Cipher

Chapter 1: Arrival

It was still strange to see buildings above ground. Some were so tall he had to crane his neck to see the top; buildings that would have never survived the winds of his parent's home world. They seemed to stretch carelessly into the sky like they were reaching for something. What exactly, he did not know. The stars, maybe? The moon? Or maybe a forgotten planet several light years away orbiting a star that no longer shone. A planet he would never get to see. His head rested against the window as he looked out at them and at the seemingly endless pale blue sky of the desert city, his home for the next year.

The trip hadn't been without its challenges, with airports being even more confusing than expected and extra long processing for someone of non-human descent, but he was finally here. The car drove for nearly an hour before turning off the main highway and into a neighborhood. The small city of significantly shorter buildings was where he would be staying. The Johnstons had graciously offered to host this extremely foreign student in their home while he attended school and fulfilled his assignment. There were other families who offered, of course, either from curiosity or genuine kindness; after a thorough screening they had been chosen.

He had been in contact with their eldest son, Isaac, for the past month, making a friend while also familiarizing himself with human technology. It wasn't all that different from the technology Aeolians had access to; in fact, many of the huge leaps forward in human technology were due to the knowledge his people had shared with this world. His interactions with Isaac had given him a better understanding of humans in ways television and brief visits to nearby towns never could. This assignment would be his first, the entire year a test. And he would not fail it.

The long trip affected him more than he realized. His contact gently shook him awake. "Cipher, sir, we're here." He blinked blearily at the young man; he sounded like a concerned parent, though Cipher knew he had no children of his own. Although, both he and the Johnstons had guardianship over Cipher while he was away from the burrow so maybe he did have at least one child.

Cipher's complexion warmed at the thought. "Thank you, Duane." he did not look much older than Cipher himself, but as he knew looks were deceiving. Duane's aura was that of a man with more experience than most had in a lifetime.

The driveway led to a modest two story house surrounded by desert flowers. It was obvious they were well cared for. Isaac had mentioned his mother's skill for gardening, but he could tell it was more than skill, it was a labor of love. Duane helped him retrieve his bags from the trunk as the Johnstons came out to greet them.

"Hey, Cipher!" He looked up to see Isaac striding toward them.

"Hello, it is nice to finally see you in person," he said shaking Isaac's hand.

Isaac smiled. "It's about time, too. I think a few of my friends were starting to think I made you up."

"In that case, you will have to introduce me to those friends first."

Isaac's smile grew. He looked as if he were about to say more when his father appeared on the front doorstep. "Why don't you ask if he needs help with his bags?" Mr. Johnston suggested as he came down the driveway to meet them.

With a slight smirk Isaac turned to Cipher. "May I take one of your bags, good sir?"

"Of course," he played along offering one of the duffles to Isaac who took it with a flourish.

Mr. Johnston only shook his head and offered to help Duane with his load. The four made their way into the house where they were met by the smells of home cooking. It almost made Cipher wish he could eat as much as humans did. Cipher spotted Mrs. Johnston as he followed Isaac through the entryway. Her long dark hair was pulled back from her face as she worked over the center island in the kitchen.

"Hello!" she welcomed them. "You two are just in time for dinner." She looked down, "say hello, Aaron." Cipher saw a small figure hiding behind her legs. The boy shook his head and backed further out of sight. Mrs. Johnston sighed. "He's a bit shy with strangers."

"That is quite alright," Cipher said. "I am sure we will be friends once we get to know each other."

"I'll show you your room," Isaac motioned up the stairs. Cipher nodded, following him up. "All the bedrooms are on the second floor," Isaac explained as they climbed. "Mom and Dad's room is next to Aaron's," he gestured to the right, "Any yours is next to mine." He turned to the left, passing the first door and entering the second. "Here we are. What do you think?" he set Cipher's bag at the foot of the bed.

"Quite spacious. This will do nicely." He set his duffle next to the other.

Isaac seemed to be holding in a laugh.

"What did I do?" Cipher asked knowing full well that he had done something; he just wasn't sure what.

"Nothing," Cipher saw the edge of Isaac's aura spark and was not convinced. "Nothing." he insisted.

"You know that if you do not inform me of my mistakes I will not learn from them." Cipher crossed his arms, daring him to challenge his logic. They had talked about this several times over the past month.

"Okay," Isaac said, drawing the word out. "You don't have to speak so formally. It's okay to relax when you're talking to friends."

Cipher considered it. He nodded. "You are right. I will attempt to use more casual language."

Isaac took a deep breath as he put a hand on Cipher's shoulder. "We'll work on it."

They headed back down the stairs toward the clanking of dishes as six places were set at the table. Seeing Isaac's parents together, Cipher could tell that Isaac took after his father. They were both extremely tall, but that was by Aeolian standards. They were probably around six feet tall, their skin a dark mocha. His mother's had more of a warm coppery tone. It was strange to him that their skin color didn't shift to suit their needs. It was almost always the same, unless the sun darkened or even burned it. Duane looked almost laughably pale in present company. Even Cipher's complexion had darkened in response to the scorching heat of the Arizona sun in July. As they sat around the table he absently traced the pattern along his left arm, he spooned small portions of a few of the dishes onto his plate in an attempt to be polite.

"Are you not feeling well, Cipher?" Mrs. Johnston asked.

Cipher turned to her. "I am well. My diet is just-" he paused to find the correct word in English. He couldn't quite grasp it so he settled on - "Different."

"Of course," she nodded in understanding. "I remember. Duane will bring most of your food for you. Is there anything I can make for you, though? I hate to see a young man not eating."

Cipher shook his head. "This is wonderful, thank you." And it was. Food was not a large focus in Aeolian culture; the amount of care and effort put into this meal was much more than what was considered normal for his people. There was so much variety he wished he could try it all, but knew it was not well advised. Traditional human food was fine in small doses, an entire meal... less so.

As the night progressed, Cipher settled in, thankful for his host family. It almost felt like he was back in the burrow. Whoever chose the Johnstons must have been an aura reader like him, because the whole room practically glowed with contentment. It was a gift, one that he would not take for granted.

He did not expect this coming year to be easy. But he was ready.

***Author's Note***

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to comment and vote :)

Just FYI this is a first draft of the novel. As such, it's going to be much less polished than the short story I published about Cipher and friends. Please don't hesitate to put constructive criticism or if there are any errors in the comments; I want to make this story as good as it can be!