—What does it look like, their planet?
—Well, it’s a planet, so it really depends on where you go. They have oceans, two continents. Each is divided into … regions … Osk, where we first stayed, was really … clean. Have you ever been to Singapore?
—No, why?
—Never mind. It was just really well kept. Beautiful, lots of old buildings. It’s where their … planetary government—I guess you can call it that—meets. The imperial palace is there. It’s gorgeous.
—Skyscrapers?
—No, everything was low. Nothing above two or three floors. We were in a government compound, though, so we didn’t see everything there was to see in Osk. They moved us to Etyakt next. Another region. It’s a weird mix of old and new. Lots of people from different places—
—You mean planets?
—Well, yeah. Planets, other regions. They were all born on Esat Ekt as far as I know, but some had ancestors that were from other worlds. Lots of different customs, all sorts of weird food. It wasn’t as pretty as Osk, but more … lively.
—Why did you have to move?
—Like I said, we were in some government building. Eva, Rose, and Eugene—I mean General Govender—were bunking together. There was a lot more room in Etyakt. We each had a house. Well, not Eva.
—They gave it to you? Like, a real house?
—I don’t think it was really ours. I never asked. It’s not like we were going to sell it.
—Go on.
—That’s it. We moved to a new place.
—And you watched TV for nine years. The end.
—There’s … no TV. There’s information you can watch, but they don’t act. No … fiction, just info.
—Why not?
—I don’t know. They just don’t. They write books, novels, but nothing visual. To have someone pretend to be someone else is just … not something they do. Anyway, we didn’t need TV. We had a whole world to discover. It took us weeks to figure out the house. How to use the kitchen, how to—
—Uh-huh.
—What? Too mundane for you?
—I don’t know, I think alien world, I don’t think Martha Stewart.
—What did you expect? Space combat? We ate and we slept and we washed dishes. I know it sounds boring, but … how do I explain this? Imagine yourself in a place that kinda looks like here, but every little thing is just different enough to make you feel like an idiot. It’s familiar, but you don’t know how to use the door handles, the toilet. You don’t know if the thing you’re holding in your hand is a fork or some kind of screwdriver. Is that box food, something like salt, what you clean the toilet with? We were … lost.
FILE NO. EE026—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT
Interview between Rose Franklin and Vincent Couture
Location: Assigned residence, Etyakt region
—Can we do this quick, Rose? Eva wants to take a walk, and I don’t want her to go outside alone.
—It won’t take long. I just want to keep some record of our time here if we’re leaving soon. Do you mind?
—No, it’s fine. Go! Go! Let’s talk.
—So … What can you tell us about where we are?
—Enatast told me this is a residential neighborhood somewhere in the Etyakt region. I’m not sure what these houses are for, but he said we can stay here until we leave. It’s pretty. There are trees everywhere. Weird, alien trees.
—They’re not that weird. I’m actually surprised at how not weird everything is. I mean, sure, it’s all different, but it’s also …
—Not different?
—There are houses, for one thing, streets, neighborhoods. They have government. Some of it makes sense. They’ve spent a couple thousand years on Earth near what was the epicenter of civilization. It’s possible they’ve influenced us a lot more than we thought—don’t tell them I said that. But there are things I really didn’t expect. Look at how close their vegetation is to ours.
—Rose, I’ve looked. Have you ever seen a tree with multicolor bark?
—I have. Rainbow eucalyptus. I think that’s what it’s called. Has bark just like that. The street is a lot weirder if you ask me. That black sand, it looks volcanic. I wonder if all the streets are like that.
—You’re free to walk around, you know. You wanted to see more of the place. Here’s your chance.
—Do we know if it’s safe?
—I don’t think they would have us stay in the middle of a war zone, Rose. There aren’t any guards at the door.
—I saw one walk by earlier. Her uniform looked different, but she was armed.
—Different government. I know they call them regions—well, I call them regions, they call them etyeks. It means a part of something, but from what I gather it’s really more like a country. Different rules, different … everything. We were in the Osk region before, this is just south of that. And by south, I mean lower on the map that Enatast showed me. I don’t know if there’s really a south.
—Vincent, did Ena …
—His name is Enatast.
—Did Enatast tell you why we’re here?
—He said we’d be more comfortable.
—Did he say when we’re leaving?
—He says he doesn’t know.
—Do you believe him? We were supposed to leave right away, and it’s been days.
—Do I believe that he doesn’t know when? Yes. I’m sure he knows what the holdup is about but that he won’t say.
—I have a feeling we’ll be here awhile.
—Why do you say that?
—They’ve given us a place to live, Vincent. It seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a few extra nights. We could have stayed where they were holding us before.
—I don’t know. He says we’re leaving soon. There’s obviously a lot he’s not telling me, in part because I can’t understand half of what he says, but I don’t think he has any reason to lie to us. He’s getting good, though. He can pronounce d’s now, sorta, and r’s. He growls them. He still adds vowels before everything, but you can barely hear it anymore.
—He’s right about one thing. This place is way more comfortable.
—You like it here, don’t you?
—I just said it’s a lot more comfortable.
—I didn’t mean the house. You like being here, on this planet.
—It’s a bit eerie, but yes, I do. It’s a new world, aren’t you the least bit excited?
—Looks a lot like Havana, without any windows.
—I’ve never been to Cuba.
—Sorry, I forgot you weren’t allowed back then. I went on vacation a few times. You could get an all-inclusive for five hundred bucks, booze included. Anyway, that’s what it looks like. Spanish architecture, intricate details, bright colors. Only Havana’s falling apart. It looks great from the street, but go on a rooftop, and it looks like Beirut. Gaping holes everywhere. This place is in great shape.
—And empty.
—We can’t complain about the neighbors.
—It’s not just our block, Vincent. Eugene and I went outside. We didn’t see anyone, anywhere.
—There’s a market about a twenty-minute walk that way, supposedly. Enatast said there are people living on the other side of that.
—OK, but you don’t think it’s weird that there are empty houses for miles on end? Also, there are no … cars, no vehicles.
—There weren’t any where they kept us before either. I noticed that when we left. Maybe they … beam themselves anywhere they can’t walk. And yeah, of course it’s weird, Rose. Everything is. Have you tried the bathroom?
—I have.
—Do your legs touch the ground?
—No, they just hang. But I understand the concept. Their legs have to bend underneath, and they have these extra joints so they can keep their feet on the floor.
—Does your …
—Vincent, we don’t need to talk about the toilet …
—Yeah, but my …
—I know. I know. Can you ask him about all the empty houses next time you see him?
—Sure. But seriously, Rose, what do you care if we’re going home?
—I’m curious.
—And? Come on, I know when you have something on your mind.
—I …
—What? You can say it.
—I don’t think we’re going home.
—Oh, we’re going, Rose. I don’t care if you want to stay. We’re going home.
—I didn’t say I don’t want to go home. I just don’t think they’re sending us back.