can send or receive messages through the galaxies. The letter itself was unremarkable as it contained the standard fair of congratulating you for being one of the 10 selected to attend the college. What I didn''t realize was that it wasn''t just one letter, but several, all of which explained what was available to me if I decided to accept the offer, most of which explaining how they would provide most of what I needed such as funds and a furnished dorm while giving me a scholarship to do with as I pleased as I was free to chose any major, how many classes I wanted, and when to take them. After reading through and seeing various pictures of the space station itself and the college, I had to admit that I was pretty intrigued by the place midway through. I know I had stated many times prior that I wasn''t looking for colleges right away, but Phideza managed to draw me in before I knew it.


    I had finished through the initial introduction explanation of the program when I came to the next letter...which listed the requirements one needed in order to sustain themselves for a good while. Since you would essentially be moving out to a place of your own, you would be packing up everything you owned while attended Phideza, which I had expected beforehand as it was something to expect when going to college far from home. Then I came to the health requirement pages, which I had forgotten about.


    I don''t think I need to explain this, but I will just in case. You see, before one is able to travel through the galaxy, they have to pass various health tests before you can be approved to even board a ship, as well as do a course of survival training just in case your ship happens to malfunction mid flight and you find yourself stranded on an unknown planet. That''s only if you''re traveling to planets in your own solar system, but I was going light years away from the galaxy I called home, so the survival training wouldn''t exactly be needed until I got to Phideza. What was required, however, was that I would have to push up my yearly physical with my doctor and enroll in a quick course that simulated space travel to see if I could handle the strain of interstellar travel. The updated records - if there are any - are sent to Phideza before my departure date, where they will send a confirmation or declination depending on the results. Bear in mind that this doesn''t mean one had to be a severe health nut to attend -as long as you were cleared with a clean bill of health without the need for major surgeries or therapies, you were free to go. After all, Phideza was just the college on a space station - the Ark itself could be classified as a world itself as it had pharmacies that contained medicines from all over for the needs of those who lived there. As long as your doctor sent a prescription at the time it''s needed, you had nothing to worry about.


    With all that being said, I was confident in my health as I was a moderately healthy individual (I say moderately because I didn''t exercise everyday of the week or have a nutrient rich diet like some people), it was the simulation course I was worried about, since I had no prior experience with space travel before now. Aside from that, there was nothing else to the letters, but there were two attachments to the initial email that I had almost overlooked; One was a form that you needed to fill out your initial information on if you decided to accept to go, while the other was a declination letter you had to sign if you didn''t want to go. Again, all standard stuff. I bookmarked the letters for later when I finally decided on what I was going to do after I graduated...but deep down I already knew what I was going to do, but I needed a little more time to prepare myself.


    April came and went and May rolled around before I knew it, as did my graduation. The entire family turned up for my graduation and the party afterwards (and by party I mean we went to the nearest Red Lobster for a luxury meal), although my parents were quick to point out that I was the last of their children to graduate from school. I didn''t let it bother me though; I went to the ceremony in my cap and gown, accepted my diploma, and nearly ate myself into a cheddar biscuit coma before the end of the day. I had a great time, plus it was nice to see my oldest brother, my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents after so many years. I also decided to hold off on telling my parents my decision until the "graduation hype" calmed down to not ruin to mood, which I was inevitably going to do once news got out, but at least the blow would be less heavy once everyone had calmed down and my relatives had returned home.


    At the end of the week, I had told my Dominique that I was planning to reveal the news that weekend, which she helped me prepare for the hellstorm I was about to unleash in the next 12 hours. Devon was still around having taking to month off to stay with us as part of his vacation, so I wasn''t sure if that was a good or bad thing given I never seen or knew much of him since he left for New York all those years ago. Jeffar, however was indifferent, as always.


    Saturday eventually came around, so after breakfast, Dominique and I gathered up the family for a meeting...although it as more of me sharing the news of my decision. With June right around the corner, I needed to send Phideza a reply soon...but even then I was still unsure on whether or not to go through with it and even considered backing out a few times. But I had promised myself and my sister that I would tell them before it was too late, so I would have to bite back my fears and get it over with, regardless of their reactions. We met up in the living room once we had finished with the dishes and whatnot, where my parents and Devon looked to my sister and I expectantly while Jeffar was too busy on his phone...which was quickly taken away by my mom.


    "Well, let''s not waste anymore time." I announced once I felt everyone had settled down. "I''ll just cut straight to the chase; last month, I took the PAP survey while studying for my exams." Devon and my parents seemed to have perked up, then. Even Jeffar''s pout had lessened at the mention of the survey. "And, well...a little while ago, I received an email from Phideza...I was one of the 10 students who were accepted."


    "Really?" Devon was the first to speak, which surprised me. He was leaning forward on the couch, his voice full of surprise and...what sounded like excitement? "Well, what did you say? Did you accept?"


    "Well..." I started, licking my dry lips before I continued. "I thought long and hard about it....and I decided to accept." That as actually a lie; while I did think long and hard, I hadn''t reached a definite decision up until then, and blurted out that I accepted in the spur of the moment. My heart dropped when I was met with silence; Mama and Papa''s faces were unreadable, and Jeffar almost looked angry. My only solace was the fact Devon seemed to be the only one who was happy, or at least accepting of my decision, which made the heaviness I felt lessen just a little.


    "And what sort of curriculum will you seek while at Phideza?" My mom asked, although there was that stiffness in her voice that we all knew well; it meant we had one last chance to redeem ourselves for our "pointless endeavors," but I wasn''t going to let my mom intimidate me this time. I know she wanted me to get a PhD or a doctorate or something along those lines as I had a lot of ground to cover since I was he last of four siblings to graduate. I was pretty tired of the pressures and high expectations, and looking back, I''m even more happy that I took this opportunity when I did or else I was sure to be in a less satisfactory position than I''m in now. In fact, I''m very certain I would be miserable.


    "I don''t know." I replied honestly, and I could already see the disappointment in my mother''s eyes. "But I have been considering the geology field for a while. And given that I would be traveling to other planets, all of which have different environments and minerals for me to explore, there would be more available for me to help expand my education there than there would be if I stayed here." I happened to catch a glimpse of Papa whom showed a bit of pride swelling, which helped relieve my initial tension. "But it''s not the only field I wish to explore; Phideza has a lot of fields that you wouldn''t find on Earth, so there are so many options available!"


    "Congratulations, Minuet!" Papa finally spoke with a small smile, ignoring Mama''s disapproving look. "You''re going to be the first one in our entire family to attend Phideza! You should be proud of yourse--"


    "This is bullshit!" Mama and Devon''s head snapped towards Jeffar, who was glaring daggers at me. "I have a higher IQ than you, I graduated two years before you, and I even took the survey before you! You were the last to graduate - how could an sophisticated establishment like Phideza chose someone so worthless?!"


    "Jeffar!" Devon''s voice boomed through the entire house, my little brother clamping his mouth shut and his rage calming down several notches. Devon always had this air and voice of authority over us next to Mama and Papa, although he had a real hold on Jeffar who needed to be knocked down a peg or two very often. His excellence through school and his jump in fame caused his ego to swell bigger than his head, and my mom didn''t help that. He considered himself better than Dominique and I, but adored Devon and Papa, but I couldn''t care less of Jeffar''s opinions about me in regards to intelligence and education simply because I didn''t seek the same academic popularity as he did. "Phideza doesn''t care about how well your grades are when they select students; everyone is given and equal opportunity and Minuet was one of the 10 selected. That''s something you have to live with, because your tantrum won''t change that. Since you''re so proud that you gained your diploma early, then act like the adult you''re supposed to be, or else that plaque is as worthless as you claim your sister is."


    Devon had never yelled before in his life, but his voice was so loud one would assume he was if anyone heard him now. That was enough to shut Jeffar down completely, and he deflated into the couch with his lip poked out. He may have been a 15 year old, but he acted like he was 5. I was only thankful that Devon was there to keep him in check, because Mama or Papa wouldn''t have been able to do a thing, and he didn''t listen to Dominique or I. What was worse is that I know Mama would baby him once this meeting was over, only fueling that already swollen ego of his. Regardless, I ignored his little outburst and continued on for the sake of wrapping the meeting up for good. "Well, anyway...I haven''t sent them the acceptance form yet, but I plan to once this meeting is over. I''ll have to set up an doctor''s appointment and set of a schedule for the simulations but...if all goes well, I''ll be leaving for the Ark come September. I''m going to be seeking out something different than what you want... this my decision....take it as you will."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I wrapped up the meeting then and there and went straight to my room afterwards with Dominique right behind me. I would be lying if I said that I wasn''t nervous - my heart was beating against my ribs as I went to my room so I could fill out the form, but Dominique was there to inadvertently calm me down as I sat at my desk. "Don''t listen to Jeffar. You''re not worthless, especially since you''re the one going to Phideza."


    "Oh, it''s not him I''m worried about." I dismissed the matter with a wave of my hand while I started up my laptop. "I knew Mama wouldn''t approve but...this is what I''m deciding to do. She can cut me off financially if she wants - the university will provide me with a loan until I can get a job and support myself anyway." I filled out the form while Dominique sat on my bed and waited, the familiar ding! indicating that the email had been sent echoed through my room just before Devon knocked at my door. We were both surprised to see him; Devon was often busy with his own career and neither of us seen much of him since he left Colorado, but I noticed he seemed livelier after I shared the news about my acceptance to Phideza. It was a refreshing change in my big brother; Whenever he came around he seemed like a robot, his talk with our parents short and sometimes curt but nothing to where they ever got into an argument. I figured he was more like them since he was their firstborn, but I was beginning to see that wasn''t the case at all.


    What Devon came for was to let me know that he was going to take extra time off work to help me prepare for my trip, which surprised my sister and I. He never took time off work for anything regarding the family unless it was something like my graduation or a holiday. Nevertheless, I had to admit that I was happy to learn he would be staying longer as it would be a great opportunity for me to reconnect with the big brother I barely knew. "We might as well get the physical out the way," he said as he dialed the number to our family physician, but I could hear the eagerness in his voice. "Phideza will require up-to-date medical records to process before you arrive. That means you''ll have to take a blood test when you go to the office. The simulation courses only last for a week to not put any further strain on you before you board the ship...We can schedule those for next month and you can use the remaining time to rest and pack up your stuff."


    Devon set up my doctor''s appointment before I could get a word in to protest, but I decided to let him be and have his fun. His entire demeanor brightened from what it was before as there was this childlike gleam in his eye I had never seen in him before. It was better to see life in him rather than his usual stoic face whenever we saw him. Besides, I loved the fact that, not only did I have my sister on my side, but now my oldest brother was going to support me. From the looks of it, I was worried for nothing, and I started to look forward to the next several months.


    * * *


    It''s a bit difficult for me to describe what my life turned into once word traveled through Breckenridge that their recent graduate would be traveling through the galaxies fairly soon. Our town had expanded over the years as I stated before, but it was still smaller than most cities, so everyone just about knew each other and their families, and ours wasn''t an exception. I couldn''t walk down the street without being approached by a neighbor or fellow member of the community who congratulated me on going to Phideza or tried to probe me for information as to how I was able to get into such a well revered school in the first place. I became something of a celebrity to the neighborhood kids once they learned that one of the "big kids" was going to space (yeah, I know I was 18 at the time, but I''m a rather short girl, so I was considered a "big kid" by the children of Breckenridge), most of whom tried to brag that they were one of my closest friends just to bump up their own popularity, but I was quick to debunk those clais before it got out of hand.


    I also got more emails from the university over the next couple of weeks, most which were mostly confirmation forms and lists of classes and activities that would be available to me once I arrived. The strangest piece of mail I received was something like a catalog that showcased several pieces of furniture and appliances. I would have dismissed if it weren''t for the fact the catalog was for your dorm. After some more reading, I was tickled to see that the university allowed their students to pick out the furnishing for their dorms so it would be contoured to their comfort upon their arrival so the adjustment would be easier. The catalog featured furniture from planets all over, some I''ve never even heard of before. My sister can vouch for me when I say that my overall tastes were...lackluster. I didn''t care if a couch was made of leather or velvet or if the silk curtains match the carpet; I always favored functionality over appearance, as well as unique pieces that one wouldn''t normally find in someone''s house as decor. And given the appearance of my own room, my sister often teased me saying my house would be Peewee Herman''s worst nightmare. I actually spent more time looking through the catalog and trying to decide what to go in my dorm rather than pick out the classes I wanted to take. And the best part was that the university covered the costs, and it wouldn''t effect my student loan if I was so inclined to get the most expensive pieces available.


    I went in for my physical the following week where I had my immediate checkups such as high blood pressure, blood sugar, temperature and the like. My urine and blood tests wouldn''t come back for a while, but the results would be sent straight to Phideza when they do come back. My simulation courses wouldn''t be until July, so I used that time to plan my classes and what time of day I would take them. Because Phideza is on the Ark, which could easily be described as a massive galactic hub, it adjusts to the needs of various species on other planets such as time and climates. The time would be different there given I would be so many lightyears away, but not to the point where, let''s say, I stay a day on the Ark but a year passes on Earth. I won''t attempt to try to explain nor bore you with the details and will be as short and blunt as best I can so that you can understand. Long story short, even though I will be in an entirely different galaxy, a day on the Ark would also be a day on Earth. With that being said, I decided to take morning classes as it was just a personal preference of mine. Since it was my first year, I wasn''t going to overload myself with too many classes and end up with heaps of homework. Plus, I wasn''t exactly sure if geology is what I really wanted to pursue; it was a subject that interested me, yes, but I couldn''t picture myself having that as my career back then, and I was curious about what else Phideza had to offer. So I picked two classes for my first semester: Planetary Science and Biology. I needed an elective course as well, which was more of an extra credit class, so I chose Spacecraft Engineering on a whim.


    It''s around this same time where I became aware of how much Devon and Dominique helped me through those several months as I prepared for my departure. I didn''t expect any help from my parents,and Jeffar made himself scarce as possible, but Papa came around when it was time for my simulation courses. He didn''t exactly trust the doctors on hand at NASA, so whenever he had a day off work, he would accompany Devon, Dominique and I but would be on standby with the other EMTs in case I experience a medical problem during the duration of the course. The simulations themselves weren''t as arduous as I had initially anticipated; What it was mostly was me being put into various environments that replicated what would happen once I was on board that ship. There was a virtual reality course where I to experience what the launch would be like, adjusting to zero gravity, emergency procedures in case of a malfunction in the ship, and got fitted for my suit. We no longer required those chunky astronaut suits as we did a century ago, as we now had thermal skintight suits you would see in a sci-fi movie or video game. Each suit came with a protective chest piece, gauntlets, boots and a helmet. The gauntlets and helmets had communication devices, and the boots adjusted to any level of gravity. I would only have to wear the suit until I reached the Ark itself, where I could wear my normal clothes by then. Yeah, no special space suits needed there.


    I passed the simulation courses with flying courses. Mostly. I had that one fainting spell during the zero gravity course, but only because I had spun around too much and made myself dizzy to where I passed out. That was a common thing for most first-timers in zero gravity, but I learned my lesson after that. Nonetheless, I was approved fit for space travel and the paperwork would be sent to Phideza without delay. My lab results also came back for my blood and urine tests, both of which revealed that I had no health problems that would prevent me from going. With everything set, all that was left was the actual trip there, which wasn''t for another two months.


    Nothing too remarkable happened from mid-July through August; Devon had to return back to New York after the 4th, and life carried on as normal for the rest of us back in Colorado. Dominique was still out on her summer vacation, so I wasn''t completely alone where my only company would be disagreeing parents and a jealous-hearted baby brother. I did learn that Papa was the only one of my two parents who was happy for me in going to Phideza, although Mama was vocal in how she didn''t approve of the fact that I was going to the best school in the universe but not to obtain a PhD. She and I didn''t speak much after that, and I have already explained how much Jeffar hated the fact that I was going there and he wasn''t. My big sister was my only solace, and I realized that she made the tension settle enough that it didn''t make me anxious everyday. Mama and Papa got into a rather heated argument one day, where Dominique and I took that as a sign to leave the house for a while. We used our time out to get my Galaxy Tag (a Galaxy Tag is just the interstellar counterpart of an Earth passport)


    In August I received more mail from Phideza, but now it contained my flight information such as the date of departure, the time, which shuttle I would have to board and the ticket itself. The university had its own shuttle that picked up students all over the world, and the shuttle I would be boarding would land on the 10th of September, but I wouldn''t be leaving until the 13th at 10:35 that morning. Since my dorm would be fully furnished with what I needed, I only took my clothes, shoes, toiletries and just about everything else I owned except the bedroom furniture. It was like I was moving out, so a lot of my belongings went into boxes except for my carry-on, which contained my laptop, a few books and a portable gaming system to keep myself entertained during the flight. Devon was also able to get more time off, so he came back at the end of August so he wouldn''t miss my flight.


    September 13th came around before I knew it, and I found myself on the passenger side of Devon''s Ford as Colorado''s forests and mountains passed us by one crisp morning. Mama, Papa and Jeffar were driving behind us with all of my stuff packed up in their truck as we drove towards Denver where the ISS (Interstellar Space Station) would be waiting. The three of us were quiet during most of the ride, although I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. My brother and sister shared idle chitchat between each other, but I stayed out of it for the most part. That is, until Devon spoke to me.


    "You know," he started, which managed to pull me out of my own subconscious. "I''m really proud of you, little sis. Going against the grain and all."


    "What do you mean?" Was my immediate response.


    "Well...Mom and Dad always pushed us all to follow the same career paths as they did. I know what you went through when you stood up to them that day. I tried to do the same when after I had graduated out of high school."


    "You did?" I knew I never knew much about Devon, but I always assumed he was content with being a doctor. "You don''t like being a doctor?"


    "It''s not that I don''t like it...it''s just...it''s something I personally don''t want to spend the rest of my life doing." He explained to me. "Of course, I told Mom and Dad about this back when I was your age...I had just started college too just like you."


    "Let me guess; Mama cut you off?"


    "She was going to." He said "But back then, I couldn''t keep a job and I needed their financial support at the time. I didn''t like it, but to make sure that I wouldn''t end up dropping out and getting kicked out of my apartment, I worked until I got my PhD until I could support myself. Looking back, I''ve realized that I could have done things differently, but it''s not too late to pursue what I really wanted to do. But to get straight to the point, don''t let Mom intimidate you to where you deter yourself from your dreams, alright? So whatever you want to do at Phideza, do it. This is your only chance, so don''t ever waste it, okay?"


    "Okay, Devon."


    Now, I know it seems predictable that I would have a heart-to-heart with my brother just before we reached the ISS, but given my mom''s track record of wanting to raise a family of doctors and IT techs, it was a bit unfair that we weren''t allowed to explore through new fields that would appeal to us more. The financial support wasn''t even the issue here, but more of the fact that Mama would forever disappointed with you and will almost always belittle anything else other than what she wants. It''s something that we, her kids, and even Papa knew about her, reason why none of us really went against the career path she set for us. I was the first one of my other three siblings to not pursue that path openly, and it was then when I began to feel proud of myself for the small accomplishment.


    The rest of the ride was fairly smooth and uneventful, although the small talk with my brother lifted my spirits to where I wasn''t brooding anymore. We reached Denver two hours later and reached the ISS a little bit after 9 that morning. I had to show my ticket and GT (Galaxy Tag) to the person at the front desk as soon as we entered, where I was quickly recognized as a student going to the Ark. Papa had to load my belongings on the luggage cart that would then go to the shuttle to be put on while I got ready for my flight. Once I was checked in, I was led away from my family to put on my suit as well as do any last minute health checks just to double check. Now that I was properly equipped for space travel, all that was left was to wait until it was time to board the shuttle. The shuttle I was boarding in particular was called the Axel; it was a large, beautiful craft, twice the size of a normal airplane and made from a strange blue steel. Unfortunately, my distant relatives couldn''t turn up for the departure, but the launch itself was going to be televised so they wouldn''t miss it. I had to start boarding around 10:15, so I used that time to say my goodbyes. Devon, Dominique and I shared a tight sibling embrace and I swear Papa wasn''t going to let me go. Mama - while she still didn''t like it - bid me a rather tearful farewell while Jeffar kept his distance, where I pretended not to notice.


    "Ding-dong! All passengers departing for the Ark may begin boarding now. Please proceed to the nearest gate."


    "That''s my flight." I remarked while adjusting the strap of my messenger bag. "Well...I''m off."


    "Skype us as soon as you get there!" Dominique called as I joined the line entering the gate. And yes, we still have Skype. No,it never did improve over the last century. I daresay it got worse.


    "Stay safe!" Papa called.


    "Send us souvenirs!" Came from Devon. If Mama or Jeffar said anything, I didn''t hear them once I had passed through the gate and entered the shuttle itself. There''s a significant difference between the interior of an airplane, the interior of a space shuttle, and the interior of the Axel. And in short, the Axel is nothing like either or.


    If I could compare it to anything to paint an accurate picture for you all, the Axel was like....a very spacious train. I know one would expect the interior to be made purely of metal, but it wasn''t; it was when you first boarded before you board a lift to the passenger area where you''re greeted with carpeted floors, seats and a large aisle between the two rows of seats.There were no assigned seats, so I was quick to snag the nearest window seat I could find towards the middle. I wasn''t the only one on board - I recognized a few of my classmates while returning students were there as well, most of which seemed to be from different parts of the world. Unfortunately, there was no time for me to really mingle with them as we were herded to our seats to prepare for the launch. We strapped in, the intercom going off above us as the pilot began the launch sequence. My gaze was back out the window towards the station where I could see my family along with many others waving at the shuttle from the window. I waved back, but given how large the Axel was, I wasn''t sure if they could see me or not. I felt my seat rumble as the engines roared to life, the various machinery working around me as I could feel the shuttle steadily lift off of the ground. Outside, the shuttle was lifting off of the ground until it was several feet from the ground where we hovered there until the landing gear was pulled back into the hull.


    My breath hitched as the shuttle took off into the air, the ground growing smaller and smaller as we ascended into the bright blue sky, past the clouds, piercing the atmosphere...until the only thing I could see outside my window was the darkness of space and the Earth steadily growing smaller.

 The Arrival and Meeting the Neighbors

    I would like to take out the time to reach out to those who were also first-time flyers through the galaxy as I was during that time. How was it for you? What was going through your mind when you could see the Earth right below you? Were you afraid? Were you excited? Maybe both? I ask because the actual realization that I was far beyond the reaches of normal man began to set in. I was in space. I was in space..! Just a century ago, most people could only dream of being in my position, and yet there I was...just an ordinary girl off to college in a space station. There were so many emotions and thoughts running through my mind by then, most of them repeating themselves over and over as I tried to rationalize my situation, mostly the fact that I was one of the ones who was going to attend school for another four years several thousand light years away from the planet I called home. I was alone on that shuttle with only a few familiar faces and the deep vastness of space around us.


    We were told that that actual trip there would take 48 Earth hours - or 2 days, to get there. The Ark itself sat in a galaxy that was far from the one us Earthlings resided in, so the shuttle had to "galaxy hop" to make the trip accelerate to just those 2 days until we would arrive there. To explain further so it''s easier to understand, galaxy hopping is just a term they use for warp speed when traveling through the hundreds of thousands of light years in a single bound. We were to remain in our seats until we finished warping, although - again - it only lasted for several seconds before we were back to cruising speed.


    At that point, we were free to move about for the rest of the trip, and it was around that time when I realized that there was much more to the ship than I had realized. I still stand by what I said when I say that it was built to be more like a spacious train, but it had several levels all dedicated for one or two purposes. The level we sat in was at the very top of the shuttle along with the cockpit and is what they referred as the passenger level where we all had to remain until we finished galaxy hopping, then we would be free to walk around to the other two. The seats also folded out into beds whenever one was ready to sleep or nap. Whenever that was. The second level - which was the one right below our feet - contained the dining and entertainment areas which had a restaurant, snack shops and bar for us to go eat at any time, as well as what could easily be described as a rec room. The lower floor contained facilities such as a infirmary and a counselor''s office, although that floor in particular could be accessed easily via a small flight of stairs down from the second.


    I stayed on the passenger floor for a few hours; while there were some of my classmates present on the shuttle, I didn''t exactly see any point to talk with them at the time. As I said before, I never made friends with the other kids I went to school with, and even if we recognized each other, what would we talk about? Small chitchat about seeing each other in school followed by an awkward silence as neither of us would be able to find anything to add to the nonexistent conversation? I did notice that the girl who used to pick on me was also on the shuttle; That girl in particular was the stereotypical popular girl in high school with a wealthy family and had a lot of friends and got everything she could ever want. She and I butted heads during my freshman year and half way through my sophomore year. I would be lying if I said that I wasn''t intimidated by little miss Danielle, because I was when I first started high school. I was a new student in a new school without any friends and I was hoping to make a good impression on the kids there to where I could hopefully be accepted into one of their social circles. Unfortunately, that was never the case and I became the victim of Danielle''s torment, but only for a while. Her words did bother me for a while before I just stopped worrying about her entirely; I think I bothered her more than she bothered me after, because she kept her distance when she realized that I no longer paid her any heed. I considered it a small victory.


    There wasn''t much that went on for those 48 hours of travel; I spent most of my time in my seat messing around on my laptop, reading my books, playing my portable game system or looking outside my window to see the passing stars, planets and various asteroid belts only going down to the second level when I was hungry. There were several small restaurants, all of which had just about every type of food available back in the States, and a buffet that I usually frequented, although my diet consisted of a variety of snacks from the shop such as chips, candy bars and ramen. Not the healthiest of diets, but it was cheap and convenient. I think that best part of the trip was being able to look outside and be able to see the vastness of the universe with your own two eyes. There was something...surreal about it, to think that just a century ago, most of us humans could only dram to touch the stars and beyond...and yet, a couple hundred individuals from all over the world was given this chance to sit in the same seat I sat, to see new planets, worlds yet to be explored, right before your eyes! I would have considered that the best part of it all, but I was in for a wild ride and didn''t know it at the time.


    We were hitting the final stretch of our journey; The intercom above our heads went off stating that we would reach the Ark in the next hour and we should prepare to dock. We were all approached by flight attendants (I know that''s not what they''re called, but that''s what they are to me) passing out strange devices that was something like an advanced cross between an Earth bluetooth and hearing aid without the mic to the other passengers. I was also given one, as well as an explanation as to what they were and how they worked.


    Basically, the devices were universal translators. The earpiece hooked around your ear as you''d expect, however there were small, thin needles on the earpiece that pierced into your skin around the base of your ear. The needles themselves sent these...pulses through your nerves that connects to your ears, eyes and brain whenever you hear or see an unfamiliar language, which translates it into your native language as long as it''s stored within the translator''s data banks. For example, let''s say you''re talking to someone that speaks only in Uyanian; The translator would send the pulses through your ear and to your brain which translates the each word spoken into English, and it works vice versa. It''s basically what Google Translate wished it could be.


    I was given a brief explanation of how the translator worked, it''s upkeep, as well as treatment tips for the puncture wounds that may or may not appear or if infection sets in whenever I take the translator off. The needles are so small that it was very unlikely that any blood or scars would be left behind, and I was fairly certain nothing of the sort would appear on my body given I had darker skin.


    The attendant helped me get my translator on, and aside from a slight pinch from the needles going through my skin, there was nothing else to it. There was this low buzzing I could feel in the back of my head afterwards, however, but that was how you knew the translator was on and active. Once all of the other passengers were given their translators, we were advised to buckle up as the Axel prepared to be pulled in to dock. I couldn''t see much of the Ark given my where my seat was, which was towards the back, but what I could see was the doors of the docking port slid open, which was made of the blue metal that the Axel was made from, indicating that the Axel was indeed constructed on the Ark or at least made of the same or similar material.


    Let me be the first to tell you that a ship docking into a space station is nothing like a plane landing. There were more steps involved, but I won''t explain that until I get to the time I started my Spacecraft Engineering course. Nonetheless, the deep vacuum of space soon left my vision and was replaced with the metal cocoon that was the Ark. The Axel slightly shook and rumbled as it was pulled in into the station before it eventually came to a halt, the engines finally cutting off for good.


    * * *


    I can only imagine that my fellow Earthlings can picture the Ark being a standard space station completely mad of metal with various tech all around with a cyber city sitting at the core. Something you would mostly see in sci-fi movies, TV shows or video games. The Ark was nothing like that.


    After we disembarked, I was expecting the same thing you may have, but I was pleasantly surprised once we were outside. The paint an accurate picture...imagine an airport that used holograms, androids and warp panels. And make it twice as big. Maybe 3 times bigger. That was the Ark docking station in a whole. I didn''t have time to really look around as much as I wanted since I needed to get my stuff and had to be escorted to my new dorm. While I waited for my belongings to be unloaded form the storage bay of the Axel, I was able to see that the Ark truly was the mixing pot of races and species from all over the universe, all of whom came in many shapes, sizes, colors...I was quickly overwhelmed by it all, but I managed to remain level-headed as I watched one of the worker droids - whom I will refer as "Beemo" - load the boxes that contained what I had left from Earth onto a cart. Beemo scanned my GT to determine that I was a new arrival to the Ark, where they motioned for me to sit in the cart while they drove me to my destination.


    The reality of being in an entirely new world out beyond the galaxy I called home was beginning to set in around that time as I could only sit and watch the docking station slowly morph into the utopia that was the Ark itself. This wasn''t like I moved to a different state or country, I was no longer on Earth. I was light years away from everything I had ever known before now...where I was a foreigner to an alien world. I was truly on my own. I would have began to panic if it weren''t for the fact I was too captivated by my new environment, which was my only saving grace in this instance. The Ark wasn''t dull, dark or had that stereotypical or cliche grey and gritty build one would associate with a massive space station. It was the exact opposite, in fact; It was very bright with a myriad of colors dancing all over. People walked the streets or drove in strange and impressive vehicles...there was even a train that ran on a holographic railway just above our heads! It was all very impressive already, but there was so much more for me to see, which I will be sure to share later on.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    How someone is given a dorm is determined by how they answered the questions on the survey, as well as the number on their GT. I won''t disclose my GT number given that it would be the same as giving away your social security number for the next identity thief to take and use as they pleased. Long story short, my dorm was located within a small square of buildings that were resident homes, and the building I was assigned to was on the eastern side of the square. During the ride there, Beemo had entered my personal information into the computer to not only obtain which building I would be residing in, but there was this compartment on the dashboard that made this paper-thin bracelet I had to wear at all times. The bracelet - called a Coding Band - acted as your door key into your dorm - you put it on your wrist, and it shrinks until it''s fitted around your wrist to where it could be considered skintight. It was also transparent on your skin, except for a series of small turquoise glyphs where the clock of a watch would be. That is what could be considered as a serial code needed to enter your dorm - once the Band was on, it can''t be taken off unless you were moving out of your current dorm, where it would be replaced with another.


    We reached the building, Beemo assisting with loading my things onto a hoverpad where I was told my room number and which floor I had to go to, and then my little droid friend left me to where I was truly on my own. The lobby was a welcoming sight once I entered; it had a scent that was similar to lilac and jasmine, with a pillow-soft settee and love seat, a coffee table and various potted plants - all of which I had never seen before - decorated the various corners. With my hoverpad in tow, I boarded the lift and went straight to the third floor. My dorm was to the left of the lift and around the corner, the room number was C-571. What struck me as strange was that there was a door directly next to the main door, C-571S. I ignored it since every door had one and proceeded into my dorm (I should point out that there''s a panel next to both doors that you hold up your Coding Band in front of. A sensor reads the glyphs, and if they matched, the door slid open).


    I was tickled pink when I went inside; my dorm wasn''t a dorm, but an apartment. An apartment that was furnished with the furniture and appliances I had picked out of the catalog, no less. I was happy to see that my items went through, which made my new environment feel a little more homey. All I really needed to put away was the things for my room, but I took the time out to explore my new home; It had everything you would expect for an apartment; a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, linen closet...I didn''t see a door that would lead to the mystery door outside though, much to my disappointment. I looked around for a few good minutes, getting a feel of the place and turned to retrieve the hoverpad with my things...and screamed.


    I had forgotten that I had left the door open, and I failed to realize that I wasn''t the only one in the building. There was someone standing just outside my door peering inside when I turned around, which startled me given that I was completely oblivious to their presence. As a foreign human on an alien hub world, that wasn''t a good sign. Although given the person''s reaction, I think I scared her more than she scared me, since she screamed louder. After we simultaneously alerted the entire building of our presence, I was able to get a good look at the...well, "intruder" is a bit of a strong word since she didn''t exactly walk into my apartment. Anyway, she wasn''t human; 4 feet tall, only came up to the bottom of my chest, covered with small periwinkle scales, a light underbelly and rabbit-esque ears. There were these webbed spines that went from her head down to her tail, and all she wore was this cute pastel yellow graphic t-shirt with strange glyphs. We stared at each other awkwardly for a good minute, sea green eyes on deep brown, before the silence got the better of my and I decided to break the silence.


    "Uh....hi." I greeted her, and I could feel that buzzing in the back of my head, and I knew the translator was working.


    "Hello...!" She perked up immediately after I spoke, her ears shooting straight up. "S-sorry if I startled you..! I know it''s impolite to stand outside someone''s door and just...stare..."


    "No, no! It''s okay! Really. I guess it was my fault for leaving my door open." I shrugged with a small laugh, and I could see that she was beginning to ease up some, much to my relief. I invited her in, which she immediately bounded inside, but stopped as she seemed content with just watching me as I moved my hoverpad into the bedroom. I still had to unpack my belongings, but I also had a guest to tend to, so I couldn''t disappear into my room with her still there either. "I wish I could offer you something like a drink or snack but...I just moved in. Like, literal minutes ago."


    "Oh, don''t worry about it." I heard her say as I reentered the living room. "But, um...the main reason why I came here is...well...o-okay, please don''t get offended, but I mostly came here was because...I wanted to see a human up close." That made me pause as I looked at the smaller creature, my brow furrowing in confusion. I opened my mouth to speak, but she immediately took over in panic. "I-I know there are a lot of other humans here, but...but you''re the first and only human we''ve had to ever move into this building!"


    "Really?" Was the first thing out of my mouth. I don''t know what intrigued me more - the fact that I was the only human to move into this building or the fact that I was the first. Still, I couldn''t blame her for being curious; On the way there I had seen so many interesting and strange species and races that I wished I could approach to learn more about them, and I won''t deny I felt the same towards my house guest. I was as much of an alien to her as she was to me. I wanted to know what she found so fascinating about humans, though. "There really hasn''t been any other humans before me?"


    "None." She shook her head. "They mostly all go to the north or west buildings. And it''s not like we can go to either if we don''t know anyone there..."


    Understandable. They''d probably kick her out the building or call the authorities on her in a quick second if she went in there and not know anyone. What I didn''t understand is why humans were mostly put into the north and west buildings when they were all supposed to be diverse with at least one for every species and race they could house in each. I wasn''t sure how to take being the only one of my kind to be put in the east building. It also made me wonder what the other tenants were like and if that had anything to do with it. At the same time, it also could have been for the fact that the initial placement is randomized and the other buildings were full and they put me into the nearest building that had a vacancy.


    My thoughts would be disturbed as I would be greeted with another guest in the form of what I could best describe as a jackal. He was at least 6 feet tall - much taller than the small critter and damn near towered over me. Short but silky mocha fur that almost looked like skin to the unaware, long raven hair that was held back by a loose ponytail. His muzzle was turned into a frown as he peered in, although a look of surprise appeared on his feature when his deep amethyst eyes fell on me.


    "Oh." He murmured, his gaze going from me to the small critter. "I should have known it was you when I heard the screaming."


    "You shush!" She huffed, clearly offended. "Who asked you to come down here anyway? Go back to the seventh floor!"


    His ear twitched, which drew my attention to them. I noticed that they were at least twice the size of that of a normal jackal, standing perfectly straight up, even grazing the top of the door frame. "It''s difficult to ignore terrified screaming several floors below me."


    "It wasn''t terrified! We...we startled each other!"


    "After she saw you standing in her doorway staring at her? I would scream in terror too." The small critter ruffled up further and went to make a retort, but the jackal-creature stepped in before she could get a word out. "Hello, there. I would like to apologize on Ismarii''s behalf. She has a very...unique way of greeting new neighbors."


    "O-oh...no, it''s okay." I say with a smile. "She has been great company, actually..." I noticed Ismarii grew a triumphant smile on her face, but the jackal ignored it. "My name''s Minuet."


    "Ra''rael. Pleasure to meet you."


    I know I had just met to two extraterrestrials minutes after my arrival, but they managed to ease away the growing pang of loneliness I was feeling ever since I arrived. Plus, aside from the constant flow of workers I went through while getting here, it was nice to see some genuine friendly faces for once. Even if they weren''t human, they were friendly nonetheless. I would have loved to have taken the time out to get to know more about them both, but I still needed to unpack, not to mention that I haven''t showered in over 48 hours...and I was getting tired of the space suit and wanted to wear my normal clothes. Ra''rael must have picked up on that, or we had similar thoughts at the time, since he began to usher little Ismarii out, much to her dismay as she vocally protested about it.


    "We''re sorry to disturb you, Minuet." He spoke, only turning back when Ismarii was out the door. "I know it''s late, you''ve just moved in, you''re tired and would like some time to regain your bearings. But tomorrow, if you''d like, the two of us along with a few other tenants will be having a get-together a little after noon, and you''re more than welcome to join." I was given the floor and room number where this meet-up would be held before the two left where I was left to my lonesome once more. I found myself smiling despite myself - fresh memories of when I started middle and high school appeared in my mind, those days when I was a new student, being in this strange new environment with children I didn''t know. None of the kids - not even my own classmates - were as welcoming as Ismarii and Ra''rael. To think, I was offered more hospitality by aliens than I was by my own race back on Earth.


    Still, I was glad they were gone; the suit was beginning to stick to my skin and it didn''t help I already felt gross for not showing in 2 days. I went to my room and put away most of my things (after closing my door this time), although it was mostly my clothes, shoes and some decorations I took with me. I showered, changing out of that god-forsaken suit into some lounge wear, piled up the boxes on the nearest wall and pushed the hoverpad under the coffee table since I had nothing else to do with nor knew where to store it. Truthfully, I could have stowed it away in the closet, but I had gotten lazy and wanted to rest. I knew it was late, but it took for me to look at the clock to really see how late it had gotten...and 11 o'' clock at night is pretty damn late. I retired back to my room and ended up falling asleep once my head hit the pillow.


    I think it was halfway through the night when I woke up and realized that I had forgotten to call my family to let them know I had arrived. But I wasn''t going to get out of bed either just to make a Skype call at 2 o'' clock in the morning either - that would be my first priority in the morning.

 The Meet-up and Grocery Shopping

    I don''t think I realized that I was no longer in my room in Breckenridge when I firs woke up the next day, especially since I woke up and begin to feel that sense of being in a foreign place. My only solace was that my Earthy possessions and decorations were placed in their respective places on my desk, walls and dresser, but it was odd to have the usual morning scent of Papa''s French toast be replaced with lilac and jasmine. What was even more strange that I also came to realize that I was alone; Mama, Papa, Jeffar...no one was here in the apartment but me. This was my own home, one where I could do what I want, when I wanted. It was a...very new feeling, this independence, but it also fueled my sense of purpose a bit as well. And by purpose I mean that I no longer lived by my parents'' rules and could ver well live by my own if I was so inclined.


    I kept my promise and called my family via Skype, and I was fortunate enough to catch them before any of them had left for work or school. I didn''t expect both Mama and Papa to answer though - Papa would have answered regardless, but I had figured Mama was too disappointed in my academic decision to even bother to answer my call. Devon and Dominique had picked up too, which lightened my already apprehensive mood.


    "There''s our little astronaut!" Papa cooed, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Where have you been? Your ride there was only for two days!"


    "I know, I''m sorry." I apologized. "It was so late when we finally got here, I was exhausted. Anyway, I arrived safely and I''m all moved in."


    "Well? C''mon!" Dominique urged excitedly. "What''s it like there? Show us your new place so we can see!" I obliged, of course, giving them a tour of my new apartment and showing them the furniture that I picked out (and making Dominique cringe at my tastes yet again), but they were happy to see that I had a place of my own and that I was settling in comfortably. I also told them that I met two of my new neighbors and that I was supposed to be meeting up with them later with a few others, but I left out the part where I was the only human in the entire building and that my new neighbors were extraterrestrials. If you''re wondering about my family''s standing in regards to interacting with aliens, I will explain later when it''s more relevant. The call itself didn''t last long since my parents and siblings had to get to their jobs or school, and I had a day to prepare for myself, so we disconnected within the half hour. I then showered, dressed...and realized that I didn''t have any food in my kitchen.


    Yes, I failed to realize that my kitchen was completely devoid of any food, meaning that I had no way of getting a proper breakfast. And it''s not like I could just run out to the nearest McDonald''s and get a McGriddle then worry about the groceries later; I arrived on the Ark a little over 8 hours ago, and I haven''t had the time to exactly get my lay of the land (so to speak) to just walk out the door to the next store for what I needed. Logically, what I should have done was ask my neighbors if there was a grocery anywhere in the near vicinity, but I was too ashamed of myself and I didn''t want to bother anyone. I know, it didn''t make sense, but that was my mindset at the time. Fortunately for me, I still had some snacks saved from the Axel. Not the healthiest of breakfasts, but it would hold me over until I could get some actual food in my home.


    There were a lot of secrets held in my little apartment, as I would come to realize as I waited for noon to come around. My kitchen had something like a bar that also acted as a border between the living room and kitchen. I noticed that there was this faintly discolored but clear area on the bar that was a perfect circle. Naturally, I rubbed my finger over it as if I was expecting something to happen...and to my surprise, it did. I came to realize that the circle was a sensor which lit up a blue hue as a holographic replica of the Ark appeared right before my eyes. Now, keep in mind that I was used to holographic technology given that we had our fair share back on Earth, but I didn''t expect my apartment, let alone the bar, to have a holographic map built right in. As you would expect, I had my fun as I played with the semi-transparent map for a while, spinning it enlarging certain areas, pointing at random locations and causing a little info tab to appear...I even found the building I was in and enlarged the area trying to see if I could peer into the windows, but I couldn''t. The map provided some entertainment until I checked the time to see that it was almost 1 o'' clock; The meet-up must have started by then, so I turned off the map and headed out the door. It only hit me after I boarded the lift that I could have used the map to find a grocery in the near vicinity. Whoops.


    The apartment I was supposed to go to was just a floor above me on the fourth floor, apartment number D-720. I arrived to be the only one there on the outside, which didn''t help my anxiety any. I know I wasn''t too late, although I began to wonder if Ismarii and Ra''rael still believed I was coming. I''ll be honest; I wasn''t sure about going at first, but they went out of their way to invite me over and it would have been rude to not go. So I bit back my growing social anxiety and approached the door and lifted my hand to knock...but stopped. I didn''t hear anything from the other side - the doors to the apartments were pretty thick to begin with, so no sound could go through them unless it was exceptionally loud. I went to knock again, then noticed a button next to the door that looked a lot like a doorbell. I went against my better judgement and pushed it, not knowing if I had turned on or off something vital within that apartment. Fortunately, it was just a doorbell, or something like one. There was a moment of silence before I heard a voice through a microphone, one I had never heard before.


    "Hi! Can I...oh! Oh-oh-oh! You''re the human girl! Wait there one sec - I''ll come open the door!"


    My mouth was still open as I had prepared to say something...only being able to release a small squeak as I was unable to speak a word and had to wait for the owner to come open the door. Fortunately, I didn''t have to wait long; the door slid open and I was greeted by another extraterrestrial. She was about a head taller than me, covered in ceil fur although the fur on her chest and at the tip of her tail was much thicker. Long tail, fins and sapphire colored eyes, wearing a tube top and blue jeans. She smiled wide when she saw me, extending her paw. "Hiya! I''m Ciel - so nice to finally meet you!"


    Her paw pad was soft against my palm, her fur was also soft against my fingers - almost having the same texture as down feathers. "Hello. I''m Minuet. Um...Ra''rael invited me..."


    "Yup! He told us, and we were so excited to meet you! Oh! Right, come right in! Everyone else wants to meet you!" She moved aside and granted me entry, where I immediately walked inside and began to feel knots twist up in my stomach. It was a feeling I always get whenever I was going to or in a room full of strangers.


    I didn''t know what to expect when I entered - since it was just a get-together, I knew there wasn''t going to be a big party or anything of the sort as it was a much more casual affair. The first thing I noticed was how homey Ciel''s apartment was as the metallic walls were replaced with masonry and the floors was all shag carpeting, the usual scent of lilac and jasmine was replaced with what I could identify as pumpkin spice. Her furniture consisted of the same palette ranging from soft purples, blues and grays, white granite coffee table and counter with a myriad of various and exotic plotted plants sitting in certain spots or hanging from hooks on the ceiling. I spotted Ismarii and Ra''rael on the couch, both whom greeted me once they were alerted of my presence, but there was only one other person in the apartment as well discounting Ciel given I had already met her - it was her apartment after all.


    I felt everyone''s eyes on me as soon as I walked in, which did nothing for my already growing knots deep in my gut. If I didn''t believe that I was the only human in this entire building, I was definitely aware of it now. My only saving grace was that there were two familiar faces there to help ease my growing nervousness, so I went to sit with them while the other guest and Ciel moved over to where we were all sitting in the living room, and I got the strangest feeling that I was going to be the center of attention for the duration of time I would be there. Ciel sat in the middle of Ismarii and Ra''rael while I and the other guest sat in the other armchairs. I had expected to be subjected to a plethora of questions regarding my race and the planet I came from...but I was not. Other than my name, they didn''t ask too much else but instead offered me to ask them questions regarding their race and planets. I couldn''t deny that I was curious, but I didn''t want to seem rude or try to pry into their personal affairs. But the fact that they offered me the floor for inquiry took a lot of that weight off and a lot of that tension began to ease up.


    I decided to start with Ismarii since she was the first one I met and her species intrigued me, I''ll admit. "I noticed that you have webbed digits...are you of aquatic origin?"


    "I am!" She giggled in glee, as if she was glad I was close to guessing her planet of origin. "I am a sea-faring variant of Kobold, and I hale from the tropical planet of Leirani. This is my second year attending Phideza, and I''ve been on the Ark for three years when my family first moved here. We''ve been here ever since."


    Next was Ra''rael and...well, I didn''t bother to guess since I had absolutely no idea where to start. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind - which was if he was a jackal - and immediately felt like an idiot afterwards because he didn''t even know what a jackal was. "I am a Saviel who originates from the desert world of P''yrra nuun. This will be my third year for both attending Phideza and residing on the Ark."


    Next was Ciel. "This is also my second year, and I come from the planet Feyrisse." I noticed that Ciel didn''t mention what she was as a species, but I bit my tongue and moved on because I was still embarrassed after what happened with Ra''rael.


    "Hi there." Came from a shark. Except sharks didn''t have ears. Well, visible ears. Slate grey and cropped raven hair that hung over the left side of his face and fiery orange eyes, also in a graphic t-shirt and jeans. I didn''t bother to ask if he truly was a shark as I didn''t want to suffer any further embarrassment and make myself look more like a jackass. "I also come from Leirani, but from the deeper regions. My name''s Obsidian - I''m going on my second year."


    I know this was strange given that I was clearly being welcomed, but I felt - excuse the pun - alienated from this little circle of friends. At the time, I thought it was because I was the only human amongst them, despite each of them being an entirely different race from the other. Now I realize it was for the fact that I felt so...plain in comparison. I know it seems odd given that there were other species who found us interesting, but let me take a moment to let you see it from my point of view: I live on a planet where the dominant species are the same type of humanoids with the only differences being their skin color, unlike other planets which contained a myriad of races, each different and unique than the other. Ismarii and Obsidian were from the same planet, but entirely different from the other, meaning that there was a strong possibility that there were more races on their planet. Even those within the same species have different traits that set them apart from the others. Even with my new friends, all whom were extravagant in their own right, they were so diverse and even gorgeous. And then there was me...Minuet. The human.


    Still, the warmth in which my fellow tenants gave off as we talked made me feel less and less like a sore thumb sticking out amongst them. There was no need to explain my race or planet of origin since they already knew, but they made it clear that they were elated to have a human in their building for once. I knew they couldn''t just walk into the other buildings that housed humans or risk getting in trouble, but I found it very strange that none of them or anyone they may have known was not able to befriend or at least speak with another human at the university, or at least run across one during an outing. I voiced my concerns about the matter, and silence fell over the room as they shared glances with one another. I was beginning to feel apprehensive thinking I had misspoke, but the silence was finally broken when Ciel released a sigh.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Sorry, but it''s not that we haven''t tried..." She spoke with some shyness. "But...humans...not saying that you''re the same, but they seem to favor sticking to their own kind?"


    "Oh." Immediately came from me as I rolled my eyes. "If that''s it, then I''m not surprised. Humans are...we''re a very...what''s the word....''shallow'' race. We have long accepted the fact that there is life way beyond our solar system over a century ago and even welcomed other aliens to Earth when they came. But if I''m right we act different here, right?"


    "Well, you aren''t acting different." Ismarii murmured. "You''re really nice and you don''t look at us as if we''re....well...aliens. Well, to you we technically are but....you get the idea."


    "No, I understand. If I''m honest? I feel so....underwhelming compared to the rest of you." I remembering feeling strange having openly admitting that, but it felt better to get it off of my chest anyway. "You''re all so extravagant and diverse and I''m just so...plain."


    "Are you kidding?" Ciel laughed. "You''re so cool! I know that''s a bold claim having just met you, but you are! Which is why I''m even more glad that we got a chance to meet you!"


    I felt much better after hearing that...and I ended up spending that entire afternoon with my new extraterrestrial neighbors, chatting and learning more about each other as time went on. We even brought up each others'' home planets on the digital map on Ciel''s counter, although they seemed more interested in where I came from. Of course, I was more than happy to bring up the little humble space rock I called home, enlarging the planet until it showed North America, then Colorado, then Breckenridge. I had to admit, seeing my hometown on a map knowing that I was nowhere near it...it was surreal, but I also felt a slight pang of homesickness as the reality of the situation began to steadily set in again. I wasn''t on Earth anymore....hell, I was nowhere near the Milky Way Galaxy in a whole! I must have fell into another one of my trances since Ismarii had to ask if anything was wrong given I was staring at the holographic image of Breckenridge for a few moments. I quickly dismissed it, telling her I was feeling a little homesick before turning off the map.


    I wasn''t sure when it was exactly, but we were given options as to what we wanted to do for food - order take out or rummage through Ciel''s kitchen for snacks to hold us over until we went back to our respective apartments. At that very moment was when I remembered something very important that I intended on taking care of before the day was over. "Oh, uh...before I forget...where''s the nearest grocery store?"


    I half expected to be met with humored laughter or incredulous glances of some kind, but I was not met by either or, and instead heard Ra''rael smack his own forehead as if he had forgotten something. "Shit, that''s right. You just moved in....you don''t have any food in your place, do you?"


    "Nope."


    "Well," Obsidian spoke now "technically you don''t need to go to the store itself. When it''s inconvenient, you can have your groceries delivered to you."


    "She doesn''t have that available to her right now." Ismarii pointed out, as if it was a basic fact despite that I had no idea what they were talking about. "She just got here yesterday, remember?"


    "Oh...right."


    Ra''rael only rolled his eyes as he stood and went straight to the door, and I instinctively followed him as I had this feeling he was going to guide me to where I needed to go. "Right. So. We''re going out on a food run. You''re all welcome to join if you want." We were out the door before any of them could say they were coming or not, and midway down the hall I would realize that the other four had decided to join us on our quest to the grocery. I was tempted to ask, but neither of them said anything as we boarded the lift, so I also decided to stay quiet. From what I could gather, it was a regular thing between them.


    Now, my readers, it may seem odd that I would include something so trivial such as a trip to the grocery in this chapter, but this was actually one of the more pivotal moments of my life. Even the most simplest of tasks or outings can be the very first of a chain of events that would lead to - in my case - a rather strange roller coaster of emotions as I went through a...shift, you could say. As an 18 year old, it was especially difficult since I didn''t have the luxury of still being a teenager and dismissing it as the "experimental phase" as my mother would call it. Still, it could have very well have been considered the same thing as many young adults still go through this phase up until they realize it wasn''t a phase at all by the time they hit their early or mid twenties. It was an entirely different experience for me, and more on that when it comes up.


    There was a quaint little square just on the next block of the apartments that held businesses such as a few restaurants, a pharmacy, several clothing shops, and electronic store, a bakery, and of course the grocery. I couldn''t say that the grocery was standard to that of what I would see on Earth; it was much bigger, broken up into specific sections that catered to the needs of the vast diversity of species and races from all across the galaxy. I should point out that the grocery on the Ark doesn''t operate the same way as on Earth. For starters, you no longer required a cart or basket to carry your groceries with; all the aisles and shelves instead had digital screens displaying the item and the quantity above it. Below the screen was a button and another screen - the button was for you to decide how many of the item you wanted and the screen displayed how many you picked. The items would then be transported to the front to a self-checkout, where you had to go first and enter your name and claim a register temporarily until you were finished shopping. We entered and dispersed into separate directions shortly afterwards so I was left on my own at the time, but that sense of feeling lost was starting to set in again as I had no idea where to start. Not where to start in the store itself, but what to actually buy. I was so used to my mom or dad doing the grocery shopping or going to the nearest Chinese takeout or pizza place that I had no idea as to what I wanted to stock in my kitchen. Now, this isn''t to say that I can''t cook - since Papa was the main cook in our home, I learned how to make a myriad of recipes from him, and I considered myself a decent cook at best. I decided to go for the standard items first such as cereal, milk, bread, eggs, coffee, salt, pepper as well as some toilet tissue, paper towels and cleansers...I was still on a student budget so I stocked up on instant ramen as well.


    I didn''t stay in the Earth sections only - there were other foods that were safe for human consumption and I couldn''t deny that I was curious as to what else was available. I was browsing the various meats when I was accompanied by another shopper who also browsed what was on display in the glass case. I wasn''t sure what it was, but I found myself looking over at the other shopper due to my own curiosity. He was as tall as Ra''rael but lacked his tall ears, his entire body covered with silver fur and wispy markings that coiled up and around his neck and tail. He was unique as he had 4 slender ears, jasper eyes and long red hair where only a quarter near the back was white with streaks within the red. It was at this point that I found myself captivated by the towering creature and for the life of me I couldn''t understand why. He was certainly unique, of course, but the Ark entirely was a massive hub for diversity, so it was nothing I should have been surprised by. But there was something about this fellow that immediately had me drawn in before I knew it, and I had to force myself to not look at him for too long and be caught staring and seen as another shallow human. We were just strangers to each other who only crossed paths as we were seeking the same thing. What a strange way to meet strangers.


    There is a reason why I included this particular moment - I wouldn''t have if it weren''t important but for clarification''s sake, I need to point this out a second time. Unlike the usual romance novel or chick-flick where two strangers stare at meat and suddenly the two find a way to speak to each other and they hit it off which leads to a whirlwind romance between two star crossed lovers. No. No, this was nothing like that; It wasn''t love at first sight for neither of us, and we parted ways without another word after getting what we wanted and that was the end of it. Yes I will openly admit that this stranger in particular was alluring for the simple fact he was an unique extraterrestrial that had luscious fur and hair and had a build that had me curious, but that was it. The only thing that even got us to meet up again was when I met back up with Ciel and Ra''rael to checkout and he was there engaging in a conversation with them both. Of course, Ra''rael was the first to pick up on my presence, his large ears never failing to pick up on distant noises, and all three were immediately alerted of my approach.


    "Ah, hello Minuet." He greeted me with a smile before nodding towards the stranger. "We ran into a friend of ours and were just talking about you."


    "You were?" I asked, although I would have rather stayed quiet. At the same time, I didn''t want to seem like an asshole either. I was moderately surprised to see that it was the stranger I had seen previously, but I remained quiet and only greeted him proper. "Hello, by the way. Are you in the same building?"


    "I''m afraid not. I live in the south building." He smiled, extending his hand where I immediately shook it. He didn''t exactly have paw pads, but his had was soft enough to be one on its own. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Minuet. I''m Sorin - I know Ciel and Ra''ael because we attend the same classes."


    Anyone who knows me already know exactly why I included this part of the story, and for new readers who are already making their own assumptions on the matter - all of which I am sure are similar if not the same - yes, I engaged in an interspecies relationship with Sorin some time down the line. As I''ve stated before, none of it was spontaneous as you would like to believe since my life isn''t that of the main protagonist of the next comedy romance. And while I do not want to give the full story just yet given that it''s not the time, please bear in mind that my memoirs do not strictly revolve around Sorin and I despite our relationship making a huge impact in both of our lives than we had initially anticipated. My fellow humans are most likely frowning at the idea of another having any sort of intimate affairs with an extraterrestrial as we are still stuck on our traditional ways in regards to sticking with our own species when engaging in courtship, and just that detail alone was the cause of why I almost didn''t get this published in the first place. Nevertheless, while the act is still frowned up and even seen as a taboo in large circles on Earth, that still didn''t stop me or Sorin as he was one of the main reasons why I am where I am now. But more on that a bit later.


    We spoke for a good while as I began to checkout, my three new friends explaining how they knew each other after working on a group project for their class. They were close friends, although Ra''rael and Sorin were particularly close since they knew each other longer. In turn, I told him how this would be my first year attending Phideza and how I had moved in the previous night, and meeting with my friends. Of course, he was also aware that I was the only human in the entirety of the east building and I gained the strangest feeling that I would be hearing that for the remainder of my time there. Not that it bothered me - it was puzzling and somewhat embarrassing at first, but I was slowly but steadily embracing the idea of being the only one of my kind amongst an apartment full of other diverse races, and I gained a little bit of pride behind that.


    We returned to the apartment with our new goodies in tow after the others had regrouped at the registers, where we went our separate ways since we had our own respective business to attend to. Granted, I really enjoyed my time with my friends, and that overwhelming sense of loneliness was becoming more and more of a distant memory, and I found myself smiling as I put away my groceries when I got home that evening. I would have regular meet-ups with them until school started the following week where they all helped me settle in as the days passed. They showed me around the Ark - well, they showed me around the district we lived in. Again, the Ark is a massive intergalactic hub, and despite only being built as a space station, it was large enough to almost be considered as a planetoid. The Ark was broken into several districts; the district we lived on was District Theta, which was considered to be where the middle or working class and students resided. This was the district I had to focus on since I lived there, but I still learned about the others just to have a relative idea rather than walk around completely ignorant. Of course, I didn''t memorize every district and its relative function my first time and it took me some time to remember just a third of the Ark itself. While there was a slim chance I would ever be going to any of the other districts if it wasn''t for school or work, I still wanted some idea as to what else was there other than the university.


    There wasn''t much for me to do for that week up until school finally started the following Tuesday, where my wacky adventures and misadventures truly began. That''s right - the introductory portion of this story has come to and end, and the main event is coming up, which is what I am positive most of you are reading this for. Allow me to entertain you with the strangeness that my life was about to become.