Dimension 11 — Rokon City Municipal Hospital (RCMH)

09:21.

Sage called Eberkerson urgently as zei stood on the large balcony of Rokon’s Interdimensional Hospital overlooking a view of the busiest part of Rokon City—a hub of tight-knit, tall buildings surrounding two gigantic portals. The portals were invisible, with some hints of distortion within their circles. The only indication they were there was the oval metal structures built around their circumferences, sitting atop hefty towers. Surrounding the portal towers were many layers of city—tiered buildings split by large balconies and platforms interconnected by translucent glass-like bridges. Neon holographic lines weaved in between the buildings, indicating sky roads. They hosted a steady stream of vehicle traffic, most of which was trains, while personal vehicles were relegated to their own roads.

Zei tapped huir foot impatiently until Eber picked up the call. Zei didn’t even wait for vir to say “hello” before zei whisper-screamed, “EBBOT! Finally, you answered. Did you set me up to pick up a living being from a new portal that accidentally opened?!”

“Set you up?” Neir voice sounded amused. “What’s going on?”

“You tell me! You told me to meet you on Urthaian Island for a portal sighting, and then you bailed. Instead, I met—” Zei hunched, glancing over huir shoulder as if anyone could be listening on this empty balcony. Zei continued in a whisper, “—I met a girl who speaks an entirely new language that isn’t even listed on my translator. And translators have basically every language imaginable in the SSPN; you know that! It has even the most remote ones.”

“Urthaian? Did I text you wrong? I meant Unaius Island.”

Sage’s expression flattened in annoyance. “Dude. Unaius is literally at the opposite side of the realm.”

“I’m sorry, Sage. That was a pretty bad typo on my end.”

“Fine, well… About this new friend I just met—”

Sage gave Eber the rundown of the situation. However, zei added one observation. “But you know what’s weird? Why would zei not know the common language when zei’s dressed more or less like a modern Rokonian? Minus the tech, but still. Usually, unknown languages belong to really remote groups of people.”

Eber hummed thoughtfully. “That is a rather odd discrepancy. So either huir language is one of the rare ones that they forgot to put on the translator, or zei’s from a new planet entirely.”

“Yeah, could be… Wait. You sound like you’re joking.”

“I couldn’t say.”

Sage rolled huir eyes and went monotone. “Sure. So you sent me to Urthaian. Maybe a portal to a new world really did open up, and you sent me to retrieve a specimen.”

“Would I have? At 8 in the morning, when the SEU Portal Union was all over Unaius Island? But to be fair to you, I did recently get notified about an even more recent portal, somewhat near Urthaian Island. It’s just as surprising to me as it is to you.”

Sage crossed huir arms over huir chest and leaned back against the balcony rail. Raised huir eyebrows skeptically. “Oh? So one did show up at Urthaian. How very convenient. I’m sure you would’ve traced the activity long before the portal showed up.”

Eber said, “Technically impossible. I was just informed about scanners picking up on the Urthaian portal around the same time you arrived on the island. I am guessing because it’s so far away from the primary scanners, it must’ve been detected when it had grown large enough, presumably long after it had actually appeared. I reckon that’s the only reason the SEU hasn’t found your new friend. Zei could’ve emerged through the portal before the portal was large enough to be traced.”

Sage continued to look forcefully skeptical, like zei didn’t want to relinquish huir position, but finally conceded and sighed. “Okay, fine. You win. Setting me up just seems like something you’d do, that’s all.”

“Well, assuming your friend is, indeed, from a new planet, that would be pretty big news,” Eber remarked. “If it was something I needed to handle, I might rather have you pick en up than leave en to the hands of the SEU.”

“What? Why? I thought the SEU would be the safest to go with as an alien.”

“Let’s just say in the worst-case scenario, it might turn into an Aecus-In-the-Mestaurit-Lab situation. Observing the trajectory of our governments, even the SEU seems to have a motive to exploit SE7-16 loopholes.”

Sage looked spooked. Zei leaned in and whispered, “You’re kidding. That was the SEU, not some illegal lab?!”

“Now that I think about it, you should probably convince Kiri not to seek help with any of the hospital’s connections. I don’t know which of them wouldn’t exploit en, but I do know that a majority of them would, at the very least, ask en for unsavory favors in exchange for getting home. So it’s better not to risk it.”

“So then what would I do? Who do you suggest I go to?”

“Zeijien and I, of course.”

“Really? Are you sure that’s—” Sage glanced behind en when zei heard the doors of the balcony slide open. Zei panicked when zei spotted Kiri emerge. Sie was so far away that nei couldn’t have heard their conversation, but Sage held back and grimaced. “Look, Ebby, I have to go. I’ll let you know what Kiri tells me.”

Zei didn’t wait to say or hear “goodbye” before ending the call. Zei swiped huir floating hologram screen away and met Kiri at the center of the balcony. “So? How’d it go?” zei asked nem, forcing a smile.

Neir hands trembled slightly. Despite that, nei looked relieved. “Well, I have made it,” nei answered. “Thankfully, I don’t have afraid of needles. They warned me I could maybe allergic to Indren gulf mushrooms, though.” 

Sage let out a sigh, which turned into a short laugh. “Thank Cade! At least that’s one less major thing to worry about.”

A view of the city distracted Kiri. Zei approached the rail of the balcony and looked out distantly, like zei had fallen into a trance. Sage folded huir arms over huir chest and smiled. “Gotta say, this view’s one of my favorites.”

“It is like dream. It’s nothing like city in my—” Kiri stopped enself suddenly and looked nervous.

They stayed silent for a little while. Sage stewed over what to say next. What if Kiri really was from an entirely new planet? Would it be safe to leave en in the hands of the state? Sage cleared huir throat. Carefully asked, “So, do you have a place to stay?”

Kiri was suddenly dragged back into reality. Zei looked frightened, just like zei had back on Urthaian Island. Zei didn’t say anything. Maybe even couldn’t.

Sage attempted to coax nem once gently. “Is everything okay? Do you need help? I’d be happy to get you back to wherever you need to go.”

Nei opened neir mouth, then closed it again.

Zei thought about asking if nei would accept help from the hospital, but zei kept thinking about what Eber said. If nei was going to shut down like this, zei would need to think carefully about huir approach. Zei took a deep breath, then said, “Sooo… how’d you get on the island where we met? It’s pretty remote.”

Zei saw nem stiffen. Nevertheless, nei surprised en with an answer. “Rowed,” nei murmured.

“Rowed? That’s pretty far from any of the boating clubs in Rokon or Risenen. Do you remember where you rowed from?”

“I—” nei began to quiver. Sage could almost smell the war going on in neir head right now. Just when zei was about to ask a follow-up question, nei finally admitted, “I was not in sea before, but it was grassy lands. It was night. There was boat. But then I fell asleep in boat, and in morning I—there was sea suddenly.”

“I see. Here in the Sooted Star Central Realm, the sea can actually turn into the grassy plains. But it doesn’t do it overnight. I wouldn’t be surprised if you came through a portal from one of the Big Five.”

“Portal?”

“Lots of those around here. It’s normal for portals to open up to one of the Big Five. Sometimes, unexpected ones open up to very remote areas on the planets. So people, plants, and animals might accidentally come through. I wouldn’t be surprised if one could open up to an entirely new planet, and an alien could come through.”

“Huh? What is Big Five?”

“Oh, just slang. I mean, the five planets that are connected to this Central Realm—the one we’re in right now. It’s pretty common knowledge here throughout the Network, but I won’t judge if you’re from somewhere isolated and didn’t know.”

Sage knew zei had given Kiri an option nei hadn’t even thought of—nei could pretend nei was from one of the five planets but from an isolated society. Then again, what did that mean about neir chances of getting home? Zei prayed that nei would tell the truth if for no other reason than for neir sake.

Nei deliberated with nemself for a bit before asking, “Wait so... We are in Central Realm. It has portals to five planets?”

“Yes, and the entire thing is called the Sooted Star Planet Network. The SSPN—or ‘the Network,’ for short.” Zei quickly whipped out huir holo screen. Searched up a 3D map of the SSPN, which appeared in the air separately from the screen. The Central Realm looked like a round, flat plane covered by a clear dome. Surrounding it were five planets. Lines notated as “portals” radiated out from the Central Realm, connecting it to each of the five planets. Sage presented it and said, “Here, this is the simplest map I could find.”

“Oh. And you say I come from one of planets?”

“Maybe so. Do you? What’s the name of your planet?”

Zei thought Kiri would break here, but instead, nei went silent again. Zei looked away, brief frustration flashing over huir face, then zei said, “Look, I didn’t want to say this, but earlier, when you were talking in your language, I was using my translator. Modern translators can capture over 99 percent of languages on all planets, but yours isn’t from any of the five planets in the Network. The only languages it might not catch are those from extremely remote, cut-off areas. But your clothes don’t indicate you’re very cut off from the rest of the world.”

Kiri caved, finally. Huir shoulders shook, and zei couldn’t look into Sage’s eyes. “I see. I—well it seems you know, then, I’m not from here—I mean, Network I’m not from.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you got through the hospital and their fancy scanners without them suspecting a thing. They probably just read you as human, like me. So, you certainly won’t be treated like an alien trying to invade the planet.”

This brought out a weak but genuine chuckle from Kiri.

Sage tried once more, “So, what is the planet you come from?”

“Aerth.”

“So not one of the Big Five.”

“I guess not.”

Sage grinned like an excited child. “That’s sick! Well, I know it’s freaky being in a new world. But I promise I can help you get home.”

“You can?”

“I have a genius friend who has authority in the Portal Union and would be happy to open a portal back to your world. Until then, you’re totally welcome to stay with me! Or you can stay at the hospital until they find you a temporary living situation, no problem.”

~ ~ ~

Sage and Kiri returned to the hospital’s front desk. Kiri had decided zei would rather stay with just a few strangers (Sage and neir family) over a bunch of them sharing a single large room. Besides, Sage was nice enough—a welcome warm presence Kiri hadn’t seen since huir two only friends moved out of Goldtown.

They thanked Dr. Reunko for neir help before heading back to Sage’s car in the front parking lot. They made it there as the morning heat rose. Rolled down the windows to let in a warm breeze while they took off and resumed their journey along the holographic sky roads.

They traveled deeper into the city, where Kiri noticed the little details—the elevators floating up and down along the sides of the tall buildings, connecting the layers of the city. The diverse set of “marrun” (which Kiri figured it wouldn’t hurt to translate to “humans”) mainly walked along the ground but also back and forth across the glassy sky bridges connecting the large balconies in a crystal-like latticework. Zei stared, mesmerized at how the trains ran along the grassy tracks on the ground level to the holographic sky roads near the tops of the tallest buildings.

Every layer of the city was like its own ecosystem—connected, and it was like someone could live at the literal top of the city and never need to go to the ground. Every layer appeared to have stores, restaurants, parks, and housing. There was no shortage of greenery. Most of it existed on the ground level, but plenty was on the balconies. Some even adorned the sides of the buildings, acting as deflectors to the heated sunlight bouncing off the silvery buildings. Holographic projections of advertisements lined the walls of some buildings, adding a bit of flashy color to the overall green and silver color scheme. There seemed to be advertisements with anti-senergie sentiments strewn about, which could easily be missed or ignored because of how integrated they were into the infrastructure. Bunches of orbs floated between the roads and the bridges, their little mechanical eyes searching for something Kiri didn’t yet know.

~ ~ ~

With Kiri in tow, Sage quickly dropped by huir university to drop off the portable seafood freezers before heading home. It wasn’t far from Sage’s apartment, and it was only 10:00 in the middle of a bright, cloudless morning by the time they arrived. Kiri’s stomach was rumbling madder than ever, despite the quick protein bar Sage had kindly given en.

Sage parked the car on the roof of the apartment. “By the way, you’re not in any pain, are you? From the vaccines, I mean?”

“Ah—no, I am well.”

“I mean, better than dying randomly, though. Or killing the entire Rokon population.” Sage said with a smirk.

“Correct, I believe.”

“Imagine if you brought some plague here, though. The headlines being like, ‘alien comes into Sooted Star and kills the entire human population with killer bacteria.’” Sage laughed heartily.

“I’m surprised they didn’t question where from I am. But I am just a glad that I wasn’t found to be carrying some deadly virus. If I was, I would be—uh, ‘hammered,’ if that is the word to use?”

Sage snorted a laugh. “Screwed. You’d be screwed. But it’s part of their protocol that they treat everyone without regard to their origins. Believe it or not, they frequently treat species that aren’t human, but have similar intelligence. Oh, and once, an extremely rare giant whale from planet Aecadien somehow came through a portal and had to be treated here before it was released back to where it came from—okay, well, maybe not the best example because they found it where it came from, but my point stands. The Health Neutrality Pact is still going strong.” Zei wavered on that last sentence, then continued, “They might only question if you’re carrying something that could be a danger to the public.”

Kiri looked doubtful. “You found out I’m of other world and don’t seem upset. But what if government—or something like—what if they find? You said your friend is authority, no?”

Sage tried to hide huir discomfort with the question behind a smile. After hearing that even Eberkerson distrusted the SEU authorities, zei wasn’t sure how to approach this. Zei reassured with forced confidence, “You’d probably be fine, even with most of the authorities. They’re some of the only folks who could get you home, after all.”

Kiri looked a little defeated. “Right, of course.”

Sage looked sympathetic, then sighed. “That being said, your fears aren’t totally unfounded. Our political climate is kind of—uh, botched, to say the least. I know that it’s probably hard to trust anyone right now, but I genuinely want to try my best to help you until you can get back.”

The two of them exited the car and headed toward the roof entrance of the apartment. It stood out as a single sheltered door leading down into a staircase. The second door down was the entrance to Sage’s apartment.

 In the apartment, they landed in a hallway with dark wooden floors and faded white walls, which led to a few open rooms on either side. Boxes, clothes, and knick-knacks stood against the walls disorganizedly as if the residents were ready to move out.

A girl who looked around 12, wearing a dress-like lavender sweater over leggings and medium-length dreadlocked hair, emerged from one of the rooms. “Sis, did you hear about the new portals that opened up?”

The kid flinched and skidded to a halt when zei spotted Kiri.

Sage was about to reply, but looked back and forth between the kid and Kiri. “Oh, Kiri, this is my sibling, Ileris,” zei said.

Kiri looked blankly at Ileris, attempting to muster a “hello.” When was the last time zei was introduced to someone new in an everyday context?

Ileris wore that awkward preteen smile that made it obvious huir comfort level was little more than a thin piece of glass that could crack under the slightest pressure. Zei looked almost like Kiri had just before meeting Sage—unsure whether to risk meeting a stranger or turn and retreat. If zei was anything like Kiri, zei certainly wasn’t about to make the first attempt to break the silence.

Kiri smiled politely. “Nice to meet you, Ileris.”

“And this is my new friend, Kiri,” Sage continued.

Ileris shyly smiled, and dimples appeared—just like huir sister’s smile dimples, but less pronounced. “Mmh… nice to meet you.” Zei bowed slightly before quickly disappearing into the next room.

Sage yelled after nem. “Hey! Aren’t you gonna tell me about these new portals?”

Ileris called back, muffled in the next room. “I dunno. Find out yourself! Ask that Eber guy or something.”

Sage chuckled. Said to Kiri, “Don’t worry. Zei’s shy around everyone at first meeting. Zei’s 12 after all, you know how it is at that age—” Zei lowered huir volume to a whisper. “—I mean, unless kids are different on your planet.”

Kiri matched neir volume. “Same, very much so.”

“Oh, goodie!” Sage excitedly gestured for Kiri to follow en as zei headed to a room resembling a regular kitchen from Kiri’s world, despite the fancy induction stovetop. “Hey, so I’m cooking tonight. I have a lot to make extras for you. Care to help? Might help you feel more a part of this world for now until we get you home.”

Kiri nodded absently. What else would zei do, anyway?