Everything hurt. His twisted muscles ached, and it stung too much to move. The cold ground against Ryan's cheek was the main welcoming card. He felt small arms lying against his back, along with a head. He freaked out, not knowing who or what was ontop of him. He began to breathe heavily, which made his back burn even more, rubbing up against the body resting on his back.

He paused, recognizing the cave wall. He hoped it was Emmeny he felt, and not something else. He slowly moved his head to confirm his suspicion. The blonde child laid over Ryan's body, exhausted with tears of mourning.

Foot prints could be heard slapping against the cave floor. The sound of shackles accompanied it. A blue webbed foot slid into Ryan's vision along with a broken chain.  Slowly the creature knelt beside the children, it's face within sight. It garbled some nonsense before catching Ryan's eyes and smiling.

"A human child? How far have you come?"

Ryan was afraid to anwser. He watched as the ocean blue humaniod took Emmeny into his arms. His ears looked like a webbed foot and he had black hair tied behind his head.

"Let go of her!" Ryan coughed, trying to get up.

He didn't make it far before the pain took over and he collapsed. He gritted his teeth trying again as tears rushed into his eyes.

"Calm child. Calm. I wish to help you." The man frowned.  "I have an ointment to alleviate those burns."

Ryan sunk back down. It didn't matter if it was true or not. He wanted it to be true. He was in so much pain. Where was Amaya, where was Bek, or Akoma? He needed help, where were they?

"My name is Pakki. I'm from Therra." The alien announced cradling Emmeny in his arms.

Pakki set up a small hammock, lying Emmeny inside before returning to Ryan. He gently raised the boy off the ground to place him on a thin metal table.

"May I begin to apply the ointment, it will require me to remove your shirt?" Pakki asked.

Ryan nodded, trying to hold back his pained cries and tears. The smooth watery like hand of Pakki smothered a cool, pain-relieving, white ointment. It was almost the same consistency as peanut butter.

Ryan could feel the pain alleviate near instantaneously. He became  able to move and talk now that he could breathe easy.

"What are you?" Ryan asked, as Pakki applied the remedy to the young boys chest.

"Ah. I am not from this world. You humans call us Novis. It has some origin of a dead language I presume. As it is the same for the name we call ourselves."

"If you're not from here, are you from the stars?" Ryan asked, breathing in heavily.

"Indeed." Pakki smiled. "I believe the term is, in your language, alien."

"Alien? What's that mean?"

"I'm a foreigner. A person from another world, or country. The history of my specious comes from another planet. One that is full of water, flush swamps, and green trees, much different then this hell of a wasteland." Pakki began somewhat passionately.

"I'm sorry Pakki." Ryan muttered. "You're still a person. You shouldn't have to hurt."

"Hurting is part of life child." Pakki said staring at the cave wall, "How else would we learn to smile if we were not born crying?"

Ryan shrugged, "Useally the adults have all the answers. I wish I knew to though."

"Then ask questions." Pakki said with a smile, pointing his finger in the air. "The purpose of an individual's life is hidden behind the right questions. Where are you? From where did you come? To where will you go, and why will you go? These are the questions I ask myself. But perhaps you must first ask, what does it all mean? Your questions are your own. Let them guide you."

"I don't know what questions to ask." Ryan admitted. "What if someone doesn't have the answer?"

"Then you must search for it."

"Is that why you came here?" Ryan asked.

Pakki smiled once more, his sharp pointed teeth showing, "No, I am not here by choice. I was sent here, and now I am trapped here."

"What do you mean?" Ryan questioned.

Pakki raised an eyebrow, "I came here in a round orb. It was my prison."

"Are you talking about the raumschiff?"

"I don't know how you say the word in your tounge." Pakki admitted. "But I came from space."

"From space?" Ryan asked.

"Yes," Pakki started. "I'll share the details later. What she your nanes?"

"My name is Ryan." Ryan replied pointing towards Emmeny, "And that is Emmeny."

"Greetings once more, young sir." Pakki bowed.

"Pakki do you know how Emmeny controlled my dagger? She caused it to shift and go through a Deacon's skull." Ryan whispered fearlessly.

Pakki's eyes shifted, "This is interesting. No, I cannot say that I have."

Ryan nodded, "Do you know anyone who does?"

Pakki nodded, "Yes. My tribe keeper will know."

"Awesome!"

Emmeny stirred as Pakki looked at the girl, "Because she is different, they will find her strange. Human's will hate her. Fate has not been too kind to the girl."

Ryan sat in his thoughts. It wasn't fair that people would be treated differently. Weren't all humans created equal? They all were supposed to be important.

"I don't think that's fair?" Ryan pouted.

"The balance of life is not that it is fair, but that it is unfair for everyone." Pakki said, dumbfounding the boy.

Ryan leaned forward, Pakki finishing his application of the ointment. The alien walked towards the entrance of the cave as if to leave. Ryan launched back afraid Pakki would leave, when he spotted the Novis bring a hide bag towards the inner cave.

"It will be dark soon, we have about 4 more hours of daylight." Pakki announced. "You should sleep. It will help your body heal."

"You're not going to leave us, right?" Ryan asked.

"No, I will watch out, to make sure you are safe. You have nothing to fear. Sleep child."

Ryan didn't want to argue, he was already tired and wanted to go back to sleep. He leaned over, lying on his arm as he let the sleep overcome his body. The next thing Ryan knew, it was dark out. Either early morning or evening, he couldn't tell which from inside the cave.

The squeaky, excited whisperings of Emmeny's voice was what stirred him. Ryan looked over his body, he could see that his skin was still damaged, but it didn't hurt to move, as long as he didn't move too fast. He got up, walking towards the girl talking to their new friend Pakki.

"Yes, I can take you there."

"Can you take me tonight?" Emmeny asked evermore excited.

"Certainly, but you must be close behind, so that the predators don't attack."

Emmeny nodded as Ryan made his presence known. "What are you talking about?"

Both parties looked back to the young boy, as Emmeny spoke. "Pakki said that when you woke up we can meet the Prophet! He said it know's everything!"

"What's the Prophet?" Ryan wondered. "What would you ask it?"

"I want to know why I'm a super hero." Emmeny asked, "And where my mommy and daddy went."

"All great questions, young Emmeny! Useally humans are not allowed an audience with our god, which is who the Prophet is. But I can make an exception."

"A god? Akoma told me God doesn't exist, only the Een."

"Well, some folk are just misguided at times. He may simply have differences with the man, nothing too grandiose, but that which causes him to hate those of power. I assure you, our god is real." Pakki reaffirmed.

Pakki picked up his glave as the young children followed him towards his tribe. The name of Pakki's tribe was Wohkoa, or as he described it, Dancing-Sun in human. He explained briefly to the children what a tribe was as he guided them through the sands.

As they moved through the shifting sands they dodged clusters of searching Deacons. Pakki knew the exact areas to move around their four-man patrols. Hiding behind rocks and stone walls within the canyon, they moved without incident. Pakki held his glave tightly in his hands as they shuffled beyond each group in the cover of night.

After about an hour or so they had made their way to a wall made of thorn bushes. Sand reefs, as the vegetation was called, were razor sharp to the touch, with jagged bone like teeth for thorns. These thorn bushes were stacked two men high with dirt, mud, and sticks holding it to the ground. Wood around these parts was rare, even for the Wohkoa. The houses were made of rock and a dirt glue to hold it in place: others residence were holes in the ground, dug out by hand made tools. The sight was impressive, to the young children.

"Pakki, you know you cannot bring humans into our walls!" A voice called from above.

Pakki scratched his head, anwser back to another Novis, "We must make an exception. This girl is a erus sapien."

"Why have you brought her here? She's dangerous!"

"Let me speak to the Wahku. He will see my reasons." Pakki replied.

The Novis nodded his head, as he left his post. After a minute or two an alien of the same species came to greet them. They looked almost all the same to the children, some had spots, others had strips, some were green, and others were blue. The skin color variations were akin to a rainbow's.

"Welcome human spawn. Pakki has sacrificed a great deal to bring you here. So, why have you come?"

"We seek answers from the Prophet." Pakki answered.

"Why?" The Wahku replied. "Such knowledge would make an erus-sapien dangerous."

"She's not our enemy. She's a friend, right Emmeny?" Pakki looked down to the little girl.

Emmeny nodded, shy from all the attention. The Wahku was unimpressed, but Pakki smiled, finding the small human's actions cute.

"We came for anwsers." Ryan spoke up. We're not here to hurt you, besides what could two kids do against a bunch of adults?"

"Two dead Deacons, says they can do alot." The Wahku countered.

"We aren't friends of the Deacons." Pakki replied, "I've been with them two days, and they have not harmed me."

"Very well Pakki. You may take them, but I warn you, the consequences lay on your shoulders." The Wahku replied.

"Thank you Wahku Bayh." Pakki replied.

The children were guided towards a giant rock slightly off centered in the village. They were getting weird stares from everyone. Pakki looked at the rock stretching his arms out and yelling.

"Oh mighty Prophet, hear our call, and anwser our questions!" The words reverberated as a figure appeared before them.

A bald man looked over the three, appearing from nowhere. He smiled and gave a bow. "I'm online, please ask your questions. I will answered all unclassified information."

"What are you?" Ryan asked.

"I'm a holographic inquiry communication supervisor. Or, H.I.C.S. however the lifeforms of this sociaty call me Prophet."

Pakki looked at the children, standing beside him. He was curious what more they would ask.

"What's a holographic mean?" Ryan inquired.

"It is a three-dimensional image produced by a hologram. In other words I am a hologram. A hologram is a physical recording of an interference pattern which uses duffraction to reproduce a three-dimensional light field, resulting in an image which retains the depth, parallax, and other properties of the original scene. I am in a sense a recording."

Emmeny squinted at the figure uncertain how to respond. "You look familiar, do I know you?"

"Correct. My existence is substantially made of lights produced by micro technology. The same technology which was the pinnacle of humanity's achievements."

"Mr. Prophet, do you know where my mommy and daddy are?" Emmeny spoke up.

A beam of light extended out from the hologram, scanning over Emmeny. The image glitched before it responded.

"Emmeny Key. Father Richard Key, mother Sarah Key, both disconnected. All known personal from unit bravo disconnected. Bravo team presumed dead. You are the sole survivor. All access granted."

"What's deceased mean?" Emmeny asked.

"Their vital signs are reading as dead, I therefore hypothesized they are dead." Prophet replied.

"What!" Emmeny shouted, falling to the floor.

Ryan watched the girl crawl into a ball, crying and sniffling. Ryan had the same question, though he wasn't certain he should ask.

"What is an Erus Sapien?" Pakki asked.

"Classified information. Access not granted. Please speak to the presiding officer, currently: Emmeny, Key."

"What?" Pakki asked looking down at the girl. "She's the presiding officer? When did this happen?"

"One minute and twenty three seconds from time of inquiry."

"H.I.C.S. do you know who I am too?"

Another blue scan reached out, scanning Ryan. Then a reply began.

"Biological scan details Rykker DNA. Conclusion, Maxwell Rykker's descendant, from team Alpha confirmed deceased. Intellect stored in data base. Xenobot count low. Injection recommended."

Ryan hung his head low. He knew Akoma had already told him his parents were dead, but he had hoped they were still alive. He gripped his hand into a fist.

"How can I receive an injection?" Pakki asked.

"Negative. Piscus Longus specious is incompatible with current injection, leading results suggest death."

"What is the home world of piscus longus?" Pakki asked.

"Unknown. Piscus longus origins have yet to be discovered. Existance, theoretical, scan indicates potential  classified life-form." The Prophet replied.

"Why can I control knives?" Emmeny asked, wiping her tears away.

"Supposed inquiry magnetism. Further data needed. Supposed anwser, erus sapien."

"What is magnetism?"

"Magnetism is an eletric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects."

Shouting was heard a little ways away. The sudden noise caught Ryan's and Emmeny's attention. Tossing a Novis aside, Akoma made his way towards the children. Beside him was a young man about the age of fifteen. Ryan knew who it was. It was Jacob.

"Ryan, Emmeny, come here." Akoma called out.

The two children followed heads hung low. They were in trouble, and they knew it.

"Sir, there's no reason to be so harsh. Stay for a while." Pakki tried.

"I'm here for the children. Beyond that, I have no interest here." Akoma replied.

"Pakki was nice to us though. Can't we stay a bit longer" Emmeny asked.

"Pakki?" Akoma said looking down at Emmeny. "He's a criminal. It would be better if you didn't know his name."

Pakki gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He waved his hand in the air, "The past doesn't always determine our future Sand Walker."

"I disagree. Ryan, Emmeny, lets go." Akoma said starring into Pakki's eyes.

"But Akoma." Ryan started. The sheer glare of his guardian said it all. Yet the look was accompanied by words.

"Not another word." Akoma turned to glare at Jacob. The young man nodded as he took both Emmeny and Ryan by the hand. He led the two children out, followed close by Akoma. As soon as they cleared the walls the tall Akoma looked both the children over.

"Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?" His voice was firm and unwavering. He sounded angry.

"Ryan's body is all burned." Emmeny said in an uncertain whisper.

"Let me see." Akoma said, gently taking the shirt off the boy. Akoma's eyes turned into a squint as he looked into Ryan's eyes.

"Did they do this to you?" He asked with authority.

"No." Ryan hesitated, "It was the Deacons. Pakki was the one who was helping us."

"I trust the Deacon's more than this Pakki. He's dangerous."

"Akoma." Jacob chirped up, "shouldn't we finish this somewhere else?"

Akoma glared up at the guards ontop the wall. Both parties were uncomfortable. Pakki glared from on top the wall, arms crossed.

"Lets do that. Ryan crawl on my back. I don't want you walking."

"What?" Ryan said stunned. Was he offering a piggyback ride?

"I'm going to carry you. Now. It's already dark out. Jacob carry Emmeny." Akoma commanded.

"Yes sir. Emmeny you ready?" Jacob asked warmly. He was a soft hearted youngman with a gentle soul. Oddly, he seemed very calculated.

"Let's go home, Aunt Tabby is waiting. She's been crying for you too." Akoma added, "She's very worried."

"What about Bek and Amaya are they okay?" Ryan asked.

Akoma sighed, "Yeah. They're fine. They were worried and insisted on joining us. I told them no, I'm sure they're waiting for you two."

Ryan smiled, "Good. My plan worked. I love you Akoma."

"I know. Just rest up for now." Akoma replied softly. "You're safe now."