Fitzsimmons

Constellations

Quick Note: It's a little late, sorry. Also this is my first time writing about aliens so forgive the initial awkwardness.

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When she entered the lab she had been led to, the first organism Jemma saw was fluorescent blue and seemed to be oozing a dripping, turquoise mucus-like residue. He or she or it emitted a strange gargling noise, and Jemma was startled back. Bracing herself against the wall behind her, Jemma began recounting every bad memory of her lifetime. This was the scariest, by far.

But it was also thrilling, being the first to see a new species, being the first human to step foot on this planet. And this species was so advanced in their tech. She was torn between curiosity and fear. The scientist part of her prevailed, and she stood up confidently, hoping the alien before her would be able to communicate. It seemed smart enough. Maybe it was a scientist, too. Some of the room around her looked like the laboratory back home. She opened her mouth to greet it.

"Sorry about that," the creature said, its voice suddenly a perfect imitation of hers. The initial eeriness passed quicker this time, and now Jemma just wanted to know how they had copied her entire dialect. "My communication device was lagging. My name is," the thing spoke a series of inhuman clicks and gargles, then bared its teeth in what Jemma hoped to be a smile. She smiled back hesitantly, still nervous to reply. "Welcome to Hala."

"Hello, um, do you have an English name I could call you?"

"Of course," the alien replied. "Call me Bob."

Jemma had to stifle a hysteric giggle with her hand. If she didn't know better, she would have thought this entire planet, this entire experience had been the result of some mind-altering drugs. Really, though, it was a blue alien named Bob. How much crazier could this get?

"I do not understand. Your endorphin levels are rising. I can identify your emotion as amused. Why are you amused?"

"Your name is Bob," Jemma explained, then started laughing at the poor being's confusion.

"Perhaps names are amusing to Homo sapiens. I shall test this hypothesis." The alien picked up a flat screen of glass, tapped a slimy finger-like appendage to it, activating it to fill with blue light. Strange technology. As his mushy, three finger things rattled the screen, different lines and dots appeared on the glass. Must be their language.

"Simmons, I would like to perform an experiment. Would you like to take part?"

Jemma furrowed her eyebrows for a few seconds, then quirked a half smile at Bob, who immediately reciprocated with a display of his needle-like teeth. Jemma felt herself laughing again, and Bob tried to join in, but it ended up sounding more like he was gagging, so Jemma made herself stop.

"Do I have your permission to begin the experiment?" Bob asked intently.

"You're asking me for consent in an alien experiment?" Jemma asked in disbelief. In most movies the aliens tied down the hero and performed a variety of painful tests, no questions asked. This alien was asking her to participate, and she got the feeling it would be fine if she said she wouldn't.

"Yes, do I have it? The procedure will not be painful at all. Well, unless Homo sapiens are in pain when they are amused." He gestured to a mechanism in the corner that looked a lot like a dentist's chair.

"We're not," Jemma replied, taking a seat. Bob looked at her in awe of her knowledge, and she managed a light chuckle. "I could probably tell you a lot about Homo sapiens, seeing as I am one."

Bob set down his screen and folded himself down to the floor, where he eagerly stared at Jemma. "That would be extraordinary. I've heard many rumors about you Midguardians, and I'd love for you to clarify them for me."

"Of course," Jemma answered, somehow pleased, herself, despite all of the homesickness and the terror. She was going to have a civilized conversation with a different species. She was acting as the human representative, speaking for all of her race. She could get over her fright enough to bask in that glory. Plus, Bob seemed friendly. Perhaps this was the beginning of a prosperous friendship between Earth and Hala.

"Do Homo sapiens really have a special day of worship on which immature Homo sapiens dress as characters from folklore and collect sweet food products from mature Homo sapiens?"

"Yes, and it's called Halloween." Bob made a delighted noise, and Jemma gave a nose-crinkling laugh.

"Can you also respirate fire?" Bob asked seriously.

"No, unfortunately that one is made up." Bob made a face reminiscent of Fitz's infamous pout, and Jemma found herself smiling sadly before Bob fired another question at her.

As Bob continued to question Jemma on different cultural activities and abilities Homo sapiens enjoyed, she began to forget more and more about her discomfort and fear until she was actually excited about spending more time explaining humanity to Bob. She truly believed this was the first step in forming a bond between the Kree and the Humans. Soon, their galaxies would be connected in a beautifully harmonious friendship. The Kree would share their technology with the Humans, and the Humans would share their culture with the Kree. And it was all forming, right in front of her very eyes. She could see the Nobel prize in her future.

Maybe that optimism is what blinded her from seeing what the Kree were really doing to her. They were luring her, reeling her in. If she had been more doubtful, maybe she might've seen it coming.

The Kree didn't care about her, they just needed knowledge. And when Jemma's limited knowledge ran out, the Kree would resort to... other options. And they wouldn't be gentle about it.