Twin Earth

Chapter 43

As the gloopy walls of the adjacent blob cage cleared, we stared at an abnormally thin being, which was stood with its back towards us staring out at the view beyond. It wasn't much taller than us, but its arms were spindly and long, almost reaching the floor as they hung loosely from its shoulders in an almost painful direction, giving the impression it could fall backwards at any moment. It was also naked. Its skin a deep shade of reddish green, almost reptilian in nature.

"What's it doing?" Rachel whispered, leaning over to me and making me flinch in surprise.

"How should I know?" I quipped in annoyance. "It seems to be staring at the sun."

"But why? Can it see us?"

"Not if it's looking the other way dumbo."

"Okay okay. I was just asking. I was just thinking it could help us get out of here, that's all."

"Is it me, or does he..."

"How do you know it's a he?" Rachel interrupted.

"Does he, or she," I replied sarcastically, "seem surprised to you at what's happening to this planet?"

"It does seem fascinated by the view," Rachel replied curiously. "It keeps twisting its fingers as if its nervous."

"Yeah, I noticed that."

Suddenly the strange being turned around and flinched in surprised as it discovered us standing there, staring at it.

"Well, I guess that answered your question Rachel. The thing has breasts... I think," I whispered, trying to calm my nerves as the female alien walked towards us, cocking its head to one side like a praying mantis would do to its prey. Neither of us spoke as we backed away slowly, unsure of our next move.

"What's it doing?" Rachel whispered nervously.

"I think it's studying us. It's probably just as confused as to who we are, as we are of it."

The reptilian female, we discovered, had more than one set of arms, which we hadn't noticed from behind. Hidden under its armpits were short, stumpy hands, but nothing like a human's. They were more claw like, with pinchers that were actively twitching in anticipation of what I didn't care to think about. Its knees too were bent awkwardly backwards as it stood looking at us with its wide, blackened oval eyes. Even its head was like a praying mantis; triangular in shape with bizarre spiny flaps like those you would find on a bearded dragon. Then suddenly it lifted up one of its long droopy arms towards us and held it there, cocking its head to the opposite side as if waiting for us to respond. So I did the same.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked horrified.

"I don't know, saying hello?" I retorted. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had a feeling it was just as stuck in its cage as we were. What did I have to lose? I thought, as I lifted up my own hand. The mantis like being then moved its arm from side to side, copying me as I did the same.

"This is incredible," Rachel replied, but as she did so the being looked over to her and then dropped its arm, turning away to look at the view once again. "What did I do?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think you did anything. I think it's genuinely bothered about the destruction of this planet," I replied as the alien began to frantically point at various parts of the view and then look back at us both.

"It's like it wants us to know what's happening to this planet," Rachel suggested.

"But we already do. So what's it trying to say?" I mumbled more to myself as we continued to watch the alien frantically move about, almost hopping now on its lanky legs. Then suddenly it stopped and looked down at the floor as if trying to find something. When it did find whatever it was looking for, it stood motionless, staring over at us. Then it closed its eyes and for a second I had strange sense of sadness come over me. Even Rachel remained silent, keeping her endless questions to herself for once. Then finally it reached down with one of its arms and pressed something, instantly disappearing into a momentary flash of black, taking its gloopy cage with it and leaving us with just the desolate terrain beyond.