The Lizard Chronicles
Chapter 5
``You okay, Ryan?'' Lizareth says looking at me over her shoulder, with a worried, but caring look, and a hint of a grin for doing that to me. She's enjoying this. I thought, as I gather my composure, ``Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a heads up next time, before you shoot us at the speed of light.'' I reply gripping the arm rests tightly making my knuckles turn white.
``I thought you would love fast speeds, you love your powerful cars, you being a mechanic, would embrace speed.'' She says togging a few switches above her and adjusting her headset.
``I do embrace speed and power, Lizareth, my big block Chevy can do a quarter mile in three seconds, it can't go at the speed of light.''
She waves me off, ``You'll get used to it, and trust me.'' She replies looking back out the cockpit window. ``I do trust you, Lizareth.''
``Good, then there's nothing to be worried about.''
The ship shutters a bit, ``Exiting Earth's atmosphere, in: three... two...one.'' Announced Sen.
``Ryan,'' Lizareth says, grabbing my attention, ``Hmm?'' I say after looking at the majority of the control panels.
``We're in space now; take a look.'' She says smiling.
I stare at her with an amazed look; I hit the button releasing my restraints, as they retract into their slots. I get up out of my seat as I move towards the window to my right, which connected to the cockpit window for a 180 degree view. What meets my eyes is a beautiful view of the dark void of space, stars that shone bright, the blackness was beautiful with the contrast of the stars.
I see my own reflection in the window, ``It's... beautiful.'' I quietly say, as I turn my head to look at Lizareth, she gives me a gleaming smile, as she adjusts the controls to the right, as I feel the ship bank slowly to the right.
``Take a look now.'' She slowly replies. I turn my attention back toward the window, my jaw drops in pure amazement. The beautiful blue and green marble, which is my home, my planet, Earth is in full view for me to see. ``That's... my home. I've only seen it like this on TV shows and movies, but not in real life.''
``You human's have a beautiful home, Ryan, but you're slowly destroying it, squandering it, like you don't even care, you have to remind yourself; that will not be your home anymore, for a very, very long time.''
I flinched at each time she said `Very', it's true though, what she said has a lot of truth and logic behind it.
I sigh looking at my own reflection in the window, as I lean my shoulder against the bulkhead, gazing at my home world, ``I'm happy to leave Earth, there's a lot of arrogant humans to deal with on my planet, my race always thinks about themselves and no one else. I'm glad to have a fresh start and a new way of life, to get away from all that.''
``I will be honest with you, Ryan, I do not agree with a lot of things you humans do, your race are so arrogant, so selfish, your race enjoys bringing people down with you until there's nothing left, you squander people, your race makes me so...'' she gives an angry hiss and takes a deep breath.
``I'm sorry you feel that way, Lizareth.'' I say. ``It's not your fault, Ryan, you're an amazing human, you're caring, kind and compassionate, if only more of your race were like you.''
``Thanks for the compliment. I admit, I have at times hated my own race for what we have become.'' I reply. I feel the ship veer to the left, as I watch my home world get further away.
``You're welcome, Ryan, I'm only telling the truth, if you can sit back down in your allocated seat please, we're almost to the colony ship, to dock.''
I nod, as I push myself off from leaning against the bulkhead near the window and sit back down in my seat, hitting the button letting the restraints kick in as they secure me.
I hear a crackle of a nearby speaker, as a male voice spoke, I assume through the radio, in clear English but with a very firm determined voice, ``We are not expecting any arrivals today. Please identify. We have you targeted and are prepared to fire.''
I watch as Lizareth, hits a button on her headset, ``Approach Control, this is Lieutenant Draconian. Arriving on official business. We have a human onboard.'' She says with clarity and a hint of authority.
``Welcome back Lieutenant, we will be checking identification upon landing, or risk being detained. Please land at docking bay D-24.'' Replies the grim male voice.
``Acknowledged, proceeding to intended vector, Lieutenant Draconian out.'' She says, pressing the button on her headset.
I look at Lizareth with certain curiosity; she catches my look, ``What?'' she asks, as she looks at me over her shoulder.
``You're a Lieutenant? And that's your last name?'' I ask. ``Yes it is, is there something wrong, Ryan?''
``No, not at all, I find it intriguing that you're a Lieutenant and I love your last name, it suits you.'' I say giving her a quick smile.
She gives me a smile, that I am sure it has a hint of seductiveness to it, or it was just my imagination, I'm pretty sure it was my imagination.
``Thank you, Ryan, which means a lot to me.''
I peer out the cockpit window, hoping to see the colony ship that she speaks of, all I see is stars and the dark void of space, ``Lizareth, where is the colony ship?'' I ask.
She grins at me, hits a series of buttons and then, the biggest surprise of all, a massive ship materializes in view, as if it was cloaked. ``Holy... shit...'' I say slowly, gazing at this big vessel in awe.
``You like it, huh?'' she asks me, giving me a smile. ``It's a real space ship, a huge one; I'm at a loss for words, how long is it?'' I ask tipping me head at the giant ship in our field of view.
``It is currently five point six kilometers long,'' I give a low slow whistle, ``It is a Mixed Species Destroyer Class Colony Ship.''
I give her a confused look, ``What do you mean by `mixed species'?'' I ask.
She gives a flustered look as she hits a button on her seat, making it swivel around to face me giving me her full attention, ``I haven't... been totally honest... with you Ryan.'' ``How so?'' I reply crossing my arms. ``Yes, my species live on the ship, we own it and we commissioned it, but we also have other species that live on it with us.''
``What other species?'' I ask raising any eyebrow, a bit concerned now. ``Well, we have the Swerina, they are in your human `terms' would be considered anthropomorphic birds.''
``Well... shit. That's unexpected. Do they speak English?'' I say with a loss for words, ``What other species are there?''
``To answer your first question, every other species that live on the ship do speak English, perfect English, so every species you encounter on it, even my own, you will be able to have a conversation with them, so don't be alarmed by that. Second, the other species that live on our ship are the Terim; they are in human terms, anthropomorphic dragons.''
``Umm, did you say... dragons?'' ``Problem?'' she asks, raising a scaled eyebrow.
``Dragons are real?'' ``Yes, Ryan, they are very real, the ones you humans have thought up in stories, myth, legend, movies, TV shows. The exact ones, but with arms, legs, hands and feet and walk upright like you and also talk.''
This is getting more...incredible as it goes, finding out there's more than her species living on that ship.
``Is that all the species that currently live on your ship?'' I ask. ``No, there's three more,'' ``There's more? Damn, you have a massive crew.''
``Indeed we do a crew of twenty thousand to be precise.'' I look at her in awe, ``I can tell you're shocked by your apparent expression, Ryan, you will get to meet the majority of them. The next species currently living on our ship are the Nali, they resemble on Earth what you humans call sharks, they are anthropomorphic too,'' I gulped, ``Sharks? The animals we humans fear when entering our oceans, the animals that have attacked surfers and caused fatalities at our beaches.''
She gives me a look of annoyance almost akin if she wants to punch me to oblivion, ``Ryan, they are non-sentient sharks, all they have on their mind is, feed, swim, stay alive, sex, feed, rinse and repeat, the sharks that live on the ship, who are sentient, hence being anthropomorphic like myself and you, my best friend on the ship and colleague, she is a shark, you will get to meet her.''
``Perfect.'' I say in a way that it sure didn't sound like it was. ``What's the last species living on your ship if I may ask?'' I ask her.
``The last species to mention are the Pelenini; they resemble on Earth what you humans would call dogs and wolves.''
I almost fall out of my seat, if that were possible, after hearing her say that, ``Wait... there is an alien species living on your ship that resemble dogs? You mean actual anthropomorphic versions of dogs that we have on Earth.''
``Yes, there is, I have a few close friends on the ship that are the Pelenini, they come in different forms and breeds, but they can talk in perfect English, do everything like you humans can, hence being anthropomorphic.''
``There are a few more alien species on board the ship, but we will talk about that later,''
Sen beeps, as he lights up, ``Lizareth, we are approaching the docking bay, they have given us the clearance to land and say that the Captain and couple of his high ranking patriots are there to greet us.'' Announces Sen, as he hits a few controls.
``Good, Sen, take over the controls, prepare for docking procedures, nice and steady, and glad to hear, I need a word with him anyway.'' Says Lizareth, as she hits a button on her armrest, making her chair swivel back to its retaining position, from facing me. ``Aye, aye.'' Replies Sen.
As we approach the ship, I just gaze at its size; it's so huge and gigantic, whoever designed it and manufactured it has brilliant minds, it is an engineering marvel, not even my own race could achieve such a thing, and we are centuries far from that technological achievement.
As I lookout the starboard window to my right, I could see its length just go on and on, it seems that it never ends, as we near the docking bay, two massive steel doors slowly starting opening horizontally. Sweat started to bead on my forehead, as I started to become very nauseous and nervous, on to meet these other alien races that I have never met in my life time or of the very existence of us humans.
I'm not nervous around Lizareth anymore, as we've been properly introduced, we get along, we are very good friends now and we know each other, not on a personal level as of yet, but still, I feel comfortable around her, she is an anthro lizard and I'm glad that she cares very deeply for me, even more than most I have noticed.
I watched as Sen, professionally and confidently, maneuvers the ship into the docking bay as the two massive steel doors were slightly ajar to let us hover on through, it's as if he has done it over a thousand times.
As we clear the docking bay doors, making our way down to the flight deck, I see various alien species, different workers of different trades; they all were wearing different, uniforms and suits.
But what shocked me the most is who and what they were, I gulped nervously, I was very nervous on meeting them, I saw Lizareth's species, anthro sharks, anthro birds, anthro dragons and anthro dogs... and what the...anthro insects and...another what the... anthro snakes? You gotta be kidding me?
They were wearing uniforms of all sorts, variety of colors, seeing that they also have their names and ranks etched on them.
`Oh, fuck.' I thought as Sen gracefully brings the ship on approach to the deck, landing without any hassles or any bumps.
I then hear the radio crackle, ``Lizareth, glad to see you home, yah ol' lizard, how was the human home world?'' A female voice sounds through the speakers.
Lizareth puts a hand to her headset, ``Shut it, Rezini, and the journey to the human world was eventful.'' She says as she looks at me and gives me a smile.
``How eventful?'' she asks. ``Well... very eventful and amazing. It was fun.'' As Lizareth looks at me, I mouth the words `You didn't tell them about me?'
She shakes her head, mouthing the words `No, I didn't I kind of forgot to.' I roll my eyes, `Great.' She gives a flustered look, `Sorry!'
``Goooooooood, you can tell me about it once you get your scaly ass out of that ship.'' her reply from the radio. Lizareth laughs with a slight hiss, ``Copy that, Lizareth out.'' She replies.
``Who's that?'' I ask. ``She is the shark I told you about; we've been best friends for years.'' She replies. I nod, ``That's good to know.''
I hear the ships engines power down, as Sen and Lizareth disengaged their restraints getting out of their seats, ``Let's go, Ryan, to the ramp.'' She says waving me over to follow her, as I followed her through the corridor of the ship, followed by Sen behind me as he hovered.
We got to the door of the ramp, I take a deep breath, Lizareth eyes me with a worried look, ``You okay, Ryan, you look uneasy?''
``Wouldn't you if you were to meet a lot of alien species, which have never seen nor met a human before?''
``Ryan I felt the same way when I first met your species. I know exactly how you feel, I was very uneasy when I first met your kind, but hey...'' she gives me a light pat on the shoulder, ``...Now, we're the best of friends, it will just take time for you to get used to this new kind of lifestyle with brand new species.''
``You're right, I need to face this, I will get used to it, it will just take time, I will make new friends while I'm here, new connections, it will be perfect.'' I stared straight ahead into the grey colored steel of the ramp.
``Are you ready, Ryan? Because as soon as I lower this ramp,'' she says pointing a scaled finger at the door ``...your brand new life has just begun, they WILL get a shock when they see you so do not be alarmed by that and will be suspicious of you.''
``Well...'' I say fishing into my front pocket, pulling out my pair of dark shaded Ray Bans, as I look at Lizareth and give her a nod.
She smiles, ``Sen, pop the ramp.'' With a hiss and a clunk, the ramp starts slowly lowering down, I use my breath on the lenses of my Ray Bans, giving them a quick polish with my shirt, donning them, I turn to Lizareth ``...Here's to a new life.'' She nods, as we both started walking down the ramp.
