The Station, Part 27 cont.

I’m not concerned about that just now. That comes later, once I have resumed my other self. For now, I am one of them, one of many multitudes of passengers on this mighty ship. I finish my fruit with unadulterated glee. My appetite is far from satiated and I pick up another fruit and before I discover so with my taste buds, wonder what wonderful new flavor I will experience. After all, everyone knows no two fruits ever taste alike. Everyone here knows that.

Just what was that? I’m awake again, at least I think. I took a quick a quick glace around, actually expecting to be on top of a giant glowing mushroom gulping down a glowing piece of fruit. I still taste it. It’s wonderful. But, no I’m not there.

My small apelike companions are still that same discreet distance away from me. They are both sucking on what look like roots of some kind. They look my way as they do so, and there is no nervous tension from what I can tell. After the male’s charge at me from earlier, I would have thought that he would at least be making more of a challenge. Or making an effort to put himself between me and the female. That’s not the case, however. If anything he sees no threat in me. I don’t know if it he somehow has decided I am indeed no threat, which I am not, or because of my awkwardness that I am no challenge for him. In either case, it makes no difference. I am being lead somewhere. And I know I must follow. But why?

I didn’t realize how long I had been out. More than ten hours. And my primitive guides waiting for me all that time. I know I’ve been pushing myself, but damn it, I’ve managed once again to waste more unnecessary time. No one thought to include am alarm for the suit’s internal chronometer. I mean really, why bother? What fool falls asleep while on an excursion. Or for that matter, voluntarily spends the better part of a week inside one? Sure, it’s equipped to handle the messiness that is human biology just fine. But who actually wants to be a part of that? Okay, enough of my self flagellation. Good idea my guides. Breakfast it is. I can only guess that my paste is probably less tasty than what it is you two are having.

They’re on the move again, walking slow allowing me to make my way without much strain. There I go again, making assumptions about these creatures without any real experience to back it up. But it’s funny, funny in a strange way, that for lack of a better explanation, since my arrival here, I have begun to know things as if I’ve always known them. Knowledge that I didn’t know was there has been making appearances. Was it always there? I don’t know. Sometime in my past I must have learned these things, forgotten them, and then for whatever reason these lessons reappeared. My subconscious at work perhaps. Trying desperately to make sense out of my predicament and what must be impossible. And yet here I am. And what has started to frighten me is how I feel about all this. This place, the creatures I have seen, and now these creatures, these two people—Yes, I do believe no matter how primitive they may appear—are indeed people, are becoming more of an interest than that of locating the station. I feel this way, yet I don’t like it. Not one bit. I must not lose my focus.