The Ally

Chapter 4

I've never been inclined to delve into conspiracy theories or entertain fantastical notions, not out of disinterest, but rather a preference for clarity and truth.

However, standing before this being with eyes as dark as the void, I find myself reevaluating. Suddenly, the possibility of hidden truths and enigmatic mysteries feels more tangible than ever before. It's a curious sensation, one that both intrigues and unsettles me in equal measure.

"Help me." He said yet again. This time the tone was blank.

I hesitated, my gaze drifting to the side as I grappled with his request. Alien or not, I still was not familiar with him, and the stakes seemed impossibly high. "I don't understand how I'm supposed to help..." I trailed off, the words dissolving into the growing unease between us.

"I need to get back home." He sighed. "And there is not enough time. They are going to take my spaceship and without it I cannot get home."

"Wh- didn't you mean to come here?" I asked confused. He didn't appear lost or unintended in his arrival.

"What, no." He quickly said. "I... I got here by accident. It was actually my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"I stole it." He looked to the side, almost embarrassed.

"You stole... from who?"

He sighed once more and put on his serious face yet again. "I admit, I took it from my birth-givers because it looked intriguing, and I simply wanted to explore its interior, as I was not permitted to do so." He kicked at a small stone on the ground, sending it skittering across the dirt path.

"Go on." I said, knowing very well there's more to this story.

"It was not only me though, my brother friend helped me."

"So, is he your brother or your friend?" I asked just to make sure I'm following everything.

"Friend, who is like a brother to me." He clarified, a slight smile touching his lips at the mention.

"Okay, go on sorry."

"Anyways, my birth-givers only had that spaceship for a week as part of their work or something, they did not tell me the full story as usual. And I thought it was my only chance to explore it in the meantime while the opportunity presented itself."

I nodded to show that I was still listening.

"So, I  called my best friend to come help me open it because it opens with the help of another." He continued. "You see, it needs two people to activate it using two buttons from each side of the main and only door. I could do it myself,  but those two buttons are very far apart and hidden in plain sight on each side."

"Oh." I said as I was processing all that he had said so far. "Wait, so where's your best friend?"

"He is back home. As soon as he helped me activate it, his birthgiver suddenly called him and he had to go early." He chucked a bit. "I guess that is where it all started."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, now I could explore by myself. Something about being alone while doing something you are not supposed to - that feels much safer."

"What?" I asked, quite confused because that statement didn't make sense to me.

He shook his head dismissively. "The crux of the matter is, as I was exploring its interior, I inadvertently activated the hyper-loop function while marveling at its ceiling. It happened in the blink of an eye - suddenly, I found myself hurtling through space, destined for your dimension."