Aᵁᴰᴵᴼ

[ancestor]

...Hello?

Hello. I am not supposed to be here. I am supposed to be—

[ The voice that speaks is so quiet it's nearly a whisper; quiet and lilting in a way reminiscent of whale song. Her words are cut short by a wavering intake of breath. When she speaks again it's with the fervent confusion of a person who has recently experienced something very traumatic and can't quite comprehend it. ]

I'm supposed to be... I'm dead? I'm meant to be dead. I remember it. I remember— It hurt. I remember that. It—hurts. They were all screaming. Everyone was—

All of them—

[ A small, choked sob. ]

My people.

I'm supposed to be with them.

Comments

[ancestor]

That the 'Hythlodaeus' you heard of is less prestigious is of no surprise—my friend always did prefer throwing us into the spotlight, grinning at us all the while.

'Dispenser of nonsense'... Hyth would have found such a title utterly delightful.

[albatrossomen]

Ah! That is pleasing to hear. Raphael would have taken the humor far less gracefully. Those who do not take themselves overly seriously are far preferable to those who do not, would you not agree?

[ancestor]

...Yes.

They are better at listening.

[albatrossomen]

Tell me more about your dispenser of nonsense?

[ancestor]

Hyth?

He was my oldest friend. Would have celebrated twelve centuries of companionship this upcoming decade...had things gone differently.

[albatrossomen]

[Now that's a surprise.]

You are very long-lived indeed. What, if I may ask, resulted in your falling out with Hades?

[ancestor]

What? I've barely passed my adolescence.

A disagreement.

[albatrossomen]

In my experience most scantly reach one century, much less twelve.

I see. Unfortunate.

[ancestor]

...What? That's ridiculous—they'd barely finish the first of their primaries.

[albatrossomen]

Typically they are finished with their initial education roughly around the time they are eighteen rotations around their sun.

I think, it's been some time since I've paid close attention. Might be sooner now.

[ancestor]

That is an infant.

[albatrossomen]

That is very nearly fully mature for them.

I say nearly, they tend to think they're fully world-wise by then. Until a few years later when they are actually finished growing.

[ancestor]

...No.

[albatrossomen]

No?

[ancestor]

No.

That is bullshite.

[albatrossomen]

Oh, if only. I am afraid I am not quite creative enough to come up with something so outlandish on my own.

[ancestor]

It's hardly outlandish.

It's stupid.

[albatrossomen]

You are welcome to ask any number of them to verify. We have a few aboard the ship.

[ancestor]

'Them'?

[albatrossomen]

Mortals, humans specifically.

[ancestor]

No.

[albatrossomen]

Again?

[ancestor]

I am human.

[albatrossomen]

Mmm, perhaps I must be more specific.

I am speaking of those humans that hail from a world they have named Earth, that orbits a single yellow star they have creatively named "The Sun" or Sol. They currently recognize eight planets and one proto-planet within their own solar system.

I could name those as well but it feels superfluous to this conversation. Given the information thus far, I doubt you hail from the same world. Or, if you do, it is in a vastly different universe.

[Murmur's a nerd.]

[ancestor]

No... That's moronic.